And Then There Was One
By Fred Lane
Summary
A story of betrayal: 2 best friends talking at school about guys they are
dating, are approached by a third who reveals that she has heard a secret
about one of these girls. One of the best friends, who was the only one
the other had told a secret to, has told this secret to someone else, who
in turn has spread it around the school.
Characters
Julie (the betrayed)
Deana (the betrayer)
Pat (the busibody)
Script
(Deana is sitting at the table, working on school work)
Julie: (enters and sits at the table beside Deana) Hey girl!
Deana: (looks up happy to see Julie) Deana...how's it going....what
are you doing out of class?
Julie: (putting down books) Ms. Stevens let us early because
the VCR she was going to use didn't work...
Deana: (sacastically) Oh, you poor baby! You didn't get to see your
video...I bet it was about the 3 branches of government... "the exectutive,
the legislative, the ......" what is it?
Julie: (pretends disgust) "The judicial"...see, I do do my homework....sometimes!
Anyway, Ben told Ms. Stevens he could fix the VCR after school if she wanted
him to. You know, he really is a pretty neat guy! (acts shy)
Deana: (suddenly very interested, leans forward) So it's Ben now, huh?
You have one date with the guy, and he's Mr. Wonderful!
Julie: (leans forward, frightened) Shhh! Would you be quiet! Somebody
might hear!....Besides, it wasn't really a date,...(sits back defensively)
We just got together at his parents house to go over some stuff for the
Yearbook
Deana: (folds arms, sits back) Yeah, right!
Julie: It was, it really was! (sits forward) You know that Jack and
I are still dating...and he is a terriffic guy! (pause, Deana just looks
at Julie, bobs her head up and down, not believing her)
Julie: Deana! It was not a date! I told you yesterday what he and I
were going to do, and that's exactly what we did!!!
Deana: (mischieviously) What do you think Jack would say about this?
Julie: (surprized) Deana, you're really starting to scare me!
Deana: (laughing, relaxing) Okay, okay, I'm just playing around. Nobody
knows about this but me and you, okay?
Julie: Okay....just please don't play with me this way...it really
does scare me! (Pat approaches the table, looking around to see if anyone
is watching)
Deana: Alright, I won't do it anymore....(reaches into her stuff, trying
to find pictures) Look, I've got some pictures from the party last weekend
(passes pictures to Julie)
Pat: (standing at one side, acting cocky) Oh, I see you've got pictures.
Pretty bold, don't you think?
Julie: (a little disgusted, not looking at Pat) Hello, Pat. It's nice
to see you today, too! (glances at Deana, shakes her head)
Pat: (to julie) Are they pictures of you and your new boyfriend?
Julie: (snaps her head around to Pat, looks very shocked) WHAT? WHAT
DID YOU SAY!
Pat: Oh, nothing really...I just heard that you were dropping Jack
for Ben... (While Pat talks, Julie slowly, dramatically sits up straight
and slowly turns her head to face Deana, who is slowly sliding back in
her chair, also with a shocked face)
Pat: (continuing) ...and everybody's talking about it. Marcy and Colleen
just told me...(she slowly begins leaving and talks as she goes)...it always
seems that I'm the last to know about these things....(exits stage)
(There's silence as Julie glares at Deana, Julie's anger is rising
and she begins to lean forward toward Deana)
Julie: Deana, you told Marcy and Colleen about my "date" with Ben didn't
you?
Deana: No, no, I didn't tell them. I haven't even seen them this week!
Julie: So you told someone else?
Deana: Yeah, but I didn't mean to,...it just kind of slipped out, I
mean, you know how that can happen...right?
Julie: I can't believe you did this to me! You know what this
will do to Jack and me.
Deana: Julie, I...I didn't actually say you went on a date...It's like
you said...it was...a...a meeting to work on the Yearbook!
Julie: (stands, voice rising) That's not what you called it a minute
ago...you said it was a date! (Looks around, growing angrier by the second)
Deana, you're supposed to be my best friend, or at least you were!!
Deana: (helplessly) Julie, please, I'm really sorry!
Julie: (not listening, gesturing) I really trusted you, Deana...and
look what you've done! Jack will probably never speak to me again...(looks
directly at Deana) and that's exactly what I'm going to do to you...(picks
up her stuff angrily and walks off) Don't bother calling me anymore...just
leave me alone!!!!
(Pause while Julie leaves; Deana watches Julie leave...Deana is alone
on stage, pondering silently what has happened) (She slow stands and gathers
her things, then walks toward the audience, head lowered)
Deana: (looks up and speaks to the audience) The only person I told
was Paula...(pause)...if only Paula had kept her mouth shut, none of this
would have happened....
(Lights fade)
............................................................................
© Fred Lane, Crosswind Community Church, All rights reserved
This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies
are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged. In
exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified
of when and for what purpose the play is performed. He may be contacted
at: advpastor@gmail.com