A Short Story

Two young people coming of age and reason journey together up the last of the hill before them. It’s nighttime and stars are stirred about in the sky. They rest and overlook the city that is spread before them. Lights twinkling above and bellow them.

Macee: Isn’t it crazy?
Paul: It’s a dream, a crazy dream.
Macee: You’re so cryptic.
Paul: I don’t believe you know what that word means.
Macee: Well explain it all to me because I’m not as smart as you but then again, who is?
Paul: I’m not as smart as you think I am- I’m sure my ideas are nothing new.
Macee: Yeah right.
Paul: Really, you want to know what people think of when they hear me speak?
Macee: Yes.
Paul (sarcastically): They think of this body.

Macee laughs stumbling away and then back into Paul. Like the pendulum of their relationship this proves to be a swing into the right direction.

Macee: Well someone’s confident of themselves.
Paul (sarcastically): How cant you be when you can move like this (moves in gladiator like motions, slowly resting into the Usain Bolt lightning slide). Oh yeah, right there.
Macee: I don’t buy it.
Paul: Oh come now.
Macee: You have had no idea what it is I’ve been thinking of this whole night.
Paul: Yeah I have. You’ve been thinking, ‘man this guy is so funny and ridiculously good looking- he’s basically everything I’ve ever wanted and more.’ You’re asking yourself why it took you so long to find something so sweet. You’re wondering why I haven’t tried to kiss you already.
Macee: Psh-whatever, you would think that.
Paul: The real question is what I’m thinking.
Macee: Yeah I like this; it’s your turn to tell (hits Paul in the shoulder) hah! I hope I didn’t hurt your muscles, and take your handsomeness cuz that’s all you hang on.
Paul (somewhat irritated): Please. (Gains composure). So you wanna know whats being batted around up here (Macee nods)… I’ve been thinking, I do that from time to time- I know it doesn’t always look it but I often wonder about it all. Oh forget it, I’m not gonna make any sense
Macee: No, just go and say it, don’t worry if I don’t understand. If I dont get it I’ll just ask you to repeat it.
Paul: Actually, I’ve been wondering about something you said earlier. You said to Jane that had she seen the hassle that it would have been to leave Brett that she wouldn’t have gone through with it.
Macee: Yeah
Paul: I think it’s kind of like this (extends his arms forward toward the city and the sky). We have this light and its dim- it alone is but a spark but when pulled together collectively you get something of substance- you know? Don’t those city lights look like coals? It looks like something that’s being held together for a brief moment before it smolders out. Someone can come by and with one comment, one expectation, they can snuff out something that could’ve been but will never be. It’s living in uncertainties that you were trying to explain and I don’t know if it’s true or right to look at life that way. (Points towards the sky above) I mean I can look up to the heavens and see those stars stuck in place. They’re separate and shimmering. They’re a cleaner, clearer light much like these theories of conscious we make- they’re perfect in our minds. (Points to city below)Then we place them in reality and it’s just a burning mess. It’s something that’s aflame and will either consume you and everything around you or it’ll just put itself out of its misery.
Macee: Wow, well that was awesome. I have no idea what you were trying to say but it sounded profound.
Paul: See what I mean I knew you wouldn’t-
Macee: I’m just kidding, it sucked and I understood every word.

Paul laughs.

Macee: No, it was alright; I’ve heard better but it was a valiant effort.
Paul: Oh really, then prove it- tell me what you see huh? What do you feel? What’s been on your mind besides my shirtless body lifting weights?
Macee: Funny. No, look at it this way. All those lights down there represent a person and that’s the truth. Some house with a light on has a person in it. In a land of shadows there’s a dim light that everyone brings with them. Collectively these lights gain enough power to see but individually if left alone they’ll never be able to see anything. They’ll be… surrounded by the shadow of something else. Sure you could say it looks like a flame but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Not all flames destroy- you know? It could be something that others are drawn to because like a fire it keeps them warm when the rest of them feel cold.
Paul: hm, eh…
Macee: What?
Paul: Nothing.
Macee: What were you going to say?
Paul: Nothing.
Macee: I hate it when you do that.
Paul: Do what?
Macee: This, when you’re thinking something and you’re about to say it but you don’t. You can’t do that it’s against the rules.
Paul: Who’s rules?
Macee: The rules, you can’t start something and then not finish it.
Paul: People start and then don’t finish things all the time and especially- never mind.
Macee: You almost said it.
Paul: Nope, it’s late and I gotta get up early.
Macee: Oh don’t pull that.
Paul: Really I do.
Macee: You’re a coward.
Paul: What? Me? Come now.
Macee: You are and you can’t prove me otherwise.
Paul: Fine you wanna know what I was going to say. People start and then don’t finish all the time and especially, especially in relationships. There you have it, a bunch of false starts.
Macee: What do you expect to happen in love that things just fall together perfectly the first time? Love isn’t something you plan out or put on a list of things to do- love happens. The more you look for it the more frustrated you’ll be.
Paul: Love happens, oh please.
Macee: Love happens.
Paul: No wonder all these ugly creepster guys end up with attractive women. They just ‘happened’ to be in the right place at the right time and experience an unconscious anomaly- they knew what a girl was thinking and feeling for one moment. They told her what she needed to hear. In that brief interchange the girl signed off her heart forever and from then on as things are horrible and getting worse she’ll sit back and remind herself that he knew her heart once and that’ll give her hope to wait for another anomaly.
Macee: That’s not how it is at all.
Paul: These guys are falling stars. Girls play out these scenarios in their heads and when the guy comes around at that moment- as big of a jerk as he might be- they’ll throw all their wishes on him. They should know that shooting starts are never raised once they fall.
Macee: You make it sound like a bad thing to try and believe in someone.
Paul: Its what I do- You wanna know what my problem is? I meet people and give them everything, everything and as time comes buy I eventually have to take back most of what I gave them.
Macee: Where would any of us be if someone didn’t place confidence in someone else? Who cares if people don’t live up to your expectations of them? You need to allow people to grow. What happens when someone who’s lost your confidence for a moment comes back and restores it? What happens when faith is rewarded? You just don’t wanna get hurt. Have I lost attributes that you’ve given to me?
Paul: Um…yeah you have.
Macee: Which ones?
Paul: I gave you honesty and you didn’t deserve it- you’re a little thief.
Macee: What? I haven’t taken anything of yours.

Paul (dry sarcasm): You’ve stolen my confidence in myself, my style of music, and my heart. (Paul laughs at his own joke) Cheesy joke I know. Ahh…I couldn’t resist.
Macee: Maybe you were right about having to take away attributes that people don’t deserve.
Paul: Hey, don’t play that game.
Macee: After all, like you said, one comment can snuff out a city, a soul, a relationship.
Paul: What are we kids here- did you say relationship?
Macee: There’s only one of us that’s not acting like a kid and I’m not a kid so…
Paul: Look, me, the kid, I’m not too good at relationships. I haven’t had a whole lot of practice.
Macee: Relationships aren’t all kissing.
Paul: Wo, wo, wo! Easy there, I wasn’t even thinking that.
Macee: Yeah you were.
Paul: You’re totally wrong and crazy cuz I hadn’t even thought of that, not at all.
Macee: If you truly weren’t then you wouldn’t be so defensive right now.

(BEAT)

Paul: Here’s the deal with relationships. They’re all so short lived. They come and go so quickly. You come to know each other and then you have to ask if it's worth it.
Macee: What do you mean, ‘if it’s worth it?’
Paul: I mean, what is it that keeps you coming back. That reason has to be so strong that it overrides everything else.
Macee: Look who’s the girl now. Holding on to one moment that reminds you of when someone witnessed your heart and told you about it. So the door swings both ways. If you don’t watch out you’ll end up with a creepster of a guy of a girl Paul.
Paul (shouting to the city): Hey we’ve got ourselves a regular comedian here!
Macee: You don’t need to shout it… I only have an audience of one. I think this theory of yours is wrong. It can’t be boiled down to one reason that brings you back to the person you love- it has be a number of reasons.
Paul: Oh yeah, like what?
Macee: It’s all the things they are and even some of the things they aren’t that you’ll forgive them for.
Paul: Yeah, loving things people aren’t- I think I got that one down.