Home.
Hilary is still in her coat. Her knee is bleeding.
A Young Man walks into the room in boxer shorts.
Young Man You haven’t got any milk?
Hilary There’s no milk?
Young Man It’s cool. I’ll have juice.
He pours himself some juice.
Hilary You are –?
Young Man Oh sorry. I’m a friend of Tilly’s.
Hilary I’d figured that out.
Young Man Right, yeah. Cam.
Hilary Cam. I don’t think I’ve heard of you. Where’s Josh?
Young Man I’ve no idea. I’ve never heard of him.
Young Man Oh yeah – I think that finished.
Hilary When was that?
He shrugs.
Young Man I don’t know. Not that long ago.
Your house is very hot. We crashed out.
Hilary She never said anything to me.
Young Man shrugs.
Shouldn’t Tilly be at school?
Young Man Inset day.
Hilary Right. Shouldn’t you be somewhere?
Young Man Uni, reading week.
Hilary Tilly is sixteen – aren’t you a bit old for her?
Young Man Twenty?
Hilary Yes.
Young Man It’s not like Ronnie Wood territory.
Hilary I suppose not …
Young Man He must be well old. Fifty.
Hilary Older.
Young Man Yeah?
He notices her leg is bleeding.
What happened to you?
Hilary I got knocked off my bike.
Young Man Do you want a juice?
Hilary Yes. Actually. That would be good.
Thanks.
Young Man You ought to clean that up.
Hilary Yeah.
Hilary gets stuff to clean leg.
Young Man I’ll do it, if you like.
Hilary OK.
He begins to clean.
I didn’t know how thirsty I was.
Young Man Yeah?
Hilary I lost my job today.
Young Man That’s a bit shit.
Hilary Yes, it is actually.
Young Man Here’s to the next one.
Hilary Thanks.
Young Man You’ve been having a bit of a Titanic day.
Hilary Yeah.
Young Man I don’t know your name.
Hilary Hilary.
Young Man Hilary. I saw your photo upstairs.
Tilly told me you were her mum. I didn’t believe her. I said you looked too hot to be her mum.
Hilary It’s an old photo.
Pause.
What are you doing at uni?
Hilary What do you want to do with psychology?
Young Man I want to specialise in child psychology. I did a placement in an adolescent unit.
Hilary Yeah?
Young Man Yeah. It was like amazing. There was this kid, he had absolutely no friends. And every time the psychologist asked him a question he just said – yes – like that –
Really fast.
Hilary As if he wanted to stop.
Young Man Yeah, stop any – like –
Hilary Being seen.
Young Man Yeah. It was like he didn’t even know how sad he was. He was just tucked into a little ball inside himself. Lost. The psychologist was saying the thing is, he just has to wake up. Somehow he has to wake up. To know how sad he is before he can –
Hilary Move on.
Young Man Yeah.
Hilary Well, that sounds –
Young Man Yeah.
Pause.
Well. I better –
Hilary Yes.
Young Man Thanks for the juice.
Hilary No. Don’t go. I mean you don’t have to go – yet –
He stops.
Did you like your job? I mean, not everybody does.
Hilary I think it’s important that people – you know – read.
Pause.
They just opened the car door just as I was … the cunt.
She begins to cry but wipes her eyes as Tilly comes down.
Tilly Mum?
Hilary Yes.
Young Man I better –
He goes.
Tilly Cam’s helping me revise.
Hilary I’m not stupid.
Tilly What?
Pause.
He is.
Don’t take it out on me that you and Dad aren’t getting on.
She walks away, turns back.
Oh yeah, and we’ve run out of shower gel.
Hilary Can’t you keep your fucking knickers on? You disgust me.
Tilly turns and exits.