Young Writers Society

A/N: This is part two of my play, scenes 4-8. Forgive me if I put too much stage direction here... The text that formatted in the center means that the dialogue happens simultaneously/ to Scrooge and the Ghosts. For those of you who haven't read part one,  here's a link :).   A Christmas Song: The Beginning

SCENE 4 (Scrooge, Ghost of Christmas Past)

(The clock strikes one in the morning)

Ghost of Christmas Past: *singing a Christmas song as she dances in the room with a lit candle* *dances and ends up in front of Scrooge* Mr. Elliot?

SCROOGE: *surprised at the spirit and jumps out of the couch* *the candle goes out* What?! Who are you?! What are you doing in my house?!

GCP: *sadly* You put my candle out, Mr. Elliot.

SCROOGE: What are you, what are you doing in my house? *aims the gun at her* What do you want?

GCP: *beat* I am the Ghost of Christmas Past, of course! Mr. Jacob told you to expect me, didn’t he? He was very sad, so I agreed to help him save his brother from his fate.

SCROOGE: *lowers gun* You’re a child and a Ghost? Oh, please. This must be a dream. Leave me alone, spirit!

GCP: I can’t until you come with me first! *grabs his arm*

SCROOGE: What?! Leave me! This is a dream!

GCP: *beat* If this is a dream, then why do you hesitate to come with me? A dream will never hurt you, so why not take the risk?

SCROOGE: *succumbs* Where to?

GCP:  Shake on it with me first.

SCROOGE: *with caution* Where to?

GCP: *lights a match* Your Christmas Past! *lights candle and takes his hand*

SCENE 5 (Scrooge, Ghost of Christmas Past, Young Scrooge, Sam Archer, Scrooge’s high school classmates) [high school, Christmas party setting.]

(Upstage: the high school students are having their Christmas party. YOUNG SCROOGE is seen reading a book alone in a corner while his classmates are having fun. SAM is also dancing but glances towards YOUNG SCROOGE from time to time)

(Scrooge and the Ghost stumble on the left catwalk of the stage, watching all that was happening upstage. The front of the stage is decorated like the HS classroom Christmas party.)

SCROOGE: *sees the scene, nostalgically* I remember this place. 

GCP: *looks around* Ooh! Christmas throwback! Where are we, Mr. Scrooge?

(The girl joins Young Scrooge in his corner as the two viewers talk)

SCROOGE: *watches YOUNG SCROOGE *laughs* We are in my Freshman year’s Christmas…there I am reading Sherlock Holmes.

GCP: *also watching* And the pretty young lady approaching the young you?

SCROOGE: *sweet-sorrow* Samantha Archer.

GCP/SCROOGE: *both watch the scene*

(The two kids are seen in the corner smiling at each other, though both timidly. They talk and laugh about the party. They talk about Elliot’s ambitious plans for the future. Sam encourages him to pursue his dreams)

SAM: *as she reaches for something in her bag* Oh, I almost forgot! *gives him a gift* Merry Christmas, Elliot!

YOUNG SCROOGE: *surprised* Woah, thank you! B-but you needn’t give me anything! I don’t have anything for you.

SAM: You don’t need to give me anything. This for you.

YOUNG SCROOGE: Why?

SAM: I thought that was what Christmas was all about? Showing kindness and giving gifts to people whom you care abou—*almost slips* Oh, it’s for you! Open it!

YOUNG SCROOGE: *surprised again of what he thought he heard* *opens the gift and brings out a new watch* Thank you, so much!

SAM: You’re welcome. *notices the music changes and it becomes a fun tune* Oh! Elliot I love this song! Dance with me! *drags him to the dance floor*

YOUNG SCROOGE: Sam, I don’t dance!

SAM: I don’t care! *laughs and positions him* I don’t care…**They both dance randomly**

**The music suddenly turns romantic**

YOUNG SCROOGE/SAM: *awkward!*

YOUNG SCROOGE: *looks at her in the eyes* *small smile* *gets her hands and places them around his neck; he holds her waist* **They slow dance with intense eye contact**

YOUNG SCROOGE: *nervous laugh* I hope this could count as a Christmas gift… *forehead to forehead* I’m sorry you’re gift from me was reduced to…something that cannot come in a box.

SAM: I don’t mind. *smiles and hugs him*

YOUNG SCROOGE: *astonished, but hugs back lovingly*

GCP: (to Scrooge) *elbows him* Nice one, Mr. Smooth-operator!

SCROOGE: *smiles at his younger self* She was always so sweet and kind…

GCP: But why do you seem so sad about it?

SCENE 6: (same, but with JACOB MARLEY and BI STUDENTS)

(As the lights of the front is turned off, the set changes as SCROOGE delivers his line. Party’s over, regular school atmosphere in the classroom)

SCROOGE: It was beautiful at first, but then I figured out it was all a trap.

GCP: Trap?

SCROOGE: She told me to do my best in everything; pour my heart and soul into all my work, so I did. I was an achiever; I got into the top of my level. I was always stressed! I was paranoid and plagued by those who hated me! Why would they hate me?!

(The stage is lit up again, usual non-Christmas setting.)

RANDOM STUDENTS: *congratulate YOUNG SCROOGE with his awards, grades, sports etc* [AD LIB]

(Students, MARLEY and SAM emerge from the shadows and immediately exit after saying their lines)

BI STUDENT: *encourages him to ignore the others' compliments* You’re way better than them! Why answer a ‘thank you’? What have they done for you?

BI STUDENT: *encourages him to keep a head high* You shouldn’t be here! You should be at home, studying and practicing! The students won’t be convinced of your rumored intellect if you socialize with the morons! Talk to people of your level only.

YOUNG SCROOGE: My level?

JACOB MARLEY: Yes. You deserve a smart, beautiful talented girl who is at par with your grades too! Sam does not satisfy that criteria.

YOUNG SCROOGE: B-but what if I love her?

JACOB MARLEY: Love her?! No love is real! Remember that! She’s just using you, obviously. I have a feeling she’s controlling you… right now. Am I right?

YOUNG SCROOGE: S-she tells me to keep making my dreams come tru—

JACOB MARLEY: No dreams come true! REMEMBER THAT! All there is to life is Money and Slaves. Now, which one do you want to be? The one with the whip or the one who is being whipped?

SAM: So… About that seminar…

SCROOGE: Oh no… Christmas Past, let’s go.

GCP: What? Why?

YOUNG SCROOGE: NO, Sam. I will not go to that seminar! I am an intellectual now, and then you suddenly expect me to…to mingle with those low lives?!

SCROOGE: Let’s go!

GCP: We can’t leave yet.

SCROOGE: I will not take it!

SAM: They are not low lives! They are our underclassmen who want to learn from you!

YOUNG SCROOGE: You shut up! *hits her*

SAM: *sad and angry* Elliot, what’s happening to you?! You didn’t care what others thought of you, so why did you change so much to keep your status?! WHY? TELL ME!

SCROOGE: *goes to SAM, though she doesn’t see him* I’m sorry, Sam.

YOUNG SCROOGE: This is your fault!

SCROOGE: (to SAM) It never WAS!

SAM: What?!

YOUNG SCROOGE: You are holding me back to climb higher! You just hang around for the bonus attention you get, don’t you?!

SCROOGE: Don’t listen to him.

SAM: Is that what you think of me, Elliot?!

SCROOGE: *desperation* I was mad, Sam!

YOUNG SCROOGE: *sarcastically* Oh no, Sam. I was talking to the girl who clings to me because I am popular! I cannot be seen with you anymore.

SAM: Nor I with you, Elliot. *leaves*

SCROOGE: *tries to go after her* *fails*

SCENE 7: (SCROOGE, GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST, GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT)

**they are transported back to Scrooge’s bedroom**

SCROOGE: *silently weeping on his knees*

GCP: That was your Christmas Past. It was—

SCROOGE: *grinding his teeth* I hate Christmas. *glares at GCP* I HATE CHRISTMAS! *draws deep breath* Leave me.

GCP: Mr. Elliot! I showed you what you had and what you lost! What you didn’t have and what you gained! Can’t you see the pattern? Use this to see yourself better.

SCROOGE: Be gone, Christmas Past!

GCP: *frowns* Only when the Past is banished from the thought, does it haunt us the worst once unearthed.

SCROOGE: LEAVE ME!!!

GCP: (to herself) *sighs* I tried! *walks to the door* I really tried this time. *opens the door, seeing THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT there, waiting*

Ghost of Christmas Present: Hey! How’d it— *was interrupted*

GCP: *walks out the door* Pretty good, actually. Good Luck.

GCPr: It was easy?

GCP: Oh, yeah. He was very cooperative and silent most of the time.

GCPr: *closes the door* Great! *stops when she sees the guy on the floor*

SCENE 8: (Scrooge, Ghost of Christmas Present)

GCPr: *deep breath* Elliot Scrooge. Elliot Scrooge, wake up. We need to see your Christmas Present.

SCROOGE: Elliot Scrooge doesn’t want to come with the Ghost of Christmas Present.

GCPr: Elliot Scrooge needs to. *pulls him up* There are things that are happening today that people fail to see because of those distorted views of the Past and Future. Most people just breathe and exist; it is rare to find people who live today. Some are stuck in the Past. Some are too focused on the Future to appreciate today.

SCROOGE: Which one am I?

GCPr: I think you can answer that after all of this is over… to the Present we go?

SCROOGE: *nods* Well? Transportation?

GCPr: *gets keys* *presses car unlock button* Sit in front…

**They exit the stage by the door**