The Pool - By Andrew Thorp
A lil 10-minute play I just wrote. See the PDF here -Â http://bit.ly/1NPJME3
TANYA and STU sit side by side, their feet dipped into a pool.
This is where I wanted to be.
At a hotel pool during the day.
Of course. You and me, not doing anything. Just being.
I have to leave soon. I was on call and Timâs out sick.
Youâre forcing me into the future and I donât want to go
Here, now, is all I want to think of.
Itâs hard for me to do that. Want to soda?
I donât know. My mind just starts jumping to other stuff,
like what am I going to eat tonight, how am I going to pay
rent, when will I start losing hair like my dad.
I think it skips a generation.
Iâm joking. But, now youâre making me think about the future
even more and itâs creeping me out.
Iâm sorry. I would have said something different if I knew it
Now youâre thinking about the past. Canât change it Stu, so
letâs just sit here, OK?
Sometimes when I hear trickling water, even real faint like
this, I think itâs a language that I just donât understand
and the water is trying to tell me something.
I never thought of it that way. Like what? Whatâs it trying
I donât know. Maybe âeverything is going to be okâ? Maybe
âhotdogs are bad for youâ.? Itâs hard to tell with water
because it probably knows a lot more than we do
I remember seeing a movie where the water became like a
living thing and took a human form or whatever. I guess
thatâs in the past though too, huh?
Donât beat yourself up about it.
Beat myself up about stuff. Iâm trying not to.
Iâm sorry to hear that, Stu. Do you want to talk about it?
No, itâs stupid. And definitely not in the present.
I think we all beat ourselves up, Stu. Just in different
ways. Maybe getting it off your chest would help.
Maybe. But the stuff repeats in my head so much, Iâm sick of
thinking about it, let alone talking about it.
Maybe talking will help escape. From your brain or wherever
Now Iâm just embarrassed. I feel like my pants are down.
Thatâs normal. We feel naked when we share our deeper selves.
Thatâs why we SHOULD do it, I think. Want me to share
something to show you how easy it is?
Letâs see. What donât you know?
Lots of stuff. I barely see you at work ever.
I stole five bucks from the register last week.
I stole five bucks just to see if I could get away with it.
Unless youâre going to rat me out.
No, I mean itâs only five bucks. But, why risk getting caught
Iâm not sure. I was having a shitty day. Mr. Franklin was
talking to me like a child and for the first time I can
remember, I felt like I was going to be stuck in that stupid
bookstore for the rest of my life. Stuck in this town, doing
the same thing everyday. I wanted to break out of that
feeling, so I did what ever came to my mind first.
And you stole five bucks.
And I stole five bucks. I knew that would bump me off my path
a little bit. Maybe getting caught would have been the best
thing that could have happened. I didnât though. I felt great
afterwards. My heart beating in my chest and the feeling I
could get called up to the office at any minute felt alive.
Are you going to steal more stuff? Like a thiefâs high or
Thatâs what Iâm afraid of. Wanting to feel that rush again.
But when will it end? After I stole a car? Itâs a rabbit hole
No, I mean the idea, like a can of worms.
Whatâs so wrong with Dayton?
I donât know. Thereâs just a billion places to live and I
know this one. And I donât wake up excited that iâm in
I know people that leave but then they come back because they
liked it more than they thought.
Well, they had to leave first, right?
Could have just took it from someone else that did it.
Am I sensing that you donât want me to go, Stu?
Iâm not saying- If it would be up to me, Iâd. OK, yeah, I
donât want you to go. This place would be a lot less
interesting if you werenât around. Nobody to tell me to stop
thinking about the future.
You know what I think you need?
See, the devil got you. You sin once and all you want to do
is sin again. My mom would have a field day on you.
Iâd have to stay to listen first.
Itâs hard to get away. Her big eyes paralyze you into staying
How about a pool towel. Put it in your bag.
No way. They probably have staff looking out the window at us
as is. The last thing I want is to reinforce the though that
all 20-somethings are out to do evil.
Putting a towel in your bag isnât evil, Stu.
Doesnât mean anything to them. They wonât even know itâs
gone. But, think of what it can do for you, Stu? It will fill
you with excitement and make you feel like you donât have to
stay within anyoneâs plans for you.
I think youâre just looking for an accomplice so youâre not
the only feeling guilty about stealing five dollars.
I donât feel guilty. Iâm still figuring out what I feel.
How about I put it in my bag and then leave it here when I
Not the same. You ready to share what you were talking about
TANYA stands and takes Stuâs towel. She
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