Sweet Hibiscus Tea

By anahi medrano

Characters:

Dominique

Dominiques dad

Dominiques mom

Jade

Jades Mom

Police Officer 1- officer Padilla

Police Officer 2- officer Winn

Police officer 3- officer Torres

Isaiah

miles

Setting:

The park (Leanna Park)

Jades house

-jades kitchen

-jades room

Police department

Dominiques car

Jades' car

Sims Hotel parking lot

Summary: what happens when your one and only friend is gone? Jade only remembers parts of a night
that now led to the disappearance of Dominique Resendez and now she needs to find out what
happened to find her best friend.

2 police officers come to jade's door

*Knock knock*

Jade wakes up

*Knock knock*

Jade wakes up

Jade: who is here? *She says to herself*

Jade's mom: Hello coming!

*Opens door*

Jade: mom has it handled.

Jade goes back to sleep

Jade's mom: Oh... Hello officers ... how can I help you today?

Police officer 1: Good morning, ma’am we are with Genera County police department, and we need to
ask a few questions regarding a jade Ordonez. Does Ms. Jade live here?

Jade's mom: Uhm yes, she lives here but um may I a-ask what this is about? *She says nervously*

Police officer 2: May we come in?

Jades' mom: Of course, I am so sorry.

Jades' mom opens the door for the two officers and leads them to the kitchen

Police officer 2: Thank you and to answer your previous question we just need to ask your daughter if
she knows anything about the disappearance of Dominique Resendez, she is now considered a missing
person and we are trying to trace anyone who might know anything about her disappearance.

Jade's mom: Oh, my goodness that is horrible! Let me go grab jade right now

Jades' mom walks down the hallway and turns left and knocks on jade's door

*Knock knock*

Jade's mom: Jadeee can I come in?

Jade: yesss.

Opens door and jade's mom enters the room and closes the door behind her

Jade's mom: Mija? When was the last time you spoke to Dominique?
Jade: I talked to her yesterday and I have been sending her reels and junk. Why?

Jade's mom: Mija the police are here, and they are looking for Dominique... They said she is considered
a missing person...and they came to talk to you about that.

Jade walks out of her room to see two officers now sitting in her kitchen. Both officers stand up when
jade enters

Police officer 1: Hello I am office Padilla, and you must be jade?

Jade: Yes? What is this about Dominique missing?

Police officer 2: Hello I am officer Winn and why don't you have a seat?

Jade sits down and jades mother pulls the chair next to her and sits down and the police officer sit
across from her.

Police officer Winn: We know that you and Dominique are friends, and we want to know when the last
time you were in communication. She has not been answering any of her calls or messages and has not
been home since November 1st. Her parents are worried sick, and we would like to know if you know
anything about her abrupt disappearance.

Jade starts to hear ringing

Jade's mom: Jade? Mija?

Jade's mom shakes Jade's arm and Jade stands up and goes to her room to grab her phone.

Officer Padilla: Ma’am?

Jade comes back to the table and sits back down

Jade: Me and Dominique were together on October 30th and were at a Halloween party, but we were
together that entire day and, on the October 31st, she called me to let me know she made it home safe
last night and that she loves me, and she will see me later. I have been texting her ever since then, but
this does not make sense...

Officer Winn: Well can you come to the department to make a statement, this is protocol, and we need
to see your past messages and photos leading up to today.

Jade: Yeah, sure let me grab my shoes.

Jade's mom: Can we ride in our own car please?

Officer Winn: yes, ma’am if you could follow us, we would appreciate it.

At the police station

jade: We had spent the day together and got dairy queen and ate in Dominique's car and later got ready
at my house while my mom was at work and then we left for the party at 11 which had been at Leanna
Park and afterwards at around 3 am Dominique dropped me off at my house and then went home.
Somewhere around 12 pm Dominique called to say I love you then she turned her location off. Thats all I
remember.
Officer Padilla: Jade was Dominique speaking to anyone in a romantic matter? Did she have any
enemies? Did anyone dislike her? Would anyone want to hurt her in any way? Do you know where her
car or phone are?

Jade: *quivers* She was speaking to a guy named miles, but they had recently cut things off but other
than that everyone likes Dominique and no I don't know where her stuff is, but I can trace her car... I
have an air tag but its glitchy and won't work if were too far apart.

1 day later

Jade's mom: Hey Mija, you got out of bed! Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it.... They found her
car... It was damaged all over and was ripped and ransacked but they found the receipt to dairy queen
and some of her things! So that is good, isn't it?

Jade: I need to talk to miles and see what I can find. I know they found her car but that doesn't mean
anything, she could have run away. She hates her parents so I could understand why she would leave.

Jade's mom: Mija we do not know that and if she were to run away, she would have taken her car and
phone and clothes and would have told you, it does not make any sense she was leaving for college in
less than a month, okay? Someone could've.......I am sorry I know this is not helpful, but you do not
remember anything else about the party? Did you get separated?

Jade: I’m going out, I need to find out what’s happening.

Jade goes to Leanna Park and into the forest and finds Dominque's sweater, headphones and one of her
shoes

Jade then calls miles

Miles: Hello?

Jade: Hey it’s jade. Can we meet at sims hotel parking lot? We need to talk.

Miles: Yeah, sure but is it about Dominique?

Jade: Yeah, I'll see you in 10

Miles and jade meet in the hotel parking lot

Miles: Look I already talked to the cops and we both know I had nothing to do with that. You should be
more scared, you betrayed her by talking to me that night. You were the ones arguing and everyone
knew it.

Jade: Oh, shut up you came onto me, and we were only arguing because you decided to message her
trying to get back with her but I wanna know why she's missing and where she went, and I am sad that it
hurt I hurt her. I thought she was doing this to be an attention seeker, but after hearing about the car,
she might have been hurt, and thankfully I grabbed her stuff from the park before anyone else it'll make
me look bad and I leave in a month anyway, have you talked to her parents?

Miles: No, I haven't talked to them and yeah that's why I damaged her car it’s better for it to look like
she was robbed, and I needed to grab all my stuff from there anyways, but do you have any fent on you?
Jade: Are you joking? Who gave you, her keys? Actually, just Stay away from me, I don't wanna know.
They're going to find something of yours there, and I am trying to stay clean. Don't text me or call me
anymore. Bye.

Miles: you wouldn't wanna know anyways just know that she was going to go missing sooner than later.
*Miles starts laughing and waves bye to jade*

Jade leaves the parking lot and heads to Dominique's house and is greeted by her parents

Dominiques mom: Hello Jade, what are you doing here?

Jade: I came to look through Dom's stuff to see if anything can lead to helping find her if that's okay with
you?

Dominiques mom: Of course, but some officers came by already but knock yourself out I will be laying
down. I'm not sure what to do with myself since she's gone. Everything feels so empty now.

Dominiques dad walks in covered in dirt in bruises

Jade: OH MY GOD!!! What happened??? Are you okay?

Dominiques dad: Yes, I am fine I had a little trouble at work but nothing to severe and I just went fishing
so that's why I'm not looking like my Sunday best.

Jade: I didn't know you went fishing and what kind of trouble? Like with a client? I didn't think it would
get violent as a lawyer but at least now I know what field I'm not going in!

Dominiques dad: Well somethings just happen, and I would rather not get into it was quite difficult to do
and honestly, I just started to get into fishing, it clears my mind.

Jade: I understand I'm so sorry. I’m just going to go to Dominique's room now.

Dominiques dad: No ma’am you need to leave; I need to talk to my wife, and I want to look through her
things first. I am going to have to ask you to leave jade.

Jade: Okay sir I understand I'll get out of your hair.

4 days after this jade remembered everything from that night

Jade: *wakes up screaming**jade starts to cry*what the hell?? Mom!!! Mom!!! We need to go to the
police now. We need to call 911 now. Mom, we need to leave.

Jade's mom is nowhere to be found so Jade calls her mom on her way to the police station only to find
her already at the police station.

Jade's mom: Jade!! Are you alright?? A man ran me off the road when I was coming home from work,
and he hit my car and yelled that “my daughter” needs to keep quiet. What is going on?? Did you get
yourself into trouble?? Does any of this have to do with Dominique??

Jade: Mom, I remember everything now, but what's going to happen if I say something? Are you okay?

Jade's mom: Mija you need to tell them.

Jade: I know mom I'm scared mom. Her parents did it, they took her and hurt her mom and it's my fault
that they got away with it. I took the clothes away from the park and miles took the car and destroyed it.

Officer Torres: What happened?? You did what??

Jade: I am so sorry, but I remember everything now officer it was her parents.

Two days later

Tv blasts in jades living room*Breaking news 19-year-old found dead in a trash can in her parents' home
and was uncovered by her best friend*

Jade: I can't believe she's gone, and I can't believe her parents were struggling so much that they
wanted her insurance money.

Jade's mom: It is okay now baby. I am sorry that she is gone now I know she was your best friend. But
would you like some sweet hibiscus tea?

Jade: *smirks* Yeah, her parents must've been plotting this for a while I just wish I could've helped in
any way, and I know I'll be okay, but it is sad. So yes, I would like some tea if you don't mind.

Reflection:

1.) In the complexities of my character Jade, we can see that in the beginning of the story it displays a
beautiful friendship between 2 girls, only for it to be later realized that Jade was not a good friend to
Dominique. This shows a complex relationship of high school teenagers going into college and eventually
growing apart and hurting each other, as humanistic behavior often does. She does this by having a
relationship with the guy Dominique was interested in. We also see that despite Dominique's death jade
is relatively fine and worries about herself whenever it came to her committing the crime and seemed to
have mixed feelings about her friend going missing. However, despite her mixed feelings she does seem
to be consistent and loving with her mom and overall sad about Dominique.

2.) In the script we see that jade moves around a lot and despite the scence we can see the descriptions
of the park and her moving towards the trails or away or how she walked down the hall and into the
kitchen again to grab her phone. This gives a great scene that conveys where they are and what
everything looks around them as well as shows a lot of motion to what the characters are doing and that
also shows the comfortability between the characters and conveys a bigger story. For example,
whenever the police officers stood up as soon as jade entered the room it showed that they were ready
to be aware or careful while in the beginning we see jade's mom seem scared to open the door for the
police officers revealing their emotions while also being able to describe the story

3.) The significance of jade seeing Dominique's parents shows that there is now a shift and that its
overall weird and it uncomfortable to see her parents in that state, although it's understandable that
they might not want guests its odd that the dad has bruises and is covered in mud when he does nothing
of the sort that would require such messiness. As well as her mom being run off the road, she regains
her memories which puts all the pieces together. In all this part of the script we see that it all aligns to
jade realizing that her parents did it and were responsible for her best friend going missing.
4.) The metaphors the parents use when speaking conveys their age by saying sorry, I don't look my
Sunday best Kind of is a reference to church and how most people go to church and usually want to look
good. This conveys that he knows he does not look good now. The imagery created also conveys a lot of
emotion because the characters show them scared or shivering and the stage directions show what they
are doing but overall, there was not too much figurative language.