CHARACTERS

Ariadna Alcalde
Laura Del Pozo
Paula Domingo
Meritxell Martínez
Èrika Peña
Alba Peribáñez
Emma Pla
Alba Ryan
Ona Serra

Interior. On stage there are 3 actresses, Ariadna, Ona, and Paula, waiting nervously. Silence. The
sound of a car arriving and four doors closing makes them look up. Emma and Alba Ryan enter first.

ARIADNA: Is it done?

EMMA: Yes, it's done.

(Silence)

ONA: Where are the others?

ALBA R: They're coming.

(Alba P. enters)

EMMA: (To Alba P.) How is Erika?

ALBA P: Better.

PAULA: What happened to her?

ALBA P: She vomited... again.

(Silence. Alba P. lights a cigarette.)

PAULA: You're very calm, aren't you? (to Alba P.)

ALBA P: How do you want me to be? It's done! And I need a cigarette.

(Erika, Laura, and Meri enter)

MERI: Do you want some tea, Erika? Does anyone else want some?

LAURA: I need something stronger than tea...

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(Meri goes to the kitchen to prepare tea. Silence continues in the room.)

ARIADNA: Well... I don't know what to ask in these cases... I... how...

ONA: How did it go?

ALBA P: It was all very fast.

LAURA: As it should be... maybe too fast in my opinion...

(ONA looks like she's gone too far)

PAULA: But... did he suffer...? (with fear)

EMMA: Are you asking if he suffered? It would have been very unfair if he hadn't suffered after what
he did.

LAURA: What kind of question is that, Paula? It was what we agreed on. And you knew perfectly well
what would happen to him after he took the poison. You more than any of us.

(Paula feels intimidated by Laura and Emma. Meri enters with tea)

MERI: Here you go, Èrika. It'll make you feel better. I brought more cups in case anyone else wants
some.

ÈRIKA: Thanks, Meri.

ARIADNA: And what am I supposed to do tomorrow if the police comes to ask questions?

ALBA R: What are you afraid of?? You say you don't know anything, you haven't seen anything, and
that's it.

ARIADNA: But I do know, don't I? I mean, this is all ridiculous... We've gone too far. We'll end up in
prison!

ONA: It's clear that the perfect crime doesn't exist... There will be some loose end somewhere and
then…

ALBA R: If you're so convinced of this theory of the perfect crime that doesn't exist, why didn't you
come? Huh??

(ONA tries to respond but stays silent and goes to the table to pick up a book or magazine and moves
away from the group temporarily)

ÈRIKA: I think I have to go vomit again…

ONA: Do you think or do you know?

ÈRIKA: What the hell is wrong with you?? Where the hell is the bathroom??!!

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ONA: Next to the kitchen.

(Èrika exits)

EMMA: Can you tell us what's going on, Ona?? What are you hiding from us? A few hours ago
everything was perfect and now, all of a sudden, you surprise us with these comments…

ONA: You know what's going on, Emma? That I can't get out of my head that you've messed up
something. And then, our alibis will fall apart, like a house of cards!

ARIADNA: I'm really scared, girls. He's my neighbor, and I'm sure that the first one they'll come to ask
when they find his body will be me, not you! This was a really bad idea…

MERI: He was your neighbor. He's dead.

(There is silence again, as everyone looks at Meri, acknowledging the reality of the statement).

ARIADNA: It's all your fault…

MERI: Excuse me??

EMMA: Yes, Meri, in the end Ariadna is right. It's your fault. You introduced him to us. You brought
him into our group. You were the one who made Carlota and him meet.

(Èrika enters)

PAULA: Pffff... I don't understand what he saw in you…

ONA: Girls! Enough nonsense! Now is not the time to start airing dirty laundry. Our priority is that
you have committed a murder and you have to be clear about your alibis.

ALBA R: We have. We have all committed a murder. Don't wash your hands of your responsibility,
Ona.

ARIADNA: But we haven't done anything! We just waited for you here, so you can't implicate us!

ONA: I'm only worried that you may have touched something or left any clues that could make the
police suspect all of us. A hair, a shoe print, a fiber from clothing... I don't know! Or don't you watch
TV and series, huh?

ALBA P: Enough!!! (she stands up to give her phone to Ona) Here! Call the police! Call and tell them
everything that happened, how we did it, tell them that you allowed it to happen right in front of
your face, a murder. And that you've been waiting like an idiot for us to come back, and that after it's
done, you decided to call the police. Come on! Call!

EMMA: Stop the bullshit! My sister is in the hospital, in a coma, because of that bastard, and we're
arguing about who calls or doesn't call the police! (Laura approaches Alba, taking her by the
shoulders)

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LAURA: Let it go, Alba.

ALBA P: I need a cigarette…

ALBA R: Bastard, rapist... anything but a human being... he won't harm any other woman now.

LAURA: (sarcastically laughing, finishing her drink) You're all a bunch of hypocrites. None of you know
what it feels like to live a situation like this…

PAULA: Oh really? Well, I think you're exaggerating, Laura. Probably it wasn't even him who raped
Carlota... maybe, maybe Emma misunderstood the name her sister whispered in her ear before she
fell into a coma. Even what happened to you, Laura, could have been a misunderstanding!

ÈRIKA: Stop it, Paula! What the hell are you saying?? It was clear that it was him! We have evidence,
and many of us have known him for years and know the reputation he had at the institute.

PAULA: Well... maybe he's partly to blame, but I'm sure that he didn't do anything with the intention
of hurting anyone. I don't think it was necessary to go that far…

MERI: He was the mayor's son, the most corrupt mayor we've ever had in this town. He had the
police on his side, the lawyers, everyone!!! Xavi was untouchable. Either we took justice into our own
hands, or we would never have been able to get revenge any other way.

PAULA: Carlota didn't ask for revenge!

EMMA: I asked it for her!

(They all fall silent. Suddenly, Meri's phone rings, and they all fall silent, afraid.)

MERI: Hello?... Oh, hi, mom! (relieved) Yeah, I'm with them, it's been a while... Sorry... I promise I'll
call you as soon as I get there next time... uh... me... no, no... No, rice. I think aunt doesn't like
pepper... I don't know, mom, I'm not sure... Yeah, I'm okay... There's nothing wrong with me. Mom, I
have to hung up, we're watching a movie, okay? What movie? Aaah... Uh... it's called "Death at a
Funeral". Okay, sure... see you tomorrow... me too... kisses…

ALBA P: You were shitting yourselves!!! You should have seen your faces!!

ALBA R: You won't deny that you were scared at the beginning, right?

ALBA P: A little bit, yes. So much talk about rice, I got hungry. Does anyone want anything from the
kitchen?

ARIADNA: You're insane, Alba...

(Alba P. leaves the stage. Emma laughs hysterically. There is silence again, but Èrika is getting more
and more nervous, and the noise she makes with her pen can be heard clearly).

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EMMA: This only happens in movies... It's all so unreal... Tonight everything seems surrounded by
fog... all this, the house, what we did to Xavi, us... Carlota... My God! What will my sister do if they
send me to prison?

MERI: Nothing will happen to Carlota because none of us will go to jail. When the case is closed, we
will celebrate, right? What do you say?

ONA: Where do you live, Meri? In "Wonderland"? Didn't you hear anything I said tonight, huh?
You're an idiot! Emma says the same thing and nothing happens. But when I say it, as a law student,
you get mad at me!? (Erika continues making noise...)

LAURA: Erika! Can you please stop it?!

ERIKA: Don't yell at me!! We're screwed! All of us! And what if I make noise?? I feel like I'm going
crazy listening to you all tonight. It's not just Alba who's crazy in this house, you know? (Alba enters
with a bag of chips)

ALBA: Erika, even though I'm in the kitchen, I can hear you, you know?

ERIKA: Yes, I know. I don't care... (Alba looks at her indifferently)

ALBA: Okay.

ERIKA: What I don't understand is how you can be here discussing whether we left clues or if we'll go
to jail, when it seems that Paula, for some reason I can't understand, has been defending that
bastard Xavi since we walked through the door.

MERI: It's true.

(All look at Paula)

PAULA: What are you talking about?

MERI: For days I've noticed that you've been acting strange around Xavi…

PAULA: What are you insinuating?

ALBA R: That every time you open your mouth, it's to defend Xavi.

LAURA: She's right... Why are you defending him now, when you're the one who got us the poison to
kill him?

ARIADNA: Girls, please, calm down... Let's not complicate things any further…

ERIKA: Calm down? Can't you see it, Ariadna?

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PAULA: Shut up!

EMMA: Paula, please deny that you liked Xavi... Look me in the eyes and deny it!

LAURA: Poor idiot…

ONA: Paula, please, what's going on with you? We made a pact that from now on there would be no
more secrets between us. Don't make it more difficult.

PAULA: You killed a good person, someone who cared about my well-being!! You killed my Xavi!

ERIKA: What are you saying?? We killed him because he deserved it, and for justice!

ALBA P: I can't believe it... she was in love with a rapist??!

PAULA: I was in love and so was he, don't get it twisted! And he wasn't a rapist!

MERI: (laughing) He didn't give you the time of day, Paula. I don't know what you're talking about…

PAULA: Stop lying! You don't know anything about our relationship! Xavi loved me. You manipulated
me because you knew I could easily take the poison from the lab, you messed with my head to make
me think it wasn't going to kill him... If I had known, I wouldn't have given it to you!

ONA: But what are you saying?? How can you believe your own lies, Paula!! This doesn't make any
sense! This woman is crazy, she'll betray us any minute.

ALBA: We took care of a problem a while ago... It won't be difficult to do it again... (Alba to Ona, in a
low voice)

EMMA: I can't believe it... I didn't expect this from you. You disgust me, Paula.

LAURA: But what did you think you had with that guy?

PAULA: I already told you! He loved me but he was too shy to confess it! He called me in secret, sent
me notes, looks... When he touched me or spoke to me, it was completely magical!

ERIKA: But what looks are you talking about? When did Xavi look at you? When did anyone look at
you?

ALBA R: Have you seen yourself?

PAULA: The problem is you. You are jealous of me and my love story.

(All look at her)

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ALBA P: You see... so jealous!

MERI: And why did he never touch you, huh?

PAULA: Because I asked him for love, and you all just wanted sex! We were waiting for the perfect
moment. He respected me, not like you all.

ONA: Alright... she's gone completely crazy now.

ARIADNA: Paula, please, what you're saying doesn't make any sense!! Listen to yourself!!

PAULA: And what happened with Carlota was because she was a slut. She was asking for it.

(Silence. Emma looks at her with anger, approaches her, pushes her, and then leaves the dining room
to the street, slamming the door. Silence continues.)

PAULA: Shit... I'm sorry... I went too far... all of this is overwhelming me... I don't know what the hell
I'm saying... forgive me, please…

ONA: Paula, you've been defending a rapist, you told us you imagined you had a secret relationship,
you insulted us all... How do you expect us to forgive you??

ARIADNA: I think it's best to try to close the issue…

ALBA R: What do you mean?

ARIADNA: If Paula wants to apologize, maybe it's best if we accept it and don't complicate things any
further, don't you think?

ALBA R: Ariadna, after what she said, it's not easy to accept an apology just like that…

ERIKA: She's lost it, she's completely crazy. This isn't normal…

MERI: Paula. This won't be easy to forgive... but we have to do something to leave this night as clean
as possible. I think we should all agree on something.

ALBA P: And what should we do? Accept her apologies and that's it??

MERI: Well, if we accept her apologies and can talk and clarify her outburst, we'll have fewer
problems when the police start asking questions. And if she can be quiet, even better.

ALBA P: I only know one way to keep her quiet.

ONA: That's too much... we don't need to go to those extremes…

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LAURA: I'm not really sure that we don't need to... if she has schizophrenia or any mental problem,
she'll imagine again that there was something between them two and that we were the ones to
blame for everything.

(During this entire conversation, Paula has remained in a corner, looking at them sideways and taking
the vial of poison out of her pocket from time to time)

ONA: I don't know... she went too far, but we need her on our side. And if she's now aware of how
crazy she's been, then I think it's a good reason to try to fix it.

ÈRIKA: I'm not sure if Emma will want to accept her apologies...

ARIADNA: Let me go talk to her, see if I can convince her.

LAURA: I'll come with you... although I don't see it very clearly.

ALBA R: What an entertaining night! So we accept her apologies and that's it? As if nothing had
happened?

ONA: Alba, please... be coherent. Your idea is unfeasible, so let's all be on the same side.

ALBA R: Ok, ok... you guys handle it!

MERI: Paula, do you have anything to say?

PAULA: I just want to tell you that I'm sorry... I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. I let myself
get carried away by a day when he looked at me and spoke to me... You know I've never had a
boyfriend, and I think something inside my head triggered a completely distorting mechanism, and I
imagined all these barbarities. And while I was saying it, something inside me was becoming more
aware that I was messing up more and more... (while Paula says this, the others will enter from
outside).

EMMA: I need to hear a real apology. Anything won't do, Paula.

PAULA: I'm sorry, Emma, really. It's not fair what I said about your sister, it's not fair how I treated all
of you. I ask for your forgiveness, please.

EMMA: I forgive you, but it's possible that I won't speak to you again when we cross paths.

ARIADNA: Alright, so are we leaving it at that?? We erase the incident with Paula and close the topic?

LAURA: This is very complicated... What happened doesn't make any sense.

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ALBA P: Alright, then, now we've fixed it, right? Can we rest for a while, or what? Do we have to
continue with this pajama party?

ÈRIKA: Paula, you have to promise us that you'll stick to our alibi. We can't leave any loose ends.

PAULA: Don't worry. I will.

EMMA: As long as you don't slip up, I'm fine. Oh, and while we're at it, make an appointment to see a
psychiatrist...

ALBA R: Hahaha!!! Yes! I think you need it!

LAURA: The show tonight has been spectacular... Is there anything strong to drink in this house??

PAULA: Yes. I saw some bottles in one of the kitchen cabinets.

LAURA: Alright! Bring us glasses and bottles, we have to close this somehow!!

(Paula takes out the vial of poison from her pocket again and looks at it, while the lights go down and
she remains focused, in the foreground of the stage, convinced of what she's about to do.)

THE END