Play 66: People Are Confusing

CHARACTERS
MAX, 18
ANTHONY, 18

(They’re sitting on the steps to a buiding at night smoking cigarettes. Anthony has a pensive look on his face.)

MAX
What’re you thinking about?

ANTHONY
Nothing much.

MAX
What?

ANTHONY
Just (beat.) people are fucking confusing.

MAX
Yeah. So what happened?

ANTHONY
What do you mean?

MAX
You don’t just bring something like that up without something in particular making you say it.

ANTHONY
What if I’m just saying it? Maybe I’m just thinking.

ANTHONY
Maybe. (beat.) Then again, maybe not.

MAX
It’s just a thought.

ANTHONY
Sure.

MAX
Seriously. I mean, people are confusing, why does something have to have happened to make me say that?

MAX
I don’t know.

ANTHONY
I mean, don’t you agree?

MAX
Yeah.

ANTHONY
Exactly, it’s just true. Do you have some reason to say that?

MAX
No.

ANTHONY
So then why do I need one?

MAX
Cause you’re the one who brought it up.

ANTHONY
So?

MAX
So you probably had a reason to.

ANTHONY
What if I didn’t?

MAX
Not likely.

ANTHONY
Why?

MAX
People generally do things for a reason.

ANTHONY
Sometimes, sometimes we’re just irrational as hell.

MAX
I don’t know about that.

ANTHONY
You even said yourself that people are confusing.

MAX
That was you.

ANTHONY
But you agreed.

MAX
True.

(Pause.)

So really, nothing happened?

ANTHONY
(slightly annoyed.)
No.

MAX
Okay.

(They sit in silence.)

MAX
You’re right.

ANTHONY
What?

MAX
People are fucking confusing.

(Blackout.)