here's the script i wrote that went to state, i know a couple of you guys wanted to read it.. hope you like.

LOOSE ENDS

By

Desiree Srinivas




The setting is modern day. The scene begins with MOM, DAD, and GRAYSON CS. When ELIZABETH is speaking, MOM, DAD, and GRAYSON are responding in sorrow as if mourning at a memorial service, and when MOM, DAD, or GRAYSON speak, ELIZABETH gives them her full attention.
ELIZABETH enters SL, happy, pantomiming a normal conversation with her friend on the phone.

ELIZABETH
(Walking in on the phone, laughing) I know I’m so happy it’s the weekend… Oh I’m not doing much tonight, just staying home, probably going to make some dinner for my family… I know, I’m sorry I can’t make it to that concert with you tonight… Haha, hey! We’ll hangout soon, I promise... make sure you take lots of pictures, okay?... Love you too, Laney.

ELIZABETH
Dear

ELIZABETH and MOM
Mom

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
And

ELIZABETH and DAD
Dad

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
I’m sorry. Not so much because of what happened, but because this was… inevitable.

MOM and DAD
Inevitable.

ELIZABETH
I didn’t exactly love the idea of you finding me this way, but… I keep thinking about how brave I’ve been; how strong I’ve been. But how none of it mattered to anyone else but me.

ELIZABETH pauses and looks away. MOM walks downstage slightly ahead of ELIZABETH, as ELIZABETH watches.


MOM
(Unusually unphased, as if in shock)
I want to thank you all for coming. We are gathered here today to celebrate the glorious, yet short-lived life of my daughter, Elizabeth Ann Kingston. She was sixteen years of age when God…

ELIZABETH
(Questioning)
God.

MOM (CONT’D)
…Decided to take her away from us.

MOM looks away SL. ELIZABETH moves further downstage to present her line.

ELIZABETH
I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. And as I write my final words, I can only comfort you with the fact that I’m not facing this world’s cruel distress any longer. You’re my family, and I know you can get through this without me. I love you all very much. I love my boyfriend as well, and all of my friends. Their only weakness is that


ELIZABETH and MOM
(E) They were too blind to see me slowly coming undone.
(M) We were too blind to see her slowly coming undone.

ELIZABETH
I was slowly falling under complete self-destruction.

GRAYSON
Self-destruction.

MOM breaks from her trance and looks back out towards her audience and speaks again. ELIZABETH watches MOM.

MOM
(With a sense of happiness in reminiscing)
She was a loving girl, who had wisdom and compassion far beyond her years. I always loved that about her.

Again, MOM takes a brief moment to reanalyze her words to herself, as ELIZABETH begins to speak.

ELIZABETH
Love. I was surrounded by it. But the thing is, the more wonderful everyone else in my life was, and the more opportunities I had, the more I felt unworthy of it all. My hands are trembling as I write this.

ELIZABETH and MOM
…Though I’m hurting, I’m not afraid.

ELIZABETH appears a bit more confident, and then listens to MOM as she speaks a final time.

MOM
(Happy in reminiscing, moving around more)
I remember every time she would come home from school, and drop her books all over the kitchen counter then plop herself on the couch, as I’d hear her say, “How are you today, momma?” Her voice still rings in my ears. She was caring towards all of her friends. I will stand here today and remember her beautiful smile, because that smile is what carried me through these past sixteen years. The memory of it is what will carry our family through these hard trials.

MOM uses her final words as motivation to step back and cry into DAD’s arms. ELIZABETH breaks her attention on MOM and speaks to the audience again.

ELIZABETH
No, I didn’t tell people I was unhappy. Most kids I know who talk about ending their life usually follow it with stupid reasons like, “my boyfriend broke up with me,” or “my family doesn’t understand me.” Telling anyone I was unhappy would only lead to unnecessary sadness, and people actually trying to talk me out of it. What people don’t realize is that you don’t need a cruddy boyfriend, or a dysfunctional family to still feel empty.

GRAYSON, MOM, and DAD
Empty.

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
Your life doesn’t need to be falling apart for you to wonder every single day if everyone else’s life would really be much different if you just disappeared.

ELIZABETH looks away until she notices DAD begin to walk downstage to speak.

DAD
(Uneasily)
My Elizabeth. She wasn’t embarrassed of going shopping with her mom, or being seen with dad. She was a very religious girl. She was my one and only Elizabeth, and I loved her as much as any father could love his daughter.

ELIZABETH breaks her attention on DAD and begins to speak as DAD pauses and glares back lovingly at MOM.

ELIZABETH
(A bit irritated)
I wish I knew what “religious” even meant. I waited on God to make his miracle. (Getting heated) I waited long and hard, day and night, for him to give me one good reason not to wrap that rope around my neck (calms down) but I got nothing. No sign of

ELIZABETH and MOM and DAD
Salvation

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
Or hint of

ELIZABETH and GRAYSON
Hope

ELIZABETH
From anyone or anything. My greatest weakness is how empty I am. My greatest talent is making every single person around me believe otherwise.

DAD moves downstage in front of ELIZABETH, her attention on him.

DAD
Many family friends have asked me, “what exactly hurts you the most right now?” and all I can do is think.


ELIZABETH
Think.

DAD (CONT’D)
You know, it’s one thing to outlive your own child. But what breaks my heart into pieces is that I’ll never get the opportunity to see how beautiful her kids could have been. I’ll never get the chance to walk her down the aisle. Elizabeth is—was beautiful. And she’ll always be my little girl.

DAD looks upward as if he were trying to speak directly to ELIZABETH.

ELIZABETH
I’m not this little girl anymore, as much as I wish I could be. All I ever wanted was for someone to show me something worth fighting for. I know what love is from storybooks and movies, but I’ve never truly experienced it without pain. I’m here, but I’m not fulfilled. I was alive, yes. But I wasn’t living. I’d walk through the halls of my high school as if I were some vessel waiting to be filled. Wonderful, remarkable people surrounded me. Most of which, honestly? Deserve the world.

GRAYSON
Deserve the world.

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
They deserved better than me.
(Lighthearted) Especially Grayson. He was my best friend. He always told me I was a “beautiful soul,”

GRAYSON
(Genuine)
Beautiful soul.

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
…But he never understood much of anything that wasn’t happy or optimistic.

ELIZABETH looks toward GRAYSON as he walks downstage in front of ELIZABETH.

GRAYSON
(Very uneasy, and quiet)
Uhm, hello. My name is Grayson, and Elizabeth was my best friend of two years.


ELIZABETH
Two years.

GRAYSON (CONT’D)
(Happy when reminiscing)
25 months and 17 days ago, I was blessed with the chance of meeting a beautiful human being who, I guess now that I think of it, was too perfect to have lived on earth anyhow. It was her enthusiastic personality, even on the dreariest of days; it was her laughter even when my jokes weren’t funny—which happened a lot. (Uneasy laugh from GRAYSON and ELIZABETH) It was her chocolate chip pancakes, her worn out jeans, her messy blonde hair; it was Elizabeth’s everything.

GRAYSON stops to think. ELIZABETH walks further downstage CS.

ELIZABETH
I don’t regret the years I was living, nor do I regret not experiencing the years I’ll never get. I know you may beg to differ,

ELIZABETH and GRAYSON
But this is how it’s going to be.

ELIZABETH looks at GRAYSON.

GRAYSON
My biggest regret? Not telling her how wonderful she was when I had the chance. I had so many chances. (Building up anger towards self) How could I be so stupid not to remind someone how much I need her until it’s too late? (Recollecting strength)

ELIZABETH
Too late.

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
Time is against us, yet we still waste our time judging those who are hurting. I leave you with simple words on useless paper, in hopes that it reminds you to

ELIZABETH, GRAYSON, MOM, and DAD
Say what’s on your mind all the time.

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
Even though I never had the strength to. I know I was loved, but I questioned if I even ever knew what it meant.

ELIZABETH looks again over toward GRAYSON.

GRAYSON
All we can do now is live through her, even if it means not living beside her. We love you, Elizabeth. (With sadness) We know being happy is what you would have wanted.

ELIZABETH watches GRAYSON as he makes his way back to comfort MOM and DAD. Instead of moving further downstage, ELIZABETH begins to move more SR as MOM, DAD, and GRAYSON stay CS.

ELIZABETH
I don’t want you to cry because I’m gone, but smile because I’ve been. Apologize to my friends for me, and give my boyfriend a kiss on the forehead in my favor. Don’t take this as an opportunity to mourn, but to speak now.

GRAYSON, MOM, and DAD
Speak now.

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
You’d be surprised how easy it is for anyone to feel alone in this world.
Again, all I can keep saying is, I’m sorry.

GRAYSON
As in the words of one of Liz’s favorite quotes,

ELIZABETH and GRAYSON
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

ELIZABETH pauses, and GRAYSON looks away remembering ELIZABETH.

ELIZABETH
Even if that means this is my ending. Even if that means you’ll continue without me.

ELIZABETH then looks back towards GRAYSON with sadness.

GRAYSON
(Speaking upward as if talking to ELIZABETH)
Today, Elizabeth, I stand in front of a room full of people who your wonderful presence graced at one point or another. I want you to know that. It… it may be too late for our words and notions of compassion to bring you back, but I hope it’s not too late to at the least, bring you peace up there. Love you, Liz.

GRAYSON returns back upstage with MOM and DAD, to all comfort each other. ELIZABETH continues further SR/downstage.

ELIZABETH
(While looking over towards CS to examine her family and friends as a whole)
I may be gone, and I may be forgotten. (Remaining words towards audience) All I was was a single memory, a single being,

ELIZABETH, MOM, and DAD
Here in an instant,

ELIZABETH and GRAYSON
Then gone the next.

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
This is me, finally gaining the strength to tie up the loose ends, and stop the pain I or anybody in my life may later experience, because for once… for once I’m not afraid. As I come to the end of this final letter, I ask just one thing of all of you: Keep on keepin’ on.

ELIZABETH walks further SR, but before she is too far downstage, she looks back at GRAYSON, MOM, and DAD.

ELIZABETH (CONT’D)
(With quivering voice)
Goodbye.
Love always, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH continues off SR, leaving her grieving family on stage.

HEAVEN HELP US.

okay, i'm just gonna be straight up here, because 1. i need to get to work on reading king lear, and 2. there's not much to this blatant fact that i can't express in too many lines anyways.


(i'mma pull out caps lock here)

IF YOU DON'T FANCY ME/DON'T LIKE WHAT I DO/STRAIGHT UP DON'T LIKE ME, i absolutely dread it, trust me, but DON'T FAKE IT.

it's one thing to dislike me for something i did, something i said, or even for no reason at all,
but it's another to deliberately pretend like you're my friend on countless occasions.
TRUST ME it kills me when someone wastes energy on thoroughly disliking me, because i've never once gone out of my way to deliberately hate or waste energy on disliking someone else.

if you're going to put on a false face, honestly? all that means is that you're going of your way to pretend to be my friend, because you're far too cowardly to be truthful.
the least you could do is just avoid me altogether, instead of putting on this act that just makes you look foolish and fake.


it's all shits and starshine if you really wanna hate me that much, but get over yourselves, please.
i have my own life to deal with, and i'd never waste my reserved energy on someone who can't even hold to their slandering words.
so while you're raving on about how you think i'm a people pleaser, or that i'm a horrible friend, or even that you don't like the way i look or something stupid like that,
i'll be worrying about my school work and how it's pounding down on me,
or looking into apartments that i'll be moving into SOON,
or worrying about how my own dad isn't going to come to thanksgiving dinner because he doesn't wanna deal.


MAYBE BEFORE YOU HATE ON SOMEONE, YOU SHOULD TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO REALIZE THEIR LIVES AREN'T AS NORMAN-ROCKWELL-COOKIE-CUTTER PERFECT AS YOURS, BRO.
and if you're going to be a hypocrite about it, and judge the life they live at such a middle-ground point in their life, then you sure as HAAAAIL don't ever deserve to see them at their best.

if you judge someone at their worst, you're going to be judged at your worst also.
and if you honestly feel the need to hate on someone for who they truly are, then GET A HOBBY OR SOMETHING.

puhlease.

because i've become so desperate for a cuddle buddy this winter,

i'm giving in...


...to the boyfriend pillow.


say hello to my christmas present this year.

finally.

i'm filling that awful void i had.... with theatre.


my cast & crew, director, and stage hand of Alice in Wonderland are more than i could have ever asked for.
and though this play has been consuming my life for the past 3 months, i can honestly, genuinely, whole-heartedly say that i don't mind that at all.

it's one thing to spend all your time on tedious tasks, dampening deeds, and just downright unenjoyable things. but it's another to spend it doing something you love; something you don't even mind doing, especially with those you love (and can stand spending A LOT of time with!) <3


to my cast & crew, thank you.
to all of you out there who attended the show last night, i hope you enjoyed it!
and to all of you who have yet to come see it,
i hope you decide to, because the remaining shows are going to be a wonderful time!



TONIGHT (NOV 3) at 7pm!
SATURDAY (NOV 5) at 2pm!