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FOUL BALL - AN AMERICAN SOAP OPERA
Chapter Two.
The lights come up in a hospital room. NATALIE (25/30), a beautiful girl is lying on the bed. HALL stands by her side. She's weak and pale because
of her illness.
NATALIE
Hall... I wanna... I wanna... Thanks for coming.
HALL
It's always good to see you.
NATALIE
This means a lot to me. I know you're quite busy on TV.
HALL
Yeah, but for you.
NATALIE
I'm very happy. Thank you.
HALL
It was the least I could do for you, Nat.
(A moment.)
NATALIE
What're you doing?
HALL
The same thing. I've been writing soap operas since... you know…
NATALIE
(Fondly.)
Are you still searching for the perfect game? I mean, the perfect drama?
HALL
It's always been my gas.
NATALIE
Something new?
HALL
Yeah! I'm working on a script about our country. Kinda, we lost our innocence after the Vietnam War.
NATALIE
Vietnam War in a soap opera?
HALL
Yes! It will be as background. And by the way, it's time for a new American age.
NATALIE
We've been through so many wars after that.
HALL
I know, these wars being broadcasting, the Vietnam War was the first draft, the others were just revisions.
NATALIE
Yeah! Maybe you're right.
HALL
But let's talk about you. What do you...?
NATALIE
(Uncomfortable.)
Talking about me? My disease? Do you really want this?
HALL
Sorry... I didn't mean that.
NATALIE
No problem. You're here... it's nice... very nice... As I said, I'm happy to see you again.
HALL
Yeah, yeah... It's been a long time.
NATALIE
How many years?
HALL
I don't know, three?
NATALIE
Three?
(Beat.)
Are you with someone?
HALL
No, no… after… after, you know, after our breakup… my heart-shop has been closed.
NATALIE
Wow! I'd like to believe.
HALL
Yeah...
NATALIE
Really?
HALL
Natalie, you know, I'm a lonely man.
NATALIE
I'm not sure, but if you are saying…
HALL
I swear to you; I haven't been in the dugout.
NATALIE
Alright. Look, do you remember when we met at...?
HALL
Yeah!… Of course. It was an art-house in the Village.
NATALIE
Exactly. We had watched an Ernest Lubitsch movie.
HALL
Ninotchka!
NATALIE
What? No way! It was... it was... Bluebeard's Eighth Wife.
HALL
I thought it was that movie with Greta Garbo.
NATALIE
Claudette Colbert and Gary Cooper.
HALL
Yeah, of course… I remember... we begun a debate over the movie.
NATALIE
I don't get that... just that I laughed a lot.
HALL
And your smile had marked my heart!
NATALIE
Wow! You're talking like one of your characters.
HALL
(Cocky.)
I know to use my whole pack of tricks. This is the business I've chosen.
NATALIE
I know. Hall, what did happen with... with... What was the name of that actress?
HALL
Who? From the movie?
NATALIE
No. I mean, the actress that... you know... you and her...
HALL
Hum?
NATALIE
That actress from your show. You two had an affair.
HALL
Natalie... please... I think it's not matter anymore.
NATALIE
Why?
HALL
We've already done this.
NATALIE
Did you forget her name?
HALL
I don't... I don't wanna talk about her...
NATALIE
Why?
HALL
Nat... Let's run another game, huh?
(Silence.)
NATALIE
Alright... sorry.
HALL
That's okay.
NATALIE
I'm an idiot.
HALL
Don't say that... you're okay... I think that-that… I don't want to go into all that crap.
(Silence.)
NATALIE
Hall... I-I-I'm... I'm...
(Beat. Sadly.)
I'm dying.
HALL
(Pause. Awkward.)
I-I... I don't know what to say...
NATALIE
Needn't... just hold my hand.
HALL
Of course.
(Hall holds her hand.)
NATALIE
Thank you.
(Pause. Trying to cheer up.)
Tell me good things.
HALL
Like what?
NATALIE
I don't know, your work, your life, whatever.
HALL
I think not. Let's talk about something else.
NATALIE
Well… How about us?
HALL
Why not? Do you remember our second date? Maybe it was our third, I don't know, but I remember we got pizza.
NATALIE
Yeah! We kissed… it tasted like cheese.
HALL
Mozzarella.
NATALIE
Wow!
HALL
Unbelievable.
NATALIE
I think my kiss now tastes... medicine.
HALL
Never.
(A moment.)
NATALIE
Are you interested?
HALL
What're you talking about?
NATALIE
Trust me. It won't be disgusting.
HALL
(Awkward.)
Nat? Please?
NATALIE
I'm dying, Hall.
(Silence.)
NATALIE
Where's your good heart?
HALL
Nat, Nat, it's completely meaningless.
NATALIE
Are you seeing someone?
HALL
No. Of course not.
NATALIE
So?... What's the matter? Because I'm sick? You know, it isn't contagious.
HALL
Jeez! Please, stop it.
NATALIE
So, kiss me.
HALL
What sort of nonsense is this?
NATALIE
Do you repulse me?
HALL
What? Look, don't say that again. You don't know what that does to me.
NATALIE
Please, so give me that.
(Another silence.)
NATALIE
I'm waiting.
(A moment.)
HALL
Alright. If it will be important for you…
NATALIE
Take me to the moon like you do with your soap-operas-characters.
(Hall a bit nervous bends down and kisses her. Then...)
NATALIE
Margot!
HALL
What?
NATALIE
I remembered the actress name. Margot. Isn't it?
HALL
I don't know.
NATALIE
What's the problem?
HALL
There's no problem. I just don't want to talk about that.
NATALIE
Why?
HALL
Forget this woman.
(Beat.)
Let's change this, what about our kiss, huh?
NATALIE
Margot and you...
HALL
For your information, your kiss remains tasty and hot. It doesn't seem like medicine.
NATALIE
I-I-I just wanna know about you and Margot. Tell me about her. I need to know more about you two. Please say everything because it's driving me
insane.
HALL
Nat, please, don't…
NATALIE
Hall, I beg you.
(A Moment.)
HALL
Nat... Margot was Lomar's girlfriend. Do you remember? He was that ballplayer from Miami. Never happened.
NATALIE
She told me about you two.
HALL
What?
NATALIE
Yeah... She said that you two had sex.
HALL
What hell is that? She talked to you?
NATALIE
Yes.
HALL
When?
NATALIE
She told me everything recently.
HALL
Why? Why she did that?
NATALIE
I don't know. She came here and told me…
HALL
Why did she bring all this shit?
NATALIE
I don't know…
(Sarcastic.)
Perhaps, she wanted to put it onto the bed, literally.
HALL
Nat... Forget this crap.
NATALIE
Hall, I need to know... It's important to me... I need to know all of these things coming from you.
HALL
I already said. Nothing happened between us... I swear to you.
NATALIE
Hall... I'm a sick woman... I'm dying... I deserve to get all truth.
(Pause.)
NATALIE
I need your sincerity. For the last time... I beg you... tell me everything.
(A long silence.)
HALL
Alright... alright... I'm going to tell you.
NATALIE
Thanks.
HALL
If it will be good to you, I'm okay. I think you deserve it.
(He sits beside her.)
NATALIE
Let's go. Scene one. Fade in. You and Margot.
HALL
She would do anything to get that role.
(MARGOT (25/30) a beautiful girl enters. She talks directly to Natalie as if they are the only two in the room. Margot doesn't see Hall, and he
doesn't see her either. Natalie sees both Hall and Margot.)
MARGOT
(To Natalie.)
Never... I never would have slept with him. He forced me to do this.
HALL
(To Natalie.)
She was... a beautiful woman... she did everything to seduce me.
MARGOT
I really wanted that role. I was young, no money... I needed that job.
HALL
She came into my hotel room. She was dressed like a whore... I went to the bathroom, and when I've gone out of there. Well... Margot was wearing
lingerie... I remember that she asked to look at her... then, she asked if she were perfect for the role... Oh boy!... I-I I was so tempted.
MARGOT
He asked me he would need to talk about the script. I went into his hotel... Then... he got out of the bathroom... naked... He asked to touch his
penis... I said no way. He was like, your future is in your hands.
(Margot is leaving.)
MARGOT
Sorry... It wasn't my fault. Sorry!... Sorry!...
(Margot leaves.)
HALL
It was done... I admit, it was my weakness...
(Pause.)
NATALIE
She said something totally different from you.
HALL
Like what?
NATALIE
That doesn't matter anymore. Did you know? Did you know you ruined my life?
HALL
Nat... I'm so sorry...
NATALIE
I wish you to be happy in hell... if it's possible to be happy there.
HALL
I-I beg your pardon...
NATALIE
Never... never... you are... you are a shit guy! I wish you the worst days. Your life is going to be a torment!... The more you suffer, the more at
peace I will be.
HALL
Nat, all that shit, you know, are things from the past that don't deserve to be remembered.
NATALIE
(Gasping for breath.)
I... I... I-I hate you!
(Yelling.)
Motherfucker!
(Natalie dies.)
HALL
(Nervously.)
Nat... Nat... What's going on?
(He checks her pulse and yells.)
HALL
Nurse!
(Blackout.)
(We keep hearing Hall's voice.)
HALL (OFF)
Nurse! Nurse! Help!
TO BE CONTINUED
The next chapter: The story of Martin.
Read Chapter One Here
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