Play # 9

Moving Day

__________________________

By Joseph Frost

Originally written for the 2019 "31 Plays in 31 Days" challenge

Contact:
Joseph Frost
710 Newland St
Jackson MS 39211
FrostJosephD@gmail.com
 A small U-Haul pull-behind trailer on stage.

GEORGE, young and dressed in shabby moving

clothes, comes around from behind the trailer.
He takes out a key and unlocks the door.

When he opens the door, we see a pile of boxes,

and in the center sits ANGELO, also young and
similarly dressed.

ANGELO
You said it was a ten minute drive.

GEORGE
It was.

ANGELO
It’s been 17 minutes.

GEORGE
Stoplights. Traffic.

ANGELO
Dude.

GEORGE
I didn’t stop off for dinner or anything.

ANGELO
It’s hot in here.

GEORGE
Then get out and get some air.

Angelo steps out of the trailer.

ANGELO
Could have warned me.

GEORGE
I drove straight here.

ANGELO
I could have ridden in the car.
 2.

GEORGE
The car was packed.

ANGELO
Why didn’t we put the car stuff in the spot I was sitting in?

Silence.

GEORGE
The car was packed earlier. Delicate items.

ANGELO
Your PS3 is a delicate item.

GEORGE
Yes.

A moment.

ANGELO
All right.

GEORGE
Pizza’s gonna be here at 6, so we have to get moving.

ANGELO
Why?

GEORGE
We want to have this all loaded in before the pizza gets here.

ANGELO
It’s 5:15.

GEORGE
So let’s move.

ANGELO
When is everyone else getting here?

GEORGE
Everyone else.
 3.

ANGELO
The other people who are coming. Presumably.
(beat)
Sharon?

GEORGE
She had a class tonight.

ANGELO
Kyle.

GEORGE
Did you not notice that he left?

ANGELO
What?

GEORGE
He left at 2:30.

ANGELO
I wondered where he went.
(beat)
Mike and Mike.

GEORGE
Mike’s out of town. And Mike only came by to pick up that couch I’d borrowed from
them.

ANGELO
Mike’s out of town.

GEORGE
His mom’s.

ANGELO
Ah.

GEORGE
So...

ANGELO
I’m the only one here to help you unload.

GEORGE
Yes.
 4.

ANGELO
And you think we’re unloading this whole thing in 45 minutes.

GEORGE
It’s not that much really.
(beat)
I don’t have Mike’s couch anymore.

ANGELO
I’m your only help and you locked me up in a trailer.

GEORGE
It was your idea.

ANGELO
It wasn’t 350 degrees when I got in.

GEORGE
It’s not 350 degrees.

ANGELO
I could have cooked the pizza in there.

GEORGE
Nevertheless.

George shifts some things around.

ANGELO
You know you screwed up, don’t you.

GEORGE
What?

ANGELO
You screwed up.

GEORGE
I asked people to come, they weren’t available.

ANGELO
No. That’s not what I’m talking about.

GEORGE
I know.
 5.

ANGELO
She didn’t want you to move out.

GEORGE
Oh she didn’t.

ANGELO
She thought you’d patch it up.

GEORGE
Well, she misjudged me.

ANGELO
You love her.

GEORGE
Angelo.

ANGELO
You do.

GEORGE
Of course I do.

ANGELO
I know.

GEORGE
And I know she feels the same way. At least she did.

ANGELO
Right.

GEORGE
I know.

A moment.

ANGELO
Then how did we get here?
(beat)
A trailer full of boxes. A PS3 sitting on a front seat. Angelo sweating his ass off.
(beat)
Seriously, I can’t stop sweating. I might never stop sweating.
 6.

GEORGE
I proposed to her.

ANGELO
You did what?

GEORGE
And that’s when she told me she was leaving.

ANGELO
Oh.
(beat)
So I guess the answer was no, then.

GEORGE
I think it was.

ANGELO
So you moved out.

GEORGE
Well, she left. Packed up a couple bags and said she was going to Holly’s for a few days
to think things over.

ANGELO
A few days.

GEORGE
That was in June.

ANGELO
That can still be measured in days.

GEORGE
More than a few.

ANGELO
Probably.
(beat)
You want her back.

A moment.

GEORGE
No.
(beat)
 7.

I’ve moved on.

(beat)
I’ve moved.

ANGELO
Almost.

GEORGE
Almost moved.

Angelo and George are silent a moment.

ANGELO
I’m ready whenever you are.

George shifts the boxes he moved back to their

spot. He pats the seat where Angelo was
previously.

GEORGE
Let’s go.

ANGELO
Yep.

GEORGE
Holly’s place isn’t more than 10 minutes away.

ANGELO
Aw man...

George closes and locks the trailer.

Angelo bangs on the wall from inside.

GEORGE
Yeah?

ANGELO
(inside)
Can we at least pick up that pizza that’s supposed to be delivered?

GEORGE
Sure thing.
 8.

George pats the trailer, then crosses around the

front.

Lights down.

End of play.