DISTURBANCE (any gender, late teens)
[look at focal point 1... start breathing rapidly.]
[shift gaze quickly to focal point 2]
Michael, open your eyes. I know you can hear me. Open. Your. Eyes. You gotta get up. The cops are outside. The neighbors must have complained about the music or something. Randy's outside, talking to one of the officers, I can see it from here. Hope to God they can't see us yet.
Look: I flushed the rest of the drugs and Randy might be able to sweet talk those guys into driving away but Michael, if they come in here and they see you, all sprawled out on floor, not moving, eyes closed? If they see that, we're screwed, Michael. We're. Screwed. Randy can go to juvie but not you or me, we're eighteen, we're looking at prison. Do you get that? Do you want that?
[look at focal point 1]
[then back at focal point 2]
They're not looking happy out there, Michael. Come on, maybe you don't have to open your eyes yet, okay? Just start wiggling your legs, or your arms or something, please Michael. You can't look like you OD'd, you didn't OD, you're just messing with me, right? Getting back at me for something?
[look at focal point 1-- slight moan
[then focal point 2]
They're crossing the street. They're coming , they're gonna be in here. Michael, if you need for me to go to jail, okay, I'll say it was all my fault, I'll say I was the one made the buy, I was the one talked you into doing the stuff, if that's what you need, fine. Cause, Michael, I don't care: I love you and I can't see you LOOKING LIKE YOU'RE DYING. JUST STOP.
Copyright 2016 by Matt Haynes.
If you would like to use this piece, please credit: "Courtesy of Matt Haynes and The Pulp Stage"