Fragments Of His Being

ACT I - SCENE VII

ACT I

SCENE VII

[Setting: The school backyard riddled with weeds, broken furniture, and rocks.]

[CODY is sitting on the stairs of the back door with a small bird in his hands. He looks up from it from time to time, to gaze up to the tree with the nest the bird had fallen from. The mother bird was panicking as she jumped from branch to branch, but CODY wasn't too sure what to do. If he left the bird by the tree it would die because its mother couldn't pick it up, and on the other hand CODY couldn't climb the tree and return the displaced chick either.]

[Noise from the school courtyard rang through the entire compound. It was break, so it was expected.]

CODY: (To the bird.) What am I supposed to do with you?

CODY: (Stares at the featherless chick that was quivering in his pale palms.)

CODY: (Sighs.)

Pause.

CODY: (Looks over at the tree.) If only I wasn't just a bag of bones, I would have climbed up to return you. (Bites his bottom lip in thought.)

[A sudden idea came to CODY, but he wondered if it would go as planned.]

CODY: I should ask QUINN, shouldn't I?

[CODY knew where QUINN and his friends usually stayed during break, but he was a bit hesitant to walk up to the boy with a small bird in his hand. He worried that QUINN would think his concern for the bird was stupid — or worse, QUINN's friends might pick on him if QUINN pretended not to know him in public.]

CODY: Maybe I should try climbing up the tree by myself.

Pause.

CODY: No, we'd both die if I tried that. I'd just tumble to the ground with you. (Rubs bird's tiny head with his thumb.)

CODY: (Sighs) I'm going to ask QUINN.

[The small lean boy got up from the concrete stairs, before heading out to the main courtyard where most of the school students stayed during the long break.]

CODY: (Looks around the courtyard.)

CODY: (Spots QUINN and smiles.)

CODY: (Walks over to QUINN's group of friends.)

CODY: (To QUINN.) hey.

QUINN'S FRIENDS: (Stare at CODY with confused expressions.)

QUINN: (To CODY.) Hey!

[QUINN's excited voice made the facial expressions of his friends to relax. They made to continue talking to each other, while QUINN pulled CODY aside by the arm to talk to him.]

QUINN: What's up, I never see you around school.

CODY: (Fidgets a bit) Well... (Opens hands to reveal baby bird.)

QUINN: Did it fall from its next?

CODY: (Nods.)

[He was a little surprised QUINN wasn't acting condensing. Most people would have told him it was just a bird — like his brother had told him it was just a cat when he cried over the cat his brother had killed by crushing its skull.]

QUINN: Can you show me the nest. I'll put it back.

CODY: (Smiles before nodding.)

[QUINN followed CODY to the school backyard before taking the bird from him and making to climb the small tree. CODY watched with a sort of awe at how easy it was for QUINN to get up and then down.]

QUINN: There. Its mum pecked my arm, but I'm fine. (Laughs.)

CODY: Thank you.

QUINN: (Smiles) Nah, the bird should be thanking you. You kind of saved its life. (Laughs.)

QUINN: See you later. (Turns to leave the background.)

[CODY looked on as QUINN returned to his friends. CODY felt a little dazed, and he felt flustered in an odd way.

It was odd to him — odd to meet a strong charismatic person that didn't look down at him — that didn't use misuse his influence to hurt others.]

CODY: (Sighs.)

[For CODY, a little embarrassment came from the little ache in his chest.]

[He wouldn't want me, CODY thought to himself.]

[Of course, QUINN wouldn't want him — him with the sickly skin and messy hair — him that didn't look or act like any of the attractive confident girls that were evidently a better match, so CODY scolded his thoughts, and tried to push them to the back of his mind.]

Curtains fall.