Like Holding Water

(A nice little sandwich place with moderate to low business rests in a nice little city with moderate to low business. AVA, a fashionably, yet casually, dressed, young lady enters the restaurant/bistro/whatever. She quickly spots and walks over to her already-sitting boyfriend, NOAH. Noah is dressed comparatively to Ava but has noticeably less enthusiasm. Only two glasses of water sit on the table and Noah keeps both hands near his glass but not touching it. Ava watches him for a while.)

AVA: You okay?
NOAH: You know how I am.

(Ava's phone plays a jingle to inform her, and Noah, that she received a text message. Ava reads it. Noah looks at the phone, only guessing what it says. Ava puts it away and they both keep looking at Noah's water.)

AVA: Is this all you've been up to?
NOAH: I think we should break up.

(Beat.)

AVA: Whoa.
NOAH: I'm sorry.
AVA: Whoa.
NOAH: Things have changed.
AVA: I mean...whoa.
NOAH: We can still be friends, just not with the “couple stuff.”
AVA: Just yesterday. Yesterday you said you loved me.
NOAH: Yeah.
AVA: Did you mean it?
NOAH: I don't know.
AVA: What about weeks ago, when we played on the playground?
NOAH: Yeah.
AVA: You meant it then? And at Hailey's party?
NOAH: I always meant it.
AVA: Do you love me now?
NOAH: No.

(Ava gets another text message. She reluctantly reads it and puts away her phone.)

AVA: I deserve to know more.
NOAH: It's just, I don't know, things have changed.
AVA: Things can improve.
NOAH: Don't do that. Don't do your flippy-lawyer-type logic spinning on me. Not now.
AVA: Okay fine. But look at me. Look at me and say this has nothing to do with the fact that you lost your aqua-kinetic superpower.
NOAH: Okay, that's part of it. But it's more than that. It wasn't just the power to move water--it was my identity, my individuality. I don't feel like an individual; I can't be happy in a relationship until I can be happy with who I am. And right now, without my superpower, I don't know who I am. I'm a nobody. I'm everybody.
AVA: But you're still a somebody to me.

(Ava gets another text message. She hesitates. Noah waits for her to look at her phone so she does, but she doesn't bother to respond.)

AVA: I can help you find yourself. Your new self.
NOAH: Why?
AVA: Because you helped me find a version of me I never knew possible. This last year has been the best year of my life. I understand you're going through some stuff right now, stuff I can never fully understand because I've never gone through it myself. But I can still help. I can offer perspective, I can listen, I could maybe even be a distraction.
NOAH: You think I'm going to forget who I was? Who I am?
AVA: No. But you can imagine who you will be.
NOAH: I'm sorry, but for at least a while, I just don't think I'm going to be much fun to be around. I don't feel fun. Or good. You can do better.
AVA: I can do better with you.

(Ava takes Noah's hands, breaking their focus on the glass of unmovable water.)

NOAH: No. You've been drifting away for weeks now. I'm just letting you go.
AVA: I know I've been busy. I'm sorry.
NOAH: Your phone is making music non-stop.
AVA: I'll put it on silent.
NOAH: That's not what I mean.
AVA: It's just other people.
NOAH: No, that's good. I want you to have a life outside of me. And that's the life to focus on right now. That's the life with a future. And with powers.

(Ava's phone starts ringing.)

NOAH: And there's your damn phone again.

(Ava takes her phone and drops it into Noah's glass of water, splashing some on to the table. Noah jerks back a little, baffled--and impressed.)

AVA: See? You still have a power with water.

(Noah returns Ava’s smile.)

NOAH: That's why I loved you.
AVA: Want to try again?
NOAH: That's why I love you.
AVA: Cool. Now let's get some lunch. I’m starving.