Anywhere But Here Page #3

" 15-year-old seeks home.

Neat, pretty, good student. "

I got 79 replies.

I never opened them.

I was afraid of the temptation.

-"Passion. "

-Our first Christmas away from home.

Do you customize scents?

No? That's a shame.

My mother paid enough of our bills

so we could buy presents.

Lavender. What do you think?

We didn't buy too much.

-I don't know what to get Benny.

-What did you get me?

-Nothing.

-You did.

What did you get me?

No, don't show me.

Ann, hi! Isn't it obscene,

aII this money being spent?

-I'm Janice PerIeman.

-I'm Ann's mother.

-She's my mother.

-Hi.

-You two Iook aIike.

-No, I Iook Iike my dad.

-Just his chin.

-I Iike your chin, I do.

I gotta go. My mother's waiting.

Christmas Day, we're having

a party from 4 to 8.

-WiII you come, both of you?

-Thanks. That's sweet.

ReaIIy? I'II teII you more at schooI.

Everybody's coming. Bye.

Everybody Iikes her.

She's on student counciI.

Her brother edits the paper.

-What does her father do?

-I think he's a doctor.

WeII, it might be fun.

-You wanna go?

-Do you want me to go?

It'II be a chance to show ourseIves

off. The car's Iooking great again.

Great.

Her mom Iooked very eIegant.

You're eIegant, Mom.

We both are. We've got taste, huh?

PeopIe see us and say, "That's an

attractive mother and daughter! "

Where do they Iive?

-Why are you doing this?

-Which one is it?

-That one. Now Iet's go home.

-Oh, my God'

It goes aII the way around the bIock'

We're both going to a party.

Do you wanna taIk to her again?

Just say Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas'

Merry Christmas to everybody.

I Iove you.

Give a big hug to Benny for me.

Okay. I Iove you. Bye.

I'm gonna go get dressed

and try on my new neckIace.

Mom, it's 4:
00.

Are you going to get dressed?

It takes you an hour to get ready.

The party wiII be over by then.

-You said you wanted to go.

-I want to get up the pine needIes. . .

. . .and vacuum those cIosets.

Maybe wash the kitchen fIoor, because

I reaIized what wiII make me happy. . .

. . .is to Iook around this pIace,

and see it's spic-and-span.

It's one fun thing

we can do for Christmas.

Then you shouId go.

AII your friends wiII be there. And

that boy, Peter, wiII be there, right?

-What are you going to do?

-Don't worry about me.

I've got a miIIion things to do.

I want our first Christmas

in Los AngeIes to be perfect.

Aren't things bad enough here?

Why are you doing this to me?

You're right. I'm sorry.

You want me to drive you there?

-Want me to drive you?

-No, I can waIk.

AII right. WeII, then go.

Go ahead.

Otherwise we'II just hang around here

aII day taIking about our siIIy Iives.

Oh, gosh. I just had

the strongest memory of my father.

I'm going.

I'm sorry you never got to know

your grandfather, or your father.

But I know it means something to you

to find your father, sweetie.

I promise, we wiII.

-I'm going.

-Okay.

Maybe we can taIk about your father

when you come back.

I'II be here. I'm not

going anywhere. I'II wait.

I'm sorry.

I thought I couId go. . .

. . .but I couIdn't.

You know what we need?

Some sugar in our bIood.

You wanna get some ice cream?

-I don't want ice cream.

-Sure you do.

Is that what I want, Mom?

It wouId cheer us up.

Okay, Mother, Iet's get our sugar.

-And they've got a new fIavor.

-Great. Let's go.

I'II get your jacket.

-Just one IittIe--

-No. We're cIosed earIy today.

It's Christmas.

Christmas'

Merry Christmas, officer.

You're not working today?

You see that red curb?

See that "No Stopping" sign?

Oh, my God'

I'm so sorry. I had no idea.

She needed an ice cream.

-Don't bIame it on me.

-I'm expIaining to him--

-I hate it when you do this to me.

-Do what?

-It's our Christmas tradition.

-I didn't want ice cream.

-Ann?

-She'II be back.

-Excuse me, she won't be back.

-You stay by the car.

-Lady, wait by the car'

-AII right'

Ann, come here.

Ann! Wait.

I toId her not to park there.

I didn't even want any ice cream.

-She's trying to beat a ticket.

-She has Iots.

-Now, now'

-Don't taIk to me Iike a IittIe girI.

You don't even understand.

I'II Ieave her one of these days.

I'm sure you wiII. But not today.

-Why not today?

-You shouId Ieave when you're caIm.

When you're rationaI.

You Ieave her when you're ready

not to come back. Understand?

You from Wisconsin?

How do you know?

-Your pIates. You Iiving here now?

-Yes.

-Hi, Ann.

-Hey.

-I want you to register that car.

-Yes, sir.

-Get a CaIifornia Iicense.

-Yes.

-And pay attention to posted signs.

-Yes, sir.

When I roII by again,

I don't want to see your car.

-Yes, sir.

-Good.

Merry Christmas, Ann.

Let's move that vehicIe.

Did he just wink at you?

That's an unusuaI Iaw enforcement

officer. What did he say to you?

He said never to do that to me again,

or you'II be taken to prison.

You'II never see me again, and

you'II have to eat ice cream aIone.

-He didn't say the ice cream business.

-Yes, he did.

-He wants to adopt me, I'm pretty.

-Not funny. Don't do this again.

-Don't you do it.

-No, you.

No, it's you.

I was just trying to get out

of a parking ticket.

-You didn't get one.

-Thanks, Ann.

Your fianc wiII be back here

to see if we moved the car.

I will always love that policeman.

He told me what I needed to know.

I'll always carry a soft spot

for the Los Angeles Police Department.

I wish he had adopted me.

Grandma told me that my father

got remarried and lived in Reno.

How many Hisham Badirs

could there be in Reno?

Hi. Do you have a number

for a Mr. Hisham Badir, pIease?

B-A-D-I-R.

Residence. H-I-S-H-A-M.

Okay, thank you.

Bye.

When I was young, my mother hummed

one of my father's tunes...

...before we went to sleep.

He wrote my mother love songs.

Sometimes I would imagine

my father coming to rescue me.

Hi, Ann.

HeIIo, Peter.

You got that isosceIes

triangIe thing straight?

That baffIes me.

I got a new trumpet.

You wanna see it?

-I'm working, Peter.

-Sorry.

-Your mom's reaIIy pretty.

-I'II teII her.

What's your dad do?

He's a songwriter.

I wrote some songs.

You wanna hear one?

Not now, Peter.

You wanna feeI my puIse?

It's beating reaIIy fast.

Ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom.

ReaIIy fast.

I've toId you,

the tiIes are chipped.

No water pressure.

Cabinet's handIes are broken.

You don't have a Iife.

Can't you fix--?

I am taIking to you. Hey'

Mom, your pants'

I can't taIk to you Iike this.

Listen, I am teIIing you that--

Not onIy is the tiIe chipped,

the carpets are fiIthy'

I've got a fungus on my foot.

Who Iived here, a hockey team?

I can't Iive Iike this'

But you can Iive in an empty pIace

for six months with just a mattress?'

Damn it'

Turn it down'

I hate this pIace'

I hate my job! I hate my foot'

You're not having sex

with anyone, are you?

What?

-You know.

-No, I don't know.

-We have to move.

-We can't. We have a Iease.

What do you mean, am I having sex?

We moved anyway.

Over the next year, we moved a lot.

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