Frustration: the Anger from Being Passive

A terse monologue in one act.

The stage is empty except for a single spotlight that shines down on a stool.

Enter stage left; a girl, tall, brown hair, wearing a purple shirt with purple-rimmed glasses. She sits.

ACT I, Scene i

GIRL IN PURPLE: I went to work today. I worked with this guy: for the sake of the story we'll call him Brandon. So here's the deal. I told this other guy (a few days ago) I work with-Jami-that I could cover his shift for him on Saturday. Cool; I picked up an extra shift. I get in to work today and I look at the work schedule and for Saturday it has Jami's name for working the shift. But Brandon had crossed out Jami's name, put his own name, and then Jami had crossed out Brandon's name and written my name. OK, whatever....somewhat confusing but essentially I'm still working. My name is the only one not crossed out so far. I sit down and am reading my book because no one is swimming. Then Brandon comes up to me and says, "Hey, why'd you cross out my name for the 25th?" I reply: "I didn't." So he says: "Who crossed out my name?" I reply: "Well, I had talked to Jami after he put up the note in the guards' shed saying he needed someone to work that shift for him and he said, 'Great! Thanks! I'll cross my name out and write your name in.' So I'm thinking Jami crossed your name out." Brandon: "But I talked to Toni and after she saw the note she asked if I could take that shift. I kind of wanted to work it too because I cancelled my plans I had for Saturday night." Me: "Fine, you take the shift. No problem." Brandon: "OK, thanks!"

At first I'm not thinking much about it. Then as the night goes on, it kind of hits me. I just handed forty bucks over to this kid. I didn't want to give up that shift. I was the one who actually talked to Jami about it; I made contact with the guy who was supposed to be working the shift. But no. Our pool supervisor, Toni, has to come in and schedule Brandon for that shift.

A) it wasn't Toni's shift to reschedule, and B) I shouldn't of been so passive. I should have pointed out to him that it wasn't Toni's shift and that if he really wanted the shift, he should have talked to Jami. I should have told him, "Oh, I'm sorry. I already talked to Jami and I was planning on taking that shift. Sorry you cancelled your plans." If he had plans then why did he take this shift in the first place?? It just kills me that I handed him forty bucks, no problem. I should have stood my ground. It just really frustrates me. I didn't want to sit and argue with him, going back and forth:

"Well, I was going to take that shift."

"But I talked to Toni."

"And I talked to Jami."

"But I cancelled my plans for Saturday night."

"Well, I'm sorry. Uncancel them?"

How would that be? Stupid. I mean, it's kind of petty that I'm peeved about this mix-up anyway but still: it's upsetting me. Plus it doesn't help that this kid sat there for the next hour or so and talked it up. He told me about his dad in Montana who is a multi-millionaire and he's in the archery business. Supposedly his business is throughout the Dakotas, Utah, and Wyoming as well. What? No one lives in Wyoming. They gave them a single representative in the House out of sheer pity; they don't even have enough people to constitute needing a representative. I mean, he was a nice kid overall but I just got off to a bad start with him. And sure, it's petty but it still upsets me. Just in case I didn't get the message through.

Exit stage right. Light dims; fin.

p.s. Yes, I have been reading a lot of plays lately. I'm stuck on Tennessee Williams right now. Was the whole layout lame/cheesy? If it was, please feel free telling me. It looked much better in my mind.