Excerpt from Javier Wants to Change the Future
Marie Devers

1 Scene One:
2 A high-school hallway in which a banner reading “Only you can change the future!” hangs. Framed photographs adorn the wall. JAVIER enters the stage in a wheelchair and looks pensively at the photographs, examining each one.

3 SAMANTHA enters stage behind Javier and smiles when she sees him.

4 Samantha: What are you contemplating, Javier?

5 Javier: The quintessential purpose of high school—belonging. I'm also contemplating the fact that I’m not in any of these pictures, which means that I don't belong.

6 SAMANTHA smiles and looks encouragingly toward her friend.

7 Samantha: You should be thankful you're not in those pictures, since everyone in them is phony.

8 SAMANTHA points to a photograph of boys dressed in matching outfits and helmets.

9 Samantha: Would you look at the football team? This picture is supposed to show the most admired boys in school, but in this picture they look—well—adolescent.

10 Javier: They look like a team, and I don’t feel like part of a team—I don’t feel like part of anything.

11 Samantha: You and I are friends, correct?

12 JAVIER nods his head in concurrence.

13 Samantha: That means you’re a part of this friendship.

14 JAVIER spins his chair and examines the pictures again.

15 Javier: Nevertheless, our friendship does not provide me with a photograph on the wall. I want to be featured in the yearbook, Samantha! I want to be captain or president or MVP; however, that's nearly impossible because I can’t score a touchdown, or slam dunk, or hit a homerun.

16 Samantha: I can’t do any of those things either; however, I can debate, and I'm also the treasurer of the foreign language club. Why don’t you join the debate team or the academic decathlon? In fact, you could join countless extracurricular activates at the school, such as chess club, audio-visual club, and the chorus.

17 Javier: Your suggestions seem helpful, but I doubt they would work because I can’t play chess, work any audio-visual equipment, or sing.

18 SAMANTHA sighs with exasperation, and leans her head on the wall causing one side of the banner to loosen and fall to the ground. SAMANTHA picks up the fallen end of the banner.

19 Samantha: Javier, will you give me a boost?

20 JAVIER nods his head and SAMANTHA climbs on JAVIER’s chair. JAVIER holds SAMANTHA’s legs as she stretches and re-sticks the banner to the wall.

21 JAVIER: (JAVIER rolls his chair backward and reads the banner.) Look!

22 SAMANTHA and JAVIER: (They read in unison.) Only you can change the future!

23 Samantha: That banner is advertising Kenneth Mason's bid to become class president again. It's a shame we all know the incumbent will win since he's running unopposed. Nothing will actually change if no one is willing to make it change.

24 JAVIER remains facing the sign, looking thoughtfully toward it.

25 Javier: I want to participate in the election, Samantha. I want to lead our classmates and show them that I can be part of something important.

26 Samantha: Javier for president! I think that will make a wonderful banner of its own. We will get working on that and the rest of your campaign tonight.

26 The bell rings and students pour into the hallway. SAMANTHA and JAVIER become lost in the crowd, but they are smiling.
Which prediction about Scene 2 is BEST supported by the evidence in Scene 1?

A) Samantha will help Javier as he campaigns for class president.
B) Javier will begin working on the sidelines with the football team.
C) Javier will join the chess club, audio-visual club, and the chorus.
D) Samantha and Javier will add their own pictures to the hallway wall.