Stop Kiss Lines- Sara & Mrs. Winsley

Exactly, you’ll all blame me. Give me half an hour, tops. Yes?

It’s Sara and—

Come on up!

Hi.

You’re Callie

Come on up! Hi.

You’re Callie

Yes

I’m Sara— This is Caesar and I can’t believe you’re doing this.

Come in. Please uh sit—

Some apartment

Some apartment

I was cleaning

It’s huge—and the neighborhood—

It’s huge—and the neighborhood—

You can’t be comfortable

Oh I am

You can’t be comfortable

Oh I am

Are you sure?

Very

—Just…let me get rid of this stuff. Coffee—

—would be great. Listen, this is so nice of you—

I was thinking about getting a cat anyway. Oh, my keys! This’ll give me a chance to see if I can hack it.

That’s how I feel about New York

That’s how i feel about New York

Oh yes.

How long have you been here?

How long have you been here?

Eleven years.

I’ve lived in St. Louis my whole life. My parents live like, half an hour away. I go there for dinner when it’s not even anybody’s birthday. Things there—it’s been, it is so—

I’ve lived in St. Louis my whole life. My parents live like, half an hour away. I go there for dinner when it’s not even anybody’s birthday. Things there—it’s been, it is so—

Easy?

So easy.

So easy

It’s hard here

Good—great, I can’t wait.

Yeah, you uh—what do you…do?

I teach. Third grade.

Well it won’t be hard finding a job

I already have one

Well it won’t be hard finding a job

I already have one

Where?

P.S. 32 in the Bronx.

What was the school like that you came from?

Society of friends, a Quaker school.

I’m not—I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing…around—

It’s obviously—it’s very…but I can do good work there.

I’m sure you’re a good teacher

No you don’t know, but I am.

Where in the Bronx?

Tremont

Tremont.

Is that where…Taft, is it Taft?

Taft high school?

Taft high school?

You’ve heard of it?

Mm-hmm.

You know there was a guy who taught there, this rich white guy—

Yes I know.

Yes I know

He got killed—

By a student. I’m here on a fellowship set up in his name.

How long is the fellowship?

Two years

Two years

Well, congratulations—

Thank you.

Best of luck— And… if it gets too rough—go home.

What brought you to New York?

What brought you to New York?

College

And what keeps you?

And what keeps you?

Keeps me from what?

What do you do?

What do you do?

I…ruin things for everyone

You’re Rudolph Giuliani? (Julie-ani)

I’m a traffic reporter for a 24-hour news radio station

Helicopters!

You can’t get out. You can’t get around. I’ll be back in 10 minutes to tell you nothing has changed.

Does that get to you?

Does that get to you?

It’s a living.

How long have you lived in this apartment?

Five years—well, two by myself—it’s a funny—not ha-ha—story.

It’s okay.

I moved here with my boyfriend Tom. This was his aunt’s apartment, she lived her for 20 years.

Your rent must be—

Your rent must be—

Lucky.

You are.

Well, I got the apartment. He got… my sister.

Oh.

They live in LA, now. It’s perfect.

Well at least, I don’t mean to be crass but—

Yes, no, well I… like the apartment.

It’s as big as mine and I’m sharing it with two other people.

Are they—did you…move here with any of them?

No, they came with the apartment. They’re a couple. It’s kind of awkward, but, he sweet, she’s sweet, they seem to have a—

they seem to have a—

Sweet?

—relationshipthey’refine.

—relationshipthey’refine.

It’s awkward

Rents are so—everything is—

It’s impossible to live here.

You love it

And drive, I mean you’re in a city and you have to drive to get around?

Where did you grow up?

Where did you grow up?

Tiny town upstate.

Industrial?

Countrified suburb. Tractor display in the middle of the mall.

Pretty, though?

That’s what nature does to me. Speaks French to the other people at the table.

I hate jazz.

I hate jazz.

You do?

I don’t usually say that out loud because then people think I don’t have a soul or something but I don’t like the way it sounds. I don’t like saxophone.

My sister played the saxophone—

I’m sorry—

I’m sorry—

I hate my sister.

The one who—

The one who—

Yeah!

I hate your sister too.

So—do your friends think you’re crazy?

Pff. Forget it. And my parents and Peter?

Pff. Forget it. And my parents and Peter?

Huh?

—my ex. I mean I’ve never lived away from them. Even when I was in college I came home every weekend.

Close family.

It’s…a cult. It’s embarrassing, I should’ve moved…I mean you were what, eighteen?

Don’t look at me. I was going to go to one of those colleges that advertise on matchbook covers. My guidance counselor filled out my application to NYU.

I had to interview five times to get this fellowship. By the fourth one I had a rabbit’s foot, rosary beads, crystals, a tiger’s tooth, and a Polynesian tiki all in my purse— now that I got this fellowship I have every god to pay. (handed a magic 8 ball) What should I ask it?

What should I ask it?

Something whose answer you won’t take too seriously.

Was moving to New York a good idea? (shakes the ball) It’s sort of in between two of them.

It’s sort of in between two of them.

That means yes.

(Stands up) I should go, I’m taking up too much of your—

I told some friends I would meet them, otherwise I wish—

You should have said—

You should have said—

No—no—

I didn’t mean to keep—

What are you doing this weekend?

I don’t know. Unpacking. But then I gotta do something New Yorky, don’t I?

Do you want to come over and I’ll take you around the neighborhood? Show you some fun places to go and eat—

Yes!

And you can hang out here, spend some time with… is it Caesar?

Caesar, forgive me. He hates being in this thing.

Caesar, forgive me. He hates being in this thing.

Let him out.

He may be a little shy at first, in a new place with a new person—

You could come and visit him. Just let me know. I hope you’ll feel—

Thanks, Callie.

First line in scene 3

I mean that’s the way I am with kids

Sure, with kids its okay

Why just them? Listen, every day when I walk by this park, this guy, he’s all cracked out, says something to me, you know, something nasty and I just lower my head and walk by.

Yep.

But yesterday, one of my students, Malik, is waiting for me outside the school and says he wants to walk me to the subway. So I say ‘sure’ thinking maybe he has a problem he wants to tell me about. So, we’re walking and we pass by the park and I’m worried. “Is this crackhead going to mention my V in front of this eight-year-old boy? Sure enough, its ‘sex’ this and ‘booty’ that and Malik says, “This is my teacher, watch your mouth.” And the guy shuts up.

Still—

Freaking eight-year-old boy. I should be able to do that for myself.

The best thing to do is walk on by.

But it worked.

Next time, just walk on by.

Why, what’s ever happened to you?

We’ll be here for a while so come hang out. Bye.

I should go.

No, no, they’ll be there for hours

I’ve taken up your whole—

Are you hungry? We could order in something. There’s polish, indian, cuban, there’s a pretty good vietnamese—

Are you sure you don’t— I’ve never had vietnamese—

I’ll show you the menu. Something to drink? Beer?

Yes to beer. Are those friends from work?

I think we’re someone’s science experiment, we just don’t know it. A study in overdependency.

Is George your boyfriend?

Anyway, we’ll probably get married. Or not.

It’s stuck in between two again.

Why’s that keep happening to you?

Me? I think you have it rigged.

Okay, okay.

All my friends are married or getting engaged, having babies or wishing they were—and lately when I hear about it I think—why?

Why not?

Marriage. Why would you say to anyone, “I will stay with you even if I outgrow you?”

Did you leave him to come here?

No…

Mm…C minus

In what.

Acting. I’m sorry—

No, no—

I’m prying—

No, that’s not why—

I hope I didn’t—

No, it’s okay.

Did you decide what you want to order?

I moved out of our apartment—we lived together— and moved in with my parents about a month ago. I came here from there.

How—how long—

Seven years

Seven? So you must still be—

Finally. Finally where I want to be. I’ll stay in New York for two years then I’m going to take off.

Let me guess: India

A for effort, but no. Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Micronesia—

All the places that sound like skin rashes

Peter said, “what about Anesthesia?” Speaking— what time is it?

Almost 6

Hmm

What?

Oh, he left a message on my machine saying he was going to call at 6. He wants to come visit. He owns a restaurant in St. Louis so he wants to come here and check out some of the special places.

You’d better hurry.

I couldn’t make it in 15 minutes.

You could if you took a cab.

But then I wouldn’t have Vietnamese food.

We could do it another time

I just started this beer.

You wouldn’t want to waste a bear

That’s what I was thinking!

I always get this. It’s not too spicy.

What is that?

Crispy squid in a little salt and—

No, what is that?

Huh? Oh. Every Thursday and Saturday at 6.

What.

I think he teaches horses to river dance.

Have you complained?

I just make sure I’m out or doing something loud.

Let’s go up there.