EMMA IS ONLINE

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A 10-Minute Play by Kate Eggert

SYNOPSIS

Two teenage girls start DMing each other on the internet. One is an influencer and the other is her fan. As they message, they end up helping each other work through their problems. 

CHARACTERS

EMMA: Age 17, Female, Online influencer

RACHEL: Age 16, Female, Fan of Emma

SETTING

The bedrooms of two teen girls

TIME

Modern day, Over the course of about a week

CONTENT WARNING

Mentions of suicide, depression, and body dysmorphia

Scene One

Lights up on two bedrooms, a bed in each. On stage right, there is a more childlike bedroom. The walls are light pink, with various posters covering it. On stage left, the bedroom looks more mature, also with posters. In the corner, there is a vanity.

EMMA is sitting at the vanity in the stage left bedroom. She is taking off her makeup while filming a live stream. EMMA looks tired, but she is making an effort to appear cheerful. RACHEL is laying on the bed in the stage right bedroom, watching the stream on her phone. 

EMMA

Thank you for watching my nighttime routine! I love and appreciate all of you so much. Goodnight!

EMMA smiles and waves at the screen before shutting off the camera. She then immediately crashes onto her bed, scrolling through her phone. 

RACHEL 

(Sitting up)

Hiii I don’t want to sound weird or creepy or anything, but I noticed you seemed a little off during your livestream. I totally feel you and I love you so much, so I just wanted to message you just in case. 

EMMA 

(Rolling to face RACHEL)

Aw, thank you… Rachel.

RACHEL

Oh my god, I can’t believe you replied! 

EMMA forces a smile.

RACHEL

Ugh, I love you so much. And I feel like I know you so well, I can always tell how you’re doing.

EMMA

What, did I not cover the dark circles enough or something? 

RACHEL

No? …I literally just wanted to see if you were okay. 

EMMA

Well, there was no need.

RACHEL

What? Emma?

EMMA lies back into bed, rolling away from RACHEL. 

RACHEL

Emma. Emma. Literally what did I say? Why did you just stop responding?

Beat. EMMA rolls back over to respond.

EMMA

I don’t have time to respond to everyone. I replied once, isn’t that enough?

RACHEL

No, I know, I’m sorry. But you didn’t have to just leave me on read.

EMMA

Okay?

RACHEL

I’ve loved you for years. I’ve watched every video and liked every post and defended you when you messed up and even gone into fights for you. I was so excited to be noticed by you, but this is what you give me. 

EMMA

You’re acting as if I owe you something. 

RACHEL

I mean, yeah. You could at least be nice. You say all of your fans are your best friends.

EMMA

It’s not my job to be totally honest all of the time. All of my “fans” are either immature internet addicts or total creeps. None of them are my friends. And you can’t just DM me and expect something back. 

RACHEL

Are you saying I’m an immature child?

EMMA

Can’t you be grateful I’m even replying to you right now?

RACHEL

Then why?

EMMA

Why what?

RACHEL

Why are you replying? Just to feel above me somehow? To bully me? I know every influencer wants to think that their life is so difficult, but you don’t need to take it out on me.

EMMA

Are you kidding me?

RACHEL

No. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be a “normal” teenage girl, and go to a regular high school? Your life is so much better than mine. Cause mine is sh*t. I’m lonely, stressed, everyone hates me and you know what? I hate them too.

EMMA

You’re being childish. I would actually give anything to have your life.

RACHEL

You would literally hate it. But you! You get to make videos and travel and have all of these friends and go to parties and date all of these hot guys and wear bikinis and do everything I want to do. 

EMMA

Are you serious?

RACHEL

I just. You have everything, the least you could do is not get pissed at me for whatever the hell I did to offend you.

EMMA

(Exasperated)

Really?

RACHEL

You chose to put yourself on the internet. And you said you “valued your fans.”

EMMA

I chose to make videos and put them online. I didn’t choose to have millions of subs and a fanbase that gets into fights online over me, or to have people critique my every move, so much so that I can’t even go to a normal school anymore. I f*cking have articles written about me every time it looks like I’ve gained a little weight. I get death threats every time I post a new video. But oh, “screw you if you say your life isn’t perfect.” You don’t even deserve to call yourself a fan, you’re just like the rest of them.

EMMA angrily sits back down on her bed, rolling over to face away from RACHEL. RACHEL stays still, stunned, continuing to look over at EMMA.

BLACKOUT

Scene Three

Lights up. EMMA rolls back over, looking at RACHEL. RACHEL notices, and sits up, looking back at EMMA.

EMMA

A few weeks ago… I got really overwhelmed. I had made a Tik Tok with a bikini, for a brand deal. I almost backed out, but I had a contract. I knew I had gained some weight. But the hate I got was unbearable. I um…I attempted.

RACHEL

Oh.

EMMA

I… felt the need to explain myself. Because I overreacted.

RACHEL

That’s a shitty excuse.

EMMA

It’s not an excuse. 

RACHEL

Not an apology either.

EMMA

Well I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you childish or whatever. You just… reminded me of that stuff.

RACHEL

It isn’t just you, ya know. 

EMMA

What?

RACHEL

Who has those bad memories. Earlier this year, things got really bad. I ended up in the hospital. 

EMMA

Oh my god.

RACHEL

I was fine. Obviously. 

EMMA

Yeah, but still.

RACHEL

I know. But things have been better. And... your videos helped.

EMMA

Seriously?

RACHEL

Yeah. It’s nice to have someone that I feel like knows me. 

EMMA

I don’t know you. 

RACHEL

But it felt like you did. We went through similar things at the same time. That’s why I messaged you. I wished someone would have reached out to me like that. When I wasn’t doing so well. 

EMMA

Thank you. And I’m really sorry I reacted like that.

RACHEL

You don’t need to thank me. 

EMMA

But I feel like I do. Most people, they don’t really think of me as a person, if that makes sense. They say that they love me, but they don’t really. 

RACHEL

I do. 

EMMA

No, you don’t. …But at least you care about me. You took time out of your day to ask how I was doing, even though you probably didn’t expect a response. That surprised me. 

RACHEL

Is that why you replied?

EMMA

Yeah, I guess so. I don’t know.

Beat.

EMMA

You know how you said that it looks like I have so many friends?

RACHEL

Yeah.

EMMA

I really don’t. I mean, there’s people that hang out with me. But when someone asks me “do you want to go hang out,” they’re really asking “do you want to go out and take Instagram photos of me, so I can get more clout?”

RACHEL

Well…

EMMA

I know, I know. At least I have people to take photos with. But it gets exhausting. Like there’s no one I can actually talk to. About my life, my problems, whatever.

RACHEL

But your fans?

EMMA

I can’t do that either. Imagine if I opened up about my depression. I guess some people would be nice about it…

RACHEL

But some would just tell you that they wish your attempt didn’t fail. 

EMMA

Okay wow. But, yeah. 

RACHEL

We had a poetry assignment in school one time. One poem from every class was supposed to be selected to be read in front of the whole school. I wrote mine about depression. It was shit, so it never crossed my mind that I could be selected.

EMMA

But you were?

RACHEL

Yeah. You can kind of see where that went. 

EMMA

That’s sh*tty.

RACHEL

Yeah. Messed me up for a while.

EMMA

Did it get posted online?

RACHEL

Yup. It’s still out there, somewhere on the Twitter pages of all of my classmates. 

EMMA

That’s what I’m scared of. 

RACHEL

Scared?

EMMA

It’s dumb, but I have thought about talking about it. Like you talked about earlier. 

RACHEL

About your depression?

EMMA

Yeah, about all of it. 

RACHEL

But you aren’t going to?

EMMA

I don’t know. I feel like I always see influencers opening up about their mental health. Everyone says how important it is for influencers to do stuff like that.

RACHEL

You should do it. 

EMMA

Yeah?

RACHEL

Yeah. Something like that really would’ve helped me, I think. It’s helpful to know that you’re not alone. That other people are going through it with you. So, even if friends or family aren’t supportive, there’s other people that are. 

EMMA

That sounds nice. 

RACHEL

Yeah. And I don’t want to assume, but talking about it might help you, too.

EMMA

Okay… maybe I will. 

RACHEL smiles and nods. EMMA smiles back. 

BLACKOUT

Scene Four

Lights up. EMMA is sitting at her vanity, filming a video. RACHEL is sitting on her bed, watching EMMA. 

EMMA

So... I’m going to be taking a bit of a break. I don’t know how long, but I need to take some time so I can come back with a healthier mind set. Thank you all for letting me share my experience with this for all of you. I was nervous about it, but mental health should never be taboo, and it is something we all need to talk about. And I encourage each and every one of you to reach out to your friends and family if you ever feel like you need help. Thank you so much for watching! 

EMMA stops the video and walks away from her vanity, sitting on her bed and facing towards RACHEL.

RACHEL

Did you film it?

EMMA

Yeah.

RACHEL

Thank you.

EMMA

Thank you.

EMMA and RACHEL go up to each other and hug. 

BLACKOUT