Claudine Caluza, Samantha Graham

Mrs. Storer
English 3 Honors; Block 5
2 October 2019

[When You’ve Got the Time]

ACT ONE
SCENE ONE: RN RN

CURTAIN RISES.
A small cafe is packed between a bookstore and a restaurant. The amount of chairs inside of the
establishment cannot accommodate all the people eager to get a taste of ice cold brew on a hot
summer day. On cold summer nights, the cafe occasionally has customers looking for warm
beverages. No matter the temperature, the cafe is always crowded. Regardless of the line, a
student wearing a button up shirt and black jeans forces his way through the sea of people and
frantically searches for an empty table inside of the cafe. He gives up, goes to exit the coffee
shop, but to his luck, an old couple sits up from their table just as he was about to leave. After
the pair takes off, Dominic Trominic, slouches in his chair in front of the cafe. In his right hand,
he grasps his cup of iced coffee and swishes it around the cup. He glances at the receipt in front
of him, one unsweetened iced coffee and a mango dragon fruit with 2 pumps of coconut milk and
chopped strawberries. He sighed and pulled his phone out of his pocket, checks his phone,
Saturday, 11:39 am, and hurriedly dials a number. Pacing his foot, he darts his phone towards
his ear and eagerly awaits an answer.

(on the other half of the stage)

The blinds are shut, all the light is drawn in a small corner of the room. Dust particles are seen
lingering in the brightness, and neatly stacked papers are illuminated in the darkness. A young
lady wearing pink sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, Lia Kalani, has her eyes glued on the material
placed in front of her. Suddenly the silence is broken by faint quacking inside of the secluded
room. Relieved to have an excuse to have a small break, she scoots herself out of the chair and
stretches, flipping on the lights to reveal her light pink room . She guides herself to her bed, and
picks up the phone.
LIA: Hiya!
DOMINIC: Hey, are you coming?
LIA, as she slowly paces around the room: Dom, hey, sorry, I forgot to tell you, I can’t make it
DOMINIC, sighing: oh. That’s fine, but uhm.. What happened? I thought you were free? He
shifts his body and crosses his legs, fidgeting his half-finished coffee in his hand.
LIA: I’m so so sorry. I thought I would have enough time to finish my homework before heading
over. I have an AP Gov test on Monday, and I wanted to study for it after I fini—
DOMINIC, interrupting her: —I thought you were going to do all of that tomorrow. You know
you’ve got another day, right? I mean, I don’t mean to sound rude, but it’s only Saturday, you’ve
got time. He chuckles slightly
LIA: See, that’s the thing. I don’t have time. If I do it tomorrow then I’ll be stressing over all the
work I’ll have to do.
DOMINIC: I mean, that’s what I did.
 Caluza, Graham 1

LIA: You haven’t done your homework?

DOMINIC: Well, no... he hesitates. but I’m not stressin’. I’ve got the rest of the weekend and,
you know, Monday morning.
LIA, jokingly: I forgot you don’t take school seriously.
DOMINIC, clearing missing the humor: What do you mean?
LIA: For one, you don’t take any APs, which is crazy because it’s your senior year, but anyways,
if you did, you’d have to work hard, study hard, and well, for once, put some effort into it. It’s
not something you can just cram in on Monday morning. I actually wanna go to college, you
know. She chuckles lightly, not meaning it harshly.
DOMINIC: Are you saying I’m not gonna get into college?
LIA: No, no, Dom, I was just joking. I was just saying that—-
DOMINIC: No, I get it. I get the joke He forces out a chuckle. funny.

For a few moments, there’s an awkward silence between the two. Dominic shuffles his hair with
his hand and inhales deeply.

DOMINIC: Anyways, uh, let’s just reschedule. How about tomorrow? You should have enough
time by then, right?
LIA: Well, tomorrow, I’m going over to my cousins for a cookout. You know, hotdogs-- that
whole mess. Didn’t I tell you that yesterday? She sits down at her desk.
DOMINIC: Right, right. Okay, how about next weekend?
LIA: I don’t know, but I’ll try to. Something might pop up, you never know.
DOMINIC: Something always pops up.
LIA: Hey—
DOMINIC: Are you avoiding me?— because it really seems like it.
LIA: No, Dom, why would I do that? She leans forward in her chair
DOMINIC: Well, this has been going on for a while you know. I mean, we plan a time to hang
out, you say that you should be free, or you’ll at least try to. But, then, something comes up.
Something always comes up. I don’t mean to be that guy, but seriously, Lia, what’s going on? Is
there something you’re not telling me?
LIA: No, of course not. You’re acting weird.. I’ve always been like this. Don’t you remember?
Britney always called me a Debbie downer for staying home all the time and not being able to go
out. Then, everyone agreed with her and left because I only ever talked to them at school.. She
pauses, remembering all the terrible times. Please don’t tell me you’re getting mad for that same
reason. You know how it is, don’t you?
DOMINIC: pauses before responding: Yeah, of course. I’m not mad, Lia. I could never be mad
at you.
LIA: For real? Cause I mean, you sounded mad a few seconds ago.
DOMINIC: No, it’s alright.
LIA: Well, you know, I’m sorry for always postponing this. I know it’s not fair to you, and I
know I do it way too often, but.. is something up though, because you never used to want to hang
out like this before.
DOMINIC: Oh, I just wanted to talk to you about something.
LIA: You could tell me right now? I mean, I’ve got a few minutes. I’m here to listen.
DOMINIC, he tenses up, not feeling prepared to tell her at all: Oh, well... Uhm. I was just going
to say that uh…
 Caluza, Graham 2

He pauses for a moment, hoping that she’d magically change the subject, but Lia still waits for
him to finish his sentence
DOMINIC: Oh, you wanted me to tell you right now right now? He puts emphasis on the first
right now.
LIA: Yeah, right now right now. I mean, I’m on the line, you’re on the line. We’re both talking
to each other. So, why not?
DOMINIC: I was kind of hoping to tell you in person. He fiddles with this fingers.
LIA: Oh.. Is it that important? She throws him questions in motherly way. Is it something
serious? Did something happen? Are you alright?
DOMINIC: No, yeah, it’s nothing to worry about. I’m okay, I just—
LIA: What is it then?
DOMINIC:
LIA: Dom?
DOMINIC: I have these.. These fe-- His feelings are balled up in his throat, but it can’t escape.
He stutters and manages to spit out. Furbies. He cringes at himself, and hides his face in his
hands. I have these furbies... Uhh, gosh. I sell furby parts on the black market for profit,
LIA, she laughs, not taking him seriously at all: Furbies? Like the tiny creepy animals? You’ve
got to be joking.
DOMINIC, he lies, making up a story: I was. Thought it would be funny to uhh.. Trick you like
that. He buries his face deeper into his palm, puts himself on mute and tells himself “Idiot!
Furbies!?”
LIA, laughs: Your sense of humor is so wild. Have I ever told you that? I don’t even get what
you’re saying.
DOMINIC, he unmutes the phone and tries laughs along with her, sort of ashamed that he didn’t
just tell her: Yeah, I don’t get what I’m saying either.
LIA, she continues to laugh on: You’re crazy.
DOMINIC: Yeah, crazy..
LIA, suddenly: Oh, gosh. My dad’s calling me. Hey, I’ll see you on Monday! Text me when you
can, okay?
DOMINIC: Leaving me so soon?
LIA: Yeah, unfortunately. Again, sorry for not being able to make it. I hope you’re not there all
alone.
DOMINIC: No, no, of course not. I invited some, you know, homies over. They should be here
any minute. Saturdays are for the boys anyways.
LIA, she laughs: bye dom~!
Dominic: See ya.

CURTAINS CLOSE
[END OF ACT 1]
 Caluza, Graham 3

ACT TWO
SCENE TWO: Wow..

ONE CURTAIN RISES.

Lia slams her head on her desk and sighs loudly in relief. Around her, there are large, yet
organized, piles of papers and books. Each subject is color-coded, red for English, blue for
math, and so on. The room is well lit this time by a light on the ceiling. She spins her pencil for a
little bit and then realizes it’s already 10:30. “Finally, a break!~” She slides herself into bed and
closes her eyes. Before she could drift off into sleep, her dad swings the door open.

LIA’S DAD, MAUI: LIA?!

LIA, laying still on her bed, half-asleep :Mmph!
MAUI, yelling from the kitchen: CAN YOU WASH THE DISHES, I’M LEAVING FOR DUTY
LIA: mumbles Do I really have a choice?
MAUI: LIA?
LIA: YES! COMING!

Lia walks downstairs into the kitchen.

Her father is nowhere to be seen, and the sound of a door closing is heard from afar.
Lia is left alone but it is a familiar feeling every night, since her dad always took an extra late
shift ever since the passing of her mother.
She drags her body to the sink and begins washing dishes.
Suddenly, her phone starts ringing, immediately, she picks up.
LIA, while washing the dishes: Hello?

Other curtain rises, a medium sized room takes up the other half of the stage. There are teenage
posters on the wall, only one or two shirts on the floor, and there’s a backpack. There’s a full
size bed, and a desk. DOMINIC, is seen sitting at the desk, spinning slightly in his rolling chair.
His phone is pressed to his cheek as he talks to Lia who is on the other line.

DOMINIC, voice quivering: Okay, Lia. I’m going to just get this out.
 Caluza, Graham 4

LIA, she chuckles a bit: Go for it. I’m washing the dishes though, so if you hear anything, don’t
mind it.
DOMINIC, a bit of hesitation: Okay, so.. I’ve been meaning to tell you this. It’s not some stupid
furby joke this time, I’m actually serious. It’s why I’ve been acting weird, like you said, and it’s
why I’ve been trying to hangout with you and tell you in person.
LIA, she holds a wet dish in her hand, trying to scrub it: Okay, okay. What is it?
DOMINIC, scratching the back of his head: I’m in love with you
LIA, immediately drops the dish, it falls onto the ground and breaks, making a loud shatter. Her
mouth is stuck open for a moment. She doesn’t respond.
DOMINIC: I’ve been in love with you for a little while now.. He begins to pace around his room
Again, silence.
DOMINIC: I just, well, you just… gosh. A goofy smile erupts on his face Everything about you
is so.. I can’t even explain it. You’re so many things wrapped up in one. I know we’re friends,
and I could possibly ruin our friendship by telling you this, but I just can’t lie to you. I can’t lie
to myself either by pretending I don’t have these feelings. Everytime I see you, or every time you
pick up the phone or shoot me a text, I just get this feeling. It’s like butterflies, sort of. And,
everytime I look at you.. I just feel like my whole world is standing in front of me. Quietly
exhales

Once again, a silence is held between the two. Lia is frozen in her place, not even moving to pick
up the broken pieces.

DOMINIC: Are.. are you there?

LIA, finally moving: Yeah, yes, of course. I’m here. I just.. She bites her lip
DOMINIC: You just…
LIA: Wow..
DOMINIC: Is that a bad kind of wow or..? The corner of his mouth twitches, he is not prepared
for the answer.
LIA: No, no, not at all. I’m just sort of surprised… How long have you had.. those feelings..?
DOMINIC: Ever since summer.
LIA: Wow, her eyes are wide open, staring at the wall in front of her
DOMINIC: Yeah.
LIA: Wow, that’s..
DOMINIC: Yeah, I know
LIA: Wow… Lia’s face is burning up
DOMINIC: Lia.
LIA: Yeah.
DOMINIC: You don’t have to feel the same. I’m not rushing you into any--
LIA, she suddenly flares with confidence:--But I think I do.
DOMINIC: What?
LIA: I think I do.. You know, feel the same, sort of
DOMINIC: You do?
LIA, as it’s all coming to her: Yeah.. I mean.. You’ve always been there when I needed you..
And you know me so well and you always do that cute snort when you laugh and you’re always
making me happy even when it seems like nothing can and sometimes when you smile it feels
like the whole world just stops and--
 Caluza, Graham 5

DOMINIC: --You’re in love with me too.

LIA: yeah… I-I think I am.
DOMINIC: Wow, that’s his shoulders are suddenly not tense anymore, and he collapses in his
chair in relief
LIA, smiles and chuckles: I know
DOMINIC: Wow..
LIA: I’ve never really thought about it.. Well, I’ve never really had the time to but..
DOMINIC, smiling and chuckling along too: It’s okay-- That’s okay.
LIA: It’s kind of weird.
DOMINIC: Right? He pops up from his chair again
LIA: It’s a lot to take in
DOMINIC: I know, take your time. Don’t worry
Another moment of silence is held between the two, but there isn’t a dash of awkwardness there.
LIA: So.. I like you.. You like me..
DOMINIC: Yeah?
LIA: What’re we going to do about it?
DOMINIC: Go out with me.
LIA: What?
DOMINIC: Like, on a date.
LIA: I’d love that, but when?
DOMINIC, barely glances at the calendar on his wall: Tomorrow, maybe?
LIA: But, I have that cookout tomorrow.
DOMINIC: How about after?
LIA: But it’ll be late.
DOMINIC: You already did all your homework earlier, right?
LIA: Yeah, of course
DOMINIC: So, it works
LIA: Well..
DOMINIC: Look, Lia even if it’s just an hour, it’ll be fine. It doesn’t have to be a long date. We
can just sit and talk, if you want
LIA, sighs: Okay, okay, when and where?
DOMINIC: I’ll find all of that out tomorrow morning.
LIA: Sounds good to me
PAUSE
DOMINIC, jokingly and teasingly: So… you have feelings for me?
LIA: Oh, shut up.
CURTAINS CLOSE
END OF SCENE 2 ACT 2
 Caluza, Graham 6

SCENE 3 ACT THREE: C+

Lia now spends a majority of her time on her phone, texting and texting Dom. She’s never felt
this way before, and instead of pushing away these feelings, she embraces it. Rather than
spending countless hours on her desk, much of her time is dedicated to Dom, hanging out with
him.
It’s a chilly October night, Lia is covered in excess foliage from her rooftop. It is the middle of
the night, and Lia scales the side of her house.

CURTAINS OPEN

She struggles to open her window, but after a minute, she manages to open it. As silently as she
can, she enters her room one foot at a time, the muddy leaves marking her dust covered papers.
When she closes the window, she sighs in relief and throws off her muddy shoes and dirty
hoodie. She turns around, about to turn on the lights.
Lia stops dead in her tracks once she sees her father sitting in her chair.

MAUI, crossing his arms: What in the world are you doing?
LIA, her hands behind her back, wiping the excess leaves off her pants: You’re home early.
MAUI: I left early.
 Caluza, Graham 7

LIA, cautiously: You did? That’s weird of you.. You never do that
MAUI: It was to talk to you.
LIA: oh, uh.. What about?
MAUI, pulls out a paper: This.
LIA: My progress report came in already?
MAUI, examines the paper in his hand: Came in this afternoon.
LIA: I thought they wouldn’t come in until next week. She folded her hands together I mean,
that’s what the bulletin said, I think. That’s fast, they must be--
MAUI:-- Stop beating around the bush.
LIA: I wasn’t.
MAUI, buries his face in his palm then massages his temples: The highest grade you’ve got is a
C plus, and that’s in PE. How do you even get a C plus in PE! That’s an easy class, Lia!
LIA: I don’t kn--
MAUI, between his teeth: Have you been skipping?
LIA: NO! I wouldn’t do that!
MAUI: Then, what’s going on?!
LIA: Nothing! Everything is fine!
MAUI, aggressively smiles: Would you like me to read your grades to you?
LIA: No, dad, please.
MAUI: ignoring LIA AP Government, F. AP Bio, F. AP Literature, F. AP French, D-, Calculus,-
-
LIA: on the verge of tears Stop, I know what they are!
MAUI, sarcastically: D. And of course! How could we forget PE, C+! emphasis on plus GReat
job, Lia! Should I put this on the fridge to show off how well you’re doing! Wow! It’ll be even
better when your semester report card comes in! Then, colleges will be able to see how well
you’re doing too!
Lia is silent.
MAUI: What’s going on!
LIA: Nothing! Nothing is going on! She furrows her brows
MAUI, holding up her progress report: Then why is this terrible! Why are you crawling through
your window, sneaking back into your room at one in the morning on a school night!
Lia is silent again, but she looks at the phone in her hand.
MAUI: Hello! Lia! Am I talking to the wall!
LIA: It’s a boy.
MAUI: What? He quickly stands up from his chair
LIA: I’ve been going out with a boy.
MAUI: A boy?
LIA: I’m sorry, I--
MAUI: You’ve put a boy over all of your studies!
LIA: No, I didn’t do that!
MAUI: Well, your grades say otherwise! Clenches the paper in his hand
LIA, trying to play it off: It’s just the progress report.
MAUI: If you don’t change, it’ll turn into the semester report! He tosses the paper to the side
What happened to you! What happened to the girl that worked hard to do her best! Where is she
now! He places his hands on Lia’s shoulders
LIA, pulls away from Maui, keeping her distance: Nothing! Nothing happened!
 Caluza, Graham 8

MAUI: Obviously not! What about in the spring, Lia?! All those AP exams I paid for?! What’s
going to happen with them?! Remember? I worked overtime so my account wouldn’t go into
overdraft! So we can at least survive for the month! Is that money just going to waste?
LIA: No! Of course not!
MAUI: Well It sure seems like it! Gosh, if you’re mom we’re here she’d—
LIA: Stop! I get it, okay?! I’m not doing it on purpose, dad! I just— I wanted to go live my life! I
wanted to go have fun in high school! I wasn’t thinking about.. all the other stuff..
MAUI: See, that’s the thing! You weren’t thinking at all! All you cared about was having fun
and now it’s all come to bite you in the back!
LIA: Dad! It’s a stupid progress report! I can fix it! She begins to pace herself out of her room,
and Maui follows her.
MAUI: You’ve got three months to fix it before the semester ends, Lia! If you want to get
anywhere near fixing it, then you’ve got to decide what you want.
LIA: What do you mean? They are both out of her room
MAUI: It’s either the boy or school.
Lia runs back into her room and shuts the door on him
CURTAIN CLOSES
END OF SCENE 3 ACT 3
 Caluza, Graham 9

SCENE 4 ACT 4: The Truth is..

Dominic lounges comfortably at the cafe table, scrolling through his phone. The usual, an
unsweetened iced coffee rests under his chin, and a mango dragon fruit with 2 pumps of coconut
milk and chopped strawberries is placed in front of the seat adjacent to him. Next to the drink is
a small bag, with a vanilla cake pop inside. In the distance, he can faintly hear his voice being
called.
Dom looks up.
Lia enters, stage right.
DOMINIC: Lia! Hey! Embraces Lia in a hug
LIA: Hey! Sorry, I was a little late because—
DOMINIC, smiles and pulls a chair out for Lia: Oh, no worries. I was just chilling and whatnot.
Sit down, how are you?
LIA: Honestly, I’m kind of.. she looks down at her feet and clenches her teeth, then looks back
up at Dom, who is beaming with positive energy
I’m kind of hungry.
DOMINIC: Oh, I got this for you. Reaches over and grabs the baggie on the table Figured I’d
order while I waited to avoid the line and all. Hands the baggie to Lia
LIA, inspecting the bag: Thanks, Dom.
DOMINIC: Yeah, no problem. It’s sort of my job now since I’m your boyfriend and all, you
know? Motions Lia to sit down
LIA: Yeah. Right. About that—
DOMINIC: continues—it’s been a little while since we’ve been here though. Last time you said
you loved the vanilla cake pops, so that’s what I got you. Laughs I wasn’t sure if you’d felt the
same way about them now or if you’d want something else so I hope it’s—
LIA, surprised : You remembered that? We haven’t been here together for months..
DOMINIC: I know, but it just stuck with me. I think I just took a little mental note of that when
you told me. He taps his head
LIA: And you remembered the drink too! Her eyes widen and a smile emerges on her face
DOMINIC, he laughs, smiling brightly: How could I forget it? You said it was the perfect mix of
summer and—
LIA: —strawberries. Yeah, because it’s pink and sweet like the—
DOMINIC, sighs happily:—sunsets in Hawaii.
LIA: Yeah, Yeah, it really is! Plays with her hair
DOMINIC: I’ve never been, you know.
LIA: To Hawaii?
DOMINIC: Yup.
LIA: That’s crazy! How come?
DOMINIC: Never had the chance to, I guess. He shrugs My family really isn’t the vacationing
type.
LIA: Don’t you go to Italy every so often though? Sips her drink
DOMINIC: Well, Yeah, but that’s because my grandparents live over there, and we visit them.
 Caluza, Graham 10

LIA: Oh, right, right. Do you speak Italian then? She eyeballs the cake-pop, and takes a bite out
of it. She makes a face of content
DOMINIC: Oh, gosh no, but don’t tell my mom that. Do you speak Hawaiian?
LIA: Yeah, of course I do, but I mean, I hardly speak it anymore. Nobody knows Hawaiian over
here.
DOMINIC: That’s true. But, hey, I mean, at least you know more than one language. That’s
really smart of you.
LIA: Not really. A lot of people can speak two languages.
DOMINIC: Lia, c’mon, you’re literally one of the smartest people I know!
LIA, puts down her cake pop: I’m not.
DOMINIC: What do you mean?
LIA, barely able to maintain eye contact with him: I read this article a long time ago. I have no
idea if it’s true, but it said that people handle bad news better when you sandwich it with good
news. Takes a deep breath So, here it goes.. The truth is, I’m not doing well at all. I’m failing all
of my classes, Dom. I don’t mean to pin this all on you, but I was doing well until.. until—
DOMINIC:—until we started going out. He looks down, and shoves his hands into his pockets
LIA: Yeah, exactly. Progress reports came in and my dad saw mine, and yeah.. She hides her
face with her hand It wasn’t exactly.. you know.. But, I made a plan. I talked to all of my
teachers and asked them about tutoring, extra credit, and how I can raise my grade—
DOMINIC: Lia, that’s great! He places his hand on top of Lia’s empty hand and holds it tightly
That’s good news that’s—
LIA:— but I’ve got to break up with you. She slowly looks up at Dominic and sees his broken
expression.
DOMINIC, his grip on Lia’s hand loosens, and his voice is shaky: What?
LIA: I can’t keep doing this. Going out and being with you is so amazing. I love all the dates and
all the time we get to spend with each other, but I just.. I can’t keep up with you and school. It’s
too much to juggle at the same time.
DOMINIC, pleading: You don’t have to. W-we could go on less dates. I could help you study!
We could maybe call instead of going out and—
LIA: No, Dom—
DOMINIC: We could find a way to make this work, I promise. If you just give me the chance to
figure this all out we could—
LIA: Don’t you think I’ve thought about that, Dom? She looks up at him with intense eyes I can’t
focus with you.. and it’s not your fault. Gosh, none of this is nowhere near your fault. You don’t
even deserve any of this, but.. it’s the best option for me.
DOMINIC: For you. It’s the best option for you. Lia, we haven’t even tried to fix this. You
haven’t even told me you’ve been struggling this whole time.
LIA: I didn’t want this to stop. I mean, I don’t even want to be doing this right now, but it’s the
most logical thing to do. If I cut you out, then that fixes the problem.
DOMINIC: Is that what you want?
LIA: No, but right now it’s what I need.
DOMINIC: Lia,
LIA: Dom, I need a break. Even if this can work out, I still need some time alone. I got to figure
myself out for a little while. Lia gets up from her chair
DOMINIC: So, you’re leaving.
LIA: I’m sorry.
 Caluza, Graham 11

CURTAINS CLOSE
END