• The Persons of the Play

    Charles Brooklyn
    Timothy Andrews
    Georgina Corfield
    Lucas Dickens
    Sandy
    Rebecca




    ***




    FIRST ACT

    SCENE
    Outdoors. In a park with a mini man-made beach nearby. Benches, a flower garden and shallow water.
    Sounds of children playing, birds whistling and water splashing.


    [CHARLES and TIMOTHY are sitting on one of the park bench. CHARLES reading a novel and TIMOTHY pretending to read one. GEORGINA and LUCAS are playing around on the beach.]

    TIMOTHY: Look at them. [Stares viciously at GEORGINA and LUCAS.]
    CHARLES: Who? [Looks up from his novel to look at TIMOTHY]
    TIMOTHY: Them! [Vaguely nods towards GEORGINA and LUCAS]
    CHARLES: [Turns to look at GEORGINA and LUCAS] Georgina and Lucas, what about them?
    TIMOTHY: How does someone like Lucas Dickens get a girl like Georgina Corfield?
    CHARLES: Oh. Well that’s simple. He is a male, she a female and they are both heterosexuals and...
    TIMOTHY: [Stares dubiously at CHARLES] I was speaking rhetorically idiot, I mean, why can’t we get girls like Georgina Corfield, no scratch that, why can’t we get any girls at all? Period.
    CHARLES: I’m not sure I follow.
    TIMOTHY: We’re smart right?
    CHARLES: Of course, we haven’t failed a class since we started school.
    TIMOTHY: and we’re not bad-looking, maybe not the best looking, but we’re not bad right?
    CHARLES: I guess so…
    TIMOTHY: Then why don’t girls like us? Why do they chase after no brainer dumbasses like Lucas Dickens, when they can date guys like us? His not even that great-looking.
    CHARLES: That’s easy, he talks to them.
    TIMOTHY: We talk to them too, well try, but it doesn’t work the same, when we talk to them, there’s no arousal, it’s just them starring at us like we’re lame.
    CHARLES: You used the word ‘we.’
    TIMOTHY: Yeah?
    CHARLES: I never try to talk to girls.
    TIMOTHY: [takes a moment to retrace past attempts] Huh. So you don’t. Why don’t you?
    CHARLES: Why do I need to?
    TIMOTHY: Dude, they’re girls. If you get close enough, you can get a little piece of that action. [Turns to look at GEORGINA and LUCAS]
    CHARLES: [Looks at GEORGINA and LUCAS] you mean claim a girlfriend?
    TIMOTHY: Exactly, and everything that comes with that.
    CHARLES: Anybody can get a girlfriend Timothy. [Attempts to continue reading the novel]
    TIMOTHY: Pfft, then why don’t you have one?
    CHARLES: [Sighs, then drops the book on his lap to face TIMOTHY] Why would I want one? There are plenty of things I want to do before I want to give time to a girl.
    TIMOTHY: You’re bluffing.
    CHARLES: I am not,
    TIMOTHY: You couldn’t get a girl if you tried. [Snickers]
    CHARLES: Mind you Timothy Andrews; I am as capable as Lucas Dickens when it comes to getting a girlfriend.
    TIMOTHY: Really?
    CHARLES: Of course,
    TIMOTHY: How?
    CHARLES: After observing in the free time I had in our high school years, I’ve learnt that there are only a few factors you must consider when you’re trying to impress a girl.
    TIMOTHY: Enlighten me then Mr. Brooklyn.
    CHARLES: Firstly, we must establish at least one part of ourselves that excels in… what they call ‘style.’ [Use of hands to imply quotation marks]
    TIMOTHY: Then?
    CHARLES: You carry an instrument around and look carelessly into space.
    TIMOTHY: You can’t honestly think it’s that easy, can you?
    CHARLES: It’s a logical technique, why wouldn’t it work? [Shocked]
    TIMOTHY: For a genius, you sure are stupid.
    CHARLES: You don’t believe me.
    TIMOTHY: What? You figured that out all by yourself.
    CHARLES: I’ll prove it.
    TIMOTHY: What?
    CHARLES: Tomorrow. Here, 3 o’clock.
    TIMOTHY: You’re going to test your theory?
    CHARLES: Oh, it’s not a theory my friend, its fact.
    TIMOTHY: Ha, I’ll be here, I’m not missing a chance to see you make a bigger idiot of yourself.
    CHARLES: [Stands up] Oh, we’ll see.

    [CHARLES exits. TIMOTHY stares after him, shaking his head and smiling to himself.]

    ACT DROP



    ***



    SECOND ACT

    SCENE
    Same scene as FIRST ACT, excluding LUCAS and GEORGINA from the scene.

    [TIMOTHY sitting alone on the park bench. Enters CHARLES wearing clean jeans and an expensive branded t-shirt with sunglasses and his hair done-up differently to his ‘normal’ style. Carrying an acoustic guitar.]


    TIMOTHY: What did you do to your hair?
    CHARLES: Nothing, I just styled it up.
    TIMOTHY: It looks so….so tall.
    CHARLES: Yes, that was my goal. It seems to be in ‘style’ at the moment. Hence, exhibit ‘A’. The part of me that excels in ‘style.’ The hair. Hair and eyes are the best features to excel in; it’s what girls tend to base all their judgement on.
    TIMOTHY: Uh-huh… and can you explain that? [Eyes guitar]
    CHARLES: It’s a guitar. What else is there to explain?
    TIMOTHY: I know it’s a guitar! I mean, why do you have it? Where did you get it?
    CHARLES: Props are essential. I explained this yesterday and an acoustic guitar gives this nice guy feel that girls have a tendency to daze over.
    TIMOTHY: So, it’s apart of your charade?
    CHARLES: Yep.
    TIMOTHY: It’s not going to work. There’s no chance in the world changing your clothes, doing your hair differently and carrying a guitar is going to get you a girl, with your reputation, you’ll be lucky if a girl chooses to even talk to you. [CHARLES ignores TIMOTHY, sits down, starts drumming the guitar.] Hold up, since when could you play the guitar?
    CHARLES: [stops drumming] since always.
    TIMOTHY: How come I’ve never heard you played before?
    CHARLES: You never asked me to.
    TIMOTHY: I might of, if I knew!
    CHARLES: There’s a lot of things I know how to do, some I shew more often than others. [TIMOTHY shakes head] Plus, if you can actually play the instrument your holding, it gives you that much of an advantage. [CHARLES begins drumming his guitar again.]

    [SANDY and REBECCA enter]

    SANDY: [to REBECCA] Rebecca, look. [Points to CHARLES]
    REBECCA: who is that?
    SANDY: I don’t know, but I sure want to. [SANDY and REBECCA look at eachother smiling, walks over to TIMOTHY and CHARLES]
    REBECCA: Hey, that’s a nice tune you got going. [Looking only at CHARLES. TIMOTHY starring in disbelief. SANDY notices TIMOTHY.]
    SANDY: Tim, is that you? [TIMOTHY turns to SANDY, flattered.]
    TIMOTHY: Hi Sandy.
    SANDY: [smiles genuinely to TIMOTHY then turns to CHARLES] who’s your friend?
    TIMOTHY: [disappointed tone] Oh… it’s Chuck.
    SANDY: Chuck? As in Charles Brooklyn? [SANDY and REBECCA’s eyes widen]
    CHARLES: The one and only, [stands up to shake the girls hands]
    REBECCA: Did you cut your hair?
    CHARLES: Just a trim.
    REBECCA: Looks good. [Eyes CHARLES’s hair]
    CHARLES: Thanks.
    SANDY: You play the guitar?
    CHARLES: Just a few chords.
    SANDY: You can sure do a lot with a few chords then. [CHARLES shrugs]
    REBECCA: How come we never talked before? [REBECCA discreetly links her with CHARLES] Were we in any of the same classes?
    CHARLES: Yeah, chemistry and Maths.
    REBECCA: That’s funny; I’d figure I would have talked to you if you were…
    SANDY: Well, I talked to him. [SANDY takes CHARLE’s other arm and glares at REBECCA] remember Chuck? In English, we got partner up to portray a modern scene from Romeo and Juliet. HA! Fancy that, Romeo and Juliet. [looks at REBECCA. REBECCA pouts.]
    CHARLES: I remember, you depicted the scene excellently.
    REBECCA: Well, our class did that too, and I’m sure if you saw my performance, you would say the same. [Turns to TIMOTHY] you were in my class. Tell Chuck how good I was.
    TIMOTHY: Uh, Yeah, she was… great.
    CHARLES: I bet you were.
    SANDY: [glancing back and forth at CHARLES and REBECCA] Hey Chuck, I have tickets for a movie tonight and I have one spare, would you like to come? [REBECCA stares open-mouth at SANDY]
    REBECCA: [to SANDY] I thought that was for Roger.
    SANDY: [whilst keeping a smile] Well, if you want Roger to come, then give him your ticket.
    REBECCA: You wanted Roger to come; you’re the one who has a massive crush on him.
    SANDY: No, I think that was you.
    REBECCA: Na-Ah.
    SANDY: Uh, Ya-Ha.
    CHARLES: Ladies, Ladies; Roger can come, because I’ll be busy babysitting my little sister tonight whilst my parents are out.
    SANDY: Aw, you have a little sister.
    REBECCA: and you babysit her.
    CHARLES: It’s nothing; it’s just apart of whom I am, as a big brother, it is my duty.
    SANDY AND REBECCA: Awww…
    CHARLES: Now, if you excuse me, I really must be off. Tim?
    TIMOTHY: Uh… Yeah coming. [TIMOTHY stands]
    REBECCA: Wait, how about when your not so busy babysitting your little sister and all, we can go out for lunch or something?
    CHARLES: Like a date?
    REBECCA: If you want to.
    CHARLES: A date, huh? [Turns to face TIMOTHY triumphantly]
    SANDY: BEC! How about me?
    REBECCA: Aw, Sandy sweetie we’ll find someone for you.
    SANDY: Bec, let me have him, I never get the hot guys.
    TIMOTHY: There’s always me. [REBECCA and SANDY turn to look at Timothy disgustedly.] Or not…
    CHARLES: well, let’s not call it a date. How about we all go out tomorrow, as friends, all four of us. [SANDY and REBECCA look at TIMOTHY uncomfortably, then at CHARLES and then at eachother.]
    SANDY: Fine.
    REBECCA: Fine.
    SANDY: [leans in closer to CHARLES and whispers] I can be very friendly.
    REBECCA: What did she just say?
    SANDY: See you tomorrow. [winks]

    [SANDY exit. Giggling]

    REBECCA: Well, whatever she said. I bet I can do it better. See you tomorrow Chuck.

    [exit REBECCA]

    [CHARLES turns to look at TIMOTHY, smiling triumphantly]
    TIMOTHY: No freaking way.
    CHARLES: I told you. Girls aren’t as confusing as people think.
    TIMOTHY: DUDE! You have to show me how you do that.
    CHARLES: I already told you how…
    TIMOTHY: It really works!
    CHARLES: Of course, when have I been wrong?
    TIMOTHY: Chuck. You’re a freaking genius. [TIMOTHY hugs CHARLES.]

    ACT FIN