Anywhere But Here Page #5

I felt so sad.

I had lost Benny.

But I was also losing what was once

the only place in the world for me.

Now the streets weren 't as wide.

The trees seemed lower...

...and the houses smaller.

You Iook reaI good.

But you're different.

How?

I don't know.

-Just. . . .

-You seem different too, somehow.

I'm bigger.

I can speak some German.

That's "How's the weather today?"

I Iike that.

So. . .

. . .do you think you'II come back?

I don't know.

Now that I'm here. . .

. . .I don't know.

You know what I think?

If you stayed, sooner or Iater,

you'd be just Iike your mom.

AIways wanting to go away.

I'm caIIing Iong distance.

TeII him I caIIed again.

Has he gotten my messages?

TeII him that I'm out of state.

TeII him again.

And that I'II be home on Sunday.

Thank you.

Mary Grilling was right.

We were different.

But some things stayed the same.

An anger had been around

for a long time.

-It was God's way.

-Shut up about God's way'

Jimmy, don't. I'm sorry, Reverend.

Maybe we shouId start dinner.

-Sit down. I'm gonna barbecue.

-Why don't you start?

My Uncle Jimmy was ready to explode.

I could feel it coming.

So, AdeIe, do you Iike CaIifornia?

Very much.

What's your day Iike, back there?

WeII, I work a fuII day at schooI

with my students.

We Iive in BeverIy HiIIs,

so it's a commute.

I'm in the car two hours a day--

-You know, we aII work.

-That wasn't necessary.

-Anyone want another drink?

-Of course you work, Jimmy.

But you've got Mom's house now

and the RV.

-CouId we not have any fighting?

-Your Iife isn't that difficuIt.

If I'd had haIf the heIp

from the famiIy. . .

-. . .you were Iucky to get--

-I wanna show you something'

Don't taIk Iike that.

I wanna show you the mortgage

to the house that I'm stiII paying'

You know who heIped me

when I was by myseIf with a chiId?

Nobody. Nobody heIped me.

I wanna show you the deed.

Look at it or shut your damn mouth'

Nobody taIks to me Iike that.

Ted, take me to the HoIiday Inn.

Make your caIIs there.

I know you need to get Iaid. . .

. . .but can't you hoId off--?

AdeIe! AdeIe!

-Your sister's boy is dead.

-Stop this, goddamn it'

Back off. Come on, we're going.

Ann.

We're going'

You can stay here if you want.

I'II make up Benny's bed for you.

He wouId Iove that.

Ann.

Not again, Mother.

Get me the teIephone.

Get it yourseIf,

if you even paid the biII.

PIease hand me the phone.

He doesn't wanna taIk to you anymore.

Don't you get it?

Christ.

Mom.

Rise and shine. It's time to get up.

It's 7:
40, Mom.

I have to get to schooI, you have

to get to work. Get out of bed.

You've been in bed aII weekend.

You can't do this.

Okay, I'II drive. I can drive.

Get your big ass out of bed'

Go away.

No contract, no work.

No contract, no work'

Hey, AdeIe.

George, this is your chance'

Put down the sign and go.

Go paint a dam somewhere.

GirIs.

-Hi.

-Hi, Ms. August.

Hi.

You shopped?

I thought you had to picket.

I can't work there. I resigned.

I'm a woman of Ieisure now.

-Let's ceIebrate.

-You can't quit. We need money.

They didn't pay me enough

to carry a sign.

That's why you carry the sign. You get

more money if you carry the sign.

No. They carry the sign

because they Iike to struggIe.

Some peopIe need to struggIe.

StruggIe, that's what someone taught

them. Get out there and struggIe.

But we did not come

to BeverIy HiIIs to struggIe.

-We need to pay rent.

-That's true.

Maybe you'II have to get a job,

instead of doing naiIs aII afternoon.

We're studying for a French test.

You shouIdn't have quit your job.

-"I am your mother, am I not?"

-I guess so.

Ta mre has something she'd Iike

to say to you en Anglais.

"Auditions. Caucasian femaIe.

1 2 to 1 6.

HostiIe, withdrawn, Ioner. "

-You can handIe that, right?

-Why are you doing this?

You couId do a IittIe scene from

Terms of Endearment or Clueless'

You couId aII do a scene

from Clueless, Iike, totaIIy'

That wouId be cooI.

I don't know those scenes.

I don't wanna be an actress.

I don't know why I'm here.

Neither do you.

WouId you rather have stayed home?

Been one of those girIs,

sitting on the porch. . .

-. . .Iistening to trucks on the highway?

-You're acting crazy again.

Who knows the names of cities

but has never been to one?

Who dreams of hoteIs

but has never sat in a Iobby?

Ann, we're going.

-Where are you going?

-See you.

-I'II caII you.

-Bye, Ms. August.

-CaII me.

Ciao.

AII right.

Where is it?

Where do you want me to go?

AII right.

I circIed it. I can caII.

I'II do it myseIf.

They'II want you to do improv. . .

. . .but it shouId be reIated

to the materiaI.

Yes?

Hi, I'm Heather Ann August's mother.

-So has she finished her audition?

-She's in there now.

-Can I watch her?

-No. We can't interrupt.

-Just a IittIe tiny bit.

-Excuse me?

-She'd reaIIy Iike for me to watch.

-I'd rather you didn't.

-Okay.

-Okay? Thanks.

I need Karen.

Karen?

What a man.

What a meaI he made of me.

Doing that thing

that aduIts do in bed.

Not many men know how to do it. . .

. . .but when they do it. . .

. . .it means they reaIIy Iove you.

They wouIdn't just do it to any woman.

It means they'II buy you a house

with bIue shutters. . .

. . .and make Iife easy for you.

He's gonna take us

to the music center. . .

. . .the opera.

I Iove the opera.

He never returned my caII.

I didn't understand.

Oh, God, Iife is so shitty'

The whoIe worId is so shitty.

BeverIy HiIIs, what a bummer.

But. . .

. . .so what?

Like my daddy aIways used to say:

Be optimistic

Don 't you be a grumpy

When the road gets bumpy

Just smile and be happy

Don 't wear a long face

It's never in style

Be optimistic and smile

Mom?

I'm sorry,

but I was doing an audition.

It just came out. I didn't pIan it.

I didn't do it to hurt your feeIings.

You weren't supposed to be there.

I said not to come.

I didn't even want to go

to the audition.

You embarrassed me

in front of my friends.

I don't know what to say.

It just-- It just happened.

They wanted me to--

Nobody wouId even know it was you.

I wake up,

and I don't even wanna be here.

Who'd want to be with you?

You're just a crazy, middIe-aged,

unempIoyed teacher. . .

. . .with a chiId to support.

Why can't our Iives just be normaI?

You know, I get so scared sometimes. . .

. . .I wanna go find my father.

You shouId find your father.

Maybe he can give you a normaI Iife.

Hi, Miss Letterfine. It's Ann August.

I'm aII right.

I'm sorry to disturb you so Iate. . .

. . .but is my mom there?

No.

I-- WeII--

She Ieft a IittIe whiIe ago,

and I was just wondering. . . .

Never mind.

I'm so sorry to bother you.

AII right.

Bye.

We didn 't speak.

We've never spoken about that day.

My mother was trying to cover up

her feelings with orange paint.

I felt so alone.

I missed Grandma.

I missed Benny.

I never stop missing Benny.

-Go on, caII. You want to.

-You have his number.

You have a right to caII your dad.

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