Play 113: Mental Energy Deficit

CHARACTERS
BEN, 17
SCENE

(Ben is lying on a couch watching TV with a blank look on his face.)

(Scene enters.)

(Ben looks up.)

BEN
(Muttering.)
Oh shit.

SCENE
Hey.

BEN
Hey.

(Beat.)

SCENE
So?

BEN
So what?

SCENE
You know.

(Beat.)

BEN
I got nothing.

SCENE
You have to have something.

BEN
Nope.

(Beat.)

I don’t have the mental energy to think of shit.

SCENE
Well I can’t just be blank.

BEN
I know.

SCENE
And you’ve done three straight cop-outs you know?

BEN
Trust me, I know.

SCENE
So?

BEN
Can’t I just rest?

SCENE
It’s getting late.

(Ben looks at his watch.)

BEN
Fuck.

SCENE
You don’t have much time.

BEN
I don’t have the energy to, I told you.

(Beat.)

SCENE
Fine, write a cop-out then, just something.

BEN
I’ll do it.

SCENE
When?

BEN
Eventually.

SCENE
You’re hopeless.

BEN
I know.

(Blackout.)