CHARACTERS:

Steve - 16 year old boy, martial artist, brunette (lighter), 6’1”

Sarah - 17 year old girl, Steve’s older sister, brunette (darker), 5’9”

SETTING:

Sarah (17) and Steve (16) are at a train station in New Hampshire, waiting for the shuttle to bring them to the ski lodge. Steve is practicing martial arts moves and Sarah is on her phone pretending not to know Steve, though they are surrounded by hunters and the only ones dressed to go skiing. Steve accidentally kicks the phone out of Sarah’s hand. The phone falls down to the train tracks, and she jumps down to get it.

SARAH

(Picking up her phone)

“This is the last phone Mum could afford this month! Stop!”

The blasting of a horn and the slow rattle of a distant train echoes with the cold winds. The train is coming. The hunters help Sarah back onto the track while Steve stands listless.

SARAH

“What the hell man, that was my phone!”

STEVE

“Sorry.”

SARAH

“You’re always sorry! How about instead of apologizing, you just act normal, then shit like this wouldn’t happen!”

STEVE

“Is it cracked?”

SARAH

“No it’s not, thank god, but that’s not important. You’re always embarrassing me and breaking our stuff! Isn’t martial arts supposed to be about self control or something?”

STEVE

“I’m sorry, I slipped on the-”

SARAH

“You slipped? You slipped!? Are you purposely practicing on ice?”

STEVE

“I thought it might, maybe, help me control my balancing?”

SARAH

(Briefly pauses while looking at Steve with utter disbelief)

“What planet do you come from?”

STEVE

(Pauses confused)

“Earth?”

SARAH

(Sighs and puts her face in her hands)

“Oh my god you are such an idiot. Not literally you moron! Why are you so weird!?”

STEVE

(Flustered and confused)

“I just- I don’t- I’m sorry.”

SARAH

(Looking forward with her eyes closed, putting hand in between her and Steve’s faces)

“Ugh, just stop. I don’t want to hear it. Don’t talk to me until we get to the lodge.”

STEVE

“Sarah?”

SARAH

“Steve. I just said-”

STEVE

“But Sarah-”

SARAH

“No Steve! Whatever stupid, assinine thought you have in that pee-sized brain of yours, I don’t care!”

STEVE

“But Sarah!”

SARAH

“WHAT!?”

STEVE

(Pointing to opposite side Sara’s facing)

“The bus is here.”

Looking at Steve with disbelief, Sarah spins around to see a Greyhound bus parked at the station. The last passenger is taking their seat.

SARAH

“Crap! Come on!”

Steve and Sarah pick up their bags and begin running towards the bus. Steve, who is taller than Sarah, is moving slower than he should be and shuffling. 

SARAH

(Just managing to pick up her gear)

“What are you doing you weirdo, we gotta g-”

Sarah attempts to make a dash towards the bus and slips on the ice, sending her face first towards the ground. She lets go of her phone to catch her fall, and the phone goes carreaning back towards the tracks, where it falls off, and is immediately run over by the oncoming train.

SARAH

(Looking back at the train)

‘My phone!”

STEVE

(Helping Sarah to her feet)

“Come on, the next bus doesn’t arrive for another hour!”

Sarah gets to her feet, and the two scramble towards the bus. The bus doors are beginning to close, and Steve takes out his phone, whipping it at the bus doors. The phone catches in between the doors, preventing them from closing. Steve and Sarah make it to the bus, and Steve collects his phone.

BUS DRIVER

“What the hell kid! You coulda hurt somebody with a move like that!”

STEVE

“I’m sorry sir, may we please get on the bus?”

BUS DRIVER

“Ugh, fine, make it fast!”

Steve helps Sarah onto the bus, puts their stuff away overhead, and the two sit down together.

STEVE

(Sits down and looks at Sarah)

“Are you okay?”

SARAH

(Disappointed)

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m sorry I yelled at you so much.”

STEVE

“I’m sorry I kicked your phone. I’ll stop practicing martial arts in crowded areas.”

SARAH

“Thanks, but I don’t want you to feel bad. If you really like practicing so much, you should keep doing it. It clearly makes you happy. Just try to be more careful, okay?”

STEVE

“Ok Sarah, I will.”

STEVE

(Checking his phone and seeing it’s not cracked, Steve hands Sarah his phone)

“Here, you can use mine until you get a new one.”

SARAH

“For real?”

STEVE

“Yeah, I hardly ever use it anyway. I like to live in the moment.”

SARAH

(Opening phone)

“Thanks Steve.”

STEVE

“No problem.”

SARAH

“Steve?”

STEVE

“Yeah?”

SARAH

“What’s ‘Evolved Fights’?”

There is a long pause.

STEVE

“I’ma need that phone back.”

SARAH

(Handing the phone back and applying hand sanitizer.)

“I wish you weren’t so awkward.”