"Shadow-less"

Setting: Grove of trees in an open schoolyard, late spring, warm, bright, field in the background
Situation: A fight occured the night before, and Wilhelmina Tane (Mina) is the prime suspect. The victim was a young man who bullied her, and to add on to that- her shadow has disappeared. She is being confronted by her long time friend August Lavender (Auggie) about the fight.
Location on Stage: bright spotlights directly above the speakers, green background (trees, grass) with an outline of a school and a blue sky, a pathway going through center stage and a "concrete" bench just behind the path.

Scene

(lights fade in to focus, scene opens to Auggie sitting on a bench alone, Mina enters from stage left)

Mina: (walks across the pathway to find Auggie sitting at the benches under the trees, sits next to him, putting her hair in a ponytail) What do you want, Auggie? And you should make it quick, lunch is practically over and I was up all night  with the cops asking me questions- I'm not my care free and chipper self.

Auggie: (laughs, then cuts himself short) Mina, have you ever been care free and chipper? (clears throat, drumming his fingers on his knees, adjusting his glasses, brushes his hair out of his face) That's what I want to talk to you abo-

Mina: Not you too, please? (smiles hopefully, looking strained) I've already had to tell people I wasn't involved.

Auggie: (avoids her gaze and shrugs) Well, what happened?

Mina: (looks up through the trees and scoots farther into the shade)

Auggie: What was that? (eyes narrow, looking at her sideways) What was that for?

Mina: It's nothing. Don't let it bother you. (bites lip and looks away)

Auggie: So please Mina; just tell me what went down. You can trust me, you have since forever and a day ago. You should talk, I was worried. I'd just like to know you're okay. (Auggie smiles weakly, touching her hand softly)

Mina: (startled by the touch, looks at Auggie hard) True. I was woken up by mom, because the police were at the door. I was asked if I knew Tyler Jones, and when I said yes they took me in to questioning. I simply told them the truth- I wasn't involved. It wasn't me.

Auggie: (shifts in seat, swallowing drily) Uhm, what do you mean?

Mina: I mean it wasn't me. Thought that was self explanatory. (smiles tightly)

Auggie: (looks back up at the sun, then down to where Mina is sitting in the shade- squints closer) Why would Tyler say it was you?

Mina: (shrugging, looking away) Maybe he thought it was me. Or maybe he wants to get back at me. (throws up her hands dramatically, scoffing) Maybe because of what he did to me in freshman year- you remember...

Auggie: (scowling, mouth tight) Yeah, I remember- I was there. And what you did wasn't enough!

(silence grows, Mina looks at Auggie with mouth parted, eyebrows furrowed)

Mina: When? I didn't do anything to him Auggie!

Auggie: Not now, but now too, I'm talking about freshman year. He walked all over you and discarded you. You did nothing! Sure you broke up with him, but he didn't learn anything.

Mina: I'm not his mom or teacher Auggie, and since when did you get so bothered by Tyler? I thought you had gotten over that with me.

(pauses, she looks down at the ground)

Mina: I'm confused. Are you mad at me? I didn't do anything to him, the police got it wrong. (pauses again, looking at Auggie- who turned away) You are mad at me.

Auggie: No, I'm not- just never mind. Just forget it. All I'm saying is that Tyler Jones got what he deserved.

Mina: (opens mouth to speak byt stops herself, pauses in realization, smacks Auggie's shoulder) You didn't do anything did you? Because he was dragged from his room and beaten within an inch of his life- you wouldn't do that, would you? (more to herself than him)

Auggie: (turns back to her coldly, rubbing his shoulder) What if I did?

(Mina stands angrily, standing directly in sun, fists clenched)

Mina: I- I don't know, it's been a chaotic couple of days. (voice hardens) What did you do Auggie?

(hurriedly steps under the trees for shade, spotlights get brighter)

Auggie: And what in God's name are you so agraid of the sun for? (verge of yelling, looks around the grounds and regains composure)

MIna: Stop changing the subject! (turns on him, fists clenched at sides) And maybe I'm allergic, ever think of that? And you're my friend, aren't you supposed to- I dunno (shrugs)- comfort me or something? Instead of accusing me of something I didn't do?

Auggie: (rolls his eyes, jaw set) Tell me the truth Wilhelmina.

Mina: Don't call me that, Auggie; you know I don't like it. (sits a bit to the side, facing Auggie) Besides, you won't believe me if I told you.

Auggie: Try me. (turns to see Mina better)

Mina: (bites lip, looking at her knees, cracks her knuckles anxiously) There's someone in town that looks like me, like, a lot like me. And I've lost something since she showed up.

Auggie: (rubs his arm, clearing his throat) What did you lose?

Mina: As of when the girl first showed up, my shadow.

(silence, Auggie unbuttons the top two buttons of his button-up shirt)

Auggie: Well than... That's one I've never heard.

Mina: Tell me I'm wrong, please.

Auggie: How can I know if you're wrong? You could very well be telling the truth. (pauses, considering) Wait, what else have you lost? You said 'as of when the girl first showed up,' implying you've lost more. What happened?

MIna: (rushed, getting irritable) I don't have a shadow, I don't have a reflection- what's your point?

Auggie: So, who do you think did that?

Mina: Aren't you going to tell me that that's impossible?

(Auggie stands slowly, taking her hans and stepping her out into the sun, looks down)

Auggie: No, I'm not, because that (points at her feet and lack of shadow) doesn't lie. And I believe you- because I may or may not have had a hand in it-

MIna: Auggie what did you do to me?

Auggie: I made you lose your shadow and your reflection. I did it, to finally get back at Tyler. He deserved whatever it is that happened to him.

(takes a deep breath)

Auggie: She's literally your mirror image. I have a gift, I can do that. The shadow girl was basically just everything instinctual in your personality. The shadow girl wouldn't have hurt Tyler is some part of you didn't want to. I was just trying to help, Mina, youhave to believe me...

Mina: (lips parted, steps back into the shade, shaking her head) What "gift?" And how could you do that? Without asking me? Whether or not Tyler got what he deserved I'm still the one the police think did it!

Auggie: (steps closer to Mina, trying to connect) I'm sorry, I didn't think it through. I thought it wouldn't be this extreme; by the way you talked about it afterwards. But it went wrong, and the way to get them back with you is something you won't do.

Mina: (scowling) How do you know what I would or wouldn't do? You can't have known me that well if you thought I'd want you to steal my shadow.

Auggie: I can guess... (looks down, biting his lip) We've been friends since fourth grade, I'd like to think I know you pretty well... I'm trying to fix this Mina, just let me try. (desperate, apologetic)

Mina: What can you do? Because you need to fix this- now- because we can't turn in Shadow Me to the police.

Auggie: How to cure it isn't something you'll do, I know you too well for that.

Mina: God damn it Auggie- does it look like I'm in a mood to be toyed with? I can't live with a double me!

Auggie: (bites lip, shrugging)

(bell rings in distance, high school students start running toward the school, both Auggie and Mina looks over to the school, Auggie makes a move to walk away)

Mina: (steps in front of Auggie as he moves to leave, he bumps in to her but stops) August. Gregory. Lavender. You aren't leaving. I don't care what classes we have next- you're fixing this now. (sighs, looking up at him) Please, Auggie. For me?

Auggie: (blushes, adjusts his glasses, pulling on the hem of his shirt) Mina, you don't know what you're asking.

Mina: Try me. (squares shoulders)

Auggie: You won't do it-

Mina: August! For crying out loud, just tell me. I'm not about to be framed by an alter ego. (puts a hand on her hip)

Auggie: (stammering) B-but you don't know th-the mind set I was in when I made y-you-

Mina: Shadow-less? Reflection-less? Falsely blamed for a felony?

Auggie: (pauses for a moment, mouth tight, eyes burning) Yes. (looks down at her, chin barely wavering) It was late, I was tired. I was bitter and lonely and I didn't think I could tell you. I just wanted the guy who got the better of you to understand what he did was wrong. I- (takes a deep breath) I wanted you to see that I cared for you, I didn't think it would turn out this way. I knew what I could do, so I did it- I'm sort of, well, sort of a-

Mina: (Eyebrows furrowed and head tipped slightly) A wizard? Warlock? Sorcerer? Please, you're kidding me. They don't exist.

Auggie: (flat tone) Neither do girls without shadows.

(pause, considers and nods, Mina touches Auggie's arm)

Mina: I'm listening.

Auggie: Well, in a medieval sense- yeah I am. I can just... Do things. If I wasnt something to happen I concentrate and it does. Everything but other peoples' free will. I tried to make Tyler apologize to you so many times, I tried to help you through what happened, but I couldn't do that any longer.

Mina: (softly) What do I do to get my shadow back?

Auggie: (blushes darker, looks away for a moment) You have to, well, ahain I'm so so sorry that this all went down like it did and I-

Mina: (softer, understanding) Auggie, just tell me what I need to do.

Auggie: You have to show me how you feel about me... (blushes, steps back, looking away) I'm sorry okay? IT was stupid and I wasn't thinking straight and I know you don't feel the same way and-

(Mina steps forward and stands on her toes, put her hands on his shoulders and kisses him, settling back on her feet)

(enter stage right a girl dresses like Mina, dark stage makeup to look shadowy, scowling, runs back and embraces Mina as she settles down- all of this unnoticed to the two of them)

(spotlights fade for just long enough for Shadow Mina to exit stage, lights fade back in to focus)

Auggie: (smiles slowly) You were just doing that to shut me up.

Mina: (smirks) Not exactly.

Auggie: Then what? (restraining a smile)

Mina: (smiling warmly, pushing him lightly on the shoulder) Idiot, I kinna like you. I thought that was self explanatory.

Auggie: (shrugs, beaming) Well, let's see how I did. Or how you did. Or something. (laughs lightly, rubbing his neck and smiling)

(Mina steps back into the sun, spotlights change to show a shadow stretched across the pathway)

Mina: You did good. Or I did good. Or something. (she smiles and offers her hand)

(Auggie takes it and they start walking back to the school)



Fin.