Play 149: Hungry

CHARACTERS
BEN, 17

(He is sitting on the bed of a hotel room the hotel services book on his lap and a phone in his hand. He dials something, and puts the phone to his ear.)

(Pause.)

BEN
Hello?

(Beat.)

Hi, I’d like to order a bowl of chicken noodle soup, a hamburger, and a coke.

(Beat.)

Oh, and the hamburger comes with fries, right?

(Beat.)

Cool.

(Beat.)

Room 512.

(Beat.)

Okay, great, thanks.

(He hangs up the phone, puts down the book, and lies down on the bed.)

(Pause.)

(He picks up the remote to the TV and turns it on.)

(The phone rings. He picks it up.)

BEN
Hello?

(Beat.)

(A disappointed look comes over his face.)

Oh. What do you have instead?

(Beat.)

Potato chips?

(Beat.)

Wait, you don’t have any soup either?

(Beat.)

Yeah, one second.

(He picks up the hotel services book again and browses over it for a few seconds.)

BEN
Umm, I’ll have a chocolate torte.

(Beat.)

Okay, thanks.

(He hangs the phone up and puts down the book.)

BEN
(Muttering to himself.)
Goddamn it.

(He lies back down on the bed, picks up the remote, and starts scanning through channels.)

(Pause.)

(The phone rings.)

BEN
Hello?

(Beat.)

(Coldly.)

You don’t.

(Beat.)

Umm, okay.

(Beat.)

No, I don’t want anything else.

(Beat.)

You still have the hamburger though, right?

(Beat.)

Okay, good.

(Beat.)

Yeah (beat) thanks.

(He hangs up the phone.)

BEN
(Muttering to himself.)
I hate my life.

(He collapses back down onto the bed.)

(He sits up to look at his watch.)

(He groans, and falls back down.)

(Blackout.)