Scene One:
The stage is dark. Suddenly, a flash of red and orange light from the left, people screaming, fire trucks blaring their sirens. Enter Kara, who runs from the fire and trips and falls to the ground, coughing into her elbow furiously. Kara looks back at the fire, clutching her side in pain. There is ash on her face and burns all along her arms, but she doesn’t seem to notice. She forces herself to her feet and starts towards the building again. Enter Mother, who runs up and grabs her arm.
Mother: KARA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! (beat) Kara. (Kara is unresponsive) Kara look at me. Look at me! (grabs Kara by the shoulders) Where is Jose? Where’s my baby boy?
Kara is choked by tears, unable to speak. Mother’s eyes widen in horror. She falls to her knees, head bent low and tears in her eyes.
Mother: How? (whispering) You were supposed to be watching him. (She looks up, rage building) I TOLD YOU TO WATCH HIM! (she grabs Kara by the shirt) How could you?
Kara weeps silently. Mother suddenly softens, letting her go.
Mother: What happened?
Kara: (choked with tears, sobbing, gasping for breath) He-He’s still in there! I tried.. He got trapped in the bathroom, the door wouldn’t budge. (turns back to the building) I’m going back, let me go! Please!
Mother: NO! (mother turns Kara to face her, face distraught in the light of the fire) Young lady, I will not lose both of my children, not today.
Mother pulls Kara to her chest, hugging her tight. Mother covers Kara’s ears, to shield her from the screams. From behind, sirens grow louder.
Kara: (crying, heartbroken) Jose, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.. Perdóname, Jose. Forgive me.
Blackout (transition period) Lights up on a dingy motel room, where Kara is alone, watching a TV screen. The room is dark, illuminated only by the blue light coming from her TV.
Reporter: The devastation caused by the fire was catastrophic. More than fifty people were killed in the flames, and twenty more left with third degree burns. Security footage was recovered from the outside of the building, just minutes before the fire began.
TV jumps to a clip of a hooded figure lurking outside the building, before the figure throws a firebomb into an open window. On film, the bomb explodes, causing a massive fire that can be seen in the corner of the screen.
Reporter: Police are currently investigating as to who the man behind the fire is, but so far nothing has been found. Recent reports indicate it is likely that the case will remain unsolved. Up next, the miraculous story of Miranda, the three headed-
Kara shuts the TV off, throwing the remote down in anger. She slowly looks up, resolve dawning on her face.
She pulls out a journal and writes, speaking to herself as she does.
Kara: Jose is dead. Death by fire. He was five. (beat) They never found the culprit. (beat, looks up at the audience) But I will.
Quick Blackout, lights up on an assembly room, almost filled with students except for several empty seats. (background noise of talking students) In the back of the room is a wooden door, which opens as a handsome young man walks in. He has an easy smile, fluffy blond hair, and kind blue eyes. He walks down the aisle to the second row of seats and sits.
Door opens again, and another young man enters, tripping over the threshold. His hair is messy, and his face makes it clear he doesn’t want to be here. Guy in the front turns and calls him over.
Hunter: Luke! (waves) Here!
Luke’s face drops into an easy grin as he waves back. He walks over to Hunter, joining him in the second row.
The door opens once more, and a beautiful blond girl strides in, an expensive purse over her arm. She walks down the aisle, stopping to fix her lipstick in a small jeweled mirror and adjust her uniform, before walking straight up to Hunter.
Vienna: (to Luke) I believe that’s my seat you’re sitting in. (she smiles sweetly, but there is venom in her tone) Get up.
Luke turns to Hunter. Hunter looks away. Luke reluctantly gets up and goes to sit in the third row. Vienna sits down with Hunter and hugs his arm. Hunter smiles, but looks a little uncomfortable
A girl bursts through the door, fiery red hair thrown into a loose ponytail that hangs over her shoulder. As she walks down the aisle, the students she passes seem to shrink into their seats, avoiding eye contact. Kiera looks around expectantly, then spots the two blonds in the second row.
Kiera: (yells) V!
She runs over to Vienna and leans down, her voice lowered
Kiera: (a half concealed whisper) You will not believe what I heard.. (she points at a girl in the crowd, who notices and looks away, hurt) About her.
Vienna: (grinning) Do tell.
Vienna pats the seat next to her, which Kiera takes, whispering into her best friend’s ear. Both girls laugh cruelly and glance back at the other girl, who is clearly distraught.
The door is pushed open once more, and a tanned boy with dark curls steps in, corded headphones in his ears and a guitar case slung across his back. He has a peaceful expression on his face and nods his head to the beat of his music, unbothered by everyone around him. Kiera waves violently to get his attention, but the boy ignores it, looking around for only one person. Spotting him, the boy goes to sit next to Luke, taking out his guitar and beginning to tune it. Luke looks at him with admiration, and the boy smiles back at him.
Kiera: (standing up) Reggie! REGGIE! (strides over to him, leaning over flirtatiously) There’s a seat for you next to me.
Reggie ignores her and continues to tune his guitar. Kiera yanks his earphones out of his ears
Kiera: I said, there’s a place for you over there next to me. (looks at Luke, disgust on her face)
Reggie: I’m good here.
Kiera: Let’s go, Reggie.
Reggie: I’m not your dog. I said, I’m good here.
Kiera: (glares at him, but Reggie holds her gaze) Fine. You can stay here with your boyfriend.
She smirks at Luke, then goes back to her seat.
The door opens once more, and a tall boy with dark hair slides in, edging along the back of the room, trying not to be seen. He clutches a black journal to his chest, and sits down in the very back seat.
The door slams open dramatically. Silence falls upon the students. A tall regal woman walks in, blond hair in a high bun and chin tilted upwards. All students immediately stand to attention. She slowly walks the aisle, looking at all of them in turn. She reaches the front, turning to face her students.
Dean Alexandra: You may be seated.
Students sit, looking at her expectantly.
Dean Alexandra: Today. A momentous occasion. One you have all been waiting for, pining after for so long, tedious hours spent laboring for a single opportunity. The opportunity to compete. Take a good long look around the room, my children, for in this room is the highest concentration of student intelligence and talent in the world. (she emphasizes the word world) And for seven of you, you will get the chance to compete for the most coveted piece of paper in academic history. (she slowly pulls a scroll from behind her back, which is lavish, tied with a velvet ribbon of scarlet) The Johnson Scholarship. A chance for greatness, prosperity, ultimate success. A chance to rule the world. A chance to win the game we call life. (she twists the scroll in her hands) All in this little scroll. So, (she pauses for dramatic effect) Who wants it? (all students’ hands shoot up in the air; the dean laughs) I applaud the enthusiasm! Fear not my students, the torture ends here. (from her pocket, she pulls a small slip of paper, which she straightens out, pulling her glasses down to her eyes) And now, the seven competitors who will compete in the Johnson Trials. These students, above all, the smartest, cleverest, wisest, and most talented of them all.
Kiera: We know who’s not making the trials. (Turns around to look at Luke, Vienna laughs quietly)
Dean Alexandra: When I call your name, please stand for applause. (beat) Hunter McKenna. (hunter stands, and is met with enthusiastic applause, even a few cheers) Vienna West (Vienna stands up proudly) Luke Jenkins (more applause) Reggie Amos (more applause) Aiden Gray (less applause as people look around for him, but Hunter claps loudly) Ki-(the dean pauses, frowning) Kiera Spade. (the room goes dead silent, except for Vienna, who claps loudly, then elbows Hunter, who follows suit) And lastly, (long pause) Kara Ramierez (no one stands. The students look at each other, confused. They begin to whisper to each other, then talk loudly)
Dean: SILENCE! (the room is silent) Would Kara Ramierez please stand immediately, or else face expulsion from the trials?
Nothing happens. Then suddenly, the door bursts open for the last time, and Kara walks in, stopping in the center of the aisle. She meets the Dean’s gaze and stares her down.
Dean: Ms. Ramirez, welcome to the Johnson Trials
Scene Two:
It’s the morning of the trials. Scene set in a courtyard. There are various plants and flowers surrounding a series of small stone benches. Aiden is sitting alone, writing on a notepad. His face looks peaceful, and he reads aloud quietly as he writes.
Aiden: Pierre, (he pauses), I am writing to tell you.. (he hesitates, unsure how to continue) I don’t know how to say this. (he holds his hand against his temple, shivering in the cold) But.. There is a chance.. I may not be returning to Paris. These trials, as I have told you, are not at all what they seem. They’re twisted, I can feel it—
He is cut off by the sound of voices. He jumps in fear, dropping his pen on the ground. He quickly shuts his notepad and hides it in his coat. A group of students walk by, among them, Vienna, Luke, and Hunter. None of them notice Aiden except Hunter, who stops and gestures to his friends. Vienna rolls her eyes and Luke says nothing. Hunter approaches Aiden. Aiden’s hands are shaking. He doesn’t look at Hunter. Hunter pauses, then sits next to him. They sit in silence.
Hunter: So it begins.
Aiden: So it does.
Silence ensues
Hunter: You okay?
More silence
Aiden: I don’t want to do this.
Hunter: What? Why not? You heard the Dean. This is our way to the top.
Aiden: But it’s not, Hunter.. (his voice trails off) It’s not.
Hunter: What?
Long pause. Aiden doesn’t look at him.
Aiden: (without looking up) When’s the last time you talked to Charlie?
Hunter: I don’t see what that has to—
Aiden: Answer the question.
Hunter: I.. (hunter furrows his brows in thought) I actually.. haven’t seen him—
Aiden: Since the trials.
Hunter: He got expelled. You know the rules. Losers get expelled.
Aiden: Right. Which is why he left without all his belongings, without a word.
Hunter: He was probably upset..
Aiden: Hunter. He left his wallet, his license, his car keys. He didn’t go back to the dorms.
Hunter: You don’t know that.
Long pause.
Aiden: (sarcastically) Of course. My mistake.
Hunter: (stands up) This is fucked up. Do you even hear yourself? (he shakes his head in exasperation) Like it or not, you’re in the trials. (yelling) You can’t run away this time, Aiden! You know what you signed up for when you wrote your name down on that sheet! (beat) I’m sorry. Aiden, I—
Aiden: I know Hunter. (beat, Aiden looks up at Hunter’s face, which is contorted in sadness) I know.
He walks away, leaving Aiden alone. Aiden touches his face and finds a tear. He pulls out his notepad and picks up his pen. In anger, he aggressively crosses out everything he’s written so far, ripping out the page, crumpling it in his hands, and letting it drop to the floor. With a fresh page, he begins to write again.
Aiden: Dear Pierre, (sadness takes his face, as his voice breaks into a sob) I don’t think I’m coming home.
Lights down. Lights up on a barren room, with seven seats in a circle. The lights are dim and flickering. One by one, the competitors enter the room. Each is dressed in their uniform with a silver pin, engraved with the symbol of the school. They all sit down silently. Six of them, seated facing each other, look at the door expectantly.
No one comes through.
Kiera: Where the hell is Luke?
Hunter: Huh. I was just with him.
Kiera: (snickering) I hope he’s dead.
Reggie: (yelling) God, would you shut up!
(a long silence follows. Reggie is on his feet now, snarling at Kiera)
Kiera: (rolls her eyes)Someone’s off his meds.
Reggie lunges at Kiera, who sits smirking. He is held back by Hunter. He shrugs Hunter off.
Kiera: Careful Reg, or you might not be able to afford your pills next month, let alone the rent.
Hunter: Reg, sit down. Sit down! (he grabs Reggie’s arm; Reggie rips it out of his grasp)
Kiera: That’s a good boy Reggie. Sit and do as you’re told.
Hunter: (glaring at Reggie, softly) Don’t.
Vienna: (bored) That’s enough, Kiera.
Kiera: Oh come on, I was just having a bit of fun.
Reggie: (mumbling) Spoiled bitch.
Aiden is quiet, writing steadily in his notebook. Kara leans in, reading over his shoulder.
Kara: (quietly; to Aiden, gesturing to his writing) I like that line.
Aiden jumps, startled by Kara’s sudden comment. He pulls his writings closer to his chest, glancing at her shyly. He seems to see something in her face, something sincere. He softens a little.
Aiden: (softly) Thank you.
Kara: (she smiles) Of course. My little brother, he loved poetry. (she becomes sad for a moment, then shakes her head) Maybe one day, you could read these to someone.
Aiden: (almost to himself) Maybe.
Hunter: (to the group) Seriously. Where’s Luke? He should’ve been here by now. (checks his watch) It’s already a quarter to ten.
Vienna: (condescendingly) Oh well. (she folds her hands in her lap) Doesn’t matter. He was always too quiet. Never a threat. Boys like that never become anything in life.
Kara: Yet somehow, they’re always smarter and wiser than prisses like you.
Reggie sniggers. Hunter coughs, barely stifling a laugh. Aiden grins slightly. Kiera gasps. Vienna looks stunned. Her eyes narrow.
Vienna: (smiling) Kara, isn’t it. Yes, now I remember. The exchange student from Cuba. Funny, your last name, it’s quite familiar.. (thoughtfully, she taps a perfectly manicured nail to her chin) Ah yes, Ramirez. Rings a bell. (she stares into Kara’s eyes, false sympathy spread across her delicate features ) Terrible fire in one of the apartment complexes. Innocent civilians, burned alive in the flames. How awfully horrific. Men, women, (she pauses) …children. In fact, I remember one of the names from the news. They had his picture up. (Kara is gripping her chair, her knuckles turning white. Vienna notices and continues, the smile never leaving her face) Such a pity. A young boy like that.. so much promise, burned to ashes. (she pauses, with innocence) Did you know him?
Kara doesn’t respond, knowing that to attack Vienna would mean immediate expulsion. Vienna turns closer to Kara.
Vienna: Oh, (she pauses in mock sympathy) you did know him..
Leaning in, she takes Kara’s hand.
Vienna: (innocently) I’m so sorry for your loss. (she squeezes Kara’s hand, purposefully digging the sharp point of her nails into Kara’s skin)
Kara: Ow! (she rips her hand away)
The door opens, and the Dean walks in. Behind her, a security guard, who was Luke by the arm. Luke looks disheveled, a bloody welt on his face. Crimson blood runs down his face, grotesque and stark against Luke’s pallid skin.
Reggie: (concerned) Luke? (he stands)
Hunter looks utterly bewildered.
Hunter: (under his breath) What the fuck?
Aiden: (holds a hand to his stomach) Shit.
Dean: Mr. Amos. Please be seated. (Reggie hesitates; the Dean raises her eyebrows) Mr. Amos?
Reggie sits. The Dean gestures to the guard, who forces Luke forward. Luke falls to his knees. .
Dean: Speak, Mr. Jenkins. Address your peers.
Luke coughs harshly, blood spilling from his lip, hands shaking. Hunter and Reggie look horrified. Aiden’s face is blank. Vienna doesn’t smile. Even Kiera looks scared. Kara is confused.
Dean: Talk, boy.
Silence. The Dean nods at the guard, who kicks Luke hard in the side of his stomach. Aiden winces.
Guard: (growling) When the Dean says talk, you talk.
Luke holds his side in pain, looking up into the eyes of Kara.
Luke: You shouldn’t have come. You should’ve stayed awa–
Luke yelps in pain as the guard hits him again, causing Luke to pitch forward onto his hands
Hunter: (panicked) Dean Alexandra, surely this is too harsh a beating for a stu–
Dean: (calmly) Silence, Mr. McKenna. (she looks down at Luke) Now, Mr. Jenkins. Tell your peers what you have done. (the guard grabs him by his collar and forces him up to look at his friends.)
Luke: (struggling) I tried to leave the c-campus.
Stunned silence. Everyone, including Kiera, looks shaken by the weight of Luke’s words. Only Kara looks confused.
Reggie: (dumbfounded) What?
Luke: I couldn’t take it anymore.
Reggie: Luke?
Kara: (interrupting) This is wrong.
Dean: (slowly turns to face her) What did you say?
Kara: I said, (Kara gets to her feet) this is wrong! Why should Luke be punished for trying to leave campus? That hardly seems an offense to me, let alone a crime so bad that he needs to be beaten so badly!
Silence. Now everyone looks scared. Kara looks around for support. Everyone is looking down.
Dean: (coolly) Our school, Ms. Ramirez, is the most prestigious boarding school on the planet. (she stresses the word planet, her voice a hiss)Our high school students hold the intelligence of a full grown scholar. Each individual, blessed with a unique talent for academics, given the opportunity to become successful beyond their wildest dreams. We cannot risk the fleeting desires of adolescence in exchange for eternal knowledge. Therefore, upon acceptance to this school, in order to become a student one must agree to the terms. (beat) Would anyone like to share these terms?
There is a moment of silence. Vienna raises her hand
Dean: Vienna?
Vienna: All students are strictly forbidden to leave campus until they graduate. Under no circumstances must this rule be violated, other than explicit permission from the Dean or matters of student safety. If this rule is forsaken, the student in question will face expulsion from the Academy and further punishment of the Dean’s choosing.
Dean: Correct. (she turns back to Kara) That, Ms. Ramirez, is how we protect the tradition and rigor of our academy. That is how we protect our treasure. The most valuable possession of all.. (beat) Knowledge. To forsake this rule, in the eyes of the administration, the student body, and the eyes of our founding forebears, is indeed a crime. One punishable by not only shame and humiliation, but also by expulsion from the Academy.
Reggie: NO!
Hunter and Aiden hold Reggie back.
Dean: Luke Jenkins, (she rips the silver pin off his shirt) You are expelled from the Academy. Guards will escort you off the premises. You are a danger to the preservation of this school, as shown by your disloyal actions, and therefore must be eliminated from the trials. You may not collect your personal belongings. Leave, at once. You are a disgrace to this school and the Academy name.
Reggie: (angry) You can’t do this.
Aiden: (murmuring) Actually she can..
Hunter: (warningly) Reggie. Stand down.
Reggie: Are you fucking kidding me? (he stands again)
Luke: Sit down, Reggie! There’s nothing you can do!
Reggie: (he doesn’t move) No.
The students look at each other, scared, then look at the Dean. Strangely, she is smiling.
Luke: Reggie. There’s nothing you can do. (beat) I broke the rules on purpose.
Reggie: (persisting) But why?
Luke: (yelling) WHY? WHY?! BECAUSE I HATE THIS SCHOOL! I HATE IT! (Luke grunts in pain as the guard grabs him) I hate it.. (resolved) I’d rather throw my life away than suffer behind these walls.
Dean: Well then, (she holds the silver pin in her hand loosely, bored) so be it.
Luke is dragged out of the room, and the door is shut behind him. Reggie is weak, no longer fighting against the boys holding him back. He drops into his chair and puts his head in his hands.
Dean: The first trial is over. A test of loyalty, perhaps. How enlightening. Consider it a learning experience. Now that one competitor has been eliminated, we shall skip the first test that was scheduled. The second trial will begin tomorrow at dawn. Use this time to compose yourselves. From what I’ve seen, this is sure to be a battle to the death. (she smiles) Goodnight.
She sweeps out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Reggie stands alone, shocked.
Reggie: (a note of fear in his voice) What the hell just happened?
Fade out to black
Scene Three
Kara is walking in the dorm hallway. She is in the same uniform as the night before, and she rubs her eyes tiredly.
Kara: (mumbling) So.. early..
Suddenly, a loud crash and a yell makes her jump. Walking along the wall, she notices that it seemed to come from the door on her left. Curious, she presses her ear to the door. On the opposite side of the door, lights come up on Reggie and Kiera.
Reggie: (in an aggressive tone) You told me you’d have it by today. Where is it?
Kiera: (meekly) I told you, I don’t know.
Reggie: (slamming the wall) THAT’S NOT- (he cuts himself off, lowering his voice) That’s not good enough. I paid my weight in cash for this. I have nothing. I can’t pay the rent. And now you’re telling me you don’t have it? Are you fucking with me right now? (desperately) This is all I have left!
Kiera: (ashamed) I’m sorry.. I don’t have it.
Reggie: Then I want my money back.
Silence from Kiera. She is shaking with fear.
Reggie: (quietly) Where’s my money, Kiera?
Kiera: I- (she swallows hard, not making eye contact) lost it.
Long silence
Reggie: (slowly) You’re telling me, that all my money I had, every last cent of it, you lost?
Kara takes the opportunity to knock on the door. Reggie immediately composes himself.
Reggie: (to Kiera) You breathe a single word of this to anyone, I kill you myself.
He opens the door to Kara, forcing a nonchalant, relaxed smile.
Reggie: Is it time?
Kara: It is. Walk there together?
Reggie: Sure. (beat, he hesitates) How long have you been standing there?
Kara: Not long.
They walk away. On the other side of the door, Kiera waits for Reggie and Kara’s footsteps to fade away. Leaning against the wall, she opens the fold of her blazer and pulls out an orange bottle. She pops a pill into her mouth.
Lights out.
Lights up on a stadium, packed with cheering students. There are six small pedestals, on which one of the six competitors stands. They look like statues, faces set with resolve. In the middle of the stadium, there is a long table with six seats, facing the audience. The Dean stands in the center, presiding over her students. She raises her hand, and immediately the chatter dies down.
Dean: Welcome, my dearest students, my beloved academy. Today is a momentous occasion. These six students, handpicked from our ranks, the brightest, most intelligent of them all, fight to the death to win! They fight for a chance to change the world as we know it. Behold, the coveted Johnson Scholarship! (she holds up the scroll and the crowd cheers) With this small scroll, there is no end to the things you can do. Nothing that you cannot achieve. And for one of these six, these dreams will become a reality. (she pauses) And now… Let the Johnson Trials begin.
The crowd cheers, and the Dean goes to the center of the pedestals to sit in a throne-like chair, her arms draped imperiously over her lap. A tidy looking man dressed in violet clothing steps forward.
Professor Jade: Thank you, Dean Alexandra, for the introduction. I am Professor Jade, head of Performing Arts at the Academy. I will be in charge of timekeeping and regulating the trials. (beat) These trials are composed of six challenges, each corresponding to their respective academic course: Literature, Mathematics, Science, History, and Music. For the sixth and final test, two competitors will face off in a challenge of the Dean’s choosing. The competitor who emerges victorious from this final challenge will be crowned winner of the trials, ultimate recipient of the Johnson Scholarship! (more applause) The competitor who places last in each challenge, however, will not move forward in the trials and will be expelled from the Academy. (students get quiet as the weight of this hits them) And now, the first challenge! Competitors, please step forward and take your places along the table. Welcome to the ring, Dr. Candor, head of the Mathematics department!
A woman steps forward, dressed in a black cardigan and wearing gold rimmed glasses. Like most teachers in the Academy, she is impressive.
Dr. Candor: Good evening, everyone. For my challenge, I choose.. a riddle. (audience claps) Listen close, as I will only read this once. (beat; reading from a paper) We know very little about the life of the mathematician Diophantus, who is often referred to as the ‘father of algebra.’ However, there remains a riddle that describes the spans of Diophantus’s life.
She pauses, and the competitors hold their pencils above their papers, waiting for her to elaborate.
Dr. Candor: “This tomb holds Diophantus. Ah, what a marvel! And the tomb tells scientifically the measure of his life. God made it so he should be a boy for the sixth part of his life; when a twelfth was added, his cheeks acquired a beard; He kindled for him the light of marriage after a seventh, and in the fifth year after his marriage He granted him a son. Alas! Late-begotten and miserable child, when he had reached the measure of half his father’s life, the chill grave took him. After consoling his grief by this science of numbers for four years, he reached the end of his life.” (she pauses, looking at each of the competitors in turn) How long did he live for?
Professor Jade: Write your final answer on the card in front of you. You have five minutes. (the competitors look at him expectantly, waiting) Your time starts now! (he flips an hourglass over)
The competitors begin to scribble at their papers. From left to right is Reggie, Aiden, Kara, Vienna, Hunter, and Kiera. Reggie has his brow furrowed in confusion, not even writing on his paper. Aiden is writing calmly, occasionally stopping and mumbling to himself. Kara writes quickly and closes her eyes, thinking deeply. Vienna writes down one thing on her paper then looks up, smiling. Hunter continuously glances over at Vienna’s paper, elbowing her and sliding his paper over. Vienna shoves him away. Kiera, however, hasn’t even picked up her pencil. She folds the corner of the paper repeatedly.
Reggie: (under his breath) I hate math. I hate it..
Hunter: (to Vienna, through his teeth) Help me.
Kara: ( to herself) Almost there, no something’s not right. Wait- (she double checks her work) I got it. I got it!
Vienna looks over at Kara disdainfully, then notices the answer on her paper. Her look of disdain turns to one of fear.
Professor Jade: Thirty seconds!
Reggie: (desperately) Shit. Shit..
Professor Jade: Time! Pencils down!
The audience cheers wildly.
Professor Jade: Competitors, step forward with your answer cards facing down. On my signal, flip them and reveal your answers.
The competitors step forward, each clutching a paper placard.
Professor Jade: 3, 2, 1- Reveal your solutions!
The students flip their cards. Everyone has 84 years written on their card, except Reggie, who’s card reads 91.
Professor Jade: The correct answer was… (The audience holds their breath) 84 years!!
Reggie: No.. (his face crumples into sadness)
Professor Jade: Reggie Amos, you have unfortunately given the wrong answer. By the rules of the trials, this means you are-
Kara: Wait. She didn’t flip hers.
The Professor looks confused, before Kara points to the girl behind her and Jade realizes she’s right. Jade moves aside to reveal Kiera, who hasn’t flipped her card.
Professor Jade: Please flip your card immediately.
Kiera: As you wish.
She flips the card. The audience gasps. Several people cry out in outrage. The professor looks stunned. All of the competitors freeze. The Dean rockets to her feet. On Kiera’s card are two words. “Luke, R.I.P” The room is filled with the screams and shouts of people.
Professor Jade: But what—what..?
Dean: (snaps) I’ll handle this. SILENCE!!! (everyone goes silent; she whips to Kiera, her voice booming) By order of the trials and legacy of this Academy, you are hereby eliminated from the trials, stripped of your status, honor, and name. (she leans in) You are beneath this school and beneath me.
Kiera: (cackling) To hell with this school. I can’t wait to watch it burn.
Dean: Get her out of my sight. (Guards come forward and drag Kiera away, who is still laughing like a maniac)
There is a gaping silence. Everyone in the room is frozen. The Dean nods at the Professor. The professor, somewhat shaken, straightens his blazer.
Professor Jade: Kiera Spade, everyone. A would-be major in psychology and neuroscience. Another casualty at the hands of the trials. Reggie Amos will live to fight another day! (renewed cheers) Now, on to the second trial! Please welcome, Professor Allegri!
Professor Allegri enters. He is a kind looking man.
Professor Allegri: (clears throat, voice a little shaky) Hello students. First off, I want to congratulate you on making the trials. I haven’t met most of you, (he winks at Reggie, who gives a small smile back) but I know you will all accomplish magnificent things one day. (his gaze lingers on Reggie, and his face twitches with sadness; he shakes his head) Alright, enough from me, it’s time to play some music! (audience cheers louder than ever) For my challenge, I choose…(audience leans forward in anticipation) tonal composition.
Vienna frowns. Kara tenses in the shoulders. Hunter gasps audibly. Aiden has no reaction. Reggie beams at Professor Allegri.
Professor Allegri: This is how the challenge will work. Using my six stringed guitar, I will play a quick riff. To win this challenge, you must correctly identify all the notes played and write them accurately on the empty ledger lines in front of you. In addition, you must identify what key I’m playing in. Do this, and you will continue in the trials. Listen closely.
He pulls out his guitar, holding it loosely in his hands. Reggie closes his eyes. The rest of the competitors watch Allegri intensely. He plays a series of complicated chords on his guitar in a steady rhythm.
Professor Jade: (raises the hourglass) Five minutes on the clock, your time starts (he flips it) now!
The students write frantically on their sheets. Unlike the last challenge, Reggie is completely relaxed. All of the other competitors look stumped.
Hunter: (under his breath) Why’d it have to be guitar? Of all things..
The rest of the competitors are silently scribbling away, occasionally erasing their work with slight mumbles of disapproval.
Hunter: (glancing up at the time) Oh no. (his face is suddenly creased with panic) Oh no. (he wipes his brow, which is slick with sweat. His hands shake so badly it is difficult for him to grip his pencil)
Professor Jade: Ten seconds!!
Hunter: (with a sharp inhale) Come on! (he hits his head over and over, as if trying to beat the knowledge out of himself)
Professor Jade: TIME! Drop your pencils!
The audience cheers loudly. Reggie is smiling from ear to ear. Hunter looks sick to his stomach.
Professor Jade: Before you reveal your final answers, Professor Allegri will play the riff one more time. (Allegri plays it again, and upon hearing it Hunter’s head droops down) Competitors, please step forward. On my count, flip your placards. 3, 2, 1.. Flip!
Everyone flips. Professor Allegri walks down the line, inspecting the cards closely. He pauses at Hunter’s, and gives him a sad smile.
Professor Allegri: This was an extremely difficult challenge, and I am astounded that almost all the students have gotten the answer right.. All but one. (beat) Hunter McKenna, (he struggles to get the words out) you are incorrect. The key was not G major, but G minor. (beat) Thank you, that is all.
He walks off to the side. All the competitors can’t look at Hunter. Hunter is shell-shocked, unable to move. He stares straight ahead, unresponsive.
Kara: (touching his arm) Hunter?
Hunter inhales sharply, tears forming in his eyes. He turns to Vienna.
Hunter: Do something. Please.
Vienna: (blandly) I’m sorry.
Professor Jade: Hunter McKenna. You have failed to complete this challenge, and are hereby eliminated from the trials and expelled from the Academy. You have fought valiantly. A round of applause for Hunter, everyone!
The students give Hunter a standing ovation, and it seems to put him at ease. He walks to Professor Jade and shakes his hand. He then goes to Professor Allegri, who pulls him into a tight hug.
Professor Allegri: (whispering) I’m so sorry my boy. I’m so sorry.
Hunter faces the Dean. She carefully removes the pin from his blazer, and bows her head in respect. Hunter gives his friends one last look, then walks out of the ring, head bent low. No one sees the guards waiting for him outside.
Professor Jade: A devastating loss, for students and faculty alike. Hunter was a steadfast, loyal, hardworking young man. A would-be major in Global Politics and Economics. He will be missed. (he turns to the competitors) And now, the third challenge. Please welcome, Lady Thatcher!
Lady Thatcher, a smartly dressed woman in all black, enters the ring. She is graceful, and her words are spoken very softly.
Lady Thatcher: Thank you. Competitors, for my challenge, I choose.. Rebus puzzles. (simultaneously, all the competitors tilt their heads in confusion) Yes, you heard me correctly. A rebus puzzle. By definition, rebus puzzles are picture representations of a word or phrase. For this challenge, I will give you three. To win, you will have to identify the correct phrase or word each respective puzzle represents. (she gestures to the whiteboard next to her)
Professor Jade: On my count, I’ll flip the board and reveal the puzzles. You have five minutes. Go! (he flips the board)
Vienna: (scoffs) Hardly a proper English challenge, if you ask me.
Kara: (whispering) What did Hunter mean before? When he asked you to “do something”
Vienna doesn’t answer, eyes locked on the whiteboard. Kara gives her a sideways glance, and something seems to click in her mind.
Professor Jade: 30 seconds on the clock.
Aiden: (muttering) Not quite right..
Reggie: What the- (he aggressively erases his work)
Professor Jade: Time! Competitors, pencils down. Please step forward. On my count, reveal your answers. 3, 2, 1, flip!
Everyone flips their cards. Lady Thatcher inspects each one, stone faced.
Lady Thatcher: (not looking at him) Reggie Amos, (like Allegri, she struggles to get the words out) You have answered incorrectly. (she turns) You were very close. You only missed one. You were so close. (her voice trails off)
Professor Jade: (interrupting) Reggie Amos, you have failed to complete this challenge. You are hereby eliminated from the trials, and expelled from the Academy. Thank you for all you have contributed to this school. A round of applause for Reggie, everyone!
The students applaud Reggie. Reggie steps forward. In a flash, he rips the silver pin from his blazer and throws it to the floor. He pivots, staring directly into the eyes of the Dean, who watches from her seat, frowning.
Reggie: (snarling) For Luke.
He crushes the pin with the sole of his foot. The audience goes silent. He looks back at his fellow competitors. Aiden puts his hand to his heart and nods, a show of respect and honor. Vienna stares at him disdainfully. Kara holds his gaze.
Reggie: Give ‘em hell.
Guards grab Reggie, who doesn’t fight as he is escorted out of the ring and into the night.
Professor Jade: (looks at the Dean) W-well. Well! That was a– (he struggles to find a word) rather shocking turn of events! Reggie Amos, a musical prodigy, eliminated from the trials. (he shakes his head) We are left with three! The semifinalists, Aiden Gray, Vienna West, and Kara Ramirez!
The crowd applauds, but none of the competitors smile. Professor Jade notices this and is caught off guard for a moment, before he recovers and plasters a fake smile on his face once more.
Professor Jade: And now, the fourth challenge. Welcome to the ring, Dr. Greene!
Dr. Greene takes the stage. He is a handsome man in his forties. He wears a lab coat and goggles, and he holds a file filled with papers. On cue, a cart is wheeled out, displayed on it a bottle of clear liquid.
Dr. Greene: Good evening competitors. For my challenge, I choose…(audience holds their breath) a murder. (collective oohs from the audience) In front of you stands a beaker of fluid–it holds 100 ml. I will now read the murder description taken from a real-life case.. In order to complete this challenge and move on to the finals, you will need to correctly identify the poison used to kill the victim, Suki Hamano. Listen closely.
The competitors steady themselves.
Dr. Greene: (pulls out the case file) A professor of physics in Japan, Kazuki Miyamoto, was found guilty of poisoning one of his students. The victim, Suki Hamano, was found with a constricted throat and severe skin burns. It is estimated that Miyamoto poisoned the student during a dinner they shared two nights before, as the two had not come into contact with each other since. What was the poison used to kill Ms. Hamano?
Professor Jade: Five minutes on the clock. Your time starts now! (he flips the hourglass)
The three competitors begin to write. Kara is steady, as if she’s already done the question a thousand times before. Aiden is also writing quickly. Vienna, however, is still. She glances at the time, and her face betrays a small flash of panic. She glances backwards at the Dean. Kara notices.
Kara: (not looking up) Having trouble?
Vienna: Never.
Vienna circles her answer with a flourish. Kara rolls her eyes and continues writing. Aiden re-reads his answer over and over again, speaking to himself silently.
Professor Jade: Time! Pencils down!
The competitors put their pencils down, looking up at Professor Jade expectantly.
Professor Jade: And now, (he pauses for a moment) the finalists will be decided. (the audience is still in anticipation) Competitors, please step forward. On my count, reveal your answers. (he pauses for dramatic effect) 3, 2, 1, flip!
The competitors flip their cards. Vienna and Kara’s both read in capital letters, “Thallium poisoning.” Aiden, however, does not flip his card. He steps forward, past Professor Jade and to the front of the stage. He looks down at his placard, and begins to read.
Aiden: A song, for our dearly departed I sing. One verse, what danger that one lie can bring. A queen, set in iron, sits atop her black throne. Great power, all master, she keeps for her own. Freshed faced, such promise, blue eyes alight. Who’d tell him, O heavens, that he died in the night?
Aiden finishes, letting his paper fall to the floor. The audience is stunned. The Dean is on her feet, directing the guards to grab Aiden. Professor Jade is frozen. Aiden reaches up for his pin, removes it from his blazer, and places it gently on the floor.
Aiden: (whispers) Goodbye, Pierre.
Guards grab him roughly, dragging him out of the ring. Aiden mouths to Kara as he is pulled away, “Thank you.”
Scene
Scene Four
Professor Jade stands off to the side, realization dawning on his face. The Dean grabs him and pulls him aside.
Dean: (calmly) Professor Jade, I’ll take it from here.
Professor Jade: I’m sorry, what?
Dean: I’ll take it from here. Thank you. You may leave.
Professor Jade: I’m sorry, I don’t understa–
Dean: (coldly) You’re dismissed, James.
Professor Jade opens his mouth to speak, then closes it again. He turns to leave, then turns back again.
Professor Jade: (cryptically) Goodnight, Dean Alexandra.
Dean: Leave, now.
Professor Jade leaves, leaving the Dean alone onstage with Vienna and Kara. The Dean faces out towards the audience, her long red gown trailing behind her.
Dean: Aiden Gray has been eliminated from the trials. (she pauses) Tonight, we have lost four of our brightest students. Greatness requires grit. Grit requires sacrifice. They did not have it. (she turns to Kara and Vienna) In front of you stand two of the greatest competitors ever known to the trials. One of them will be the victor. Welcome, my students, to the final battle of the Johnson Trials. (the audience, renewed, cheers louder than ever)
Kara glances over at Vienna, who doesn’t look at her. Vienna stands tall, chin up in the air. Only Kara notices the slight shake in her hands.
Dean: As the rules state, the final challenge of the trials is to be decided by the Dean of the Academy. (she pauses) So, for my challenge, to decide the winner of the Johnson Trials, I choose…(audience goes quiet) a game of chess. (audience bursts into applause)
The long table is taken away and replaced by a single table, two chairs on either end. Spread out on the tabletop is a wooden chess set. The Dean gestures for the girls to come forward.
Dean: And now, a coin toss for sides. Ms. West? (Vienna meets her eyes, ready) Call it.
The Dean flips the coin, and Vienna watches it spin in the air.
Vienna: Heads!
The coin falls, landing neatly in the Dean’s hand. She holds it out in a closed fist.
Dean: (flips her fist over, opening her hand to reveal the coin in her palm) Tails. Ms. Ramirez, you will take white, and Ms. West will take black. Competitors, please shake hands.
The girls look at each other. Vienna glares at Kara, face set with determination. She holds out her hand. Kara meets her gaze and clasps it. They shake.
Kara: (still grasping Vienna’s hand) May the best competitor win.
Vienna: (not backing down) I plan to.
They release their hands, eyes never leaving each other’s. The Dean smiles wickedly.
Dean: Take your places.
The girls cross in the middle. Kara sits on the left, her polished, white chess pieces glimmering in the dim light, while Vienna sits on the right, fingers grazing the black queen.
Dean: (presiding over them in the middle) There is no time limit to this match. The rules of the game are simple. White will go first, followed by black. To win, you must checkmate your opponent’s king and bring it to me. In return, I will bestow you the Johnson Scholarship. The audience must remain silent until a winner is crowned. (she pauses) Competitors, ready yourselves.
Vienna sits still, eyeing the queen near her hand. Kara closes her eyes in a silent prayer.
Kara: (softly) Jose, be with me.
Dean: Competitors, (beat) You may begin.
Kara grabs a white pawn and moves it forward. Vienna matches her move with a black pawn. Kara moves another pawn forward. Vienna puts her bishop into play. Kara counters with her knight. The audience is tense, watching their every move. Yet they cannot hear what the two girls are saying to each other, as the stage is high. Vienna knows this. She speaks.
Vienna: Kara Ramirez. Did your mother give you that name? She moves a pawn forward
Kara: She did. Kara moves her knight again.
Vienna: Your mother, how is she?
Vienna takes one of Kara’s pawns with her bishop. Kara does not respond, eyes locked on the game in front of her. She moves her pawn forward.
Vienna: I once visited Cuba with my mother. Hot, dusty. Filthy streets, urchins scrounging in the dirt for scraps. Practically mauling each other for a meager piece of bread. Isn’t that sad?
Vienna swings her bishop forward, knocking Kara’s pawn off the table. Kara flinches.
Vienna: You’re from there, aren’t you? Must’ve been hard. Then again, sob stories make livings off of cheap sympathy in this school. (Kara moves her rook forward, and Vienna sweeps in with her bishop, taking it) Poor girl. Can’t catch a break.
Kara moves her knight, cutting off Vienna’s bishop. Vienna takes it in one move.
Vienna: Because that’s what you are, isn’t it? A sob story. (She takes another piece) A nobody. (Vienna’s smile is gone. She slides her queen forward, directly in line with Kara’s king) Check.
Kara has no choice but to sacrifice another knight to save her king. Vienna takes it easily.
Vienna: Check again.
Kara continues to sacrifice pieces in order to save her king. She loses more and more, only managing to take down two of Vienna’s pawns and her two bishops. The game continues quickly as both girls lose their pieces, until the only pieces left on the board are two white pawns, a white king, a black king, a black bishop, and a black queen.
Vienna: Oh Kara, (she slides her queen forward, checking Kara’s king) you should’ve stayed in Cuba.
Kara: (beat) And you should’ve stayed in Italy, yet here we are. (she pauses)
Vienna is shocked.
Vienna: H-how.. How do you..?
Kara: Oh come on, I’m not that thick. I mean, it’s understandable you would think that, given I’m a street urchin and all. But I think I’ve finally got you all figured out. Vienna West, the beautiful blond from Italy. Intelligent, clever beyond her years. The perfect girl. But there was always something about you that seemed far too familiar.. Something I could never quite place, until now. V.A.W. Those are your initials, aren’t they? Well, it took me a little time to figure it out, but people will say anything when they’re stoned.
Vienna’s eyes widen. Kara continues.
Kara: That’s right, Kiera told me. High off of Reggie’s pills, she told me right before the trials. How did she find out? Hunter, your boyfriend, who got a little too drunk one night and spilled to her.
Vienna doesn’t move, stunned by Kara’s words.
Kara: It wasn’t long before I realized what was so familiar about you. Vienna Alexandra West, everybody, daughter of our very own, Dean Alexandra. Oh, (she releases her hand from the piece she’s holding, and Vienna’s jaw drops) Checkmate.
Vienna is shell-shocked, unable to speak or even move. Kara’s pawn, unnoticed by Vienna, was carefully moved up the board until it had the king in danger. Vienna sealed her fate by moving her queen forward to attack, trapping the king with the bishop. The stadium is silent. Suddenly, someone begins to clap slowly. Dean Alexandra emerges from the shadows, a dangerous smile on her face.
Kara: (holding out Vienna’s king) I believe you have something of mine.
The Dean prowls forward.
Dean: The Johnson Trials. (she pauses, taking the King from her hand) Seven trials, seven competitors. Those are the rules. (she tosses the King in the air, catching it and slamming it upright on the table) I believe you have only competed in six. (The Dean looks at Vienna. Vienna, much unlike herself, scurries from the chair, afraid) Well, Ms. Ramirez, please welcome the seventh competitor (beat) Me. (She glances at Vienna, who looks like a little girl, scared of the dark) And you. Reset the board and get out of my sight. (Vienna resets the chess pieces in a hurry, before scurrying offstage. The Dean looks up at Kara) You want the scholarship?(she sits) Come and get it.
Kara stands facing the Dean.
Kara: I want an honest fight.
Dean: (smiling) So be it.
The two sit down at the table, which has been reset by Vienna. The Dean smiles at Kara, as if welcoming her to a dinner party.
Dean: First move, to you.
Kara moves a pawn forward. The Dean counters it. The two become locked in an intense match. Kara’s brow is furrowed in concentration, while the Dean looks comfortable and calm.
Kara: Tell me, how did you become Dean of the academy?
The Dean smiles at her, easily taking Kara’s second bishop.
Dean: Pay attention to the board.
Kara takes the Dean’s pawn. She raises her eyebrow.
Dean: A minor sacrifice, my child. The war is yet to be won.
Kara: Is that what Luke was? A minor sacrifice?
The Dean’s smile twitches. Kara notices and continues.
Kara: You didn’t answer my question. How did you become Dean?
Dean: I used to be a student here. Unfulfilled by my previous career, I choose to return to the Academy after graduation to teach. After years of working under Dean Carson, I was awarded the position.
Kara: What year did you graduate, then?
Dean: (pauses) ‘86. Check.
Kara: ‘86. (she moves her king out of danger) So you would have had the opportunity to compete in the trials?
Dean: (smiling tightly) Yes. I competed.
Kara: But you didn’t win.
There is an uncomfortable silence.
Dean: No, (beat) I didn’t. Check.
Kara: By order of the rules, that means you were expelled? Surprising then, that the school would take you back as Dean.
Dean: Remember your place. You are in no position to insult me or this Academy.
Kara: I’m not insulting you, I’m merely making an observation.
The Dean is silent.
Kara: So who won the trials?
Dean: I don’t remember.
Kara: I thought we agreed to keep this an honest match. No worries, I did a bit of research on my own. Julia Remora, class of ‘86, winner of the trials.
For the first time, the Dean looks shocked. The moment passes and the Dean becomes stone once more.
Kara: Surprised, are you? Understandable. (Kara takes the Dean’s bishop) You should take your own advice—pay attention to the board.
The Dean is starting to show signs of irritation. She pushes her queen forward.
Dean: I never knew a Julia Remora. Your sources are false.
Kara: Of course they are. Yet how could they be false if my source is Julia herself?
Long pause.
Dean: Impossible. She’s-
Kara: Dead? No, I’m afraid not, despite your best efforts. (beat) The fire took my brother instead. He was five.
Dean: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Kara: My name is Kara Ramirez. My mother is called Julia Ramirez. (pause) Her maiden name is Remora.
The Dean cannot speak. Kara continues.
Kara: She was your best friend. You depended on each other. But when she won the Trials, casting you from the Academy, hatred and resentment consumed you. Then my mother got pregnant, abandoning the life she had made for herself to raise me in her home country. Both of you, right back where you started. Scores settled. But it wasn’t enough for you. You were never going to be second best.
Dean: (snarling) How dare you..
Kara: You found my mother, living in an apartment complex in Havana, Cuba. You set the fire.
Dean: You insolent ingrate. Do you reali–
Kara: But you weren’t satisfied. You never got to taste the feeling of victory. The next best thing then, was to live it through your daughter. If you couldn’t win, then you would make damn sure Vienna did.
The Dean tries to speak, but Kara cuts her off.
Kara: Fueled by your past, you concocted a plan. A small loophole in the rules. Elimination from the trials will result in expulsion, (she emphasizes the next line) and further punishment of the Dean’s choosing. Clever. Seven words, enabling you to do whatever you wanted to the competitors once they were eliminated. You killed them. All of them. Out of pure jealousy and hatred. You killed them because they almost got what you never could—The Johnson Scholarship.
Dean: (voice booming) You forget yourself, Ms. Ramirez! You cannot prove anything. You will never be able to win against me. Never. (She moves her queen forward.) Check.
Kara is quiet for a moment, then she raises her gaze to the Dean, tears in her eyes.
Kara: (quietly) You’re right. I can’t. I have no evidence. But you forget one thing, Dean Alexandra. (she moves her eyes to the edge of the board, where a single pawn is stationed at the end) No matter how many times you beat me (she stands a pawn up) how many lies you tell (she stands another upright) or how many lives you take (she stands another upright, and another, and another, until there are six pawns standing upright again on the side of the board) I made a promise to my brother that I would find his killer(beat, Kara looks up)—and I just did. (she exchanges her last pawn, at the Dean’s side of the board, for her queen, which she places down, facing the Dean’s King) Checkmate.
There is silence. Then, like rolling thunder, the crowd erupts into applause, launching to their feet for a standing ovation. The Dean is frozen, staring at the board, then at Kara. Before the Dean can make a move, however, police stream in from the side of the stage, surrounding the Dean, guns pointed. Behind them is Professor Jade.
Police: Victoria Alexandra, you are under arrest for the murder of twelve students, more than fifty innocent civilians, and the intentional fire bombings of civilian housing complexes in Havana, Cuba.
Police wrestle the Dean into handcuffs. She struggles against them, whipping to Kara. She doesn’t speak, but the fury in her eyes is clear. Kara does not break her gaze, staring the Dean down with fire in her eyes.
Kara: For Jose.
Scene.
Scene Five
Lights up on a lonely graveyard, where a figure in a dark hood stands, head bowed. The figure is holding a black umbrella. Mist streams down from the gray sky above. Kara walks towards a single gravestone, moss formed at the edges. She wipes the moss from its surface and smiles.
Kara: (softly) Hey buddy. I’m back. (she places her hand on the stone, as if putting a hand on her brother’s shoulder) How’ve you been? Lonely? (her voice catches, and she starts to cry)
Kara: You don’t have to be lonely. I’m here. I’m here..(she wipes her eyes) Remember what I said? When I promised I’d find the person who started the fire? I found her. She’s going to be put away for a very long time. (she pauses, clutching her chest, pain overwhelming her)
Kara: I love you, Jose. I’ll never leave you again, I promise. (she hugs the stone, cheek pressed against the wet granite) You can sleep now.
Kara hugs the stone tight, silent tears pooling
At last, she breaks her embrace. She stands to full height. From her jacket, she pulls a scroll, tied up tight with a red velvet ribbon. She holds it in front of her, studying it, turning it over and over in her hands. She reaches into her pocket again, pulling out a small silver lighter. She holds the scroll in front of her and lights it on fire, letting it drop to the ground and burn up in the flames.
Scene