They Page #4

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Didn't really like anyone

in our class that way,

but I still thought

Joe was better looking.

And what happened?

Nothing.

Lilah said I could be gay.

And then Joe heard about that.

He told me he's not gay

and I shouldn't talk about that.

I just told him

I don't think I'm gay either.

I was only thinking

about it from a girl.

He said, "Well, you

can't really be a girl.

You're not really a boy either.

So, you're probably nothing."

[Lauren] What happened

after that?

[J] I just told him last year

that I went to a doctor

and I got a medication

that gives me time.

He was confused.

He said, "Well, then,

how old are you now?"

And I said it doesn't

keep me from getting older.

It just stops the hormones

for sometime,

and then you can think more.

He didn't get it. He said,

"Do they really do that?"

And I said, "Yeah, you should go and read

about what's happening in the world."

Then he pushed me back hard,

and I punched him

in his stomach,

and he punched me in my face.

He looks tough, but he

isn't even that strong.

I didn't even have a big bruise,

but they sent him to a hospital.

[Lauren] Do you still see him?

[J] I switched

my class this year.

He lives close to us.

Sometimes I see him around.

I don't care about him.

But since this thing

happened with Joe,

they've been asking me all these

questions to make sure that I'm okay.

I thought if I told them,

I'd do something bad to myself,

they'd give me the medicine and

time to decide, as long as I want.

They told me

it's reversible and harmless.

So, I thought I could get it,

and then I'd have more time,

but the doctor said

that we should talk soon.

It's just...

I wish I could remain a child.

I don't know if I

wanna grow and become...

Oh, it was there.

[Lauren] Did you see Mitsu?

[J] No. It's the tree.

Aunt Annie was sitting

by that tree when we found her.

[J whispering]

"I do not know my age."

[continues whispering]

indistinctly

[folk music playing faintly]

[Lauren] Where are we going?

[Araz] I want to stop at the pharmacy to

get some painkillers for my toothache.

I should also get

some gifts for her kids,

but I don't know

exactly how old they are.

[man] Find everything you need?

[Araz] Yes. Yeah.

[man] These projectors use a smart phone.

Do you have one?

[Araz] Yes.

[man] What kind?

[Araz] I don't know.

[man] You don't know

what kind of phone you have?

[Araz] I do, but I'm

buying it for my cousins.

They must have the latest one.

[man] Okay. Just put

the phone in the back,

and they can project anything.

[Araz] Thank you.

Do you have a bathroom?

[man] Yeah. It's

over in the far corner.

[Araz] Ah. Thanks.

J, ready to go?

Thanks. I couldn't decide

for myself, what to buy.

Are you hearing that guy?

He was asking me

so many questions.

Kind of reminded me of

your cousin's question game.

Wanna do the game tonight?

I was thinking to do it now.

Okay.

[Araz] Can I ask my question?

How would you like me

to introduce you tonight?

Do you want me

to say you're Lauren's...

Or I can just say

that we call you "they"?

If they ask, you can just

say I'm Lauren's sibling.

- The brother.

- Okay.

- Do you know Pete?

- Which Pete?

Lauren's ex boyfriend. I think I've

seen you together in an old photo.

Ah. Yeah, I know him.

So, when I moved

to Chicago, I moved

in a room in their place.

Pete went to Europe for work.

Lauren went to residency.

And then they broke up.

I stayed in the same apartment

until she came back, and...

you know, we got closer.

Wasn't Pete upset?

Don't think so.

I think he understood.

May I?

[whispering] Do you

understand what he's saying?

I think he's talking to his mom.

I think it's the wrong one.

There's someone

coming out of that house.

No? Why?

[J trying to open

locked car door]

Hello! Hello, welcome.

Is that for me too?

Thank you very much.

You know what? The kids are working on

making their costumes for Sunday school.

[Negar] Do you like dancing?

Do you wanna dance?

You know what? We can go and

make your costume over there.

[Negar] Actually, kids made it

at Alma's class.

[Lauren] Do you

teach art to children?

She teaches Farsi

at Farsi school.

She helps with everything.

Nice to see you, Lauren.

Sorry, I can't hug you.

The grill had a problem.

I'm fixing it.

No, don't worry. I'll be

careful about the thickness.

Yes. She knows it very well.

Lauren joon. How did

you learn it? It can't be Araz.

Skewing?

Oh. Once we had Araz's

Iranian friends over for dinner.

We made kebab for them.

I just looked it up online.

And I like to grill, so...

[Araz] Yes. Unlike me.

I always miss something.

It's good Araz sees

his Iranian friends.

He doesn't see his

Iranian relatives much.

Congratulations!

Araz said you said "Yes"!

[Lauren] Yes to what?

- Married our prince, I think.

- [scoffs]

So, are you ready?

[Lauren] Yeah, I think so.

[Araz] Thanks, by the way,

for introducing Hosseini.

He will do the paperwork

after the civil ceremony.

[Negar] Then it's gonna be

the non-civil ceremony for us?

[Negar] Lauren went to

the same school as you did.

- UIC?

- [Negar] Yes.

[Lauren] Oh, no.

I graduated from SAIC.

[Negar] Then you know

what Araz did wrong.

What did you study there?

Fine Arts. I did performance,

but I do performance,

sculpture, and installations.

Oh, nice! So, are you

working on anything right now?

What's your art project about?

Well, it might be kind of

hard to explain out of context.

No problem.

I mean, if you like to.

[Lauren] Yeah, of course.

Basically, we work

with environment and land.

So, I use natural elements that are moved and

carried away from their original environment.

And I build

these little structures...

[indistinct loud conversation]

And, they're deliberately

delicate and fragile.

I do balance exercises

beforehand

and I try to balance on them

for as long as possible.

[Kian] I told J to...

[Kimia] J, can you look on the

other side of the rug, please?

[Kian] Her name's J?

[Kian] I didn't put it

over here. I put it over there.

[Kimia] So you did

throw the pin.

[Kian] No, I didn't.

But it's over there.

[Negar yelling in Farsi]

[Lauren] ...it's about displacement

and instability. And...

I also photograph the

structures before and after,

to try to document

the traces of failure...

So, you're taking photos of it.

Yeah.

Oh, that's great.

You work with Araz together.

We don't really work together,

but we do help each other.

So, are you really ready

with all the marriage stuff

and the documentation?

Yeah, I think it should be fine.

Oh, good. That's good. I was so worried.

They're very strict here.

Kian, did you set up

the projector?

No. After finishing

the costumes.

[Behrouz] What you want

the flashlight for?

[Kian] For the dance.

[Behrouz] This is not disco dance.

This is Kurdish dance.

You're just saying that because

you wanna wear the pants.

[Kimia] No, I'm not.

It's in the pictures.

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