Play 291: I’ll Take That As a Yes

CHARACTERS
BEN, 17
SCENE

BEN
I can’t.

SCENE
Please?

BEN
I’m too tired.

SCENE
You didn’t get that little sleep last night.

BEN
I didn’t get that much either.

(Beat.)

Or the night before, or any night this week.

SCENE
So what?

BEN
So I’m fucking tired.

SCENE
It won’t take too long.

BEN
If I think of an idea.

SCENE
You always do.

BEN
Not really.

SCENE
Even a cop out’ll do.

BEN
I don’t have the energy.

SCENE
Cop outs don’t take much energy.

BEN
I can’t even think, let alone write.

SCENE
You’re exaggerating.

BEN
I’m really not.

(Beat.)

I can barely even focus my eyes on the computer screen, and it’s hard to write when everything’s blurry.

(Beat.)

SCENE
Okay, that is pretty bad.

BEN
No shit.

(Beat.)

SCENE
So you’re really not going to write it?

BEN
Nope.

(Beat.)

SCENE
You will.

BEN
No I won’t.

SCENE
You know why you will?

BEN
Why?

SCENE
Because no matter how tired and fried out you are, you’re still pretty stubborn, and ridiculously obsessive.

(Pause.)

BEN
That’s cold.

SCENE
Because it’s true.

(Beat.)

BEN
I know.

(Beat.)

SCENE
So you admit I’m right?

BEN
Fuck you.

(Beat.)

SCENE
I’ll take that as a yes.

(Blackout.)