Chapter 15
Outside, Night.
Peter is waiting with David for his father. A car pulls up. Peter looks at David, he looks terrified. The General gets out of the car and walks up to them. Peter leads the general into his office without saying a word, David follow reluctantly, but stays outside Peter's office listening.
Peter: (sitting down.) Uh, David and I were talking and he happened to mention that you used to hit him, as a punishment. (Not sure of what to expect)
General: Yes, that's right.
Peter: (Confused) Uh, did you mean to?
General: Children need discipline.
Peter: Yes, but I think you'd agree with me when I say that's not the way it should be done.
General: No, I don't. I needed to pull him into line and that was the way I chose to do it.
Peter: (Getting angry) You're not the least bit sorry for beating him up?
General: I did not beat him up, I merely did what was necessary, although it didn't seem to work, look at where he is now. (Peter raises his eyebrows, not sure of what to say)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Girls' Dorm - Night
Everyone is asleep, David sneaks in and walks over to Daisy's bed, he kneels down and tries to wake her.
David: (Whispering.) Daisy, Daisy. (She wakes up groaning.)
Daisy: What?
David: Can I talk to you? (Daisy, seeing David serious for once gets up and walks outside with him, they sit at the docks.)
Daisy: (after a while.) Sooooo.. (Hoping he'll say something.) Did you want to tell me something in particular?
David: Not really.
Daisy: So why'd you drag me out of bed?
David: You can go back if you want. (Daisy, sensing David needs companionship, doesn't move.)
Daisy: (after a while.) So, why aren't you in bed?
David: Wasn't tired, so I thought I'd bug you instead of lying in bed awake.
Daisy: How kind of you.
David: I thought so. (The awkward silence is broken by Daisy.)
Daisy: So, what happened with your father?
David: (becoming agitated, looking down at his hands.) Nothing really. He admitted it, Peter grovelled and the party ended with Peter yelling at me for not wanting to press charges.
Daisy: (surprised.) Why aren't you?
David: I'm stupid, but I'm not that stupid. I'd rather have a fucked up family, than have no family. (The awkward silence is broken by Daisy yet again.)
Daisy: He admitted to it?
David: Yeh, not only that, but he said he would keep on doing it for as long as I was messed up, If I still lived with him that is.
(Daisy watched David as he said this; he showed no emotion on his face or in his voice.)
Daisy: You're allowed to be sad. (David looks at her surprised.)
David: Oh, but the General doesn't like that. (in a perfect imitation of his father's voice...) Don't show any emotion, showing emotion is weak. Try harder, your not trying! You will amount to nothing David. You're pathetic. You are a failure. (He trails off and looks down.)
Daisy: (punching him on the shoulder gently, trying to lighten the mood.) You're good at that.
David: (confused) Good at what?
Daisy: Imitations.
David: Yeh, well I bloody well heard it everyday.
Daisy: (putting her head on his shoulder) I don't think you're pathetic.
(David looks down at her surprised and slowly puts his arm around her. She falls asleep, David sits there watching her until the sun comes up.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5 am
Sophie walks up behind them and sits next to David, he's watching the sun rise, Daisy is still asleep.
Sophie: You ok?
David: Fine.
Sophie: Did you get any sleep. (David looks at her annoyed.)
David: Are you gonna give me a punishment or what.
Sophie: Well, you are breaking the rules by being out here, but I'll let it slide.
David: (still annoyed) Thanks.
Sophie: (ignoring his attitude.) You're welcome. (She gets up and walks off.)
Outside, Night.
Peter is waiting with David for his father. A car pulls up. Peter looks at David, he looks terrified. The General gets out of the car and walks up to them. Peter leads the general into his office without saying a word, David follow reluctantly, but stays outside Peter's office listening.
Peter: (sitting down.) Uh, David and I were talking and he happened to mention that you used to hit him, as a punishment. (Not sure of what to expect)
General: Yes, that's right.
Peter: (Confused) Uh, did you mean to?
General: Children need discipline.
Peter: Yes, but I think you'd agree with me when I say that's not the way it should be done.
General: No, I don't. I needed to pull him into line and that was the way I chose to do it.
Peter: (Getting angry) You're not the least bit sorry for beating him up?
General: I did not beat him up, I merely did what was necessary, although it didn't seem to work, look at where he is now. (Peter raises his eyebrows, not sure of what to say)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Girls' Dorm - Night
Everyone is asleep, David sneaks in and walks over to Daisy's bed, he kneels down and tries to wake her.
David: (Whispering.) Daisy, Daisy. (She wakes up groaning.)
Daisy: What?
David: Can I talk to you? (Daisy, seeing David serious for once gets up and walks outside with him, they sit at the docks.)
Daisy: (after a while.) Sooooo.. (Hoping he'll say something.) Did you want to tell me something in particular?
David: Not really.
Daisy: So why'd you drag me out of bed?
David: You can go back if you want. (Daisy, sensing David needs companionship, doesn't move.)
Daisy: (after a while.) So, why aren't you in bed?
David: Wasn't tired, so I thought I'd bug you instead of lying in bed awake.
Daisy: How kind of you.
David: I thought so. (The awkward silence is broken by Daisy.)
Daisy: So, what happened with your father?
David: (becoming agitated, looking down at his hands.) Nothing really. He admitted it, Peter grovelled and the party ended with Peter yelling at me for not wanting to press charges.
Daisy: (surprised.) Why aren't you?
David: I'm stupid, but I'm not that stupid. I'd rather have a fucked up family, than have no family. (The awkward silence is broken by Daisy yet again.)
Daisy: He admitted to it?
David: Yeh, not only that, but he said he would keep on doing it for as long as I was messed up, If I still lived with him that is.
(Daisy watched David as he said this; he showed no emotion on his face or in his voice.)
Daisy: You're allowed to be sad. (David looks at her surprised.)
David: Oh, but the General doesn't like that. (in a perfect imitation of his father's voice...) Don't show any emotion, showing emotion is weak. Try harder, your not trying! You will amount to nothing David. You're pathetic. You are a failure. (He trails off and looks down.)
Daisy: (punching him on the shoulder gently, trying to lighten the mood.) You're good at that.
David: (confused) Good at what?
Daisy: Imitations.
David: Yeh, well I bloody well heard it everyday.
Daisy: (putting her head on his shoulder) I don't think you're pathetic.
(David looks down at her surprised and slowly puts his arm around her. She falls asleep, David sits there watching her until the sun comes up.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5 am
Sophie walks up behind them and sits next to David, he's watching the sun rise, Daisy is still asleep.
Sophie: You ok?
David: Fine.
Sophie: Did you get any sleep. (David looks at her annoyed.)
David: Are you gonna give me a punishment or what.
Sophie: Well, you are breaking the rules by being out here, but I'll let it slide.
David: (still annoyed) Thanks.
Sophie: (ignoring his attitude.) You're welcome. (She gets up and walks off.)