The (Almost) True Story of Hope Winter (A Musical) Read online

  Act 2

  Scene 1

  HOPE stands alone on stage. She is shaking, she is terrified. She begins to sing, as DEPRESSION slowly creeps out.

  Hope:

  I am feeling that I cannot feel a thing

  Feeling alone and afraid I might fall from the Earth

  I am alone and afraid

  I am alone and afraid

  I am alone and afraid

  Depression:

  You are alone, you should be afraid

  You are unloved and you deserve nothing

  You are untalented, did you think you were loved

  You are alone and unsafe

  The next stanza HOPE and DEPRESSION sing at the same time, they look like they are in separate stanzas because they sing different words.

  Depression:

  You are alone and you are afraid

  You are unloved and you deserve nothing

  You should just go away and never come back

  There’s a bottle of pills in the cabinet

  Hope:

  I am alone and I am afraid

  I am unloved and I deserve nothing

  I should just go away and never come back

  There’s a bottle of pills in the cabinet

  HOPE runs to the cabinet to the side of the stage and when she gets back to center, HAPPINESS bolts on stage, running for her life, because she is

  Happiness:

  You are so loved, please don’t think like that

  You are more than a boy who doesn’t treat you right

  What are you doing, you’re better off here

  There is more to life than people like Ally

  Depression:

  Ally’s destroying you, you’re better off gone

  Don’t those pills look like candy

  Happiness:

  Don’t cry, you would be so much better off here

  Hope:

  Would I be so much

  Depression:

  Worse off here

  Happiness:

  C’mon Hope, don’t you see it

  You’ll be okay if you stay here with me

  Again, HAPPINESS and DEPRESSION sing against each other simultaneously until HOPE cuts them off. HAPPINESS joins in after DEPRESSION’s second line

  Depression:

  Is life worth it if no one ever loves you

  Is life worth it if no one ever cares

  Happiness:

  What would your mom think

  What would your friends think

  What would Cynthia think

  If you were to die

  Depression:

  Is life worth it if no one ever loves you

  Is life worth it if no one ever cares

  Happiness:

  What would your mom think

  What would your friends think

  What would Cynthia think

  If you were to die

  Hope:

  Numb

  It’s a feeling but I feel nothing at all

  I’m feeling like I’m about to fall

  Far away from here, I get no more chances

  I choose what to do

  I choose who I am

  And I choose to die

  Depression:

  Is life worth it if no one ever loves you

  Is life worth it if no one ever cares

  HOPE opens the bottle and dumps some out onto her palm, HAPPINESS runs to HOPE’s phone and screams out the first thing they see.

  Happiness: Look, a text from Liz.

  Hope: Huh?

  Happiness: Liz texted you. It might be important.

  HOPE puts down the pills and reaches for her phone. Lights open on LIZ in another area of the stage, the same thing that happened with CYNTHIA

  Liz: Hey, I’m sorry to bother you but can you come over? It’s kind of an emergency.

  Hope: (typing) I’m really busy, Liz. I’m sorry.

  Liz: Hope, it’s an emergency.

  Hope: (looks at the pills than back at the phone) I’ll be right there.

  The scene shifts to LIZ’s room, which is covered in books.

  Hope: Wow, you sure read a lot

  Liz: Yeah, it’s a hobby.

  Hope: Oh, I just thought-

  Liz: That I was stupid?

  Hope: No, it’s just Ally and Bree said-

  Liz: That I was an idiot.

  Hope: (reluctantly) Yeah.

  Liz: Well I’m not.

  Hope: I gathered that. Why did you let them call you all that if you read this many books.

  Liz: I’m the token stupid friend.

  Hope: You’re the what?

  Liz: I mean, Ally and Bree think they’re geniuses, so they kind of use me to prove they’re smarter than at least someone.

  Hope: That’s terrible. Has it always been like that?

  Liz: No, just since Ally joined. I just never told Bree about the whole thing. I always just never talked about interests, it was always about her.

  Hope: I’m so sorry, Liz.

  Liz: Doesn’t matter anymore.

  Hope: What do you mean?

  Liz: Ally found my schedule. She kicked me out.

  Hope: She kicked you out? What was on your schedule?

  Liz: Well- I um. I don’t really want to say.

  Hope: It’s okay. Start from the beginning.

  Liz: The beginning?

  Hope: Yeah.

  Liz:

  Since I was a little kid, I fell in love with numbers

  It’s the one way you can talk to anyone

  Without making a fool

  So I joined the math club and I made the team

  But I dropped all that when I met her

  Hope: Who?

  Liz:

  When I met Bree.

  So I put on the pretty face and I hid the fear

  I went on pretending that I was failing each year

  So Bree was happy

  And I guess I was too

  But everyday I was struggling

  Feeling so blue.

  Everyone thinks I have a D in Algebra

  When in reality I have an A in Calculus

  AP calculus

  I know it’s crazy

  And Bree can’t know

  Because if she found out my head would blow

  Hope: So you mean to tell me you faked being dumb for years?

  Liz:

  I know it sounds ludicrous

  Hope:

  Yeah kinda so

  Liz:

  But I promise you there’s more to me than you’ll ever know

  I have a B in English, an A in art, and A in Bio and that’s just to start

  I know it’s crazy but I guarantee you I’m smart

  I’ve always wanted to say it, I’m smart

  No matter what Bree’s saying I’m smart

  I’m smart

  I’m smart

  I’m sick of saying I have a D when I’m smart enough to take a damn AP

  So screw that I’m smart

  My IQs higher than your credit score but if Bree knew she’d think I’m a bore

  Hope:

  I don’t know I think it’s interesting

  That you’re smart enough to take a damn AP

  Liz:

  So screw that I’m smart

  Yeah

  Screw all this I’ll take her by the ear

  Because I’m tired of pretending all these years

  Hope:

  Soon it will be plain to see

  That Liz Smith is taking APs

  Both:

  Screw that you’re/I’m smart

  Screw that you’re/I’m smart

  Hope: Maybe talk to Bree about Ally kicking you out?

  Liz: Did you hear me? I can’t.

  Hope: Then I’ll quit the royals

  Liz: No! Then Ally will have all that power to herself.

  Hope: So I’ll just stay with Ally and convince her to let you back in!

  Liz: I me
an- I guess.

  Hope: I won’t let you down! I promise!

  Liz: Don’t make those kinds of promises.

  Hope: What do you mean?

  Liz: You can’t promise to make Ally change her mind, you’re not in control of her.

  Hope: Then I promise I’ll try.

  Liz: Okay.

  Hope: Hey Liz?

  Liz: Yeah.

  Hope: I think it’s really cool you’re so smart.

  Liz: Thank you. Very much.

  Hope: Of course.

  Liz: And Hope?

  Hope: Yeah?

  Liz: Are you okay?

  Hope: I-I don’t know.

  LIZ signals for HOPE to sit down on her bed with her.

  Liz: What’s going on?

  Hope: I feel so- alone?

  Liz: Alone. But you’re a royal. You’ve got the whole school on your side.

  Hope: But I’m not- I just- ugh.

  Liz: Breathe. Think one thing at a time. You’re not what?

  Hope: I’m not friends with Ally, or Bree, or the whole school for that matter. They just know of me, they don’t know, y’know, me.

  Liz: I feel that. How does that affect you?

  Hope: It makes me feel so- alone so-

  Liz: Isolated.

  Hope: Exactly! And it’s like no one would care if I just- If I just went away.

  LIZ sits for a moment without saying anything. She is taken aback by HOPE’s comment. She finally takes a deep breath and responds.

  Liz: Hope, are you feeling unsafe.

  Hope: Unsafe with what?

  Liz: Unsafe with yourself. Do you think you might hurt yourself.

  HOPE looks at the ground. Something inside her breaks.

  Hope: I-I don’t know anymore.

  Liz: Okay. How can I help?

  Hope: I don’t know.

  Liz: It’s gonna be okay.

  Hope: But what if it’s not?

  Liz: Sometimes it isn’t. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that everything is going to be hunky dory every day. Sometimes things are hard, and impossible, and scary. But we power through them, that’s what we do. That’s what we have to do. And yeah, that’s just as scary and just as impossible. But we do it. And look at you, Hope. You’re alive now. Which means every single thing life has ever thrown at you, you’ve survived. Your life has a 100% survival rate. So no. You’re right. I can’t promise that everything is going to be okay. But I can promise that life moves on, and we move on with it. You need to move on with it. I believe in you.

  HOPE wipes tears from her eyes and hugs LIZ. LIZ hugs her back.

  Blackout.

  Scene 2

  All the ensemble cast stands on stage whispering to each other. We hear snippets of around the stage.

  Girl: Did you hear about Ally Colcone? She has an account on-

  Boy: She is totally looking for attention, I mean why else would she-

  Girl 2: I heard John Wollons found her account on Instagram

  Boy 2: I tried to find it but it was privatized

  Girl 3: I heard she posted pictures of her arms after she-

  All: I can’t believe that Ally Colcone is a-

  ALLY enters, and everyone is quiet. She reads the text messages on her phone. The texts and comments come from people all over the stage.

  Girl 4: Jennifer Williford has requested to follow you.

  Girl 2: Angelina Dylons has requested to follow you.

  Boy: @AllyColcone is a stupid attention hog

  Girl 3: Why else would she make an account like that?!

  Boy 2: Thomas Whittaker has requested to follow you.

  Girl 4: Scarlet Rutherford told me she leaked her own account for attention.

  Boy 3: Andrew Powell has requested to follow you.

  ALLY quickly paces back and forth freaking out and staring at her phone

  Girl 5: @AllyColcone needs to get over herself

  Boy 7: Jason Rudetsky has requested to follow you

  Girl 7: She’s totally faking it.

  Boy 6: Allen Wrench has requested to follow you

  Girl 6: Sophia Beauregard has requested to follow you.

  All: @AllyColcone is a lying whore

  Ally: Oh my god.

  HOPE enters and ALLY runs to her.

  Hope: Hey Ally. I-

  ALLY pushes HOPE.

  Ally: You filthy, lying, backstabbing cheat!

  Hope: What? I-

  Ally: You found me account. You told everyone.

  Hope: What account?!

  Ally: Are you freaking serious right now?

  Hope: I’m so confused, Ally, please calm down.

  Ally: You leaked the details to my depression account.

  Hope: You’re what?

  Ally: Don’t play stupid with me, Winter. My instagram depression account.

  Hope: I didn’t even know you had one.

  Ally: BS

  Hope: No, I’m serious I had no idea.

  Ally: Than why does everyone at school know about it?

  Hope: Ally it literally could have been anyone. And who cares? What is it, just sad pictures? Quotes?

  Ally: No, Hope.

  Hope: Than what was it.

  Ally: Oh my god.

  Hope: Ally if you want me to help you have to talk to me.

  Ally: I don’t want your friggin’ help, Hope! Haven’t you done enough?

  Hope: Ally, I swear, I didn’t do anything!

  Ally: I don’t believe you.

  Hope: Ally please, just talk to me.

  Ally: Please just leave me alone.

  Hope: Ally, c’mon please just talk to me.

  Ally: Please. Just. Go.

  HOPE exits and ALLY looks at her phone.

  Girl 1: Filthy cutter

  Boy 2: Who would post pictures like that?

  Girl 2: Who would post pictures of-

  Boy 1: Their self harm marks. Like who would-

  Girl 3: Even take a picture like that.

  Boy 3: Tyler Maclin has requested to follow you

  Girl 7: @AllyColcone is an attention hog

  Girl 4: Attention hog

  Boy 4: Stupid cutter

  Boy 6: @AllyColcone should kill herself

  Boy 7: She’s bound to do it anyway

  Girl 5: @AllyColcone is the kind of girl to post about her own suicide

  Girl 6: Attention hog.

  All: Filthy cutter

  ALLY throws her phone across the stage (please use prop and don’t break a real phone) and the voices silence. Lights are only on her)

  Ally:

  3 years ago I had no friends

  3 years ago I had to pretend that I was okay

  Each and everyday

  It’s exhausting

  I found the royals and they found me

  They were exactly who I wanted to be

  So I joined and lived happily ever after

  Then Hope comes along and ruins it all

  Exposes my secrets and brings my downfall

  So now I have no friends that I wanted

  So it’s my turn to bring Hope’s downfall

  And it’s my turn to break her heart

  It’s my turn to starve her of the life she always wanted

  Because that’s what she took from me and flaunted

  So now it’s my turn to break Hope Winter

  It’s my turn to destroy that girls life

  And since it’s my turn to finally be in charge

  So it’s my turn to be perfectly bad

  2 weeks ago Bree quit the royals

  Just thinking about it makes my blood boil

  She’s playing softball with her new friends

  And since she left Hope’s life will end

  Cause Hope comes along and ruins it all

  Exposes my secrets and brings my downfall

  So I’m forced to make a choice

  So it’s my turn to bring Hope’s downfall

  And it’
s my turn to break her heart

  It’s my turn to starve her of the life she always wanted

  Because that’s what she took from me and flaunted

  So now it’s my turn to break Hope Winter

  It’s my turn to destroy that girls life

  And since it’s my turn to finally be in charge

  So it’s my turn to be perfectly bad

  ALLY grabs her phone to text HOPE

  Ally: I’m sorry I overreacted, I shouldn’t of accused you of such a harsh thing.

  Hope: It’s okay!

  Ally: Wanna hang?

  Hope: Of course!

  Hope you’ll pay

  For the mistakes you made

  You can try

  But you won’t get away

  Hope you’ll wish

  You didn’t mess with me

  So it’s my turn to bring Hope’s downfall

  And it’s my turn to break her heart

  It’s my turn to starve her of the life she always wanted

  Because that’s what she took from me and flaunted

  So now it’s my turn to break Hope Winter

  It’s my turn to destroy that girls life

  And since it’s my turn to finally be in charge

  So it’s my turn to be perfectly bad

  It’s my turn to break Hope Winter

  Blackout

  Scene 3

  ALLY and HOPE sit on the floor in HOPES room

  Hope: Did you ever find out who spread that rumour about the instagram account?

  Ally: No. No I didn’t. Are you sure it wasn’t you?

  Hope: Didn’t you just apologize for accusing me of spreading the rumour.

  Ally: I didn’t accuse you this time, I simply asked you.

  Hope: So you still think I would do that to you.

  Ally: That’s not what I’m saying!

  Hope: Okay I just- it’s really frustrating to think you don’t trust me.

  Ally: I do! I do trust you I just- I just have no idea who would say that, or- or know that about me.

  Hope: Hey, is it-y’know, true that you posted pictures of self harm- uh- your self harm cuts on your instagram.

  Ally: (Spastically, obviously lying) Oh my god, of course not! I would never- oh my god, Hope, no!

  Hope: Okay. You know you could talk to me about that...y’know if you were.

  Ally: I’m fine, honestly.

  Hope: Okay.

  Ally: So how is John?

  Hope: He’s great actually, I didn’t like him at first but I’m actually really starting to enjoy spending time with him. He’s fun, and adorable, and-uh straightforward, (realizing ALLY is testing her to see if she’s in a good relationship. She gets nervous about being kicked out) but in a good way. Uh- a great way, I mean like, I wouldn’t say anything bad about him he’s lovely. Really lovely! (Nervous laugh)

  Ally: Um okay?

  Hope: Yep! I love him.

  Ally: You love him?

  Hope: Well, I um, I don’t love him, I just like him. But like, I like him alot. Like a lot a lot but not too much. Like I’m not obsessed with him. Like Alice was.

  Ally: Who’s Alice?

  Hope: Alice, uh- she’s his ex. A little crazy. A lot crazy. She um-

  HOPES’s phone rings.

  Hope: Oh my god. OH my god. Oh my god.

  Ally: Who is it?

  Hope: Oh my god.

  Ally: Are you gonna answer it.

  HOPE answers it.

  Hope: Hi? I mean, Hello. This is Hope Winter. (pause) Yes. (pause) Yes, I applied last month. Maybe the 15th. (pause) Okay. (pause) Oh my god thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! (pause) Yes. I’ll be there! (pause) Alright! Thank you! Bye!

  HOPE hangs up the phone.

  Hope: Oh my god.

  Ally: Care to explain?

  Hope: Last month I submitted my poems to a writing showcase. Like the national one, but it’s held here in Oregon. In Baker City. It’s about 40 minutes from Richland. You could totally come, I’ll be reading one of my poems. It could even win awards, it would mean the world to me.

  Ally: I’d love to come. I promise I’ll be there.

  Hope: Really?!

  Ally: Of course!

  Hope: You’re awesome Ally, thank you so much.

  Lights fade out

  Lights up

  Hope stands center stage, pacing at the showcase, on her phone.

  Hope: You’re coming, right? I didn’t invite anyone else so you wouldn’t have to talk to anyone you don’t know. I have no one here for me. My mom couldn’t even make it, she dropped me off and left. WHERE ARE YOU?!

  Ally: Sorry I can’t come.

  Hope: What?

  Ally: I can’t come.

  Hope: But you promised you’d come and I don’t know what to do, I’ve never performed one of my poems before and you’re not even here.

  Ally: Sorry.

  Hope: Okay. We’ll talk later.

  Ally: Uh-huh.

  An ensemble member comes up to introduce HOPE. HOPE is shaking in fear, clutching her poem to her chest.

  Announcer: And now presenting her poem, Hope P. Winter.

  Hope reluctantly gets on stage and speaks into the microphone.

  Hope: Hi. I’m Hope and I wrote this about my grandfather. Um- he’s in a nursing home and I miss seeing him but I-uh. I visited him. So I wrote this about his home. It’s called Nursing Home.

  HOPE recites her poem, it is beautiful and she is passionate and does lovely.

  Hope:

  I visited in my grandfather in a nursing home

  I walked through halls of people in wheelchairs

  I smelled antiseptic as it stung the inside of my nose

  I let my feet touch a carpet only touched by workers and wheels

  I passed people so close to the grave

  You could see the death in their eyes

  But they still looked at me and smiled, and waved

  They smiled although they knew their life was coming to an end

  They were not bitter, yet kind

  Their vocal chords so broken from a life of laughter and tears

  That they could not speak

  The lines across their lips from smiling a lifetime of smiles

  The folds in their skin from working days in the sun

  The wrinkles keeping in decades worth of memories, and people and dreams

  I can't help but wonder if the woman in front of my eyes ever lived how she wanted to

  I wonder if she misses the way her mother brushed hair from her eyes

  I wonder if her husband comes to visit

  I wonder if she fears her demise

  Or looks it in its dead eyes and smiles

  I wonder if the man to my side wishes he could walk again

  I wonder if he used to take his wife dancing

  I wonder if his father loved him

  I wonder if he thinks he still deserves love

  As I approach the room of my granddad

  I wonder how many people's lives have ended in this hallway

  I wonder how many nurses have run down this hall in attempt to save a life that had ended years ago

  I wonder if the nurse feels guilty about how many a journey have ended here

  I wonder if she thinks that a life trapped in a room is not a life atall

  I wonder if she worries about that

  I look at the blanket covering my grandfather

  And I wonder how many washes it takes to get the smell of a life well lived out of it

  I look at the tears in his eyes as he struggles to remember my name

  And I wonder what it's like to look at your mother's picture and remember nothing

  I wonder what it's like to not be able to kiss your wife anymore

  I wonder if he remembers how much he loved his wife

  I wonder if he remembers how it felt to hold her hand for the first time

  I wonder if he ever fell ou
t of love with my grandmother

  Or if every time he sees her, it's like falling in love with her all over again

  But most of all, as I sit on the cold floor of the nursing home

  I wonder when I will join this place.

  Thank you.

  HOPE exits the stage and everyone cheers for her poem.

  Blackout

  Scene 4

  HOPE stares at her phone. She paces back and forth. She presses call. We hear the phone ring. ALLY picks up.

  Ally: Hello?

  Hope:

  Hey can I talk to you?

  Ally:

  About what?

  Hope:

  Last night I had a showcase

  And you said that you would come

  You probably were busy

  I get that I do

  But why didn’t you come

  I was missing you

  Why didn’t you come

  When I needed you

  Ally:

  Hope, you’re not that important

  I had better things to do

  Than read silly poems that you spent time writing

  You’re vain and you’re selfish I have a life outside of you

  Hope:

  I told you it was important

  I don’t ask for much out of you

  I needed support

  I thought I could let you choose

  I thought you’d choose me

  But I’m watching you walk away

  And it’s breaking me don’t you see

  You took away my love

  You took her for your own

  Why would you do that If you loved me

  As you say you do

  Ally:

  Are you saying that I don’t care

  Hope that’s a foolish thing to do.

  I am all you have

  And I am all you need

  Come here to me

  And apologize

  Hope:

  I am not your slave

  Don’t tell me what to believe

  I am saying we’re over

  This friendship we had is through

  You are a bully

  You are a fraud

  Stay away from me

  Stay away from my friends

  Ally:

  What friends.

  Once the word gets out

  Your life will be over

  You needed me

  And now that you’re done it’s time to face the choices you’ve made

  I’m sorry but it’s true

  But keep in mind, that I’m coming after you.

  I’m coming after you.

  Hope:

  Goodbye Ally.

  Goodbye.