Play 244: Sink In

IMPORTANT NOTE: Hey, I’m going to be leaving tomorrow morning for CSSSA (for creative writing) for four weeks, and during my time there I’m not going to really have the time (or mental energy for that matter) to keep this whole play-a-day thing going—so I’m going to take a four week hiatus from writing and posting these scenes, but as soon as I get back, I’ll start it up again. But anyways, without further delay, here’s the final scene before I leave.

CHARACTERS
VINCENT, 17
NICK, 17

(They are sitting on a couch with TV on at a low volume in the background.)

NICK
When do you have to get up?

VINCENT
Six forty-five.

NICK
Ouch.

VICENT
Yeah.

(Beat.)

NICK
You must be excited.

VINCENT
Yeah, very.

NICK
Scared at all?

VINCENT
A little.

(Beat.)

But it’s overwhelmed by being excited.

NICK
That’s good.

(Beat.)

You don’t sound particularly excited though.

VINCENT
I don’t?

NICK
No.

VINCENT
I guess it hasn’t sunken in yet.

NICK
How so?

VINCENT
For me at least, whenever anything new’s about to happen, it never seems fully real to me until it happens.

NICK
That’s weird.

VINCENT
Yeah, I guess it just takes a while for things to sink in for me.

(Beat.)

NICK
Do you think it’ll be weird going back?

VINCENT
At least a little I’m sure.

NICK
I can imagine.

VINCENT
I can’t.

NICK
(Confused.)
What?

VINCENT
I still can’t really imagine I’m leaving tomorrow.

(Beat.)

Or that tomorrow I’ll be at CSSSA again.

(Beat.)

Wow.

NICK
Finally sinking in?

VINCENT
A little.

(Blackout.)

Play 243: Not Yet

CHARACTERS
MARK, late 20s
JESSICA, late 20s

(They are standing in an apartment, by the door that leads outside.)

JESSICA
Are you sure?

MARK
Yes.

JESSICA
Why can’t I?

MARK
You can, just not yet.

JESSICA
We’ve been going out for four months.

MARK
It’s still a bit soon.

JESSICA
No it’s not.

MARK
I’m not ready for them to meet you yet.

JESSICA
When will you be?

(Beat.)

MARK
I don’t know.

JESSICA
I want to meet them.

MARK
You will soon.

JESSICA
We’ve had dinner with my parents several times.

MARK
I know.

JESSICA
So why won’t you bring me along to meet yours?

MARK
You don’t know my parents.

JESSICA
You’re being too cautious.

MARK
No I’m not.

JESSICA
I’m sure they’ll be fine.

MARK
They won’t.

(Pause, Mark turns away from her and puts his hand on the door-handle and looks like he’s about to leave, but Jessica puts her hand on his shoulder. He turns around.)

MARK
What?

JESSICA
It isn’t that you’re embarrassed to take me to them, is it?

MARK
No, of course not.

JESSICA
Are you sure.

MARK
Yeah, why would I be embarrassed?

JESSICA
I don’t know.

(Beat.)

MARK
You know I love you, right?

(Beat.)

JESSICA
Yeah.

MARK
You don’t have to worry.

JESSICA
Okay.

(Beat.)

But you’ll introduce me to them soon, right?

MARK
Yeah.

JESSICA
Okay.

(Beat.)

MARK
Well, I should go.

(Beat.)

JESSICA
Okay.

MARK
I’ll see you when I get back, okay?

JESSICA
Yeah.

(Beat.)

Sure.

MARK
I love you.

(He opens the door and leaves.)

(Jessica sighs.)

(Blackout.)

Play 242: …On a Plane

INT. PLANE-NIGHT

A hand holds up a book.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
(He speaks in the typical deep, slightly gravely, and intense voice that talks in the previews of movies.)
It was just another day.

ZOOM OUT from the hands, BEN ROSBROW, a 17 year old teenage boy, reading a book.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
On a plane.

ZOOM OUT from BEN slightly, he is sitting on a plane in the aisle seat reading, there is a man in the window seat asleep with his head against the window, and there is a woman in the middle seat listening to music.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
But no one could have seen what would come.

BEN yawns, and continues reading his book.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
And when danger broke out…

PILOT
(From over the PA system.)
Ladies and gentleman, we’re going to be experiencing a little turbulence, but it’s nothing to worry about.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
There was only one man who could save the day.

ZOOM IN on a hand tapping BEN’S SHOULDER.

VOICE
Excuse me?

PAN TO BEN’S FACE, looking up from his book to the person who tapped him on the shoulder.

BEN ROSBROW
What?

VOICE
Are you Ben Rosbrow?

BEN ROSBROW
(Confused.)
Yeah, why?

ZOOM OUT to SAMUEL L. JACKSON standing in the aisle next to BEN ROSBROW, looking intense. ZOOM IN on SAMUEL L. JACKSON'S FACE.

SAMUEL L. JACKSON
Because I’ve had it with these motherfucking Ben Rosbrows!

ZOOM OUT on BEN ROSBROW and SAMUEL L. JACKSON.

BEN ROSBROW
(Thoroughly confused.)
What?

SAMUEL L. JACKSON punches BEN in the face. BEN recoils in pain. The people in the seats next to BEN look over, and appear to be a mixture of shocked and horrified.

BEN ROSBROW
(Angrily.)
Oww! What the fuck was that for?!

SAMUEL L. JACKSON
That wasn’t enough, huh?

BEN ROSBROW
What the fuck is wrong with you?!

SAMUEL L. JACKSON
Take this!

ZOOM IN on a TAZER, SAMUEL L. JACKSON is taking it from his pocket. ZOOM OUT as he tazers BEN, in the face. BEN convulses and goes limp in his chair. The WOMAN next to BEN screams in horror.

SAMUEL L. JACKSON takes out a gun and cocks it.

SAMUEL L. JACKSON
Motherfucker!

ZOOM OUT on SAMUEL L. JACKSON running down aisle of the plane, gun in hand.

FADE TO BLACK

Play 241: Don’t Say I Didn’t Try

CHARACTERS
ANTHONY, early 20s
JOHN, early 20s

(Anthony is lying on a couch watching television in the common room of a fairly messy, small, apartment. John is sitting in a chair a couple feet away. There is a table in front of the couch littered with empty beer bottles and various other trash.)

JOHN
Come on.

ANTHONY
I don’t feel like it.

JOHN
You never do.

ANTHONY
So?

JOHN
Well you should get out.

ANTHONY
Why?

JOHN
Maybe you’ll meet someone.

ANTHONY
Maybe I won’t.

JOHN
Maybe you will.

ANTHONY
Maybe I don’t want to.

JOHN
Yeah, sure.

(Beat.)

ANTHONY
I don’t.

(Pause.)

JOHN
Just come out with me this once.

ANTHONY
No.

JOHN
You’re no fun.

ANTHONY
Good for me.

(Beat.)

JOHN
It’s not like you’re doing anything here.

ANTHONY
I am.

JOHN
Moping doesn’t count.

ANTHONY
I’m not moping.

JOHN
Then what are you doing?

ANTHONY
Watching TV.

(Beat.)

JOHN
You’re moping.

ANTHONY
(Annoyed.)
So what if I am?

JOHN
It’s pathetic.

ANTHONY
So what?

(Beat.)

Why do you care so much if I come anyways?

JOHN
I don’t know.

(Beat.)

I’m just tired of you lying around here feeling sorry for yourself and not doing anything about it.

ANTHONY
Yeah? Well fuck you too.

JOHN
Hey, you asked.

(Pause.)

Last chance.

ANTHONY
Do I need to say it again?

JOHN
Fine.

(He stands up.)

(Beat.)

I’m leaving.

ANTHONY
(Deadpan.)
Have fun.

JOHN
I will.

(Pause.)

ANTHONY
Don’t.

JOHN
What?

ANTHONY
Ask again.

JOHN
I wasn’t going to.

ANTHONY
Then why didn’t you just go?

JOHN
I was about to.

ANTHONY
Then go.

JOHN
I will.

(Beat.)

Don’t say I didn’t try.

(Anthony laughs bitterly.)

ANTHONY
Don’t worry about that.

(John exits.)

(Pause.)

(Anthony picks up a beer bottle off the table and tries to tack a sip from it, but realizes it’s empty. He angrily throws it back onto the table, knocking another bottle off and onto the ground.)

(Blackout.)

Play 240: Gary

CHARACTERS
JAMES, late 20s
MATT, late 20s

(It’s very late at night, they are sitting in a graveyard next to a tombstone. James is holding a bottle wrapped in a paper bag, has a very distraught look on his face, and is obviously quite drunk. Matt too appears to be drunk, if not to quite the same extent.)

(James takes a long swig.)

MATT
I’m sorry.

JAMES
(Muttering.)
Gary.

(He shakes his head.)

(Beat.)

(He hands the bottle to Matt.)

JAMES
I can’t believe it’s been…

(Beat.)

It’s been…

(Matt looks at the tombstone.)

MATT
Two years.

JAMES
Two years!

(Beat.)

It’s been two years since the old bastard died!

(Matt hands him the bottle, and James quickly gulps down another mouthful from it.)

MATT
I can’t believe it either.

(Beat.)

JAMES
Why did he do it?

MATT
I don’t know.

(James stands up.)

JAMES
(Screaming at the tombstone.)
Why the fuck did you do it?!

(Beat.)

JAMES
(Angrily.)
You fucking moron!

(He grabs a handful of grass and dirt and throws it drunkenly at the tombstone.)

MATT
Calm down James.

JAMES
Don’t you fucking tell me to calm down!

(He takes another swig.)

MATT
You know I miss him too.

(James takes a deep breath, and appears to have calmed down.)

JAMES
I know.

(Beat.)

I’m sorry.

MATT
It’s okay.

(Beat.)

JAMES
Here.

(He holds out the bottle.)

Have some.

MATT
Thanks.

(He takes the bottle and takes a long swig.)

(James stands back up, and turns to the tombstone.)

JAMES
(Enraged.)
You just had to do it, you didn’t give a fuck about anyone else except yourself you selfish—

(Matt bursts into laughter.)

JAMES
You selfish old son of a—

(He stops mid sentence as he too bursts into laugher. They both roll around on the ground laughin hysterically.)

MATT
(In between fits of laughter.)
You were right.

JAMES
I know, isn’t this fucking fun?

MATT
Definitely.

JAMES
Hilarious, right?

(Beat.)

Oh shit.

MATT
What?

JAMES
Take it.

(He holds out the bottle.)

MATT
What is it?

JAMES
Take it!

(Matt takes the bottle.)

(James leans over to the side and vomits on the ground.)

MATT
Goddamn it James!

JAMES
It’s not my fucking fault!

(Beat.)

(He reaches his hand out.)

MATT
What?

(James points drunkenly at the bottle.)

MATT
No way, you’re done.

JAMES
Yeah?

(Beat.)

Fuck you!

(He grabs another handful of dirt and throws it in Matt’s direction, missing badly.)

You’re just like…

(Beat.)

Just like…

MATT
Gary?

JAMES
Yeah, just like fucking Gary!

(Beat.)

(They both break down into laughter.)

(Blackout.)

Play 239: Nostalgia Part II

CHARACTERS
DAN, 17
DERRILL, 17

(They’re sitting on the porch outside a house very late at night, each is smoking a cigarette.)

DERRILL
Do you ever miss it?

DAN
Honestly?

(Beat, he laughs.)

A little.

(Pause, they each take drags from their cigarettes.)

DERRILL
How come?

DAN
I don’t know.

(Beat.)

Guess I just miss feeling needed and important and all that.

DERRILL
That makes sense.

(Dan takes a drag from his cigarette.)

DAN
Just don’t feel that close to anyone anymore.

DERRILL
That sucks.

DAN
No shit.

(He takes a long drag.)

DAN
Sometimes I just feel like a consolation prize.

DERRILL
How?

DAN
You know.

(He takes a drag.)

DERRILL
I don’t.

DAN
Oh.

(Beat.)

Just, it’s not like people don’t like me or want me around or anything. Cause I know they do at least to some degree.

(Beat.)

It’s just that, I’m not what they really wanted, like ideally.

(Beat.)

I’m just there.

(Beat.)

Just a consolation prize.

(Beat.)

DERRILL
I think I get what you mean.

DAN
(Whispering, sarcastically.)
Sure.

DERRILL
What?

DAN
Nothing.

(Pause, they each take drags.)

Hey Derrill.

DERRILL
Yeah?

DAN
Do you have anything to drink?

DERRILL
Yeah, sure.

(Beat.)

I could go in the house and get you some water if you want.

DAN
You know that’s not what I meant.

(Derrill laughs.)

DERRILL
I was just kidding.

DAN
Good.

(Beat.)

So that drink?

DERRILL
I’ll be back in a minute.

DAN
Thanks.

(Derrill goes exits into the house.)

(Dan stares at the ground, and takes a long drag from his cigarette.)

DAN
(Muttering.)
Fuck.

(He throws the cigarette off to the side angrily.)

(Pause.)

DAN
Goddamn it.

(He takes out another cigarette and lights it.)

(Blackout.)