AT RISE: College move in day, four friends are gathered around the dorm room, waiting for the last friend to arrive. CAMERON, as this is their dorm room, is sitting in their desk chair and is still unpacking. The others are spread around the room, engaged in a medley of activity. One of them may reading, using their phone, helping CAMERON unpack, or something else entirely. HARPER is on the floor, ALEX is on the unoccupied bed of CAMERON’s roommate, and SAM is in the other desk chair. A phone rings, and CAMERON stops their unpacking to check their phone.

CAMERON: Mom wants to know when we can all go to dinner. Did Bailey say when they would get here?

SAM checks their phone and sends a message.

SAM: They said a few minutes ago that they would be here soon. Asked if they knew how long.

The group goes back to what they were doing before. This time, several phones ring and the entire group checks their phone. SAM stands up, reading the message off their phone.

SAM: “Just parked and getting my key. Can ya’ll come down and help?”

SAM, ALEX, and HARPER leave the room while CAMERON stays behind to continue unpacking. After some time, there is a pounding on the door which startles CAMERON, who had gotten used to the quiet, and they go to open the door, letting in SAM & Company. They all carry a box or two and set them in a pile on what had been the unoccupied half of the room. The group is now complete when BAILEY enters last, in the middle of a story.

BAILEY: Because I was the only one at the counter, I can’t leave! I am literally not allowed to leave when I’m the only one there and then she gets pissed at me for having the fucking audacity to recommend that maybe the employee behind her can help her? She says “You mean I have to go out of my way to get this discounted?” - What’s up Cameron. - and in my head I’m like yes! Yes, you fucking do! I’m so goddamn sorry that I have to help other customers and I do not have the tools to assist you with your problem. (Heavy exhale)

BAILEY stares at the boxes as the others return to their original spots in the room. CAMERON pushes aside what little left there is to unpack.

CAMERON: (To BAILEY) So how was your summer?

BAILEY: (Hugging their friends, except Cameron, who is far away) Retail is awful. Sam, hi. Arizona was fun. Alex, hello. Harper - Oh! I have a new friend!

BAILEY runs to the boxes, excited, and vigorously digs through them. They pull out an assortment of things, (a board game, a hairbrush, several unmatched shoes) tossing them to the ground or handing them off. At the bottom of a box they pull out a massive stuffed penguin and wave the flipper. CAMERON has climbed into their bed and is watching everyone from on high.

BAILEY: Meet Horatio.

CAMERON: (Waves in greeting) Hi Horatio.

HARPER: (Taking Horatio and giving the penguin a squeeze) I love him. Where did you get him?

BAILEY: We went to an aquarium the day before we left because the trip was basically riding in a car for seven days. My parents felt bad about having dragged me out there only to not do anything. We had to immediately turn around when we got there. It was wild, ya’ll.

HARPER: Why did you have to turn around?

BAILEY: Family emergency. But the Aquarium had this huge green eel. I have pictures.

BAILEY takes out their phone to start showing the group pictures of the eel.

CAMERON: Hey, yo, I hate to side track but my mom wants to know when to come get us for dinner. Also Bailey, do you want to come to dinner? We’re going to Olive Garden.

BAILEY: God, yes. Feed me.

CAMERON: When should she come then?

BAILEY: Half an hour work for everybody? I want to unpack a bit.

CAMERON sends the text, and BAILEY looks at the pile, they are clearly overwhelmed at the amount of stuff. SAM gets up, leaving the room to take a phone call from their father. HARPER and ALEX go back to what they were doing before.

BAILEY: Alex, how was summer?

ALEX: (Gives a shrug) Oh, nothing too exciting. I mostly just worked all summer. Oh, my cousin got married.

BAILEY: You were in the wedding party, right? I remember you talking about how you were going to have to find something last semester.

ALEX: (Pulling out their phone to show pictures) Yup. It ended up storming pretty badly, and the wedding was outside, so we all had to run inside to the reception area right as it was supposed to start. My cousin ended up soaking wet because it had rained the day before and she’s trying to run on soggy ground in stilettos and a big bulky dress-

ALEX and BAILEY start laughing during the story, but ALEX is interrupted by HARPER giving a frustrated yell and slamming their hands on the floor and then getting up.

HARPER: God damn it.

ALEX: What’s wrong Harper?

HARPER: Nothing. I just forgot to print something important. I’ll be right back.

HARPER exits.

BAILEY: Anyway, what else were you saying Alex?

ALEX: (Putting away phone) Oh, that was pretty much it.

BAILEY finally begins unpacking, first arranging the boxes in a more ‘acceptable’ manner to make the work less overwhelming, if only somewhat. The first thing they begin to unpack are a series of board games and books that they stack in a closet. They check their phone several times as they do this. Almost to an absurd degree.

BAILEY: Cameron, what about you? Anything happen this summer?

CAMERON: It was a summer. I got to see friends. So that was fun.

BAILEY: Anything else?

CAMERON: Not really. My parents kept trying to get me to do things to leave my room, especially my dad. He’s worried about me.

CAMERON does not think this. They know.

HARPER: (Reentering the room, hearing this) Cam, we’re all worried about you.

CAMERON: That’s so sweet.

BAILEY: Harper? Your summer?

HARPER: Did you forget that I broke my entire leg.

BAILEY: Oh. Yes. How was that?

HARPER: (With great dramatic flair, but not aggressive) It was amazing. My leg was broken. I was in a wheelchair- which made rolling down the beach in Florida an absolute nightmare-

BAILEY: (Looking at HARPER) Wait, that’s right. Weren’t you supposed to be in a wheelchair when school started?

HARPER: After surgery, healing went better than expected, so I got out of the wheelchair earlier than I thought. Which is great because our dorm has no elevator that would have let me get to our floor.

CAMERON: You could always throw yourself up the stairs.

HARPER: (Again, with dramatic flair) Ah, yes. Allow me to just… slingshot my way to the third floor and slide back down on my ass.

CAMERON: I hear it’s all the rage.

HARPER: Ha. Haha. Ha.

SAM reenters the room, having finished their phone call and sits on the bed with ALEX. BAILEY has finished unpacking the board games and books by now. They are sitting in their desk chair and working on the next box, still frequently checking their phone for something.

SAM: I’m back. Bailey, what’s new with you?

BAILEY: (Pausing, thinking) Not a whole lot honestly. I worked all summer like Alex so I have a bunch of stories I can share. Finally got to meet my sisters’ boyfriend because they came up for a wedding, so I can finally say that he is real. Really nice too. Mom had surgery. I saw a bunch of my friends which was great. Um, let’s see… Oh, I got to see Jesse a lot which was-

SAM: How is Jesse? I know you missed them because you hadn’t been able to see them over winter break last year.

BAILEY: (Wanting to avoid the subject, getting more involved in unpacking) Fine. Jesse’s fine. I think. Haven’t seen them since, I think, middle of July? Late July, maybe? Between work, Arizona, taking care of mom and getting ready to leave I just didn’t have time to see anybody after that. I talked to them a few days ago over text though. What about you Sam? How was Florida?

SAM: I drank so much goddamn salt water. It still tastes awful if you were curious.

CAMERON: Can’t say that I was.

SAM: (Ignoring CAMERON) We went to a new restaurant that opened down there. This Italian place that had a chocolate cake you would have loved Alex. But I ate so much food. It was terrible. We had to bike back to our place because we didn’t drive. I wanted to die.

HARPER: Did you get to go running at all?

SAM: Yes. I died more. Other days I would wake up at 5AM so I’d run around our little neighborhood or I’d take a walk down the beach and when I got bored with walking then I’d run the length of it. Wouldn’t recommend that. Turns out sand is really hard to run on.