Play 166: Paranoid

CHARACTERS
AARON, 25
EMMA, 25

(They are sitting at a table in the kitchen of a modest apartment, they have plates in front of them with the remnants of dinner on them.)

(There is the sound of a phone ringing.)

(Aaron jumps up from his seat and picks his cell phone up off a counter in the kitchen, Emma’s eyes follow him as he does so.)

AARON
Hello?

(Beat.)

(He smiles.)

Hey!

EMMA
Who is it?

AARON
(Into the phone.)
One second.

(He puts his hand over the mouthpiece to the phone, and turns to Emma.)

A friend.

EMMA
(Suspiciously.)
Which one?

AARON
Just a friend.

(He puts the phone back to the side of his head.)

Hey, sorry about that.

EMMA
(Slightly angrily.)
Which one?

AARON
Sorry, one second.

(He puts his hand back over the phone.)

(Angrily.)
Look, can you just stop being so paranoid? It’s just a friend.

EMMA
Then tell me who?

(He puts the phone back up to the side of his head.)

AARON
Sorry, Emma is just being naggy.

EMMA
(Angrily.)
What?!

AARON
(To her.)
Well you are.

EMMA
(Exasperated and angry.)
I can’t believe you just—

(She storms off.)

AARON
What did I say?

(She exits to another room of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.)

(Pause.)

AARON
(Into phone.)
Tomorrow?

(Beat.)

Yeah, that works for me.

(Beat, he smiles.)

I love you too baby.

(Beat.)

Bye.

(He shuts his phone, and puts it back on the counter.)

(Beat.)

(He breathes in and out deeply, and then exits through the door Emma had gone through.)

AARON
(From offstage.)
Emma?

(Beat.)

(Blackout.)