JONAH

There really isn’t any room in there for—

LIAM

So we’ll make room.

JONAH

It’s just for a night or two—

LIAM

We can stay in the living room.

JONAH

It’s set up for tomorrow. The couches aren’t— if you start moving things, Mom’ll freak—

LIAM

So we’ll stay in Mom’s office.

JONAH

There’s no floor space with the new desk—

LIAM

I’ll sleep in the kitchen.

JONAH

Mom said—

LIAM

I’ll sleep on Mom and Dad’s floor.

JONAH

With Melody?

LIAM

Why not? I don’t care.

JONAH

It’s just for a night—

LIAM

I’ll sleep in the bathroom. I’ll sleep with my head against the fucking toilet.

JONAH

You’ll survive.

LIAM

Why is that— do you hear the language you use when you talk about her? Survival. If her parents weren’t so completely tight-wadded stingily totally, just, cheap— because they can absolutely afford a hotel, absolutely, but—

JONAH

Some of us have been stuck with her for two days straight and we’ve survived.

LIAM

Is that a dig at me?

JONAH

No. I’m just saying—

LIAM

It sounded like—

JONAH

No I’m just saying like, you’ve been here all of five minutes and …

LIAM

And what, Jonah? What?

JONAH

You should just relax, is all.

LIAM

I’m relaxed. Don’t tell me to— This isn’t a resort don’t tell me to relax. Fuck. Just, let’s just make some room.

The boys exit down the hall. Our attention shifts back to the apartment. DAPHNA watches the bathroom door, like a cat roused from an afternoon nap, pretending to still be asleep while she formulates a plan of attack, with one eye open. After the boys have exited, MELODY comes out of the bathroom.

MELODY

You can see the river from the bathroom!

Beat.

This apartment is so nice.

Beat.

It really—

DAPHNA

I love your hair.

MELODY

Oh. Thank you.

DAPHNA

Great barrette!

MELODY

Thank you.

DAPHNA

I wish I had straight hair.

MELODY

It’s pretty boring actually. I always wanted hair like yours. It’s so much more interesting—

DAPHNA

What’s that?

MELODY

What?

DAPHNA

On your leg.

MELODY

Where?

DAPHNA

Is that, like, a musical note?

MELODY

Oh, my tattoo. Yes. It’s a treble clef.

DAPHNA

That’s a music thing?

MELODY

Yes.

DAPHNA

It’s huge!

MELODY

Yeah.

Beat.

DAPHNA

Pretty!

MELODY

Thanks.

DAPHNA

Did you get it because you love music?

MELODY

Yeah. I studied opera in college, and when—

DAPHNA

You did?

MELODY

That was my major, yes.

DAPHNA

You majored in opera? Wow.

MELODY

Yeah.

DAPHNA

Do you perform in Chicago, or …

MELODY

No, no, I work for a non-profit. CHS? Chicago Historical Society.

DAPHNA

I don’t …

MELODY

It’s kind of, it’s an educational program for underprivileged local area high school students to expose them to the city’s architectural past. They make you memorize that.

DAPHNA

Very cool. But so do you still sing then, or …

MELODY

No. Not really. No.

DAPHNA

So you have a background in architecture too, or …

MELODY