The Duplex
(Gracie and Bowen are walking back to Gracie’s apartment after meeting with friends for beers and wings at Hudsons. As they’re walking by a new infill-style duplex, Bowen starts playing a game. He’s made up this game to flirt with Gracie, and to imagine a life together.)
BOWEN: Question: Who was your childhood celebrity crush?
GRACIE: Ummm. Ughhh it’s so cliché.
BOWEN: Come on, you have to answer, that’s the rule!
GRACIE: It’s embarrassing…. Justin Bieber. (They both laugh.) Okay my turn. Question: What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without doing your laundry?
BOWEN: Uhh… I don’t do my laundry.
GRACIE: What?
BOWEN: My mom does my laundry
GRACIE: (laughing) Oh my god, Bowen, you need to move out.
BOWEN: Yeah. I know. OK ok . Question: What would your life be like if you lived in this house?
GRACIE: What?
BOWEN: Like, say it’s ten years from now or something, and you live in this house. You’re you, from the future, and this is your house. What’s your life like?
GRACIE: Um. Ok. Big Question. (She takes a second to observe the house and think about it.) Left half of the duplex or the right?
BOWEN: An important distinction. (Also takes a second to observe the house and think about it.) The left half.
GRACIE: Hm. Okay. I would be a nurse. At the U of A hospital. That’s why I live here. Or like… We live here. Together.
BOWEN: Cool.
GRACIE: Yeah. Cool.
BOWEN: And I have a good job too. I get a yearly bonus.
GRACIE: Yeah we definitely have lots of money.
BOWEN: And we have season’s tickets to the Oilers.
GRACIE: Um… Sure?
BOWEN: You don’t have to come with me. I can invite Kyle. But, like, we can afford them. Good seats.
GRACIE: Yeah, you go to the hockey game and I invite my friends over.
BOWEN: Yeah, we’re busy, but we still see our friends a lot.
GRACIE: Yeah, we go out a lot, we live so close to Whyte.
BOWEN: Work hard, play hard.
GRACIE: And it’s just the two of us, and we have lots of extra money, so we can travel the world.
BOWEN: So, like, no kids?
GRACIE: …No?
BOWEN: …ok.
GRACIE: So we can take yearly trips, anywhere in the world. Thailand–
BOWEN: New Zealand–
GRACIE: Berlin–
BOWEN: Cool.
GRACIE: Obviously we’d be really busy, but life would be good.
BOWEN: Yeah, we wouldn’t be too stressed. We would be in control.
GRACIE: Yeah, we’d have our shit together.
BOWEN: Oh my god we would SO have our shit together! And we’d be happy!
(The lights go on on the patio.)
GRACIE: Oooh and we’d have people over on that patio for drinks in the summer.
BOWEN: Yeah! And maybe, eventually, we’d decide we wanted– [to have kids]
(Someone leans over the railing of the balcony. It’s a middle aged man wearing PJs and thick glasses. He’s obviously annoyed, and has been asleep.)
MAN: You two are loitering. Very loudly. Go home.
GRACIE: We were just thinking about– we were wondering–
BOWEN: Do you have your shit together? (They giggle.)
GRACIE: Like, are you happy? With your life?
MAN: … Get off my lawn! It’s the middle of the night.
GRACIE: Sorry to have bothered you.
BOWEN: We were just admiring your house!
GRACIE: Yeah, I like your patio–
MAN: I’m waiting! Don’t make me call the police!
(BOWEN grabs GRACIE’s hand.)
BOWEN: Well I guess that answers that question. (They giggle and start walking away. The man watches from the patio.)
GRACIE: What would your job be?
BOWEN: Who knows. Have to figure out my major first.
MAN: (muttering) Do I have my shit together? What kind of question– nobody has their shit together. Jesus. (Sliding door closes.)
Your next stop is halfway down this block at 10540 85th Ave. Keep walking towards 106th street, the house will be on your right hand side.