I needed the pain but I can’t understand it.

In this scene from the 1 act eplay The Next Chapter, Emily opens up to her best friend regarding her failed love life and music career.

Featured Scene – The Next Chapter

DAR: Why did you go to California in the first place, Em?

EMILY: Career.

DAR: Couldn’t you be a singer here in New York?

EMILY: I needed…I needed to get away from here, I needed to understand things better.

DAR: (Sighs.) But you’ve always known who you are.

EMILY: I know. I just needed something new, I needed change. I couldn’t stand being here anymore. I needed time to think, to be myself, without anyone else’s opinion on how or what I should be thinking or doing.

DAR: I get it…I missed you.

EMILY: I know.

DAR: For the first few months, I did nothing but bum around.

EMILY: Why?

DAR: I didn’t have my little buddy with me anymore and everything sucked. I considered moving out to California with you.

(They both laugh.)

I thought maybe there was something out there I was missing. You didn’t even call me, Em. I mean…you told me that you’d be in touch and it never happened. I kept waiting for your call. Those months were painful. I wanted to call you but I thought you’d be busy, or happier without hearing from me. I wanted to give you that freedom. Eventually so much time passed, I figured you moved on to some great new life and forgot all about me.

EMILY: I thought about you every single day.

DAR: Did you?

EMILY: Every day…

DAR: …Em, what happened to you out there?

EMILY: It’s all the past Dar, none of it means anything anymore.

DAR: What happened? Why didn’t I hear from you?

EMILY: …I wanted to call you, hear your voice, I needed a lifeline but I refused an outlet, cause, I don’t know, I wanted to get through it on my own. I wanted to learn how to be my own person without depending on anyone.

DAR: But I’d be there for you in a heart beat.

EMILY: That’s just it, I know that and that’s the whole point. I didn’t want to burden you with my problems. You never did that to me and I didn’t want to be the one always doing that to you.

DAR: …You aren’t yourself Em. I mean, you’re you but you aren’t you, does that make any sense?

EMILY: Makes total sense.

DAR: (Not pushing.) Yeah.

EMILY: This has been the most difficult time of my life and the strangest thing about it all is that it’s exactly what I need…doesn’t even make sense, right? In some way, I needed the pain but I can’t understand it.

DAR: …But you’re back now and you’re going to get on track with things in the city you love. I’m around you again and you’re around family, so –

EMILY: Don’t remind me.

DAR: (Laughs.) They haven’t changed.

EMILY: Never will.

DAR: I haven’t even heard of any of your latest music. Didn’t you say you were cutting an album out there or something?

EMILY: I was but…ah, it didn’t work out.

DAR: Why?

EMILY: I fell in love.

• To read the full ePlay The Next Chapter, find purchase button below:

Scene Summary

In this one-act ePlay The Next Chapter, Emily opens up to her best friend Dar about her life changing experience in California.

• Genre: Drama
• Length: ~5 minute scene
• Characters: 1 woman, 1 man
• Themes: friendship, heartbreak
• Best For: drama scenes

FAQ

Related Drama Scenes

• Where are you now? – from Cuts 2
• I’m with you soldier. – from Facing The Sun
• I did something that I wish I hadn’t done.  – from The Floating Room
• Will you always hold my arm like this when we walk? – from Carried Away
• Aren’t we all running away from something, Mrs, Maureen? – from The Attic

Scene Source: The Next Chapter

The Next Chapter is a dramatic play script by Joseph Arnone, 2026.