Nicky-chan (poeticdesire) wrote, @ 2003-02-26 22:56:00

Recognition?
Here's my play, titled
Recognition?

Julian Rachel




[The sidewalk is crowded. People are walking about.
Two people, Julian and Rachel, bump shoulders and turn,
their eyes locking.]
[Flashback]
Julian:
Hey. You must be new here. My name's Julian.
[Rachel looks up and smiles.]
Rachel:
Oh, hi. I'm Rachel. My family just moved here
last week from Florida. This is my first day.
I'm pretty nervous about it, really. I don't know
Anyone here at all. I mean, we don't even have
family here that I know of.
[Julian smiles and slides into the desk next to hers.]
Julian:
Florida, huh? That's a long way. Don't be too
nervous about it all, we don't bite up here in
New York. And most of the people in this school
are pretty good.
[Rachel grins and tucks a bit of her hair behind her ear.]
Rachel:
Well, if you're any indication of how the people
are up here, then I guess I really won't have any
problems, huh?
[They laugh a bit and Julian grins.]
Julian:
No, I guess you won't, will you? So, what's it
like down in Florida?
Rachel:
Hot. Almost year-around. You get your cold or even
sometimes freezing weather in the winter, but a
good lot of the time it's just cool enough for a
jacket and nothing more, really. And in the summer
it can get really hot.
Julian:
So I've heard. Never been there, though. How do
you like it up here so far?
Rachel:
Well, it's kinda cold. And this is September, so
it's sort-of surprising. But I've almost gotten
used to it, being up here for about a week. So,
I take it you've lived here all your life?
Julian:
Yeah. Born and raised here in New York. No plans
on really leaving either.
[He laughs softly.]
But it's never quite dull here in New York, you
know. It's a city that doesn't sleep. You could
go out at one or two in the morning and still see
crowds walking the streets. It's kinda crazy, but
fun now and then. And you really don't need a car
either, able to walk to a good majority of the places,
or take the subway or a cab. So basically,
everywhere you'd want to go is a walk and ride
away. So I like it. It's really pretty convenient.
[He grinned softly and tilted his head. Rachel laughed.]
Rachel:
Yeah, that is pretty convenient. I'd hate to
imagine driving in that traffic, anyway. It looks
really horrible, much worse than in Florida. I've
never ridden a subway before until I got here,
that was pretty interesting.
Julian:
Yeah, it's pretty cool when you first ride it.
Kinda loses its novelty after a while though, and
becomes more of a necessity now and then. Though
sometimes I just ride it for fun, and the novelty
returns to it somewhat, when I'm not really in a
hurry to get anywhere.
Rachel:
Sounds fun.
[She grinned softly.]
Julian:
It can be. Hey, there's a station not far from
here. If you're not busy after school, we can ride
around a bit.
[He grinned back. Rachel laughed softly.]
Rachel:
Hey, yeah. Sure. Sounds great.
Julian:
Great.
[End Flashback]
[Julian steps away, looking towards the audience.]
Julian:
She looks familiar to me. I can't place it. Maybe
I've seen her in passing when I was in High School?
My High School years were so long ago though...I
don't think it could possibly be from High School...
[He steps back and locks eyes again. Rachel steps forward
to the audience.]
Rachel:
I think I know him, but I can't place my finger on
it. I meet so many people from day to day, and some
only in passing. Is he from my work?
[Rachel steps back and eyes are locked once more.]
[Flashback]
[Julian and Rachel walk into the class hand in hand.]
Julian:
It was a year ago today that we first met.
[He grinned softly, pulling her to him, holding her.
She laughed softly.]
Rachel:
Wow, guys don't normally remember that kind of
stuff. I'm surprised.
Julian:
Well, I'm not just any guy.
Rachel:
I've noticed.
[They kiss softly. Julian grins.]
Julian:
Don't say it like it's a bad thing, now!
[Rachel laughed.]
Rachel:
You know I didn't mean it like that, Julian.
Julian:
I know, I know. I'm just teasing you. Really
though...one full year, just about. It's been my
longest relationship.
Rachel:
Mine, too. I'm really glad we've stayed together
this long.
Julian:
Me too. You're a great girl.
Rachel:
And you're a great guy.
[She grinned.]
Any plans for tonight?
Julian:
I don't know. Was thinking maybe a night out on
the town, going out to have a nice dinner, then
maybe hit a club and dance the night away.
Something like that.
[He grinned. Rachel grinned back.]
Rachel:
Something like that, huh?
Julian:
Yup. Something like that.
[Rachel laughed softly]
Rachel:
Sounds fun.
Julian:
Definitely. We could take the subway downtown,
and then walk to the restaurant. After a nice,
full dinner we could go to one of the nearby clubs
and dance. After dancing, we could catch a late
movie, and that'd be a good end to the night.
Rachel:
It gets better and better.
[She grinned.]
Now that we have tonight's plans laid out, let's
talk about class huh? Did you finish your report?
Julian:
Report? What re....oooh fuck that was due today?!
You've got to be kidding me! Man..
[Rachel laughed.]
Rachel:
You're impossible.
[End Flashback]
[Rachel steps away and looks to the audience.]
Rachel:
A few seconds can feel like an eternity. And they
do. It feels like we've been standing here for hours.
I wish I could place his face. He looks so familiar,
but I just can't put a finger on it. Where's he from?
Who is he? What's his name? It's like some odd
sort of deja vu. I mean, what if I don't know him
at all? He's just someone that looks like someone
I happen to know? A doppleganger, I think it's
called. What if he's just one of those? I'd feel
really stupid, I'll tell you that much. Who could
he be? Or who does he remind me of? Damn,
this is almost frustrating...
[Rachel moves back into place. Julian steps away.]
Julian:
Time just seems to drag on and on, standing here,
as if I've taken root to the sidewalk. I can't
look away, it feels like I can't move. Either
time has stopped completely or has slowed down
to the point of a snail's crawl, because it feels like
I've been standing here forever. Who is she? I
feel as if I've looked into her eyes before. They
seem so familiar to me. As if by staring into her
eyes, I see the soul within. And the soul I see
I've known before. For years even. But how is that
even possible? I can't possibly know her. I'd
remember if I did. But it all just feels so familiar...
I wish I could place it. Remember who she reminds
me of. Because it has to be that, doesn't it? Only
a reminder of someone long past. Because there's
no possible way it could be someone I know,
everyone I knew moved away years ago,
either to college or to pursue something else.
[Julian steps back into place.]
[Flashback]
[Julian and Rachel are inside an empty classroom.]
Julian:
Three years. Can you believe it? From Sophomores
to Seniors. Longer than three years, since this one's
almost over. We're getting ready to graduate, it's
almost the end of one chapter of our lives, you know?
Rachel:
Yeah. I can't believe we've lasted so long, it's
great. And we're approaching the end of the school
year, it's almost here. Practically right on top of us.
It's getting time to decide what we want to do,
where we want to go. What direction we want to
take with out lives.
Julian:
It's a really big decision. I mean, there are so
many choices that could be done. Paths that could
be taken. I mean, there's college to think about...
whether or not to go, where to go, what to study,
whether to stay on campus or live off. Or there's
staying off for a while, getting a job, and trying
to hold a steady job before going. Course, there's
always not going at all, as some people are just
perfectly happy to get by on any job they could
get. That could be a hard life, too.
Rachel:
Yeah. Life-altering, really. It's not like deciding
where to go to eat, or what electives to take.
What we choose here could really change our whole,
entire lives around.
Julian:
Well, at least we have a few more months to worry
about it all.
Rachel:
Yeah, but it's not a decision you can make at the
last minute. It's something that needs to be
carefully thought out. Over these next few months,
we'll need to decide just how much we want our lives
to change. We'll need to look over the options
we have available to us. Which colleges to go to,
whether to go to college in town, out of town, or
even out of state. There's applying to the colleges,
and waiting for their response. We have to plan out
expenses, whether we're getting scholarships, grants,
or loans, or if we're going to pay for it ourselves.
We also have to think, if we don't go to college,
what will we do? Work? Save money? Save money
TO go to college? Or if we don't go to college at
all, it needs to be planned, what will be done? What
job will be held down to get a steady income that's
enough to live off of?
Julian:
Think much, do you?
[Julian laughed softly. Rachel looked slightly flustered.]
We have a good few months until graduation, and
then we have the whole summer. I mean, I really
don't know what I want. College may not be for me,
or I might go to a community college and get a two
year degree and work from there. Four or more years
in a school doesn't greatly appeal to me, because
school wasn't really my thing. My grades aren't all
that great, and I'm not exactly a star jock. So
even if I did get into a college, it'd best be a
community college. I honestly don't want much,
not to mention any profession I'd probably not mind
doing has a two-year degree available.
Rachel:
Of course I think much, you know that. This is all
long term. I need to plan ahead. I want to know where
I'm going before I start walking. To plan out my way,
so I can know what direction to take when I go.
I want to go to college, I want to earn my degree,
maybe even go for a doctorate. I want to be successful
in the world. To maybe even own my own business,
you know? So I have a lot of planning ahead of me
before I can attain that goal. And that includes
a great deal more than four years of college.
[Julian smiled softly and reached up, stroking Rachel's
cheek.]
Julian:
You always were ambitious. You're just that kind of
girl. Work hard for what you want. Know where you
want to go in life. I wish I could be a bit more like
that, but I'm not. I like to be free on things like
that, and decide when I'm at the crossroad. Yeah,
it can be annoying sometimes, I know.
[Rachel laughed softly]
Rachel:
Yes, you're Mr. Spontaneous. I know this. Trust
me. I've spent three years with you. I'm really
very used to your spontaneity. Hey, it's a change
of pace. Everyone does things differently. It's
one of the things I enjoy when I'm with you. You're
fun, sweet.
[Julian smiles and takes her hands]
Julian:
Rachel?
Rachel:
Yeah?
Julian:
I love you.
Rachel:
I..I love you too, Julian!
[They kiss softly.]
[End Flashback]
[Julian steps towards the audience.]
Julian:
I remember during High School, there was this
girl I met in my Sophomore year. Her name
was Rachel. But that was so long ago...
[Julian steps back. Rachel steps forward.]
Rachel:
When I first moved to New York, I met this boy
named Julian my first day of class. That was years
ago.
[Rachel steps back.]
[Flashback]
[Julian and Rachel are once again inside an empty
classroom.]
Julian:
Graduation's over. We're finally out of here. It's
all over and done with. Almost hard to believe
isn't it?
Rachel:
Yeah, it is.
[Rachel looks around the room.]
This'll be the last time we're in here, in this
school. It's almost sad, really. Never coming
back here again.
Julian:
Yeah. Almost.
[Julian laughs softly.]
I won't miss it really. The homework, the tests,
the reports. Not my kinda thing. Which is really
why I'd suck in college. I can pull off the community
college, probably. I need to go check it out sometime
this summer.
Rachel:
That'd probably be a good idea. You know, go and
enroll early, sign up for the classes you want to take
before they get full, things like that.
Julian:
Yeah, true. That sounds like planning though!
[Julian laughed as Rachel swatted him.]
Anyway, though. What about you? I mean, a few
months ago you talked about wanting to know where
you're going to go before you start walking and all
that. Have you planned your course already? Applied
at colleges and all that?
Rachel:
Actually, yeah. I've taken the past few months to
review colleges, fill applications and sent them out.
Julian:
Any responses at all?
[Rachel grins widely.]
Rachel:
Harvard. I got my letter today. Not only am I in,
I'm in on a full academic scholarship. I'll be living
on-campus in the dorms.
Julian:
Harvard?! Really? Wow, way to go, Rachel! That's
great! When do you leave? August? September? Or
are you going later?
Rachel:
Um...actually...I leave in a week. I'm going up
to enroll for summer classes, get a head start,
get to work. Get the needed classes out of the way
before I start working towards whatever degree I
decide on. It'll take the Summer and Fall to finish
about a half of the requirements for my Freshman year,
then I can finish the rest during the Spring semester
and the first half of Summer. Then I'll be a Sophomore
and at least start taking some classes towards my
degree and another set of required courses.
[Julian looked disbelieving.]
Julian:
I....a week?! That hardly leaves us any time together!
All those classes?! When are you going to even find time
to even relax, or be with the people you care about, or
even have fun? It sounds like you'll be busy studying
practically twenty-four/seven!
Rachel:
A week's enough time, Julian! It isn't like we'll lose
contact, or I won't come back. Don't worry. College
doesn't mean the end of things. The end of us.
Julian:
But it's so...so sudden! I didn't expect this at
all. I mean, I knew you wanted to go to college,
and that you'd probably end up going away for it
or something...but I thought we'd at least have this
summer together! At least, to give me time to get
used to the fact that you're leaving...
Rachel:
I know it's really sudden, Julian. I'm sorry it
couldn't be later, but I really want to get things
moving, have it all start, you know? To me, it's
better to start early, to get what's needed out of
the way soon as I can, so I can concentrate on
what's more important, mainly the classes that
directly correspond with the degree I want to
seek.
[Julian let out a soft sigh and nodded, pulling
Rachel closely.]
Julian:
Yeah, I guess. Well, we just have to make the most
out of this week, don't we?
Rachel:
Yeah, we will.
[Rachel smiled and caressed Julian's jaw softly.]
We definitely will.
[They kiss softly.]
[End Flashback.]
[Julian steps towards the audience.]
Julian:
Rachel. From High School. That's who I'm reminded
of. I met her when she first moved here from Florida.
She and I talked, and after school we met and rode
the subway together. For a good few hours. We
rode until it was night time, taking the entire circuit
a few times over. And we talked. About everything
under the sun. We got to know each other. A week
went by, and we got closer. And closer. It was
about a month or two later that I finally asked her
out. I remember our first date. We took the subway,
we had so much fun riding that together. I took her
to this little Italian place. Red checkered tablecloths,
lit candles, stuff like that. We shared a small pizza
and some pasta. We talked. Finished eating. Then
went for a walk in Central Park, going arm in arm,
and simply talking. She was someone I could really
talk to. Be myself around. It was great. We were
together for three years. At the end of our Senior
year, she spent a week with me before heading
off early for Harvard. After that, it just went down
hill. She stopped calling, never returned my calls.
Every time I'd get hold of her, she always had
some report to finish, or a test to study for.
After a while, I just gave up. And I never heard
from her again. I had to accept it, that I'd never
see her, or hear from her again. The girl I loved
apparently didn't love me anymore, and didn't
have the time to make time for me. It was over.
[Julian steps back into place. Rachel steps forward.]
Rachel:
I was in love with a boy back in High School.
His name was Julian. A really sweet, rather
spontaneous guy. Liked doing things on the fly,
going by the seat of his pants. One of the worst
memories when it came to remembering homework
or any sort of school work. Not that he deliberately
forgot, he just never seemed able to remember. But
he was able to pass. Average grades, but he passed.
And the grades don't make the person. He was such
a good person. He loved life. Simply loved to live.
I loved that about him. I loved him. But then I went
to college. He was upset when I told him how long
it'd be before I left. A week. Do I regret it? A lot.
One of my few decisions I ever regret making, was
leaving so early. Sometimes leaving at all. I still have
all our pictures. But I went to college, and everything
changed. I got much busier than I anticipated. I had to
blow him off time and time again. Every time he called,
I was either not there, or too busy to even talk.
Finally, he just stopped calling. And then I lost his
number. So we lost touch. And I never saw him
again. Sometimes, I wish I could see him. Get
in contact with him again. Tell him I'm sorry.
And that I still love him.
[Rachel steps back into place. They keep eye contact for
a small space longer, before finally turning and walking
away in opposite directions.]
[End.]

Enjoy. ^.^

	unhinged 2003-02-28 15:20 (link)
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