ONE
L&S apartment, Friday afternoon

Shirely is sitting on the couch, reading Reader's Digest.

Laverne (coming in the room)- Oh, boy, two whole weeks of paid vacation... (sees Shirley reading) nd you're reading a magazine.

Shirely- Reader's Digest.

Laverne- Oh, pardon me. C'mon, Shirl. We gotta think up som'en to do with these two weeks.

Shirley- I'm perfectly content sitting here and reading.

The door flies open.

Lauren (coming in)- Girls!

Laverne (mockingly)- Lauren! (normal) What's up?

Lauren- I just got a call from my parents and they're gonna pay for round trip train tickets for all of us to go to North Adams for June Fest!

{June Fest was formerly known as La Festa, hence the title}

Shirely- You're kidding? All of us?

Lauren- Yup, all seven of us! And we leave tomorrow at six a.m., so pack and get to sleep early. (turns to leave) This is gonna be great! (she leaves)

Shirley (skeptically)- The train, huh.

Laverne- Com'on, Shirl, atleast this time we know who we're goin' with.

Shirley- True. Hmm... six in the morning...

Laverne- We'd better get packing!

They run into the bedroom.

TWO
the next morning, 5:30am, train station

Everyone is tired, except Lauren, who loaded up on caffeine.

Lauren (pacing around; hyper)- I wish that train would get here! I wanna be home and go to June Fest!

Laverne (leans closer to Kristin)- I've never seen her like this before. Is she okay?

Kristin- She had a whole six-pack of Pepsi's last night. She oughtta be comin' in for a landing once we get on the train.

PA System- Train 7A to North Adams, Adams, and Pittsfield now boarding on track two.

{yeah, I know there're other stops in between Wisconsin and Massachusetts, but how should I know whatthe are/were!?}

Lauren (starts jumping around)- That's ours! (she grabs her backpack, flings it on her back; picks up her suitcase, then grabs Lenny's jacket and pulls him right out of his seat)

Lenny (stumbling)- Wait a sec, lemme grab my bag, then ya can drag me to the train.

The group gathers their things and follow Lauren to the train. The seating is forwards and backwards in sections of five seats. Laverne, Shirley, and Carmine take one side of three seats. Kristin and Squiggy take the two seats going backwards. Lauren and Lenny take the two seats across the aisle. Lauren is sitting in the aisle sit and starts fidgeting in her seat.

Lenny- Whatsa matter?

Lauren- I can't get comfortable. (she tries to prop her feet on the seat across from her, but it's too far away... or her legs are too short)

THREE
2 hours later

The whole group of five have fallen asleep with Shirley resting her head on Carmine's shoulder and his head is resting against hers. Laverne is slumped down in her seat. Kristin is sitting up straight with Squiggy stretched out sing her as a pillow. On the other side of the aisle, Lenny's still awake, but Lauren's Pepsi fit ended and she finally got comfortable, leaning sideways in the seat with her feet propped up on Lenny's legs. he tries to shift in his seat, but wakes up Lauren while trying.

Lauren (squints at her watch)- Only eight o'clock. geez.

Lenny- Uh, do ya think maybe you could get your feet off my legs? I think I've lost the feeling in my right leg.

Lauren (sits normally, then sits Indian style)- Sorry. They never make seats for short people. My feet hardl ever touch the floor. (leans her ead back) I can't wait to get home!

Lenny- You said your parents sprung for this trip?

Lauren- Yup!

Lenny- You gonna introduce us?

Lauren (tilts her head and looks at him)- In all the excitement, I never thought about that. Yeah, I guess I won't have a choice. My parents are really nice, though. Hopefully, they've forgotten how much of a pain Squig is.

Lenny- They must've, otherwise they woulda said he couldn't come.

Lauren- Very true. (pause) I wish they had stuff you could do on these long trips.

Lenny grins at Lauren and she sees it.

Lauren (gazes at the five asleep across the aisle)- Well, they're still asleep, (looks at Lenny) what the heck. besides, it might prove impossible to find time to make out once we get into town.

They start making out

Across the aisle, Laverne opens one eye and watches them.

FOUR
the next day, about 11:00am, North Adams, heritage State Park {that's where the train station is}

The group comes out of the station with Lauren leading.

Lauren (turns to everyone)- Well, since taxis are rather scarce around here, we could walk. It's only about twenty, twenty-five minutes from here. Com'on, I'll take you down Main Street.

Everyone agrees and follows Lauren down Main Street.

{Factoid: from here on in street names, business names, etc. belong to no specific time period}

Lauren- Awe, the old Roberts building. This was sorta a Woolworth's type store. There's a great one a little ways down called Gateway Clothing.

{sadly, Gateway Clothing is now closed and gone :( }

They continue down Main Street and turn down Eagle Street.

Lauren (sniffing the air)- I know that smell and for once it ain't Squig.

Squiggy makes a face.

Lauren (looks across the street)- Jack's hotdogs! Awe, we gotta stop and get lunch.

Lauren talks them all into it, then they all cross the street, and go in, filling up half the seating.

{small place, great hotdogs!}

A half an hour later, the group comes out and Lauren leads them down the rest of Eagle Street and cross over to get to Union Street. {past McDonalds... can't ya just smell those french fries!} They continue down Union, then... get to another street {which shall remain nameless because I've already mapped out what we're gonna need of North Adams, so ::razzberry::} They walk up the hill, slowly.

Lauren- I guess I shoulda warned ya about the hill.

Laverne- Ya guess!?

Lauren- Sorry.

They get to the house and Lauren just stops and stares. After about 30 seconds, (she gets her second wind and) she makes a mad dash up the stairs and rings the doorbell. {one ring, we can't stand it when people lean on it}

FIVE
inside the house, hallway, by the front door

Dad (looking out the side window)- Maybe we shouldn't have let her bring everyone.

Mom- We managed to make room for them, the least we could do is let them in.

{btw, my parents will be referred to as "mom" and "dad"}

Dad opens the door and sees Lauren, who starts making faces, through the outside door. He unlatches the door and before he gets a chance, Lauren opens it.

Lauren- I'm here!

Kristin nudges her arm.

Lauren (slaps her forehead)- Would ya believe I just forgot they were here, too?

The whole group goes in the house.

Squiggy- I remember this place bein' bigger.

Dad (to Lauren)- Is that who I think it is?

Lauren- Uh, yeah.

Dad (to mom)- Hide the breakables.

Mom- How am I supposed to hide everything?

Lauren- Time for the grand tour! Upstairs first! (she leads them back down the hallway and up the stairs; she moves out farther in front and goes into what used to be her room) Awe, my room. (looks around)

Everybody else gathers at the doorway.

Lenny (picks up the guitar from behind the door {how'd he see that back there?})- I didn't know ya played.

Lauren- I don't It was my brother's. All I can do is strum and I don't even really do that well.

Shirley (sees the pile of stuffed animals)- Oh my goodness! (she goes over and starts looking at them)

Lauren- Well, Shirl, atleast now ya won't hafta think about leaving BooBooKitty at home.

Laverne slaps the back of Lauren's head.

Laverne- Don't say that! She'll wanna take one of those home!

Lauren- Uh, okay, Shirl, you can chat with them later.

They go back into the hall and Lauren finishes the tour. Downstairs, everybody is told where they're going to sleep--girls upstairs in two rooms, boys downstairs in the living room. {we've got two recliners and a couch... there's another couch in the den, but it has board games piled on it}

FIVE
night

Almost the whole group is still downstairs. Laverne went to sleep because she didn't have a guy with her.

Carmine- This is a great house!

Lauren- Awe, gee, thanks! Not bad for being a hundred and twenty years old.

Shirley- A hundred and twenty? Wow!

Lenny- I didn't know houses lived that long.

Lauren glares at Lenny, who grins at her. Lauren rolls her eyes

Shirley (yawns)- Oh, goodness, I think I'll be going upstaris now. (she kisses Carmine on the cheek and leaves the room, and goes to the stairs)

Kristin- That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I think I'm gonna go up, too. See ya in the mornin'. (she gives Squiggy a kiss and leaves the room)

Lenny- you gonna bail, too?

Lauren- Naw. (looks at her watch) It's only ten-thirty.

Carmine- Well, I wouldn't mind gettin' some sleep myself.

Lauren- Yeah. Um... it's still warm out, we could go sit out on the porch.

Squiggy- Hangin' around on a porch? Nah. I'm gonna hit the floor here and get me some sleep.

Lauren- Geez, we got an epidemic goin' here. (looks at Lenny) Well?

Lenny- Let's go.

Lauren grabs her keys and stuffs them in her pocket. {just in case} They go out and sit on the porch steps.

Lauren- I love it when they have fireworks at Noel Field. You can see 'em perfectly from across the street... or my room through the south-side window.

Lenny bites his palm and makes that sound.

Lauren (glares at him)- Don't do that.

Lenny (changing the subject)- What exactly is June Fest, anyway?

Lauren- Well, I'm not too sure, but they've always got a musical act. I guess they've got a softball game and some other stuff. We should come back again when the carnival's in town.

Lenny- Boy, you sure do love it here.

Lauren- Well, this was where I lived until I came out to Milwaukee. I've never lived anywhere else and, truthfully, I don't even know half of the streets names here, but I can get to where I need to go.

Lenny- When we go back, you ain't gonna stay here, will ya?

Lauren (looks at Lenny)- What? Where'd that come from?

Lenny- It's just the way ya talk about this town. It just seemed like maybe ya wouldn't wanna come back with us.

Lauren- Awe, Len, um... why don't we take a walk up the hil? I'll show ya around some more and we can talk.

Lenny- Okay.

Lauren fishes the keys out of her pocket and locks the door. They go down the porch steps, then the cement steps to the sidewalk, and start going up the hill.

Lauren- I grabbed my keys, but no flashlight. I must be slippin'.

Lenny- You ain't gonna stay here, are ya?

Lauren- No, but I think I'm gonna come back here more often. (sees the hurt look on his face) You can come, too.

Lenny- Really!?

Lauren- Sure. My parents won't mind. They only mind Squiggy. Oh, I sure hope he ain't sleep walkin'.

Lenny- I don't think Carmine would like to be woken up by The Duke again.

They laugh, which is followed by an unasy silence as they keep walking.

Lenny- Um... did you say they got a music act?

Lauren- Yeah, but I dunno who.

Lenny- Do they need an opening act?

Lauren (stops walking)- How am I s'posed to know?... Wait a minute, here. Are you thinkin' about crashing this?

Lenny- Couldn't hurt to ask.

Lauren- True. We'll hafta find whoever's running it and see if maybe you guys can get a few songs in.

Lenny- Would ya wanna join us?

Lauren- Me? Len, you know I can't sing. What's the matter with you?

Lenny- I meant, you could be part of the band.

Lauren- I get it. You snooped in my room and saw my tambourine and maracus. Well, ya know what?

Lenny (backs off a little)- What?

Lauren (smiles)- i'd love to! (pause) But there's no telling if they'd actually let us be part of the Fest.

Lenny- Like I said, can't hurt to ask.

Lauren- No, it can't.

It starts sprinkling.

Lauren (looks up)- Awe, geez, it was all clear five minutes ago. I guess we'll hafta cut the tour short.

It starts pouring.

Lenny- Yeah, guess so.

They're now soaked.

Lauren- Ya know, this only happened once before... I stayed out in the rain then, too.

Lenny- So we get a little drenched.

They turn back and walk slowly to the house. Lenny puts his arm around Lauren's shoulders and she puts her arm around his waist. {she's short, remember}