AMALI, 12 years old, enters with a crown and a makeshift cape. She stands up straight.

She walks around the room and sits as regally as she can.

She opens up her backpack and pulls out one of those candles that look like catholic candles but have a famous person on it.

She pulls out one with Michelle Obama. She places it down.

She then reaches back in and pulls out a big rock and puts it down.

She then reaches back in and pulls out a piece of glittery fabric.

She then sits.

She closes her eyes.

She takes a breath.

She then opens her eyes and smiles.

She speaks with a slight accent—like she is trying to sound like a queen or just someone pompous.

AMALI
I have read that we should all have an altar
like a personal altar in our houses
in our rooms
like
all of these wellness...
...
...

She has to find the word in her head.

She does and smiles.

...gurus
all of these wellness gurus have altars
and like famous actresses do too
or something
but whatever
we make an altar
and then we were supposed to sit
and look at the items
and feel their strength
or power
or aura
when we feel weak or sad or confused or just blah

right now I only have three items Michelle Obama
who I believe is basically a saint and well I have her
but she’s also a candle
and fire is important because it helped us
take a step forward
for mankind
womankind
humankind
and like fire
brings out um
connection
I read about it
it’s like back to cavemen time
and fires being important to
like
bonding

anyway and a rock
because, like the fire,
nature is important
and rocks are strong
and they can harm
but they can also soothe
like when my Ma gets a pedicure
and they warm up stones
and put them on her skin
and she goes ahhhhhh

and the glittery fabric is because
well
I don’t know
it felt right.

CHARISE enters.

She is eating popcorn out of a big bowl.

She walks behind Amali.

She glances over but doesn’t pay her much mind.

CHARISE
Who are you talking to?

AMALI
No one

CHARISE
What are you doing?

AMALI
Nothing

CHARISE
You lying?

AMALI
Nothing.
...
...
...
No
...
...
No

CHARISE
Just clean it up before Ma comes home from work.

AMALI
You’re not the boss of me.

CHARISE
That’s kinda exactly what I am when mom’s not home.

Charise exits.

Amali takes a deep breath and she closes her eyes.

She sits like she is going to meditate.

Then a Kendrick Lamar song plays loudly, coming from off-stage.

Amali angrily opens her eyes.

AMALI
CHARISE!!

CHARISE!!

The music is turned down slightly.

They yell between rooms.

CHARISE
What?

AMALI
I was trying to...

CHARISE
I thought you weren’t doing anything.

AMALI
I’m not.

CHARISE
Okay then

AMALI
Is that good for the baby?

CHARISE
Not all babies need to listen to Beethoven. Besides he’s a Pulitzer/winner now!

AMALI
I wasn’t talking about the Kendrick Lamar. I was talking about volume!

Charise slams the door.

Amali looks out.

She sighs.

The music gets louder.

She talks to us again.

AMALI
Virginia Woolf said we all need a room of our own

I have my own room

but

okay I guess I could try to do this in my room but I don’t think it supports a meditative environment.

Also my mom won’t let me light candles in my room.
So.
So.

She lights the candle.

It burns brightly.

She stares at it.

She brings her fingers over the fire.

Closer and closer and closer and closer and then she jumps back from it.

When Marina and I were
best friends
I’d go to her house
after school
and we’d play house
and I’d be a wife
and she’d be a wife
and we would
we would get into bed
and we would take our clothes off
and we would pretend to
love
each other
and we’d touch
and we’d kiss and
one time Marina put her finger
up there
and
I didn’t know if I liked it or not
but when she said we were being gross
and we couldn’t be friends anymore
I realized I did like it

Bobby kissed me by the pond
that’s behind school
He touched my boob
like under my shirt
and I
I
I didn’t know if I wanted him to
Like
I didn’t not want him to but
also I didn’t want him to
I think
because I didn’t want him
to say what Marina said
and he didn’t
he just stopped hanging out with me one day

So

Sometimes I put my hands in my shirt
and touch my boobs like this

She sticks her hands into the neck of her shirt and grabs onto her boobs underneath it.

Sometimes I do it in class and don’t realize it
and I don’t think anyone else does either
Maybe

Mostly it keeps my hands warm
but also because
they don’t get touched
and I think it’s weird
that there are parts of our bodies
that don’t get touched as much
Like I get why
but
they want to feel something too
that skin wants to feel something too
more than
like my t-shirt
or bra.

Long pause.

I’m not sure if this is what
I’m supposed to say
at the altar
but
I also think
I can say
whatever I want
because
like
it’s my altar

She blows out the candle.

She puts everything back in her bag.

I’m not sure if this made me feel better or not.

She puts the bag on her shoulder and stands regally once again and exits.