Chick Watches Snow Fall at the Window

(Buck walks into the room and finds Chick sitting on a chair looking out the window. Large snowflakes fall dense and slow past the window; the sky is white. “It’s Illegal To Frown In Pocatello” by Drew Danburry plays on the stereo.)

What’s going on?

Nothing.

What are you doing?

Nothing.

What are you doing?

Nothing.

Everything okay?

Yeah.

You’re just sitting?

Yeah.

Oh, okay.

I could sit here and watch it snow all day. It’s like a kaleidoscope—only with ice instead of tiny jewels. Sometimes when I’m watching it I feel like I’m falling; other times I feel like I’m dreaming.

It’s just so beautiful!

I guess I’ve never thought about it.

Same with fire. I could sit in front of the fireplace all night. I could watch the snow fall all day and the fire burn all night.

Huh, that’s interesting.

Hmm?

Snow and fire—complete opposites but you love them both.

Mmm.

Okay, well, I’ll talk to you later.

Okay.

(Buck leaves. Chick stands up and walks to the couch. “It’s Illegal to Frown in Pocatello” ends; “Diamond Rings” by Deer Tick begins. Chick takes a blanket off the back of the couch and drops it by its corners to unfold it. She wraps it around her shoulders, walks back to the chair and sits down. She pulls the blanket tight around her shoulders and neck and leans forward toward the window.)

Chick Gets Creeped Out

Hey.

Hi.

What have you been up to today?

I went and got my haircut. Then I met a friend for lunch. Then I went to the library.

Sorry, I didn't even notice your hair.

That's okay. It was just a trim.

Decided not to get the mohawk?

Yeah. Maybe next time.

Did you get any books at the library?

No. I was just looking around.

Have you ever read Franny and Zooey?

No. Who wrote it?

Salinger.

Jerome David?

That’s the one.

I love Catcher in the Rye but for some reason I haven’t read anything else by him.

I swear that's how everyone I talk to about Salinger is. When did you read Catcher?

I don’t know. High school.

Huh. Well, if you liked Catcher you should try Franny and Zooey. It’s so good.

I’ll have to remember that. I’m thinking about reading some classics that I’ve never read.

Sol and I were talking the other day about classics we’ve never read. I think between the two of us we pretty much named them all.

I was thinking about reading A Separate Peace.

Never read it. Why didn’t you check it out?

Well, you know how sometimes when you go somewhere you nonchalantly make eye contact with someone? Only it keeps happening over and over again?

(Laughs.) Yeah. That’s the worst.

Right, and then you're sure they think you either want to elope with them or kill them?

Right!

Well, there was a guy there that that kept happening with so I got all creeped out and left.

Really, you left? Just because of that?

I was creeped out.

I didn’t think it’s that big of deal.

That’s because you’re a guy.

True. I am a guy.

(Cell phone rings.) Oh, hold on.

(Answers cell.)

Hi, Mom.

No I’m fine.

No, I just got a little creeped out.

Yeah.

Yes, I'm sure.

Because I looked behind me when I got to my car and there was no one there.

Uh huh.

Uh huh.

I know.

I know.

I know, Mom.

Okay.

Love you, too.

Bye.

(Hangs up cell.)

Sorry about that. It was my mom. I called her when I got creeped out so she wanted to see if I was okay.

You called her from the library?

Yeah.

About the looker?

Yeah. So?

Nothing. Just makes me kind of laugh thinking of you ducking down in the aisles placing a clandestine phone call to your mother while some guy is just trying to find a copy of The Great Gatsby.

He creeped me out!

What did he look like?

He had on khakis and a blue sweater.

Ohh, sounds devious. What else?

He had on loafers.

Noooo!

(Laughs.) And he was wearing a grey knit hat that was pulled down over his ears.

Heaven help us! Hey, missy, you did the right thing. I mean, that guy sounds…well he sounds…educated and…and…and… genteel. Did his belt match his shoes?

What? How should I know.

Well you can tell the real crazies because they don’t match their leathers.

Shut up.

Seriously!

Seriously. Shut up.

Okay, okay. I’m just kidding.

Well how would you feel if some guy kept making eyes at you?

I probably wouldn’t think anything of it until he came up and either asked me out or pointed a gun at my face.

It’s different for girls. You think everyone is a predator.

Do you carry mace or anything?

No.

Maybe you should. Maybe you'd feel safer.

Well, I usually just call my mom whenever someone creeps me out. When the killer sees me on the phone he just goes away.

Or he’s not really a killer and he just finishes getting his groceries or his books at the library.

Whatever. You’ll be sorry you made fun of me if I end up missing.

I would be sorry. I’d never forgive myself. Once when I was a kid I prayed that a bully would leave me alone and I came to school the next day and he didn't show up for class. Turns out he’d been kidnapped by his father.

That's terrible!

Yeah. We had to go through all this emergency training on going home only with the people who have their name on a list at the office and everything. It was terrible. I thought for months that it was my fault.

Oh no.

Yeah. One night I had this nightmare that the bully kid grew up but I stayed a little kid. He came to my school and picked me up. Somehow he got his name on the list of approved people to take me out of school. He took me to Ethiopia and sold me to some African gypsies.

What? That's awful!

Yeah. I woke up sobbing and my parents had come into my room and they were both standing by my bed. They both had very a very confused look on their face.

What’d they say?

“You woke us up.”

That was it?

Pretty much.

Huh. How old were you?

I think I was probably seven or eight.

How did you even know where Ethiopia was?

I’ve always had a keen sense of geography.

Oh.