Daniel is a ten- year- old boy who is very aware of the truths of his life. His mother loves him, his father is an abusive cheater and his big brother Justin is his superhero. Justin is a teenager, but his focus is on making sure Daniel knows how much he is loved. The most difficult truth of their lives is that today is the last day that they will spend with each other as their parents are divorcing and by the end of today, Daniel will be living with his mom, and Justin will be with his dad. Daniel wants what every kid wants, his family to stay together, his parents to get along and his brother to always be with him. Unfortunately, he has experienced a lot in his young life including verbal abuse from his father. He talks of memories of his father and mother yelling at each other and the reason for their breakup is that the father has cheated again. On this last day Daniel is going through a lot of emotion, and how he deals with that is going to a place that gives him the power that he feels he doesn’t have in his real life. Justin comes in and does what big brothers are supposed to do, he makes Daniel feel safe and goes with him on his adventures. On his adventures Daniel and Justin are allowed to be heroes. They save children from burning buildings and help people who need someone to save them. It is in these moments that the boys are in their element, laughing, smiling, having fun and supporting each other. Through it all this is a story about the weight that one brother is willing to bare to keep his little brother safe.
Together
(Scene opens with Daniel a ten-year-old boy holding his ears tight as he listens to his father yelling at his mother.)
Father: (Off) If you weren’t so stupid I wouldn’t have to constantly tell you over and over again how to be a good wife. You’d think by now you’d get it right.
Daniel: (To audience) Why do mom’s and dad’s yell at each other? I did my homework with mom and it was all right, she double checked-
Father: (Off) Go ahead and cry. Cry like a little baby. Why did we have kids, I could just baby you for the rest of my life. Don’t worry- one more day. One more day with you then everything is official, and I never have to deal with you and all your crying and pity again.
Daniel: Then mom yells back, “I would be a better wife if I didn’t have to raise three children when I only gave birth to two. You made this happen. You and your little girlfriend. I’m so over all of it, you and her. (Beat) He always says, “One more day.” I prayed for that one last day to come. (Beat) It’s not always like this. Sometimes, it’s nice. (Side smile) I promise, sometimes it’s kinda normal.
(Justin, his fifteen-year-old brother enters from the outside argument. He sees his brother and hugs him.)
Justin: Hey. Hey, I got you buddy. Everything is going to be fine.
Daniel: They hate each other. Why do they always make it about them and never about us? Or maybe we are the issue. We aren’t good enough for our parents. No matter how it starts they always talk about us.
Justin: Stop-
Daniel: No, they do Justin. Dad calls mom a bad mom. He always says how he doesn’t love her. If he doesn’t love her how can he love us? How can she? Mom says she drinks because she feels like she has three kids instead of two.
Justin: - hey, that means that she wants dad to be more adult-like.
Daniel: But he is an adult.
Justin: She wants him to act like an adult. We are kids, but you’re the little brother so I’m here to support you, keep a smile on your face. Adults say things to each other that they don’t mean and sometimes after they say those things, they regret it. Mom is hurt, and dad hurt her.
Daniel: Or it means that if she didn’t have us, she’d only have to deal with him. (Beat) They used to like each other- I mean like before they had kids.