After Milo and Gwen grab a slice of pizza from the local pizza parlor, they walk down a suburban block; Milo isn’t familiar with the area. Gwen walks with Milo and stopping in front of a house. Milo observes the outside of the house, noticing the treehouse out front.
Gwen: Here we are.
Milo: Whoa…
Milo looks at the house in awe; he’s not used to seeing the pretty houses in Brooklyn.
Gwen: *giggles* Come on.
Gwen opens the front gate and enters the vicinity of the house. She walks over to the tree in her front yard, climbing the ladder attached to the tree trunk. Milo watches her as she reaches the treehouse.
Gwen: *looking down* Climb up!
Milo: *nervous* Are you sure?
Gwen: *teases* Is Milo afraid of heights?
Milo: *defensive* How can you ask a question like that?!
Gwen laughs as she sticks her head back int the treehouse.
Milo: Gwen?
Gwen doesn’t answer back. Milo lets out a deep breath and starts to slowly climb up the ladder. Once he reaches the treehouse, he sees Gwen lookin at him; she laughs.
Gwen: Took you long enough.
Milo rolls his eyes as he takes in his surroundings. In Gwen’s treehouse, there’s built-in bookshelves full of different novels. Blankets over the bottom of the floor and fairy lights surround the ceiling. Milo looks at Gwen.
Milo: Is this your secret hideout?
Gwen: It’s not so secret if my parents built it for me.
Milo: *shocked* They built this?
Gwen: *nods head* It was my birthday gift when I turned 13. I always wanted a treehouse, and I guess asking my parents for a treehouse for my birthday each year paid off.
Milo laughs. He notices some binders on top of one of the shelves; he takes one off.
Milo: You do your homework in here or something?
He flips through the binder; it’s all sheet music with different notes on the margins of the pages.
Gwen: I practice up here.
Milo: You have room to do that here?
Gwen: *laughs* Clearly. Before getting into Waverly, I practiced my audition piece up here day and night. Of course, I had to stop on some nights once the neighbors started to complain hearing the same five chords over and over again.
Milo laughs as he skims through the binder.
Milo: You take this very seriously.
Gwen: Don’t you?
Milo looks up at Gwen; he doesn’t say anything right away.
Milo: Y-yeah. I do.
Gwen: That wasn’t very convincing. Thankfully, you’re not a drama major.
Milo chuckles, then sighing before he speaks.
Milo: I enjoy playing the violin, but if I had to choose which major I enjoy more–
Gwen: *disappointed* You’d pick vocal…
Milo: *tries to explain* I really do enjoy being in band, don’t get me wrong–
Gwen: You just prefer vocal; that’s okay.
Awkward silence between the two teens.
Milo: It’s not that I prefer it, it’s just something I’ve done longer so I feel like I’m better at it.
Gwen: But you’re a dual major; obviously you had to be great in your band audition for you to get into the–
Gwen stops mid-sentence. She sighs once she puts it together.
Gwen: … the strings section, which is currently the least competitive part of the band program. *awkwardly laughs* I guess that’s why you’re so laxed in band.
Milo: The program has potential to be great… it’s just a matter of if everyone else in the section wants to be great.
Gwen: *defeated* You can’t persuade people in doing something they don’t want to do.
Milo scrunches his eyebrows together, feeling a type of way about Gwen’s perspective on things.
Milo: I know you can turn this program around with your talent.
Gwen: *scoffs* Yeah, okay.
Milo: *annoyed* Take credit where its due, Gwen. You work super hard for your position in the strings section and honestly, you’re way better than even those in the dual major program. You have the opportunity to turn this program around!
Gwen fidgets with her hair; she looks sad.
Gwen: Yeah… I guess…
Milo: *optimistic* And by the time we graduate in 2010, you’d be voted as the best violinist in our grade on top of being the valedictorian.
Gwen: Yeah…
Milo notices Gwen’s body language shift.
Milo: Are you okay?
Gwen: Yeah, yeah; I’m fine.
Milo isn’t convinced.
Milo: Was it something I said?
Gwen: No, it’s…
Gwen shifts in her seat and sighs. She pulls the long, black locks off of her head, revealing her short, blonde hair.
Gwen: I haven’t been honest with you, Milo.
Milo: *confused* About what?
Gwen tosses the black hair wig toward Milo.
Gwen: About this.
Milo: I’m… lost.
Gwen: Milo, you talk so freely about the future and all of the things you want to do. You talk about college and where you’ll be when we’re seniors and… it must be nice to actually know that those things will eventually happen for you.
Milo: Those things can easily happen to you too, Gwen–
Gwen: *mumbles* They can’t.
Milo looks at Gwen; not comprehending what Gwen is saying.
Milo: Why can’t they happen to you?
Gwen looks back up at Milo, hesitant to say anything.
Milo: You can trust me.
Gwen: I know, which is why talking about this makes it even harder…
Milo puts his hand on Gwen’s shoulder for support, sporting a smile for reassurance. Gwen lets out a deep breath after gaining back her composure.
Gwen: I have cancer.
Milo looks at Gwen; holding his breath. He doesn’t know what to say. Gwen knows this.
Gwen: I started to lose my hair because of the treatment I was on. That’s why I wear this wig; it makes me feel a little bit normal while experiencing something that’s not normal in the slightest.
Milo still can’t find the words to say. He continues to look at Gwen, hoping she would continue to speak.
Gwen: I will always let those I care about celebrate and anticipate their futures; it’s motivating and inspirational–
Milo: You will get to do all the thigs you plan to do in the future.
Gwen: *smiles* Thanks, Milo. I’ve already come to terms with the idea that while I still have so much left to do, there will be a time that I won’t. That’s okay.
Milo looks disheartened. Gwen notices; it’s her that touches his shoulder for comfort.
Gwen: Thank you for not completely freaking out or feeling sorry for me. That’s the one thing I hate when I tell people; they start treating me as if this is my last day to live and it’s like, dude; I’m not dying just yet!
Milo: *laughs* I feel like that’s just people’s natural reaction to news like this. They think they’re being sympathetic but really it’s degrading in a way.
Gwen: Exactly that. Like sure, my hair is thinning and people only associate that with cancer, but please treat me like I am just a normal teenager.
Milo looks down at the wig and back to Gwen. He smiles as he takes off his beanie and puts it on Gwen’s head. She looks at him confused.
Milo: Wear it. A hat is much more comfortable than an itchy wig. *recalls* I mean… the hat looks good on you.
Gwen laughs and smiles. She looks around and reaches for a hair scrunchie on top of one of her shelves. She hands it over to Milo.
Gwen: Just so that your hair isn’t always in your face now that your beanie is off. *smiles* You look nice with your hair pulled back anyway.
Milo blushes as he takes the hair scrunchie; he looks in Gwen’s tiny compact mirror and ties his hair with it. He likes it.
Milo: Thanks, Gwen.
Silence fills the space in the treehouse. An older woman is heard calling out Gwen’s name from outside.
Gwen: *nervous* Shit–
Gwen shoves Milo’s head closer to the floor of the treehouse, making him undetectable from down below. Gwen pokes her head out of one the windows. The woman’s voice seems to be her mom, Phoebe.
Phoebe: It’s time for dinner! Plus, it’s getting chilly out here! It’s time to call it a night up there.
Gwen: Alright mom, be down in a second!
Gwen turns her head back around, looking at Milo. She laughs at the contortionist-like position he currently is. She helps him get up.
Milo: Didn’t know my body can do that.
Gwen: *teases* Definitely dance major worthy, but then they would have to make you a triple major.
Milo laughs at Gwen’s joke.
Milo: A dancer… *realizes* Oh shit, I gotta get going!
Gwen: Late for dance rehearsal?
Milo gathers his things quickly.
Milo: Late for curfew; I’m staying with Pe– a family friend while my folks are out of town. I don’t need this to go back to them.
Gwen: Oh! Go, go!
Milo begins to get ready to leave the treehouse through the ladder. before he goes down, he gives Gwen a hug. It shocks Gwen.
Gwen: What was that for?
Milo: For trusting me with your story.
Gwen smiles at Milo; he returns it back and begins to climb down the treehouse ladder.
Letters From Liz. 