Blair Runs into Todd in the Park


Blair is walking through the park when she runs into Tina, who tells her that Max and Luna have renewed their wedding vows -- Tina herself is headed to a reception at Serenity Springs to celebrate the occasion. Upon hearing this news about Max, Blair becomes very distraught and after Tina leaves she begins crying. It's at that moment that Todd comes walking along. Blair is surprised to see him.

Todd: What's wrong?
Blair: (attempting to leave) Nothing. Nothing at all.
Todd: I'm just trying to help. Sorry I bothered you.
Blair: Look, what do you expect, Todd? You come creeping up on someone in a the middle of the night.
Todd: I wasn't creeping. You're hanging out on a park bench at midnight, crying. Oh, but God forbid I come along -- Todd the rapist.  (glaring at her)  I may just do it to you right here on the park bench. Run. Go on, get out of here, before my animal instincts take over.
Blair: I'm sorry. Of all the people I've run into tonight, you're the only person who's shown a little bit of concern. (she sits down on the bench)
Todd: Does that mean I can sit down?
Blair: Yeah.
Todd: (takes a seat next to her)
Blair: But I do have a can of mace in my purse just in case I'm wrong.
Todd: Yeah, well, I'll keep that in mind. (pause) So tell Uncle Todd -- why all the tears?
Blair: It finally hit me tonight like a ton of bricks. It's over -- utterly over. You know the man I told you about, that I was willing to kill myself for -- well, he went back to his wife. He made the safe choice.
Todd: That's rough. But I can top it. The woman I love, she broke up with her safe choice and she still doesn't want anything to do with me. I had the ring out -- everything, the whole deal. Totally turned me down.
Blair: Well you win -- Most Pathetic Newcomer.
Todd: I'd like to thank all the little people.

It's at that moment that Blair notices Todd's hand -- it's injured, and there's a bloody bandage wrapped around it.

Blair: Todd? (taking his injured hand in hers) What happened to your hand?
Todd: (sheepish look) Unrequited love got the best of me.
Blair: You better go to the hospital...that looks bad.
Todd: Been there, and done that. I thought all the bleeding had stopped. It leaves a trail of blood wherever I go. (he takes off his jacket) Is it me, or is it really hot out, huh?
Blair: It's -- it's the air. (she points up at the sky) There's a cloud right over us. I mean, look, you can't even -- you can't even see the moon anymore.
Todd: (looks up) You think that cloud's over everybody or just us?
Blair: (looks at Todd) For that the loser of the Most Pathetic Contest is going to buy the winner a soda over here at the deli. Want to go?
Todd: Yeah. I guess that's why they call you Miss Congeniality, huh?

They both get up to go to the deli. Todd leaves his jacket on the bench.

--end scene--

Todd and Blair are returning to the park bench with their canned sodas. They are already in the middle of a conversation when they come walking into the scene.

Todd: I'm desperate? Look who's talking. At least I'm not hanging out with Todd Manning. (sits on the bench and opens his soda)
Blair: (sitting down next to him) I don't -- I don't know what to say, but for some reason, I feel comfortable with you. Maybe because you're more rotten than I am.
Todd: Oh, yeah, that's me. I'm rotten. You look in the dictionary under "rotten," there's a little picture of me. You should have heard the woman that I was talking about before. I thought she was going to call me "Sweetheart." She called me "Animal."
Blair: That hurts.
Todd: Yeah, if I had feelings. But we both know I don't.
Blair: (laughingly) You're bad, Todd. You are bad. I'm not going to take anything away from you on that. But you are sitting on a park bench with a woman who systematically set out to destroy her aunt's life.
Todd: Did you?
Blair: No.
Todd: What's the big deal?
Blair: Wait, wait, wait a minute. You know Asa Buchanan? Well, I was married to him, see? And I pretended to be pregnant -- then I faked a miscarriage, he had a heart attack, and I withheld his medication. I stood there while he crawled and begged at my feet.
Todd: That's bad. I like that. That's real bad.
Blair: Thank you.
Todd: Yeah, you keep it up, you're going to wind up in the Rotten Hall of Fame with me.
Blair: And where's that?
Todd: Right here, on a park bench, after midnight, alone.

Todd and Blair both look at one another for a minute. It's an understanding and appreciative gaze -- one of those moments where you can see their friendship building even though they aren't saying anything at all. Todd finally breaks the silence.

Todd: Well, I've got to get home. Wherever that is.
Blair: Yeah, me too. (pause) Todd -- look I'm sorry about that girl that you care about. And, um, you're not so bad. You know?
Todd: Yeah, I am. So are you. Night, Blair.
Blair: Night.

They share another look -- Todd seems reluctant, almost, to leave. But eventually he does, after turning back and looking at Blair one last time.

--end transcript--


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