by Alissa King

Created on: August 09, 2009   Last Updated: August 18, 2009

"The Worst Tuesday"

Characters:

ANDREA- A woman anywhere from mid-twenties to mid-thirties. Angular, soft-spoken, but with a certain punctuation in word and gesture that gives the impression she pokes her point across, as if not expecting anyone to accept it.

JOEL- A gruff, mild-mannered fellow in his early forties, blue-collar worker, thoughtful. He works with his hands, and is attracted to the contrasts in Andrea, but though well-meaning he is is often unnerved by displays of intense emotion.

Setting: A small, one room cottage with a large picture window facing out at over a gravel drive and pine trees.

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

Andrea: (standing at the window) It feels good to me when it rains. Like I don't have to be more than I really am.

Joel: (lying half-dressed, propped on pillows in their cottage room.) It's a relief, you mean?

Andrea: A relief to the senses.

Joel: Honey, are you okay? You seem sorta depressed these last few days. Like something's eating you and you're not telling me about it.

Andrea: (she looks over at him, recognizing that he sees her behavior as a reflection of her feelings for him) Of course not.

Joel: (trying again) Because it's sort of weird how you seem happy when all the wrong things happen, and you just want to be alone all the time. We had plans to go out on the boat today, and now you're happy cus it's raining.

Andrea: This is what I'm like, Joel. That's the problem. You think I'm depressed cus you think I'm someone else, some happy-go-lucky girl, but this is the real me.

Joel: No, I think you're supposed to be someone else and you don't feel like trying.

(she turns to face him, her expression angry)

Andrea: Well that is a hell of a thing to say...

Joel: I just mean-

Andrea: I'm not trying? Who the hell do you think you are?

Joel: The man who loves you.

(she takes this in, and appears visually to reject it)

Andrea: Nope. No. That's not fair. You don't get to change everything with that phrase. It seems to me- (she gestures at the storm cloud window) you really don't care for who I am when I'm not acting all giddy and cheerful.

Joel: (with a helpless expression) Well hell, honey, I mean. What man wants his girl to be unhappy? Who wants to see someone curl up in a ball and bless the rain cus it keeps her from showing her pretty face?

Andrea: My face is no part of this discussion.

Joel: Your face is beautiful.

Andrea: Thank you. And that's incredibly irrelevant.

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