PRETTY GIRL DAYS

Hey guys, this is a short play I did for my theatre class, and I just wanted to share it on here! It's a sapphic romance that follows Calliope and Evelyn, who are hopelessly in love with each other. Enjoy!!

PRETTY GIRL DAYS

(It’s another day at Public Highschool 107. Students mill in the halls, delaying going to class to talk to their friends; teachers stand in their classrooms, waiting for passing time to be over so they can get started teaching. Admin is delaying an important decision (wouldn’t be the first time); counselors are giving half-thought advice, all the normal things. Calliope is talking with her friends about her crush-Evelyn, captain of the cheer team. Currently, she’s bemoaning her chances of getting with her crush over lunch. Again. It’s a weekly occurrence at this point.)

Calliope: (Head in her hands) I just don’t know what I’m doing, falling for the straightest girl to even exist. She’s literally captain of the cheer team, and here I am, throwing myself on her like an idiot.

Friend 1: (Chewing their food and rolling their eyes) You could try, I don’t know, stalking her Insta again? She’s gotta have something about if she’s straight on there.

Calliope: Tried. Nothing about partners. Past or present. Or if she’s gay. Or bi. Or anything. I just-

Evelyn: (Bouncing over) Oh, hey Cali!

Calliope: (Instantly turning to her and smiling) Hey Evee. What’s up?

Evelyn: (Wrapping her arms around Calliope’s shoulders, grinning and propping her chin on Calliope’s shoulders. Her friends look on in bewilderment and amusement.) Oh, nothing. Just wanted to see if you still wanted to teach me DnD.

Calliope: (Gently grabbing her hands on instinct, not hard enough to trap her, but enough to be noticed) If you’re ready for it, I’m more than happy to. You have that character you made?

Evelyn: (Grinning and nodding) Uh, duh-doy. Why would I lose my baby girl, Lady Evantree?

Calliope: (Laughing) Of course, how could I suggest you would lose the login to D&D Beyond and then lose Lady Evantree.

Friend 2: Lady Evantree, huh?

Evelyn: (Sitting up slightly and grinning) Oh, yeah! She’s a sorceress who was taught to hide her magic by her family-who were very powerful people, politically. She’s adventuring to try and become more in-tune with her magic.

Friend 1: Really? And is there any particular romantic interest for Lady Evantree?

Evelyn: (Flushing) Well, I mean, maybe? If it happens that way, I’ll go with my gut, I guess.

Friend 1: (Grinning) Well-

Calliope: (Interrupting) Hey, Evee, I think your cheer friends are calling you. You might wanna see what they’re up to.

Evelyn: (Gasping) Oh my gosh, I was supposed to go over choreography with them! Sorry, Cali! (She gives Calliope’s shoulders one final squeeze and raced off to the other table)

Friend 1: (Grinning) Cali?

Friend 2: (Snorting) Evee?

Calliope: (Groaning) Shut up, would you?

(With Evelyn and her team)

Evelyn: (Smiling and sitting down) Sorry, guys, I got distracted with something! What were you all thinking about with the choreo for our next performance?

Cheer Kid 1: Was that Calliope?

Evelyn: (Pausing)...I mean, yeah? She’s a nice girl, and-

Cheer Kid 2: (Chewing) Aren’t you always talking to Calliope?

Evelyn: (Hurriedly) I think we should really talk about the choreography-

Cheer Kid 3: (Gasping) Is she your mystery crush?

Evelyn: (Attempting to smother the conversation) Guys-

Cheer Kid 2: (Squealing) She totally is! “Pretty, dresses old-school, but in a masculine way, nerdy” she checks all the boxes for Evelyn’s mystery crush!

Cheer Kid 3: And she’s totally Evelyn’s type-

Cheer Kid 1: She even talks about her constantly-

Evelyn: (Loudly) Okay! Enough about that subject! How about we talk about choreography, like we said we would today?

(The rest of the table groans)

Evelyn: (Clearing her throat) So, how about we-

Calliope: (One hand in her pocket and the other holding a cheer jacket. Evelyn’s cheer jacket) Hey, Evee. Sorry to bother you after we just talked. You, uh, left this behind.

Evelyn: (Turning and grinning) Cali! Hey, it’s no problem! Thanks for bringing this. I don’t know what I’d do without you, honestly. I’d lose my head if it weren’t screwed on right!

Calliope: (Holding out the jacket, grinning awkwardly) I mean, you haven’t lost the login to get to Lady Eventree, so that’s something.

Evelyn: (Taking the jacket and slipping it on, standing up and hugging Calliope, who awkwardly hugs back after a moment) C’mon, that’s because you wrote it on a sticky note and put it on my computer. Nothing to do with me.

Calliope: (Snorting and pulling back) Don’t sell yourself short. You’re an Honors Student for a reason. Anyway, see you in English?

Evelyn: (Smiling, slightly flushed) Yeah. Yeah, definitely. See you then, Cali!

(Calliope leaves and Evelyn turns back around. The cheer team is grinning at her knowingly)

Evelyn: (Sitting down) Not a word. Any of you.

Cheer Kid 1: Supercallifradgelisticexpeallidocious.

Evelyn: You cheeky little-

Cheer Kid 3: If you say it loud enough, you’ll always sound precocious.

(The table devolves into a sing-along before laughing and talking about the choreography (finally))

(One week later, the cheer team decided to take matters surrounding Evelyn’s love life into their own hands. Teaming up with the TTRPG Club (Calliope’s friends) they planned the best possible moment for them to both confess)

Evelyn: (Blindfolded and sighing) Guys, what’s going on? This is a really weird team building exercise.

Cheer Kid 4: (Pushing Evelyn) Juuuuust trust us. C’mon, don’t you wanna see what all this is about?

Evelyn: Well, yeah, but-

Cheer Kid 2: (Pulling Evelyn along) Then c’mon! Would we do something that wasn’t good for you?

Calliope: (Getting dragged by their two friends) Guys, where are we even going? It’s getting late and-

Friend 2: (Pulling Calliope by one hand) C’mon CP, we already told your parents where we were bringing you and that you’d be fine. They said you could stay out as late as you wanted tonight. Chill out for once, would you?

Calliope: I don’t know guys-

Friend 1: (Dragging her by her other hand) Shhhh, we’re here! Just wait here, and everything will explain itself.

(Both friends exit the main stage and Evelyn’s friends come into view, dragging a blindfolded Evelyn along)

Calliope: What-

Cheer Kid 2: (Stopping and grinning, putting a finger to their lips)

(The Cheer Kids leave, giggling the whole time. As soon as they did, Calliope hurried over and pulled of Evelyn’s blindfold)

Calliope: (Putting her hands in her pockets) So, I’m gonna assume you have no idea what’s going on?

Evelyn: (Grinning sheepishly) Not a clue, sorry Cali.

Calliope: (Hurriedly) Nononononono, it’s not your fault! I was just (Pausing) I don’t know what I was doing, actually. Just-just, pretend I didn’t say anything, actually. (Looking away, fiddling with her jacket sleeves)

Evelyn: (Chuckling and bumping shoulders with her) Hey, don’t worry about it. (Looking Calliope up and down) You’re dressed up.

Calliope: (Grinning sheepishly) I think this is the first time I’ve seen you in something other than a cheer uniform. Or sweatpants.

Evelyn: (Laughing) I think this just might be. Uh...do you like it?

Calliope: (Quickly) I think you look great! Uh, your makeup is nice, too! But that’s always nice, so-

Evelyn: (Placing a finger over her mouth) You’re doing that cute nervous ramble again. You’re gonna work yourself in circles, Calliope.

Calliope: (Flushing and gently grabbing her hand) Right. Right. Yeah. Uh, sorry about that.

Evelyn: (Humming and placing a quick kiss on her cheek) Don’t be sorry. I think it’s adorable. But you can’t just talk yourself into a panic attack.

Calliope: (Blinking and nodding, bluescreening) Uh-I-uh-um-that was-oh.

Evelyn: (Snorting) Cali, are you okay? Did I break you or something?

Calliope: (Nodding quickly) I’m good. Yeah. Really good. Did-did you just kiss me? Like, I didn’t imagine that?

Evelyn: (Flushing a little) Uh, yeah, I guess I did. If you want I can just not do that-

Calliope: No, no, I liked it! It was-it was really sweet. And nice.

Evelyn: (Smiling happily) That’s good. Great, even.

(They stand there in awkward silence for a while, each girl doing different things to try and avoid the gaze of the other. Occasionally, they would glance at each other and try to talk, but they would abort at the last second each time. Then, Evelyn spoke.)

Evelyn: (Blurting out) I really like you.

Calliope: (Bluescreening again) What?

Evelyn: (Gesturing around) I like you. Like, a lot. More than a friend likes a friend. And-and I want to kiss you and hold you and go on dates, and I understand if you don’t want that, but I just needed to-

(Calliope suddenly kisses Evelyn on the lips, interrupting the girl’s anxious ramblings)

Calliope: (Breaking away and pressing their foreheads together) If I can’t talk myself into a panic, you can’t either, Evee.

Evelyn: (Breathlessly) Oh.

Calliope: (Snorting) Guess I knocked the words right outta ya, huh?

Evelyn: (Holding Calliope’s face) More like gave me a lot of new ones to use.

(END)