The Fall
that Revealed it All
By Jamie B.
CHARACTERS
Gabby: the Protagonist, 15 years old
Dr. Doctor: Gabby’s female therapist
Coach: Gabby’s lacrosse coach
Mrs. Hunrie: Gabby’s
mom
Sarah: Gabby’s best friend
Scene 1
SETTING
(As soon as the light comes on, Gabby jumps up in her bed, shaking and terrified)
Gabby: (to herself) Oh
my, gosh, I can’t believe I dreamt about that again. I wish I would stop having
to remember that time. Why won’t it just go away? It has already started
causing me so many problems in my life. It was the day of one of our last
lacrosse practices when I was a freshman. I remember vividly my coach pulling
me over after practice to talk to him. He said to me that it looks like I was
running slower today and that I needed to pick up the pace. How dare he? Does
he realize what he has done to me? To my life? I can’t
focus on anything other than what I have been eating,
I mean I even dream about it! What am I going to do!?
Scene 2
SETTING
(The following day, Gabby walks into her house after school. The house
is silent. There is a yellow post-it on the refrigerator from Gabby’s mom)
Gabby: (To herself, knowing she is home alone, once again) I’m home!
(She yawns, sighing afterwards)
Gabby: (to herself) Boy
am I tired. That’s what I get for only sleeping 4 hours last night.
(Gabby sees the note, signs, and realizes that once again, she has to make her own dinner, she opens the refrigerator to see what she could make herself for dinner, seeing nothing she closes it with a frustrated sigh. She walks to the food pantry, stares up and down and, finally, shuts that door, as well. She picks up her kitchen phone and calls her best friend, Sarah)
Gabby: Hey, Sarah, what’s up? Wanna come over; I’m home alone for the night because my mom has to work late again?
Sarah: Sure, lemme just ask my mom, okay?
Gabby: Yep.
(Gabby puts the phone on hold and slams the phone down on her desk)
Gabby: (to herself) I just wish my mom could be home a little more to spend more time with me.
Sarah: Gabbs, I’ll be over in 5 minutes.
Gabby: Awesome, see ya then.
End of scene
Scene 3
SETTING
(Gabby and Sarah are in Gabby’s room flipping
through magazines and watching T.V.)
Gabby: (Envious) Ugh, it’s so frustrating; all of these girls are so gorgeous! I wish I could look like them,
Sarah: (agreeing with Gabby, but clearly not as jealous as her) Yea, I know, but you just have to remember that they aren’t real; they are airbrushed so their bodies look even thinner than they actually are. Plus, you do basically look like them!
(Ironically, as the
two girls continued flipping through the magazines, on the television is a
commercial for diet pills, which catches Gabby’s eye;
A few moments later, Mrs. Hungrie, Gabby’s mother, comes home from a long day of work, the
girls are discussing their lacrosse game tomorrow)
Gabby: Sarah, we really have to win our game tomorrow, because if we don’t, not only do we not make the playoffs, but Coach is going to kill us!
Sarah: (Agreeing) Yea, I know, don’t worry though, we’ll win.
(Gabby looks into the mirror, disgusted by what she sees) Gabby: Wow, I really have to watch what I eat tomorrow so I can run fast and play tomorrow.
Sarah: Oh please,
Gabby, you know Coach is going to play you the whole game anyway.
(The girls hear the
front door open and they go downstairs to say hi to Gabby’s
mom)
Mrs. Hungrie: I’m home, Gabby! Oh, hey, Sarah, I didn’t see you!
(Gabby thought how
lucky her mom was to be able to say, “I’m home,” when someone is actually in
the house)
Gabby: Hey, mom. How was your day?
Mrs. Hungrie: It was fine, pretty long and stressful, but what else is new these days? How was yours? What did you end up eating for dinner? Sorry that I wasn’t able to making something for you again.
Gabby: (taken back and stumbling over her words)
Ummm- I… I… Oh, I just fixed myself up a turkey
sandwich, its fine mom, don’t worry. I can make myself my own dinner, I mean, I
am 15.
Mrs. Hungrie: (Surprised at her daughter’s new maturity) I know, honey, I just feel bad that I haven’t been around as much.
Gabby: It’s okay, mom. Hey, by any chance do you know what time it is?
Mrs. Hungrie: Sure, it’s
Gabby: Alright, mom, I’m gonna walk Sarah out and then go to bed, I’m really tired.
Mrs. Hugnrie: (Concerned, noticing something different about her daughter) Do you feel okay?
Gabby: (Almost answering too quickly) Yea, yea, mom, I’m fine.
Mrs. Hungrie: Wait girls, before you leave me, what time is your game again tomorrow afternoon? Gabby, I’m going to try my best to try and get out of work early to watch this one.
Sarah: (looking at Gabby) I think it’s at
(The door closes and
Gabby walks offstage, making it seem like she is walking into her bedroom. The
lights fade dimmer and dimmer with every step she takes)
End of scene
Scene 5
SETTING
(Gabby’s bedroom, only her nightlight is on, she is writing in her diary)
Gabby: (to herself, reading
from her diary out loud) Wow, I’m so proud of myself, this is the fifth day
in a row that I have tricked my mom into thinking that I have eaten dinner. I
am on a roll. All I have eaten today was some fruit at lunch, to prevent my
friends from becoming suspicious. This is so much easier than I ever thought.
And what makes it even better, is that I went on the scale this morning and I
lost 15 pounds in only 3 weeks! If I keep this up I will be the thinnest person
in our grade pretty soon!
(Gabby stops writing and shuts off her light, she lies down in her bed to fall asleep, but struggles as the room is spinning around her [lights are spinning])
End of Scene
Scene 6
SETTING
(The next day, right after the last school bell rang, typical school
atmosphere, Gabby headed towards the gym. When she got there, Coach was
standing in the doorway)
Gabby: (Weary, sluggish) Hey, coach.
Coach: (Noticing her tiredness): Gabby, you okay? You seem extra tired? You better wake up; we need you out there today! (In all seriousness) I expect at least three goals out of you!
(Gabby continues
walking without looking up)
Gabby: (Under her breath) Why does he always have to do this and put so much pressure on us?
(Sarah running towards Gabby to catch up with her)
Sarah: (cheerfully) Hey Gabby, wait up! You excited!
Gabby: (sounding upset) Yea, I guess.
Sarah: What’s wrong?
Gabby: Nothing I just can’t stand how Coach constantly makes me feel fat, I mean it’s bad enough I want to lose weight but he just makes everything so much worse. And plus, for some reason I really don’t feel well.
Sarah: I mean hey,
Gabby, you look great, I’ve told you before but if it will make you feel better
to lose a little weight, than go for it, but don’t do it because the coach
wants you to. Come on, now let’s go change and get out there!
(Lights black out)
End of scene
Scene 5
SETTING
(The game has begun and there is only 2 minutes left in the game. Gabby’s team is down by one goal…
The whistle blows and the curtain is lifted. Everyone is cheering.)
Coach: Come on girls! Run faster! Who wants this game, you or them?!
(Gabby runs as hard as
she can breathing heavily, but misses the next ground ball)
Coach: Gabby! Run through the ball! Come on, play your game!
(The clock is down to
25 seconds and still no goal has been scored, a long pass is made to Gabby from
down the field; she catches it and runs)
Coach: Run, Gabbs! You got it! Go to goal!
(Gabby’s
breathing picks up, it becomes harder and harder for her to breathe with every
step she takes, she shoots the ball and… the whistle blows for the coach to
come over, she has fainted.)
Scene 7
SETTING
Gabby wakes up in her hospital bed with her mother looking at her
intently. She is confused and doesn’t know what happened to her.
Gabby: (Slowly and timidly) Mom, where am I?
Mrs. Hungrie: (compassionately, yet fearful for her daughter’s health) Honey, you’re in the hospital, you fainted at your lacrosse game… the doctor’s are worried because it seems as if you have lost a drastic amount of weight in a short period of time. (Awkward pause)
Gabby: (Caught in a trap) No… I mean not really, mom. It’s just summer’s coming so, you know. I mean all of the teenagers in the magazines like YM and Seventeen that Sarah and I always look at, are SO skinny!
Mrs. Hungrie: (A little annoyed with her daughter’s answer) Gabby, so have you been trying to lose weight?
Gabby: (not looking into her mother’s eyes as she
speaks) No.
(Gabby’s
doctor enters the room and introduces herself to Gabby)
Dr. Doctor: Hello, Gabby, my name is Dr. Doctor. How are you feeling?
Gabby: Fine, can I go home?
Dr. Doctor: Actually, I noticed something with the results of your tests and I just want to ask you a few questions, without your mom in the room. So, Mrs. Hungrie do you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?
Mrs. Hungrie: (Gets up) No, not at all.
Dr. Doctor: (Talking as if she is expecting a certain answer) Okay, Gabby, when I looked at your charts from your last physically which was only 2 months ago, I noticed that you have lost a ton of weight since then. I can’t seem to find anything wrong with why you may have lost that weight, so now I am coming to you to see if you have any ideas?
Gabby: (speechless) Ummm…
No, I really don’t know…
Dr. Doctor: For some reason I think you are aware, but are just not able to say it. (Pause) So, I will say it for you – Gabby, I have a suspicion that you have been trying to lose all this weight. I am not trying to jump to conclusions, but I have been doing this for a long time. Don’t think you are alone, because many, many girls and even guys your age experience eating disorders. (Looks at Gabby to see her reaction)
(Gabby’s face is blank. Still, she shows no expression, until finally she realizes that Dr. Doctor is only here to help her.)
Gabby: (Teary-eyed) I hate feeling this way so much. I hate only thinking about food and how much I eat. I hate it so much.
Dr. Doctor: Well, Gabby, that was a great start.
(Dr.Doctor
gets up and leaves the room)
End of Scene
Scene 8
SETTING
(Gabby is sitting in her hospital room alone, thinking)
Gabby: (To herself) Gabby, you’re going to overcome this, no matter what it takes. You have to prove to Coach and to yourself that you can become the best athlete you can be without having this stupid eating disorder. I am not going to fall into the trap of society’s destructive messages.
(There is a knock on Gabby’s hospital room door and her mom walks in, she looks
as if she had been crying)
Mrs. Hungrie: So Gabby, what do you think about what Dr.
Doctor said to you?
(Gabby sighs and
doesn’t answer. She just closes her eyes and drifts off into a deep sleep)
Lights blackout
Scene 9
SETTING
(The lights gradually come on again, and Gabby wakes up. The time has changed to 2 years later. Her mom comes into her bedroom with her breakfast)
Gabby: (Groggy, still half-asleep) Thanks, mom.
Mrs. Hungrie: Hurry, Gabbs, you have to get dressed quickly, we’re running late for your doctor’s appointment.
(Gabby rolls out of
bed and throws some clothes on. She walks offstage as the lights go out)
Scene 10
SETTING
(The lights turn back on as Gabby is walking into Dr. Doctor’s office.
When she gets inside Dr. Doctor’s office, she sits in the waiting room. A sense
of déjà vu overcomes her)
Dr. Doctor: (Opens the door to her office) Hi, Gabby! How have you been! I can’t believe it’s been almost two years since our last appointment.
(Gabby struts into her
office, confidently, with no more fear or shyness)
Dr. Doctor: So, how have you been? Still, feeling good about everything you’ve worked so hard on?
Gabby: Yea, I’m doing really great. I’m happy and I am going to college next year. I’m even playing lacrosse.
Dr. Doctor: Wow, that’s amazing Gabby, you have fully overcome your disorder, which you should be extremely proud of yourself for.
Gabby: Thanks, Dr. Doctor!
Dr. Doctor: (Glances at her watch) Alright, Gabby, I think we’re going to have to stop here for today. When would you like to meet next?
Gabby: Well, Doctor, to be honest, I think I’m okay now. However, I was wondering if I could meet with you every so often so I can start learning how to help other people who are going through what I just went through?
Dr. Doctor: (Smiling) Of course, Gabby, that sounds
like a great idea.
(Gabby gets out of her
chair and walks out the door. As the door shuts, the lights go out)
End of Scene