“Trust No One” by Gabrielle Poisson

“Trust No One,” a play by Gabrielle Poisson ’17, won the 34th NJ Playwrights Festival annual high school contest and was staged by professional actors during the Playwrights Festival at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown. In preparation for the performance, Gabi worked with professional dramaturges, directors and actors from Writers Theatre of NJ.  As a result of this accomplishment, Gabi received a Governor’s Awards in Arts Education as well as membership in the Dramatists Guild of America. Gabi previously won this contest in 2015 for her play “Worn Thin.” Enjoy!

TRUST NO ONE by Gabrielle Poisson

CECELIA, 13. Precocious. Wildly dramatic. Self-assured and trusting. She is looking anywhere she can for a parent.

MICKEY, 20’s. Handsome. Oddly charming. Confusingly frightening.

(Lights up on a nearly empty diner very late in the night. There is a noisy thunderstorm outside. Sounds of the highway play occasionally from offstage. There is a counter center stage with several stools in front of it. There are several booths on both sides of the counter. There is a door on the back wall that leads offstage. There is shattered glass and broken coke bottles on the ground. There is another door stage right leading to the closet. MICKEY, dressed in a full suit, is curled up sleeping in a booth at the far corner of the restaurant. There is an uneaten burger and fries on the table in front of him. CECELIA enters the diner. She sees no one is there)

CECELIA
Hello? Anybody here?
(No response. She does not notice MICKEY. She heads towards the door upstage)
Hello?
(MICKEY wakes up. He sees her heading back)

MICKEY
Don’t go back there

CECELIA
What?

MICKEY
Get away from there!

CECELIA
Who are you?

MICKEY
Who am I? Who are you?

CECELIA
I’m Cecelia. Do you work here?
(Casual now, MICKEY moves to clean up the glass)
Don’t come closer!
(MICKEY continues moving)
I said, don’t come closer!

MICKEY
Broken glass. Don’t want you to cut yourself. What, do you think I’m gonna hurt you?

CECELIA
I mean, you could. You could be homeless or something.

MICKEY
Dressed like this? I think not. Anyways, homeless does not imply bad or scary. Just because something looks ugly doesn’t mean it’s going to hurt you.
(Beat)
And vice versa.

CECELIA
I should go.

MICKEY
Stay and have a soda with me.

CECELIA
I’m really not supposed to have caffeine this late. It’ll stunt my growth.

MICKEY
What are you? Eleven? Twelve?

CECELIA
I’m thirteen.

MICKEY
Teenager, huh? Pretty sure you shouldn’t even be out on your own this late.

CECELIA
My parents said it was fine. I told them I needed to take a walk.

MICKEY
(Highway sounds outside.)
A long one apparently.

CECELIA
I had a lot to think about. I should really head back, though.

MICKEY
Take care. Look out for strangers.
(He gives her a charming wink)

CECELIA
Goodbye.
(She heads to the door. It is raining very hard. She considers)
It’s raining.

MICKEY
I heard some thunder, too. You should probably just wait it out. I can keep you company.
(He takes a few steps towards her)
Don’t worry. No sudden movements.
(He takes a few more slow steps, then suddenly feigns a lunge at her. CECELIA screams, falling to the floor. MICKEY cracks up, laughing)
God, you’re skittish.

CECELIA
You surprised me.

MICKEY
I noticed.
(He smiles at her and turns around to go get something)

CECELIA
That wasn’t very nice.
(She follows behind him, quietly, then jumps on his back, yelling, scaring him. MICKEY yells out, spinning around. CECELIA falls to the floor, cracking up)

MICKEY
You surprised me.

CECELIA
I noticed.
(MICKEY hands her a coke. They sit in silence)

MICKEY

So, what sort of name is Cecelia?

CECELIA
It’s Latin.

MICKEY
I see. Are you any good at music?
(Quizzical look from CECELIA)
St. Cecile was the patron saint of music. She was blind.

CECELIA
I play the recorder.

MICKEY
Your poor parents.

CECELIA
And I can see perfectly well.

MICKEY
(He takes a long look towards the back)
Sure, you can.
(Beat)
Can I call you CeCe?

CECELIA
Absolutely, not. Gloria says CeCe is a name for cheap strippers.

MICKEY
Who’s Gloria?

CECELIA
My Dad’s wife. She’s a nervous breakdown waiting to happen.
(MICKEY laughs)

MICKEY
You’re funny.

CECELIA
I know. I can be charming when I want to be.

MICKEY
Well you need all the charming you can get.

CECELIA
(Seriously)
That’s not very nice.
(She turns away from MICKEY, her face in her hands)

MICKEY
Oh, don’t be a baby.
(CECELIA does not respond.)
Cecelia? Earth to princess. Come in.
(She still does not respond.)
Hey, I’m sorry. You’re plenty charming. If you were a guy, you’d be married to frickin Cinderella.
(She starts to make faint crying sounds.)
Are you crying? Please, please don’t cry. I’m an ass. We all know it. Don’t—
(CECELIA emerges, face red with laughter.)

CECELIA
(Mimicking)
Cecelia! Cecelia! Don’t cry// I’m just a big idiot! Cecelia, Cecelia!
I’m sooo sorry–

MICKEY
(Progressively louder)
Shut up. Shut up. Shutupshutupshutup! SHUT UP!
(Beat)
Shut up.

CECELIA
I’m sorry.
(There is a long silence. CECELIA seems afraid, but still too intrigued to move. After a long time, MICKEY turns around suddenly cheerful again)

MICKEY
My name’s Mickey.

CECELIA
As in mouse?

MICKEY
As in Malcolm.

CECELIA
So, your parents named you Malcolm, a perfectly good name, and you chose to go by Mickey instead?

MICKEY
Well, it makes all the kids want to take their picture with me.

CECELIA
I’m going to be a writer. And I’m gonna write books about all my adventures. Gloria says that’s not a respectable profession. Mom says go ahead. Though, I’m not sure if it’s because she really wants me to or if it’s because Gloria doesn’t.

MICKEY
Cecelia isn’t a writer name. Better think of a penname or something.

CECELIA
Well, CeCe is out of the question.

MICKEY
How about Celia?

CECELIA
I like it! Celia St. Clair. It’s perfect!

MICKEY
St. Clair?

CECELIA
That’s my last name.

MICKEY
I think I knew a St. Clair over in Riverbrook, is that where you live?

CECELIA
Oh no, I live over Middlebury on the corner of…
(She becomes a bit more self-aware)
And my alarm code is 911, my social security number is 555-1234 and I’m home alone every Thursday at four.

MICKEY
Real cute.

CECELIA.
(Long pause)
Celia, though. Mom’ll love it! Dad will too, until Gloria reminds him it’s merely a truncation of my lovely God-given name.

MICKEY
She sounds delightful.
(Pause.)
Where are your parents anyways?

CECELIA
At their individual homes a respectful twenty-two minutes apart from one another.

MICKEY
And why are you not with them in one of said households?

CECELIA
I told you. I went for a walk.

MICKEY
Mom’s house out of the question?

CECELIA
It’s dad’s weekend. That means she’s with her current boyfriend, Mitch, or as I like to call him, standard Jerkface model number seven. And I’m sure they’re spending some quality
(Raising her eyebrows)
time with one another.
(MICKEY looks at her surprised.)
What? I’m thirteen. I’ve had the talk. Twice, unfortunately. And, I know, Gloria may be Satan’s blonde avatar, but at least she had the decency to describe it as “Mr. and Mrs. X, who love each other very much,” and not Mom’s “the night your father and I first did the nasty.”

MICKEY
(Grimacing)
Wow.

CECELIA
She’s not too good with words. It’s kind of why I want to be.
(Long pause)
Anyways, tonight Gloria informed me that in just five short months, her and my father would be delivering God’s greatest gift unto this world. And I knew that this would be happening eventually, but five months! And yes, the baby might be cute, as most are, with some of Dad’s better qualities, but this is Gloria we’re talking about. That baby is going to pop out with pink nails and devil horns!

MICKEY
Do you want another coke?
(He hops over the counter and grabs some drinks.)

CECELIA
Don’t you have anything else to say? Cecelia, think about what you’re doing. Cecelia, everything’s gonna be okay. Trust your parents. Running away is stupid, even if it is from unborn parent-stealing leeches.

MICKEY
Well, I’m sure you know what you’re doing, and from the sound of it, I wouldn’t trust your parents. You can’t trust anyone.

CECELIA
Well sometimes you can.

MICKEY
Like who?

CECELIA
I trust you.

MICKEY
Oh, you shouldn’t do that. I’m a stranger. You know that.

CECELIA
Oh, come on. Strangers are just friends you don’t know yet.

MICKEY
Who needs friends?

CECELIA
(Obviously)
Everyone. You’d never get through life alone.

MICKEY
Oh, I’m sure you have tons of friends. I bet you guys like baking together and eating lollipops and riding ponies—

CECELIA
I’m allergic to horses actually—

MICKEY
Oh, you know what I mean, Cecelia!

CECELIA
Actually, I only have two real friends. Carl and Brooke. We make movies together. I’m always the star.

MICKEY
I can see how that would be true.

CECELIA
So, you can tell I have leading lady potential?

MICKEY
I thought you wanted to be a writer?

CECELIA
I’m going to be the next Marilyn Monroe, but I’ll write my own material.

MICKEY
Sensible career path.

CECELIA
I think so.

MICKEY
When you’re a famous actress, people are going to have a lot of opinions about you. They’re gonna choose what you wear and what you do.

CECELIA
I’m not going to be any old famous actress.

MICKEY
What are you going to be then?

CECELIA
I’m going to have class.

MICKEY
Sounds like Gloria.

CECELIA
No I don’t! You don’t know me.

MICKEY
Exactly! Touchy subject I gather? Had this conversation with Mommy before?

CECELIA
She says Gloria’s having a big influence on my character. That she’s starting to see some budding devil horns. How did you know that?

MICKEY
See I had a big sister. Her name was… Margot.

CECELIA
Malcolm and Margot?

MICKEY
My mom was a big fan of alliteration. She was a writer and my sister wanted to be just like her and just like Britney Spears at the same time. Caused a little bit of conflict, okay?

CECELIA
What did she do?

MICKEY
Oh, that’s too sad a story.

CECELIA
You can tell me.

MICKEY
See, I don’t think we’re good enough friends yet.

CECELIA
Come on! I told you about Gloria, and my mom, and everything!

MICKEY
This story’s a little bit PG 13.
(He pulls his finger across his neck, feigning slitting his neck)

CECELIA
Are they… are they dead?

MICKEY
But that’s the best part.

CECELIA
I’m 13 years old!

MICKEY
Parental guidance, remember?

CECELIA
You can skip the scary parts. Mickey, are you all alone?

MICKEY
Don’t mean to spoil the ending, but yes. Mom and Margot are no longer with us. I know. Very sad. We’re all crying.

CECELIA
Mickey. I’m so sorry.

MICKEY
Don’t worry about it, kid. I’m used to it. I like silence.

CECELIA
I know what it’s like to feel alone, Mickey. Even where there are thousands of people around. I know what it’s like to be unhappy.

MICKEY
(The anger starts to build)
The difference, Celia, is that you are not alone. You have three whole parents. You have a sibling on the way who’s going to adore you, and you have friends who love you so much they make movies about you. Don’t play the misunderstood card when you’re so damn easy to understand.

CECELIA
You just want to be alone.

MICKEY
It just makes me angry when little girls pretend like they have the world on their shoulders.

CECELIA
Then get angry.

MICKEY
Excuse me?

CECELIA
I love being angry. Scream. Yell.

MICKEY
I like the look on people’s faces when you just flip the switch out of nowhere.

CECELIA
Sometimes, when Gloria makes me mad, I’ll knock things over and storm away. The look on Gloria’s face… that’s better than Christmas.

MICKEY
You see, for me, that’s a pointless comparison. In my family, Christmas was the worst holiday. Just a bunch of yelling, tears, and broken trees. God, I hate Christmas.

CECELIA
You’re turning out to be the strangest person I’ve ever met.

MICKEY
Thank you.

CECELIA
You’re welcome.

MICKEY
I like you, Celia. And I don’t say that too often.

CECELIA
I like you too, Mickey. And I really do think you understand me better than anyone else.

MICKEY
Why’s that?

CECELIA
Well, I think we both like playing games, but the people around us would rather live their lives and be boring.

MICKEY
What sort of games do you like to play?

CECELIA
Oh, you know, running away and pretending that I’ll never go back.

MICKEY
Why don’t you?

CECELIA
Why don’t I what?

MICKEY
Never go back.

CECELIA
I don’t know. I bet you think you know.

MICKEY
I think I do.

CECELIA
Let’s hear it.

MICKEY
You love your parents. Maybe not Gloria, but deep down, like most children, you’d miss them too much if you went away forever.

CECELIA
I thought you’d say that.

MICKEY
Am I right?

CECELIA
No.

MICKEY
Oh, so you don’t love your parents?

CECELIA
No, I do. Sometimes I even find Gloria endearing when she gets super mad and the vein pops out on her forehead. It’s a riot.
(She waits for him to respond, but he is silent.)
I love my parents, but I don’t think they love me. And before you give the whole “of course they love you, you’re their daughter” bit, just hear me out. They think they love me. Something in their DNA tells them that they have this kid and they have to take care of it and they have to love it. But really, I don’t think they even like me. That’s it. They love me, but they don’t like me. How can you live in a house where your parents couldn’t care less about who you are? It’s like, they’ve read a back cover of my life story, but somehow despite 13 years of raising me, they don’t even know me.

MICKEY
Bravo, Celia. You’re officially misunderstood.

CECELIA
Lucky me.

MICKEY
That’s the sad truth, isn’t it? Being depressed is so romantic. That ugly pain you’re supposed to feel drives happy people insane. The real thing is just so…

CECELIA
Boring?

MICKEY
Exactly. Fall asleep in a diner booth just to shake things up, boring.

CECELIA
Surprised the management didn’t kick you out.

MICKEY
Don’t worry about it.

CECELIA
I wasn’t worrying. I was just curious.

MICKEY
Well stop being so nosy, would you?

CECELIA
I’m sorry.

MICKEY
You should be.

CECELIA
Hey!

MICKEY
What?

CECELIA
Why are you being so mean?

MICKEY
I’m tired of the whining, okay? I played fairy godmother, and I listened to you complain. And I’m hungry and I wish there was someone here to make me something to eat. I’m gonna make some eggs. Do you want eggs?

CECELIA
I wonder if the cook is taking a nap like you were.

MICKEY
Eggs, Celia! Do you want any?

CECELIA
No, it’s okay.

MICKEY
You sure?

CECELIA
I mean, it’s strange that nobody’s come out the whole time we’ve been here.

MICKEY
This is your last chance, by the way. I’m cracking the eggs now.

CECELIA
Mickey, I don’t care about the eggs!

MICKEY
I’ll make you some. I bet you’ll want them later.

CECELIA
There must have been someone when you first came in.

MICKEY
(Throughout the following dialogue, MICKEY continues to cook the eggs and remains very cool and nonchalant.)
There was a waitress and a cook.

CECELIA
And where are they now?

MICKEY
I wasn’t a fan of all the chit-chat.

CECELIA
What do you mean?

MICKEY
The waitress chewed gum really loudly. The cook sort of half-whistled and it made that really annoying high pitch sound. I couldn’t enjoy my soda.

CECELIA
Mickey, where are they now?

MICKEY
(Calmly)
Oh, I killed them ages ago.

CECELIA
You what?

MICKEY
Knocked them unconscious, slit their throats. Brought their bodies to the back. Had to clean the floors. Be careful, they should still be slippery.

CECELIA
Were you pretending to sleep?

MICKEY
When you first came in? I thought you might have been the police. Not a very good cover, though. Who sleeps through a murder? Can’t believe I didn’t switch the sign to closed.
(He gets up and flips the OPEN sign to say CLOSED. He locks the door.)
Hopefully no one bothers us now.
(CECELIA is petrified. MICKEY continues cooking, cheerily)
Oo. Eyelash.
(He reaches out to touch her face and remove the eyelash. When his hand touches her face, CECELIA flails and tries to run, but slips on the floor)
Did I not tell you that the floors were slippery! I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE DON’T
LISTEN!

CECELIA
Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.

MICKEY
Calm down. Don’t be so dramatic.

CECELIA
WHERE ARE THEY?

MICKEY
Who?

CECELIA
The waitress and the cook. Where are they?

MICKEY
I don’t know. Maybe they’re in the closet.

CECELIA
(Indicating)
Through that door?

MICKEY
Yeah. You can go check if you want.
(He looks up and winks. CECELIA cautiously moves to the door stage right and goes through)

CECELIA
(Offstage)
I don’t see them.
(MICKEY sneaks to the closet, slamming the door closed)
LET ME OUT!

MICKEY
What’s the magic word?

CECELIA
HELP HELP LET ME OUT LET ME OUT  LET
ME OUT!

MICKEY
Ceceeelia? Wanna hear a secret?
You’ve got to quiet down first.
(MICKEY opens the door. CECELIA walks out slowly, terrified)

CECELIA
Please don’t hurt me.

MICKEY
I wouldn’t dream of it. You’re my friend. Besides, they’re not dead.

CECELIA
What?

MICKEY
(He’s laughing extremely hard)
THEY’RE NOT DEAD!
(CECELIA starts crying. She is paralyzed)
The look on your face. Better than getting angry. Oh, look at you, helping me with my issues. You were right. This friend thing is great.

CECELIA
This is sick. I am not your friend.

MICKEY
Now that’s just hurtful.
(Beat)
The eggs! They’re probably burnt.
(She moves to leave. MICKEY pours the eggs onto two plates.)
Where are you going?

CECELIA
I want to leave—

MICKEY
(He moves to block her from the door.)
Stop telling me what you’re gonna do! It makes it so easy to stop you.

CECELIA
What?

MICKEY
I’m not gonna let you go until you’ve made up your mind.

CECELIA
You can’t make me stay.

MICKEY
Watch me.

CECELIA
(CECELIA runs and grabs the broken bottle neck from the ground. She backs away from MICKEY slowly.)
Don’t come near me.

MICKEY
You’re gonna fight me?
(He grabs the other empty coke bottle from the counter and smashes it over the countertop, laughing. Now he is holding a broken bottle neck as well.)
This isn’t one of your little movies, my dear. You wanted something interesting. I’m giving it to you!

CECELIA
You’re psychotic.

MICKEY
Yes!

CECELIA
(CECELIA closes her eyes as if she is dreaming, putting down the bottleneck)
Please go away! Go away go away go away go away.

MICKEY
(MICKEY puts the bottleneck down as well)
You wanna be a writer? That’s not gonna happen if you can’t learn to deal with a story. Hell, you can’t be a person without learning to deal with the unpredictability of it all.

CECELIA
I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming.

MICKEY
Here’s a headline. Young boy runs away from home. Mommy drinks. Daddy’s gone.
Big sister kills herself on prom night because she doesn’t have a date. Young boy disappears. Gone. Poof like Daddy.

CECELIA
What?

MICKEY
Here’s another rumor: Mrs. Monroe, she’s the lady that cooks for the diner, well she’s doing a little stepping out with the man who does her taxes and seeing how nobody comes to diners on Thursday nights, she asks her favorite waiter to lock up for her. Oops. Guess he forgot.

CECELIA
What about your clothes? You said waiters don’t dress that nicely.

MICKEY
Lucky for you, this is the “Premium Diner.” Only the best dressed serve here.

CECELIA
You’re lying.

MICKEY
(Shrugs)
Could be. So, what are you gonna choose?

CECELIA
(CECELIA is at a loss for words. She looks like she might pass out.)
What?

MICKEY
You can’t stay here forever. Truck stop diners may be the most glamorous sort of purgatory, but you’re gonna to have to make up your mind eventually. Now, Celia, signing out tonight, I’m your host Mickey Gladwell, what’ll it be? Door number one, two, or three?

CECELIA
What are my options?

MICKEY
I’m glad you asked! Door number one. Scurry home to Mommy. She’s bound to have heard about your absence by now. Maybe Mitch can show you some of his tattoos. I heard standard Jerkface model number seven comes premade with a dragon on his ass. Door number two. Return graciously, tail between legs, to the presumably beautiful home of Gloria, Daddy, and the unborn human-Satan hybrid.

CECELIA
And door number three?

MICKEY
Not really a door, actually more like a hall with lots of additional pathways. More then there are numbers for. Run away. For real. Run so far, no one will find you.
(He chuckles and starts to eat his eggs)
You gonna eat yours?

CECELIA
No, you can have them.

MICKEY
Sure?

CECELIA
Positive.

MICKEY
(MICKEY grabs the eggs and CECELIA slowly starts backing away until she gets to the door, which she unlocks with an audible click.)
Turn the sign to OPEN, okay? I’ve liked the company. Doubt any will be as good as yours though.
(She does. She opens the door to leave and is in the doorway when MICKEY calls out.)
Hey Celia!
(MICKEY turns around to face her. CECELIA does not.)

CECELIA
Yes?

MICKEY
Did you make your mind up?

CECELIA
Yes.

MICKEY
What did you decide?

CECELIA
(She turns around and looks him in the eyes.)
Trust no one. Remember?

MICKEY
(He smiles broadly)
Beautiful.

(CECELIA walks out, leaving MICKEY alone. Whistling, he puts on some rubber gloves and picks up a sponge and a bottle of bleach, heading to the kitchen offstage. Blackout)