This is the last section of a Superhero Drama I wrote a while back. The other two parts and an explanation of why I bothered are in the last two journal entries. As always, feedback is always okay.
SCENE THREE
Outside Dad's room, Helen and Jeff stand.
HELEN
I'm telling you, he thinks your mother gave it to him...
JEFF
My mother's been dead for years --
HELEN
Did you hear what I said? She doesn't have it, she gave it to him.
JEFF
Athena gave it to him. He was confused.
HELEN
Maybe he buried it with her.
JEFF
So, she does have it.
HELEN
Jeff, what's the matter with you? I thought this was what you wanted. Isn't this what you wanted?
JEFF
(pause) Of course.
HELEN
Can't we find Danny X-Ray? Maybe he can see down into the grave --
JEFF
Helen! (pause) Give it a rest for a second.
HELEN
Sorry. (pause) That was tacky. I'm sorry.
JEFF
It's okay. (pause) What else did you guys talk about?
HELEN
I told him about the boy I was seeing.
JEFF
You were. Youre seeing someone?
HELEN
Oh... Um, yeah. An artist. I guess.
JEFF
Is that going okay?
HELEN
I guess. I'm... pretty busy. Obviously. We don't spend as much time together as... I'd like. And the time we do isn't really spent talking.
JEFF
Does he know what you do?
HELEN
Naw. I told him I was a drama major. That I had a lot of rehearsals... studying.
JEFF
He used it for a couple years after she died. At least two. Years.
HELEN
He seems to be okay with it.
JEFF
Who? My father?
HELEN
Brian. Okay with not having me. As often as he wants.
JEFF
His name is Brian?
HELEN
Are you sure you want to talk about this?
JEFF
Maybe. I'd like to find that scepter.
HELEN
Did you ask him? Before he...
JEFF
Why wouldn't I want to talk about your new boyfriend?
HELEN
Did you talk to your father? Before?
JEFF
Sure. (pause) We were talking about crushes.
HELEN
You were talking about crushes.
JEFF
What does that mean?
HELEN
I don't understand. When I was visiting him, I mean. When he died. I mentioned I had a crush on Brian. We were talking about crushes... you were talking about crushes?
JEFF
I'm sorry I didn't ask him about the scepter.
HELEN
What? But...
JEFF
I'm not sure how much use it would have been... at this stage.
HELEN
You said 'sure'.
JEFF
You're taking off at the end of the summer. I've done well without it.
HELEN
I asked if you had talked to your father about the scepter and you said 'sure'.
JEFF
Did I? I think that you asked if I had talked to my father. Before he died. And I said that I had.
HELEN
You have to take these things in context. I asked about the scepter. And then if you had talked to your father. And you said 'sure'. In context.
JEFF
We talked about crushes.
HELEN
Goddamn it, Jeff, did you... I'm sorry. I know your father just died. I know he meant a lot to you. Jeff, please... did you talk to him?
JEFF
Yes, of course.
HELEN
About the scpeter?
JEFF
Some.
HELEN
Some. You talked to him some? (pause) I've leaving this summer Jeff. On my own.
JEFF
I know. You've told me. I did the same thing at your age.
HELEN
I'm striking out on my own. No more sidekick. I want to do good. I want to do... better.
JEFF
Save the world, I know. You've told me. Our corner of the world doesn't have the same appeal anymore.
HELEN
You need the scepter, Jeff. You need it. To replace me, I guess. To make up for my loss.
JEFF
A scepter makes up for that?
HELEN
(pause) Why were you talking about crushes with your dad?
JEFF
Have you thought of a name yet? When you 'strike out on your own'.
HELEN
I've thought about it, sure. I haven't decided yet.
JEFF
What are you going to tell Brian?
HELEN
What's going on?
JEFF
What's going on?
HELEN
You're father talked about Margaret. Pressed me about... Brian. What's....
JEFF
Crushes. We talked about crushes. Like... when you're younger... you constantly wonder why someone you have a crush on doesn't like you. What you could do... to change their mind.
HELEN
Sure. That's what a crush is, I guess. Irrational.
JEFF
When you're older... you know why. So it's a little more aggravating.
HELEN
That's not true.
JEFF
What?
HELEN
How would you know? Any different than when you were young?
JEFF
You know. You're aware of your shortcomings. Maybe I'm not handsome... enough. Maybe she likes strong men. Boys. Maybe she's already seeing someone.
HELEN
Yeah, but those are your shortcomings. What you think your shortcomings are. Others see other things. It's the same, crushes. No matter the age. It's the same or it would be called something else.
JEFF
Did you have fun Saturday?
HELEN
Sure. Are you mad I cancelled on you?
JEFF
Of course not.
HELEN
What do you mean, 'when you're older'? Do you have a crush on someone? (pause. He is silent) You do. You've run out of questions to deflect me with.
JEFF
I guess I have.
HELEN
Do you have a crush on me? Are you in love with me?
JEFF
I have... yes... I guess.
HELEN
How sweet --
JEFF
I mean, obviously you're way to young for me... it's not right... it's borne from the concentrated time we spent together, the intense --
HELEN
Come on, Jeff, don't rationalize it. You have a crush, big deal. Maybe you really like me, maybe you just want to bang some young tail, don't feel bad. It's a crush.
JEFF
Big deal...
HELEN
You know what I mean.
JEFF
I know.
HELEN
I think it's sweet. I'm not going to fuck you, but I think it's sweet and you shouldn't worry about it.
JEFF
I wouldn't want you to... just have sex with me, I mean. I get irrational --
HELEN
You get irrational?
JEFF
-- no, no, no. I don't get... I don't think about it rationally. In terms of sex. I think about it irrationally. More silly.
HELEN
Such as?
JEFF
I think about how I would want you to like me... love me. I think about this ideal... it couldn't be just sex. (pause) I would want it to be... it would make you...
HELEN
(light) Make me what? Do strange and unnatural things to you? For you?
JEFF
Make you not break dates. Make you quite smoking. Make you think about... maybe not actually... but make you think about not going off on your own. When you change your name... your M.O... like I did at your age. But you think about... staying here.
HELEN
You want me to stay here?
JEFF
I want you to think about it. Would want... you to.
HELEN
With you?
JEFF
Irrational.
HELEN
Did you know how your parents met?
JEFF
In Germany, I think. During the war.
HELEN
Cleaning up concentration camps. When the glamour of fighting super-villains wore off... someone had to clean up. Their mess.
JEFF
He loved her very much.
HELEN
He gave her a new rocket pack. She gave him a feathered scepter. The feathered scepter.
JEFF
I know.
HELEN
Athena had nothing to do with it.
JEFF
I know. It was a running gag.
HELEN
(pause) Did you talk to your father about it? The scepter?
JEFF
Yes.
HELEN
Did he give it to you?
JEFF
He told me where to find it. I know where it is.
HELEN
Let's go get it.
JEFF
I... But I... love --
HELEN
(soft) I know. I know, Jeff. (pause) Let's go get it. The scepter, I mean.
JEFF
I know.
He waits a moment, then they move to exit.
HELEN
I was thinking about Wolf-bite.
JEFF
For your name?
HELEN
Yeah... it's kind of, you know --
They exit.
END SCENE THREE
END ACT ONE
END PLAY
SCENE THREE
Outside Dad's room, Helen and Jeff stand.
HELEN
I'm telling you, he thinks your mother gave it to him...
JEFF
My mother's been dead for years --
HELEN
Did you hear what I said? She doesn't have it, she gave it to him.
JEFF
Athena gave it to him. He was confused.
HELEN
Maybe he buried it with her.
JEFF
So, she does have it.
HELEN
Jeff, what's the matter with you? I thought this was what you wanted. Isn't this what you wanted?
JEFF
(pause) Of course.
HELEN
Can't we find Danny X-Ray? Maybe he can see down into the grave --
JEFF
Helen! (pause) Give it a rest for a second.
HELEN
Sorry. (pause) That was tacky. I'm sorry.
JEFF
It's okay. (pause) What else did you guys talk about?
HELEN
I told him about the boy I was seeing.
JEFF
You were. Youre seeing someone?
HELEN
Oh... Um, yeah. An artist. I guess.
JEFF
Is that going okay?
HELEN
I guess. I'm... pretty busy. Obviously. We don't spend as much time together as... I'd like. And the time we do isn't really spent talking.
JEFF
Does he know what you do?
HELEN
Naw. I told him I was a drama major. That I had a lot of rehearsals... studying.
JEFF
He used it for a couple years after she died. At least two. Years.
HELEN
He seems to be okay with it.
JEFF
Who? My father?
HELEN
Brian. Okay with not having me. As often as he wants.
JEFF
His name is Brian?
HELEN
Are you sure you want to talk about this?
JEFF
Maybe. I'd like to find that scepter.
HELEN
Did you ask him? Before he...
JEFF
Why wouldn't I want to talk about your new boyfriend?
HELEN
Did you talk to your father? Before?
JEFF
Sure. (pause) We were talking about crushes.
HELEN
You were talking about crushes.
JEFF
What does that mean?
HELEN
I don't understand. When I was visiting him, I mean. When he died. I mentioned I had a crush on Brian. We were talking about crushes... you were talking about crushes?
JEFF
I'm sorry I didn't ask him about the scepter.
HELEN
What? But...
JEFF
I'm not sure how much use it would have been... at this stage.
HELEN
You said 'sure'.
JEFF
You're taking off at the end of the summer. I've done well without it.
HELEN
I asked if you had talked to your father about the scepter and you said 'sure'.
JEFF
Did I? I think that you asked if I had talked to my father. Before he died. And I said that I had.
HELEN
You have to take these things in context. I asked about the scepter. And then if you had talked to your father. And you said 'sure'. In context.
JEFF
We talked about crushes.
HELEN
Goddamn it, Jeff, did you... I'm sorry. I know your father just died. I know he meant a lot to you. Jeff, please... did you talk to him?
JEFF
Yes, of course.
HELEN
About the scpeter?
JEFF
Some.
HELEN
Some. You talked to him some? (pause) I've leaving this summer Jeff. On my own.
JEFF
I know. You've told me. I did the same thing at your age.
HELEN
I'm striking out on my own. No more sidekick. I want to do good. I want to do... better.
JEFF
Save the world, I know. You've told me. Our corner of the world doesn't have the same appeal anymore.
HELEN
You need the scepter, Jeff. You need it. To replace me, I guess. To make up for my loss.
JEFF
A scepter makes up for that?
HELEN
(pause) Why were you talking about crushes with your dad?
JEFF
Have you thought of a name yet? When you 'strike out on your own'.
HELEN
I've thought about it, sure. I haven't decided yet.
JEFF
What are you going to tell Brian?
HELEN
What's going on?
JEFF
What's going on?
HELEN
You're father talked about Margaret. Pressed me about... Brian. What's....
JEFF
Crushes. We talked about crushes. Like... when you're younger... you constantly wonder why someone you have a crush on doesn't like you. What you could do... to change their mind.
HELEN
Sure. That's what a crush is, I guess. Irrational.
JEFF
When you're older... you know why. So it's a little more aggravating.
HELEN
That's not true.
JEFF
What?
HELEN
How would you know? Any different than when you were young?
JEFF
You know. You're aware of your shortcomings. Maybe I'm not handsome... enough. Maybe she likes strong men. Boys. Maybe she's already seeing someone.
HELEN
Yeah, but those are your shortcomings. What you think your shortcomings are. Others see other things. It's the same, crushes. No matter the age. It's the same or it would be called something else.
JEFF
Did you have fun Saturday?
HELEN
Sure. Are you mad I cancelled on you?
JEFF
Of course not.
HELEN
What do you mean, 'when you're older'? Do you have a crush on someone? (pause. He is silent) You do. You've run out of questions to deflect me with.
JEFF
I guess I have.
HELEN
Do you have a crush on me? Are you in love with me?
JEFF
I have... yes... I guess.
HELEN
How sweet --
JEFF
I mean, obviously you're way to young for me... it's not right... it's borne from the concentrated time we spent together, the intense --
HELEN
Come on, Jeff, don't rationalize it. You have a crush, big deal. Maybe you really like me, maybe you just want to bang some young tail, don't feel bad. It's a crush.
JEFF
Big deal...
HELEN
You know what I mean.
JEFF
I know.
HELEN
I think it's sweet. I'm not going to fuck you, but I think it's sweet and you shouldn't worry about it.
JEFF
I wouldn't want you to... just have sex with me, I mean. I get irrational --
HELEN
You get irrational?
JEFF
-- no, no, no. I don't get... I don't think about it rationally. In terms of sex. I think about it irrationally. More silly.
HELEN
Such as?
JEFF
I think about how I would want you to like me... love me. I think about this ideal... it couldn't be just sex. (pause) I would want it to be... it would make you...
HELEN
(light) Make me what? Do strange and unnatural things to you? For you?
JEFF
Make you not break dates. Make you quite smoking. Make you think about... maybe not actually... but make you think about not going off on your own. When you change your name... your M.O... like I did at your age. But you think about... staying here.
HELEN
You want me to stay here?
JEFF
I want you to think about it. Would want... you to.
HELEN
With you?
JEFF
Irrational.
HELEN
Did you know how your parents met?
JEFF
In Germany, I think. During the war.
HELEN
Cleaning up concentration camps. When the glamour of fighting super-villains wore off... someone had to clean up. Their mess.
JEFF
He loved her very much.
HELEN
He gave her a new rocket pack. She gave him a feathered scepter. The feathered scepter.
JEFF
I know.
HELEN
Athena had nothing to do with it.
JEFF
I know. It was a running gag.
HELEN
(pause) Did you talk to your father about it? The scepter?
JEFF
Yes.
HELEN
Did he give it to you?
JEFF
He told me where to find it. I know where it is.
HELEN
Let's go get it.
JEFF
I... But I... love --
HELEN
(soft) I know. I know, Jeff. (pause) Let's go get it. The scepter, I mean.
JEFF
I know.
He waits a moment, then they move to exit.
HELEN
I was thinking about Wolf-bite.
JEFF
For your name?
HELEN
Yeah... it's kind of, you know --
They exit.
END SCENE THREE
END ACT ONE
END PLAY
VIEW 14 of 14 COMMENTS
thank you for your kindness and candor.