ACT I
Cast
Abby: a black girl in 12th grade Forest-Borough high school facing discrimination from a group of students. She is very meek.
Bella: Abby’s friend, and abrasive in personality.
Mildred: Abby’s friend and a voice of reason in personality.
MRs: Wilson: the director of student services at Forest-Borough high school
ACT I
SCENE 1
(Break time at Forest-Borough high school. Most of the students are outside, mostly in groups chatting. Bella, Abby, and Mildred enter. The three girls are in a group of their own near the exercise block)
Bella: (looking disgusted) Hey Abby! Will you stop all these funny sobs?
Abby: I bet you never understand.
Bella: (To Mildred) I think you better talk to your little sissy. This crying is getting overhand. Don’t know what would happen had her offenders been physically assaulting her. (To Abby) and hey darling, what did she tell you today or do to you?
Abby: (in monotone) I bet Bella, despite having grown up together, still does not understand what I feel. I wish someone would bully her just because she is Black, then she would mind her speech. (To Bella) nothing much. She just told me that she wishes that the slave trade never occurred. That way (sobbing) I could…d n…e…v….e…r
Mildred: Hey, Stop it! (Places her palm on Abby’s back) These are just losers, and the more you obsess over them, then you will never know peace. Furthermore, I bet this is not the time to spend narrating your daily experiences it is time for action.
Bella: (Wincing cunningly) and that action ought to be with a kick here and a slap there (Bella and Mildred Laugh heartily).
Mildred: But hey, Bella, I bet your martial arts classes did better. You have too much physical energy. All issues are not military conquests. (Abby Nods and has stopped sobbing). Some are mere mental challenges.
Bella: I am listening to you, philosopher Mildred. Proceed…. (Smiling) But with caution.
Mildred: (Laughing) happy that you at last acclaimed my mental faculties. But getting to this, we will need to act and fast. (Bella and Abby, seated on the bench outside the block, stand up. Mildred is standing up. They all start walking toward the basketball pitch)
Bella: (To Abby) Hey, big girl now, you got to brighten up…
Abby: it is not an easy fit as you suppose it to be.
Mildred: Bella is a hard nut to crack! (Abby Chuckles slightly as Bella laughs). (Bella interjects)
Bella: Ahem…That I know. Some things we are so born with. How would I change that?
Mildred: Abby has a way more gentle heart than you do. (Winks at Abby). Is it not so? (To Bella). So I bet you would be symbolically represented by a fox. Abby is a lamb. And a beautiful soul indeed (They have gotten to the pitch and sit on the terrace.)
Abby: (smiling), but you girls make my time here so comforting. I am so thankful!
Mildred: You are always welcome, Abby. We are all each other’s keepers…. (Interjected by Bella)
Bella: We also know that after they are done with you, they will feast on us.
Mildred: (Angrily) it is not about what will happen after! You just don’t get it, hey!
Bella: I am sorry.
Mildred: So, action has to occur, and it must be today. Abby, what do you think?
Abby: I Am lost.
Mildred: Between what and what?
Abby: The right action I ought to take.
Mildred: And told you that is why we are here. I bet we should take and file the matter with the director of student services.
Bella: What about him, or is it her? Haha…
Mildred: She is Mrs. Wilson. Responsible for peculiar student complaints such as skin profiling and any discrimination over here.
Bella: Umhh… So do we book an appointment or … (Mildred interjects).
Mildred: Not at all, she has an open office. You just pop in if you have an issue.
Bella: Serves, right!
Abby: (Nodding) I had also contemplated this in the past. But I thought that Christine and her troops would slow it down. {Christine is a classmate to the three girls, A Caucasian who together with her two friends at times bullies Abby and other people of color at the school.}
Bella: You should have known better.
Mildred: But hey, Bella. It is not about knowing better. This is a current matter. (Looking agitated) Do we dwell on the past as the present is handing us death?
Bella: (Shrugging her shoulders) absolutely no, professor! (All laugh.)
Mildred: You have an over the universe sarcastic sense of humor?
Bella: What about an America’s got talent audition?
Mildred: (Laughing) you are way below the AGT league.
Bella: How many votes would I bag you suppose?
Mildred: At most two (all laugh.)
Bella: Whaaaat?
Mildred: It is what it is. Thank goodness you are seated beside the only people who would have faith and you.
Bella: Well… I wish you knew that I am the closest representative of a celebrity (Mildred interjects.)
Mildred: Enough of the talent talk. We hereby declare that you are the most supreme.
Bella: Yes, the greatest of all time (Abby Smiles). (Bella stands up)
Mildred: We’ve got to make our way to Mrs. Wilson’s office. (Abby and Mildred stand up).
END OF SCENE 1
The three girls walk in silence toward the administration block. Students are still chatting in groups. The administration block is about one hundred meters from the basketball pitch. They reach the block after about five minutes. They head to the caretaker’s office to enquire if Mrs. Wilson can attend to them. The caretaker calls, and they are cleared to see her.
Scene 2 at Mrs. Wilson’s office.
Mrs. Wilson: Welcome young ladies. Feel free to take up a seat, and may I know your names.
Abby, Mildred, and Bella: (In unison), thank you! (All taking up their seats).
Mildred: I am Mildred Roberts.
Abby: Abby Denzel. (Bella is staring at the pieces of art hanging on the walls. Others focus on her waiting for her to introduce herself.)
Mrs. Wilson: (To Bella.) Haha….It is a beautiful office, yes, but I beg to have your name.
Bella: (In a hasty tone) Oh, sorry! Am Bella… Bella Faustin. (All others laugh lightly.)
Mrs. Wilson: Serves right! You can now continue admiring the art. (All smile). So girls, how can I help you?
Mildred: Madam, thank you for welcoming us here. We were almost thinking you could be handling other businesses.
Mrs. Wilson: What business is more superior to handling students’ issues?
Mildred: Most obliged, ma’am.
Abby: (In monotone) I, at last, believe that this is where my issues will be resolved. she sounds so motherly. (Smiles).
Mrs. Wilson: What is it, Ms. Dellize. Is that even right? (Laughs).
Abby: Sorry, it is Denzel.
Mrs. Wilson: Oh, age is acting on me really fast. That I cannot remember a name mentioned less than a minute ago. (All laugh). So, Mildred, if I got your name right. How can I be of help? I preliminarily gather tight Ms. Denzel is a little bit shy while our good friend is so possessed with what is hanging on the walls. (Bella smiles). She must belong to the art class!
Mildred: yes, the name is right. Thank you. So, madam, we are all in grade twelve. Abby has been facing quite a lot of challenges. A group of girls has been trolling her on skin color basis. (Mrs. Wilson interjects)
Mrs. Wilson: Oh my! Who does that on such an innocent-looking girl? Go on, Mildred.
Mildred: So we just thought it wise to come over, have a word with you as we feel that the racial attacks by the girls are taking a toll on Abby.
Mrs. Wilson: This is absolutely the right thing to do. And more glad that you have confidence in this office, but also me as an individual to chart the way forward. (To Abby) So, Ms. Denzel, I am first really sorry for what happened. It is unfortunate, and I assure you that such conduct is prosecuted to their very end. But first, I will need to have a personal narration. Tell me what has been going on. If need be, you can request your friends to excuse us. (Abby shakes her head).
Abby: So madam, in the recent few days, some of my classmates led by one Christine have been throwing racial jibes at me.
Mrs. Wilson: Yes, go on. (Abby narrates her ordeal at the hands of Christine and her friends for approximately two minutes as Mrs. Wilson scribbles some notes.)
(Bella and Mildred nod at intervals while exchanging glances.)
Mrs. Wilson: I request that you give me at least two hours to file your issue. After that, you will come and read through to confirm what you said is correctly captured. Then tomorrow, we will begin an official inquest into the matter. In the meantime, you can go back to your scheduled activities. (The three girls rise).
Bella, Abby, and Mildred: Thank you!
END OF SCENE 2