No Place To Run.
No Place To Run
Setting: An old cemetery on a dark cloudy day in 2006.
Stephanie’s Mother: (crying) It’s a shame to think that she’s gone. What did we ever do wrong?
Stephanie’s Stepfather: (comforts her) I don’t know honey. Maybe it was her friends. Maybe they influenced her.
Stephanie’s Mother: Bob…she didn’t have any friends…except for that one girl. The girl who called that one time. What was her name?
Stephanie’s Stepfather: Who? I wouldn’t know.
(Scene fades out. Opens in the schoolyard.)
Teacher: Hello class. We have a new student here with us today. Her name is Elizabeth Porter. Please help in showing her what a wonderful school Penbridge High is. (Bell rings) Oh. Don’t forget to study hard for your math test tomorrow!
(Class is dismissed)
Others: (in mixed company) (Taunting) Hey! Look at that girl. What a weirdo. Have you seen her hair? And what’s with the glasses?
Elizabeth: Hey. That’s effed up. Leave her alone.
Others: Ohh…the new girl’s sticking up for the FREAK!
Stephanie: (quietly) It’s fine. (Begins to walk away)
Elizabeth: (catching up with her) Hey. What’s your name?
Stephanie: (continuing walking) It doesn’t matter.
(Awkward silence)
Elizabeth: So…uhhh…okay…well, how long have you lived here?
Stephanie: Since I was eight.
Elizabeth: Oh…where were you before?
Stephanie: It’s none of your business.
Elizabeth: Oh…uhhh…okay…I’m sorry.
Stephanie: Uhhh…yeah…I gotta go.
(Blackout)
Scene - Stephanie is having lunch alone when Elizabeth approaches.
Elizabeth: Hi again.
Stephanie: Hi.
Elizabeth: So. What other people do you hang out with?
Stephanie: Umm…I keep to myself.
Elizabeth: Why?
Stephanie: Because I want to.
Elizabeth: Why?
Stephanie: Why do you ask so many questions?
Elizabeth: Sorry…I didn’t mean to annoy you.
(Pause)
(Stephanie goes back to eating her lunch.)
Elizabeth: I like it here.
Stephanie: That’s nice.
Elizabeth: Why…don’t you?
Stephanie: Let’s just say I’m not really “accepted.”
Elizabeth: Well, (slight laugh) you do look a little different.
Stephanie: (smiles but quickly recovers) Whatever.
Elizabeth: Why?
Stephanie: Why what?
Elizabeth: Why do you like to stand out so much?
Stephanie: I don’t try to stand out. If anything, I try to do the total opposite.
Elizabeth: Uhhh…okay…well, I…
Stephanie: (getting a bit carried away) I don’t want to be noticed. No one even cares about me.
Elizabeth: Well, I don’t know you all too well yet, but I care about you.
Stephanie: Just watch, the minute I open up to you, you’ll turn around and use it against me.
Elizabeth: Why do you say that?
Stephanie: Because everyone does.
(Blackout)
Scene - Stephanie’s Home.
(Door slams as Stephanie arrives at home.)
Stephanie’s Mother: Steph? Is that you?
(Stephanie runs upstairs to her room quickly, closes her door, and turns on her music)
Stephanie’s Mother: (Irritated) Steph. You can’t run away forever.
(Stephanie turns up her music louder)
Stephanie’s Mother: Ughh…(to her husband) Honey, what’s the matter with her?
Stephanie’s Stepfather: Teenage years.
Stephanie’s Mother: Bob…she’s been like this ever since we moved here.
Stephanie’s Stepfather: I don’t know then. (Jokingly) Maybe it’s drugs.
Stephanie’s Mother: That’s not funny…and no, it’s not that. I’ve searched her room many times…nothing else to do in this house.
Stephanie’s Stepfather: (sincerely) Well…then…what’s her problem?
(Blackout)
Scene - dinner
(Stephanie barely touches her food)
Stephanie’s Mother: (to Stephanie) Hun, why aren’t you eating your steak?
Stephanie: (quietly) I’m a vegetarian.
Stephanie’s Mother: Since when?
Stephanie: (with a bit of an attitude) Since whenever.
(Blackout)
Scene - Next day at school during lunch.
Elizabeth: Hey.
Stephanie: (looks up at Elizabeth with a slight smile) Hey.
Elizabeth: What do you have?
Stephanie: PB & J. You?
Elizabeth: Turkey sandwich.
Stephanie: (raises eyebrows) Yeah…cool.
Elizabeth: So…why don’t you talk to anyone else in school?
Stephanie: Didn’t you see? They don’t want to talk to me.
Elizabeth: Well maybe that’s because you push them away before they even get to properly introduce themselves.
Stephanie: No I don’t.
Elizabeth: Yes you do. (Slightly pushes her on the shoulder jokingly) That’s what you did to me.
Stephanie: Then why didn’t you leave?
Elizabeth: Well, I figured you needed a friend.
Stephanie: (getting angry) Well…I don’t!
Elizabeth: (acting smart) Yeah…you do. Stop fighting it.
Stephanie: What are you talking about? You don’t know anything about me.
Elizabeth: Then why don’t you explain to me why your past is SO different from everyone else’s sob story?
Stephanie: You really wanna know?
(Bell rings)
Elizabeth: Here…(writes down her number on a piece of scrap paper) call me. I’d really like to talk to you more.
(Blackout)
Scene - Stephanie’s home
(Stephanie calls Elizabeth and hangs up immediately.)
(10 seconds later the phone rings and Stephanie’s mother picks it up.)
Elizabeth: Hi. Umm…this is Elizabeth. Is Stephanie available?
Stephanie’s Mother: Are you sure you have the right number?
Elizabeth: I think so. Is there a Stephanie there?
Stephanie’s Mother: Why yes, but we don’t normally get calls for Steph.
Elizabeth: (relieved) Oh great. Then I have the right number.
Stephanie’s Mother: Hold on one second. (Away from phone) Stephie, (surprised voice) Uhhh…Elizabeth is on the phone.
(Stephanie reluctantly picks up the phone.)
Stephanie: (quietly) Hello?
Elizabeth: Stephanie, is that you? I think you just called. Umm…I have Caller ID.
Stephanie: Uhh…yeah…hi.
Elizabeth: How are you?
Stephanie: Okay.
Elizabeth: So yeah…ummm…what’s new?
Stephanie: Nothing.
Elizabeth: I see you don’t talk on the phone much. (Pause) Well I mean I can’t literally see you. (Chuckles)
Stephanie: Yeah…no one to really talk to, except my grandma from time to time.
Elizabeth: So yeah…tell me more about yourself.
Stephanie: What do you want to know?
Elizabeth: I don’t know. Anything.
Stephanie: I don’t know.
Elizabeth: Okay, well if you want, we can just pick up where we left off tomorrow.
Stephanie: Yeah that sounds good.
Elizabeth: Cool…same time, same place?
Stephanie: Always.
Elizabeth: Great. See you then. Bye.
(Blackout)
Scene - Library the next day
Elizabeth: (knocks) Whatcha doing?
Stephanie: Studying.
Elizabeth: (begins fiddling with her key chain) That’s cool.
(Awkward Silence.)
Stephanie: Okay fine…before you start pestering me, I’ll tell you what’s going on with me.
Elizabeth: Okay…well, you don’t have…
Stephanie: No, no…alright. The reason why I’m like this is because of what has happened in my past…before I moved here.
Elizabeth: When you were eight?
Stephanie: Yeah…well, my mom and I moved here after my dad left.
Elizabeth: Why’d he leave?
Stephanie: My mom kicked him out for this drinking and gambling and other stuff.
Elizabeth: You miss him huh?
Stephanie: No. (angrily) I hate him!
Elizabeth: What? Why?
(Awkward Silence)
Stephanie: (begins to cry) Because he’s a terrible father.
Elizabeth: Awww…Stephanie, what was so bad about him?
Stephanie: (still teary-eyed) He…he, used to touch me. (Looks away)
(Pause)
Elizabeth: What!? That’s not right.
Stephanie: (looking away) Yeah.
Elizabeth: Does your mom know?
Stephanie: No! I haven’t told anyone.
Elizabeth: Well you shouldn’t keep it in. No wonder you’re like this. You’re fighting with yourself internally…all you need…
Stephanie: What are you? My psychiatrist?
Elizabeth: No…but, well. I think you need to tell someone.
Stephanie: No. (gets up) I’ve obviously made a mistake. (Starts to cry again)
Elizabeth: (yelling after her) Stephanie, you can’t run away forever.
Stephanie: (under her breath) Why does that sound so oddly familiar?
(Blackout)
Scene - Math class
(A student comes to the room with a summons and gives it to the teacher)
Teacher: Stephanie, they want you in the counseling office.
(Stephanie gets up and is escorted to the counseling office.)
Counselor: (abnormally upbeat) Hi Stephanie. How are you today?
Stephanie: (uncomfortably) Fine.
Counselor: (becoming a little more serious) Well I received an anonymous letter telling me a little something about yourself.
(Pause)
Stephanie: (questionably) Really?
Counselor: Is there anything you’d like to talk to me about, or anything you’d like to tell me?
Stephanie: No.
Counselor: Well I wanted to call your parents in so we can all speak together.
Stephanie: Why? I don’t want to.
Counselor: But I really believe it is important for us to talk together.
Stephanie: What makes you think I want to talk about it?
Counselor: Well I just thought…
Stephanie: (gets up and slams on the desk) Well, you thought wrong!
Counselor: Okay. How about just you and I discuss your feelings? Hmmm?
Stephanie: (screaming) I don’t want to! (Runs out the door and doesn’t stop till she gets to the street.)
(Stephanie begins to walk around crying)
(A man drives up to her in a red convertible)
Man: Hey babe. Why do you look so sad? Come on over here. I’ll show you a good time.
(Stephanie looks at him for a second, but continues walking.)
(She arrives home and slams the door as she walks in)
Stephanie’s Mother: Steph? What are you home so early?
Stephanie: (running upstairs) Leave me alone! (Turns music up loud and runs into the bathroom, locking the door)
(Stephanie runs the water in the bathtub and gets in holding a razor blade. She slits her wrist downward and begins to bleed.)
(Scene fades out and opens again in the old cemetery)
(Elizabeth walks up to the casket while everyone else is talking. She touches the casket, wipes a tear from her eye, and walks away slowly with her head in her hands.)
(Blackout)
anything you notice wrong? please let me know.