SCENE FIVE

(Light transition: Rooster and April.)

ROOSTER: Hey.  Can I talk to you a sec?

APRIL: Sure.

ROOSTER: About... you know... the other week...

APRIL: It’s all right.

ROOSTER: No. I’ve got to apologize.  I shouldn’t’ve yelled at you.

APRIL: It probably did me good.  Really.  You shouldn’t worry about it.

ROOSTER: I didn’t want to yell at you.

APRIL: I know.

ROOSTER: You weren’t upset or anything?

APRIL: I’m not anymore.

ROOSTER: I don’t really know why I did it.  I mean, yeah, I do.  See, I was really pissed off at Jeff and...  Well, you know how he can be.  I was really mad.  That’s why I yelled at you.  But I didn’t mean anything by it.  I know it’s kinda fucked up.  It’s just, you know, I get like that at everybody when I’m in that kind of mood. 

(She doesn’t say anything.)

ROOSTER (CONT'D): Well, I gotta go.  It’s really great, though.  I mean, you could’ve been pissed off.  I mean, you’re really good.  I enjoy your company...

APRIL: Same here.

ROOSTER ... you could’ve been just awful.

APRIL: Why did you run away?

ROOSTER: What?  I never ran away from home.

APRIL: No, no, no.  Freshman year.  Right at the start of school.  I was walking through here on my way downtown and all of a sudden you were right next to me and I knew who you were, of course, because the night before there’d been a sort of get-together at the dorm and you were there, so when I saw you right next to me I was surprised but glad because I wanted to meet you and then all of a sudden you said that you’d mistaken me for somebody else and then you ran away before I could say anything.

ROOSTER: It wasn’t me.

APRIL: It wasn’t?

ROOSTER: No.  You musta got me mixed up, some other guy.

APRIL: Oh.

ROOSTER: I mean, I was there at the dorm...  that happened.  But not the thing in the square.

APRIL: If something like that had happened, I would have remembered.  Cigarette?

ROOSTER: I should really get back to work.

APRIL: So should I.

ROOSTER: A cigarette won’t hurt, though.

APRIL: No.

(He takes a cigarette from her and lights it.)

ROOSTER: I was embarrassed.  That’s why I ran away.

APRIL: See...

ROOSTER: You knew, didn’t you?  That it was me.

APRIL: Yes.  Are you nervous or something?

ROOSTER: Sometimes.  No wait, you mean now or then?

APRIL: I mean now.

ROOSTER: No.  Why?

APRIL: I don’t know.  Why are you?

ROOSTER: I dunno.  But we’re beginnin’ to sound stupid. 

(She laughs.)

ROOSTER (CONT'D): Have you always been so pretty?

APRIL (laughing some more): Oh...  God...

ROOSTER: One of my problems is I never ask personal questions.  Listen.  You can’t help the way you look.  I understand.  It’s the same with me.  I’ve always been handsome.

APRIL: You’re not handsome.

ROOSTER: Yes, I am.

APRIL: You’re not handsome at all.  You’re funny looking.  And you have those funny tatoos.  And you wear funny clothes in a funny way.  And look at me. (He does) And smile. (He does) No, it doesn’t help.  You’re just awful.  Let me see...

(She kisses him.)

APRIL (CONT'D): There.  That’s better.