When Life Throws You a Rotten Bone (2010)
A Play by Amanda Dobson
CHARACTERS:
WILLING the teenage husky, female
PLAYFUL the teenage mutt, female
SETTING:
Outside obedience school on the sidewalk. A cement wall goes alongside. Houses are on the other side of the street. There are parked cars, but no cars are coming through.
TIME: 4:00 PM
AT RISE:
WILLING is leaving obedience school and is walking home. On her way, she runs into PLAYFUL. WILLING tries to ignore her, but PLAYFUL stops her.
PLAYFUL
Well well well look who finally decided to come through.
WILLING
(Rolls her eyes and keeps walking)
PLAYFUL
Wait I’m just kidding! What’s up your butt?
WILLING
(Keeps walking)
PLAYFUL
Wow that’s how you feel then. First you cancel on us going to the park without even telling me and have me waiting for an hour and a half for you and now you don’t even want to talk?
WILLING
(Stops walking and turns)
PLAYFUL
We’ve been friends since we were young and you have been there for me even when my dad left me and my mom with nothing and now you’re deciding to give me the cold tail? What’s up with that?
WILLING
I don’t know. (rudely)
PLAYFUL
Wow Willing you’re being as shady as a cat! I mean you act like our friendship means nothing to you! What happened to being run or dies? Being there through thick and thin? Huh?
WILLING
Run or dies? Run or dies! Us being run or dies got me put on the leash! Yea, remember that little plan you came up with, to raid my owner’s house and take as much human food as we could? Yea, well your little plan cost me my freedom! I can only go to obedience school and back because of you. I get no time to myself and my parents are on my tail more than ever!
PLAYFUL
Ugh…(nervous)
WILLING
No don’t interrupt, let me finish! My parents don’t necessarily like you and don’t agree with your behavior, they think you are on the path to the dog pound and you know what, I’m beginning to think they’re right.
PLAYFUL
Wha, What do you mean? (nervously)
WILLING
You eat human food all the time and when you can’t get it you steal to get it. On top of that your running with a bad pack of dogs and you know honestly none of them give a squeaky toy about you! But you know what Playful, I do!
PLAYFUL
Yea I can tell. (sarcastically, rolls eyes) You really been a real friend lately. At least my home-dogs give a dogs behind about me unlike you.
WILLING
I do Playful, why don’t you see that?
PLAYFUL
(Takes a breath to say something but stops because she hears the rival packs call, Ruff Ruff howl, Ruff Ruff howl)
Do you hear that?
WILLING
Hear what?
PLAYFUL
That call?
WILLING
Yea so?
PLAYFUL
Dang Willing you don’t get anything! Those are the dogs that stole my pack’s sacred bone! We have to get them!
(Hears the call again, Playful returns her pack’s call)
Rrrrrr Rrrrrrrr Arrrrrrroooo! Come on Willing let’s go get them. If you are there for me like you say you are, you will come and back me up!
WILLING
No! You know what that’s it! This is exactly what I am talking about! You just don’t get it! If you go after them then what’s going to happen is you’re going to get pounced on and might even end up in the pound or worse, end up as road kill! (Pauses and sighs, more calmly) Look Playful you have been my best friend since we were young and I don’t want to lose you, but I can’t sit here and watch you get hurt like this.
PLAYFUL
Then don’t! Come and back me! (quickly looks from side to side)
WILLING
Playful! Did you even listen to a word I said? Playful, I can’t! I won’t! I already feel bad enough, no guilty even, for sneaking behind my parent’s back so I can hang out with you but I’m done! I won’t go down with you! And honestly I don’t want to see you go down either, but you are your own dog and you have to make that decision.
PLAYFUL
Come on they are coming closer! We have to act fast.
WILLING
(screams) Playful! No I’ll make a deal with you. You can go fight those dogs and earn respect from your home-dogs, lose me, and continue down this bad path or you can come with me. I can help you Playful. My owner has a nice house in the city with a big backyard and he loves dogs and…
PLAYFUL
NO! I can’t, the streets is all I know! And what about my mom? I can’t just leave her behind! (whimpering)
WILLING
Ok, fair enough but the least you could do is clean up your act and my parents might even like you.
PLAYFUL
What does that matter, your parents already have their opinion of me. (bows head down)
WILLING
So you act like that can’t change. I mean don’t you want to prove them wrong! I know you can do it Playful. You’re a strong dog and you have been through a lot, but you know what you made it through! And you still can! Playful everyone else has given up on you but I’m your best friend and I won’t give up on you, I mean we made a promise to always be there for each other. Best friends, remember? (pauses and smiles)
PLAYFUL
(weak smile) I don’t know Willing. This is all I know and your parents never have anything nice to say about me. They don’t like how I am and I don’t know if I am ready to change.
WILLING
They don’t know you Playful. They don’t know you like I do. They don’t know that loving, caring, loves to have fun and run in the park Playful. That’s the Playful I know and that’s the Playful you need to show them.
PLAYFUL
You really think so?
WILLING
Yes Playful I know so! I believe in you!
PLAYFUL
Well you always been there for me and always have had better judgment than me. (both have small laugh) I trust you Willing. You’re my best friend and I trust you! Besides how am I going to keep our promise if you keep getting in trouble with your parents because of my behavior. We out Willing, I think I want to change.
WILLING
(smiles) Good.
(walking down the street)
PLAYFUL
So no more human food huh?
WILLING
Playful! (sarcastically/playful)
PLAYFUL
Just kidding can’t even take a joke. (laugh together)
(Willing and Playful arrive at Willing’s house)
WILLING
(Takes a deep breath) Well here it is. My house. My mom and dad are in the backyard, you ready?
PLAYFUL
(smiles) Of course I am, I mean I’m trying to keep my best friend off the leash.
WILLING
Ha-ha yea.
(They walk to the back of the house) Mom, Dad, I have someone I need you to talk to.
THE END
