Crown of thorns

[A month has passed since Alina and Kaz met for coffee at Umi Cafe. This scene begins with them taking a seat on the patio of Planet Coffee in the Byward Market, each with a drink in hand. The sun is slowly sinking behind the empty office buildings and in this small alcove the city noises cease to exist.
Alina and Kaz sit opposite one another, their table is on the edge of the stage, apart from the other patrons.]

ALINA: You should've ordered a coffee, Kaz. Tonight's gonna be a lo-ong night.

KAZ [gulps his tea]: I'll be fine.

ALINA [smiles coyly]: Tomorrow night got you feeling a little nervous?

KAZ: Well, yeah. [hesitates, then takes another sip of tea] I just don't deal with nerves all too well.

ALINA: Let's go over our speech, then!

KAZ: Good idea.

ALINA: One... two... three...

KAZ & ALINA [spread their arms out in a welcoming gesture and grin at each other]: Welcome to Petit Tournesol!

ALINA: My name is Alina...

KAZ: ...And I'm Kaz.

ALINA: And we welcome you with sincere gratitude to our spoken word concert.

KAZ: We have organized this concert to commemorate the beautiful life and tragic death of our friend, Amie Rogers. She left this world much too soon due to the complications of her three year battle with bulimia.

ALINA: The purpose of what we're doing here tonight is to raise awareness and make sure Amie's story is not forgotten.

KAZ: She never had the chance to speak up for herself when she was alive... we want to give her that chance now.

ALINA: We also wish to remind people with eating disorders that they are never, ever alone. [pauses] Thank you so much for coming out tonight and we hope you enjoy the show...

KAZ [holds breath]: That wasn't too bad.

ALINA [takes in Kaz's shakey hands and clipped tone]: Hey Kaz, we'll be fine. We have her on our side looking over us, you know.

KAZ [raises a brow]: You really believe that?

ALINA: Yes, I do. I have hope, anyway. It gives me strength.

KAZ: Well, it kind of creeps me out... [He fakes a laugh] I just wish that one day, when I die, I will be able to see her again. And talk to her.

ALINA: What would you say?

KAZ: I don't know.

ALINA: Well, you have to prepare yourself then! You never know when you're gonna die; it could be today, tomorrow, or whenever! And you won't know what to say to her!

KAZ: So you're saying I should rehearse what I'm going to say to Amie when I see her in heaven, or in hell, or wherever?

ALINA: Yes. Close your eyes, pick someone in your head who reminds you of her and start a conversation.

KAZ: Well...

ALINA: What?

KAZ: I mean, well... you do.

ALINA [sharply]: I what?

KAZ [sighs gravely]: You remind me of her so, so much.

ALINA [hesitates]: Oh.

KAZ: I'm sorry.

ALINA [drains the dregs of coffee out of her cup]: It's not your fault. It's not your fucking fault. If anything, it's mine. I mean here she is, I mean, she isn't. She's dead! She had a heart attack in Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals at 9:15 in the morning -- dead before she hit the floor. And here I am, still as out of control as I ever was, like she was before she died. What am I doing? Why do I keep doing this to myself -- to her memory? I don't want her to have died in vain.

KAZ: I just... wish you could stop.

ALINA: It's not that simple, and you know that.

KAZ: I'm sorry.

ALINA [clears her throat]: So... what would you say to her?

KAZ [blushes]: I would tell her that when she was alive, I was head over heels in fucking love with her. And that it kills me now to watch you go down the same road...

[At this point, an employee from the coffee shop comes out and starts clearing the patio, making room for an improvised dance floor. Some soft bossa-nova plays on the outdoor speakers, slowly weaving its way across the tables.]

...And there might be a connection between those two thoughts.

ALINA: Oh, Kaz....

KAZ: I'm sorry... [He quickly glances at Alina and then fixates back onto his tea cup.] I think I have a thing for really, really fucked up girls.

ALINA: Like a moth to the flame...

KAZ [softly]: Yeah.

ALINA: ...You'll keep getting burned.

[Kaz and Alina turn away from each other and watch a couple sway to the hypnotizing rhythm of the music with detached interest; as if they are viewing a mildly entertaining television programme.].

KAZ [still avoiding eye contact]: I wonder what it feels like to be normal.

ALINA: No one's normal.

KAZ: ...Happy?

ALINA: That I don't know.

KAZ [glances at his wristwatch]: We should pick up the booze soon.

ALINA [checks her cell phone]: At five minutes to midnight?

KAZ: There's a 24-hour depanneur not that far across the pond.

ALINA: All right. You gonna finish your tea?

KAZ: No.

ALINA [drains the rest of his tea in one sitting]: All right.