Play 10: A Ninja-less Scene

CHARACTERS
BEN,16
JENNY, 16

(They sit next to each other in a computer lab, he is staring intently at his computer screen, she’s checking her email.)

JENNY
So no ideas?

BEN
Not one.

JENNY
That sucks.

BEN
It does.

JENNY
I dunno, just write something.

BEN
If I could do that wouldn’t I not be sitting here staring at the computer screen and swearing to myself?

JENNY
You could just write about not being able to write stuff.

BEN
Too easy.

JENNY
Well isn’t that a good thing?

BEN
It just seems like a cheap cop-out to me. And it’s generally not too interesting, and I mean, you can’t write 365 scenes about not being able to write.

JENNY
True.

(Pause.)

So you’re sure you have nothing to write?

BEN
I guess I got one idea, I don’t really like it though.

JENNY
I’m sure it’s better than you think.

BEN
I doubt it.

JENNY
Then what is it?

BEN
Well (Beat.) I dunno, I don’t think I can explain it well.

JENNY
Just try.

BEN
So, I’ve always thought it would be funny if you went to like become a ninja and came back and just randomly used it in every day life. So, it’s a class scene, and the teacher’s talking, and this dude in a ninja suit just randomly throws a smoke bomb and repels in and…

(HIs voice trails off)

(Beat.)

JENNY
Wait, what?

BEN
I explained that terribly.

JENNY
No, that’s not it, I didn’t really get anything you said.

BEN
Nevermind then.

JENNY
No, just try to explain it again, I’m sure its fine.

BEN
No, nevermind, I think I know what I’m going to do.

(He starts typing)

JENNY
What?

BEN
I’m just gonna go with the cop-out.

JENNY
Mean writing about not being able to write?

BEN
Yeah, something like that.

JENNY
Cool.

BEN
Not really.

JENNY
Does this one have ninjas in it?

BEN
I thought you said you didn’t hear what I said.

JENNY
I heard a bit.

(Beat.)

So does it have ninjas in it?

BEN
Nope.

JENNY
That’s probably for the best.

BEN
Yeah.

(He continues typing.)

(He pauses in the middle, scanning over what he’s written. He shrugs.)

BEN
Ehh, good enough.

(He keeps typing.)

(Blackout.)