We are Not

CHARACTERS:        
            LOUISE:  young woman, short hair, very thin, androgynous.
     TERENCE: well shaved young man, very thin, almost girlish features.

             [In a bedroom. TERENCE and LOUISE are both deep asleep in bed. The light is off. TERENCE’s breathing becomes short, as if suffocating, he gesticulates in his sleep, then yells. LOUISE wakes up and switches on the light. TERENCE looks haggard. LOUISE extends her hand to his face but he pushes her away. They are both sitting in bed.]

LOUISE: [casual] You don’t have to hate it that much.

            [TERENCE has still troubles breathing. LOUISE grabs a bottle of water at the bedside and gives it to him.]

            Here, drink slowly.

            [He drinks and gives back the bottle.]

TERENCE: [after a few moments, calmer] Thank you, Louis.

            [He puts both hands on his face, pressing hard against his eyes. Suddenly annoyed:]

            Shit!

LOUISE: [patting him on the head, yet distant] Calm down. It’s ok.

TERENCE: Hmm. [Long pause during which she pats his head.]

            Stop that, Louis.

            [LOUISE stops and brings the bottle to her lips.]

LOUISE: What is it this time?

            [TERENCE shrugs. She glances at him then looks away, uninterested. There’s another long pause, during which TERENCE stares in front of him absent-mindedly.]

LOUISE: Let’s have sex.

            [TERENCE looks shocked.]

            Don’t look so shocked. You know I’m kidding. [Pause] Wanna talk or just go back to sleep?

[He shrugs. So she lies back and puts her hands on her breast.]

I wonder how it would feel like without my boobs.

[Silence. After a few minutes, she switches off the light while he’s still sitting. ]

TERENCE: It’s too cold over here. I can’t stand it.

LOUISE: Do you want me to switch on the heater?

TERENCE: No, we won’t be able to breathe afterwards. I hate that heater.

LOUISE: I’m sorry, I don’t plan on changing it. You have central heating at your place, don’t you?

TERENCE: [annoyed] That’s not the point. Why do you talk about that? I was not complaining about your place!

LOUISE: Then let’s go back to sleep. [Silence. He lies down]

TERENCE: Why do you always do that?

LOUISE: What? [Pause]

TERENCE: Louis?

LOUISE: Hmm?

TERENCE: Why don’t you date a girl yet?

LOUISE: I don’t know.

[Pause.]

I still have too much boobs perhaps.

TERENCE: I can’t sleep. I have a cramp. In my back.

            [LOUISE sighs and switches on the light again, sitting in the bed.]

LOUISE: Let me see.

            [He sits in front of her in the bed and she starts touching his back lightly.]

            Tell me where.

            [She starts at his shoulders and goes down.]

TERENCE: Lower… on the left side...

            [She reaches the lower part of his shoulder blade and he cringes.]

            Right there.

            [She starts massaging softly the place, in silence.]

            Thanks. It feels good.

            [Pause.]

            My mother called me this morning. She wants to know when I’ll stop by.

            [Very long pause. Low:]

            Maybe I’ll go visit this weekend…

LOUISE: [slightly surprised]

            You want me to drop you?

TERENCE: No, thank you, it’s ok… [Lower: ] It’s been such a long time already.

LOUISE: [with a rueful smile]

            All right.

            [There’s a long awkward silence.]

TERENCE: What’s up, Louis?

LOUISE: Nothing. I’m just a bit tired.

TERENCE: Hmm. You came back late last night…

LOUISE: Yes, Lorn’ wanted to go drinking.

TERENCE: Hmm. [Pause.] She’s a strange girl.

[LOUISE frowns but stays silent.]

            Why do you let her call you Louise? I thought you hated it.

[She shrugs.]

LOUISE: It’s my name, I guess I have to hear it right sometimes.

[TERENCE frowns and there’s a long tense silence. LOUISE puts her arms around TERENCE’s shoulders and gives him a peck on the cheek.]

            Don’t sulk. I can handle it.

TERENCE: [coolly] Whatever. I don’t care anyway, what people call you, if you’re ok with it. By the way, that guy phoned again.

LOUISE: [somewhat sad]

            Again?

TERENCE: [dry] Yes, he’s annoying. I told him to stop calling.

LOUISE: You shouldn’t have.

[He looks shocked and answers coldly.]

TERENCE: Sorry for meddling.

[She sighs and does not answer for some time. Then with a short smile:]

LOUISE: I thought you found him hot. You should have asked him out when he called.

[He looks a little annoyed, but smiles though.]

TERENCE: He’s dull. Who would go for their childhood tomboyish soon-to-be-lesbian friend, when they could go out with me?

[LOUISE laughs, yet she gazes away.]

LOUISE: Hmmm… Soon-to-be-lesbian…

[She laughs again.]

            He’s dull, right.

[TERENCE looks at her with a strange expression, as she still looks away.]

TERENCE: [trying to act casual] He doesn’t even try to understand.

LOUISE: Drop that. 

TERENCE: But as a friend he really sucks! See how…

LOUISE: Shut up. I know you’re annoyed because you fancied him, but stop bitching.

TERENCE: [shocked] I’m not.

LOUISE: What? You’re not annoyed or you’re not bitching?

TERENCE: Well, I’m not! So you shut up!

[They both stay silent for a few minutes.]

            Why do you hate your body that much?

LOUISE: Fuck you.

TERENCE: No thanks, I don’t do women.

[They pause, stare at each other and start to laugh. When they are calm again:]

            I’m sorry. Don’t mind my tactless comments.

[She shrugs.]

LOUISE: I’m not a lesbian. I’m a misfit.

TERENCE: Hmmm?

LOUISE: More like I’m so uncomfortable in that body, that I don’t really know what to do with it.

TERENCE: [light] I know you want my body!

LOUISE: [with a rueful smile] Literally…

[There’s an awkward silence, during which he stares at her.]

TERENCE: I hate it when you have that look on your face.

[He looks hurt as she doesn’t react. She lies on the back staring at the ceiling. After a few minutes, he reaches across her body to turn off the light. She still does not react. Annoyed, he stops midway to the lamp, and instead grabs her breasts both hands. She doesn’t move.]

TERENCE: I like your breasts.

[Pause. He bends towards her and puts his nose on hers]

I really like to fondle them.

LOUISE: [rolling on the side] You’re acting weird, Terence. Don’t you act weird on me.

TERENCE: [staring angrily in front of him] The hell! You’re the weird one. You sleep every night with a man who won’t fuck you and say you’re not gay.

LOUISE: As I say, never mind, I’m a misfit. [Then lower and sadder] I just don’t get why you’re so angry.

TERENCE: [after a pause to consider the matter] I don’t get it either. First I thought I was jealous because you could get that jerk and not I. And I really get mad when he keeps calling.

LOUISE: [with an attempt to be cold] Yeah, I’m sorry the hot jerk fancies me.

TERENCE: Oh, shut up, you know it’s not that! Just I’m honest. When we first met, of course I hated you because he liked you. Now… now I just don’t give a damn about him. You know that!

LOUISE: Hmmm… Whatever. Let go back to sleep.

TERENCE: [angry again] Why do you do that Louis?

            [She sits up.]

LOUISE: What then? What am I doing?

TERENCE: You know! We’re talking and you just ignore me.

LOUISE: [surprised] I’m not ignoring you. But you tell me, you’re angry at me yet you can’t find the reason why… What should I answer?

            [TERENCE shrugs.]

TERENCE: I don’t know. Just say something! Otherwise it feels like I count for so little you don’t even try!

LOUISE: [confused] I’m sorry. Don’t be angry, you know I love you best.

TERENCE: More than your jerk of a childhood friend?

LOUISE: [nodding] Yes, more than him.

TERENCE: More than Lorn’?

LOUISE: [surprised] Sure, more than her too.

            [She pats his head.]

TERENCE: [suddenly angry again] Don’t treat me like a child!

            [He steps out of the bed and strides in the room.]

            I am not emotionally retarded! Do you see that? Do you?

LOUISE: I…

TERENCE: No, you don’t! Just like the others, you think I’m capricious, and… and flippant like children! You have no consideration for me or my feelings! And you know why? That’s because you’re too self-centered… focused on that stupid body of yours that you hate so much!

LOUISE: [livid, yet smiling] Sure, you’re just a pet to me. 

            [He walks toward the bed and grab her chin in his hand.]

TERENCE: Sometimes I feel like doing you, just to show you!

LOUISE: Yes, go ahead and be rude! That would be a change!

            [During a few minutes, they stare at each other tensely then he just drops his hand and goes back to his bedside without a word. They turn the light off. After a very long time:]

            I’m sorry, Terence.

            [The soft sound of covers being moved is heard. There is a long pause.]

            I love your stomach. I love to fondle it.

            [Another pause, even longer.]

TERENCE: Let’s have sex.

            [There’s a sharp breath, the sound of a kiss and some shuffling of covers.]

CURTAIN