Stress

NOTES: Steven sits on alone on a bench beneath the willow tree at the top of campus. He has just gotten out of class and is waiting for his girlfriend Janey to get off of work. Janey approaches from the right and, upon seeing Steven’s face, slows her steps and prepares herself for the rant sure to come. She removes her backpack and sits, waits.

STEVEN: The bench is right.

JANEY: What?

STEVEN: The bench. It’s right. Read the bench.

JANEY: (Turns and sees a small piece of paper taped to the center of the bench. She leans in and begins to read aloud) “We are our own tormentors, and any pain we feel is pain we bring upon ourselves. Therefore, we the creators must also be the relievers.” (Turns to face Steven. Sits and waits.)

STEVEN: I realized, reading this bench, that I stress too much. All these problems I have are only made worse because I stress about them. My homework? I don’t need to stress about it. I just need to do it. A job? I need to stop talking about getting one and actually apply. My dumbass roommates? I’m just going to forget about them. They’re dead to me. I need to stop stressing. It’s not who I am. I’m going to stop.

JANEY: (Nods her head. Doesn’t really know what to say.) Uh huh…

STEVEN: Yeah, I’m going to stop. Starting tonight.

JANEY: (Skeptical.) Yeah…you really do need to stop stressing. It’s not making you happy. I can see it on your face, and it’s stressing me out.

STEVEN: I know. I’m going to stop. Let’s go watch a movie.

JANEY: (Doesn’t trust it’s going to end just like this. Picks up her backpack and starts to get up.) Ok…

STEVEN: I mean, who cares if they’re moving out. We’ll find someone to take their place. And even if we don’t, I can move somewhere else. It’s no big deal. I mean, I can move in with my uncle…although, I do hate him. But it’s ok, I’ll figure something out…

JANEY: Yeah, it’ll all work out in the end…

STEVEN: Yeah, it will. I’m not stressing about it. And those assholes can go fuck themselves. They’ll get what’s coming to them. And if they don’t, I’ll make sure they do.

JANEY: Yeah, they will, don’t worry about it.

STEVEN: I mean, what they’re doing is pretty fucked up. And if they don’t get what’s coming to them, then I’ll have absolutely no faith in the universe. I mean, I don’t have much faith in it now, what with the corruption in the government, the greed in humankind, the war, the terror….

(Janey places her backpack on the ground and makes herself comfortable on the bench.)