Tusk Tusk Read online

  Eliot Just don’t talk like that, I don’t like it.

  Maggie I’m being honest.

  Eliot You’re being harsh.

  Maggie She had lots of sex, Eliot, get over it.

  Eliot Please, have some respect.

  Maggie She ate men like air.

  Eliot Drop it. Drop it right now. I don’t like it.

  Maggie Fine. Keep sleepwalking, Bambi. Keep sleep walking.

  Beat.

  There must be someone, though. Someone we can tell.

  Eliot Who? Who wouldn’t tell on us? It would be different if it was just us two, but with Finn… you know what will happen. No. Sorry. We’ve got to keep our mouths shut. It’s the only option.

  Maggie (slams the table) Fuck.

  Eliot But look on the bright side, Mags, we can do whatever the hell we want in the meantime. It’s quite nice to have the place to ourselves. None of that headache stuff. The endless tiptoeing. Having to leave the lights off. We should look on it as a holiday …

  Maggie I like the lights off.

  Eliot We could get a strobe.

  Maggie (getting upset now) Eliot, this is horrible, you can’t pretend it isn’t …

  I miss my friends. Everyone’s summer is going on without us… They’re going camping, sneaking into the pub. It’s not fair. I hate it here. I wish we’d never moved.

  Eliot We could go back up and visit.

  Maggie We can’t afford it, it’s like seventy quid each. Might as well be Timbuktu for how far away it feels. Stupid trains. Ugh, look at this place. It’s horrible. It’s gloomy, it’s –

  Eliot So it needs some work.

  Maggie Ellie, your ‘room’ is the basement. Have you even been down there? It’s full of dust and there isn’t a light and …

  Eliot There’s a window.

  Maggie Hardly.

  Maggie Whatever, it gives me the shivers… the whole place does.

  Eliot You’re overreacting, we’ll fix it up.

  Maggie Finn agrees with me, you heard him screaming, he won’t sleep anywhere without us. He thinks it’s haunted.

  Eliot He’s a kid.

  Maggie So am I.

  Beat.

  So are you.

  Eliot I’m not really a kid, I’ll be sixteen in, what … eight days … How many hours is that?

  Maggie One hundred and ninety-two.

  Eliot Wow.

  Maggie I don’t feel wow.

  Beat.

  I’m really worried, Ellie…

  There’s an armada in my head.

  Eliot Hey…

  Maggie Things on fire.

  Eliot Come on, Maggie. It really isn’t that bad –

  Maggie We need a plan.

  Eliot We’ve got a plan. One, at least one of us is always here. Two, don’t let anyone know. Three, check the phones every half-hour, it’s all we can –

  Maggie We need a deadline.

  Eliot Don’t talk like that.

  Maggie At least for my mind.

  Pause.

  Eliot OK. I don’t think this is necessary, but if you’re going to get all melodramatic about it –

  She throws something at him.

  Ow …

  Maggie I’m serious, Eliot.

  Eliot Fine. Let’s make it my birthday. That’s ages away.

  Maggie Then what will we do?

  Eliot It won’t get to that, Maggie.

  Maggie I know, but –

  Eliot It won’t. OK? It just won’t.

  Maggie You promise?

  Eliot I swear.

  Maggie What makes you so sure?

  Eliot (mocking her) ‘I just have this feeling.’

  Maggie Really, though?

  Eliot Have faith, little one. Have faith.

  Maggie Even if you …

  Eliot Even what?

  Maggie Even if…

  His phone beeps, he checks it.

  Eliot Right, I’ve got to pop out. What were you saying?

  Maggie What do you mean you’ve got to go? Go where?

  Eliot I was just going to dash out to –

  Maggie Where? It’s six-thirty in the morning.

  Pause.

  You’re going to see that girl, aren’t you? That’s where you were going when you thought I was in bed – (Louder.) You were going to sneak out…

  Eliot I was going to leave you a note. It’s just I said I’d meet her for coffee.

  Maggie Coffee? At dawn?

  Eliot She went out clubbing. I wanted to see her again. I promised.

  Maggie That’s not fair, Ellie, I’m not your nanny, you can’t just hop off as soon as he’s down for the night… day … whatever … and leave me holding the fort. You can’t just do that.

  Eliot I’d do it for you.

  Maggie Like hell you would.

  Eliot Please, Mags, I really like her. I’m just going for breakfast.

  Maggie Oh, breakfast now is it?

  Eliot I knew you would react like this.

  Maggie Like what?

  Eliot Like this.

  Maggie Fine. Go.

  Eliot It’s just for an hour.

  Maggie Bring back some milk, Romeo.

  Eliot Stop it – can’t you be happy for me?

  Maggie Happy for you? It’s not like you’re pregnant, it’s not like you’re getting promoted. Happy for you? Get a grip.

  Eliot I’m making a friend.

  Maggie Your trying to get laid, slight difference.

  Eliot Hey, gotta make the most of it while I’m still illegal. Only eight days to go. If it happens now it will be classed as rape … Brilliant.

  Maggie doesn’t smile.

  Come on, give me a smile or something. Just one. Smile for rape. Give me a big grin for rape.

  She grins manically.

  There we go. There’s my girl. Dark as ditchwater. Just how I like her.

  Maggie Couldn’t you go later, when Finn’s awake?

  Eliot She’s waiting for me now.

  Beat.

  It’s an hour, Mags, come on…

  Maggie shrugs agreement.

  I love you.

  Maggie Ugh!

  She puts her middle finger up at him.

  Eliot Just tuck yourself up with Finn. I’ll be back before you know it.

  He is nearly out of the door.

  Maggie Eliot …

  Eliot What?

  She can’t tell him.

  Maggie Remember the milk.

  He blows her a kiss as he exits.

  Maggie gets a piece of material hidden underneath one of the sofa cushions – a piece of her mother’s clothing. She buries her face in it, inhaling the smell. She lies on the sofa. She twists the material gently in her hands, like an infant. She closes her eyes.

  SCENE FOUR

  Three hours later. The stage is dark. There is only the faint glow of daylight from behind the curtains. The set is the same as before.

  Maggie is sleeping on the sofa. She wakes up with a jolt. We see her at her most childlike now. Rumpled and confused, moving slowly. She checks the time.

  Maggie (softly) Ellie, is that you?

  She looks around the room. She seems about to climb off the table, but the boxes take on looming shapes. Frightened, she stays where she is.

  If this is some kind of game then I’m not playing.’ Cause it’s not funny. Not here. So stop being a twat and come out. Please come out.

  Her breathing gets more jagged. She grabs her phone; she calls Eliot; no reply.

  Finn, baby, Finn, wake up.

  She turns on the little lamp underneath the table.

  Finn?

  He stirs but stays half asleep.

  She lifts the sleepy child into her arms. She stands, clinging to him. She rocks him in the pretence of soothing him but is really soothing herself. The light and the warmth of his body begin to calm her.

  Finn What are you doing?

  Maggie You had a bad dream.

  Finn I don’t remember.
>
  Maggie You did. You were calling ‘Maggie, Maggie’.

  Finn I think I dreamt of boats.

  Maggie See, you can remember.

  Finn It wasn’t bad. I had my own boat. Just for me.

  Maggie Tell me about it.

  Finn It was green, made out of golden-syrup cans.

  Maggie You love golden syrup.

  Finn I do.

  He appears to go back to sleep.

  Maggie Do you want some now? We have one can left.

  Finn Now?

  Maggie As a treat. We won’t tell anyone.

  Finn I’m not hungry.

  Maggie But you’ve been sailing all day.

  Finn That’s true.

  Maggie I could heat it up … somehow.

  Finn Mmm…

  She smells his hair.

  Maggie But you have to stay awake.

  Finn Is it late?

  Maggie It’s very late.

  Finn Cool …

  She smiles and smells his hair. He falls asleep again. She carries him to the sofa. She tries to wake him up again. He bats her away. She curls up with him, pulling a blanket over them. A few moments pass. She cannot sleep.

  Giggling and scrabbling at the lock can be heard. The door opens, revealing Eliot and Cassie. Eliot’s hair is styled differently. They have swapped coats. Eliot looks ridiculous in Cassie’s pink jacket and she looks swamped in his.

  Maggie becomes alert but remains still. With the blanket covering them, Eliot can’t see her but the audience know that she is awake and listening.

  Cassie Wow …

  Nice house. Why so dark?

  Eliot Shhh … we’re nocturnal.

  He checks the den: satisfied that his siblings are in the other room, he becomes more confident.

  Cassie What’s in these boxes?

  Eliot Little Miss Curious. Come here.

  She comes to him. He stares at her, he smiles.

  Cassie Don’t, you’ll make me laugh, you look like –

  Eliot Who?

  Cassie (giggles) My nan. It’s her coat.

  Eliot Kinky.

  He puckers his lips.

  Cassie Don’t! You’re freaking me –

  Eliot Don’t you like old ladies?… I like old ladies.

  Cassie She’s dead.

  Eliot Right. God. Sorry. I’ll take it off.

  Cassie I’m joking. Keep it on. You look funny.

  Eliot Funny?

  Cassie Cute.

  Eliot Shut up.

  Cassie Shut me up, then.

  They kiss gently, then harder. Hands begin to wander. Coats slip off. They both pull away a little breathless.

  Greedy.

  Eliot Hungry.

  He searches through some cupboards. There is nothing. Only jam.

  Fuck all. What we do have, in spades, is um, well, jam. No bread. But some lovely gooey Prince’s Trust, ethnically-cleansed and completely-free-from-even-a-tang-of-guilt jam. Or preserve, if you’d prefer.

  He regards the pot.

  Stupid woman. Why leave jam? Why even pack jam? None of us even like it. It looks like cartoon blood. Ugh.

  Cassie No thanks. I’m fine really.

  Eliot But we don’t want your belly all fizzing and tizzing with cider now, do we? There’s that or… nothing really.

  Cassie I’m fine.

  She opens a can of cider.

  As he looks in the cupboards she comes up behind him and places the crown on his head. She turns him around.

  Your Majesty.

  Eliot Shouldn’t you curtsy?

  Cassie If the monarch does insist.

  Eliot He does.

  She hands him the cider. She curtsies, kneeling on the floor. She looks up at him.

  Cassie Like this, My Lord?

  Eliot Just like that.

  She runs her hands up his legs; she starts to undo his flies; Eliot moans softly.

  At this point Maggie springs up.

  Both Cassie and Eliot spring away from each other.

  Jesus Christ!

  He is trying to do up his flies.

  You shouldn’t jump out on people like that. You scared me.

  Maggie (dangerously even) I scared you?

  Eliot Cassie, this is my –

  Maggie You don’t know the meaning of scared.

  Cassie Hi –

  Ignoring her.

  Maggie Scared is waking up and finding your –

  Eliot I thought you’d still be asleep when I got back.

  Maggie You said you’d be an hour. I waited up for you. Then I promised myself if I fell asleep that you’d be back when I woke up. Then I woke up and you weren’t here. No one was here. Something went bump in my mind, went bump in the dark, and you weren’t here …

  Cassie I should –

  Maggie No. You stay. He’s used our dinner money to pay already, presumably.

  Cassie is gobsmacked.

  Eliot Take that back.

  Maggie Sorry, was that rude, was that impolite … was that inconsiderate of me?

  Eliot Take that back.

  Maggie Fuck you, Your Majesty. (She bows.)

  Cassie You have some nerve.

  Eliot What?

  Cassie Some nerve.

  Eliot begins to laugh.

  You find that funny, do you? Look at the state of your girlfriend. You twat –

  Eliot She’s my sister. My fourteen-year-old sister.

  Cassie I thought –

  Maggie Are you crazy? (She lowers her voice.) You were gone for hours. You don’t even call to tell me you were going to be late –

  Eliot I lost track of time –

  Maggie You leave me. Alone. In this creepy house. Then you bring home some girl and start getting lewd with her in the same room as me and your seven-year-old brother. You’re sick in the head.

  Cassie has edged towards the door. She begins to open it.

  Eliot No, don’t go. Stay. Please.

  Cassie I think –

  Eliot Please. Just give us a minute. There’s a garden. Here, have a fag. Go look around. She’ll calm down –

  Maggie Oh, will I?

  Cassie I don’t know –

  Eliot Please.

  She exits to another room.

  Listen, Maggie, I thought –

  Maggie You didn’t think. You never think. I had to lie to Finn. Say you were out at the shops. He kept asking and asking. It was horrible. And just for a second, for a millisecond, I thought you had left, like … like it was all part of some magic trick. Black, masochistic magic.

  Beat.

  Only for a second though.

  Eliot Millisecond.

  Maggie It was a whole second.

  Beat.

  You look ridiculous in that crown.

  Eliot hands her the cider. She considers, then takes it.

  Did she call?

  Eliot She will.

  Maggie I can’t stand this waiting. Staring at that little screen, begging it to ring. When the power-save comes on it’s like the phone’s winking. Its like it’s in on it.

  Eliot I’ll watch them –

  Maggie That won’t help. It’s messing with me, Eliot. It’s grinding the corners of my mind. And when I woke up. I…

  Eliot What?

  Maggie I felt someone breathing on me. I thought it was you. Just here on my neck. I felt breath.

  Eliot It was the wind. That’s all.

  Maggie slumps back down on the sofa.

  Maggie Your hair looks different.

  Eliot She styled it. Looks good, no?

  She regards him.

  Maggie You look different.

  Beat.

  Some fresh start this is… fuck.

  Beat.

  Eliot Do me a favour, Mags.

  Maggie is examining the bag of cider.

  Maggie Did you only get booze?

  Eliot Tell her you’re sorry about the hooker thing. Girls really don’t like that stuff. It makes them shy.

 
; Maggie What? By post to her pimp?

  Eliot Stop it. I really like her.

  Maggie Fine. I’ll send her a fricking dove. Give me my own cider.

  He opens one for her. She glugs it.

  I bet you ate. I bet you took her to Nobu.

  Eliot Easy on that.

  Maggie Oh, now you’re my big brother.

  She glugs harder.

  Eliot Seriously.

  She glugs more. It runs down her chin.

  Give it back.

  Maggie Relax, we’re on holiday, remember? She can bartend.

  Beat.

  Your new hairstyle’s stupid. You look like a monkey.

  Eliot Piss off.

  Maggie You did a bit before, but now, wow…

  Eliot Shhh… you’ll wake Finn.

  Maggie Aw, the animal protects his young.

  Eliot I don’t want to wake him.

  Maggie With your monkey-squeals of passion? How thoughtful.

  Eliot Take him to bed. Please.

  Maggie I’ve been to bed, darling. I’m wide awake now. I want to play.

  Eliot sighs.

  I want to play with my monkey brother.

  Eliot Enough –

  Maggie I want to pick him for fleas. He brings back vermin. Dirty boy.

  Eliot Stop it.

  Maggie mocks monkey behaviour, jumping up and down on the sofa. She ends up with her arms locked around his neck.

  Cassie enters cautiously.

  Cassie I like your house. The blue room’s pretty cool. Did someone spill –

  Maggie Eliot did it. He’s a bit of an artist. Well, he thinks he –

  Eliot Shut up, Maggie –

  Maggie busies herself picking Eliot for fleas.

  Cassie What are you –?

  Maggie Picking him for fleas. He gets them sometimes.

  Eliot Get off.

  He tries to shake her off but she clings on.

  Maggie It takes a while. Little buggers love him. Suck his blood. That’s why he’s so pale.

  Cassie Gross.

  Maggie Don’t be embarrassed, Ellie. She’s probably caught them off you by now. They’re pretty contagious.

  Beat.

  In fact … I think I can see some swarming above your head.

  Eliot has had enough. He shoves Maggie off him.

  Eliot She’s fucking with you.

  Maggie How rude. It was you who was about to do the fucking.

  Eliot MAGGIE!

  Maggie You oily little love-monkey. King of the love-monkeys.

  Eliot She’s like this sometimes. She gets… hyper.

  Maggie Do I? I hadn’t noticed. It’s probably because all

  I’ve had to eat for twenty-four hours was cold takeaway, because you – You. Ran off to Nobu with all our money.