An Almost Perfect Thing (5 page)

GREG

How?

CHLOE

Be nice. Ask questions. Lots of questions.

GREG

Why was it important that he talk?

CHLOE

Helped me get in his head. Figure out how to control him. I'd never escape if I didn't know how to get what I wanted.

GREG

And it probably kept him happy, right?

CHLOE

I never said that.

GREG

Or at least helped with the loneliness. I imagine that if you went for weeks without—

CHLOE

I never said that.

GREG

Then how did you deal with the loneliness?

CHLOE

How do you deal with it?

GREG

I'm not lonely.

CHLOE

'Cause you're so busy? 'Cause you go to lots of parties? What's it like when you're at a party? What does it look like, smell like, taste like? Big buildings, bright lights, red carpets… Sometimes I wanted something, anything, to happen so bad it felt like my bones were gonna push right through my skin. So I'd pretend. That I was at a party downtown. Dancing. Having fun.

GREG

So—

CHLOE

What does it feel like when you're there? What does your body feel like? On fire. Right? Tell me.

GREG

Chloe—

CHLOE

I thought when I got out I was gonna be on fire. I bet there are celebrities at your parties. You're my favourite celebrity.

GREG

I'm not a celebrity.

CHLOE

Sure you are. Now, anyway. Now that you're on the front page.

Beat.

GREG

The days when he was down there with you, were his moods stable or unpredictable?

CHLOE

Why does it have to be all about him? Why can't it be about me?

GREG

It is about you. Did you get into arguments? Did he punish you? Withhold food, that kind of thing?

CHLOE

I'm done talking about him.

GREG

Well, I'm not.

CHLOE

You do know that there are reporters parked outside my house, right?

GREG

I don't care. Talk to me about how he treated you.

CHLOE

It's easy. He didn't control me. I controlled him. That's all people have to know.

GREG

Fine. How did you control him?

CHLOE

I found his weakness. Find someone's weakness and you control them.

GREG

And what was his weakness?

Beat.

CHLOE

He needed me.

Beat.

GREG

I don't think I'm going to put anything in this week.

CHLOE

What? You have to.

GREG

Something doesn't feel right. If we're finally revealing the person, him— how he talked to you, interacted with you—then we want lots of details. We want to make it good. And since you're done talking about him already—

CHLOE

I'll talk about him.

GREG

I also need the truth. If I don't give that to people then I'm not doing my job.

CHLOE

I'm telling the truth.

GREG

Your truth.

CHLOE

I'm telling my story. Like you told me to do.

Beat.

I'll give you details. I want it to go in this week. We had a deal. You can't just change it.

I like them in every week. I want them every week.

GREG

Well I'm sorry but—

CHLOE

You promised. I can't… I had… I had it planned out. I want it to go in this week. You can't change things like that!

GREG

Yes, I can. I control when it goes in.

CHLOE

no!

GREG

Chloe—

CHLOE

I WANT IT TO GO IN THIS WEEK! IT HAS TO! IT HAS TO! iIT HAS TO! IT HAS TO! I HATE YOU! Five… four… three…

GREG

Answer my questions and I'll put the article in.

CHLOE

Every time we meet I give you whatever you want. It's not fair! What do I get?

GREG

What do you mean, "What do you get?" What else do you want?

CHLOE

I… I… I want to go out. I can feel my bones pushing through my skin again. I want to go out.

GREG

Okay—

CHLOE

Will you take me out?

GREG

Will you give me details?

CHLOE

Will you take me—

GREG

Only if you give me details.

CHLOE

What do you want to know?

GREG

Was he violent?

CHLOE

Where are we gonna go out?

GREG

Was he violent?

CHLOE

Yes.

GREG

We'll go to a party. A big gala dinner. Beautiful people, good music.

CHLOE

Dancing?

GREG

So much dancing. How often was he violent?

The sound of the deadbolts.

CHLOE

Once.

GREG

Just once?

MATHEW enters CHLOE's room.

CHLOE

Once is all you get.

The door slams behind him.

GREG

Go back there. In your mind. Can you see your room? What does it feel like, smell like, taste like? Tell me everything.

CHLOE

Are you gonna have fun? At the party. You're not just gonna pretend? You're actually gonna have fun with me?

GREG

I'm going to have so much fun with you. Now what happened that one time?

SCENE TWENTY

Shift. CHLOE's room in MATHEW's house.

CHLOE

You wanna hear the new story I wrote? It's a good one. Or I could tell you the joke I remembered. Are you gonna eat with me tonight?

MATHEW

You're nervous.

CHLOE

No, I'm not.

MATHEW

I bought you something. I'll give it to you tonight. Do you want to know what it is?

CHLOE

Sure.

MATHEW

A radio. An expensive one.

CHLOE

…Thanks.

MATHEW

I thought you'd be happy.

CHLOE

I am. It's just…

MATHEW

What?

CHLOE

Today's my last day. Remember? So, I'll listen to the radio tonight. All night. That's awesome. Sorry. Good. Great. But, then I go home tomorrow. I've been keeping track. It's tomorrow that you let me go. My dad will have totally learned his lesson. And I was thinking that I could, like, come visit sometimes. I'll bring Buster. So you can finally meet him. I'm gonna walk him like four hours every day. You could walk him with me. We could—

MATHEW

Why would you want to go?

CHLOE

I need to go to school.

MATHEW

You have books.

CHLOE

I need the sun. I'll get sick—

MATHEW

When you're good enough, I'll take you upstairs.

CHLOE

I need to see my friends.

MATHEW

Your friends forgot about you. They didn't even like you anyway. They were just scared of you. That's why they were nice to you.

CHLOE

No—

MATHEW

You got in fights. You told me that. You were a bully. They're glad you're gone.

CHLOE

No—

MATHEW

And your dad's not even looking for you anymore. He's finally happy. He doesn't have to worry about you. Doesn't have to pay for you. You're expensive and annoying. You always need things—

CHLOE

Then why would you want to keep me? If I'm so—

MATHEW

I have no choice. I'll get in trouble. I can't give you back now.

CHLOE

No. I'll never tell anyone. Never ever ever. I swear to God. Cross my heart and hope to die. I won't tell, Mathew, I won't—

MATHEW

And that. Mathew. You never call me Dad. That was one of my rules and you never do it. I told myself I'd keep you until you learn to love me like a dad. So it's your own fault.

CHLOE

I'll call you Dad. Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad —

MATHEW

Stop it.

CHLOE

Please let me go, Dad. Please let me go. Please let me go, Dad. Please let me go, please, Dad—

MATHEW

Stop saying that. You don't mean it!

CHLOE

Please let me go. Please, please—

MATHEW

Stop it!

CHLOE

Mathew, you have to.

MATHEW

I can't—

CHLOE

You promised! Why'd you tell me that?

MATHEW

I don't know. I don't know. I just… I need you. I need you with me.

CHLOE

I've been so nice to you. You have to let me go. You have to let me go. You can't do this.

MATHEW

You're my everything—

CHLOE

You have to let me go—

He starts to leave.

No. No no no. You are not going up there without me. You have to let me go you have to let me go you have to let me go.

MATHEW

I can't!

He moves to exit.

CHLOE

I HATE YOU!

He turns around.

Look what I did. Do you need me now? Look at what a disgusting dirty pig I am.

MATHEW

What—

CHLOE

I peed my pants. I'm disgusting and dirty. Just like you hate. You don't want someone who is this disgusting and dirty and gross—

MATHEW

You stupid kid—

CHLOE

You don't want someone this gross. You'll have to get rid of me. I'm too gross for you to keep!

She physically starts begging him, clinging to him.

You have to get rid of me now!

MATHEW

Don't touch me!

CHLOE

I'm a disgusting dirty pig and you have to get rid of me!

MATHEW

Get off of me!

CHLOE

Look how disgusting I am! I'm so disgusting that you have to get rid of me! YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF ME! YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF ME NOW!YOU HAVE TO GET RID
OF ME
!

MATHEW

Stop it!

He shoves her and moves to exit.

CHLOE

No wonder your mum killed herself! That's how bad she wanted to get away from you.

MATHEW

Shut up—

CHLOE

Blue face. Rope around her neck. Right where you'd find her.

MATHEW

Shut up—

CHLOE

She wanted you to find her because you made her do it. You were so crazy that she couldn't live anymore.

MATHEW

Shut up—

CHLOE

You made her do it. You made her do it! You made her do it!

MATHEW

SHUT UP!

To audience.

GREG

He grabbed her tiny, twelve-year-old shoulders. He lifted her up.

And he threw her as hard as he could.

He picked her up again.

And he punched her with all of his frustration.

Over and over and over.

He picked her up again.

And shook her with all of his anger.

He looked into her eyes.

Her nose was bleeding.

She was crying and crying.

She wouldn't look at him.

She wouldn't look at him.

So he picked her up and threw her one last time.

As hard as he could.

And he started to cry.

He kept crying. And crying.

CHLOE and MATHEW's crying gets louder and louder and louder. Silence.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

ACT TWO

SCENE ONE

To the audience.

MATHEW

The paper.

GREG

The article.

CHLOE

The violence.

MATHEW

We had another fight.

GREG

Threw her as hard as he could.

CHLOE

Punched her with all of his frustration.

GREG

Over and over.

MATHEW

I haven't said a word to her in weeks.

CHLOE

It's 4:45 a.m. I hear it hit my porch.

GREG

Turn on my computer.

CHLOE

Listen to the sound of my dad's breathing.

MATHEW

Wave to Margret walking her golden retriever. Put my quarter into the blue box and reach inside.

They all inhale.

CHLOE

Look at it.

GREG

Click on it.

MATHEW

The paper.

GREG

This is the one.

CHLOE

That gives them what they want.

GREG

Details, specifics.

CHLOE

A victim.

GREG

Makes them take me seriously.

MATHEW

It's her favourite thing. For weeks I've kept it from her.

GREG

I read it.

CHLOE

Even though I don't want to. I know what it says.

GREG

Threw her as hard as he could.

CHLOE

Punched her with all of his frustration.

GREG

Over and over.

MATHEW

Again and again. We go through this. Every couple months it seems. She makes me angry. I stop talking to her and take away something she loves. She needs it.

GREG

They need it.

CHLOE

He needs it.

GREG

The truth.

CHLOE

Control.

MATHEW

Discipline. And now I'll give it back to her. Along with an even bigger surprise. Because she's been good—

GREG

Because she let me do my job—

MATHEW

Because I feel guilty—

CHLOE

Because I gave him what he needs—

MATHEW

Because she looks sick… I'm taking her upstairs.

GREG

To a party. A gala.

CHLOE

It's all I can think about. Everything else: Punching. Bleeding. Screaming. I push it out of my mind. Because I'm getting out.

SCENE TWO

Shift. The beginning of the scene takes place in both GREG's condo and CHLOE's room in MATHEW's house. CHLOE enters.

GREG

You're early. I was going to pick you up.

CHLOE

I have to get ready here. I can't have my dad see me all dressed up. He'll freak out. I have a dress, is that okay?

GREG

Perfect.

To audience. They all inhale.

CHLOE

I stand in front of the mirror.

GREG

I stand—

MATHEW

Outside the door.

CHLOE

And get ready for my very first night out. It has to be perfect.

MATHEW

I'm nervous.

GREG

Awkward.

MATHEW

Standing there. Outside her door.

GREG

Her. Here. Changing her clothes.

MATHEW

She's waiting. For me. I can't mess up anything.

GREG

This has to go well.

(to CHLOE)
Ready?

For the rest of the scene MATHEW and GREG's lines are to CHLOE and her lines can be said to either or both GREG and MATHEW (unless it is indicated that she is speaking directly to one of them). Sections in which the characters are talking to the audience are indicated.

MATHEW

I'm coming in.

GREG

You look—

MATHEW

Nice.

GREG

Wow.

CHLOE

It's a special occasion. I want it to be perfect. Ready?

GREG

Wait. First—

MATHEW

There are rules.

GREG

Don't accept a drink from anyone.

MATHEW

Stay away from the doors and windows. If you do anything that makes me nervous. Anything at all—

CHLOE

I won't. I swear.

GREG

People will want to talk to you. They'll be all over you but just—

MATHEW

Stick close to me. Always. No sudden movements.

GREG

Don't disappear.

MATHEW

I have my dad's gun upstairs. It's easy to get.

GREG

Tell me where you're going at all times.

MATHEW

I don't want anything to happen to you. So just be good.

GREG

Be cool.

CHLOE

'Kay.

GREG

I trust you.

MATHEW

So I'm not going to tie your hands or gag you.

CHLOE

Thanks.

(to audience)
He's nervous. I can tell 'cause there's sweat on his forehead. Which usually is like so gross. But not today. And I can tell 'cause he does this thing over and over—

MATHEW and GREG both massage the back of their necks.

I breathe deeply. Without realizing it, he starts to breathe deeply. That's how I calm him down.

MATHEW

Ready?

GREG

This is it.

To audience.

CHLOE

He leads me—

GREG

Inside.

MATHEW

Upstairs.

CHLOE

And then... After so long—

MATHEW

Months and months and months and months.

GREG

Years and years and years.

Shift. They all inhale.

CHLOE

Legs weak. Butterflies in my stomach. Giddy. Head light. Mouth dry. Can't swallow. Lump in my throat.

She holds on to both men as she walks in the room.

MATHEW

The kitchen.

GREG

The ballroom.

CHLOE

The light—

MATHEW

Shines just a bit through the curtains.

GREG

Flashes from the cameras.

CHLOE

Burns my eyes. Feels so good on my face. Warm. Warm on my cheeks. I feel it. Feel every second. Down to my bones. In my blood. My feet. My hands. My hair. Suck in the moment. Freeze it in my mind. Bite my cheeks. Dig my fingernails into my hands. Don't let him see you cry. Don't let him know how bad you wanted this. How bad you want this. To be out. Like a person. Just a person.

MATHEW grabs her hand.

MATHEW

(to CHLOE)
Get away from the window; I don't want anyone to see you.

GREG pulls her away from MATHEW.

GREG

(to CHLOE)
Go through the door; I want everyone to see you.

To audience.

CHLOE

We walk through the room. Beautiful.

MATHEW

She looks around.

GREG

At everything. The people.

MATHEW

The ornaments.

GREG

The art on the walls.

CHLOE

Perfect.

MATHEW

The big picture of a full moon shining on a snow-covered field.

GREG

The candles on the table. The flowers.

MATHEW

The photos everywhere.

(to CHLOE)
Do you like it here?

GREG

(to CHLOE)
Having fun yet?

CHLOE

Yeah. It's… awesome. Sorry. Wonderful. Amazing.

MATHEW

I haven't changed anything from when I was a kid. Except that table. I made it myself.

GREG

Chloe, I'd like you to meet my colleague.

MATHEW

This is my mum. Before she was married.

GREG

One of my good buddies.

MATHEW

My best friend.

GREG/MAT

Used to be anyway.

She goes towards MATHEW.

CHLOE

(to MATHEW)
She's really pretty. Mathew.

Beat.

I'd like to see more pictures of her.

MATHEW

(to audience)
The way she said my name…

GREG

Chloe. They're about to serve dinner. Table number eleven.

GREG puts his hand on her back.

CHLOE

(to audience)
The way he put his hand on my back…

GREG

(imitating co-worker)
"Hey, Greggy. What're you drinking? I'm buying."

(to audience)
The way they're talking to me…

CHLOE

It feels—

MATHEW

—different.

GREG

Very different.

They inhale.

CHLOE

We eat dinner.

MATHEW

(to CHLOE)
When I was five we went—

GREG

(to colleagues)
It's because of the Conservatives. Obviously.

CHLOE

I try to keep up. Eyes wide, head tilted, smile not too big, not too small.

GREG

She says nothing.

MATHEW

Almost nothing. I don't know why.

CHLOE

I'm smarter. I can see through what's being said. What's true, what's a lie. What's said to impress, what's said to defend.

GREG

After dinner—

CHLOE

(to GREG/MATHEW)
Where's the washroom?

MATHEW

I stand outside the door.

GREG

Wait for her. To make sure nothing happens.

MATHEW

Because nothing can happen.

GREG

People keep coming up to me.

(imitating public)
"What is she like? What's it like working with her? We're hooked on your articles! We love your writing!"

MATHEW

What if life could be like this—

GREG

—all the time. People falling all over themselves—

MATHEW

Her willing to do anything—

GREG

—just to talk to me.

MATHEW

Be with me. Up here.

CHLOE

(to GREG/MATHEW)
Thanks for waiting.

(to audience)
We go back to the main room. I can't stop staring at him. In this room. Surrounded by—

GREG

Colleagues.

MATHEW

Memories.

CHLOE

And he won't stop—

MATHEW

Telling stories.

GREG

Jokes.

CHLOE

Trying to impress—

MATHEW

Her.

GREG

Everyone around me.

CHLOE

He makes me kind of sad.

GREG

(to CHLOE)
Can you believe what he said at dinner?

CHLOE

None of it's real.

MATHEW

(to CHLOE)
And this one I got from my mum when I was ten.

CHLOE

He's alone. Totally alone. I can see it in his shoulders. In the way he—

GREG and MATHEW wipe sweat off their foreheads in the same way.

—so you won't notice the sweat on his forehead.

GREG and MATHEW both massage their necks.

No real friends. No family. No one. Except me.

MATHEW

(to CHLOE)
Dance with me.

MATHEW takes her arm.

GREG

(to CHLOE)
Dance with me.

GREG pulls her away.

CHLOE

What? No. I don't know how.

GREG/MAT

I'll teach you.

CHLOE

No. Mathew—

MATHEW

(to audience)
She said my name again. Like that.

GREG

It'll be fun.

He puts his hand on her back.

CHLOE

(to audience)
He put his hand on my back again. Like that.

GREG

(to audience)
Everyone's staring at us again. Like that.

(to CHLOE)
Come on, all you wanted to do was go dancing.

GREG/MAT

Please?

Both men have their hands out. She first looks at MATHEW and then grabs GREG's hand.

MATHEW

Now the lady puts her left arm on the man's shoulder.

She puts her left arm on GREG's shoulder.

And her right arm holds his hand.

CHLOE

Like this?

GREG/MAT

Perfect.

MATHEW

And then my left leg goes forward—

GREG

And your right goes back.

CHLOE

Am I doing okay?

MATHEW

You're a natural.

GREG

You're… very good.

MATHEW takes CHLOE from GREG.

MATHEW

You know how I got so good at dancing? On Saturdays, when my dad was gone, my mum used to put a dress on and lipstick and earrings and she'd turn on the radio and whip me around and say, "Dance with me, Mathew. Dance with me like you love me."

GREG takes her.

GREG

Where did you learn to dance like this?

CHLOE

I didn't. I don't know—

GREG

You're very good.

Beat.

How often did you go upstairs? When you were with him.

CHLOE

What? Are we working now?

GREG

Of course not. This is off the record. We're just talking. Like friends.

CHLOE

Friends.

Beat.

I made him take me. The first time it was a trick. I hid my food and so—

GREG

He didn't search your room?

CHLOE

He believed in privacy.

GREG

Didn't you get hungry?

CHLOE

It's just mind control. But you can't stop your body from showing it. So I looked sick. And that freaked him out. He thought I needed sun.

GREG

Was he still violent then?

CHLOE

No. I didn't let it happen.

GREG

How did you stop it?

MATHEW takes her from GREG.

MATHEW

This is nice of me, hey? Letting you upstairs. I'm pretty nice.

CHLOE

Totally.

MATHEW

You know how you dropped your fork at dinner? If I did that when I was your age, my dad would have screamed in my face. But I didn't get mad at you, did I? And when you put your elbow on the table? My dad would have thrown you across the room. But I'm not like that.

CHLOE

Were you scared of him?

MATHEW

I didn't have to be. I was an expert on knowing when the storm was coming. Mum called it my superpower. The second he walked in I'd sniff him out. Within three seconds—