Characters:

Aameer: 19 year old Arab-American boy
Rachel: 16 year old White-American girl
Michael: 18 year old African-American boy
Older man

Setting:

Present day.  At a scene of a crime in Miami.  Tense and quite.

(Evening time, past sundown.  They sky is violet blue.  Flashing red, white, and blue police lights and ambulance red and white lights.  Yellow caution tape surrounds the area twisting and spinning, trying to escape the wind.  Aameer walks up to the crowd of people surrounding the front of the household, and stands next to Rachel.  Both are students who go to the same school and recognize the matching uniforms.  They nod and continue looking at the scene.   Rachel leans towards the rope, searching for more answers for her curious mind.  Aameer begins silently praying.  Michael comes and stands next to both Rachel and Aameer.)

MICHAEL: (whispering to himself) Wow, what happened here?

AAMEER: There was a shooting not too long ago.  Sorry to eavesdrop.  They apparently carried the body not too long ago.

MICHAEL: (shocked) Man.  Poor souls, both victim and attacker. 

RACHEL: From what I heard it was a burglary.  A black man broke into some white guys house.  He felt threatened when he saw the burglar.  Good thing the homeowner brought his rifle down the stairs when he heard noises.

MICHAEL: Good thing? Why is it a good thing? Someone died...

RACHEL: It was a burglary.  The homeowner felt threatened.  He was afraid for his life.  What else was he to do the guy looked suspicious.

MICHAEL: He looked suspicious.  Was it cause it was dark or cause the guy was black?

AAMEER: (stopping his prayer annoyed)  This is beyond disrespectful.  Both of you are arguing over nothing.  A man lost his life tonight.  Someone lost a dad.  Someone lost a brother.  Someone lost a son.  And both of you are arguing over... nothing.  Leave if you’re going to do that please.

(All turn and look at each other)

RACHEL: (talking slowly) Nobody asked for your opinion, sorry if we interrupted whatever you were doing.

AAMEER: Your bickering interrupted my prayers to the families of both the homeowner and the burglar. 

RACHEL: Well wouldn’t you need a mat or something to do your prayers then?

AAMEER:  Oh hit me with a classic.  (sarcastic laugh)

(A tense look is moved from each person.  They’re no longer facing the crime.  They are moved closer now)

MICHAEL: Okay guys, lets all calm down...

RACHEL: No, what’s your problem? I try and apologize but you blow up in my face.

AAMEER: (Physically upset) No my problem is you.  You have all attention, all eyes on you.  Leaning around looking for answers, when all anyone really needs now are thoughts of a better day tomorrow. 

MICHAEL: Both of you guys need to calm down.  We all have seen a horrible...

RACHEL: Don’t you have somewhere else to be? Do you even live anywhere near here?

MICHAEL: You trying to say something?  Does your “grown” self live near here?

AAMEER:  (Sarcastically) Yea don’t you need someone walking you home? It’s a little dark for a girl like you.

RACHEL: Actually no.

MICHAEL: You sure? Should a cop walk you home? Should you call your dad? Do you feel unsafe? (to AAMEER) I wonder how many times she’s cried wolf.

(The guys laugh)

RACHEL: (Starts storming away. Then turns around) Well at least my people aren’t attacking innocent people!

AAMEER: (offended) That escalated.  If we are on this topic little girl, then you’d know that they are radicals.  You don’t understand what you’re talking about.

RACHEL: (to MICHAEL) And you! Don’t you have... I don’t know, have a baby to take care of?

MICHAEL: HA! Yea no.  Not funny.

AAMEER: Don’t go and attack other people for your problems girl. 

RACHEL: If you can’t take it then why don’t you and your people go back to your country?

AAMEER: We will once you do.

(An older gentleman hears the conversation.  All three people are yelling at each other and physically showing it.  He walks over to them.)

OLDER MAN: Listen, all of you are upset.  Everyone is tired.  But this isn’t the place for an argument like this.  All of you need to focus your energy, if here, towards the struggling family of victim who is apologizing to the homeowners family. 

(They look and see crying women holding each other.)

OLDER MAN: Go home. 

(The three teens turn away from each other and start walking home in opposite directions.  They then stop.  Thinking and reflecting what they said.  Rachel folds her hands together over her mouth, Aameer places his hands on his head, and Michael rests his on his hips.  They turn to say something, but don’t.  They walking.)

End