Scene 1 — Sharra’s House — Evening
The house is unusually quiet. Sharra sits alone on the sofa, staring at her phone. Her hands are trembling, and tears slowly roll down her cheeks.
She has just received devastating news. Her mother has escaped from jail.
Sharra wipes her tears, but they keep coming. She takes a deep breath and quickly calls Dre. The phone rings. After a few moments, Dre answers.
DRE: Hey, Sharra. What’s wrong? You sound really upset.
Sharra struggles to speak through her tears.
SHARRA: Dre… can you please come over?
There is a long pause.
DRE: Of course. What happened?
Sharra looks around the empty room.
SHARRA: I just… I feel so alone right now. Please come. I really need someone.
Dre immediately becomes concerned.
DRE: I’m coming. Just stay there, okay? I’ll be there as soon as I can.
Sharra quietly nods, even though Dre cannot see her.
SHARRA: Okay.
The call ends. Sharra places the phone on the table and covers her face with both hands. She begins crying again.
Scene 2 — Sharra’s House — Later
A few minutes later, there is a knock at the front door. Sharra quickly looks up. She wipes her tears and walks toward the door. When she opens it, Dre is standing outside. He immediately notices the sadness on her face.
DRE: Sharra…
He steps inside. Sharra tries to hold herself together, but the moment she sees him, her emotions overwhelm her. She sits on the sofa. Dre sits beside her. For a few seconds, neither of them speaks. Sharra looks down at her hands. Her breathing becomes shaky. Then she starts crying again.
Dre gently turns toward her.
DRE: Hey. It’s okay. You don’t have to hold everything inside.
Sharra looks at him through her tears.
SHARRA: My mom…
She pauses, struggling to get the words out.
SHARRA: My mom escaped from jail.
Dre’s expression immediately changes. He listens carefully.
DRE: What? Are you sure?
Sharra nods.
SHARRA: Yes. I just found out.
She wipes her face.
SHARRA: The police said that if they catch her again, she could get six years in prison.
Her voice breaks.
SHARRA: Dre, I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going to happen to her.
Dre moves a little closer. He speaks calmly, trying to give her some comfort.
DRE: Sharra, listen to me. You can’t blame yourself for what happened.
Sharra looks at him.
DRE: Whatever happens, you’re not going through this alone.
Sharra’s eyes fill with more tears.
SHARRA: But she’s my mother. What if something happens to her?
Dre gently shakes his head.
DRE: Don’t think about the worst right now.
He looks directly into her eyes.
DRE: Take a breath. We’ll deal with everything one step at a time.
Sharra takes a shaky breath. Dre continues.
DRE: You don’t have to be strong every second. If you need to cry, cry. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.
Sharra finally lets herself cry. She leans toward Dre, looking for comfort. Dre stays beside her.
DRE: Don’t worry, Sharra. I’m with you.
For the first time since hearing the news, Sharra feels like she isn’t completely alone.
Scene 3 — Outside Sharra’s House — Same Time
A car pulls up outside the house. Larry steps out. He looks toward the front door and walks inside. He has no idea that Dre is already there. Larry reaches the front door. He opens it.
Scene 4 — Sharra’s Living Room — Continuous
The door opens. Sharra immediately looks toward the entrance. Dre turns around. Larry freezes. His eyes immediately land on Dre sitting beside Sharra. The atmosphere changes instantly. Larry’s expression becomes tense. He slowly closes the door behind him.
Sharra notices his anger.
SHARRA: Larry…
Larry doesn’t answer. He keeps staring at Dre. Dre remains seated, but he can clearly see that Larry is angry. Larry takes a few steps forward.
LARRY: What are you doing here?
Dre calmly looks at him.
DRE: Sharra called me. She needed someone.
Larry’s jaw tightens.
LARRY: She needed you?
Sharra quickly stands up.
SHARRA: Larry, please. This isn’t what you think.
Larry looks at Sharra.
LARRY: Then what is it?
Sharra wipes her tears.
SHARRA: My mother escaped from jail. I was scared and alone. I called Dre because I needed someone to talk to.
Larry looks at Sharra and notices that she has been crying. For a moment, his anger fades slightly. But when he looks back at Dre, the tension returns.
LARRY: You couldn’t call anyone else?
Dre slowly stands.
DRE: She called me because she needed help. That’s all.
Larry takes another step toward him.
LARRY: I don’t like finding you here with her.
Dre remains calm.
DRE: This isn’t about you and me. Sharra is going through something serious.
Sharra steps between them.
SHARRA: Please, both of you. Not right now.
Her voice is emotional.
SHARRA: I can’t deal with another fight.
Larry looks at her. He sees the tears in her eyes. Dre also looks at Sharra. The room becomes completely silent.
Scene 5 — The Confrontation
Larry takes a deep breath. His anger is still obvious.
LARRY: So you’re just going to stay here with her?
Dre doesn’t back down.
DRE: Until she’s okay.
Larry stares at him.
LARRY: You’re making this worse.
DRE: No. I’m trying to help her.
Sharra’s voice suddenly breaks through the tension.
SHARRA: STOP!
Both men turn toward her. Sharra is crying again.
SHARRA: My mother is missing. I don’t know where she is. I don’t know what’s going to happen to her.
She looks at Larry.
SHARRA: And now I’m standing here watching the two of you argue.
She looks at Dre.
SHARRA: I called Dre because I was scared.
Then she looks back at Larry.
SHARRA: I don’t need an argument. I need someone to understand what I’m going through.
Larry becomes quiet. Dre lowers his gaze. The anger in the room slowly turns into silence. Larry looks at Sharra’s tearful face. For a moment, he doesn’t know what to say.
Scene 6 — A Decision
Larry finally speaks. His voice is quieter now.
LARRY: Sharra… I didn’t know how serious this was.
Sharra wipes her tears.
SHARRA: Now you know.
Larry looks toward Dre. The tension between them remains. But he doesn’t move toward him.
LARRY: We need to figure out what to do about your mother.
Dre nods.
DRE: Exactly.
Larry looks at Sharra.
LARRY: You shouldn’t be dealing with this by yourself.
Sharra looks between the two men. She takes a deep breath. For the first time, the three of them realize that the situation is much bigger than their personal conflict.
Outside, the evening grows darker. Inside, Sharra sits down again. Dre remains nearby. Larry stands across the room. Nobody knows where Sharra’s mother is. Nobody knows what will happen next.
But one thing is certain: the night has only just begun.
TO BE CONTINUED…