The 500cc
By Séan VDL, Coláiste Cholm, Cork, Written in Autumn 2020
BELL: Hey, thanks for bringing me out tonight. I couldn’t handle another one of Aunt Karen’s drunken rants
FELIX: (chuckles) Yeah, can’t say I miss those.
BELL: So, where are we going, anyway?
FELIX: (Gestures to a motorbike) Come here, check it out.
BELL: Whoa! You got the 250!
FELIX: 250? What are you talking about? No, this is the 500cc, twin.
BELL: No way.
FELIX: Yeah.
BELL: Where’d you lift it from?
FELIX: Whoa, that’s a low blow. But hey, I’ll have you know that I am a changed man. Bought this with hard earned cash here. C’mon, take a seat.
BELL hesitates and stares down FELIX.
FELIX: What?
BELL: The only time you pull a stunt like this is when you’re trying to make up for something.
FELIX: You are too smart for your own good, you know that? (Beat) All right, I got this job. Pays well really well but, uh, (beat) I gotta leave town for a little bit.
BELL: What’s a little bit?
FELIX: Like a… (beat) a year at the most. And then I’ll be back before you know it, all right?
BELL: You’re bailing on me?
FELIX: Ah, c’mon, don’t be so dramatic.
BELL: What, so it wasn’t enough to leave me with Aunt Karen? How could you do this to me, FELIX?
FELIX: Hey, wait, I’m doing this for you. The money I make is for the both of us and in a couple years when you’re out…
BELL: A couple of years? (beat) Take me with you.
FELIX I… (beat) I can barely support myself.
BELL: I’ll pitch in!
FELIX: I know you think living with Aunt Karen sucks.
BELL: You have no idea.
FELIX: Yeah, but it’s the best thing for you right now, all right? You just gotta trust me on that one.
BELL: It’s not fair.
FELIX: Hey, nothing about our lives has been fair but we’ve made it work,right?
BELL: Sure.
FELIX: Well, you know the bike wasn’t the only surprise and I guess I’m gonna have to ruin the next one.
BELL: What?
FELIX: I found Mom’s stuff that Dad sold. I tracked down the buyer.
BELL: If you’re saying this just to make me feel better…
FELIX: No, I swear to God.
BELL: Where?
FELIX: A storage bin on the other side of town. Whaddaya say we go get it back?
BELL: You mean steal it?
FELIX: It’s not stealing if it was ours to begin with.
BELL: I’m pretty sure the cops aren’t going to see it that way.
FELIX: Well then, let’s not get caught.
They both hop onto the motorbike, BELL grasping the back of FELIX’s shoulders.
FELIX: You ready for this?
BELL: Hell yeah.
They ride away towards the storage bin and get there in no time. they sneak in and manage to get the storage bin open.
BELL: Woah! Look at all this *picks up necklace* This has gotta be a few hundred bucks. Who would keep stuff like this in a storage bin?
FELIX: *Grabs the necklace and puts it back* Some rich old lady. Remember, we are only here for Mom’s stuff.
BELL: Wait, is that it?
FELIX: Where?
BELL: There, in the corner. *picks it up a journal* Yeah, that’s definitely Mom’s writing.
FELIX: *takes journal and reads it* Jesus Christ, BELL, do you know what this is? (beat) All those nights she disappeared and we never got any answers? She was researching this *shows BELL years of work in the journal tracking down an ancient treasure*
BELL: Oh my god, is…is this stuff real? I mean, I always heard her talking about some treasure with Dad but i thought it was all some fairytale. But this all seems legit. But look, *points at where the writing stops* she never got to finish it.
*An old lady walks in, her feeble hands clasping a gun shaking every time she coughs*
OLD WOMAN: Put up your hands, slowly.
FELIX: Hey, hey, hey! There’s no need for that!
OLD WOMAN: What is she holding?
FELIX: Hey, hey, hey! You keep that gun on me.
OLD WOMAN: Give me my journal! *begins to cough*
FELIX: All right, all right.
FELIX turns to BELL and takes the journal.
FELIX: I’m sorry, Bell.
FELIX hands journal to OLD WOMAN.
FELIX: (beat)So, what now?
OLD WOMAN: We wait for the police.
FELIX: Yeah, you don’t want to have to deal with that headache.
FELIX starts to leave.
OLD WOMAN: Stop!
FELIX: I mean, the hassle of ruining two kids’ lives that’s…
OLD WOMAN: I really don’t want to shoot you.
FELIX: C’mon, lady. It was no harm no foul, all right?
OLD WOMAN: We all have to face the consequences of our actions.
FELIX: Then at least let her go. *points at BELL behind him* I brought her down here so she could see our mom’s stuff. That’s it, she had nothing to do with this.
The OLD WOMAN begins to cough profusely and collapses where she stands.
FELIX: Holy shit, no no no no no no…
FELIX runs over to the OLD WOMAN
FELIX: Hey, hey!
FELIX checks pulse of OLD WOMAN
BELL: Felix?
COP 1 (heard but not seen): Okay, we got a call about a couple of kids lurking over here. Spread out and search the place.
FELIX: Crap.
FELIX grabs the journal back and begins to run
BELL: Wait, we have to do something!
FELIX: Yeah, we need to get the hell outta here.
BELL: Can’t just leave her here
FELIX: There’s nothing we can do for her, all right? We have to run. If the cops find us here then there’s…
FELIX sees the cops flashlight coming in their direction and grabs BELL by the shoulder.
FELIX: Bell, we gotta go right now.
They manage to evade the cops, get on the motorbike and ride to a pier nearby.
FELIX: I’d say we’re clear. How about we catch our breath for a second?
FELIX: Some night, huh?
BELL: Some night. (beat) That old lady.
FELIX: Hey, hey. You listen to me. That wasn’t our fault back there. I mean, that lady – she, she was, ummm, sick (beat). I mean, it’s okay to feel bad but there was nothing we could do about it.
BELL: So what are we gonna do now? Our fingerprints are all over that place. I can’t go back to Aunt Karen’s. You can’t go back to your job.
FELIX: (beat) Then we don’t.
BELL: Sure.
FELIX: No, I’m serious. We get as far away from this place as we possibly can.
BELL: Yeah, and how long till the cops find us?
FELIX: Oh, I think they’ll be looking for Belland Felix Lee.
BELL: Yeah, that’s us.
FELIX: What if it wasn’t? (beat) Bell, I always felt we were destined for something great, but until tonight i didn’t know what that meant. But this – *holds up journal* Mom’s unfinished work – this is our chance to restart our lives with brand new identities.
BELL: What are you talking about?
FELIX: I know some guys pretty good at forging papers too. Now as for our new name, what do you say? Let’s see. Williams. That sound good?
BELL: You’re serious, aren’t you?
FELIX: BELL, we were made for this. And I promise, you and me together? We’re gonna go far. (small beat) So what do ya say, Bell Williams?
FELIX extends hand out for a handshake. BELL looks up at him with curiosity and determination in her eyes.
End Scene
