Imperfections Page #5

to give up everything.

Don't fight, don't run.

- Jesus.

Please be careful.

If anything happen

to you I'd just...

Maybe I could do some

body guarding for you

pro Bono of course.

You know just follow you around

discourage anyone

getting froggy.

Or I could just carry you

around in a baby Bijorn

nothing like weird or anything.

What's that for?

- You're being nice.

- I'm not sure.

- You said anything I pick.

- This look transitions

well from day to evening.

- Oh, god, it was awful.

I mean she was so happy

when she first got the part.

I mean she told everybody.

Of course we had this

huge going away party.

- So what happened?

- Well, the last day of shooting

she had this giant scene, right

I mean big monologue

lots of words.

She couldn't get out

of the make up chair.

I mean she just froze,

completely paralyzed.

- That's awful.

- Yeah,

and the producers were

screaming at her agent

and she could hear them.

I mean it was a disaster.

- Do you have a

nine volt battery?

- Oh, um.

- Thank you.

- I also have a

light in the bathroom

that's too high for me.

- Let's do it all.

- Okay.

Anyway we finally got

enough Valium in her

to stumble to the set

but it was a mess,

and then of course I mean

when they picked up the

series they recast her part.

- That must have

been tremendously difficult.

- Oh, god she was devastated.

Then she had to come back here,

right, and face everybody.

You see I think

that's why she can't

give this whole acting thing up.

I mean she's gotta save face,

and she's gotta prove to

herself that she can do it.

Plus I don't think she

even knows what else to do.

- No, I meant difficult for you

seeing your kid in that

kind of pain struggling.

I had to pull Alex

out of little league

because it was

making me anxious.

I threw up in the dug out once.

Kept getting struck out,

he was a poor fielder.

He did get hit by

a lot of pitches.

- You don't talk about him much.

- He hates me.

- Oh, he does not.

- Yeah, he does.

- When his mother died I kind of

overcompensated with

the tough love thing.

My pop was a second

rate auto mechanic

with a short temper.

We didn't talk

about feelings much.

- You're being hard on yourself.

Every parent feels

things like this.

You know, he knows

that you love him.

- Either way he's

grown, he lived.

Now I get to figure out

the rest of my life.

- So what's on the agenda?

- I've got plans.

Small plans.

- I like plans.

- Good.

- You know I think

Joe might move out soon.

I know you're real happy

on your ma's couch and all.

- Ray.

- I know, I know I get excited.

- It's nice.

I don't mean this to be shitty,

but it really seems like you've

done some growing up in

the last couple months.

- Thanks.

You know I had this

counselor at anger management

who said, "start acting like

the person you want to be

"and soon you'll

become that person."

But that's terrible advice.

I think acting like the

person I wanted to be

was what made me

such a sh*t head.

I trapped myself

into believing that

I had to be the person that the

18-year old me thought was cool.

But it turns out the

18-year old me was an idiot.

- You were just

trying to be cool.

You're an artist.

- Yeah, I love

making stuff I do.

But I think what I

wanted more than anything

was to be different than

normal people somehow.

You know to get noticed like,

"ooh, isn't that what's

his name over there?"

Just need to be busy.

Busy's happy.

- Yeah, you're right.

I care about all that

stuff too it's so stupid.

- Can I ask you a question?

Are you still getting

those panicky things?

- A lot lately I

should get some pills.

- Nah, forget that.

I mean I know a guy obviously.

There's this thing

I've been doing

when I get mad or

punchy whatever.

It really helps.

I made it up you wanna try it?

- Is it gross?

- No, shut up god.

No, sit Indian style.

- Not cool, paleface.

- Christ sit in the style

of people from India, okay.

Now close your eyes.

No laughing, no laughing.

This is serious.

- I'm sorry,

okay, okay, okay.

- First, try to be very small

like a marble of energy

floating around inside your body

then shrink to a speck of light.

Now here's what I tell myself.

You are a tiny germ

on a dirty rock

spinning at a

1,000 miles an hour

and orbiting a star.

That star is just one

of hundreds of billions

in a milky way,

which itself is one of

hundreds of billions

of galaxies in the

known universe.

You do not matter.

No one is watching.

You are free.

- That is the most

depressing thing

I have ever heard.

- No, it's great news

you're inconsequential.

You can do whatever you want.

Think about it in the face

of all that nothingness

what is there to

be worried about?

What other people think?

Fear and anger are ego problems,

but you, you don't not matter.

No one is watching, you're free.

You do not matter

no one is watching.

You are free.

- Why are you up so early?

- I'm a working man.

I work in exchange for money,

that I use to procure

both goods and services.

- All right services.

You're such an a**hole.

- Listen steal

anything you like.

I wouldn't eat what's

in the fridge though.

It's really more

decorative than anything.

- Of course, okay.

- Bye.

- What?

- Nothing, shut up, god, bye.

- Are you alive?

- I'm fine that's

why I'm calling.

I'm sorry I didn't come home.

- You're a grown up.

But it'd be nice

if you'd called.

- I'm apologizing.

- Would it be intruding

if I asked where you are?

- Yes.

But I'm at Ray's.

- Uh-huh.

- I don't know, mommy,

he's made lots of changes.

Honestly I'm really happy

when we're together.

- The only thing

I want is for you

to be happy when you're alone.

I wish I was.

I get so sad when I'm by myself.

- Me too sometimes.

- The truth is that everyone

and everything else

is just fleeting.

It's just a blurry

landscape out the window

of a speeding train.

- Geez, it's not that bad is it?

Can't I be on the

train with you?

- Yeah.

Yes of course you

have always been my

traveling companion.

- You remember that time when

we took the bus to Madison

and I threw up on

daddy's over coat?

- God, he was so

mad at me that day.

I wouldn't let

him bring a flask.

- You never talk about him.

- I don't think

about him that much.

I mean he was only in

my life for eight years

and he's been gone for

three times that, wow.

- That's so weird.

- Kind of wish he was

around now though.

Be fun to have something

to look forward to

or someone to look forward with.

- You have lots to

look forward to.

- Yes, and so do you, sweetie.

I mean, Cassie,

you are so bright.

You could be anything you want.

- I told you I'm going to la,

and I told you I'm

up for that cop show.

It could be a really big deal.

I'm making it all

happen you'll see.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah

listen I gotta go because

my cereal's getting gloppy.

Okay, I love you.

- Bye.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes