Leila: 28, foreign, smart, needy
Darwin: nonbinary 25, Leila’s younger brother and roommate.
Quentin: the boyfriend of Darwin, 23, literary.
Quentin and Darwin are on the couch as Leila enters with a suitcase through the front door. Quentin clings to Darwin throughout the conversation.
A note on the text: “–” signifies a line being interrupted by the next one. This text is to be performed. There is little inter-sentence punctuation so as to let it be defined by the performance dynamic.
Living Room
Leila: I fucking hate those fucking fuckers fuck my fucking life
Darwin: Chill man have a smoke
Quentin: Hi Leila
Leila: Hi Quentin.
Darwin: What are you even talking about?
Leila: I need a new job
Darwin: Which job?
Leila: You know what I mean.
Darwin: No for real you have so many gigs. What are you even coming home from?
Leila: You didn’t notice I’ve been gone for 10 days?
Darwin: I did, I just figured you needed to fuck around or something
Leila: Really?
Darwin: Really
Leila: Really.
Darwin: Really. jeez.
Leila: I can’t take it. I just spent two fucking weeks alone on the road. I’m like a trucker but I’m a woman and have to share the row with two other fucking people and the plane with another 150.
Darwin: Shhhh. Flying is a modern social experiment don’t let it get to your head.
Leila: It is a social experiment! Let me tell you!
Darwin: Tell us!
Leila: I have no control over anything in my life but I’m always controlling everything it makes no fucking sense.
Darwin: You’ll be okay, something else will come along.
Leila: We’re in a recession.
Darwin: People still work in recessions.
Leila: Yeah but nobody changes jobs.
Darwin: You’re not nobody.
Leila: Do you get tired of supporting me?
Darwin: No
Leila: No?
Darwin: No. But you could put down your guns when you get home.
Leila: My guns?
Darwin: Yes your guns. They’re pointed in all directions right now.
Leila: Sorry
Darwin: My offer still stands to teach you how to code
Leila: What could I teach you in return?
Darwin: That doesn’t really matter.
Leila: But I’m the older sister. I’m supposed to be the one teaching you things.
Darwin: Oh spiritually I’m your elder, don’t worry.
Leila: ha-ha-ha
Darwin: For real though something will come along.
Leila: It better be a rich husband and a baby to make my life feel complete. How can it be so alienating it seems so easy from the outside.
Darwin: Here smell this (hands her a menthol ointment. She inhales it.)
Leila: Isn’t it crazy dad had two kids?
Darwin: Isn’t it crazy you still say dad sometimes?
Leila: Well.
Darwin: I guess it is crazy but I think that’s just what people did.
Leila: I don’t know a single fucking baby and I’m 30. Back then I would’ve known like at least like 15 or at least like 5.
Darwin: Maybe.
Leila: You guys want kids?
Quentin: We’ve been talking about it–
Darwin: You always ask me this when you’re unhinged–
Leila: I’m not unhinged.
Darwin: Yes you are.
Leila: Fine I am.
Darwin: Maybe. Maybe I want kids. It feels more and more possible for queer people compared to before.
Quentin: Definitely, it’s so empowering
Leila: Yeah, wild, cause it seems less and less possible for urban straight women.
Darwin: The great re-defining of society is upon us.
Leila: Yeah or maybe just like god got tired of cishets.
Darwin: Yeah that’s definitely what happened. It was god.
Leila: What’d you do this week, I spent way too much time pretending to be Marlene Deitrich
Darwin: The usual, worked, saw Quentin, went to the sauna, had therapy.
Quentin: Same.
Leila: Sounds amazing.
Darwin: You know Leila. I’ve been thinking.
Leila: Nice I’m happy for ya
Darwin: ha-ha-ha.
Leila: I always knew you could.
Darwin: We’ve been thinking about moving in together
Leila:
Darwin: Quentin and I…
Leila:
Darwin: Did you hear me?
Leila: What?
Darwin: Say that I may move out?
Leila: No.
Darwin: Did you hear me this time?
Leila: Why would you say that.
Darwin: It’s not about you, we just want to build our little nest.
Leila: In another country?
Darwin: Not necessarily
Leila: Then why would you need to move? Just sublet like every other millennial or Quentin… I guess you could move in here.
Darwin: Many people have rental contracts and Quentin doesn’t want to move in here, right Quentin–
Leila: What?
Darwin: Many people–
Leila: I heard that part. Quentin, why–
Darwin: Leila, I just think we would be better off visiting each other regularly instead of having to you know…organize our lives together all the time.
Leila: It isn’t all the time.
Darwin: Leila you… it’s been hard this year. And I feel like you don’t even notice and Quentin has been a big source of support
Leila: It’s been hard for me too. That’s why we should stay together. What is he even doing here during this conversation.
Darwin: I don’t want our relationship to just be about pain.
Leila: That’s what siblings are for. Why can’t Quentin speak for himself?
Darwin: Leila, I wanted him here but you know he can be shy when you get upset.
Leila: I’m upset?
Darwin: No that’s not what I… It’s a big conversation.
Leila: You’re just springing it on me and I feel cornered.
Darwin: Quentin, baby, maybe you could give us some privacy.
Quentin: I want to be here, I want to support you. Leila, it’s not about me or you, it’s just that you know couples need their space to do… couple things.
Leila: You guys can fuck here I’m not prude
Darwin: Leil–
Quentin: That’s not what I mean.
Leila: What do you mean then?
Quentin: I mean to have emotional conversations and a life that isn’t all about one of the couple member’s sisters.
Leila: I still don’t understand… you would have your own bed. I’m not like sleeping between you two. Besides I’m always at work
Quentin: Of course I know, it’s just Leila you can be a lot when you are home.
Leila: Quentin do you even have your own place? You’ve basically lived here for a year and I haven’t said anything about it.
Quentin: You’ve barely said anything to me at all.
Leila: I’m saying things right now.
Quentin: Exactly, we never manage to have a real conversation.
Leila: Because you just sit there watching. It’s fucking weird, you don’t contribute anything, you just sit clung onto my brother like he’s some fucking life raft. And he is guess what he is, he’s my life raft but I get a certain privilege to that because we were raised together and basically are stuck with each other for the rest of our lives because that’s what siblings are like in families that are sparse. That’s how it is in ours. Do you even have a family?
Quentin: I preferred to cut ties, it was an unhealthy dynamic.
Leila: Darwin, how can you date this person. Who just cuts ties with their family.
Darwin: Guys can we just breathe, have a smoke, have a drink, this doesn’t need to be so tense.
Leila: Easy for you to say you have two people fighting for your love.
Darwin: That’s not what it’s about.
Leila: Then what is it about?
Darwin: Leila I love you, I will never leave you, but you need to let me have my life as well.
Leila: I do
Quentin: You don’t. You just let him have it–
Darwin: Please Quentin. You just sort of let me have it when it’s convenient for you but as soon as you need love or attention or some mess to clean up I end up being called away from whatever I’m doing. It’s not fair.
Leila: I really didn’t see this coming
Darwin: Of course you didn’t, Lei.
Leila: What the fuck am I supposed to do, move out? I can’t pay for this place myself and you know I hate roommates.
Quentin: We’re roommates.
Leila: No you’re not Quentin number one you don’t live here number two Darwin is family
Darwin: It’s gonna be ok. We’ll figure it out together
Leila: I can’t believe you're letting this zoomer twink take you away from me!
Darwin: You’re basically a zoomer Leila.
Leila: No I’m not! I grew up with a nokia. I bet Quentin gets all his emotional boundaries from instragram and tik tok posts with preachy shit written all over images of like sunsets or forests.
Quentin: I don’t have social media actually.
Leila: Oh you’re so evolved.
Quentin: You think you’re so smart because you suffer but really you just go to bed every night in your bed that you made up with sharp objects so you can wake up and ask Darwin to mend your wounds. But you made them. You’re the one who did this to yourself.
Darwin: Quentin. That’s not true and you know it.
Quentin: It’s not wrong and you know it.
Darwin: I think I’m going to have a panic attack
Leila: You want to live with this person but they know nothing about our life?
Darwin: I can’t breathe
Leila: Relax I’m here. Quentin go get a bag from the kitchen
Quentin: I got him you go get the bag.
Leila: You get the fucking bag!
Quentin: Just breathe Darwin. I’m right here.
Darwin: Leila please get the bag.
Leila stands and exits.
End.