(note: this is mostly still unedited...creative suggestions welcome)

characters: Woman #1 (any age between 20 and 40 years old, 

dressed modern and rebellious. Messy or spiky hair and 

baggy pants. A long sleeve shirt under a logo t-shirt or 

something along those lines), Woman #2 (any age from 17 

to 24, dressed modern but not as flamboyant as other woman, 

looks very tired and very sad), Waitress (any age from 18 to 

25, dressed like a waitress, frazzled hair, looks tired)



setting: two women are sitting at a table in a small coffee 

shop talking. Woman #1 is smoking and drinking coffee, woman #2 is 

drinking tea.



fade in

(table and two chairs at front stage centre with Woman #1 sitting 

in the chair on stage right, and Woman #2 stage left. There is an 

ashtray in front of Woman #1 that is filled with smoking butts, she is 

sipping coffee and sitting back comfortably in her chair. Woman #2 is 

sipping tea and sitting straight up, staring at Woman #1)



Woman #1:

So I'm here, what did you want?



Woman #2:

I need to talk to you. Ask you something.



1:

You and the rest of the world. What is it?



2:

Well, to put it bluntly, I'm not happy with you right now.



1:

Let me reiterate my last statement.



2:

What?



1:

You said you weren't happy with me right now. You and the rest of the world.



2:

Everyone  can't be mad at you right now.



1:

Everyone always has something, at least in the back of their mind, that they're mad at me for. 

It's no big deal, it's always been that way. Lets me know that you're paying attention.



2:

Oh, well, I'm not bothering you, am I?



1:

Of course not. Now, what is it?



2:

Well, it's the whole deal with my mom....and everything else.



1:

 Go on.



2:

Well for Christ's' sake! Just trying to get everything out of the way in one faille swoop? 

(beat)It's just not fair.



1:

Don't come to me with that "It's not fair" crap. It's never fair and it's not my fault. 

When are you going to understand that I don't directly control these things? The most I can do is scream and shout and stomp my feet and cry. It's not my fault if people don't listen, and hell, sometimes it doesn't matter even if they do. Nature's a bitch.



2:

How is it not your fault? 



1:

How IS it my fault? Am I like, the eternal scapegoat? What the hell did I do?



2:

Oh come on. You can't sit there and try to convince me that nothing has ever been your fault.



1:

All right, there have been a few instances...



2: (cutting her off)

A few things! HA! You really can be a bastard sometimes.



1: (smirking)

Nobodies perfect.



2: (pausing first to think about that)

Yeah, well, back to what I was going to ask you...



1: (cutting her off)

Stop right there. I know what you're going to say.



2: (annoyed)

No you don't.



1:(being half-silly)

Yes I do. You're so predictable.(serious) You were about to ask me if there 

was anything I could do to change what happened.



2:(ashamed because she's right)

Yeah...well shit, can you blame me? This is something that has hurt me more 

than anything has ever hurt me before. I'm not sure I can handle it for the rest of my life! Like you said, no one's perfect.



1:

You don't have to be perfect, you have to be strong.



2:

What if I can't be? (pausing to get more worked up) Fuck! What if I don't want 

to be strong? What if I just want to be normal? I'm not even done with school yet 

and shit like this happens to me? Why me?



1: (with distaste)

Oh, there ya go with the "why" questions.



2:

Yeah, so what?



1:

Did it ever occur to you to ask "how" instead of "why"?



2: (confused)

What?



1: (frustrated)

You're impossible. Instead of always asking "why", which will never give 

you answers, try asking "how" for once. As in, "How can I learn from this?"



2:

Well thank you Yoda.



1: (putting out one cigarette and lighting another)

Hey, you were the one who asked me here for advice or whatever. If I wanted 

to have snide remarks thrown at me I would have gone to church.



2:

Sorry. You're just not being very helpful. (puts head in hands)



1:

How so?



2:

You're not really answering any of my questions.



1:

You haven't asked any of the right ones yet.



2: (head up)

All right then, here: What the hell am I supposed to do now? I haven't even graduated 

school yet and my mother dies. Most all of my friends mothers are still alive! Who am 

I supposed to go to when I want to plan a wedding? Who am I supposed to go to when I 

need advice on how to raise my kids? I just wanted her around at least to see me graduate 

and I don't even get that! I don't know if I can handle being completely on my own! Dammit, 

can't you understand that?



(there is a pause as Woman 2 stops to recompose herself. Woman 1 looks at her with compassion)



1: (speaking softly)

You're not alone.



2: (quietly)

So why do I always feel like I am?



1:

You're human. And don't try to blame that on me.



2: (chuckling half-heartedly)

I just don't know how to handle this. It's not as if I've done it before. Thank God.



1: (snubs the cig and lights another one, then takes a long drink of coffee)

Thanks. And don't worry, you'll find a way through it. If you ever need a good shoulder, mine's always available. 



(the waitress approaches the table, coming from stage right)



Waitress: (pouring more coffee into Woman 1's cup)

Can I get you girls anything else? (to Woman 2)More tea?



2: 

No thanks.



Waitress:

A'right. Well, need anything, just holler.



1:

We will. Thank you.



(the waitress exits stage right)



2:

I think I will.



1:

What?



2: (head in hands)

Holler, yell, scream, whatever ya wanna call it. That's what I feel like doing.



1:

Works to relieve a little stress for me. People tend to get upset at me for doing it though. 

I think you call it "bad weather"?



2: (smiling, head still in hands)

Yeah. (pause) I cry too much now.



1:

You're female.



2:

Yes, I noticed. But I mean, I cry more than I used to. Everything seems to have taken on new meaning. 

I feel like a dork because a Master Card commercial can cause me to be on the verge of tears.



1:

I understand.



2:

It's just not...I just want to be normal. I want things back to how they were. I'm so tired.



1:

What's the use of normalcy? Take it one day at a time. Don't forget about the good things you still 

have, and even when it seems like you've got nothing good, look at the stars at night or the sun in the day. 

I've always thought they were pretty cool.



2:

I suppose. But all that doesn't make it go away, make it stop hurting.



1:

True, but it helps you through the day at least.



2: (finishing her tea)

Maybe. How do you handle it?



1: (taken aback slightly by the question)

Me?



2:

Yeah, you've had to deal with an awful amount of shit. How do you handle it?

(Woman 1 presents the cig she's been smoking)

Yeah but I can't do that. I don't want to die prematurely. 



1:

With the way you've been going on, I would have thought you might.



2:

That's not funny. I don't want to die. I'm completely against death...

that's my problem, remember?



1:

Why are you so against Death? Have you ever met the guy?



2: (sticks out her tongue)

Shut up. 



1:

Seriously, why is death such an awful thing? You believe in heaven, right?



2:

Obviously.



1:

Well then, why are you so afraid of death?



2:

Selfish reasons I suppose. I don't want someone I love to die, even with the prospect 

of heaven, because then they're not physically with me anymore. I don't want to die because 

I don't want to miss out on anything.



1:

Makes sense, but you need to get past that. You believe in heaven so you should know 

that you'll see those people who've died, when you die.



2:

Yes.



1: (knowing full-well what the answer will be)

So what's the problem?



2:

It's scary. I don't want anyone to die before they're old just like I don't want to die before I'm old. 

It's not fair.



1:

It's inevitable and it's not that awful. Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with you that your mom getting 

paid an early visit by Death was a shitty deal, and I plan on having words with him later, but it's happened 

and you need to keep going. I'm not saying forget, just to keep going and keep getting stronger. 



2:

Easy for you to say.



1: (starts to clean up and gets ready to leave)

Hey, I'm doing it everyday. The things I see, what I get blamed for....but the point is, I know you're strong. 

Just keep going and good things will come.



2: (standing to meet her)

I know. I just want my mom back.



(the two hug)



1:

You'll be fine. Just don't ever forget that I'm always here for you. Even when I'm not physically 

sitting with you at a coffee shop, and so is your mother.



2:

I know, and I won't. Thanks.



1:

No problem. See ya, toots.



(Woman 1 exits stage right. Woman 2 sits back down and stares down into her empty tea cup and sighs.)



fade out