Setting: the computer science classroom of a Catholic high school in Oakland, California
Date/Time: Morning of September 11th, 2001
MRS. BROOKS (mid 20s) stand in front of a television, flipping channels. ALEXANDRA (teenager) paces back and forth behind her. MS. FOY (30s) enters quickly and throws down a satchel.
MS. FOY: Mrs. Brooks, you won’t believe what I just heard on the radio driving into school today!
Alexandra stops pacing and Mrs. Brooks points to the television.
News reports from the morning are heard.
MS. FOY (continued): There’s video of the crash? Who was rolling film at the . . . Is that smoke coming from the other tower, too?
ALEXANDA: It’s horrible. I can’t . . .
Alexandra resumes pacing. Mrs. Brooks looks up from the television. Another snippet of a news report is overheard.
MRS. BROOKS: How is it that you don’t know. Ms. Foy? I thought you said you were listening to the news in the car?
MS. FOY: I was listening to a CD for most of the drive. I only heard the radio report when I parked and took the CD out of the . . . As soon as the DJ said a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Towers, I turned off the car and came straight here. Your classroom is the only one with a TV, so I can straight here.
MRS. BROOKS: One of the perks of being the computer teacher, but today . . . not so perky.
ALEXANDA: Don’t be flippant, Mrs. Brooks.
MS. FOY: Alexandra, why don’t you run along to the other students in the cafeteria and give them an update?
ALEXANDA: I just came from there. They don’t care. New York might as well be another country to these kids.
MRS. BROOKS: You’re one of “these kids” Alexandra.
MS. FOY: How about you go down to the front office and see if you can call your parents? Let them know how you’re doing. Maybe they’ll want to pick you up from school and you can all watch the news from home.
ALEXANDA: You know how my folks are. I can’t miss school for anything.
MS. FOY: I hadn’t thought about that. I can’t just do the lesson plan I had scheduled for today. What are you going to do, Mrs. Brooks?
MRS. BROOKS: Hadn’t really thought about it. What are you going to do in your religion classes today, Ms. Foy?
MS. FOY: I don’t know. Wrestling with faith in a loving God in the face of the world’s evil is kinda what we do every day. But today, with all this still going on . . . live.
MRS. BROOKS: Yeah. I’m just going to leave the news on and let the kids process it all.
ALEXANDA: They’re just going to talk and goof around.
MRS. BROOKS: As long as they keep it down so I can follow the latest developments, I don’t care.
ALEXANDA: Like I was saying. This is Oakland. Nobody here knows anybody in New York City.
MS. FOY: Well, I do. My husband is from New York. He still has family friends there. Heck. One of my friends is a flight attendant. What airlines were those plans?
ALEXANDA: United and American. What airline does your friend work for?
MS. FOY: I . . . I don’t remember. This is horrible. She’s based on the west coast, but does long-haul flights occasionally, so . . .
MRS. BROOKS: Hold on! They’ve got an update.
All three characters huddle around the television. Another update about the plane crashing into the Pentagon is heard.
ALEXANDA: The Pentagon? Where is that?
MRS. BROOKS: Washington DC. Virgina, technically, but . . . DC-adjacent.
MS. FOY: That means this is much bigger than just New York. There might be more plans being hijacked and . . .
Alexandra begins to cry and runs out of the room.
MRS. BROOKS: That girl needs to toughen up.
MS. FOY: Seriously, Mrs. Brooks? I think a little empathy would go a long way today.
Principal Br. Liam enters the room.
BR. LIAM: So, you’ve seen the news.
Mrs. Brooks and Ms. Foy point to the television. The start of another news report is heard.
BR. LIAM: Right. So . . . we’ll have an assembly right after homeroom and . . .
MS. FOY: Br. Liam, maybe we can take the students next door to the parish church for a prayer service . . . a moment of silence . . . ?
BR. LIAM: We’ll just do it here in the gym. Speaking of which . . . I need to go get some students to set up chairs.
MS. FOY: There’s some students in the cafeteria, already.
BR. LIAM: Thank you.
Br. Liam exits.
MRS. BROOKS: We’re doing fine, Br. Liam. Thanks for asking.
MS. FOY: Perhaps less sarcasm today.
MRS. BROOKS: I think days like today call for extra cynicism.
Mrs. Brooks and Ms. Foy exchange a tense look before turning back to the television. More news is overheard.
MS. FOY: “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
MRS. BROOKS: So “Mr. Rogers,” after you put on your cardigan what are you going to do in your classes today?
MS. FOY: I’m not sure. But first, I’m going to call my husband. You might want to do the same.
Ms. Foy exits. Mrs. Brooks turns back to the television as reports of people on plans are calling their loved ones.