10: Blood Brothers

Michael and Toby’s apartment. Toby has moved the furniture out of the way and sits in the center of the room cross-legged. Below him a straw, a half finished line of cocaine, a razor-blade, and a mirror on which all of this rests. His cellular phone lays open at his legs. His eyes are closed and incense burns in the corner. Michael enters.

Michael: You called at just-

Toby: (Silence.)

Michael: Oh.

Toby does not move. Michael goes to the sink, turns on the tap, and gets a glass of water which he drinks down. He looks over at Toby who is in a trance. Michael comes close, observing, then goes down on all fours and creeps forward. He takes the straw –his eyes never leaving Toby’s closed ones- until he has to bend down and snort. He snorts from the line. Toby’s eyes open wide.

Toby: Just what do you think-

Michael: I wanted a-

Toby: Do you have 80 bucks for a gram?

Michael: No.

Toby: Then keep your grubby paws off. (He pushes Michael backwards away from the cocaine.)

Michael: I got some. Let me have a little-

Toby: We don’t have any money for this. You know that. Christ- Soon we will though and then we won’t have to worry about this and I’ll give you all the powder you’d like . . .for free. All the sugar-

Michael: All the sugar?

Toby: Almost all the sugar . . .

Michael: Oh. Why not?

Toby: I don’t like doing that shit all the time. Just sometimes. . . Besides I’m not a whore like you.

Michael: I’m not a whore.

Toby: You’re a whore. Face it.

Michael: Thanks a lot, man.

Toby: So Buddy told me that he’s getting another shipment in next week. I’ll buy you a treat for your birthday.

Michael: Yeah. Yeah.

Toby: What is it?

Michael: Nothing. Just thinking.

Toby: What about?

Michael: How I got here.

Toby: You know how you got here.

Michael: Yeah. Yeah.

Toby: (pause) I’ll let you do the rest of the line. . .on one condition.

Michael: What?

Toby: You give me one of those wacky hand-jobs.

Michael: But I thought you didn’t-

Toby: Fuck it. I don’t care.

Michael: Don’t call me a whore then.

Toby: I won’t. I won’t. Go ahead, brother, go for it. Before I change my mind.

Michael bends down with the straw and gets the rest of the line. Toby pushes Michael’s face down into the mirror and it breaks. Toby laughs. Michael jerks his head back.

Michael: Oww! You fucking cut me you asshole. (He has a gash across his face.)

Toby: It’s just a little blood.

Michael: Look. Look at all this blood. (Michael goes to the kitchen sink.) You are sadistic, you know that?

Toby: It’s crossed my mind. Geez, look how red faced you are! You are like an Indian. I’ll call you Taunto or Geronimo!
Michael: Fuck you. How am I going to explain this to Janet’s family? Her father already doesn’t like me. The leg was bad enough.

Toby: You have a way with fathers, don’t you?

Michael rushes him and grabs his shirt.

Michael: Don’t say another word about this, if you don’t want a cut like mine across your throat.

Toby: Oh shut up. Suck my cock.

Michael: You’re sick. How did I ever find you?

Toby: Over on 35th and Broadway, in that alley remember? You got kicked out-

Michael: I don’t need a fucking play by play.

Toby: Don’t let me down, Michael. Don’t be a pussy. I want you to cut me.

Michael: What?

Toby: (picking up a bit of the broken glass) Cut me.

Michael: Fuck no. (He comes back into the living room.)

Toby: No, do it. I wanna feel my blood run.

Michael: Shut up.

Toby: Do it for me. Prove to me that we’re friends. Wait. Wait. More. We’ll be blood brothers. I want you to cut yourself and then cut me and we’ll mix our blood.

Michael: Fuck. Fuck you.

Toby: Then we’ll be connected. Come on.

Michael: I don’t want to do it.

Toby: You couldn’t kill a rabbit hunting, could you?

Michael: Yes I could.

Toby: Then how hard is it to cut me here and do it on yourself?

Michael: I-

Toby: This is a test. A test to see your strength. We’re gonna be doing some crazy shit in a few months. I need to build up your stamina. You know what I am saying, bro?

Michael: Why don’t you cut yourself?

Toby: Oh, Mikey, I could. No problem. But I want you to cut me. I want to see you do this. This is the test for the future. Come on. Do it.

Michael stares at the mirror in Toby’s extended palm.

Toby: I could do it. I’ve done so much worse before.

Michael: Have you ever killed anybody?

Toby: Why do you ask?

Michael: I don’t know if you have.

Toby: Let’s just say no, no I haven’t.

Michael: But you have?

Toby: What do you think?

Michael: I think you have.

Toby: Then you have your answer. Look, bro, sometimes you just have to do things. You can’t think about it too much or you’ll never get anywhere and afterwards once you’ve gotten what you want you can bury the deeds like they never happened –like a dead fido in the backyard. You move on with a new pet. Get me? There are always new pets. . .always.

Michael: I hope I’m not one of those pets.

Toby: Mikey, bro, you know that we helped each other. You helped me get out of the gutter and I helped you. We’re the only family we have.

Michael: I have a family.

Toby: They hate you.

Michael: My sister doesn’t.

Toby: She’s a retard, get over it.

Michael: Don’t fucking call her that.

Toby: Do it. She’s retarded. Do it. Fucking stupid animal. Do it or are you as dumb as her? Do it, God damn you!

Michael: (dropping the cloth from his face, grabbing the mirror blade and cutting Toby on the arm) I told you to shut-the-fuck-up!

Toby: (painful, joy) Ahhhhh, good boy. I should wrap this up. But it looks so cool-

Michael: (fumbling) Fuck not yet. (He cuts his own arm. He presses their arms together and holds them together with his other hand. Michael leans into Toby on the floor, face to face.) The things I do for you.

Toby: There we’re brothers. You learn well, Mikey, bro. I knew you had it in you. Fighting Indian Blood. Red faced.

Michael: I’m amazed at what’ll do since I met you. I don’t even know who I am, Christ.

Toby: Like I said, once you get in with me. You can’t just leave.

Michael: Yeah.

Toby: How about a little sucky, sucky, Mikey, Mikey?

Michael: You want me to do this with the cut and cloth and?

Toby: I don’t care. Just stop talking. We’re blood brothers.

Michael looks down and Toby leans back. He begins to undo Toby’s pants and then he yanks them down to the knees, Toby is in his underwear. His cellular phone rings.

Toby: Awwww. Christ. What now?

Michael: Who is it?

Toby: (checking) I don’t recognize the number. Do you?

Michael: No.

Toby: It might be some new clients. I should answer. (answering) Hello? . . .yeah. . .

Michael: (while Toby is on the phone) He remembered my birthday. You remembered my birthday. I give you more credit than I thought I could give you Mr. Tobias. (he goes to the window) Toby! Toby!

Toby: (to Michael) Can’t you see that I’m busy, right now?

Michael: The downtown skyline is floating up to the clouds. I think aliens have landed.

Toby: Shut the fuck up. (to phone) Sorry. What we’re you saying?

Michael: It’s just the lights. They are all going into the sky. Everything is dark below.

Toby: Yeah, I understand. I will. No problem. I’ll be there. . . okay. . . thanks for calling. (He hangs up.)

Michael: Who was it?

Toby: This bitch named Wanda. She wants to see me. She’s got something for me to do.

Michael: A deal or?

Toby: I don’t know, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t scream your hallucinations at me, you fag.

Michael: Don’t call me that.

Toby: Then get over here and finish me off.

Michael: I want to.

Toby: Oh too slow. I gotta go meet that bitch, Wanda, anyhow. (He pulls up his pants.)

Michael: Now? What do you think she wants? Who is she?

Toby: I don’t know. But it’s going to be interesting.

Michael: Better take the bus. Be careful.

Toby: I’m always careful. (He lifts up his shirt to show a switchblade strapped to his stomach.) And No, I don’t want to be on the bus for three hours. Besides the number 14 bus doesn’t run past two am. So I wouldn’t be able to get back.

Michael: Thanks for saving me from dinner tonight. It was getting tight.

Toby: What are blood brothers for? (He kisses Michael on the cheek.) Oh and you seem to have a little blood on your face.

Michael: Shut the hell up.

Toby: Laters, bro.

Michael: Toby. . .can you try to treat me with some respect?

Toby: Shut the fuck up, you pussy. Laters.

Michael: I wasn’t joking.

Toby: I know, but I pretended that you were. Calm down. We’re in for the long haul, aren’t we?

Michael: Yeah.

Toby: I’ll be back later. Bye. (He exits. Michael removes the cloth.)

Michael: Ouch. This looks bad.