Electorate 080
Contains: mild references to self-injury.
SCENE: Lauren's house, night.
Josh knocks at Lauren's front door. Lauren answers without saying anything and goes to the kitchen to make coffee. She is wearing long sleeves. Josh stands dumbstruck for a moment and then follows to the kitchen and stands in the doorway.
Joshua: "Uh. Hi."
Lauren: "I'm making coffee."
Joshua: "Yeah, okay."
Lauren continues making coffee; her back is to him.
Lauren: "What do you want?"
Joshua: "Sorry?"
Lauren: "Why are you here?"
Joshua: "I just wanted to check on you. To see if you were all right."
Lauren: "Okay."
Joshua: "Okay. Uh. So, I'll go, then."
Lauren turns around. Josh is confused.
Lauren: "Coffee."
Joshua: "Right."
Lauren: "Sit."
Lauren hands Josh a cup of coffee; he sits at the table.
Joshua: "Thanks."
Lauren gets her own coffee and joins him at the table.
Joshua: "Are you okay?"
Lauren does not answer, instead choosing to concentrate on drinking.
Lauren: "Where's your sister?"
Joshua: "Home."
Lauren: "She's your guest."
Joshua: "She's my sister. She can entertain herself for a few hours."
Lauren: "You have work tonight."
Joshua: "Yeah. I'd rather not go."
Lauren: "Why?"
Joshua considers this, and then continues, looking pained.
Joshua: "Everything I think to say sounds very sleazy."
Lauren raises an eyebrow.
Lauren: "I can see how that would cause problems with the customers."
After a pause, Lauren puts her coffee down and stands up, arms crossed. She watches Joshua thoughtfully for a moment, then walks towards the front door. Josh stands and follows after her.
Joshua: "Hey, where are you going?"
She walks outside; Josh follows; they walk toward the industrial district.
Lauren: "Look at this."
Josh looks around in confusion.
Joshua: "What was I supposed to be looking at?"
Lauren: "Not yet."
They walk along in silence.
Joshua: "Where are we going?"
Lauren: "This way."
Eventually, they arrive outside Lauren's chair-hoarding office building.
Lauren: "We're here. Come on."
They go up the stairs, to the roof.
Lauren: "Look at this."
Over the years, the roof has become even more dirty and junk-strewn. Empty beer bottles run wild and free, and the burnt-out drum from a long dead washing machine watches over them. Many parties have been held here in the intervening years by enterprising teenagers. There are even more chairs collected here than before, rusty and peeling, but aside from the few that have been set around the drum, they appear to have been left undisturbed.
Josh looks at Lauren, half in wonder at her dedication, half freaked out by same. Lauren smiles.
Lauren: "I used to bring them here before I had a house."
Joshua: "You're absurd."
Lauren: "I know."
She leads him to the ledge.
Lauren: "Look."
They look out over Electorate. From here, were it day, Junko's house would just be visible.
Joshua looks down, then looks at Lauren, who is looking straight ahead.
Lauren: "I used to come up here a lot."
Joshua takes a step back, and Lauren turns to face him.
Joshua: "Lauren, are you okay?"
Lauren pauses, considering.
Lauren: "Junko, Angie's grandmother, died on Wednesday. Funeral was today."
Joshua: "I'm sorry."
Lauren: "Not your fault."
They stand in silence for a moment.
Lauren: "She sort of adopted me and Anthony. Well, Anthony. When he was a kid. I tagged along later."
Joshua hugs Lauren, but she does not hug back; he pulls away quickly, apologetic.
Joshua: "Sorry. I should have asked."
Lauren: "I just... can't."
Joshua: "It's okay. I know you don't really do the whole physical contact thing."
Lauren: "No, I mean - I can't. My arms."
Lauren looks at her feet, ashamed. Josh watches her sadly.
Joshua: "Does it hurt?"
Lauren: "It sort of aches. It'll hurt later."
Joshua: "Do you need... anything?"
Lauren: "I have stuff."
Lauren looks back up, smiling sadly.
Lauren: "I used to have to just strap pads to my arms."
Joshua smiles.
Joshua: "It does the job."
Lauren: "Bit expensive, though."
Joshua: "I guess."
They stand in silence for a little while; Lauren has trouble meeting his eyes.
Joshua: "Try again?"
Lauren: "Yeah."
They hug awkwardly.
Joshua: "Tell me if it hurts."
Lauren: "I will."
Not long after, Lauren speaks:
Lauren: "It hurts now."
Joshua: "Okay."
This entry is also posted here.
SCENE: Lauren's house, night.
Josh knocks at Lauren's front door. Lauren answers without saying anything and goes to the kitchen to make coffee. She is wearing long sleeves. Josh stands dumbstruck for a moment and then follows to the kitchen and stands in the doorway.
Joshua: "Uh. Hi."
Lauren: "I'm making coffee."
Joshua: "Yeah, okay."
Lauren continues making coffee; her back is to him.
Lauren: "What do you want?"
Joshua: "Sorry?"
Lauren: "Why are you here?"
Joshua: "I just wanted to check on you. To see if you were all right."
Lauren: "Okay."
Joshua: "Okay. Uh. So, I'll go, then."
Lauren turns around. Josh is confused.
Lauren: "Coffee."
Joshua: "Right."
Lauren: "Sit."
Lauren hands Josh a cup of coffee; he sits at the table.
Joshua: "Thanks."
Lauren gets her own coffee and joins him at the table.
Joshua: "Are you okay?"
Lauren does not answer, instead choosing to concentrate on drinking.
Lauren: "Where's your sister?"
Joshua: "Home."
Lauren: "She's your guest."
Joshua: "She's my sister. She can entertain herself for a few hours."
Lauren: "You have work tonight."
Joshua: "Yeah. I'd rather not go."
Lauren: "Why?"
Joshua considers this, and then continues, looking pained.
Joshua: "Everything I think to say sounds very sleazy."
Lauren raises an eyebrow.
Lauren: "I can see how that would cause problems with the customers."
After a pause, Lauren puts her coffee down and stands up, arms crossed. She watches Joshua thoughtfully for a moment, then walks towards the front door. Josh stands and follows after her.
Joshua: "Hey, where are you going?"
She walks outside; Josh follows; they walk toward the industrial district.
Lauren: "Look at this."
Josh looks around in confusion.
Joshua: "What was I supposed to be looking at?"
Lauren: "Not yet."
They walk along in silence.
Joshua: "Where are we going?"
Lauren: "This way."
Eventually, they arrive outside Lauren's chair-hoarding office building.
Lauren: "We're here. Come on."
They go up the stairs, to the roof.
Lauren: "Look at this."
Over the years, the roof has become even more dirty and junk-strewn. Empty beer bottles run wild and free, and the burnt-out drum from a long dead washing machine watches over them. Many parties have been held here in the intervening years by enterprising teenagers. There are even more chairs collected here than before, rusty and peeling, but aside from the few that have been set around the drum, they appear to have been left undisturbed.
Josh looks at Lauren, half in wonder at her dedication, half freaked out by same. Lauren smiles.
Lauren: "I used to bring them here before I had a house."
Joshua: "You're absurd."
Lauren: "I know."
She leads him to the ledge.
Lauren: "Look."
They look out over Electorate. From here, were it day, Junko's house would just be visible.
Joshua looks down, then looks at Lauren, who is looking straight ahead.
Lauren: "I used to come up here a lot."
Joshua takes a step back, and Lauren turns to face him.
Joshua: "Lauren, are you okay?"
Lauren pauses, considering.
Lauren: "Junko, Angie's grandmother, died on Wednesday. Funeral was today."
Joshua: "I'm sorry."
Lauren: "Not your fault."
They stand in silence for a moment.
Lauren: "She sort of adopted me and Anthony. Well, Anthony. When he was a kid. I tagged along later."
Joshua hugs Lauren, but she does not hug back; he pulls away quickly, apologetic.
Joshua: "Sorry. I should have asked."
Lauren: "I just... can't."
Joshua: "It's okay. I know you don't really do the whole physical contact thing."
Lauren: "No, I mean - I can't. My arms."
Lauren looks at her feet, ashamed. Josh watches her sadly.
Joshua: "Does it hurt?"
Lauren: "It sort of aches. It'll hurt later."
Joshua: "Do you need... anything?"
Lauren: "I have stuff."
Lauren looks back up, smiling sadly.
Lauren: "I used to have to just strap pads to my arms."
Joshua smiles.
Joshua: "It does the job."
Lauren: "Bit expensive, though."
Joshua: "I guess."
They stand in silence for a little while; Lauren has trouble meeting his eyes.
Joshua: "Try again?"
Lauren: "Yeah."
They hug awkwardly.
Joshua: "Tell me if it hurts."
Lauren: "I will."
Not long after, Lauren speaks:
Lauren: "It hurts now."
Joshua: "Okay."
This entry is also posted here.