Storm Shattered  

 Stephanie : Grandchild, very stubborn, doesn’t express feelings to well

Grandma : Stubborn, but also tries her hardest to get through with Stephanie. Kind of delusional. 

Cassidy : Stephanie’s best friend since second grade. Very understanding 

( Stephanie and Grandma quietly but intensely sitting at the kitchen table watching the smoke from the macaroni rise into the air as Grandma just looks at Stephanie  ) 

Grandma:(Softly) Why ? 

Stephanie: Because grandma I just can't anymore. Im done trying. I'm just done with everything 

Grandma: And everything I’ve done for you.You want to treat me like this. I took you in when your scumbag of a mother left you for cocaine or as you call it her “candy”. 

Stephanie: ( Shockingly ) That's how you feel ? You know what I'll get my things and go. You never really cared for me. You just took me in as an image to show my “parents” what it's like to be a parent. It's not because you genuinely wanted me. Should’ve left this place the moment mom told me how you were going to treat me.

Grandma: An image? You don’t understand half of the bull-

Stepanie: I honestly don’t care what you guys went through in the past because the past is the past. Nothing I can do to change that, but for you to through what happened between mom and you in my face is pretty faul. 

Grandma: Your right baby I shouldn’t do that 

 ( Grandma rushes over to give Stephanie a hug, while Stephanie stands there and rolls her eyes ) 

Stephanie: This is exactly what I am talking about. You are always switching up your moods. It’s like you're confused. Maybe you're delusional and that’s the reason I need to go. I can’t keep dealing with your mood swings or whatever you call them.

( Grandma let’s go of Stephanie and backs away ) 

Grandma: Now your trying to diagnose me what the hell Stephanie. I am not delusional it’s called trying to leave the situation alone. But you wouldn’t know anything about that 

( Stephanie stops and just looks at Grandma with a blatant stare ) 

Stephanie: You know what...

( Stephanie starts walking toward Grandma ) 

Stephanie: You are right. I don’t know how to just walk away from the situation. I'm sorry I was never taught that. Not from my mom or dad or even you to be quite honest. I’ve always been taught to nag the situation on because that’s all I've ever seen. I'm sorry I was pretty much raising myself for the past 11 years. 

Grandma: leave then.

Stephanie: I will and I most definitely won’t come back this run down place. I will just go live with Cassidy. 

 ( Stephanie storms out of the room and slams the door in the middle of Grandma talking ) 

Grandma: ( Loudly ) It’s not run down 

( Lights go dim  ) 

( Lights open ) 

 ( Stephanie pacing back and forth in Cassidy’s living room contemplating the situation with her best friend Cassidy  ) 

Stephanie: Of course an image. I understand she’s my grandma and has done a lot by taking me in but it just doesn’t seem like she cares for me like she says she does. Ya know ?

Cassidy: But she has done a lot for you. I mean everything a parent does. 

Stephanie: But you haven’t been there the whole time, you haven’t seen all the stuff I have been through. She’s literally acted like she’s a god of some sort, just because she’s taken me in when my mom and dad were down bad 

Cassidy: That’s the point. Honestly she didn’t have too, she chose too. She’s still your grandma. I can name off all the times she went to your school events or those times she took you to the football games and bought you everything you needed and more. Cut her some slack Steph. Man if you don’t consider that love or care then you have a lot to work on. 

( Stephanie thinks about what she says and just gets quiet ) 

Stephanie: Now your sounding just like her

Cassidy: Like who ?

Stephanie: Like Grandma. People don’t understand what I go through on a day to day basis with her or the hurt I’m feeling from the time my mom had left till now. You should know out of all people. We’ve only been together since the second grade

Cassidy: Then express that. Stephanie you don’t ever express your feelings all you ever do is just keep your emotions in, and all that’s doing is creating a monster with your inner self

Stephanie: Maybe that’s how I cope 

Cassidy: Well maybe that should change 

( Stepahnie starts to get a bit louder because now shes starting to feel attacked ) 

Stephanie: Now your telling me I need to change how I deal with my feelings like your a counselor of some sort … I’m fine. I've been like this and you obviously see I’ve made it this far

Cassidy: But are you really? Every time I see you it’s like you want to be happy but there’s something going on and I know that it has something to do with your mom and grandma - 

( Stephanie rudely interrupts )  

Stepahnie: You know what, you don’t know. I’m fine and the fact that your trying to say I'm not like you know what’s going on and you really don’t. 

Cassidy: Are you okay?

Stephanie: ( Loudly) Are you even listening to me? I just said im fine for like the hundredth time. I’ve been fine and I will always be fine.

Cassidy: Okay then since you want to act like you're too good to talk about your feelings or just even able to express the elephant in the room. I’ll just leave.

Stephanie: No I’m sorry. 

Cassidy: ( Sighs ) here we go again 

Stephanie: What? 

Cassidy: You always do that, feel like you can say sorry after throwing a fit about something that could’ve been solved so easily. Stephanie, I’m done. I'm not going to keep dealing with this nonsense. 

Stephanie: So what your ending our friendship? 

Cassidy: I don’t know. I just know I can't keep dealing with this I’m sorry. 

Stephanie: Wow, and to say that we would never let anything get in between us. Shows that no one really is here till the end 

( Stephanie and Cassidy are just looking at each other ) 

Stephanie: After everything I- 

  ( Cassidy rudely interrupts )

Cassidy: Your delusional. I’ve been here the entire time for you. It’s called an even exchange not a robbery. But you wouldn’t know anything about that.

( Lights go dim. Scene ) 

( Stephanie talking to herself outside, walking through the neighborhood ) 

Stephanie: I wouldn’t know anything about that? Your right. I don’t know why everyone just expects me just pour my heart out. Nobody cares really cares about my feelings … Ehh but then again I don't always have to be so cold hearted… but then again people just don’t care. Maybe I should call Cassidy and tell her - 

( Stephanie looks to her left and smells the smoke and sees her house go up into big flames ) 

 Stephanie: Hold up wait. Is that … it can’t be 

 ( Stephanie starts to get a little  teary eyed ) 

Stephanie: ( Screams ) GRANDMA !  

(Lights go dim)  

( Lights open up ) 

( Stephanie is in a new apartment. Stephanie is sitting at the end of the bed crying bent over with her hands over her eyes ) 

Stephanie: ( Sniffling ) Everything is gone. 

(Grandma enters in the room and sits on the bed and starts to rub Stephanie on the back ) 

Grandma: Everything is going to be okay. 

Stephanie: It isn’t grandma. We lost everything. All of the memorable items. Grandpa’s army flag 

  ( Stephanie stars to get a bit quiet ) 

Stephanie: Mom’s ring that dad gave her 

Grandma: ( Rolls her eyes ) That fake ring never really meant anything anyways. I know we won’t ever get grandpa’s flag back but we will always have him with us. 

Stephanie: Yes it did. She was all I had. I mean up until I was 6. 

Grandma: Exactly the other 11 I took you in while your mom was out doing whatever she does and your dad out on “night duty”. 

Stephanie: Dear God, give them some slack I mean someone had to fend for the family since you wanted to leave. 

( Grandma stands up off the bed and bangs her hand on the dresser ) 

Grandma: (Loudly) I didn’t have to I raise your mother for 23 years and then offer to take you in because of drug abuse. I did that because I wanted to get you out of that situation because I care and I love you Stephanie. Why can’t you see that ? 

( Stephanie starts to get a bit emotional and her lip starts to quiver ) 

Stephanie: Maybe because I never had that shown to me. 

Grandma: I try all the time Stephanie. I have always seen the potential in you and how you were so strong with any and everything. No matter the situation and that’s what I have always admired about you and I apologize if I seem to come off like I don’t appreciate you the way I should, but I'm still trying after all these years. I just want us to be able to grow and not always have tension between- 

Stephanie: I love you too grandma 

Grandma: Huh ? 

Stephanie:I love you too. I realized that once I thought you we’re in the house when the fire happened. But I always just felt awkward saying it because I never heard mom or dad say it. But that’s why I get upset because I feel as if, that’s my only way to show you that I care and I know that’s not the right way because I feel like we can work on our differences if we just - 

Stephanie and Grandma (at the same time): Talk 

( They both smile at each other ) 

Stephanie: Exactly. We need to express ourselves more because there’s no need to bleed on the people who didn’t cut us.

( Scene )