Blinders

by Ginger Pierce Davis (html note, ignore the name at the start each line, it's the character not the line. duh. sorry.)

setting: a secluded, very wooded section of a park well after dark. There is a beat up old picnic table with no benches center stage. Adam and Reece enter slowly and make their way carefully to the picnic table.

Adam Why are you wearing those?

Reece What? Oh, my glasses? I slept in my contacts the last two nights and my eyes were sore. Where are we going?

Adam Why did you sleep in them?

Reece I was at AaronÕs, I forgot their case.

Adam You were with Aaron?

Reece Uh-huh. Where are we going?

Adam Here.

Reece I thought the park was closed at dark.

Adam Nobody cares, nobody ever comes around here at night.

(they sit on the picnic table)

Reece Okay. So. What do you want to talk about?

Adam Why do we have to talk?

Reece Well I havenÕt seen you in months! What have you been up to.

Adam EverythingÕs the same.

Reece Really?

Adam HowÕs school.

Reece ItÕs okay, nothing special. ItÕs weird to come back here though.

Adam Have you seen anybody else?

Reece Aaron. All our other friends seem to have scattered.

Adam IÕm still here.

Reece I feel stupid with my glasses, I donÕt look like me.

Adam No, itÕs different.

Reece I donÕt like them.

Adam I donÕt like them either, I canÕt see you. (starts to take them off)

Reece What are you doing?

Adam Letting me see you.

Reece But if you take them off, I canÕt see you.

Adam ThatÕs okay, you donÕt need to see me. (tries again to remove her glasses)

Reece Adam, no, I need those. I canÕt see.

Adam Why do you need to?

Reece I canÕt see where I am.

Adam So? YouÕre not going anywhere. (tries again)

Reece Quit it! (he succeeds in getting her glasses off and sets them behind him on the picnic table) Give them back.

Adam Why?

Reece Give them back! I need those!

Adam No, you donÕt.

Reece Adam, what the hell? Give me back my glasses! (lunges for them, he catches her and holds her there, putting his hands around her face)

Adam Just let me look at you.

Reece Adam, I want my glasses back.

Adam In just a minute. Calm down, what are you scared of?

Reece IÕm not scared. I just canÕt see. I want my glasses back.

Adam I just want to look at you. ThatÕs it. NothingÕs wrong. IÕm just looking at you.

Reece Adam, can I please have my glasses back?

Adam When IÕm done.

Reece Are you done yet?

Adam Not nearly.

Reece Okay fine. (she jumps up and takes a few steps) Lets take a walk. LetÕs go someplace else.

Adam I like it here.

Reece ItÕs dark, lets walk over to the dock where the lights are. Or lets go someplace where people are, this is boring.

Adam IÕm not bored.

Reece I want go, letÕs at least walk.

Adam Fine. Walk.

Reece (takes a few steps hesitantly) I canÕt see. ItÕs hard enough with my glasses. Give me them back.

Adam No.

Reece Adam, I want to go!

Adam No.

Reece (comes back and sits with him) May I please have my glasses back?

Adam Why?

Reece Because I canÕt see, I donÕt know where I am and itÕs making me really uncomfortable.

Adam Why?

Reece Give me back my glasses.

Adam In a minute. Come here.

Reece Why?

Adam I just want to hold you, canÕt I give you a hug?

Reece (as he holds her) May I have my glasses back, please.

Adam Did you ever even notice I loved you.

Reece ...when?

Adam In high school.

Reece Kind of.

Adam Kind of? Oh, I was so in love with you.

Reece IÕm sorry.

Adam I used to dream about you, I was so obsessed with you.

Reece IÕm sorry.

Adam You liked Aaron then didnÕt you.

Reece We were friends.

Adam Only friends.

Reece We were friends.

Adam But you...

Reece What?

Adam You were with him, werenÕt you.

Reece What do you mean?

Adam You were, intimate with him, werenÕt you.

Reece Adam, why are you asking me this?

Adam But you were friends, right? And you cared about each other.

Reece Yes.

Adam Were you friends last night?

Reece Yes.

Adam And thatÕs why you stayed two nights with him? ThatÕs why you hurt your eyes, because you were staying, being friends with him.

Reece Adam, give me my glasses back.

Adam And weÕre friends, right?

Reece Adam, give me my glasses.

Adam And friends can care about each other, right?

Reece Adam. (he pulls her towards him and kisses her, she tries to pull back but he holds her there) Adam, what are you doing? Leave me alone, I donÕt want this.

Adam Just let me kiss you. Just let me be near you.

Reece Leave me alone.

Adam Why? You do this with Aaron, donÕt you? You do more than this with Aaron.

Reece Adam, I want to go home.

Adam Soon, calm down.

Reece I want to go home now.

Adam Why? Why canÕt we be friends like this? (he holds her tightly, kissing her again and leans her back onto the picnic table)

Reece Adam, no, stop it, I want to go home.

Adam WeÕre just friends, IÕm just trying to be friends.

Reece Let;s go.

Adam He doesnÕt care about you, heÕs never cared about you. I do. Why do you want to be like this with him and not with me?

Reece Adam, stop it! (he leans further onto her) Adam, no!

Adam (loosening his hold on her significantly) What? WhatÕs wrong?

(she breaks away and runs off stage, he pauses, looks at the glasses, stands up and drops them, crushing them under his shoe, then looks up and exits in the direction she went)

Blackout.