Nothing
At Rise:
(A kitchen in a middle-class, suburban house. Morning on a school day during the fall. CRYSTAL is in the kitchen, preparing breakfast cheerfully. NICHOLE trudges in and sits at the table, groggy and angry.)
CRYSTAL
Good morning Nikki!
NICHOLE
(Holds head in pain)
Ugh, you’re voice! My head!
CRYSTAL
Hm, what was that?
NICHOLE
Nothing…
CRYSTAL
Nikki what’s wrong?
NICHOLE
Nothing! God Chris, can’t you mind your own business for once?!
CRYSTAL
Fine…
(They sit in silence for a few seconds)
I’m making eggs, is scrambled okay?
NICHOLE
Whatever…
CRYSTAL
(Stares at NICHOLE for a few second)
(In a fake cheerful voice, mocking)
Nichole, my darling sister, I got up early to slave over a hot stove to make this wonderful breakfast for you!
(Imitating NICHOLE’s voice)
Oh thank you Crystal! I must have the best twin sister in the whole wide world!
(Fake cheerful voice)
Oh Nichole! How nice of you –
NICHOLE
Ugh! Would you just --
CRYSTAL
(Snotty)
Fine! See how soon again I make you breakfast.
NICHOLE
Whatever. Your eggs suck anyways…
CRYSTAL
They do not!
(Goes back to cooking. They sit in silence for a few
seconds)
So…did you finish your homework last night?
NICHOLE
No.
CRYSTAL
Nicole--
NICHOLE
Why do you care anyways?!
CRYSTAL
I’m your sister; it’s my job to care.
NICHOLE
Your job? Well you’re fired.
CRYSTAL
I was speaking…symbolically, Nikki. The point is that as your sister it is an obligation…and an, an instinct, so to speak, to worry about you.
NICHOLE
Great, I’ve got a God-damned guardian angel.
CRYSTAL
God-damned angel is an oxymoron, Nikki….But speaking of guardians…where were you last night?
NICHOLE
Nowhere…
CRYSTAL
Nichole…
NICHOLE
I went out okay? Jeez Crystal!
CRYSTAL
Out where?
NICHOLE
Just out!
CRYSTAL
…you were out drinking again, weren’t you--?
NICHOLE
Mind your own business!
CRYSTAL
(Disappointed)
Nikki…
NICHOLE
Just shut up okay?!
CRYSTAL
Nic--
NICHOLE
Shut it!
CRYSTAL
(Turns back to the breakfast she’s making. For a while they’re silent)
Was it because you and Denis broke up?
NICHOLE
(Surprised)
How’d you know that?
CRYSTAL
I heard you and Janet talking about it on the phone the other day.
NICHOLE
So you were listening in on us?!
CRYSTAL
No! I just - -
NICHOLE
You just what?!
CRYSTAL
You were crying, Nikki…I was…
NICHOLE
You were worried, so that gives you the right to violate my privacy?!
CRYSTAL
It wasn’t like that!
NICHOLE
Whatever!
CRYSTAL
You know, if you had just told me…
NICHOLE
Yeah sure Chris. You hated Denis. If I told you, you’d break out balloons and sparklers in a second.
CRYSTAL
Do you really think I’d be that unsympathetic?!
NICHOLE
I don’t think, I know.
(CRYSTAL looks like she’s about to say something, but then stops herself. Without another word she turns back to her cooking. She scraps the eggs off the pan and onto two plates. She gives one to NICHOLE)
CRYSTAL
(Evenly)
Your eggs.
NICHOLE
(Gets up and begins to leave)
Not hungry!
(She exits)
CRYSTAL
(She sighs and sits down. She begins to eat. The phone
rings. She gets up and answers it.)
Hello?
NICHOLE
(Re-enters the kitchen)
CRYSTAL
(Talking on the phone, facing away from NICHOLE, she
doesn’t know that she’s in the room.)
Oh, hi Dad…Yeah she’s home.
NICHOLE
(Pauses, realizes that they’re talking about her. She stops to
listen in.)
CRYSTAL
Yeah, about that. Listen, she was at Janet’s…Yeah I know, but you know how she is, she’d forget her head if it wasn’t attached. … Dad, really, it’s not that big a deal. … Listen, she’s having a rough time right now okay, so don’t give her a hard time, ‘kay? …
(NICHOLE is startled that he sister is lying for her to their
Dad. She sits down silently)
Yeah, I’ll tell her… I love you too. Bye.
(She hangs up the phone and turns around and is startled by
NICHOLE’s presence)
Oh, um…hey.
NICHOLE
Hey.
CRYSTAL
Um…Dad says next time you stay over at a friend’s, that you’ve got to remember to call.
NICHOLE
Right…
CRYSTAL
(Fidgets awkwardly for a moment then sits down to finish eating.)
NICHOLE
(Starts eating)
The um…the eggs are good…
CRYSTAL
Oh, um, thanks…
NICHOLE
Um, Crystal…?
CRYSTAL
Yes?
NICHOLE
…Why…why did you…?
CRYSTAL
(Finishes eating and shrugs.)
NICHOLE
Have you…covered for me before…?
CRYSTAL
A few times. You’re not a very good liar, Nikki.
NICHOLE
Oh.
(NICHOLE finishes eating. CRYSTAL gets up and begins
to grab both their plates to wash them, but NICHOLE stops
her and takes the plates herself.)
I’ve got ‘em.
CRYSTAL
(Shocked)
Oh! Um…thanks…
NICHOLE
No prob.
(She takes the plates to the sink and begins the wash them.
CRYSTAL stands there for a second, then starts
to walk to the other room)
Um, Crystal?
CRYSTAL
(Stops and turns back.)
Yes?
NICHOLE
Um…thanks…
CRYSTAL
For what?
NICHOLE
(Shrugs)
Everything, I guess…
CRYSTAL
(In a hushed voice)
You too, Nikki.
NICHOLE
(Looks over shoulder)
What was that?
CRYSTAL
Oh…Nothing…
