Gorilla Blanket, Act II

Ben sticks two fingers up at Luke and melts into the crowd

Tempathy turns to Jet

Tempathy: Have you got the photos for the paper yet darling?

Jet: A few.

Jacob: He and Louie were at it this morning.

He winks

Jacob: Up on the hills too.

Tempathy: Cheap innuendos suit you Jacob. I can just picture you sitting alone on a wet Sunday afternoon, existing on a diet of beer, pornography and Carry On films.

Jacob clutches his chest

Jacob: Ouch! You have just made a sad man sadder.

Smiles

Jet: If I thought the local paper had the balls to print it I'd send in a photo of an arse in the sunlight. Describes the town perfectly.

Ben returns carrying a blue drink

Lisa: What the hell is that?

Ben: Blue Bols.

Louie: I told you to get a rum and pep.

Ben: They didn't have any peppermint. I drank a rum at the bar though, its eased me a little.

Lisa: Until you get that space juice down you.

Jacob: Hey Ben do you fancy dropping your keks for Jet to take a photo of your arse?

Ben presses back against his seat

Ben: What the fuck?

Luke: He wants to send a picture of an arse to the local rag so that people know exactly where they're living.

Ben: Oh.

Jacob: Are you up for it or what?

Ben: Nah mine wouldn't do. I wipe it.

Tempathy: Gross.

Louie: And crazy.

Ben: So what? A slight bought of insanity can be very liberating, enjoy it while you can. We'll be back on our heads soon enough come Monday morning.

Jacob shivers

Jacob: Back to the worry, stress, money shortages, finals, career prospects.

Louie: You should try some Buddhist enlightenment J. Why worry about shit that has already happened? And why worry about shit that may happen? In fact why worry at all? Today is the calling, the crops that need tending.

Lisa: Have you taken any lsd recently?

Louie: No. And JC taught it too.

Jacob: Buddha and Jesus should have tried getting a chemistry degree. Anyway can we not talk shop?

He turns to Lisa

Jacob: How did your coffee bomb go this morning? Thomas isn't it?

Lisa: It was sweet.

Ben starts to sing

Ben: Love is in the air! Love is on the stair! Love is long blonde hair!

Jet: Fuck he's as drunk as Yoda.

Ben: And twice as wise! Love is indeed not really a deed but a lovely thing!

Tempathy: I think i'm going vomit.

Lisa: Oh I don't think its Love.

She looks at her watch

Lisa: If it was Love, Love with a capitol L, he would have been here by now.

Jacob: Give the poor chap some time! You gals are all the same, if a bloke doesn't turn up on time you immediately think he's not sincere. Or worse galavanting.

Tempathy: Because they usually are.

Luke: Did he give you a time?

Lisa: No, just told me he'd show up.

Luke: Well hang on to your knickers then dear.

Tempathy: And if he doesn't turn up in the next half hour throw them at somebody else!

Laughs

Luke: I wouldn't like to be your husband...imagine the grief!

Tempathy snorts

Tempathy: Hell if ever I end up as somebody's wife, I would be the first person to grieve! And at the head of the mourner's queue.

Jet: I'm with you on that score.

Tempathy takes his hand

Tempathy: We walk forever as one dear.

Lisa smiles at the pair

Louie: I don't see anything wrong with marriage. I know its probably not hip to say this but I reckon its a beautiful. I mean its meant to be forever isn't it? And that is way cooler than having a long series of boyfriends and one night stands.

Luke: But this is the nineties, where love is God and God is money. Nothing is forever anymore, its a fashion show.

Lisa watches as Jet slowly takes his hand from Tempathy

Lisa: I'm not so sure.

Ben: Are we going to rattle this soppy cage all bloody night? Let destiny get on with the future!

He lifts his drink

Ben: We have a more urgent calling, like where to go after here?

Jacob: A club surely? I quite fancy shaking my fat ass in Mischief.

Luke groans

Luke: Oh not more strobe lights, over priced and over sugared drinks and kids!

Tempathy: I don't like the sound of that either guys.

She points to a group of gelled teenagers

Tempathy: Thats where they're going. I don't want to be haunted by these little witches all night. The pint glasses are taller than they are for Christ's sake!

She picks out a particular girl in cropped top and flared jeans

Tempathy: Look at her, she's using her pint like an anchor. And i'm sure she's guiding a plane down with that cigarette, it hasn't touched her lips yet because she's too busy waving. An absolute fright!

Louie: Ssh her mum might hear you.

Tempathy: No she's probably in a clinic.

Jacob: I know thats her sister next to her. Or twin.

Tempathy frowns

Tempathy: I hate seeing twins out on the lash together. I mean you could be cursing Jack to Jill when all the time its bloody Jack you're talking to!

Louie (smiling): Perhaps you could try not being such a bitch?

Tempathy: And die in a hail of flowers? No fear, I want to be gunned down before a rabid, baying crowd!

Ben makes machine gun sounds at her

Ben: Dieeee stubborn wench!

Tempathy sinks into her seat holding her chest

Tempathy: Game over!

She recovers

Tempathy: Anyway if you want to see what a real bitch is you should spend a night with those brats over there.

Points to the group again

Tempathy: Proper howling bitches they are.

Jacob: Horny looking though.

Tempathy: Yep, they have two sticking out of their empty, glossy heads. And forked tongues and tails.

Luke: Kinky, just add a whip.

Lisa: Oh not you too!

Luke looks to his glass

Luke: Yo yo blame the booze.

Louie: I swear to God you guys treat beer like a licence for riot.

Jacob: Only on Fridays.

Jet: Or whenever you need a light inside you. Im not into causing trouble and fighting when drunk, idiots like that shouldn't drink but i'm all for daft capers.

Louie: Like diving fully clothedinto the dock in the middle of February? Or jumping off the side of a hill and landing on a busy road?

Jet: Precisely.

Ben: Well i'm up for capers right now, so if we're not going clubbing then where?

Lisa: Cinema?

Luke frowns

Luke: Hell to that, i've got a taste for booze now.

Lisa: Smuggle it in.

They think for a minute

Louie: I don't mind, a film and a few cans seem fine. What's on?

Luke gets a paper from the bar

Luke: Right there's Godzilla.

Groans

Luke: Another Batman flick.

Ben puts his head on the table

Luke: Or Men In Black, due to popular demand it says here. Jeepers I hate small town cinema!

Jet: I hate Hollywood. It ought to be renamed Dollybird.

Jacob: So its toss up between an enraged dinosaur, a nutter dressed as a bat or Will fucking Smith?

Tempathy: If we opt for any of those i'm going to need a bottle of bourbon and a diazepam shortbread.

Lisa: Fair enough, scrap the cinema.

Jet: I just do not understand the people who go and watch such crap.

Tempathy: Jet's a golden oldie.

Jet: Damned right! Black and white does it for me. They should repeat a few of those.

Jacob: You'd be the only one in the cinema if they kept showing Days Of Wine And Roses all the time.

Jet: Great piece of cinema.