Romance is Hell

ISABELLE:
So what you're saying is that you won't help me to plan our march against the war in Iraq because you want to go to the party at Hannah's because Jimmy is going to be there.

RICKY:
I didn't say Jimmy was going to be there, Isabelle.

ISABELLE:
Then what did you say?

RICKY:
I said he may be there.

ISABELLE:
He may be there? So you're going to go to a stupid party you don't even want to go to instead of working for peace because Jimmy may be there?

RICKY:
You don't know that it will be a stupid party. You think every party will be a stupid party.

ISABELLE:
Because they are. What are Hannah and her friends doing that won't be stupid?

RICKY:
They do stuff. They drink. Play Strip Scrabble. Life can't all be foreign policy, Isabelle.

ISABELLE:
You said stopping the war was important to you.

RICKY:
It is. I'll work on it next weekend.

ISABELLE:
Next weekend is too late. People are dieing.

RICKY:
They'll still be dieing next weekend.

ISABELLE:
You know what I mean. Those people shouldn't even be having a party.

RICKY:
Everybody can't drop dead just because some people are dieing. If they did, then everybody would be dieing and there would be nobody around to do a peace march.

ISABELLE:
Isn't anything important to you?

RICKY:
You're only saying that because you don't think Jimmy is interested in me.

ISABELLE:
What is this, seventh grade? You're 24 years old.

RICKY:
I know. That's why it's really important that you tell me whether he's interested in me or not.

ISABELLE:
I don't know whether he's interested in you.

RICKY:
Well you should.

ISABELLE:
Why? Why should I know that?

RICKY:
I told you to find out. I told you to ask Peter. Didn't I tell you that? What have you been doing all week?

ISABELLE:
I was working on the march.

RICKY:
Well I thought you were my friend. If you told me to check out a boy, I would've done it and not asked so many stupid questions.

ISABELLE:
What is stupid about the peace movement?

RICKY:
The war will still be going on tomorrow. But Jimmy is going to be at the party tonight. I think that says it all, don't you? What are you doing tonight that is so damn important?

ISABELLE:
We're training as marshals, we're calling everyone who said they were going to come to remind them, and we're making signs. Which is all very important.

RICKY:
Well everybody who's coming to your meeting tonight already has a boyfriend.

ISABELLE:
I don't have a boyfriend.

RICKY:
I mean not counting you.

ISABELLE:
Thank you very much.

RICKY:
I didn't mean it like that. You're extremely evolved. You're operating on a higher plane. It's not really where I want to be, but it's very spiritual.

ISABELLE:
Why don't you just ask Jimmy if he'll come with you to the meeting. You can do calls and make signs together.

RICKY:
I could?

ISABELLE:
Yes, of course you can. The more people the better.

RICKY:
I guess I could. It's not like asking him out on a date because a peace meeting isn't a date. And if he's interested in me, he'll say yes. Or he'll figure he can take a chance, and if I don't turn out to be as hot as he thought I was...

ISABELLE:
Which isn't going to happen because you're a firecracker.

RICKY:
And he'll figure that if it turns out I'm not hot enough, he can always blow me off and go to the party later. This is brilliant! Isabelle you are so smart!

ISABELLE:
Good, so you'll both be there?

RICKY:
Oh my God, no. I just thought of something. This is going to be totally embarrassing.

ISABELLE:
What is it?

RICKY:
What should I tell him to wear?