Teens June and James have been best friends since they were kids, but ever since June got serious about cheerleading, she seems to have changed. Now she's played a cruel practical joke on a rival, and James calls her on it.

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JAMES: I can't believe you.

JUNE: James! What are you—how's it going?

JAMES: Getting in some good practice? Gonna impress those scouts and get that scholarship tomorrow? Really wipe out the competition?

JUNE: As a matter of fact, yeah. I'm gonna try. Is that a problem for you?

JAMES: I don't know, maybe it shouldn't be. Ever since you started this thing again, you've been like a totally different person. But June—I didn't think you would do something like that.

JUNE: Like what?

JAMES: Stealing Kennedy's recorder? So you could embarrass her in front of everyone?

JUNE: I—I didn't—

JAMES: Oh please deny it! Please do that. I can show you the proof. I have the video right here on my phone.

JUNE: What video?

JAMES: The video your dad posted online of the fundraiser.

(James pulls out his smart phone and shows June the screen.)

JUNE: Oh my god...

JAMES: Yeah. Blink and you could miss it. Maybe if I didn't always know exactly where you were in every frame of every one of these stupid videos... (Brushing a sleeve across his eyes angrily:) But there you are in the background, hiding something under the table, right where Gabi found Kennedy's recorder. You've finished up your little plot and now you're getting rid of the evidence.

JUNE: James, it wasn't like that!

JAMES: What was it like?

JUNE: (Approaching tears:) I found it on the floor, and I had to listen to find out whose it was, and then I—I thought it would be funny. I thought it would, you know, take her down a notch. But I didn't think it would be like that! I swear I wouldn't have done it if I had known everything that was on that tape. It's just, she was being so rude to everyone, even Chrissy! I—

JAMES: You just decided to publicly humiliate her.

JUNE: (Really angry now:) Kennedy has been nothing but mean to me from day one! I know she's your girlfriend and all—

JAMES: She's not my girlfriend! We're just friends!

JUNE: —but you don't see her when she's making my life a living hell!! But I guess she matters more to you than my feelings.

JAMES: Oh don't start that. You don't want to start that.

JUNE: Start what?

JAMES: I think we both know whose feelings matter around here, and they're not mine! They never were!

JUNE: I have always been there for you!

JAMES: Just like you were there for me the one night it actually mattered.

JUNE: Well I'm sorry you didn't win.

JAMES: I didn't care that much about winning, June! It's about being there for your friends. You used me, June-y. How I know you used me, is you went away the minute I asked you for anything at all.

JUNE: I—I wasn't ready, James! You took me by surprise!

JAMES: How? We hung out and stared at each other every day for like ten years. Nothing you could say or do would ever surprise me, how could I possibly take you by surprise?

JUNE: But that's just it. All this time I thought we were friends because—I'm cool, and you're cool, because we're cool when we're together—

JAMES: Exactly!

JUNE: —and then it turns out there was this other thing you wanted from me, and I didn't even know. (Beat.) How long—when did you start feeling that way?

JAMES: I don't know, June. It's not something I knew was gonna happen! It just started happening, and I don't know, I didn't want to tell you, because—

JUNE: —because it might freak me out.

JAMES: Yeah, clearly. June, I'm the only guy at school who's best friends with a girl. The guys have been teasing me about you since freshman year, and I always said, hey man, she's just a really cool person who's super fun to hang out with and who gets everything about me and I get everything about her too.

JUNE: James, I—

JAMES: Except I don't. I thought I did, but I don't. Because the June I knew would never do something that mean and horrible and petty to another person. Just because she was afraid.

JUNE: Afraid?

JAMES: Yeah, June. You've always been afraid.

JUNE: Of what?

JAMES: Of not being the best.

JUNE: (Trying to shrug his words off:) That's ridiculous. I don't care about that stuff.

JAMES: Yeah, sure. That's why you dropped out of cheerleading, right? Kennedy says you quit because you—busted a move, or something.

JUNE: (Understanding:) Oh. Yeah. I busted my tumbling at Nationals. That means I screwed up. It wasn't bad, it didn't cost us the Worlds bid, but I started to like, obsess over my performance. My cardio time, my calorie intake, every second of training had to count. It just made me start to hate myself. Like, if I wasn't pushing myself as hard as I could, every single day, it wasn't good enough. And if it wasn't good enough, then I wasn't good enough. You don't know what it's like, James. Having everyone expect you to be perfect all the time. If you're not the best, you're not going to win, and if you're not winning, you're a loser.

JAMES: Thanks a lot, June.

JUNE: What? Anyway, it's not like I'm trying to excuse what I did. It was awful, I regretted it as soon as it happened. I'm just trying to explain. Kennedy is like the worst side of me, James. She's the me I could see myself becoming when I was in ACD the first time, and I hated her. She's afraid all the time, and it makes her act horrible! (Beat). I just—I didn't want that girl to be me. I wanted to show everybody that I'm different.

JAMES: Well, you did a pretty shit [bad] job.

JUNE: (Tearing up:) Yeah, I guess I did. (Beat.) God, that video has been up for days. Everybody probably hates me by now.

JAMES: It's got like five views so far. (Beat.) And I watched it five times.

JUNE: Why did you watch it?

JAMES: (Embarrassed:) Maybe I was missing you, and I got little desperate.

JUNE: Look, I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I just want it to be like it was before. When we used to hang out every day, and it was just about having fun.

JAMES: I needed those times with you so bad. I was a fool to think you might like me. I'm not a winner like you, June. I'm a loser.

JUNE: You are not a—

JAMES: Yeah, I am. Nobody expects anything from me. My parents don't even care how I do in school, as long as I don't bug them for lunch money. Why do you think I always want to hang out at your house? We can't watch TV at mine, June. The sofa's taken. My dad's always drunk and that's where he sleeps it off. You know what I'm talking about.

JUNE: What? I didn't know it had gotten that bad. Why didn't you tell me? You always just change the subject when we get to your family.

JAMES: Well you like complaining about yours so much, I didn't want to interrupt!

JUNE: That's not fair! Maybe I should have paid more attention, but you can't just hide your feelings all the time and expect me to know what you need.

JAMES: Okay, well I'm telling you now. I needed you June. I still do.

JUNE: I need you too, James.

JAMES: I'm just not sure that's enough for me anymore.

(James exits. June waits a moment, stunned, and exits in the opposite direction.)