Play 198: What Are You Afraid Of?

CHARACTERS
1
2

1
What are you afraid of?

2
Spiders.

(Beat.)

1
What are you really afraid of?

2
Girls I’m attracted to.

1
I meant really.

2
Any girls really.

(1 shakes his head.)

2
What?

1
You can do better than that.

2
Fine.

(Beat.)

People.

1
And?

2
Being alone.

1
And?

2
That I’ll never succeed at anything.

1
(Shaking his head.)
Come on.

2
That I’m not good at anything.

1
That’s all?

2
That I’ll be one of those people that does succeed, but is too insecure to ever feel like I’ve succeeded no matter what anyone else says. One of those people who everyone thinks is a genius but never thinks it himself and just wallows in misery and self hatred and fades away into nothing or drinks himself to death, and afterwards everyone talks about how much of a shame it was.

1
I’m still waiting.

2
I’m scared that that’s the best I could hope for. I’m scared that’s what I’ll be if I’m lucky and I’ll just be miserable and probably not that great at anything on top of it.

(1 gestures for 2 to go on.)

2
I’m afraid of change.

1
And?

2
Of being like this forever.

1
What are you really afraid of?

2
Honestly?

1
That’s what I’m asking for.

2
Everything.

(Beat.)

Is that what you were waiting for me to say?

1
Maybe.

(1 exits.)

2
Hey!

(He runs over to the side of the stage where 1 exited.)

What did you want me to say?

(Beat.)

Come back!

(He runs off.)

(Beat.)

(Blackout.)