27: Even Magic Has Limits

by Joseph Frost

a play written for The 31 Plays in 31 Days Project

Draft August 29, 2013

Attic Scripts, 2013 4550 Normandy Dr Jackson, MS 39206 atticscripts@gmail.com

A large flat table, about knee height - a sturdy coffee table size. Sitting on the table are MALLORY (26), JEAN (25) and ANDIE (22). MALLORY I didnt think youd make it. ANDIE Wasnt as far as I thought. MALLORY A day drive. ANDIE Long. MALLORY But a day. ANDIE Im here. Thats enough. A moment. MALLORY A day drive, and this is the first time youre here in 3 years. JEAN Mallory. MALLORY Im not-JEAN You are. Andie rises and crosses away. Jean goes after her. ANDIE I wont put up with it.

2. JEAN She doesnt mean anything by it. ANDIE Absolutely does. JEAN Youve been gone a long time, Andie. ANDIE Im not a runaway. And Im not the prodigal. JEAN No one said you were. ANDIE Wheres the fatted calf? JEAN You arent the prodigal. ANDIE You know what I mean. JEAN I dont think I do. ANDIE Im supposed to be welcomed back with open arms. Right? Isnt that the plot twist at the end? JEAN I dont think so. ANDIE Instead, Im the one that has to put up with--JEAN God, Andie, just shut up. (beat) Just stop being victimized for a second and think about whats happening here. ANDIE I know whats--

3. JEAN No. Not to you. (beat) Dad is dead. ANDIE I wouldnt be here if he wasnt. JEAN Jesus. ANDIE I know whats happening. Im not stupid. JEAN I didnt say you were stupid. Youre being blind because of how selfish you are. ANDIE Jean... JEAN I dont actually care, Andie, but I swear if you keep it up, I will stop protecting you from Mallory. She is pissed at you, and has every right. She will eat you alive if not for me. ANDIE Thanks, but I dont need you to save me. JEAN At some point, youll change your mind on that. Hope its not too late. Jean backs away, leaving Andie. MALLORY Shes not coming is she? JEAN I called her. MALLORY What did she say? JEAN Nothing.

4. MALLORY Not nothing. After the nothing. Then what did she say? JEAN Said its a long drive. MALLORY Long drive? Its a day. Not even a full day. Its like a long afternoon. I had to fly here. JEAN And? MALLORY I had the decency to get here in time. JEAN Congrats for you. MALLORY Thats not what I meant. JEAN Its not what you meant to say out loud. MALLORY Well, I guess it was hard for you to come all the way down stairs. JEAN You dont even know whats hard for me. MALLORY I know you act like being seen by people is hard for you. JEAN Mallory. Dont punish me for being here during this whole thing. Just being here was bad enough. MALLORY I know. Im sorry. JEAN Im going to go up and lay down for a while.

5. MALLORY So is she coming? JEAN She will. MALLORY Did she say she was? JEAN No. MALLORY She wont. JEAN Dont be stupid, Mal. Shes on her way. MALLORY Itd be like her to not show up and leave everything for us to do. JEAN Ive already made the arrangements, you dont have to do anything. MALLORY Of course. JEAN Im going up. MALLORY Ok. Mallory stands, while Jean lays down on the table. Mallory and Andie sit on the floor on opposing sides, with Jean between them. MALLORY (CONTD) So you just put one finger here under her shoulder and one down by here knee, and we should be able to pick her up. ANDIE No way. Shes too heavy.

6. MALLORY Thats the magic of it, Andie. ANDIE Im not doing it. MALLORY Im big sister, and big sister says were doing it. ANDIE Why cant I be the big sister? MALLORY Youre too young. ANDIE No fair. I wish I was the oldest and you were younger than me. MALLORY If theyd had you first, theyd never have gotten to me and Jean. ANDIE Take that back. MALLORY Hold out your fingers. Mallory and Andie put fingers underneath Jean. ANDIE Shes going to wake up. MALLORY No she wont. ANDIE When she hits the floor, she will. MALLORY She wont fall, not if you have the magic. ANDIE Do you have the magic? MALLORY Of course I do. Were doing this to see if you have it too.

7. ANDIE What if I dont? MALLORY Then shell hit the ground pretty hard. ANDIE I dont want to play this, Mal. I dont believe in magic. MALLORY Yes you do. ANDIE I dont. Magics not real. MALLORY Yes it is. ANDIE It isnt. MALLORY You dont know. ANDIE I do. They said at school. Theres no such thing as magic. Its fake. MALLORY This is real magic. ANDIE Whats real magic? MALLORY Lifting up Jean with just two fingers. ANDIE Then you do it. MALLORY Even magic has limits. ANDIE Then it isnt magic.

8. MALLORY I cant do this if you dont believe! ANDIE I dont! Mallory rises. MALLORY Fine, then! We wont pick her up at all! Mallory storms away. Andie jumps up onto the table with Jean. JEAN Hm? Wha? ANDIE I heard thunder. JEAN Oh. Hm? ANDIE Thunder. JEAN Storm rolling through. ANDIE Im scared. JEAN Youre too old to be scared of storms. ANDIE Never too old for common sense. JEAN Im too old for you to be in my bed at 2 am. ANDIE 15 minutes.

9. JEAN All right. Fine. A moment. ANDIE Ive been thinking. JEAN About thunder? ANDIE No. About leaving. JEAN (after a moment) Whats dad say? ANDIE Nothing. JEAN You havent told him. Oh, Andie... ANDIE I cant stay here. JEAN You cant get through a stormy night without climbing in my bed. ANDIE I can. I just dont want to. (beat) I want to go to the mountains. JEAN Thats not very far. ANDIE Im not running away. JEAN Then what are you doing?

10. ANDIE Outgrowing this place. (beat) I didnt mean... JEAN You did. Its ok. This place is me-sized. Im fine. ANDIE I need a new start. JEAN I know. (beat) You have to tell dad. ANDIE I cant do that. JEAN Thats the only thing I ask of you. You go. Ill help you pack up. But you have to tell him. ANDIE Jean... JEAN Thats all I ask. A moment. ANDIE Ok. Ill tell him. Tomorrow. JEAN Ok. Now please let me sleep. A moment. ANDIE Im too excited to sleep. JEAN Then just lay there and daydream. Quietly. A moment.

11. Jean sits up. JEAN (CONTD) We have to. MALLORY No we dont. JEAN Its dads will, Mal. MALLORY Right. JEAN It says three ways. Even. MALLORY She doesnt know that. JEAN The lawyers will tell her. MALLORY Jean... JEAN Ill tell her. Youre not cutting her out. MALLORY It was just an idea. JEAN It was more than an idea. MALLORY You cant believe that she even wants her third of this place. Shes the one who walked out. JEAN It wasnt like that. MALLORY Skulk off in the night. Disappear.

12. JEAN She didnt skulk. MALLORY Broke dads heart. You cant deny that. JEAN I wont. MALLORY If she takes her third, you know you cant keep this place. JEAN I know. It will be good for me to sell it off. I can finally get free of it. MALLORY You hate moving. JEAN Which is why its best that this happens. Otherwise I might never go. Jean stands still. ANDIE Dont let her stay with Dad alone. MALLORY Why? ANDIE Its not good for her. MALLORY Shes lived here her whole life. ANDIE My point exactly. She needs to move on. MALLORY She likes it here. She loves her family. Shes dedicated. She doesnt disappear when hard things have to be done. ANDIE You want to call me a coward, go ahead.

13. MALLORY You are a coward. You are weak. You are small. A moment. ANDIE You wont see me here until probably Dad is gone. MALLORY Why do you hate him? ANDIE I dont. I really dont. But I have to go. And Im just being realistic. MALLORY Then go. ANDIE Tomorrow. MALLORY Tonight. A moment. ANDIE Ok. Andie crosses away. Mallory begins to cry. Jean sits on the table. Lights down.