The Lovers

 

FADE IN:

INT: JACK’S DORM ROOM

 

We see Jack and Maggie lying on Jack’s bed. They are facing each other, and holding hands. Their eyes are closed, and they look as if they are sleeping.

 

MAGGIE

So, where’s your better half?

 

JACK

Um... she... uh-

 

MAGGIE

No, stupid, you’re roommate.

 

JACK

(bashful)

Oh. Adam? I don’t know actually. I mean, he’s usually here on the weekends, but yesterday he left pretty quickly. It was a little weird. He forgot his keys too, which was even weirder.

 

MAGGIE

Oooooh, so that’s why the door’s propped open with a rock?

 

JACK

Yea, in case he comes back. (>>>)

JACK (CONT)

I was actually surprised that you didn’t ask about that last night.

 

MAGGIE

Well, I’ve learned that it just really best not to ask questions when it comes to you.

 

JACK

That a girl.

      (a beat)

Wait -

 

He opens his eyes.

 

JACK (CONT)

(curiously)

You consider him my better half?

 

MAGGIE

Yea- I mean, why wouldn’t I? You spend so much time together. You’re always together.

 

JACK

Maybe. I wouldn’t consider him my better half though. I wouldn’t consider him my anything half.

 

MAGGIE

Why not?

 

Maggie opens her eyes.

 

JACK

Well, I don’t really like him that much. He’s kind of a tool.

 

MAGGIE

(giggles)

But you hang out with him so much.

 

JACK

Because I have to. It’s really just out of convenience.

 

MAGGIE

So, you’re friends, out of convenience?

 

JACK

Yea. I mean, we tolerate each other because we have to. We’ll occasionally joke around, but I wouldn’t say we’re the best of friends. I would barely call us friends.

 

MAGGIE

What would you call your relationship?

 

JACK

      (thinking)

Um... “Friends out of convenience,” I guess, like you said. I don’t know... You’ll understand what I mean when you go to college.

 

MAGGIE

No, I understand.

 

She settles back in and closes her eyes.

 

MAGGIE (CONT)

It’s kind of like that boy you flirt with in school to get his notes.

 

JACK

No.

 

MAGGIE

No?

 

JACK

No. That’s using someone.

 

MAGGIE

Well, if you’re “friends out of convenience,” aren’t you using each other?

 

JACK

I guess, but both of us can benefit from the relationship. That kid you flirt with doesn’t get anything?

 

MAGGIE

Yes, he does. He gets the satisfaction of having the prettiest girl in school flirt with him.

 

JACK

(a beat)

You are such a c**t.

 

Maggie smiles.

 

JACK (CONT)

And what do you need notes from him for anyway? You get straight As.

 

MAGGIE

Well, I didn’t say that I do it. I’m just saying that I understand your situation through that scenario.

 

JACK

 (a beat)

You’re still a c**t.

 

 

MAGGIE

      (smiling)

I know.

 

Jack then settles back, and closes his eyes. Maggie inhales deeply, hold it in for a second, and exhales.

 

MAGGIE  

You know what I love about you?

 

JACK

That I can call you a ‘c**t’ and get away with it.

 

MAGGIE

(giggles)

No.

 

JACK

My boyish good looks?

 

MAGGIE

(laughs)

No, silly. It’s your smell.

 

JACK

My what?

 

MAGGIE

Yea, the way you smell. It’s really nice.

 

She smells in between his shoulder and his neck.

 

JACK

What do I smell like?

 

MAGGIE

I don’t know. It’s just, like... good.

 

JACK

Nothing specific?

 

MAGGIE

I don’t know.

 

She smells him again.

 

MAGGIE (CONT)

I guess it’s like a bit of detergent with a bunch of something else I can’t quite put my finger on. But it’s very nice.

 

She goes back to her spot, gets comfortable, and shuts her eyes.

 

JACK

Does it remind you of anything?

 

MAGGIE

Um...

(thinks.)

No, not really. It’s just, like... you, I guess. Like sometimes when I go home after hanging out with you, I always smell like you. 

 

JACK

Do you smell like me, or do you smell me?

 

MAGGIE

A bit of both. Like, I’ll go home and brush my teeth, and all of a sudden I smell you. And then I smell my shirt, and my shirt smells like you. But then when I change into my pjs-

 

JACK

      (patronizingly)

Those Sesame Street ones?

 

MAGGIE

      (a beat; embarrassed)

... Yes... But when I’m in my bed, I can still smell you.

 

JACK

So a bit of both?

 

MAGGIE

Yeah.

 

JACK

I can smell you too, after we’re together.

 

MAGGIE

      (surprised)

Really?

           

JACK

Yea. Sometimes.

           

MAGGIE

Really?

 

JACK

Yea.

 

MAGGIE

(condescendingly)

Aww. That’s so cute. Do you absolutely love it?

 

Long Pause.

 

MAGGIE

Jack?

 

She opens her eyes and pulls back from him.

     

MAGGIE

      (flatly)

Jack?

 

Pause. Jack smirks.

 

MAGGIE

JACK!?

 

She starts hitting Jack about the face and side.

 

JACK

(fending her off; laughing)

What?

 

MAGGIE

(still hitting him)

I asked you a heart-warming question, you dick.

 

JACK

(still fending her off)

Hey, stop it – stop it. Mag, stop.

 

Maggie stops hitting him and angrily turns around to lie so that she’s facing away from him.

 

MAGGIE

Ughh!- Why do I hang out with you?

 

Jack cuddles up behind her.

 

JACK

      (cutesy)

Because you love me.

 

MAGGIE

Not anymore I don’t.

 

He kisses her on the cheek.

 

JACK

Liar.

 

MAGGIE

You know, there are hundreds of guys that would love to be in your situation right now.

 

JACK

So you’ve told me.

 

MAGGIE

So many guys that would do anything I tell them to do at the drop of a hat.

 

JACK

Apparently.

 

MAGGIE

      (listing)
I’ve gone shoping with other guys’ money–

 

JACK

That’d never happen.

 

MAGGIE (CONT)

Had them pick up my dry cleaning-

 

JACK

That definitely wouldn’t happen.

 

MAGGIE

Guys fall head over heels for me all the time. 

 

JACK

(humoring her)

Of course, they do.

 

MAGGIE

Some of them are even better looking than you.

 

JACK

I’m sure they are.

 

MAGGIE

I’m pretty damn it!

 

JACK

(still humoring her)

Mmhmm.

 

MAGGIE

But I keep coming back to you.

 

JACK

Yes, you do.

 

MAGGIE

You...

 

JACK

I...?

 

MAGGIE

      (snarls)

You’re an a*****e.

 

JACK

We are both terrible, terrible people.

 

 

MAGGIE

And yet, here I am.

 

JACK

Here you are.

 

MAGGIE

You...

 

JACK

Me...

 

MAGGIE

(scoffs)

I don’t know.

 

JACK

You know why you’re here?

 

She rolls over and faces him.

 

MAGGIE

Why?

 

JACK

It’s because I don’t do that stuff, that I don’t take you’re bullshit- like taking you out for ice cream when you call me at two in the morning-

 

MAGGIE

When have I done that?

 

JACK

Two weeks ago.

 

MAGGIE

(thinks)

That didn’t happen.

 

JACK

Yes, it did- But the point is I don’t do that for you, and deep down, you really like that. You like hearing, “No!” every once in a while. 

 

MAGGIE

Pshh. Says you.

 

JACK

I mean, you have these hundreds of guys pining after: nice guys, good looking guys, probably rich guys, because let’s face it you don’t go for the poor ones.

 

MAGGIE

That is true.

 

 

JACK

Like I said: ‘terrible people.’

 

Maggie smiles.

 

JACK (CONT)

But you have all these guys, and yet you keep coming back to me. You don’t care about those guys; you think of them as your errand boys, they’re disposable. I won’t do any of that stuff though, so you don’t think of me as a servant, so you like me – you love me. I

(making a circle with his fingers; sarcastically)

complete you. Those guys are so worried about getting dumped by you that you’ve got them wrapped around your finger. Me, though, I know you won’t, so you let me do whatever I want.

 

MAGGIE

Like what?

 

JACK

I have called you a c**t so many times, that I’ve honestly stopped counting. I’m surprised you let me get away with it in the first place.

 

MAGGIE

I like to think of it as your little pet name for me.

 

JACK

See, a normal girl wouldn’t let me get away with that.

 

MAGGIE

(jokingly defensive)

Oh so, now I’m not normal?

 

JACK

God, no. You’re insane.

 

MAGGIE

Well, I am here.

 

JACK

Yea. But, I like that you’re a little nutso. I dig it.

 

She kisses Jack on the forehead and shuts her eyes.

 

MAGGIE

You better.

 

Jack looks at her for a second longer.

 

 

JACK

I like the way you smell.

 

MAGGIE

I know.

 

Jack smiles and shuts his eyes.

 

JACK

Smell is the strongest sense linked to attraction you know.

 

MAGGIE

That makes sense.

 

JACK

Really?

 

Maggie opens her eyes.

 

MAGGIE

Yea, it makes perfect sense. Like I was saying before when I go home and I smell you even after I take off the clothes that smell like you, the smell kind of takes over all the air in my room and-

 

JACK

(interrupts her)

That’s a lot of air; especially with that gymnasium you call a bedroom.

 

MAGGIE

You know, it’s really hard to be sincere when you’re making jokes.

 

JACK

Sorry. Go on.

 

MAGGIE

Anyway, your smell kind of takes over all of the air, and it kind of just makes me feel, I don’t know, safe, or something.

 

JACK

Safe?

 

MAGGIE

Yea, like nothing bad can happen. It’s relaxing, to say the least. And that works heavily in your favor.

 

JACK

Oh, well that’s good.

 

MAGGIE

See, I’m not always a c**t.

 

JACK

(patronizingly)

No, that was very nice. Now I just have to remember to always use the same detergent.

 

MAGGIE

Oh definitely, as soon as you smell different, you’re f*****g gone.

 

Jack laughs and kisses her on the forehead. Maggie shuts her eyes.

 

JACK

We’re absolutely terrible for each other.

 

MAGGIE

I know. But maybe that’s why we always end up coming back to each other.

 

JACK

God, wouldn’t that be awesome.

 

Maggie opens her eyes.

 

MAGGIE

(laughs)

I know, right? It’s so fucked up it’s perfect.

 

JACK

It’s not so fucked up- Two negatives make a positive.

     

Maggie kisses him on the nose, and closes her eyes again.

 

MAGGIE

That was incredibly cheesy... and lame. 

 

Jack laughs and kisses her on the nose, and closes his eyes.

 

JACK

I know. But would really expect anything less than that?

 

MAGGIE

Nope.

 

FADE OUT.

Author's Note

(>>>) This means there is a page break in the middle of the line.