Kilt Pins Read online

  DEE

  A rocking. A rocking between bodies. Moving faster and faster. They speak a language I want to speak.

  She begins to touch herself.

  There's something holy there, inside me, and I'm told to keep it for safe keeping. A temple. A temple that belongs to the heavens and not to me. But I'm open. The temple doors are open now and I can't stop. I move my fingers in a way that I imagine they rock and it feels good. It feels so good.

  ANNA is exchanged for DEE in the movement.

  He begins to rock me. I feel the perspiration gather behind my thighs the way it gathers above his lips. But this is bad. I am so bad for doing this. My fingers continue and I have to stop. A million eyes are on me from above and I have to stop my hands. Stop me from opening.

  A knock on DEE's bedroom door is heard. The sound of her mother ROSE can be heard through the door.

  ROSE

  (from offstage) DEE!

  DEE sits up quickly and puts herself together.

  DEE

  Yeah?

  ROSE

  Dad's on the phone.

  DEE

  Yes.

  ROSE

  He's waiting to talk to you.

  DEE

  Yes Mom!

  ROSE

  Dee?

  DEE

  YES! MOM!

  Scene 4

  Front yard, St. Cecilia's.

  In front of DEE is a bristol board on the ground. A disaster. CHRIS stands leaning on a gate, smoking a cigarette.

  DEE

  Shit!

  CHRIS

  What?

  DEE

  My science project!

  CHRIS

  Here—

  DEE

  No! It's okay. I'm so fucking— Fuck! I'm so…

  CHRIS

  Hey forget about it.

  He continues to smoke, watching her try to make do with her bent bristol board.

  You carry too much.

  DEE

  What?

  CHRIS

  Every time I see you you're carrying something. That's why you fall.

  DEE

  No, it was ice. I slipped on some ice.

  CHRIS

  Same difference. No matter what, you carry too much.

  ANNA enters.

  ANNA

  Chris?

  CHRIS

  Hey.

  ANNA reaches to kiss him and he flinches.

  ANNA

  What?

  CHRIS

  Shut up.

  ANNA notices DEE.

  ANNA

  Who's this? I saw you over there with your kilt flying up. What's up with that?

  CHRIS

  She fell.

  ANNA

  I saw that.

  DEE

  It was just some ice.

  CHRIS

  (to DEE) It's Dee, right?

  DEE

  (surprised) Yeah.

  CHRIS

  This is DEE. She carries too much.

  He smiles at DEE.

  That's why she falls.

  ANNA

  Whatever. (to CHRIS) So?

  CHRIS

  So yourself.

  ANNA

  Are you going to kiss me or what?

  She squeezes his cheeks then kisses him. She winces.

  CHRIS

  What's your problem?

  ANNA

  I hate it when you smoke.

  CHRIS

  Shit.

  ANNA

  You stink like cigarettes. You smell like your dad.

  CHRIS

  Enough with my dad, okay?

  ANNA

  (in a mock retarded voice) Stop making fun of me.

  CHRIS

  Will you shut the fuck up?

  ANNA

  I know, I know. He's not retarded. He's slow.

  CHRIS

  I said shut up. You keep going and I'll bust your face like you busted Jessica's.

  ANNA

  I'm sorry. Come on. As if she didn't deserve it. Come on. Kiss me.

  She kisses him hard. He pulls away. She whispers something in his ear. She kisses him again. Giggles.

  DEE begins to walk away.

  CHRIS

  (to DEE) Hey. Where are you going?

  DEE

  To class.

  Pause.

  Class is starting. And I have to fix my project.

  CHRIS

  School is shit.

  ANNA

  Just let her go, Chris.

  CHRIS

  Whatever.

  DEE

  Bye.

  DEE begins to walk away again.

  CHRIS

  Stop carrying too much.

  ANNA

  Come on. Let's go.

  CHRIS

  See ya.

  Attached, ANNA and CHRIS go in the opposite direction of the school.

  Scene 5

  Lights change. Drama class.

  TERESA enters, placing large Frisbees in her path, symbolizing the Bikini Atoll. ASHA enters with a blue scarf, giving one end to DEE and the two begin to wave it back and forth to symbolize water.

  TERESA

  December of 1945.

  ASHA & DEE

  (singing) Silent Night

  Holy Night

  TERESA

  President Harry S. Truman decides to determine the effect of atomic bombs on American warships.

  ASHA & DEE

  (singing) All is calm

  All is bright

  TERESA

  He heads to the Bikini Atoll, because of its location away from regular air and sea routes.

  ASHA & DEE

  We will test atomic bombs for "the good of mankind and to end all world wars."

  TERESA

  We will go…

  ASHA & DEE

  Kaboom!

  TERESA

  …believing that everything…

  ASHA & DEE

  Kaboom!

  TERESA

  …is in the hands of God.

  ASHA & DEE

  Kaboom!

  All three fall to the ground. The classroom lights are turned on. The student audience claps.

  Scene 6

  The school bell rings. The school cafeteria.

  DEE, TERESA and ASHA sit at a cafeteria table, all with trays in hand.

  TERESA

  Okay, so who cares what month the bomb testing began?

  ASHA

  Well you did say December 1945.

  TERESA

  So?

  ASHA

  Mrs. Edie said the bombing began in March 1946.

  TERESA

  But this is drama, not history. She didn't even get it. She didn't even mention the use of "Silent Night."

  ASHA

  Because it happened in March, not during Christmas.

  TERESA

  That's not the point, Asha Whatever, forget it. I thought it gave it another layer. It was totally deep and she didn't even catch it. Right, Dee?

  DEE watches as CHRIS enters with ANNA in tow. They seat themselves at a table far away.

  DEE

  Yeah. I thought it was deep.

  TERESA

  There you go. See, Asha? Rule #27. Always stick with your friends. No matter what.

  ASHA

  I did stick with you. That's why I was the one who wore the military jacket instead of the hula skirt, remember?

  TERESA

  Okay, so moving on. I need to ta
lk to you guys about the grade ten spring dance-a-thon.

  ASHA

  Why can't it just be a dance?

  CHRIS notices DEE and grins. DEE turns away.

  TERESA

  There are starving children out there. Hello! And it's Lent. We should raise money doing it. We can't be part of the problem, people.

  ASHA

  But then we'll have to photocopy forms and get people to bother their parents—

  TERESA

  Oh shut up! As if you even have to try! Your dad always ends up selling your chocolate bars at his clinic for you.

  ASHA

  Hey. I help him.

  TERESA

  Whatever. Just think of how much trouble it is for those African kids to, like, carry buckets to a well and fill it up with dirty water.

  ASHA

  My dad showed me this movie about how people burn bodies near the Ganges River.

  DEE looks back at CHRIS. CHRIS gives DEE a mockingly disapproving nod, indicating her large backpack.

  TERESA

  Well yeah! And you're complaining about filling in forms? (to DEE) DEE!

  DEE

  (DEE is called to attention.) Yup.

  TERESA

  What are you— Who are you looking at?

  TERESA looks behind her and sees CHRIS looking their way.

  What the fuck?

  CHRIS returns his attention to ANNA.

  DEE

  Don't look.

  TERESA

  Why was he looking here? Like, we don't even exist to him. He's always going around with that Anna girl. What's his name again?

  DEE

  Chris.

  TERESA

  Yeah, yeah. Wasn't he suspended for smoking in the parking lot?

  ASHA

  Smoking pot in the parking lot.

  TERESA

  Ridiculous. He's been with so many girlfriends. But him and ANNA are always on and off.

  ASHA

  Lisa said she saw Chris during chemistry class touching ANNA underneath her skirt.

  TERESA

  They do more than that. I can tell.

  DEE

  How?

  TERESA

  Look at her kilt pin. It's turned down. Like a slut. Who would want to show the world she's lost it, anyway?

  DEE

  Maybe she just put it downwards by accident.

  TERESA

  No way. Look at her. I can see her underwear under her kilt, it's so short! And I bet she wants it that way.

  ASHA

  I dunno. Maybe they're in love.

  TERESA

  There's love and there's lust, ASHA. That's lust.

  ASHA

  I was watching this movie on tv about this guy who had sex with his teacher.

  TERESA

  Gross! Can you imagine doing it with Mr. Dykstra?

  ASHA

  Or Mr. Rawlins! Ewww!

  TERESA

  (to DEE) You don't think he's cute, do you? You're like staring right at him.

  DEE

  No. He's with Anna.

  ASHA

  Do you think he has a big… you know.

  TERESA

  Dick?

  The girls giggle.

  ASHA

  TERESA!

  TERESA

  Well, let's see. Maybe I should use my Penis Radar.

  DEE

  Your what?

  TERESA

  I can tell by looking at a guy how long his schlong is.

  ASHA

  You're not talking about that "length of his hands" thing are you? Cuz I saw this thing on tv that proved that theory was wrong.

  TERESA

  It's not that. I have a special ability.

  ASHA

  Yeah right.

  Pause.

  How does his look?

  TERESA

  Hmmm. I think his is… oh God.

  DEE

  What?

  ASHA

  Oh my God! This is so embarrassing.

  Pause.

  What does it look like?

  TERESA

  Well it's… ummm. Not too pink, not too purple. It's above average, for sure. But not too long.

  ASHA

  I don't even know how average looks like.

  TERESA

  And it's thick, not too thick but pretty thick. And there's a vein. Maybe a couple of veins, when it's hard, running along the side, up to the top of it.

  Silence has spread among them; all three girls looking directly at CHRIS, full of thought.

  Lights change.

  ASHA

  It'll be a field of sunflowers. He'll have his driver's licence and he'll drive me out to the field at sunset. Playing on the car radio would be "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. He'll take me to the thick of it all and slow dance with me. Just like in the movies, we'll sink slowly downwards, kissing. I don't know how they do that without falling, but it will happen. Just like that. It'll be warm enough that we can be naked on the grass, holding each other until night falls.

  TERESA

  We'll be sharing a bottle of wine. Talking about something intelligent. Like gays in the military. Or gays in politics. Something that requires a heated debate. And we'll be laughing but serious about our views until he'll kiss me. Just like in the movies, I'll stop him, just so that I can breathe. Then I'll kiss him hard, like I'm in control. Like I can't resist it. And we'll giggle with each other, naked in his apartment, talking and talking.

  DEE

  He'll stroke my hair for hours. Fingers along my scalp until we find our bodies moving towards each other. The taste of smoke on his breath.

  Lights up on CHRIS.

  CHRIS

  You don't mind, do you?

  DEE

  We'll move from touching to breathing to listening to each other's heartbeats. (to CHRIS) This is okay, right?

  CHRIS

  What we did is like a promise. That's why it's okay.

  DEE

  A promise. Warm, warm, warm. Just like in the movies, interlocked and intertwined. A perfect fit.

  Scene 7

  Lights change. A ttc bus stop. CHRIS stands and shouts to DEE from across the stage.

  CHRIS

  Hey!

  DEE

  Hi.

  CHRIS

  What were you talking about?

  DEE

  What?

  CHRIS

  What were you and your friends talking about?

  DEE

  Nothing.

  CHRIS

  You were looking right at ANNA and me. What were you talking about?

  DEE

  We weren't looking at ANNA we were looking at—

  CHRIS

  At me?

  DEE

  No.

  CHRIS

  Okay.

  A TTC bus drives up.

  DEE

  This is my bus. Bye.

  CHRIS

  This is my bus too.

  DEE

  This is your bus too?

  CHRIS

  Yeah. So?

  They get on the crowded bus.

  DEE

  I've never seen you.

  CHRIS

  I always sit in the back.

  BUS DRIVER

  Kingston Road!

  DEE

  Oh. Where's ANNA?

  CHRIS

  She's sick.

  DEE

  Oh.

  DEE places her hand on the bus pole at the same time CHRIS does. She takes her hands away.

  Th
ese poles are so gross. I try not to hold on.

  The bus gets more crowded. She is forced to move closer to CHRIS. The bus moves and jolts around. She has to balance without holding onto the pole.

  CHRIS

  Hang on.

  BUS DRIVER

  Lawrence Avenue!

  More people get on. CHRIS and DEE get closer. They are inches away from each other's faces.

  DEE

  I don't have to hold on.

  CHRIS

  Grab the pole. You're gonna fall.

  DEE

  I won't.

  CHRIS

  Suit yourself.

  DEE

  I used to be in gymnastics—

  The bus comes to an immediate stop, making DEE face plant into CHRIS's chest. Her nose begins to bleed.

  Shit!

  CHRIS

  Are you okay?

  DEE

  Your shirt!

  CHRIS

  Are you okay?

  DEE

  My nose!

  BUS DRIVER

  Ling Road!

  CHRIS

  Let's get off.

  DEE

  But why?

  CHRIS grabs DEE's arm and they push through the crowded bus and get off.

  This isn't my stop.

  CHRIS

  But this is mine. I can get you some ice at my house.

  Pause.

  DEE

  You live just here and you take the bus?

  CHRIS

  Yeah. So? Are you an expert now?

  DEE

  An expert in what?

  CHRIS

  An expert in where I live.

  DEE

  No.

  Pause.

  CHRIS

  Wanna be?

  DEE

  What?

  CHRIS

  I mean, walk with me.

  DEE

  I should go.

  CHRIS

  Just come over. You look like you've gotten into some kind of car crash or something. I'll clean you up.

  He hands her a T-shirt from his bag.

  Just use this to hold your nose.

  DEE

  Are you sure?

  CHRIS

  No… are you sure? That's my gym shirt. (He laughs.) When my dad returns from his shift at the grocery store I can get the car and drive you home.

  DEE

  He works?

  CHRIS

  Yeah. Why?

  DEE

  Nothing.

  CHRIS

  What?

  DEE

  Forget it.

  CHRIS

  What?

  Pause.

  DEE

  I thought… Why did Anna make fun of your dad?

  CHRIS

  Who doesn't?

  DEE

  Is there something wrong with him?

  CHRIS

  He's slow.

  DEE