the park bench

t w e n t y e i g h t

t w e n t y e i g h t

lark: i think i'm going to tell you about why i've got a job at 19 years old without parents around.

joanne: oh? [scoots closer]

lark: my mother and father love each other so much, like, so, so much. my father, he's a christian, he didn't... he wouldn't accept me. my mother was fine with it, but he kicked me out and my mother was blinded by love and didn't defend me.

joanne: and you ran away?

lark: he expected me to come back a few days later or something, but when i did return, it was a month and a half later, i stayed with a friend, and he was overjoyed to see me. by then, my brother and his fiancée had come home to look for me, so they were happy as well. my father allowed me to stay at home as long as i didn't date anyone before i graduated.

lark: [takes a deep breath] i fucked up. i got annoyed at him for still not accepting me so every week i'd go to a party or a club and get picked up by some girls. he knew. of course he did, he just didn't say anything. mother didn't say much either. one night, i seduced my brother's fiancée and we were, um, making out and my mother caught us. that was the first time she ever hit me. she slapped me across the face. twice actually.

joanne: larky... [allows lark to rest head in her neck]

lark: so i pushed her away and she fell into the fridge, an empty fruit basket fell off the fridge and landed on her head. by then, i was fucking angry, drunk and terrified, so i grabbed whatever money i could get, a bunch of clothes and more god damn alcohol and ran off to here. they're looking for me. i know it.

joanne: i... [puts arm around sobbing lark] lark, they'll forgive you for running. they'll forgive you for everything eventually and you'll forgive them.

lark: thank you.

joanne: no problemo. you okay now?

lark: [laughs through tears] yepo, no problemo here-o.

joanne: you're a nerd. i like you. can i, um, can i... you know what? screw it. [leans]

lark:

joanne:

lark:

joanne: i...

lark: i'm sorry. that was lovely, i gotta go.