Safelight Page #2

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The man just never gives up.

I thought you

were done with men.

Oh, I... I am, angel. I am. I am.

He's not gonna fool me.

Don't worry.

They're all sweet and lovey

at the beginning,

and then they turn into Mr. Hyde

right before your very eyes.

Well, I don't get my

hopes too high either.

Oh, come on. Don't say that.

What? Girls don't like me.

What are you talking about?

You just haven't met enough.

It's too early to give up.

You gotta be old

and wrinkled like me.

Then you can be cynical, okay?

- Okay.

- Okay.

"Girls don't like me"?

- Girls don't like me.

- Oh, come on.

They will. Trust me.

They'll knock down your door.

- Right.

- They are.

Yeah, right.

- Hi.

- Hi.

What's going on?

Nothing.

What's that?

It's nothing. Just...

Well, it looks like something.

Let me see.

It's really nothing.

I didn't know

you were a photographer.

I'm... I'm not.

It says here it's

a photography contest.

It's just more

of a hobby kind of.

- A hobby, huh?

- Yeah.

So what are you gonna take pictures

of for your hobby contest?

Well, I was thinking, um,

if I do end up

entering the contest,

that I would... I would do the

California lighthouses.

That's cool. It's really cool.

Yeah.

One major problem, though.

I... I really need

a ride to get there,

and I can't drive, and...

What if I take you?

What? No, that's not

what I was driving at.

I know.

I want to.

What about tomorrow?

It's a Sunday.

I'm free during the day.

Plus, I kind of

owe you one. Heh.

Heh.

Okay.

Cool. Where do you live?

Um, um...

where do I live?

Forest... Forest Road, the

last house on the left.

Cool. I'll pick you up,

like, 11:
00?

Yeah. Yeah, that's perfect.

Great.

Great.

Yeah. I'll see you at 11:00.

Thank you.

What kind of music you into?

Oh, I don't really

listen to music too much,

but I like everything.

Country's pretty good.

My dad played a lot of country.

Sometimes I go to the Cowboy

Palace with Peg and her friends.

It's that country club

down on South Street.

- Yeah.

- Um...

Peg knows the bouncer,

so I get in without a problem,

and he didn't mind, 'cause

he knows I don't drink.

You don't drink?

I have enough trouble

walking when I'm sober.

How old are you?

17. How old are you?

I just turned 18.

I think country's cool.

I prefer harder stuff, though.

I went to a couple

of concerts with Skid

before I realized he was

a complete lunatic.

Yeah.

Anyway...

I haven't been outside in

the daytime for while.

I usually like to sleep late

and stay in till nighttime.

Why don't you go out?

I don't know.

I don't want people to see me,

what I look like and all.

Want to take a look?

Who's Kevin?

My older brother.

This is his camera

and his stuff.

Where's Kevin now?

He died.

I'm so sorry.

No, it's okay.

What about your mom?

My mom left when I was

only a couple years old,

just started to walk.

At least, tried to walk.

Why'd she leave?

Me.

So it's just you

and your dad now?

Yeah, my dad's great.

He's like my best friend.

He's always encouraging

me and stuff.

It's cool.

- Yeah, that's cool.

- Yeah.

Sounds like a good guy.

What about you?

Do you have any family?

Um...

well, my dad's gone, thankfully.

And my mom...

I haven't seen her

since she asked me to

hit the road, so...

You should probably

take the picture.

We kind of have to go, right?

Yeah.

No, no, no! I am done

with men, remember?

D-O-N-E, done.

They're nothing but two-timing,

always lying,

sex-addicted dogs.

I don't mean you, sweetie.

Well, I'm sex addicted, too.

You know that.

Hey, hey! May I remind you

that we are sitting

with a very young,

innocent young man here?

Please, watch your

f***in' language.

Charles doesn't mind,

now, does he?

Am I right? Am I right?

Like I was saying, guys,

men are nothing but trouble.

- Oh, oh...

- Listen to me, girls.

I know from where I speak.

Oh, honey, there are still

some good men out there,

fine men out there.

Still some good men.

Well, I have met most

every man in this state,

and I have yet

to find a good one.

No! The entire state?

Oh, she's exaggerating.

You guys didn't know me

when I was younger.

The entire state is

not an exaggeration.

You might be telling the truth.

Oh, let's go.

I wanna... Let's move.

- Hey, Dottie. Dottie.

- Yes, ma'am.

Did you forget to wear

your underwear again?

Well, of course I did.

Yee-haw!

You okay?

Dad!

Dad! You okay?

Yeah. Yeah.

I'm all right.

You have fun?

Yeah, I guess.

Did you dance?

You know I can't do that.

Hey.

Ah, there he is.

Hey, Charles.

Hey.

Hi.

Hey.

Me and your dad

was just hanging out.

Yeah, Vicki knows all

about cars and Harleys.

Cool.

I grew up being kind of a tomboy.

What can I say?

And I love your dad's

Chevelle and Harley.

They're the coolest.

I figured we could go

to a lighthouse today.

Can't believe how patient

you have to be to do this.

That's what I love

about photography.

Anything, really, if you

look at it long enough,

you get to see what

it's really showing you.

You know what I think, Charles?

I think you're like

one of your subjects.

You've got lots of faces

of your own to show.

Why are you so nice to me?

Why shouldn't I be?

I can't do that.

Yes, you can.

Okay.

You did.

Really.

Whoo!

I'm gonna take your picture.

- No.

- Ah, come on, smile.

Please don't, no.

- Yeah, come on, smile.

- No, please, don't. Please.

- Charles, come on.

- Stop!

I think it's really cool

you're so into photography.

I remember when I was a kid,

after I found out that girls

didn't play for the Dodgers,

I got totally into the news,

and I started walking around

with a tape recorder

and a microphone,

interviewing my mom and dad

and my little sisters.

I was really into it.

I remember I wanted to be

one of those reporters

that goes right into the scene

of the crime or the accident.

I wanted to tell

whoever was in trouble

or whoever had escaped the fire

or whoever's kid had disappeared

that everything

was gonna be okay...

that it was all gonna

be okay, you know.

And what have I got now?

Vicki, can I ask you

something personal?

Sure.

How'd you become a...

Heh.

Sorry, I don't know...

No, it's okay.

It's my life. Sh*t.

Uh, well...

my a**hole father used to

like to take his bullshit out

on my mom and me

and my little sisters.

One day, he just disappeared,

never came back.

I actually managed fine,

even when my mom

was bringing a different

guy home every night.

Then one boyfriend moved in,

and he took a liking

to me real fast,

so she kicked us out.

He went his way, and I met Skid,

and that's pretty much it.

How come you chose

to take pictures

of lighthouses for your contest?

Well, one day I remembered

that Kevin and I

had planned to do

a road trip one summer

to photograph the

lighthouses of California.

He really liked the idea of the

light guiding people home.

Guess you could say my brother

liked helping people a lot.

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