Lemming Hall Orphanage, Riverside. Night. Outside. Backyard.

(AT Rise,VIOTE, a young girl walks outside to take the garbage out. She throws it in the big trash cans and as she turns back around she sees something lying on the ground. She walks over to it. ILENE, her best friend, enters from behind her after following her to help her if she needed it. Curious, she follows where VIOTE is walking to.) 

VIOTE

(Screaming)

Who could’ve done this?

(VIOTE places her hands on her mouth)

ILENE

(Standing next to VIOTE, ILENE gasps and turns pale) 

What is this? Who is that?

(ILENE takes a closer look at the person lying on the ground)

Is that-

VIOTE

(Taking her hand off her mouth  VIOTE takes a closer look)

Quinn?

ILENE

(ILENE’s voice quivering)

Yeah, yeah it is.

VIOTE

(Falls to the ground and starts sobbing)

ILENE

(Comforts her friend, VIOTE, on the ground)

It’s ok.

(ILENE takes her eyes off VIOTE and focuses on the body)

Wait, how come there isn’t any blood pooling near his head or any blood anywhere?

VIOTE

(VIOTE looks at Quinn’s body)

What do you mean? Isn’t he dead?

ILENE

It looks like he is, but something seems wrong.

(ILENE frowns)

VIOTE

(VIOTE looks around)

We should call someone. He can’t just be left here.

(VIOTE grabs her phone from her back pocket and starts

to dial 911 before ILENE smacks it from her hand.) 

VIOTE

(Shocked)

ILENE what was that for?

ILENE

Nothing.I think we should go get someone from the orphanage and explain what happened.

VIOTE

But we didn’t do anything to him.We just found him here.

ILENE

Yeah, you know that and I know that. If we call the police don’t you think we will both become suspects.That’s why if we call someone from the orphanage and explain what we say this situation might not be bad for us.Right?

VIOTE

(Slightly angry)

ILENE it doesn’t matter who we call. Like you said we know we are innocent. All I know is that my friend is dead and we need to call someone. So can you please give me my phone back so we can call the police?

ILENE

(Pleading with her eyes)

Please VIOTE, listen to me on this. Think of your brother, he’s almost about to get adopted.Do you want to ruin this for him? Just trust me on this. 

VIOTE

(Calming down, VIOTE takes a deep breath and         wipes her tears)

Ok, you’re right. If we call the police and get suspected or worse my brother might not get adopted.So what should we do?

ILENE

Thank you for trusting me. Ok, so I think you should go and call someone from the office and I’ll wait here with him. Then when you come we can explain to them what happened. Then they can call the police and we won’t get in trouble.

VIOTE

Ok, I’ll go and you wait here.

(VIOTE get’s up and exits off stage running)

ILENE

(ILENE watches VIOTE go and when she’s off stage she focuses back on the body with a smirk)

At last it’s just me and you. I totally have her fooled don’t I? I thought I was almost caught when she started calling the police. I have enough time to clean this mess up.

(ILENE takes out gloves from her jean pockets and

puts them on. Then she takes out a folded piece of  paper and puts it in his hands. She takes the gloves off and walks to a different side of the stage and puts them down. Then she walks back to the body)

That was a hassle. Now I have to think of the best cover story in the world, since I’m putting the blame on VIOTE.Ok, so I was a great friend of yours and VIOTE always was jealous because of the time I spent with you. That sounds right, don’t you think? Then, one day she called you to the roof of Lemming Hall and chocked you to death. Then to finish it all up she pushed you off the building. Wow, what a genius I am. Except I only told half the truth. See the thing is it wasn’t just your friendship that annoyed me. You always got me in trouble so I never was able to get adopted. Then you were threatening to tell them that I had a family so when I was 18 in 3 months I would have to leave. When my family is nothing but a bloodline. They aren’t anything to me. I-

(ILENE breaks off and calms down as she sees VIOTE  coming from offstage)

VIOTE

Mrs. Cline said he will call the police. He said for me to come and take you inside. He said we should wait in our rooms so we can stay out of this mess. He doesn’t want us to get involved in this anymore than we have to. 

ILENE

Actually I was thinking what if we wait here until the police arrives. I thought telling the police what we saw would get us in trouble but I was thinking about what you said. If Quinn was still alive he would want us to be the ones to talk to the police.

VIOTE

(Suspiciously)

I never knew you were close with Quinn. I thought you always hated him. I remember everytime we hung out together you barely talked to him. 

ILENE

(slightly annoyed)

You don’t know if we were close or not. Maybe we hung out when you weren’t around. Right Quinn?

(ILENE points at the body)

VIOTE

That’s not funny ILENE.

ILENE

I though it was. Jeez don’t take it so seriously.

VIOTE

(irritated)

Are you kidding me right now? HE. IS. DEAD. We found,aparently both our friend’s body outside Lemming Hall and you are trying to joke right now? What is wrong with you?

ILENE

(annoyed)

Goodness, VIOTE. I was trying to lighten the mood since you look like you are going to pass out any second now. Also, he wasn’t a friend but that doesn’t mean we weren’t close enough. Hating someone is the second form of being close to someone.

(Realizing what she just said she blurts out)

Not that we hated each other, he hated me when all I wanted was to be friends with him. I tried many times for your sake but he just hated me no matter what. So, sorry I don’t feel for him as much as you do.

VIOTE

(whispering)

I didn’t know you hated each other.

ILENE

Yeah, well there is a lot you don’t know.

VIOTE
What is that supposed to mean?

ILENE
Nothing. It doesn’t matter anymore.

VIOTE
No, it does. I’m sorry I didn’t know how you felt. If I knew then I would’ve hung out with him less or maybe tried to talk some sense into him. I’m sorry.

(VIOTE hugs ILENE)

And before you say anything about this not being my fault, I want to tell you it is. It’s my fault for not knowing how the person who I care about the most felt. You were my best friend and sister first. I mean we only have each other.

ILENE

(Starts sobbing)

I am sorry VIOTE. I am so sorry. 

VIOTE
I told you it’s not your fault. Hey, it’s going to be ok. We both have each other.

(They stop hugging each other)

ILENE

(wiping her tears she looks at VIOTE with

guilt)

Would you really not be mad at me if I did something bad?

VIOTE

No, I would never hate you. Whatever it is we would work it out together.

ILENE
What if it was something I did because you felt angry and it’s too late to back out of it now? Even still?

VIOTE

Ok, you are starting to scare me a bit, but no. I might be a little mad at first but I would still help you.

ILENE

What if it was something I did that hurt you?

VIOTE

(chuckles slightly)

That would depend? Is it like stealing my notes for class or like tripping me in the hallway? Well either way the only thing to do would be to get revenge on you. Like I might steal your notes or steal your lunch card.

ILENE

No, VIOTE please be serious. What if it’s too late to change what I did and it will hurt you?

VIOTE

(seriously)

ILENE, if you did something actually bad that would hurt me then I would do something just as bad that will hurt you. Except I know you wouldn’t or at least not on purpose. Seriously though do you want to just wait here until the police comes. Let’s just go inside being around a dead body is making me feel nauseous.

(VIOTE moves to walk forward but stops when ILENE 

doesn’t follow her.)

Hey, ILENE come on.

ILENE

(sobbing, falls to the ground)

I did something bad, VIOTE. I did something really bad.

VIOTE

(comforts ILENE on the ground)

Hey, hey it’s ok. It’s ok. It can’t be that bad. Don’t worry whatever it is we can figure it out. I won’t leave you.

ILENE

(pushes VIOTE off)

No, no it won’t be. It will never be ok. I- I-

(pulls her knees in and starts sobbing more)

VIOTE

(Kneeling next to ILENE)

Hey, listen. It will be ok. When you calm down a little tell me what you did. No matter how bad I’ll help you cover it. Don’t worry ILENE. All the people in Lemming Hall know you. They probably all will help you.

ILENE

(putting her head up)

You will only hate me more. I’m sorry for doing this to you. I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you and I just want you to know that. I’ll tell you but just know I thought I was doing the right thing for me. I thought blaming you would make me feel less mad at both of you, but I was wrong. I know that now and I will take responsibility for it. 

VIOTE

Don’t worry I won’t blame you.

ILENE

Oh, you will after I tell you. So, the truth is. The truth us that. That I-

VIOTE
It’s ok, Take a deep breathe and try again. Whenever your ready.

ILENE

(takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and blurts out)

I KILLED QUINN!

VIOTE
(Shocked she stumbles back away from ILENE)

You what? Wait, don’t answer. Your lying right? Please tell me your lying. This actually can’t be happening.

ILENE

I’m not going to ask you to forgive me or to help me. Infact I want you to keep hating me. I know when I asked you if you would hate me, this was too much. No sane person would help me or forgive me. Don’t. I’m going to take responsibility for this.

VIOTE

No, all you have to tell me is that this is a lie. It’s a prank right? Where are the camera’s?

ILENE

(standing up to move away from VIOTE)

You know deep down that this is real. That I’m not lying. You wish it wasn’t real but it is. I hated him with everything in my heart. He was the reason I could never get adopted and he threaten to get me kicked out of Lemming Hall when I turned 18.I had to get rid of him. I don’t feel remorse for what I do, I was crying because I planned to put the blame on you, but VIOTE I care about you too much. I’m going to take the blame as it should be and then you won’t ever have to see me again.

VIOTE

(starts sobbing)

You-. You were going through all of that and I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.

ILENE

(sad and angrily)

No, you shouldn’t care about what I went through. You should hate me. If you don’t hate me for this I can’t do what I need to. You have your brother and a future only if you walk away and never look back. Don’t find me. Please VIOTE. PLEASE HATE ME.

(she starts crying)

Please if you don’t hate me, then they will question you and your and your brothers life will go under the bridge. I have a plan to get you out of this for good. 

VIOTE

(stops sobbing)

I can’t say I don’t hate you. I’m sorry for everything you went through, but I wish you had come to me. What does that say about you? Did you even trust me at all? Then maybe we could’ve avoided this. No matter how much I think about this it doesn’t make sense.

ILENE

(stops sobbing)

It doesn’t matter what you think happened. It is what it is. I am going to get you out of this so leave. Just go VIOTE

VIOTE

Before I leave tell me. 

ILENE

Tell you what?

VIOTE

Tell me your plan to get me and my brother out of this situation you created. I don’t want him to get blamed for any of this.

ILENE

Well, if you insist. I plan for you to go back to your room and stay there waiting for the police. When the police comes to question you about me just tell the police that I hated Quinn to the guts and everyone at Lemming Hall knew it too. Then you and your brother will be left alone since I will turn myself into the obvious killer right now. But if you try to claim I’m innocent or that he hated me just as much as I hate him then things will go bad.

VIOTE

Ok.

ILENE
Ok? Ok, you get it. Don’ try anything VIOTE

VIOTE

I am not going to do anything other than follow your guidelines. I don’t want my brother to be involved in this at all.

ILENE

What about you?

VIOTE

WHat do you mean?

ILENE

You keep saying that you don’t want your brother to be involved in this but what about you? You can’t be involved in this either.

VIOTE

That’s what I mean. But just out of curiosity how were you going to pin this on me?

ILENE

(startled)

Umm...Well I put this note in his hand. It was about you talking about how much you hate him.

VIOTE

(VIOTE moves froward and grabs the note from 

his hand.)

This note, i’m assuming?

ILENE

Yes, that note.

VIOTE

OK, well don’t stop me from continuing on your master plan.

ILENE

I can only initiate my plan once your gone. Once I know you won’t be affected. So, please leave.

(VIOTE starts leaving off stage but stops before

leaving offstage completely as she hears sirens)

ILENE

(focuses on the body)

I have to do this now.

(ILENE takes out a knife from her back pocket she

keeps incase of emergencies’. She kneels and cuts his

neck and as the blood pools she takes some and places

it on her clothes. She stands only to see VIOTE coming  from where she was standing)

What are you doing here?

(The siren grows louder)

VIOTE

Like I said we are in this together.

ILENE

No, just go. Please. Go, they are coming.

VIOTE 

Sorry, but I can’t let you go to prison alone.

(she places the blood from his neck on her clothes)

ILENE

NO, you can’t VIOTE. Please.

VIOTE

(smiling)

It’s already too late.