<< INSIDE - STAMP STUDENT UNION - BALLROOM -- NIGHT >>

The party is in full swing, as the heavy bass of a hip hop jam vibrates the walls. On a raised platform stage, centered on the back wall, a DJ is busy spinning on a digital turntable and laptop system.

Students are dancing, laughing, and talking all over the large, yet packed ballroom. Kelly is talking and laughing with a group of people including Jason, who are all adding red strips to a huge donation thermometer poster.

Gennard stands near a wall wearing a blue and gold Alpha Nu Omega Greek letterman jacket, khaki pants, and tan boots. He talks to someone, but the person is obstructed from view by some wildly dancing party-goers.

Taneisha is in a corner flirting with a tall, good looking guy in a red and white Greek letterman jacket.

Erika enters the ballroom wearing a beautiful gold embroidered white tunic and gold slacks. Her hair is pulled into a low side bun with a small gold and white flower on the side of the bun. She looks healthy, almost radiant.

Her small silver cross necklace shines under the flashing party lights. She scans the room and spots Gennard. She cracks a small smile. Taking a breath, she nervously makes her way across the dance floor.

Grooving to the music to get past the revelers, halfway across the room, Erika sees the dancers near Gennard move just enough to reveal that Brigid is talking to Gennard; leaning against a wall and twirling her hair flirtatiously.

Erika's face flushes with surprise and upset. She quickly darts left, making a beeline for the refreshment table.

Gennard sees her right before she turns away, and tries to wave, but she is already gone. He mouths "Give me a sec" to Brigid and heads toward Erika, leaving Brigid looking affronted.

AT THE REFRESHMENT TABLE

Erika stands at the refreshment table trying to look interested in the cookies and pretends she doesn't see Gennard approaching as he walks up to her.

GENNARD

“Hey, you made it!”

          He gives her a quick one-armed hug and his smile just beams. Erika blushes instantly.

ERIKA

“Yeah, this is great. You weren't lying when you said everyone was going to be here.”

          They laugh.

GENNARD

“Yeah, real proud of this turnout.”

          Suddenly, the hot reggae-pop crossover beat of Rihanna's "Rude Boy" comes on and the dancers begin to cheer out and dance wild. People who were just standing around, now flood the dance floor. Erika looks around, grooving casually.

GENNARD

“So... you gon' dance or hold up the walls all night?”

          Erika smiles at him incredulously.

ERIKA

“What? Who me? I just got here. I'm just feelin' it out.”

          She laughs.

GENNARD

“Oh, you shy? Scared I'mma leave you in the dust on the dance floor?”

          Erika's smile widens.

ERIKA

“Oh, whatever.”

GENNARD

“Or you punkin' me. Ain't your people from the islands? I know you can dance.”

          Erika smiles and slips into an island accent.

ERIKA

“Bwoy, you don' know nuttin' about St. Lucia, you gwan git yourself hurt.”

          Gennard's eyes light up.

GENNARD

“Oh see there, now the accents' comin' out. It's like that? Show me what you got.”

          They head out to the floor and begin to dance, banter, and laugh.

ON THE DANCE FLOOR - TIME LAPSES

Song after song they dance, getting closer and closer. Hip hop, reggae, and pop songs play. The more they dance, the more freely, and less shy Erika dances with every song.

She closes her eyes, losing herself in the beat as the tempo slows down, until suddenly, the first really slow song, D'Angelo's "How Does it feel" comes on. Erika stops and looks around.

IN REAL TIME

Couples begin to hold each other all around the dance floor.

Erika and Gennard look at each other, then away. Slowly, awkwardly, they put their arms around each other, holding one another at junior high school dance distance, shyly not making eye contact.

But as the song climaxes, they begin to look into each other's eyes, and slowly get closer to each other, and to each other's lips, closer... and closer...

Suddenly the music stops. The party-goers groan. Gennard and Erika blink out of their seeming trance and release each other with slightly embarrassed looks. 

She looks away, but his eyes are fixed on her.

ON STAGE

A Latino guy in an Alpha Nu Omega jacket stands on the platform stage and takes the mic. BRIAN. An Asian girl in a purple dress stands next to him. JIN.

BRIAN

“Sorry to stop the groove y'all. For those of you who don't know, I'm Alpha Nu Omega chapter president Brian Cartieras. Before it gets too late, we wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for making this party a success. Please let's give a round of applause to yourselves for coming out and for Catholics on Campus for putting this all together. And thanks to DJ Sick Smash for keeping us bumping all night!”

          Everyone nods and claps as he hands Jin the mic.

JIN

“Hi everyone. I'm Jin-Yang Lee, C.O.C. chair. Thank you to all the student groups who helped put this together. Thank you to the Latino Student Union, The Black Student Union, Epsilon Beta Sigma…”

          She continues naming student groups as different sections of the crowd cheers after each name.

ON THE DANCE FLOOR

Another ANQ brother in matching attire comes up to Gennard.

ANQ BROTHER 1

“G, we're about to step.”

GENNARD

“Oh, ok cool.”

          He looks back at Erika and opens his mouth to speak, but she cuts him off before he can talk.

ERIKA

“It's cool. I'm going to get some punch. Go ahead.”

          She smiles genuinely. He smiles back and heads off with his frat brother.

ON STAGE

Jin continues to thank student groups.

JIN

“...The LGBT Student Union, and last but not least, the Jewish Student Union. Thank you all for your efforts and support. Because of you, so far, we've raised over ten thousand dollars for relief aid to Haiti!”

          Everyone erupts into cheers and clapping. Brian takes the mic.

BRIAN

“And that number is still rising, so let's keep the party and the love for Haiti going!”

          Brian motions to the DJ, and he starts the fast music up again.

AT THE REFRESHMENT TABLE

As Erika walks toward the refreshments, Kelly slides up next to her.

KELLY

“I saw you dancing.”

          Erika smiles with tight lips.

KELLY

“I thought you weren't feeling well?”

ERIKA

“Yeah, I know, I wasn't. But after doing Taneisha's hair I just felt better.”

          Kelly gives her a cheeky look as they near the table. Erika picks up a cup, when four girls walk up to her.

PARTY GIRL 1

“You're Erika right?”

          Erika responds cautiously.

ERIKA

“Yes?”

PARTY GIRL 2

“Taneisha told us you do hair. You did a great job on hers.”

PARTY GIRL 1

“Yeah, we were wondering if you were taking appointments?"

          Erika brightens up.

ERIKA

“Uh, yes. Just call my cell and let me know when you need to come by. I'm in Centreville.”

          The first girl pulls out a cell phone and types in the number as Erika dictates.

ERIKA

“Three Oh one, five five five, eight six nine zero.”

PARTY GIRL 1

“Thanks.”

ERIKA

“No problem.”

          Erika smiles as the girls go off excitedly.

ON THE DANCE FLOOR

From one corner of the dance floor, the Alpha Nu Omegas begin to step dance. The dance floor clears tightly around them as they move in line formation through the crowd.

Gennard and the frat brothers look cool as they work in synchronized steps, handclaps, and shouts across the floor.

Erika watches from the table and sips punch with a smile.

From another corner of the dance floor, Brigid and her sorority sisters step out onto the floor and start to perform a very suggestive step dance routine.

While the sorority steps, Gennard and the brothers finish their routine. The crowd claps, and Gennard jogs over to stand with Erika. She nods her approval, and he stands with her to watch as two more fraternities take the floor.

All the steppers do their steps in lines around the dancing party-goers.