- Edna Garrett: [Natalie comes in with her jacket torn] Natalie!
- Blair Warner: What happened?
- Natalie Green: I was coming home and I knew it was late, so I was hurrying. I wasn't far, Mrs. Garrett. I was almost home!
- Blair Warner: Natalie, what happened?
- Natalie Green: A man grabbed me and I tried to scream, but he covered my mouth!
- Edna Garrett: My God!
- Natalie Green: He pushed me down and he was holding me down. And all of a sudden, I heard people's voices. He must've heard them too because he got up and ran away. Mrs. Garrett, if those people hadn't passed by... Mrs. Garrett, I was almost home!
- Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey: Boy, Natalie, the next time you ask me to walk home with you, make sure I wear my track shoes.
- Natalie Green: It was getting dark.
- Jo Polniaczek: At noon? You're right. You never know when a total eclipse is just going to sneak up on you.
- Natalie Green: Sure, you can make jokes, but I've had my eyes opened. I know my limitations. I don't think any of you know what it's like to be a woman.
- Blair Warner: You're kidding, I'm sure?
- Natalie Green: It means that you're weak and helpless, and you don't have a chance out there.
- Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey: I wonder how much a sex change costs?
- Natalie Green: You can all go to the city and pretend like nothing's happened, but I can't. I know what's out there.
- Jo Polniaczek: The world is out there, Natalie! Remember the world? You used to like it.
- Self-Defense Instructor: You see me coming, you sense something's wrong, what's the first thing you do?
- Edna Garrett: Pray.
- Self-Defense Instructor: Okay, then what?
- Edna Garrett: Run.
- Self-Defense Instructor: Right! Run like hell! And?
- Edna Garrett: Scream.
- Self-Defense Instructor: That's right, but don't just scream. Scream 'fire!' That will get people's attention.
- Edna Garrett: Fire!
- Self-Defense Instructor: That's right, again!
- Edna Garrett: Fire!
- Self-Defense Instructor: Louder!
- Edna Garrett: FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE!
- Self-Defense Instructor: Very good, Mrs. Garrett, very good.
- Natalie Green: I think this is great, it's all very entertaining, it just doesn't happen this way.
- Blair Warner: [all the girls heckle her] The man's an expert.
- Natalie Green: Well I'm an expert too! And when it happened to me, NONE of this would've helped, there was NOTHING I could do to stop it!
- Self-Defense Instructor: How about before it happened?
- Natalie Green: What do you mean?
- Self-Defense Instructor: Was it night?
- Natalie Green: Yes.
- Self-Defense Instructor: Did you ask someone to walk with you?
- Natalie Green: No.
- Self-Defense Instructor: Did you stick to a well lighted path?
- Natalie Green: No.
- Self-Defense Instructor: You used a shortcut?
- Natalie Green: Yeah but I've done it a...
- Self-Defense Instructor: Did you at least listen for footsteps? Check the area for strangers?
- Self-Defense Instructor: Does anybody have a purse?
- Lucy: [lifts hers up] Here, it's a mess.
- Self-Defense Instructor: May I?
- [dumps out contents]
- Self-Defense Instructor: There are a lot of things in a purse that can help you. A good place to go for is the throat, keys,
- [stabs the air]
- Self-Defense Instructor: pencil, hairbrush, or even this.
- Natalie Green: A lollipop?
- Self-Defense Instructor: [holds it with stick pointed up] You hold it like this and it becomes a dangerous weapon.
- Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey: Killer candy!
- Self-Defense Instructor: Listen, when you're really in trouble, all you need is something, anything that will give you that extra few seconds so you can just get away.
- Self-Defense Instructor: [after Jo demonstrates an impressive level of confidence] You know something about self defense?
- Jo Polniaczek: Me? Self defense? A little.
- Self-Defense Instructor: Ok. I'm coming towards you and I want your money.
- [Jo ably defends herself and gets cocky; he turns the tables]
- Self-Defense Instructor: Now what do you say?
- Jo Polniaczek: It's in my back pocket.
- Blair Warner: You realize of course you'll have to pick someone else.
- Jo Polniaczek: Not on your life. I already got my leather jacket, my boots, and come this Friday night, I'll be Easy Rider.
- Blair Warner: You can't go as Peter Fonda. He's a man!
- Natalie Green: She was always a whiz at biology.
- Jo Polniaczek: It's not Peter Fonda. It's what he represents: bikes, freedom.
- Edna Garrett: Girls, I have to talk to you. Something's happened in town. You all know Mrs. King?
- Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey: Sure, the headmaster's secretary.
- Edna Garrett: Yeah, well, this evening on her way to her car, a man attacked her. She was raped.
- Edna Garrett: I don't want you girls to panic about this situation. The school is taking every possible precaution.
- Jo Polniaczek: Yeah, that's why all those workmen were here this morning. They're installing alarms.
- Edna Garrett: You're telling me. I didn't realize those things were so sensitive. I slammed the refrigerator door this morning and bells started ringing, I thought I'd won the "Secret Square."
- Blair Warner: But will alarms be enough?
- Edna Garrett: Oh, it's not just alarms, Blair. They're arranging for closed circuit television, electric gates...
- Jo Polniaczek: I know all about these precautions. They may keep a few people out, but mostly, they lock people in.
- Blair Warner: I've been up almost every night with Natalie this week.
- Jo Polniaczek: We've all been up with her. Those nightmares of hers are getting worse.
- Blair Warner: Maybe she'll feel better once the man is caught.
- Jo Polniaczek: Caught? The chances of finding that creep are zilch.
- Edna Garrett: Jo, the police are doing everything they can.
- Blair Warner: Mrs. Garrett, last night Natalie woke me up to walk her to the bathroom. That's just down the hall!
- Edna Garrett: Blair, a dark hallway can be very threatening after an experience like Natalie's.
- Blair Warner: Natalie has a point. We all bear the burden of being attractive and feminine.
- [looks at Jo]
- Blair Warner: Well, almost all of us.
- Edna Garrett: Girls, attractiveness is not what these attacks are about.
- Natalie Green: I bet everybody in your town knew everyone else and you never even bothered locking your door.
- Edna Garrett: You're right.
- Natalie Green: And you were never afraid.
- Edna Garrett: Oh I was afraid, especially of the lightning.
- Natalie Green: Lightning has nothing to do with a man coming at you from the bushes.
- Edna Garrett: Of course not, Natalie, but fear is fear. it has to be overcome. Natalie, you don't really wanna hide behind a locked door all your life?
- Edna Garrett: Come with me to the safety class tonight.
- Natalie Green: Why should I?
- Edna Garrett: Because you'll be doing something. You feel helpless, right? Then take some action. Help yourself.
- Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey: [showing the instructor how she walks] So, how'd I do?
- Self-Defense Instructor: You were casual, relaxed, in other words, lousy. You look like a victim! What if someone's checking you out? You want to look like you can handle yourself. Walk with confidence, maybe he'll pass you by.
- Self-Defense Instructor: Don't look for trouble. You don't want to put him away. You just want to get away. Always avoid confrontation.
- Jo Polniaczek: [laughs] Until I finish this course.
- Self-Defense Instructor: Always! Listen, whenever anybody jumps you, you NEVER have the upper hand, so don't try to play it.
- Self-Defense Instructor: [to Blair] Oh, listen, when I leave, how do I get out of here?
- Blair Warner: [points] Oh, you just go right out that...
- Self-Defense Instructor: [grabs Blair's hand, pins it behind her back and his arm goes around her neck] Never let your guard down when a stranger approaches. What are you going to do now?
- Blair Warner: I don't know!
- Self-Defense Instructor: Well, your legs are free. Kick me.
- Blair Warner: I can't!
- Self-Defense Instructor: You've got a free hand. Hit me. Go for the groin.
- Blair Warner: [gasps] I can't!
- Self-Defense Instructor: What's the matter, Blair? Too un-ladylike?
- Blair Warner: Yes!
- Self-Defense Instructor: You're not going to be dealing with Prince Charles out there. No area of the body is off limits. You're protecting yourself, maybe even your life, so please, anything goes.
- Edna Garrett: Well, Natalie, what do you think? Does any of this make sense?
- Natalie Green: I guess I should've gone home with the party with the other girls. You know, I had that cane for my Charlie Chaplin costume. Maybe I could've used that.
- Edna Garrett: Maybe. At least it's an option. That's what these classes are giving us.
- Natalie Green: Okay, I've got options, but I'm still afraid.
- Edna Garrett: Natalie, everybody's afraid. These are crazy crazy times, but life is still sweet. Don't let your fear paralyze you. Use it to make you alert, aware and smart.
- Jo Polniaczek: You wanna know something weird? We all must have walked that same street a hundred times. It's right in the middle of town.
- Blair Warner: Do we have to talk about it? Can't we just pretend it didn't happen?
- Edna Garrett: I don't think we can do that, Blair.
- Jo Polniaczek: Face it, Pollyanna. There's a lot of crime around.
- Blair Warner: I know that. I watch Hill Street Blues.
- Jo Polniaczek: You can't go as Jane Fonda.
- Blair Warner: Why not? Who are you going as?
- Jo Polniaczek: Peter Fonda.
- Edna Garrett: [about the women's safety course] Defense is part of it. Anybody interested?
- Natalie Green: Not me. I have a silly aversion to being hurled over someone's shoulders.
- Edna Garrett: But who knows? Maybe you'll have a chance to do some hurling.
- Jo Polniaczek: Ah, then count me in!
- Edna Garrett: [to Tootie] For someone who had such a terrible time, you sure stayed long enough.
- Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey: I would've been home a lot sooner, but my dress is so tight, it took me an hour to hop home.
- Self-Defense Instructor: Take a look around the room. Statistics say about half of you will be a victim of a serious crime at some time in your life.
- [the girls giggle]
- Self-Defense Instructor: Oh that's right, giggle, but it could happen to you. It doesn't have to though, not if you don't go around like a victim.
- Blair Warner: He was gonna be mine for the party if it hadn't been for you.
- Jo Polniaczek: What did I do?
- Blair Warner: He was up to "Blair, would you like to go to the..." when you practically ran him over with your hopper.
- Jo Polniaczek: The word is "chopper."
- Blair Warner: Hopper, chopper, what's the difference?
- Jo Polniaczek: I can't help it if he goes speechless every time he sees me. Face it, Blair, it's just... some kind of animal thing.
- [shrugs]
- Blair Warner: I thought you had that mange under control.
- Jo Polniaczek: Well, at least I saved him from being railroaded into a date.
- Dorothy 'Tootie' Ramsey: Hey, what movie star are you guys going to the party as?
- Blair Warner: Only the most dynamic woman in the world today. Jane Fonda.
- Natalie Green: Jane Fonda? Why are you going as Jane Fonda?
- Blair Warner: Because she's committed, she's dedicated, and she's liberated.
- [proudly:]
- Blair Warner: Like me. Besides,
- [admires herself in the mirror]
- Blair Warner: someone is already going as Bo Derek.
- [winks at her mirror image]