Tracktown Page #4

---

I got a question.

Okay.

When you're running,

is there such a thing

as going too fast?

Well, when you're running,

there's an edge...

Between...

What is and isn't too fast.

Okay.

But, um, it's not a sharp edge.

It's stretchy.

And if you're brave,

you push on it.

I have to go.

No. Stay.

I can't.

My teammate is waiting for me,

and I have to go to be with her.

Why don't you just tell her

you can't come?

I can't do that to her.

I bet she'll understand.

No.

That's not how teammates work.

Will I see you again?

Yes.

Mm, when?

Soon.

You're a good teammate.

"Only you

can control your future."

Dr. Seuss.

You're probably mad I'm here.

Should I be mad, plum?

I don't know.

Maybe.

Did you get a tattoo?

No.

Did you take something, plum?

No.

Good.

I'm not going to get upset

with you

for staying up too late, plum.

That's not my job.

It is your job.

- No.

- Yes, it is.

No, my job is to coach you,

to guide you,

but you still get to make

your own choices.

I don't like making choices.

I want you

to tell me what to do.

But that's not the way it works.

I cannot go to the starting line

with you, plum.

It's hard.

Yeah, it is,

but you're the best.

And you love it, don't you?

I can't imagine

anything else I would do.

Well, that's how you know

you're doing

something you love...

When you can't imagine

doing anything else.

"Every champion

was once a contender

that refused to give up."

Rocky balboa.

Okay, let's get started.

Flex your muscles.

Flex your muscles.

Oh, yeah, that's great.

Oh, my god, it's beautiful.

Okay, show me

your start line pose.

Fantastic.

Okay, uh, you're the president.

You're the president

of the United States.

Mr. president... I mean,

uh, Mrs. president.

Mrs. president.

You're running, you're running!

You could still decide to keep

running next year, you know.

I don't want to run next year.

How come you don't want to?

Because I don't.

You don't like training with me?

It's not all about you, plum.

Are you going to stay

with that guy?

I don't know.

Do you love him?

No.

Then why are you with him?

For fun, plum.

You remind me of my mom.

She never figured out

quite what she wanted to do.

That was a really

dumb thing to say.

Sorry.

I'm gonna go.

Hey, I'm supposed

to drive you home.

How are you going to get home?!

Whitney!

"There are no traffic jams

along the extra mile."

Roger Staubach.

- Plum!

- Sawyer?

Hey, I thought I'd surprise you.

How did you know I was here?

Uh...

I don't know.

So...

Come with me later, okay?

Let's go for a ride.

I'm taking the RV to the shop

and getting it all checked out.

Why?

So we can go away together.

Sawyer...

Oh, my god, plum,

I'm just kidding.

I can't hang out today.

What?

Just skip your nap

and skip stretching,

and, come on,

you recovered fine.

I don't understand.

I don't skip things.

You wouldn't just leave

your job at the bakery

if someone wanted you

to hang out, would you?

No, but I also,

at a certain time

during the day, stop working.

I stop working!

Running doesn't work that way.

Okay.

Okay, listen to me.

Listen to me, okay?

You need to find time every day

- to make yourself happy!

You have to do it.

I didn't get to where I am

by doing that kind of stuff.

Hey, look...

We have fun together, right?

Come here.

Bye!

And I am happy!

"I live to succeed,

not to please you

or anyone else."

Marilyn Monroe.

Dad?

Hey, plummy, how are you?

What are you doing?

Cleaning.

I don't want you to clean.

Look what I found.

Huh?

Place looks pretty good,

doesn't it?

I didn't ask you to do this.

Sure you did, remember?

"For every minute

spent organizing,

an hour is earned."

Benjamin Franklin.

You okay?

Honey, this needs to be cleaned.

- I'll do it.

- No, it's fine, honey, I will.

- I don't want you to hurt yourself.

- Dad, dad, stop.

- You're being silly, sweetie.

- Don't touch it!

Plum, plum, plum!

You're going to hurt yourself.

That's fine.

That's what happens.

Please don't say that.

You need me to make you happy.

Plum, I'm perfectly happy.

No, you're sad.

No, I am happy.

I love my job.

I'm part of this community.

I have a daughter who is running

in the Olympic trials finals

tomorrow.

Gonna win.

I have a garden, huh?

And... I love being

part of your life.

Okay?

I love being part of your life.

I'm sorry.

It's okay.

It's fine.

Oh, honey, come on.

Careful, careful.

It's okay.

It's okay.

Sweetie, it's okay.

"It is our choices

that show what we truly are."

Albus Dumbledore.

Hi.

Excuse me.

There's no clothes

allowed back there.

Oh, I'm just going

to meet someone.

Her name's Gail.

It's the rules.

Here, have a robe.

Plum.

I picked you these.

Oh.

Thanks.

In elementary school,

I told people you

were an astronaut,

and that's why you had to leave

and come back all the time.

Oh. Thanks for making me

an astronaut.

That's not what a mom is.

What do you mean?

Of course I'm your mom.

No, you're not.

You're more like

a Jack-in-the-box.

Okay.

Sorry.

Oh, sh*t.

Look, it just started

to become really stressful,

and the stress just affected me

really badly.

Like, really badly.

I do want to be a mom

to you, okay?

I'm just a late bloomer.

I don't need a mom.

That's what I came here

to tell you.

But it makes me happy

to come visit you.

Dad and I figured it out,

so you don't have to worry

about it anymore, you know?

That makes me sad.

No, it should make you happy.

Um, you can still be in my life,

but you just can't my mom.

And... you have to be

something else.

Okay.

I can do that.

Okay. Yeah.

I'm going to go now.

I have somewhere I need to be.

Okay, go,

but I'll see you later, yeah?

Mm-hmm.

And good luck tomorrow.

"If you want something

you've never had,

you must be willing to do

something you've never done."

Thomas Jefferson.

Hello?

Sawyer.

Hi.

Why are you here?

Because.

Don't you have a race tomorrow?

Shouldn't you be

preparing, resting?

Shouldn't be here with me

when you have something

special like that.

You're special, too.

No, I'm not, not like you.

It's okay, I get it.

Not everybody

gets to be an Olympian

or an astronaut or whatever

their elementary school

teacher told them.

Don't say that.

I don't want to mess this up.

Do you want to be here?

Do you like me?

Yes. Yes.

So, you're not mad?

I'm happy.

You're so small.

Now you.

Now what?

How are you?

I'm good.

How are you?

I'm good.

Where are you going?

Home.

Back to the altitude tent.

Yes.

That's cool.

You should stay.

You don't want to stay?

Hey. Hey.

Plum.

Come here.

Just stay a minute.

Bye.

"If you ever find yourself

in the wrong story, leave."

Mo Willems.

Hey.

I'm sorry.

Shh, no.

Plum.

Do you think everyone will know?

They can't know.

They can only see

what happens on the track.

Next up on the track,

the women's

5,000-meter finals.

Our United States Olympic team

will be chosen here tonight.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes