FORGIVING OTHERS
SCENE 1: Bus Stop
PROPS: School bus
(CECI is center stage, standing at the bus stop)
CECI: Yes! The last day of summer school! After today, I get to have a normal, fun summer vacation.
(GINA and GUSTAVO ENTER from the side door and walk up to CECI)
GINA & GUSTAVO: Hello, CECI (they don’t have to say it exactly at the same time).
CECI: (friendly) Hi, Gina! (unfriendly) Hello, Gustavo.
GUSTAVO: How come you have to say my name like that? (he imitates her) “Hello, Gustavo?”
CECI: Because you threw rocks at ducks and got my sister in trouble with the park ranger! Because you took money from people to watch their goldfish and then you let their fish die! Because you tried to steal both of my sister’s Knottsberry Farms tickets! Because . . .
GUSTAVO: Okay! That’s enough becauses.
(SCHOOL BUS DRIVER ENTERS from hallway with school bus prop. DRIVER goes down the right side of the room, turns left, and stops at center stage, right next to CECI)
CECI: I could tell you even more, but my bus is here. (she gets on the bus by crouching down behind DRIVER)
(SCHOOL BUS DRIVER continues across the stage, turns left, and travels along the left
(side of the room, all the way to the back wall. Then DRIVER turns left again and EXITS with CECI hidden right behind her.)
GUSTAVO: Your sister sure has a good memory.
GINA: Yeah.
GUSTAVO: How come you don’t remember all that bad stuff I did?
GINA: I remember it; I just don’t think about it so much, because I’m trying to give you a second chance.
GUSTAVO: You mean more like a hundredth chance! Ha-ha-ha!
GINA: Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.
GUSTAVO: Anyway, let’s go do something cool. How about if we play some games at the Mall?
GINA: Sounds good to me!
(THEY BOTH EXIT through side door)
SCENE 2: At a Video Game Store in the Mall
PROPS: Pinball game prop
(Pinball game prop needs to be placed sideways, at center stage. GUSTAVO and GINA ENTER. GUSTAVO pretends to put some change in the machine)
SOUND EFFECTS: Pinball machine turns on and is ready for play
GUSTAVO: (excited) All right! There’s nothing like Space Cadet Pinball . . . my favorite game! Here – you control the flippers on the right side, and I’ll control the flippers on the left side. Here we go!
SOUND EFFECTS: Game begins. Ball is in play until the sound of an explosion.
GUSTAVO: Oh, yeah! I’m the champion of this game!
GINA: What are those targets for?
GUSTAVO: Each time you knock them all down you get lots of points. Let’s see if we can break the record for the most points on this game.
GINA: Okay!
(CECI ENTERS and walks up to her sister)
CECI: Hey, Gina!
GINA: Ceci! How come you’re not in summer school?
CECI: It was the last day. It was only a half-day, so I got out early.
GINA: Cool! Watch us, Ceci; we’re going to make some serious points on this game!
GUSTAVO: We’re going to make a new record! (he slaps the pinball machine prop on the side and it wiggles a little bit)
GINA: Hey, Gustavo, be careful. You could break the game that way.
GUSTAVO: Nah . . . this game is really strong. I’m just trying to control the ball better.
(GUSTAVO keeps slapping the side of the pinball prop. Both GUSTAVO and GINA can ad-lib by talking about how many points they’re getting for hitting certain targets. Finally, the sound effect of an electronic explosion is heard. Then silence.)
GINA: Oh, no! the game broke! I told you not to slap it so much, Gustavo . . .
GUSTAVO: Uh, um, I think I should be going now . . .
(GUSTAVO makes a quick EXIT through the hall door. GAME LADY ENTERS through the side door)
GAME LADY: What’s going on here, ladies?
CECI: This game just broke, but it wasn’t our fault.
GINA: Right. It was Gustavo who broke it.
CECI: (angry at Gustavo) Then he ran away . . . again!
GAME LADY: Gustavo? He’s one of my best customers. (attitude change right here) But I don’t know about you two. This is the first time I’ve ever seen you in here, and it’s also the last! Good-bye to both of you . . . don’t even think about coming back, understand?
CECI & GINA: (both put their head down, disappointed) Yes, ma’am (this line doesn’t have to be said by both at the very same time).
(CECI & GINA EXIT)
GAME LADY: (looking at broken pinball game in frustration) Oh, those kids! Don’t they know these games cost a lot of money to fix?
(GAME LADY EXITS)
SCENE 3: Anywhere
PROPS: None
(GINA and CECI are center stage)
CECI: Gina, I am so mad right now, I could scream!
GINA: What are you mad about?
CECI: Gustavo! All he does is get you in trouble. And now he got me in trouble, too!
(GUSTAVO ENTERS)
GUSTAVO: Hey, Gina, how about if we go swimming at Kennedy pool?
GINA: Sounds good to me!
(GUSTAVO and GINA EXIT)
CECI: (screams out of frustration) Ahhhhh!