- Jessica: When I was a girl, there was this lady, the Crazy Old Lady we called her 'cause she hardly ever spoke to any of us. When I'd walk by her house, she'd bang her cane on the window and say something like "MANYA MANYA MANYA MANYA!" Well, I was scared to death of her. One day, my mother said "Instead of being afraid and calling her Crazy Old Lady, why don't you ring the bell, introduce yourself and make her feel like she's not a crazy old lady." So, I did. Because I took a risk. Do you understand?
- Gwen: Thank you, Mrs. Tate.
- Jessica: You're welcome, dear.
- Gwen: How did she react when you rang her bell?
- Jessica: She said "MANYA MANYA MANYA MANYA!" and hit me in the head with the cane. Crazy as a loon.
- Young Jessica: Wait 'til you hear what I have to tell you...
- Young Mary: I know what it is. Darlene Cooke goes all the way. Patty told me. Who cares?
- Young Jessica: No, it's not that. It's something else that-Darlene Cooke goes all the way?
- Young Mary: That's what Patty said.
- Young Jessica: Who did she go all the way with?
- Young Mary: Omega Delta. But Patty lies.
- Young Jessica: Omega Delta? Is that a foreign student?
- Young Mary: Jess, it's a fraternity, not a person.
- Young Jessica: I see... well, Mary, that's good, huh? If she'd gone all the way with a person, she might have ended up preggers.
- Young Jessica: Out of the blue, Chester Tate asked me to marry him. What do you think about that?
- [stunned silence from Mary]
- Young Jessica: I know, Mary, I reacted the same way! Do you believe it? Chester Tate! He's so suave. I said to him: "My goodness, we haven't even dated, why do you want to marry me?" Mary, he said he always loved me from afar!
- Young Mary: You're gonna marry Jessica?
- Young Chester: I'm sorry.
- Young Mary: I don't believe this.
- Young Chester: Yeah, well neither do I. I'm sorry.
- Young Mary: Sorry? Last night, you were in bed with me and today you ask Jessica to marry you?
- Young Chester: Yeah, I know. It's been a crazy twenty-four hours.
- Young Mary: You've loved her from afar? You've been sleeping with me, but you've loved her from afar?
- Young Chester: I haven't loved her from afar, I never even looked at her. Well, not her face.
- Young Mary: I don't believe this!
- Young Chester: Imagine how I felt. Your mother told me I had to marry Jessica or my father would end up in jail.
- Young Mary: For what?
- Young Chester: Stock fraud. He cheated your mother out of a small fortune. Boy, was she mad.
- Young Mary: What does Jessica have to do with this?
- Young Chester: Blackmail. Your mother doesn't think anyone will marry Jessica because she's so scatterbrained. This way, she has a chance to marry her off.
- Young Mary: And you're gonna do it?
- Young Chester: Oh, gee whiz, Mary. I have to. If I don't, my father's gonna end up in jail.
- Young Mary: I don't believe this.
- Young Chester: And he's gonna cut me out of his will, which is no small potatoes 'cause he's loaded now that he's robbed your mother.
- [Chester is being coerced into marrying Jessica]
- Young Chester: What would you have me do, Mary?
- Young Mary: Be good to my sister.
- Chester: Jess, you have to know that I didn't even know who you were when I was sleeping with Mary. Really, I didn't even know your name. I thought it was Jennifer. I did! I thought your name was Jennifer.
- Jessica: Chester, you married me without loving me and that's really the awful part.
- Chester: But I fell in love with you, Jess. I did. You're right, not at first. At first, I thought you were a nice piece and if I had to get married, I could do a lot worse.
- Jessica: Always the romantic.
- Chester: But I fell in love with you, Jess. I swear I did.
- Jessica: Chester, you certainly had peculiar ways of showing it.
- Chester: Why? Because I cheated? Jess, I'll always cheat, I can't help it. I cheated on you, I cheated on the women I cheated on you with. I'll cheat on Annie. It doesn't mean that I didn't love you. I loved you, Jess. I guess I always will.
- Jessica: You did grow to love me, Chester?
- Chester: Very quickly and very easily.
- Jessica: Then there's no necessity for forgiveness.
- Chester: What about Mary?
- Jessica: No... I can't forgive Mary. I'd like to, but in my heart, I cannot forgive Mary.