Matt and Mara (2024)

[bunniefuu]

[Indistinct conversations]

[Bustling chatter, indistinct]

[Man] Yeah, last weekend.

[Woman talking, indistinct]

[Man] Mara!

Hey.

[Mara] Hi!

What's up?

What are you... What are

you doing here? [Laughs]

I-I came to see you.

This is not a coincidence.

Like, I didn't just

see you, and then...

I didn't just follow you here.

I was waiting over there with your...

with your students, is that what this is?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. This

is... This is my class.

Uh, how long... how

long are you in town?

A few weeks. Like,

I'm-I'm gonna be around.

Okay. I'll, uh, I'll

email you, all right?

Yeah, okay.

Great.

Uh, everyone can, uh,

come into the class now.

Have a good class.

[Student chatter, indistinct]

Sorry.

[Lights clicking on]

[Casual chatter, indistinct]

[Mara] Okay, so we're continuing

our unit on poetic grammar.

So...

prose is governed

differently than poetry...

by the rules of grammar.

Pardon me.

Um... [shuffling her notes]

but I find, uh,

whether or not you...

uh, intend to be a

professional poet, um...

the reading of

poetry can sensiti...

sensitize you, uh, to

the reading of prose.

And just as how,

when you look at

paintings in a museum,

and you re-enter

onto the street,

and you have a more heightened

awareness of, maybe, the ways

that the buildings intersect...

um...

when you're reading prose,

suddenly you'll be aware of

the choices in the grammar,

uh, that the writer's making.

[Mara] So you don't know

how long you're in town for?

[Traffic droning nearby]

I mean, I told

myself I would, like,

- finish the draft before I left.

- Mm-hmm.

I still have my

apartment in New York.

How often are you writing?

- Every day. When I'm not...

- Yeah?

Yeah... Wasting time,

walking around with people.

I have a whole cycle

of past friends,

old girlfriends,

who I'll just see.

I literally don't know

what it would feel like

to have that kind of arrogance

to think that I know

anything about what a...

another person's thinking.

Why is it arrogance,

and not just, like,

creative... imagination?

So you admit you're

imagining it...

you don't actually know?

- That's different. If you...

- I'm letting my imagination

reach my stupidity,

so it becomes reality.

What?

I'm letting my imagination

reach right to the level

of my own stupidity,

which makes it my reality.

Okay, well...

I don't think you

actually care about...

[Sighs] Ah, no.

It's... I'm trying to figure out

who's making who self-conscious.

Are you gonna even ask

about what I'm writing,

or is that totally

irrelevant to the...

I'm just trying to be...

I was being polite.

That's why I didn't ask.

Well, don't ask out

of politeness...

- I'm saying...

- Ask if you're interested.

I was not asking

out of politeness,

because it's quite rude

when somebody hasn't published

something for a while,

to be, like, "So what

are you writing?"

Haven't you read Wonder Boys?

I don't actually

feel embarrassed

that I haven't been publishing

- in a while.

- I'm not trying to push, but...

- Do you not want to know?

- Badly!

You keep backing

off really easily.

Because you are made of glass!

I'm not made o...

Please.

Are you going to be

extremely gentle and careful?

I'm gonna hold it

like a Faberg egg.

- Okay.

- With white gloves.

- Okay.

- And I'm a servant, so I know...

in Singapore,

where I know that if even, like,

the shadow touches

it, they'll behead me.

Okay.

So...

I think

the thing that I'm

really interested in

is...

like, a...

a person who...

[Quiet background music plays]

truly believes, um,

that they know nothing

about themselves.

Um, and that

all of their desires

are complete secrets from them,

and that these desires

could be revealed

at any moment

and ruin her life.

She feels as though her identity

could be radically

transformed beyond her control

without her having

any say in it?

Yes, exactly.

Like, I'm understanding

what you're saying.

Exactly.

This sounds great,

and it also sounds

very contemporary.

Like, people are gonna

be, like, "Oh, wow."

But the problem is

that it's, like...

[Background music volume

increases sharply]

it's just an idea,

like, I don't know how to...

like, I don't know

how to write that.

You'd have to get the audience

to understand what's happening.

No, not how to get the

audience to understand it...

like, literally... is the...

[Loudly] Is the music... is

the music getting louder?

Quite a bit. Quite a bit.

It's getting loud, yes.

[Mara, to staff] Excuse me?

[Rock music thumping]

Closed?

[Matt] Oh, you're closed.

Yeah, we're closed.

- Okay.

- Sorry.

Thanks for coming.

[Mara] Okay, you

could've just told us.

[Barista] Well, I mean,

it's the end of the day.

I like to put on some music. You

know, it's... Most people get it.

- Uh-huh.

- [Guitar rock thrashing]

Okay. Uh...

[Matt, quickly] We're going.

We're going. We're going.

[Barista] No, I mean, did

you guys want anything else?

I can get you another drink?

I mean, I don't

really know anyone

who drinks coffee after five.

The machine is... I mean,

I did kinda close it.

Look, we weren't meaning

to cause personal offense.

We were just having

a conversation...

- Oh no, no, no!

- And then you started...

It's fine, it's totally fine...

if you guys wanna hang out.

I mean, you guys were

having a conversation,

- I get it.

- Okay.

[Barista] It sounded

deep and important.

[Offended] Whoa...

We're so... We're so sorry.

No, it's fine. I mean,

just... I mean, most people...

If it was me, I'm thinking,

"Oh, I don't wanna bug this guy,

he's probably

working a double..."

All you had to say

was, "We're closing."

That's all you had to say.

I did. When I posted the sign.

And now this is... you're

being so aggressive.

You didn't even say,

"We're closing."

It's so unnecessary. Yeah, you

never said it. You just came...

I think I said it when

I flipped the sign.

- Now they're open again.

- Oh, is that how I did it?

Yeah.

[Mockingly] This is

you drinking coffee.

This is you drinking coffee. "Oh,

did you read my books? I'm so smart!"

Let's go. Let's go.

[Barista] Try

working for a living!

Yeah... okay. Oh,

yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rock music thrashing]

[Barista] Bye... Karen.

[Strumming softly]

[]

[Door opens]

Hey.

What are you guys doing?

Uh, playing guitar.

Avery?

Is she playing?

She's, uh... trying to.

[Mara laughing]

- [Coos]

- No?

[Avery grunts]

Where'd it go?

[Strums]

Ding!

Usually, when people

say "family band,"

they don't mean "one

guitar, three people."

[Laughs]

[Avery] Fow!

"Four"?

- Fa...

- "Five."

- Six.

- "Six."

- Seven.

- "Seven."

[Bass line thumping]

[]

[Band jamming]

[]

[]

This is saying it's

a full hour longer

to cross through the

border at Kingston

than Niagara Falls.

[Dishes clatter in kitchen]

Samir?

This says it's a

full hour longer

if we were to cross

through Kingston

rather than Niagara Falls,

to get to Ithaca.

[Dishes continue clattering]

Can you hear me?

[Traffic rumbling in distance]

["Masquerade" by

Michaela Slinger plays]

In a hotel near a theme park

Since then I never

saw you the same

You broke down on

the cheap duvet

I knew you were afraid

But you used your anger

to cover up your fear

Just like a masquerade

Hey

Just little bit...

like, over the ear.

Hey, like a masquerade

Hey, like a masquerade...

[Shutter clicks]

Little bit up with

your chin. Yeah.

[Shutter clicks]

[Snapping]

[Snapping]

Leave it.

Little bit...

Little bit... yeah.

[Snapping]

[]

[Student] "Reality,

realness, fact,

proven in repetition,

with care, and with

kindness, passion,

and pure jubilation.

Love for what is real,

from your head to your heart,

with butterflies and with ease.

Step lightly, step forward,

in step and in time.

'Cause when love

fills the streets

with its bounty and its passion,

it colours our world."

There's an amazing, like,

drive behind that poem.

- Yeah.

- Like, an amazing force.

Um, when you say something

like "going deeper,"

maybe what that can mean is...

just look at, like,

really concrete examples.

Even just, like, in your... if

you're thinking about your poem,

and thinking about, like,

the movements of your day,

um, and how...

uh, this idea of love being

everything that

you're talking about

is... is present in

those... in those movements.

[Sighing]

[Sizzling]

- It's hot, eh?

- It's really hot.

Anyway, so...

they found out about each

other being cheated on

mid-air...

in the plane.

Mm!

Isn't that crazy?

Imagine just getting off a plane

and your entire life

is completely changed.

- [Spoon clinking]

- They're both...

Who are these people

that you know?

I don't know them. They're

friends of friends.

There's just this

Paul Mooney joke...

I don't know why it came

to my head. I'll let it go.

No, no, what is it?

He said that, um...

he said that, uh,

like, White people

would rather k*ll each other

than break up with

their partners.

[Both laughing]

Like, it just makes

me think of that.

It's, like, after seven years, you don't

think that you should just maybe say

that you don't wanna get married

to this person? Like, come on.

Hmm.

[Sizzling]

Have you ever, like,

known two people

that were such good friends

that they're basically

known for being friends?

Like, they're...

they're always together.

It's basically...

Uh, like high-school stuff?

Yeah. It's basically

their most remarkable quality

is that they're friends

with each other.

Mm-hmm.

- And then...

- [Laughs] That's kind of an insult.

[Laughs] No, because, like,

a friendship like

that is remarkable.

True.

- You know?

- Yeah.

- So...

- Yeah, what is it?

So, then...

one day, they're just

not friends anymore.

Don't you feel like...

then it's kind of like

each of those people...

Mm-hmm?

Is sort of a fraud?

Like, there's something...

That they drifted apart?

No.

Sure.

But, I mean...

more what I mean

is, like, how can...

how can it have been the case

that they were these

friends and, like, not...

not even necessarily for

these reasons that you say,

of, like, something

super-honest,

or something super-shared

between them,

but they just are

really good friends,

and then, just as mysteriously,

they're not really as

good friends anymore?

Is that what...

are you thinking about that 'cause

of the story I just told you?

Like, why did that pop into your

mind after I told you the story?

Okay, sweetie.

I'll be back really soon, okay?

[Avery whimpers,

then starts crying]

No, it's okay. Shh. Thanks.

[Bawling]

All right, I'd better slip out

before this gets much worse.

[Samir] All right.

[Avery shrieks]

[Crying]

[Mara] See you soon.

[Mara] So, I was invited

to the literary conference

in Ithaca...

to, like, host

one of the panels.

Like, I guess they asked

me to do it because I...

I don't know, I

think it's about...

like, theatrical adaptation,

or something like that.

- Uh-huh.

- And...

Anyways, they asked

me to h*... [coughs]

host it.

And I'm kind of, like...

I don't understand

how this... like,

these, sort of social writer...

- Yeah.

- Events work.

I don't know. To me...

I would rather, like...

I would rather eat this

fork than go to one...

[Laughing]

I think, at this point, but

it's because I've, like...

Why? Because you've

gone to so many?

I've gone to a bunch already,

so it's, like, kind of, like,

I don't feel, like,

curiosity or excitement

about the experience.

It's always, like, a bit...

sad, and a bit,

maybe, horny also.

Like... because I

think everyone's, like,

so excited to be

out of the house.

Do people really have

affairs at those things?

100 percent!

I heard that people have

affairs at, um, residencies.

Oh, my god! That's, like,

90% of what they're for...

I think, for other people.

[Laughing]

Yeah.

Just because it's, like,

you're away from home.

Mm-hmm.

You spend... like...

like you're saying, like,

- I think writing is...

- You can justify it

because you're having

such a deep, invested,

artistic experience.

Yeah! You're spending

late nights at the bar

talking about your... you know,

the areas of your expertise

with people who give a sh*t

and who aren't, like,

your family, or whatever.

Mm-hmm.

And so, there's...

there's a real, like...

"what happens in

Vegas" kind of energy,

except that it's

not... it's not...

"What happens at MacDowell..."

Yeah, exactly!

"Stays in the forest

of New Hampshire."

Isn't that...?

It's less glamorous,

because you're all, like...

you know, when you turn the

lights on, everyone's a poet.

Like, it's not... [laughing]

It's not very sexy.

[Student] So I thought, "why don't I

just pivot and try a personal narrative

with all these themes combined,

and see where it goes?"

So that's when I

came up with this.

Mm-hmm. No, I think

it really works.

And...

And I think, um, not

having to say everything

and allowing there

to be gaps in time...

I really... I really

like the ellipsis.

- [Knocking at door]

- [Calls out] Uh, yep?

H-Hey.

- [Off-guard] Hi.

- Sorry, I didn't, uh...

Yeah, no, I'm just

with a student.

Yeah. Shou...

Should I come back?

I just...

Uh... yeah, no. Sure.

I'll wait outside.

- Okay.

- Okay.

- [Door thuds]

- Sorry about that interruption.

Um, we could always

reschedule if...

No, no, no. Um...

you...

you had a question

for me, though?

Yes, I did.

So, you know, I wrote this

as stream of consciousness,

and I noticed

that I don't write in compound

and complex sentences...

Very brave!

You think it's dirty?

I wouldn't do that in New York.

Wh... Oh! You

completely cleared it!

There was no contact.

Like... you didn't

get wet at all.

That was amazing.

We're gonna practice

your charm, all right?

Smile at everybody

who passes us.

Okay.

In a way that you're trying

to get them to smile back.

- Okay.

- Ready? This lady here.

- Okay.

- Even with the mask.

- No.

- That was it.

She smiled back at me!

Is that all it takes?

Yep.

I'm gonna do it again.

Try this one here.

Look at that.

Nah, she looked away.

[Chuckles] Like that.

Mm... that's too "surfer."

Okay, you're being funny. No.

- No? Okay.

- If that...

That was... Yeah!

That's pleasant.

- Yeah?

- Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

The top teeth.

See, when we smile together,

we give off a, um...

Jesuit priest...

or, like, like, door-to-door

"Bible salesman" vibe.

We are... It has to

be one person smiling.

Okay.

Let's try.

Hello. Hi.

How are you? Oh, you

have the tape on you!

- Oh, no, watch out.

- Oh, it got you.

[Laughing]

[Woman] Now do we go?

Oh, please. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah? All right, thank

you! Have a good day.

Bye.

[Chuckling]

See, that's how

you get the smiles.

- [Traffic droning]

- [Passersby chatting]

[Laughs]

[Matt] Obviously, yeah.

Up straight...

a little more forward.

- Sure.

- Thank you.

- [Shopkeeper] Okay.

- [Matt] Hold on one second.

Is this actually gonna

go on your passport...

the photo you take right

now? I'm asking you for real.

[Mara] Why would

I be doing this?

Okay.

Well, then, come on,

let's do it right.

We don't want you getting

turned away at the border.

Okay.

- [Snapping]

- Great.

Okay.

[Shopkeeper] Good.

May I ask you... where

are you heading to?

Once you-you get your passport?

Um...

Mexico.

- Oh.

- Yeah.

Wonderful.

Have you been there before?

- Uh, no.

- No?

- Mm.

- Is this, uh, correct?

- No.

- You like this?

Uh...

Which one you like...

this... or this?

Well, yeah, the one

with the eyes...

- Oh, okay.

- Do I get to pick?

- [Mara] Can we do his now?

- [Shopkeeper] What?

[Mara] Can we do his now?

Well, if he wants

to go to Mexico...

- [Laughing]

- As long as...

okay, now.

- Great!

- Take those off.

- One, two...

- Mara!

You know, I'm trying

to take this seriously.

- I see.

- Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Uh, okay, one, two...

- [Snickering]

- No. Please...

[Matt] Can she...

can you move her?

- Uh...

- Can she go somewhere else?

Yes.

Okay, one, two...

- [Snapping]

- Great!

There it is!

No, no, no, the one

before, the one before.

There. Look at that.

That's a dust jacket!

- No, no.

- No, no, no, no.

Don't be ridiculous,

that's me looking...

- Mara.

- No.

[Matt] That is... that's...

that's celebrity status.

[Mara] No, it's to

identify yourself.

- It needs to be square on.

- Hold on.

[Matt] Mm-hmm. I'll be right

back, I'll be right back.

- Okay.

- I'm good with any of them!

[Door bell jangles]

Um... maybe I'll do

one more for myself.

[Shopkeeper] Yeah, okay. Sure.

Does he work too much?

[Mara] Um...

he takes himself a-a

bit too seriously.

[Shopkeeper] Mm.

He's a writer.

- Oh, that's why...

- Yeah.

He has a lot of

imagine... imagination.

Yeah.

Okay, one, two...

three...

May I ask, uh, how long have

you been married with him?

[Mara] It's, uh,

seven years now, yeah.

Seven years.

Oh.

Yeah, your relationship

seems young.

Mm.

Yeah.

- Okay.

- [Snapping]

[Bell jingles]

What'd I miss?

[Shopkeeper] You wife says

that you don't like photos.

Who says?

Your wife.

She said I don't like photos?

That you don't like photos.

I don't... I don't know.

- I'll talk to her about that.

- Yeah.

I'll talk to her.

Honey...

why are you telling

this nice man

that I don't, uh, like photos?

He called me your wife and

I just went along with it.

You went with it.

Yeah.

Don't get upset.

Do I seem upset?

How long did you say

we're married for?

Seven years.

Oh, so since undergrad?

- Mm.

- Uh-huh.

So it's, like, we

graduated, got married.

[Shopkeeper] Photos are ready.

Ah. Thank you.

[Matt] Thanks a lot, man.

[Shopkeeper] Yeah. Have a

good trip. Yeah, take care.

There was this guy

that was at a show

we played in Leipzig,

the night before,

and would stand

directly in front of me

and was just, like,

blowing smoke in my face.

- Really?

- And who do... Yeah.

- Do you remember?

- I'm... I'm telling you...

I can't believe that you

don't remember all this stuff

that is, like,

burned into my mind.

- [Laughter]

- Yeah, I don't...

This guy was such

a piece of sh*t,

and was doing all these sort of

weird, like, kinda performative,

like... like, macho stuff,

and it was, like, he was only

doing it to Amanda and I.

- Hmm.

- And then...

but then, after the show,

was, like, "You are

amazing. I love your band."

- I do remember this guy.

- [Laughter]

And then followed us to

the next show in Halle,

- and then...

- What?

[Friend] For "cellular chaos,"

this band that played

after us, that was, like,

a punk band with this,

like, frontwoman...

he kept trying to

do the same thing,

and then she just literally

beat the sh*t out of him.

- What?

- Like, during her set!

- Whoa.

- You don't remember any of that?

- Wow.

- Yeah, I don't know...

Samir was having a

tough time on that tour.

Yeah. Yes, I was.

- Yeah.

- I was really sick, yeah.

Have you guys... Have you guys

seen anything good lately?

- No.

- I feel like

I don't really see you

guys at shows that often.

No, I haven't really

seen anything in a while.

I don't really listen to music.

- Really?

- No!

[Laughter]

But it's not like you avoid it.

It's not, like...

Like, I don't ever...

You're, like, in a shop and you're,

like, "Turn it off," kind of thing?

[Mara] Like, I feel

like I don't have

an intellectual

response to music.

- Hmm.

- Mm-hmm.

But I think it's supposed

to be an emotional one.

[Mara] Mm-hmm.

I mean, like, you get

it from other stuff.

Mm-hmm.

Like, it's not for a lack of...

like, you know, you... you

have a full life, right?

[Laughter]

[Mara] Yeah. I mean,

I can hear music.

- Sure.

- Like, when it's playing.

Yeah, yeah.

So, you know how,

like, when you...

when you watch a musical...

Mm-hmm.

And you're, like,

"That's crazy. That

doesn't make any sense..."

Mm-hmm.

When they break out into song?

- Mm-hmm.

- Mm.

That's how I feel

about all music.

[Laughs] Like, they

broke out deliberately?

[Laughter]

What are we all

doing here? Let's...

- Ouch!

- Yeah, yeah.

[Mara] No, I don't

think it's, like,

a spiritual deficit

or something.

- Right.

- Sure, sure.

- Of course not. Of course not.

- Or a spiritual deficiency.

- No.

- There is a blockage.

So, there must... like, if

something doesn't, like...

if you don't listen to, uh...

I don't know, like,

just a hit track

that, like, works for you...

But why does it

make me deficient

that I can't feel it for music?

Mm, because I think

that sound is...

like, that music produces

is part of, like,

your everyday life.

Like, you know?

I mean, so is

language, so is images.

- Yeah, I'm not...

- Music is pre-language.

You know, like, I think that's

kind of partially what it is...

it's, like, music is so...

yeah, before language...

[Mara] So you guys

think that language...

music is more elemental...

- Yes.

- More fundamental?

- Yeah.

- Yes.

That was the word I was thinking.

It was, like... it's elemental.

It's like the sun on your face.

- Mm.

- Yeah.

Like, do you not like

the sun on your face?

- [Laughter]

- I... yeah, I hate... I hate sun.

I hate sun.

I'm not saying they

were being nasty,

but it was a little bit intense,

all of their inquiries

being directed toward me

and me having to figure

out how to explain myself.

Or when Andrew was, like,

"It's kinda weird that

you're married to him

when you don't like

music." You know?

Yeah, but that

kinda makes sense.

You think I don't like music?

Uh...

Well, I'm sorry that I

ruined your good time.

You don't have to apologize.

Or fake apologize.

[Keys clacking]

- Is it good?

- Mm-hmm.

Bye.

Bye-bye. Bye-bye.

[Smooch]

Why don't we begin, um...

by...

someone sharing, uh,

a line of the poem

or a part of the poem

that affected them the most?

The poem... it does

a good job at...

kind of embodying, in words,

the true nature of love,

'cause it's not rational.

I really like the part that...

where you said something

along the lines of,

like, um, "Does it

make you shiver?"

And then you asked

again, "Does it?"

Like, really

questioning the reader,

and really, like...

I don't know.

Just really pushing them

and, like, really

making them think

about the questions

you're asking.

It could be interesting

for you, um, to try,

um, some different

styles of line break

with the poem that you have,

and maybe see how

that makes you, uh...

rediscover it or rethink, uh,

different parts of

what you're saying.

Okay.

Um, and maybe it'll return,

and this will be, um,

the version that makes

the most sense for you.

But it would be... it might be an

interesting exercise to try that out.

[Door creaking]

No, that's definitely

not too tight.

If you were to go a size

up, it'd be way too big.

But I like the color on you.

It's pretty.

It's not too bunched

up down here?

Mm... maybe try tucking it in?

[Store music plays

faintly in background]

Yeah.

Yeah, I like that.

[]

[Woman] Hi, Mara.

- Hi, how are you?

- I'm good. How are you doing?

- Good. Nice to see you.

- Nice to see you too.

Why don't you help yourself?

Maybe I will.

- There's not much left, though.

- Dig in.

[Indistinct background chatter]

That's Spikeball.

That's Spikeball.

I know pickleball

well... I love it.

Those are nice sunglasses.

[Chuckles]

[Matt] This looks cool.

Who are you?

Congratulations, Sean.

- Thank you. Thanks for coming.

- Yeah. No, my pleasure.

Hi.

- Hi.

- How are you?

I'm good. How are you?

Um... I might have done

something a little bit unwise,

where I brought Matt

with me to the party.

Where is he?

I think he's talking

to Professor Burke

in the hot tub.

Oh, my god. Oh, no! [Chuckles]

I think she started

the day in there.

Like, when I arrived,

she looked comfortable,

and also...

completely dehydrated.

[Laughing]

I don't know if she

has any, like...

moisture left in her body.

Hi, Catherine.

Oh, your ears must

have been burning.

Mara, hi.

[Chuckling]

We just... we were

just talking about you.

- [Mara] How are you?

- I'm fine. I see you brought a friend.

She dragged our whole story

out of me within seconds.

I hope Matt was a...

was a steel trap.

I was ever the diplomat.

I was ever the diplomat.

Mm.

She was asking what

makes you laugh,

and I was, like, "Oh, lots,

she's got the soul of a child.

A lot makes her laugh."

Uh...

um, it's a really

beautiful home.

Thank you. I hope you're

enjoying the party.

It was about time we had all

these wonderful people here

to celebrate the day today.

[Mara] Um, and

celebrate Sean's paper.

It sounds really interesting.

It's on-on Chaucer,

on religious

iconography in Chaucer.

- It sounds riveting.

- Um...

[Matt] I'm here to celebrate

the paper, too, yeah.

- Mm. Really...

- Let's find him.

- Let's read it.

- Really incredible.

- Let's... yeah, let's get it.

- Yeah.

- Let's find it.

- You might learn something.

Good to see you.

[Matt] Thank you.

[Quietly] Okay,

who is that woman?

[Hushed] She's the

head of the department!

Don't pretend you don't

know who she is...

you made a beeline for her

as soon as you got here.

Oh, you're crazy. Oh, my gosh!

I went... she's in a hot tub.

I had no idea who she was.

What are you talking about?

You told her I have

"the soul of a child"?

No, she said, what

makes you laugh?

Oh, oh, oh, oh. No,

you... I was... she was...

Why are you telling her I

have "the soul of a child"?

- That's not...

- You... You...

Like, she's not

gonna understand...

- Excuse me.

- Hi, sorry.

That makes me sound

f*cking insane.

That makes me sound insane.

Mar, she was grill...

You're going on... You're

going on... Don't, okay...

I don't have "M" s.

You don't have "M" s?

I don't have "M"s on my palms. I'm the

only person I know that doesn't have "M"s.

I... I don't actually...

I don't actually know

what you're talking about.

Wow, your palms are hectic.

"Hectic"?

Look at this chaos.

- Oh, whoa.

- Oh, no...

There's a lot going on in there!

Trouble. That's scary!

Are you both... Is

this a woman thing?

- Yeah, it's a woman thing.

- Well, you know what I mean.

- Look at this.

- You girls get together

and you... it's like witchcraft.

Yeah, we start "divining."

Yeah. Yeah, that's it.

- Yeah, yeah.

- You know what?

This little Italian

lady told me a trick...

when you get a gold necklace,

you have your hand open,

you dip it three times.

Let it swing. Let it stand.

If it swings back and

forth, that means "boy."

Circular, that means "a girl,"

and you keep doing it

until it actually stops,

but it has to be

a gold necklace.

This happen to you?

Yeah. She was dead-on.

It worked?

Two boys, and then it stopped.

Factory's closed.

Everybody's laid off.

[Laughter]

Does anyone have a gold chain?

You wanna do it?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can we use it?

Sure.

Ooh...

[Mara] This is how we'll

find out if it's true,

- 'cause I have a daughter.

- Hold the palm very flat.

Good. Nice.

[Everyone] One...

Two...

Three...

- It started spinning!

- Yeah!

- Oh, it's a circle!

- Wow...

And I have... no, I have a girl!

Ooh.

Okay, that's a little spooky.

[Matt] Okay, now the second one.

[All] One...

Two...

Three...

[Matt] Okay, it's going

straight back and forth.

"Boy."

Okay, there's a boy coming, Mar.

Okay.

- Ready?

- Do it again.

[Matt] One...

[Others joining in] Two...

Three...

That's it.

- Dang.

- Whoa!

There you have it.

Can we burn the necklaces?

- [Laughter]

- Thank you.

- Who else wants to try it?

- That's a great party trick.

Matt?

You have not met him,

and you're not even gonna

admit that you've not met him.

- If you'd ever met...

- I know he's short!

Had met him... You are actually

able to remember someone

differently than they

are. Y-You like to...

You like to, kind

of, in your memory,

take a man and-and...

and distort him.

I'm not distorting

this guy, because,

the only thing I

remember about this guy

is that he was a short musician

with shoes so small,

I thought you were taking

care of your nephew.

I couldn't believe it.

I thought... you know

what I was worried about?

His balance!

Until I saw him.

And I thought, "Okay,

it makes sense."

You've never seen him.

His, um, center of gravity

is a foot and a half

above... above the ground.

His center of gravity!

I know

that you hate handsome men.

Oh-h*-h*-h*-h*-h*!

And so...

Okay!

And so, this is a thing

that you need to do.

[Matt snickering]

You need to kind of, like,

weirdly distort other

men in your mind...

My memory's true.

Because you find male beauty,

like, very disturbing.

I remember this about you.

It gets tangled up in gender.

Like, no, I remember,

every time you encounter,

like, a really beautiful man,

you need to, like, say

that he has a freakish jaw,

or you need to say

that he has, like,

deeply-set eye sockets.

Like, you come up...

or you're, like...

I just... I just

say it's a waste.

Or, no! Remember that guy that

I thought was really handsome,

that you just kept

telling me he had a limp?

He did!

He didn't have a limp!

But you just had to

say that he had a limp.

He had a limp.

You're remembering

these handsome men

through rose-colored glasses.

You've done the same

with your husband.

You've stretched him

out like Silly Putty.

Was he still growing?

Is that what's going on?

Like, was he so young

that he hadn't fully

gone through puberty?

Now he's... he's... he's

evened out at-at a 5'5"?

I remember him trying to touch my face,

and this is what it looked like...

this is his arm extended,

and he was just trying

to touch my face.

You've never met him!

Mara, he met me, and he said,

"Oh, you're growing

a bit of a beard."

He reached up... the full

extension of his arm.

And this is him...

and his fingers were

brushing my chin, like this.

I'm serious.

This book, to me,

is so emblematic

of, like, a particular

time in Canadian literature

that gives me, like,

a rash to think about.

[Laughing]

Just, like, when

everyone was, like...

losing their minds

over the idea that, like...

like, a man could feel bad

about the times that he

hurt someone's feelings.

- Like...

- Yeah.

And then write about it...

that that was, like,

the most insight

that you could get out of,

like, any literature at all.

That it was like...

you know, everyone had to,

like, trip over their dicks

to be, like, "This is the

smartest person alive,

and the most empathetic."

Okay. I mean...

like, as I say, we

weren't all duped.

He is a very charismatic person

and he's also a very

generous person.

- Mm-hmm.

- And...

I don't know.

He real... he really,

like, engages young people.

And is... and very...

candid, you know?

He doesn't place

himself at a, kind of...

uh, distance from them...

like, he gets excited.

Okay, the one thing I

will say about that...

and I don't think that

this necessarily means

that you, like, shouldn't

bring him to your class...

but it's something

to think about...

which is the fact that,

like, when he comes in there,

and when you're, like,

"This is my friend,

this is, like, my peer,

this is... "whatever,

you do become kind

of responsible

for him and for his behaviour.

Yeah.

And I feel, like, just

given what we know about him

as, like, a public

figure, about the...

the themes that he's

interested in...

the stuff that you're

saying even about,

like, how he wants

to kind of, like,

"shake people out of

their complacency,"

or whatever... like...

I do actually understand

what you're saying

about that being, like,

an invigorating thing,

or whatever, but...

and I've had that experience,

too, of just, like...

you know, when

you're with somebody

who's, like, so

different from you,

and who maybe just, like,

injects, like, an

energy into your life,

that you feel excited by it.

But... they go away...

and then you still have

to live your own life.

And, like, I feel

like, in the classroom,

what that is is, like...

you know, he comes in, and

he says a bunch of sh*t,

and stirs things up,

and makes it crazy,

and then, he leaves,

and everyone's looking at you,

and you have to kind

of answer for it.

[Mara] So, we'll go down by

the adult learning center,

into the DVP,

across the bridge, to

go to this nature path?

[Samir] Okay.

I'm gonna time the run.

- Okay.

- All right.

Can we keep together

on the run, though?

Yeah.

Because when you run

just ahead of me,

it feels like you're

pushing me to go faster.

- Okay.

- Do you know what I mean?

Mm-hmm.

I mean, what's the point of running

together if we're not keeping together?

Okay, fair enough.

[Feet pounding asphalt]

[Traffic droning in distance]

Hey, Dad.

I brought a guest.

[Mara] Hi.

[Matt] You remember my

friend, Mara, from school?

[Mara] It's good to see you.

Yeah, so, no...

yeah, so, normally, I

come here, and, uh...

I'll hang out in this chair.

I'll show you all my

little techniques.

[Shuffles chair toward bed]

So I can control his, uh...

bed with this thing.

They taught me how to do it.

[Whirring]

See? Like this.

I sit here, and I

contemplate my next moves.

Is he, um...

like, cog... cognizant?

Sometimes.

All he's talking about

is that it's currently

a seller's market

in real estate,

and that he wants to get

a real estate license

so he can get in

on the big boom.

[Mara laughs]

I'm being a 100% serious.

I'm sorry.

It's okay.

Nurses say that he's, uh,

doing good, and that...

maybe... actually,

what am I saying?

They're all so friendly,

they just smile.

And it's so obvious they

know that he's toast.

I think I'm the only

person visiting.

When you put your

feet up like this,

it's very easy to

sleep in this place.

[Mara] I don't...

I don't... I don't feel...

I don't feel comfortable, um...

- Relaxing?

- Relaxing.

Well, I'm just showing you, this is what

I... this is how I sleep when I'm here.

- Yeah. Okay.

- Okay. Okay, all right.

Want me to close

it? Watch your leg.

[Father groans groggily]

I'm okay.

I know.

I know, I'm just saying this...

He had a good life.

Loved wine. Loved cigars.

My mom would always say,

"You gotta stop

drinking and smoking."

And I was, like, "Why?

He's, like, enjoying this."

I'm really sorry.

Let's go. Let's...

- [Sniffling]

- Let's not stay.

No, it's good.

I brought you here to

say hi for one second!

No, no, it's okay. Just

stay a little while.

Here, you... you

sit on the chair.

It's okay. It's okay.

What do you do? What do

you do when you're here?

I sit here and I read him

old "Sir Lancelot" stories.

[Laughs] No, you don't.

Yeah, that's true.

I got a printout of one...

of the same one that

he use to read to me.

Sit.

Okay.

Thanks for coming.

Bedroom.

Uh, bathroom's down there.

Uh, this is gonna be,

like, writer's room.

Wow.

Someone likes you

better than I do.

Pretty good, eh?

Got a chin-up bar.

[Tapping the bar]

Ever used one of these before?

[Grunts]

I do it with my

legs out, like this.

- [Grunting]

- You're not counting.

Four. Five.

Six.

Seven.

- Oh, oh, oh!

- Eight...

That was a mistake.

That was a mistake.

- Oh, my god.

- Are you actually hurt?

I can't take this.

Don't look at me.

Are you actually hurt, Matt?

- Don't laugh. Don't laugh.

- Matt...

I didn't hurt myself...

and if you make me laugh,

it's gonna be so much worse.

Where does it hurt?

Right where my hand is.

Whoa.

Am I gonna make it, Doc?

I think so.

Sorry if I'm sweaty.

Yeah. Yeah.

Okay, I'm-I'm gonna run

hot water over this,

so it doesn't swell.

I mean, I'll be

two seconds, okay?

Matt?

Be out in one sec.

[Chuckles]

Don't go.

I'll be back in one second.

[Door shuts]

[Shower running]

[Shower continues running]

[Shower running]

The wipers on the bus

Go swish, swish, swish

Swish, swish swish

Swish, swish, swish

The wipers on the bus

go swish, swish, swish

All through the town

De, de, de, de, de...

The door.

Door.

...Go open and shut

- Open and...

- [Babbling]

[Avery giggling]

Round and round

Round and round

The wheels on the bus

go round and round

All through the town

Wah-wah-wah

[Giggling]

Wah-wah-wah

The babies on the bus go...

Owl, owl, owl!

[Samir] Owl?

Owl. Owl, owl!

[Matt] I think

you can be so much...

[exhales]

more... I don't wanna use

the word "controversial,"

because that is so, um...

I-I mean, I'm only saying this

because of this...

[Stammers] ...Like,

unfortunate reality

of the publishing world,

which is that you need

to stand out so starkly

from the crowd,

and, in order to do that,

you need to be doing things

that nobody else

is willing to do,

because, otherwise,

you sanitize yourself,

and that's, I guess, what I'm,

uh, trying to say to avoid,

is this kind of sanitization,

which I actually think

is people worrying

about an audience.

Every single time

I've seen somebody

write honestly,

it's never humiliating at all.

I've seen people admit

the most disgusting,

dastardly, evil,

criminal things in

their writing...

nobody thinks that it's true,

everybody just thinks

it's brilliant writing.

Every single time.

Every single time.

Right? And so, I encourage

you to explore that,

at the very least, as

a therapeutic technique

for writing the things

that you dare not say.

Because there is a

distancing effect

between art and

the creator of it,

where, for whatever reason...

I mean, you don't need to

look any further than...

who's that guy who wrote

Portnoy's Complaint?

W... You guys ever

read that book?

It's insane!

- It's Philip Roth.

- Yeah, Philip Roth!

It's a book about him

basically, like, sleeping with

and raping half of

New York City, and...

Okay, let's...

[Chuckles nervously]

The point is,

nobody's knocking on

Philip Roth's door,

being, like, "Excuse me, sir.

You admitted to bad

things in your writing,

now you're going to jail."

No, they gave him

the Pulitzer Prize.

Sorry. Anyway...

[Playing a solo]

[Mara] It sounded really good.

- You actually liked it?

- [Laughs] Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, it's going good.

We're gonna extend

the recording,

and, uh... probably

by another week.

Okay.

So I'm not gonna be able to

drive you to Ithaca anymore.

Okay.

Which, I know, screws

up your plans, but...

I mean...

I'm sure we can someone to

drive... to drive for you.

'Cause we have the car.

Yeah.

Sorry, I mean...

Yeah, I'm sorry. I would've

driven, but it's...

It's ultimately fine. I just

have to wrap my head around it.

Do you know anyone

that can drive, or...?

You always date women

that look a bit like

Jewel, actually.

Yeah, 'cause I like

people whose teeth

are a little bit messed up.

I have... I have, like, one...

No, I know.

- I know all about your teeth.

- Little tooth here...

Yeah. Mara, I know all... Yeah.

That someone told me is cute.

Why do you think I'm

so interested in you?

I've been... I got my eye

on that tooth, don't worry.

I've been keep... I've been

keeping track of that tooth.

Hmm.

Dream...

Um, so we keep going on

this for quite a long time.

But until what? What

am I looking for?

Until we get to Rainbow Road.

We cross at Rainbow Bridge?

Yeah, we're crossing

at Rainbow Bridge...

- Oh...

- To New York State.

Then I know what we gotta do.

[Falls thundering]

[Laughing]

Wow.

[Both giggling]

Great!

The power!

- "The power!"

- [Laughing]

The power!

We just totally interrupted

their family photo.

[Snap]

[Falls thundering]

[Shouting] Holy sh*t!

[Dryer blowing]

[Dryer shuts off]

[Matt] I got this. I got this.

[Mara] I got...

No, I'm your

chaperone. Remember?

I'm in charge.

[trunk thuds]

Not in charge, sorry.

In charge of your bags. Mm.

- I'm, like...

- I'm in charge.

Yeah. You're Miss Daisy.

- Hello.

- Hi there. Welcome.

- Are you here for a check-in?

- Yes.

Uh, yeah. I have two rooms.

Uh, one for Matt Johnson,

one for Mara Walsh.

Mm-hmm.

What have you got in here?

Why is this so heavy?

Do you wanna not bang my

laptop against the counter?

Wha... No problem.

311 for you... that's that way.

125 is for you... it's this way.

[Mara] Ah, really far

away from each other.

Thank you.

- Did you plan that?

- [Laughs]

Uh, I think I should rest

up before I go give my talk.

Oh, you want me

to come with you?

- Uh, I'm just...

- To check out that side,

and then we'll go

see the other side?

I'm just gonna go take a nap...

- [Indistinct ruckus]

- It's a party.

Okay.

Then you wanna meet downstairs?

We'll go get something to eat?

- After the talk?

- Yeah, yeah.

Okay.

I'll meet you back here?

Oh, Matt!

- Your bag.

- I thought you were, like,

"Oh, I've got something

to tell you, Matt." Okay.

Come to the talk, please?

No, don't come to the talk.

- Bye!

- Bye.

[Rustling]

- Hi.

- Hello.

Um, Mara Walsh.

Mara Walsh?

Um, you can just sign in there.

Here you are.

There's tea, coffee,

snacks... just help yourself.

And, uh, you get one of these.

Um...

[Conference bustle and din]

[Event host] Non-fiction,

radio plays, libretti,

and graphic novels.

Her current areas of research

include symbolism

in romantic poetry,

and the topic of

today's panel...

theatrical adaptation.

Please welcome to

the stage Mara Walsh.

[Applauding]

[Applause ends]

[Laughs] Hi.

What the hell is this?

Are you coming in?

Yeah!

What are you doing here?

I was, uh, at the conference.

What are... What

are you doing here?

I didn't see you on the program.

[Music carries in

distance, indistinct]

[Traffic droning]

[Clicking]

[Whoosh]

[Whoosh]

[Laptop keyboard clacking]

[Matt, muffled] I aced it!

[Car door shuts, muffled]

[Woman] Wow! Amazing.

[Laughing and

chatting, indistinct]

[Traffic droning in distance]

Could you open the trunk?

[Matt] What? What?

[Snaps] Can you open the trunk?

Yeah.

Thanks.

Cool.

Hmm?

Nice.

I went to dinner with

this girl yesterday.

That's why... [stammering]...that's

who I was with when I texted you.

Just someone that you...

She's from Toronto.

She's a writer from the...

from the conference.

Her name's... Maeve.

You went to dinner

with Maeve Palanko?

Yeah.

But I-I-I-I've been on

a few dates with her

in the city, too.

- Like, our agents...

- You didn't mention that!

[Chuckles]

It was... It wasn't...

It wasn't a...

It's very superficial,

I'll just say.

Like, we don't have a

ton in common, but, um...

yeah.

I know... I know

of her work, yeah.

I think it's really interesting

that you narrow in

on the most famous

person available.

[Matt snickers]

No, it's all right. I kind of...

I've understood

that's your priority

for a little while, so...

Oh, my god! You're upset.

Why is this bothering you?

Why do you care? Why do you care

that she left an

earring in the car?

Because you're trying to do...

you're trying to...

I'm trying to what?

You're trying to... I know

what you're trying to do.

Okay. So what is it?

You are trying to make

it seem like I care.

- Like, you're doing...

- And how 'bout this?

- You're doing...

- How 'bout this?

I'll do whatever you want.

- You are the one...

- I'll do anything you want, Mara.

That left a woman's

earring in my car!

I didn't leave

her earring there!

- To send some...

- I didn't do that to...

To manipulate you!

- I don't give a f*ck about her.

- Yes, you did!

- No, I didn't!

- Why are you taking my car?

Why are you putting

another person in my car?

Think of what would

need to happen for me

to be, like, "Hey, Maeve.

Give me that f*cking earring,

I'm gonna leave it right here."

And her and I are giggling

away, being like, "Oh..."

I'm not saying that

you planted it there.

I'm saying

that it's a little insensitive

for you to not cover

your tracks at all

if you're going to take

people off in my car.

- And then, I'll be able...

- We had plans to have dinner!

And I come down,

and I wait in the lobby,

and you're not even there,

and then I find out, like,

what, you've gone out to

dinner with someone else?

Like, how is that

not... I mean, what...

I texted you. I texted you!

I said, "Come to the

restaurant with us."

You texted me when you were

already out at a restaurant

with someone, and, like...

it's like we have this, like...

what was the word that you used?

Like a... like a complicity.

Like a... like a

complicity together.

And then... and then you...

then you act like it's

absolutely nothing!

We didn't have a time

that we were set...

- No, you...

- I went to get a drink

- with somebody...

- What you want...

Then it turned into dinner.

What you want is

me to feel silly

that I thought we were

gonna have dinner together.

- You're insane.

- Like, and even now,

even now, like, you're

making me feel stupid

for having even...

even thought that.

Mar, we didn't have a set time.

You said, "Meet me in

the lobby after my talk."

I said, "Let me come

to your room with you."

Okay, the last...

And you went, "No,

no, no, no, no.

"I'd rather take a nap. Oh,

how 'bout I meet you..."

- Matt, I had...

- "...At some unspecified time

- for dinner?"

- Matt, I had

30 minutes before my talk.

Uh-huh.

How long was the talk?

Therefore, after it, when?

When was I supposed to be in the

lobby? I didn't know any of this sh*t.

Okay, this is beside the

point. This is you...

- This is the whole point!

- Excusing...

No, this is you excusing...

No, no, no.

You do not get to get

by on a technicality.

I'm not trying to get

by. I'm not in trouble!

You know that I

can't be, like...

I know...

"Yes, come with... come

have a nap with me."

- Like, I'm not...

- Oh, please, as if I know.

You rewrite the rules every day!

These are always your rules!

And then, I'm going...

I'm going along with it.

I-I'm... I'm

playing... I'm there.

I'm there, I'm there,

and then, you go,

"Oh, I'm not playing."

Or just... no, you just...

I love you.

- No, shush. Shush, shush, shush.

- Yeah, yeah, I'll admit it.

- I love you.

- That's not true.

You-You do what you want.

You do what you want with that,

and you can... you

say anything you want.

Don't tell me that

you want this now

when you literally

didn't want it yesterday.

Don't pretend

you don't do this thing

where you make a joke

and see if I'll go for it.

I can't go for it, because if

I did go for it, you would...

- Then what?

- You would pretend

that you hadn't made

the offer at all.

No, how is this even...

How is that even a word

you're throwing around?

You're not even allowed

to throw that word around!

I kind of like the way

that it looks fake.

Yeah, it looks like

it's covered in velvet.

It's funny that...

like, how did they get

photographs that were that long?

True.

I hadn't thought of that.

Maybe they took two photos

and stitched it together.

How?

- [Phone ringing]

- I don't know. Like...

[Ringing]

Be right back.

Hang on just one second.

What's going on?

sh*t, Matt. I'm so sorry.

[Matt] He-he just

looked the same.

- Yeah.

- He just looked the same,

and, uh, they had all these...

I had to sign a bunch of forms.

Like, I realized that, uh...

I knew this was coming,

so why did I wait?

- Yeah.

- Um...

Yeah, but all of that...

but all of that...

there... it's just things

that have to get done,

and you do them, like, it's...

I'll help you.

I'd appreciate it.

Yeah. Um...

yeah, we'll figure...

we'll figure it out, Matt.

Who was that?

Have I mentioned my friend,

Matt, to you before?

No.

His dad died.

Really?

I'm sorry. What happened?

Um...

I mean, he's been

sick for a long time,

but he got a call

from the hospital,

saying that he passed.

I'm sorry.

I feel like that's

really disturbing.

You just get, like, a phone

call with that information.

Hey!

Hey.

I'm sorry I'm late. I was...

Hi!

Hi.

Thanks for coming.

Oh.

[Matt] Oh, I don't

wanna do this.

I wanna just skip to the end.

Yeah, yeah.

Hi. Good afternoon.

- Yeah. How are ya?

- I'm fine, thank you.

We're trying to get

this suit altered.

Okay, this was my dad's suit,

and I need it to fit me.

Okay. Try this on, please.

Okay.

What am I supposed

to say at this thing?

Like, what do I say?

Am I supposed to go up and talk?

Like, who does this?

Who's in charge of this?

Very good. Perfect.

[Mara] I mean, did your mom say

that you're the one

that's supposed to speak?

Nobody said anything.

- Nobody's told me anything.

- Okay. Okay.

Well, think about it.

[Tailor] You can

take it off now, sir.

And, uh, give it back to me.

[Rustling]

- Uh, name, please?

- Uh, Matt.

Matt, okay.

- And, uh...

- Phone number?

- My number...

- Your number.

Uh, 647...

647...

637...

[Matt] Put-put down... put

down your name, too, Mar.

- Sure.

- Mar... okay.

And... Mara.

[Mara] Okay.

[Tailor] Thank you.

[]

That looks great. Thank you.

How long until, uh...?

I think it'll be another

30 minutes, maybe.

It looks really good, Matt.

It looks really, really nice.

Oh, this is really nice.

Where is he in that?

[Matt] I have no idea.

[Mara] It looks like maybe Asia.

[Matt] Wait. This is Hyde park.

Oh.

Is this cross ridiculous?

What do you mean?

My dad would... My

dad's an atheist.

I think you won't... I think

people won't notice it.

It's sort of... it's just

kind of part of the...

part of the wall.

Won't notice that?

Yes, they will.

It's the whole wall.

It's 5'8"!

I mean...

Okay, then we can see if...

- What are you doing?

- I mean,

I'm just trying to see if

it's mounted on the wall.

- If it isn't...

- Mar...

- I could...

- No, don't touch it.

Don't, don't, don't,

don't, don't, don't.

This feels like a heist.

I don't know how

I'm supposed to...

Don't. Who cares,

who cares, who cares?

It doesn't matter. Just

leave it. It doesn't matter.

Doesn't matter.

- [Mara, calling out] Excuse me?

- [Matt] Oh, my god.

Is this, um... Is this

nailed onto the wall?

Uh, no, it's up on a hook.

Oh, it is? It's on a hook.

We can...

Would be a trouble if we...

if we wanted to take it down?

Just... not for us.

We both think it's great.

It's my dad, uh, who didn't...

he didn't agree

with a lot of this.

Ready?

Yeah. Okay.

- Whoa-kay.

- Where's this going?

Um...

let's just leave

it here for now.

I'll... I'll take care of it.

We're putting this

on the ground?

Just for now, yeah.

Then I'll grab a trolley

and I'll take care of it.

Thank you.

Haven't seen one of these

on the floor like that.

Makes me feel like we've

done something wrong.

I think we have.

Yeah, okay.

Dad?

The cross is gone.

Thank you.

[Keys clicking]

[Door creaking]

[Keys clicking]

Sorry.

Hey.

What's up?

Is it weird that I'm home?

No. Why?

I don't know. I'm not usually

here in the afternoon.

That's okay. What are you doing?

Uh, I don't know.

Am I interrupting?

No, come sit down.

What are you working on?

Um...

just a song that I've

been working on for a bit.

It's almost done.

Hmm.

- Do you wanna hear it?

- Sure.

It might get loud after

a little bit, so...

Hmm.

[Quiet electronic intro rises]

After some time

Loving was easy

But it didn't matter

I couldn't believe

I could've been this way

Inside

Playing this game

And this lesson

Would bring the sky my way

And time would take me

As it slipped

Forgive me once more

I wasn't easy

I've done this before

We couldn't have known

It would end this way

And after all that

All that's left in me

Is our...