Wake you up?

SQUID: Yeah, but I’m glad. Where you been?

TAMARA: Around. You get my texts?

Why didn’t you answer?

SQUID: Why didn’t you answer? Last few days I been calling you. Wish you’d answered then ’cause I needed to talk.

Where were you?

TAMARA: Doesn’t matter. Shit happening, that’s all.

SQUID: Shit happening for me too.

You okay?

TAMARA: No. You?

SQUID: No.

A plane.

Wanna come up to my room?

TAMARA: Alright.

SQUID: Aunty—better keep the door open.

TAMARA: Where’s all your stuff?

SQUID: What stuff?

TAMARA: Look out the window—I can see the corner where I got out of Dane’s ute. While you were asleep in that bed under that orange blanket…

SQUID: I got something for you. For us./ Formal tickets.

TAMARA: Formal tickets.

Silence.

SQUID: You happy?

TAMARA: Yeah. You?

SQUID: Yeah.

TAMARA: There’s a fair in the park—wanna go?

At the fair day in the park. We hear music.

TAMARA: Tents in the park.

Stalls and rides and/

SQUID: Look.

TAMARA: An octopus, arms reaching up to the sky—bright green octopus head in the middle with a big grin like it’s…

SQUID: Happy.

TAMARA: Like it’s off its head.

Shakira crackles in the speakers.

Carnie guy nods at us—toothpick in his mouth.

SQUID: Want a ride?

Be fun.

TAMARA: Na.

SQUID: Why?

TAMARA: All the fake screams, it couldn’t be that scary.

SQUID: Na, it’s going too slow.

TAMARA: Five bucks.

SQUID: Waste of money.

TAMARA: Yeah. Next to that, clowns’ heads turn—mouths open wide and behind—the ugliest prizes I ever saw.

SQUID: I could win one for you.

TAMARA: Yeah right. Wouldn’t be seen dead carrying that ugly shit around.

You reach out and grab my hand. Hold it tight—we walk together.

SQUID: I like this.

TAMARA: What?

SQUID: Having you next to me.

TAMARA: A big tent with a shiny floor, mirror ball spinning shooting flecks of sunlight, flecks float everywhere.

Carnie in black stands there grinning at everything and nothing

grinning like he had his brain nicked doesn’t know what’s going on—flecks of silver light on him his yellow teeth in all the mirrors.

SQUID: What is it?

TAMARA: Dunno.

They read the sign.

SQUID/TAMARA: Silent disco.

SQUID: What’s that?

TAMARA: Why you always reckon I know shit?

SQUID: You do.

TAMARA: Silent disco. Full of people wearing earphones dancing.

SQUID: Look at them.

TAMARA: Swinging their arms,

bouncing,

stepping,

smiling.

But not a sound.

SQUID/TAMARA: Silent.

TAMARA: Just like the sign says.

SQUID: Pretty fucking sick.

TAMARA: Everyone with earphones looking in different directions—dancing but no music.

SQUID: You got your iPod?

TAMARA: Yeah.

SQUID: Want to dance?

Pick a tune for me. I’ll pick one for you. We can swap.

TAMARA: You’re meant to pay.

SQUID: Fuck that, that’s for their music. We got our own.