DEE
A rocking. A rocking between bodies. Moving faster and faster. They speak a language I want to speak.
She begins to touch herself.
There's something holy there, inside me, and I'm told to keep it for safe keeping. A temple. A temple that belongs to the heavens and not to me. But I'm open. The temple doors are open now and I can't stop. I move my fingers in a way that I imagine they rock and it feels good. It feels so good.
ANNA is exchanged for DEE in the movement.
He begins to rock me. I feel the perspiration gather behind my thighs the way it gathers above his lips. But this is bad. I am so bad for doing this. My fingers continue and I have to stop. A million eyes are on me from above and I have to stop my hands. Stop me from opening.
A knock on DEE's bedroom door is heard. The sound of her mother ROSE can be heard through the door.
ROSE
(from offstage) DEE!
DEE sits up quickly and puts herself together.
DEE
Yeah?
ROSE
Dad's on the phone.
DEE
Yes.
ROSE
He's waiting to talk to you.
DEE
Yes Mom!
ROSE
Dee?
DEE
YES! MOM!
Scene 4
Front yard, St. Cecilia's.
In front of DEE is a bristol board on the ground. A disaster. CHRIS stands leaning on a gate, smoking a cigarette.
DEE
Shit!
CHRIS
What?
DEE
My science project!
CHRIS
Here—
DEE
No! It's okay. I'm so fucking— Fuck! I'm so…
CHRIS
Hey forget about it.
He continues to smoke, watching her try to make do with her bent bristol board.
You carry too much.
DEE
What?
CHRIS
Every time I see you you're carrying something. That's why you fall.
DEE
No, it was ice. I slipped on some ice.
CHRIS
Same difference. No matter what, you carry too much.
ANNA enters.
ANNA
Chris?
CHRIS
Hey.
ANNA reaches to kiss him and he flinches.
ANNA
What?
CHRIS
Shut up.
ANNA notices DEE.
ANNA
Who's this? I saw you over there with your kilt flying up. What's up with that?
CHRIS
She fell.
ANNA
I saw that.
DEE
It was just some ice.
CHRIS
(to DEE) It's Dee, right?
DEE
(surprised) Yeah.
CHRIS
This is DEE. She carries too much.
He smiles at DEE.
That's why she falls.
ANNA
Whatever. (to CHRIS) So?
CHRIS
So yourself.
ANNA
Are you going to kiss me or what?
She squeezes his cheeks then kisses him. She winces.
CHRIS
What's your problem?
ANNA
I hate it when you smoke.
CHRIS
Shit.
ANNA
You stink like cigarettes. You smell like your dad.
CHRIS
Enough with my dad, okay?
ANNA
(in a mock retarded voice) Stop making fun of me.
CHRIS
Will you shut the fuck up?
ANNA
I know, I know. He's not retarded. He's slow.
CHRIS
I said shut up. You keep going and I'll bust your face like you busted Jessica's.
ANNA
I'm sorry. Come on. As if she didn't deserve it. Come on. Kiss me.
She kisses him hard. He pulls away. She whispers something in his ear. She kisses him again. Giggles.
DEE begins to walk away.
CHRIS
(to DEE) Hey. Where are you going?
DEE
To class.
Pause.
Class is starting. And I have to fix my project.
CHRIS
School is shit.
ANNA
Just let her go, Chris.
CHRIS
Whatever.
DEE
Bye.
DEE begins to walk away again.
CHRIS
Stop carrying too much.
ANNA
Come on. Let's go.
CHRIS
See ya.
Attached, ANNA and CHRIS go in the opposite direction of the school.
Scene 5
Lights change. Drama class.
TERESA enters, placing large Frisbees in her path, symbolizing the Bikini Atoll. ASHA enters with a blue scarf, giving one end to DEE and the two begin to wave it back and forth to symbolize water.
TERESA
December of 1945.
ASHA & DEE
(singing) Silent Night
Holy Night
TERESA
President Harry S. Truman decides to determine the effect of atomic bombs on American warships.
ASHA & DEE
(singing) All is calm
All is bright
TERESA
He heads to the Bikini Atoll, because of its location away from regular air and sea routes.
ASHA & DEE
We will test atomic bombs for "the good of mankind and to end all world wars."
TERESA
We will go…
ASHA & DEE
Kaboom!
TERESA
…believing that everything…
ASHA & DEE
Kaboom!
TERESA
…is in the hands of God.
ASHA & DEE
Kaboom!
All three fall to the ground. The classroom lights are turned on. The student audience claps.
Scene 6
The school bell rings. The school cafeteria.
DEE, TERESA and ASHA sit at a cafeteria table, all with trays in hand.
TERESA
Okay, so who cares what month the bomb testing began?
ASHA
Well you did say December 1945.
TERESA
So?
ASHA
Mrs. Edie said the bombing began in March 1946.
TERESA
But this is drama, not history. She didn't even get it. She didn't even mention the use of "Silent Night."
ASHA
Because it happened in March, not during Christmas.
TERESA
That's not the point, Asha Whatever, forget it. I thought it gave it another layer. It was totally deep and she didn't even catch it. Right, Dee?
DEE watches as CHRIS enters with ANNA in tow. They seat themselves at a table far away.
DEE
Yeah. I thought it was deep.
TERESA
There you go. See, Asha? Rule #27. Always stick with your friends. No matter what.
ASHA
I did stick with you. That's why I was the one who wore the military jacket instead of the hula skirt, remember?
TERESA
Okay, so moving on. I need to ta
lk to you guys about the grade ten spring dance-a-thon.
ASHA
Why can't it just be a dance?
CHRIS notices DEE and grins. DEE turns away.
TERESA
There are starving children out there. Hello! And it's Lent. We should raise money doing it. We can't be part of the problem, people.
ASHA
But then we'll have to photocopy forms and get people to bother their parents—
TERESA
Oh shut up! As if you even have to try! Your dad always ends up selling your chocolate bars at his clinic for you.
ASHA
Hey. I help him.
TERESA
Whatever. Just think of how much trouble it is for those African kids to, like, carry buckets to a well and fill it up with dirty water.
ASHA
My dad showed me this movie about how people burn bodies near the Ganges River.
DEE looks back at CHRIS. CHRIS gives DEE a mockingly disapproving nod, indicating her large backpack.
TERESA
Well yeah! And you're complaining about filling in forms? (to DEE) DEE!
DEE
(DEE is called to attention.) Yup.
TERESA
What are you— Who are you looking at?
TERESA looks behind her and sees CHRIS looking their way.
What the fuck?
CHRIS returns his attention to ANNA.
DEE
Don't look.
TERESA
Why was he looking here? Like, we don't even exist to him. He's always going around with that Anna girl. What's his name again?
DEE
Chris.
TERESA
Yeah, yeah. Wasn't he suspended for smoking in the parking lot?
ASHA
Smoking pot in the parking lot.
TERESA
Ridiculous. He's been with so many girlfriends. But him and ANNA are always on and off.
ASHA
Lisa said she saw Chris during chemistry class touching ANNA underneath her skirt.
TERESA
They do more than that. I can tell.
DEE
How?
TERESA
Look at her kilt pin. It's turned down. Like a slut. Who would want to show the world she's lost it, anyway?
DEE
Maybe she just put it downwards by accident.
TERESA
No way. Look at her. I can see her underwear under her kilt, it's so short! And I bet she wants it that way.
ASHA
I dunno. Maybe they're in love.
TERESA
There's love and there's lust, ASHA. That's lust.
ASHA
I was watching this movie on tv about this guy who had sex with his teacher.
TERESA
Gross! Can you imagine doing it with Mr. Dykstra?
ASHA
Or Mr. Rawlins! Ewww!
TERESA
(to DEE) You don't think he's cute, do you? You're like staring right at him.
DEE
No. He's with Anna.
ASHA
Do you think he has a big… you know.
TERESA
Dick?
The girls giggle.
ASHA
TERESA!
TERESA
Well, let's see. Maybe I should use my Penis Radar.
DEE
Your what?
TERESA
I can tell by looking at a guy how long his schlong is.
ASHA
You're not talking about that "length of his hands" thing are you? Cuz I saw this thing on tv that proved that theory was wrong.
TERESA
It's not that. I have a special ability.
ASHA
Yeah right.
Pause.
How does his look?
TERESA
Hmmm. I think his is… oh God.
DEE
What?
ASHA
Oh my God! This is so embarrassing.
Pause.
What does it look like?
TERESA
Well it's… ummm. Not too pink, not too purple. It's above average, for sure. But not too long.
ASHA
I don't even know how average looks like.
TERESA
And it's thick, not too thick but pretty thick. And there's a vein. Maybe a couple of veins, when it's hard, running along the side, up to the top of it.
Silence has spread among them; all three girls looking directly at CHRIS, full of thought.
Lights change.
ASHA
It'll be a field of sunflowers. He'll have his driver's licence and he'll drive me out to the field at sunset. Playing on the car radio would be "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. He'll take me to the thick of it all and slow dance with me. Just like in the movies, we'll sink slowly downwards, kissing. I don't know how they do that without falling, but it will happen. Just like that. It'll be warm enough that we can be naked on the grass, holding each other until night falls.
TERESA
We'll be sharing a bottle of wine. Talking about something intelligent. Like gays in the military. Or gays in politics. Something that requires a heated debate. And we'll be laughing but serious about our views until he'll kiss me. Just like in the movies, I'll stop him, just so that I can breathe. Then I'll kiss him hard, like I'm in control. Like I can't resist it. And we'll giggle with each other, naked in his apartment, talking and talking.
DEE
He'll stroke my hair for hours. Fingers along my scalp until we find our bodies moving towards each other. The taste of smoke on his breath.
Lights up on CHRIS.
CHRIS
You don't mind, do you?
DEE
We'll move from touching to breathing to listening to each other's heartbeats. (to CHRIS) This is okay, right?
CHRIS
What we did is like a promise. That's why it's okay.
DEE
A promise. Warm, warm, warm. Just like in the movies, interlocked and intertwined. A perfect fit.
Scene 7
Lights change. A ttc bus stop. CHRIS stands and shouts to DEE from across the stage.
CHRIS
Hey!
DEE
Hi.
CHRIS
What were you talking about?
DEE
What?
CHRIS
What were you and your friends talking about?
DEE
Nothing.
CHRIS
You were looking right at ANNA and me. What were you talking about?
DEE
We weren't looking at ANNA we were looking at—
CHRIS
At me?
DEE
No.
CHRIS
Okay.
A TTC bus drives up.
DEE
This is my bus. Bye.
This is my bus too.
DEE
This is your bus too?
CHRIS
Yeah. So?
They get on the crowded bus.
DEE
I've never seen you.
CHRIS
I always sit in the back.
BUS DRIVER
Kingston Road!
DEE
Oh. Where's ANNA?
CHRIS
She's sick.
DEE
Oh.
DEE places her hand on the bus pole at the same time CHRIS does. She takes her hands away.
Th
ese poles are so gross. I try not to hold on.
The bus gets more crowded. She is forced to move closer to CHRIS. The bus moves and jolts around. She has to balance without holding onto the pole.
CHRIS
Hang on.
BUS DRIVER
Lawrence Avenue!
More people get on. CHRIS and DEE get closer. They are inches away from each other's faces.
DEE
I don't have to hold on.
CHRIS
Grab the pole. You're gonna fall.
DEE
I won't.
CHRIS
Suit yourself.
DEE
I used to be in gymnastics—
The bus comes to an immediate stop, making DEE face plant into CHRIS's chest. Her nose begins to bleed.
Shit!
CHRIS
Are you okay?
DEE
Your shirt!
CHRIS
Are you okay?
DEE
My nose!
BUS DRIVER
Ling Road!
CHRIS
Let's get off.
DEE
But why?
CHRIS grabs DEE's arm and they push through the crowded bus and get off.
This isn't my stop.
CHRIS
But this is mine. I can get you some ice at my house.
Pause.
DEE
You live just here and you take the bus?
CHRIS
Yeah. So? Are you an expert now?
DEE
An expert in what?
CHRIS
An expert in where I live.
DEE
No.
Pause.
CHRIS
Wanna be?
DEE
What?
CHRIS
I mean, walk with me.
DEE
I should go.
CHRIS
Just come over. You look like you've gotten into some kind of car crash or something. I'll clean you up.
He hands her a T-shirt from his bag.
Just use this to hold your nose.
DEE
Are you sure?
CHRIS
No… are you sure? That's my gym shirt. (He laughs.) When my dad returns from his shift at the grocery store I can get the car and drive you home.
DEE
He works?
CHRIS
Yeah. Why?
DEE
Nothing.
CHRIS
What?
DEE
Forget it.
CHRIS
What?
Pause.
DEE
I thought… Why did Anna make fun of your dad?
CHRIS
Who doesn't?
DEE
Is there something wrong with him?
CHRIS
He's slow.
DEE