What Do You Want Me To Say?

 

(Tracy and Jeff are sitting on a couch, watching TV)

Tracy: Wow, I’m really hungry.

Jeff: Okay, what do you want to eat?

Tracy: (sigh) I don’t know. I don’t feel like cooking.

Jeff: Yeah, well, you know me and cooking.

Tracy: You’ve never really tried.

Jeff: You don’t want me to try.

Tracy: Well could you?  It would be really sweet if you cooked for me. I wouldn’t even mind if it was bad, but it’s the thought that counts.

Jeff: You’re the better cook, like the last time you made dinner for us? That was a good recipe, why don’t you do that one again?

Tracy: I don’t have the ingredients for that, I had to go out and get them. But we might have something you could throw together if you wanted to…

Jeff: Let’s just order take-out, okay?

Tracy: (sighs) Alright, fine. What are you in the mood for?

Jeff: No idea.

Tracy: Well I chose last time, so do you think you could?

Jeff: Could what?

Tracy: Choose where we get food from? You never really like my first decisions…

Jeff: That’s not true.

Tracy: Well, whatever. Can you just choose? I can go for anything right now.

Jeff: I don’t care babe, it’s whatever you want.

Tracy: Okay, how about I get some of the take-out menus we have and you can take a look?

Jeff: Okay, whatever. (Tracy gets up, walking to kitchen, and comes back with menus)

Tracy: Here you go. (she sits)

Jeff: Okay. (Jeff takes them, puts them on his lap, and continues watching TV)

Tracy: Aren’t you going to look at them?

Jeff: During the commercial.

Tracy: (silence. Tracy sighs and looks at the TV) There, it’s a commercial.

Jeff: Alright fine, I’ll look. (glances through the menus briefly) I don’t know, you choose.

Tracy: But I asked you too.

Jeff: Well I can’t decide!

Tracy: (sighs) Okay fine. (looks through the menus) How about this one? We haven’t ordered from here in awhile.

Jeff: (looks) No.

Tracy: (pause) What do you mean, ‘no’?

Jeff: I’m not in the mood for pizza.

Tracy: It’s not just pizza, see? There’s pasta… subs…

Jeff: The other stuff sucks.

Tracy: (pause) Fine. What about Chinese then? That’s what you wanted last week…

Jeff: But do you really want Chinese again?

Tracy: I’m really hungry, so whatever. What do you want?

Jeff: I don’t care.

Tracy: Well obviously you do!

Jeff: I told you, it’s whatever you want.

Tracy: Maybe I want pizza.

Jeff: But I don’t feel like having pizza.

Tracy: Then why don’t you make a choice about what to get? I just want to eat something.

Jeff: But what do you want?

Tracy: Okay, I want pizza.

Jeff: Anything else?

Tracy: Food?

Jeff: Well make a choice then.

Tracy: I did, but you didn’t want it. You always do this Jeff, that’s why I asked you to choose.

Jeff: Why?

Tracy: Because I knew you’d argue against whatever I said…

Jeff: I am not arguing…

Tracy: Yes you are! Are you even listening to yourself?

Jeff: Look I’m just saying that I don’t feel like having pizza…

Tracy: Then don’t. I will. (picks up phone and menu, starts dialing)

Jeff: Then what about me?

Tracy: (stops dialing) Well are you hungry?

Jeff: I could eat.

Tracy: (puts phone down) Then what do you want?

Jeff: I don’t care.

Tracy: But you do!

Jeff: No I don’t!

Tracy: Then why won’t you just have some pizza if you ‘don’t care’?

Jeff: Okay then, anything BUT pizza.

Tracy: Well I asked about Chinese…

Jeff: And I said we had it last week.

Tracy: So then why don’t you make another suggestion?

Jeff: God damn woman, I don’t care!

Tracy: (pause) Excuse me?

Jeff: What?

Tracy: I’ve asked you before not to call me ‘woman’.

Jeff: Whatever…

Tracy: No, not whatever. I asked you not to call me ‘woman’, ever.

Jeff: Okay, fine!

Tracy: Don’t yell at me—

Jeff: I’m not yelling!

Tracy: FINE! (silence) I’m sorry.

Jeff: That’s okay, babe.

Tracy: (Tracy glares at Jeff) Isn’t there something you want to say too?

Jeff: Like what?

Tracy: You’re not going to apologize?

Jeff: For what?

Tracy: For what? For… snapping at me? For… calling me something I’ve deliberately asked you not to in the past? I apologized for making you yell… and for yelling back… so you might as well apologize for doing something I’ve specifically asked you not to do because it bothers me. (silence) Well!?

Jeff: Well what do you want me to say?

Tracy: (Tracy rises, stuttering)It… it… it shouldn’t be about what… what… what I WANT you to say, but it’s about what you… what YOU want to say, or… or… or… SHOULD want to say!

Jeff: Whatever.

Tracy: Don’t… don’t whatever me! Please!

Jeff: Fine! I’m sorry.

Tracy: Oh THAT sure seemed real.

Jeff: (softer) I’m sorry, babe. Really.

Tracy: (pause) Fine. (she sits)

Jeff: (silence) So… have we made a decision for food?

Tracy: Well I have, have you?

Jeff: I told you, it’s whatever you want.

Tracy: Jeff…

Jeff: What?

Tracy: Let’s not do this again.

Jeff: Do what again?

Tracy: (sighs) Never mind. I’ll just raid the cabinets and find something. (starts walking towards kitchen)

Jeff: Can you make me something too?

Tracy: Okay… I suppose… what do you want?

Jeff: Whatever you’re making.

Tracy: Alright then, how does Mac and Cheese sound?

Jeff: Eh…

Tracy: What?

Jeff: It’s not what I had in mind.

Tracy: (pause, stares at him) I can’t believe you…

Jeff: What?

Tracy: What? What do you… what do you mean, ‘what’? Do you even listen to yourself when you talk anymore?

Jeff: Babe, what are you---

Tracy: Don’t ‘babe’ me. Can you make any decisions for yourself without starting an argument? I mean… my God… you’re… you’re being impossible right now! You… you… you… you can’t even accept the choices I make… like… ever… without starting something…

Jeff: Tracy, I don’t need a lecture…

Tracy: I’m NOT lecturing! I’m just saying…

Jeff: I don’t want to hear it.

Tracy: Excuse me?

Jeff: (standing) I. Don’t. Want. To. Hear. It.

Tracy: Fine. Whatever.  Maybe you should just go then.

Jeff: Don’t be like that…

Tracy: Like What? You’re being too difficult for me to handle right now.

Jeff: I’m the one being difficult?

Tracy: Yes, YOU’RE the one being difficult! I ask you to do one, just ONE simple thing---

Jeff: Hey—!

Tracy: And… and you can’t even seem to do THAT even—

Jeff: You didn’t---

Tracy: And no matter WHAT I suggest---

Jeff: Hey!

Tracy: WHAT!?

Jeff: (walks up to her, puts is hands on her shoulders) You didn’t tell me how important it was to you that I choose where to get food from.

Tracy: (shakes him off) It’s not that important, Jeff. And even if it was, I shouldn’t HAVE to tell you that it’s important! All I asked was for a simple thing, and that was just for you to just choose where we get food from!

Jeff: Yes, and I told you that you should choose! You’re the one that’s hungry.

Tracy: First of all, I asked you first. Second of all, I did make a choice, and you turned it down!

Jeff: Whatever. (sits back down, watching TV)

Tracy: Don’t you dare just get back to watching TV! This is something we need to talk about, Jeff. How many times have we done this? Argued about where to get food? It’s not that big of a deal where we get food, and yet we always get into heated discussions about it. I’m sick of it. It goes the same way every time! I make a suggestion, you turn it down, and we can’t decide something until much later and one of us ends up just giving in… and it’s usually me. So for once, can you be the one to settle? (pause) Can you handle me ordering pizza to eat? (pause) God, Jeff, are you even listening to me?

Jeff: (snapping, turning to her) For Christ’s sake, Tracy, yes! (Tracy stares at Jeff, then faces away, crossing her arms and biting her lip. Jeff notices this) Babe… I… I’m sorry babe.

Tracy: (quietly) Don’t, Jeff. Don’t.

Jeff: But— (stands)

Tracy: No. I’m done.

Jeff: Done what?

Tracy: (slowly) I’m… I’m just… I’m done.

Jeff: What do you mean?

Tracy: (shakes head, starts walking away) Don’t play dumb, Jeff.

Jeff: (chasing after her) I’m not playing dumb! What are you talking about?

Tracy: (stops, glares at him) Just… just… just THINK for a second!

Jeff: Well I don’t know what you mean by ‘done’, but I do sort of know why you’re upset…

Tracy: So then if you ‘sort of’ know why I’m upset, Jeff, what are you going to do about it? As a boyfriend of three years, what are you going to do to make me feel better? (silence) Well?

Jeff: What do you want me to say, Tracy?

Tracy: Oh my GOD, Jeff! Don’t you get it? It’s not about ME, or… or… or… what I WANT you to say! All I care about is what YOU should want to say! THAT’S what I want you to say!

Jeff: Well then what can I say?

Tracy: “Sorry” is a good start.

Jeff: I already f*****g apologized!

Tracy: Do you REALLY think that just one apology is good enough?

Jeff: It should be! I mean, you love me right? (pause) Right?

Tracy: (mocking) Well, what do you want me to say?

Jeff: Just say you love me!

 Tracy: That’s not an easy ting to say at the moment when I’m not feeling it.

Jeff: You’re not feeling it?

Tracy: No.

Jeff: You’re not ‘feeling’ in love with me after three years?

Tracy: It’s not like I said that I don’t love you, I just said that you’re not making it easy…

Jeff: How am I not making it easy to love me?

Tracy: Why do you think, Jeff?

Jeff: Why?

Tracy: You’re being difficult!

Jeff: Oh aren’t you brilliant? If something’s not easy it WOULD be difficult, Tracy! Welcome to real life!  Okay, so humor me.  HOW am I making things difficult?

Tracy: Have… have you even been LISTENING to yourself?

Jeff: Yes, I have, and I DON’T see what the big deal is…

Tracy: All I asked you to do was just one thing…

Jeff: I told you, I already apologized!

Tracy: No, not that Jeff.

Jeff: Then what?

Tracy: Think.

Jeff: Tracy, don’t make me do this…

Tracy: (interrupting) Do what, Jeff? Think? You don’t want me to make you THINK?

Jeff: Then what the f**k did I do!?

Tracy: (pause. slowly) This whole thing started because of one thing. All I asked was that you make one decision…

Jeff: Are you kidding me?

(both of these lines over lap)

Tracy: And that decision was just to choose where to get food from

Jeff: Tracy… listen… you’ve got to be kidding me!

Jeff: (overlapping stops) Are you serious? You’re mad because I didn’t want to choose where to order food from?

Tracy: It’s NOT about the food Jeff…

Jeff: Then what?

Tracy: It’s about the fact that you completely disregarded my one request! Honestly, why would I get f*****g mad because of food?

Jeff: Well I don’t know because you seem to be getting f*****g mad because of food!

Tracy: Do I seem like the type of person who would get mad because of something as stupid as food? We’ve been dating for three f*****g years, Jeff! Do you really think that I’m mad because of the f*****g food? (silence) Well?

Jeff: (slowly) What do you want me to say, Tracy?

Tracy: (points to the door) Get out.

Jeff: (in disbelief) What?

Tracy: I’ve already told you, I shouldn’t have to tell you what to say… so get out.

Jeff:  Are you serious? (Tracy doesn’t move or respond at all to this) Fine… whatever… (he gets up, taking the keys out of his pocket) I’ll go. (he starts heading for door)

Tracy: Good.

Jeff: (stops walking, turns to her) Can we talk about this?

Tracy: We’ve had three years to talk, Jeff. If it hasn’t changed by now, it’s not going to. And this time, I’m not putting up with it. I want you gone.

Jeff: (silence) So that’s it then? (silence) Alright… bye Tracy.

Tracy: (quietly) Bye. (Jeff  exits without looking back. Tracy sighs shakily) Bye.(Tracy paces for a bit, then she picks up her phone, dials, listens, and then tries to keep her composure through the phone conversation) Hey Lynn, what’s up? Listen… um… I’m really… really hungry right now, and I could go for pizza. Are you up for it? (pause) No… no… I’m… I’m not… no Jeff had to go… I’ll tell you about it later… no really Lynn, it’s okay… I’m fine.  So are you… are you in the mood for pizza? (pause) Awesome, can you pick me up soon? (pause) Five minutes? Thanks Lynn, you’re amazing… no I swear, I’m fine. I’ll talk to you when you get here, okay? Bye. (hangs up phone, sits, sighs and starts tapping her foot. Tracy starts sobbing softly as the lights fade out)

Reviews

[Colleen C Dunphy]

Very intersting, thank you for sharing.