The Break-Up

Cecilia Evoy
Title Illustration by Jahan and Sultan
Illustration by Kim K.and Kardelen

Ext. Dog park. Afternoon. Fall.

RAMONA and STEPHANIE are sitting on a park bench, watching dogs play. 

Ramona drags on her cigarette, blowing a smoke ring.

RAMONA

I don't think it's working out.

STEPHAINE

(Confused) What's not working out?

RAMONA

Us. I just don't feel it anymore.

STEPHANIE

Are you... breaking up with me?

RAMONA

Yeah, I guess.

Ramona shivers, leaves from the tree fall around the two girls.

STEPHANIE

We aren't dating! How can you break up with me?

RAMONA

Well... you can break up a friendship can't you? I mean if I say I don't want to see you anymore, doesn't that constitute a break-up?

STEPHANIE

Yeah (slowly, confused) I guess.

The girls sit in silence for a while, Stephanie pulls on her hoodie strings, Ramona keeps smoking.

STEPHANIE

But... why?

RAMONA

Well, you're so... whiney.

STEPHANIE

(Angrily) I'm whiney? Me? What about you? You complain all the time!

RAMONA

(Laughs) Me? Okay. My complaints are legitimate.

STEPHANIE

You complained about school yesterday! You went on for, like, an hour about your work!

RAMONA

It wasn't legitimate to complain about getting such a massive number of assignments that I couldn't sleep? You complain every single day about how long your fifteen minute bus ride to work is!

STEPHANIE

(Enraged) So after three years you're dumping me for complaining?

RAMONA

You're also clingy.

STEPHANIE

(Shrilly) Clingy?

RAMONA

And jealous.

STEPHANIE

I am not jealous!

RAMONA

I don't have any female friends that you don't hate. I'd call that jealousy.

The girls sit in silence, Stephanie is glaring at the ground in front of her.

STEPHANIE

Y'know, you aren't the perfect friend, either. You always act so holier-than-thou! You think everyone else is so stupid, and you think you're better than them! You treat me like shit because you think I'm stupid!

Ramona is frowning heavily, drops her cigarette and lights another. Stephanie is angered by the lack of reaction.

STEPHAINE

You're a huge bitch, too. You're always reaming me out and snapping at me. Anytime I talk about something you're bored by, instead of saying you're bored you sit there in silence and make me feel like I'm the biggest idiot ever for talking! So whatever you think is so horrible about being friends with me, it's worse being friends with you!

RAMONA

You’re a fucking bitch! You know what, you deserved to have Aaron cheat on you!

There is a stunned silence. Stephanie gapes at Ramona.

STEPHANIE

Really? Really? We were together for four years! You’re really going to fucking say that to me?

Ramona

(With less conviction) Well, it’s true.

Stephanie

What kind of goddamn person are you? You always do this! You always try and hurt people as much as you can, for no fucking reason!

RAMONA

Yeah, and you make it so goddamn easy! I told you what was going to happen! I called it a year before Aaron cheated! But you never fucking listen to me! I take so much fucking time to give you advice and try and help you sort out your wreck of a life and you never listen!

STEPHANIE

I tried, okay, I tried! I can’t do everything exactly as you want me to, though! That doesn’t work! And I knew, too. I knew something was wrong, which is why I went to you, but I guess that was a bad idea.

RAMONA

(Looks ashamed)I shouldn’t have said that. I just… I just said it, okay? You didn’t deserve that. It’s just… you make me angry sometimes.

STEPHANIE

(Gives a disapproving look to Ramona and throws hands in air) Yeah, well, you spit.

RAMONA

What?

STEPHANIE

Yeah, you spit. On the ground, all the time. It's gross. And I hate the smell of your stupid cigarettes!

RAMONA

You constantly chip the polish off your nails! Do you know how annoying that sound is?

STEPHANIE

You don't cover your mouth when you cough!

RAMONA

You refuse to stop dying your hair stupid colours!

STEPHANIE

You hate the Beatles!

The girls stare at one another, half-grinning. Eventually they turn away from each other. Ramona starts fiddling with her smoke and Stephanie starts picking off her nail polish. She looks at Ramona out of the corner of her eye and stops.

STEPHANIE

Wanna go to Subway?

RAMONA

(Pause) Sure.