Brooke’s House — Living Room — Day
The living room is quiet. Brooke stands near the couch, still upset from everything that happened earlier. Isaiah sits on one side of the room, avoiding eye contact with her. The front door suddenly opens. Mariah walks inside. Her face is filled with anger. She looks directly at Brooke. Isaiah immediately senses trouble.
ISAIAH: Mariah, calm down. Please don’t start anything.
Mariah ignores him. She slowly steps closer to Brooke. Brooke looks confused.
BROOKE: What is wrong with you? Why are you looking at me like that?
Mariah crosses her arms. Her voice is cold.
MARIAH: You really thought you could put your hands on Isaiah and nothing was going to happen?
Brooke’s expression changes. She immediately knows what Mariah is talking about.
BROOKE: This is none of your business.
Mariah takes another step forward.
MARIAH: The second you slapped him in front of his mom, you made it my business.
Isaiah quickly stands up.
ISAIAH: Mariah, I told you what happened. But I didn’t bring you here to fight Brooke.
Mariah turns toward him.
MARIAH: Then why did you let her do that to you? Why did you just stand there and let everybody watch her disrespect you?
Isaiah looks uncomfortable. Brooke shakes her head.
BROOKE: You don’t know the whole story.
Mariah turns back to her.
MARIAH: Then tell me the whole story.
Brooke takes a deep breath.
BROOKE: Isaiah made me angry.
Mariah gives her an angry stare.
MARIAH: So that gives you the right to slap him?
Brooke says nothing. The silence makes Mariah even angrier. Isaiah steps between them.
ISAIAH: Both of y’all need to calm down. I don’t want this to turn into something bigger.
Brooke looks at him.
BROOKE: I already told you I was sorry.
Isaiah looks away.
ISAIAH: That doesn’t change what happened.
Mariah looks at Brooke with disbelief.
MARIAH: Exactly. You embarrassed him in front of his own mother.
Brooke’s frustration begins to rise.
BROOKE: And like I said, that has nothing to do with you.
Mariah’s jaw tightens.
MARIAH: It has everything to do with me when I care about somebody.
Brooke steps closer. The distance between them is now very small.
BROOKE: Then you need to learn how to stay in your place.
Isaiah immediately reacts.
ISAIAH: Brooke!
Mariah stares directly into Brooke’s eyes.
MARIAH: My place?
Brooke does not back down.
BROOKE: Yes. Your place.
Mariah lets out a short, frustrated laugh.
MARIAH: You are really trying to make me lose my temper right now.
BROOKE: Maybe you should leave before you do.
Isaiah raises his hands, trying to separate them.
ISAIAH: That’s enough. Mariah, come on. Let’s go.
But Mariah refuses to move.
MARIAH: No. I want to hear Brooke explain why she thought it was okay to slap you.
Brooke folds her arms.
BROOKE: I don’t have to explain anything to you.
Mariah looks at Isaiah.
MARIAH: And you’re just going to sit there and accept that?
Isaiah looks torn. He is clearly uncomfortable being caught between them.
ISAIAH: I didn’t accept it. I was angry too.
Mariah turns back toward Brooke.
MARIAH: Then why are you acting like it wasn’t a big deal?
Brooke’s patience runs out.
BROOKE: Because I already apologized!
Mariah raises her voice.
MARIAH: An apology doesn’t erase what you did!
The room falls silent. Isaiah closes his eyes for a moment. He can feel the argument getting worse.
ISAIAH: Please. I don’t want anybody fighting because of me.
Mariah looks at him. Her expression softens for a second.
MARIAH: I’m not trying to fight. I’m trying to understand why she thought she could disrespect you like that.
Brooke suddenly laughs. Not because anything is funny. Because she cannot believe what she is hearing.
BROOKE: You’re acting like you’re his bodyguard now.
Mariah slowly turns toward her.
MARIAH: No. I’m acting like somebody who actually cares when he gets disrespected.
Brooke’s eyes narrow.
BROOKE: Are you saying I don’t care about Isaiah?
Mariah pauses.
MARIAH: I’m saying your actions didn’t look like love.
Brooke takes another step forward.
BROOKE: You don’t know anything about me and Isaiah.
Mariah doesn’t move.
MARIAH: Maybe not. But I know what I heard. And I know what you did.
Isaiah steps forward again.
ISAIAH: Mariah, please stop.
Mariah looks at him.
MARIAH: Why are you defending her?
Isaiah looks surprised.
ISAIAH: I’m not defending anybody. I just don’t want this situation to get out of control.
Brooke points toward the door.
BROOKE: Then take her and leave.
Mariah slowly looks toward the door. Then she looks back at Brooke.
MARIAH: You really don’t think you did anything wrong, do you?
Brooke exhales.
BROOKE: I said I was sorry. What else do you want from me?
Mariah’s anger returns.
MARIAH: I want you to understand that you can’t just put your hands on people whenever you’re angry.
Brooke suddenly loses her temper.
BROOKE: And you can’t come into my house telling me what I can and can’t do!
The tension explodes. Isaiah quickly steps between them.
ISAIAH: Brooke! Mariah! Stop!
Mariah points toward Brooke.
MARIAH: Move, Isaiah.
ISAIAH: No. I’m not moving.
Brooke looks around Isaiah.
BROOKE: Look at you. You’re so angry about something that happened between me and Isaiah. Why are you so involved?
Mariah’s face hardens.
MARIAH: Because I care about him.
Brooke quickly responds.
BROOKE: Too much.
Isaiah’s eyes widen. He immediately looks at Brooke.
ISAIAH: Brooke, don’t do that.
Mariah takes a slow breath. She tries to control herself.
MARIAH: You know what? I came here to talk. But you keep disrespecting me.
Brooke shakes her head.
BROOKE: Then maybe you shouldn’t have come.
Mariah moves closer. Isaiah tries to stop her.
ISAIAH: Mariah, don’t.
Mariah looks at him.
MARIAH: She needs to understand.
Brooke stares at her.
BROOKE: Understand what?
Mariah’s voice becomes firm.
MARIAH: That being angry is not an excuse to put your hands on someone.
Brooke responds immediately.