Play 45: Just a Story

CHARACTERS
JOHN, early 20s
HANNAH, early 20s

(He’s sitting at a table in a small coffee shop typing on a laptop. She walks over to his table.)

HANNAH
Mind if I sit down?

JOHN
(Without pausing his typing.)
No, go ahead.

(She sits and sips her coffee silently for a few seconds.)

HANNAH
So, what you working on?

JOHN
Writing.

HANNAH
What?

JOHN
Nothing much, just a story.

HANNAH
Oh, cool! What’s it about?

(She leans over to look at the screen, he pulls it away.)

JOHN
Sorry, just, I don’t like people seeing my writing while I’m working on it.

HANNAH’
Don’t worry about it. (Pause.) So what’s it about?

JOHN
Nothing much.

HANNAH
Come on, you can tell me.

JOHN
I’m not really sure yet.

HANNAH
Not even a general idea?

JOHN
It’s a long story.

HANNAH
I’ve got time.

JOHN
Sorry, but, I really need to get this done.

HANNAH
Okay.

(Pause, she sips her coffee, he types.)

HANNAH
How much longer you think you’ll be writing for?

JOHN
I dunno (beat.) a while.

HANNAH
Okay. (Pause.) Well, anyways, I probably should go.

JOHN
Okay.

HANNAH
It was nice talking to you though.

JOHN
Yeah (beat.) you too.

(She starts to get up, then takes out a pen and scribbles something on a napkin and leaves it on the table before leaving.)

(He sits typing in silence for a few seconds.)

(He looks up and notices the napkin. He picks it up and glances over it.)

JOHN
Hmm, a phone number. (beat.) She must’ve forgotten it.

(He puts the napkin down and goes back to typing.)

(Fade out.)