[Scene: The hallway. ADAM is flipping through a textbook and writing notes on his arm. LIZ enters stage right, obviously upset.]

 

ADAM: [alarmed] Liz? Lizzie? What’s wrong?

LIZ: [slumping against a locker] I did something bad.

ADAM: Bad?

LIZ: [burying her head in her hands] I helped Christie.

ADAM: [deadpan] My God! You helped Christie! God and all his saints preserve us!

LIZ: [shouting] Shut up, Adam!

[ADAM takes a step away from her.]

ADAM: I was just—

LIZ: I’m sorry.

ADAM: It’s okay. But, um…what—

LIZ: [with as much control as she can muster] I helped Christie do something bad.

ADAM: What kind of bad?

LIZ: A prank.

ADAM: Oh.

LIZ: On Ange.

ADAM: [nonplussed] On Ange? [He gives her a disapproving look.] Baby, leave the girl alone. Todd said that she told him she’s never been so happy in her life.

LIZ: I think I ruined it.

ADAM: How?

LIZ: I can’t tell you.

ADAM: What? Why not?

LIZ: Christie.

ADAM: What about her?

LIZ: She put me up to it.

ADAM: And?

LIZ: She made me promise not to tell.

ADAM: So?

LIZ: You don’t break promises with Christie.

ADAM: Why not?

LIZ: [Looking at him sourly] She’s the most popular girl in the school. If I tell you what I did, I’ll end up worse than Ange.

ADAM: Okay. Right. So, why are you bothering to tell me about this?

LIZ: Where does Ange live?

ADAM: 345 Barkwell. I dropped Todd there last week. Why are—

LIZ: I’m not going to tell you what I did until I’ve fixed it.

[She turns to go.]

ADAM: Should I be worried about this?

LIZ: [turning to look at him] Yes. [Exit stage right. ADAM, worried, follows her. Fade out.]

 

[Scene: ANGE’s bedroom. ANGE is sitting on her bed, looking dully at her knees. The sword has been taken off the wall and is on her lap. She strokes it aimlessly. There is a knock at the door.]

TODD: [offstage] Can I come in?

ANGE: [emotionless] Yes.

[TODD enters. He is holding the box that contains his sword.]

TODD: Where were you, babe? I didn’t see you during English.

ANGE: I left early.

TODD: [worried] Are you sick? Do you want me to get your parents?

ANGE: No. I just left early.

TODD: [confused, but not pressing the issue] Okay then. [He puts the box down and picks the sword out of the packaging] You really know how to fight with these?

ANGE: [Standing up] Yeah. [She walks over to TODD.] Put your arms up. Hold. Like that. Yes. [She adjusts his arms to the point where he is holding the sword diagonally, with the blade pressed against his neck.]

TODD: Ow.

[ANGE holds his arms in place.]

TODD: Ow. Ow. Okay, my arms are really hurting right n—[He suddenly lets out a cry of pain as ANGE pushes the flat of the sword against his throat.] Ow! [He tries to take a deep breath and can’t.] Okay. I’m kind of dying here. Let go.

ANGE: No.

TODD: [gasping and attempting to wriggle out of her grasp] Ange, let me go! I can’t breathe!

[ANGE, ignoring his pleas, holds the sword in position. TODD writhes and finally goes limp, whereupon ANGE releases the sword and lets him fall to the ground. As he lies there, ANGE picks up the sword and puts a foot on his chest.]

TODD: What are you doing?

ANGE: [with deadly calm] I thought you said you and Christie weren’t a thing.

TODD: [bewildered] What?

ANGE: You lied to me.

TODD: [terrified, but trying not to show it] I didn’t. We weren’t.

[ANGE suddenly brings the sword down, stopping it an inch from his eyes.]

ANGE: Never lie to anyone holding a weapon. [She grinds her foot into TODD’s chest. He whimpers.] Do you know what you’ve done?

TODD: [breathlessly] I…haven’t…I haven’t done anything…

ANGE: [with biting and tearful sarcasm] Oh, you haven’t? [She traces the sword down his face, stopping at his neck.] Are you sure? [The sword moves again. ANGE removes her foot and points the sword at TODD’S left breast.] Tell me what you did.

TODD: [fearfully] I haven’t done anything!

[With a sudden start, ANGE pulls the sword away and steps back. TODD tries to get to his feet, but ANGE threatens him. He stops in a kneeling position and looks up at her, clearly terrified.]

ANGE: [holding the sword by her side, again speaking with deadly calm] You cheated on me.

TODD: I didn’t.

ANGE: [getting angry] You cheated on me.

TODD: I didn’t! [He attempts to get to his feet again. ANGE growls and brandishes the sword, forcing him to fall back on his knees.]

ANGE: [furiously] Fine. Lie to me! Lie, like you always have! From the moment you kissed me! Lie! [She steps back, and then, quietly, speaks again.] Lie to me.

TODD: [getting to his feet] I’ve never lied to you!

ANGE: I saw you kissing Christie.

[TODD freezes. His mouth drops.]

ANGE: No more excuses.

TODD: Ange—

ANGE: You bastard.

TODD: Ange, will you just—

ANGE: [shouting] SHUT UP! [TODD, stunned, backs away.] I don’t think you’ve realized what you’ve done to me.

TODD: Ange, please—

ANGE: [ignoring him] I’ve always been the geek. I’ve always been the outcast. I’ve always been the weird one. And I thought, just maybe, that this was the end of it. Maybe I could be a normal girl. [She hoists the sword and looks at it dreamily.] Maybe.

TODD: [pleadingly] Ange—

ANGE: [calmly] Nothing you can say can change my decision.

TODD: [stepping towards her cautiously] Put the sword down.

ANGE: No.

TODD: Please. Ange. Put the sword down.

[In the distance, a doorbell rings.]

ANGE: Someone’s coming.

TODD: Please put it down.

ANGE: I have to do this fast.

TODD: Please!

[ANGE moves toward him. He backs away. The doorbell rings again. Footsteps are heard far-off.]

TODD: Don’t do this! I never cheated on you! Christie—

ANGE: [grinning sickly] I told you not to lie to me. [More footsteps. ANGE ignores them.]

TODD: Don’t—

ANGE: “I fight my wars for her.”

TODD: [frantically] I’m begging you, Ange! Don’t do this!

ANGE: I didn’t fight hard enough for me. [She smiles at him, hoists the sword, and stabs herself in the chest.]

TODD: [horrified] ANGE! [He races to her side, catching her just as she falls.] Ange! Oh God!

[More footsteps, and then a frantic knocking.]

LIZ: [offstage] Ange? Todd?

[TODD, overcome, begins to sob. The door opens, and LIZ comes in, followed by ADAM.]

ADAM: What ha—[He notices ANGE’s body and stops.] Oh Christ. [He pulls out his cell phone, but seems too stunned to dial.]

LIZ: Oh God. [Her knees fold, and she falls to her knees.] Oh God, no.

ADAM: [recovering and dialing quickly] I need help!

TODD: [kissing ANGE, who is still breathing, but unconscious and bleeding heavily] Hold on, baby. Hold on.

TODD: [to ANGE] I love you. [He breaks down sobbing.]

ADAM: [in the background] God damn it, no! I don’t know what happened! She stabbed herself! Just send a fucking ambulance! She’s dying!

LIZ: [pressing her hands against her mouth] I told Christie…I told her…[TODD, still sobbing and holding ANGE’s body, looks at her.] I told her we shouldn’t have…

ADAM: They’re sending an ambulance. [He kneels next to ANGE and TODD.] She’ll be all right. She’ll be all right.

TODD: [quietly, to LIZ] You—

[LIZ buries her face in her hands. ANGE opens her eyes and stares at TODD.]

TODD: [Stroking her hair] Hold on.

[ANGE’s lips move. She sighs and her head drops back.]

TODD: Ange?

ADAM: [quietly] Christ.

TODD: Ange?

LIZ: Oh, God.

TODD: [frantically] Ange? Ange? ANGE! [The light focuses on him.] ANGE!

 

[In the distance, sirens are heard. Fade out.]