Consensual

by Evan Placey

  Georgia was tied up to the bedposts. Naked.

  There were used condoms on the floor. Multiple used condoms.

  And when Mum asked her what had happened, all she would say was: the knots were meant to undo really easily. Ms Willis said they would.

  MARY. I think I’m going to throw up.

  DIANE. Part of the thrill was leaving her there, used. So she told him she’d be able to undo them herself after.

  When she wouldn’t tell Mum what happened, Mum took her laptop.

  MARY. Oh god.

  DIANE. There was a folder, like a diary where she’d write emails to herself. He loved her. He loved her so much which was why he bought her all the alcohol and pot she wanted.

  Georgia wasn’t as unstudious as we all thought. Her e-diary had footnotes. Mum printed off the emails for the Head. (Pulls out a copy.)

  ‘He wants to share me with his friends. To show me off. I don’t really like it, but people in relationships help us try new things. And love is all about compromise. And we shouldn’t stigmatise people who like to tie people up for sex. It’s healthy.’

  Footnote. Ms Willis.

  MARY. I didn’t, I didn’t. Oh god, I did. But she’s. I didn’t mean. Oh god.

  At least they used condoms. I mean that’s something. Oh god, what a thing to say.

  She just seemed so… okay. The way she talked about taking photos of herself, like she was mature. And I was the immature one. The way she described it, she made it seem all so… consensual.

  DIANE. I guess she thought it was.

  MARY. She was starting to behave in her classes and I just wanted to… save her. Oh god.

  DIANE. You’ll get through this.

  MARY. You can just breeze through, not let them effect you.

  She wasn’t just a student to me. I didn’t just fail some student.

  It’s Georgia. It’s like I failed my friend.

  Which I know sounds crazy.

  DIANE. It doesn’t sound crazy

  MARY. It sounds crazy. You shouldn’t care about students, not like that.

  Not thinking like they’re your friend. Not like them like that. And she liked me. And I liked that she liked me. I’m a crazy person.

  DIANE. No you’re not.

  MARY. I am. Like right now, right now all I can think about is that I’ll never get to see her again. You don’t understand, Diane.

  DIANE. I slept with a student.

  Years ago.

  So I understand, Mary.

  I understand that to truly care you have to like them. And if you like them then where is the line? The teachers the students remember fondly are always the ones who were also a bit like their friends. Where the line was a bit blurred. Where they took the time to care.

  We’re alike, Mary. I understand. So trust me when I say you’ll be okay.

  MARY.…You did what?

  MARY’s mobile goes.

  DIANE. That’s probably the Head.

  Stands. Pulls some aspirin out of her purse.

  Drink lots of water.

  Exits.

  MARY (answering phone). Hello?

  Scene Ten

  Classroom.

  Like at the start, the STUDENTS are not seated as they’re teacherless.

  RHYS. I heard she were like tied up covered in five guys’ spunk and her mum walks in, no lie.

  DESTINY. Nasty.

  BRANDON. What a slut.

  KAYLA. Can I just say I was telling you ’bout what a skank she were ages ago, sleeping with guys for ciggies like a low-class prozzy and no one listened to me.

  DESTINY (sings). ‘Sitcks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me.’

  A few of them start dancing, singing.

  MR ABRAMOVICH enters.

  MR ABRAMOVICH. Take your seats.

  KAYLA. Oh my days you must be joking me.

  DESTINY. Mr Abramovich, why you here?

  BRANDON. Where’s Mrs Andrews? She have the baby?

  MR ABRAMOVICH. Umm… I believe you have a recently finished a unit on healthy relationships.

  KAYLA. Actually I was just telling everyone ’bout this girl which is really pertinent

  TAYLOR. I don’t think we finished the unit actually, cos miss went all –

  MR ABRAMOVICH. Well, we’re umm… moving on. For the next six weeks we’ll be looking at interview skills. So if everyone could sit down, and I’d like you to write down a job you’d like to do. When you’re an adult.

  Scene Eleven

  Outside FREDDIE’s flat.

  FREDDIE has just arrived, holding a couple of bags of food from a newsagent’s.

  He stops when he realises DIANE is standing at the front of his home.

  They look at each other. Pause.

  DIANE. I don’t know how I got here.

  I mean I walked but. I didn’t walk with the intention of arriving here. Did I come here before? I must have. But why? To drop off some missing work or – don’t answer that. It doesn’t matter.

  There’s this student at school, Georgia, and she…

  I lost my job. Today.

  Because of you. Well, because of. Actually I’m technically suspended but I’ll resign before they fire me. One of my colleagues reported me to the Board of Governors. The woman I was mentoring actually. Because that’s what happens. The mentee, the student – they all grow up and have minds of their own. And everything you taught them they use against you. I guess it’s my fault. I told her what happened.

  What did happen?

  Freddie?

  Because every time I.

  There’s the way I remember things. The way I want to remember things. And the way things happened. And I don’t think I can tell them apart.

  And maybe neither can you.

  The only thing I can absolutely remember is the first time I saw you. You’d come into the office with your tie loose and askew, your shirt untucked, and a pen in your mouth, drawings on your hands, and you said – ‘I think we’re gonna be stuck together for a while. I apologise in advance.’ And you smiled.

  And I thought right then – or maybe it was later, maybe it’s in hindsight that I thought what I think I thought then. I thought: ‘If I were fifteen.’

  So maybe I deserve all this. Because at the very least I thought it.

  And when you’d come see me I liked it. I liked that you needed me.

  Do you still smoke? Can I have a cigarette?

  For a long time I hated you. I still hate you I think.

  You knew what you were doing. Irrespective of me.

  But.

  I once confronted a man on the street because he threw some rubbish on the ground. I was honestly gobsmacked. And his response was: ‘So what? What difference will my one piece of litter do? The world is collapsing with or without me picking up that piece of litter.’

  Whether or not you knew what you were doing, I… (Starts crying.)

  I… I need to…

  I’m sorry.

  I’m so very sorry…

  She’s hysterical now.

  I’m so very sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m…

  FREDDIE. Diane.

  DIANE. No I don’t want you to say anything. I didn’t come here to

  FREDDIE. Diane. You’re bleeding.

  She looks down. Touches between her legs. Heavy bleeding.

  She slumps down.

  Sound seems to go so that even the mouth of FREDDIE asking her if she’s okay has no sound.

  He pulls out his phone, dials 999.

  The STUDENTS watching move in closer.

  ‘Under Pressure’ by Queen, featuring David Bowie begins to play.

  End of Part One.

  PART TWO: BEFORE

  Scene Twelve

  Middle of the night.

  A ground-floor flat. Open-plan kitchen/living room. A sliding glass door leads to a small garden. Off the living room is the front door.

  There are a few stairs, or a hallway, or another door that
lead to a bedroom off.

  It’s raining heavily outside.

  DIANE enters through the front door, on the phone. Dressed from a night out. And drunk. She is twenty-two.

  DIANE. I’m in. No need to ring the rape police. Don’t think they come out when it’s raining anyhow. Hold on. Just hold on, my shoes. (Takes off heels.) What? I told you to hold on… Oh, why what route is he taking you?… Tell him you’re not paying since he’s taking the longer route, yeah tell him… (Takes out two aspirin and water.) Yeah I heard, tell him it’s a free country. I mean, no, tell him tell him, it’s not a free country and you can’t afford to pay for circuit routes, circumspect, circumcised… (Laughs.) No don’t ask him! Don’t ask him! Ask him!… what did he say?… (Notices a shot glass with Jack Daniels in it. Abandons the water/aspirin and swigs the shot instead. And remembers word.) Circuitous! Are you home yet?… Text him to say what?… It’s two in the morning… He has to get up early. I don’t know. To do taxes or something… (Laughs.) God what am I doing with him? I should just, but he’s sweet. I don’t know…

  Just get out of the car. You can walk from there. He is properly taking the piss, how did I get home before you. Just walk from there. And don’t pay. It’s your human right… Just walk… it’s not raining that hard, think it’s stopping. It’s practically –

  She flicks on the garden light. Standing on the other side of the glass door is a fifteen-year-old boy. FREDDIE.

  DIANE jumps in fright.

  Jesus Christ!

  …

  I just. I need to call you back. (Hangs up.)

  She unlocks door, slides it open. FREDDIE is soaked in just a T-shirt and jeans. He’s got a bloody nose, and some of the blood is on his shirt.

  FREDDIE. You alright, miss? Did I give ya a fright?

  DIANE. Freddie, what are you

  When did you

  What are you doing? It’s two in the morning.

  FREDDIE. Yeah, you was out late. Did you have a nice time?

  DIANE. What’s happened, Freddie?

  FREDDIE. You wasn’t answering your phone. So I just thought. And then you wasn’t answering the door neither so just thought I’d. Wait.

  Beat.

  Her phone rings. Takes her some effort to focus and to figure out how to silence it.

  You alright, miss?

  DIANE. How did you know I lived here? How did you

  Your – Christ – Freddie, your face.

  Pause. They watch each other across the line of the door. It continues to rain on FREDDIE. A choice. They both know it.

  DIANE. You’ll get sick if you stand there like that. Get inside.

  He enters.

  FREDDIE. Don’t want to ruin your evening or nothing. Shit, I’m getting mud all over your floor.

  He struggles to take his shoes off, having to hop slightly, before eventually settling on sitting down on the floor to do it. He’s still not totally at one with his body. She watches, her mind a million places.

  You got any paper towel or something? I can wipe that up.

  DIANE. It’s fine.

  FREDDIE. You got a nice place. Lived here long, miss?

  DIANE. Freddie.

  FREDDIE. My dad. He just.

  DIANE. Did you call the police?

  FREDDIE. I called you.

  DIANE. You need to call the police.

  FREDDIE. No thanks, miss.

  DIANE. Freddie

  FREDDIE. Will be fine in the morning. Just needed to not be in the house. He’ll pass out soon though. It’s fine, miss.

  Who are you calling?

  I’m not talking to no police.

  DIANE. I’m not calling the police.

  As the phone rings, she takes the aspirin and the water. Splashes water on her face to try to sober up. Voicemail.

  Hi, Suzanne, sorry to call so late, it’s Diane Williams, could you please ring me as soon as you get this, it’s important, thanks.

  FREDDIE. Who’s Suzanne?

  DIANE. Mrs Fitzgerald.

  FREDDIE. What you ringing her for?

  Beat. They watch each other.

  The phone rings. DIANE answers it before it’s even completed a ring.

  DIANE. Hello… oh, Gemma… I just, sorry, I had to, did you get home okay?… Just tell him, sorry, listen, I just, I have to uh, I might actually vom, think I had a bit too much, send me a text when you get home… bye, bye.

  FREDDIE. You drunk, miss?

  DIANE.…No.

  FREDDIE. Don’t bother me, miss. ’S Saturday night. Allowed innit. Even for teachers.

  DIANE. I’m not

  FREDDIE. A teacher. I know. Pastoral assistant, teacher, same thing.

  DIANE. Drunk. I’m not drunk.

  FREDDIE. Can I have some squash?

  DIANE. What?

  FREDDIE. I’m thirsty.

  DIANE. Sure.

  She fixes some squash.

  Do you want to – I don’t know how much you want?

  He downs a pint.

  Notices shot glasses.

  FREDDIE. Big night, huh?

  DIANE. You shouldn’t really be here, Freddie. And I. I don’t know what

  Why did you come here?

  FREDDIE. Said to ring if I ever, in like an emergency you said, so I

  And you weren’t answering cos you were out with your boyfriend or whatever and so

  DIANE. I wasn’t out with my, how did you know where I lived?

  FREDDIE. Saw you one time. Was on the bus and out the window saw you come in here.

  Sorry. I’ll go. I just thought. I’ll go.

  DIANE. Where are you going to go?

  FREDDIE. Don’t matter. I’ll just wander for a couple hours and then go home.

  DIANE. Freddie, it’s two in the morning

  FREDDIE starts to put shoes on.

  FREDDIE. I can see it was stupid of me. Seemed like a good, maybe just crash here or, seemed like a good idea but can see you really don’t want me here.

  DIANE. No, Freddie.

  FREDDIE. Just cos when you said if I needed anything or if he – but can see you didn’t really, always doing stuff like that, not really understanding like true meanings, always a bit thick like that.

  DIANE. You’re not, Freddie, take your shoes off.

  FREDDIE. You didn’t mean it.

  DIANE. I did. I do mean it. If you need anything then, yes

  FREDDIE. Why didn’t you answer your phone then?

  DIANE. I was out. I didn’t hear it.

  FREDDIE. You don’t want me here.

  DIANE. I do. Please just stay and we’ll figure this out. I won’t be able to rest easy if you’re wandering the streets. Please.

  Beat.

  FREDDIE. Why didn’t you ring me back though?

  DIANE. I… I was out, I didn’t even know you called.

  FREDDIE. Oh. Right. (Almost takes his shoes off.)

  Can I use your phone?

  DIANE. My phone?

  FREDDIE. Mine’s dead. Should probably ring my brother. He’ll be worried.

  DIANE. Good idea.

  Hands phone. Beat.

  FREDDIE. But you did know. See. There’s your missed-call list. And it’s not showing a little number at the bottom, so that means you’ve already seen it. The missed calls.

  He puts her phone down. Goes to leave. She’s forced to block his path.

  DIANE. Freddie, you can’t go out there. I’m sorry that I didn’t – I was going to ring you tomorrow. I didn’t realise it was, it was important. And I’ve. As you can see I’ve had something to drink and thought would be better to ring you when I was more fresh-faced tomorrow.

  FREDDIE. Really?

  DIANE. Yes. Really.

  FREDDIE. You weren’t ignoring me.

  DIANE. No.

  Now let’s get some ice on that.

  FREDDIE. No, it’s alright. Looks worse than it is.

  DIANE. Do you want to tell me what happened. Freddie?

  FREDDIE. Not really. Do you want m
e to?

  Cos if you want me to, I will. I’ll do what you ask me to.

  DIANE. Like at school, it stays confidential. Nothing leaves this flat, Freddie.

  FREDDIE. Nothing happened. Nothing new anyhow. Was pissed. Started egging me on you know. Cos Charlie broke up with me. How I probably wasn’t man enough for her, girl like that needs a real man. So I told him, told him – and I tried to ignore him, like you told me, like you told me I should, but I was so – so I asked him, yeah, what like him? A real man like him? And course he nods and laughs. I’d a shown her what’s what he says. So I said, I told him if being a man like him’s what it takes, then I’d rather not. I’d rather be the so-called pussy I am than a cunt like him. So that’s when he…

  DIANE. And then you came straight here?

  FREDDIE. No, first I… I punched him back.

  I know. I know, I shouldn’t have.

  But I just…

  Am I gonna get in trouble now?

  Do you think less of me?

  You do.

  DIANE. No.

  No. I think. Truthfully. He had it coming.

  I’m not, I’m definitely not advocating violence or, but

  You stood up for yourself. That’s. Good for you, Freddie.

  I still think. The best thing would still be to go to the police.

  FREDDIE. He got in a pub fight last year, so they stuck him in a cell, took almost two days to sober him up and let him go. But they put us in temporary care. Some foster lady, smelled like cat piss. Kept calling me buddy.

  Not yet sixteen, miss. So that’s what they’d do with me probably. Three months with some lady smells like cat piss. Better the bastard you know.

  Three months, then I’m sixteen and I’m out.

  Maybe I can move in here. That was a joke, miss.

  DIANE. I know.

  FREDDIE. Cos you had this look like. Sure your boyfriend wouldn’t like it if I moved in here either.

  DIANE. I.

  I don’t have a boyfriend actually.

  FREDDIE. No? How come, miss?

  DIANE. You must be freezing. I’ll get you a towel, and some clothes. There’s some cloths under the sink so you can clean your face. (Exits to a room off.)

  FREDDIE takes off his shoes.

  He takes off his wet jeans, finds something to drape them over.

  Takes off his T-shirt. Wrings it out over the sink and hangs it somewhere.

  He takes one of the used glasses. Pours a Jack Daniels.