Bright Half Life Lines Part 4

VICKY: Here we are

(Look up at Ferris wheel)

Ferris Wheel?

VICKY: Ferris Wheel

Don’t they malfuntion/more—

VICKY: / You’re gonna love it

/ — at night?

By the time we get our tickets

VICKY: We’ll be closer to the stars

I don’t think I

VICKY: You’ll love it

Oh my god. Look!/

(Slam forward)

You’re being selfish you’re being self-centered you’re being so so/

(ferris wheel)

You look sad

VICKY: Oh I was thinking

What

VICKY: My Tia Calita used to take me on the Ferris wheel before my mom totally lost it —

Let’s just get our tickets

No wait, what/

(buying a new mattress)

VICKY: Where’s the salesguy?

Went to smoke

VICKY: He was looking at us funny

“You girls are buying a bed for yourselves?” like we’re diseased, contagious

No, like he wants to watch

VICKY: Barf already

I want to get/home

VICKY: Feel this one

Too springy

What’re you?

VICKY: A third of our life in bed, I want to see if this bed’s The Bed

Could you imagine if we made out on this bed

I wanna get home, I have to call the job guy

VICKY: oh.

I’m not going to take it

VICKY: No…?

You knew that

I mean we’re buying a bed

VICKY: We’re window-bed shopping

Yeah but I need to call the job-guy

VICKY: okay?

I’m sorry, look, before when I tried to/make you say no

I’m gonna say no

VICKY: But you want the job

I’ll take the textbook writing job instead

VICKY: You’d be happier with the teaching job

Moving across the country isn’t right for us, both of us

VICKY: You sure…?

You don’t sound/

VICKY: I’m sure

I’m not sure about my life, but I’m sure about us/

VICKY: No I’ll go

I don’t want to dismantle your life

VICKY: Or we could have a long distance—

Let’s just buy a bed

VICKY: Are you sure?

Erica?

Really sure

We’re gonna stay.

So… I think it’s time to make out on the bed

VICKY: WHat

I mean

We have to see if this bed’s The Bed

VICKY: I’m not making out

Why

You’re the one that said

VICKY: That was a joke

(Beat)

Dare you

VICKY: Dare me?

Yeah

VICKY: Are we thirteen

Okay

How about jump on the bed

Don’t be square

VICKY: I’m not

afraid to jump on the bed

You go first

Oh my god

(this is a store, the beds are for sale)

You know you want to

You’re going to jump on this bed because I’m on this bed and it’s sort of irresistible, the bed

VICKY: You

C’mere

VICKY: Erica, oh, okay…

(Ferris Wheel)

So, the main thing about Ferris wheels is the stillness, and then you just rock back and forth

Yeah

VICKY: You’re gripping the handlebar

No

VICKY: This is totally not fun for you

No it is

VICKY: No it’s not

No

VICKY: I shouldn’t have made you

No no

You like the stillness

and also the rocking back and forth?

VICKY: It’s like a cradle

We’re stuck

VICKY: No

It stopped

VICKY: It’s just a pause

Okay um

You believe in life after death?

VICKY: I don’t know

You?

I’m skeptical about the whole thing

VICKY: Yeah that’s the problem with living an examined life, you get skeptical

Can you just

VICKY: /(or enlightened)

You’re making it creak

VICKY: I’m what

Making the cage creak

VICKY: It’s a gondola not a cage

(beat)

Oh look

First star

Satellite

VICKY: It’s a star

Sorry, it’s a satellite

VICKY: It’s a star

It’s too bright to be a star, it’s not dark enough

VICKY: Okay/fine

Really it’s not a star

VICKY: You’re not enjoying this

No I, I’m really glad to be with you

VICKY: I’m glad to be with you too

You’re moving

VICKY: I’m not

Can you just be still

VICKY: I am

You’re shaking our cage

VICKY: I’m [not]

This is how people die

VICKY: This is —

How people die, die, we could die

VICKY: We’re not dying, someday we’re dying but not today

Okay look at my face, don’t look down

Just breathe

You’re still moving

VICKY: I’m not

Stop moving your eyes

VICKY: Okay, look straight ahead, fix your eyes on that blue rooftop, hold my hand, breathe

So

So

VICKY: It’s a satellite

Yeah

VICKY: Pretend it’s not a satellite

What is it

Uh, so if it’s not a satellite, it’s, it’s a, it’s a fucking satellite

VICKY: How do you even know?

Sorry

VICKY: I was trying to distract you

I know, it’s just my dad taught high school science

(he was very exact)

and he’d say that’s not a star

VICKY: Okay

(beat)

It’s a supernova

VICKY: It’s okay

It’s better than a star

VICKY: It was just a game

Exploding through space

super far away

light years

VICKY: Really/it’s okay

This is its half life

VICKY: Okay

But..

VICKY: But, what

Its gravity collapsing

VICKY: Okay okay

you’re okay

Are you okay?

Uh

I feel better

VICKY: You do?

[No]

Yeah I think I do

VICKY: Good

You sort of get used to it

And I like holding your hand

Except I’m crushing your fingers

VICKY: Sort of

Sorry

VICKY: No I like it

(long pause)

Are you (um)

Are you like seeing anyone else

VICKY: Well

I was in that thing

Oh

Okay stop moving

VICKY: I’m not

Are you

I’m not moving

VICKY: Seeing anyone else

I thought that thing was over

VICKY: It is

He didn’t want to break up but

He?

VICKY: Yeah

Oh

VICKY: It’s over with him

But

VICKY: No, there isn’t a “but”

So are you

VICKY: Yeah

Straight?

VICKY: I…like you

Oh

VICKY: And no

I’m not straight

Which is why I ended it with my ex

But he didn’t want to end it

VICKY: No but I did and then I met you

And

And?

VICKY: And I met you

I was wondering if you were straight but by gaydar kept going off so

VICKY: So

Are you…seeing anyone else

No

Oh shit we’re moving

Just you

VICKY: Squeeze my hand

Okay

VICKY: Harder

(pause)

Talk to me/

(Slam forward to—)

VICKY: The girls

What about/the girls

VICKY: Did you think about them

Of course I thought

VICKY: Because it’s/selfish

Is it?

VICKY: Is it?

Wanting something for myself

VICKY: Wanting something —

(shit)

You didn’t pay for swimming, did you?

I thought you were s’posed—

VICKY: You took them to the pool

When was i s’posed to

They weren’t collecting checks

VICKY: Did you ask?

Vicky, c’mon, Vicky, really

VICKY: WHAT

Is this what we’re fighting about?

VICKY: It’s a simple thing, paying a check, and this is what you do, you procrastinate your life/ away—

I forgot

VICKY: /and then blame me

I forgot, it’s not a crime, I’ll pay next week

VICKY: They sent an email, we’re overdue

Do you think you could mail the check/

You’re so passive agressive

VICKY: This, this right here, this

This is agressive-agressive/

(bedroom)

Oh my god

VICKY: Fuck

You’re so fucking beautiful

VICKY: I’m floating

(beat)

I like that mole

And when your eyelashes kiss my cheek

VICKY: I like you … mouth

I like your eyes

Your hands

Your stomach

I like your everything