CHLOE
Once is all you get.
The door slams behind him.
GREG
Go back there. In your mind. Can you see your room? What does it feel like, smell like, taste like? Tell me everything.
CHLOE
Are you gonna have fun? At the party. You're not just gonna pretend? You're actually gonna have fun with me?
GREG
I'm going to have so much fun with you. Now what happened that one time?
SCENE TWENTY
Shift. CHLOE's room in MATHEW's house.
CHLOE
You wanna hear the new story I wrote? It's a good one. Or I could tell you the joke I remembered. Are you gonna eat with me tonight?
MATHEW
You're nervous.
CHLOE
No, I'm not.
MATHEW
I bought you something. I'll give it to you tonight. Do you want to know what it is?
CHLOE
Sure.
MATHEW
A radio. An expensive one.
CHLOE
…Thanks.
MATHEW
I thought you'd be happy.
CHLOE
I am. It's just…
MATHEW
What?
CHLOE
Today's my last day. Remember? So, I'll listen to the radio tonight. All night. That's awesome. Sorry. Good. Great. But, then I go home tomorrow. I've been keeping track. It's tomorrow that you let me go. My dad will have totally learned his lesson. And I was thinking that I could, like, come visit sometimes. I'll bring Buster. So you can finally meet him. I'm gonna walk him like four hours every day. You could walk him with me. We could—
MATHEW
Why would you want to go?
CHLOE
I need to go to school.
MATHEW
You have books.
CHLOE
I need the sun. I'll get sick—
MATHEW
When you're good enough, I'll take you upstairs.
CHLOE
I need to see my friends.
MATHEW
Your friends forgot about you. They didn't even like you anyway. They were just scared of you. That's why they were nice to you.
CHLOE
No—
MATHEW
You got in fights. You told me that. You were a bully. They're glad you're gone.
CHLOE
No—
MATHEW
And your dad's not even looking for you anymore. He's finally happy. He doesn't have to worry about you. Doesn't have to pay for you. You're expensive and annoying. You always need things—
CHLOE
Then why would you want to keep me? If I'm so—
MATHEW
I have no choice. I'll get in trouble. I can't give you back now.
CHLOE
No. I'll never tell anyone. Never ever ever. I swear to God. Cross my heart and hope to die. I won't tell, Mathew, I won't—
MATHEW
And that. Mathew. You never call me Dad. That was one of my rules and you never do it. I told myself I'd keep you until you learn to love me like a dad. So it's your own fault.
CHLOE
I'll call you Dad. Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad —
MATHEW
Stop it.
CHLOE
Please let me go, Dad. Please let me go. Please let me go, Dad. Please let me go, please, Dad—
MATHEW
Stop saying that. You don't mean it!
CHLOE
Please let me go. Please, please—
MATHEW
Stop it!
CHLOE
Mathew, you have to.
MATHEW
I can't—
CHLOE
You promised! Why'd you tell me that?
MATHEW
I don't know. I don't know. I just… I need you. I need you with me.
CHLOE
I've been so nice to you. You have to let me go. You have to let me go. You can't do this.
MATHEW
You're my everything—
CHLOE
You have to let me go—
He starts to leave.
No. No no no. You are not going up there without me. You have to let me go you have to let me go you have to let me go.
MATHEW
I can't!
He moves to exit.
CHLOE
I HATE YOU!
He turns around.
Look what I did. Do you need me now? Look at what a disgusting dirty pig I am.
MATHEW
What—
CHLOE
I peed my pants. I'm disgusting and dirty. Just like you hate. You don't want someone who is this disgusting and dirty and gross—
MATHEW
You stupid kid—
CHLOE
You don't want someone this gross. You'll have to get rid of me. I'm too gross for you to keep!
She physically starts begging him, clinging to him.
You have to get rid of me now!
MATHEW
Don't touch me!
CHLOE
MATHEW
Get off of me!
CHLOE
Look how disgusting I am! I'm so disgusting that you have to get rid of me! YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF ME! YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF ME NOW!YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF ME!
MATHEW
Stop it!
He shoves her and moves to exit.
CHLOE
No wonder your mum killed herself! That's how bad she wanted to get away from you.
MATHEW
Shut up—
CHLOE
Blue face. Rope around her neck. Right where you'd find her.
MATHEW
Shut up—
CHLOE
She wanted you to find her because you made her do it. You were so crazy that she couldn't live anymore.
MATHEW
Shut up—
CHLOE
You made her do it. You made her do it! You made her do it!
MATHEW
SHUT UP!
To audience.
GREG
He grabbed her tiny, twelve-year-old shoulders. He lifted her up.
And he threw her as hard as he could.
He picked her up again.
And he punched her with all of his frustration.
Over and over and over.
He picked her up again.
And shook her with all of his anger.
He looked into her eyes.
Her nose was bleeding.
She was crying and crying.
She wouldn't look at him.
She wouldn't look at him.
So he picked her up and threw her one last time.
As hard as he could.
And he started to cry.
He kept crying. And crying.
CHLOE and MATHEW's crying gets louder and louder and louder. Silence.
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
ACT TWO
SCENE ONE
To the audience.
MATHEW
The paper.
GREG
The article.
CHLOE
The violence.
MATHEW
We had another fight.
GREG
Threw her as hard as he could.
CHLOE
Punched her with all of his frustration.
GREG
Over and over.
MATHEW
I haven't said a word to her in weeks.
CHLOE
It's 4:45 a.m. I hear it hit my porch.
GREG
Turn on my computer.
CHLOE
Listen to the sound of my dad's breathing.
MATHEW
Wave to Margret walking her golden retriever. Put my quarter into the blue box and reach inside.
They all inhale.
CHLOE
Look at it.
GREG
Click on it.
MATHEW
The paper.
GREG
This is the one.
CHLOE
That gives them what they want.
GREG
Details, specifics.
CHLOE
A victim.
GREG
Makes them take me seriously.
MATHEW
It's her favourite thing. For weeks I've kept it from her.
GREG
I read it.
CHLOE
Even though I don't want to. I know what it says.
GREG
Threw her as hard as he could.
CHLOE
Punched her with all of his frustration.
GREG
Over and over.
MATHEW
Again and again. We go through this. Every couple months it seems. She makes me angry. I stop talking to her and take away something she loves. She needs it.
GREG
They need it.
CHLOE
He needs it.
GREG
The truth.
CHLOE
Control.
MATHEW
Discipline. And now I'll give it back to her. Along with an even bigger surprise. Because she's been good—
GREG
Because she let me do my job—
MATHEW
Because I feel guilty—
CHLOE
Because I gave him what he needs—
MATHEW
Because she looks sick… I'm taking her upstairs.
GREG
To a party. A gala.
CHLOE
It's all I can think about. Everything else: Punching. Bleeding. Screaming. I push it out of my mind. Because I'm getting out.
SCENE TWO
Shift. The beginning of the scene takes place in both GREG's condo and CHLOE's room in MATHEW's house. CHLOE enters.
GREG
You're early. I was going to pick you up.
CHLOE
I have to get ready here. I can't have my dad see me all dressed up. He'll freak out. I have a dress, is that okay?
GREG
Perfect.
To audience. They all inhale.
CHLOE
I stand in front of the mirror.
GREG
I stand—
MATHEW
Outside the door.
CHLOE
And get ready for my very first night out. It has to be perfect.
MATHEW
I'm nervous.
GREG
Awkward.
MATHEW
Standing there. Outside her door.
GREG
Her. Here. Changing her clothes.
MATHEW
She's waiting. For me. I can't mess up anything.
GREG
This has to go well.
(to CHLOE) Ready?
For the rest of the scene MATHEW and GREG's lines are to CHLOE and her lines can be said to either or both GREG and MATHEW (unless it is indicated that she is speaking directly to one of them). Sections in which the characters are talking to the audience are indicated.
MATHEW
I'm coming in.
GREG
You look—
MATHEW
Nice.
GREG
Wow.
CHLOE
It's a special occasion. I want it to be perfect. Ready?
GREG
Wait. First—
MATHEW
There are rules.
GREG
Don't accept a drink from anyone.
MATHEW
Stay away from the doors and windows. If you do anything that makes me nervous. Anything at all—
CHLOE
I won't. I swear.
GREG
People will want to talk to you. They'll be all over you but just—
MATHEW
Stick close to me. Always. No sudden movements.
GREG
Don't disappear.
MATHEW
I have my dad's gun upstairs. It's easy to get.
GREG
Tell me where you're going at all times.
MATHEW
I don't want anything to happen to you. So just be good.
GREG
Be cool.
CHLOE
'Kay.
GREG
I trust you.
MATHEW
So I'm not going to tie your hands or gag you.
CHLOE
Thanks.
(to audience) He's nervous. I can tell 'cause there's sweat on his forehead. Which usually is like so gross. But not today. And I can tell 'cause he does this thing over and over—
MATHEW and GREG both massage the back of their necks.
I breathe deeply. Without realizing it, he starts to breathe deeply. That's how I calm him down.
MATHEW
Ready?
GREG
This is it.
To audience.
CHLOE
He leads me—
GREG
Inside.
MATHEW
Upstairs.
CHLOE
And then... After so long—
MATHEW
Months and months and months and months.
GREG
Years and years and years.
Shift. They all inhale.
CHLOE
Legs weak. Butterflies in my stomach. Giddy. Head light. Mouth dry. Can't swallow. Lump in my throat.
She holds on to both men as she walks in the room.
MATHEW
The kitchen.
GREG
The ballroom.
CHLOE
The light—
MATHEW
Shines just a bit through the curtains.
GREG
Flashes from the cameras.
CHLOE
Burns my eyes. Feels so good on my face. Warm. Warm on my cheeks. I feel it. Feel every second. Down to my bones. In my blood. My feet. My hands. My hair. Suck in the moment. Freeze it in my mind. Bite my cheeks. Dig my fingernails into my hands. Don't let him see you cry. Don't let him know how bad you wanted this. How bad you want this. To be out. Like a person. Just a person.
MATHEW grabs her hand.
MATHEW
(to CHLOE) Get away from the window; I don't want anyone to see you.
GREG pulls her away from MATHEW.
GREG
(to CHLOE) Go through the door; I want everyone to see you.
To audience.
CHLOE
We walk through the room. Beautiful.
MATHEW
She looks around.
GREG
At everything. The people.
MATHEW
The ornaments.
GREG
The art on the walls.
CHLOE
Perfect.
MATHEW
&nbs
p; The big picture of a full moon shining on a snow-covered field.
GREG
The candles on the table. The flowers.
MATHEW
The photos everywhere.
(to CHLOE) Do you like it here?
GREG
(to CHLOE) Having fun yet?
CHLOE
Yeah. It's… awesome. Sorry. Wonderful. Amazing.
MATHEW
I haven't changed anything from when I was a kid. Except that table. I made it myself.
GREG
Chloe, I'd like you to meet my colleague.
MATHEW
This is my mum. Before she was married.
GREG
One of my good buddies.
MATHEW
My best friend.
GREG/MAT
Used to be anyway.
She goes towards MATHEW.
CHLOE
(to MATHEW) She's really pretty. Mathew.
Beat.
I'd like to see more pictures of her.
MATHEW
(to audience) The way she said my name…
GREG
Chloe. They're about to serve dinner. Table number eleven.
GREG puts his hand on her back.
CHLOE
(to audience) The way he put his hand on my back…
GREG
(imitating co-worker) "Hey, Greggy. What're you drinking? I'm buying."
(to audience) The way they're talking to me…
CHLOE
It feels—
MATHEW
—different.
GREG
Very different.
They inhale.
CHLOE
We eat dinner.
MATHEW
(to CHLOE) When I was five we went—
GREG
(to colleagues) It's because of the Conservatives. Obviously.
CHLOE
I try to keep up. Eyes wide, head tilted, smile not too big, not too small.
GREG
She says nothing.
MATHEW
Almost nothing. I don't know why.
CHLOE
I'm smarter. I can see through what's being said. What's true, what's a lie. What's said to impress, what's said to defend.
GREG
After dinner—
CHLOE
(to GREG/MATHEW) Where's the washroom?
MATHEW
I stand outside the door.
GREG
Wait for her. To make sure nothing happens.
MATHEW
Because nothing can happen.
GREG
People keep coming up to me.
(imitating public) "What is she like? What's it like working with her? We're hooked on your articles! We love your writing!"
MATHEW
What if life could be like this—
GREG
—all the time. People falling all over themselves—
MATHEW
Her willing to do anything—
GREG