31 Plays in 31 Days 2025, #22 - "Broke Up"

[breakinglight11]

Taking a little break from posting scenes from my Wicker Man remake, since I'm trying to do that one in sequence and I'm currently working on a scene I'm struggling to hammer out a bit. This is going back to Lacuna, which is coming out very out of order like most of my writing does, and tries to expand on a theme I'm trying to include as character work.

Day #22 - “Broke Up”
From Lacuna
By Phoebe Roberts

CHEMICAL GOTHIC, Joan Kirby, a gamer

PASCALESBUST, Michael Lister, a gamer and her friend

On the Internet, in the present day
~~~~

CHEM: Why are you so fixated on this game?

PASCALE: I… I really don’t know. But I can’t get it out of my head. Can’t let go of something I can’t figure out, I guess.

CHEM: That makes sense. Well, we’ll give it a shot this weekend. If Kara doesn’t mind me keeping you in on a Friday night.

PASCALE: Heh. Kara doesn’t get a vote about it.

CHEM: What? Why? Is something up with Kara?

(Pause.)

PASCALE: I wouldn’t know.

CHEM: What? What do you mean—? Oh.

PASCALE: Yeah.

CHEM: Jesus. I’m so sorry. What happened?

PASCALE: We broke up. And by “we broke up,” I mean, she broke up and I no longer had any input on the matter.

CHEM: That’s awful. When did it happen?

PASCALE: It was months ago now.

CHEM: Oh, damn. I didn’t know.

PASCALE: Well. I didn’t really want to talk about it.

(Pause.)

CHEM: Well… how about now?

PASCALE: What?

CHEM: If you could use an ear. I’ll listen.

PASCALE: Why would you want to do that?

CHEM: Well. Because we’re friends. Aren’t we?

(Pause.)

PASCALE: I don’t know, man. Suddenly I couldn’t do anything right. Everything about me became a problem. And nothing I did to fix it seemed to matter.

CHEM: Wow. That sounds really hard.

PASCALE: Yeah. It was.

CHEM: Do you… do you know what changed?

PASCALE: As far as I could tell, nothing! Nothing changed. That’s what was so fucked.

CHEM: Well, what did she say?

PASCALE: Oh, you know. That I’m a selfish asshole, that I don’t pay enough attention. The standard stuff when a woman decides she hates you and wants to make sure you know it.

CHEM: Hey, easy there, pal.

PASCALE: Ugh, never mind. Knew I shouldn’t be talking about it. It just sucks, is all.

CHEM: Well, I’m sorry you’re hurting.

PASCALE: Oh, come on.

CHEM: I am. I really am.

PASCALE: Thanks. That’s nice of you.

CHEM: Like I said. I’m your friend.

PASCALE: Well. I’ll see you this weekend.

CHEM: Yeah. See you then.