PONY (Goes to get something from the refrigerator and recoils and closes the door): Sweetie, yuck. It still smells like something.

JOHN: Everything smells like something.

PONY: It should just smell like cold air and plastic.

JOHN (Referring to a little mark on her sweatshirt): There’s something on your sweatshirt.

PONY (Looking at it): No, that’s from, these kids were sitting near the running track, flicking lit matches around. I was daring them to see if they could leave a mark.

JOHN: While you were wearing it?

PONY: They were just kids.

JOHN: Oh, good— then I don’t have any more questions about that.

PONY: Maybe next time you can go with me. Hey, what was “nickels,” last night?

JOHN: What?

PONY: You were yelling “nickels” in your sleep.

JOHN: Oh, yeah. Dr. Nichols. She was our doctor when I was little.

PONY: And now you’re yelling her name in the night?

JOHN: Are you mad at me for having a bad dream?

PONY: No. We need a new shower curtain.

JOHN: We’ll make a list.

PONY: I don’t want to turn into those guys, next door.

JOHN: How do you mean?

PONY: Just, like, “Oh, hi—my name is Bob and Jennifer.”

JOHN: Yeah, I don’t think we’re going to start saying that. (He picks up a sponge and a spray bottle) Now, you sit there and look beautiful and completely impossible and I’ll do this.

PONY: I’m not impossible. (She picks up the pile of pamphlets and begins looking through them, as he attends to the fridge) I tried with that pine-scented stuff but now it just smells like a Christmas tree with garbage in it.

JOHN: Ah, that sends me back.

(John sticks his head in the fridge, opens a drawer, removes a small leaky bag of produce and carries it outside.)

PONY: Was that in the drawer? Uggh. I didn’t want to even look. (She returns to leafing through pamphlets and brochures. He continues cleaning) I want to start using dandelions in salads.

JOHN: No, you don’t.

PONY: What are all these pamphlets?

JOHN: I love pamphlets.

PONY (She looks at one): Why are you reading about meditation?

JOHN: I don’t know, I’ve been thinking about it. (Very brief pause. A dizzy spell/episode) Whoa. God.

PONY: What?

JOHN: Nothing. I just, wow, I just inhaled a ton of ammonia.

PONY: Oh, honey, don’t do that.

JOHN: You should’ve told me that twenty seconds ago.

PONY: Are you okay?

JOHN: Wow. Yeah.

PONY: Be careful. (Looking at the cleaning supplies) Wait, that’s ammonia. What’ve you been using?

JOHN: Whatever this is.

PONY (She glances at the spray bottle): I don’t think that’s anything. I think it’s just water.

JOHN: Oh, yeah. It smelled weird, at first. (Brief pause) Read me something.

PONY (Reading): “Calligraphy: Is it just for wedding invitations.”