At dawn Dom and Fred are back at The Letters.
The birds squawk quietly.
It’s freezing.
Fred
A few days later, I read—
“Dom is no longer in a ‘relationship’ and is ‘single.’”
Pause.
What happened?
Dom
You wouldn’t understand.
Fred
Try me.
Dom
We talked all night last night.
I could’ve cried out every tear in my body and died.
She says she’s really happy when she’s with me.
That I was kind, that I was funny, that I was attentive.
She says she loves me,
she loves me, Fred!
She says I make her laugh with my cotton clouds
and my bulldozer arms.
I told her about that, told her how I was a bigger person
when I was with her.
But even with everything—
the butterflies in our bellies,
the messages we send every eight seconds,
my name in lipstick on her bedroom mirror,
even with all that,
. . .
She can’t.
Fred
What?
Dom
Be . . .
with “a girl who’s pretending to be a guy.”
And with all the comments and looks from other people.
At our legs walking and our hands holding.
At her profile page.
And in real life.
When I was with her I actually felt like showing up to school every morning.
You were right—love always ends badly.
Pause.
Fred
Things aren’t exactly peachy for me either,
if it makes you feel any better.
Dom
It doesn’t.
Fred
I almost killed myself.
Dom
What?
Fred
The night of Valentine’s Day.
I almost jumped.
Off the bridge.
Dom
What?
Fred
But I changed my mind.
Death is a bit too . . . permanent.
Dom
Don’t do that ever again.
Fred
Okay.
I’m— I’m sorry.
Dom
It’s okay.
Pause.
Fred
When I was on the bridge, I told myself:
If I survive the fall,
maybe I’ll be normal after, because of the shock.
Maybe that’s all I need.
A long pause.
Dom
I know what you need.
Fred
I don’t feel like smoking now.
Dom
That’s not what I’m talking about.
Fred
Then what?
Dom
Fred.
Fred
No.
Pause.
Stop.
Don’t be stupid.
Never gonna happen.
Dom
Come on. Let’s do it.
Fred
No.
Dom
We’ll show them!
Fred
Today? In front of everyone?
Dom
You’ve been talking about it long enough!
Pause. A sigh. Something gives.
Fred
Okay . . .
Dom
Yes.
Fred
I’m scared!
Dom
I know.
Fred
What are they going to think? What are they going to say?
What are they going to—
Dom
They’re just a bunch of stupid chickens!
Just picture everyone naked.
Fred
Good idea!
Dom takes out some eyeliner.
Dom
Face me.
Fred
I don’t know.
Dom
We can wait until tomorrow, if you want.
Fred
No! Today’s the day.
Dom
Look up.
And don’t move.
Dom does his best to draw a line under Fred’s eyes, cheered on by The Letters and the cliff.
Fred
How . . . how does it look?
Dom
Hey, Fred!
Fred
Dom has his phone out in a flash.
Dom
And I take a selfie, to capture the moment.
Fred
There’s someone in the picture
who looks like me.
But better.
That guy is who I am.
I am that guy.
Dom
All of a sudden, the birds gather above us, wings flapping, applauding us.
Pause.
Fred
And I do it.
My father drives us to school and I tell him, “You don’t need to worry, Dad.”
Then I walk into class, like this.
. . .
And then . . .
Pause.
Dom
Nothing.
Fred
Well, sure, Jimmy and his sheep make their usual comments.
Dom
No worse than before.
Fred
At lunchtime, people I don’t even know come up to me and ask if I want to listen to music after school.
Dom
You’re—really beautiful.
Fred
Who, me?
Dom
No, your cousin, dummy!
Fred
You think so?
Dom
I’ve never seen you look this beautiful.
Fred
I’m embarrassed.
Dom
Me too.
Pause.
Fred
You too.
Dom
Me too?
Fred
Yes. You too.
Pause . . . It’s pretty awkward.
Did we just make the spring come, Dom?
Dom
Are you nuts? It’s still freezing.
Fred
Like you said, it can be hot out if you want it to.
Look, Dom!
Look, the sun’s coming out.
The temperature’s going up, up to thirty, thirty-five degrees.
Snow’s melting all around us.
Melting as we watch.
Giant palm trees are sprouting in the streets and knocking over houses.
The schoolyard’s covered in sand.
The river’s turned into an ocean, Dom.
See for yourself, if you don’t believe me.
No one’s ever seen waves like this before.
People are coming and putting up umbrellas.
They’re selling cotton candy and beer.
Actually, they’re giving it away for free, even to minors!
Your mother (See? She’s not so bad.) and my father are catching some rays, and for once they’re smiling at us.
No more winter jackets—we’ve got bathing suits on.
What kind are you wearing, Dom?
Dom
Just shorts. I don’t have boobs, anyway.
Dom holds Fred’s hand.
Fred
That’s okay, I don’t either.
We’re both here, wearing shorts, and we run into the ocean.
The water’s warm, the fish are warm, the sharks are leaving us alone,
we’re getting burnt to a crisp but who cares.
At the crest of a wave, we give everyone the finger. Screw you!
No more laws, not anymore, even gravity can’t keep us down now!
We don’t care what anyone thinks.
We get carried far, far away, Dom.
We swim with the jellyfish. They say jellyfish are immortal.
We turn into jellyfish and become immortal, too.
It sure is hot out, isn’t it, Dom?
Dom
I’ve never been so hot in all my life.
While Fred was speaking, absolutely everything appeared: palm trees, jellyfish, cotton candy . . .
They float in the ocean with their shirts off.
Their smiles say “screw you.”
Fred
Dom?
Dom
What, Fred?
Fred
Are you holding my hand?
Dom quickly lets go of Fred’s hand.
Dom
I’m, I’m . . . sorry.
Pause.
Fred
It’s okay.
Dom
Don’t think that—
Fred
That what?
Dom
I mean—
Fred
Of course not!
Dom
Because, you know—
Fred
I know!
There’s no way we could ever actually date, Dom.
Pause.
Dom
Why not?
Fred
Well because . . .
How would it . . .
What would I be?
Dom
I don’t know. But I’m sure we’d figure it out!
They laugh.
Pause.
They stop laughing.
Hey, I didn’t tell you. The old bird called me to her office.
First time anyone ever praised me for anything at school.
And all I did was show up for class.
I said it was your fault. I had to defend you.
Fred
Very funny.
Dom
Compliments lead to buying bungalows.
We’re not going to be like them, huh, Alfred?
Fred
No matter what, Dom,
we’re never going to be like them.