"Sapphire's Lament" (Short Play)

I'd written a couple of short plays to submit to a festival something like two months ago...this ended up being one of the many I didn't send and I never heard back, anyways (though I'm not sad or anything- I have a 10-minute play being produced in August). I know it's pretty rough, but I kinda like being able to clearly point at something and say: "Now that needs to be worked on."

Sapphire's Lament

By Zoe Rose

Lights up to SAPPHIRE and GOLDIE, in GOLDIE's dining room. Of the three chairs, one is vacant- CHRIS paces up and down stage right, talking on the phone with his dealer. It's evident that he's high and trying too hard to sound street-impressive for the girls.

CHRIS: For $40 man, I want it loud. I wanna smell it from the car, you get me?...when you coming up?...aight, aight...half an hour man? Better be worth waitin'...aight, I'm trustin' you...

CHRIS hangs up. He turns back to the girls.

GOLDIE: You got it taken care of, babe?

CHRIS (while crossing to sit in the chair next to GOLDIE): I've got all that shit settled for you, baby.

CHRIS and GOLDIE kiss. It's obvious that SAPPHIRE is uncomfortable.

GOLDIE (re: SAPPHIRE): Saph, you don't gotta squirm like that. You ever seen two people in love?

SAPPHIRE smiles, embarrassed.

SAPPHIRE: Sorry. Not used to you with a boy.

CHRIS: That's cuz she's a good girl- only warming up to a real man.

CHRIS wraps an arm around GOLDIE's waist as she laughs.

Goldie's told me you two are the same. Goldie's told me-

GOLDIE clamps a hand over CHRIS's mouth and laughs again. She may be high, too.

GOLDIE: Just a few things.

GOLDIE winks at SAPPHIRE reassuringly. GOLDIE takes her hand off of CHRIS's mouth as he jokingly bites it.

GOLDIE (re: CHRIS): Baby, you wanna get us something to drink? I got cups out on the counter.

CHRIS: Sure, princess.

CHRIS exits stage left where the kitchen would be. GOLDIE turns to SAPPHIRE, smiling in self-satisfaction. SAPPHIRE doesn't seem so pleased.

SAPPHIRE: All you told me was that you met a guy. What's it been, a couple weeks? Maybe a month?

GOLDIE: I like him. Don't you?

SAPPHIRE: He's got this way about him...

GOLDIE: Jesus, give him a chance! He's been here five minutes and you're already thinking up why I should ditch him. Are you just jealous?

SAPPHIRE: Don't be silly. I'm looking out for you. Guys who act all tough never back it up.

GOLDIE (low, almost flirtatiously): You know something, sugar-girl? You'll always be my bestest friend...my, well, my favorite friend. You get me?

SAPPHIRE (relenting): Yeah Goldie, I get it...

CHRIS enters stage left with three red cups. He puts them in the middle of the table as he sits down. The girls each take a cup. SAPPHIRE sniffs the content, her face twisting into a brief grimace.

SAPPHIRE: Little strong to be mixing with pot, don't you think?

CHRIS: It's just for while we wait.

GOLDIE uses her index finger to tip the bottom of SAPPHIRE's cup up, and SAPPHIRE, understanding her cue, drinks.

GOLDIE (re: CHRIS): She's not usually like this, I swear. I think she's trying to feel you out. She's a very protective friend. And sensitive. She wants to be a poet.

CHRIS: Really?

SAPPHIRE shrugs. She takes another drink.

GOLDIE: She wrote a poem about me. Got it put in a magazine and everything.

CHRIS: So you two gotta be real close, yeah?

SAPPHIRE: We've known each other...what, ten years now? Since elementary?

GOLDIE: We've done a lot together.

CHRIS smiles in understanding at this.

CHRIS: Oh, I see! So y'all practice kissing with each other?

SAPPHIRE shrinks back in discomfort, while GOLDIE nods eagerly.

That's cute.

GOLDIE: You wanna see?

SAPPHIRE: Goldie!

GOLDIE: Come on Sapphie, what's the problem? You've always wanted to before.

SAPPHIRE: It was just us before. It was a private thing. Is that why you wanted me to come over? To put on a show for your little boyfriend?

GOLDIE: Calm down, honey...come here.

GOLDIE leans toward SAPPHIRE. CHRIS watches intently. Suddenly, SAPPHIRE springs out of her chair.

SAPPHIRE: Don't kiss me. Please.

GOLDIE: Why? What's the matter?

SAPPHIRE: Because if you kiss me I know I'll kiss you back. And it's not gonna be for him, it'd be for me. Goldie, did you even read the poem? Did you? It was my way of telling you that- oh, God...

CHRIS suddenly gets up, grateful for any excuse to leave the room, and crosses stage right.

CHRIS (re: GOLDIE): Babe, my boy's here. I'm gonna meet him out front.

GOLDIE: I'll be out in a second.

CHRIS exits stage right. GOLDIE slowly gets up out of her chair and sighs.

Of course I did. It's pretty, it's a poem, and I didn't understand any of it. Sapph, I love you, but I'm not like you. You've always been so wrapped up in yourself, always wondering and worrying and thinking- thinking all the goddamn time. I finally found someone that I can have something real with, and you can't even be happy for me. I'm sorry, sweetie, but I'm just...not that way. Not really. And you know what? I can be happy for myself here. I can be happy with some stupid boy and community college and probably a family real soon like how our Mama's were. I'm happy to be like our Mamas. And you're not. You want that college up North and I know it and good luck and all the best and everything else...I'm going outside.

GOLDIE turns and exits stage right. SAPPHIRE crosses to center stage, looks offstage right, and squeezes her eyes shut. She tips her face up to the sky and recites like a prayer.

SAPPHIRE:

And I'm just tryna get back to those happy times-

Balmy nights, neon lights,

Dark wash jeans stitched skin-tight.

Back to those days-

14, fake ID

Bad-bred chicks flirtin' almost mean.

The Daytona dreams!

And oh my god,

Where-is-she?!

It's all gone, isn't it?

Everything to pot and Hell,

all falls to shit.

And when we go too, I can't tell.

I hope- oh, for your sake honey- I hope soon.

SAPPHIRE manages a smile.