An Almost Perfect Thing Read online

  GREG

  You know who I am?

  CHLOE

  I read your stuff. You're okay. A little boring sometimes.

  GREG

  Uh, right… Uh… look, I know you're probably getting a lot of requests for—

  CHLOE

  Can I have some of your Slurpee?

  GREG

  …Sure.

  He hands it to her. She takes a very, very long sip.

  CHLOE

  You shouldn't drink this, you know. It's bad for your teeth.

  GREG

  Yeah… right. So—

  CHLOE

  I've seen you in here before. I recognized you from the paper. You didn't recognize me. I was in my disguise. Scarf, sunglasses. It's stupid. They make me do it.

  GREG

  Where's your disguise now?

  CHLOE

  Do you live around here?

  GREG

  No.

  CHLOE

  But I do, right? Lots of people want to talk to me.

  GREG

  I know.

  CHLOE

  Why should I?

  Beat. She stares at him.

  I have to go. He's getting impatient.

  GREG

  Your—

  CHLOE

  —bodyguard. Thanks for the Slurpee. Nice to finally meet you.

  CHLOE exits.

  GREG

  (to the audience) I get in my car. Don't think. Just write. What have I got to lose?

  I dedicate this column to you, Miracle Girl. I'll try not to make it too boring. It's a random meeting on a random night. It's hot, muggy, suffocating almost. I run inside a store to grab a drink. Cue left. You enter. We chat about gum. You say you read my column, so I know you're reading this. You've piqued my interest, Miracle Girl. And after talking to you, it's not just your story that's got me hooked.

  Lights on CHLOE with the paper. To the audience.

  CHLOE

  It's you.

  GREG

  Six years ago, I poured my heart into your story, into your life.

  CHLOE

  I never gave up hope.

  GREG

  I don't claim to understand why you won't work with the police. It's none of my business. But because I care, because I feel invested in your story—

  CHLOE

  Here's a word of warning:

  GREG

  We don't need names or locations. But if you don't give us details—

  CHLOE

  —we will fill in the blanks.

  GREG

  We will make up your story for you.

  CHLOE

  True or not.

  GREG

  Claim your story, Miracle Girl. Take control. I'll be here when you're ready. And just for the record—

  CHLOE

  Cinnamon is better than spearmint.

  GREG

  In my opinion anyway.

  SCENE TWELVE

  Shift. GREG's condo. CHLOE enters.

  CHLOE

  I only have fourteen minutes.

  GREG

  No lawyer, social worker… dad?

  CHLOE

  I'm eighteen. Legally an adult. You want to write an article about me.

  GREG

  A book, actually.

  CHLOE

  What? Why a book? No—

  GREG

  You're way too interesting for just an article. Your story is too interesting. If you're thinking about money, a book will be much—

  CHLOE

  I don't care about money. I like articles. In the newspaper.

  GREG

  I'll go more in depth in a book. It's more what you want for your story—

  CHLOE

  How would you know what I want?

  Beat. She walks around the room.

  I like your apartment.

  GREG

  Condo. Thanks.

  CHLOE

  I like the way you can see over the whole city. The people. Buildings. Must make you feel safe.

  GREG

  Removed, actually… Nice view though.

  CHLOE

  Why should I pick you? Your column is on page seven.

  GREG

  You already like my work. I can give you references, a resumé, whatever you want.

  CHLOE

  Interview me. Show me what it'd be like.

  GREG

  …Okay. Well… first, I'd make sure you're comfortable. Can I get you anything? Bottled water, Diet Coke, Perrier—

  CHLOE

  I eat and drink at scheduled times, thank you.

  GREG

  Okay. Then I'd turn on my tape recorder—

  CHLOE

  That's cheating. What next?

  GREG

  Uh… I'd ask you a question that would allow you to talk freely, for as long as you want.

  CHLOE

  Okay. Ask me.

  GREG

  Now?… Put us in your shoes. What's a day like right now in the life of Chloe Evans?

  CHLOE

  What else?

  GREG

  What's the best part of being free? What's the hardest part? Do you see a tutor? How often? What's the pressure like from the police? How come you weren't wearing your disguise in the 7-Eleven—

  CHLOE

  Okay—

  GREG

  What does it feel like to be labelled a victim?

  CHLOE

  I said okay. My turn. How do you know I was somewhere interesting? That I'm not a runaway?

  GREG

  I'm a writer. I trust my gut.

  CHLOE

  How can you write it without names or locations?

  GREG

  Those are just details.

  CHLOE

  Why did you look at me like that in the 7-Eleven? Before you knew who I was.

  GREG

  …I don't… I didn't… look at you—

  CHLOE

  You forget to breathe. When you get nervous. I have it too. You're how I imagined. I wanted to meet at your house because someone's home says a lot about them.

  Beat.

  My bodyguard is going to be here in a few minutes so—

  GREG

  Okay. What about—

  CHLOE

  I want to be in the paper. I want a whole bunch of articles. Like you did the first time. Six years ago. It was in once a week. I liked that.

  GREG

  You read it?

  CHLOE

  It was very good. You talked to my dad, my friends. It was like I could hear them. Like they were there with me.

  GREG

  Wow. That's… thanks—

  CHLOE

  You got some of your facts wrong though. It wasn't perfect.

  GREG

  Right.

  Beat.

  Okay. A series. We meet once or twice a week for a month and then we go to print.

  CHLOE

  No way. I don't want to wait that long. Like you said, if I don't tell them now, they'll fill in the blanks. It'll be too late, right? We'll meet for… eight weeks. Do the interviews at the beginning of the week, and it comes out on the weekend.

  GREG

  That's not how it works for a series like that. We do all of the interviews and then—

  CHLOE

  Not this time. Now what about the rules? We both set them. A rule for a rule. Me first. You can't trick me into telling you who it is.

  GREG

  You can't give your story to anyone else.

  CHLOE

  I have to
be able to trust you.

  GREG

  Same here.

  CHLOE

  And you have to stick to my schedule.

  GREG

  Fair enough. Do you want to talk money now, contracts—

  CHLOE

  I don't do contracts.

  GREG

  But—

  CHLOE

  I'll be back Monday at noon. The first article can go out on Saturday.

  GREG

  I'll have to talk to my editor but—

  CHLOE

  I liked how you called me Miracle Girl. I like how it feels in my mouth. Chloe Evans. Miracle Girl. See ya Monday.

  SCENE THIRTEEN

  Shift. To the audience.

  GREG

  And so it begins.

  CHLOE

  I get what I want.

  MATHEW

  I go to the library every day now. To watch over her.

  GREG

  My editors are worried about the legalities of it. They talk to their lawyers. The police are actually happy—

  MATHEW

  Her dad doesn't even walk her home anymore. I watch her walk home all alone.

  GREG

  We all assume there's a dangerous person on the loose. But no one can get mad at her for not giving up that person because she's probably a victim of unimaginable trauma. So now everyone's going to be looking at me.

  MATHEW

  She just seems so sad. So lonely.

  GREG

  My editor: "Don't fuck this up, Greg." My colleagues: "Who'd you sleep with to get that?" The people: "Greg who?" Everyone thinks I'm going to screw up.

  CHLOE

  Everyone thinks I'm going to slip up.

  MATHEW

  I spend hours—

  GREG

  Researching.

  MATHEW

  Planning.

  CHLOE

  Deciding.

  GREG

  Past cases. Stockholm syndrome. Victims of violence. Sexual abuse. I have to do her story justice. I have to do her justice.

  MATHEW

  I'll take such good care of her. Teach her everything I know. Give her the proper meals, books, lessons.

  CHLOE

  I'm excited.

  MATHEW

  Nervous.

  GREG

  So nervous. It isn't right. A series shouldn't be published as you go.

  MATHEW

  Because anything could go wrong.

  GREG

  I don't get to plan it out. She could just quit and then—

  MATHEW

  But I feel like I have a duty to her.

  GREG

  To help her.

  MATHEW

  To save her.

  GREG

  And if this is what she wants then—

  CHLOE

  Miracle Girl Speaks.

  GREG

  The first article comes out. I write about what it feels like to be back in the world. How she spends her days. What she thinks of her social workers, her tutors.

  MATHEW

  Her dad—

  CHLOE

  I won't talk about my dad. Ever.

  MATHEW

  I'm teaching him a lesson.

  GREG

  We run a big picture to go with it. People react instantly. They feel—

  CHLOE

  I feel—

  GREG

  Compassion

  MATHEW

  Motivated.

  CHLOE

  Powerful.

  GREG

  Like I have purpose.

  MATHEW

  For the first time in a long time.

  GREG

  For the first time in a long time.

  SCENE FOURTEEN

  Shift. GREG's condo.

  GREG

  I tried to call you. We really should meet in my office.

  CHLOE

  I like it here. Everyone liked the article.

  GREG

  People are impressed by you.

  CHLOE

  People are dumb. What did they think? I'd come back some idiot?

  GREG

  They're just surprised that—

  CHLOE

  Well they shouldn't be.

  GREG

  Right. Do you want anything? You comfortable? Today's a big day. The first day we get into your story. You ready for that?

  CHLOE

  You seem nervous.

  GREG

  Why don't we just dive in? I'd like to start with you telling me about the last day you were seen.

  CHLOE

  Can't. Could lead you to who it is.

  GREG

  So you do admit that you were taken.

  CHLOE

  Duh.

  GREG

  Had you ever seen or spoken to this person before?

  CHLOE

  Never said that.

  GREG

  So you didn't know them?

  CHLOE

  Never said that.

  GREG

  Okay… Take a minute and try to figure out a way to tell me about that day without any incriminating evidence. You can describe if he put you in a car, if he wanted to show you something in his house. I'm not saying that's what it was, but those kinds of details will help paint a picture of—

  CHLOE

  How do you know it's a he?

  GREG

  That's just an example. You can write it out first if that's easier. Make some notes. I'll wait.

  CHLOE

  I don't want to write it out. That's why I have you. My turn. You get to ask questions, I get to ask questions. You want me to feel comfortable, don't you?

  GREG

  Of course but—

  CHLOE

  Then I need to get to know you. My turn—

  GREG

  But you haven't answered my question yet.

  CHLOE

  Yes, I did. I said I can't tell you. That's my answer. My turn. You live alone.

  GREG

  Yes. Now—

  CHLOE

  That wasn't a question. That was a statement. This is a question. Did you always want to be a journalist?

  GREG

  No. Were you in Toronto?

  CHLOE

  That's not what you say. And now you broke the rule so you lose a question. My turn. What did you want to be? You have to tell me or you lose another question.

  GREG

  I used to write fiction. Short stories mostly.

  CHLOE

  Why don't you anymore?

  GREG

  Haven't felt inspired to, I guess.

  CHLOE

  That's sad. Why did you decide to become a journalist instead of a fiction writer?

  GREG

  I don't know. Instant gratification?

  CHLOE

  What does that mean?

  GREG

  Nothing. My turn. The day you were taken, did you have to go far away or were you in the city?

  CHLOE

  Can't tell you. My turn.

  GREG

  What can you tell me?

  CHLOE

  Figure it out. My turn. Do you like that people read your work? Follow you? Wait every day just to hear what you have to say?

  GREG

  I'm not sure that they're waiting to hear what I have to say.

  CHLOE

  They are now. Did you like being on the front page last week?

  GREG

  Sure… yeah. I guess… I don't know. My turn. You don't need
to tell me where you were or how you got there. But I want you to describe your first day, or your first memory. What happened. What was said to you. Okay?

  Beat.

  You're going to have to answer something.

  CHLOE

  I will. Just let me think…

  Beat.

  I have an idea. Why don't you write this like a fiction book? Since you're a real writer, you know how. Not many people know how. You'll get to be really descriptive. Like it's one of your short stories.

  GREG

  Chloe—

  CHLOE

  Close your eyes.

  He doesn't.

  It starts in darkness. That means you have to close your eyes to get it right.

  The lights go out. For the rest of the scene CHLOE alternates between speaking to GREG and MATHEW. She can be physically in the scene with MATHEW, but speaking to GREG. When CHLOE is with MATHEW, GREG does not see what we see.

  It's so dark when you wake up that you stick your hand in front of your face and you can't even see it. You try to make out shapes but there's just nothing. Nothing. But you're okay. You just have to stay real calm—

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

  HELP ME! SOMEBODY! HELP ME! DAD! HELP ME! HELP ME! SOMEBODY! HELP ME! PLEASE! Dear God, please help me. Please help me, God, please— Help me, please, please, help me, help me, please—

  GREG

  And so what's happening?

  CHLOE

  (to GREG) Nothing. I stay completely calm. I breathe and count. That's what you have to do when you don't want to panic. My dad taught me that. Breathe and count.

  GREG

  Okay so—

  CHLOE

  HELP ME! PLEASE! HELP ME! SOMEBODY! HELP—

  GREG

  You're breathing and counting and then what happens—

  The sound of two deadbolts and a key.

  CHLOE

  (to GREG) The lights come on.

  MATHEW enters. He and CHLOE stare at each other.

  GREG

  How'd they come on? Was there someone in the room with you?

  CHLOE

  (to GREG) No. They were controlled from outside the room.

  GREG

  And you're alone?

  CHLOE

  (staring at MATHEW, speaking to GREG) Completely alone.

  GREG

  Describe what you were feeling. Hurt? Hungry? You must have been terrified—

  CHLOE

  (to GREG) I was mad. I was never terrified.

  GREG

  Even if you were mad, I'm sure you were still—

  CHLOE

  (to GREG) I said I wasn't!

  (to MATHEW) Please don't hurt me. Please. Please. Please don't hurt me.

  MATHEW

  I'm not going to.

  MATHEW moves towards her; she flinches, moves away.

  CHLOE