Scene 1
Girl: He loves me. (pause) On the first day of junior year we sat beside each other in math class. He pulled out a notebook, decorated with daisies and started to write. He kept glancing at me and smiling while he was writing. He tore the page out, folded it, and handed it to me. I opened the note and read it.
Boy: Do you want to play a game?
Girl: Anything was better than reading course outlines so I turned to him and said yes.
Boy: Okay, all you have to do is pick a person and make up an entire backstory for them. (Boy and Girl point and pantomime playing game)
Girl: After class was over we compared schedules and saw that we had 3 of our 4 classes together. This is gonna be a good semester.
Boy: We have class together next, will you walk with me?
Girl: I started to blush as I stumbled to say “Of course”.
Girl: Daisies have been my favourite ever since.
Boy: So what kind of music do you listen to?
Girl: Oh my God! I am so in love with Khalid right now. I just love the things he talks about in his songs. (Boy smiles and looks at her lovingly) How about you?
Boy: I’ve been listening to a lot of old school hip-hop recently, like Pac and Biggie.
Boy and Girl get to class and open door to transition
Scene 2
Boy and Girl sit centre stage, cheating out and facing each other. Boy and Girl 2 are messaging
Girl: He loves me not. (pause) That was 4 years ago. Things have changed so much since then. I don’t know what caused it. Maybe it was his mother. It had just gotten worse after high school ended. I never did anything to piss him off. At least I don’t think I did. (pause) I remember the first time he hit me. We were in my room studying math. He just didn’t understand.
Boy: (exasperated) I hate math.
Girl: (unfreezes) Do you want me to help?
Boy: Are you calling me dumb?!
Girl: No, I, umm, I just asked if you wanted me to explain it to you.
Boy: I can do it myself!
Girl: (said while looking forward) I could see him getting more and more angry as each second passed. Time seemed to slow down. I started to focus on his face and I got lost in his eyes. Not a good lost though. I felt trapped, and I couldn’t find a way out. I was so scared. (pause) All of a sudden he got up and threw his phone. I went to go pick it up and I was looking to see the damage when he smacked me. (Boy faces upstage, Girl faces downstage, He does a slap in the air and turns, Girl reacts to the slap and turns, they now face each other) So hard that I hit the ground and I just lay there crying, afraid for my life.
Boy: Oh my God! I’m so sorry, are you okay? I don’t know what went through me. I never meant to hit you. I’d never hurt you.
Girl: I guess that’s all I needed to hear. It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I got up and wiped my tears away, my head still ringing. He tried to hug me but I flinched because I was scared. That just made him even more mad. He grabbed his bag and stormed off.
Scene 3
Girl: He loves me. (pause) I always find myself looking back at our days together in high school when something happens. I guess it’s my happy place. The calm before the storm of the present. Our first date was my favourite memory. He showed up to my house with a flower, hidden behind his back.
Boy: A daisy. Your favourite.
Girl: I shouted back to my parents and told them “I’m leaving.”
Boy: May I have your arm?
Girl: I wrapped my arm around his, and we walked to his car.
Boy: Okay, so here’s the plan: first, we´ll go to the movies, then we can go to your favourite restaurant-
Both: McDonalds!
Boy: And finally, we can go to Lover’s Peak and watch the sunset.
Girl: You´re so cheesy.
Boy: What can I say, I’m a hopeless romantic. (Boy and Girl share a laugh)
Girl: Everything went perfectly that night. When we got back to my house, I stayed in his car for a while, wishing the night would never end. He kept staring at me, without saying a word.
Girl: What?
Boy: What?
Girl: Why are you staring at me?
Boy: Because you’re beautiful, and I love you.
Girl: That was the first time he said it to me. I started to melt into my seat. I stumbled as I tried to say it back. (Girl struggles to say I love you. And Boy kisses Girl)
Girl: I thought I might faint in that moment. He was perfect. I grabbed his hand and stared back at him for a bit before forcing myself to go inside. (Girl goes “home” and freezes as Boy and Girl 2 talk)
Scene 4
Girl: He loves me not. (pause) It got a lot worse since then. Every month that passed was just a descent deeper into his darkness. (Boy acts out what Girl is narrating) At first he just started to act distant. I asked him about it but he just brushed it aside. Then he started to get mad and yell at me over every little thing.
Boy: I hate you.
Girl: (Boy freezes looking hatefully at Girl) That was the most devastating moment of my life. Those three words broke me. No matter how many times he apologized I knew how he really felt inside. I knew I had to make a choice. I could choose to stay with him and sacrifice myself, or I could leave him and carry that burden alone. It seems like an easy choice, but I loved him. I couldn’t leave him.
Boy: (unfreeze) I don’t know what I’d do without you. If you ever left me, I’d kill myself.
Girl: He loved confusing me. Filling my mind with falsehoods. My emotions were a toy for him. The only time he was happy was when he was playing with them. He’d fight with me, he’d lie to me, he’d hurt me. Then, he’d tell me how much he loves me and how much I mean to him. (Boy wraps arm around Girl from behind, tightening his grip with each word) It got harder to believe him. It got harder to leave him. (Girl breaks through his grasp and walks away)
Boy: (to Girl) Why aren’t you talking to me? What did I do? You’re probably talking to other guys.
Girl: (heartbroken) He accused me of cheating when I was nothing but loyal to him.
Girl: I’m sorry babe, I’ve just been feeling out of it. I’m not talking to anyone else, I promise. I love you, always and forever.
Boy: Whatever. Hope you feel better. (insincere)
Girl: He didn’t say it back. (pause) He always said it back, but not this time. Maybe he got bored of me, these routines, these words, this love.
Scene 5
Boy: I need some time to myself. I’m sorry. I feel like we’re both dealing with a lot right now and we need to work through it, alone. But once we’re better we’ll get back together, I promise.
Girl: Wait, what? Are you leaving me?
Boy: I would never “leave” you, I’m just trying to help us get better.
Girl: Okay, if that’s what you need, I’ll support you. I love you.
Boy: I love you too, forever and always.
Scene 6
Girl: It was hard to be without him. I kept messaging him to try to get him back faster. I found myself always checking his location. Maybe it was because of my own insecurities, or maybe it was a lack of trust, but either way it led me here. (pause, Girl is shocked) He was at the top of Lover’s Peak. The same place he took me on our first date. (Boy is there because he misses Girl, he is talking to someone, getting comforted)
Boy: I miss her.
Girl: I knew exactly what was happening. He accused me of cheating to cover up for what he was doing. He left me for her. (Girl calls Boy)
Boy: (Boy picks up) Babe?
Girl: Don’t call me that. Where are you right now?
Boy: Ummm, at home, why?
Girl: You’re lying to me. I can see your location.
Boy: I promise it’s not what it looks like.
Girl: Then what is it?
Boy: I don’t know. I’m sorry, I love you. Please. (hangs up) Let me explain.
Scene 7
Girl: I couldn’t think. I felt like I was going crazy. I went into my dresser and pulled out a piece of paper. The same one he gave to me when we first met. I started to pour out my emotions.
(talking to Boy while writing) I don’t hate you. I just want you to know that. I said I’d love you always and forever and I wasn’t lying. I guess you were. I just want to know why. All I did was show you love. I tried my best, but maybe my best wasn’t good enough.
Girl: (Girl pulls a petal with each sentence. First two sentences are normal, then Girl starts to go hysterical) He loves me not. (pause) He loves me not. He loves me not. He loves me not. He loves me not! (infuriated) HE LOVES ME NOT! (Girl puts the stem of the flower with the letter she wrote on box and goes down beside it, lights fade from her, spotlight on Boy)
Boy: (Boy pulls a petal with each sentence, each sentence sounds more and more desperate) I love her. I love her. I love her. I love her. I love her! (crying) I LOVE HER! (Boy falls to his knees, hiding his face) I’m sorry. (spotlight fades)
