Prologue
(Open in 1990 with young boy running across stage...panting hard. Sweat drips down his terrified face as he falls to the ground. Behind him, a crowd is following furiously. Some have charred clothing on. Others fall to their knees as they weep uncontrollably. Then a moment of silence as a single spotlight falls on the young boy...we see the background characters freeze in place as the young boy slowly rises to his knees, looks back to the crowd...pause...turns back to audience...in hushed tone he whispers to himself…)
Young boy: They’re gone...mommy...and daddy...they’re gone...and it’s all their fault…
(Young girl appears out of the crowd and approaches boy)
Young girl: It’ll be okay, you’ll see. (places hand on shoulder)  I’ll help y-(suddenly cut off)
Young boy: (shouting angrily, hitting hand away) There’s nothing you can do! Go away! I don’t want to talk to anyone! 
(Young girl, hurt by his reaction, runs off stage left...young boy falls to the floor again as lights immediately go out. Crew clears set)

Act I
(Fast forward to downtown New York City in the year 2015. Center stage are the engaged couple Nathan Taylor, a successful actor and graduate from NYU making his mark on the world, and Emma Thompson, a rising fashion designer, also a recent graduate of NYU. The two are sitting on a bench in Central Park where they have been discussing important matters. Nathan is deep in thought, staring into the distance and Emma has a pen and pad of paper in hand.  Ensemble actors continue busy work in the background…)
Emma: … that’s done…  checked on that… oh yeah now I remember! Nathan I need an answer on the count of family coming. (waits for response) Nathan? Earth to Nate?
Nathan: Yeah, yeah, sorry… uh… what was the question?
Emma: Unbelievable. (deep breath of exhaustion) I need a final head count of family coming to the wedding and reception. The planner called again and she said she needs an answer by tonight.
Nathan: I thought we discussed last week that I didn’t have anyone I wanted to invite - just our friends and your family.
Emma: Well, we did… but I had hoped you would change your mind. How can there not be a single family member you want to invite?
Nathan: Em, you know how I feel about my family. I left all that stuff behind a long time ago. Now onto more important matters… have you picked out a color for the flower arrangements? (takes her hand and pulls her up)
Emma: Well of course I have! What do you think of blue in the center and yellow…
(Conversation fades out as the two get up and walk hand in hand off stage left. Blackout. Cue set change. Nathan’s apartment is brought on stage by crew. Nathan is rummaging through the pile of mail on his desk. He looks down to notice that a paper has fallen onto the floor. Nathan bends down to grab it and glances briefly at it… then more closely…)
Nathan: What the… (mumbles in distress… there is a long pause before Nathan runs off stage right… cue blackout)...
Act II
(Open in Emma’s apartment. As lights come up, Nathan begins to pace around room in a disturbing manner. Emma begins to read aloud the same paper from Act I)
Emma: “Mr. Nathan Taylor, we regret to inform you that the previously reported deaths of Mr. John and Mrs. Ann Taylor are not accurate. Detective Haley Sterling came to our department with a new lead on the suspect responsible for the fire which killed your parents. It has been confirmed that the fire the two were involved in was no accident. If you are interested in continuing the investigation, it is essential you travel down to the Police Department in Auburn, Alabama and make a formal statement of the events on October 14, 1990. Thank you for your time, Officer Stanley.” (Emma turns to Nathan…) Nathan, is this true? Because I’m not buying into it and neither should you. I mean… did you make it up?
Nathan: Did you seriously just ask me that? This isn’t something I can just make up, Em.
Emma: I know, I know, I’m sorry. It’s just surreal. Where’d you even find this?
Nathan: I told you, I was going through my mail and found it. What am I supposed to do? I can’t just ignore it, but the timing is really off. I just never thought I’d ever have to deal with this again.
Emma: Nathan, you’re going is out of the question. It’s ridiculous! It could just be a scam. And besides, what happened to “I left all that stuff behind”?
Nathan: Em this is different, you know that. These are my parents we’re re talking about, scam or not.
Emma: You can’t be serious. If you go back to that town, everything you left behind will come right back to you, you’ll get stuck, and you won’t come back. Listen to me Nathan, it’s a bad idea all around. If you want my opinion, stay here. It’s what’s best for you and your future.
Nathan: Forget that stupid town. If there really is something more to this case I have to go, and there’s no question about it. As my fiance, I’d expect you of all people to understand that and support me, knowing that this is important.
Emma: Look, I have a bad feeling about this, and I respect you and I love you, but if you go, you will be throwing away everything you made for yourself here, including your future with me. Your parents would want you to live your life and let go of the past. What’s done is done and you can’t change anything, even if you do figure out what happened. You’ll just be wasting time. And if that doesn’t get through to you, then clearly we’ve wasted our time trying to make this work.
(Emma finishes this line in tears as her voice slowly gets quieter as she chokes back sobs. Nathan also has tears streaming down his face as he shouts…)
Nathan: I can’t believe you’re making me choose between the two things I love most in this pathetic world! You can’t tell me what they would have wanted you didn’t even know them! Clearly we have wasted our time! If you loved me you wouldn’t make  me choose, and I can’t live with someone who will put me through this kind of pain. I’m going, and if that’s a deal breaker for you, then it’s been real, but it’s over.
Emma: (shouting) Fine! If that’s what you want!
Nathan: It’s not but it sure as hell seems like it’s what you want! (storms out of apartment. Nathan  collapses as the door closes. Emma runs to bedside and sobs. End Act II. Fade out lights and clear set.)
Act III
(Set stage as town of Auburn, Alabama in the Police Department. Nathan is impatiently pacing in Officer Mark Stanley’s office, awaiting what comes next...lights come up...young lady walks in room)
Nathan: Finally uh God I’ve been waiting here forever. Does anybody in this place have a sense of time?
Haley: Good afternoon to you too.
Nathan: I’m sorry. It’s just, I wasn’t planning on being here, and definitely not for the reasons I am. Let’s start over, I’m Nathan Taylor. (shake hands)
Haley: I’m Haley Sterling, they may have mentioned me in the letter that was mailed to you?
Nathan: Oh, yeah I recognize the name. 
Haley: I hear you’ve turned out to be quite a success in that city of yours, New York was it?
Nathan: Uh, yeah I guess so. Anyways, can we get right into it? I have some uh...business to get back to in my (using hand quotations) “big city”.
Haley: Yes, of course. I read about this fire a few weeks after it happened and questioned the department’s cause of the accident. They settled for a candle toppling over and going unnoticed until it was too late. I forgot all about it until recently when the town mourned the 25th anniversary of the fire. I couldn’t help but feel like these people needed answers, because no one was buying that other story. So naturally I had the chief dig up the old case files, and I found a possible suspect. Max Miller had been in the building that day and was reported with suspicious behavior about 10 minutes before the time the fire started. I can explain the details in the car.
Nathan: Wait, wait, what car?
Haley: The one we are gonna drive up to Huntsville, where he lives. You want to solve this case, don’t you?
Nathan: Uh, yea I guess if you have logistics worked out, the sooner the better.
Haley: It’s settled then! Let’s go!
(Act III ends. Cue set change and blackout.)
Act IV
( Act IV is set in Huntsville, AL. Nathan and Haley are standing at a doorstep of a cute little house. A short, stubby man with a heavy accent appears at the door.)
Max: If yur here tryin to sell me suh’em purdy I ain’t interested (as he starts to close the door he is interrupted).
Haley: So sorry to bother you sir, we are here for legal matters. We need your alibi for the night of October 14, 1990.
Max: Whadu I look like? A walkin calander? How’m I supposed to remember some random night way back when?
Haley: It was the night of a fire in Auburn, Alabama. We are investigating the cause of the accident and our lead led us to you.
Max: You should probably come inside for this. (leads the two into his home). Can I get yall anything to drink?
Haley: Water is great, for both of us, thank you. Anyways… the alibi?
Max: Alright miss eager beaver. Well, I had been in the building doing business that day with a man who works for the same company I did. Nobody knew I had been there that day because it wasn’t a planned visit, I had just happened to be in the area and my boss asked me to stop by and take care of the matter. If I remember correctly, his name was Sam Peterman. I reckon he’s still living somewhere up in Tennessee. He seemed secretive that day, all depressed. I shoulda known somethin was up, his eyes had a dangerous look in them. My gut told me somethin was up. My gut never lies ya know. Well, there’s my alibi.
Haley: That’s enough sir, this information has been very helpful.
Nathan: Yeah, I really appreciate it! So, have you always lived here?
Max: Yes sir I have. Born and raised here in this fine town.
Nathan: Well, then I figure you know some good coffee shops?
Max: Well uh… I’m not a coffee person but I suppose you could go to the shop around the corner.
Haley: You go on ahead of me, I’m just going to ask some follow up questions, but I’ll meet up with you!
Nathan: If you want, I can wait and we’ll go together!
Haley: I’d love to but… I uh… really have to take care of this. You go ahead so we don’t get held up.
Nathan: Alright then. Have a great day, sir. Thanks, again.
(Act IV ends in blackout as Nathan exits stage left. Black out. Reset stage in coffee shop as Nathan checks out, talking with cashier)
Act V
Nathan: I hear this place has great coffee!
Cashier: Who told you that?
Nathan: (surprised) Max Miller. (cashier looks confused) He’s lived here since he was born?
Cashier: I’ve lived here since I was born and I can tell you two things. One, this is not the best coffee in town, and two, there is no Max Miller in this town.
Nathan: Yes there is I just spoke to one. He lives on 2256 Concord Rd.
Cashier: That’s the old abandoned house, no one’s lived there in 20 years. Dang man, you got played…
(Nathan runs outside angrily to confront Haley.)
Nathan: What kind of scam are you running? Follow up questions? You hired that Max guy to say all that crap! Is this some kind of joke? God, I should have listened to Emma.
Haley: What are you talking about?
Nathan: Don’t play dumb with me, I know you made the whole thing up. Everything seemed a little off. Now I know why. Tell me why the hell you did this and don’t even think of coming up with another lie.
Haley: (frustrated… suddenly bursts out) I can’t believe you don’t recognize me! Don’t you remember? The day of the fire, I was the one who came to help you but you pushed me away every time. I tried and tried again but you were too blind to see that your best friend was still there and loved you and wanted to help you. You pushed me away every day until you moved away. You may have lost your parents that day, but I lost my best friend. I made up this whole thing so I could see you again… talk to you again.
Nathan: Brooke?(looks closely at her face… sudden realization) I… I didn’t even recognize you… I’m sorry. You changed so much…
Brooke (Haley): I just missed you (goes in for a hug, Nathan steps back)
Nathan: Look I’m sorry about pushing you away, I just didn’t want to get close to anyone again, it hurt too much. But you changed… I can’t believe you would abuse my parents death like this! It’s sick and inhumane. I can’t forget something like that, so this has to be goodbye. Please, just leave me alone. (Nathan, horrified, exits stage. Brooke/Haley collapses in tears. Black out.)
Epilogue
In the end, Nathan goes back to Emma and his life in New York. He lives out the rest of his life leaving his past in the past, as his parents would want him too. Emma and Nathan realize that their argument was not worth ending their love story. The couple is married soon after, and lives a happy ever after life in the city. As for Brooke, she moves to California and makes a new life for herself. She too moves on from her past, but in a little different way. Brooke became rich after her hit drama tv show about the events in her past aired internationally, bringing her more attention that she could ever want. Nathan and Emma are sitting in their living room and as they flip through the channel, they flip back to Brooke’s show… and the rest is history. The End.