[Setting: The scene takes place in front of a huge stadium arena as the sun is setting. Music can be heard from the concert going on inside, but it is muffled. Hanging from the front of the stadium is a giant poster that says, “One night only: Kaiden Ridge” and has a picture of a handsome singer who seems bigger than life. Approaching the stadium is a young lady in her early 20’s, Kinsley Carter. She is wearing a sweater and has a small-town look. Her straight blonde hair hangs slightly in front of her face, giving her the ability to blend in a crowd. She has bright green eyes that are filled with passion and longing, and her voice has a slight southern accent.  She carries with her a large lunch box. She walks up the steps and pauses at the top looking at the giant poster of the singer she loathes.]

I heard your song.

[Pauses and with a sigh, looks around]

[Softly] I don’t even know why I am here. In this strange town, so far from home. [Chuckles sadly] Do you even remember that? Home? The little field of flowers out back that we used to play in as kids. That little stage that your Papa built. We would sing and dance on that thing for hours feeling like super stars. And the only way your mom could get us down was with Al’s ice cream, that little shop at the corner of town. Remember that?

[She has a reminiscing laugh, but then pauses]

 I bet you don’t. I bet you forgot all about Millstone. But Millstone never forgot you [Her voice slowly gets louder and dripping with sarcasm] No. How could they forget the [Emphasis] best thing to come out of Millstone, the famous Kaiden Ridge.

[Voice quiet and soft now] Yah, they could never forget you. And neither can I. I can’t forget you, or what you did. And I hate you for it.

[Cries] I hate you.

I just want to know why. We were a team. Inseparable. The best of friends. We were going to make it big time together. But you stole everything and threw it all away. You threw me away. Why?

You told me you would make it right. Tell everyone the truth. I believed you. But with each interview that passed, [Her face fills with disgust] I realized you are nothing more than a liar.

[Angrily] I should expose you. I should tell the truth and let the world know that the “amazing Kaiden Ridge” is nothing more than a thief. Tell them how you stole my song and ran off to make albums and sell out arenas without even so much as a goodbye.

[Pauses]

But I’m just Kinsley Carter. Some random girl from a small town. A Nobody. Who would believe me?

[Whispers] I never could even if they would believe me.

[Turns and walks towards the steps. She sits down with her lunch box sitting next to her]

I know I ignored your calls and voicemails all this time, but it wasn’t because I was angry at you. [Looking at her twiddling fingers] No. not really. The songs were always yours to take. I wrote them all for you.

No. [Tearing up] I was mad at me. For loving someone who would never love me back. When you left, I couldn’t answer your calls. I was too heartbroken to even hear your voice. I listened to one voicemail. One. And the familiar deep rasp of your voice left me in a puddle of tears. Mama couldn’t get me from my room for a week. [Emphasis] A week! I’m pathetic. Trust me, I know.

 But I can never escape you. Your voice is everywhere. On radios, in stores, and always [Emphasis] always in my head.

[Looking up from hands] [Slowly] I love you. And I hate that.

I hate how your deep brown eyes are all I can see when I close my eyes at night. I hate how I still go sit on that little stage when I miss you. I hate how I wonder if you ever still think about me or our late-night talks. I hate how your hugs are the only thing that can make me feel like everything will be okay. And I absolutely [Emphasis] Hate how without you, it feels like a piece of me is missing.

But I heard your song.

And I couldn’t help thinking maybe it was for me. Maybe I’m just desperate. Needy. Clinging to something that isn’t there.

But those words. I feel like they were for me.

[Submissive] So, I’m here. In this strange town, so far from home.

[Opening lunch box and pulling out small pint of ice-cream] and I brought some ice-cream from Al’s.

I just don’t know if it’s enough to bring you home from a stage this big.

[She eats a spoonful of ice-cream. The sound from inside the concert becomes clearer, and it is Kaiden’s song for Kinsley. Scene zooms out and Kinsley seems so small in comparison to the large arena.]