LET ME BY

by

Hillary Radbill

Copyright © 2010

By Hillary Radbill

CHARACTERS

KENNY, 24, is a senior in college who is going to school after serving in the army for two years. He is an art major who wants to open his own art gallery for poor artists to display their work. He is fit, on the taller side, and casually stylish as if he knows how to dress well, but chooses not to put in the effort. He lives with his best friend BEN who was in the army with him. He is very sensible, relying mostly on common sense and logic to make a decision. He doesn't mind saying and feeling what he thinks in a situation, especially around people he knows. He rarely ever does anything spontaneous. He has a very strong stubborn streak, and can be aroused to passionate anger when provoked, but it usually takes a lot to get him there. He tends to be protective and loyal to those he cares about.

ELYA, 22, is a senior in college. She is a fine arts major. Very artistic and talented in an abstract way. She is fashionable, but not eccentric in what she wears. Unique and distinct in personality, just like her name. She is short, but muscular, not in a lean way though. She is outgoing, but guarded with personal matters, while often being considered unemotional in how she deals with conflict, waiting until she is in a safe place or with someone she trusts before showing her true feelings. She is a perfectionist and deliberates over things until she comes to a decision, but once she does make a decision she sticks to it.

TIME

The present. Evening, around 11:45pm on a Sunday night.

PLACE

Set in the entrance hallway to KENNY'S apartment. The kitchen entrance is on the back wall leading into the hallway. The kitchen light is on. There is a shelf for keys, mail, a purse, and jumbled what-not's on the wall to the left of the kitchen entrance.

Scene I: You shall not pass

(KENNY is leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen. He appears preoccupied with listening to something happening in another room of the apartment.)

(ELYA makes an abrupt appearance, barging into the house with a shove to the door.)

KENNY

What the hell?

ELYA

Where is he?

KENNY

What? What are you doing here?

ELYA

BEN! Where is BEN! Don't stand there like an idiot and pretend like you don't know what I am talking about!

KENNY

Oh. Right. That would make sense.

(KENNY moves into the hallway to block ELYA'S way.)

You should go. Have you tried calling him? That's what you should do. Call him and try talking to him. Tomorrow. Late. Like maybe in the middle of the afternoon. Just go for now though. Really. It's just best you go. Now.

(KENNY steps towards ELYA trying to turn her around and walk her back out the door, which is still open.)

ELYA

(ELYA slaps his hand out of the way, kicking the door closed behind her.)

Get your hands off me! I'm not stupid, nor do I appreciate being pacified. Don't you think I've already tried calling him?

KENNY

Look, you're right. I didn't mean to make you feel like an idiot, though you are acting like one right now, but you know how he is. He doesn't like it when people just stop by…

ELYA

(ELYA whips out a well-worn steno pad and starts paging through it.)

KENNY

What on earth is that?

ELYA

I broke it all down. Charted it out. Here are all the times I've called and texted him over the past few days and what I've said. It started Thursday night when he cut our conversation short because someone had arrived at the apartment, and—

KENNY

(KENNY takes steno pad)

Oh God, a communication chart? Broken down to emphasize themes?

(thrust steno pad back at ELYA)

Seriously? Look at yourself. This just isn't you. Why don't you just go home, take it easy, calm down, relax, leave… now.

ELYA

Really, KENNY? Do you think I wanted to march down here on a Sunday night smack in the middle of midterm week when I should be getting ready for bed to confront my boyfriend who won't respond to any of my texts or answer any of my calls? Do you? DO YOU!

(catches breath from rant)

KENNY

What's the word? Got it. Crazed. That's it. You've lost it.

ELYA

Crazed? CRAZED! How dare you call me crazed? Upset maybe, but not CRAZED!

(Catches herself yelling and lowers her voice)

(Self-consciously) Oh, who cares? I don't even know why I am talking to you anyway.

(Goes to walk past KENNY into the apartment. He steps in the way.)

Don't try my patience, KENNY. I'm not in the mood.

KENNY

(Kenny continues to stand in the way.)

I'm not moving, and I don't really care how you feel about it either. You need to go. Now. Before anyone else gets hurt.

ELYA

Hurt? Too late for that now. Damage is done.

(ELYA tries to push KENNY out of the way, wedging herself between him and the wall unsuccessfully. Grows increasingly frustrated)

KENNY

You may as well save yourself the effort and stop trying. You aren't getting by.

(KENNY refuses to move.)

ELYA

Let. Me. BY!

(ELYA starts trying to pivot around him. He blocks her. There is a commotion between the two of them. He finally resorts to restraining her in his arms. She starts punching him in the chest, stomach, and shoulders.)

(Realizing failure ELYA stops, mocking defeat as she pretends to submit dry sobbing)

Please, (sob) let me go. (Sob) Please.

KENNY

ELYA, stop! (KENNY begins to relax.

(frustrated) ELYA. She makes one last dash Please. Stop. around him. He blocks

her and pushes her backwards as she tries to knee him in the groin. She falls back and hits her head on the shelf, knocking the purse on the shelf onto the floor between them.)

ELYA

Ouch! Bastard! What'd you do that for?

KENNY

Right. And you punching me and trying to knee me in the nuts is totally okay. Makes perfect sense.

ELYA

Well, you brought it on yourself. If you'd just let— wait, what is that?

(BOTH notice the fallen purse for the first time.)

KENNY

(Sigh) Great. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid.

ELYA

Wait. (slowly) No, no, no, no, no. This can't be.

(ELYA leans against the wall folding her arms around her middle.)

This just can't be happening. He can't be doing this to me.

(pause, looking at purse.)

No, this is just a big misunderstanding. I am just jumping to conclusions. Being irrational. Jealous. That's it, jealous.

(whimpers slightly.)

KENNY

Look, ELYA. I'm really sorry. If it makes you feel any better, he's not just hurting you by doing this.

ELYA

(Groan) So it's true.

(pause)

(defeated) How long have you known?

KENNY

It's been going on since Thursday night. I tried to stop him, but you know how he is… Once he gets an idea in his head, there's no changing it. How it's always been.

(Runs his hands through his hair sighing. Leans against the inside of the kitchen door frame facing her.)

ELYA

You knew all this time and didn't think to tell me? Thanks a lot, KENNY.

KENNY

Look, what goes on between you and BEN is none of my business. I've got enough problems of my own without involving myself with the two of you. It's not like you asked either.

ELYA

Oh, whatever. I should know better than to expect anything from you, or him.

KENNY

I don't appreciate you taking your feelings out on me, ELYA. It's not my fault he's breaking up with you.

ELYA

Who said anything about breaking up?

KENNY

Well, that's what most people do when someone cheats.

(pause)

Oh God, don't tell me you are going to stay with him after all this? That's just stupid. He's my best friend and all, but don't be an idiot. It's over, ELYA. Let it go. Move on.

ELYA

(Looks angered as if she is going to say something, then thinks it over for a second before acknowledging defeat. Slouches against the wall further.)

I guess you're right. What's done is done. No point in saying anything now. He's made his intentions pretty clear and may as well keep his reasons for them to himself.

KENNY

Now you're making sense. Who knows why you felt the need to make your way down here anyway. You could have just taken the hint and saved yourself the trouble.

ELYA

That's not fair, KENNY. He could have been dead for all I knew!

KENNY

Well, if he dies now, we'll all know who did it.

ELYA

I would never! (stops to think) Well, give me a little time and it might cross my mind. But—

(pause)

God, that's horrible, listen to me. (bitter) Life is so unfair. HE is so unfair.

KENNY

(Mumbled) Yeah. Tell me about it.

(Silence)

ELYA

What did you mean earlier when you said I wasn't the only one getting hurt by this?

KENNY

Oh, that. Never mind. Just forget it.

ELYA

No really, tell me. I want to know. What did you mean?

KENNY

(Contemplative pause)

Whatever. I may as well just tell you.

(Stands up and paces down the hall a bit before leaning back against the wall further down the hall on the opposite side of the kitchen door. Crosses arms.)

He's fucking my ex-girlfriend from high school right now, who still happens to be my best friend from back home. We've stayed in touch all these years, even when BEN and I were in the service together. I still have all the letters.

(pause of bitter silence)

She came to visit me for the weekend, or so I thought, but from the moment she walked through that door and saw him she couldn't get her eyes off him. Well, I guess more than just that at this point.

ELYA

KENNY. That's awful. You weren't planning on getting back together before all of this, were you?

KENNY

Not anymore. Don't even think I could hold a civil conversation with her—or him for that matter—right now.

ELYA

(shakes head speechlessly)

KENNY

I wish I could be that self-centered. Just screw the whole world over to get whatever I wanted whenever I wanted all the time at everyone else's expense.

ELYA

Ha. Yeah. I know what you mean. Could never do it though.

KENNY

Yeah. Me either.

(contemplative silence)

Sad thing is, I've always known he was like this, capable of this. I've seen him do it to other people. I've just always thought that all the years we've known each other and all that we've been through together in the army and living together would somehow set me apart.

ELYA

It won't be long before she figures out she's made a really big mistake. Like when he ditches her for someone else.

KENNY

I don't even care. All I can say is she won't have my pity when he does. They deserve each other.

ELYA

(Sound of door offstage opening and another closing as BEN goes to bathroom. ELYA startles slightly.)

I should go.

KENNY

Yeah.

ELYA

(ELYA stands up and reaches for the door beside her. Stops short.)

Do you think he heard us? (embarrassed)

KENNY

You mean, heard YOU (said mockingly in a chanting high-pitched voice): "Let me by! Let me by! God damn it!"

ELYA

(laughingly) Shut up. I do not sound like that.

(hits KENNY on arm with steno pad)

KENNY

There you go with the violence again.

ELYA

Whatever.

(moves toward door. Halts at the sight of purse again)

KENNY

I'm sorry, ELYA. If you ask me, he blew something really good with you by doing this. He'll never do better.

ELYA

Ha. Yeah. I guess.

(awkward silence)

Thanks though.

KENNY

Anytime.

ELYA

(pockets steno pad and turns to leave.)

KENNY

(KENNY steps around her to get the door, kicking the purse still strewn on the floor purposefully on his way. Crunching sound.)

ELYA

(Walks past KENNY through the door.)

Bye.

(Hesitates a moment looking back and listening. Shakes head disgustedly before making her way out the door.)

KENNY

ELYA.

ELYA

(Stops before walking offstage and turns towards KENNY.)

KENNY

Don't be a stranger.

ELYA

(Smiles and nods before walking off stage.)