CHARACTERS ‘Panny—Adian, fourreen Isabel—Panay’s mother, Asian thirties Lefty —Isabel’s brother, Asian, a few years ‘older than Isabel Other Characters ‘Naney—blond, fifteen Hugo—white, ewenty Evvie—short for Evelyn, African American, fory The Man—a man of indeterminate age, absolutely charming saek/The General—a young white male Hae-Yooo—Asian, fourteen SETIING Late nineties in BFE BFE I'm the right size for love. —Stephen Dunn SCENE 1 Lights up on Panny, a fowrteen-yearold Asian gid oN (Toa Things happen ale ime out here, chines yu can' explain Like this i 1 know, Sheila Lopes sd she was iting in her backyai wth her mom one right and he saw this burs of ight hes. Fees Uke a comet or something, thie cece of light thae eared off smal and hen became age before finaly atening out ino atin white line that disappeated And allchis happened in like maybe the space of ive seconds, Sheila swears ic was a UFO but her nom, he vas facing the other way, so she didn ee a thing (Other tuff happens too. The oer kid have eg pis, mic paying ofthe back of some- ones track, Mr Lindhare down he set goes walking eacy inthe morning with « gon strapped to his ble because he says cher ae snakes out ther and you never know. Some times he forgets he's wearing it and hel go right off to the supermarket witht Every once ina whe, somthing bad wil hap pen. Aguy kes a gil out thee and does bad things coher. And sometimes she walks out and sometimes she doesn't Thee are sil umocs swirling around school about what happened to me, That I was Servenser 2005 BFE JULIA CHO taken by satanic cult Or kidnapped by some kiddie pon ing. That kicked out a window, for theew myself out ofa moving ca. Bacnone of thos things are eve. Whats ru, depends, lke Shela, hee mom and the light inthe sky, on which way you ae facing Lights sift. ANI Irs exacly one month ag. Gils have been disappearing from my school. Today, we had a moment of silence in homeroom for Sherry Evans, who was the third most pop lar gil in school. Pe just started my fresh- rman year at Brimsdale High. Ie a very dangerous tie. SCENE 2 A drugstore magazine aisle. Panny sts on the floor reading a magazine. Nancy, fifteen, blond and pretty, is watching her as she stocks items on the shelf NANCY: Would you put chat back? PANNY: Pm eeading, NANCY: I'll get in trouble. My manager. PANNY: Do you think I'd look good with this haie? NANCY: Don't wrinkle i, you're wrinkling it PANDY: I'm not NANCY: You are, Shouldn't you be home? PANNY: Home is boring NANCY; But the curfew. PANNY: You're not home NANCY: Ihave a job. PANS: Oooks You know, you used wo be fun NANCY: Ihave responsibilities. PANNY: You work at Walgreens, Nance. NANCY: Sometimes I think you don't under- stand anything, PANNY: Do you want me to wait till you get off work? We could hang out. NANCY: Hang out? Hello, it's a school nighe. PANN}: Yeah, Tknow, but. Ied be fun. Maybe we could go to Denny's. NANCY: Denny's? PANNY: Yeah, they do this thing where you {get a free meal on your—forger it. NANCY: Anyway, Will's picking me up. PANNY: Oh. How's that going? NANCY: Good. He's pretty cool PANNY: Yeah, he always seemed that way. 1 mean, just fom history class he always seemed...codl. NANCY: Wel, he is. Pause PANNY: Nance? NANCY: Whar? PANN Are you...never mind. NANCY: Just spi it out, what? PANNY: You and Will haven't done it, right? She looks at Nancy, bard. PANNY: Oh my God. NANCY: What are you oh my God PANN: You've only been going out for like, a month NANCY: A month isa longtime. Can be along time, I mean, do you realize there are insects ‘whose entire lfe span is, lke, three days? PANNY. What does that have to do with any- thine? [NANCY Time is relevant, okay? Things are dif- ferent now. PANNY: How? NANCY: They just are. Could you stop look- ing at me like that? PANNY: Like what? NANCY: Like I'm a big slut all of a sudden, PANNY: wasn NANCY: Because it's not a big deal PANNY: [think it kinds is. And you used to NANCY: Wel, that was before, This is now. [Nancy goes back to stocking, Parry turns back 10 the magazine. PANNY: Look, it's that model we hate. She's everywhere. She's pretty, huh? Nance? She looks up. Nancy has lft. PANNY (Quietly): I think she is. ‘A Man wanders on. He eyes the electronics ‘on the shelf. Panny looks up and notices brim and then goes back to her magazine. He looks around and then shoves a walloman into bis jacket and bolts. She stands and watches bin run out ofthe store. Nancy enters car ying a box. NANCY: What? PANNY: I. There as NANCY (Annoyed): Yeah? PANNY: Nothing, SCENE 3 The living room. Panny enters and goes straight for her room. Lefty enters fromthe kitchen. LEFTY: Hey. Where were you? PANNY: School. Why're you home? LEFTY: Switched shifts. PANNY: Why? Awenicax Tiare 47LEFTY: Someone asked me to. PANNY: Is thatthe only reason? She looks at him hopefully. LEFTY: Yeah, PANNY:Don't you know what day iis today? Don't you care? LEFTY: Wednesday. PANN: No, i isn't just Wednesday. What kind of uncle are you? LEFTY: Why’ze you shouting? Here, Something came for you PANNY: Really? He gives her a blue airmail envelope PANWY: Oh, LEFTY: Who's it from? PANNY: No one. Something for school. LEFTY: There's something else. PANDY: I've got a lot of homework tonight, Letty. LEFTY: Two seconds. PANNY: Fine, LEFTY bring it here. He leaves. Panny start to open the letter. Lefty comes back bearing a bestful cake with icing on it spelling out “Panny.” There isa candle on it. He clears bis throat, Pauny jumps up twhen she sees the cake, PANNY: Lefry! You erk. You totally had me oing. LEFTY: I'm not singing so just hum it £0 yourself PANNY: Ob, its, you really didn't. Lorry Wish, Panny closes her eyes and makes a wish ‘She blows out the candle. Lefty takes the can- dle off the cake. FANNY: Thank you. She bugs Lefty as Isabel walks in. She wears a ratty silk robe ISABEL: About time someone came home. PANY Hey, Isabel __ BABEL: How many times do Ihave to tll you? ‘You're supposed to come home right away from school, right away. PANDY: I'm sorry. 'aBEL: Its not ike I'm being unseasonable, especially with the news full of— (She notices the cake) Who brought this confection into my house? LEFT. I did, ISABEL: Why, Lefty! What a lovely surprise! Why is it named Panny? PANNYE es my cake. Lefty brought for me "you didn’t have to, Awana THeatae BFE JULIA CHO ISABEL: Well, let's not be greedy about it— LEFTY: Isabel ISABEL: What? LEFTY: It's her birthday, Isabel A brief pause. It's clear this is entirely new information to Isabel but she doesn't even blink. |84BEL: know that, Tm her mother don't you think Tknow that? LEFTY (To Panny): Here. He takes outa tiny box from his shirt pocket. PANNY: Sunmaid raisins? LEFTY: No. Was the only box I could find. The right size Panny opens the box. She lifts outa pair of sparkly earrings dangling from a plastic square PANNY (A ltl taken aback): Oh. They'e so— they're ceally really precy. Isabel comes over and looks at the earrings. 'sABEL; You bought these? LEFTY: Uh-huh. (To Panny) Do you like them? You don’t like them. PANNY:No, no, Ido. Thank you. Theyte per fect. ‘They bug. ISABEL: Panny. PANNY: What? ISABEL: Come over here. I have a gif for you, 00. PANNY: You do? LEFTY: You do? ISABEL: Well, chiteen— LiFry Fourteen— ISABEL: Fourteen, it's a special occasion. You don't ust rurn fourteen every day. Someone bring me the Yellow Pages. (Pause) Today ‘would be nice. Panny opens a cabinet and takes out the Yellow Pages. She hands it to Izabel. Izabel takes itand begins flipping through i. ISABEL: OF course, fourteen is not what it used to-be. When Iwas that age, Iwas already con- sidered a woman, Nowadays, one begs the question: What is it ro be a woman? I isn't enough to bleed, ic isn’t merely hor ‘onal. Iie not enough to be d'or certain de, 1. A girl becomes a woman, I believe, when’ she understands sacrifice for the first rime. PANN: Sactifice? ISABEL: The world asks things of ws constantly. Ik is never content with what we are; it asks 1s to dream of what we wish to be and then to have the courage to become that dream. ‘A woman is one who understands what the ‘world asks of her, and answers with an eter- ‘nal YES, an affirming YES. 1 say to you, anny, now is the time to look at what the ‘world asks of you and say YES, YES, YES! She spins the book toward Panny and points with her finger at ana. ISABEL: This is my gift to you. PANNY:I don’ understand, ISABEL: Plastic surgery. SCENE 4 PANNY: Unheimlich. That's what Freud called itwhen something familiar becomes a litle serange He says ithe familiarity which makes ic disturbing Like how the hallway of your house gets kind of scary at midnighé when it 1no longer looks quite the same even though itis the same. Like your own reflection when you're not expecting it. Like clowns. One day my mother eame home looking 2s if she'd been hin the face witha ewo-by- four She stopped going to work; she just stayed home. And when the bandages finally came ‘off she was al healed and I guess he looked ‘good. I mean, I gues she looked great. But ‘when I saw her face for the first time, all I ‘wanted to do was run away. Unheilic. Feud. Isabel’ room. It is small, the main furniture being a television and an old easy char. She vatches TV. Panny brings ina tay of food and sts it dour, PANY: Isabel? I made mac and cheese ISABEL: Mn. That poor girl. Did you know her? PANN: No. She was a senior ISABEL: They finally found her. Out by the reservoir. Petty thing. They're runaing pho~ tos of her when she was part ofthe Home- coming Coust. Well she did stay prety for Jong. Whoever didi ida't even bother dig- ging a grave forthe body. He just left t out there forthe whole wide world to see. Dis- sracefl FANNY: Do they know who did it? ISABEL: No. They thoughe it might be her boyfriend, bue he's got an alibi. Nor that that means anything. Most people are killed by someone they know. Such a shame. All of them, blond hai, bie syes. So prety They could be sisters. Well, at least I don't have ro worry about you.PANNY: Un‘buh. ISABEL; So have you thoughe about it? PANNY: About whar? ISABEL: About what you're going to have done? PANNY: No. ISABEL: Not even theI mean, you don’t even want to consider your—well, never mind. 1: Consider my what? ISABEL: No, you don't want i, that’ fine. 'm not one to pressure anyone into anything PANNY: My what, Isabel? ISABEL: Your nose, aN: Whar's wrong with my nose? ABEL; Wel, here's no bridge. I mean, pf Nothing. PANNY: Do I ned a bridge? ISABEL: Okay, forge the nose. How about the eyes? PANNY: What's wrong with my eyes? ISABEL: Panoy, let me tell you something Look here: what do you see? PANWY: Your nose, ISABEL: But no! Thar’ the genius of ie! What you are seeing is actually part of my chin! PANDY: No. 18aBEL: Yes! Thar's beauty! Take alee here, put ie there and voila! A perfect profile! Panny, 1 too was a plain litle giel with big, yearnings. A diamond inthe rough. And all 1 did was polish ia lil. Tha’ al this ipo! ish, Everyone does i, Fvery elebits age of thirty-five, Everyone! I mean, I watch TV, know. Don’t think of cas surgery. Think of simple acc of constructive sel-improvement. Tam challenging you, Panny. Everyone's altvays saying, bo hoo, beauty isso hard. Of course it's hard. Anything worthwhile is hard. Teue beauty is not born. True beauty is an act of will. And all you have ro do is choose it, Panny. I's yours to choose. SCENE 5 awn, Doppelganger «ghostly double of living person, especially one cha haunts its living counterpart. Doppelganger. Lights up on Hae-Yoon, a young Korean ail HAE-YOON: Deae Panny, My name is Hae Yoon, burifit make you happy ill me Elz abeth, becance this is Amevican name Ike BFE JULIA CHO Lefty ames Salto) looks on while Isabel (Kate Rig, right) presents Panny with er last-minute, twanstcmative binhday git like Elizabeth because it can change and be many things, like me. Iecan be Lizo: Beth or Eliza or Berry, which is GREAT because in Korean, Hae-Yoon is just Hae-Yoon. Tam very glad to be making your acquain- tanceship. I chink this progeam berween your class and my class is GREAT because Ihave hope to improve my American English So a little about me. hae I drink Coca-Cola every chance I can. My ‘mother say this is why Tam so short and have legs like radishes. But I think Coca-Cola is GREAT! Thave many question for you One: Do you have boyfriend? ‘Two: Do you live near Hollywood? Three: Do you have blond hairs? Your pen pal, Elizabeth ps. Tam waiting for your letter with much excitedment. [love mail. Iris GREAT! Lights out om Hae-Yoon and up on Lefty. He {sin the basement working on a large model ofa battleground. There are miniatures of war viors scattered all over the model. Panny sits on a stool, writing on a notepad. PANNY: Okay. How does this sound: Dear Eliz abeth, Dry up. Sincerely, Panny. LEFTY: Whar’s thae? PANN: A letter to my pen pal LEFTY: Dry up? {ghar the color of Coca-Cola an PANNY: Too slang-y? She might nor get i. LEFTY: If you don’t like her then why is she ‘writing 0 you? PANNY: IPs our stupid projectin homeroom, Apparently, my middle-of-nosshere, podunk school asa sister school in Asia. Go figure. LEFTY: Bur that sounds nice. PANNY: Yeah, like I want a chink pen pal— LEFTY; Panny! Don’t say that. PANNY: What? Chink? LEFTY: Yes. PANNY: But i's true, Tam a chink, you're a chink, Isabel's Lefty covers her mouth, LEFTY: Bur you don't say it. I's bad word PANN: If other people say it, But if Tsay it, its ike, you knows i like black people say- ing LEFTY: Panay PANNY: God. Since when does the First [Amendment no longer work down here? LEFTY: Where are you leacning allthis stuff? PANNY: Chink? Get real, I've known that sword since L was like five. She writes on her notepad. PANNY: Okay, how's this: Dear Elizabeth, ‘Thank you for your letter, 1am fascinated by your county, t00, Ihave afew questions for you as well: Do you have indoor plumbin Do you eat dogs? wine cacti “She looks up. PANNY: Oh, come on, Lefty. That was a joke. LEFTY: That was not funny. PANN Tet the kids in my homeroom would think it was funny. LEFTY: Well, you're not lke the kids in your homeroom, Pause. PANNY: No. You're right. I'm not. Ske erumples up the paper. LEFTY: Something bothering you? PANNY: No, LEFTY; Ie wasn'ta good birthday, was i? PANNY: What? unern Yon don'r like the enszings, Tean tell PANN: Lefty, that's s0 not true— LEFTY: You haven't worn them, PANN I'm, I'm saving them for a special ‘occasion. LEFTY: You don’t like them. PANNY: Lefty. I's not that, ifs.look. Look don't have pierced ears. I never have LEFTY: Oh...why am Iso. PANDY: Ie’ okay, Lefry. Tmean, you're not the ‘most observant guy in the world, but... LEFTY: mess up everything, [messed up your birthday, and then your mother with tac erary ite PANN: You did not mess it up. And Isabel..1 don't know... guess, inher own way, she was being thoughtful LeFTy: Thoughtful? PANNY: Yeah, LEFTY Panny. Are you...don' tell me you're thinking about it? PANNY: Wall. LEFTY: You don’t need it. You're a very presey gil PANNY: Oh, God. Here we go. LEETY: You are, {PANNY: Of course you think that; you're my uncle. You'e, like, paid to say that. LEFTY: Don't let her get to you. PANNY: Look, if [want to think about it, 80 what? I meas, look at hes, she looks great. LEFT‘: I thought you were more marure than this— PANNY: Oh, like you should talk— (She ges- tures to his miniatures) You call this mature, Mr. Dungeon Master? Pm sorry..t didn’t mean that. LEFTY: You used to play it with me. BO Anenicaw Tuearne BFE JULIA CHO PANN: Yeah, all Inced is for itto get around that [play role-playing games to cement my reputation asthe biggest geek in school, LEFTY: You think I'm a geek. PANN}! No, thar noe what I meant. Look, Pm sad you have a hobby. God knows label could use one. God knows I could use one. LEFTY, just want to see you happy. Panny: Tknow. LEFTY: They say these are the best years of your life PANNY: Thanks. Now I feel much better SCENE 6 Lights up on a department store jewelry counter. Lefty walks up. He is wearing a security guard's uniform. Evvie is leaning ‘on the counter, reading a book. LEFTY: Hi I need to— Evie holds up ber hand, signaling him t0 hush. She finches her chapter, closes the book ‘and looks up. EVIE Now. Whar may Thelp you with? LEFTY: I need to retuen these. He puts the earrings on the counter. EVVIE: Oh, great. The only sale tonight and it's a retuen, My manager's going to love that. LEFT: She didn’t like them, I mean, she doesn't have pierced eats. EVVIE: Not too observant, are we? LEFTY; You always read on the job? EVVIE: Whar else is there to do? Time just ddraaaags on by. You work here? LEFTY: Yeah, upstairs EVIE: Then you know what I mean. How boring it gets. LEFTY: Its nor so bad EVVEE Please. No one even shoplifts anymore, kind of miss it, Miss the excitement. Like last yea, there was this well-dressed couple witha baby ina stroller, and they just stuffed that stcoller with ies and sweaters and shies. ‘They actually hid stuff under the baby. And Tet it wasn’t even their child Just shows you stealing’s not about money. The people who steal are hungry, but it's rot for things. In fact, i's amazing more people don't steal; these days everyone's hungry. Walking chrough the mall, every fone looks sad, their mouths like this— (She sets her mouth in a grim line) People s0 well-dressed and so sad. We don’t know what we are, none of us, Look a this. (She gestures at er book) How to Make the Most of Your Hidden Talent. Isn't that a maevelous title? Notice the phrasing Itisn't How to Develop a Hidden Talent. No, its How to Make the Mast of it because itis already assuming you have a talent. And you do. Everyone does. You and me, we have talents! Big ones. Inside us like cats have paws, You don't say much, do you? LeFTy: Whar? EVVIE: What do you think your talent is? LEFTY: Your talent? EVVEE: Well, according to the Chinese zodiac, with money, and articulate. I should be a lawyer or an actor. But then, considering. Tm a Cancer, I'm also a homebody, who has the tendency to be emotional at times, and Tm a cab, se, s0 I don' go szaight fr things, kind of ute at them, sideways ike. Imove towards what I want but indiceetly. Which, [don't much ike about myself, but there itis ‘Ofcourse my rising is Virgo, which means 1 like things a certain way-like you go £0 a party and some guest is emptying out the ashtrays and putting away the empty beer bortles, that's me. So all in all, adding i all up, I'd say my talent is..color LEFTY: T'm sorey? EVVIE: Iam very, very good at seeing colors. Like you know hows some people have per- fect pitch? They can hear the gradations of pitches between notes, I mean, tothe tiniest degree. And that’s how Tam with colot Like tha oes it look like o you? LEFTY: A bunch of red sweaters EVVIEI see that and Isee variations inthe dye, in how the light bounces off the folds of the fabric to produce many different reds, not just one. But what does this mean? What possible occupation does such a gift sug- ‘ese? That, my friend, isthe rub. LEFTY: Maybe you could mix colors. Like paint colors. EVIE: They have computers that do that. LEFTY: Interior decorate? EWE: Just because I can see colors better, doesn’t mean I know how co put them together. Like look at whar I'm wearing Does this seem to clash to you? LEFTY: Maybe a litle EVVIE: Tknow my talent. just don't know ck of sweaters over there: what Serrewsen 2005where it 20° Now you hae got to havea talent. Everyone dos. Leer: I don'e think 50. EvVIE: Must be something. Wait guess, Pm good at this. The rabbit is very ‘You...can...be extremely patient erty: Lean? EWE: Because here it's bee all this time and Thaven’t finished ringing up your return yet LEFTY: Oh. EVVEE: Here. Just sign at the “X." He does, She hands him a copy ofthe receipt Let me LEFTY: Guess T should go back upstairs. EWE: Nice talking t0 you. He doesn't leave. erry: Pm Lely. EVVIE (Paints to her name badge): Evvie. [Nice to meet you, Lefty. LEFTY If Thave a talent, moybe i's my hands EVIE; Whar ean they do? erry. They can be very, very stl. ‘And. Hold things. Cacefully. So they don't break: Is that a talent? EWVEE: Te sure is, baby: Te sue i. SCENE 7 [HAE-YOON: Dear Panny, I appreciate very rch the photo you send me of where you living. Wow! Whac a brown place! Buc what is this thing you write at the bottom of the photo../“BFE." You write thar it means Bam Fuck Egypt.” Egypt | know; bur what is a Bum Fuck? ‘Also, I didn't realize you were not full Ames jcan. You are just another Asian person bike sme. Lam little disappoint but that is okay. Here are answer to your question ‘One: would like tobe teacher. Teach English My idea is use lot of American movie (0 teach, Aad then I can have job t0 watch movie. GREAT! ‘Two Ihave a sather who is very nice except she make me eat too much. My dad does not talk He ike ro read paper every night on the floor even though we have a lot of chai Korean people like floor bette than chai “Thre: OF course I know abou plastic surge [have surgery when I was four. My mother Bre JULIA CHU take me to doctor and I goin and out, All my fiend have eye surgery: Looks good! And all the movie and singing sta also have surgery My mother say we are lucky that its s0 easy tobe prety. During he war, she say, no one sas prety. Now she wane me co.do something bout my radish leg. There is surgery for mak ing leg thinner. They cut out the thick part below knee. She say i won't hurt. Four, my favorite food is melon gum. Tam sending you a stick of this gum with my lester, leis GREAT! ‘Your pen pal, Elizabeth SCENE 8 Panny lies on her bed, staring a the ceiling ‘She reaches for her phone and dials, Lights tip on Hugo across the way. He's drinking fom fa juice carton. Huo: Hello? PANN: Hi is Nancy there? Huco: Who's Nancy? pani: Her mom gave me this number? [HUGO (Alimicking her intonation): Why do you make a statement asi its a question? PANNY: You're making fun of me? HUGO: Oh, come on? Have a sense of— She hangs up. uGo: Okay, don't Panny calls aga. HUGO: Hello? PANNY: Oh, shoot. ‘Huco. You know, diating’s nor that hard. PANSY: Why are you so obnoxious? HUGO: Moi? Panny hangs up. Hugo dials. The phone rings PANNY: Hello? HuGo: I am nor obnoxious. Panny: How'd you do thar? HUGO: I'm psychic. Tes called Caller ID. Hmmm. There's no description. You sound cute, Are you? Panny bangs up. Hugo dials. The phone rings. Panny hesitantly picks it. HUGO: Don't hang vp. pgsn im srry tink you have the rong snumber— HUGO: I have a question for you PANNY: Listen, don't know who you're — HUGO: Question, Would you rather have dark, curly haie all ever your body OR ‘would you eather have a small, cusly cil that no one can see? Hello? Not good, huh? ‘Okay, how about: Would you rather sneeze cottage cheese or ery vegerable oll? ‘You're being quiet, Does this mean you'te not going to hang up? Tam very bored. you donot tlk to me Twill be foreed to watch some rather unpalarable television. ‘Okay, easier question. Would you rather talk to me on the pho Thang up? Pause. pANNY: L would cather..call on the phone, ‘HUGO; Well, peachy. So would I manny / “Time has passed. Panny and Hugo are on tbe hone. Hugo's reading out of «huge textbook. HUGO: This is my favorite: trichorillomania. “Thav’s when you obsessively pluck hair from your head and then you eat it. PANNY: Gross. HUGO: [love chis suf PANNY: This is homework? HUGO: For psych class ANNs Paych? What kind of class i that? HUGO: I don't know. social science class? PANNY: «Where do you go r0 school? HUGO: Southwest Community PANNY: That's college HuGo: Duh, PANNY: How old are you? HUGO: Twenty, Took some time off after highschool, s0T started ate, How about you? PANN: Tm. ightees. HUGO: Where d'you go? ‘PANNY: Brimadale. High school HUGO: No kidding, J went to O'Connor You figure out what you're going to do after you graduate? Panny: T don't know, move? HUGO: Why? I's so beaurifl here PANNY: Are you kidding me? HUGO: You don’ think so? pANNY: No. HUGO: Come on, te sunsets? The mountains? PANNYs I guess. HUGO: You should take some time and really Took att, Panny, e's like that French saying, Si-vous prenez mes yeu, vous les trou" verez beau.” PANN: Wow. HUGO: Means, “If you look into my eyes, YOu will find them beautiful.” woul you, aad thats how: Toner Hg ee oahis number. PANNY: Where'd you learn French like th In France? 11060; No...in French clas. PANN: Right. So what did you do after you graduated? 1HUZO: I went on my mission, FANNY: Your what? HUGO: My mission. PANNY: Like @ supethero? HUGO: No. Like a Mormon. PANNY: You're Mormon? HUGO: Why do you say it ike that? ‘aN: Cause you seem kind of normals al HuGO: Gee. Thanks. rANIY: No, [just meant. Mormon. So then. you can’t swear or anything. HUGO: Nope. ANN So what do you do when you get really mad? HUGO: I don’t know. [don't remember the last sime I got mad. PANNY: Really? HUGO: Stuff just doesn’t bother me. PANNY: Because of your religion? HUGO: No, because of my personality PANNY: So where did they send you? For your mission? Like deepest Africa? HuGo: No. Balrimore PANN: What kind of missionary goes © Baltimore? HUGO: Hey, people in Baltimore are just as 62 Aneeicaw Tweavee hugh James MeMerain) persuades Panty talk to him on the phone ater she accidentally als BFE JULIA CHO needy PANNY: For what? Polygamy? HUGO: Panny, we don't do that anymore. PANNY: No? HUGO: No, the crazy ones out in the s the fundamentalists, they doit PANN: Oh, so the normal Mormons, you B55 just own Pepsi HUGO: Haha PANDY: So your father has only one wife? You didn’ grow up ina compound? HUGO: No. Anyway, my dad's dead, PANNY: Ob. God. I'm sorry GO: Don't be, Happened a long ime ago. PANNY: I don't eally have a father ether. HUGO: Did he—? PANSY: No, he’s alive, At least, I think: he is. He and my mom never got married. She got pregnant with me by accident. He took off HUGO: He couldn't handle ie? PANNY: I don't know. No one ever says Pause. HUGO: Hey. Tell me something yo told anyone before PANNY: What? HUGO: Tell me something you've never told anyone else before PANNY: Why? HUGO: Because I want to heat it. PANDY: Okay.-Llike what kind of thing? HUGO: Any kind of thing. PANY: Okay. Um, ‘There was this one time. I was sitting here, at my desk. Ie was realy late and I only had sy desk lamp on, Twas stetching or some- ‘thing and happened to catch my reflection in the window. And I don't know—the quality ofthe light or something—but it was like for this really brief moment, I wasn't me. Lact ally seemed...beautifal. Pm only saying that because, see, in reality, I'm not. I'm not beautifal, tall. Bu ic was ike because it was so late and there was absolutely no one around, I was beautiful—a little. And T thought, ob it’s ike my beautiful self is cis that only Ican see. T don't know. That was stupid. You tell me something, okay? Something you've never said to anyone. HUGO: There's nothing. I've sai everything, pany: No seceets? HUGO: None. PANN: Come on. ‘HUGO: Something Ive never said to anyone Okay [ve never liked anyone's voice half as mach as like yours. PANDY: Really? HUGO: Really. SCENE 9 Leabet's room. Panny enters with a tray of food and gets it down. ISABEL: I'm starved. Watching the news isso exhausting. PANNY: Did they find him yet? IsaBEL: Nope. They're starting to callin psy ics. God, I wih Iwere psychic! Just imag- ine: i be the perfect job. You could doi from home, get paid by the hour, never even leave your bed, Panny looks at the TV. PANNY: This isnt the news. 1ISADEL: News isn'e back on tll ren. PANN: What is this? ISABEL: A five-part series on World War I PANN: You're kidding. 1saBeL: Panny, Lam not some philistne. ike to learn, Besides, I think that General MacArthur is quite good-looking. They ‘brake the mold when they made him. Ihe was fon this case, he'd have that killer like that, PANNY: Whatever:ISABEL: Wherere you going? PANNY: I've got stu todo. Panny leaves, Isabel looks at her food sadly. ISABEL (Sighing): Nothing but war rations ‘The opening strains of the theme to The ‘Young and the Resless, The General appears, He is dressed in jodhpurs and aviator sun ‘glasses, He's very dashing. GENERAL: Isabel, my love. ISABEL: Darling! You've come back. GENERAL: Just as I promised. But now I ‘must go again. ISABEL; But it’s been so difficult without you! (GENERAL: Someday, my dear, you will have nothing but the finest steak and caviar. ISABEL: Don't tell me you have ro go—Ican't bear it. GENERAL: But you must. ISABEL: Tell me again how I looked the first time you saw me. GENERAL; Flawless, you were flawless. And Tknew you were beautiful, nor because of the eyes ofthe men who watched you, their eyes filled with deste, But because of the eyes of the women who watched you, their eyes filled with envy. He puts on a pair of white gloves. (GENERAL; | must go lend my men, the men ‘who are everywhere dying in islands allover the Pacific, dying for the great cause. ISABEL: God, your courage! The magnifi- cence of your spirit! ‘CENERAL: Greatness is such a burden. ISABEL: I'll wait for you. LHe takes her in bis arms and kisses her. GENERAL: I shall return! He sweeps offitage. ISABEL: Conquer the world and lay it at my. feet! ‘The music fades ISABEL: Conquer the world and give it to sme asa token of love, SCENE 10 ‘The department store. Evvie reads aloud froma book. EVVIE: “Each of us is born with a remarkable talent chat is unique. The key to a happy and successful personal and professional life is utilizing the remarkable talents we are born swith.” ooh, there's a test. Let's take it—we're BFE JULIA CHO going to take it, okay? You with me? LEFT Not good at tests EVVIE Tes not that kind of rest! One: When faced with anew situation, do you fee (a) chal- lenged, (b) hestane— Lefty takes out a'miniature from his breast pocket and puts it on Evvie's book. EVE: What's this? LEFTY: You like it? EVE: But where'd it come from? LEFTY: They're par ofa game that people play all over the world. There are stores, you go and you paint your pieces and then you play with them against other people. Ar the store EVVTE Is ita toy? LEFTY: No. Ie’shard to explain, There are com> petitions for painting these miniarues, judged ‘on originality and artistry. The winner receives the Golden Blade, which is an actual sword. [And then the winner is famous—among the other players. Miniatures by a Golden Blade winner ean go for upwards of five hundred dollars. EVVIE: Did you paint this? LEFTY: Uh-huh. Is pare of a whole world, se, and you create differen: figures, outing them ‘with weapons that you create,or modify. ‘There are all these differen orders of wizards and warriors and— (He stops, self-con- scious) EWE: Go on, LEFTY It's just a hobby. Never mind. He tries to take the figure from Evvie, but she holds it away from him. EVVIE The colors. You mixed these? LEFT: Yes EVVIE: How did you get into the small spaces? LEFTY: Some of the brushes use are only @ few bairs large. EWE: And you can see that? LEFTY; Sometimes use a magnifying glas. EVVIE: You know, there are rwo things that seem miraculous and rw things only: the very big and the very smal, And our problem, Lefry, is that we are neither. ‘What does this one do? LEFTY: She's healer. EVIE: Can Tkeep her? LEFTY: I made it for you. SCENE 11 Hugo and Panny are on their respective phones. Panny is lying on her bed. Hugo is stretched out on a couch. HUGO: Pretend. Where are you? PANNY: In my room. HUGO: Okay, I'm walking in the door. What dose? PANN On your right, my close. I's mirrored. ‘You have to kick some clothes out of your way. Kind of a mess. And then you see me, lying ‘on my bed, against the wall Hugo moves from the couch to Parny's bed. HUGO: I'm moving to my bed, too. Which side are you on? PANNY: Kind of inthe center. HUGO: Scoot over, you bed hog. a th ight os gan de wal My back is turned to you. HUGO: Okay, I'm on the left then. My back’s to you, too. Can you feel me? PANNY: Yes. The two are lying down on Panny's bed, turned away from each other. PANY: Lean feel the heat from you. HUGO: I'm always warm, PANNY: My hands and feet are always cold Poor circulation, HUGO: Warm them on me. Are you? Good. A moment HUGO: So...when are we going to meet? PANNY: Hugo. HUGO: I'm good allthis week. PANNY: [told you. HUGO: I know, I know. Still not ready Pause. PANY: Thear that Mormons believe that the ‘more souls you save, the better your chances ‘of geting into heaven. That's why you do all that mission stuf HUGO: Yeah, I guess the hardcore ones believe that. PANNY: And the hardcore ones believe if you're not white, you don't get into as good ‘heaven, Like there are these different levels, HUGO: Where'd you learn allthis? PANNY: I looked it up. Internet. HUGO: Ise. PANNY: Is rue? HUGO: Truth is lke most things. Depends on which way you approach it. ann I don’ think I look lke what you thin: Took lke, HUGO: Okay, I think I understood that. PANNY: You'ce going to be disappointed. HUGO: How could I be? It'll be you. PANNY: You say that now. Anenicax TweaTke 88HUGO: I won't change. PANNY: Do you care about me? HUGO: You know. Ws kind of funny. But I do. I really do. T don't even know why. hardly know you, never even seen you. But think you have a good heart. And I think you are full of dreams, I want you, whatever happiness you've had in you lif up ro this point, Ia ‘you to have ita thousandfold. And every sad ness you have, or ever had, o ever will have, T wish could take i from you. Does thar make Tumy, Panny? PANNY: [need t0 go. HUGO: Did I say something? pANNY: No. I just. My uncle's home. I need to eat dinner, Call me tomorrow, okay? HUGO: Okey PANNY: Good night 1uGO: Good nighs, Panny. Have some bea siful dreams. They hang up. Hugo stands up, walks off. Panny lies alone on her bed. SCENE 12 ‘The mal faa! oot. Leftyand Exe are seated at. small, plastic table. EW IE: What was char? I can'e quite hear you. Theze seems to be some kind of acous tic black hole right above our heads, LEFTY: I said: Ob, never mind, EVVIE: How long you been working for the LEFTY: Nine, ten years EVVIE; Don's you get sick of mall food? LEFTY: No, EVVIE: That te looks nice on you. Pl put i back on the display atthe end of the night LeFTy: Thanks. EWE: Do you think I look nice? LEFTY: Yes. You look very nice. EVIE; Because you know chats what you do (Ona date. You tell your date she looks nice. LEFTY: You do. Look nice. [EVVIE, Maybe this wase’ a good idea. Maybe ‘we're better of being fiends. Because we are friends, aren't we? LEFTY: This is a date? EVVIE: Isn't i? LEFT: I don’t really know. I's been so long. BFE JULIA CHO [EVVIE; Suddenly I'm nervous. Say the word, “date,” and I'm nervous. LEFT: Am I making you nervous? EVVIE: Not you. The idea. [haven't been on a date in, God. Ar least ten years. Between raising Jess and working, itjust didn’t seem like time.,.Oh. The books say not 10 do shat, Talk about kids on the first date. The books say not to show all your cards—bag. gage is what chey really mean LEFTY I don't caze about chat stuff. Make you feel any bert, here: I'm a grown man and stil live with my sister and her teenage daughter LEFTY: In my spare time, I play a role-play- ing game whose main audience is thireen-year ‘old, pimply-faced boys. EVVIE: I haven't had sex in eleven years. ‘She laughs, [5a really nice laugh: EVViE: Like that old Woody Allen joke: I haven't had sex in eleven yeats—twenty counting my marriage. Baddum bum chh. LEFTY: You're not like any black woman T know. EVVIE: What's that supposed to mean? LEFTY; Because you like Woody Allen. And because you like me. EVVIE: Oh, now. Ley? LEFTY: Unsheh, EVViE; Who were you buying them earrings for? LEFTY: My niece. She just uened fourteen, EVIE: Ah, Yes. Panse. LEFTY: Whatare you doing after work? Pause, Evvie laughs EVVIE: I can see auras too, did I tell you thae? LEFTY: No, She looks at him and squints her eyes. EVIE: Blue, like ocean. All around your head. EWVEE:So I'm free after work, SCENE 13 “The livingroom, The front door opens. Lefty IsABEL: Hello? Lefty? That you? ‘She enters the living room. Lefty gets out the Yellow Pages and looks up a number. IsABEL; Where have you been? Whar, you don't even say hello anymore? LEFTY: Hello. He finds what be's looking for and dials LEFTY (Into the phone): One large pepperoni Uh-huh, 241-9033. Yes, Thank you. He hangs up. ISABEL; What was that? LEFTY: Dinner. ISABEL: Marvelous! Im absolutely famished Lefty leaves the rooms. ISABEL: We haven't had dinner all together in ages. (Calling) How was work today? LEFTY (Offstage): Fine. “They z1ll haven’ found the man rapes: T who did it. LEFTY: Did what? ISABEL: Doesn't anybody in this house warch the news? He enters wearing nice pants and buttoning ‘up a new shirt, He throws bis uniform over a chair. LEFT: Here's money {SABEL; You look nice. Is that new? LEFTY; From the men’s department. IsABEL: What's that smell? LEFT Ob, you know how those fragrance people are, spray you as soon as you get near them. Smell okay? ISABEL Yes. LEFTY: There's soda in the fridge. ISABEL: Where are you going? LEFTY: I'm going out with some friends from work ISABEL: What friends? LEFTY; Just friends ISABEL; But I thought, T thought we were ‘going to have dinner together, LEFTY: Next time ISABEL: Why not tonight? LeFT¥. I aleeady made plans. ISABEL: So break them. We’ Lefey. LEFTY: know that ISABEL: I'm just saying there are certain duties that come with— LEFTY: You don’ hate to tell me wha my duty ig, Isabel, Don’ sit in that rupid department store and doit every day? ISABEL: Since when do you dislike your job? LEFTY. I don’t just... ISABEL: Lefry what more could you want chan this? A home, A family. All the things we wanted so much—ve have chem. Everything yur family,wwe want: it already ours LEFTY: I don’t know...itis, butts not. 'SABEL: Who's puting these ideas in your head? Your “fiends”? Pm sure they're perfectly nice, but it has always been just you and me, Lefty, and you know what? It will always be just you and me. LEFTY: Iknow you've always said that— ISABEL: Because i’ true LEFTY: You don't know chet ISABEL: What's thar supposed to mean? LEFTY: Nothing. Ihave to go. ISABEL: Lam not done with you yet— LEFTY Yes you are. Ponse He leaves. ISABEL: Lefy? Lefty. She opens the door. She stands atthe thresh- ‘old, She can bring herself 0 step outside. She shuts the door She picks up Lefty’s uniform. ‘She looks through the pockets. She finds a sin paperback book, ISABEL (Reading): How to Start Living. For Yourself SCENE 14 Panny and Hugo are on the phone. HUGO: I think i's time. PANNY: For what? HUGO: To meet. PANINY: Hugo. HUGO: Don's worry. I'l be okay. PANNY: You don't know thar. HUGO: Trust me. PANNY: Ido. HUGO: Then? PANNY: Look, I don't have a car, how could Imeet you? HUGO: I could come over. PANNY: No—I don't like having people over. My family. HUGO: Then I'l pick you up. We'll go for @ dtive, Take you anywhere you want. Or just iin your driveway. PANNY: [ean’t, not tonight. HUGO: Then let's meet in the morning, before school, or after school, I don't care. PANNY (Panicking): I ean't meet you. HUGO: Tomorrow's bad? Okay, then how about Serremen 2005 BFE JULIA CHO PANNY: NO. Its not tomorrow, of the next day, its—I can'e, Hugo, just ean’. HUGO: I don't understand. PANNY: We can't meet. HUGO: But I thought we were—I mean, I thought you wanted to— PANNY: No. I don't HUGO: [ee PANNY: Hugo, it, HUGO: I guess so. PANNY! I just need time, HUGO: How much time? Six months? A year? What are you afraid of? HUGO: What's near you, a park? A store? Something within walking distance PANNY: I don't know, there's a..chere's 2 ‘Walgreens... HUGO: The one on Greenfield? PANNY: Yeah, but— HUGO: I'l be there PANNY: What? Hugo. HUGO: Look, it's up to you. But I'l be there, Jost think it over, okay? PANNY: I don't know. HUGO: In an hous If you're there, you're there If you're nor..you're not. complicated. an hour SCENE 15 Isabel itn her rooms, Panny isin the batbroom. ‘She sit on the counter with her fot the snk. ‘She looks at herself the mirror. She pulls out 1 fasbian magazine and flips it open Sage: When T was just a ltele gith L asked ‘my mother what would Ibe and she said, if were lucky, I would bea housewife just like ther, Well. said to hes *Iddon think so.” Just like that. “I don’t think so." PANNY (Reading): Don' line the inside of your eyelid. Nor only is it possible to injure and infeet the eye, it will make your eyes look smaller, ISABEL: T knew what I would be. 1 would not ‘be my mother. I would be what Ihave always ‘wanted to be: a fascinating woman, PANN Apply the eyeshadow under the crease of your eyelid...crease...of your eyelid Panny looks at herself and realizes she bas PANDY: Okay, skip it ISABEL: At the age of seven, T remember ‘going to sleep at night, and on my nightsand {had ebook ath nook tha wit tea remindes to myself on Hw fo Bes Fascinating Woman, One Speak qu INS Ua lip penl oe you ip fom beting ISABEL: To: Lites wel Pax Us ose powder conta shine. SAIL: The Soe without showing eh Pann Api lsh nan pares, sweep SARL And fou Atay aba psn he foonvaybelreeteng room, She olds pose ry of ss earing taunt the doorrame tke lent mon parka pose gual sil bs Inabel's, She has succeeded in applying alot af makeup to her face. She doesn’ exactly ook alder but she does look very differen. ANY: On Your way tothe new you. ISABEL: A fascinating woman indeed, Panny turns ont the ight. Strains of labels soap opera asic begin. The General appears GENERAL: T've gotten your packages, my darling, gotten them all. Tm the bese dressed rman onthe bated IsaBEL: When will we goto DeeCee? GENERAL: Soon, my das, Soon ISABEL Fm biog patient. GENERAL Yes, ou are, and love you for IsaBeL: You do? GENERAL: You know what you ae? You're ny empress. My queen. My— The doorbell ings, The General disappears Ie takes Isabela moment to realize what he sound. There snow am insistent knocking at the door. Isabel finally goes to the door and opens it. There stands Jack, a peza delivery ‘2 in aslouchy uniform. JACK: Hey. You order pizza? Ma'am? Isthis he right place? Ieabel tars thi, She racks ont nto asow smile ISABEL: Why, yes. Yes i. SCENE 16 Ewvie's place. EWE: You okay? LEFTY: [ike this place. Ie fees like you. [es funny nor knowing where anything is. EVVIE: Well it’s pretry easy. Bathroom. Hall. Bedrooms back there. Kitchen. See? NothingHe looks ata framed photo. LEFTY: Is that her? Jess? She's cue. EVVIE: Yeah, she was, Till she became teenager. Then it was just fight figh« fight. LEFTY: And now she's in college? EWE: Yeah. You know, if she still lived here, you could stand here and hear her breathing. And she could hear us talking; che walls are chat thin, I's fanny. Sometimes it eels like I never had a child, And al cis time it ‘vas ike I wanted to be something for her and now I have to leazn to be something for myself LEFTY: Why'd you and your husband get a divoren? EVIE: I don’t know, He cheated on me and ve tried to work it out. Stay together, ou know for Jes. And it seemed okay, for a while, | mean, na great, bur not awful. Then some- hhow I got on this selt-help kick, I mean those books are everywhere and Iust picked one up one day. Ir was called: How to Ger Rid of the Clutter in Your Life. Uhad this teal bad habit, couldn't throw nothing away. This ‘book was real help. It had ike cis rest. You took every object you owned and rook a hard look at it and asked yourself three things: One; Is it useful? Two: Does ic make sme happy? Thee: Do I really really love it? So1'm sisting there, looking at the things in. my living room and then my eyes just kind of staaay over and land on my husband. And [think to myself: Isic useful? Does ic make ime happy? Do I really, really love ic? I started divorce proceedings the next day. LEFTY: Wow. EVVEE [tell you; those books changed my life Paws. [EWE Did you ever come close ro geting mar ried? LEFTY: No. EWE: Why nor? LEFTY: I don’t know...by the time I thoughe about it, Talready had a family ro take care of. My sister got pregnant. And the dad did at stick around. SoI did. EVVIE: I's a wonder she kept it. A lot of girls don't LEFTY: Yeah, bur ir was different for her. For us. See, we were adopted, my sister and me. Don't know anything about our bisth par ents except that they didn’t want us. And the family that raised us sure didn't know what to make of us. Lots of times it fel like we just Be Awericas THeaTae BFE JULIA CHO gave bir to ourselves. And Idida'e want her kid to grow up like thar. Always feel- ing..wrong, Like you've par on someone else's lasses, or sat in the wrong seat. No. -EWVIE: You wanted something berter for het LEFTY: Yes. And Panny is my child. I mean, [think of her ike my ov, EWE: Of course you do. Pause. LEFTY: Evie? EWE: Yeah? LEFTY: You make me feel like I'm in the righ seat. She smiles. EVE Would you. LEFTY: can’t EWE: Sure you can. LEFTY: I don’c have the gift. EWE: Yeah, you do. You just don’t know it. ‘Weall scart off with these abilities—children are great at seeing auras—but chen, a8 we become adults, we tune out, we simplify, ‘we become linear, And that's how the world les some of its magic. Here Rub your hands together Real fast Just do it. Till they'ce nee and hor. Lefiy does EVIE: Now shake them. Now bring your hhands together—slowly. You feel it? Like this fuzzy ball between your hands? You're feeling the aura of one hand bumping up agains the aura of che other hand, Now, come here, Put your hand over me. Lefty slouly moves is band over Evvie's body, about four inches away. EWE: That's whar you'd call scanning my aura, Feel i? Now look at me. Look at my forehead. Relax. In your peripheral vision, there should be a ind of fue extending out from my body. You LEFTY. Te’ just my eyes blursing— EWVEE: Don't be skeptical. That's rule one. ‘Okay. You should have some sense that some- thing’ there, you just don’ know what. Don't ve up, jst kep ooking, Dont look in my ees, Lefty, you're nor supposed ro look at me— LEFTY: I love you. EVvIE: What? LEFTY: [love you. 'm going to go home. ‘And Tim going get my things and come back here. I want to be with you. Will you lee me be with you? EWE: Yes, SCENE 17 PANNY (To us: Berween me and the Walgreens ‘on Greenfield isa long grove of orange trees Ws a shore drive bata long walk. A nice walk. ‘The trees bring the temperature down s0 its cool. And there's hardly any traffic. The line dividing the street is ikea perforation, like if you tugged on the street, i'd rip down that broken line all the way to the horizon. ‘And there's nothing but the wind moving through the tee, I's a beautiful sound, Inever heard anything so beautiful. Like the wind could cleanse you a wating along chat woad and den 4 long, low whoosh. And for the briefest ‘moment, Ica ell iit’ the sound ofthe wind or the rush of an oncoming ca. In front of the Walgreens. Panny arrives, cout of breath and nervous. There's a water ‘machine and a bike rack. The lighting is fl lorescent and stark. Panny tries to find a nonchalant pose. Hugo enters. Panny freezes, watching him. Hugo sees her but doesn’t really pay any attention to her. He looks off, down the sidewalk leading to the drug- store, A Man enters and puts an empty bot tHe into the water machine. The Man begins putting quarter into the machine. There's the Toud sound of water hitting the bottom of the bottle just as Panny says PANY: Hugo? Hngo doesn't hear ber The Man keeps fill ing the water bottle. The doors ofthe drug: store open and Nancy walks out NANCY: Hey. What'e you doing here? PANNY: Oh; hi Nance. Just needed a few things. NANCY: What's up? PANNY: Good. I mean, nothing much. You? NANCY: Same. Nothing much. (Notices anny's face) Are you wearing—? PANNY: So, you going home? NANCY: Yeah, I'm all cramp-y, s0 my man- ager’ letting me off early. PANNY: Is Will picking you up? NANCY: Will and I broke up. PANNY: You're kidding NANCY: Whatever. Iwas gesting sick of him anyway, PANY: I'm sorry, NANCY: Like Isai, whatever. Shit Is thar—? Hugo?Hey. Hugo, I's me—Lisa's friend. HUGO: Oh, hey. What's up? NANCY: Nothing. What're you doing down here? HUGO: Meeting a friend, You? [NANCY I work here, Oh, tis is my fiend— PANNY: Hi. We goto school together, Me and Nancy. She sticks out her hand. Hugo doesn't notice. HUGO: Is that so? Hugo goes back tothe edge ofthe stage, look- ing off. NANCY (Calling): Is he late? HUGO: What? NANCY: Whoever you're meeting HUGO: Kind of NANCY: Well if you want to give up and go home, Icould use a ride HUGO: What time do you got? NANCY: Quarter after HUGO: Was there anyone else here? Before? NANCY I don’t know. (Turns to Panny) Was there? PANNY: No. NANCY: Nope. So what do you say? I really, really could use a ride HUGO: Yeah..okay, Allright. He gives one last long look down the HUGO: Come on, Nancy turns 0 Panny and gives her some hind of excited gesture that basically means: score! NANCY: See ya later, Panny. ss, Hugo feces. He turn Panny turns her face away from bir HUGO: Panny? Panny slowly nods without looking at him. HUGO: How old are you. PANNY: Fourteen. HUGO: Fourteen, Hugo starts to laugh. It isn't @ pleasant laughs PANNY: Hugo, I~ HUGO: Good one. ‘You got me You really did, Hugo leaves. PANNY: Hugo, wait—let me explain, Hugo. Panny stares after bin, unable to believe he's really gone, Beat. MAN: I's cheaper here. PANNY: What? MAN: Over atthe Smith’, they rip you off. quarter a gallon, Here it’ only fifteen cents, sand, BFE JULIA CHO IM_ MEMORY OF SHERRY EVANS Pause. ‘MAN: Why you got all that stuff on your face? PANNY: What? MAN: Prey gel like you, doesnt need all chat stall Panny stars 0 ery MAN: Oh, no, hon, what i it? What'd I say? Don't cry, sweetheart. Here, He gives her a handkerchief from his pocket MAN: Go on, it's clean, [don't care, you can Outside of Walgreens, Nancy (Kel Matin, righ) updates Panny on her romantic Ie just get your snot all over it. Make you feel better. Geri all out Panny laughs a litte even as she's crying. PANNY: I'm sorry [MAN For what? Lifes tough, Especially at your age. So go ahead, have a good ery. PANNY: [just feel so stupid, MAN: We all do from time to time. Say the vwrong thing, do the wrong thing. e's hard. Living is hard.‘There. Feel better? aX: Yes. Thank you, She hands bim back the handkerchis MAN: No, go ahead, keep it. Its yours. PANNY: Thank you. ‘MAN: Don’tmention it He gets up and goes back to the water ‘machine. His bottles full. He caps it and pulls it out of the machine. It falls to the ground. MAN: Damn. PANY: Are you okay? MAN: Yeah, Say, I don't suppose you'd mind ‘helping me out a sec? Ir’ just threw my back ‘out pretty recently. Never thought it'd hap- pen to me, thought back trouble was for cold people, you know? PANDY: Yeah. MAN: But some help, that'd be great. PANDY: Sure, MAN: Car’ right over there. He goes offstage. Panny faces front. PANNY (To us): Later I realized that Thad seen. him before. Weare back to the scene at the drugstore at the beginning. Briefly, we see the Man in front of a shelf. He steals the walkman just as before. He runs out as Panny stands and watches him. PANNY (To ws): But I didn’t remember this Lights come back on the Man. MAN: Hey, you okay? PANN: Yeah, jppreciate the help. PANN: No problem. She picks up one end of the water bottle. They go— — SCENE 18 ‘The living room. Isabel is looking through 4 purse asi she's looking for money. Jack is waiting. ISABEL. It was right here, Don't know where it’s gone. JACK: I's sixteen eighty-two with eax. ISADEL; Now if were a wallet, where would Ibe? You look this. Where are my manners? ‘May I offer you a libation? JACK: A what? ISABEL: A soda? A beer? JACK: I don'e think s0, I've gor wo more deliveries to make— ISABEL: Bue just while you wait. BFE JULIA CHO JACK Isn't that 2 ewenty on the table? ISABEL; Well, look at that! How did chat get there? JACK; Tve got change. He reaches for the bil but Isabel pockets it ISABEL: Why be in such a rush? Have a seat. You've got that padded thing, i'l keep the pizzas warm, Woulda't you like alle break? JACK: Well, it has been a busy night — ISABEL: There. Sit. She turns on a tape player. The sound of Elvs's “It's Now or Never” comes on. JACK: What is that? ISABEL: Elvis, Don't you like Elvis? JACK: He's okay. Teabel gets out a bottle of wine and two lasses. ISABEL: Why don't we just have a nice drink. JACK: I don'r know. ISABEL: Fes just in, ine las! A light eefresh- ment. JACK: I'm driving. ISABEL(She leans forward and reads bis rnametag): Jack. Relay. Just have a sip. She hands him a glass, toasts it with him, and then downs it in one long swallow. ISABEL Feel i. Feel how hor my face is She puts his hard to her face ISABEL: You have. Nice hands. JACK: 1 do? She runs her hand along his shoulder. ISABEL: And a beautiful uniform. JACK: It came with the job. ‘She presses her cheek tohis chest. ISABEL: Smells like...War. And faraway places ‘And power—you command men, yes? JACK: Vin, Ti se ISABEL: Tove a modest man. ‘She begins caressing hrm. Jack doesn't know twhat todo, but he doesn’t particularly wish 0 stop it. ISABEL: Do you think I'm beautiful? JACK: What? ISABEL: Yes or no. Just answer JACK: Well, yeah, I guess you're hot but I don't — ISABEL: Then kiss me. JACK: What? ISABEL: Pve been witing for you, Genera. All this time. Only for you. ‘She leans in to hiss im. Jack jumps up. JACK: Whoa whoa whoa. ISABEL: What is ie? What's wrong? She turns off the music. JACK: Is this some kind of joke? tsaBet: What? JACK: Let me guess, guys atthe parlor, they pur you up to this, right? He walks around the room. JACK: Where isi, huh? IsaBet: Where is what? JACK: Some kind of hidden camera. (He looks around) ISABEL: Jack—i's Jack, right? There's no fone here but us JACK: Yeah, you expect me to believe that you'r some hot lonely woman who has a thing for pizza delivery guys. Who pur you up this? ISABEL: No one putt me up to anything, JACK: Yeah, right—where'd they find you? Back of the New Times? ISABEL: I'm sorey—? JACK: They're such assholes, God! Always set ting me up, trying to make me look like an idiot. Bu this—paying some woman to jerk me around— ISABEL: You think I'm some kind of prostrte? JACK: Oh, come on. Look at you. Could you wear any more makeup? ISABEL: I..look..like a prostitute? JACK: Well..aren't you? Silence. JACK: Oh...oh, shit, ‘Ma'am? Ma'am, listen to me— ISABEL: Ma'am?? You think I'm old too! JACK: NO, no, you don't look old, you look great. Miss...Miss, Lam so sorry. I thought. just assumed,..So tis is for veal? ISABEL: Tews, JACK: Oh...God...1 am $0, Lam SO sorry. ISABEL: Stay away from me. JACK: Listen, can you blame me? This kind of staff doesn’t happen to a guy like me. 1 ‘mean, look at you: you're beausifl. Now look acme. Women aren't exactly throwing them- selves at me, okay? Shit. can’t belive just...'m sorry. I'l go. Pil leave you alone, I really didn’t mean to offend you. I swear I didn't. Pause. ISABEL: You think I'm beautiful? JACK: Well. Yeah. ISABEL: You know, Jack, I don't really see that many people. JACK: Ie’ kind of isolated out here. ISABEL: No, Imean, I don't really go outside. Jack: Why? ISABEL: I don't know 11 mean, [never eeallyliked going out in the fist place. Ir’ so hot So lifeless. But lately, I can’t even bring myself to leave the house. get to the door and my legs jst freeze So, you see, Jack, it isnt so strange. That T would. You're the best thing I've seen in a long, long time. Pause. JACK: Whar's your name? ISABEL: Isabel JACK: Isabel, can we start over? ISABEL; I don’t think so JACK: Would you lke to have dinner with me? ramets Tjaet outside. JACK: Who said anything about going ouside? He gets a blanket off the couch and spreads it on the ground. He sets the box of pizza in the middle and open: JACK: May Toffee you a piece? 1SqBEL: T would love one ‘She sts, He gives her a slice and then takes ‘one himself. They each take a bite and chew quietly. She stops chewing. JACK: What is it? ISABEL: Ie just tastes s0 good. Food tastes better when you eat it with someone, doesn't it? JACK: Te sane dos, vou, F don't like going SCENE 19 ‘The desert MAN: Are you cold? Here. He takes off his jacket and gives it to her PANNY: I don’t want it. (MAN: Please. Take it PANNY: Dos’e touch me. MAN: Just thought you might be cold. PANN: Someone might have seen you. You could ler me go, i's not too late. MAN: You snuck out, didn’t you? PANNY: The guy I was meeting. He'l know. MAN; Wasn't that him, leaving with your friend? Nice friend. Pause. PANNY: Are you. Going to hurt me? MAN: No. PANNY: Please. Please don’t do this. MAN: Do what? I'm not doing anything. ‘We're jus talking, PANN: Are you the same guy who..tonk Serrenece 200s 2 ate arta Seni ic Sade a BFE JULIA CHO those other girl? ‘MAN: Maybe, PANNY: You must be prety smart, not to get caught MAN: Iam smart. PANNY: They were pretty, those gitls MAN: Yes, they were. PANNY: I don’t understand. 'm not like that. [MAN Titel you a secret Just between us. You were an accident. I came tonight to see Nancy. 1 was finally going to introduce myself to het Bur just my luck, she runs into that boy of yours. And before I know it ‘he's spirited her away in his eas. You can im ine, iccame as quite a shock, All that time and planning. But then, luckily, there was you. PANN: But ll the ils you rake. They all look the same, right? I'm not your type. If you let me go, I won't tell anyone—I swear. I wouldn't get you in rouble. Tike you. MAN: And like you. Bu i’ tu, Panny, you're not my type. PANNY (With relief): No, I'm not. He takes out a plastic bag and hands it 0 Panny. PANNY: What is this? MAN; I's for you. Always be prepaced. That's sy motto I say Panny opens the bag and takes out a blond wig. MAN: L want you to pat it on Panny? Oh, now, Panny. Why're you crying? ‘You might as well just pur it on. He leans in closer. He pats her arm as if to comfort ber. (MAN; Because I seriously doubr anyone even knows you're gone. SCENE 20 Ewvie's apartment. EVViE: [fel giddy. LEETY: Me to0. EWE: Are we really doing this? LEFTY: Yes, EWE: I'm nor nervous. LEFTY: No reason to be EVVIE: Come back quick. If you're gone for too long, I'l start to think you've changed your mind. LEETY:'l just go get my things, tell Panny— you'll like het. [now you will EWE: Yes LEFTy; She'll get used to the idea, eventually shell be okay with it EWE: She'll understand, LEFTY: She'l like it here. EWE: Welcome any time LEFTY: And eventually she'll want to live here EVVIE: And she'll—why would she want t0 do that? LEFTY: Because she...because she will. Live here. EVVIE: What? LEFTY: Won't she? EVVIE: Lefty Lefty She can't—I mean, I'd like you to be here. But I mean just you. LEFTY. Oh. EVVEE: I'm nor ready 0 be 2..a-.mother figure again. jst got through with that. just assumed... mean, Panny will stay with her mom, right? LEFTY:No...i's not that simple. Her mother isn’t eeally able ro take care of her. EVVIE: Well, I'm not able to right now either. I mean, you, that’s different, But akid LEFTY: I can leave Panny. EVVIE: I wouldo’t ask you to. LEFTY: I want to be with you. EVVIE: I want that 00. LEFTY: But I want a family. EWE: What do you mean by “family”? You mean kids? LEFTY: Yes, EVIE: You have a kid LEFTY: Yes, but..not one of my own, Pause. For once, Evvie has no idea what tosay. EWE: Td. LEFTY: Not now, it doesn't have to be now. Later after we see how we are together. EVVIE: But. after Jess, [knew I didn’t want any more...That's what I meant about living for me now, Do you understand? Lefty nods. Long pause. They both look a litle sad and perplexed. EVVIE: So now what? LEFTY: I don't know. Beat EVVIE: Huh, Beat LEFTY: Heh Beat EVVIE: Hoh ANexican Twearee 8Bae-Yoo (Sue Jean Kin) revels in er idea of ‘erican cults SCENE 21 ‘The living room. Izabel and Jack are sprawled on the floor. JACK: Lam so...totally.fired, ISABEL: Irs only been an hour. JACK: Thad two more deliveries to make. ISABEL: You mean there's more pizzas in there? She opens the warmer and takes one out. JACK: You're hungry again? ISABEL: Aren't you? Jock starts getting dressed. ISABEL: Where are you going? JACK: Where do you think? Work. Maybe I can talk them out of firing my sorry as. ‘What do you think fa ce? leld up ac knife point? Maybe I should give myself 2 cut. {SABEL: When will I see you again? JACK: ...S00n. ISABEL: You hesitated, why did you hesitate? JACK: I didn't—look, don't worry. I'l come see you again, Pope Sure nA ERTS SAT ES annie ees sano ore eee oe ISABEL: Are you sure? He kisses ber forehead. JACK: Just chill ISABEL: I don’t want you to disappeas, I don't ‘want it to be like this never— JACK: Now where's my warmer? ISABEL: How about tomorrow night? JACK: Tomorrow’ bad ISABEL: Then how about after that? JACK: I don’t know. I'l eal you IsaBEL: Do you have my number? JACK: Sure, ifs on the computer down at the parlor. ISABEL; So you'll eal me? JACK: Absolutely ISABEL: Thave a crazy idea: maybe you could take me with you. JACK: What? ISABEL; I could be ready, I could try— JACK: And where'm I supposed to ake you? To my parents’? ISABEL: just thought that maybe with your help I could— JACK: We'll talk about this later, okay? I really gotta go. Now about the money? ISABEL: The what? JACK: For the pizza Tsabel finds the twenty and gives tro bim. JACK: Thanks, Don't worry, Mirabelle. I'l be back. He leaves. ISABEL (She opens the door; callingh: I's Isabel. label! How aze you going to call ime if you don’t have my name right? Jack Jack! She watches him drive awoy. She slumps ‘against the doorframe. The General appears. “He squares the hat on bis head. He picks up his uitease, He throws bis scarf around bis neck, He salutes, He leaves SCENE 22 ‘The desert. Panny is wearing the blond wig. MAN; Fantastic sky. love i out here. Away from all the streerlights you can see so many Tell me a ltsle abou yourself. Do you have a boyfriend? PANN: No. MAN: Are you a good gitl? PANNY: Yes MAN: I think you're lying. Have you ever been kissed? PANNY: No. He kisses her MAN: Did you like that? I said, Did you like that? PANNY: Yes MAN: Would you like another? PANNY: Yes MAN: Yes what? PANNY: Yes please, He leans in to kiss her. They freeze PANNY (To ua): And that’s when I gouged ou his eyes. [planted my chumbs on his eyelids and pushed, 25 hard taught us in self-defense. He sereamed and rolled away from him, I started running anc I dida'e stop. There was blood on my hand: but didnt stop xan straight for che fst ights I saw. Iran and I ran until got away. Hae-Yoon appears. HAEYOON: But, my lle American friend, this is noc the thing what happen. PANNY: Yes itis THAE-YOON: That is what the wish for what happen was, no? You wish you had gouge out ‘ev pervert’ eyes. You wish you had run away. Escape with no bad thing én you. PANN I did. HAE-YOON: You know in Korea how git! and guy meet? Guy in car will drive by a girl and say to her, “Ya! Ta!” Which mean, “Get in the car now!” And she will. But that is not dangerous because everyone do that, She sgetin, they talk, ifthey do not like each other, she get out and he go and find another git. ‘That how you maybe meet good person to on. as T could, Just like eney marry, Because we ate 20...0 No, wait, Repressed, That is what I mean. But anyway, in Korea, you can do this because no paycho bad guy take you ovt ro BFE and cut you up. But in America, I could have told you, stupid nt, do not get in guy's car! Haven't you seen! Silence of the Lambs? Don't you know Ted Bundy?2??? DONT GET INTHE CAR. Iam not even American and I know this. Sheeeesh, Rewind. The Mam is about to kiss Pay. She ‘pute ber hands on the sides of his face. She ‘puts her thumbs om his eyes and presses. MAN: FUCK! He stands up and knocks her down, HAE-YOON (Softly): No, my American friend, you just made him mad,‘She fades away. The Man holds his hands to his eyes. He takes his hands down. He stares ‘at Panny asthe lights on him fade. ‘MAN: Shit. That fucking hurt. ‘The Man is gone. PaNwy (To s): It like I said. Things happen all the time, things you can't explain. Like Sheila Loper...like keg partes..like Me Lindhare and, Every once in a while, something bac 4 guy takes a girl out there... ‘There are sill rumors swirling about what happened to me...that I.or that I. Bat none of those things are tae. 17: depends, like Sheila, het mom, and the light inthe sky on which way you are facing, ‘The truth is, I didn’t escape. He beat me senseless and when Ieame to, he was gone. ‘He didn't kill me. I wasn’ his type. Iwas too ugly even for him, He carved it into me, See? ‘She raises her shirt. There is a scar, It spelle ‘out: "UGLY." She puts her shirt down, PANNY: That's how I know. SCENE 23 eatitet: Dear Elizabeth Lam very sorey it’s ‘heen so long since ! last wrote, Things have been very busy. I'm okay now: Please under- stand that i’ just been a lite hectic, By the way, I went ahead and had that surgery done on my eyes, As she talks, she puts gauze om ber eyes and uts on a pair of dark sunglasses PANNY: During the surgery it svas so strange Thad a deeam while I was being operated on, dreamed that there were these blue, round birds al over the house. They were sitting on the chairs, the tables, the lamps. Bu they could- ae fly very well: they were big, ike balloons filled with water. And I dreamed that I went through the house with a long, steel needle, and I pieced these bieds and the blood ran out of them, {don’t know what that means. Lights shift. The living room. Panny sits down. PANNY: Lefty? Isabel? Can someone ger me some water? Teed to take my pills. 1 starting to huct now. The doorbell rings ANI: Someone get the door? BFE JULIA CHO Lefty enters. He opens the door, Hugo stands there holding a bouguet of flowers. HUGO: Is Panny here? LEFTY: What's your name? HUGO: It's Hugo, LEFTY (To Panny): You know a Hugo? Panny nods. Lefty lets bins it. Hugo slowly places the flowers in Panny’s arms and she buries ber face in them. Lefty leaves, Hugo. stares at Panny, PANNY: How'd you find me? HUGO: Nancy, FANNY: Does the whole school know? HUGO: There ace suars. The news reports didn’ use your name, but Nancy put two and ‘wo together. PANNY: Oh, HUGO: What happened to your eyes? PANN: Nothing. Ijust..had some eye surgery and Uhad a bad reaction. I'm fine, but all swollen up. Practically swollen shut. But the doctor says the swelling will go down and then itl be fine. That's all. HUGO: Why did you need surgery? Did he hurt them? PANNY: No, It was my choice, I wanted. a change. Do you hate me? HUGO: No. Do you hate me? PANN: No. Tmglad you're here. HUGO: I can't stay long, PANNY: Tknow, Ie wasn't a trick, Tmeant all of it. HUGO: know. Is thece anything Ican do for you before L go? PANN: Yeah. L. Pause) There’ a glass of water over there, Do you see it? Could you gett for Hugo gets her the glass of water and hands ft 10 her. She fels for bis arm and touches it ‘She tates the water She drinks. As she drinks be quietly eaves. PANNY: Thank you. Hugo? Hugo. Allis sil. Red tears start to stream down Fanny's face from bebind her glasses, LEFTY: Panny? Are you okay? Where'd your friend go? Panny? PANNY: Don't look at me, Lefty Just don’t Took, : SCENE 24 Lights up on Lefty, label and Panny. They are watching TV. HAEYOON: Dear Panny, ike your last let fer very much, but somehow, I don't know ‘why, afer read i fee ile sd, Like a heavy lite thing in my chest. So Lam send- ing you things for cheering you up First this picrue of my dog, Paschi. He ‘is fa ike this because my mother feed him too such, She say i is my father’s fault for not walking him. But father say, Paachi is so fa he is athamed tobe Seen by neighbors with him. My brother is also fat. My father is ashamed to be seen with him too. Some- time, he goes pee right inthe house (Pachi, ‘not my brother) and then my father’ face tums very red and he yell unt he les his voice. Sec- ond, this is tape of my favorite Korean pop songs. You wil ike frst song, “I Will Love You Until You Are Dead and Then a Little More.” Third, thave god joke for you: Why did the ow roll down the bl? Because ithad no let (Chink maybe this joke is funnier in Korean.) So cheering up, my fend, Rermembes, you are in America! How ean life be bad? Your frend, Bizabeth, The phone rings. They each look a it fora somont. Noone pick it up. They watch TV. END OF PLAY Auenicay Twearne 2