George F. Walker is one of Canada’s most prolific and popular playwrights. Since beginning his theatre career in the early 1970s, Walker has written more than 30 plays and has created screenplays for several award-winning Canadian television series. Part Kafka, part Lewis Carroll, Walker’s distinctive, gritty, fast-paced tragicomedies illuminate and satirize the selfishness, greed, and aggression of contemporary urban culture.

Girls Unwanted, his latest play, about three girls at a halfway house in an inner city, will be published in 3 instalments over 3 weeks.

 

Scene 1 

A halfway house in the inner city. Nothing fancy, or even new. The living room and part of the kitchen. There is an old dining table just outside the kitchen. Hanna is on the couch with a bag of frozen peas on her head. She is looking disapprovingly at Max who is standing at the entrance to the living room.

 

HANNA

You looking for someone?

MAX

(She waits)

Yeah…

HANNA

Is it someone who has a name?

MAX

Yeah. Kat.

HANNA

There’s a Kat, here, ya.

He takes a small photo out of his pocket. Hands it to her.

MAX

Is that her?

HANNA

(off photo) This is a mug shot.

MAX

Yeah. Maybe. Is that her or not?

HANNA

Maybe…

MAX

No. Look, is she here or not?

HANNA

(an intense look) Yeah… She’s up in her room.

MAX

So…can you ask her to come down?

HANNA

As soon as you tell me who you are.

MAX

It’s private.

HANNA

What is?

MAX

Who I am. What I want. It’s all private. So can you just go get her.

HANNA

Maybe. If you stop being so pushy.

MAX

What?

HANNA

I think you’re being too aggressive.

MAX

Yeah well I think you’re being too fucking–

HANNA

(standing quickly) What?

MAX

No, I didn’t mean… Okay. Sorry. Could you please just go get her for me?

HANNA

That’s better. Yeah. That was okay.

She jumps up. Goes to hallway.

HANNA

Kat! Get down here. You’ve got a visitor!!

(looks at Max)

It might take her awhile. She’s having a little trouble walking.

MAX

What’s wrong with her?

HANNA

We had a little bitch to bitch. She smashed my head against the wall, and I kicked her in the cooch.

(off his look) You know…

(gestures to her groin)

The pink, the muff, the gash, the–

MAX

Yeah okay I got it! Jesus..

HANNA

Jesus…

(heads to kitchen)

Gotta get these peas back in the freezer for awhile so…

Max just stands there, looking around. Kat comes in, a slight limp. Looks at Max.

KAT

You looking for me?

MAX

Yeah…

KAT

Do I know you? You look familiar.

MAX

Well that night be because–

KAT

We hooked up? I mean I mighta been high, and I can’t always remember who–

MAX

No I’m not someone you… We’ve never met.

KAT

Okay. So whatya want?

MAX

Yeah. Well I was talking to Miss Able and she–

KAT

Miss Able?

MAX

One of your social workers.

KAT

I remember that cow.

MAX

Right. So I was talking to her about our situation and she–

KAT

We’ve got a situation?

MAX

Yeah. We do. And she said it might be good for you if I made contact. And that’s what I wanted to do anyway so–

KAT

Dude, what the fuck are you talking about?

MAX

(smiles)

I’m your brother.

Kat just looks at him. Hanna sticks her head out from the kitchen.

HANNA

What was that he just said?

KAT

He said he’s…

(looks hard at Max) My brother.

HANNA

No shit. You told everyone you were given up at birth.

(to Max)

I thought she might have been lying. She lies a lot.

KAT

Go away, Hanna.

Hanna ignores her.

HANNA

(to Max)

Unless you meant you’re a foster brother.

KAT

Yeah…

(to Max)

I knew I recognized you from somewhere. You were at Nicki’s house on Delaware, right. That was like seven years ago.

MAX

No…

KAT

Earlier?

MAX

No. No I’m not one of your foster brothers. I’m like your…real brother. We have the same parents.

KAT

(just looks at him) I don’t have any parents.

MAX

Yeah. You do. We both do. And they’re the same people.

HANNA

What’s your name? (off Kat’s look)

I thought someone should ask.

MAX

(to Kat) My name’s Max.

HANNA

Max. And you’re really her brother?

MAX

Yeah…

HANNA

(to Kat)

How about that. So who’s the one that’s really all alone in the world now, eh? Me! Just me!

(Hanna heads back into the kitchen.)

KAT

(to Max)

So…did they give you up too?

MAX

No. They…kept me.

KAT

They kept you. Jesus. Why?

HANNA

(sticks her head out) Because he’s a boy, you retard.

MAX

No it wasn’t that. (to Kat)

They just…got back together. After they let you go, they got together again and they–

KAT

Had you. And they kept…you.

MAX

Well they were a little older. And they were ready to start a family, so–

KAT

Start a family.

MAX

Yeah…

HANNA

(sticks her head out)

And she couldn’t be part of that family for some reason?

MAX

She’d been…

(to Kat)

You’d been adopted, and they couldn’t find out where you–

KAT

Adopted, yeah. That didn’t work out by the way.

I left that happy home when I was twelve.

MAX

Yeah. They found that out. I mean that you’d run away. But no one knew where to.

KAT

Yeah well I made sure of that. ‘Cause if they find you, they sometimes send you back to where you ran away from.

HANNA

(out of the kitchen)

And there was no way she was going back to those awful people. They only adopted her so they’d have someone to clean their toilets.

That’s her story anyway. I think it’s just another one of her lies.

KAT

(to Max)

Their toilets, their floors. Their whole fucking house.

MAX

Wow.

KAT

Yeah. Big fucking wow. So they tried to find me but they…what, just gave up after awhile?

MAX

No the thing is, Mum has some problems with depression. It can get pretty bad, so dealing with that kinda took over everything.

KAT

For them, you mean. But you kept looking.

MAX

For five years. I mean I had to go to school, but–

KAT

Sure. But here you are. And… What?

MAX

You mean what now? Like what do I want to happen?

KAT

Yeah. You got something in mind?

MAX

I just wanted to meet you. And then maybe take it from there.

KAT

Take it where?

MAX

Well that’s–

KAT

What’s your name?

MAX

Max.

KAT

Yeah I got that part. Your whole name.

MAX

Harvey. Max Harvey

KAT

Harvey’s a first name.

MAX

(smiles)

Except when it isn’t, I guess.

KAT

Right. So are you the only one? (off his look)

The only kid they had after me?

MAX

No. I had a younger sister. Leanne. She died of leukemia.

KAT

Really. When did that happen?

MAX

She was eleven. She was a great kid. You would have liked her.

KAT

You think so.

MAX

Yeah everyone liked her. We miss her a lot. And that’s why my…our mum is–

KAT

Depressed. Yeah. So is that why you’re really here? You think I’d be a good replacement for your dead sister.

MAX

No. Well maybe…in a way. I know it would mean a lot if I could bring you together with our parents. But mostly I thought we could get to know each other and then–

KAT

Okay. Let’s do that. Let’s get to know each other. Here’s my life story. You know, just to get us started. I was given up at birth. I was adopted. I was abused. I ran away.

MAX

What?

KAT

I ran away.

MAX

No. Before that…

HANNA

(from the kitchen)

Before that, she was abused. You know, because of that cleaning she had to do.

MAX

(to Kat) Is that right?

KAT

No. So about my life, should I keep going or have you heard enough?

HANNA

I have!

Hanna steps out of the kitchen with a sandwich she has made.

Unless you’re going to start telling the truth. I’d hang around for that.

KAT

Eat me.

HANNA

(leaving)

That’s never gonna happen, girl.

Hanna is gone. Kat and Max are just looking at each other.

KAT

What?

MAX

I’m just waiting for you to tell me the rest of your story. I mean unless you don’t want–

KAT

I ran away and lived on the street for almost a year. I was “rescued,” and put in foster care. Five different families. None of them worked out. I wound up on the street again. Got seriously into drugs. Stole shit. Got arrested.

Did ten months in detention. Got out. More time on the street. More drugs. More stealing shit. More time inside. But with a rougher crowd. Got beat up a lot. Got out and got put in here to get ready to meet the world again.

MAX

What about school?

KAT

Yeah.I went sometimes. And I was doing okay. Then one day my gym teacher got the idea that a little verbal abuse might motivate me more.

She was right. It motivated me to break her face.

MAX

Her face…

KAT

Her jaw. I’d already had a bunch of fights with other kids, so after the thing with the teacher they decided I needed to be put in a special place for kids who have

O.D.D. That’s…Oppositional Defiant Disorder.

MAX

Never heard of it.

KAT

You only hear about it if they think you’ve got it. And they were pretty sure I did, so they put me in a little room in the basement with two other potential serial killers and a special needs teacher, where we spent all day learning how to be “patient.”

MAX

All day, all year?

KAT

Until I fucked off for good. (looks at him)

Okay go ahead.

MAX

What?

KAT

It’s your turn.

MAX

Oh. Well I’m–

KAT

Normal. Right.

MAX

Not totally. But– So are you still…?

KAT

Violent? Yeah I get a little worked up sometimes.

HANNA

(entering)

Like every second day.

KAT

Shouldn’t you be in your room fingering yourself right now?

Hanna heads back into the kitchen.

(to Max)

What are their names? The parents.

MAX

Julia and Tom.

KAT

Julia and Tom Harvey. Okay. And what are they like? Do they keep their hands off you? Is there food in the fridge? Is the house heated? Do you actually live in a house or just in some box in a field.

MAX

No. Yeah. We live in a small house. There’s food. All that’s okay, but… Well like I told ya, Mum’s sick. She hears things.

KAT

You said she’s depressed.

MAX

She’s depressed, and she hears things.

KAT

And what about Tom Harvey? Does he hear things too?

MAX

No. But he’s been in jail. Twice.

KAT

For what?

MAX

Both times for fraud. Second time was the worst. Because that’s when Leanne got sick, and me and Mum had to deal with that on our own. So it was kinda–

KAT

Shitty? Wow, man. You really lucked out with this family thing, eh.

Maybe I shouldn’t be so bitter about being given up. Okay, you gotta go now. I need to think about this.

MAX

Sure. But–

KAT

No. Just go. Come back tomorrow. Or maybe next week is better. Okay?

MAX

What? Next week?

KAT

Yeah…if you can. If you still want to.

MAX

Yeah. Sure that’d be… (starts out, stops)

Aren’t you supervised here. Miss Able told me this a halfway house.

KAT

Half way to where is the question.

MAX

And you’re on your own?

KAT

No. We’ve got Maddy. She’s our… guardian. Any more questions?

MAX

No…

(he starts out) No…

(He leaves.)

HANNA

(leaves kitchen munching on a pickle)

She called awhile ago. Maddy. She wanted us to be prepared.

KAT

For what?

HANNA

She’s bringing Ash back.

KAT

Yeah? That’s great.

HANNA

Sure. As long as she’s on her meds. No way I’m dealing with any more of her crazy shit.

(gesturing to door) He seems nice.

KAT

So what?

HANNA

Well if you’re gonna have a brother it’s better if it’s someone who’s kinda normal. My brother’s a–

KAT

Here we go.

HANNA

He’s creep and a bully.

KAT

Right.

HANNA

Hey. I could show you the scars I’ve got from what he did to me.

KAT

I’ve been looking forward to that. Go ahead.

HANNA

I will.

 KAT

When?

HANNA

When I feel like it.

KAT

Which means never, right.

HANNA

I’ve got scars, Kat.

KAT

Really? Like this one?

She lifts her t-shirt to reveal a long scar on her abdomen.

HANNA

Gimme a break. That’s from getting your appendix out or something.

KAT

Something like a knife with a six- inch blade.

HANNA

(looks at it)

No. That’s an appendix scar.

(Hanna leaves.)

Blackout

KAT

Idiot.

HANNA

(off) Slut.

SCENE 2

Maddy (early 30s) and Ash, 17 (sullen and in a hoodie) are in the living room.

MADDY

(yelling upstairs) Okay, you guys. I need you downstairs!

KAT

(off) I’m busy!

HANNA

(off) So am I!

MADDY

I don’t care! Get down here now! (to Ash)

You okay? You look a little… Ash?

ASH

What?

MADDY

What’s wrong with you?

ASH

Can I go to my room?

MADDY

Yeah as soon as we all have a little–

Kat enters.

KAT

(to Ash)

Hey, Babe. I missed you. (hugs her)

How are ya, man? (no response)

Ash?

ASH

What?

HANNA

(Hanna enters. Looks at Ash.)(to Maddy)

What’s wrong with her? Is she doped up?

MADDY

I think she just needs to lie down.

HANNA

Isn’t that all she’s been doing for the last month?

(to Ash)

They have you doing exercises in that hospital?

ASH

Not that I can remember.

HANNA

“Not that I can remember.” We’re all fucked.

KAT

Shut up.

MADDY

Yeah. And sit down. All of you.

Kat and Hanna sit on the couch.

There’s stuff we need to talk about.

HANNA

Like what?

MADDY

Well first off, there’s a lot of work around here that’s not getting done.

HANNA

(off Kat)

By her, you mean.

KAT

I do my share.

HANNA

Your “share” is whatever’s done when you feel like stopping.

The bathroom hasn’t been cleaned in a month.

KAT

I did it last week.

MADDY

Yeah? Well you did a piss poor job. Plus there’s all that garbage on the back porch.

KAT

(off Hanna) That’s her job.

HANNA

I never agreed to that. It was supposed to be up to Ash. I mean before she —

MADDY

Right. Ash…now that you’re back, maybe you can…

(no response)

Hey. I’m talking to you, okay.

ASH

(looks around) Where’s Victor?

KAT

We think he mighta quit.

ASH

Why?

HANNA

Because of you probably.

MADDY

We don’t know that.

HANNA

She bit him. She bit him on the fucking wrist, and the man quit.

ASH

No I didn’t bite anyone. I’m not a dog. You think I’m some kind of dog?!

HANNA

I don’t know, Ash? Are you? In your fucked up mind do you think you’re a Rottweiler or something?

KAT

Back the fuck off her, okay! (to Ash)

He upset you, and you bit him. Big deal. The dude’s a pussy.

HANNA

He was worried she gave him Hep C.

KAT

What the hell are you talking about?

HANNA

Come on. No one knows what she’s up to when she disappears. What she takes. Who she fucks.

MADDY

Do you remember doing that, honey?

ASH

Fucking someone?

MADDY

No. Biting Victor.

ASH

I told you no.

MADDY

But are you sure?

ASH

No not now. I was but…now I’m—

MADDY

Confused. You’re just confused about it, and that’s probably because you’d stopped taking your medication at the time, and–

ASH

Did I bite anyone else? Did I bite you, Hanna?

HANNA

You kidding? When I see that freaky look in your eyes, I don’t go anywhere near you.

MADDY

Okay, that’s enough.

HANNA

I’m just saying she sometimes looks like a vampire. And not a normal one either. More like a vampire/ zombie cross. Or yeah, maybe a dog vampire.

MADDY

I said that’s enough! (to Ash)

It wasn’t because you bit him. Victor just needed a break.

ASH

Oh. Okay. So who’s in charge?

MADDY

I am. For awhile, anyway.

HANNA

No that’s no good. You don’t have enough experience. I mean you’re only here to do your community service, right.

KAT

Who told you that?

HANNA

Victor. She and her ex husband were car thieves.

KAT

(to Maddy) That true?

MADDY

No.

(to Hanna)

He was just messing with you.

HANNA

I believed him.

KAT

I bet he told you a lot of stuff you believed. I bet he told you that you were special.

MADDY

(to Hanna) Did he?

HANNA

I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just saying some of us have serious problems, and we need to have a person in charge who wasn’t a–

KAT

(to Maddy)

She means her. She thinks she’s actually the only one here who has “serious problems.”

HANNA

No. I know Ash is a total mess. But all you have to do is stop sneaking out at night looking for cocks to suck.

KAT

Oh. That’s my cure, is it?

HANNA

Well it might give you a little self respect. And then you can get the hell out of here and leave the rest of us to our healing process.

KAT

Jesus, man. You’re too much. Your “healing process”?

MADDY

She’s not doing anything to get in the way of that, Hanna. If you want, you and I could talk alone more often.

HANNA

Didn’t we just establish that you’re not qualified to do something like that?

KAT

She has a degree in social work. Just like Victor does.

MADDY

(to Hanna)

More to the point, ten years ago I was just out of juvie. I was an addict, a thief, and a total wreck.

KAT

See? She couldn’t be more qualified. Well maybe she was never a stalker like you were, Princess. At least not one who tried to kill somebody.

HANNA

Knock it off with the princess stuff, okay.

KAT

(Maddy)

She’s okay with being called a stalker. But she hates Princess.

(to Hanna)

It’s just a nickname. You know, like slut.

ASH

Or retard.

MADDY

Nobody here calls you retard.

ASH

(sad laugh) Not to my face.

KAT

I never do.

HANNA

And I only do it when you make me mad.

KAT

And how does she do that?

HANNA

By doing something retarded.

MADDY

Okay, enough! Let’s all just–

HANNA

Like giving our food to the raccoons.

KAT

I don’t mind that. (to Ash)

But maybe you should stop feeding the rats.

ASH

Why? You don’t think they get hungry?

HANNA

They’re rats! Look just stop giving our food to anything, okay. Rats.

Raccoons. Skunks.

MADDY

(to Ash)

Skunks? You feed skunks?

ASH

Just one.

HANNA

Yeah. I saw her doing it. (to Ash)

Feeding that stupid thing out of your hand. Suppose you get sprayed and bring that smell into the house.

ASH

It’s a pet. It would never–

MADDY

What do you mean it’s a pet, Ash?

HANNA

Who gives a flying fuck what she means!? I’m serious, Ash! If I see you giving our food out to any kind of freakin’ animal again, I’m gonna get really upset.

ASH

Why?

HANNA

Did you hear that? Why. Jesus… (to Ash)

Are you a fucking idiot?

MADDY

Okay. No more of that. No matter how heated the situation gets, we knock it off with the insults, okay.

KAT

Even on Twitter?

MADDY

You’re not allowed on Twitter.

KAT

Since when?

MADDY

Since forever.

KAT

Oh. I guess I forgot.

HANNA

She goes on it all the time to make fun of me to her foster friends.

MADDY

How do you know that?

HANNA

I follow her.

ASH

Into the computer room?

HANNA

Jesus… No… (to Maddy)

I follow her on Twitter.

KAT

And that’s the only reason I tweet about her. To piss her off.

HANNA

You’re sick, Kat.

Ash staggers a bit, rubs her head.

KAT

Whoa. What’s wrong, babe?

ASH

I need to take a pill.

MADDY

(off her watch)

Not for another two hours.

ASH

I don’t mean my meds. I think I’m getting…a migraine.

MADDY

Since when do you get migraines?

ASH

Since I started to smell things.

MADDY

What?

ASH

You know, things that happened to me after I was taken.

MADDY

So like memories. You’re smelling your memories?

ASH

Yeah. And just seeing them was bad, but smelling everything too… When that started I got these migraine things and… I need those pills.

They gave me some in the hospital. And I thought I could get more from Victor, but–

KAT

Victor gave you pills.

ASH

His were stronger, but he’d only give me one if I begged him.

KAT

(to Ash)

You had to beg him?

ASH

Maybe that’s just what it felt like.

(to Maddy)

Can I have one of yours?

MADDY

I don’t have any migraine pills.

ASH

So whatya do when you get one?

MADDY

Not everyone gets migraines, Ash.

ASH

They don’t?

(rubs her temples furiously)

Oh. This…really hurts.

HANNA

(to Kat)

Why not give her something from your stash?

MADDY

Hanna!

HANNA

Hanna, what?! You don’t think she has shit hidden somewhere in this place.

ASH

(another sharp pain) Please.

She looks at Kat.

KAT

I might have something in my coat that I forgot to get rid of.

(leaving) It’s in the hall.

HANNA

The crap she gets away with in this place.

MADDY

You think I should clamp down on her, eh.

HANNA

Yeah I do. I mean mostly for her own good.

(Kat returns.)

KAT

(handing Ash a pill) Here.

HANNA

Just happened to have that in your pocket, eh.

MADDY

(to Kat) What is it.

Ash swallows the pill.

KAT

What’s it matter? It’ll handle her pain. And it was definitely my last one.

Ash is stretching out on the couch.

HANNA

Yeah sure.

(to Maddy)

I want her punished.

MADDY

(smiles at Kat)

She means for your own good. (to Hanna)

I’ll deal with her.

HANNA

I want her punished!

MADDY

I said I’d deal with her!

HANNA

Yeah but you won’t. You’ll talk to her. And that’ll be it. If I break the rules I get punished.

She hides drugs all over this place. She hides liquor. She even sneaks guys in here for sex sometimes. And that’s definitely not on. That’s a really big rule, right! I’ve passed up a lot of opportunities for some action because of that rule.

KAT

Except with Victor?

MADDY

What?

HANNA

Victor and I were close. So what?

MADDY

How close?

HANNA

Like friends. That’s all.

MADDY

Hanna?

HANNA

That’s all!! Leave me alone for chrissake!!

ASH

Stop! Please!! My head is…

Hanna sits in a corner, arms crossed.

KAT

(to Ash)

You’ll feel better in a minute. Promise.

ASH

Yeah but what about later.

KAT

I’ll get you more somehow.

MADDY

No you won’t. I’ll call the hospital.

ASH

Yeah, they gave me some when they let me out. But I…lost them.

Where was I before?

KAT

Before what? The hospital?

ASH

No after that. (to Maddy)

Where was I when they found me and called you?

MADDY

In a ravine.

KAT

Jesus. What the fuck were you–

ASH

The ravine. Yeah. People there always have pills. Can we go there and ask for more?

MADDY

We’re not going to the friggin’ ravine, Ash. I‘ll call the hospital like I said!

Maddy’s phone goes off.

(into phone)

Hi… What is it?… He’s what… Oh Christ. When?… Well what do they think happened?… Really? I mean– Yeah they’re all here…

Why not?… No. I think they should know… Yeah. Definitely.

She disconnects.

KAT

Who was that?

MADDY

Will Muncie. He’s the guy in charge of our section at the Ministry.

Listen, do you remember a couple of months ago when we had that talk.

KAT

Which talk? We’ve had so many.

MADDY

About how you should all try to deal with…unexpected things?

ASH

Was I here?

MADDY

Maybe not. Victor was talking about coping strategies for things you might not be prepared to–

ASH

Where was I? I mean where was I when I wasn’t here?

KAT

You mean besides the hospital…

HANNA

Or the ravine.

ASH

Yeah…

HANNA

(standing)

How the hell are we supposed to know that. You could have been anywhere.

ASH

No not anywhere. Just somewhere.

HANNA

Jesus…

KAT

(to Maddy) What’s going on?

MADDY

Okay. But try to keep what was said that day in mind because–

KAT

Ah for fucksake, Maddy!

MADDY

(looks at them all) Victor’s dead.

KAT

Dead. Yes.

HANNA

(chuckles) Come on. Seriously?

MADDY

Yes, Hanna. Seriously. You know, you really need to get control of what comes out of your mouth! And when a person is telling you something that’s obviously pretty upsetting, you should just be quiet and fucking listen! Okay!?

HANNA

Whoa. Calm down, woman.

MADDY

(approaching her) What?!

HANNA

I meant… Sorry.

KAT

(to Maddy)

He just…died? He just all of a sudden–

MADDY

They found him in an alley.

KAT

They found him in an alley…dead. So he, what…?

HANNA

Just went into an alley and…?

ASH

He was attacked.

HANNA

How do you know that?

ASH

Just a guess.

MADDY

A guess.

ASH

Yeah.

They all look at her. (Blackout)

 

Watch out for Part II and Part III.