Bright Half Life Lines Part 8

VICKY: Like fell down?/

(At work)

Vicky, come on

Did he know?

VICKY: He put his papers down, he looked up at me, he goes, “Victoria, you’re a supervisor,

protocal

the office”

He know, he totally knew

VICKY: Then he’s like, “appropriate work relations”

Oh my god, he knew

How’d he know

VICKY: He saw us come out

He did, but

VICKY: He did

I was getting post-its

VICKY: I was getting staples

He did not know

VICKY: He called me into his office

Yeah but not because of that

Was it because of that

VICKY: Well, ostensibly it was because

Because why

VICKY: Because … he wanted to give me a raise

He gave you a raise?

VICKY: He gave me/ a raise

/A raise

Wow

VICKY: And

And?

VICKY: And my own office

What

VICKY: He gave me an office

You’re fucking shitting me, you’re getting an office/

VICKY: I’m getting an office

Oh. My. God.

That’s

VICKY: This one, right here, she’s getting/ an office

That’s fucking awesome

VICKY: It’s with a window

With a window

VICKY: With a view

Whoa, you’re getting a fucking/view

VICKY: View

(Movie theater)

VICKY: Okay so maybe we’re a little early

But, I like to see

We can see

VICKY: I like good seats

You want popcorn?

[No]

Okay, so?

VICKY: So?

a, b, c

a) I went on the date because I wanted to make her jealous

VICKY: It was a drink it wasn’t a date

What’d you talk about

VICKY: Us, you and me, now, the past

He’s getting a divorce and he wanted to know what happened

with us, me and him, why

It’s been ten years

VICKY: So, I said I met you and fell in love and

Why didn’t you say: also it was because he and you weren’t compatible

VICKY: I didn’t want to hurt his feelings

So, if that was it, why didn’t you tell me you were having a drink

VICKY: Erica

What

VICKY: It’s, it’s really no big deal,

(pause)

We always get here too early

VICKY: I like good seats

No one’s running to the theater to see a Buster Keaton double-feature

VICKY: If you don’t want to watch the movie

I do

(long pause)

b) I’m frustrated that she won’t send her resumes out because…fill in the blank

VICKY: Erica

c) I can’t remember the last time I said I love you in a non-habitual way and that means…

VICKY: /Erica, please

d) If we could go to any restaurant in the city it would be…

VICKY: d) Resumes — With different job you’d feel better about yourself

And insecurity’s boring

VICKY: No

e)If we could go to any country in the world it would be …

f) I know her favorite wine is … blank

g) I know her favorite flower is … blank

VICKY: Go back to d)

Restaurant

VICKY: d) Restaurant — the one where we had that date, our third date, after the Ferris wheel, do you remember that?

(e) What’s e)?

Wine

No

Country I think

VICKY: Italy

f)?

VICKY: What’s (f)?

Wine, my favorite not yours

VICKY: Syrah?

Malbec

Yours is Pinot noir

Favorite flower?

VICKY: I don’t remember

You live simple flowers best, roses, pansies, the kids that you find in a mother’s yard, ones that aren’t too ostentatious. And my favorite flower is?

VICKY: So we’ve established I have no observational skills outside of work

You knew that

Now I feel like shit, was that your intention

It was a game

VICKY: You were trying to prove/

You love the a, b, c game

VICKY: I love it when it really is a game

(beat)

d) I love

No c)

I love you

And you don’t have to worry

About

VICKY: About us

I’m not worried

VICKY: You are and you don’t have to

I’m nothing if not loyal

Loyal?

VICKY: In love

And constant

And nothing’s changed

Time’s changed

but not us

(beat)

Erica, I’ll always be with you

always, always, always

Look at my face

(Office)

I never noticed the ice breaking

We could ride the ferry

VICKY: It’s cold

(it has commuters)

It’s twenty-four hours

we could bring hot chocolate

and, tonight, the moon, it’s a full

(Home)

VICKY: Pop Tarts?

For breakfast

It says they’re whole wheat

VICKY: That doesn’t mean they have any food value

Well, I’m not a cook, you knew that when you married me

VICKY: I have to be at work way before nine so getting up to make/

It’s not like I’m starving them

VICKY: So it’s a lot of stress

They’re whole wheat

VICKY: They’re fine

Vicky

VICKY: What

Tomorrow call in sick

VICKY: I can’t, why

I wanna be with you

(Science Project)

VICKY: Okay…

It’s not a planet

VICKY: Okay/ sure

The science project, I put it in their room

Chloe still hasn’t finished/hers

VICKY: It’s due tomorrow

/ I know

VICKY: You were suppose to finish

It’s over half/ [done]

VICKY: So what do I have to do?

Paper mache planets, they have to be to scale

VICKY: I know that part

(why didn’t she finish it?)

How much’s left?

She finished Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and —

VICKY: (I don’t have newspaper to / make —)

Neptune, Uranus, Pluto, she didn’t/ [finish]

VICKY: So what is it

Oh and also

The recital/

VICKY: Pluto

What

VICKY: /What is it?

Did you put Chloe’s recital in your book?

VICKY: If it’s not a planet anymore

It hasn’t been a planet for years

(chloe’s first steps)

Come on,/ Lexi

VICKY: Come on

You can do it/

VICKY: One foot/

That’s/ it

VICKY: You’re doing it, baby,/ you’re doing it

She’s doing it

VICKY: /Yay

Yay, Lex

(beat)

Uh-oh

VICKY: /Oops

Down she goes/

VICKY: Oopsy-daisy

(Lexi wedding)

She’s married

VICKY: I can’t believe/ she’s

Lexi — she’s married

VICKY: I like him

You do

VICKY: I do

You like him too

I do

VICKY: Gosh

Wow

VICKY: It’s just hitting me

What

VICKY: Our baby got maried

(Fight)

Half my life

My entire adult life

Would you please tell me what the fuck you’re talking about

I…collapsed

VICKY: You fucking fell down?

On the inside

VICKY: You collapsed

Like a star?

You’re having a mid-life crisis

You know what, existentialism, that’s college

That’s not kids, you don’t have the luxury of a mid-life crisis when you have kids

You’re the one that’ll tell the girls

“I don’t want your mom/anymore”

Vicky

VICKY: “I fell out of love”/ After more than two decades?

It’s not about falling out of love

VICKY: What’s it about

I don’t know who I/

VICKY: Can you figure it out?

/(I know I like to fly kites?)

VICKY: Why is this my/ fault?

You’ve micromanaged every step/ I’ve taken for the last twenty-three years

VICKY: Micromanaged?

Yeah/ micromanaged

VICKY: Because you’ve never made a single fucking decision in your entire life

you go with the flow

(fine, great)

but I, what? plan where we go, what we see,

I’m the one that calls the repair guy or send thank-you cards or

Which I’m fine with

VICKY: /Fine with

But now

VICKY: But now, what?

I don’t know who I am/

VICKY: Go to therapy, Erica, meditate, do yoga/

Jesus

I can’t talk about this with you/

VICKY: Get off your ass and do something with your life

I have

(Stop beating me up)

VICKY: Stop blaming me

I’ve done things with my life/

VICKY: What

You

the girls

I have a family that I love

Isn’t that doing something with my life?

VICKY: If you love your family so badly

why aren’t you happy?

I don’t know

VICKY: Okay you don’t know

So

So

This isn’t working

VICKY: You keep saying that, this isn’t woring

Just say it, “we” aren’t working/

This conversation isn’t working

VICKY: Tell me what you want to do

I’m sorry I’m sorry

I don’t know what I want/

VICKY: It’s your choice

Are we breaking up, are we staying together

We’re having a fight

VICKY: Yes I realize that/

And that doesn’t mean we’re breaking up, but I just I

VICKY: You just, what?

If this happens it will be hard for me too

VICKY: If this happens?

You’re making this happen

Don’t act like someone else is responsible

What I know is —-

(I don’t know who I am)

But, I know I love you

VICKY: You have a funny way of showing it

But I

can’t

VICKY: Can’t, what?

I

Can’t be

VICKY: What

I

(bedroom)

Oh my god