He's in Love With a Stripper

This was my second assignment that I just turned in, in my dramatic writing class. Jacob, my TA, gave good reviews and thought that I should expand on it and make into a short play. Who knows...maybe I will.

He's in Love With a Stripper

Her name was Amelia Cassack. But everyone at work called her Cassie. Largely in part because she didn’t want anyone to know her real name. In her line of work this type of consideration was essential to her safety. She was 20 and gorgeous, therefore using her looks to pay her way through school.

His name was Stephen Lerner. He has just turned 21 and has never been to a strip club. His four best friends thinking this to be the most ridiculous thing ever, decided to surprise him for his birthday. They brought him to a strip club, got him drunk, and then bought him a lap dance (in that order).

(Stephen nervously taps right foot simultaneously tapping his left hand on his left knee to opposite rhythms. Amelia walks in wearing a red see through type of nightgown, black patent high heeled boots that went up to her knees, a black thong, and black lacy bra. Stephen stands now tapping his left hand on his side, faster.)

Amelia
(She drops her purse of cash in the corner of the room.)
Hey there big boy.

Stephen
Hi.
(Still tapping his hand, and obviously nervous.)

Amelia
Why don’t you have a seat?
(She’s turned around adjusting her bra, and then bends over to adjust her boots.)

Stephen
(He stops moving altogether when she bends over.)
Okay.
(He doesn’t sit down.)

Amelia
(She turns around.)
Did you want me to give you a lap dance standing up?

Stephen
What?
(He begins nervously tapping his hand again.)

Amelia
(Walks up close to him, and grabs his hand to make it stop. She whispers in his ear.)
You should sit down.
(He does.)

Stephen
Hi. I’m Stephen.
(He extends his hand to Amelia for a handshake. She ignores it.)

Amelia
(Giggles)
I’m going to turn the music on now. And remember you can look, but you can’t touch. Unless, of course, I ask you to. Got it?

Stephen
(Nods a little too quickly)
Okay.

Amelia
(She flips a switch that turns on the music and a series of rotating disco balls.)
You ready for me big boy?

Stephen
Uh…yeah…uh…huh…
(He has been nodding the whole time.)

Amelia
First time?
(Amelia is bending over in front of Stephen, looking at him from between her legs, she slowly rises and begins to take off the red see through nightgown slowly.)

Stephen
Uh…yeah… I mean…
(clears his throat)
naw… I uh…yeah…
(He just leans back and stares.)

Amelia
(With her nightgown off she walks toward him, and with one leg up, and about to straddle him, she suddenly stops)
Do I…know you?

Stephen
(Leans forward to get a better look at her)
OH SHIT! AMY???

Amelia
OH MY FUCKING…WHAT THE FUCK?!
(She gathers her clothing of the floor and tries to cover herself up with her see through nightgown)

Stephen
Oh my God! How are you?! Give me a hug!
(He stands with his arms open, but is stumbling drunk.)

Amelia
You have got to be fucking shitting me. You’re so fucking drunk.
(She turns off the music and lights)

Stephen

It’s my birthday! What are you doing here anyway? Whoa…I’m gonna need to sit down again.

Amelia
Um. I work here. I almost gave you a lap dance remember?
(She motions toward her outfit)

Stephen
Oh yeah! You got fucking hot!
(He says with a big smile on his face.)

Amelia
(She steps closer toward him.)
Look Stephen, I’d rather if you not say anything about me working here. And if you not tell anyone here my name’s Amelia. If anyone asks, it’s Cassie okay?

Stephen
Of course, anything for an old friend. Now how about that hug?
(He opens his arms up again.)

Amelia
Stephen, I can’t. I’m sorry. I have to go.
(She leaves.)

Stephen
Now why does that sound so familiar?
(He grabs his jacket, and uses as it as blanket to take a nap.)

Greg and Tess

I'm taking a dramatic writing class this quarter, and it's a tad challenging due to the fact that I write fiction, not plays or screenplays. But the class gave me good reviews on my first attempt. Here it goes:

Greg
So where were you today?

Tess
I told you, I went to lunch with the girls.

Greg
All day? Did you guys hang out after too or something?

Tess
Um, well after lunch I went out for a little bit.

Greg
It’s nine o’clock Tess. You’ve been out for like twelve hours.

Tess
No I went out at like ten…so it was only like eleven hours. (begins to straddle him in his seat, kiss his neck, talk in baby talk, etc.)

Greg
(He stops her, and holds her away at shoulder‘s length) Teresa, stop being cute, I was worried.

Tess
Shit…okay honey, I’m sorry God…(gets off him and walks into the bathroom, Greg follows her and leans against the doorway as she takes off her make-up)

Greg
I called Jules, she said you got out of lunch at one.

Tess
Yeah, we did.

Greg
She also said you didn’t want to go shopping with Maggie afterwards.

Tess
Yeah, I wasn’t really in the mood. Plus I’ve been spending too much money lately. So you should be proud of my self-restraint. Why are you all concerned with where I go all of the sudden anyway?

Greg
Straight up? (she nods) Okay, like I said before I was really worried and it was getting late and you weren’t here so-(she interrupts him)

Tess
Aw, how cute you were worried about me. (She puts her arms around his neck and begins to kiss him)

Greg
(smiles as she kisses him, but then pushes her away again) Tess, come on, just tell me where you were.

Tess
(arms still wrapped around him) Ugh, okay, since it’s not a big deal, I went to McMillan’s office. (begins to kiss him again)

Greg
(stops kissing and holds her away from him) McMillan’s office?

Tess
Yeah.

Greg
Dr. McMillan? The friendly neighborhood oncologist?!

Tess
Yeah. It was just a little check up, whatever, then I went to get some coffee and write a bit at the café around the corner from his place and now I’m here.

Greg
Little check ups are not “whatever” and definitely don’t happen at ONCOLOGY offices.

Tess
Yeah they do. And how the hell would you know anything about it anyway?

Greg
Because I talked to Robert and he said you were having a round of chemo. (Tess immediately stops what she’s doing) So are you going to tell me what’s going on now?
(Tess is quiet, she pushes past him and heads to the kitchen, she leans against the sink looking for a way out of their conversation)

Greg
Don’t do this Tess. Don’t shut me out, you need to talk to me. We have a life together now. (She begins to wash the dishes, he shuts of the water, furious.) Damnit Tess! Talk to me!

Tess
(She turns the water back on and begins washing the dishes again) Gregory Capana, why are these dishes just sitting in the sink?

Greg
(Attempting to be calm but still apparently furious) Teresa look at me.

Tess
I’m cleaning up after you, can’t you be more appreciative?

Greg
Tess, just turn around. (He starts to rub her back)

Tess
It’s really not that hard to put dishes in the dishwasher. (She’s beginning to break down.)

Greg
Tess…

Tess
I mean you eat something, and then you fucking clean it. It’s that simple, and some dumbasses can’t even do stupid simple shit like that. It’s not like I’m asking you to become a servant or some shit like that. I just hate always having to be the Mom here. (the last few words are staggered as Tess is trying not to cry)

Greg
(he finally gets to her and holds her hands in his and puts dishes down, and turns off the water. Tess begins to cry, he turns her to face him) Talk to me.

Tess
FUCK! (she breaks down, he holds her) Last month, remember when I had my annual, it was all routine you know, they do the normal tests and whatever.

Greg
Mhm…yeah I remember

Tess
Then a week later they tell me I need to come in right away, but they didn’t tell me what for. So, I go in and um…(she tries to hold back her tears) they have the results of my tests…

Greg
yeah…

Tess
And um… (she pauses) it’s back.

Greg
Oh God, Tess… (he holds her more tightly, she semi-pushes him away)

Tess
Greggy, there was more.

Greg
Okay what?

Tess
I was supposed to have my first round of chemo today, just like Robert told you, but I decided not to.

Greg
What?!

Tess
Greg, just listen to me. (she sighs and tries to pace herself as she speaks) I didn’t tell you where I was going today because I didn’t want you to know, that (she pauses) it’s stage five. The chemo would’ve been useless anyway.

Greg
What?! Why didn’t you tell me all this before?!

Tess
How the fuck was I supposed to tell my fiance that even though I love him so much, and have been looking forward to becoming his wife for two years, a wedding would just be a waste of moeny! Huh?! I mean I could be gone in a year! I just…I love you Greg! And I didn’t want to put you through all this again.

Greg
All what?! All this shit that I already have to go through anyway?!

Tess
YES! All this shit! All this FUCKED UP SHIT! God Greg, I’m FUCKING DYING! Okay?! Happy?! Now you know everything! Woopdie doo! I told you, and now you’re hurt, and sad and whatever. But you know what? Fuck you! You’re not even the one dealing with ANYTHING! I’M dying. ME! I’m twenty-four fucking years old, I thought I beat it, and I was so FUCKING happy! And pretentious, and now I AM DYING! (lets out a big sigh as she just bursts into tears. Greg holds her as she tries to resist, and then finally gives in) I’m dying, Greg. (She whispers between sobs)

Greg
(holding her and trying to console her) I know, honey, I know. Shh..

Voice Over
Then he told me the nicest lie any girl could ask for.

Greg
You’re going to be fine. Everything’s going to be ok.

Voice Over
All I could think was, no, it’s not. In reality nothing’s going to be okay, and we both knew that. But I gave in to the lie because of how perfect it sounded.

Tess
Promise?

Greg
I Promise. (He kisses her)

Apologies.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not calling, for not being there more, for not telling you the three simplest words I could ever say. I'm sorry for leaving you. I told myself that it does not do anything to dwell on the idea too long. That my reasons for leaving were completely justified. That everything wrong with us was your fault. I told myself that I was making the right decision. That it would be better for everyone, that I needed to leave you. I told myself that I shouldn't regret it. That one should never regret anything in one's life. That making a decision such as I did would add character. That it would contribute to my maturity and self-development. But it didn't.
I have spent years missing you. Wondering what you're doing at any given moment of every day. Wondering if you ever missed me. I have spent years wondering whether or not I did in fact make the right decision. Wondering if you'd ever take me back, if you still loved me, or if you even thought about me.
And then I saw you with her. You looked happy. You looked happier than you ever did with me. And then I saw you kiss her and I knew. She loved you back. I knew that I wasn't the love of your life, though you have always been the love of mine, despite everything. And then I saw you say "I do." I saw the minister pronounce you man and wife. Then I knew. You had gotten all you ever wanted with someone else, and I had lost you forever.
I'm sorry it wasn't me. I'm sorry for every hurtful thing I have ever said to you. I'm sorry I was never ready to let myself love you completely, the way you had always loved me. I'm sorry I never let you know just how much I was in love with you. I'm sorry I didn't have enough strength to stay. I'm sorry for leaving you.
But thank you for being strong enough to fall in love again, much stronger than I can ever even hope to be, though it pains me desperately to know it will never be with me.

Faceless Sex.

Once upon a time a young girl thought she was in love. And while all her better judgment told her that it couldn’t be for reasons including but not limited to: she was too young, too naïve, too immature, too incapable of fully understanding what it really meant to be in love, she felt it nonetheless. And it felt amazing. However, she was not the only one telling herself she was too young, too naïve, and etcetera. Her friends and family happened to be quite open with their opinions regarding her feelings for, what she thought was, the wonderful man in her life. The smart girl that she was, she disregarded everyone’s judgments placed on her. For she knew that other peoples’ judgments were solely due to their ignorance in regards to her relationship. Lucky her, he loved her just as much if not more. Everyday with him felt like the best day in the world and for once she was reminded of how happiness felt. It felt wonderful.
Because the young girl loved this man, although it went against everything she was taught in regards to morals and values, she gave this man all of her. The rationale being that since they were in love, it seemed silly to not make love. So they did. And like loving him, it was wonderful. But somewhere down the line, the man no longer loved the young girl as much as she loved him. And eventually, he simply no longer loved her at all and decided it was best to move on. Needless to say, the young girl was desperately heart broken. He was her first love and first heart ache. The feelings of happiness and elation were quickly replaced with those of sorrow, and she began to question whether the man had ever loved her at all. She asked herself the questions we all do when we’re faced with heart break. And she resolved that she would no longer be led to believe that she was in love with any man. She would no longer let herself be able to fall in love in order to avoid the terrible hurt that comes when it inevitably fades away. But because the days got long and the nights got lonely, and male attention was fabulously self-validating, she began to date again. Never willing to lay her heart down, she simply lay herself down in order to receive the stunning gratification that comes from being with a man. And while it was not exactly the same as when she had made love to the man she thought she was in love with, she was nonetheless more than satisfied following each of her conquests.
And so it went that the young girl, who grew to be a woman, lived her life. She did love again, for it was not that she made herself incapable of such an emotion, it was just she was more cautious. But as for laying with men, there seemed to be nothing wrong with it. She simply enjoyed company, and she enjoyed sex. Did she never even give a damn about a few of the men she was with, and on occasion even forget their names? Of course. Did people judge her because of such an attitude? Of course. Because just as when she was in love with the man, other peoples’ judgments were solely due to their ignorance in regards to her situation. But the smart woman that she was simply disregarded other peoples’ judgments. Because laying with men became so casual it allowed her to better determine when it really was love that she felt for a man. But when it was without love, it was simply uncomplicated, convenient, faceless sex. And that is completely fine.

**Also see: http://inreaction.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/faceless-sex/
If you would like to write about faceless sex or anything else please leave a comment with your link. If you would like us to write about something leave a comment with your topic.

Just a Small Town Girl.

A little somethin' somethin' less articulate...

I hate my hometown. It’s small, suffocating, and ridiculously boring. The tallest building is a the Double Tree Hotel and I believe it’s only fourteen stories. Our downtown is identified by this one tall hotel building, numbered & lettered one-way streets, the popular movie theater accompanied by the one real parking structure in town, and an arch that lights up at night with the phrase “Modesto, Water Wealth Contentment Health.” There are now a total of six high schools, one junior college, two bowling alleys, two movie theaters, one two-story mall, and one freeway. While there remains to be a growing plethora of restaurants that’s about it when it comes to entertainment. Although they have recently finished building an “arts center” the small town of Modesto, California leaves much to be desired, for young people especially.
What do you do when you have nothing to do? Everything you’re told not to. One can have a great time doing everything you’re not supposed. One can also simultaneously work their ass of to get themselves into a good university. So I did.
And I left the place of no traffic where the number of orchards and dairies easily overwhelm the number of ATMs, and I moved south to the city where everyone comes to make their dreams come true: Los Angeles. I never really came with a big dream though. That’s probably because my big dream in life was to get out of my hometown. Which is also probably why I have no idea what I’m doing with my life, but I digress. Meeting people born and raised in and around LA, I’m quite jealous to say the least. They have always been a part of this wonderful, ridiculously versatile city. And I am brand new. But while I make it well known, just how much I hate my hometown, I’m grateful my family raised me there. Because after three years, although I’ve adopted a few LA behaviors (especially when behind the wheel), I’m still in awe of the huge freeways, the uber-tall buildings, being so close to the beach, the culture, the people, the traffic, everything. I suppose coming from such a small town allows me to appreciate living in a city. There are countless buildings above 14 stories, over five movie theaters within walking distance, two huge malls with parking structures just down the street, and that’s just what I can count from the roof of my apartment building. To me, the city just never ceases to amaze me. And I hope it never does.
But, traffic still sucks big donkey balls.

For Jess.

With an absentee father and a manic depressive mother, her next choice was to turn to God. So she did. Becoming quite involved with the church with people she thought were truly good people, she began to think that maybe she could create the family she continually prayed for. But at times, especially when you’re a young girl in a small conservative town, when it feels as though praying just isn’t enough, vocalizing this feeling means having the common and horrible opportunity to be judged by the entire community. What people don’t realize when they have insanely strong conviction in their faith, is the amount of judgment they place on people, as well as how much this judgment negatively affects others.
It tore this young girl apart. She felt no ties or obligations to her family since they had never shown any to her. The church did not feel remotely familial nor welcoming any longer. And her so-called friends didn’t seem to have the ability nor the maturity to understand her frustrations with her life. Moreover, she didn’t feel the need to have to explain herself to anyone. Especially since explaining would merely jog her memory and force her to remember why she felt so shitty all the time in the first place.
But lucky her, she was still hopeful enough to believe her situation could get better. And even luckier, she got to fall in love. However, nothing is perfect and her falling in love was no where near it. Because she was so young at the time, and he was much older, people on the outside assumed the worst. They thought that he was just taking advantage of her, that since the law didn’t approve their relationship it had to be wrong. But if outsiders were so concerned in regards to the intricacies of their relationship why couldn’t they ask the participants in the relationship about them? It is because when we don’t understand something it’s much easier to reject it than to accept it. Because doing the latter forces us to simultaneously accept our naivète.
Eventually, she was able to find friends that accepted and understood her. And while they didn’t quite understand all of her, their constant love and acceptance was all she could ever hope for. These friends would be the people to help her through the most trying times of her life. (As if her childhood and teen years weren’t trying enough.) They would see her through having to break her first love’s heart only to have her own heart broken. Through celebrating independence to the great struggle with the responsibilities that came with it. She would make it through whatever life threw at her. And while others would breakdown, she would paint a smile on her face and pretend that everything was fine, hoping that soon it would no longer have to be an act. ‘We never let them see us cry,’ she had always said. And to the best of her ability, she insured this was so.

Farewell.

I’m not going to be what you wanted me to be. I’m not going to be a famous actress in a foreign country. I’m not going to be a doctor. I’m not going to be a high profile investment banker. I’m not going to be a lawyer working 100-hour weeks.
In all honesty, I have no idea what I’m going to be. But I know that after I do this for you, after I finish doing what I absolutely hate, what I’ve been doing for over fifteen years and I get the degree that you’ve made me believe was so essential to my life, I’m going to go away for a while. Even further this time.
And please don’t feel bad and think that it’s because I want to get away from you. Because honestly, this time, it has nothing to do with that. And please don’t be sad, although I know that that’s probably inevitable, because I will come back and I will be fine. I need to leave the city that I’ve fallen so madly in love with for a while. I simply need to get away. I need to see what else I can do. I need to help others to know for sure that my life isn’t the worst there is. I need to find out what the hell I’m doing with my life. I need to find out for sure what I CAN be to know without question that I can become whatever that is, and know that it is what I was born to be. I know that, that will not happen in my beautiful, fabulous city. So I know that I need to leave.
I know that you and everyone else in my life expected really great things from me. And I know that everyone still expects a certain level of excellence when it comes to anything I do. But to be honest, living up to other people’s phenomenal expectations, is no real way to live, much less be happy. It’s actually quite exhausting. And I am exhausted. I really wish I wasn’t. I really wish that I could be what you want me to be, and achieve everything you expect me to. But as disrespectful as you may think it is to say such things, this is MY life. At the end of the day, I have to live with myself. And if I perpetually force myself to try to be what you want, I won’t be able to live with myself.
I’m sorry I can’t be what you think you need me to be. I’m sorry that you worked so hard in order for me to have a life that you think is ideal. I’m sorry that you probably feel like I am ungrateful for all your hard work and for everything you have done for me. But I have worked hard too. I have dedicated my life to trying to become whatever it was that I thought you wanted. But no matter how hard I try, it’s to no avail. So I have realized that I have to be what I want to be.
So please, don’t try to stop me from leaving. Please don’t try to make me stay by making me feel guilty or otherwise. Please love me enough and be strong enough to let me go away. Let me be completely by myself. Let me struggle. Let me fall. And please let me pick myself back up. I know it will hurt you. I know that you will want to do things for me, just as you always have tried to. But I do not need that from you now. I need this. I simply need to leave. And I need you to be okay with me needing to do this. You are the rock and the biggest inspiration in my life. I’m not sure you will ever know just how much I love you despite what I made you believe. So please, let me go. I love you. Goodbye.