(A girl is sitting on a swing-set. She looks up from her feet.)

Alyssa – Three blocks away my friend is in a coffin, being lowered into the dirt.

(She gets up from the swing-set.)

Alyssa – I’ve been her friend for about… since birth. I’ve been the person that went to her for everything. I was the one that asked for help, I was the weak one… But if that’s so… then why am I here and why isn’t she?

(She walks back to the swings.)

Alyssa – we used to sit here together when the world around us seemed lost.

(She switches to a 6 year old Alyssa sitting on the swings)

Younger Alyssa – Rose, when we are older, do you think we will still be friends?

Younger Rose – I know we will.

Younger Alyssa – promise?

Younger Rose – yes

Younger Alyssa – Pinky promise?

(She holds up her pinky)

Younger Alyssa – You can’t break a pinky promise.

(She is now back to the older Alyssa)

Alyssa – 10 years down the road. The promise is gone. So is she…

(She starts to walk away from the swings; she spins around and comes back)

Alyssa – We live in a typical small town, one of those towns that you can walk to anywhere. This is her house. I love this house. All the sleepovers, the movie nights, and the fun we had… That fun didn’t last as long as I would have liked, but it lasted… and I am happy about the times we had.

(She spins away from the audience, and turns back around)

Alyssa – This is my house…

(She looks at the ground)

Alyssa – I could say I had a rough child hood, but really that would be a lie. My mom loved me; my father treated me like a princess. Even when he got occasionally wasted... It wasn’t until a month ago that my life’s course changed completely…

(She spins away from the audience and turns back)

Alyssa – My dad came home one night, he just lost his job. He was completely wasted he hit my mom, I went to stop him and he hit me. I ran away to the only place I could.

(She gets really quiet)

Alyssa – When that happened my world crashed and I returned to the place I felt comfort, and Rose was there waiting for me.

(Alyssa sits down on the swing, distraught)

Rose – you should stay at my house for a little… But can we go somewhere else?

Alyssa – maybe… and no, this is our place.

Rose – Alyssa please.

(Alyssa starts to cry heavily)

Alyssa – I just don’t know why this happened! Why does he have to be like this?

Rose – Look come to my house and we will talk.

Alyssa – No! I’m comfortable here!

Rose - …I’m begging you.

(Alyssa raises her head and looks toward Rose)

Alyssa – Why don’t you just go!

Rose – fine. Just I need to talk to you, please call me.

(Alyssa stands up)

Alyssa – I never called her. I never wanted to talk… about anything… The part of me that left when I saw my father like that. Nobody gets it. I’m alone. I’m simply, filled up space. Nobody understands this… But only if I knew I was wrong all along. People go through this stuff everyday.

(Alyssa looks to her left)

Alyssa – When someone that close to you does that… You feel like nothing…

(She turns back away from the audience and turns back around. She is Rose this time. Rose is holding a phone to her head.)

Rose – Alyssa, I just want to talk to you… a lot has happened… I don’t know what I’m going to do… I have nobody to go to except you and you won’t listen… Please. I need you to…

(Dial tone sound, She puts the phone into her pocket, She switches into Alyssa)

Alyssa – why didn’t I just answer? She needed my help and I wasn’t there.

(She walks to the side and sits down on the swing-set.)

Alyssa – why am I still here… This place should be destroyed.

(She takes a deep breath)

Alyssa – Rose was rapped… Here, right beside me.

(She looks at the ground)

Alyssa – Some college guy that graduated from our high school started talking to her through Facebook and wanted to meet her. So she told him about this place. One thing led to another, and…

(She starts to cry)

Alyssa – She was my BEST FRIEND.

(She gets up and paces)

Alyssa - She was taken advantage of, she was raped and she couldn’t live with that. She KILLED herself because no one would listen. Not even me… So again I ask. Why wasn’t it me? Why was she the one that had to go through all this? She didn’t deserve it. NOBODY deserved this. The only reason I know about what happened is because she wrote me… a letter.

(She almost cries more)

Alyssa – A LETTER! TO. HER. BEST. FRIEND… If I would have taken just a minute to listen to her. She would still be here.

(She turns away and turns back miming a box held in her hands)

Alyssa – In this box is key to understanding…

(She takes the lid off of the box)

Alyssa – Understanding her…

(She takes out a gun from the box, her hand quivers)

Alyssa – The knowledge of knowing with the pull of the trigger everything will be over, all my problems, done.

(She brings the gun closer)

Alyssa – But…

(She throws the gun down)

Alyssa – I made a promise. An unbreakable promise. She’s not able to keep it but I am and I will. I’ll carry on this friendship, since I’m the last one left. She would want that. As friends go, I wasn’t the best. And she deserved a better friend. So I’m going to give it to her.

(She stands and looks straight forward)

Alyssa – I promise.

{The End}