Stop Kiss - Scene One

Hi George…. Give me half an hour, tops. Yes?

It’s Sara and-

Come on up! Hi.

You’re Callie.

Yes

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

Come in. Please uh sit—

Some apartment.

I was cleaning.

It’s huge — and the neighborhood—

You can’t be comfortable.

Oh I am.A

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.O

Oh yes.

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 —

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.

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.

Is that where… Taft, is it Taft?

Taft High school?

You’ve heard of it?

Mm-hm

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

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.

Well congratulations

Thank you.

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

What brought you to New York?

College

And what keeps you?

Keeps me from what?

What do you do?

I..ruin things for everyone else.

You’re Andrew Cuomo?

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

Helicopters!

“The inbound lane…to tell you that nothing has changed”

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 haha—story.

It’s OK.

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

Your rent must be—l

Lucky

You are,

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

Oh.

They live in L.A. 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’s sweet, she’s sweet, they seem to have a —-

sweet?

relationshipthey’refine

It’s awkward.

Rents are so—everything is—

It’s impossible to live here.

You love it.

You know sara….and you have to drive to get around?

Where did you grow up?

Tiny Town upstate.

Industrial?

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

Pretty, though?

I can’t connect with mountains….other people at the table.

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 saxophones.

My sister played the saxophone

I’m sorry—

I hate my sister.

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?

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…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, my 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. What should I ask it?

Something whose answer you won’t take too seriously.

Was moving to New York a good idea? It’s sort of in between two of them.

That means yes.

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

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

You should’ve said—

No—no—

I didn’t mean to keep—

What’re you doing this weekend?

I dont 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 to and eat—

Yes!

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

Casear, 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.