Fragments of His Being | ✓

ACT I - SCENE VIII

ACT I

SCENE VIII

[Setting: A little off from the basketball court at evening. QUINN and his friends had just finished a game, and were heading back home together.]

QUINN: (Spots CODY in the bushes.)

QUINN: (To his friends.) You guy can leave, I'll go home by myself.

KARL: Why? Is something wrong?

QUINN: (Shakes his head.) No, just leave.

KARL: (Sighs before jogging to meet up with the other boys that had already started leaving.)

QUINN: (Looks over at the bushes where he could see CODY'S dark hair stand out from the green ash of leaves.) You can come out now.

Silence.

QUINN: Is something wrong?

Silence.

QUINN: (Sighs before heading over to the bush.)

QUINN: (Pushes the bush aside before his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of CODY.)

[CODY's face was red from what seemed to be tears. His eyes were puffy, and he had a bruise forming on the side of his left cheek.]

QUINN: (Makes to kneel beside him.) What happened to you?

CODY: (Tries to cover his cheek before shaking his head.) Nothing.

QUINN: Don't lie to me, come on.

[QUINN's voice was soft — sweet, and the mere sound of it seemed to send CODY into a fit of sobs.]

QUINN: (Stares at CODY, unsure of what to do.)

[QUINN eventually sits beside the boy, pulling him down a bit so that CODY rested his head on his shoulder. He didn't say anything again — he didn't want to hear the throaty cries that sounded like the boy was about to die. Eventually, CODY stopped crying, and the atmosphere seemed to be drenched in uncomfortable silence.]

CODY: I'm sorry...

QUINN: For what?

CODY: (Shrugs.) I don't know, for crying?

QUINN: There's nothing to be sorry about.

Silence.

CODY: I got into a fight with my brother.

QUINN: I see.

CODY: (Feels the bruise on his cheek with his fingers.) This is why I don't like staying at home. If I get within a foot of him he'll swing his arms until he hits me.

QUINN: (Eyes widen in shock.) What, why?

CODY: (Shrugs.) He doesn't like me, is all. Sibling rivalry and all that bollocks. (Laughs in a small voice.)

QUINN: (Frowns.) You expect me to believe that?

CODY: (Shrugs.) No, not really.

QUINN: He's bullying you—

CODY: Everyone bullies me. It's not new.

Silence.

QUINN: Do your parents know?

CODY: (Sighs.) Yeah, my mum knows, and she really doesn't care. He'll probably hit her too.

QUINN: (Sighs.)

[Dysfunctional families were common around the neighborhood, and kids just seemed to learn how to work around it. CODY's case wasn't special in the least.]

CODY: You can leave. It's getting dark. (Rubs eyes with the back of his hand.)

QUINN: What about you? You're not going home, are you?

CODY: (Stays silent.)

QUINN: (Sighs) You can come stay in mine for a bit, then maybe you can sneak back into your place early in the morning. Does that sound good?

CODY: (Stays silent.)

QUINN: Is that a yes or a no?

CODY: (With a croaked voice.) It's a yes.

QUINN: (Smiles a bit before getting up and helping CODY up as well) We'll get the swelling down, and I can warm up some soup my mom made yesterday.)

CODY: (Nods.) Yeah.

CODY and QUINN walk away from the stage.

Curtains fall.