Scene 1
The spotlight shines on Finch Larson, a high school student, as he stands alone center stage. Everywhere else around him is dark.
FINCH: (fidgeting nervously) Hello? Is anyone there? It’s me. You know it’s me because... (pauses)... because....
Finch’s step-sister Olivia has the spotlight on a different part of the stage.
OLIVIA: You’re such a loser!
Finch’s dad appears too.
DAD: I’m disappointed in you son!
Then comes Finch’s X best friend Ethan.
ETHAN: Chill, dude, it was just a joke.
Next, there’s Finch’s mom.
MOM: Ignore them Finch!
There is a brief black out, then the stage lights back up in Finch’s bed room, where his mom is waking him up.
MOM: Finch, wake up! It’s time to eat breakfast.
FINCH: I’m not hungry.
MOM: I don’t care! We are not having this discussion again. You are going to get up, eat breakfast, get dressed, and go school just like every other kid your age in this town.
FINCH: I don’t want to.
MOM: That’s not an excuse. You do your job, and I’ll do mine. Remember?
FINCH: Well, at least you get to do something you like.
MOM: Excuse me? Do you think I like waitressing tables at the diner? I had plans Finch, big plans, but I never got to go to college, so I’m stuck here. I would give up a lot of things to have an education again. You don’t realize how lucky you are.
FINCH: (Sarcastically) Bravo mom that was quite the speech.
MOM: I’m serious. Now get out of bed.
She goes into the kitchen, where Olivia has come in a few seconds before, and has been on her phone.
OLIVIA: Good morning Alice.
MOM: Good morning Olivia. You know you can call me mom, right?
OLIVIA: I know, I just don’t want to.
MOM: (To herself) These teenagers can be so stubborn. Finch, come on!
Finch comes out of his room looking sulky.
OLIVIA: Ew, you still live here!
MOM: Olivia, be nice to your brother.
OLIVIA AND FINCH: STEP- brother.
OLIVIA: You have no idea how annoying it is that we even go to the same school!
FINCH: Annoying? I’ll tell you what’s annoying. When your step sister is one of the most popular girls in the whole MOM: (To herself) These teenagers can be so stubborn. Finch, come on!
Finch comes out of his room looking sulky.
OLIVIA: Ew, you still live here!
MOM: Olivia, be nice to your brother.
OLIVIA AND FINCH: STEP- brother.
OLIVIA: You have no idea how annoying it is that we even go to the same school!
FINCH: Annoying? I’ll tell you what’s annoying. When your step sister is one of the most popular girls in the whole school so then everyone else thinks that you might be like, her only to find out that, no, you belong in the lowest clique. Well, maybe I’m not popular like you, but at least I’m not a jerk!
OLIVIA: I’m not a jerk! Do you know how humiliating it is to be associated with someone who sits in the back of the class playing games on his phone, with all the other losers?
MOM: (Warningly) Olivia, that’s enough.
OLIVIA: I’ve worked hard to be where I am, and it’s your problem for not even trying to be any more then what you are. Not that you could be.
MOM: That’s it! Both of you get out of the house. Olivia, you’re driving Finch. Be sure he has money, so you can stop for something to eat on the way to school.
OLIVIA: But—
MOM: Have a nice day!
FINCH: You can’t do this to me.
OLIVIA: You can’t do this to ME.
MOM: And yet I just did.
OLIVIA: Arrgggg, we’re going to be late!
FINCH: Yes.
OLIVIA: NO.
Olivia grabs Finch’s arm and leads him off stage. Mom just sits and shakes her had. Scene fade.
Scene 2
Finch and Olivia arrive at school. Olivia immediately runs over to join a group of classmates, who shoot Finch dirty looks. They walk off stage. Finch sees Ethan.
ETHAN: Hey dude—Oh, right, you’re not speaking to me.
FINCH: Whatever, you know you brought this on yourself.
Another boy, (Ross,) comes on stage, and fist bumps Ethan.
ROSS: Hey man, Olivia just invited us to sit at her table at lunch, I mean how sweet is that?
Ethan looks nervously at Finch, who rolls his eyes.
FINCH: Well I can see that without me holding you back, you have no trouble making your way to the top of the food chain.
He exits. Ethan and Ross move to the side of the downstage right, still talking, a new girl, (Loraine,) comes on stage, with her older brother, (Lewis.)
LEWIS: Are you nervous?
LORAINE: Obviously. I can’t help but think about our old school. I’m the reason we had to move in the first place. I’m sorry you got dragged along. You had a good life there.
LEWIS: But you didn’t, and I don’t care how happy I was, I hated seeing you upset everyday.
LORAINE: Why are you always so nice?
LEWIS: That, right there, is the sign that you’ve been hanging around bullies for too long.
LORAINE: You’re probably right.
(Ross and Ethan approach the two)
ROSS: Hey! New kids, right?
LEWIS: How could you tell?
ROSS: Definitely the cloths.
LEWIS: I’m Lewis.
ROSS: Ross. Is your girlfriend mute, or something?
ETHAN: I’m Ethan.
LORAINE: The nice one?
ROSS: She speaks!
ETHAN: Yeah, I’m the nice one.
LORAINE: My name’s Loraine. The sister. Not the girlfriend.
EHTAN: Since we’ve established that you two are new here, do you want to sit with us at lunch?
ROSS: Dude, Olivia’s table, remember?
ETHAN: Oh right, I’m sorry, we already made plans to sit somewhere else than at our usual table.
LEWIS: Oh that’s cool.
ETHAN: But I know a friend—well, someone— who might really like some company...
LORAINE: Oh, that’s okay—
ETHAN: No, I’m serious, he’s about this tall, dark hair, and a scar right... there.
LORAIN: There are a lot of guys like that.
ETHAN: No, not like Finch. You’ll know him when you see him. His name’s Finch Larson.
(bell rings, Lorain and Lewis exit stage)
ROSS: You’ll know him when you’ll see him! Ha! Even if I knew what Finch Larson looked like, I wouldn’t waste time looking for him.
ETHAN: (Disgusted,) You can act really sure of yourself sometimes...
ROSS: What’s that supposed to mean?
ETHAN: That you don’t know a good guy when you see one.
ROSS: Are you telling me that you’re not a good guy?
ETHAN: I’m telling you to watch your mouth.
(Ethan exits)
ROSS: He can’t talk to me that way. You think you know someone, and the next thing you know, he’s telling you to watch your mouth over something stupid!
SCENE 3
(Olivia is walking outside with some friends on the way to class, and sees her dad)
OLIVIA: (To her friends,) I’ll catch you later, okay? Eric, what are you doing here?
DAD: I just, haven’t seen you in a long time, that’s all. You look good Olivia.
OLIVIA: And by that you mean you want to see Finch.
DAD: I don’t have to see Finch. I wanted to congratulate you on all those academic scholarships you’ve been getting.
OLIVIA: Thanks. I mean sometimes I think you care about me even more then my folks do.
DAD: Well, you’re family to my ex-wife, so in a way you’re also family to me. I want to get to know the people that my son spends the most time with.
OLIVIA: But you don’t want to get to know you’re own son. Do you? Classic. I don’t want to be some trophy you can just take out and polish every once in a while, because it makes you feel good about yourself. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but Finch is not a failure, and I shouldn’t have to prove it to you. He’s your son. So, act like a dad for once in your life and talk to him.
DAD: Maybe you’re right, but I just can’t.
OLIVIA: why not?
DAD: His eyes. They’re too much like your step mom’s.
OLIVIA: That’s a selfish reason. Finch thinks you hate him, and who can blame the kid, you haven’t made any contact with him in the past two years. But it’s not really that. Really, it’s because all this time you’ve been too afraid to look into you’re son’s eyes.
DAD: Olivia—
OLIVIA: I don’t know why I’m even being so nice. I’m not usually like this. Shocker, maybe that means people can change.
(She exits, dad watches her go then turns and leaves in the opposite direction)
SCENE 4
(Spotlight shines on Finch writing in a journal, then the spotlight disapears at at the sound of footsteps)
LEWIS: Hey, kid what are you writing?
LORAIN: Lewis! What my brother means is we’re sorry we disturbed you and were wondering if you could point us in the direction of the cafeteria.
FINCH: Oh. Sure.
LEWIS: Oh, and also, do you know a kid named Finch Larson? Some buddies of his told us to have lunch with him, said he was a really cool guy.
FINCH: Buddies? Um, yes, I’m Finch Larson, but I don’t have any friends. Sorry that sounded really pathetic and sad.
LORAIN: Don’t apologize.
DAD: Finch?
FINCH: Dad?
DAD: It’s good to see you son.
FINCH: I know you don’t really mean that.
DAD: Why wouldn’t I?
FINCH: Excuse me. The cafeteria is in that building.
LEWIS: We’ll save you a seat.
FINCH: No, don’t save me a seat! I don’t know who’s lame joke it was to tell you to sit with me! Just go sit with Olivia.
LORAIN: Who’s Olivia?
FINCH: She’s my step- sister. Pretty, popular, go find her, I’m sure she can tell you all about me!
LEWIS: Let’s go.
(Lewis and Lorain exit)
DAD: Now, what was that all about? Olivia’s the reason I decided to come talk to you, she really cares about you Finch.
FINCH: I know you’re lying, you know, you can’t even look at me.
(Blackout)
SCENE 5
(General panic, flashing lights)
OLIVIA: Finch! Has anyone seen Finch?
(Lorain and Lewis rush up)
LORAIN: What’s going on?
OLIVIA: Finch is missing!
LORAIN: Last I saw him, he was talking to his dad, and that was nearly four hours ago.
MOM: His dad? Eric?
OLIVIA: Oh, it’s all my fault, I pushed Eric to talk to Finch.
MOM: And why would you do a stupid thing like that?
OLIVIA: I was just trying to help...
MOM: Well, you made everything worse. I’m disappointed in you, Olivia.
OLIVIA: I’m sorry.
MOM: Oh, shoot, don’t be sorry. I’m just stressed right now, that’s all.
OLIVIA: Yeah, I get it, but we’re going to find him.
MOM: I hope you’re right.
ETHAN: Oh man. Maybe Finch and I weren’t friends anymore, but it wasn’t like I wanted him to go missing.
MOM: Ethan, do you have any idea where Finch could be?
SCENE 6
(Spotlight on Finch)
FINCH: Hello? Is anyone there? It’s me. You know it’s me because... I’m lost.
OLIVIA: We just want you home. Come home.
ETHAN: I just want to be friends again. Is that too much to ask?
(Light goes on in Finches bedroom, he sits up, and his mom sits on the edge of his bed.)
MOM: Finch?
FINCH: Mom?
MOM: Olivia and Ethan found you asleep in your tree house. You really scared us.
FINCH: I just needed to be alone.
MOM: Did you get that?
FINCH: Yeah.
MOM: Hey, I think we can make an exception tomorrow. Stay home from school?
FINCH: Not tomorrow. I have some people I need to talk to.
(Olivia enters.)
OLIVIA: Finch?
MOM: This might be your first opportunity.
OLIVIA: Hi.
FINCH: Hi.
MOM: I’ll leave you two talk. You can do that, right?
OLIVIA: Of course. He’s my brother.
THE END
The spotlight shines on Finch Larson, a high school student, as he stands alone center stage. Everywhere else around him is dark.
FINCH: (fidgeting nervously) Hello? Is anyone there? It’s me. You know it’s me because... (pauses)... because....
Finch’s step-sister Olivia has the spotlight on a different part of the stage.
OLIVIA: You’re such a loser!
Finch’s dad appears too.
DAD: I’m disappointed in you son!
Then comes Finch’s X best friend Ethan.
ETHAN: Chill, dude, it was just a joke.
Next, there’s Finch’s mom.
MOM: Ignore them Finch!
There is a brief black out, then the stage lights back up in Finch’s bed room, where his mom is waking him up.
MOM: Finch, wake up! It’s time to eat breakfast.
FINCH: I’m not hungry.
MOM: I don’t care! We are not having this discussion again. You are going to get up, eat breakfast, get dressed, and go school just like every other kid your age in this town.
FINCH: I don’t want to.
MOM: That’s not an excuse. You do your job, and I’ll do mine. Remember?
FINCH: Well, at least you get to do something you like.
MOM: Excuse me? Do you think I like waitressing tables at the diner? I had plans Finch, big plans, but I never got to go to college, so I’m stuck here. I would give up a lot of things to have an education again. You don’t realize how lucky you are.
FINCH: (Sarcastically) Bravo mom that was quite the speech.
MOM: I’m serious. Now get out of bed.
She goes into the kitchen, where Olivia has come in a few seconds before, and has been on her phone.
OLIVIA: Good morning Alice.
MOM: Good morning Olivia. You know you can call me mom, right?
OLIVIA: I know, I just don’t want to.
MOM: (To herself) These teenagers can be so stubborn. Finch, come on!
Finch comes out of his room looking sulky.
OLIVIA: Ew, you still live here!
MOM: Olivia, be nice to your brother.
OLIVIA AND FINCH: STEP- brother.
OLIVIA: You have no idea how annoying it is that we even go to the same school!
FINCH: Annoying? I’ll tell you what’s annoying. When your step sister is one of the most popular girls in the whole MOM: (To herself) These teenagers can be so stubborn. Finch, come on!
Finch comes out of his room looking sulky.
OLIVIA: Ew, you still live here!
MOM: Olivia, be nice to your brother.
OLIVIA AND FINCH: STEP- brother.
OLIVIA: You have no idea how annoying it is that we even go to the same school!
FINCH: Annoying? I’ll tell you what’s annoying. When your step sister is one of the most popular girls in the whole school so then everyone else thinks that you might be like, her only to find out that, no, you belong in the lowest clique. Well, maybe I’m not popular like you, but at least I’m not a jerk!
OLIVIA: I’m not a jerk! Do you know how humiliating it is to be associated with someone who sits in the back of the class playing games on his phone, with all the other losers?
MOM: (Warningly) Olivia, that’s enough.
OLIVIA: I’ve worked hard to be where I am, and it’s your problem for not even trying to be any more then what you are. Not that you could be.
MOM: That’s it! Both of you get out of the house. Olivia, you’re driving Finch. Be sure he has money, so you can stop for something to eat on the way to school.
OLIVIA: But—
MOM: Have a nice day!
FINCH: You can’t do this to me.
OLIVIA: You can’t do this to ME.
MOM: And yet I just did.
OLIVIA: Arrgggg, we’re going to be late!
FINCH: Yes.
OLIVIA: NO.
Olivia grabs Finch’s arm and leads him off stage. Mom just sits and shakes her had. Scene fade.
Scene 2
Finch and Olivia arrive at school. Olivia immediately runs over to join a group of classmates, who shoot Finch dirty looks. They walk off stage. Finch sees Ethan.
ETHAN: Hey dude—Oh, right, you’re not speaking to me.
FINCH: Whatever, you know you brought this on yourself.
Another boy, (Ross,) comes on stage, and fist bumps Ethan.
ROSS: Hey man, Olivia just invited us to sit at her table at lunch, I mean how sweet is that?
Ethan looks nervously at Finch, who rolls his eyes.
FINCH: Well I can see that without me holding you back, you have no trouble making your way to the top of the food chain.
He exits. Ethan and Ross move to the side of the downstage right, still talking, a new girl, (Loraine,) comes on stage, with her older brother, (Lewis.)
LEWIS: Are you nervous?
LORAINE: Obviously. I can’t help but think about our old school. I’m the reason we had to move in the first place. I’m sorry you got dragged along. You had a good life there.
LEWIS: But you didn’t, and I don’t care how happy I was, I hated seeing you upset everyday.
LORAINE: Why are you always so nice?
LEWIS: That, right there, is the sign that you’ve been hanging around bullies for too long.
LORAINE: You’re probably right.
(Ross and Ethan approach the two)
ROSS: Hey! New kids, right?
LEWIS: How could you tell?
ROSS: Definitely the cloths.
LEWIS: I’m Lewis.
ROSS: Ross. Is your girlfriend mute, or something?
ETHAN: I’m Ethan.
LORAINE: The nice one?
ROSS: She speaks!
ETHAN: Yeah, I’m the nice one.
LORAINE: My name’s Loraine. The sister. Not the girlfriend.
EHTAN: Since we’ve established that you two are new here, do you want to sit with us at lunch?
ROSS: Dude, Olivia’s table, remember?
ETHAN: Oh right, I’m sorry, we already made plans to sit somewhere else than at our usual table.
LEWIS: Oh that’s cool.
ETHAN: But I know a friend—well, someone— who might really like some company...
LORAINE: Oh, that’s okay—
ETHAN: No, I’m serious, he’s about this tall, dark hair, and a scar right... there.
LORAIN: There are a lot of guys like that.
ETHAN: No, not like Finch. You’ll know him when you see him. His name’s Finch Larson.
(bell rings, Lorain and Lewis exit stage)
ROSS: You’ll know him when you’ll see him! Ha! Even if I knew what Finch Larson looked like, I wouldn’t waste time looking for him.
ETHAN: (Disgusted,) You can act really sure of yourself sometimes...
ROSS: What’s that supposed to mean?
ETHAN: That you don’t know a good guy when you see one.
ROSS: Are you telling me that you’re not a good guy?
ETHAN: I’m telling you to watch your mouth.
(Ethan exits)
ROSS: He can’t talk to me that way. You think you know someone, and the next thing you know, he’s telling you to watch your mouth over something stupid!
SCENE 3
(Olivia is walking outside with some friends on the way to class, and sees her dad)
OLIVIA: (To her friends,) I’ll catch you later, okay? Eric, what are you doing here?
DAD: I just, haven’t seen you in a long time, that’s all. You look good Olivia.
OLIVIA: And by that you mean you want to see Finch.
DAD: I don’t have to see Finch. I wanted to congratulate you on all those academic scholarships you’ve been getting.
OLIVIA: Thanks. I mean sometimes I think you care about me even more then my folks do.
DAD: Well, you’re family to my ex-wife, so in a way you’re also family to me. I want to get to know the people that my son spends the most time with.
OLIVIA: But you don’t want to get to know you’re own son. Do you? Classic. I don’t want to be some trophy you can just take out and polish every once in a while, because it makes you feel good about yourself. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but Finch is not a failure, and I shouldn’t have to prove it to you. He’s your son. So, act like a dad for once in your life and talk to him.
DAD: Maybe you’re right, but I just can’t.
OLIVIA: why not?
DAD: His eyes. They’re too much like your step mom’s.
OLIVIA: That’s a selfish reason. Finch thinks you hate him, and who can blame the kid, you haven’t made any contact with him in the past two years. But it’s not really that. Really, it’s because all this time you’ve been too afraid to look into you’re son’s eyes.
DAD: Olivia—
OLIVIA: I don’t know why I’m even being so nice. I’m not usually like this. Shocker, maybe that means people can change.
(She exits, dad watches her go then turns and leaves in the opposite direction)
SCENE 4
(Spotlight shines on Finch writing in a journal, then the spotlight disapears at at the sound of footsteps)
LEWIS: Hey, kid what are you writing?
LORAIN: Lewis! What my brother means is we’re sorry we disturbed you and were wondering if you could point us in the direction of the cafeteria.
FINCH: Oh. Sure.
LEWIS: Oh, and also, do you know a kid named Finch Larson? Some buddies of his told us to have lunch with him, said he was a really cool guy.
FINCH: Buddies? Um, yes, I’m Finch Larson, but I don’t have any friends. Sorry that sounded really pathetic and sad.
LORAIN: Don’t apologize.
DAD: Finch?
FINCH: Dad?
DAD: It’s good to see you son.
FINCH: I know you don’t really mean that.
DAD: Why wouldn’t I?
FINCH: Excuse me. The cafeteria is in that building.
LEWIS: We’ll save you a seat.
FINCH: No, don’t save me a seat! I don’t know who’s lame joke it was to tell you to sit with me! Just go sit with Olivia.
LORAIN: Who’s Olivia?
FINCH: She’s my step- sister. Pretty, popular, go find her, I’m sure she can tell you all about me!
LEWIS: Let’s go.
(Lewis and Lorain exit)
DAD: Now, what was that all about? Olivia’s the reason I decided to come talk to you, she really cares about you Finch.
FINCH: I know you’re lying, you know, you can’t even look at me.
(Blackout)
SCENE 5
(General panic, flashing lights)
OLIVIA: Finch! Has anyone seen Finch?
(Lorain and Lewis rush up)
LORAIN: What’s going on?
OLIVIA: Finch is missing!
LORAIN: Last I saw him, he was talking to his dad, and that was nearly four hours ago.
MOM: His dad? Eric?
OLIVIA: Oh, it’s all my fault, I pushed Eric to talk to Finch.
MOM: And why would you do a stupid thing like that?
OLIVIA: I was just trying to help...
MOM: Well, you made everything worse. I’m disappointed in you, Olivia.
OLIVIA: I’m sorry.
MOM: Oh, shoot, don’t be sorry. I’m just stressed right now, that’s all.
OLIVIA: Yeah, I get it, but we’re going to find him.
MOM: I hope you’re right.
ETHAN: Oh man. Maybe Finch and I weren’t friends anymore, but it wasn’t like I wanted him to go missing.
MOM: Ethan, do you have any idea where Finch could be?
SCENE 6
(Spotlight on Finch)
FINCH: Hello? Is anyone there? It’s me. You know it’s me because... I’m lost.
OLIVIA: We just want you home. Come home.
ETHAN: I just want to be friends again. Is that too much to ask?
(Light goes on in Finches bedroom, he sits up, and his mom sits on the edge of his bed.)
MOM: Finch?
FINCH: Mom?
MOM: Olivia and Ethan found you asleep in your tree house. You really scared us.
FINCH: I just needed to be alone.
MOM: Did you get that?
FINCH: Yeah.
MOM: Hey, I think we can make an exception tomorrow. Stay home from school?
FINCH: Not tomorrow. I have some people I need to talk to.
(Olivia enters.)
OLIVIA: Finch?
MOM: This might be your first opportunity.
OLIVIA: Hi.
FINCH: Hi.
MOM: I’ll leave you two talk. You can do that, right?
OLIVIA: Of course. He’s my brother.
THE END
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