GOOD AFTERNOON, DR. REID
A stage play by Jamie A. Mundell

REMINDER: All directors' notes are written suggestively.
The script may be interpreted different ways and directions
should be made by the individual director.

Stage lights up, all curtains are black; all the stage contains is four stools. There are a few moments of silence, nothing happens and all there is, is the four stools. Suddenly, a scream is heard, and a teenage girl: ALICE enters SR. She has medium-length red hair that sits just past her shoulders. She is wearing a plaid long-sleeve shirt, black skinny jeans and blue converse. She sits on the first stool. Second is the sound of a crash, and in enters another teenage girl: MARIE from SR. She has bobbed blonde hair and wears a cute white summer dress with a yellow ribbon around her waist and white flats. She sits in the second stool next to ALICE. Third is the sound of something small or multiples hitting the ground. They're pills. SAM enters with her long brown hair in a French braid, wearing a white low-cut shirt with a blue scarf and blue pants with black boots on. She sits in the third stool. Finally is the sound of a gunshot and the only one to enter from SL is SHAWN who's wearing a black t-shirt under an orange sweater and regular jeans with some skateboarding shoes. He has very short, spiked dark hair.

They each start speaking, but their lines overlap one another, so it's hard to make out what any of them are saying.

ALICE

I wish I wasn't here, and everything is my entire fault. It's my stupid addiction to pain, the fact that I can't tolerate her dumping me. I chose to stop eating, because for some reason, I thought that I was fat. Everyone has told me my entire life that I'm so skinny, but every time I look in the mirror, all I see is fat, a girl who isn't good enough.

MARIE

I gave into the pressures of being perfect. I had everything I could have ever asked for, for so long it was all practically handed to me. But he was so trusting, so strong, and he always promised to be there for me when things went bad. I should have known it was all a lie, because when things finally went wrong, he turned away and gave up.

SAM

Just because I can't handle my own emotions, why does that mean anything? I've been tossed from house to house so often that maybe it's just gotten to me. It's the reason why when I'm walking down the hallway, I just break down and start crying in the middle of the hallway for no apparent reason. They tried helping, but I couldn't help myself.

SHAWN

He wants me to be perfect, but how can anyone be perfect? No one can live up to his standards, and I've spent so many nights listening to my mother cry from his brutal punishments, I should've known that he would come to me. I should've expected him to walk into my room and hold his hand above my face and punch me without reason.

ALL

I should have seen this coming earlier.

This time as each line finishes, the next line picks up immediately, somewhat overlapping. There is a pause after each one of SHAWN's lines before ALICE picks up again.

ALICE

The touch of my blade

MARIE

The feel of his heart against mine

SAM

The way they stare at me

SHAWN

The sounds of her cries

ALICE

It felt so good

MARIE

He felt so warm

SAM

They feel so cold

SHAWN

She sounded so empty

ALICE

If I had cut deeper

MARIE

If I had drove faster

SAM

If I had taken more pills

SHAWN

If I had aimed somewhere else

ALL

Maybe I'd be dead by now.

ALICE

But I was a pussy

MARIE

But I was a slut

SAM

But I was a coward

SHAWN

But I was an idiot

ALL

And now I'm stuck here

MARIE, SAM and SHAWN all exit SL with their stools, MARIE can grab ALICE's stool.

Suddenly, BRITTNEY enters behind them SL and runs up to ALICE, giving her a hug from behind. ALICE laughs and they share a special moment with each other, holding each other, talking and laughing, they even dance a little. Finally after a few moments, ALICE goes in to kiss BRITTNEY, but she steps back and holds out her hand.

BRITTNEY

I can't do this anymore

ALICE

Can't do what anymore?

BRITTNEY

Look, I just …

(trails off)

ALICE

You just what? What's wrong, you know I'm here for you always. You can always tell me what's wrong; I'll never judge you or anything. Did Jake say something to you? He's your little brother and you can't let his judgements get to you, and I know they hurt you because you love him and you love, well,

(points upwards)

Him but Jake is still a little boy and he'll grow to understand that –

BRITTNEY

No, Ali, that's not what I mean. I mean, this, us, I can't do it anymore.

ALICE

Why? Is – is something wrong?

BRITTNEY

Look, I know it's the worst line out there but, it's not you, it's me. And I mean that. Ever since we started dating, and everything was so perfect, so real, at the start, everything was great. But lately, I've grown to realize that I can't date anyone until I come to accept myself. My parents still take me to church every Sunday and during the week in hopes that I'll change my mind or something and I realize that I can't put any faith in myself because I'm losing faith with God. And – Alice – it's just – if I don't have faith with God, I can't have faith in myself. I love you, hon, I really do. But I need to learn to love myself first.

ALICE

Oh, okay.

BRITTNEY

Look, please, don't be hurt

ALICE

No, don't worry, Brit, I'm not. I just – I need some time for myself, and so do you. Please, take care of yourself.

BRITTNEY

You, too, Ali. Please know I'm always here for you when you need me.

(Kisses ALICE on her cheek before exiting SR)

ALICE moves CS, on her knees with a disposable razor. She breaks it and grabs one of the multiple razors, pulling back her sleeve. Her arm is covered in scars that look rather old, as though she hasn't committed any self harm for a long time. As she starts to cry, she holds the blade to her arm and cuts. [NOTE: How this will be done without bringing any harm to the individual actor will be decided by the director(s).]

ALICE

One more cut, one more tear, the only way to know that I'm still here.

(Cuts again)

One more blade, a little more blood, a little bit of pain don't hurt no one.

(ALICE breaks down into cutting and tears before the stage turns completely black)

Lights up, a large, muscular man, BRUCE, has his arms around MARIE, she is sitting in his lap on a bed. He is kissing her neck tenderly, and she looks very hesitant on what is going on, but he is becoming somewhat forceful.

BRUCE

C'mon, babe, it won't hurt or nothin'.

MARIE

It's not the pain that I'm afraid of

BRUCE

Good, 'cause, I mean, I know I'm pretty big and stuff

(laughs at himself)

but c'mon, why are you so afraid?

MARIE

I'm just afraid that something might … you know … happen, and then we can't do anything about it. Bruce, you mean so much to me, and I want to make you happy with whatever I do.

BRUCE

Good, so why don't you just do what I say?

(Grabs MARIE's boob aggressively)

C'mon little Marie, sweet little Marie. I know you'll love it.

MARIE

Bruce, stop, you're hurting me.

BRUCE stands up and turns MARIE around, holding her by her arms. He pulls her around to the end of his bed and pushes her down, lying on top of her. MARIE starts to struggle a little.

MARIE

Bruce, stop!

BRUCE

Stop squirming you little slut!

MARIE

I thought you loved me!

BRUCE

I do love you, which is why I'm going to do you a little favor.

(Sticks his hand up MARIE's dress and she starts to gasp. He lays down on top of her, playing around under her dress)

Feel that, you're so warm.

MARIE

STOP IT!

BRUCE

Shut up!

(Takes his hand out and slaps her across the face.)

BRUCE stands up a bit. MARIE tries to get away, but BRUCE adjusts himself so he's on top of her. He unzips his pants and gets right back on her. Lights go out just as BRUCE starts to rape MARIE.

When the lights come back up, MARIE is sitting in a chair CS with a small pregnancy test in her hands, staring at it and waiting.

After a few moments, she breaks down into tears and throws it across the stage. Lights go down. The lights come up with SAM in a chair in front of a desk, a guidance counselor is behind the desk with the nameplate MS. GREY, and SAM has her knees up to her chest.

GREY

Welcome, Sam, to Easton High. I'm sure you'll find it very nice here, we have plenty of staff to meet to your

(coughs)

needs. I'll be here, Ms. Grey, to serve as your guidance counselor, and now, Sam, why did you leave your old school?

SAM

I was being bullied

GREY

What for?

SAM

Sometimes I just cry for no reason

GREY

Hm, well, is there a reason for this sudden crying?

SAM

I'm not really sure

GREY

Was there some sort of tragedy in your past?

SAM

My parents were drug addicts and abusive and my uncle raped me when I was four if that counts for anything. Oh, and not to mention that I've bounced from foster home to foster home and never actually been adopted by anyone because I'm probably too much of a burden to handle because I keep just randomly crying and like to keep to myself in my room and just cry to loud screaming music every single night that blares so loud you can't hear my sobs.

GREY

Oh, okay. Well, Sam, I can see that you've had some – well, issues, in your past, but Easton High will be here to welcome you home. I'm always here in my office if you need me.

SAM

You'll always be here if I need you?

GREY

Yes, always.

SAM

Always, Ms. Grey?

GREY

I promise to always be here.

SAM

What about the times when I most need it? Huh? Like at four in the morning when I wake up in the middle of the night because I can't sleep. Sometimes I don't even fall asleep, so I have at least ten bottles at home of old sleep medications that have never been fully used. Will you be here in your office on the nights when I just give up and grab three bottles and shove them down my throat? I suggest you call home right now, because I'm done with this shit of changing schools time after time again because I refuse to go to class because I'm not going to end up with a job. Not when you have parents like mine who had no intelligence whatsoever. I'll end up like them, drinking and smoking, and I already am. Call home now, or call the police, because I won't be here in the morning!

SAM storms out of the room and slams the door before she breaks down and begins to cry on the opposite side of the door from MS. GREY, who dials her phone.

Lights go down. Lights come back up. SHAWN is sitting on one side of a door, on the other side of the door is a bed.

SHAWN is curled up on the ground, leaning with his ear against a door. On the other side, his father, JIM and his mother, SUSAN are in the middle of a brawl, in which JIM clearly has the upper hand.

JIM

I don't ask much of you Susan. In fact, I don't really ask anything of you, now do I? But all I have ever expected of you is maybe a little bit of sweet loving or a little bit of sympathy when I come home from work. After all, you don't work, now do you, Susan? Oh, no, you sit around all day and do absolutely NOTHING you little bitch!

(He slaps her, and then reaches for a bottle, which he breaks on the bedside table and holds it close to her, SUSAN is in complete tears)

You just sit and mooch off of me, let me do all the hard work and don't even get as much as a thank you, or a welcome home when I come home from work. You don't understand how fucking hard I work, Susan, you don't understand all the fucking work I put in for you.

(Silence)

DO YOU UNDERSTAND

SUSAN

(crying)

Yes! Yes I understand!

JIM

I don't think you do, you little bitch.

(Grabs her hair)

WHAT ARE YOU?

SUSAN

Your bitch

JIM

I SAID WHAT ARE YOU?

SUSAN

YOUR LITTLE BITCH

JIM

(throws her to the ground)

Nice to know you finally listen to me for once.

(Walks to the door and opens it. SHAWN tries to run away, but JIM grabs him by the back of his shirt)

Where do you think you're going?

SUSAN

Don't hurt him, he's just a child

JIM

SHUT THE FUCK UP

SUSAN

Jim, don't do anything!

JIM

I said SHUT THE FUCK UP!

(Throws bottle at SUSAN)

I asked you a question. I said where do you think you're doing?

SHAWN

I have some homework that I need to do

JIM

To hell you do, but what were you doing just now?

SHAWN

Nothing, I was just walking by

JIM

Just walking by, huh, boy?

SHAWN

Yeah

JIM

You're fucking hilarious, you know that?

(Punches SHAWN)

SHAWN falls to the ground, and JIM stands over top of him.

JIM

C'mon, boy, get up!

SHAWN stays on the ground, curled up, sobbing silently. JIM kicks him before throwing out a few more swears that the individual actor may ad lib. and walking back into the bedroom, where SUSAN is crying before the lights go down.

There are four spotlights, one on ALICE, one on MARIE, one on SAM and one on SHAWN, all are standing DS.

ALICE

I can't do it anymore

MARIE

I can't take the pain anymore

SAM

I can't do it for anyone

SHAWN

Except for myself

Spotlights turn off except for ALICE's. She holds a razor to her wrist.

ALICE

Just cut a little bit deeper.

ALICE's spotlight turns off and SAM's turns on. She takes out a pill bottle.

SAM

Just take a few pills more

SAM's spotlight turns off and MARIE's turns on. She is holding some car keys.

MARIE

Just drive my way to heaven.

MARIE's spotlight turns off and SHAWN's turns on. He is holding a gun to his head.

SHAWN

Just pull the trigger.

SHAWN's light turns off. Suddenly, four loud noises all happen at once: the sound of ALICE screaming in pain, the sound of MARIE's car screeching, the sound of SAM dropping several pill bottles and the sound of SHAWN's gunshot. There are a few moments of silence before the sound of an ambulance and a police car can be heard. The sound of a police walkie talkie is heard.

POLICE OFFICER'S VOICE

Yes, I have a young teenager here. Suicide attempt. Take them to Havenview Hospital. When they wake up, send them to the Psych Ward.