A THING OF THE PAST
SCENE 1:
EXT. CENTRAL PARK. EARLY EVENING.
It’s a windy day in Central Park with clouded skies.
Victoria is a young woman in her mid-20s, very fashionable and elegant. She’s
there to meet Elias, her former high school boyfriend. He’s also in his mid-20s.
He has grunge look to him and a rocker aspect. He’s a musician on tour and this
is the first time they’ve seen each other in 7 years.
EXT. CENTRAL PARK. EARLY EVENING.
Victoria is sitting on a bench covering herself from the cold. She’s
nervous about seeing Elias after so many years because he was the love of her
life. As she waits for him to arrive, she starts to reminisce on the past.
VICTORIA: Why am I even here? I should know better by now.
Nothing good can come from him. I wonder if he’s going to apologize for that
day. Does he even realize what he did to me? How humiliated I was? (she starts to tear up) Ok Victoria,
pull yourself together. Don’t let him see you cry. If he sees you falling he’s
going to start playing his sick games again. (she wipes her face).
Elias approaches the bench
ELIAS: Vic, is that you under there?
VICTORIA: (coming up
from under her hood) Yeah, it’s me. It’s good to see you. (she stands and they hug.) How’s the
touring going?
ELIAS. It’s amazing. (There’s
a brief pause and they sit down)
VICTORIA: I’m glad.
Hey, it’s everything you ever wanted. Everything you gave up everything for. I’m
glad you’re successful and I’m glad it was worth it.
ELIAS: Is that sarcasm? You were always such a bad liar.
VICTORIA. No. No. I truly mean it. I’m glad that dumping me
in some random hotel in the middle of nowhere was worth all your success and
happiness.
ELIAS: (Rolls his eyes)
Oh god Victoria. You’re just always so damn dramatic! I didn’t come here to
talk about that. I came to see how you were doing and to catch up a bit. That’s
all.
VICTORIA: You’ve got some nerve. How do you think life
treated me after that day? Finishing high school was fun considering I almost got
kicked out from the absences and almost lost my scholarship. You knew how hard
I worked for that!!
ELIAS: Exactly! Which is why you shouldn’t have been out
there to begin with! I was chasing my dreams and you had a choice to chase
yours. It’s amazing to see how you’ve accomplished everything you said you were
going to do. Obviously I didn’t fuck up your life so bad that you couldn’t
start over.
VICTORIA: That’s not the point! You know very well that I’m
capable of doing everything I say I’m going to do. That’s just the kind of girl
I am. It was how you did it. Do you realize how young we were? How dangerous
that could’ve been if someone else had gotten a hold of me? You left me in
another state STRANDED with nowhere to go. I was only 17 years old.
ELIAS: Big deal. You left home when you were 15 from what I remembered.
You were used to bouncing around from couch to couch. You’ve must’ve crashed at
my parents probably 20 times during your sophomore year. It’s the way your life
was. This lifestyle was a part of your life. I knew I was hurting you but I
didn’t think it would’ve been anything you couldn’t overcome once you got over
me.
VICTORIA: Getting over you? How could I?! Every time we broke
up and I tried moving on with someone else. You always convinced me to leave
that other person for you. You made me believe that we were meant to spend the
rest of our lives together…Not to sound cliché. But you HAVE been playing this
cat and mouse game with me since we were 10! We have been doing this to one
another for over 10 years and times have changed. You can’t just show up
anymore with a pint of Hagen Dazz and a handful of promises. We’re too old for
this bullshit. WHY ARE YOU HERE?
ELIAS: (he stretches
and glances toward her with a smirk)You have a point. Let’s get back together.
VICTORIA: (Enraged.
Stands up) Are you crazy or just on drugs again??!!! Are you out of your
fucking mind?!! (starts walking away).
ELIAS: (Stands up to
grab her and yanks her back on the bench) Look, I’ve got a ton of girls
that would want to be with me right now. You know how I am and you know that I’m
not serious. You’re right. I do play games with you. I’m not going to lie, I
enjoy it. It’s been 7 years since we’ve spoken to each other and truth be told,
I miss you. I do. But I don’t want to be with you. Does that make sense?
VICTORIA: I have spent the last 7 years missing you but I can’t
do this anymore. It’s not fair to the both of us. Plus, I don’t love you in
that way anymore.
ELIAS: BULLSHIT. You know you will never love anyone the way
you love me. It’s like an oath you took years ago. AND frankly, (laughs at the thought) I believe you
really cursed yourself when you promised me. I never saw you love or move hell
for anyone else the way you did for me. It’s sad really. I feel bad for you. No
matter what I did to you, you were always at my side loving and supporting me. (laughs at the thought). Remember when
we we’re in middle school and I tricked you into taking the blame for me
pulling that fire alarm?
VICTORIA: (Annoyed) How
could I forget? I was suspended and sent
to youth group every weekend from them on..
(Elias interrupts)
ELIAS: (Sarcastically) where you got to see my beautiful face
every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the rest of your 7th grade year.
VICTORIA: (Glares at
him and continues) I missed junior prom that weekend because I wasn’t allowed
to go. I had everything ready from the dress to my accessories. I was so
excited about going with you. But, of course, you took Jessica Torres.
ELIAS: (Laughs)
Yes, I did take Jessica. She used to bully you didn’t she? It was a rather
interesting conversation we had that night. I never forgot it. (Pensive pause) You know, for a girl who
strongly disliked you, she really came to your defense that weekend. She asked
me why in the world you continued to stay with me.
VICTORIA: and what was your answer?
ELIAS: I told her that you and I had been friends for a very
long time. We were even part of the same youth group together and that’s just
it. We were always together. It wasn’t me being a jerk. It was just the way our
relationship was. We were stronger by overcoming the obstacles we laid out for
the other.
VICTORIA: That’s sick.
ELIAS: I know! But that’s how things work between us. There
are no answers. It’s all part of our relationship whether we were acquaintances,
dating, or apart. It’s the only way we know how to interact with the other. (Pensive) Do you remember how me met?
VICTORIA: Yes, we met on the jungle gym in the 1st
grade.
ELIAS: Yes, and do you remember the rest of that story?
VICTORIA: No, I blocked it out just like I blocked you out
for the last 7 years.
ELIAS: I put a lock of gum on your hair and you weren’t even
mad. Your mom had to cut off a big chunk out and all the other kids picked on
you until your hair grew back. You didn’t even react. You just kept playing
with me as if nothing ever happened.
VICTORIA: Is there a point to this conversation?
ELIAS: My point is that it’s how I knew you and I were meant
to stay together forever in some way shape or form. You we’re so forgiving and
innocent. I was always pissing people off but for some reason I couldn’t piss
you off. We not might be together now
but we will be one day and our game will just continue to play out. It’s a part
of us.
VICTORIA: (smiles) ALL of my memories with you are ones I revisiting
and reliving. I do remember all of that and also remember the love I felt for
you every time you pulled some shenanigan on me. BUT. The last time wasn’t a shenanigan.
It was really cruel. Probably the coldest thing you could ever do to someone
else. Especially me. I was supportive of everything you did but what you did to
me in Colorado Springs made everything you ever did seem irrelevant. Not only
that, I NEVER heard from you again until now. SEVEN YEARS?!!! You disappeared
and you left me stranded and alone.
ELIAS: (Rolls his eyes
and answers with an attitude) Ok fine, it was cruel to leave you in that
hotel room in the middle of nowhere. I’ll admit that that time it wasn’t a
practical joke. You were just so deeply
involved in my life I didn’t know how to cut you out of it. I just decided to
leave you because I figured it be easier.
VICTORIA: You can’t be serious?!! I was your best friend. You
could’ve told me and I won’t have flown out.
ELIAS: I felt pressured to be with you. You already had your
plane ticket and all you clothes we’re packed. I didn’t know how to tell you
not to come.
VICTORIA: Eli, I had called you weeks in advance before I bought
those tickets! You could’ve told me right there and then.
ELIAS: I didn’t take you seriously. I thought you were
joking!
VICTORIA: You should’ve known better! The money I used was
all the money I saved up to come to NY. That was most of my savings that went
into those tickets.
ELIAS: I didn’t put a gun to your head. You should’ve known
better too. You know how I am.
VICTORIA: I thought I knew what you were capable of but NOT
SHOWING UP was low. Even for you. I never really thought you’d do that.
ELIAS: Look, I didn’t know what to do. I went to the hotel. I
did. I went. I was downstairs and I spoke to you on the phone. I was going to
tell you to come downstairs but I couldn’t. You were talking about how excited
you were to be there and how you couldn’t wait to spend the rest of your life
with me and I chickened out. I was 19 years old. A kid. What did you expect?!!
VICTORIA: I at least expected you to show up and pick or pick
up the phone to tell me you weren’t coming. You just left me there. Alone with
no place to go and no one to call for help. I had no parents to run to. Do you
even know how scared I was?? And stupid me thinking you could never ever do
that to me. I honestly thought you were hurt. I was again putting your
wellbeing over mine.
ELIAS: I wanted to tour. I wanted to perform. I didn’t want
to stay in Colorado Springs, let alone settle at 19 years old. I did us both a
favor. Did you really think I was going to let us give up our dreams for some
childhood romance?? I would’ve eventually moved back home. Miami, is my home. I
was forced to move to Colorado with my parents but my entire life was back in
Miami. You we’re back there. Maybe if you weren’t as ambitious as I am and
would’ve stayed put, we might still be together to this day. Your right, I was
wrong for doing what I did but I saved us both from making a mistake we both
would’ve eventually regretted.
VICTORIA: Your right. Life is better now and I want it to stay
that way. (She gets up and starts to walk
away).
Elias gets up and
stands in front of her.
ELIAS: So that’s it? You’re just going to walk away?
VICTORIA: Yes, just like you did to me 7 years ago.
ELIAS: I thought you were more mature than this.
VICTORIA. I am. I came to hear an apology and I heard it.
That’s all I want it. I don’t want you in my life or in my future. I’m doing us
a favor and saving us both from making another mistake.
(Victoria pushes
through him and walks away)
ELIAS: Victoria! If
you leave now, you’ll never hear from me again.
Victoria pauses, looks back at Elias with tears in her eyes and continues
to walk down the path.
END.
