Tape #2: After-School Band Practice.

Jennifer walks down her block by herself. She flips open her phone to see if she has gotten any instant messages on her phone. She rolls her eyes when there’s none.

She turns towards a house and walks up the steps. She opens the front door with her key and enters the house.

Jennifer tosses her bookbag on the floor next to the front door. She walks towards the kitchen to where her mom, Lydia, and her aunt, Gabby, sit at the kitchen table, talking. Both women turn around and look at the teenager.

Lydia: Hey, sweetie–

Jennifer walks past her mother to go towards the fridge. She opens it and looks inside.

Jennifer: Where are my Berry Blasters?

Lydia: They aren’t just yours, honey; they are for everyone–

Jennifer: But I specifically picked out that flavor because it was my favorite.

Lydia: Like I said, they are for everyone, so your sister–

Jennifer groans and closes the fridge hard. She walks away from the two women and doesn’t leave the kitchen until one of them says something.

Lydia: Young lady, that is not your fridge to be slamming all crazy.

Gabby: *to Lydia* Lyd…

Jennifer turns around to face her mom and her aunt.

Jennifer: Oh, well I’m sorry; I forgot that we’re nomads and move wherever we possibly can because we don’t have a real home.

Lydia: *stern* Jennifer Ann Castro.

Jennifer doesn’t say anything else, but she does roll her eyes when her mother isn’t looking. Her mother changes the subject.

Lydia: Your band practice can only run until 5 today.

Jennifer: *whines* Mom, it’s already 4 o’clock! We can’t practice for just an hour!

Lydia: Well today you’re gonna have to. Aunt Gabby is having company over and she does not need her guests listening to you guys scream in the garage.

Jennifer: Whatever.

Jennifer finally leaves the kitchen and heads towards the garage. Once she gets there she sees that Milo is setting up his guitar ahead of practice. Jennifer walks in and begins to set up things as well without saying anything to Milo. Milo looks up at Jennifer and finally says something.

Milo: So you’re mad at me for being mad at you trying to get Nicki to talk to Danny?

Jennifer doesn’t answer right away. Milo scoffs.

Milo: So much for caring about my friends…

Jennifer: You’re being a dick, dude.

Milo: *sarcastic* Wow! She speaks!

Jennifer turns around and looks at Milo.

Jennifer: You wanna know what my problem with you is? You treat me like I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I asked for a best friend, not a babysitter.

Milo: How can I ever support you being friends with a guy that literally didn’t care one ounce that he took your virginity away.

Jennifer: Who cares? It happened and it’s done-

Milo: *loud* No, it’s not!

Jennifer looks at Milo. Milo takes a deep breath before continuing.

Milo: Just because you’re done with what happened, maybe I’m not. Maybe I still get so angry hearing you talk about that asshole the way you did the night you lost your virginity and felt horrible afterward. I get angry because I remember when you told me loud and clear last summer that you didn’t even know if he had a condom on. Like, that ass wipe doesn’t need to be friends with you and he surely shouldn’t be trying to talk to Nicki. Like doesn’t that break the girl code?

Jennifer: What do you even know about girl code?

Milo: Not much, but with two of my best friends being girls, I for sure know that my two friends shouldn’t be giving each other your leftovers for you guys to try out.

Jennifer: *defensive* Danny isn’t my leftovers–

Milo: Well he’s not, nor was he ever, your main course.

Jennifer genuinely looks hurt by Milo’s words. Instead of showing her feelings, she immediately gets angry.

Jennifer: Screw you, Milo! At least I have people interested in me! Unlike you.

Milo: I would rather be alone than some idiot making idiot decisions just because they think they’re in love or some shit.

Before the two can continue to bicker, Nicki enters the garage and looks at her two friends. They both look at her, going silent as she enters.

Nicki: We do have practice, right?

Jennifer: Yep, and mom told me that practice can’t run longer than 5 today.

Milo takes out his flip phone to see what time it was.

Milo: It’s already 4:15; we literally only have 45 minutes to rehearse something we have no idea about–

Jennifer: Yeah well shit happens, Milo; we can’t all walk and live on this earth and make decisions to your liking…

Milo: It’s not for my liking, it’s for our own good; who knows when you’ll be in detention for talking back to a teacher again…

Jennifer: *annoyed* You know, I’m getting really pissed off at you-

Milo: Oh really?

Jennifer: Yeah!

The two friends continue to bicker and argue while Nicki stands there, trying to decipher the two. She holds her head with her hands before breaking up the argument.

Nicki: Please would you two just shut up already?!

Milo and Jennifer stop arguing and look at Nicki. They don’t look back at each other.

Nicki: I’m sick and tired of having to be the one to break this petty arguing between you two. While you guys are arguing over something stupid, we still don’t have a drummer for our band.

Milo: I told you guys I was going to play the drums.

Nicki: And who’s going to play lead guitar?

Both friends look at Jennifer, who isn’t paying attention to the conversation. She looks up when she doesn’t hear anyone talking.

Jennifer: Don’t look at me; I just sing.

Nicki sighs and sits on the sofa.

Nicki: We have this gig coming up in a couple of weeks and we don’t have a drummer.

Milo: We’ll find one, just give us some time–

Jennifer: You know Danny’s a musician, right?

Milo rolls his eyes and looks at Jennifer.

Milo: He’s not joining our band.

Jennifer: Why not? He’s pretty good–

Milo: *annoyed* I don’t care, he’s not joining my band!

Jennifer: It’s our band, Milo.

Milo: But the band was my idea, and I say that dickhead is not joining the band.

Jennifer: Oh please, you already know he’s the better musician. *to Nicki* He’s played with the upper-class band.

Milo: *laughs* Yeah, okay; says the girl that isn’t even Waverly as a dancer because she couldn’t get in.

The garage goes silent. Jennifer shakes her head; she is hurt by Milo’s response. She walks out of the garage and slams the door behind her.

Nicki: That wasn’t cool, Milo.

Nicki walks out of the garage to check on Jennifer. Milo stands in the middle of the garage in silence.