LAURA: This time...
WYN: Huh?
LAURA: It's conclusive.
WYN: What?
LAURA: Here. The stats... they're giving the stats.
WYN: How's --
LAURA: It's depressing. (Pause.)
WYN: How's Hamilton doing?
LAURA: As usual...
WYN: Losing again?
LAURA: Evasive bastard.
WYN: Huh?
LAURA: Lying his way through question period.
WYN: I meant --
LAURA: I believe him, though. For once.
WYN: I didn't --
LAURA: We're sliding into a mess. It isn't just a depression --
WYN: I was just --
LAURA: It's all-out war.
WYN: I meant the team! I thought you were looking --
LAURA: What?
WYN: Looking at the stats. That's what I thought. That you were looking at the sports pages. Thought you were talking about football.
LAURA: At times like these, how can you even think --
WYN: Laura!
LAURA: Wyn --
WYN: Don't start...
LAURA: Sports!
WYN: What's wrong with that?
LAURA: It's so...
WYN: What?
LAURA: So...
WYN: Trivial?
LAURA: Trivial.
WYN: So?
LAURA: And --
WYN: Keeps you occupied... your mind. Keeps your head screwed on right.
LAURA: Sport does.
WYN: Instead of --
LAURA: Right.
WYN: Better than torching shops and cars and blowing up everything.
LAURA: Football...
WYN: Yeah. And hockey and --
LAURA: They aren't violent?
WYN: What's that got to do with anything? Besides, it isn't real. It's controlled.
LAURA: Just because they're not killing each other?
WYN: Yeah. And what about golf, huh?
LAURA: Football...
WYN: Yeah. And... and cricket, or... or darts...
LAURA: What about them?
WYN: Or skating.
LAURA: Hockey is just as...
WYN: Skating!
LAURA: They skate in hockey.
WYN: You know what I mean!
LAURA: Well, what about it?
WYN: What?
LAURA: What about skating?
WYN: Okay, skating... figure skating... you know... hop, hop, and twirly-whirly.
LAURA: You should talk... something you don't know anything --
WYN: I thought you had the sports section... looking at the stats. That's why I... (Pause.)
LAURA: We used to be afraid of the big one.
WYN: Huh?
LAURA: People were.
WYN: What?
LAURA: Scared of it.
WYN: The quad?
LAURA: Would practice in school even.
WYN: Yeah?
LAURA: Climb under desks...
WYN: Are you...
LAURA: As if that would help. Bang. In an instant you're fried.
WYN: Oh.
LAURA: And then the fall-out.
WYN: Yeah.
LAURA: How do you... Oh, well.
WYN: How do you?
LAURA: Hmm.
WYN: That was when you were a kid, for pete's sake.
LAURA: This time...
WYN: Geez.
LAURA: This time it's going to be different.
WYN: Yeah.
LAURA: And similar too. Similar, in a different way.
WYN: Things are different today. Things are under control... more or less. The government --
LAURA: Yeah, it won't --
WYN: I'm sure they're --
LAURA: Won't be safe anywhere; that's what's going to be similar.
WYN: What do you --
LAURA: And you warrior types, you jocks won't save us, won't be able to ride to the rescue this time. And it won't be the mighty arm of technology that'll come and save us either.
WYN: What brought that on?
LAURA: Your computer chips, your instant communications. Because people still have to make decisions -- manually. And politicians certainly won't be able to cope. They can't make decisions... real decisions. They only react. They're lawyers, most of them. And power brokers who got bored with making money... just dealing with figures all their young lives. And a few were social workers and perhaps teachers. And every now and then there's a jock among them. But most of them are lawyers -- lawyers and brokers. Still are, down in their guts...
WYN: Laura, I'm too fond of you to --
LAURA: (Laughs.) Fond?
WYN: Okay, attached, infatuated, crazy --
LAURA: Oh, shit.
WYN: Yeah. (Pause.)
LAURA: Still? After all this time. (Pause.) Huh?
WYN: Yes.
LAURA: But?
WYN: But what?
LAURA: But you're too fond of me to do what? You didn't finish the sentence.
WYN: You didn't let me.
LAURA: Because of "fond." I couldn't let you get away with that. Fond.
WYN: Oh, now let's not... Just don't, Laura.
LAURA: (Goes up to him, caresses him.) Give it up, Wyn. (Gives him a kiss.) You jocks don't stand a chance.
Jocks © 2000 by Heldor Schäfer. All rights reserved. The preceding play script may be copied and used for study purposes only. Any public reading or performance requires prior written permission from the author (see homepage for contact information).
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