Play 18: You Look Like You Could Use a Drink

CHARACTERS
CHASE, 24
ERIC, 24

(They sit on the steps to an apartment building on an empty street at night. They are illuminated by the light of a streetlight a few feet away from them. They each have a beer in their hands.)

CHASE
Sure you don’t want to go inside? It’s fucking cold out here.

ERIC
I just want to sit here for a minute.

(He stares off into the distance, and takes a sip of his beer.)

CHASE
What’s wrong?

ERIC
Nothing.

CHASE
Come on man, I know you better than that.

ERIC
I said it’s nothing.

CHASE
You look like shit.

ERIC
Fitting.

(He takes a long sip.)

CHASE
Then what’s wrong?

ERIC
Are you fucking deaf?

CHASE
You just said you feel like shit, so what happened?

ERIC
It’s nothing.

(Pause.)

We’re done.

CHASE
What?

ERIC
I said we’re done.

CHASE
(confused.)
You and me?

ERIC
What? No, what the fuck are you talking about?

CHASE
Then who?

ERIC
(angrily)
Who the hell do you think I’m talking about?

CHASE
How am I supposed to know if you havn’t told me? You’re not making any sense.

(Pause.)

ERIC
Sandra.

CHASE
Sandra what?

ERIC
(angrily)
Christ, Sandra and me, we’re done.

CHASE
Shit.

ERIC
Yeah.

CHASE
I’m sorry man.

ERIC
Don’t be, isn’t you’re fault.

CHASE
You know what I mean.

ERIC
Yeah (beat.) thanks.

(Pause, they sit drinking their beers in silence for a couple seconds.)

CHASE
Let’s go inside, it’s cold as hell out here. And you look like you could use a drink.

ERIC
Now you’re talking.

(They smile. Chase stands up and opens the door, Eric takes one last long drink out of his beer, tilting it up to finish it off, and tosses it onto the sidewalk where it shatters. He gets up and follows Chase inside, shutting the door behind him.)

(Blackout.)