Dresses That Twirl

ACT 1 SCENE 2

SETTING: The girls flood into EVELYN’s bedroom once again. CHARLOTTE is dressed in a cheerleading uniform, EVELYN in a long skirt and thick sweater. She collapses onto her bed as soon as she enters.

CHARLOTTE: Can I show you now?

EVELYN: (voice muffled from her bed) No.

CHARLOTTE: (disappointed) Evelyn–

EVELYN: (turning over) Charlotte, I’m tired. A whole week of school has taken its toll on me, I’ve got wrinkles and a brain tumor and my knees hurt.

CHARLOTTE: There are people in the world right now with all of those things who would trade you for your smooth skin, tumorless brain and knobby knees.

EVELYN: Who told you my knees were knobby?

CHARLOTTE: (laughing, sitting on the bed beside EVELYN, who is partially laying on it) The girls in home-ec were talking about you.

EVELYN: (snorts) Bitches. And I bet you defended me and my honor, praising my knees for being perfectly formed?

CHARLOTTE: I was the one who said they were knobby.

EVELYN: (teasing) Yeah?

CHARLOTTE: (laughing, blushing) Yeah.

EVELYN: (standing) School’s out, but you need to study! (rapidly taking her skirt off, until she is in only her underwear and tights)

CHARLOTTE: (appalled, covering her eyes) EVELYN!

EVELYN: It’s research–

CHARLOTTE: (laughing)–Put your skirt back on–!

EVELYN: (laughing) –for home-ec! Tell all the girls–

CHARLOTTE: (turning around) –Stop it–!

EVELYN: (putting her skirt back on)–Tell all the girls about my knees–! It’s back on Charlotte, you can look at me now.

CHARLOTTE: (shaking her head) You’re lying.

EVELYN: I’d never lie to you. (removes her hands from her eyes) No knees, see? It’s punishment anyway for talking behind my back.

CHARLOTTE: Evelyn, I was kidding.

EVELYN: You weren’t, and you’re lucky I don’t care what your home-ec friends think. You don’t either, or else you’d be hanging out in their bedroom after school but instead look where you are!

CHARLOTTE: They sometimes have interesting things to say. Such as one Charles McIntosh thinks you’re cute and told the track team this week.

EVELYN: (laughing, appalled) ChickIntosh thinks I’m cute? Am I supposed to care?

CHARLOTTE: (slapping her arm) Don’t call him that–!
 

EVELYN: You’ve seen his legs!

CHARLOTTE; And I’ve seen your knees! (laughing) You’d be a perfect pair, really.

EVELYN: (grabbing her pillow, hitting her with it) You’re mean, and it’s ugly. 

CHARLOTTE: I’m serious! He’s not so bad to look at, and he runs track so he’s probably got muscles. (swooning, jokingly) He could hold you (EVELYN hits her again) and protect you from wrong doing–

EVELYN: Shut up, Charlotte!

CHARLOTTE: Evelyn–!
 

EVELYN: I’d rather eat the innards of this pillow with ketchup than be held or protected by ChickIntosh. 

CHARLOTTE; You’re being dramatic.

EVELYN: I’m not.

CHARLOTTE: And rather strange.

EVELYN: That, I am.

CHARLOTTE: All I’m saying is that he thinks you’re cute and the dance is coming up in a few weeks. It could be fun for you to go together.

EVELYN: (wrinkling her nose) I never said I was going to that.

CHARLOTTE: Evelyn you have to go. Everyone will be there, and I can’t stand to be around them if you aren’t there.

EVELYN: (shrugging) Then don’t go. (crossing her legs) We could have a sleepover and write stories. (getting excited) I could steal my fathers liquor–

CHARLOTTE: (chastising) Evelyn–

EVELYN: It would be much more fun than anything that could happen at the dance. You and me in my room being ourselves without other people interjecting as they do. And no ChickIntosh either. 

CHARLOTTE: Michael Susan already asked me today, and I told him I’d go.

EVELYN: What?

CHARLOTTE: And he and Charlie are such good friends–

EVELYN: Wait. (pause) Is what Charlie said about me even true?

CHARLOTTE; (quickly) Yes, it is! He really did say that you were cute, and when I heard it made me want to tell Michael yes. (pause, EVELYN is not convinced) It could be fun, the four of us. We could go to the diner and get milkshakes afterward, and all hang out. Michael’s really rather nice and Charlie’s so funny, I think you’d get along well, the both of you. Evelyn, I'm not lying. (EVELYN is still silent) Evelyn–

EVELYN: (trying not to become angry) If you want to go to the dance with Michael Susan you should go. You don’t need me there if you have a date.

CHARLOTTE: I want you there. You’re my date, you’re my best friend.

EVELYN: I’m not your date–

CHARLOTTE: You are–

EVELYN: –I’m not–

CHARLOTTE: If they would let girls go together you’d be my date. You know that. (pause) But they won’t, so I’ll go with Michael and if Charlie asks you’ll go with him.

EVELYN: Say it. 

CHARLOTTE: What?

EVELYN: Say his actual name. 

CHARLOTTE: (sighing) If…ChickIntosh asks you, you’ll go with him.

EVELYN: (stifling a laugh) Maybe.

CHARLOTTE: Maybe? (moving closer to EVELYN) What if…(suddenly, surprising EVELYN she begins to tickle her sides) What if you went with Charlie McIntosh–

EVELYN: (laughing uncontrollably) STOP IT–!

CHARLOTTE: –And I went with Michael Susan–

EVELYN: (laughing) –CHARLOTTE–

CHARLOTTE: –Say yes–!

EVELYN: (cackling) Yes, yes I’ll go! (satisfied, CHARLOTTE releases her. EVELYN is breathless) I can’t believe you exist.

CHARLOTTE: (laughing) What do you mean?

EVELYN: I can’t believe you exist. (laughing) You know me so well that you remind me things about myself that I forget. I haven’t been ticked since I was eight or something and here you are doing it. 

CHARLOTTE: We’re intertwined, you and I.

EVELYN: (noticing their proximity, smiling) I suppose we are.

CHARLOTTE: (smiling, not moving her hand when EVELYN’s brushes it) Can I show you now?

EVELYN: What? (CHARLOTTE stands, EVELYN remembers, groaning) God, if you must. 

CHARLOTTE: Okay, count to four, but in time.

EVELYN: (feigning disinterest, but watching intently) One, two, three, four–

FADE TO BLACK

ACT 1 SCENE 3

SETTING: EVELYN’s bedroom. The girls stumble in, clad in dress-wear. CHARLOTTE wears a soft pink dress that ends at her thighs, white tights and small black heels – her hair is curled and pinned up, slightly messy from the night. EVELYN wears a longer dress, it is down to her knees, brown and silky, with matching heels. Her hair is down to her shoulders, curled at the end, and held back by a black headband. In EVELYN’s hand is her fathers whiskey.

CHARLOTTE: (giggling uncontrollably) Close it quiet, Evelyn–

(she slams it. They pause, scared, then glance at each other. A beat passes, they are overcome with laughter)

EVELYN: (attempting to whisper) Charlotte–

CHARLOTTE: (taking her hand, leading her away from the door, laughing) Shh–!

EVELYN: (whispering) Charlotte, I’m–

CHARLOTTE: (laughing) I know, (taking the whiskey) watch this.

EVELYN: Charlotte. (CHARLOTTE chugs the bottle for a beat, then quickly hands it back to EVELYN) 

CHARLOTTE: Your turn. 

EVELYN: No way, (she puts it down, lying on the floor, CHARLOTTE joins her) I love this feeling. (turns her head to face her)

CHARLOTTE: Me too. (she burps) I can’t stop smiling or laughing and I feel it in my face but it doesn’t hurt. (turning her head to EVELYN) I can’t believe tonight is still happening.

EVELYN: I can’t believe I slow danced with ChickIntosh. (CHARLOTTE laughs) What a drag.

CHARLOTTE: (poking her) You looked cute together.

EVELYN: No we did not.

CHARLOTTE: You did–!

EVELYN: (turning to CHARLOTTE) Charlotte. He was soaked in his own sweat.

CHARLOTTE: (laughing) Evelyn–

EVELYN: I could feel it through my dress when he held me, it was awful. You don’t have to be nice about it, Charlotte, I’m sure we looked ridiculous. 

CHARLOTTE: He did seem…scared. (EVELYN laughs)

EVELYN: Of me? He should be. 

CHARLOTTE: I quite liked dancing with Michael, he was graceful.

EVELYN: (sitting up) Graceful?

CHARLOTTE: When one moves lightly, as if through the air.

EVELYN: (sarcastically) Thank you for that lesson Miss Nethers.

CHARLOTTE: (laughing) You’re welcome.

(pause)

EVELYN: (CHARLOTTE faces the ceiling. EVELYN continues staring at CHARLOTTE) I wished that we had danced together. 

CHARLOTTE: (turning to CHARLOTTE) To one of the fast ones?

EVELYN: No.

(pause) 

CHARLOTTE: Do you know how to slow dance?

EVELYN: Not…really.

CHARLOTTE: (beginning to stand) Up. (holding out her hand for EVELYN, who stares back in confusion) I’m going to teach you.

EVELYN: (unamused) How to slow dance? (CHARLOTTE reaches down for her arms, physically pulling her up) I don’t think–

CHARLOTTE: Shh. Okay. If you’re the girl, you put your hands here (CHARLOTTE puts EVELYN’s hands on her shoulders) and he would go here (CHARLOTTE’s hands are on Evelyn’s waist) Then you just (slowly, they start to move) step around to the beat. There’s different ones–

EVELYN: (nervous) I know that.

CHARLOTTE: –but for now we can just…step around. (they start dancing, stumbling around EVELYN’s room) Maybe he’ll get fancy. (she moves to spin EVELYN, the both of them laughing) And then bring you back. Sometimes…(nervously) you’ll come close. (CHARLOTTE steps forward, fully wrapping her arms around EVELYN’s waist. EVELYN’s arms should be around CHARLOTTE’s neck)

EVELYN: (stumbling) You’re going too fast–!

CHARLOTTE: Okay, okay. (slows, CHARLOTTE is able to match her pace) Better?

EVELYN: Yes. (teasing) Good girl. (CHARLOTTE laughs. They continue dancing. Softly) What’s a song you wished they’d played tonight?

CHARLOTTE: (thinking) Maybe…that Beatles one.

EVELYN: (laughing) They played “Twist and Shout”.

CHARLOTTE: You hate that one. (EVELYN laughs) What’s that one where they’re talking about friends and places or something?

EVELYN: God, Charlotte–(CHARLOTTE starts to hum it. The girls should still be dancing) Oh! (EVELYN hums it with her) I can’t remember the title but…(the girls continue humming “In My Life” by the Beatles, continuously. EVELYN rests her head on CHARLOTTE’s shoulder)

CHARLOTTE: (softly) Are you bored, Evelyn?

EVELYN: (softly) How could I be?

(pause)

EVELYN: We should’ve done this.

CHARLOTTE: Done what?

EVELYN: This. At the dance. This is what…I wanted to feel. (lifting her head) You’re who I wanted to do this with. 

(pause. The girls stop dancing)

CHARLOTTE: Do you mean that?

(pause)

EVELYN: Would you have kissed him?

CHARLOTTE: Who?

EVELYN: Michael. If he tried, would you…do you think you’d let him?

(pause)

CHARLOTTE: I don’t know.

EVELYN: Would you let me? If I tried?

(pause)

CHARLOTTE: Do you want to kiss me Evelyn?

EVELYN: (quickly) I can’t think of a time when I didn’t.

CHARLOTTE: I don’t believe you.

EVELYN: Why?

CHARLOTTE: Because you still haven’t done it. (EVEYLN kisses her quickly, and hard, on the mouth. They hold it before pulling back, staring at each other, and resuming – this one much more frantic and harried. They are grasping onto each other, maybe even stumbling. CHARLOTTE pulls away) Evelyn.

EVELYN: What? (CHARLOTTE tries not to laugh) I can’t imagine laughing when someone kisses me.

CHARLOTTE: You have to…move you mouth. (she pulls EVELYN back to her) Like…this. (pulling her in, kissing her with gentle passion) this. (she continues, moving their lips until a rhythm is found)

EVELYN: (through the kiss) Did–did Michael Susan teach you this?

CHARLOTTE: (through the kiss, laughing) Would it matter if he did?

EVELYN: (through the kiss) No. (rolling over, so that their positions are switched) Because he is not doing it now. (they resume, taking their time)

FADE TO BLACKOUT

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