Memoirs of a Suicide Rooftop (A Musical), Page 2
Persephone Litchfield
Act II
SID paces her room, confused and concerned, it is the day of her suicide, but she has gone back in time. The clock passes time normally. TWEEN SID and YOUNG SID enter. They will now be addressed as T SID and Y SID.
Sid: I don't understand. I need to kill Quinn, I have to find the bomb.
T Sid: Kill Quinn? You don't need to get yourself arrested, the police wouldn't believe your story anyway.
SID is in complete shock in seeing her younger selves enter her room.
Y Sid: Don't freak out.
T Sid: It's just a hallucination.
Y Sid: From last night. But don't worry! We can explain!
Sid: Explain what?
T Sid: Last night you jumped off the building with Quinn Handlen's bomb, in attempt to save your home.
Y Sid: Which we're so proud of by the way!
T Sid: You were so noble, that the universe granted you, well us, the gift to go back one day to stop the bomb from being set up. It's 24 hours now from when you jumped off the building.
Sid: And if I stop the bomb the past is gone?
Y Sid: It is the past! Your suicide hasn't happened yet!
Sid: Oh...
T Sid: You have to convince Quinn Handlen not to set up that bomb.
Y Sid: He goes to University of Connecticut, his first class starts at 8:10, better get a move on.
Sid: How do you know all this? I thought you were a hallucination.
Y Sid: The universe sent this hallucination, we know things.
T Sid: Good luck, oh and take this.
TWEEN SID hands SID a watch
Y Sid: Good luck!
TWEEN SID and YOUNG SID exit. SID exits out the other side, the scene changes, SID knocks on QUINN's apartment door.
Quinn: Sid?
Sid: You remember me? From last night?
Quinn: I remember you from Chemistry class last year, what about last night?
Sid: Wrong person, I- um... I brought you breakfast.
SID hands him a brown paper bag.
Quinn: (Confused) Um, thanks? Look, I have a class to go to, what do you want?
Sid: (Thinking quickly how to follow him around for the day) I need to write a um- a paper for class. About a college student, and the college life. Could I um write it about you?
Quinn: Beat it.
Sid: No.
Quinn: Excuse me?
Sid: I said no. I am writing this paper about you whether you want me to or not.
Quinn: (A grin spreads across his face. He likes her feisty-ness) Ok then. One day.
Sid: One day, that's all I need.
Quinn: C'mon in, kid. What’s this paper even about?
Sid:
(Flustered)
This paper, is a very important paper
You see this paper is about all the college lies
Does college change a man?
Do grades affect his psyche?
Find out now in this paper that I’m writing
This paper is the most important paper
Because this paper is worth half of my grade
Quinn:
What class?
Sid:
Contemporary relationships!
This paper going to be a major paper
Because this paper is all about you
This paper could change college as you know it
This paper could shape the entire world
It’s about the average man in classes
It’s about the average college year
How it changes a person
How it hurts a person
How it fixes a person
This paper, is a very important paper
You see this paper is about all the college lies
Does college change a man?
Do grades affect his psyche?
Find out now in this paper that I’m writing
This paper is the most important paper.
It’s the most important paper that I’ll ever write
Quinn: This better be one hell of a paper.
Sid: It will be, Q.
Quinn: Q?
Sid: (Improvising) If we're going to work together I might as well be able to call you something easy.
Quinn: They're the same number of syllables.
Sid: (Writing in notepad) Difficult and hard to deal with
Quinn: I didn't say you couldn't call me it. (chuckles)
Sid: Alrighty, Q. (Scratches off note she made)
Blackout
Scene 2
SID and QUINN eat muffins, at QUINN'S kitchen table. SID is obviously very on edge, but plays it cool.
Quinn: So what class is this for again?
Sid: Uh- Contemporary Relationships.
Quinn: What class is that?
Sid: It like-uh-teaches you how to handle life and the outside world and stuff.
Quinn: Oh? Since when does Westport High School offer that?
Sid: It's new.
Quinn: Who teaches it.
Sid: Why so many questions?
Quinn: Because you randomly showed up at me and my Mom's apartment?
Sid: You live with your mom? I thought she- oh.
Quinn: What? You thought she what?
Sid: (flustered, irritated at what she said out loud) I was thinking of someone else, okay?
Quinn: Okay.
SID writes something in her notebook
Quinn: What are you writing?
Sid: Inquisitive.
Quinn: Big word.
Sid: Big vocabulary.
Quinn: Fair point.
QUINN grabs his backpack and heads out the door, SID scurrying behind him, following his every move, careful not to lose him. She looks at her watch.
Sid: Okay, so what class do you have first?
Quinn: Psych, with Femmingdale.
Sid: Gotcha.
SID and QUINN sit in desks, implying they are in class but a teacher and students aren't seen. On the upper level YOUNG SID and YOUNG QUINN are speaking.
Y Quinn: Nobody understands me, and I don't get why. All the other kids love these girls and are so...happy. I want to be like them. There's a boy in my class named Chris. He's handsome, and cute and pretty and his mom said we should have a playdate. I would like to have a playdate with Chris. Maybe I could marry him one day. But mom says boys can't marry boys. I think boys should marry whoever they want. I think boys should be able to kiss whoever they want. I would like to kiss Chris. He probably tastes like sugar.
Y Sid: Mom and Dad are fighting again. But it's okay, because one day, they won't fight anymore. One day we'll be one big happy family. Like we were. We moved to Westport last week. It's pretty! There is a boy in my class named Alex. He tells me stories at recess about tornadoes, I like tornadoes, I think they're cool. I think people are like tornadoes because people are cool too. People like to blow around like tornadoes, they destroy things when they blow around. That's what my mom says about my dad. He destroys things. My dad must be like a tornado, he is cool, but he destroys things.
SID writes down something, no one can hear her as she says her line...except the audience
Sid: Quinn is like a tornado, he seems cool and collected but he is destroying himself.
Blackout
Scene 3
QUINN is typing on his phone, the coming out message his mom kicked him out for. SID realizes this and strikes her opportunity.
Sid: What are you typing?
Quinn: None of your business
Sid: Delete it when you're done
Quinn: Huh?
Sid: Uh-um if you don't want me to see it then delete it.
QUINN suspiciously deletes the texts off his phone.
Quinn: You're a strange kid, you know that?
Sid: I try.
They laugh
Quinn: What do you have written so far?
Sid: Nothing yet, I'm taking mental notes.
Quinn: Um? Okay.
Sid: What?
Quinn: What?
Sid: Why'd you say um like that?
QUINN raises his hand to speak and his sleeve slides up, showing fresh self harm marks. SID looks at them, and shys away, the lights dim and go back to the second level, where TEEN SID is speaking.
T Sid: I cut myself today. I needed to. I'd never done it before but I hit my limit. I started sobbing and I couldn't control what was happening.
T Quinn: I got a letter from my girlfriend today. I feel shattered. Josephine wrote it. She said;
Quinn-
Words can not describe how mad at you I am right now.
I am writing this because I can't even look at you.
I know what you did.
I know you were the one who texted Anna.
Don't deny it.
And if somehow it "wasn't you" then it was you telling someone about it.
In case it wasn't implied we’re through.
Because of you I lost my best friend.
Because of you my parents are beyond mad at me
. It was stupid of me to really think that you changed for me to actually trust you.
Actually trust you
Turns out you’re like everyone else.
A JERK.
A jerk
If I am found with you I'm being pulled out of the field trip on Thursday.
Don't talk to me, don't get near me. My life was better before you came back in.
My parents told me you were an asshole
but I didn't believe them at all.
Now thanks to you, you proved them right.
Bye for good,
-J
I don't understand. I never did anything.
T Sid: My friend Josephine wrote her ex a letter today. She blamed him that we don't hang out anymore. I don't hang out with her because she's mean and manipulative. She's using him. Everyone uses him.
SID remembers this memory and her head shoots up, thinking of an idea to convince QUINN not to kill himself.
Sid: Everyone uses him
Blackout
Scene 4
The two are back at QUINN’s apartment talking.
Quinn: Y’know you were always way better than me at chemistry.
Sid: I am fully aware of that.
Quinn: How were you so good at it?
Sid: I don’t know. (writing in her notepad) Bad at chemistry.
Quinn: Very funny.
Sid: Thanks, I’ll be here all week. Hey, do you have a bathroom?
Quinn: Down the hall and to the left.
SID exits, scene shifts to QUINN’s room. SID looks around for the materials to build a bomb. She picks up wires. She opens her backpack and stuffs them in there.
Sid: (writing in her notepad) I have wires. A red one and a yellow one.
Quinn: (Calling from outside) Sid?! You okay?!
SID runs back out to the kitchen table.
Sid: Yep, just had to take care of-um- lady things.
Quinn: Didn’t need to know that.
Sid: I figured.
Quinn: So-
Sid: Hey can I ask you a stupid question?
Quinn: I mean, sure I guess?
Sid:
When you were younger
Did you ever feel alone
Like the world was collapsing
And you had to build it on your own
Did you feel like it would never be okay.
Cause that’s how I feel today
When you were younger
Did you ever want to die
Ever feel like there’s no reason why you’re alive
Ever feel like you’re always being used
Cause right now I feel like I lose
And I’m afraid
Of the world
Of the people who will hurt me
But I know that it’s fine
Because all will work out
In due time
Because all will work out
In due time
When you were younger did you feel you didn’t fit in
All the other other kids were mean and smart and thin
And you wonder if you’ll ever be like them
And you wonder if ever then just when
When you were younger, did you ever fantasize
About growing up and the waves you’d have to ride
And then you feel like you’ve crashed upon the shore
Cause that’s how I felt when I came to your door
And I’m afraid
Of the world
Of the people who will hurt me
But I know that it’s fine
Because all will work out
In due time
Because all will work out
In due time
You can’t give up on the world
You can let the people get into your head
The world is scary but guess what?
We are stronger than them.
We are stronger than them.
You take the world on your chin
You bear it with a smile and never give in
Cause who knows?
In 20 years who knows.
And I’m afraid
Of the world
Of the people who will hurt me
But I know that it’s fine
Because all will work out
In due time
Because all will work out
In due time
QUINN hugs SID tightly and they both cry. They stand like that for a while, rocking back and forth in each other’s arms.
Quinn: I-I feel so alone.
Sid: I know you do. I know.
Quinn: No. You don’t understand. I’m afraid and I’m dying inside and I don’t know what to do.
Sid: I know. Trust me, I know. They hurt you. And it’s hard. But we can’t destroy because people destroy us.
Quinn: How did you know about-
Sid: You wouldn’t believe me.
Quinn: I want to die, Sid. I want to die.
QUINN hangs onto her. SID makes the decision to do what she believes is right.
Sid: Show me where the bomb is.
Quinn: I-
Sid: I want to help you, Q. Please.
Quinn: Okay.
QUINN takes a deep breath and takes SID into his room. He pulls out pieces and wires. SID discreetly takes out her phone and dials 3 numbers. 9-1-1. She doesn’t speak, she just lets the cops listen in on the conversation. Purposefully leaving key information.
Sid: So you were planning to jump from the top of Westport tower, where you live, where we are right now. How did you plan to get up there from apartment 213A.
Quinn: I was going to use the elevator, sneak in through the empty apartment and out onto the balcony from that window.
Sid: And when were you planning to detonate the bomb that you have in your hands right now.
Quinn: When I jumped.
Sid: Are you still planning to jump? From the top of Westport tower apartements?
Quinn: I don’t know.
The police ram down the door and grab QUINN. SID looks down at the floor. QUINN lashes against the police, trying to get away. He screams at SID.
Quinn: How could you?! How could you betray me like this?! How could you do this to me?! You lying bitch! You child-
He is taken offstage.
Blackout.
Scene 5
At the prison. SID talks to QUINN. QUINN is happy to see her.
Quinn: I’m glad you came. I’ve been requesting to see you for months and I am just so excited to see you! I’m sorry for freaking out-
Sid: Quinn. I can’t talk to you.
Quinn: What?
Sid: I was there the night you tried to bomb the building.
Quinn: I never did that.
Sid: You did. But the clock turned backwards. The universe gave me a second chance.
Quinn: I don’t believe you.
Sid: And you don’t have to. But you deserve
an explanation. I can’t see you anymore. I can’t talk to you. All I can see in my brain whenever you call is you on the edge of Westport tower. And I still hear the beeping getting faster and faster and my head starts spinning and suddenly I’m back in the airspace between the top of Westport tower and the ground, and it’s horrifying. And you did that to me. It’s all your fault. And just because you got a second chance too, doesn’t mean that I should give you one. Even now, when I look at you, I am afraid. I am terrified of losing myself again. Of losing my home. And I can’t do that again, Quinn. I can’t.
Quinn: Sid, please-
Sid: Goodbye, Quinn.
SID exits. QUINN breaks down in tears. He sings the last thing he can think of SID telling him. The last good thing. The only hope he has left to hold on to.
Quinn:
And I’m afraid
Of the world
Of the people who will hurt me
But I know that it’s fine
Because all will work out
In due time
Because all will work out
In due time
Blackout
End of Act II
End of show
