LAST FIRST BROKEN HEART
By Tara Meddaugh
Brian tries to impart some wisdom on love to his heartbroken 13-year-old son.
DETAILS:
Genre: Comedic/Dramatic
Running time: Approximately 2.5-3 minutes
Cast: Male
Age range: adult, 30s-50s
Setting: In the bedroom of Brian’s son
Tags:
BRIAN is in the bedroom of his 13-year-old son, Joey. Joey is splayed out on his bed, and has been crying, suffering from his first broken heart. BRIAN talks to him in an effort to show sympathy and embark him with some wisdom on love. He tries his best to use a sports analogy and encourage him with the idea that, while it’s pretty awful right now, at least this is the last “first-broken-heart” he’ll ever have. That part is over. Done. And even if love doesn’t get easier, it does get better.
EXCERPT BELOW:
BRIAN
(He talks to his 13-year-old son, Joey. Brian might sit on the edge of the bed, or at least close by)
Now, Joey, if you look at it the way I look at it—I know, I know, but listen, listen. Joey, listen. If you see it how I do, then you start to realize…it’s bad, it’s maybe the worst, but that means, that means… Look, I’m not gonna try to convince you that she wasn’t right for you—she was sweet and thought your impressions were funny—but she did say she hated dogs, and Buddy sleeps in bed with you, so I don’t know how that was gonna end well. But that’s not my point.
My point is that now it’s over. Yeah, I know Mom said, “Oh, it’s just beginning,” but that’s Mom. She sees the ice in the road twenty miles away. You know what I see? Do you? Joey?
I see the last, and only, first broken heart you’ll ever have.
And the first one…
(shakes his head)
Joey, I’m not gonna lie to you. I can’t lie to you because you’re feeling it right now and you’d think I was an idiot if I tried. You know it hurts. Like Buddy is lying on your stomach after you ate too much pizza and cake and you can’t breathe right and you might throw up—END OF EXCERPT