Overview
- Female: 2
- Male: 0
Context
Claire has suffered an accident that erased her memory. Her closest friend Billie has stayed by her side to help her recover, seemingly out of pure kindness. However, keeping silent about their past together at the doctor’s orders has taken its toll on Billie. She cannot hold back about their relationship any longer, even if it results in emotional trauma.
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CLAIRE. Why would I paint you naked?
BILLIE. Because you used to see me naked all the time. It wasn’t a big deal.
CLAIRE. Why? Why.
BILLIE. We lived together.
CLAIRE. That doesn’t make sense.
BILLIE. We’d been a couple for three years. We lived together for a year… .
CLAIRE. No.
BILLIE. I’m not making this up.
CLAIRE. Why didn’t you say something?
BILLIE. I haven’t left your side in seven months.
CLAIRE. I just thought you felt guilty.
BILLIE. For what?
CLAIRE. That it didn’t happen to you. We were riding together.
BILLIE. I felt guilty for a long time. I still do. I re-lived every second of our bike ride that day. Kept thinking of places I could have passed you, could have turned us down a different path. But that’s not why I haven’t left your side.
CLAIRE. You didn’t say anything.
BILLIE. For the past seven months it’s been killing me. They told me we need to give you your own time. To remember things at your own speed.
CLAIRE. Then why are you telling me?
BILLIE. Because I can’t anymore. I can’t not try. I can’t have you miss this. You’re missing too much. And I miss you.
CLAIRE. You’ve been pushing me. My mom is so uneasy with you.
BILLIE. I know.
CLAIRE I just thought she was being overprotective.
BILLIE. I’m sorry.
CLAIRE. I don’t know what to do.
BILLIE. You don’t have to do anything right now. You don’t have to know.
CLAIRE. I don’t think I can love you.
BILLIE. Of course you can.
CLAIRE. I don’t even know you.
BILLIE. That’s not true.
CLAIRE. It’s true for me.
BILLIE. But you could try. We could try together.
CLAIRE. Try what though?
BILLIE. Being a couple again. We were great together.
CLAIRE It doesn’t feel right. It feels really wrong.
BILLIE. That’s just your mother talking. It’s not you. It’s never been you.
CLAIRE. But I don’t know me. I don’t know anything anymore.
BILLIE. Don’t say that.
CLAIRE. You keep telling me things. Everyone keeps telling me things. But I don’t know what’s true.
BILLIE. Just let me help you. We have all the time in the world to figure it out. We don’t have to jump right back in. We can date. My treat.
CLAIRE. That’s not fair to you.
BILLIE. We have no other choice but to start fresh. You don’t even remember the things that annoy you about me.
CLAIRE. That’s not funny .
BILLIE. I would give anything for you to remember how much you hate it when I leave the dishwasher full without running it. When I balance a soda like it’s Jenga in the recycling can instead of emptying it. How I spatter the mirror every time I brush my teeth.
CLAIRE. I don’t think I’d like those things.
BILLIE. How do you not remember loving me?
CLAIRE. I can’t remember.
BILLIE. And I can’t forget.
Links
Dirty Birds was developed with The CRY HAVOC Company.
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