Mind tape.

The story of a relationship ending. Mine to be exact.

 

Picture From Frick Byers

www.smouch.net/lol/

 

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Act Two, Scene One, on bedroom set. Ready? Action. Begin the scene.

 

“Hey. Hey, Kevin?”

 

“What?” a boy said as he stared intently at the computer screen. He hadn’t looked away in what seemed like hours. The girl who had called him was worried something was wrong.

 

“What’s in the sketch book I gave you?” the girl lying on the bed said holding up a plain drawing book. She started to open it when the boy turned from the screen and tried to grab it out of her hands. She quickly pulled it away tearing the cover in half. “Oh man. I’m so sorry.”

 

“Nah, it doesn’t matter…you only ripped off the part that said you loved me,” The boy said turning back to the screen. He continued to look at the game he was playing, not really playing just watching the other people talk and occasionally typing something.

 

“You know, I gave this to you like two years ago a little bit after we started dating. You’ve hardly used it,” the girl said flipping through the pages.  There were a few pictures, mostly of girl avatars on GaiaOnline. They weren’t bad but they weren’t good either. So she flipped to an empty page and started drawing a picture for him.

 

It was a sketch of him the way he was sitting as he looked directly at the screen. It was much better than anything he had drawn, and a lot better than what most people could do but not a work of art. At the bottom she wrote, ‘Kevvie love, I’m really sorry that I ripped off the part that said I love you. But it doesn’t matter. I still do. I less than three you long time. –Dana.’

 

The girl quickly turned the page to hide the drawing it would be a secret until later when he decided to look at what she was doing in the book. On the next page she sketched a cute picture of him wielding a chainsaw gun from Gears of War and wearing artic camo, to the side she was leaning out of a window waving him off and telling him to come back safe.

 

When she finally looked up at the boy again he was still staring down the screen. His eyes probably hadn’t even blinked once. So she decided to get his attention. “Look what I drew for you!’

 

Without even glancing at it the boy replied, “It’s cute.”

 

After closing the book and putting it back on the shelf, she got under the covers and hid from him. After a few minutes the boy slipped slowly under the covers in the bed. She rolled over to give him more space on the twin size bed. As she got comfortable the boy said, “You know I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep with you wiggling around like this all the time.”

 

Quietly the girl remained still, trying her hardest not to move even though it was uncomfortable. After a long time, the boy sighed and got out of the bed. With out looking back at her he sat back down in front of the computer and went back to the staring contest.

 

The girl popped her head out from under the covers and watched him stare at the screen. Every once and a while he’d smile a little and type something. It was a cute smile. She wished that he had an easier, happier life so that he could smile more often.

 

After about ten minutes she stuck out her arms and acted like she was trying to grab something. It took a few minutes but the boy finally turned to look at her and gave her a questioning look. “I want to kiss your face,” she said with a smile.

 

The boy looked back at the computer screen for a while and said, “Do it on your own time.”

 

Now freeze this picture. Fast forward, hit play. The story is about to begin again.

 

“Hey, I heard you called. Sorry I missed it I was at TJ’s house.”

 

“No problem. You left your stuff at my house yesterday. Can I bring it over?”

 

“Um…yeah. Sure. I’ll wait outside.”

 

“Cool.”

 

“See you in like twenty.”

 

Click.

 

Don’t fast forward. Watch the story unfold. Picture a girl sitting on the steps in front of her house. Picture a worried expression. Picture confused thoughts going through her head. Picture nervous. Do you get the picture?

 

A car pulls up and quickly parks. It’s not his usual car. It’s his mom’s, she remembers that he’s working on his. But he loves driving his mom’s sporty car so it doesn’t matter.

 

He gets out and hands her the bag she left in his house. She grabs it and checks to make sure she didn’t leave anything lying around his room.

 

“Look I want to talk.” He’s furrowing his brow. Not a good sign. He looks down. Strike two. He kicks at the ground a bit. Three’s the charm. “I wa--“ he stops.

 

 Act One, Scene Three, Take two. Try again. “I want to break up. I can’t just date one girl my whole life.” She stares at him blankly. She had the hints, but missed the cue.

 

Cut! What’s my angle again? She’s a girl who loves this boy, she’d go around the world and back again. She wants to keep him, but wants him to be happy. She remembers the slightly serious conversation that they had a week ago about him wanting to break up, but not really. Plus she really can’t force him to stay. Do you really need all this direction? What would you do? Action.

 

“Oh. I understand. You do what you must because you can.” She stops looks away and walks towards the swing set in the backyard. They both sit on the swings and swing slowly.

 

“We can still be friends.” He mentions this randomly, casually. She looks away. That never worked before. ‘What went wrong?’ she wonders. She drifts off for a bit.

 

Freeze frame. Hold up. Rewind. Flashback. It’s Act one, Scene one, late but here.

 

“You know. I’m worried.”

 

“About what?”

 

“That Kevin doesn’t like me anymore.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Well, he mentioned it.”

 

“It was probably one of his little fits of depression.”

 

“I know. I’m just worried.”

 

“Speaking as one of his best friends. Don’t. You don’t hear how he talks about you. The things he says when you’re not around. He’s completely in love with you. I’m surprised you can’t tell he’d never leave you.”

 

“It’s just I’m worried. He seemed serious.”

 

“Calm down. Enjoy the ride.”

 

Stop. Back up. Start up. Act One, Scene Three where it left off. On my mark. Action.

 

They’re still swinging life away as we fade in. No one’s talking. No one’s stirring. Suddenly the boy gets up and moves towards the spinning circle-go-round. He doesn’t spin he just stands there.

 

“When did you start hating me?” The question had been on her mind for some time.

 

“I don’t.”

 

“When did you stop loving me?” She can’t quite grip what’s happening.

 

“I didn’t.”

 

“When did you stop feeling for me? When did you first want to break up!” She’s frantic now. No, frantic is not the right word, but what is?

 

“About three weeks ago.” The boy says rather sheepishly.

 

“Why not then? Why now? Why wait until I had an important paper due? Why at all?” She paused waiting for him to answer. He looks at her not sure what to say. He gets off the swing set. Before the boy can respond she sighs. “You know it won’t work.”

 

“What?”

 

“Us. Being friends. It never works. It just doesn’t.”

 

“Oh.” He slowly backs up. Exit stage right. She gets up and follows him. The boy stands by the car. The girl goes under the deck and sits on the lawn mower facing away from character two. What can she do but hide how she feels. A few minutes pass, she turns around. He’s staring. If he expects a goodbye hug he is lying to himself.

 

“Well aren’t you going to go?”

 

The boy looks down at the ground. Sad. That’s the emotion that he’s portraying and rather nicely I must add. But he’s just an actor in the movie. It doesn’t mean a thing. He gets in his car and drives away.

 

End. Roll credits.

Reviews

[HoWiE]

Yeah, I really like this! I thought this was well put together and it flowed nicely. I like especially the way it story seems to dip and veer like a movie with various scenes, cut, shuffled and pasted back into place. This has certainly been one of the more interesting pieces I've read on here for a while - to be honest I thought the WC was starting to drag its a*s a little but it seems you've restrored my faith. Good characterisation, sound real-life dialogue (you'd be amazed at home many people balls that up) and an engaging plot. Thanks for this Dana, looking forward to reading more of your work. All the best - cheers!!
Howie ;)

[Dana Denbrough]

xD
I just realized that my capitalization of the Acts, and the Scenes is random. Sometimes I don't capitalize the number part and sometimes I do. Whoops.