EXCERPT #2: Sample Story

Backstory: Three years have passed. Indya is out celebrating with friends when she gets a call from an old friend.

"EXCERPT #2"

JADE

Noooo, what?! You didn’t tell me you and Jason are getting married?! I’m so happy for you!

JORDAN

Yeah, y’all are my idols. As soon as I get me a decent man---LORD!

LEIGH

Thank you seriously. Jason and I have been together for almost 7 years now. I can honestly say at 22 years, I have found the love of my life. Anything he needs, I got his back. And he has mine.

INDYA

Wow, that’s beautiful Leigh. I knew you would be the first. I always said you would be. {takes a sip of wine}

LEIGH

Oh stop, you all thought my ass was Tina…

JADE

No, we thought you were Ike, the way you bullied Jason on the phone. I don’t know too many men that can get called bitches on the regular. {laughs}

LEIGH

See, I’m in a good place and I'm not following you all up tonight. I’m a changed woman. {laughs} Besides, I only called him a bitch once.

{Jade gives her the side eye}

I mean maybe once or twice damn. Did I not just say I was changed? Besides that's enough of me. Indya, what’s going on girl?

INDYA

Well, I just started…{Her phone begins to ring. She answers it immediately and excuses herself from the table.}

Hello? Is this…

VOICE

Yes, it’s Kent.

INDYA

Oh. {pauses} Hi Kent. {she sounds disappointed}

KENT

Hi beautiful.

{silence rests between them}

INDYA

It’s been a year. You just decided to call?

KENT

Yeah, I actually was thinking about you. Well, I came across an old picture of us and I had to call you. Reminded me of old times and I wanted to check on an old friend.

INDYA

{thinking} “Friend”. That’s all we ever were.

{to Kent} Yeah, well it’s good to hear from you I guess. You still in Decatur?

KENT

Nah, I’m actually back in Charlotte. I’m coming back to UNCC for Homecoming. Couldn’t miss my last one as an undergrad.

INDYA

Are you just coming back for Homecoming? I mean…is that all you planned to do?

KENT

No. Look, I know it’s been a long time. I haven’t seen you in over a year and I just wanted to talk to you. You know catch up.

INDYA

Catch up. Why now Kent?

KENT

Because I need to see if I’m missing something…

INDYA

Spare me Kent. It’s been 3 years since you left Charlotte and over a year since I’ve seen you or even heard from you. Look, I’m in a different place. I don’t have time for this right now. If you say you’ll be up here for Homecoming, we can talk then. Until then, I can’t put much effort into it at this point.

KENT

{sigh} Damn…excuse me…well just know that I really do want to see you. You have my number. I’ll be here.

{Indya hangs up the phone and heads back to the table}

LEIGH

Damn though. Who was that?

INDYA

{rolls her eyes} KENT.

JADE

Kent, Kent? Kent that left you freshmen year to move back home.

LEIGH

I swear I never liked that dude. He was wrong from jump. The fuck he go off and leave a good catch like you.

JORDAN

Seriously Indya, what was he saying? I mean it has to have been at least a year since you saw him.

INDYA

Y’all I don’t even want to think about it. He was all serious about coming back up here for Homecoming AND that he wanted to see me. Y’all I can’t take that. Kent really did some foul shit…I mean he just up and left for 3 years and now he thinks he can call and just re-appear. It doesn’t work like that. He will not have that power over me.

JADE

Look, chill. This night ain’t even about Kent. He didn’t get you that internship at the station. YOU DID. You got a lot going for you. Don’t let Kent’s call mess this night up.

INDYA

You are right. Let’s take a shot ladies. A shot to this being an EMPOWERING year.

{The ladies head to their cars and hug each other goodbye. They all head to their apartments. Indya thinks about the call from Kent. She never thought about him ever coming back. She didn’t even know why he left in the first place. Freshmen year was all a blur and she didn’t want to re-live the pain he put her in 3 years ago. She arrived home, took a shower, and went to sleep to clear her head.}

{In Charlotte, NC at 1:25am Kent sits at a bar with a few drinks.}

KENT

Yo, excuse me. Another one please? {he motions for the bartender to pour another drink for him. It’s his fourth one in an hour}

BARTENDER

You may want to slow down man. You good?

KENT

Hell no. My mom man. My mom.

{He picks up his phone and it slips out of his hand, accidentally calling Indya’s phone number}

I loved that woman and now she’s gone. It’s been 3 years since I held her in my arms. Whenever I needed encouragement, she was there. And now she’s gone. I don’t know how I’m making it. I still love her.

{Indya overheard the entire conversation and hung up after he finished slurring his last words. She didn’t know what to make of it.}

BARTENDER

Man, I can imagine how hard it is. But, I know one thing.

KENT

{barely able to hold his head} What?

BARTENDER

You drinking your pain away won’t resolve the pain. Let me call a DD for you man. You shouldn’t be out like this.

{The bartender took away the drinks from in front of him and called a Designated Driver for Kent. Kent had many of these moments in his bar. But tonight he was more off than usual. His mother’s passing was really beginning to take a toll on him.}

{Meanwhile Indya was still thinking of the conversation she overheard from Kent. She sat up in bed and began to think for herself}

{It was obvious Indya was bothered by the entire situation. Her heart wanted to love Kent and forgive him for his actions but, her mind wouldn’t let her be so forgiving. In her eyes, she was 21 years old and doing WELL for herself without Kent. He wasn’t a necessity to live her life. But under this hard surface, something inside of her was telling her to give it a chance. Something about Kent was always attractive. No matter the wrong he did, he could always win her over. It was something about that man. Something she couldn’t ignore no matter how hard she tried.}