ONE-ACT PLAY

                                                                      TAINTED LOVE 

                                                                      CHARACTERS

                                                                             -  MAN

                                                                             -  BOY

                                                                             -  GIRL

                                                                            SETTING

                                                                     -  A BARE STAGE

                A MAN. A chair. Laughter. Silence. More laughter.

MAN: File. Open. Innocence.

                Lights shift. A BOY and GIRL appear. Laughter.]         

GIRL: You're so funny!

BOY: Looking, you mean!

GIRL: Yes! Funnyface!

                She touches him. They freeze. Uncertainly. She lets her hand drop. Laughter.]

BOY: Why are laughing?

GIRL: Why do you think?

BOY: It's not funny.

GIRL: What isn't?

BOY: That.

              He touches her. Silence.

GIRL: You didn't like it?

BOY: No, I did.

GIRL: Me too.

               Pause. Laughter.

BOY: You're laughing again.

GIRL: I can't help it.

BOY: Are you pulling my leg or something?

GIRL: No.

BOY: You are.

GIRL: I'm not.

              She kisses him.

See. Not pulling.

                Silence

BOY: Good

MAN: FILE. STOP. REPLAY.

                 Lights flicker.

BOY: You're laughing again.

GIRL: I can't help it.

BOY: Are you pulling my leg or something?

GIRL: No

BOY: You are 

GIRL: I'm not 

                   She kisses him.

See. Not pulling.

                    Silence

BOY: Good

MAN: FILE.CLOSE .

                    Lights shift. He reveals in the memory.

Hah! Those days! Those glorious days! Such hope! Anything was possible! Anything!

                    He laughs.

File. Open. Happiness.

                    Lights shift. BOY and GIRL.

GIRL: It's perfect.

BOY: You like?

GIRL: It's....amazing.

BOY: Yup

GIRL: Our own house

BOY: Uh-huh

GIRL: Our home. Well have children here. In this place.

BOY: Children. Yeah . Maybe. Lots of sex. For sure.

GIRL: You're bad.

BOY: You make me bad.

                   He kisses her. Pause

GIRL: Are you sure this is what you want?

BOY: Pretty sure. Yeah. I'll put down a deposit.

GIRL: No. I mean this. Us. Marriage.

                    Pause

This is what you want?

BOY: Yes 

GIRL: Good 

BOY: I want you 

Girl: Want?

BOY: Need. I need you. I do

MAN: Love! Love! The word is love!

                       The BOY and GIRL kiss

GIRL: I need you too

MAN: File. close

                        Lights shift. He dances wildly around the room.

One little hiccup! Otherwise brilliant! Brilliant! Those days! Not everyone has such days! It's something special some people never experience!

                        He dances. Laugh. Sings. Stop. Silence.

File. Open. Disillusionment.

                        Lights shift. BOY and GIRL.

BOY: I Punched him in the face! That's what!

GIRL: You hit him?

BOY: Yes! Right in the nose! Blood everywhere! All over his shirt!

GIRL: Oh my God! Are you okay?

BOY: Yeah! Im fine. He went to the hospital!

GIRL:The hospital?

BOY: Yup! He'll think twice before he opens his mouth like that again!

GIRL: You shouldn't have done that .

BOY: Why not?

GIRL: Because. It was stupid .

BOY: I was defending you !

GIRL: You weren't defending me.

BOY: I was!

GIRL: From what?

BOY: From him! What he said!

GIRL: No. You were mad. Your feelings were hurt.You threw a temper tantrum.

BOY: I couldn't just walk away - could I?!

GIRL: Why not?

BOY: People would have believed him!

GIRL: So?

BOY: So! It isn't tue!

                        Silence]

Is it?

GIRL: Yup 

BOY: All of it?

GIRL: Everything 

                        Pause]

BOY: Oh

                         Pause]

I.....I thought...

                         Pause]

I mean....

                          Silenced]

You must think I'm really stupid 

MAN: Yes! Stupid! Naive!

GIRL: I dont think that 

MAN: She did! She knew!

BOY: Why him?

MAN: Stupid boy!

GIRL: I dont know. I was a teenager.It just happened.

BOY: You didnt pick him out of the crowd?

GIRL: No. He picked me.

                           Pause]

BOY: Did he rape you?

GIRL:What! No! Why would you think that?!

BOY: I dont know 

GIRL: You'd be happier if that were true!Wouldn't you?! You'd rather have something awful happen than accept the fact that i used to like another guy!

BOY: You really believe that? That i could wish that? It isn't true. I didn't. I don't.

GIRL: It's none of your business what I did with him.

BOY: What did you do? What exactly?

GIRL: I'm not going to give you a play by play.It's none of your business.

BOY: I think it is.It is my business

GIRL:I knew this would happen.That's why I didn't tell you.

BOY: You've been intentionally hiding this? Keeping it from me?

GIRL: You're being really childish 

BOY: What else have you been hiding?

GIRL:Oh c'mon 

BOY: I'm serious.What else?

GIRL: I didn't always know you.Okay?

BOY:So you just took whatever came along?

GIRL:Yeah. I made do

BOY: And you don't think I have a right to know the details?

GIRL:It's none of your business what I did before I met you!

                         Pause

BOY: No. It's not.Not anymore

GIRL: What's that supposed to mean?

BOY: I don't know. I have no idea. I'm just talking.Saying words

GIRL: Are you breaking up with me?

BOY: Maybe. Why not?

GIRL: Over him?

BOY: I can't believe you slept with someone else!

GIRL: Before i met you !

BOY: Somoene else!

GIRL: Before I even knew you existed!

                        The BOY cries. Pause.]

Hey.Hey.Come here.It's okay 

                           She holds him]

It's no big deal. Just the past. There's no going back. It's over.

                            Pause]

BOY: I thought I was the only one

GIRL: You are. The only one I ever loved

BOY: Why couldn't you have just waited?

GIRL: Because. I didn't know you were coming.

                            Silenced]

MAN.FILE. STOP. REPLAY.

                            LIGHTS FLICKER.]

BOY: I thought I was the only one

GIRL: You are. The only one I ever loved 

BOY: Why couldn't you have waited?

GIRL: Because.I didn't know you were coming

                            SILENCED]

MAN. CLOSE. FILE

                            LIGHT SHIFT. HE BROODS. SILENCED]

One little thing!

                            HE THRASHES ABOUT WILDLY.KICKS AT HIS CHAIR]

One blemish! One impurity!

                            HE PICKS UP THE CHAIR AND SMASHES IT INTO THE GROUND]

Its still a diamond !

                            SMASH]

Not a rock to be thrown away!

                            SMASH]

A clod of dirt! to be stepped on!

                            HE HESITATES. STARES AT THE MANGLED CHAIR IN HIS HANDS.]

So stupid. A waste.

                            PAUSE.]

I wasn't innocent myself.

                            HE DROPS THE CHAIR.]

Not completely.

                          SILENCE. HE STANDS MOTIONLESS.]

File. Open. Regret.

                            LIGTHS SHIFT. BOY AND GIRL.]

BOY: We're about to get married!

GIRL: SO?

BOY: I have a rigth to know!

GIRL: I thought we were past this.

BOY: Well, we're not!

GIRL: Then why did you propose?

BOY: Becuse! I love you!

GIRL: If you really loved me, you'd forget about all this. You'd accept me for who I am. You'd loved me for it.

BOY: That's not who you are.

GIRL: Who I used to be. My past. It's just baggage. I slept with a few boys.

BOY: A few?

GIRL: Yes. A few. So what?

BOY: How many?

GIRL: It doesn't matter.

BOY: Not just him? 

GIRL: No. Not just him.

            SILENCE]

BOY: How am I supposed to walk around town? How am I supposed to look people in the eyes? in the grocery store. At the gas station. Every guys I see, I'll wonder if he's seen you. Been with you. I'll picture you in bed with every stranger. touching them. Pleasing them. Letting them defile you.

GIRL: Why would you do that? Think something like that?

BOY: I can't help it.

GIRL: What's wrong with you?

BOY: How many?

GIRL: Stop.

BOY: How many have you fucked?

GIRL: Don't say that word.

BOY: Fucked!

GIRL: It isn't like you.

BOY: You don't know me! Okay?! You obviously don't know me! I mean, this whole thing is just an illusion! There's nothing real here! It's melting away!

GIRL: This is so stupid. 

MAN: Stupid! Yes!

GIRL: I can't believe you thought I was a virgin.

MAN: Idiot!

GIRL: I never said that.

MAN: Never! Not once! She didn't say!

BOY: No. I just thought.

GIRL: You were wrong.

BOY: Yeah. I was wrong.

            SHE TOUCHES HIM.]

Don't touch me.

            PAUSE.]

GIRL: So ... I'm not good enough for you now?

            PAUSE.]

I'm tainted or something? Is that it?

            PAUSE.] 

I'm not a good girl anymore?

            SILENCE.]

MAN: File. Close. 

            LIGTHS SHIFT. HE BROODS.]

File. Open. Reply.

            LIGTHS SHIFT. BOY AND GIRL.]

BOY: I was wrong. 

            SHE TOUCHES HIM.]

Don't touch me.

            PAUSE.]

GIRL: So ... I'm not good enough for you now?

            PAUSE.]

I'm tainted or something? Is that it?

            PAUSE

      

I'm not a good girl anymore?

              SILENCED

MAN:To the BOY.]Say something! Say something!

               SILENCED.THE MAN BROODS.]

FILE.STOP

               THE BOY AND GIRL. FREEZE. THE MAN APPROACHES. HE STROKES THE GIRL'S FACE

I was tainted. Not her.

                PAUSE

It was me.

                SILENCED.HE TURNS AWAYS 

FILE. CLOSE

                 LIGHTS FLICKER 

No. wait.

                THE BOY AND GIRL REMAIN FROZEN

FILE

                PAUSE

FILE.DELETE

                LIGHTS FADE ON THE BOY AND GIRL....THEN THE MAN.

                                    ...........................................................................