Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Miss-judged Miss-take

i guess i should let you know that this one is a play, it was written for a contest, and the theme was handicaps it could either be a permanent or temporary handicap or a mental handicap, or wait, no i think it was only physical handicaps, i think, i can't remember, i'm prouder of this than of Magically Fatal, but it is definitely not my best work, meh, i've heard both opinions of my writing, this was the first storyline that i wrote that didn't have to do with magic or fantasy of some kind. i tired to keep my same writing style by kind of having paragraphs of description and stuff, but the only way i could do that in a play was to have a narrator, who has a name as you can tell, Kristin, that little tid-bit was just so you could know why Kristin was talking so much, and why it seemed to show up between scenes. yeah thats why. i did have to cut characters, i wanted to have more scenes in the hospital but it didn't really tie into the rest of the show, so i cut it. hope you enjoy, and let you imaginations run wild with the character descriptions, i tried to leave that part as open to interpretation as much as possible. ENJOY!!


Kristin- on stage DSL. Rebeccah is one of the most popular girls in school. She is well liked by her peers and teachers. She is known affectionately as Beccah by her family and friends. Her boyfriend, Ted, calls her Bug and she in turn calls him Teddy, much to his dismay. Beccah is crazy for Ted and he is always the model boyfriend, when other people are around, but a lot of people know that he only likes Beccah for her looks and cheats on her every chance he gets. Beccah doesn’t care and thinks that he is the best person in the world. Ted plays baseball and football and Beccah has never missed a single one of his games. Beccah is the captain of the volleyball team, but Ted has never been to a single one of her games.
Two spotlights come on Rebeccah is sitting on her bed SR and Ted is sitting in a living room chair SL, both on phone
Ted- Please Bug? Please come to the party with me on Friday
Beccah- I can’t. You know I have a game on Friday.
Ted- You do? I thought they were on Saturdays. Well, you can come after the game.
Beccah- I could, pauses but I’m not going to.
Ted- Why not? It’ll be fun!
Beccah- Fun for you, yes. But you know I hate crowds, loud music, drugs, and alcohol. Pauses. Oh, you’re making puppy dog eyes ate me aren’t you?
Ted- Yes, so will you go?
Beccah- Fine!–But only if you come to my game.
Ted- swears silently. No prob. Uh, what time does it start?
Beccah- 7 pm. And don’t be late!
Ted- I won’t. I promise.
Beccah- Great. Well I should go to bed. ’Night, I love you Teddy Bear!
Ted- I love you too Buggy.

lights fade
Kristin- Ted is frequently trying to get Beccah to go to parties, but he has never succeeded, until now. This is also the first time that Beccah’s been able to get Ted to go to one of her games. Her friends, Grace and Sharnell, are really supportive of Beccah’s decision to play volleyball, then again they are on the team too.
Beccah, Grace, and Sharnell are in their volleyball uniforms. Beccah’s stretching and Sharnell and Grace are warming up.
Beccah- Where is he? The game starts in two minutes!
Sharnell- Don’t worry honey. I’m sure he’ll be here any second.
Grace- Yeah. I’m sure he’ll be here soon. Unless, of course he decides to bail. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Sharnell- Gracie! Shut up! And for once could you try to not be little miss Debbie downer?
Grace- feigns innocence I can’t help it if I’m just trying to be honest.
Sharnell- You don’t have to be so open about it!
Beccah- Guys please stop arguing.
Sharnell- Sorry Beccah.
Grace- Hey look who finally decided to show up. Holds volleyball under arm.
Ted- Hey I promised I’d show up.
Grace- That doesn’t necessarily mean anything. You’re notorious for breaking promises.
Sharnell- Gracie stop being such a bitch
Beccah- STOP FIGHTING!! I hate it when you fight! Storms off.
Sharnell- Beccah wait! I’m sorry!
Grace- Now look what you’ve done.
Sharnell- What I’ve done? You’re the one who–oh never mind. I am done arguing with you.
Grace- Wuss.
Sharnell- Oh grow up!

Both walk off arguing

Ted- Didn’t Bug tell you to stop arguing?! To audience. Girls! Shrugs and then follows them.

Kristin- Don’t worry they did that a lot. They made up, as usual, and didn’t fight anymore that night. That night at the party Beccah named herself the designated driver since she knew that Sharnell, Grace, and Ted would drink and she wouldn’t. Beccah didn’t touch alcohol so she was pretty sure that she would make it home in one piece. Unfortunately the guy that hit her car going 80 mph had been drinking. Beccah had just finished dropping off Sharnell, Grace, and Ted at home when this driver came out of nowhere and slammed into the side of her car and running her car into a tree. Someone that was driving by at the time pulled over and called 911. The driver of the other car sustained minor injuries while Beccah was crushed at the waist between the tree and the rest of her car. She was rushed to the hospital and sent into surgery in order to find out if she would be able to have use of her legs.

Beccah is sleeping on a bed CS. Sharnell, Grace, and Ted, holding a bouquet of roses, enter just as Beccah wakes up.

Sharnell- Hey Beccah. How are you doing?
Beccah- I’m doing alright.
Ted- Hey, I brought you some flowers.
Beccah- Thanks I love roses, um, put them over on that table. Thanks.
Sharnell- Hey Beccah? Do you think you’ll be able to play volleyball?
Beccah- I don’t know yet, but I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to play in the semi-finals.
Sharnell- But you’re our best player! Are you sure you won’t be able to play?
Beccah- No, I’m not, but if you want to be sure you should ask the doctor. You have to remember that I was crushed from the waist down. But just in case I can’t play, Sharnell, you can be captain.
Grace- Well, sorry to cut out early, but I really do need to leave. I have an appointment I need to get to.
Ted- Yeah I need to go too. Bye Beccah.
Grace and Ted leave together.
Beccah- Well that was weird, that was the first time he’s called me Beccah since before we started dating.
Sharnell- Yeah I know that was weird. Oh well, I should go too, you need your rest.
Beccah- Thanks, I’ll see you later. Sharnell leaves and Jack, Beth, and Emily enter. Jack is holding a bouquet of daisies. Hello. Are you sure you’ve got the right room?
Jack- Yes I’m sure we’ve got the right room. I’m Jack, I sit behind you in French.
Beccah- Oh right. Sorry I guess my head is still a little woozy from the pain-killers.
Emily- I’m Emily, but you can call me Em.
Beccah- Okay, hi Em. Who’s she?
Emily- That’s Beth. She is really shy.
Beccah- I see. Well Beth, you don’t need to worry because I don’t bite, not that I could in these circumstances.
Emily- That’s true. Beth, she’s a human being not an alien so stop looking like a deer in the headlights. Beth sticks her tongue out at Emily. Don’t be rude.
Beccah- Laughing. Don’t worry about it, she is down right angelic compared to Grace.
Beth looks down at floor as though embarrassed.
Jack- Oh I almost forgot. I brought you these flowers.
Beccah- Oh daisies, they are my favorite thanks. You can put them over on that table next to the roses.
Jack- Well, we’d better be going. Bye Beccah.
Emily- Yeah, see ya around.
Beth- quietly. Bye Beccah
Emily- feigns surprise. Oh my goodness, she speaks. It’s a miracle.
Beccah- laughing. I’ll see you guys around.
Jack, Emily, and Beth exit, lights fade
Kristin- Beccah spent months in the hospital. The doctors tried everything they could think of to try to get Beccah the use of her legs again. They just couldn’t get her legs working again. Finally they just gave her a wheelchair and sent her back to school.

Lights come up on Beccah, in wheelchair, and Ted. They are clearly arguing.
Beccah- I did not cheat on you. How could you even think such a thing?
Ted- Don’t lie to me. Grace saw you with another guy.
Beccah- Yes. I was, but I was talking to him, nothing else.
Ted- I don’t believe you.
Beccah- I know what this is really about. You don’t like that I’m in a wheelchair now! ’Cause I know that if you really cared about cheating, you wouldn’t have done it!
Ted- I never cheated on you!
Beccah- Liar! I know you did. Because the girl you tried to cheat on me with talked to me about it!
Ted- Well then, she lied, cause I never cheated on you.
Beccah- Em is not a liar! You, however, are, and I’m tired of being patient with you and hoping you’ll change, when it is blatantly clear that you aren’t going to. And I just can’t deal with you any more! It’s over!!
Emily and Beth enter.
Emily- Beccah, what’s going on?
Beccah- Ted just accused me of cheating on him, when he knows that I know he’s the one that cheated on me.
Emily- Well don’t worry about it. He’s being an ass and you are better then that. Let’s go.
Beth- Yeah. We are better people than he is and we shouldn’t have to surround ourselves with the likes of him.
Beth, Emily, and Beccah leave. Ted looks exasperated and leaves in opposite direction. Jack enters from same side as Ted looking worried.
Jack- Where are they? They said they’d be here five minutes ago! Emily, Beth, and Beccah enters, Beccah’s crying. There you are. Where were you?
Emily- Sorry we’re late, Ted was being a jerk.
Beccah- sniffling I don’t know what’s gotten into him, he didn’t used to be so insecure. Oh! Grace, I should have known.
Beth- What do you mean?
Beccah- Grace, she’s never liked me and she’s almost always had a major crush on Ted. She also spends almost everyday trying to make me unpopular and now that I’m in a wheelchair and everyone sees me differently, she is trying to make me look like the bad guy, er, girl. I wouldn’t be that worried except that she has a lot more influence on the student body.
Emily- Why does popularity matter? I’ve never been popular and I’m perfectly happy with my life.
Beccah- Yes, but I’ve never been anything but popular. Popularity and volleyball are all I’ve ever known and now I’m not popular and I can’t play volleyball anymore either. She starts crying again.
Beth- My cousin plays volleyball and she’s been in a wheelchair all her life.
Beccah- Okay, what’s your point?
Beth- My point is that you can still play volleyball and be in a wheelchair. You can try out for the wheelchair volleyball league in town.
Beccah- Really? That’s great! I don’t have to give up the one thing I’m good at and that it love.
Beth- Yeah and if you’re really interested they have practice today.
Emily- What’s wrong now Beccah?
Beccah- It’s just that my entire life’s been turned upside down. I’ve lost my friends, my boyfriend, I almost lost being able to play my favorite sport! Everyone at school, besides you guys, have started to see me as a freak and a cheater, all because of Grace! I just don’t know what to do.
Emily- I might have a solution. Do you want to go to my church youth group with me?
Beccah- Church? I’m not religious. And besides if God existed why would he have let this happen to me?
Emily- God loves everyone, he sent his only begotten son to die for our sins. If he didn’t love us why would he have done that? And besides God only gives us problems if he knows that we can overcome them.
Beccah- How do you know that? How do you even know that there is a God?
Emily- I don’t. It’s called faith.
Beccah- I guess it couldn’t hurt.
Kristin- Beccah went to Emily’s youth group that weekend and had a blast. She also realized that God did love everyone. After that week she never missed another week of youth group and went to church every week. Oh and just so we’re clear not everyone from Beccah’s old life had forsaken her. Sharnell was still nice to her, it just took her a while to get used to seeing Beccah in a wheelchair. I lot longer than it took Beccah to be used to being in one.
Beccah, Jack, Emily, and Beth are sitting and talking and laughing while eating lunch at school one day. Sharnell enters looking for Beccah.
Sharnell- Beccah? Are you over here?
Beccah- Yes Sharnell, we’re over here.
Sharnell- Okay, here’s the deal. I’m sorry that I believed what Grace said about you. I knew it was wrong, but since you’re in the wheelchair and I didn’t know what else to do, and what I’m trying to say is I’m really, really sorry, and can you ever forgive me?
Beccah- It’s okay Sharnell. I forgive you.
Beth- Are you sure Beccah?
Emily- Yeah are you sure?
Beccah- Yes guys I’m sure. Listen Sharnell has been my best friend since second grade, I can’t just forsake her because she made a stupid mistake. And besides I’m sure that as long as she isn’t around Grace anymore she won’t make as many mistakes like this.
Beth and Emily look at each other skeptically
Jack- Guys, if Beccah says it’s okay then we should believe her. Especially if it’s one of her friends.
Beccah- Besides Em, she’s religious too.
Emily- Really? You should try out my youth group.
Sharnell- Totally, that sounds like fun. Oh and Beccah, I thought you should know that Ted is with Grace now.
Beccah- Why am I not surprised?
Sharnell- I don’t think anyone is surprised.
Beccah- Yeah probably not.
Lights fade on them all sitting and laughing.
Kristin- Soon Emily, Beth, and Jack began to trust Sharnell and began to realize that she was nothing like the infamous Grace, who got in trouble with the school for drinking on campus and got expelled. Ted hurt himself playing baseball and is no longer able to play any sports. Beth started taking a drama class and got the lead in the school play. Emily started volunteering all of her extra time to helping in her youth group, she helped at soup kitchens and at local orphanages and retirement homes. Jack finally got the nerve to ask out Beccah and they are really happy and he also joined the school choir and became the best singer in the school. Sharnell still plays volleyball and is the permanent team captain and has lists of scholarships for playing volleyball in college. Beccah is happy and plays volleyball for the town wheelchair volleyball league. She is still very close to all of her friends, with the exception of Grace and Ted. Beccah made it her mission to go and become a counselor for teens that have been in drunk driving accidents in order to tell them not to give up on life and that there is something better than depression.
Beccah- Krissie, what are you doing?
Kristin- Nothin' sis.
Beccah- Well hurry up I promised Mom that I’d have you home in half an hour.
Kristin follows Beccah off stage, blackout

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