"Contrapuntal"
By, Christopher Clarke
LIGHTS UP.
GAVIN and SUSAN are sitting at a table. They
are in public.
GAVIN
You wanna refill or a slice of pie or something?
MUSIC CUE.
Silence.
GAVIN
Why do you have to do this now?
(beat)
Why is it always when we're out?
SUSAN
I think this is important. It's important to me. To us.
GAVIN
(muttering)
Oh my god, what I wouldn't give for a cigarette right now.
SUSAN
You can't smoke in here anyway.
Long pause.
GAVIN
Well, I don't think this is working, do you?
SUSAN
No.
GAVIN
No, it isn't working? Or you disagree?
SUSAN
I...uh...I don't know.
GAVIN
The fucked up thing is that I've never been in such a
'normal' relationship before. This is the first... I just
can't believe this.
(pause)
Can't we just talk about this when we get home?
SUSAN
What's the point?
GAVIN
I don't know. I mean... fuck. I can't get my thoughts
into....
(pause)
I mean why do you encourage them?
SUSAN
That's not fair.
GAVIN
Do you love me?
SUSAN
Yes.
GAVIN
You're sure?
SUSAN
Yes.
(long pause)
Are you in love with me?
(long pause)
OK.
GAVIN
No, no.
SUSAN
What?
GAVIN
No, I do. I do love you.
SUSAN
So what do we do?
GAVIN
I've never met anyone who has so many ex-boyfriends who sends
them love letters whenever they find themselves alone. Why
do you think they do that?
SUSAN
I certainly don't encourage them. Look, I've told you
before, in almost every case we were good friends before
anything happened.
GAVIN
You give them hope.
SUSAN
Aren't you friends with any of your exes?
GAVIN
Yes. But they don't send me long love letters about how
we're destined to be together. We made sure that when it
ended, it was over.
SUSAN
I never do anything right, do I? I will not live my life
always worrying about what I'm doing wrong, Gavin.
GAVIN
Jesus Christ. They know you're seeing someone. They don't
give a fuck? They think I'm retarded?
Pause - as Susan shoots Gavin a look.
GAVIN
I'm just getting started. Fucking Christmas?
SUSAN
Come. On. We talked about that. I said you could come.
GAVIN
But the point is I had to fucking say something. Why wasn't
your immediate instinct to invite me? What the fuck is that?
SUSAN
You're invited. Stop it. Now.
GAVIN
Now. I'm invited now. Why wasn't I invited in the first
place?
SUSAN
I told you.
GAVIN
Tell me again.
SUSAN
You're raising your voice.
GAVIN
Yes, I'm raising my voice. See, that's how you can tell I'm
PISSED OFF. I raise my voice.
SUSAN
Don't condes.... You angry little man.
GAVIN
If you didn't.... Selfish bitch.
SUSAN
Go on. Hit me. I dare you. Right here, right now.
GAVIN
As much as I would enjoy that...
(beat)
...heheh - you know, I think you'd enjoy it even more. If
you want to end this, just end it. Have the fucking guts to
end it.
SUSAN
Fine. I do. That's it. I want to break up.
GAVIN
Seriously?
(pause)
Just like that?
(pause)
This whole time you're just trying to get me to break up with
you so you won't have to the be the bad...?
SUSAN
No. I'd say your constant jeal...
GAVIN
I wouldn't be so jealous if you weren't relentlessly
maintaining this short list.
SUSAN
What the hell does.... I don't even know what that means.
GAVIN
A backup. A list of backup fucks.
SUSAN
If it bothers you that..., if you're that unhappy, Gavin, why
don't you just leave me?
GAVIN
You just said it was over.
SUSAN
No I didn't.
GAVIN
What the fuck? Two seconds ago. "I want to break up."
SUSAN
Well, do you?
GAVIN
No, I was saying that you.... Ah, fuck it. I don't know.
Maybe.
SUSAN
Yes. Maybe.
MUSIC fades out.
GAVIN
(motioning with his hands and
mouthing the words)
Can we get the check?
Blackout.
THE END
"Contrapuntal"
IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL AND MAY NOT BE
DOWNLOADED, TRANSMITTED, PRINTED OR PERFORMED
WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR
"Contrapuntal" debuted February 7, 2003 with the following cast:
GAVIN - Eric Johnson
SUSAN - Jennifer Cousin
Library]
