| Alex: | A person. May be any gender. |
| Bobby: | Another person. May be any gender. |
I-1-1
| SETTING: | A nondescript location. |
| AT RISE: | ALEX is standing. |
Hey! You're still here?
Yes. I was beginning to think you weren't coming.
Well, I've had a very weird morning.
How weird?
I accidentally discovered that if I spin compeltely around, time reverses a few seconds.
That is the dumbest excuse for being late that you've ever used.
I-1-2
How weird?
It is really weird. In fact, you won't believe it.
Try me.
What if I told you that I can make time jump back a little, not a lot, just a little?
I'd say you are trying to make up a silly excuse for being late.
I swear, I'm not.
Well, show me.
All I have to do is this...
I-1-3
I'd say that you are trying to make up a silly excuse for being late.
I'm not.
Well, show me.
I just did.
You did what?
I reversed time when I did that spin thing.
What spin thing?
Wait. When I spin around, you rewind, and then you don't remember me spinning around.
Are you trying to say that you reverse time, but nobody notices when you do it?
I-1-4
I'm just now realizing that is how it works.
I'm done with all these stupid things you make up.
Are you trying to say that you reverse time, but nobody notices when you do it?
I know it sounds stupid. It is new to me and I'm just trying to wrap my head around it.
It does sound a bit stupid.
Maybe you can help.
Help with what?
Pretend that you just found out that when you spin around, time rewinds, and nobody notices it. What do you do?
I-1-5
How much does it rewind?
I'm not exactly sure. Start counting seconds, you know, one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi... I'll reverse time when you get to ten and see how many Mississippis back it goes.
One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi, four-Mississippi, five-Mississippi, six-Mississippi, seven-Mississippi, eight-Mississippi, nine-Mississippi, ten-Mississippi...
Three-Mississippi, Four...
Stop.
Don't you want me to count to ten?
You did and after I spun around, you were back on three. That's seven seconds.
So, you say you can rewind time by seven seconds?
I-1-6
It appears so.
How do I know you didn't just stop me at three and you're making all this up?
Why would I make up something as stupid as, "I can spin around time and reverse time!"
You once said you couldn't go bowling because you were abducted by space aliens who did tests on you and your legs were still very wobbly.
I just didn't want to go bowling.
You said that your dentist's absence note was delayed because your dentist is Chinese and the note had to be sent to a translator in Beijing and it will take four-to-six weeks to get back the English translation.
Well, Dr. Jia is Chinese.
Do you remember when you said...
I-1-7
I get it. I make up stupid stuff all the time, but this isn't made up and I don't know what to do.
You say you can rewind time.
Yes.
Seven seconds.
Yes.
Can you show me?
You say you can rewind time.
Yes.
Seven seconds.
I-1-8
Yes.
Can you show me?
I just did.
You just did?
When I reverse time, you go back and you don't remember seeing me do it. You don't realize that time reversed at all.
There might be something there.
What do you mean?
You remember everything that happened during those seven seconds, right?
Yes.
I-1-9
I wonder if we should try the grandfather paradox.
What paradox?
The grandfather paradox is where you go back in time and kill your grandfather, so your mom or dad won't be born, so you won't be born.
I was born more than seven seconds ago.
Right. That won't work, but there has to something where you can get some knowledge, go back seven seconds, and use it to your advantage.
When is seven seconds useful?
What number am I thinking of?
I don't know.
It is 42. Rewind and try it again.
I-1-10
Try what again?
Quickly, rewind.
OK.
What number am I thinking of?
42.
That's right!
You just told me.
No, I didn't. You did the reversing thing and I never told you.
So, you are saying I should get the lottery numbers and play the lottery.
I-1-11
You need more than seven seconds for that.
I can buy them right before the numbers come out.
No. They close the ticket sales ten minutes before the numbers are called.
I have an idea.
What?
What the...
No. They close the ticket sales ten minutes before the numbers are called.
I think I can live with this.
I-1-12
Live with what?
Live with reversing time.
I guess. It is kind of like a super power. It is strange that you never noticed it.
I guess. I didn't really notice it until I was rushing over here and bumped into that guy down by the park.
What guy?
I don't know. Some guy seemed to just pop up out of nowhere and we collided. I was in a hurry to get here, so I just kept running.
Are you sure you didn't hurt him.
I'm sure. That is the first time. After I ran a few steps, I worried that I might have. So, I spun around to check on him. He was standing up and looking confused for a moment and then suddenly, I was back on the ground right after we collided.
I-1-13
You reversed time when you spun around.
Exactly. I actually did it a couple times: on the ground, get up, run a couple steps, spin around, back on the ground again.
Wait, what if you spin around more than once?
It reverses time.
What if you spin twice to go back fourteen seconds, three times to go back twenty-one seconds, and so on?
No harm in trying.
Don't make yourself dizzy. It looks like only once works.
Time's not going back?
I-1-14
Nope. You are just spinning around like an idiot.
I can fix that.
You just spun around again.
I think I'm broken.
It looks like it. Maybe it was just a temporary super power.
At least I'm back to normal and I can spin around without sending the world into reverse.
You still look like an idiot.
You are just too scared to be seen spinning around.
I-1-15
I just have some self respect.
Even people with self respect can spin around.
Well, I...
You are just too scared to be seen spinning around.
No I'm not. I just... wait. What did you just say?
You are just too scared to be seen spinning around.
Say something you would never say.
Like what?
Anything.
I-1-16
Like purple warble nuts?
Like what?
Anything.
Like
Do we both have the power?
I think so.
That is amazing!
We need ground rules.
I-1-17
Like what?
First, no slapping each other.
I won't do that again.
Again?
And no using it to win arguments.
Of course. And we can't tell anyone.
Too late. I already told you.
I mean anyone else.
Agreed.
(Thinking.) Did you reverse me just then?
I-1-18
No. Why?
We came up with those ground rules so easily.
So, now, whenever we get along, we will think we are being reversed?
Pretend I didn't say anything.
I said pretend, not spin.
So, you know when I spin now?
I guess so. I just saw you spin.
I haven't seen you spin.
Well, I didn't spin. Want me to try?
I-1-19
Sure. I think we both have the power so we are immune to it.
OK. Here goes.
I haven't seen you spin.
Just now.
Yes. Spin now. Let me see if I can see it.
I did spin. Just now.
I didn't see it.
Wait. let me try something...
I-1-20
Yes. Spin now. Let me see if I can see it.
You first. I want to make sure I can see you spin.
Did you see that?
Umm... Let me try something.
So, you didn't see me spin?
No. Of course not. I must have been imagining things before.
This is great. We can both reverse time.
Yes. We just can't use it on each other.
Of course not. No matter how important it might be.
I-1-21
How important?
Like if I have some secret that is really weighing me down and I really want to get it off my chest, but I don't want you to be upset with me.
That sounds very specific.
OK. I borrowed your car without telling you and I'm the one who got the scratch on the door.
What!?
(Trying to hide being upset.) Umm... That sounds oddly specific.
Oh, it isn't. It is just a general concept. I don't have any secrets that I need to hide.
You know, I think you are on to something.
I-1-22
Really?
Yes. We can now share all our secrets with one another, spin, and it is like we never said a thing.
The perfect friendship!
Yes. And by the time you figure out that you can't actually reverse time anymore, it will be far too late.
I can't reverse time?
Nope.
The perfect friendship!
Yes. The perfect friendship.