SCENE I:

Characters:
James Pattan, 46, office manager for a medical supply company, father of Susan Pattan
Adrian Pattan, 48, college History professor, mother of Susan Pattan

Setting: The action of the scene takes place in the master bedroom of James and Adrian on the second floor of the home in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The room is moderately furnished in greens, browns and beiges. A mahogany-stained wooden dresser, with a rectangle mirror the size of the dresser width attached, is set in the middle against the left wall of the room and a walk-in closet is on the left side. A cordless telephone and a brown wooden jewelry box sit on top of the dresser. A king size bed is directly across from the dresser with a round, simple mahogany-stained headboard. On each side of the bed is a mahogany-stained wooden night table and an antique table lamp, with beige lamp shades, rest on top of each. On the left side of the bed is a bathroom with an entrance both in the bedroom and in the hallway. The walls, bear of any accessories, are painted a soft light green and a bay window is set in the opposite wall from the bedroom door. In front of the window hang two translucent brown floor length curtains.

The Scene: James and Adrian walk into their master bedroom around 11 p.m. on a Friday evening after returning home from a fundraiser gala event at the university where Adrian is a professor. Adrian is dressed in a long, backless black dress and wearing a knee-length, A-line black wool coat. James is dressed in a traditional black tuxedo. James goes to sit down on the edge of the bed and starts undressing. Adrian drops her clutch purse on the bed and then walks to the closet to hang her coat, taking off her shoes and setting them on the floor of the closet. After exiting the closet, she walks to the dresser and standing in front, looks into the mirror.

ADRIAN PATTAN: (while taking off her earrings and necklace, yells out) Susan? (pause) Susan! (pause) Susan, are you home? Hello?

JAMES PATTAN: (shoes already off, he takes of his tuxedo jacket and places it on the bed sloppily) She's prob'ly out again. (Shakes his head) doing God knows what again. (He starts unbuttoning his shirt)

ADRIAN: (yells out again, oblivious to what James said) Susan, (pause) are you home?

JAMES: (still unbuttoning his shirt, James looks up and watches Adrian through the mirror with resentment) She's prob'ly with God knows who, doing God knows what and only God knows where. (Takes off shirt) Prob'ly doing drugs again in an alley. (His voice starts to tremble with a slight anger to it) Out of rehab a month and she's already off again. What's this? The twentieth time.

ADRIAN: (looks into the mirror and makes eye contact with James for the first time since they arrived home) Since she has been home, it has only been the tenth time she has not returned home until late in the night.

JAMES: (replies with tired strain) Does it matter how many times? It's the point she's doing it.

ADRIAN: (sighs) Dear, maybe rehabilitation was a mistake. (Adrian pulls the silver clip out of her hair and her long, brown hair falls down her shoulders to the middle of her back).

JAMES: (Stands and walks over to Adrian, standing next to her in front of the dresser) Rehab wasn't a mistake. (Speaks with an odd assurance) We made the right choice to try'n help her. She just doesn't care, that's all.

ADRIAN: (turns to James with a pleading look in her eyes) But is it not possible Susan is doing something else? Her being gone so late does not mean she is back on heroinz. (She grabs a hold of James' forearm and squeezes tight, looking for some comfort) Susan did well in rehabilitation for the year she was there, remember? Rather well.

JAMES: (puts his hand on top of Adrian's with false console) As far as we know, that girl did well. But that girl is a liar, a good ol' liar. Prob'ly lied to us 'bout being in rehab. Prob'ly crashed with a friend she knew through those drugs and stayed with them, allthewhile telling us she's in rehab.

ADRIAN: (exhausted) But rehabilitation is voluntarily. She could have signed out anytime if she did not want to be there and she could have come home.

JAMES: (turns his head to Adrian) I know rehab is voluntary and that's prob'ly what she did. Prob'ly quit after being there three days, stayed with some crackhead, did some drugs and called us every few days to say she was okay, this way she wouldn't feel guilty about lying.

ADRIAN: But I spoke with Susan's doctor.

JAMES: What's the doc's name?

ADRIAN: Pegatovsky. Al Pegatovsky. I had a conversation with him several times since we entered her into rehabilitation and the day before she returned home to make sure it was authorized for her to leave.

JAMES: (gently removes Adrian's hand from his arm and walks to the bed) What's his number? I'll call him Monday. (James sits on the bed).

ADRIAN: (turns around to face James) I already have told you. I spoke with the doctor several times already.

JAMES: (ignores Adrian and speaks to himself) I'll call him Monday. I'll call the number and I'll prove to you that girl lied to us. Prove it. (Talks to Adrian) What's the number?

ADRIAN: But I said'¦

JAMES: (cuts Adrian off abruptly and with stern attitude) But I said, what's the doc's number?

ADRIAN: (visibly hurt by James) Wait a second, I will search for it.

(James stands up and walks over to the bathroom, entering it and now is off-stage. The sound of water from the sink faucet is heard).

JAMES: (shouting over the sound of water, off-stage) Have you seen this guy, Doctor'¦?

ADRIAN: (shouting back) Dr. Pegatovsky and no, I have not physically seen the doctor but as I said before, I have spoken to him many times prior to her leaving rehabilitation.

JAMES: (shouting from off-stage) Yea, but have you seen him?

ADRIAN: (walks over to the bed and picks up James' tuxedo jacket) I already told you I have not. (Adrian sees a spec of red flakes on his coat sleeve. She looks closer and realizes it is dried blood. Curious and worried, she shouts) James, there is blood on your coat. Are you alright? Are you hurt? Did something happen to you?
(Turning off the water hastily, James quickly enters the bedroom, appearing on-stage again. A bit troubled, he walks toward Adrian, who, while staring at James, has a puzzled look on her face. He begins to say something when the telephone rings. Adrian runs to answer it).

ADRIAN: Hello? (Only mumbling can be heard from the other end). What? Say that again. (Repeated mumble. Adrian mouth drops and her facial expression turns scared) No. (Mumbling stops and Adrian pauses for a long moment, then the mumbling starts again) No. No. No. NO. NO!

JAMES: (hearing Adrian's distress, he runs to her, standing behind her, panicked by her panic) What, Adrian, what?

(A click is heard on the other end of call and Adrian drops the phone. It crashes to the ground. She stands still, in shock).

JAMES: What? What!

ADRIAN: (in a daze) No. No. NO.

JAMES: (growing frustrated) What? What! WHAT?!?

ADRIAN: (turns around to face James and with tears in her eyes, stutters) There's'¦ th-er-er's been an'¦.accident.

END SCENE

SCENE II:
Characters:
Susan Pattan, 20, cocktail waitress at The Grassy Hole, daughter of James and Adrian Pattan
James Pattan, 46, office manager for a medical supply company, father of Susan Pattan
Honey Buttercup, 23, female stripper at The Grassy Hole
Silver Rod, 25, male stripper at The Grassy Hole
Karen Kelsey, 21, cocktail waitress at The Grassy Hole
Mr. Tomasino, 57, owner of The Grassy Hole

Setting: The action of the scene takes place in the parking lot of The Grassy Hole, a sleazy strip club/bar in Delaware Water Cap, Pennsylvania, where Susan Pattan is a cocktail waitress. The club is 30 minutes from East Stroudsburg, where Susan and her parents live. The parking lot is uncharacteristically empty for a Friday night, save for a few beat-up cars. One car, a black Chevy Nova, stands off to the left of the lot, covered by dark shadows. This car belongs to Susan. Hardly any light is shinning in the parking lot, only a few street lamps are turned on and they are spread far from each other. A shoddy chain-link fence, about six feet in height, surrounds the lot.

The Scene: Earlier that Friday night, around 9 p.m., the same night as the gala event her parents are attending, Susan is standing in the parking lot right next to her car with three of her friends: Honey Buttercup, a female stripper, Silver Rod, a male stripper, and Karen Kelsey, a cocktail waitress, all who work at The Grassy Hole with Susan. Karen is standing on the left side of Susan, Silver in the middle front and Honey to the right. They spend a few minutes chatting.

HONEY BUTTERCUP: So how much you got saved to get out'a town and head South?

SUSAN PATTAN: (pats her left jean pocket and grins) I got about $2,000 saved from working here and some odd jobs around the rehab center. It's about half of what I need to get an apartment paid up for and to get there.

SILVER ROD: (pats Susan's right shoulder in a congratulatory fashion) Well, look at you, babe, got them big bucks and gonna make a new life in Texas.

SUSAN: (turns to her car and opens the passenger door. She throws her purse on the seat and slams the door shut) Crap! Didn't mean to slam it so hard! (Turns to the crowd) Yep. Can't wait. John's waiting for me there, goes to the University of Texas. He's graduating in June, so as soon as he is out, we're gonna get married.

KAREN KELSEY: (slaps her left arm with excitement) Dudette, I'm so jealous right now but congrats.
(Karen gives Susan a big bear hug and both Silver and Honey join in the embrace. While they are hugging, James walks up to them. All four turn to look at him and Susan's facial expression turns sad. Honey, Silver and Karen realize its Susan's father and decide to leave).

HONEY & KAREN: (walking away from Susan, they wave their hands goodbye) Bye Suzie.

SUSAN: (waves her hand goodbye in return) Bye Huns, catch ya's tomorrow.

(Honey and Karen exit the stage right)

SILVER: (walks up to Susan and gives her a kiss on the cheek) Night, babe, get home safe.

SUSAN: (gives Silver a hug) You too, sweetie.
(Susan lets go of Silver. Silver exits stage right)

JAMES: (walks closer to Susan and lights up a cigarette) I went inside to look for you. Some half-naked guy told me where you where, (stands uneasily near his daughter) so I looked and here you are.

SUSAN: (bothered) Yea, so, I'm here. What do you want?

JAMES: (stuttering) I'¦I'¦I slipped away from that damn party I went to with your mom. She was talking to someone, somewhere, don't know. Didn't talk to me for most the night. So I left. Prob'ly doesn't know I'm gone. I wanted to see you, see if you're okay. Listen, Susan (pauses to take a drag of his cigarette) come home. Your mom doesn't know you're doing this. I didn't tell her I found out. I know you want to go to Austin, but this ain't any way to save the money. I'll give it to you. I got the cash. Please.

SUSAN: (turns from her father, annoyed). Listen, Dad, no. I am not going to ask you for money. (Susan looks around nervously, hoping to see someone she knows) Plus, I'd rather Mom think I'm off doing drugs again than working as a waitress in some seedy joint with creepy old dudes who touch my ass all night. It'd kill her.

JAMES: (growing upset) Yea, but dontyathink her thinking you may be doing heroin again is killing her too?

SUSAN: (turns her head quickly to face her father. Anger clouds her voice) I'd rather her think I'm hurting myself and that at least I have some control over it and that I'm staying home than her knowing I'm working in some joint for cash with people who I can't control in order to leave her.

JAMES: (he takes another drag of his cigarette) Susan, what kind of thinking is that?

SUSAN: My kind of thinking.

JAMES: (mad at his daughter, he grabs her arm forcefully. She tries to free herself. His tone is demanding) Susan, please re-think this.

SUSAN: (struggling to break free) No! This is what I want. Now let go of me. (Pleading) Pleaseeee.

JAMES: (tightens his grip) No. Not 'till you say you'll stop.

SUSAN: (continues to struggle) No Dad. No. Please, just let go of me. (She let's out small grunts from exerting energy) I gotta get home and you need to go back to mom. (Susan hears a cell phone ringing. It's coming from her father's pants pocket) See, she's calling you now.

JAMES: (ignores the ringing) Prob'ly, but don't care.

SUSAN: Dad, seriou'¦ (Susan finally frees herself but the force of her pull causes her to fall backwards. Her back hits her car hard and then she falls to the ground. James hears a loud thump. He looks down and sees Susan's body bounce up slightly and back down. A pool of blood forming slowly around her head. Alarmed, he bends down to her and notices she has hit her head on a rectangle cement bumper, used to stop cars from backing up too far in a parking space. He calls her name but no answer. He picks up his daughter's head. She's unconscious. Blood gets on the sleeve of his tuxedo. Scared of what may happen or what people may think, he leaves his daughter and runs away, ducking between the shadows. Cut to a few minutes later: Mr. Tomasino, the club owner, is walking through the parking lot and sees in the dim light what looks like a body lying near what a car. He runs over to the lifeless body and realizes it is Susan when he gets closer).

MR. TOMASINO: (shrieks loudly) SUSAN! NO! (Yells toward the entrance of the club) SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE! (With terror, he drops to the floor and shakes Susan, hoping to startle her awake. When this fails, he lifts up her body and holds her, noticing the pool of blood. He starts rocking her back and forth with a fatherly gentleness and touches her head where she was wounded, blood on his hand) Oh Susan. Susan (pause) It's gonna be alright, sweetheart. (He begins to cry) It's gonna be alright.

END SCENE

Want to comment on this Screen Plays? Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Screen Plays and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...