They

---

[whispering]

"Something behind me.

I start for a second, I blench,

or staggeringly halt and burn,

I do not know my age.

In the morning it is different.

An open book confronts me,

too close to read in comfort.

Tell me how old I am.

And then the valleys stuff

impenetrable mists

like cotton in my ears.

I do not know my age.

I do not mean to complain.

They say it is my fault.

Nobody tells me anything.

Tell me how old I am."

[man] No, no.

It's okay. They're here.

[chuckles] Yeah, we're just

getting settled in clinic.

Yeah, no worries. I'll just

see you when you get here.

[hangs up the telephone]

Your parents are

running a little late.

But that gives us

a little time to chat.

[J] Okay.

[man] Okay. So,

looking at the test results, I

just didn't want you to worry.

And I wanted to make sure

that we had some time

to talk in person one-on-one.

Now, you've been

using the puberty blocker to,

as we've said,

hit a pause button

and make sure that

you're not progressing

through a puberty

that you just don't want.

And I think you'd be able to

explore things about yourself

and, you know, about the whole

transition that makes sense.

But the bone density results

are a little low,

and if we wanna

try to keep you healthy,

I think now is the time to sit

down with you and your parents

and make that decision.

Are you ready?

[door opens]

[J] Yeah.

[door closes]

[whispering]

"Shadows fall down."

[man] J, are you okay?

You wanna chat about something?

[J] Um, no. It's just

something I can't remember.

I memorized a poem, but

can't remember the last part.

It's okay.

I'll probably remember it.

[whispering]

"You never stay long enough.

Tell me how old I am.

At evening, something behind me.

I start for a second, I blench,

or staggeringly halt and burn,

I do not know my age."

[breathing heavily]

[J whispering] "At evening,

something behind me.

I start for a second, I blench,

or staggeringly halt and burn,

I do not know my age.

In the morning it is different.

An open book confronts me,

too close to read in comfort."

[knock at door]

[door slams]

Mitsu?

[whispering] Mitsu?

[cat meows]

Mitsu!

[whispering] I told you

not to come here.

[clanging]

Mitsu.

No.

- [Mitsu meows]

- [pot crashes]

Oh, no.

[Mitsu purring]

[J whispering] Go home.

You should go back home.

Not there.

You should go home tonight.

She'll be looking for you.

[Araz] Lauren,

how should I

introduce myself to J?

Does he...

Oh, sorry, they know

about us getting married?

[Lauren] I haven't

talked to J recently.

But I told Mom and Dad.

Turn left here. We're close.

[calm instrumental

music playing]

[J whispering] Mitsu!

[Lauren] Where you going?

You just passed it.

I thought you said

the big one with the porch.

Yeah. That's it.

I'm sorry, but all the houses

are the same here.

- They is...

- What?

It's "They is" or "They are"?

I've said a hundred times.

I'm sorry. With my English,

I need to make sure...

It's not "your English." It's

just "English." It's awkward.

You can park right up here.

[Lauren] Is that J?

Where are they going?

- Are.

- What?

I mean, it's one person,

but they are singular.

Well, we'll be together

the whole time.

You don't really have to

address them in third-person.

[laughing] What the f***?

[laughing] I told you

that grocery store sucks.

But pineapple is always firm.

So, what if we go to my aunt's

dinner party tomorrow night?

Well, we can just explain

that the wedding's still...

No, I mean. If I want to

introduce J to them.

Well, we'll figure it out.

First, we should see

if J even wants to go.

[Lauren] J! Hi, we're home.

[Lauren] Which side

of the bed do you want?

[Araz] Maybe I should

sleep somewhere else.

This toothache is really bad

and I get up all the time.

[Lauren] Just sleep here.

You know, I'm doing

a toothache case.

What do you mean

"doing toothache"?

[Lauren] It's for this job

I got at the clinic.

Clinic.

Sometimes they hire performers at

clinics to model for medical students.

So, it's just a random gig.

I know they're not real doctors,

but if you can perform very

well, maybe you can get some

real prescription

of pain killers for me?

[J] Why don't you

go see a doctor?

I want to.

It's so expensive here.

All my friends and relatives, they go

back home to Iran to do their teeth.

With flight money,

it is still cheaper.

I'm adjusting myself to see

if I go back, maybe I can...

[Lauren] We should just get our marriage

paperwork done. Then, we'll see.

Is there different curtains?

What about your room?

Has it changed too?

[Araz] Can I see?

[Araz mumbling indistinctly]

"lost somewhere.

I do not know my age."

Did you write this?

[J] No. They're poems I found.

There's a contest at school.

[Araz] You have a nice room.

- [Lauren] Did you see the hole?

- [Araz] The hole?

Yeah. It's right there.

[Lauren] When J was a baby, Mom and Dad

would make me watch them from time to time.

But I didn't really want to, so

I started making this hole to

try to watch them from here.

But they stopped me

halfway through.

[J] I finished it.

Mom didn't say anything.

[Lauren] Well, she sure

said something to me.

[Araz] So, Lauren,

you were in the other room?

[Lauren] This used

to be my room.

J was in the blue room,

but I made him...

Them switch all the time.

So, anyone use the blue room?

[J] Aunt Annie

was sleeping in it.

[calm instrumental music]

[J] Mom and Dad

were talking about this.

[Lauren] What?

[J] That you were

at this residency last month.

[Lauren] Oh, no. These are from that

Marfa residency I did last year.

What did Mom and Dad tell you?

[J] That you live in

random places and

travel a lot.

[Lauren] Well, that's

their definition of my work.

They think art's

frivolous and fun.

But I have to go to these

residencies for my projects,

and they just end up

being all over the place.

[J] But, I thought you worked

as an actor for the clinic.

[Lauren] Sort of.

That's my day job.

[Skype ring tone]

[Lauren] Oh. It's Mom.

She wants to talk to you.

[Mom] Hello?

Hey, J...

[J] I can't hear you.

[Lauren] Oh. Hi, Mom.

[Lauren] The picture's horrible.

Can you see me?

Can anyone see me?

[Lauren] Yeah, better now.

Can you hear me?

[Lauren] Yeah, a little better.

Sorry. I'm up here

in the attic,

and the reception's

really terrible.

[Lauren] Why are you up there?

Why don't you go downstairs?

No. Annie's sleeping.

She's sleeping up here.

And I came to check on her, and

everybody else is downstairs.

How are things? How are you?

[Lauren] We're fine.

We're making dinner now.

It's nice to be home.

Oh. I wanted to tell you that

I got a phone call

from Dr. Garofalo.

- [Lauren] Garofalo?

- The tests we have to go over...

[J] My doctor.

- Right away on Monday...

- [Lauren] I really can't hear.

Appointment. And so, we're gonna

have to... we changed our reservation.

[inaudible]

[Lauren] I can't

hear you. Monday?

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