(Lights up on the dining room of the parents’ house, but it is a different time period. It’s the 1980s. Claire, Steve, and Julia are dressed in children’s clothes from the period, and throughout the scene, they will play the scene as children. The style should be as real as possible and not mimicry. The actors playing Mark and Cassie will play Uncle Steve and Aunt Jenny respectively. The carolers are set up in their usual corner, but they are dark. The dining is room is decorated festively for Christmas, and everyone is at the table. They are playing a board game. Uncle Steve has a bottle of scotch and a whiskey glass at his place, and he has stood up to roll the dice. Julia is to his right and Steve is to his left. Claire is next to Julia and Aunt Jenny is next to Steve. Uncle Steve winds up and rolls the dice, trying to keep them on the board. They go flying.)
AUNT JENNY
A little too much to drink, Steve?
STEVE
Crack dice! Uncle Steve got crack dice.
UNCLE STEVE
Cracked ice? (looking at his glass) I don’t see any cracked ice. Do you? (turning to Julia) Do you?
STEVE
Crack dice! Your dice roll went off the board so it's crack dice!
(Uncle Steve downs what’s left in his glass, and he gets ready to pour another.)
AUNT JENNY
Steve? It’s enough, right?
UNCLE STEVE
It’s never enough! It’s Christmas time for Pete’s sake! What’s another going to hurt?
AUNT JENNY
You just got that bottle from Jack for Christmas. It’s almost gone.
UNCLE STEVE
Well, it’s one less thing for us to pack and fly back to San Fran there, Jenny. Right Stevie?
STEVE
Right, Uncle Steve! I like it when you “have another!” You get funnier and funnier. And when you crack dice, that means it’s my turn!
(Steve picks up the dice, rolls, and moves his pawn around the board. He picks up a card and reads it.)
STEVE (reading)
“Your lucky day. Collect $150 tax-free.” (to Julia) Pay up, Miss Banker.
(Julia reluctantly counts out the money for Steve and hands it over. As she does, she has to lean across in front of Uncle Steve, and he pats her on the backside.)
UNCLE STEVE
Rump roast, 99 cents a pound! Get your rump roast here!
STEVE (imitating his uncle)
Rump roast rump roast rump roast rump roast. Julia’s got a rump roast!
JULIA
I do not! Shut up, Stevie!
STEVE
Don’t call me that!
UNCLE STEVE
Why not, Stevie?
STEVE
No, you can call me that, but she can’t. Only you.
JULIA
Whatever, Stevie.
STEVE
I said, no! Cut it out!
CLAIRE
C’mon you two, stop arguing. Whose turn is it?
AUNT JENNY
I think it’s mine.
(Aunt Jenny picks up the dice and rolls. She rolls a big number.)
CLAIRE
Wow! That’s an 11!
AUNT JENNY
Pretty good, huh? (She moves her pawn around the board and lands on a space. She looks at it carefully.) I’ll buy it.
(Aunt Jenny counts out the money and hands it to Julia who sticks her butt in the air to reach the money across the table. Uncle Steve pulls the same maneuver again, but this time he lets his hand linger there after three pats.)
UNCLE STEVE
Rump roast rump roast rump roast rump roast. 99 cents a pound right here! Julia’s Rump Roast, get it while it’s hot.
JULIA
Stop it!
AUNT JENNY
Steve? Julia asked you to stop.
UNCLE STEVE
She didn’t ask, she kinda tattled and told. (Uncle Steve turns to look at Julia.) You know what happens to tattle tales? (Julia nods yes, uncomfortably.) They get tickled! (Uncle Steve starts to tickle Julia, and it’s not really appropriate. He starts around her waist, but then his hands go below the table, and Julia makes a face. She’s not really laughing.)
JULIA
Ouch! (he’s still touching her) Ouch! Stop it! You’re hurting me!
AUNT JENNY CLAIRE
Steve, stop it! Uncle Steve!
JULIA
Ow!
STEVE
Don’t be such a baby! He’s just tickling you! He tickles me all the time!
JULIA
It hurts!
UNCLE STEVE
OK, OK, OK. (He stops and Julia tries to move away from him, but he slides her chair closer to him.) I’ll stop I’ll stop. No more tickling for (baby talk voice) “poor wittle Juweeah. She can’t take it.”
(Uncle Steve and Steve look at each other and start to laugh and make baby talk voices, repeating what he just said. Julia begins to cry and runs away from the table.)
AUNT JENNY
Now look what you did!
UNCLE STEVE
What?
AUNT JENNY
She’s crying, and the game’s ruined!
UNCLE STEVE
Oh my God, it’s just game for Christ’s sake!
AUNT JENNY
Not the point, Steve.
UNCLE STEVE
Then what’s the point?
AUNT JENNY
You drink too much of that damned scotch and this happens!
UNCLE STEVE
I didn’t do anything? (to Claire) What did I do? (to Steve) What did I do? (Steve shrugs.) (Then to Aunt Jenny) See, no one knows.
AUNT JENNY
It’s not the first time.
UNCLE STEVE
What’re you talking about? You’re such a—
CLAIRE (getting up)
I’ll go check to see where she went. Steve?
STEVE
I’m staying here. I want to count my money cause I think I won!
CLAIRE
Steve, I think—
AUNT JENNY
It’s fine. Better. Just go check on Julia.
(Claire nods and exits. Lights up on Julia downstage right. She’s crying. Claire comes up behind her. The audience can still see the dining room, but it dims. The carolers start to glow.)
CLAIRE
Julia?
JULIA
Leave me alone.
CLAIRE
Are you ok?
JULIA
I said leave me alone.
CLAIRE
I’m not going until you tell me you’re ok.
JULIA
I’m ok. Just leave me alone.
(Julia reaches down and holds her crotch. Like it hurts. Claire notices this and touches her shoulder. Julia recoils a bit.)
CLAIRE
Did he really touch you there?
(Julia doesn’t answer.)
CLAIRE
Did he really--?
(Julia nods her head and wipes her eyes with her hands.)
CLAIRE
Well, he was just kidding around. It was an accident.
JULIA
That’s what Mommy said.
CLAIRE
You called Mom?
JULIA
No.
CLAIRE
They’re at the Petersons’ for that party! You called her there? How did you get the number?
(Julia shakes her head “no.”)
CLAIRE
Then how does Mom know?
JULIA
Because I told her.
CLAIRE
How could you tell her if you didn’t call?
JULIA
Cause it happened yesterday.
CLAIRE
What?
JULIA
I told her last night when she was putting us to bed. I told her that Uncle Steve touched me here (points to her crotch) and Mommy told me that he was just joking and don’t ever mention it again. I said that they taught us in school that nobody should ever touch us there without permission, not even Mommy or Daddy, and Mommy told me to be quiet and go to sleep.
CLAIRE
When did he touch you?
JULIA
I’m not supposed to talk about it. Mommy said.
CLAIRE
Julia, I’m not going to tell anyone.
JULIA
Promise?
CLAIRE
Promise.
(There's a moment while Julia makes up her mind. Then she speaks.)
JULIA
We were in the dining room and I was practicing my handstands against the wall. Uncle Steve was at the table, and he was playing with a deck of cards. I got a handstand just right, so I said “Uncle Steve! Look!” And when he did, he got up out of his chair and came over and tickled my feet. I started laughing and fell over, and then he picked me up by the feet and hung me upside down. Then he swung me in between his legs and my face was in his crotch. That’s when he took his hand and started to tickle me here (she points again). At first I was laughing, but then it didn’t feel so good anymore, and I said “stop” but he kept doing it. Then I yelled really loud and Aunt Jenny came running in to see if I was OK. Uncle Steve put me down and said we were just having fun.
(Claire doesn’t respond. Julia is silent.)
CLAIRE
What did Aunt Jenny say?
JULIA
She told me to go in the living room. So that’s what I did.
CLAIRE
Aunt Jenny didn’t ask you what happened or anything?
(Julia shakes her head “no.”)
CLAIRE
Are you ok? (points to Julia’s crotch)
JULIA
I guess so.
CLAIRE
Does it hurt anymore?
JULIA
A little.
CLAIRE
Do you want me to talk to Mom?
JULIA
No! Don’t say anything to Mommy! Please, Claire? She told me not to ever talk about it ever again, and I don’t want to get in trouble. Please?!?
CLAIRE
OK, OK! I won’t tell. (thinking for a moment) But maybe you should stay away from Uncle Steve.
JULIA
How do I do that?
CLAIRE
Just try to sit farther away from him or something. OK?
JULIA
I guess so.
CLAIRE
What’s wrong?
JULIA
I like Uncle Steve. He’s fun.
CLAIRE
I know. Me too.
JULIA
It’s just the touching part I don’t like.
(The girls are silent as they take that in.)
CLAIRE
We better go back down. I told Aunt Jenny I would come find you.
JULIA
Do we have to?
CLAIRE
I think we should. Or else Aunt Jenny might tell Mom what happened.
JULIA
OK. Let’s go back down. I don’t want that to happen.
(The girls cross out of the fading light as lights find Uncle Steve in the dining room alone, drinking another glass of scotch, and the carolers are glowing at full. End of scene.)