first draft of a new scene from a new play--it might not be good yet so don't judge.

(MIRANDA returns carrying garden shears. She quickly
hides them under BRIAN's desk.)

BRIAN
What are those?

MIRANDA
Shh! You said you wanted to go home early, didn't
you?

BRIAN
So?

MIRANDA
So I need to hide this under your desk.

BRIAN
What's going on?

MIRANDA
The network connections are down, right?

BRIAN
Yeah.

MIRANDA
You have any internet on your computer?

BRIAN
No.

MIRANDA
Right, so we can't do any work and we'll have to go
home until they can fix it.

BRIAN
I could do more filing.

MIRANDA
No! John will be by soon and he'll tell us we can go
home.

BRIAN
Really?

MIRANDA
Yes, really.

BRIAN
OK.

MIRANDA
OK?!! OK?!!! How about thank you, Miranda? How
about thanks for getting us out early?

BRIAN
Um . . . but that means I won't get paid for the
whole day today.

MIRANDA
Yeah you will. Just mark it down like a normal day.
The guys that sign those aren't even in this office.
No one will remember.

BRIAN
Oh.

MIRANDA
The good thing is that we slowed capitalism just a
little today. We made it stall. We made it stumble.
We take small step, Brian sometimes. We have to take
small steps to get where we're going until we take big
steps.

BRIAN
Or then we can take a cab or something.

MIRANDA
What?

BRIAN
Nothing.

(Enter JOHN.)

JOHN
Hello, Miranda. Brian, right?

BRIAN
Right, Brian.

JOHN
You probably noticed the network is down again.

MIRANDA
I know. What's going on with this place? I have so
much work.

JOHN
I know. I know. They're working on it but they don't
think it'll be up anytime soon.

MIRANDA
That's a shame.

JOHN
Yeah. So, we're going to send everyone home.

BRIAN
Oh.

JOHN
Sorry about that. I'm sure they'll have it up again
by tomorrow.

MIRANDA
I hope so.

(JOHN tries to pull MIRANDA out of BRIAN's earshot.
He talks quieter. MIRANDA does not. If anything, she
speaks louder.)

JOHN
Miranda.

MIRANDA
What?

JOHN
Come here.

MIRANDA
What?

JOHN
You want to . . . I don't know . . . get a drink or
something?

MIRANDA
I can't, John. I have—

JOHN
Oh, you have—

MIRANDA
I promised Brian that we would get a drink.

BRIAN
Oh—uh—

MIRANDA
You know, kind of give him an orientation.

JOHN
What do you mean?

MIRANDA
How things work, you know.

JOHN
You don't mean—

MIRANDA
(aggressive)
What?

JOHN
Nothing.

MIRANDA
OK, well, see you later.

JOHN
Right, yeah.

(exit JOHN)

MIRANDA
Alright, so let's go.

BRIAN
Where?

MIRANDA
To get some drinks.

BRIAN
Oh, really?

MIRANDA
Yeah.

BRIAN
It's kind of early.

MIRANDA
It'll be late when we're done. Come on.

BRIAN
OK, cool.

(BRIAN and MIRANDA exit.)

(BRIAN's phone rings.)

(TODD alone in the apartment on the couch, on the
phone.)

TODD
Hey! Hey! Brian! Pick up the phone.