Tootie: Da Da Da Da Da Da and now here she is, the new student council president Blair Warner!

*Cheers* *Blair Enters*

Blair: Thanks Tootie but they haven't counted the votes yet.

Jo: Yeah, last time I looked there was another candidate.

Natalie: Where is Cynthia?

Jo: Blair probably sent her on a cruise to the Bermuda Triangle.

Tootie: Don't worry Blair'll win easy, she's the most popular girl in school.

Blair: If only I could believe that.

Natalie: Believe it.

Blair: Okay.

Jo: I dont know. Cynthia is a pretty hot rookie, first semester here and she's giving you a run for your money.

*Mrs. Garrett and Cynthia enter the cafeteria*

Tootie: Here's Mrs. Garrett and Cynthia.

Mrs. Garrett: Move your body (plastic skeleton) Natalie.

Natalie: *gets up* Oh sorry, oh you mean (the plastic skeleton).

Mrs. Garrett: Okay it's the moment of truth all the votes are in. I guess you're a little nervous huh?

Blair: Not me.

Mrs. Garrett: Oh, how about you Cynthia?

Cynthia: Well I have to admit it, the butterflies are doing their thing.

Blair: How domage, what a shame.

Cynthia: Blair I didn't know you spoke French! *Starts speaking really fast in French*

Blair: *Shocked look*

Jo: There goes next months French competition.

Tootie: Mrs. Garrett, are you gonna count the votes down here?

Tootie and Natalie: Oh come on pleeeease.

Mrs. Garrett: Oh no no I'm gonna do that upstairs without an audience and all you need to know is who's won, not by how much.

Blair: True, a landslide would be pretty embarressing.

Jo: Especially if it's for Cynthia.

Natalie: I wanna get an interview.

Mrs. Garrett: Oh well, it's a hotly contested race between two...

Natalie: From the candidates Mrs. Garrett.

Mrs. Garrett: Oh sorry. Well lets see what we got here and get you two guys out of your misery. *laughs* *Mrs. Garrett exits upstairs to count the votes*

Natalie: And now for the interview. Cynthia, I bet having a father who's a diplomat makes school politics seem pretty unimportant.

Cynthia: Not at all, I'm thrilled just to have been nominated. Afterall I've only been at Eastland a few months.

Natalie: As a diplomat's daughter I guess you've been groomed for leadership since you were born.

Cynthia: Well actually I only got a call a few years ago. It was at dinner, daddy was trying to make peace between two friends and one of them leaned across the table and said, "Ya know little Cynthia has the makings of leader."

Blair: How sweet.

Cynthia: And Anwar said you're right Manackam.

Blair: Ma ma ma ma Manackam???

Jo: And Anwar.

Natalie: Anyway in this election everyone's a winner. The president will be the girl with the most votes and the runner up will be the vice president.

Cynthia: Well I think I'll go back to my room to wait for the results. Blair, I just want to say may the best girl win.

Cynthia and Blair: *shake hands*

Blair: I'm sure the best girl will.

Cynthia: Well see ya later everybody.

Everyone: Buh bye. See ya. Bye Cynthia.

*Cynthia Exits*

Tootie: Blair, I know the suspense must be killing you.

Blair: Not really.

Tootie: Well it's killing me. I'm going upstairs to do what I do best. Snoop.

*Tootie Exits*

Jo: Blair, did it ever occur to you that you might lose?

Blair: Are you kidding? Yes. Everytime I look over my shoulder Cynthia's gaining on me.

Jo: Like two Rolls Royces drag racing.

Blair: Look, winning this election is important to me. I've got to become president so I can do something for my fellow students.

Jo: Like what?

Blair: Well you've heard my platform. I'm gonna revolutionize Eastland.

Jo: By changing the school song??

Blair: It's a terrible song.

Natalie: She's right, no one can hit the last note. *screechy voice* Beloved Eeeeaastland. Ow, I think I hurt myself.

Blair: See what I mean, being born with certain advantages gives me an obligation to serve. Not unlike the Kennedies, the Rockafellers.

Jo: The Godfather.

Blair: I don't need your remarks. Look I know how you feel about me but I can win this election without your support.

Jo: Oh but you had it. Cynthia's okay but I voted for you.

Blair: Why thank you Jo.

Jo: Oh sure. With that phoney little smile you're a natural politician.

*Mrs Garrett and Tootie Enters*

Natalie: Here comes the results.

Tootie: Be careful Mrs. Garrett, in the old days when a messenger brought bad news they killed him.

Mrs. Garrett: Well lets hope times have changed. Now I know you're going to be mature about this aren't you Blair?

Blair: How mature am I gonna have to be?

Mrs. Garrett: Mature enough to accept the responsibilities of student council vice president.

Blair: *Makes a really sad face* *cries*

Cut to Blair sitting at the table the next morning at breakfast looking pitiful.

Blair: I can't believe it. I can't believe it.

Tootie: Neither can I, I never dreamed you'd end up vice president.

Blair: Ohhhhhh that has an ugly ring to it. I prefer to think of myself as co-president.

Jo: Think of yourself any way you want, you're still number two.

Blair: Where did I go wrong??

Jo: Face it Blair, Cynthia has more carisma.

Blair: And what do you know about carisma? Your idea of charming is Sheriff Lobo.

*Cynthia enters and everyone congratulates her*

Cynthia: I'm sorry I'm late. I've been on the phone with my father.

Tootie: Did you tell him about the election? I bet he was excited.

Cynthia: He was very pleased. Am I too late for breakfast?

Blair: Yes.

Tootie: I'm sure we could find something for our new president.

Blair: How about some warm milk and cold oatmeal?

Jo: Blair, could ya be a good sport huh?

Blair: I'm always a good sport.

Jo: No you're always a good winner. A good sport is what you have to be when you lose.

Blair: Alright. I'll try. *sarcasm* Cynthiaaaaaaaa congratulations.

Jo: Oh no, no, no good, you don't sound sincere.

Blair: I said, do I have to mean it too?

*Tootie comes back with food for Cynthia*

Tootie: Madam president, I got you some cinnamon toast and hot chocolate.

Cynthia: Oh thanks Tootie. That was sweet of you. Listen I'd like you to have this. *gives her a necklace*

Tootie: What for?

Cynthia: It symbolizes friendship and hospitality. And you've always made a special effort to make me feel at home here.

Tootie: Hey it's only cinnamon toast. Thank you anyway. It's beautiful.

Blair: Could this be a pay off for a vote?

Tootie: Come on Blair you know I voted for you.

Natalie: Tootie, you don't have to tell her that, your vote is sacred.

Tootie: So is my neck.

*Mrs. Garrett Enters*

Mrs. Garrett: Cynthia, I was just reading about you in the paper.

Blair: Oh no my defeat made The New York Times.

Mrs. Garrett: Well actually it's about Cynthia's father. It says he's going on a diplomatic mission to Germany. Ohhhh I hope that doesn't mean you're going to be leaving us.

Tootie: Germany?

Natalie: That's so wonderful.

Tootie: Oh wow! Hey where in Germany?

Cynthia: Well Berlin but....

Blair: Berlin? You're going to Berlin? Oh Berlin's beautiful this time of year!

Cynthia: Blair, I'm not going.

Blair: You're not?

Cynthia: My dad said it was important for me to stay in one place, to have fun, to go to dances, to be a teenager.

Mrs. Garrett: I think he's right.

Cynthia: So do I. Would you excuse me? I'm going to my room, uh I'm expecting a call from my mother.

Mrs. Garrett: Sure Cynthia. Congratulations.

*They all say goodbye*

*Cynthia Exits*

Blair: She's not going. *disappointed look*.

Mrs. Garrett: Oh come on Blair, buck up being vice president isn't the end of the world.

Blair: I'm going back to bed.

Natalie: It's only nine o'clock in the morning.

Blair: It's been a long day.

Cut to kitchen.

Mrs. Garrett: Did Blair come down yet?

Natalie: Not yet. She's pretty depressed.

Mrs. Garrett: Oh she's just being dramatic. She'll snap out of it.

Tootie: I don't know, last time we looked she was just sitting there staring out the window.

Mrs. Garrett: What's wrong with that?

Jo: She had one leg hanging over the sill. I think she's just looking for attention.

Mrs. Garrett: Well if that's what she wants then I'll give her some if it'll make her feel better.

*Blair comes downstairs*

Mrs. Garrett: Oh Blair, you're up!

Blair: Am I? *sigh* I suppose I am.

Jo: Come on Blair, so you're not number one in everything. You've gotta be able to bounce back.

Mrs. Garrett: She's right. Bounce Blair, bounce.

Blair: *sigh* Tootie will you do me a favor? Will you call Chuck and tell him I have to break our date tomorrow night?

Tootie: Staying home on a Saturday night? This should be on that's incredible.

Blair: Oh tomorrow night's Saturday? In that case call Tom. I'm supposed to go out with him tomorrow night and then call Chuck and cancel Sunday.

Tootie: Anybody I should cancel for Monday and Tuesday?

Blair: No, it's a slow week.

Natalie: Well if you'll excuse me I have to go finish interviewing Cynthia. Oh I'm sorry Blair. I didn't mean to mention her in front of you.

Blair: That's alright Natalie. Cynthia is your front page story, I'm yesterday's news. You might as well just use me a rag's dish.

Tootie: Or line the bottom of a bird cage. I think I'll go with you Natalie. Blair's depression might be catchy.

*Natalie and Tootie exit*

Jo: I liked Blair better when she was being a bad sport.

Mrs. Garrett: Blair, it's not healthy to keep your emotions all bottled up. Let em out. What you need is a good old fashioned cry.

Blair: I don't think I can.

Jo: Oh sure you can. Just concentrate on how humiliating it is to be such a loser. And let 'er rip.

Blair: Alright, I'll try *Makes a face trying to cry*

*Tootie enters*

Tootie: Mrs. Garrett!! It's Cynthia!!

Mrs. Garrett: What's the matter with Cynthia?

Tootie: We went up to her room and she's unconcious.

Mrs. Garrett: Unconcious?

Tootie: I found this empty bottle of pills on the floor, she must have taken 'em all!

Mrs. Garrett: Oh my God.

Tootie: She won't move Mrs. Garrett, Natalie went to go get the nurse.

Mrs. Garrett: Calm down. Uh Jo take Tootie and get the headmaster. Blair (louder) Blair.

Blair: Yes maam?

Mrs. Garrett: I'm going to Cynthia, call the ambulance!

Blair: Yes maam.

Mrs. Garrett: Now!

Cut to the girls in the kitchen making fudge.

Mrs. Garrett: Hey Jo! You're in luck, I found some more nuts.

Jo: How much fudge can Cynthia eat? She's still unconcious.

Natalie: But when she comes out of it she'll be starved.

Blair: Mrs. Garrett, what if she doesn't come out of it?

Mrs. Garrett: She will. We'll just think positive and keep busy.

Natalie: *starts to eat marshmellows*

Natalie, don't eat, snip!

Natalie: Cynthia's being so cool. Who dreamed she'd try something like this?

Blair: Lets face it, the girl beat me. She has everything to live for.

Natalie: Well finding Cynthia this morning was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I'm through with investigative reporting. I'm gonna become a sports writer. What's the worst thing that can happen in a football locker room?

*Phone Rings*

Tootie: Maybe it's the hospital. Maybe Cynthia woke up.

Blair: I hope so.

Jo: Me too, now we can get rid of some of this fudge.

Mrs. Garrett: (on the phone) Hello. Speaking. Yes. (pause) What?! I can't believe this. Yes, thank you. Goodbye.

Jo: Cynthia's dead.

Tootie: Don't say that. It's not true.

Mrs. Garrett: Oh yes, Tootie it is. It's true.

Cut to Cynthia's room where the girls and Mrs. Garrett are packing her things.

Mrs. Garrett: Natalie, you don't have to be here. None of you girls do, I can pack Cynthia's things myself.

Natalie: It's okay Mrs. Garrett we want to help.

Blair: You know, I never told her this but Cynthia had wonderful taste.

Jo: You shoulda told her.

Blair: Jo, please I feel awful enough as it is. I was cruel to her, I was sarcastic to her, all because of a stupid election.

Natalie: It's just so wierd. A few days ago we were joking and laughing... now she's gone.

Jo: When someone transfers to another school she's gone. Cynthia's not gone, she's dead.

Blair: Do you have to make it sound so brutal?

Jo: Dying is brutal.

Blair: But she was so pretty and so popular. I thought she had everything.

Jo: Maybe not. Maybe being in a diplomat's family isn't so glamerous. Being dragged around from country to country, sleeping in strange beds, drinking strange water.

Natalie: But she wasn't going to be moving around anymore, her parents were going to Germany without her.

Jo: *starts reading some of Cynthia's papers*

Mrs. Garrett: Jo, those papers are private, just pack 'em.

Jo: Oh, I'm not snooping Mrs. Garrett. I'm just looking.

Mrs. Garrett: What for?

Jo: Just... I don't know, something to make sense out of all of this.

Natalie: It'll never make sense to me.

Jo: If her folks were going to Germany how come the mailing labels say Nevada?

Natalie: Maybe we opened an embassy in Las Vegas.

Mrs. Garrett: Well only her father's going to Germany. These things are being sent to her mother. She's living in Nevada for awhile.

Blair: Nevada? Mrs. Garrett, nobody lives in Nevada except Wayne Newton or women getting a divorce. Her parents were getting a divorce. That's why she was staying here.

Mrs. Garrett: Yes.

Natalie: I don't know what I'd do if my folks got divorced.

Blair: Well you wouldn't kill yourself. I've lived through it three times.

Jo: If everybody killed themself 'cause of a divorce, half the country would be wiped out.

*Tootie Enters*

Mrs. Garrett: Tootie....

Jo: Mrs. Garrett, would you get her outta here? She's just a kid. She shouldn't be here.

Tootie: Why? I found her didn't I?

Mrs. Garrett: Jo, I know you mean well but Tootie has a right to help us if she wants to.

Tootie: I don't want to help you. I just want you to send this back with the rest of her things. *Hands over the necklace Cynthia gave her*

Blair: But Cynthia gave you that because she cared about you.

Tootie: She did not! How could she do that to herself? And not even say goodbye.

Mrs. Garrett: Maybe that's what this (the necklace) was.

Tootie: I don't care. It's stupid. It's not fair! She had no right.

Jo: I know how you feel kid. I was mad as hell too when my friend Gloria killed herself. I mean, one minute we were splittin' a tuna fish sandwich and the next thing I knew she was all over Columbus Avenue. No reason. No goodbye. No nothin'.

Blair: Well there's gotta be a reason. We just haven't found it yet.

Mrs. Garrett: And probably never will. Some kids reach a point where they can't see any other way out.

Natalie: At sixteen, what could be so terrible that it would wanna make you stop living?

Mrs. Garrett: Exactly Natalie. 'Cause life is always changing, that's the one thing you can count on. So when you feel like you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

Tootie: Why didn't she come to me? I would of talked her out of it.

Jo: They don't talk about it. They just wake up one morning and say okay that's it, I'm checking out.

Mrs. Garrett: That's not true Jo. There are signals but sometimes we don't recognize them.

Jo: But how can we tell what's going on inside anybody else? We're not mind readers.

Mrs. Garrett: Jo, the best way you can let people know what's going on inside of you is to talk. And you girls are under a lot of pressure, to achieve, to succeed, to fit in, to grow up! And I wanna tell ya, it's okay to feel confused and frightened and insecure, we all do! And when you feel that way, oh God please, talk about it.

Tootie: But what about people who have nobody to talk to?

Mrs. Garrett: Well you girls are lucky. You don't have that problem. You can talk to your parents or if they're not available I'm always here.

Natalie: Nothing personal Mrs. Garrett but sometimes the only people you can talk to are kids your own age.

Mrs. Garrett: That makes sense. Talk to your friends.

Jo: Sometimes there are things you can't even tell your friends.

Blair: We should have something here at Eastland. You know for kids who want to talk but are afraid and don't have anyone to talk to.

Jo: You mean like a hotline?

Natalie: Can we do something like that?

Blair: Why not? I'll talk to student council about it. Mrs. Garrett, would you have time to help us set it up?

Mrs. Garrett: I'll make time. It's a wonderful idea.

Jo: A lot better than writing a new school song.

Blair: Oh I intend to do that too.

Mrs. Garrett: Well I guess we're just about finished. Girls...

Tootie: Wait a second, I forgot something. *Walks back to get her necklace*

*Mrs. Garrett turns the lights off and shuts the door as they leave* The credits now start to roll without the clapping.