Bruce Wagner - Dead Stars

He didn’t have any meth so he ate 3 orange sweet-tasting addies, did a little coke, & masturbated to the casting sessions (a school friend of Rikki’s texted him that a guy who helped recruit chicks for the castingcouch just got busted for kiddie porn. Plus the friend texted that the internet said the guy with the fuzzed out face had major Herpes), sampling/toggling between Related Videostil 4AM. Then he snorted some of Tom-Tom’s H, nodding out in front of the castingporn til the alarm woke him: Shade 45, slowly getting louder til it twitched his consciousness:

I just wanna talk, and conversate

Cause I usually just stalk you and masturbate

And I finally got the courage to ask you on a date

So just say yes, let the future fall into place… CUNT.

MILF-to-be

“I

didn’t see you on the couch!”

“What is that? Is that a nametag?”

“O! Yeah—”

“O my God, it says Sears . Did you get a job at Sears?!?!”

“Yes, I did.”

“O my god! Mom, are that bad?”

“It’s — I’m doing it for work. For my work.”

“Doing what? ”

“I had this funny idea. For some images — photographs. Then it got less & less funny and more just interesting .”

“What!”

“Well, Sears has a portrait studio. Whole families come in.”

“O my god, it’s getting worse— ”

“You’ll get a prom queen, or newlyweds, or new moms bringing in their babies…”

“So, like, you were like an art photographer, & now you’re taking pictures of families at Sears ?!”

“I am & I’m not. And don’t be such a snob. I don’t really know yet. But I think I can make art — there’s art in there. I just need to find it.”

“So you’re like going to have an exhibition of the family portraits or whatever that you take at Sears ? Sears won’t even let you, they would totally own them.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing, Jerilynn. I’m just following my nose. Going by my lights.”

Jerilynn/Reeyonna softened.

“I guess I kind of get it.”

“All I know is that I’m excited about something. For the 1st time in I don’t know how long.”

“Then that’s cool. I’m happy for you, Mom.”

“Thank you, honey.”

“I just hope none of my friends see you.”

“They won’t, unless they’re in Valencia.”

“Mom, can I talk to you about something?”

“What is it?”

“Uhm. I don’t know how to — this is really weird.”

“Sweetie, what is it?”

Reeyonna/Jerilynn stiffened.

“I’m gunna have a baby.”

“No.”

“I am. I’m almost three months pregnant.”

“You are? O Jerilynn—”

“I didn’t tell you — I haven’t really told anyone— because I was afraid I’d get talked out of having it.”

“Do you know who the father is?”

“Of course I know, oh my god I am not a slut .”

“Jerilynn, is it Rikki?”

“No, it’s the football team .”

“Don’t fuck with me, Jerilynn! GODDAMMIT, don’t fuck with me on this, you’re not in the position to fuck with me!”

“All RIGHT . O- KAY . I’m SORRY. I’m SO SO SORRY— ”

“Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to yell.”

“I am NOT CRYING! God! ”

“O Jesus. Shit. I’m sorry, honey.”

“You’re so MEAN . I don’t want you to be MEAN to me!”

“I won’t. I just need to think. I’m just — I just came home & you dropped this on me.”

“I’m REALLY REALLY SORRY! — ”

“No! — I’m really glad you did, I’m happy that you did. I’m really glad you told me. OK, Jerilynn? Did you hear that? Can you hear that? I am very, very glad. Tho I wished you’d told me sooner—— ”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“ You don’t have to have it. You can have an abortion after TWELVE weeks. A friend of mine’s daughter had hers at FIFTEEN— . . . ”

“I AM NOT GOING TO KILL MY BABY!!!!! WHY DID I EVER TELL YOU WHY DID I EVEN EVER TELL YOU I SHOULDN’T HAVE TOLD YOU—————!!!!!!!”

“All right. Calm down. Calm down now. Let’s just take — let’s take — let’s take some time here. OK? Can we do that, Jerilynn? Let’s breathe. Can you stop crying & go wash your face? I should have known you were pregnant. The acne… and you lost your hips… stand straight . Lift your shirt——”

“No!”

“What is the matter with me? The throwing up in the mornings… I thought you were bulimic —I feel like such an ass.”

“I’m sorry— ”

“It’s not your fault, it’s mine . & would you please stop saying you’re sorry ? Can you just STOP?”

“I’m SORRY! I’m SORRY, I will .”

“——just let me just think. Let me just sit & gather my thoughts. Can you do that? Can you go wash your face and let me gather my thoughts? Because — there needs — we need, we’ll need to… oy. Oy yoy YOY . Oy yoy yoy yoy YOY. The school. . we have to——”

“Can we go out for dinner?”

“Yeah. Maybe that’s a good idea. Let’s go out for dinner.”

“Can we go to Du-par’s for pancakes?”

“Yes. We can go to Du-par’s.”

“Thanks.”

“Thank you . For talking about — for telling me, for talking to me. I really commend you for that. I really do, Jerilynn.”

“Thanks. .”

“Let’s go to Taylor’s — the steakhouse. Do you want to go to Taylor’s?”

“Can’t we go to Du-par’s?”

“You can’t get good steak at Du-par’s.”

“OK.”

“Dinner’ll be expensive, but so what. You’re eating for two.”

“Maybe three ,” she said savagely. “Maybe it’s twins! ”

“Jerilynn, don’t even— nice to see you laugh anyway. I’ll get there in a minute. Or maybe a day. Or a week. To laughing. O boy. O well. Well well well well well. Go wash your face & we’ll go.”

“K.”

[Reeyonna EXITS. A beat, then, Jacquie calls after]

“Jeri? Have you seen my Klonopins, do you know what happened to my Klonopins?”

“No but I’ll look!”

[sotto, to Self]

“I cannot find my Klonopins. & I really fucking need them.”

Pregnant

“My

mom’s going to call. Did she call them yet?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“She said she was going to call.”

“For what.”

“I guess it’s a Meet the Parents moment.”

“Yeah. Okay. .”

“So have they said anything to you?”

“About what?”

“About the baby . How are they dealing?”

“My mom won’t come out of her room.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yeah, she cries.”

“Bummer.”

“Yeah. .”

“You sound fucked up. Are you like, totally fucked up?”

“No. Just some weed. Why.”

“You just sound fucked up.”

“I’m good. Are you?”

“Not really .”