Apartment 4E Page #4

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ONE MOMENT. ONE EVENT.

REDUCED, CRYSTALLIZED,

OFFERED UP IN WORDS.

SO THAT YOU CAN HOLD

IT IN YOUR HANDS,

TURN IT OVER.

FEEL IT'S WEIGHT.

POETRY DOESN'T SOLVE ANYTHING,

IT JUST MAKES THE QUESTIONS DEEPER.

TURNS THE PUZZLE INTO A PATTERN,

THAT MAY NOT HAVE A SOLUTION, BUT...

THAT YOU CAN SEE IT BETTER.

SEE IT CLEARER.

THERE ARE NO ANSWERS.

BULLSHIT. THERE ARE

ALWAYS ANSWERS, PIPER.

MAYBE THERE ARE TOO MANY,

AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM.

THERE'S TOO MANY ANSWERS,

I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.

WHAT CAN YOU UNDERSTAND?

WHAT CAN YOU KNOW?

MOLLIE- DIFFERENT.

BUT MOLLIE DOESN' EVEN REALLY KNOW.

SHE ONLY KNOWS WHA SHE WANTS TO KNOW, RIGHT?

DOESN'T ANYONE?

NO.

MOST DEFINITELY NOT.

WHAT'S- WHAT MAKES

YOU ANY DIFFERENT?

I DON'T GET TO KNOW

WHAT I WANT TO KNOW, JOHN.

AND WHAT IS I YOU WANT TO KNOW?

I WANT TO KNOW WHY

THE WORDS TUMBLE OUT.

WHY THE SHARDS OF GLASS

GET STUCK IN MY MOUTH.

WHY YOU'RE HERE AND NOT HER.

NOT HER!

SHE SENT ME.

HMM. OKAY.

BUT YOU ASK:

THE WRONG QUESTIONS, JOHN.

SO WHAT ARE:

THE RIGHT F***ING QUESTIONS?

I'M A 296.64

BI-POLAR I DISORDER.

MOST RECENT EPISODE, MIXED.

SEVERE WITH:

PSYCHOTIC FEATURES.

WHICH ONE'S MOLLIE?

PAGE 327.

THERE'S SO MANY.

WHICH ONE IS MOLLIE?

I DON'T KNOW.

YOU DON'T KNOW?

WHAT?

YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR

OWN SISTER'S DIAGNOSIS?

WELL, THIS ISN'T REALLY MY AREA.

ISN'T YOUR AREA?

YOU'RE A GODDAMN THERAPIST.

WHAT THE F*** IS YOUR AREA?

I MEAN, I DON'T GENERALLY DEAL WITH...

THESE TYPES OF-

WHAT?

CRAZY PEOPLE?

HOW ARE YOU:

SUPPOSED TO HELP ME?

WELL, I-I-I NEVER ASKED HER.

I- I-I NEVER MADE IT MY BUSINESS.

I SHOULD HAVE.

DOES SHE HAVE:

AN ELEVATED MOOD?

AN ELEVATED MOOD?

INAPPROPRIATE OPTIMISM.

ABOUT THE FUTURE,

PAST, PRESENT.

SOMETIMES.

PRESSURED SPEECH,

DISTRACTIBILITY?

DECREASED NEED FOR SLEEP?

UH, NO, SHE NEVER

SEEMED DISTRACTED.

POOR JUDGMENT?

LIKE HOW?

HMM. SHE NEVER DISPLAYS

EXCESSIVE INVOLVEMENT IN ACTIVITIES

WITHOUT REALIZING THE HIGH POTENTIAL

FOR PAINFUL CONSEQUENCES?

INTRUSIVENESS.

CALLING OF ATTENTION TO ONESELF.

NO. NO, NO, NO.

SHE-SHE WAS SHY,

WITHDRAWN EVEN.

WAS?

IS. IS!

UH, DID I SAY WAS?

HMM. DIDN'T YOU?

UH, I DON'T KNOW.

YEAH, I GUESS I DID.

HMM. YOU DO IT A LOT.

I DO?

WHY DO YOU KEEP:

ASKING ME ABOUT YOURSELF?

YES, YOU SAID "WAS."

YES, YOU DO THAT A LOT.

I DIDN'T MEAN TO.

HMM.

SILLY THING TO SAY, JOHN.

IT'S THE TRUTH.

( chuckling )

DID YOU KNOW:

THAT SHE LIKED GIRLS?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

MAN, THOSE

LITTLE BITS OF GLASS,

THEY JUST SLIDE RIGHT THROUGH

YOUR FINGERS DON'T THEY?

KNIVES AND HOT POTATOES.

MEANINGS YOU CAN'T CATCH.

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU

WE WERE LOVERS?

THAT WE MET ALL THE TIME.

YOU WOULD BY LYING.

NO SUCH THING.

NO SUCH THING:

AS A LIE?

NOT A TOTAL LIE, NO.

ONLY EXAGGERATIONS.

ALWAYS A LITTLE BI OF TRUTH IN THERE.

( laughing )

WHAT DID SHE TELL YOU

ABOUT US?

NOT MUCH.

ENOUGH.

FOR WHAT?

ENOUGH TO KNOW:

THAT YOU ARE IN TROUBLE.

SHE DIDN'T TELL YOU

ANY DETAILS?

DETAILS?

YES, DETAILS.

MOLLIE'S LITTLE SECRETS.

AHH.

WELL, EVERYONE HAS SECRETS.

LIKE HOW SHE LIKES

TO BE KISSED?

IS THAT A SECRET?

DO YOU KNOW?

I'M HER BROTHER.

SHE LIKES TO BE KISSED

IN THE SOFT SPACE

BEHIND HER KNEE.

I DON'T SEE WHY

I NEED TO HEAR THIS.

AND THE SPACE BETWEEN

HER BELLYBUTTON AND HER...

REALLY, PIPER.

IT'S-IT'S NONE OF MY BUSINESS.

WHAT DOES SHE CALL IT?

I DON'T KNOW.

NO, YOU WOULDN'T,

WOULD YOU?

NO!

OR HOW...

ONE WELL-PLACED KISS

IN THE SMALL OF HER BACK

MAKES HER MELT.

HMM.

I'M MAKING YOU

UNCOMFORTABLE?

PEOPLE SAY THINGS

IN THERE:

THAT THEY WOULDN' SAY OUT LOUD.

YOU SHARE THESE THINGS,

THESE SECRETS IN THERE.

LITTLE BLACK CHARACTERS,

JUST WORDS...

BITS OF COLORED GLASS.

THERE'S MORE TO LIFE

THAN JUST WORDS.

MM-HMM.

THEY'RE ALL I HAVE.

YOU'RE THE CLOSEST THING

I HAVE TO MOLLIE,

TO THE SMALL OF HER BACK.

DO YOU KNOW HOW BADLY

I WANT TO KNOW THAT PLACE?

MMM.

I'M NOT MOLLIE.

THAT, JOHN,

IS PAINFULLY OBVIOUS.

OH OH OH! LET'S CALL HER!

NO.

LET HER TELL YOU THE SECRETS,

LET THEM COME TUMBLING OUT.

I DIDN'T COME HERE

TO LEARN HER SECRETS.

WHOSE SECRETS THEN?

MINE? YOURS?

NO. I DON'T HAVE ANY.

NOW, YOU EXAGGERATE, JOHN.

EVERYONE HAS SECRETS.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO CALL HER.

SHE SENT ME.

( ringing )

Woman:
HI, WE CAN' GET TO THE PHONE RIGHT NOW,

BUT LEAVE US A MESSAGE,

AND WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU.

( beep )

HEL- MOLLIE.

HI, MOLLIE.

IT'S PIPER. PIPER.

I'M HERE WITH JOHN.

UH, CALLED 'CAUSE I

WANTED TO TALK TO YOU.

UH, UH, T-TALK

TO YOU ABOUT...

( giggling, stuttering )

I'LL HAVE TO DO

IT A-ANOTHER TIME.

UM...

OKAY. BYE, MOLLIE.

BYE.

( hangs up phone )

ANSWERING MACHINE?

SHE SOUNDS PRETTY.

( sighs )

( keys jingling )

Machine:

TWENTY-SEVEN NEW MESSAGES.

( beep )

( static, busy signal )

( beep )

( indistinct )

( busy signal )

( beep )

( cell phone ringing )

HEY, MOM.

NO, IT'S JUST THE CALLER ID.

( louder )

THE CALLER ID, YES.

( machine continues playing

silent messages )

I KNOW.

NO, MOM. I HAVEN'T.

BECAUSE IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE,

DO WE HAVE TO TALK ABOU THIS EVERY TIME?

TONIGHT? I DON'T KNOW.

( sighs )

OKAY. NO, IT'S FINE.

YEAH.

IT'S FINE, REALLY.

I'LL SEE YOU THERE.

OKAY.

I KNOW.

ME TOO.

? YOU

? YOU BREAK MY HEAR ? YOU

? YOU BREAK MY HEAR ? YOU

? YOU BREAK MY HEAR ? STILL I GET CAUGHT ON YOU

Woman:

WELL!

IT IS SO NICE TO FINALLY

GET YOU OUT HERE FOR DINNER.

GOD KNOWS WHA YOU'VE BEEN EATING.

I'VE BEEN DOING OKAY.

TV DINNERS-

DO THEY STILL MAKE TV DINNERS?

OKAY?

WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?

YOU KNOW,

THOSE LITTLE ALUMINUM TRAYS...

WITH MASHED POTATOES

AND, UH, GRAVY.

IT MEANS I'VE BEEN DOING OKAY.

JUST FINE.

I GO TO WORK AND I EAT.

PROBABLY CALL THEM, UM,

COMPUTER DINNERS NOW.

YOU GO TO WORK, AND YOU EAT.

YOU EVER GET OUT OF THE APARTMENT?

GO OUT?

SEE YOUR FRIENDS?

I'M HERE, AREN'T I?

LEAVE THE BOY ALONE, MOTHER.

LEAVE HIM ALONE?

AFTER I TWISTED HIS ARM

TO DRIVE A HALF AN HOUR

TO GET OUT HERE I'M GOING

TO LEAVE HIM ALONE?

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE

HE'S OKAY.

I MEAN, REALLY OKAY.

IT'S NO WONDER HE

DOESN'T COME OUT HERE

WITH YOU PICKING ON

HIM ALL THE TIME.

I AM NOT PICKING ON HIM.

I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT HIM.

( voices drowning out )

HE CAN TAKE CARE

OF HIMSELF.

WELL, WHY CAN'T I ASK...

WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME?

WHY DON'T YOU ASK HIM...

? YOU

YOU BREAK MY HEART?

? STILL I GET CAUGHT ON YOU

Piper:

I'M GOING TO TAKE A SHOWER.

WITH ME HERE?

WOULD YOU RATHER LEAVE?

WOULD YOU?

RATHER LEAVE?

WHY? IT'S MY APARTMENT.

NO, WOULD YOU RATHER I LEAVE?

YES, BUT YOU WON'T.

NO, I WON'T.

LET'S MAKE A DEAL. YOU KEEP TALKING

THE WHOLE TIME I'M IN THE SHOWER,

THAT WAY I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE,

AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE.

I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TO SAY.

YOU'VE BEEN DOING GREAT SO FAR.

TELL ME WHY YOU MOVED AWAY.

MOVED AWAY FROM D.C.?

MY WIFE.

YOUR WIFE?

YES, I MOVED AWAY

BECAUSE OF MY WIFE.

I THOUGHT YOU LIVED WITH MOLLIE.

I DID. I LIVED WITH MOLLIE

AND MY WIFE, AND THEN WE-

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