I Don't Remember You This Tall.

 

I Don't Remember You This Tall

by Benjamín Gavarre Silva

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® BENJAMÍN GAVARRE SILVA

bengavarre@gmail.com / gavarreunam@gmail.com

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English Version: Characters

• VANESSA (Approx. 30 years old): A burned-out, high-flying corporate girlie. She lives out of suitcases, crossing continents while dealing with extreme jet lag and stress-induced physical ailments (like her twitching eyelid). She spends thousands on high-end beauty treatments trying to freeze time, using a loud, dramatic shield to hide her exhaustion.

• CHLOE (Approx. 30 years old): A severely overwhelmed, sleep-deprived suburban mom. She is slouched, carrying heavy diaper bags, and constantly dealing with the chaotic reality of three toddlers. She is brutally honest, unfiltered, and deeply nostalgic for the days when she was single, free, and didn't smell like sour baby food.

• JULIAN (Approx. 30 years old): The bitter, underemployed academic. He holds a degree in comparative literature but spends his days writing corporate copy for a ridiculous tech startup. He deeply resents his 24-year-old Gen-Z boss who "bros" him all day. He's passive-aggressive, prone to stealing fries, and lets his professional envy eat him alive.

• ETHAN (Approx. 30 years old): The former high school varsity football captain. Muscular, imposing, and seemingly untouchable in his youth, but hiding a deeply fragile, broken interior. He deals with intense anxiety (shredding napkins to pieces) and carries the massive weight of a repressed, unrequited high school love story that he kept hidden in coded journals.

• TYLER (25 years old / Fake Benjamin): A peak Gen-Z cynic. Effortlessly charming, completely unfazed, and wearing an oversized skull hoodie. He makes a living reading people and telling them exactly what they want to hear. He seamlessly highjacks the millennials' mid-life crisis for his own amusement and financial gain, viewing their trauma with cool detachment.

• KEVIN (Early 30s / The Invisible Puppeteer): The resentful ghost from their high school past. He only exists as a voice on a FaceTime call, operating from a drab, depressing corporate cubicle. He is calculating, vindictive, and deeply scarred by the rejection he faced years ago, orchestrating a complex digital trap just to watch the popular kids crumble.

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ACT I: All I See Are Flaws

SETTING: The patio of a trendy coffee shop in Wicker Park, Chicago. Black metal tables. Background noise: dogs barking, the L-train rumbling in the distance, and heavy traffic.

In the background, at a side table, TYLER (25 years old, but looks younger) reads a tablet while sipping an iced matcha latte with insulting calmness. He’s wearing an oversized black hoodie with skull prints.

At the center table, the main group (all around 30 years old). VANESSA is standing up, stretching her arms toward the sky, chasing a cell signal like it’s a sacred antenna. CHLOE is slouched in her chair, banging an empty baby bottle against the table like a military drum.

CHLOE

Three, you guys! Three blessings! Twin boys and a four-year-old girl who just discovered existentialism. On Tuesday she stared dead into my eyes and said, "Mom, why does everything decay?" She’s four! What do I say to that? "Because of late-stage capitalism, sweetie"? Jesus. My life right now is just a non-stop rotation of bodily fluids that aren't even mine. (She sniffs her shoulder with disgust). I think this is organic butternut squash puree. Or boogers. I don’t even know anymore.

VANESSA

(Without lowering her phone, stretching so hard her back pops. She groans). Ugh, my freaking sciatica! Shut up, Chloe, at least you’re grounded. I’ve crossed three continents in seventy-two hours. My jet lag is so criminal I don’t know if I’m having dinner in Tokyo or breakfast in Brooklyn. Yesterday I hooked up with a Belgian pilot named Jean-Pierre, and when I woke up to pee, turns out he was a Thai flight attendant named Chue-len. Can you believe it?

JULIAN

(Snatches a french fry from Vanessa’s plate). And how was Jean-Pierre? Was he fly? Did you get good in-flight service, or was it just a bumpy ride?

VANESSA

(Slaps Julian's hand away to rescue her fry). Back off! That is my only carb of the day! At least the Thai guy left me ten grand in cash, which I’m spending entirely on collagen treatments that are clearly failing. Look at my left eyelid! (She leans into Julian’s face, blinking rapidly). It twitches on its own, dude! I’m like a sky-high Barbie but with a truck driver’s nervous tic!

JULIAN

(Adjusts his glasses, bitter). At least you guys have international drama and other people's fluids. I work for a logistics startup that optimizes the delivery of grain-free, CBD-infused kibble for vegan dogs. My boss is twenty-four, and he looks exactly like that creepy Kevin from high school. You remember him? The guy who hated us for no reason and always gave us the death stare like we had spit on his shoes or something… Honestly, I think he either had a crush on me, or on you, Vanessa… (Quickly eats another fry while Vanessa is distracted).

VANESSA

(Slaps his hand again). Stop eating my fries! And finish the story about your boss, you got stuck on Kevin… And you're right, that loser actually dared to ask me out back then and I laughed straight in his face. That’s probably why he hated us all.

JULIAN

(Keeps talking about his boss, completely unfazed). And he wears Tweety Bird socks… and Daffy Duck socks, and even Elmo socks…

CHLOE

Wait, I’m lost. Are you talking about Kevin or your boss?

JULIAN

My boss, dummy! He’s five years younger than me, wears sneakers and cartoon socks to the office, and "bros" me all day long. “Hey bro, did you pull those metrics?” or “Catch you later, bro.” All day. Every single day. He makes four times what I do just for having "future vision" and "corporate empathy." (Taps his stomach lazily). And here I am, with zero hope of a raise. Damn it, I spent six years studying comparative literature and linguistics just to write the return-policy clauses for a bag of salmon-flavored dog food. I got two gray hairs just from pure envy. Right here. Look. (Points to his head).

CHLOE

(Yanks a strand of Julian's hair to check the gray. Julian winces). Oh, wow, it’s true! You’re officially ancient, king. That’s karma. Back in high school, you used to bully Kevin for wearing those dorky Sperrys with the preppy shorts. See? Karma is a bitch, but sometimes the boomerang doesn't hit you from the guy you hurt—it comes from a younger, hotter, more capable version of him. The universe always collects its debts. Though in my case, I never hurt anyone, and look at me… can’t even go to the movies, spending my nights sleepless because God, those little monsters can cry.

JULIAN

(Throws a crumpled napkin at Chloe’s face). Okay, Chloe… you’re gonna give yourself wrinkles if you keep whining. Let’s make a pact. You accept that motherhood is a beautiful journey… haha, okay, that it’s manageable, and that you love them, right? (Chloe sighs and nods). Fine. And I will try not to let the existential dread consume me. I’ll be grateful my cholesterol is fine, my dignity is intact, and I haven't superglued my boss’s chair yet. Seriously, I’m gonna be a good guy from now on. I swear. (Turns to Ethan, who is obsessively ripping a paper napkin into tiny pieces). What about you, Ethan? Torturing napkins so you don't slit your wrists?

ETHAN

(Who has been in a manic trance with the napkins, staring at his water glass like a character in a Greek tragedy, interrupts with a deep, booming baritone). I came out of the closet.

(Sudden silence at the table. The women stare with wide eyes. Julian lets out an exaggerated yawn and takes a gulp of his beer).

JULIAN

Ethan, honey, sweetie, darling… you came out like eight years ago. You put a massive rainbow flag on your Facebook profile and your mom dragged you to Gestalt therapy to hug foam rollers and oversized pillows. You really think you’re gonna shock us today? That’s old news. It’s passé. Stop ripping the napkins. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…

ETHAN

(Slams his hand on the table, making the glasses rattle). No, Julian… it’s not that simple. I was in love. (Pauses, seeing Julian's alarmed face). Not with you, don't flatter yourself. I was dying inside for the class genius. The guy who never spoke to anyone but charged fifty bucks to solve your AP Physics exam, and a hundred if you wanted a guaranteed A. The guy who took the SATs for that idiot Brandon, and no one noticed because the proctors don't look at the photos, they just look at the registration stamps.

CHLOE

(Tossing her hair back with a dramatic gesture). Benjamin! You were in love with Benjamin! Oh my god, no one would have guessed. Not from you, and definitely not from smug little Benjamin. And you were so hot, so built! So untouchable. You were the varsity football captain, and the most popular girl in school was crying over you. You wore Abercrombie Fierce cologne—gross—and smelled like sweat, hormones, and generational wealth. Your parents bought you a BMW and you always smelled like a summer trip to Cabo.

ETHAN

(Adjusts his shirt, which fits tightly around his biceps). I can't complain, but I was miserable. My inner life was hell, a constant dead-end torment. My crush was out of control. I had fantasies of him coming to find me, going to the movies, walking around Millennium Park… I know, I know. Totally corny. I never got to live it. I wrote a whole journal about him. Three hundred pages. And since I was terrified my dad would find it under my mattress, I wrote the entire thing in a code I invented, mixing the Cyrillic alphabet with organic chemistry shorthand. I still have it in my closet. It’s my masterpiece. And he never knew. He stayed right there, in my head, perfect, young, frozen in the limbo of being seventeen...

VANESSA

(Finally drops her phone and looks toward the back of the patio. Her jaw drops). Um... speaking of fulfilled fantasies and ghosts of the past.

CHLOE

(Rubbing her eyes). What? The jet lag? Did your eye pop out? Is your blood sugar low?

VANESSA

(Elbows Chloe). None of that. Look… look at the table by the ivy wall. The guy in the black hoodie with the skeletons and skulls.

(They all turn their heads in slow motion, like they have stiff necks. Julian silently mimics a painful groan).

JULIAN

Ouch, I think I just pulled a muscle... No fucking way. Are they putting psychedelics in the tap water?

CHLOE

It’s him. He has the exact same smug face he had when he charged us to write our medieval literature essays. And he has no belly! How does he have no belly? I hate him so much.

ETHAN

(Stands up abruptly, knocking over his metal chair, which makes a horrific scraping sound against the floor. He immediately grabs his knee). Son of a bitch, now my knee is flaring up!... He hasn't changed at all. He made a deal with the devil.

VANESSA

(Stands up on her chair, completely shattering café etiquette, waving her phone and shouting at the top of her lungs). Benjamin!! Benjamin, over here, you bastard! You got the invite for the reunion too, huh? Awesome! Come on, get off your high horse and come say hi!

Scene 2: Well, since you called...

(TYLER [the true name of this supposed Benjamin], at the back table, looks up from his tablet. He analyzes the scene in two seconds: a group of hysterical thirty-somethings, a woman standing on a chair waving an iPhone, a muscular guy looking at him like he’s a divine apparition, and expensive drinks. Tyler smiles coyly with a mix of centennial cynicism and innocence. He gets up, adjusts his skull hoodie, and walks over with his hands in his pockets).

TYLER (Benjamin)

Hey... Long time no see.

VANESSA

(Jumps down from the chair, grabs his arm, and shoves him into a seat between her and Ethan). Sit down right here, you jerk! You even grew, you bastard… I don't remember you this tall. (Leaces señas exageradas al mesero). Waiter! Bring a menu and put the most expensive drink at the bar on our tab for this man. Look at him, oh my god! Didn't he get taller? He’s literally Ethan’s height now! And… he doesn't have a single wrinkle! No, seriously, not one... Okay, maybe dark circles under his eyes, but like, designer dark circles. What do you inject, dude? Vampire blood? Stem cells? Botox? Human growth hormone? What? What’s your secret!

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Recalculating fast, adapting to the tone, and picking up the menu). No… no secret. I just eat a lot of cheese… and veggies. And tons of water, good genetics, black coffee.

JULIAN

(With narrowed eyes, tapping his beer bottle with a pen). Still as cynical as ever. Are you still making a living taking exams for other people, or did you finally get a real job with health insurance?

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Smiling, dodging the blow with a chuckle). Well, define "real"… If you think I rent myself out for eight hours a day in a cubicle, you’re thinking of someone else… I charge people to tell them exactly what they want to hear. I’m like a prostitute for the mind, you know?

JULIAN

(With a mix of admiration and disgust, letting out a bitter laugh). Damn, how modern! What are you, an escort, a masseur with a happy ending... or are you a weekend stripper for divorced moms?

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Winks at Julian). Man… you wish. You seem very well-informed about the market, Julian.

CHLOE

(Laughs out loud and playfully slaps Tyler on the back). He totally read you, Julian! Hey, Benjamin, please, do you remember when the Chemistry teacher caught you with all the formulas written on your arm? You walked out like a god. You told him: "They aren't cheat sheets, sir, they’re temporary tattoos because I love science." The teacher laughed so hard at your nerve that he passed you without even grading the test.

VANESSA

(Fixing her hair, dropping her shoulders). You always had insane luck, Benjamin. And look, even Chloe's family used to like you. Do you remember when I introduced you to them at their place? Her older brother wouldn't stop annoying us, saying we were dating, and he kept stepping on your shoes on purpose.

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Smiling coyly, taking a sip of his iced tea). Cute guy... But yeah, families can be pretty toxic.

CHLOE

Annoying brother? My brother, the Jehovah’s Witness, was like thirty-five back then, sweetie. (Snorts). By the way, he passed away, did you guys know?

VANESSA

(Crosses her heart). No way! See, Chloe... You always said he stalked you and wanted to strangle you, and now the man is in heaven.

CHLOE

Heaven my ass! He scared away all my boyfriends and cut a chunk of my hair off while I was asleep so I wouldn’t go out. He was a psychopath.

VANESSA

(Interrupting, lightly nudging Tyler to get his attention). Oh whatever, let the dead rest in peace. Hey, friend, do you remember the day you showed up to class with your hair bleached completely platinum white? You claimed you got a modern perm, but they fried your hair horribly at that cheap salon on the corner.

CHLOE

(Frowning, pointing at Vanessa with a fry). Wait, hold on... That wasn't Benjamin. That was that other guy, Justin, the one who groped everyone at the school dances and then had to shave his head so no one would recognize him.

VANESSA

(Slams her hand on the table, stubborn). It was Benjamin! He walked into 8:00 AM Algebra. I remember perfectly because the teacher was fat and boring, we were all drooling on our desks, and Benjamin walked in with that exact same smug face… Come on, Benjamin, tell the truth, why the hell did you dye your hair that time?

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Tragando saliva, feeling sweat on the back of his neck, but keeping the smile). Chloe’s right, that was Justin… What I do remember perfectly is the time I dressed up as Superman. You know… because everyone always said I looked like Tom Welling… I think they were exaggerating, I’m not that handsome.

JULIAN

(Stops mid-bite, his spoon hovering halfway to his mouth. He lowers his hand slowly). Wait, hold on… I’m confused. Or you’re confused… When we were in high school, Christopher Reeve’s Superman was the big thing, before his accident. Tom Welling was the guy from Smallville, but that show came out way later...

BRUNO

(Who hasn't taken his eyes off Tyler, staring with mystical intensity). True... Plus, I don't remember you ever wearing a superhero costume… I’m pretty sure I would remember that… I mean, maybe you dressed up in college?

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Smiling coyly, recalculating at a thousand miles an hour, taking a long sip of his tea). College… yeah, that must be it. You know how it is at that age, you like to invent identities... “Fighting for justice”… (His mental script glitches). You know, like that Batman meme where he slaps Robin.

JULIAN

Memes? You must definitely be talking about college… Benjamin. In high school, memes weren't a thing because the internet was still dial-up.

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Quickly trying to bridge the tech gap). Right, yeah… What I do remember is when we all made jokes about Britney shaving her head.

CHLOE

(Frowning, stopping her napkin-ripping). Britney Spears? When we were in high school, she hadn't had her meltdown yet. We were in school during the boom of “…Baby One More Time”!

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Totally smooth, rattling the ice in his glass). An absolute classic. "Oops!... I Did It Again."

ETHAN

(Leaning in dangerously close to Tyler, invading his space). Ha, ha, Benjamin, wow, you’re completely off… You’re mixing up all the years… All your memories are from long after we graduated together.

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Flashing a charming look, using his charisma as a shield). Space-time is relative, Ethan. What matters is that we are here, surrounded by talented, beautiful people. And you... you look great, by the way. You still work out, I see. Those arms didn't come from sitting in a cubicle.

ETHAN

(Swallowing hard, moved by the compliment, his eyes shining with nostalgia). Benjamin... I need to tell you something. Now that we’re here. Now that time has folded in on itself and trapped us at this table.

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Enjoying the drama, leaning back in his chair). Tell me, Ethan. I’m all ears. And look, the waiter is coming with the tequila, so the truth always flows better with alcohol anyway.

Scene 3: Mirrors and Mirages

(VANESSA and CHLOE get up from their chairs simultaneously, making a lot of noise. They argue loudly as they walk toward the restroom. Vanessa gestures wildly with her phone in hand).

VANESSA

No, Chloe! That collagen is a total scam, just like hyaluronic acid or whatever they invent to steal your money… When you fly 40 hours a week, the only thing that works is sleep, sleep, and more sleep… Look at my eyelid!

CHLOE

(Pushing the restroom door open). Oh, please! Taylor Swift definitely uses hyaluronic acid… and she’s probably been taking collagen since she was twelve, that’s why she can perform for three hours straight while you’re complaining about your eye twitching and your knee hurting and your skin being dry… You sound like a grandma… Come on… Move it!

(Enter the restroom and slam the door. At the same time, JULIAN storms back to the sidewalk, answering his phone in a pitifully submissive voice).

JULIAN

Hello? Hey, bro... No, I’m not having dinner, man… The metrics? Yeah… I’m on it... checking the dashboard. Yeah, I’ll optimize it for you in five minutes... Absolutely! Yeah, of course, bro! Talk soon.

(Julian paces back and forth on the sidewalk, gesturing furiously. At the table, ETHAN and TYLER are left completely alone. Ethan slides his chair closer, completely invading Tyler’s personal space).

ETHAN

(With a low, mystical voice, barely breathing). I’m going to say it because it’s now or never. I wrote a journal to your ghost, Benjamin. Three hundred pages in Cyrillic code and organic chemistry formulas so my dad wouldn't understand it if he pulled it out from under my mattress. I loved you in secret. I loved you while you were charging the slackers fifty bucks for calculus exams. I loved you with the repressed virility of a varsity linebacker who couldn't tell the world he’d rather look into your eyes... than watch the Super Bowl.

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Seizing the moment. He takes Ethan’s hand over the table, looking into his eyes like a 90s soap opera heartthrob). Ethan... I always knew. I watched you on the field. The subtext of your passes... it was obvious. I felt that... internal combustion, too.

ETHAN

(Freezes. He looks down at Tyler’s hand. Then he looks closely at his face. The amber afternoon light hits Tyler’s skin directly. Ethan blinks, frowns, and yanks his hand away as if he’s been burned). Wait.

TYLER (Benjamin)

What’s wrong, Ethan?

ETHAN

(Grabs Tyler’s chin roughly, forcing him to face him). Your hand. It doesn't have the scar. Benjamin had a huge scar shaped like a question mark right here, between his thumb and index finger, from when a test tube exploded in the lab. Your skin is flawless... smooth, like a baby's. (He inspects his mouth). And your teeth? Benjamin had a canine tooth completely overlapping the other, that’s why he smiled sideways. Did you fix your mouth with magic, or is my memory completely shot?

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Trying to pull away from Ethan’s grip with a nervous laugh). You know how dental tech is these days, clear aligners do miracles...

ETHAN

And do they make aligners for lies, too?

(Julian storms back to the table, almost tripping over a chair, shoving his phone away with a malicious, triumphant smile. His screen is still lit up).

JULIAN

Hey, "Benjamin"... The internet is a funny thing, seriously. I was texting a guy from college who has you on Facebook... and he told me he saw you last week at a marketing convention. He sent me a photo. (Shoves the phone in Tyler’s face). Look at you. You look completely wrecked, man. A beer gut, bald, and dark circles down to your chin. Did you get a three-hour facial liposuction, or is the guy in this photo your evil twin?

TYLER (Benjamin)

(Leans all the way back in his chair, crosses his arms, and sighs, instantly dropping the act). Is that me in the photo?... Well, isn't that an existential question for anyone turning thirty?

ETHAN

(With a broken, hurt voice, pulling back). Who are you?

TYLER (Benjamin)

(With total Gen-Z indifference). Who am I? Who are you?... Man, we’re really hitting the heavy mid-life crisis questions today.

CHLOE

(Walking back from the restroom, having noticed everything from afar… making faces of utter disbelief and disapproval). Are you serious? Unbelievable. Looks like the gig is up, kid.

VANESSA

(Looking at her designer watch). Alright, I’m done. You know what? Let’s just pay the check and go to my hotel. I have rooftop pool access and the vibe here just got weird and heavy. Waiter, check!

TYLER (Just Tyler)

(Leans back in his chair and lets out a loud, clean laugh, filled with a youthful energy that contrasts sharply with the bitterness at the table). Holy shit, that lasted way longer than I thought it would! You guys are an incredible audience, seriously! You swallowed it hook, line, and sinker!

ETHAN

(Clenching his fists, staring at the ground). I knew something was wrong...

TYLER

My name is Tyler. I’m twenty-five. Benjamin—the real Benjamin—is my older brother. He’s just as miserable and bitter as you guys. He asked me to come to this dinner in his place because he couldn't make it on time... and specifically, he told me to apologize to you, Ethan. He said: "If Ethan goes, he’s gonna be riding my dick all night wanting updates on my life, just make something up."

ETHAN

(Feeling a massive emptiness). Your brother... told you to say that? Is that part of the joke, too?

TYLER

Yeah. No... Look, he used to tell me high school stories when he got drunk on Sundays at home. He’d say: "There was this one girl who wanted to be a flight attendant and probably made it, I’ve seen her on Instagram, she thought she was elite just because she was blonde; also a resentful loser who hated me for free because I always won while he was the class outcast... and Ethan, the jock, who used to stare at me on the field with these repressed puppy-dog eyes that honestly flattered me, but the obsession was too much." Benjamin told me to apologize because he got stuck at a last-minute symposium in Boston. But when I got here and saw you guys so fired up talking about your high school traumas, I felt bad interrupting. Then you saw me, screamed at me, forced me to sit down... and I just jumped on the bandwagon. I couldn't help it. Honestly, it felt good to be, for a little while, the person you all desperately needed me to be.

(Tyler’s phone vibrates on the table with a WhatsApp notification).

TYLER

Look at the screen, Ethan. There’s the real Benjamin. He finally caught a standby flight to get here. He just parked around the block. He’s wearing a cheap corporate suit, has a herniated disc that barely lets him walk, and he’s sweating like a Jehovah’s Witness because he can’t find a parking spot. You guys want to wait for him?

(The women look at their watches simultaneously in absolute panic. Chloe grabs her diaper bag like a shield).

CHLOE

I have to go! The kids! The babysitter already texted me three times. Classic... It was nice returning to the past for ten minutes and remembering when I was young, single, and didn't smell like sour milk. And you, Tyler... you’re a son of a bitch, but well played. I don't even know what to say to you.

VANESSA

Waiter, check, now! I don't have the emotional capacity to see the real Benjamin if he’s old, fat, and tired like the rest of you. Sorry, but I still look spectacular and I don't want my fantasy ruined. Let’s go. The hotel pool is still an option if anyone wants to save the afternoon... No one?

(The women throw crumpled hundred-dollar bills onto the table like they’re fleeing a crime scene and run off. Julian quickly glues himself to Vanessa’s side).

JULIAN

(Walking fast behind Vanessa). Hey, Van, I’m down for the pool, maybe I can help you relax that eyelid...

(They disappear. In the end, only Ethan remains, standing motionless in front of Tyler).

ETHAN

That’s a messed-up game, kid. You went way too far.

TYLER

(No longer mocking, a bit intimidated by Ethan’s physical presence). Yeah, I fucked up. I’m sorry... I just wanted to have some fun. The problem with you millennials is that you take the past way too seriously. You’re obsessed with the version of who you could have been but never were.

ETHAN

Excuse me? Go to hell. Have a good life, Tyler. But get lost before your brother gets here. I’m out, too; I have zero desire to see another ghost, especially if he’s just as broken and ruined as I am... Seriously, kid... enjoy your youth, because it goes by fast.

(Ethan turns around, shoves his hands into his jacket pockets, and walks toward the park, disappearing into the shadows of the trees).

Scene 4: The Invisible Puppeteer

(Tyler is left completely alone at the deserted table. He looks at the pile of cash they left behind. He starts counting the hundred-dollar bills with the mechanical speed of an ATM. He smiles smugly, but the smile doesn't last long. He looks toward the entrance of the café, turning uncomfortable, as if the weight of the charade suddenly hit him all at once. He pulls out his phone and starts a FaceTime call. On the other side of the screen, a guy in his early thirties connects—wearing glasses, thinning hair, against a drab gray background that looks like a government office or a cubicle).

TYLER

Yo? Yeah, it’s me... No, dude, they’re gone. They ran out of here like they saw a ghost... They bought the whole thing. I even invented this story that the real Benjamin was my older brother and was on his way, you should’ve seen their faces. You were so right, Kevin! I really did look like that guy in the old high school photos you gave me... Though honestly, if the real Benjamin is as bald and fat as you say, I’m starting a diet tomorrow morning, holy shit.

(Tyler pauses. He glances at the empty water glass Ethan left behind. His tone drops, losing its arrogance, sounding like a twenty-something kid who just shot a bird out of the sky without any real desire to hurt it, much less kill it).

...Hey, but you should’ve just shown up yourself, Kevin. No one would’ve suspected. I know you told me you weren't in their popular clique, and that they treated you like… you know… but holding onto that much resentment after all these years... I don't know, man, it’s kinda dark. You should’ve come. Seriously, if they believed I went to school with them, they would’ve at least remembered you by the end. You wouldn't have had to make me dig through their Facebook profiles or make me lie like this. But hey, it was a genius plan, making me play their ghost... By the way, they left like three hundred bucks in tips on the table, so I can definitely afford to skip work today.

(Tyler listens to the phone. He shifts in his chair, uncomfortable).

...But hey, man. I think I crossed a line. The jock guy, Ethan, he was going on and on about how he was secretly in love with me. Like he wrote me poems in a code made of the periodic table... Yeah, Ethan. I actually felt really bad for him. He looked so straight-edge, tough, and healthy, but inside he was made of glass. Did you hate him too? Man, did you just hate everyone in that school?... At least he had real feelings, not like those other idiots. I had to stay in character and tell him I felt "internal combustion" too, haha... Crazy, right?

(Tyler sighs, wiping a drop of sweat from his forehead).

People that age are so broken, seriously. They have a hunger for the past that’s terrifying, like their present life is just corporate trash. Look, next time you meet up with them yourself, and if you want, you tell them to their faces that you hated them, or that you wanted to be part of their group, or that it sucked that they made you feel invisible... Or that they looked down on you. I don't ever want to see these old people again. They depressed me, honestly... You’re pretty messed up in the head for planning this, Kevin... Anyway, I’m gonna see if the agency called me. You know how clients pop up out of nowhere when you least want to deal with them. Man, it’s wild how that Julian guy actually guessed what my "job" was! And what if that other guy, Ethan, hires me… At least with him, I wouldn't have to deal with someone as ancient as my usual clients… and honestly, the guy isn't bad-looking, even if he’s older... at least he doesn't gross me out. I could even fantasize that he was actually in love with me… or someone like me… and maybe I could fall in love a little bit, you know?... For a change, what a joke… Haha, whatever, I’m getting ahead of myself. Maybe no one hires me and I get the afternoon off to do my favorite thing in the world: sleep… sleep like a baby. After all, I earned this money fair and square for my peace of mind and my well-deserved rest… Oh well. Kevin, hey, you’re being awfully quiet--- You know you’re a piece of work, right?… You’re… you’re a pretty sinister character, dude. Take care.

(Tyler hangs up. He grabs the money with disdain, puts in his wireless earbuds, pulls up the hood of his sweatshirt, and walks out of the café with the floating lightness of someone who owes nothing to memory, fading into the amber light of the afternoon).

END