Skittles

Elijah

Elijah

Characters

Brittany                       Elijah

Jared                           Ms Meyers

Sawyer                        Principal

(Brittany walks across the stage as two guys are fighting, one obviously has the advantage. She looks as if trying to see who it is before rushing over.)

Brittany: Sawyer? What are you doing?

Sawyer: Having tea with the Queen of England. What does it look like?

Brittany: (sarcastically) Funny. Just leave him alone. The poor kid didn't do anything to you.

Sawyer: Who are you to tell me what to do? Jared is the one you get to boss around.

Brittany: Not anymore and you know that. I dumped him because of this, he knew that I hate when you guys beat Elijah up.

Sawyer: Well I'm not your little puppet like Jared. I do what I want to who I want.

(Brittany's expression softens and she gets more in between Elijah and Sawyer, running her hand down Sawyer's arm.)

Brittany:You know, if you just cut this crap out, maybe we could go out sometime? (She leans her head to one side and twirls her hair around her finger.)

Sawyer: What about Jared?

Brittany: (Stepping closer, cutting Sawyer and Elijah away from one another.) What about Jared?

(Elijah takes the opportunity to run away and Sawyer realizes what Brittany was doing.)

Sawyer: You let him get away!

Brittany: No, you let him get away. (She turns and walks offstage, laughing, leaving Sawyer standing there stupidly for a few moments.)

[Scene change] Now there are two desks on the side of the stage, Brittany is there, Elijah stands next to her and a teacher is on the other side of the stage. Brittany places her bag next to one table. The boy waves at Brittany and she smiles back. The bell rings and the teacher steps forward.

Ms. Meyers: Okay class, let's get with our lab partners! We're going to do a simple lab today. I want you to code five DNA sequences and determine what proteins the amino acids will make. Any questions? (She looks around and Brittany's hand is raised but Ms. Meyers purposely ignores her) None? Alright then, begin.

(Brittany, exasperated, lowers her hand and looks over her paper. Elijah sees her struggling to understand)

Elijah: Don't get it? (Brittany nods) Here, I'll show you.

(Elijah mimes explaining it. He nods a few times and smiles at her)

Elijah: So do you get it now Brittany?

Brittany: Yeah, I think so. (She writes something down then shows Elijah)

Elijah: That's perfect Britt, great job. (He takes a slow, deep breath) And Brittany?

Brittany: Yeah Elijah? (He hesitates and Brittany places a soft hand on his shoulder) Elijah, what’s wrong?

Elijah: Thanks for getting Sawyer to back off earlier. I'm really tired of it. (He struggles to find the right words) I just, I can’t take it anymore.

Brittany: Don't say that Elijah. You know he's just being a jerk. He doesn't really mean anything. I'll try talking to him about it again. It'll be okay soon enough.

Elijah: I sure hope so.

[Scene change] Brittany is on the top corner of the stage and Jared, Sawyer and Elijah are on another corner.

Sawyer: (to Elijah, shoving his chest) you like her don’t you? Do you really think that you have a shot? (He laughs) Guys like you will never get a girl like her. (to Jared) Are you really gonna let him talk to her?

(Jared says and does nothing, glancing from Brittany to Sawyer to Elijah and back to Brittany. Sawyer shakes his head at Jared and pushes past Elijah. Elijah’s backpack crashes to the ground and papers fly out. Brittany sees this and rushes to help him. She grabs a few papers and hands them to Elijah. He thanks her and slowly hands her one of the more crumpled pieces, hesitating before handing it to her. He then gets up and walks offstage before she can say anything.

Brittany: (calling after him) Elijah? What is this? (She looks at it and begins to read aloud.) Dear Brittany, thank you for all the support this past year…

Elijah: (picking up the dialogue offstage) …you've been a good lab partner and an even better friend. You've improved a lot and you'll do fine without me. I'm sorry that it had to come down to this, but I just couldn't take the torment anymore. Goodbye.

(Brittany stares at the sheet in disbelief then calls after him)

Brittany: Wait Elijah! What does this mean?

(She starts to run after him, Jared walks onstage and Brittany runs into him. She looks and narrows her eyes.)

Brittany: This is all your fault! You and your friends would never leave him alone!

Jared: What the hell are you talking about?

(She shoves the crumpled note into Jared’s chest)

Jared: What is this?

Brittany: Read it.

(He reads it and his mouth hangs open.)

Jared: I-I had no idea he would do it. Didn’t he think he had the guts.

Brittany: Is that all you can say? You really are unbelievable!

(She starts to push past Jared but the principal comes onstage at a different corner, traveling to the center)

Principal: Get to the auditorium, there has been an accident. (Pulling out a cell phone and dialing) 911? Send an ambulance, we have an emergency.

(Brittany gasps and sinks to the floor, quietly crying as the lights fade to black.)