She Shoots! She Scores!

 I decided to break way out of my comfort zone with my writing. Instead of just coming up with thoughts and putting them out there, or researching an idea and writing about that. I wrote a 1 act play. So, when reading it, keep that in mind. 

Through everything that has been happening on the homefront, doing this deep dive into writing has been cathartic and I am so excited to see where this leads...

The play is about a woman and her high school best friend (and crush) accidentally being seated next to each other on a plane after not seeing each other in over 30 years. 

 

List of characters: Mollie Carter (Female Lead)

                             Jackson Emery (Male Lead)

                             Char (Flight Attendant)

                             Captain Mike Phillips (Airline Pilot)

                             Narrator (guides the reader through the script)

 

Act 1

Narrator: It is a crowded flight. As Mollie is getting herself situated in Business Class after boarding the flight, she is observing and wondering who will be sitting next to her on the cross-country flight from Miami, Florida to San Francisco, California. She shrugs to herself, checking out the outfit she chose, black leggings with knee-high black boots with a silver buckle at the top, she added a long-sleeved pink tunic with silver threading throughout and topped the outfit with a black and pink blazer. Mollie was wearing her Coach messenger bag as a cross-body. She exuded confidence.

Mollie: (to herself) Hmmm not too bad, ol’ girl. You have certainly figured out how to put an outfit together and thanks to several hours following content creators on TikTok, your make-up skills are way better than high school. (Mollie shakes her head with horrific makeup memories from middle and high school.)

Narrator: The Business Class flight attendant, Char, is showing more passengers to their seats and helping passengers close the overhead compartments.

The overhead speaker comes on and Captain Mike Phillips welcomes the passengers onboard and gives them an ETA of the non-stop flight to San Fransico. As Char is helping, Mollie looks up.

Char: Okay sir, here is your seat. Please fasten your seatbelts and I will be around shortly after take-off to get your beverage and meal orders.

Jackson: Thank you. I hope the meal is as good as the meal from my flight here was. I have been supervising hockey tryouts for a new team I am starting in California. I am starving! (Jackson laughs and rubs his stomach, pretending that it is sticking out)

You can hear the sound of seatbelts clicking and the sound of the engines warming up.

Narrator: Jackson looks over to Mollie and offers her a warm smile with his greeting. Mollie smiles back. In that moment, Mollie realizes that Jackson is so familiar to her. She remembers their friendship and how he never loved her the way she loved him.

Mollie: (to herself) How was he supposed to love me like I loved him, and I never told him that I loved him, loved him… Let’s see where things go. My God, he looks exactly the same. How is that even possible?

Char and the other flight attendants begin the presentation of emergency exits, seats are also floatation devices, and to please remain seated until the fasten seatbelts sign is turned off. The plane begins to taxi down the runway to take off.

Mollie: Jackson? Jackson Emery? How are you after all these years? 32, to be exact, right?

Jackson looks at Mollie with Confusion

Jackson: I..uh. I’m sorry. Do I know you? The fasten seatbelt sign turns off, and the flight attendants stand to get the beverage carts ready and get the meals in the oven while prepping the salads.

Mollie: Um…Seriously? Yeah, I’d say after 4 years of getting up at 4am to go to 5am hockey practices with you, four summers of going back and forth to our families’ lake houses, and 17 million hours of phone calls, we know each other.

Everything begins to make sense to Jackson. He remembers Mollie. Jackson’s eyes dance.

Jackson: Oh my God!!! You look… Char approaches.

Char: Hello again (she says in a heartfelt way). We have any beverage you would like, and the meal is grilled chicken Ceasar salad with garlic bread. Sound good?

Mollie: Yes. The salad sounds amazing and could you please bring us 2 glasses of pinot noir. Is that okay? Jackson?

Jackson stares in wonder at Mollie.

Jackson: Huh? Oh yes. Long bathroom waits are a nightmare. Wait… What?

Mollie and Char: (laughing together) Char walks off to get the rest of the orders.

Mollie: (now looking at Jackson) I am so very glad to see you. I didn’t even know how much I missed you until I saw your face.

Jackson: Mollie, you look so amazing! I love your style, your pixie cut, and your eyes. I have always loved your eyes, especially when they were looking at me. Amber brings Mollie and Jackson their wine.

Mollie: (Wipes a tear from her face, takes a sip of wine and exhales deeply.) I was the chunky and nerdy girl who was just happy to be in your presence, but I had this heart-crushing love for one of the funniest, strongest, and sexiest guys I have ever met. Like ever. (she maintains eye contact even while blushing)

Through the overhead speaker, Captain Phillips checks in and gives some facts about Louisiana as they are about to fly over. Then jokes about making an unscheduled stop to run and get some gumbo. You can hear chuckles through the cabin and some passengers agreeing that they want some gumbo, too.

Jackson: I was an ass. You were one of my best friends. The one person I couldn’t wait to talk to, even after a date. I had an image to maintain and that meant I had to have a tall, hot, but dumb girlfriend. I am so, so sorry.

Mollie: (wiping another tear from her face, and gently wiping the tears from Jackson’s face) Mollie thinks to herself, that “it has to be now or never.” She leans over, takes Jackson’s face in her hands and kisses him. The kiss was soft and lingering. With a giggle and a long exhale, says a little too loudly, She shoots!!! She Scores!!!

Jackson: You can score with me for the rest of our whole lives! It is not a coincidence we found each other after all these years.

Mollie: I live in San Francisco.

Jackson: That is where I am moving.

Mollie: To my house, right?

Jackson: There is no other place I want to be, than wherever you are.

Mollie: She shoots! She Scores!

Narrator: Mollie and Jackson kissed and held hands the rest of the flight.

 

End of Act 1

This is an original work by Shelley Nalls. It is not to be copied or distributed without my consent.