Cafe-Girl: A Tru Story

Act Two, Scene One

Interior: Tru's apartment

(Willow and Tru sit on the couch in Tru's living room.  Incence is burning, Tru holds a joint in one hand, a beer bottle is between her legs. She is leaning against the couch, her eyes half-closed.  Willow is across from her, holding a beer bottle in one hand, but staring at her intently, waiting.)

TRU

I met him awhile ago...at this cafe.  Its...closed now.

WILLOW

Closed?

TRU

Yeah.  You know this city, tear down a perfectly good building and put up a fancy new one, another business we don't need, city beautification at its finest!

WILLOW

That happened?

TRU

Yeah.

(Tru sighs.)

I can still see it, feel it...the first time I walked in, it was almost Christmas---

Fade Into:

Flashback:

The year 2003, the boy from Tru's flashback memories is standing behind a counter at a cafe, a fedora sits on the counter in the back.  A younger Tru, no dreads, and more wide-eyed enters and looks around, then cautiously approaches counter.

Flashforward:

Present day, Tru's living room.

TRU

You wouldn't even recognize me, Will? My room-mate at the time, she might. She was more like me--

WILLOW

How so?

TRU

Jaded.  Oh, and she had dreads.

Flashback: 2003, in the cafe.

MATTHEW

Can I help you?

TRU

I'd like to get a pound of...something...

MATTHEW

Something?

TRU

Of coffee?

MATTHEW

Well, you came to the right place. What would you like?

TRU

I don't know its for my room-mate's Christmas present.  She likes coffee, not me.

MATTHEW

Well, we'll have to remedy you of that, then won't we?

TRU

Wait, what?

MATTHEW

Nothing.  So?

TRU

Um, what's your favorite?

MATTHEW

I'm partial to Moka Java.

TRU

I'll have a pound of that then.

MATTHEW

All right then.  You get a free small coffee with that, um, would you like it?

TRU

Um...yeah, I'll try it.

MATTHEW

The indoctrination starts right away then.  Nice.

TRU

Oh?

MATTHEW

I'm a barista so---

TRU

So?

MATTHEW

Its my job to push the drug.

TRU

Drug pusher?

MATTHEW

Well, isn't caffeine?

TRU

Well, yeah, it is actually. So when you put it that way, yeah, I'll try that coffee.

MATTHEW

I like your style.

TRU

And, I yours?

(Matthew starts preparing her pound of coffee.)

What's your name, Coffee boy?

MATTHEW

Ah.  They call me Matt.

TRU

Matthew, the coffee boy?

MATTHEW

Matt. Just Matt.

TRU

Matt, Just Matt the coffee boy.

MATTHEW

If you like.  And yours?

TRU

My?

MATTHEW

Your name?

TRU

I'm called Deborah.

MATTHEW

Well, hello Deborah, the cafe-girl.

TRU

Hello.  I feel like this is the beginning to something...

Fade Into:

Flashforward, present day, Tru's living room.

TRU

And, it was.  It was.

WILLOW

Do you still see him? Matt, I mean.

TRU

No.  Not anymore.  He's...No, I don't.

WILLOW

Why not?

TRU

Because....life...can be that way, I guess.

 Somewhere Only We Know