Where Did You Learn That?
With AARON and AIDEN.
The time is mid-afternoon, right after the school day
ends. The place is an empty field, somewhat hidden
from view behind the school.
The scene opens with stage lights dimming to half.
The stage is empty. After a moment AARON, a boy
of about eleven, enters CR. He has a backpack on
and is wearing sneakers, jeans, a tee shirt, and a
baseball cap. He crosses around the stage, looking
to see if anyone else is there, before settling DR.
After he is there for a moment, AIDEN enters from
a door at the back of the theater. AIDEN is the same
age as AARON, also has a backpack on, and is
wearing sneakers, jeans just starting to develop a
tear at the knee, and a tee shirt. He crosses toward
AARON.
AARON
About time you got here.
AIDEN
Ms. Menzie kept us late to give us our homework for Monday.
AARON
I’m not doing that. It’s stupid. I would have already gotten rid of that fat one.
(They cross DC and sit, taking off their backpacks.)
AIDEN
Ms. Menzie said he was important or right about stuff. Something like that.
AARON
But he doesn’t do anything, just whines and gets in the way.
AIDEN
Yeah, I guess.
AARON
Now, if it was Crystal, I would help her. What’s with that anyway, them being all boys?
AIDEN
They have those all boy schools someplaces. That would be terrible.
AARON
Yeah. Who would I stare at? I was in Mr. Fitts class today, taking that test, and I couldn’t stop
staring at Crystal. She’s so cute.
AIDEN
(AIDEN laughs at AARON.)
You got a crush on Crystal.
AARON
Shut up. You think she’s cute, too.
AIDEN
You shut up, cunt.
AARON
What? Where did you learn that word from?
AIDEN
I heard my dad on the phone with someone. I think it was my mom, because he kept on agreeing
to stuff, but he didn’t sound happy, and then he said, “See you at home,” and hung up the phone
real hard, then said, “That cunt.”
AARON
Wow.
AIDEN
Yeah, they keep on getting into big fights. I don’t like being there when they do.
AARON
I’m lucky it’s just my dad and my Karl.
AIDEN
Lucky.
(There is a moment of silence as AIDEN sits, looking envious and pensive. AARON
opens his backpack and starts going through things.)
AARON
Check this out.
AIDEN
What?
AARON
I got something off my brother.
(He finds what he is looking for at the bottom of his bag and pulls it out.)
AIDEN
Are those cigarettes?
AARON
Yeah.
(AARON knocks the pack of cigarettes against his left palm twice, awkward in the
motion, like he has seen it done before and does it simply to copy, not truly
understanding why it is done. He opens the pack and takes one out.)
You want one?
AIDEN
Ummm…
AARON
Come on. My dad and brother do it all the time.
AIDEN
Does your dad know you have them?
AARON
No. He doesn’t even know Karl has some. Karl smokes them in the backyard when my dad isn’t
home.
AIDEN
How did you get them?
AARON
I walked in on Karl watching porn. He threatened to beat me up if I told our dad, but I said I
wasn’t scared, and I would tell him even if he beat me up. I said that I wouldn’t tell if he gave me
a cigarette and a lighter. You gonna have one or not?
AIDEN
My parents always tell me cigarettes are bad because my Uncle Mike smoked and got lung
cancer.
AARON
(AARON takes a lighter out of his backpack.)
Your parents are stupid. My dad smoked his whole life and never got lung cancer.
AIDEN
Don’t say that. My parents aren’t stupid. I don’t want one.
AARON
Come on. Cunt.
AIDEN
Shut up. I don’t want one.
AARON
Fine. More for me.
(AARON lights the cigarette. It takes him a few tries at it. He inhales, coughs a bit, then
inhales again.)
AIDEN
(AIDEN crosses away from the smoke, staying downstage.)
You saw porn.
AARON
Yeah.
AIDEN
What was it like?
AARON
The girl had her mouth around the guy’s thing, and she kept moving her head back and forth.
AIDEN
That’s crazy. I want a girl to do that to me.
AARON
My brother said it’s easy to get them to do it.
AIDEN
He’s had that done to him?
AARON
Yeah.
AIDEN
What did he say about getting them to do it?
AARON
He said you gotta be mean to them.
AIDEN
Really? That’s all it takes?
AARON
That’s what he said. He said Marla Weber did it to him.
AIDEN
Wow. Her boobs are so big.
AARON
I know. I guess he was mean to her, and she did it to him.
AIDEN
I’m gonna have to do that.
AARON
Yeah, me, too.
AIDEN
I’m gonna do it to Lauren. She’s just starting to get boobs. Have you seen them?
AARON
Yeah. They’re all I can look at on her.
AIDEN
And I heard she got a one-hundred on Mrs. Flowers test.
AARON
I don’t care about the one-hundreds. I just want her boobs.
AIDEN
But no one gets one-hundreds on Mrs. Flowers’ tests.
AARON
Whatever. I could do it if I wanted.
AIDEN
Liar. No you couldn’t.
AARON
(AARON stands up and strolls around the stage, like his steps take attention away from
his lie.)
Yeah.
AIDEN
No. My parents make me study for hours, and I still can’t do it.
AARON
Like I said, stupid parents.
AIDEN
(Angrily)
I said not to say that.
AARON
My dad doesn’t make me study at all, and I still do fine.
AIDEN
Yeah? And how do you do that?
AARON
I cheat.
AIDEN
What? How?
AARON
I write the answers under my sleeve.
AIDEN
And none of the teachers see you?
AARON
Nope. I put one arm up to my lap and put my hand up to my head like I’m concentrating real
hard, and look at the answers then.
AIDEN
What if you got caught?
AARON
I would get in trouble, and my dad would prolly hit me, and then not care.
AIDEN
My parents would prolly ground me.
AARON
That’s the problem with parents.
AIDEN
Yeah, I suppose. It is cheating, though.
AARON
Whatever. My dad wouldn’t ground me.
AIDEN
Lucky. It sucks.
AARON
Stop having sucky parents.
AIDEN
Why do you keep saying that?
AARON
Cause it’s true.
AIDEN
No, it’s not. They might ground me sometimes, but they love me.
AARON
(Mocking)
“But they love me.”
AIDEN
Shut up. At least I have a mom.
AARON
Stop it.
AIDEN
No, you stop it. My parents might fight sometimes, but at least I have two.
AARON
Having two doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t make you special.
AIDEN
You know what I think. I think you’re jealous.
AARON
Shut it, bitch.
AIDEN
That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t have a mom.
AARON
Stop it. Stop talking!
AIDEN
(Singing)
Aaron doesn’t have a mo-um. Aaron doesn’t have a mo-um.
AARON
(AARON runs across the stage and hits AIDEN. AIDEN lays stunned.)
Shut it.
AIDEN
Ow.
AARON
Hey. I want to show you something else I got from my brother.
(AARON goes through his bag and draws out a handgun.)
AIDEN
(AIDEN sits up, and in sitting up moves somewhat away from AARON.)
Is that a gun?
AARON
Yep.
AIDEN
Why did your brother have it?
AARON
He does stuff with drugs. He says he needs one to stay safe.
AIDEN
How did you get it?
AARON
I took it from under his bed before I left for school today.
AIDEN
He’s gonna be angry if he finds out.
AARON
He’ll get over it. Ever seen one before?
AIDEN
Yeah. My dad goes hunting, so he has rifles.
AARON
Well, aren’t you special?
(AARON twirls the gun about.)
AIDEN
Be careful. It might be loaded.
(AIDEN continues to back away very slowly.)
AARON
Nah, I don’t think it is.
AIDEN
It’s better to be careful.
AARON
(AARON notices AIDEN backing away, and turns to face him, pointing the gun in his
direction.)
Where are you going?
AIDEN
(AIDEN stops moving.)
Nowhere.
AARON
Come here.
AIDEN
Okay.
AARON
You know guns right? How do I get ready to fire?
AIDEN
You pull the trigger.
AARON
No. Before that. You do something else before that.
AIDEN
I don’t know.
AARON
(AARON pulls back the top of the gun, moving a bullet to the chamber.)
That’s right.
AIDEN
I thought you said it isn’t loaded.
AARON
I don’t think it is.
AIDEN
If you don’t know, stop playing with it.
AARON
Don’t tell me what to do, momma’s boy. Little daddy’s son.
AIDEN
Uhh..Aaron. I think I have to go.
AARON
(AARON points the gun at AIDEN.)
I think you’re lying. Pow. Pow.
AIDEN
Aaron, stop.
AARON
No. Pow. Pow.
(In pretending to fire the gun, AARON pulls the trigger, shooting AIDEN in the foot.)
AIDEN
Ahhhhh!
AARON
Holy crap. I didn’t know it was loaded.
AIDEN
You shot me!
AARON
Stop yelling. Someone will hear.
AIDEN
(Frenzied)
You shot me. I need to go to the hospital.
AARON
(AARON points the gun at AIDEN’s chest.)
I said stop yelling.
AIDEN
Please, don’t. I need to go to the hospital.
AARON
Shut up, cunt.
THE CURTAIN FALLS