Right Now

Act I: School Days

One morning, Joan is rocking too hard on her white Gibson Melody Maker and she is late for school. She rushes inside the back door to avoid the principal, Mr. Strickland, but somehow he appears out of nowhere as if he is looking for her specifically.

Mr. Strickland: Here's a late pass for you, Larkin. I believe that makes four in a row [hands Joan a sticky note with writing on it].

Joan: [continues walking with her head down, speaking sarcastically] Oh, great.

Mr. Strickland: [reaches out and stops Joan from walking] You got a real attitude, Larkin, you're a slacker [points at Joan]! Oh, yeah, I remember when your father went here, he also lived in West Covina. You remind me of him, he was a slacker too. I see you signed your band up for the talent show, Larkin. Why bother, you have no chance! You're a girl but you don't dress like one! Girls cannot rock! You will never be good enough, you're too much like your old man. [brings nose to a millimeter away from Joan's nose] No Larkin has ever amounted to anything in the history of Hill Valley!

Joan: Well, if I'm like my old man, then maybe I can rock! And then history's gonna change.

Joan arrives at her first class and hands the teacher, Mr. Ryan, the late pass. She sits down at her usual desk next to her friend and Runaways drummer Sandy West. Sandy is wearing her personalized Runaways t-shirt that says "The Runaways" on one line at the front, and below that, her name, "Sandy West." As Mr. Ryan continues with his lecture, Sandy puts down the Rolling Stone magazine she is reading and whispers to Joan.

Sandy: I bet you were playing guitar.

Joan: What?

Sandy: [speaks louder] I said I bet you were playing guitar.

Joan: Yeah! My mom left the house early so I amped it up to number 11! Because of that, I didn't hear the alarm go off that I set for school.

Sandy: Rookie numbers. Lita does that all the time. Drives her dad crazy.

Joan: Huh?

Sandy: I said—.

Mr. Ryan: Sandy!

Sandy: [gasps, looks at Mr. Ryan] Yes?

Mr. Ryan: Can you tell the class what the Anaconda Plan was?

Sandy (caught like a deer in headlights): [blank stare at Mr. Ryan] Uhh... I don't know no snakes...

Joan: [giggles].

Mr. Ryan: Joan, would you like to help Sandy out? Oh, that's right, you were late to class by 20 minutes and you missed our discussion.

Joan: Wait! I already know. The Anaconda Plan was the strategy for the Union to destroy the Confederacy during the Civil War: send troops down the Mississippi, conduct a naval blockade of Southern ports, and capture Richmond because Virginia was a heavily industrialized state. It was like strangling the Confederacy and dividing them and it worked.

Mr. Ryan (surprised): [raises eyebrows] Perfect, Joan. That's exactly how it's explained in the textbook.

Joan: [winks at Sandy, looks at her watch, then looks back at Mr. Ryan] By the way, that clock's 10 minutes fast [points to the clock on top of the classroom door].