LATE NIGHT CIGARETTES
_____________________
A Play
by
Adam Warner
Forest Area High School
11th Grade
Cast of Characters
ASH
17 years old. Cares about friends and sister. Lives in loft above bar.
WILL
18 years old. New to town. Smoker. Lives by a park.
Scene
Small town in Oregon.
Time
2 AM in the morning, present day. October.
Scene 1
AT RISE:
Outside of a gas station at 2 am. Small town, Oregon. ASH is chilling on the edge of the sidewalk.
WILL is leaving the gas station, opening a pack of cigarettes.
WILL
Do you have a lighter?
(ASH looks up with a sarcastic grin)
ASH
Don’t you know smoking is bad for you?
WILL (Grinning)
Actually I didn’t but thank you for changing my life.
ASH (laughing)
No problem.
WILL
So, no lighter?
ASH
No.
WILL (disappointed)
Damn it.
ASH
Yeah I know, I’ve been disappointing people my whole life. Ya get used to it.
WILL
Wow. So what’s going on with you?
ASH
What makes you think something’s wrong? The fact that I wasn’t nice to a stranger at 1 AM?
WILL
2 AM
ASH (Slightly annoyed yet alarmed)
What?
WILL
Its 2 AM not 1
ASH
Didn’t your mother ever tell you that it’s rude to correct strangers?
(Will looks down at his shoes)
WILL (Taken aback)
No. she uhh never got the chance to.
ASH (Sympathetic)
Oh. I’m sorry.
WILL
It’s whatever, I never got to know her anyway.
ASH
Oh.
WILL
You never answered my question.
ASH
Huh?
WILL
I asked you what was wrong. Because you don’t see a lot of teenagers sitting on a sidewalk alone at 2 AM. So either you’re depressed or you’re homeless, So…
ASH (Irritated)
Do I look homeless to you?
WILL (Tripping over his words)
WHAT?! NO! I was just trying to be funny.
ASH (laughing)
I know.
WILL
So then why are you here?
ASH
Because where else am I supposed to be?
WILL
I don’t know. Maybe. Home?
ASH
Maybe you’re right.
(ASH pauses and pulls out his phone. It’s dead)
ASH
Hey what time is it now?
WILL
2:15 AM
ASH (Sarcastic yet serious)
Okay. Well then I think I should go home then.
WILL
Just like that?
ASH
Just like that.
(ASH starts to walk away, exiting the gas station parking lot and onto the sidewalk.)
SCENE 2
AT RISE: ASH is walking home. The sidewalk
is illuminated by street lamps.
Loud footsteps can be heard behind him. Almost like someone is
running. ASH, alarmed, turns around to see WILL running after him trying to catch up.
ASH WILL
(Alarmed) (Out of breath)
What are you doing?! So that’s it. You’re just going
Are you following me? Home? Without giving me your
Cause dude like why would name or anything. ? I thought we
You run after me. That’s had some type of connection or
Pretty stalkerish. So what’s something? Well maybe not a
Up? Why are you here? Strong connection but I thought
you were cool and I don’t know but. Actually if I freaked you out I’m so sorry. That was not my intention.
ASH
You don’t have to be sorry.
WILL
I don’t?
ASH
Nope. But seriously, what are you doing here?
WILL
Do you mean like what am I doing in the universe? Or do you mean on this sidewalk? That’s a loaded question, man.
ASH
The sidewalk.
WILL
I’m walking you home.
ASH (Doubtful)
You’re gonna walk me home?
WILL (Grinning)
Hopefully.
ASH
You don’t know where I live! You literally met me 30 minutes ago. You don’t even know my name, or anything about me.
WILL
Exactly.
ASH (Jokingly)
You’re not a murderer, are you?
WILL
Why would I be a murderer?
ASH WILL
Because it’s not every day if I wanted to kill you I
strangers from gas stations would’ve done it already.
want to walk me home.
ASH
So why do you want to walk a stranger home? What if I’m the killer? Why would I let a stranger follow me?
WILL
My name’s Will.
ASH
What?
WILL
That’s my name, Will.
ASH (Weary)
My name’s Ashton, but everyone calls me Ash.
WILL
Pleasure to meet you, ASH.
ASH (Grinning)
You too.
(They both start to walk together.)
WILL
So. What school do you go to?
ASH
Westbank High.
WILL
Oh well as of tomorrow so will I.
ASH
Oh really? Well than I’m sorry for your loss.
WILL
That bad? What’s it like?
ASH
You know Hogwarts?
WILL
Yeah.
ASH
It’s like that, only no magic, no castle, no Harry Potter, nothing un or magical ya know.
WILL
Oh, so it’s nothing like Hogwarts.
ASH
Yeah basically.
WILL
Oof.
ASH (Sarcastically)
Don’t worry though. I’m sure you’ll love it.
WILL (Worried)
Ha-ha yeah…
ASH
Anyways what brings you here? I’ve never seen you here before, and I know it wasn’t to meet gas station strangers at 2 AM.
WILL
Did you just basically ask me if I come here often?
ASH
Oof I guess I did. How cliché.
(They stop walking. There’s a pause of awkward silence.)
WILL
Do you believe in destiny?
ASH
The fuck did you just ask me?
WILL
You know, two strangers meet late at night. This could be the gods giving us a sign!
ASH (Confused)
The gods?
WILL
Yes the gods. Do you not believe in god?
ASH (sighing)
I believe that I make my own path. Too much shit has gone on in my life for some “god” to be real.
WILL
Like what?
ASH
None of your business.
WILL
Oh.
ASH
Yeah.
(They start walking again)
WILL
You didn’t answer my question.
ASH
What question?
WILL
What do you think that two people must have in common to connect?
ASH
Oh, uhh I think so. Maybe. I never really thought about that.
WILL (Sarcastically amazed)
Wow.
ASH
Well what do you think? It was your question.
WILL
I don’t know man. Sometimes we are just putting out them vibes into the universe that bond us. Maybe it was the universe that wants us to meet.
ASH
Oh so now it’s the universe that wants us to meet?
WILL
Precisely.
ASH
Okay man.
WILL (Self-consciously)
Are you judging me?
ASH
What? No. I just thought your answer was interesting. So why do you ask?
WILL
Oh. That’s easy. It’s a good question to ask people when you meet.
ASH
Why?
WILL
Because it helps getting a better feel of who you are.
ASH
I see.
WILL
Yeah.
ASH
So… did you get a better feel of who I am? Based off that one question?
WILL (smiling.)
I think so.
SCENE 3
AT RISE ASH and WILL are walking through town. They approach a bar with a yellow neon sign labeled The Trophy Room. Music can be heard from behind the doors. ASH stops in front of the bar and gestures his arms at the door.
ASH
Here we are!
WILL
At a bar?
(ASH points at the second floor of the building)
ASH
No. I live up there. My sister owns the bar. I live with her.
WILL
Really? That’s cool! What do your parents think?
(WILL and ASH sit on the curb in front of the bar)
ASH
They were not thrilled. According to them it was “Jae’s biggest mistake.” They tried to kick her out. And I objected. So they told me to leave too.
WILL
Damn.
ASH
Yeah but it’s fine. It was two years ago. My sister and I are happy here. Plus in this town I made some pretty great friends.
WILL
Did you meet them at gas stations too?
ASH (Grinning)
Sadly not.
WILL
Cool. So that makes me special?
ASH
Well I don’t normally let strangers walk me home so I guess.
WILL
So I guess this is goodbye.
ASH
I guess it is.
WILL
So I guess I will see you tomorrow? At school?
ASH
Yeah. Goodnight.
(ASH starts to walk inside.)
WILL
WAIT ASH!
(ASH opens the door and looks at WILL)
ASH
Yeah?
WILL
I didn’t get your number?! How will I see you again?!
ASH
Guess you’ll have to talk to me in person then. Walk me to school tomorrow?
WILL (Grinning)
Really? I’d like that.
(End of scene)
(End of play)