Michael:
Hello, and welcome to the 50th Anniversary Week at Guiding Light. I’m Mike O’Leary, and I portray Rick Bauer.

Grant:
And I’m Grant Aleksander and I play Phillip Spaulding.

Michael:
Thank you for requesting this scene as one of the scenes you wanted to see again.

Grant:
As always, Mikey and I had a lot of fun doing it, and we’re glad you enjoyed it. So, let’s set the stage. It’s prom night, and Phillip has decided that maybe Beth is the girl for him.

Michael:
Mm-hmm. You see, Phillip had conveniently forgotten that Beth was my date and Mindy was HIS date. (Playfully pushing Grant).

Grant: (protesting)
Yes, but…but Rick and Phillip are very good friends, and Rick has always understood this in the past.

Michael: (not looking convinced)
Yeah right. (Grant laughs). So that’s where we are when we start this scene.

CLIP BEGINS

(Outside in the dark. David Bowie's "Let's Dance" can be heard playing inside and plays throughout the scene.)

Rick:
You want her, don’t you?

(Long pause. Phillip nods)

Phillip:
Yeah, I do.

Rick: (crumbling)
Tonight? Tonight you want her? (Turns in disgust, then looks at Phillip.) I’ve seen you do this before.

Phillip:
You have?

Rick:
Yeah. I’ve seen you move from one girl to another. I’ve seen you make them laugh. I’ve seen you make them cry. And as soon as things get a little too serious, you drop them.

Phillip:
Is that what you think this is?

Rick:
Yeah. I don’t think you know how to deal too well with relationships. I think it’s the way you’ve been raised.

Phillip:
That’s a good sequence. I like that. Tell me something, Dr. Bauer, you planning on majoring in psychology when you get to college?

Rick:
I don’t need a degree to see you’ve been long on good times and short on commitment.

Phillip:
Can we dispense with all the…

Rick:
I didn’t say a thing when you started playing around with Mindy. She’s in love with you now, Phillip. Just like you always wanted her to be. And she’ll be hurt when you walk out of her life. But she’ll survive. Mindy can get over anything, but Beth is different.

Phillip:
You think I’d ever do anything to hurt Beth? (Rick pauses and shakes his head). Come on!

Rick:
No. No. (Putting his hand to his head, then turning to Phillip). You can have Beth, if you want her. She’s always been a little in love with you, Phillip. Now you’ve made this night happen for her. That’s the kind of thing you do. You use your money and your charm…you change people’s lives.

Phillip:
What’s wrong with that?

Rick:
Nothing, if you’re willing to assume responsibility for that life you changed.

Phillip:
Well, maybe I am.

Rick:
And maybe you’re not. Maybe you’ll get bored with Beth, or afraid of her. And when that happens, you’ll walk out of her life, just like you always do.

Phillip:
Do you really think I’d do anything to hurt Beth? It’s not going to happen. It could never happen with her.

Rick:
It could happen. (Pause). But Beth is fragile. If you drop her, Phillip, she’ll shatter into a thousand pieces. Who do you think is going to be there to pick them up?

Phillip: (What Rick says is sinking in. He looks down)
Rick, you are my best friend. You tell me what to do.

Rick:
I can’t advise you, Phillip.

(Starts to go back inside).

Phillip: (yelling)
What do you mean, you can’t advise me? I’m asking you to help me.

Rick: (yelling back)
I can’t!

Phillip:
Why?

Rick:
Because she’s mine! I like her too!

END OF CLIP

Grant:
Were we ever that young?

Michael: (faking an adolescent voice change)
I can’t believe it. Ahem. Excuse me.

Grant:
I guess that was really the beginning of Rick growing up, wasn’t it?

Michael:
Phillip and Rick.

Grant: (look implying that Phillip has never really grown up)
Yeah. That was the beginning. The future looks brighter and more exciting for both characters.

Michael:
Yes, it does. And I hope all of you will continue to join us each day. Together, we’ll make the next 50 years of Guiding Light as special and as exciting as the first.