The Breach by Naomi Wallace

Author:Naomi Wallace
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

SCENE SEVEN

Jude and Acton surround Frayne in the Diggs’ basement.

Later in November. 1977.

Frayne has a makeshift bandage around his hand. There’s some dried blood on it.

Jude What the hell happened?

Frayne attempts to hide his hand.

Acton Let me see.

Frayne Not yet.

Jude Hold still.

Frayne Where’s Hoke?!

Jude grabs Frayne’s hand and slowly unwraps it. Frayne tries not to wince.

Acton Hoke’s on his way. Wow. That’s impressive.

Jude You’ll need a doctor to look at that.

Jude pokes at the wound. Frayne lets out a howl, but it’s more of triumph than pain.

Acton Hurts bad, huh?

Frayne Kinda. Yeah.

Jude How’d you do it?

Acton You’re gonna have a scar.

Jude raises Frayne’s hand and gently kisses his palm. He winces slightly.

(To Jude.) Euw. There’s blood on your lip.

Frayne Do that again?

Hoke bursts in.

Hoke What’d you do, Frayne?

Frayne I Topped That. T- Y- L. I Topped Your Love.

(To Acton.) And yours.

Hoke Cough it up then.

Jude What? It’s this stupid game again?

Acton It’s not a game, Jude.

Jude Damn you. Shit.

Jude deliberately wipes her lips, her eyes on Frayne.

Hoke It’s a relinquishing. A giving.

Frayne A goddamn sac-ri-fice. Look at the holes in my hand!

Acton (counting) There’s five of ’em.

Hoke examines Frayne’s hand.

Hoke Jesus. Bite marks?

Frayne These, my friends, are the marks of my commitment. (Beat.) So, last night, late, I go down to the kitchen.

Jude Losers.

Frayne My mom and dad are /

Jude You’re fuckin’ losers.

Frayne (suddenly) Back off, bitch. No one wants you here anyway.

Jude tries to attack Frayne. Frayne doesn’t respond, just smiles at her while Hoke and Acton hold Jude back.

Hoke and Acton Hey! Stop it. Get off him. Calm down, Jude.

Jude moves away from them, but still listens. Frayne continues.

Frayne So, my mom and dad are asleep. My brother Terry’s in his wheelchair in the living room. Terry usually sleeps in his chair but he’s awake and he’s watching a re-run of Lost in Space and I’m figuring I need a witness, but one who can’t talk, so I turn Terry’s chair to face the kitchen and I get me one of those real big forks.

Acton Oh no.

Hoke Shhh.

Frayne Oh yeah, the kind you use only once a year to serve up hot turkey and I lay my hand, palm up, on the cutting board and I say, ‘Terry. I know what it feels like, brother,’ and I give him a wink. Then I bring that fork down on my hand like a fuckin’ B-52 –

Frayne and Hoke – gravity bomb.

Acton Whoa.

Hoke That took some guts.

Jude I’m going to report you.

Hoke But self-mutilation doesn’t count, Frayne.

Jude But to who? The principal?

Frayne Acton. Get rid of your sis for us, please?

Jude The cops? I’ll tell the cops.

Acton Don’t be stupid, Jude.

Jude Or maybe your parents?

Acton You can’t.

Frayne No one cares what we do.

Hoke Jude. If you tell anyone, so help me /

Frayne Shut the hell up! All of you. That’s just Part One. ’Cause well, Terry, he starts crying in that roller coaster way, seeing what I did and how I’m bleeding and I start cryin’ too ’cause it hurts like hell and Mom and Dad come running down the stairs in their matchin’ PJs.

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