Submission Page #5

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How the hell

could she have known that?

[Ted]

Hey, I read your chapter.

- Already? Wow.

- Yeah.

- I'm flattered.

- I'm just not so sure that you need it.

You know, the parents meeting,

how they meet and...

It just seems a little bit...

extraneous to me.

The reader needs to hear it

for what's coming later.

But how did you come up with the whole

thing, anyway? Um, I'm curious.

I mean,

the earache and the...

[sighs] the falling down

and the meeting in the hospital.

It happened to someone

I knew in high school.

- Why?

- Um...

You sound upset.

Is something wrong?

Oh, no. Oh, no.

Um, no.

But we'll talk about it

tomorrow. Okay.

[chuckles]

Okay. Bye-bye.

Who was that?

Magda.

You're leading her on,

you know.

She won't appreciate it

in the end.

- Will you help me with the groceries?

- Of course.

I would love to. Yes.

- [marching band playing march]

- [chattering]

Danny is, uh...

He's doing just wonderfully.

His narrative skills are

growing better by the day,

and I must say he has a

very vivid imagination.

Well, he's always loved creative writing.

[chuckles] Especially about animals.

- Yeah, yeah...

- [knocking]

[woman] Excuse me. Is...

Is this Professor Swenson?

- Yes.

- Our Angela is in your class.

Oh, yes, of course.

Yes.

Well, I'll let you go. I just wanted

to see, in general, how he was doing.

- And thank you for your inspiration.

- Okay. Thank you.

- Hi.

- Hi.

Amy.

I'm sorry we're late.

We left Jersey

at 5:
30 this morning

so we didn't have to pay

for another night's motel.

[chuckles]

Sure. Okay.

That's a little more information

than the professor needs.

- Mark.

- Hi, Mark. How are you?

- Good. Good.

- Please have a seat.

Thank you.

So, how is Angela doing?

Uh, she told us

that we must come see you,

that you were the only teacher that would

have anything nice to say about her.

Well, I'm sure you'll find

that that is not true.

[laughs] No, she talks about your class

all the time. You're, like, her hero.

She thinks you're the greatest

writer that ever lived.

[laughs] Well, that's very flattering.

It's always good to have a fan.

Especially

such a talented one.

Oh, w-well, sh-she's

always wanted to be a writer.

You know, I remember when she started.

I bought her this computer.

And she used to print up

this little family newspaper.

Uh, stuff like how long she'd have to wait in

the morning to get into the bathroom, you know.

Hmm.

Is, um,

something the matter?

Oh, no, no. I-I-I...

She told... It's just...

I had no idea that her literary

aspirations went back to early childhood.

Oh, yeah, she's always had a way

with words, that one, you know.

[chuckles]

[Ted] That was your

stepfather, right?

Of course. Why?

Oh, no,

I was just, um...

I was curious because

the way he was talking,

he... he spoke as though he had

known you your whole life.

Since you were,

like, a baby.

Oh, well, he did.

Um, he lived next door to us

my whole life, him and his wife.

And then...

after my dad killed himself,

about a year after,

him and his wife split up

and he married my mom.

It was

a big neighborhood scandal.

Oh.

You know, I... I did lie

about something though.

Um, my dad...

wasn't crazy.

He was...

He was sick.

He had emphysema.

Oh.

I'm sorry.

Thanks.

I remember this, um, time

he took me grocery shopping,

and... he got so winded

he was wheezing and stuff.

He had to sit down.

And then I saw the checkout guy,

who I thought was really cute...

I saw him roll his eyes at the

girl that was bagging groceries.

And...

I was embarrassed.

And ever since

he killed himself,

I think about that...

every day,

and I feel so guilty.

Why was I so mad at him?

But you weren't.

You weren't mad at him.

You were angry

at the situation.

You were angry because

life is... cruel and unfair.

Perfectly normal.

- It was crooked.

- [chuckles] Thanks.

- Sorry. [chuckles]

- Yeah.

[no audible dialogue]

[Angela's voice]

"Mr. Reynaud looked closely.

His voice was calm, full of

compassion and tenderness

as he held the damaged egg

up to the light.

I started to cry.

They're all dead and it's

my fault,' I said to him.

They were supposed to hatch

ten days ago.

I knew something was wrong, but I didn't

know what to do, so I did nothing.

Don't blame yourself,'

he said,

soothing me

with his gentle touch.

Don't cry.'

He wiped my tears,

his fingers caressing my face,

our bodies melting together,

our lips, our tongues.

As his hand slipped under my jeans,

I made a sound so low in my throat

that even the unborn chicks

must have heard me."

[dial tone]

[beeping]

[line ringing]

- [rock music playing]

- [young man] Angela Argo here.

[Angela] Hey, give me that,

you jerk-off. Stop.

[sighs]

[exhales]

[bell tolling]

[sighs]

Hi.

You hated it,

didn't you?

That's why

you didn't call.

[scoffs] No.

Actually,

I quite admired it.

- Really?

- Yeah.

'Cause

it was like...

- What?

- I don't know.

It was weird, I guess, knowing

you were reading those pages.

They were really intimate, and I was

so nervous I didn't sleep all night.

Angela, I'm a professor

of literature.

[chuckles] I mean, a little

eroticism doesn't frighten me.

Good.

'Cause... now I can breathe.

[chuckles]

I was just, you know...

I was imagining you getting home and

getting ready for bed or eating dinner

and knowing you were reading those pages and

wondering if you were like, you know...

You know.

Anyway, I'm just really glad you liked it.

That's great.

Um, sorry to bother you

without an appointment.

When do I get more?

Um, well, at this point,

probably never.

Yeah, well,

writers block

gets the best of us

sometimes, doesn't it?

No, it's not that.

My hard drive just crashed, so

I've gotta get a new computer.

Oh. Sorry to hear that.

Yeah.

Hey, listen.

Maybe this is

a stupid idea, um...

And you can absolutely say no.

In fact, I expect you to say no.

But I just really

need a ride to Burlington.

My stepdad said I could buy a new

computer on his credit card.

I want to buy it in person, because last time

I bought it online and it was defective,

and then returning it

was a total nightmare.

Yeah, um, look,

it's not impossible.

But, um, I...

[stammering]

When I'm not here,

I'm writing, so...

I don't know that it will...

Right. I'm sorry.

Yeah.

Um...

I figured that was why

you'd say no.

Well, can't your boyfriend

drive you, or...

I don't have

a boyfriend.

Ah.

Well, I thought you...

Yeah.

It's no big deal. I'll just put it

on the shelf for a little while.

- Probably not such a bad idea anyway.

- [chuckles]

- Thanks again.

- All right.

What about tomorrow

at 10:
00?

Really?

Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, my God. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

That would be great.

Um, yeah.

I live in Hughes. Do you wanna

pick me up outside of my dorm?

- Yeah, perfect. We'll just go...

- Great.

We'll go, we'll do it quickly,

and then, uh, it'll be done.

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