Read An Almost Perfect Thing for Free Online
Authors: Nicole Moeller
glad you're gone.
CHLOE
Noâ
MATHEW
And your dad's not even looking for you anymore. He's finally happy. He doesn't have to worry about you. Doesn't have to pay for you. You're expensive and annoying. You always need thingsâ
CHLOE
Then why would you want to keep me? If I'm soâ
MATHEW
I have no choice. I'll get in trouble. I can't give you back now.
CHLOE
No. I'll never tell anyone. Never ever ever. I swear to God. Cross my heart and hope to die. I won't tell, Mathew, I won'tâ
MATHEW
And that. Mathew. You never call me Dad. That was one of my rules and you never do it. I told myself I'd keep you until you learn to love me like a dad. So it's your own fault.
CHLOE
I'll call you Dad. Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad â
MATHEW
Stop it.
CHLOE
Please let me go, Dad. Please let me go. Please let me go, Dad. Please let me go, please, Dadâ
MATHEW
Stop saying that. You don't mean it!
CHLOE
Please let me go. Please, pleaseâ
MATHEW
Stop it!
CHLOE
Mathew, you have to.
MATHEW
I can'tâ
CHLOE
You promised! Why'd you tell me that?
MATHEW
I don't know. I don't know. I just⦠I need you. I need you with me.
CHLOE
I've been so nice to you. You have to let me go. You have to let me go. You can't do this.
MATHEW
You're my everythingâ
CHLOE
You have to let me goâ
He starts to leave.
No. No no no. You are not going up there without me. You have to let me go you have to let me go you have to let me go.
MATHEW
I can't!
He moves to exit.
CHLOE
I HATE YOU!
He turns around.
Look what I did. Do you need me now? Look at what a disgusting dirty pig I am.
MATHEW
Whatâ
CHLOE
I peed my pants. I'm disgusting and dirty. Just like you hate. You don't want someone who is this disgusting and dirty and grossâ
MATHEW
You stupid kidâ
CHLOE
You don't want someone this gross. You'll have to get rid of me. I'm too gross for you to keep!
She physically starts begging him, clinging to him.
You have to get rid of me now!
MATHEW
Don't touch me!
CHLOE
I'm a disgusting dirty pig and you have to get rid of me!
MATHEW
Get off of me!
CHLOE
Look how disgusting I am! I'm so disgusting that you have to get rid of me! YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF ME! YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF ME NOW!YOU HAVE TO GET RID
OF ME
!
MATHEW
Stop it!
He shoves her and moves to exit.
CHLOE
No wonder your mum killed herself! That's how bad she wanted to get away from you.
MATHEW
Shut upâ
CHLOE
Blue face. Rope around her neck. Right where you'd find her.
MATHEW
Shut upâ
CHLOE
She wanted you to find her because you made her do it. You were so crazy that she couldn't live anymore.
MATHEW
Shut upâ
CHLOE
You made her do it. You made her do it! You made her do it!
MATHEW
SHUT UP!
To audience.
GREG
He grabbed her tiny, twelve-year-old shoulders. He lifted her up.
And he threw her as hard as he could.
He picked her up again.
And he punched her with all of his frustration.
Over and over and over.
He picked her up again.
And shook her with all of his anger.
He looked into her eyes.
Her nose was bleeding.
She was crying and crying.
She wouldn't look at him.
She wouldn't look at him.
So he picked her up and threw her one last time.
As hard as he could.
And he started to cry.
He kept crying. And crying.
CHLOE and MATHEW's crying gets louder and louder and louder. Silence.
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
ACT TWO
SCENE ONE
To the audience.
MATHEW
The paper.
GREG
The article.
CHLOE
The violence.
MATHEW
We had another fight.
GREG
Threw her as hard as he could.
CHLOE
Punched her with all of his frustration.
GREG
Over and over.
MATHEW
I haven't said a word to her in weeks.
CHLOE
It's 4:45 a.m. I hear it hit my porch.
GREG
Turn on my computer.
CHLOE
Listen to the sound of my dad's breathing.
MATHEW
Wave to Margret walking her golden retriever. Put my quarter into the blue box and reach inside.
They all inhale.
CHLOE
Look at
CHLOE
Noâ
MATHEW
And your dad's not even looking for you anymore. He's finally happy. He doesn't have to worry about you. Doesn't have to pay for you. You're expensive and annoying. You always need thingsâ
CHLOE
Then why would you want to keep me? If I'm soâ
MATHEW
I have no choice. I'll get in trouble. I can't give you back now.
CHLOE
No. I'll never tell anyone. Never ever ever. I swear to God. Cross my heart and hope to die. I won't tell, Mathew, I won'tâ
MATHEW
And that. Mathew. You never call me Dad. That was one of my rules and you never do it. I told myself I'd keep you until you learn to love me like a dad. So it's your own fault.
CHLOE
I'll call you Dad. Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad â
MATHEW
Stop it.
CHLOE
Please let me go, Dad. Please let me go. Please let me go, Dad. Please let me go, please, Dadâ
MATHEW
Stop saying that. You don't mean it!
CHLOE
Please let me go. Please, pleaseâ
MATHEW
Stop it!
CHLOE
Mathew, you have to.
MATHEW
I can'tâ
CHLOE
You promised! Why'd you tell me that?
MATHEW
I don't know. I don't know. I just⦠I need you. I need you with me.
CHLOE
I've been so nice to you. You have to let me go. You have to let me go. You can't do this.
MATHEW
You're my everythingâ
CHLOE
You have to let me goâ
He starts to leave.
No. No no no. You are not going up there without me. You have to let me go you have to let me go you have to let me go.
MATHEW
I can't!
He moves to exit.
CHLOE
I HATE YOU!
He turns around.
Look what I did. Do you need me now? Look at what a disgusting dirty pig I am.
MATHEW
Whatâ
CHLOE
I peed my pants. I'm disgusting and dirty. Just like you hate. You don't want someone who is this disgusting and dirty and grossâ
MATHEW
You stupid kidâ
CHLOE
You don't want someone this gross. You'll have to get rid of me. I'm too gross for you to keep!
She physically starts begging him, clinging to him.
You have to get rid of me now!
MATHEW
Don't touch me!
CHLOE
I'm a disgusting dirty pig and you have to get rid of me!
MATHEW
Get off of me!
CHLOE
Look how disgusting I am! I'm so disgusting that you have to get rid of me! YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF ME! YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF ME NOW!YOU HAVE TO GET RID
OF ME
!
MATHEW
Stop it!
He shoves her and moves to exit.
CHLOE
No wonder your mum killed herself! That's how bad she wanted to get away from you.
MATHEW
Shut upâ
CHLOE
Blue face. Rope around her neck. Right where you'd find her.
MATHEW
Shut upâ
CHLOE
She wanted you to find her because you made her do it. You were so crazy that she couldn't live anymore.
MATHEW
Shut upâ
CHLOE
You made her do it. You made her do it! You made her do it!
MATHEW
SHUT UP!
To audience.
GREG
He grabbed her tiny, twelve-year-old shoulders. He lifted her up.
And he threw her as hard as he could.
He picked her up again.
And he punched her with all of his frustration.
Over and over and over.
He picked her up again.
And shook her with all of his anger.
He looked into her eyes.
Her nose was bleeding.
She was crying and crying.
She wouldn't look at him.
She wouldn't look at him.
So he picked her up and threw her one last time.
As hard as he could.
And he started to cry.
He kept crying. And crying.
CHLOE and MATHEW's crying gets louder and louder and louder. Silence.
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
ACT TWO
SCENE ONE
To the audience.
MATHEW
The paper.
GREG
The article.
CHLOE
The violence.
MATHEW
We had another fight.
GREG
Threw her as hard as he could.
CHLOE
Punched her with all of his frustration.
GREG
Over and over.
MATHEW
I haven't said a word to her in weeks.
CHLOE
It's 4:45 a.m. I hear it hit my porch.
GREG
Turn on my computer.
CHLOE
Listen to the sound of my dad's breathing.
MATHEW
Wave to Margret walking her golden retriever. Put my quarter into the blue box and reach inside.
They all inhale.
CHLOE
Look at
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