(The PRINCIPALS emerge from the church.)
MIMI (to ROGER)
It’s true you sold your guitar and bought a car?
ROGER
It’s true — I’m leaving now for Santa Fe
It’s true you’re with this yuppie scum?
BENNY
You said you’d never speak to him again
MIMI
Not now
MAUREEN
Who said that you have any say
In who she says things to at all?
ROGER
Yeah!
JOANNE
Who said that you should
Stick your nose in other people’s …
MAUREEN
Who said I was talking to you?
JOANNE
We used to have this fight each night
MARK
Calm down
JOANNE
She’d never admit I existed
MARK
Everyone please!
MIMI
He was the same way — he was always
“Run away — hit the road
Don’t commit” — you’re full of shit
JOANNE
She’s in denial
MIMI
He’s in denial
JOANNE
Didn’t give an inch
When I gave a mile
MARK
Come on
MIMI
I gave a mile
ROGER
Gave a mile to who?
MARK & BENNY
Come on guys chill!
MIMI & JOANNE
I’d be happy to die for a taste of what Angel had
Someone to live for — unafraid to say I love you
ROGER
All your words are nice Mimi
But love’s not a three way street
You’ll never share real love
Until you love yourself — I should know
COLLINS
You all said you’d be cool today
So please — for my sake…
I can’t believe he’s gone
(to ROGER) I can’t believe you’re going
I can’t believe this family must die
Angel helped us believe in love
I can’t believe you disagree
ALL
I can’t believe this is goodbye
(MAUREEN and JOANNE look at each other.)
MAUREEN
Pookie…
JOANNE
Honeybear…
(They embrace.)
JOANNE
I missed you…
MAUREEN
I missed your smell…
JOANNE
I missed your mouth…Your…
(They kiss, but MAUREEN pulls away.)
MAUREEN
Ow!
JOANNE
What?
MAUREEN
Nothing, Pookie.
JOANNE
No, baby, you said ow…What?
MAUREEN
Well, you bit my tongue…
JOANNE
No, I didn’t.
MAUREEN
You did — I’m bleeding.
JOANNE
No, it isn’t…
MAUREEN
I think I should know
JOANNE
Let me see–
MAUREEN
She doesn’t believe me!
JOANNE
I was only trying to…
(They laugh, hug, and wave goodbye, exiting stage right.
The PASTOR from the church emerges on the above.)
PASTOR
Thomas B. Collins…
COLLINS
Coming.
(The PASTOR exits above and COLLINS exits into the church.
BENNY stands off to the side as MIMI approaches ROGER,
who turns
away. She hesitates before leaving with BENNY. ROGER and MARK are left alone.)
MARK
I hear there are great restaurants out west
ROGER
Some of the best. How could she?
MARK
How could you let her go?
ROGER
You just don’t know … How could we lose Angel?
MARK
Maybe you’ll see why when you stop escaping your pain
At least now if you try — Angel’s death won’t be in vain
ROGER
His death is in vain
(MIMI reappears up left, in the shadows.
She overhears ROGER and MARK’s conversation.)
MARK
Are you insane?
There so much to care about
There’s me — there’s Mimi
ROGER
Mimi’s got her baggage, too
MARK
So do you
ROGER
Who are you to tell me what I know, what to do
MARK
A friend
ROGER
But who, Mark, are you?
“Mark has got his work”
They say “Mark lives for his work”
And “Mark’s in love with his work”
Mark hides in his work
MARK
But from what?
ROGER
From facing your failure, facing your loneliness
Facing the fact you live a lie
Yes, you live a lie — tell you why
You’re always preaching not to be numb
When that’s how you thrive
You pretend to create and observe
When you really detach from feeling alive
MARK
Perhaps it’s because I’m the one of us to survive
ROGER
Poor baby
MARK
Mimi still loves Roger
Is Roger really jealous
Or afraid that Mimi’s weak
ROGER
Mimi did look pale
MARK
Mimi’s gotten thin
Mimi’s running out of time
Roger’s running out the door
ROGER
No more! Oh no!
I’ve gotta go
MARK
Hey, for somebody who’s always been let down
Who’s heading out of town?
ROGER
For someone who longs for a community of his own,
Who’s with his camera, alone?
(ROGER takes a step to go, then stops, turns.)
I’ll call
I hate the fall
(ROGER turns to go and sees MIMI.)
You heard?
MIMI
Every word
You don’t want baggage without lifetime guarantees
You don’t want to watch me die
I just came to say
Goodbye, love
Goodbye, love
Came to say goodbye, love, goodbye
MIMI
Just came to say
Goodbye love
Goodbye love
Goodbye love
Goodbye!
ROGER
Glory
One blaze of
Glory
Have to find…
(ROGER exits. BENNY returns. MIMI steps away.)
MIMI
Please don’t touch me
Understand
I’m scared
I need to go away
MARK
I know a place — a clinic
BENNY
A rehab?
MIMI
Maybe — could you?
BENNY
I’ll pay
MIMI
Goodbye love
Goodbye love
Came to say goodbye, love, goodbye
Just came to say
Goodbye love
Goodbye love
Goodbye love
Hello disease
(MIMI runs away. After a moment,
COLLINS quicjkly enters, with the PASTOR trailing behind him.)
PASTOR
Off the premises now, we give no handouts here!
MARK
What happened to Rest In Peace?!
PASTOR
Off the premises, queer!
COLLINS
That’s no way to send a boy to meet his maker!
They had to know we couldn’t pay the undertaker.
BENNY (To COLLINS)
Don’t you worry ’bout him.
(To PASTOR) Hey, I’ll take care of it!
(The PASTOR acknowledges BENNY and exits.)
MARK
Must be nice to have money.
ALL THREE
No shit!
COLLINS
I think it’s only fair to tell you, you just paid for the funeral of the person who killed your dog.
BENNY
I know… I always hated that dog…
Let’s pay him off, and then get drunk.
MARK
I can’t… I have a meeting.
BENNY & COLLINS
Punk! Let’s go.
(COLLINS and BENNY exit.)
MARK (imagining)
Hi. Mark Cohen here, reporting for Buzzline.
Back to you, Alexi! Coming up next,
vampire welfare queens who are compulsive bowlers…
Oh my God, what am I doing?
