White Liar

CHARACTERS:

MARIANA: Preppy, popular, and intelligent. Cunning with a temper and has just had a spat with her current boyfriend.

SHELBY: Quiet and reserved. Frequently is perceived as being a grunge groupie but really just can’t afford many clothes. Very intelligent but makes poor decisions.

REYNIE: Close friend with MARIANA.

VERONIQUE: Close friend with MARIANA.

 

SCENE:

 

Crumbling old warehouse. Piles of scrapped concrete and rusting metal lying around. The space is dark except for a flickering candle and a single pendant light. The door on the far right is padlocked shut, and there is a chair in the center. A backpack is hidden in the shadows.

 

AT RISE:

 

A woman dressed in dark clothing with a loose jacket and long hair is pacing just out of the view of the light. The other person in the room is a woman tied to the chair, struggling. She seems to be wearing a skirt and blouse. Her blazer is ripped, and her medium-length hair is coming out of her neatly braided updo.

 

MARIANA

 

(Frantically strains against ropes that appear to be well-tied)

 

 

Who’s there?! Why am I tied here?! Hello?!

 

SHELBY

 

I figured that you were smarter than this.

 

(MARIANA stops struggling)

 

MARIANA

 

Who the hell are you? Come out here! Why are you doing this to me?

 

SHELBY

 

No wonder you’re so lonely. You’re predictable. Annoyingly so. (Sighs) I had thought this would be rather fun.

MARIANA

 

(MARIANA nearly topples the chair)

 

I don’t know who you are but let me go! My boyfriend will be looking for me! LET ME GO!

 

SHELBY

 

(SHELBY paces slowly around MARIANA in circles, just outside of the range of the light)

 

Oh, MARIANA. Did you think I don’t know? You have no boyfriend. No one’s looking for you.

 

MARIANA

 

(MARIANA goes still. Her face is gaunt, a haunted look plastered across it)

 

SHELBY

 

You’re all alone. With me.

 

MARIANA

 

(MARIANA calms down some. SHELBY stops just behind her chair)

 

What do you want?

 

SHELBY

 

I just want to watch you struggle. To watch you squirm. Listen to your insides boil when you think of what you did. I want to watch you burn.

 

MARIANA

 

(MARIANA begins to struggle again as the stranger moves closer to the edge of the light, her feet visible)

 

What are you talking about, you crazy, delusional maniac?!

 

SHELBY

 

(SHELBY begins to massage MARIANA’s shoulders mockingly. MARIANA strains to look at her)

 

Out partying. Pretty women. Handsome men. Glowing lights. Drink after drink. Martini. Cabernet. Sex on the Beach. You name it, someone bought it for you.

 

(SHELBY stops massaging MARIANA’s shoulders and curls a bit of MARIANA’s hair around her finger)

 

The bathroom wasn’t long after, was it? Can’t keep all that liquid in, only makes sense.

 

MARIANA

 

(MARIANA begins struggling angrily.)

 

Is there a point to this?! I’ve got places to be.

 

SHELBY

 

You didn’t like what you saw in there, did you?

 

MARIANA

 

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

 

SHELBY

 

He was kissing her, wasn’t he?

 

(SHELBY brushes MARIANA’s hair away from one shoulder. MARIANA flails away, rocking the chair)

 

MARIANA

 

Yes.

 

SHELBY

 

That really hurt, didn’t it? The man of your dreams kissing up on another woman? Especially at a shitty party, how pathetic.

 

MARIANA

 

Let me go! You’re a whole psychopath!

 

(MARIANA struggles and half topples the chair, slamming the legs hard onto the floor to where it appears to knock the wind out of her)

 

SHELBY

 

Did you enjoy it, Mari?

 

MARIANA

 

(MARIANNA breathes hard)

 

Enjoy what?! I swear to God, let me go! Tying people up to ask about their scummy boyfriends?! Who the hell are you?! Why do you care that Michael is a shitty human being?!

 

SHELBY

 

Do you remember your seventh birthday party in 1st grade?

 

(silence)

 

Your mom promised to bring cupcakes to class. And you told everyone, didn’t you? And when the time came, where was she? Passed out drunk. Just where you’d find her when you got home that night.

 

MARIANA

 

Please stop talking.

 

SHELBY

 

But that wasn’t all that made you such a psycho. Your dad left. Your uncle tou-

 

MARIANA

 

Don’t say another damn word you son of a bitch!

 

(explodes)

 

SHELBY

 

How do you know all this?

 

(sounds like she’s close to crying)

 

SHELBY

 

(SHELBY escalates to a yell. She steps into the light revealing a beautiful woman)

 

I know, Mariana Mason, because I’ve spent my whole life behind every corner waiting for you to notice me. And now, because you’re stupid and rash, I’ve got to find a place to hide dead bodies!

 

MARIANA

 

(MARIANA’s mouth hangs open.)

 

Shelby?

 

SHELBY

 

Yeah, Shelby. Shelby who you’ve said maybe a total of five kind words to. Shelby who is stupid enough to hide bodies for the girl who never noticed her!

 

(SHELBY lunges forward and slams her arms on MARIANA’s, pressing the chair into a lean)

 

I covered your ass countless times. Do you think it’s fucking easy cleaning up blood? Hiding bodies?!

MARIANA

I…I um….I

 

SHELBY

 

Jesus Christ! Cut the princess act already! I cleaned up all of your messes! How in the hell the cops didn’t figure it out it was you without my help, I couldn’t even fathom!

 

MARIANA

 

How did you find out I killed them?

 

SHELBY

 

I watched you do it. You know, on the most coincidentally worst fucking day of my life, I showed up at your house on the day you killed Chelsea. Yeah, flowers and everything.

 

(SHELBY paces and talks with her hands, pausing for dramatic effect)

 

Then, like the complete dumbass you are, you buried her under your fence! No lime, no forensic countermeasures! Complete and utter idiocy!

 

MARIANA

 

You were the shadowy figure in my backyard!

 

(SHELBY gestures like “Well, duh!”)

 

How…. how many have you hidden?

 

SHELBY

 

All of them. You kind of suck at cleaning up your messes.

 

 

MARIANA

 

Why do you do it? You don’t even know me! Hiding bodies! You’re crazy!

 

SHELBY

 

(SHELBY pulls a knife off her belt)

 

Well, I told you. I’ve been in love with you since we were kids. And, besides, I do the same for my mom.

 

MARIANA

 

You’re a creep.

 

SHELBY

 

(SHELBY leans forward and cuts MARIANA’s bonds)

 

Maybe. But you’re a serial killer. And you’ll do it again.

 

(SHELBY clips her knife back to her belt)

 

MARIANA

 

(MARIANA rubs her wrists but remains in the chair)

 

You’re letting me go?

 

SHELBY

 

I needed to keep you here until the cops finished searching your residence. And long enough that you could say you were kidnapped during the period that Alex was found missing. Keep you out of their suspect pool. They won’t find his body, but you’re free to go.

 

MARIANA

 

(MARIANA hesitantly gets up from the chair. She takes a step after SHELBY.)

 

You’ve been hiding my bodies for me?

 

 

SHELBY

 

(SHELBY turns to look at MARIANA)

 

You’re stupid. But I guess whatever form of puppy dog love I’ve got running through my veins means that I clean up after the women in my life for all their psychopathic aims. Not your fault. Do a better job next time.

 

(SHELBY picks up a backpack and slings it onto her shoulders.)

 

I guess I’ll see you on Monday.

 

(SHELBY exits through the door STAGE RIGHT)

 

MARIANA

 

(MARIANA gives a feeble wave)

 

Bye…

SCENE TWO

 

SCENE:

 

The school hallway after class. It’s busy with groups of other classmates. Four doors flank the hallway, and MARIANNA and her friends exit the farthest one and begin walking down the hall from STAGE RIGHT. SHELBY is observing them from across the hallway with a smug look on her face.

 

MARIANA

 

I am fine, you guys! I don’t even know who my kidnapper was! I am just worried about Michael.

 

REYNIE

 

I can’t even imagine being kidnapped! I’d be terrified!

 

VERONIQUE

 

You’re so brave, Mari!

 

(The group continues to walk down the hall)

 

SHELBY

 

Oh, yes, how brave. Mariana, do tell us how you managed to escape.

 

VERONIQUE

 

Ew! Its Smellby!

 

SHELBY

 

Real original, Veronique.

 

REYNIE

 

Why are you even talking to us?

 

SHELBY

 

I just wanted the scoop on her kidnapping, like everybody else.

 

VERONIQUE

 

We don’t talk to disgusting goth losers like you, and, besides, everyone knows that Mariana escaped because she’s so amazing.

 

(MARIANA flinches visibly)

 

SHELBY

 

Oh, really? Do tell, Marianna? What was the kidnapper like? And where’s Michael? I haven’t seen him around lately.

 

MARIANNA

 

I didn-

 

VERONIQUE

 

Are you stupid, Smellby?! She just said she didn’t see her captor! The police even searched the area!

 

REYNIE

 

Yeah! And you haven’t heard? Michael is missing! Why would you bring that up? Are you dumb and trying to upset Marianna?

 

MARIANNA

 

Guys, stop.

 

(SHELBY pushes off the locker and starts walking in the opposite direction)

 

SHELBY

 

Don’t bother, Mari. (smugly singsonging) I’ll see you later.

 

(MARIANA freezes)

 

REYNIE

 

Did she just call you Mari?

 

VERONIQUE

 

I’m gonna make sure she gets a good pounding later. I’ve got Joey on Snapchat.

 

(begins typing rapidly on her cellphone)

 

MARIANA

 

Don’t bother, Veronique. I’ll handle it on my own.

 

CLOSE CURTAIN.