Sincerely, this scene is incredibly well-written and shows us a lot about Beret Girl, and by extension, PJ.
Let's go over what we know about Beret Girl before this scene.
Poet. Not only a poet, but a performer. Beret Girl values self-expression. This, and she also seems very introspective and self-aware. Beret Girl writes about the experience of living, how many contradictions it may have, and how its fleeting nature causes her to cherish it.
"Don't you dare waste my time, because life can stop on a dime."
Beret Girl does not tolerate any disrespect. She seeks out authenticity and sensitivity, which is why she sides with Max over Bradley Uppercrust III in their first interaction. She sees these people being harassed and instantly takes their side.
Going forward, Bradley proceeds to demean her with assumptions based on her clothing and her hobbies. 'Little Miss Mochaccino' and, the noteworthy,
"Why don't you go off and save the whales or something?"
Beret Girl has probably felt overlooked and gotten this kind of treatment many times throughout her life, so when seeing it happen to others, she hops to their defense. After all, life is fleeting, and she refuses to let this waste her time. Also why she rejects Bobby.
Intentionally or not, Bobby goes in with a very cheap, shallow pickup line. Beret Girl doesn't bite because she wants more than that. As an artist, one creates for themselves, but they also appreciate people to truly engage with their work.
When PJ is given a chance, though, he unironically does the best things he can do.
"It is endemic of the current culture that those with large stature are overlooked, except by vultures."
PJ feels that he is often overlooked, something that Beret Girl clearly relates to. Not only that, he expresses vulnerability to her while also showing that he picked up on her own sympathies.
This doesn't even mention his backstory that we, the audience, know. That he feels pressured by his father and is often written off as just a funny guy with no depth.
"With no regard to the depths of their souls, the height of their passion, the beauty of their moments."
Not only is PJ very articulate, he shows that he also desires an outlet to express himself and be heard, a very human desire that's clearly felt by Beret Girl. He's very introspective and sees things for the bigger picture, while also cherishing every moment he gets in life.
Bobby didn't know all that much about Beret Girl either, but he opened with a pickup line. PJ opened with an expression of his feelings to introduce himself and as an invitation for her to share her own.
He's sincere, vulnerable, and honest. Those of you trying to rizz up a Beret Girl, be a PJ. I cannot stress enough how good this is.
