Teenage Me

An unfinished script based around the lives of two girls, Emily and Holly. Both with unique stories to tell they share their sadness and grief while overcoming life's biggest obstacles.

Dark stage, single spot light on Emily.

EMILY: I guess your probably wondering who am…what makes me so special and why you should even bother listening to my story. To be completely honest, I haven't got an answer. I'm not special, if anything i'm the opposite. I'm just another freak.

CHARLOTTE: (enters) Emily? 

EMILY: I don't wanna talk right now.

CHARLOTTE: We need to talk.

EMILY: What do you want?!

CHARLOTTE: You can't keep doing this Em…this is the third time this week i've caught you shoplifting

EMILY: (cuts her off) so what? It's not like YOU never did that! You were worse than I was at thirteen…so what makes you think you have ANY right to tell ME what to do?!

CHARLOTTE: Look. (getting annoyed) I never said I was a perfect kid.

EMILY: PERFECT? You've got to be kidding me…they practically had a cell RESERVED for you at the detention center…they still do!

CHARLOTTE: God damnit Emily! This isn't about me! I did my time and I served my debts… i'm done with that! So stop trying to pin me down and stop telling me what a terrible person I am! Look in the mirror kid!

EMILY: (long pause) I'm not a terrible person either. 

CHARLOTTE: I never said you were. Your such a smart kid Emily, and you have so much potential…you just need to learn to behave.

EMILY: It's not MY fault! Do you know what i've been through?! 

CHARLOTTE: Don't even try to go there…I'm done with you

EMILY: Whatever! Your just to much of a wimp to fight me, aren't you?! Your just can't admit that i've had it WAY worse than you, can you!? 

CHARLOTTE: Get some sleep.

EMILY: Why should I do what you (Charlotte cuts her off)

CHARLOTTE: I said get some sleep. Don't make me come back in here. (angry)

EMILY: Whatever. (begins to cry)

BLACKOUT (emily exits. charlotte and hannah enter)

HANNAH: Your in way over your head Char…you can't even take care of yourself!

CHARLOTTE: Don't you think I know that? But..she's Veronica's kid and…Ronnie would have wanted me to…i think. Look I don't really know but…this kids crazy! She's ALWAYS getting herself into trouble!

HANNAH: (Bursts out laughing) this is coming from THE infamous Charlotte Madison? Charlotte you know that's exactly what you were like…just ten times worse! 

CHARLOTTE: I know. Don't remind me. 

HANNAH: So how do you plan to pull this off?

CHARLOTTE: I don't. I'm more or less just trying to find a way to get through the summer.

HANNAH: Yeah, me too. I have a lot of work…AP classes are real butt kickers, especially for senior year.

CHARLOTTE: Well…that's something I know I don't have to worry about. (soft knock)

HANNAH: Do you hear something?

EMILY: Excuse me?

CHARLOTTE: I thought I told you to get some sleep Em.

EMILY: I can't sleep! I…mean, I can't sleep. Can't I just sit out here with you guys?

HANNAH: I don't see why not (shrugs)

EMILY: why aren't you that nice?

CHARLOTTE: Let's go. Time for bed. (walks a struggling Emily off stage)

BLACKOUT

VIRGIL/ABIGAIL: Holly! Come on downstairs! Time for school!

Holly: (enters) But I DIDN'T fail the 5th grade! This is just stupid.

VIRGIL/ABIGAIL: Holly, sweetie, were worried about you. You didn't do well and we want you to be successful in school. We love you.

HOLLY: You've only known me for like what…five months? I certainly don't love you, your not my mom/dad. Your just some stupid man/women who thinks they can earn some extra cash by taking care of a little girl. 

VIRGIL/ABIGAIL: That's not true, Holly I brought you into my life because I knew the time right for me, your going to be happy here. I promise. (kisses her head) 

HOLLY: Funny thing is, usually when adults say they promise they don't mean it. (raises voice) the last time an adult 'promised' something to me was when (pause) was when my mom ran off! and she looked me dead in the eye and said that she would be back in a few days. That never happened.

VIRGIL/ABIGAIL: (sighs) I'm sorry Holly, you know that. I want you to have the best life you can, I want to salvage what's left of your childhood...

HOLLY: (cuts her off) You don't NEED to salvage anything....I was perfectly happy at HOME. My dad was fine. 

VIRGIL/ABIGAIL: Holly...we've been over this a hundred times, you dad couldn't take care of you.

HOLLY: well why the hell not?

VIRGIL/ABIGAIL: Don't use that kind of language in this house Holly.

HOLLY: See? You can't even answer that question!

VIRGIL/ABIGAIL: Holly, (puts hand on her shoulder) your father tried to (long pause) he tried to kill himself after your mother left. People got worried, they thought that he might do something bad to you, or that he wouldn't be able to care for you.

HOLLY: He was doing just fine. Better than you ever could!

VIRGIL/ABIGAIL: I don't have time for this right now, just...just please go to school and behave yourself. Remember that I love you. 

HOLLY: (sarcastic and demeaning) Oh look, the bus is here. Guess I better go, wouldn't want to be late for school…in the summer.  (exits stage right vigil/abigail exits stage left. Holly reapears stage left. a classroom setting is now established as children have taken there seats)

TEACHER: Settle down. We've got lots to do. (mouths words but does not speak, students in the class raise there hands, write things but all is silent as Holly delivers her monologue)

HOLLY: I don't belong here. Not just here here, in school in July but here. Here in Jersey. I should be at home my dad right now, he wouldn't make me come to summer school. He knows i'm smart. I bet my mom's home too, I bet she came home just like she promised.

TEACHER: Holly! Holly are you even listening?

HOLLY: Yes ma'am

TEACHER: wouldn't want to send you to detention on your first day.

HOLLY: Yes ma'am.

TEACHER: alright. Back to our lesson, does anyone have any biology related questions before we move on?

HOLLY: (raises hand)

TEACHER: Yes. 

HOLLY: I was just wondering, say you have like, a really good microscope and you keep it in your room, could you keep like a bacteria or some other sort of microorganism as a pet? (students begin to laugh)

TEACHER: Holly Cye that is it I….

HOLLY: That's NOT my last name! Ugh! Why does everyone want to call me that? I'm not Virgil/Abigail's daughter! So just…just don't even go there! (stands up)

TEACHER: I'm sorry Holly, now sit yourself down and do not use that tone with me again or i'll call home, do we have an understanding?

HOLLY: (mumbles) that's not my home.

TEACHER: What was that?

HOLLY: Nothing. (Crosses her arms) 

BLACKOUT

EMILY: oh my freaking god...theirs nothing do.

CHARLOTTE: Theirs plenty to do.

EMILY: Like what? 

CHARLOTTE: like, we could, go for a walk. Or...we could...do other stuff.

EMILY: Your. so. lame.

CHARLOTTE: I hope you know a thirteen year old girl isn't going to hurt my feelings. i'm just a little tougher than that. 

EMILY: Can't we at least do something useful?

CHARLOTTE: Why don't we talk...get to know each other.

EMILY: Okay, i'll start. Who are you anyways and why are you taking 'care of me' for the summer?

CHARLOTTE: oh god. (sigh) Look, Emily, your mom, she was...I don't even know what she was but, she definitely took me under her wing. She...she and I used to do a lot of stuff together.

EMILY: So?

CHARLOTTE: So...I was kind of like a daughter to her and....I was always with her for like, I don't know 8 years. Your mom and I...I can't even describe your mom and I.

EMILY: How could I didn't meet you sooner? If you were so close to my mom?

CHARLOTTE: Em, your mom was really struggling. And she knew I was in just as much of of a bind, my dad walked out of my life, my mom disowned me...it was really rough. You would have been the icing on the cake.

EMILY: Like...how so?

CHARLOTTE: To know that your mom had another little girl to care for.

EMILY: aren't you like 20 though?

CHARLOTTE: i'm 18. Your 13. Point being, if I knew there was something else, I just...eh, you wouldn't understand.

EMILY: Why? (Getting curious) Try me.

CHARLOTTE: I was...and am, well, crazy. I suffered through raging manic-depressive symptoms and hardly made it by with ADHD. Now...that alone doesn't give me any right to do..have the things I did.

EMILY: What did you do anyway?

CHARLOTTE: I don't think we should really talk about that.

EMILY: please?

CHARLOTTE: Me...and your mom and uh, some "others" were...in a gang and we...you know what, I think that's more than enough about me. Why don't you tell me about yourself.

EMILY: What else is there to say? After my mom died well...things just aren't...well they never were...

CHARLOTTE: I know.

Author's Note

Please, don't be afraid to tell me what you think would make this better or what you think should happen next. I am open to new ideas.

Reviews

[Ufi Auttorri ~ UfoAutho..]

It's a good start, really!

I realize the two main characters have "issues" and each has a story to tell but perhaps an omniscient narrator (or other device) could explain, at key points, why we should be concerned or even mildly interested in them? As is, the focus seems to be the reactions to hidden conflicts that have not yet been revealed. It is only when the innuendo of the dialog tells us in passing - then we have some clue as to why Holly is behaving as she is. Perhaps she could have a quick flashback or something that would show her mom and dad in the middle of terrible fight, mom storming off... or something; then a flash-forward to Children's Services taking her away from her single-parent father (is he a drunk? out-of-work? why?) and placing her in foster care. Something like that might help us "bond" with her more quickly; and she needs more than raw angst in order to endear her to the audience. We (the audience) need to see some significant and meaningful action, at least every five or ten lines; something that moves the plot along to a satisfactory interlude or conclusion. Otherwise, we're liable to loose interest and change the channel. Just some thoughts...

Also, you should have someone help proof-read this before posting; not that it has to be perfect min you, it's just that I think it would help minimize the distractions for those of us that actually enjoy trying to read screenplays. :)

REF: " they share there sadness"
SUG: " they share their sadness"
REF: " I did my time and I served my debts…"
SUG: "I served my time and paid my debts"
REF: "because I knew the time right for me"
SUG: "because I knew the time was right for me"
REF: "I should be at home my dad right now"
SUG: "I should be at home with my dad right now"
REF: "I'm sorry Holly, not sit yourself down"
SUG: "I'm sorry Holly, now sit yourself down"