I Used To

24 Hour Challenge

I couldn't write an update for my most recent stories due to my participation in a 24 hour theater challenge but here's the script that I wrote for the director! I hope you enjoy!

Setting: In the winter of  2020 within Annaise's dorm room.

Characters:

Annaise - A 24 year old college student with no friends or family. She is bubbly, outgoing, and a bit clueless.

Sam - An 18 year old ghost boy who grew up with Annaise as her best friend. He is slightly sarcastic and more realistic than Annaise.

Scene

IN ANNAISE'S DORM ROOM AFTER AN AFTERNOON OF CLASSES

A: [playing with several objects in her room]
S: Hey. Hey! [pops head up suddenly from behind the couch] Are you even listening to me?!?
A: Of course I am! [tries on a wig; admires herself and twirls fingers into the hair] I always listen.
S: Well surprisingly, it doesn't feel like that right now. [Pause] And will you take off that stupid wig? You look like Olivia Newton John.
A: [removes wig and places it back in its place] Well, you're as cheerful as ever. We should try meditating! It might help you relax more. You don't want to develop wrinkles when you get older do you?
S: [stares at Annaise] Wrinkles?
A: Yeah.
S: On me?
A: [scoffs] Of course, you. Who else would I be referring to?
S: I'm going to pretend that you're much smarter than this. If only, for a moment okay? [Sam gets off of the couch and approaches a chair. He sits at it and leans forward slightly.] Enough small talk, what did you want to ask me today?
A: [Annaise sits cross legged on the ground. She contemplates as she tries her best to get into a comfortable position] The same thing, I suppose. I wanted to ask you about that day. You never talk about it. You avoid it all the time.
S: Because you ASK me about it all the time.
A: Okay, but maybe if you spoke about it we could discover why you're here. Don't you ever think of WHY you're stuck with me?
S: Trust me, I think of that everyday.
A: [with eagerness] Then talk to me! You've been with me for months now. Shouldn't you... I don't know, open up?
S: [crosses his arms defensively] Oh and I'm sure that you'd be very open about your own?
A: Well if I was speaking to you then... [enthusiastically] Yeah! I'd tell you anything.
S: You're such a liar. [Sam shakes his head]
A: No I'm not!
S: [raises voice] Yes! You are! You just like to play a game of make believe and act like you'd ACTUALLY be open with me! And in all honesty, if the roles were switched, I would HATE you!
A: [She plays with pieces of her carpet] Oh. Do you want me to hate you?
S: A normal person would.
A: Oh...
S: But then again, you were never normal. Not when we were kids and definitely not now. [He grumbles in frustration] Fine. Let's talk about that day. [lights change].
A: [curls up in the nook beneath her desk with a blanket] Finally! Storytime!!!!
S: SHHHH! I won't tell you the story if you won't listen carefully.
A: [nodding eagerly] You're right. Please continue.
S: Alright. I remember being in a daze. I felt confused, lost. I know I could have gone to you but who knows if that would make me feel better or worse. You made me angry that day anyways so in all honesty, some of this was your fault. Point is, I tried to distract myself. I tried to block out a lot of voices in my head and-
A: [Annaise's demeanor has shifted from hopeful to depressed as she tugs at the blanket around her] That's when you jumped.
S: [Sam now seems more cheerful as he speaks] Yeah! It was a crazy dive but it did the job.
A: And what about the trip on the way down?
S: It felt like a rollercoaster!
A: Don't you wish you didn't jump? You could have gone to so many college parties with me. We could have actually enjoyed life together.
S: Yeah. And I'd be dragged to places I wouldn't want to be at in the first place. Why did you always have to take me everywhere with you when I was alive? Just because you enjoyed everyone's attention, doesn't mean I wanted that as well.
A: [beginning to panic as she fumbles through more reasoning] But what if you chose to stay with me? We could both take on the world and make new friends. If you hadn't been such a party pooper all the time-
S: [laughs] You're absolutely right! I was such a bummer! Oh I can see it now! [waves his hand as though he's displaying a big sign of words in the air] ANNAISE AND ANNAISE'S PLUS ONE! DON'T BOTHER LEARNING HIS NAME BECAUSE HIS FRIEND IS THE REAL STAR HERE!
A: I didn't mean it like that.
S: Of course you didn't. Perfect Annaise is always perfectly jolly and such a perfect little people pleaser. You were made for the spotlight.
A: It wasn't always like that! We were a team! You should have TALKED to me back then, not let it all build up. You think I liked that you were gone?! YOU left ME! I was the one who had to pick myself up off the floor because YOU decided to be selfish!
S: [he startes at her in disbelief] Incredible. Even in death, it's still about you huh? You probably loved the attention afterwards. It must have been a lot of publicity for the love able party girl. And look what all those invitations and beer pong games led to: A sad lonely girl, talking to a piece of her past.
A: I shouldn't have to carry any of this! You made that decision! People already thought you were a weirdo and all you did was confirm it! Did you even regret leaving anyone behind?
S: What about you?! When I was gone, what did you feel? There must have been a lot going through your mind. Fear for the future? Grief? Or maybe you regret meeting me? DID YOU FEEL THAT? DID YOU?
A: Regret? [long pause as she thinks and closes her eyes] yeah... I used to.