plays hard to get
with her beaux
Jim and Chuck Charleston
(The steps of the Tabby House are of beautiful white brick, with like square columns soaring into the air. CLAUDIA O'WESLEY is dressed in a smart, florescent pink and green beach outfit. At her sides are her beaux, JIM and CHUCK CHARLESTON, dressed in board shorts, tie-dyed T-shirts, and sunglasses. They look enough like each other to be twins.)
CLAUDIA: Fiddle-dee-dee! Camp, camp, camp! That�s all anybody ever talks about! I�m so bored with camp I could scream!
CHUCK: But Miss Claudia, you can�t be bored with camp.
JIM: Especially not now. This is the week that Senior Assembly starts.
CLAUDIA: (Exasperated) If either of you Charleston Twins says one more word about camp, I�m going to go into the Tabby House and slam the door.
JIM: But, Miss Claudia ...
CHUCK: ... aren�t you excited about Senior Assembly starting?
CLAUDIA: Why, Jim and Chuck Charleston! I warned you! (She gets up to go inside, but the boys pull her back.)
CHUCK: We�re sorry, Miss Claudia ...
JIM: ... we didn�t mean it.
CHUCK: We�ll change the subject. I know! We can talk about the party your parents are having in the Leadership Cabin.
JIM: That�s a good idea! You promise you�ll eat pizza with us?
CLAUDIA: (Indifferent) Oh, I haven�t thought about it yet. I�ll think about it tomorrow.
CHUCK: You�ve just got to eat pizza with us. How about if we tell you a secret ... ?
(CLAUDIA is suddenly excited.)
CHUCK: ... A secret about Melanie Oglethorpe?
CLAUDIA: (Disappointed) Oh, that goody-goody. Who wants to know a secret about her.
JIM: Well, we heard that she�s going to marry her cousin Ashley. And the engagement is going to be announced at the party.
CLAUDIA: (Running away in shock) It can�t be true! Ashley loves me!
CHUCK: Do you think we said the wrong thing?
JIM: She looks madder than a hornet!
(MAMMY comes running out of the Tabby House, lifting her colorful skirt as she goes. Her head is tied in a white kerchief.)
MAMMY: Miss Claudia! Miss Claudia! Where do you think you�re going! We haven�t even finished making name tags and banners for Senior Assembly! You come back here and remember your manners!
CLAUDIA: (Running off stage) No! I�m going to wait for Pa to get home from the Council on Ministries!
MAMMY: (Grunting and shaking her head) Mmn, mmn, mmn ...
