All is Fair – Writers House Review

Grace Sheppard

Automated voice: This is a collect call from Hudson Correctional Facility in Hudson, New York. To accept the call, please press 1. *beep* You are now connected. Calls will be monitored and recorded. Thank you for using Connectasure.

James: Hey, Dad!

Lizzie: Actually it’s Lizzie.

James: Oh shit. Hey, Lizzie! It’s been a while. Where’s Dad?

Lizzie: He had to deal with something quickly, so he asked me to get the phone.

James: Oh. Cool… So how’s everything? It’s been forever since we’ve talked.

Lizzie: Yeah, it really has been.

*Pause*

James: You never seem to be around when I call Dad.

Lizzie: I’ve been busy.

James: Cool… cool cool cool… How’s school?

Lizzie: Good.

James: You’re gonna be a sophomore, right?

Lizzie: Yep.

James: That’s fun… What’re you studying?

Lizzie: Not sure. Haven’t declared a major yet or anything.

James: When do you have to have that figured out by?

Lizzie: End of sophomore year.

James: So not till next year then?

Lizzie: Nope.

*Pause*

James: How’re Mom and Dad?

Lizzie: Don’t you talk to them like all the time?

James: Well, yeah. But anytime I ask how they’re doing they just say everything’s fine and change the subject. How’re they really?

Lizzie: Well Dad’s still really shaken up after Nonna died.

James: Shit.

Lizzie: Yeah. And it didn’t help that everyone was asking him about you the whole time. The whole damn funeral every single one of our relatives was asking where you were.

James: Fuck.

Lizzie: Yeah.

*Pause*

James: Grampa?

Lizzie: Especially Grampa.

James: Dad still hasn’t told him?

Lizzie: Nope.

*Pause*

Lizzie: So what’ve you been up to?

James: Me?

Lizzie: Yeah, you.

James: Well I’ve gotten really into chess.

Lizzie: Oh?

James: Yeah. And I’ve actually gotten pretty good at it. Maybe when I get out I’ll finally be able to beat you.

Lizzie: Doubtful.

James: The guys in here actually take it really seriously. Most of the fights I’ve seen have been over chess and ping pong games, no cap. No shit, I was playing this guy the other day, and after I took his queen he tried to punch me in the face. These guys are fucking intense about their chess.

Lizzie: Do they have other sports in there?

James: Sure! Once it’s warmer out, they’ve got flag football, soccer, and softball.

*garbled noise in the background*

James: Oh and I guess we also have a competitive bodybuilding team. Didn’t know that till just now.

Lizzie: Cool.

James: You still playing sports?

Lizzie: Yeah.

James: Lacrosse still?

Lizzie: Yep.

James: Do you have any games coming up?

Lizzie: Nope.

Automated Voice: Your time for this call has expired. Thank you for using Connectasure.

Three beats of silence. Lizzie puts the phone down only for it to start ringing again.

James: Hey sorry about that my time ran out.

Lizzie: No big deal.

James: So anything interesting going on in your life at the moment?

Lizzie: Nope.

*Pause*

James: Alright, Lizzie cut the crap. What the hell is up with you?

Lizzie: What do you mean?

James: This whole time you’ve been giving me one word answers, not telling me anything about what’s going on with you. Why are you being such a bitch?

Lizzie: I’m being a bitch?? Fuck you. This is why I didn’t want to talk to you in the first place.

James: Then why are you?

Lizzie: Cause Dad fucking made me. Said it wasn’t healthy for me to keep ignoring you.

James: I knew you were avoiding me! Every time I asked to talk to you Dad always told me you were out. We haven’t talked in over a year! What the hell is your problem with me?

Lizzie: You can’t be serious. There’s no way in hell you’re that dense.

James: Why haven’t you answered any of my calls?

Lizzie: Because I don’t want to talk to you! Isn’t it fucking obvious?? I don’t want to talk to you for the same reason I haven’t told anybody where you’ve been the last three years.

James: Lizzie.

Lizzie: Don’t you dare fucking start with me. What?? Did you expect me to be proud? (Mocking) Oh I’m so proud of my big brother. He’s serving four years for drug possession and assault with a deadly weapon. He’s the shining light of our family.

James: You have no right to say that shit about me. You don’t know the half of what I’ve been through! Mom and Dad have kept you sheltered from the real world, their perfect little girl.

Lizzie: Don’t know what you’ve been through? We grew up together, dipshit. You know what, you’re right. I could never understand what’s going on in that stupid head of yours, or how you could just throw away your whole fucking life like that.

James: That’s not fair.

Lizzie: Oh is it now? You don’t get to tell me what’s fair or not. You know what’s not fair? Being abandoned by your older brother. Attending every event as an only child for three years. Constantly being asked about you and “why isn’t he around anymore?” and “where could he be?” and “what is he up to now?” all the while knowing I have to spout the same bullshit that “he’s doing just fine.”

James: Lizzie…

Lizzie: And you know what’s really not fair?! The fact that Grampa thinks you didn’t care enough about him or this family to show up to Nonna’s funeral, and we can’t even tell him the truth that you’re in fucking prison cause it would crush him. That’s not fucking fair.

*Pause*

James: I’m sorry.

Lizzie: I’m still mad at you.

Automated Voice: Your time for this call has expired. Thank you for using Connectasure.

Grace Sheppard is a member of the Rutgers School of Engineering, class of 2023. Sheppard has spent the last fourteen years living in Princeton, New Jersey, and is currently pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering. Although the majority of her classes are STEM focused, she still tries to incorporate at least one art or writing class into her schedule each year.

This piece was written in Caridad Svich’s Creative Playwriting Class. Svich selected the piece for publication in WHR.