ACT I: Scene 8

(Scene opens to the same set, the living room, her father sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper. Sundae, but the older, teenage Sundae, enters)

Father: (Looks up) Hi Sundae, how was school?

Sundae: Awful.

Father: (Laughs) I can’t blame you there.

Sundae: (Stares at her father) You’re in a disgustingly good mood.

Father: (Shrugs) I have my reasons. So, tell me about your day?

Sundae: Seriously?

Father: Of course.

Sundae: Okay, um. (Sits down on a chair) First off, my teacher yelled at me for being late, which I wasn’t.

Father: Which teacher?

Sundae: Ms. Lockheart.

Father: Well, no wonder she’s not a ‘Mrs.’.

Sundae: (Smiles slightly, then continues) Then, I didn’t bother doing the work because it was stupid, and she yelled at me again.

Father: What class does she teach?

Sundae: Algebra.

Father: Then you’re exactly right, algebra is stupid.

Sundae: Then, Nadine, who’s in my class, said that I couldn’t do the work because I was too screwed up in the head, then everyone laughed. Which is just dumb because she’s clearly more screwed up than I am.

Father: Someone would have to be to question your intelligence.

Sundae: And then at lunch time, I was in the bathroom and her and her crew walked in and started calling me names and stuff, so I threatened to hurt them. Then they went and told the principal and got me in trouble for it.

Father: You did nothing wrong, you were defending yourself. I would have done the same. Your principal is a fool for getting upset about that.

Sundae: Believe me, I know. So that was basically my day.

Father: Well, that’s terrible, and a smart, beautiful girl like you deserves much better.

Sundae: Couldn’t agree with you more.

Father: How about some TV to get your mind off of it?

Sundae: Sure.

Father: (Turns on the TV) What channel?

Sundae: The news is fine.

News reporter on TV: Richard Peters, a resident of Westbrook city, has been found dead in a neighbor’s attic. Peters had been reported missing for two weeks days before the body was found.

Sundae: Richard Peters, isn’t he your friend, Dad?

Father: (Nods, his eyes still glued to the TV and a dark grin on his face) Shh.

News reporter: The man who owned the house in which the body was found has been charged with second-degree murder after being proven guilty in court on Tuesday.

(Father laughs in response)

Sundae: Why are you laughing? Your friend is dead.

Father: Yes, I know.

Sundae: Aren’t you upset?

Father: Not in the least.

Sundae: But why?

Father: (Turns to Sundae) I’ll tell you, but if you tell another soul I swear to god I will pound you until you stop breathing, got it?

Sundae: Got it.

Father: I killed him.

Sundae: You…what?

Father: Killed him, a few weeks ago actually. He was in his backyard, cutting up firewood or something. I knew his wife wasn’t home, because she was at her book club, and he lives far out in the woods, so no one was in hearing distance. So I snuck onto his property, a loaded gun in my pocket and just shot him, right there. He hardly made a sound, besides the thump when he fell to the ground. It was the most satisfying feeling ever. Dragging the limp body to Mr. Burke’s basement while he wasn’t home and setting him up for the murder was almost as good, but not quite. Then hearing he was actually arrested for it on the news, well that felt just great too.

(Sundae looks obviously disturbed and her father notices)

You alright?

Sundae: Why, Dad?

Father: You’re looking a bit ill.

Sundae: No, why did you kill him? He was your friend!

Father: I was testing myself. See Sundae, there are two types of people in the world, people who matter and people who don’t. All the “friend” and “enemy” business is nonsense. I matter, Richard didn’t. It doesn’t matter that he died, he wasn’t needed, so I was simply practicing my skills on him. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Sundae: (Stares at him for a moment) I…have to go. (Stands up)

Father: Just remember our deal. If you tell anybody what I told you, you’re going down just like Richard.

(Sundae exits without another word. Blackout)