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One Act Play
CHARACTER LIST
Sandra Jane A teen age girl
Keith A teen age boy
Robby A teen age boy
Dave The same
Frito A man in his middle to late twenties
THE SETTING
…..is the tall grass and trees of an undeveloped park. Fields and wooded areas in the background. Sandra Jane could be a prop since she is dead. Her head rests comfortably against the trunk of the tree. She is the picture of sweet and pure bliss. She has a smile on her face and her long hair is swirled to frame her face in what could be a halo.
Page 1
ACT I
THE THREE YOUNG MEN ARE WAITING FOR FRITO, THE DRUG DEALER. ROBBY AND KEITH ARE DRESSED AS TODAY’S TEEN AGE BOYS DO. KEITH HAS ON A SPORTS JERSEY WITH A TEAM LOGO ON IT. ROBBY WEARS A BUTTON DOWN SHIRT THAT HANGS OUT. HE WEARS A BASEBALL CAP PUSHED BACK SO THE VISOR AIMS UPWARD. DAVE IS DRESSED LIKE A COLLEGE STUDENT. AS THE ACT OPENS, HE IS PULLING HIS SHIRT OUT TO LOOK LIKE THE OTHER TWO.
KEITH
[LOOKS AT HIS WRIST WATCH] He’s late. He’s always late.
ROBBY
So what else is new? He’s probably crawling through some Culvert right now so nobody sees him crossing the street.
DAVE
[HE LAUGHS] That’s good. Crawling through a culvert. You could be right too. Then he’ll get on his belly to crawl across the field here, just like the marines. [HE NUDGES ROBBY] Huh Robby?
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ROBBY
[HE LAUGHS] Hey, yeah. Like the Marines. Oh Frito’s coming, don’t worry. He’s on his way.
[ROBBY IMITATES CRAWLING ON HIS ELBOWS]
ROBBY
Getting us the big K, the killer. “Don’t worry boys, I’m coming.” The marines are on the way. And then the audience cheers.
[ROBBY AND DAVE LAUGH]
[KEITH DOESN’T LAUGH. HE PACES. HE GOES UP ON HIS TOES AS IF TO GET A LOOK OVER THE TALL GRASS. HE SHAKES HIS HEAD, ANGRY, IMPATIENT]
ROBBY
He’ll be along, Keith. He can’t forget us. We’re paying customers.
KEITH
Yeah, you’re right. We are paying customers. We are, and he better remember that. He’s not doing us any favors. He owes us. He owes us, damn it.
ROBBY
Settle down then man. He’ll get here.
Page 3
KEITH
I know. I’m just anxious. Just anxious. I mean, just look at Sandra Jane there.
[HE STEPS OVER TO LOOK DOWN ON HER]
You can see it’s the real thing. The real thing! It is. She’s floating up there somewhere, up in the clouds. Just look at her. That’s how it is. You see it all in her face. Damn, I wish he’d get his scrawny ass here.
[ROBBIE STEPS OVER TO KEITH SIDE TO LOOK ALSO. DAVE ONLY TAKES A COUPLE CAUTIOUS STEPS. HE STANDS BACK FARTHER HESITANT, AFRAID]
ROBBY
That is a beautiful sight. Sandra Jane there. Floating up there in the clouds. Don’t worry Sandy, we’re going to be there with you. Just as soon as Ol Frito shows up. Whoosh, and there we are. Got to move over, we’re climbing up on that cloud with you.
DAVE
Floating, yeah. That’s really something.
KEITH
Hey, here he comes. He parked way over there. See. Look, look. He’s dropping down the embankment now. See him. Great. Frito’s on his way. How about that, Rob…Dave.
Page 4
This is great. Finally, yeah, yeah. We’re going to be there, not long now.
ROBBY
Yeah, that’s great. Won’t be long now. Come on there Frito man, ol Frito. We got to have the big k, the killer, huh. What you think Dave? Here come the marines. “From the Halls of Montezuuuma to the Shores of ..da tah da..”
[HE HUMS THE MARINE HYMN AND MIMICS CRAWLING ON HIS ELBOWS AND LAUGHS]
DAVE
Yeah, that’s it. Here they come, flak jackets on, rifles in their arms, grenades strapped to their belts, coming across the field. Just like that one on T.V. last week.
ROBBY
[LAUGHS] Yeah, yeah. I saw it. Good one, Dave. I’ll wave my arms, show him where we are.
[HE STARTS WAVING BOTH ARMS. KEITH STOPS HIM]
KEITH
No, no. Don’t Rob. Don’t. He’ll go nuts. He’ll turn back. You know what Frito’s like. He’s hyper.
ROBBY
Hyper about making a few thousand dollars? Sure. I could get hyper about that too. How about that, Davie?
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DAVE
Yeah. I guess. Going to be that much, huh? What did she pay?
KEITH
Plenty. Her dad’s going to freak out when he finds out she sold her birthday car.
DAVE
What? Her car. That was nearly new. Oh no. I haven’t got that kind of money. I don’t. I really don’t. I don’t think I’ll be able to get one like you guys. I’ll have to let it go this time.
ROBBY
Don’t worry Davie. It isn’t that much. She owed the guy some too. You got enough. He isn’t going to ask for more than a grand. No way. No way. Right Keith?
KEITH
Right. That’s all we got, and that’s what he’s going to get.
DAVE
It’s just about all my savings, my College fund.
ROBBY
Your mom and dad sure going to like seeing that. Got a little surprise for them. huh Davie. “Hey mom, dad, I’m not
Page 6
going to College after all.” Took the ride instead, huh. Yeah. Look at her there. I mean that’s it. That’s the ride, Man. That’s where we’re all going. “Took the ride mom, dad, and that wasn’t cheap” Not with ol Frito there.
DAVE
[TRYS TO JOIN ROBBY’S LAUGH] Yeah, sure. They’re going to be surprised.
KEITH
He’s still behind that tree. Come on Frito, Corn Chip, what you waiting for? He’s got to make a big show of it, like he’s in some espionage movie. Look, he’s looking around the tree. Get with it, Frito. Come on. We’re tired of waiting.
ROBBY
We ought to hide on him when he gets here. That’d be a good joke, huh. How about it Davie? He could sit down and talk to Sandra Jane there. See where she’s going, what it’s like there. He ought to know all that. Don’t you think? He’s selling the stuff.
DAVE
Yeah. He really would be surprised if we weren’t here. That’d be a good joke. He sneaks all the way over here and we’re gone. Huh, Robby, Keith? That’d be something. We should do it.
Page 7
KEITH
He must have seen something. He’s not coming now. What the…what the.. is he doing now? Can you believe it?
ROBBY
What? Nah, he’s coming. That’s him there. See the weeds moving.
KEITH
You’re right. I know what he’s pulling now. Trying to make look like he’s taking big chances for us. Sure, Frito. Sure.
[HE TURNS TO THE OTHER TWO]
Look we got to get together on his now. Let me tell you – Dave, you too – we got to play him. You know what I mean? He’s going to come on about the cops and all that stuff. Taking big chances, like that act there sneaking across the field. Just let it fall off you like water from a duck’s back. Hey Frito.
[FRITO ENTERS. HE LOOKS BACK ONCE AND AGAIN]
FRITO
This wasn’t the smartest place to meet. You got cops cruising up and down that road. We’d have been better off in the middle of town.
Page 8
ROBBY
There ain’t no cover there man, you know, in case you got to get down and make like the Marines.
[ROBBY LAUGHS AND NUDGES DAVE WHO LAUGHS WITH HIM]
FRITO
What you talking about?
KEITH
Don’t pay any attention to him. You got the big K, huh, the killer?
FRITO
What I got on me could lock me up for the next two hundred years. That’s what I got. The big K? Look, I’m all done with that stuff. I don’t sell it any more.
ROBBY
What? Hey, come on man. What do you mean you haven’t got it?
DAVE
Yeah, that’s too bad. Maybe we can get something else.
KEITH
Don’t fall for that. You can see what he’s trying to do. Give it up, Frito. Give it up. We know what you’re up to. We’ve heard it all ready. You’re trying to get the price up, but that isn’t going to work with us. See Sandra Jane there. See her there. You sold her didn’t you? She told me all about it.
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She told me what you were going to say, so don’t waste your time.
ROBBY
[TO DAVE] He’s a real corn chip, huh.
DAVE
Ol Frito, Frito the corn chip.
FRITO
Big K, the Killer, that’s all I hear. Is that all you kids know? There’s plenty of other stuff. I got anything you need. Good stuff too. I don’t cut anything. I’ll tell you what…
KEITH
Save it, Frito. Save it. We don’t want anything else. You hear? You made a deal with me, and a deal is a deal. Go sell that ‘good’ stuff to the punks, huh. We’re here for the real thing.
ROBBY
That a boy, Keithy. Tell him. You hear Man, we’re not settling for anything but the real thing. We’re going on that trip with Sandra Jane there.
FRITO
[HE LOOKS AT SANDRA JANE. IT IS THE FIRST HE HAS NOTICE HER AND HE GOES OVER TO HER AND LOOKS DOWN, SMILES AND WAGS HIS HEAD WITH ADMIRATION]
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That sure is the real thing. Just look at her. There’s nothing like it. Nothing.
[HE TURNS TO KEITH]
Okay. I know what you mean. But, look, I got to have a couple grand apiece.
[HE WALKS BACK TO KEITH]
KEITH
That wasn’t what you told me on the phone. A grand, you said. I knew you’d pull this the minute I saw you putting on that act of sneaking over here…and telling us about the cops being all over.
FRITO
Cops? I wish it was just the cops. They got the National Guard out now. They’re not going to let this go. They got all the schools covered, every where you look there’s a cop or a guy dressed like a Marine.
ROBBY
There’s our Marines. I told you.
FRITO
You think you’re smart, don’t you.
Page 11
ROBBY
What you mean? Just talking. You’re the one said the Marines are coming. [HE NUDGES DAVE]
FRITO
Yeah, okay. Look you guys don’t know the chance I take for you. I got my car sitting over there on that road. What you think it’d take for them to get the license plate huh? See who owns it and sit and wait. They got me. Like that. Two thousand a piece. That’s the best I can do.
DAVE
I guess that lets me out. I don’t have it.
[HE STARTS WALKING AWAY. KEITH PUTS HIS HAND OUT AND STOPS HIM]
KEITH
Don’t worry. He isn’t going to walk away from three grand. I know the game he’s playing. Sandra Jane told me. He’s got to make it now because nobody’s coming back. Right? Right, Frito?
FRITO
Maybe. Maybe it is. Yeah, okay. A deal is a deal. But this isn’t worth it.
[HE DIGS IN HIS POCKET]
You know, kid, you got a real future. You do. Stick to your guns like that. You know how to make a deal. Not many
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guys can do that. I usually get a lot more for these little killers. A lot more. Here they are.
KEITH
[HE SMILES AT ROBBY AND DAVE] Told you, didn’t I?
ROBBIE
That’s all right man. You did it.
[HE PATS KEITH ON THE BACK]
KEITH
Come on, let’s give him the money.
[ROBBIE TAKES OUT HIS WALLET. IT’S THICK WITH BILLS. HE COUNTS OUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND GIVE IT TO KEITH]
KEITH
Dave.
[DAVE IS HESITANT. HE TAKES OUT HIS WALLET. HE PAYS THE THOUSAND WITH JUST A FEW BILLS]
Nice and crisp. Just out of the bank, huh Dave.
DAVE
Yeah.
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ROBBIE
Ol college fund comes in handy now and then.
[KEITH TAKES OUT HIS WALLET AND ADDS HIS MONEY. LIKE ROBBIE, HIS IS IN SMALL BILLS. HE HANDS THE MONEY TO FRITO]
[FRITO TAKES THE MONEY AND GIVES KEITH THE PILLS. AS HE DOES SO HE SPEAKS]
FRITO
Just do one thing, huh?
KEITH
What’s that, Frito?
FRITO
Do like the girl there. Get back in the woods someplace. All you kids want to pop these by the river. What it is about the river, I don’t know. Sitting on the bank, watching it flow by peaceful, quiet, smooth. It doesn’t make any difference, does it? You are going to be there anyway. You know what I mean? It’s the boaters. They’re going to see you lying there. Or like last week, the flood comes up over the bank and all your bodies go floating downstream.
KEITH
Yeah, okay. This is a nice place right here. I mean, look at Sandra Jane there. She liked it.
Page 14
[HE HANDS ROBBIE HIS PILL AND THEN GIVES DAVE HIS]
FRITO
That’s the idea. Why get the cops all excited huh?
[FRITO TURNS TO EXIT AND STOPS]
Look at that. You see. Cops…cruising up that road. I told you didn’t I? I’m going to have to go back the way I came here now. Can’t let them see me.
[HE EXITS]
ROBBY
Make like the Marines, there Frito. On your hands and knees. You’ll get there. Yeah, good Ol’ Marines came though again, huh Davie.
DAVE
Yeah, I guess they did.
KIETH
Guess I showed him who he was dealing with…. But hey. Look at Sandra Jane there. How about that. I mean look. We’re going to be there right beside her. Can you believe it?
ROBBY
Oh yeah. Yeah, here we come.
END