Bailey Grace loves to express herself through writing. Particularly she enjoys writing fictional pieces that showcase her creativity, and imagination. Bailey has taken AP level courses of English at Estrella Foothills High School, and has particularly enjoyed taking "Creative Writing" on more than one occasion as an elective.

I Love You

A play in one scene
by Bailey Matteson

CHARACTERS: IRIS, NIOMI, EMMA

RELATIONSHIP: PATERNAL

TIME: 11:00 NIGHT, 9:30

PLACE: THE SCOTT'S HOUSE, NIOMI's BEDROOM, THE STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY

Scene I

(the Scott's house is dimly lit Niomi's bedroom is customized with her interests and hobbies as the camera zooms to her bed)

(Niomi is seen crying in her bedroom on her bed A knock is heard on the bedroom door as it opens)

IRIS: HEY, CAN I UM, COME IN?

(NIOMI LOOKS AT HER AND NODS SILENTLY)

NIOMI: SORRY.

IRIS: OH, THERES NO NEED TO BE SORRY WE'RE THE ONES WHO ARE SORRY.

NIOMI: BUT IT'S MY FAULT!

IRIS: (SIGH) NO IT'S NOT, IT'S OUR FAULT AND I NEVER WANT TO HEAR YOU BLAME YOURSELF AGEIN AM I UNDERSTOOD.

NIOMI: (GIGGLE) YES MAM. (WAVES A SOLUTE)

NIOMI: DO YOU THINK HE'S MAD AT ME?

IRIS: (LOOKS AT HER) (SHE SMILES)

IRIS: NO, I DON'T THINK SO, HE'S JUST EXTREME.

NIOMI: HM IS HE LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME?

IRIS: HA, NO NO NOT ALL THE TIME BUT WELL YOU KNOW ERIC, HE'S ALWAYS HAD A FLARE TO MAKE THINGS DRAMATIC IT'S WHY I MARRIED HIM OR AT LEAST IT'S WHY I'M GOING TO ANYWAY.

NIOMI: (SMILES) YOU SURE YOU STILL WANT ME THERE?

IRIS: OF COURSE, WE WANT YOU THERE, YOU'RE OUR LITTLE ROCKSTAR WHY WOULDN'T WE WANT OUR ROCKSTAR TO BE THERE.

NIOMI: BECAUSE WELL I- I'M NOT YOU'RE-

IRIS: NIOMI.

(NIOMI LOOKS AT HER)

(IRIS SMILES)

IRIS: WE WANT YOU THERE.

NIOMI: (SMILES)

IRIS: BESIDES IF YOU'RE NOT THERE WHO'S GOING TO MAKE IT EXCITING.

NIOMI: (LAUGHS) I DON'T KNOW A REBEL AT A PARTY MIGHT BE A BAD IDEA ESPECIALLY AT A WEDDING OF ALL THINGS.

IRIS: OH, I'M SURE WE CAN LET A LITTLE TROUBLEMAKING SLIDE.

(IRIS PULLS NIOMI TOWARDS HER) (SHE RUFFLES HER HAIR)

IRIS: WELL, IT'S ALMOST MIDNIGHT AND YOU HAVE SCHOOL TOMORROW SO I THINK WE SHOULD BOTH GET TO BED.

NIOMI: (LOOKS AT HER A KNOWING EXPRESSION ON HER FACE)

NIOMI: SERIOUSLY?

IRIS: (SMILES)

IRIS: WHICH IS WHAT I WOULD SAY IF I WAS BORING BUT I'M NOT.

IRIS: RIGHT?

NIOMI: (LAUGHS)NO YOU'RE NOT

IRIS: HM, OKAY STAY HERE I'M GOING TO GO GET US SOME SNACKS AND PIZZA AND YOU PICK OUT A NICE SCARY MOVIE I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

NIOMI: (SMILES) (SHE NODS)

IRIS: (SMILES) NO NIGHT TERRORS THOUGH, PICK A THRILLER THAT YOU CAN STILL SLEEP FROM AFTERWARDS OKAY.

NIOMI: (LAUGHS) OKAY NO PROMISES THOUGH.

IRIS: (LAUGHS)ALRIGHT, GET CHOOSING AND I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

NIOMI: (LAUGHS) (SHE NODS)

(IRIS STARTS TO TURN TO LEAVE)

NIOMI: IRIS?

(IRIS STOPS TO TURN AROUND SHE FACES NIOMI)

NIOMI: THANKS, FOR UM, FOR STAYING TO TALK.

IRIS: (SMILES)

IRIS: YAH, ANYTIME.

(THE SCREEN FADES TO BLACK AND SLOWLY LIGHTS UP TO SHOW THE CITY THE SUN RISING OVER DIFFERENT BUILDINGS)

NIOMI: I KNOW IT'S CRAZY.

(THE SCENE CUTS TO NIOMI AND EMMA WALKING IN THE CITY PEOPLE ARE QUICKLY PASSING ALL AROUND THEM)

EMMA: WHAT IS?

NIOMI: I THOUGHT STAYING WITH THEM WOULD BE THE WORST THING EVER, I WAS READY TO BE BACK AT ST. GEORGES ORPHANAGE IN A WEEK OR SO, BUT MR AND MRS. SCOTT HAVEN'T SAID OR DONE ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT PARTY THEY THREW LAST NIGHT.

EMMA: SO, WHAT HAPPENED

NIOMI: IT WAS CRAZY THERE WERE ALL THESE PEOPLE, AND THE MUSIC WAS SO LOUD, AND MR. SCOTT OFFERED ME A DANCE AND I … RAN AWAY

EMMA: WOE, WOE, WOE YOU RAN AWAY

NIOMI: I GOT OVERWHELMED

EMMA: OH NOME'S

NIOMI: YOU KNOW IT WASN'T JUST THE FACT THAT THEY THREW A PARTY FOR ME EM BUT WHEN HE REACHED OUT HIS HAND FOR ME IT, IT, FELT LIKE, LIKE HE WANTED ME DOES, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

EMMA: OF COURSE IT DOES

EMMA: SO WHY DID YOU RUN

NIOMI: I'M NOT BRAVE LIKE YOU, EM

EMMA: WHAT, NIOMI YOU'RE THE BRAVEST PERSON I KNOW IF YOU THINK I'M BRAVE WELL THEN, I LEARNED THAT FROM YOU

NIOMI: I JUST DON'T KNOW, EM YOU KNOW IT'S NOT JUST THE FACT THEY THREW THAT PARTY, BUT THEY DID IT FOR ME NOBODY HAS EVER DONE ANYTHING FOR ME BEFORE EXCEPT YOU

EMMA: BECAUSE THEY FINALLY SEEING THE YOU, I KNOW NIOMI, DON'T YOU THINK IT'S TIME YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS ARE ACTUALLY GOOD THINGS.

NIOMI: EMMA WE BOTH KNOW HOPES FOR SUCKERS.

EMMA: BUT IT'S STILL SOMETHING.

NIOMI: I DON'T KNOW EM.

EMMA: WHAT DON'T YOU KNOW NOME'S? THE FACT THAT YOU'RE STAYING WITH THE TWO MOST AMAZING PEOPLE EVER AND YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY LIKE IT THERE

NIOMI: WELL, IT'S JUST(SIGH)

(EMMA PUTS HER HAND ON NIOMI'S SHOULDER)

EMMA: NIOMI.

(NIOMI LOOKS AT EMMA)

EMMA: WHY ARE YOU SO HESITANT ABOUT THIS?

(NIOMI LOOKS IN FRONT OF HER SHE WALKS AHEAD OF EMMA, EMMA FOLLOWS NIOMI)

NIOMI: (SIGH) BECAUSE… I THINK, I THINK I MIGHT ACTUALLY WANT … TO STAY.

(EMMA SMILES AT NIOMI, NIOMI SMILES AT EMMA)

EMMA: YOU, YOU, YOU?!-

NIOMI: (LAUGHS) COME ON EM WE'LL BE LATE!

EMMA: BUT-

NIOMI: RACE YOU!

(NIOMI RUNS AHEAD OF EMMA, EMMA LAUGHS AND RUNS AFTER NIOMI)

EMMA: HEY! NIOMI, NOT FAIR YOU GOT A HEAD START!

NIOMI: (LAUGHS)COME ON!

(NIOMI AND EMMA LAUGH OUT OF VIEW OF THE SCREEN AS LIGHT MUSIC PLAYS IN THE BACK ROUND)

END SCENE

THE END

*This is an original piece of work authored by Bailey Grace Matteson, all rights reserved.