Tracktown Page #2

---

Because it does.

Okay.

Can you stay home tomorrow

so I'm not all alone?

Plummy, the pancake mile

is tomorrow.

I'm captain of that ship.

I have to be there all day.

You have that every year.

I'm going through

a really hard time.

I'm injured.

Plummy, you are not injured.

Don't forget the MCA race

is coming up shortly.

The conditions are are hot.

That may explain the slow pace.

It's looking tactical.

"Never give up on something

you can't go a day

without thinking about."

Sir Winston Churchill.

Hey.

It's okay, sweetie, today's just

about being relaxed, all right?

All the work is done.

I got to head down to set up

the pancake mile registration.

The guy who was supposed to run

in the pancake costume

dropped out last minute.

Extra.

Okay.

I got to run.

Are you going to be okay alone?

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Mwah!

Stay relaxed.

Do your coloring.

I love you!

I love you, too.

Rest and recovery.

Plum! Hi!

Good morning!

Dad's not here.

Oh, that's okay.

I came to see you.

I'm busy.

Oh, are you about to go running?

No.

Oh, well, your dad said

you have a day off,

so I'd really like

to spend some time with you.

Let's go to the park.

Please?

I got you this.

Come on.

It'll be fun.

Please?

"The bamboo that bends

is stronger than

the oak that resists."

Proverb.

I started a business.

Look. Look.

This is for you.

It's a kitsy.

What it is,

it's a monthly subscription,

and every month, the subscriber

gets a new crafts kit.

So I pick the crafts,

I assemble the kits,

and then I mail them off

to my clients.

And this is beading month,

and I'm up to 77 subscribers.

It's... it's a virtual

community.

- That's great, mom.

- Yeah.

I know the Olympic trials

are an important time

in your life,

and I thought

you might appreciate

having your mom around.

A mother understands

what a child does not say,

you know?

Is it profitable?

Hmm?

Your new business.

Is it profitable?

Or do grandma and grandpa

just pay for it?

Oh, oh, well, you know,

I mean, it's a start-up,

so, you know, I mean,

they pay for some things,

but it's, um...

You know, no one's forcing

anyone to do anything, so...

And, you know,

it's important to get support

from your parents sometimes.

I mean, you know, that's why

I decided to drive up here.

I just want us to see

each other as much as we can

while I'm here.

I love this.

It's so great.

Just a little

bumping and grinding,

and a little no-fly zone.

Hi.

- Good morning.

- Hello.

Don't worry about him.

He's nobody.

- You want to go for a run?

- Are you joking?

I just want to shake out.

It's not a big deal.

Don't be stupid.

I'm fine.

No.

Please?

No. I'm being

a good teammate.

Go home.

Watch a Disney movie, okay?

Turn off your brain.

I don't want to go home.

Do you want to play

in the pool with us?

No.

- Do you want to go to target?

- No.

Well, that's what

I'm doing today,

and you're welcome to join,

but I'm serious,

if you run,

I'm going to call coach.

And I'll know,

because I have people.

Don't call coach.

Bye.

Bye.

"If you don't know

where you're going,

any road

will get you there."

Cheshire cat.

We're closed!

- Sorry.

- It's okay.

Do you need more cookies?

We have some in the back.

You can just take them.

Okay.

Um, do you need anything else?

- Like food?

- Yeah, food.

Okay.

Can I make you a sandwich?

Meat?

Turkey.

So, in my head,

I always call you

"chocolate chip runner"

because you always order

the same thing every time.

I always knew your name was

Sawyer because of your apron.

What's your actual name?

It's plum.

That's a cool name.

Um, can I maybe have

some more meat?

Yeah.

A little more, please.

- Cheese?

- Oh, it's perfect as is.

You just want a pile

of plain Turkey on bread?

Yes.

Okay.

Here you go.

Thank you.

This is nice.

Normally I close up alone.

Normally, I have

practice right now.

Oh, but not today or...?

Not today.

I had to take a day off

because I'm running

this big race soon.

Do you usually get nervous

before a big race?

Everyone gets nervous.

I remember when

I was in elementary school,

I was in a play,

and I was so nervous

I was going to forget my lines.

It was traumatizing.

So what'd you do?

I quit.

Thanks again.

No problem.

So you going to feed the ducks

with all those bagels?

Sort of.

I was always taught more

practical Bumblebee lessons.

Like that bumblebees

die when they sting?

No, not all of them.

Only honeybees do.

Bumblebees can actually sting

you without killing themselves.

Cool.

So, how old are you?

Are you sure

you're not, like, 15?

Yes.

Look, you can definitely

outrun me, okay?

But I'm pretty sure

if push came to shove,

I could take you

just based on body weight,

pure laws of physics.

I don't know.

We lift weights.

Come on, this will

only take a minute.

Hey, come on.

- Hey.

- Hey, Sawyer.

- Oh, hey, man.

Hey, Vicky.

Hey.

I come bearing gifts.

Oh! Oh, beautiful.

Oh, yes.

Thanks, man.

- Of course.

- Mmm. Naturally.

This is plum.

- Ah, plum, welcome. Hi.

- Hi.

Are those your friends?

They're my roommates, kind of.

I don't know,

kind of a weird situation,

but they're pretty cool.

Oh, you live here.

Well... technically,

I live there.

It's pretty cool.

They let me park here

and shower here

and stuff like that.

Are you sketched out?

No, no, I see these things

all over town,

but I've never actually

been in one.

Yeah, I mean,

I'm kind of stuck with it,

but it's pretty cool.

It's got a bed

and a kitchenette.

- And the engine still runs.

- It's so cool!

You can eat and sleep

and drive somewhere

all in the same place.

Yeah, you can drive

all the way to China.

You can't drive China.

Yeah, you've probably

been the China.

I heard the oreos taste

different there.

Can we go inside?

Um...

Yeah, yeah.

Watch your step.

- Pretty deluxe.

- You don't even lock it.

Watch out for that.

Cool.

I like your decorations.

Thanks.

It's got a lot of character.

I've thought

about selling the place,

getting some cash

for another place,

but I'll just spend

my money on stupid sh*t.

Like what?

Like I bought a unicycle.

So stupid.

And I ended up giving it

to a homeless man.

- The man that rides the unicycle?

- Yeah, that was me!

- Whoa!

- Yeah.

Plum?

You can sit down.

So, you live

with your teammates?

No.

I live with my dad.

Oh, what about your mom?

It's just dad.

Oh, I-I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

Oh, no, my mom's not dead.

She's in a hotel.

- She's... -oh, she just

doesn't live in Eugene.

Staying in a hotel.

Well, she used to.

And then she had a breakdown

and had to go live

with my grandparents.

So now we just have visits.

Sorry.

Oh, hey...

It's okay.

Not everybody's fit

to be a parent.

My mom was a nomad.

I mean, I grew up

moving around a lot.

Where is she now?

Arizona.

She decided to leave

Eugene for good

and run off with her boyfriend.

I guess not everyone

was meant to stay.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes