Better Places to Go

ROSIE. You lie. You do it every time you come in here and then I have to put more sugar packets out because you eat them all.

DEREK. I’m not the only liar here. Ricardo says you lie all the time. He says every time you open your big, fat, lazy mouth — you lie.

RICARDO. (He enters.) Derek?

DEREK. Make her stop! I didn’t do anything!

ROSIE. He’s eating up all the sugar packets in this place and I am not restocking them.

RICARDO. I’ll handle it.

ROSIE. You’re always sticking up for him. Protecting him like he’s some kind of retard.

RICARDO. I said I’ll handle it. Go in the kitchen and wash up the dishes. We need to get out of here soon.

ROSIE. I am sick and tired of going in to the kitchen. (She exits.)

JUDY. (She turns the radio back on and a beautiful song can be heard, faintly. She turns and looks out the front door.) Sweet Jesus, I think he’s here. Ricardo, there’s a truck. Is it his? Is it his? I told you he’d come back for me.

RICARDO. Judy, wait. The storm is—

(Judy rushes out the front door. Derek takes a sugar packet out of his pocket, opens it and eats the sugar.)

DEREK. Rosie hates me.

RICARDO. Rosie hates everyone.

DEREK. I only took the sugar packets because I was hungry.

RICARDO. Derek, did you take your sister’s gun?

DEREK. I don’t wanna talk about that.

RICARDO. She called me. Britney said it was missing. Did you take it?

DEREK. No. It doesn’t matter.

RICARDO. Did you get rid of it?

DEREK. I put her gun away, someplace safe. That way it can’t hurt anyone.

RICARDO. You shouldn’t be here.

DEREK. I didn’t have anywhere else to go. Besides, I promised you—

RICARDO. I know what you promised me. I just didn’t think you were serious.

DEREK. Of course I was serious. Look, look. (He goes to his backpack and opens it carefully. He pulls out two bus tickets.) I bought them just like I told you I would. Two bus tickets to San Diego. The bus leaves at ten-thirty. We can finally go. Just like we talked about. And see — (He pulls out a road map and unfolds it.) I even got a map so we can see all of the places that were gonna go. Isn’t it nice? All these cities and places and rivers and lakes and just imagine what the people will be like. God, it’s hard to breathe just thinking about it. I’ve waited so long for this—

RICARDO. You bought tickets?

DEREK. Two of them. One for you and one for—

RICARDO. Where did you get the money for bus tickets?

DEREK. It doesn’t matter. We needed it and I got it. You’re my best friend and we want to leave together and you said all that we needed was money and I got it and I bought the tickets and I’m ready to go now. Tonight at ten-thirty.

RICARDO. Did you sell your mother’s ring?

DEREK. (Beat.) I had to.

RICARDO. Damn it, why? Why did you do that?

DEREK. Because I want to go—

RICARDO. No. Derek, we can’t.

DEREK. I sold it and I bought the tickets and I packed a few things. Britney said it was a good thing I had enough sense to leave because she wanted me out. She said the sight of me made her sick. She said I was a filthy, disgusting person and that you and I deserve what we get because we’re in love with each other.

RICARDO. (Panics.) You told your sister?!

DEREK. (Afraid:) No, no. You told me to never tell anyone and I haven’t. I swear to God, I haven’t told a soul.

RICARDO. There’s nothing to tell. Remember that, Derek.

DEREK. They all think we’re best friends, just like you wanted.

RICARDO. We are friends.

DEREK. But what about the other stuff?

RICARDO. (Beat.) I didn’t mean for it to go that far.

DEREK. But we liked it.

RICARDO. I know. That’s my problem.

DEREK. It wasn’t your fault. I kissed you first.

RICARDO. (Beat.) Everything was easier when stuff was simpler between us. (Beat.) I’ve never done this sort of thing, Derek.

DEREK. Yeah, neither have I.

RICARDO. (Awkward:) I don’t know if I’m the way you want me to be.

DEREK. Maybe you aren’t that way with other people, only with me.

RICARDO. Yeah, maybe.

DEREK. Is it true what my sister said?

RICARDO. What do you mean?

DEREK. Are we in love with each other?

RICARDO. Yeah…sure… I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you, Derek. Do you understand that?

DEREK. But I thought—

RICARDO. Rosie thinks you and I are… together.

DEREK. Then maybe she’s the one who told my sister.

RICARDO. Do you think someone saw us, Derek? At the lake that night?

DEREK. I don’t care if they did.

RICARDO. Well, I do. If my family thinks me and you are -

DEREK. Ricardo, I’m hungry. Can you make me something? I spent all my money and I haven’t eaten since yesterday.

RICARDO. I wish you wouldn’t have bought bus tickets. Maybe it’s not too late—

DEREK. For what?

RICARDO. To get your mother’s ring back.

DEREK. But she wanted me to go. She told me so. She said I was special and that I was gonna meet someone else who was just as special and someday I would leave this place. And then, after she died, I met you. And I finally had someone else to talk to. That’s probably why I like you, because you’re nice and you listen to me and I know that’s a tough thing to do because sometimes I don’t make much sense—

RICARDO. (Softens:) You make perfect sense to me.

DEREK. When you started working here, everyone was being mean to me and you made them stop. You stuck up for me, Ricardo.

RICARDO. I didn’t do anything special.

DEREK. You did, you did. No one has ever looked out for me like you.

RICARDO. It wasn’t fair…what they were saying and doing to you.

DEREK. Sometimes, it hurts me — all the stuff in my head. I can’t turn it off. I want it to stop. All the thoughts and the words and the little bits and pieces that keep going over and over — it makes me crazy. I really thought I was crazy until I met you. I was very, very lonely and I don’t feel embarrassed about telling you that, because I know you understand me. (Beat.) This song on the radio is very beautiful.