185
ACT 2 • SCENE 5
NEW YORK CITY
Frankie waits on the street. She looks up, relieved, as Jo approaches, barely looking at her. Frankie is appropriately effusive at the sight of her best friend, but there’s also clearly something unresolved.
FRANKIE: (grateful) Oh God. Thanks for coming. I didn’t have money for the train, and then my debit card didn’t work, and I wasn’t about to break down and call home... Where’s Dottie the Datsun?
Jo’s voice is low, subdued.
JO: I’m parked right around the corner.
FRANKIE: Awesome. (hurrying after her) That was pretty crazy. Back at my house. (off Jo’s silence) I’m surprised you even showed up.
JO: I’m your best friend. I’m not going to leave you stranded in a neighborhood you can’t even name.
FRANKIE: But you’re mad.
JO: Can you guess why? Or are you so far up your own ass these days that you don’t even know?
FRANKIE: I’m really sorry. I was going to tell you—
JO: And yet you didn’t. Because you knew what you were doing was wrong.
FRANKIE: I didn’t think I was going to fall in love with him...
JO: Love. Well, congratulations, Frankie. I’m glad you found something healthy and rational. I’m clearly not as legit as your fuckboy Phoenix.
FRANKIE: That’s not what I’m saying, Jo. I just didn’t think you and I were in an exclusive relationship.
JO: Right. Why would you take “this” seriously?
FRANKIE: (frantic) You know I didn’t mean it like that...
Jo whips around and turns to face Frankie. Jo sings “YOU OUGHTA KNOW.”
JO: I want you to know, / That I’m happy for you / I wish nothing but the best for you both / The perfect version of me / Is he perverted like me? / Would he go down on you in a theater? / So he speaks eloquently / And you can have his baby1 / I’m sure you’d make a really excellent mother / ’Cause the love that you gave that we made / Wasn’t able to make it enough for you / To be open wide / And every time you speak his
name / Does he know how you told me / You’d be there until you died / ’Til you died, but you’re still alive / And I’m here, to remind you / Of the mess you left when you went away / It’s not fair, to deny me / Of the cross I bear that you gave to me / You, you, you oughta know2 / You seem very well, things look peaceful / I’m not quite as well, I thought you should know / Did you forget about me, / Mrs. Duplicity? / I hate to give him so much to live up to / It was a slap in the face / How
quickly I was replaced / And are you thinking of me when he fucks you? / ’Cause the love that you gave that we made / Wasn’t able to make it enough for you to be open wide, no / And every time you speak his name / Does he know how you told me / You’d be there until you died3 / ’Til you died, but you’re still alive / And I’m here, to remind you / Of the mess you left when you went away / It’s not fair, to deny me / Of the cross I bear that you gave to me / You, you, you oughta know
1 “I love this gender-skewed version of the song. The original lyrics are: ‘An older version of me / Is she perverted like me? / Would she go down on you in a theater? Does she speak eloquently? / And would she have your baby? / I’m sure she’d make an excellent mother.’”
2 “It sounds like an angry song, but underneath that is vulnerability and devastation. Especially when I do an acoustic version, it’s just so clear to me how devastated I was.”
3 “People always thought it was about revenge, but there’s a difference between revenge fantasy and the actual acting out of revenge. Think about it. Write about it. Punch about it in your kickboxing class. Write poems and songs and cathart your face off. But don’t really seek revenge.”