Don't You Feel Better Now?

Two people are sitting on a bench. One, a girl, has tear tracks on her cheeks. The other, a boy, has been trying to comfort her.

Boy
Where does it hurt?

Girl [places her hand on her chest]
My heart.

Boy
Try not to think about it.

Girl [removes hand]
But it will still hurt.

Boy [smiles meekly]
But at least you won’t be thinking about it.

Girl [sighs]
Problems don’t disappear.

Boy [looks away]
They’re just forgotten for a while.

Girl [looks at him]
How long is a while, for you?

Boy [returns her gaze]
Long enough to know where it hurts.

Girl [looks down]
Your heart.

Boy
Your tears.

Girl [looking ahead]
Tears don’t hurt. They don’t harm.

Boy
They don’t help.

Girl
Don’t help.

Boy
Because you want to come clean.

Girl [looks at him]
& nothing can wash away the hurt.

Boy
So don’t tell me it’s okay, when it really never was.

Girl
But nothing stays the same forever.

Boy
& nothing ever changes slowly.

Girl
So I won’t change.

Boy
The world will change.

Girl
& I’ll watch.

Boy
& that will be okay.

Girl
Give me your hand.

Boy [gives his hand]

Girl
You didn’t ask why.

Boy
Because you know.

Girl [smiles]
I know. The world will keep changing.

Boy
& we’ll watch.

Girl
& we’ll watch. & that will be okay.

Boy
Don’t you feel better now?