ACT ONE

Scene Ten:

"Tonight"

Vi sighed to herself, shaking her head clear. Maybe this was a stupid idea after all. Would she really be able to find the one girl out of thousands of Puerto Ricans that lived in the West Side neighborhood?

Vi glanced once more over her shoulder at the buildings, then started climbing up the fence.

"Quién es?"

Vi froze halfway up the fence as she heard a voice call out. She slowly turned around and looked up, her eyes stopping at a fire escape landing, four floors above, and saw Caitlyn standing there in her white dress.

Vi hopped down from the fence, blinking, smiling.

"It's me!" Vi called, half keeping her voice down for the sake of the neighbors.

"Are you crazy?! You can't –" Caitlyn exclaimed, then quieted her voice, too. "What are you doing, spooking around como una rata?!"

Vi waved, walking closer to her building. "Come down. Meet me on the corner –"

"No! ¿Cómo supiste dónde vivo?" she snapped.

"Let's meet on the, uh…"

"No. ¡Tú no puedes estar aquí!"

Vi frowned a little as she approached. "What's that mean?"

Caitlyn rolled her eyes, stepping back from the railing. "It means 'go away'."

Looking up at her, Vi stopped in her tracks and leaned against a fence railing beside her. Her face falling a little.

"Can I come up?" she asked, casually shrugging.

Caitlyn narrowed her eyes, pouting her lip as she looked to the sky. She hummed in thought, hesitating a beat longer before answering, coyishly, "Hmmm… No."

Vi broke into a grin and laughed. "But I found you!" she almost shouted, throwing out her arms.

"Please!" Caitlyn shushed her, seriously, holding out her hand. Her grip tightening on the railing. Her eyebrows sloped in concern. "My brother is so angry now. He might…"

Vi waved her hand. "I'll make him like me. Everybody does."

Caitlyn huffed, "There's nobody who everybody likes."

Vi shrugged. "Yeah, but, so long as you like me, I'm okay with that."

Caitlyn shushed her again, fearfully glancing back at the window and down at her. "Please, I'm serious, you have to go."

Vi eyed the fire escape thoughtfully.

Seemed safe enough…

She started doffing off her jacket, folding it to hang over the railing beside her.

"What are you doing?!" Caitlyn exclaimed, nearly losing her control from keeping her voice down.

She watched as her pink hair came closer and disappeared, underneath the fire escape.

"Ay, Dios mío. No, no, no!" Caitlyn moaned, squeezing the balcony railing tightly.

She watched with anxiety as the woman with pink hair jumped up and caught the bottom of the fire escape ladder. Although scared at first, Caitlyn was impressed as she free climbed up the series of staircases as easily as a monkey, her arms flexing in her shirt.

A door opened and shut inside the apartment behind Caitlyn. She stiffened.

"Caitlyn! We're home!" Jayce called from inside.

Caitlyn's heart leapt in her chest. Not daring to call out to the girl a second time, she immediately ducked back inside her window, soundlessly tiptoeing to her open bedroom door. Caitlyn hid behind it, not sure if she should answer him or not.

Before Caitlyn needed to act, however, Mel, unwittingly, helped to distract him.

"Need a little rum? It'll help you sleep," Mel suggested, setting her purse and scarf aside.

Jayce took his love's hand, pulling her closer. "Who needs to sleep? Oye nena, ven aca."

Mel laughed, as he started kissing her neck, not even noticing Caitlyn wasn't there to greet them. "Not here. In the bedroom," she murmured with a chuckle.

Mel struggled to close their bedroom door as he continued to kiss her, adamantly, embracing her. As their bodies and their giggling disappeared behind their door, Caitlyn quietly closed her bedroom door, and turned off her light, shrouding everything in darkness.

In the dimness, she glanced at her window, the only source of light, wind fluttering the moonlit curtains. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, before approaching it again.

Climbing out, Caitlyn snuck back outside her window to the fire escape, closing the window behind her for good measure. Frowning, her eyebrows knit together as she looked around beneath her, but she couldn't see the pink haired girl anywhere.

"¿Dónde estás?" Caitlyn tried to call out in a whisper.

No answer.

"Where are –? ¡Ay!" she yelped.

Caitlyn jumped as the grate below her suddenly shook and rattled. She hadn't expected the pink haired girl to climb up so fast. She was already on the fire escape landing immediately below Caitlyn's, standing at the top of the stair ladder.

"The hell?" she muttered in disbelief, shaking the metal grate with a rusty, old padlock that barred entrance to Caitlyn's landing. "Is this locked?" she asked.

"Sí, but there's no key," Caitlyn said, chuckling a little as she knelt above the grate, looking down at her.

The girl's eyebrows shot up – one of them scarred, Caitlyn noticed – her face flabbergasted. "That's against the law! You ought to report that!"

"Okay, I will," Caitlyn said to pacify her. She frowned, worried, biting her lip. "Now, please go, or something bad will happen if you –"

"Run away with me," she suddenly said.

Caitlyn blinked and couldn't help but laugh. Not in a million years would she have thought this would happen to her. How did tonight go like this?

"I'm serious! Don't laugh!" the girl said.

Caitlyn nodded, sarcastically. "Sí. Serious. Maybe tomorrow I'll run away with you," she teased, sticking out her chin and minutely shaking her head at her.

The girl below smiled up at her, half of her face shrouded by the grate, but her smile was bright. "Tomorrow? Deal."

Vi looked at Caitlyn a moment longer, eyeing her, then turned to leave, starting to descend the ladder. Although reluctant to truly go, she wanted to leave a tiny piece of bait to test what would happen, to see how Caitlyn's response would be, if she truly was interested in her presence being there or not.

"Wait!"

Smirking, Vi quickly turned and climbed back up the steps, returning to the grate, less than a beat later. Resting her chin in her hand.

"Tomorrow… where?" Caitlyn asked, shrugging, admitting with a tiny smile she was a little curious.

Vi brightened, about to say more, but she shook her head in annoyance at the cold barrier between them. "I can't see you," she complained.

Looking around, Vi couldn't find anything to open the grate, but… maybe she didn't need to.

Behind her, she saw a wooden plank had been laid between the railing of the balcony landing she was on and the railing of an adjacent fire escape balcony on the next building over. Spanning a narrow alley, three floors up, above the ground.

Vi didn't linger on looking down. Balancing on the balcony railing below Caitlyn's, Vi walked like a tightrope walker along the railing's length, holding the metal above her head. Reaching the end of the railing, she let go of the fire escape above her head and lightly stepped across the plank to the scaffold structure on the building next door.

"Careful!" Caitlyn warned.

Vi merely smiled, knowingly. Touched by her concern, but silently assuring her with her eyes that she was confident she wouldn't fall. Caitlyn felt her breath leave her as she admired that confident smile.

"What's your name?" Caitlyn asked.

The girl might've smiled a little wider. Her asking seemed important to her.

"Vi," she answered, standing between two poles, bracing against them.

After a beat, Caitlyn responded, "See you tomorrow, Vi."

"You promise me?" Vi asked.

"What?" Caitlyn asked, cocking her head to one side.

"You gotta see me, tomorrow. Nobody else. Only me..."

It wasn't quite a statement, but a question hidden within. Eyeing her, Caitlyn believed she knew what Vi was asking.

Caitlyn stood, lessening her grip on the railing. She relaxed, leaning a little further over the railing. She smiled, lightly teasing her with a song.

Only you,

You're the only thing I'll see,

Forever

In my eyes,

In my words,

And in everything I do…

Nothing else but you

Ever…

Vi leaned her head on the scaffolding, looking up at her. She sang out in kind.

And there's nothing for me

But Caitlyn

Every sight that I see

Is Caitlyn…

Caitlyn repeated her name, admiringly.

Vi, Vi…

Vi walked as she sang to her, back across the plank, stopping midway. Without fear, without looking down from Caitlyn, she held out her arms like wings.

Always you,

Every thought I'll ever know,

Everywhere I go,

You'll be!

Caitlyn added her voice, louder, matching her in harmony. Reaching across the distance.

All the world is only –

Vi sang even louder, building their crescendo, together.

You and me!

Leaping back across the distance between the buildings, Vi landed as quietly as possible on the landing below Caitlyn's. Caitlyn followed Vi's progress, looking down, walking along her balcony, moving hand over hand on the railing as Vi climbed the stairs.

Tonight, tonight,

It all began tonight,

I saw you and the world went away

Caitlyn returned to the locked grate between them, kneeling in the same place. She admired the angelic face looking up at her behind the metal bars, with shiny, sky-blue eyes. Vi listened and reached up through the grate to interlace her fingers with hers.

Tonight, tonight,

There's only you tonight,

What you are,

What you do,

What you say

Vi added her voice, carrying Caitlyn's last note. She leaned outside of the staircase, grabbing hold of the bottom of the balcony railing, her feet on the brace, pulling herself chest high above the landing, enough to see her clearer.

Caitlyn had shifted closer, kneeling before her, despite the metal bruising her knees. One of her hands, curled around the vertical side railings.

Vi almost lost her breath.

The fringe of her dark blue hair hung in her face; her turquoise eyes shined like stars. Imperfect and beautiful.

Today, all day I had the feeling,

A miracle would happen –

I know now I was right

Vi reached up and touched Caitlyn's hand, holding onto the side of the railing, gently covering it with hers. Caitlyn let her. The warmth of contact mesmerizing and powerful.

For both of them, excitement and danger and proximity started to move their playfulness gradually into something bigger, wilder, scarier, more wonderful.

Caitlyn admired the way Vi looked at her. Vi dropped her voice, then built up again, leaning back from the railing as though to take her in, fully.

For here you are…

And what was just a world

Is a star,

Tonight!

Launching herself, Vi suddenly pull-vaulted herself up, climbing over the railing, entirely. Caitlyn instinctively backed away as Vi landed softly on the landing in front of her.

There was nothing left between them.

They stared at each other for a long pause.

Holding her breath, Caitlyn backed away, moved behind the staircase, watching the girl through the steps of the ladder.

Vi stayed where she was, carefully watching her in return.

Letting go of her breath, Caitlyn leaned closer on the ladder, like she was looking at a mystical animal. Her voice grew soft and gentle. Taking in the moment.

Tonight, tonight,

The world is full of light…

Vi let her have her moment, her lips curling in a smile. Then held out her hand, encouraging her to come out behind the barrier between them. She would meet Caitlyn wherever she wanted.

With suns and moons

All over the place…

After a beat, Caitlyn stepped around the ladder to take Vi's hands, her lips also curling.

Vi led Caitlyn a few steps from the ladder, so they could stand, fully, at the further end of the balcony. Caitlyn took Vi's other hand so she could hold both. She stood in front of her, smiling into her eyes.

This was so stupid and crazy, but she couldn't help but feel a spark of giddiness with her. Their worlds colliding but their voices matching.

Tonight, tonight,

The world is wild and bright,

Going mad,

Shooting sparks

Into space!

Half turning, Vi gestured off into the sky. It didn't have the beautiful starry sky like outside of the city. But she could pretend the colorful clothes pinned up on the laundry lines were orbiting planets, pieces of cosmos and star dust. The rising moon, big and bright.

Today, the world was just an address,

A place for me to live in,

No better than alright…

They looked into each other's eyes again. More serious, heartfelt.

But here you are…

And what was just a world

Is a star,

Tonight!

Vi's eyes flickered to her lips for a moment and Caitlyn nodded, meeting her.

Vi leaned into the kiss this time, Caitlyn reciprocating the passion. The same passion that caught Vi off-guard at the gym, but Vi was ready to meet her this time. She embraced her, arms circling around, holding her. The kiss pulled her in deeper, not wanting to let her go.

Suddenly, Vi stiffened against Caitlyn's lips as she heard Jayce's voice call from inside the apartment, "Caitlyn! Vente pa'dentro."

Caitlyn stroked Vi's arm, turning and called back to the window, "¡Sí! Ya voy, me estoy vistiendo."

Caitlyn looked at her again and smiled at her, confidently. Vi relaxed a bit.

"Tomorrow," Caitlyn whispered.

"Tomorrow," Vi repeated, wistfully.

"Sí," Caitlyn said with a giddy smile growing bigger on her lips.

Vi smiled in return as she turned toward the balcony railing and Caitlyn walked back to her window.

"Wait!" Caitlyn spun around and came back, one hand on the fire escape ladder above her head. "What time?" she asked.

Vi froze as she straddled the railing, biting her cheek in thought. "Um… tomorrow night?" she suggested.

"I work." Caitlyn shook her head.

Vi chewed her lip. "Two o'clock. P.M.?

Caitlyn nodded.

Vi grinned wider. "72nd Street subway station. Uptown side."

Caitlyn nodded more vigorously. "Sí. Sí, okay. Now…" she motioned with an excited swoosh of her hand.

Vi swung her leg over the balcony and she shimmied down the side of the staircase, just until she was close enough to swing herself back onto the fire escape staircase, safely.

"Wait! Wait!" Caitlyn hissed as she came hurrying back to the railing and leaning over it.

Without much prompting, Vi climbed back up the stairs, climbing up the side of the railing, and propping herself on her elbows over the balcony railing, again.

She waited for Caitlyn to speak. Caitlyn stood before her, staring into her eyes.

"I… I forgot why I called you here," she said with a sheepish laugh.

Vi smirked. "That's okay. I'll stay until you remember… cupcake," she added.

Caitlyn arched an eyebrow. "Cupcake?"

Vi blinked for a moment. "Oh, um… they're these pastries, with icing, like mini cakes –"

"I know what cupcakes are," Caitlyn remarked with a bit of annoyance, dismissively waving her hand, "I mean, why call me 'cupcake'?"

"Because you're so sweet," Vi answered in a heartbeat. "Like a cupcake."

Caitlyn blushed, the sweetness wiping any annoyance away.

"Is… Vi short for something?" she finally asked.

The girl bit her lip, only hesitating a moment. "Violet," she answered with a shrug. "Señora Babette calls me Violeta. But I don't mind whatever you want to call me."

Their eyes met again and Vi was at a loss for words.

"Te adoro, Violet," said Caitlyn.

"Te adoro, Caitlyn," Vi repeated back to her.

She wasn't certain her Spanish was correct, but the sentiment seemed understood. They brushed foreheads, their voices hushed, only the moon to witness them and no one else to hear them.

Good night,

Good night…

Sleep well and when you dream,

Dream of me…

Tonight…

Their lips met once more, moving soft and tender. They admired each other's face for a second more. Then Vi leaned away before dropping down, out of sight.

Caitlyn watched her until she climbed down the whole fire escape.

Once in the alley, they waved to each other before Vi climbed the fence and reluctantly disappeared down the street.

Caitlyn looked off into the sky again. The view from her balcony the same, but different. It never looked so beautiful. She knew she'd never be the same again.

/

"Quién es?"

"Who is it?"

"… como una rata?"

"… like a rat?"

"¿Cómo supiste dónde vivo?"

"How did you know where I live?"

"¡Tú no puedes estar aquí!"

"You can't be here!"

"Ay, Dios mío."

"Oh, my God."

"Oye nena, ven aca."

"Hey baby, come here."

"¿Dónde estás?"

"Where are you?"

"Vente pa'dentro."

"Come inside."

"¡Sí! Ya voy, me estoy vistiendo."

"Yes! I'm getting dressed."

"Te adoro…"

"I adore you…" [Yes, Vi said it correctly.]

[Side note: Nicknames are capitalized to take the place of a person's name. Terms of endearment, like 'honey', 'darling', 'cupcake', are not capitalized.]

/