Tuesday, May 1, 2007

2: Tobias and Michael's Carrot Sticks

Michael enters the apartment. Toby, his roommate, watches TV in between munching on carrot sticks and measuring baggies of marijuana to sell.

Michael: Fuck, dude. . .fuck.

Toby: Mikey, man. You are home so early.

Michael: What’re you doing?

Toby: You know what I’m doing.

Michael: Carrot sticks?

Toby: Man, I’m trying to get a little healthy. Com’on! (pause) What’s with you? Watch the show it’s hilarious!

Michael: Give me one of those. I gotta role a joint.

Toby: What did I tell you about eating the goods? Have a carrot-

Michael: Carrots make me sick now.

Toby: Don’t touch the weed. Asshole.

Michael: (Silence.)

Toby: Lighten up, Christ.

Michael: (Silence.)

Toby: Christ, get over yourself, what’s going on?

Michael: You’d never fucking believe this. . .she’s. . .she’s-

Toby: Who . . . Janet?

Michael: Yeah. . .Janet. She’s retarded.

Toby: Why what’d she do?

Michael: She didn’t do anything!

Toby: What are you talking about?

Michael: Fuck. . .here. Here. Here’s some money. I need this now.

Toby: That’s a dime bag, it’s twenty bucks. (checking the bills) A ten? Ten fucking dollars?

Michael: (rolling the joint) I just wanna get high.

Toby: Yeah, don’t we all. You’re gonna give me another ten.

Michael: FUCK!

Toby: Janet. . .Janet Windover. What’d she do? Did you fucking get her pregnant?

Michael: I hope not. (He lights the joint and takes a big hit.)

Toby: Look at you rabbit fingers. You deserve a fucking carrot.

Michael: Janet’s dumb. She has down-syndrome.

Toby: Shut the fuck-up, bro.

Michael: No, lie.

Toby: So? So? Where does that leave us?

Michael: Where? It leaves me with a lot of thinking to do.

Toby: I said us.

Michael: I meant me.

Toby: (laughs) Getting cold feet, huh? They say that’s typical.

Michael: Let me smoke in piece.

Toby: (grabbing Michael by the collar) Look, buddy. Let’s get one thing straight. There’s no reason for cold feet.

Michael: Maybe.

Toby: No, not maybe. You will or-

Michael: (shaking loose, forcing Toby to drop his carrot sticks) OR what?

Toby: Fuck. Look what you made me do.

Michael: Look what you are making me do.

Toby: (swiping them off the ground and going to the sink) They’re still good. Just have to wash them. Look. It’s as easy as 1,2,3. You have a perfect little wedding. Like people like her have. You take out a joint life insurance policy like people like her do all the time. A lot of married couples do it. Then you go to the park -three months after the wedding- In the meantime, you live fat off of daddy’s money and get in some good banging. She is a good bang, no? Or does she try to have you put it in her belly button?

Michael: (stoned, blank) You’re not very funny.

Toby: Neither are you. We need this money. How hard is it to take your wife to the fucking park?

Michael: Hard. You don’t know a lot about me.

Toby: I sense you’re a chicken shit. You don’t even know what’ll happen when you’re at the park.

Michael: But I do.

Toby: But you don’t. Remember? You don’t. Now shut the fuck up and go find me ten more fucking dollars.

Michael: Have the rest of the bag back. I didn’t use it all.

Toby: Once you get in with me, bro, you can’t fucking give it back. . .I get what I want and I want what we planned. Capisce?

Michael: What’re you part of the fucking mob? Get outta my face.

Toby: (chomping a stick) I don’t care if she has AIDS and warts, you’re gonna marry her.

Michael: Do you want to live this way your whole life?

Toby: What are you saying?

Michael: Like this. (gestures) Huh? Do you? (pause) Answer me.

Toby is choking on a carrot stick. Michael realizes and jumps up.

Toby: (gasping)

Michael: Are you okay, man?

Toby: (chokes)

Michael: What should I do? I don’t know what to do!

Toby flounders around, knocking over the table, the scale, and the weed.

Michael: Oh shit. I can’t call 911. I can’t call anybody. Look at this place.

After a rowdy and violent attack on the room, Toby stops choking. He gasps and sputters for breath and collapses on the couch.

Michael: You had me so worried.

Toby: You fucking pussy.

Michael: I’m sorry.

Toby: Don’t apologize, you bastard. Can’t call anybody? Why the fuck not? I was fucking dieing.

Michael: Look at this place. Like we wouldn’t be arrested.

Toby: There are times when the cops should be called, asshole.

Michael: Like certain trips to the park?

Toby: Exactly. Just wait a little longer first.

Michael: Fuck you.

Toby: Re-bag my weed and you’ve earned yourself ten dollars, my man. Clean this place up so spotless, the pigs think we’re model citizens, and I’ll give you a free bag.

Michael: Really?

Toby: Of carrot sticks. I’m not fucking eating those things anymore. They’re disgusting and they kill you.