GRAY

by Tom Smith

MATT

I'm sorry I woke you up.

LAURA

I was worried. I left you three messages on your cell. You didn't call me back.

MATT

I had my phone off. I'm sorry.

LAURA

Where were you?

MATT

I had to sort some things out.

LAURA

Matt, what’s going on?

MATT

I’m sorry about everything.

LAURA

Stop saying that.

MATT

I… It’s so hard to… I’m in a really messed up place in my life right now.

LAURA

Is it me? Am I making you feel this way? Is it the baby?

MATT

No! No.

LAURA

Then what? Please, Matt, talk to me. I want to help you.

MATT

No one can help me. I can’t even help myself.

LAURA

Are you in some sort of trouble?

MATT

It’s that…kid, that boy, that… Pack.

LAURA

What about him?

MATT

I don’t know. That’s the problem.

LAURA

I don’t understand what you’re talking about.

MATT

I hit him. I hit him.

LAURA

I know.

MATT

You do? How?

LAURA

He came by here tonight.

MATT

He did? What did he tell you?

LAURA

What do you think he told me?

MATT

That kiss didn’t mean anything, Laura, I swear.

LAURA

What kiss? Matt?

MATT

He’s playing these games with us, Laura. He wants to break us up. He’s in love with me.

LAURA

What are you talking about?

MATT

He told me he’s in love with me. I told him I couldn’t return his feelings. He got mad, and he’s trying to break us up.

LAURA

You…kissed…him?

MATT

I was confused. I was just talking to him. I just wanted to know the truth about him…who he was and why he kept appearing…every time I turned around… And then he starts going on about how I'm jealous of him because he doesn't have any of the responsibilities I do: he doesn't have a house or a kid or a relationship or a job, and I was so pissed off at him because he was right, I am jealous of him! This fucking 16 year old kid knew me better than I knew myself. And I just…kissed him. To shut him up. To shut him out. I don’t know why. And that’s what’s driving me crazy. I don’t know what that kiss meant.

LAURA

Did you kiss him before or after you beat him up?

MATT

I didn’t beat him up. I hit him. Once.

LAURA

You might have broken his rib. He’s got a black eye and was bleeding.

MATT

Not from me! I hit him in the back. If his ribs were messed up then it’s something he did himself.

LAURA

Matt, he was bruised pretty badly.

MATT

You don’t think I actually beat him up, do you?

LAURA

I don’t know what to think right now.

MATT

Don’t look at me like that. Jesus, Laura, don’t do this! He’ll have won.

LAURA

Won what?

MATT

I told you, he’s trying to break us up! He wants you to not believe me.

LAURA

How long have you been seeing him? How many times have you lied to me about going to meetings or grading papers when you were really seeing him?

MATT

I thought you’d want to help me.

LAURA

Oh, God, now you’re sounding like him.

MATT

Why are you on his side?

LAURA

Is this why we're not married? Because—

MATT

Not again!

LAURA

What do you mean again?

MATT

Again! Again! We're not our fucking parents! We both agreed we didn’t need to get married—

LAURA

Who said anything about need? What about you wanting to marry me? Wanting to be a proper father?

MATT

I'm freaking out about my fucking life right now! When did any of this become about you and me?

LAURA

The minute you told me you kissed Pack.