"Carpe Diem, seize the day, boys.Make your lives extraordinary."
It was a regular Wednesday afternoon as I was getting prepared to shoot this scene.It felt legit, I don't know how Nate and his friends did it but they shut down a whole neighborhood for this.I gotta respect his effort for this so I have to commit as well.I was wearing a baby blue double-breasted suit and sky blue dress shoes, accompanied with a fake Peirceing added to my left ear and I'm carrying a box of pizza.I walked down the street as I moved nonchalantly as the other actor was waiting at a red light, I was suppose to approach.
You can see a lot of inspiration from other film makers for this.The director was this kid I had in a history class in 11th grade named Tom Johnson, his cinematography is shown to be very inspired by Kubrick and his way of entertainment is heavily inspired by Tarantino.I approached the street light as the man in the car was listening to
"Maybe Baby " by Buddy Holly & The Crickets so we had a small window for this shot.He was bobbing his head and enjoying the song as he looked over me and we locked eyes as I was furious and he was worried.I approached the car as he started to drive, I got the pizza and the threw it as his car, a 1973 dodge charger, I perfectly got the pizza on to the back of the car as he stopped the car.He got out and yelled
"You son of a bitch -" I quickly pulled out a pistol and aimed it as he said
"What right here in broad daylight ?" The extras we had did their part as they looked on,
"Go ahead, with all these witnesses, go dumbass !" I got up closer and grab on to his shirt collar as Tom yelled "Cut !"
"Good job, that was fucking amazing, that shot I can't feel to get anywhere else ….alright bring in the stunt double …." You heard that right, Tom was very picky on authenticity as I had to hid a man with this fake gun but it still hurt.I have to clock him in the nose three exact times as he falls to the ground.This whole movie is a bitch to make but I feel it'll turn out well.
The day was over and I felt like shit but this suit seemed too nice to give back.
"Aye Tom so we're done with this scene right ?" I asked as I see the stunt double in the back walk by with a bloody nose.
"Yea man, all good …." He replied as I got closer and asked curiously
"So we won't need this suit anymore ?" He nodded as he said
"Not really, I mean it's nice huh …"
I then just went for it
"You think I can keep it ?" He looked and scratched his head as he said
"Hmmm, shit man; eh- go ahead, have it as memorabilia- hey so next week we'll see ya again for a couple more scenes and you're done, and remember to talk with Patricia about your pay okay, you had my friend to you about contracts right ?"
By now we've walked away to my car which was parked a couple blocks down as I replied
"Yea I have, so 16,000$ right, upfront no bullshit ?" He nodded in excitement as he said "yep just know we'll talk more on royalties with the character, you'll maybe get 15-20% but hey in the long run that's a lot of money …."
I got in my car as I said
"alright, I'll see ya next week…." He waved goodbye as I drove off, I got home in a happiness.
I walked inside to see mom and dad watching tv like they always do.They've gotten to that age where a couple feels at peace,
"Hey baby …" said mom as I said "hi, you guys alright ?" Father replied
"Oh just let us die in peace boy …hehe…" he said as my mother smacked his chest.
"Don't be so rude …." She said as I laughed and headed to room.I walked in my room in joy as I closed the door and looked in the mirror.I felt like I needed a whole makeover if I'm going to meet with Laura.
The next I called upon an old friend from school who was about to clock off work.
"Crazy Chicken, home of the cluck heads ?" I quickly said
"Aye Melvin, I need you to cut my hair …." He thought about for a second as he replied
"Ok ."
We met at my home as he had a cheap hair kit,
"Just go in the bathroom man …" I said as I let him in,
"Okay …." He replied as I closed the door.He went in the restroom and saw I already had a little chair ready and had a towel to use.
"Alright, let's go to it …." He said as I took off my shirt and sat down.We finished well as he left me a 1940s-esc undercut look and a clean shaven neck.I asked him, hey take a picture yea ?" He then looked confused and said "with what ?"
I pointed at a cabinet in the bathroom as I said
"Got a Polaroid in there, just take a couple…."
He got it ready as we took a side profile, a close up and one with me smoking one of my dads cigars, I don't smoke cigars at all so this was awful.
He cleaned up a bit as I showered,
"So uhh, how much I owe you ?" I asked as he said
"Na for you man it's free, hell we've known each other since elementary school, we gotta hang out more- you know ?" He was sweeping up my hair into a pan as I said
"Yea, sure man; one day …."
He cleaned up pretty well and put his tools back in the kit as he said
"Well I'll just let myself out man, have a good one …" he said as I replied
"Yea, thanks man …."
He exited the home as I was nearly done showering, I can't disappoint this Friday man.
Friday came around and I was ready, I got up extra early to get the things I'd think I need.You can think this a picnic right ? Well I got dressed in something simple, a wrangler plaid shirt, denim pants and white running shoes.I drove to a grocery store to find some chocolates to take and this fancy sparkling water, I assume it's fancy because it's sparkling and eight dollars a bottle.I got to the parking lot as I see a man with a sign, he was dressed as in a navy blue uniform and taking donations, I handed over a twenty dollar bill as he said "god bless you ."
I turned and said "I hope he does …." He smiled back as this day just couldn't get ruined.
I got in my car and put the bag of groceries in the backseat.I had a little basket sitting in the passenger seat as I will prepare it at the park.It's about 12:30 pm right now so I'm still early.I turned on the radio as it played "Friday " By Ice Cube, this all felt right.I drove by seeing the wonder this city had to offer as I see the most unusual people walking these streets.I got to the parking lot of this park as I shut off the car and got the basket out of the passenger seat.I got out as I closed the drivers door and opened the backseat door.I got out the back of stuff and placed everything on the roof of the car as I locked the car fully.I placed everything neatly in the basket as it was full of candies and chocolates and the sparkling water and other little things.
I walked up to that same park table we were at not so long ago as the park wasn't so crowded.They're was a birthday happening in the distance and people playing soccer.The birthday party looked interesting as they were breaking the piñata, the little boy just fighting for his life to get a swing in as the two men lift the Piñata up and down, no chance for him to hit it.
I laughed a bit as I looked at watch to see it's 1:45 pm, I can understand she won't be punctual, whenever someone says an exact time, it's really meaning be there fifteen minutes later.I sat and waited, the soccer game was nearly over I'd assume.One kid got injured badly in the shin so he got escorted off the field as one kid was setting up for penalty shots.I never got the moment now to explain this girl Laura very well, in high school she seemed a bit uptight and full of annoyance but now she's changed very much.She used to have short blonde hair but it wasn't her natural hair color, I remember it being long and dark brown.She had this look she'd give that felt like Medusa reborn but now that I think about, it looks quite sweet.She'd always wear anything school related, shirts, pants, even socks; it was irritating.I can lie when I'd say we'd always make fun of that from time to time, it was like our inside joke, every friends groups got that, inside jokes that they'd understand.
She'd always be a somewhat of a teachers pet, by that I mean the teachers were annoyed she'd be the only one with an answer for a problem.She'd have friends in school but they didn't see her as a social friend, just a need help with homework friend, god I just realized she had an awful high school experience.Like she wouldn't get bullied badly but they used her, what assholes.I myself just made jokes but that's it, people probably pretended to be her friend for the wrong reasons.
It's 2:34 pm, I am anxious now as that birthday party's has finished and people are cleaning up the mess they left, the soccer field is empty.I can't believe to feel like this, I think I got stood up.I got to opening the basket in shame as I started to eat the chocolates slowly, I opened a sparkling water bottle as it's gotten warm now.I drank it in calmness, I can't be angry; it's just how life is-
"Hey, you couldn't have waited huh …hehe…" I turned to see Laura standing there as she looks stunning.
"I didn't think you were gonna make it …" I replied as we both sat down.She was wearing a black tank top, a cotton button up jacket and beige pants and some converses.She immediately for the basket as she got out the whole box of chocolates and the other sparkling water, "you ate four already, Jesus ….hehe" she said jokingly as we both laughed.
She started to eat one as I looked at her in a hopeful state.
"So what else did you bring huh ?" She asked as she went through the basket even more.She got out my Polaroid camera, a store- brand bought slice of chocolate cake, still in the container.
"Wow you're just trying to fatten me up ….hehe…" I giggled as she got out more things, a stuffed pink teddy bear with a heart engraved in its chest and a pink ribbon around its neck, she lastly pulled out a book, it was "The Old Man and The Sea " by Ernest Hemingway.
"Wow, this ….ha, this all really thoughtful Dolton….I don't know what to say man …."
She looked through the book as she added on
"This one's new, I mean I haven't finished reading my last book but I'll get to this one…." She looked over at me with a smile as I said
"I don't know what books you'd go for, I don't know if you're into modern literature or romance novels or-" she cut me off by saying
"No no, this perfect, no I feel like an asshole I didn't bring anything….gosh and I set this all up …" I tried to calm her and say
"No, you're fine; you didn't have to bring anything, just you alone is a gift on its own …"
She seemed overwhelmed as she said jokingly
"Oh you're such a flirt, you know that …." We laughed a bit as we got to eating up some more chocolates and enjoying the dreadfully warm sparkling water.
The day went on with us talking for hours about the most random things once again, it felt pleasing.
"No you can't argue that though, look look look-" I said as we kept interrupting each other every second.
"I'm just saying, I'm saying- saying like subliminal messages are out their in the world, look I was hungry as fuck yesterday and thought to myself what if I get pizza, next you know I get a commercial for pizza a second later on the tv…." She said as I laughed a bit and added on
" it's just all marketing, nothing on subliminal messages in the world ….that's crazy …."
She started to laugh at my comments as she said
"The government and big business manipulate us all to live a droid lifestyle, you can relate this back to its roots with the Industrial Revolution…." I laughed even harder as she did feel s bit offended and through a chocolate at me and said
"It's not funny , you dick …." She laughed a bit as well as she drank her sparkling water more, barely having a few sips left.
It was about 7:36 pm as it was getting dark already,
"You wanna go for a little walk around this place ?" I asked as she got up and started to dispose of unnecessary trash into the nearby trash can and said "okay let's just clean up…" I put the book and Polaroid camera in the basket, I got my sparkling water and chugged the rest ad I put it in a nearby recycling bin.We had cleaned up everything as I was about to put the teddy bear in the basket as she said
"Wait, na I'll carry it man …." I passed it to her ad I carried the basket and continued to walk around.We did a couple laps around the place as we then talked about life.
"So Dolton, no ideas for the future still ?" She said I felt it right to come clean,
"Im gonna be honest with ya, not even my parents know this; I'm going to a trade school….you know a one year thing …."
She seemed a bit disappointed as she asked
"What career would you go for ?"
That's an interesting thing to say for I still wasn't sure,
"Maybe something hands-on, like hard labor shit …." She scoffed and added on,
"Well you could do that now, go to a Home Depot and wait with the others …." She said laughingly.
She held on to that teddy bear with one hand as her other hand was roaming freely, I went for it.
We held hands as we continued to talk,
"So what about you ?" I asked as she thought about and replied
"Hmmmm, I'm thinking of being an artist, you know I'm really passionate about oil painting …."
I was shocked, I always thought she'd be a lawyer or an author or even the President one day.
"That's really cool, I never knew you liked painting like that …." She grinned and said
"Yea, it all occurred during high school, I just found it so astonishing- you know ?" I nodded as now I feel more free that someone knows how I'm doing in life.We finished up the walk as we headed for my car in the parking lot.I unlocked it and quickly went to open her door as she entered
"Wow, fancy huh …." She said as I closed her door and went to my side and put the basket in the backseat.I got in as she still held on to that teddy bear.I put on my seatbelt and started up the car, I noticed she didn't have hers on,
"Hey uh you're seatbelt …." She ignored me for a second as I asked again,
"Hey you okay ?" She snapped back out of it and said
"Huh ?, oh I'm sorry yea ….I got it …" she put on her seatbelt as I started to drive.
We drove around calmly as the radio played "Drive " by Incubus, it felt melancholy.It was quiet yet the atmosphere was an uproar.She was leaning against the seat as she looked out the window.I glanced at this and asked
"You okay ?" She slowly answered
"You- you ever just feel lost ….like this isn't worth living …?"
I was sidetracked by this question as I replied calmly,
"Well, you may feel lost but you're never really lost; you know ?- like think of it like this, there's others out there that feel lost too, it's those type of connection this world has that makes everyone feel lost but at the same time has them all simultaneously feel together …" she looked over at me dumbfounded as she said laughingly,
"That sounds fucking stupid- I mean none of that makes sense ….haha…." I laughed a bit too as she felt bad,
"I'm sorry- really I am, I get what you mean but gosh, that was some of the weirdest philosophy I've heard in my life …."
She started to laugh a bit more as I felt a bit stubborn but shrugged it off and laughed with her.
We got close to her home as she said "this was a fun night, maybe do it soon …." She was asking she was letting me know, I nodded and replied
"Okay, that's works …".I got to the sidewalk of her home as she got out with the teddy bear still in hand,
"Alright, Goodnight cowboy ….." she said flirtatiously as she closed the car door and headed inside.I felt proud today,
December 1st, 2000, took a while to meet up with Laura again but we managed.I had the genius idea of going to the movie theater and watch "How The Grinch Stole Christmas ", thought it would set the mood.We drove in the parking lot of the place and I couldn't get eyes of her now.She had on a black dress and pink New Balance tennis shoes, she had red lipstick and wore a little gold bracelet on her right hand.I can't think of a better day, the movie was okay in my opinion but she was laughing her ass off.We left the place and headed to my house as she's never been, and fortunately hasn't met my family all too well.
"It'll be fun ….." she said as we approached my home, I parked in front of the home as I replied
"It'll be something, but I don't know about fun .."
We got out as I looked around the neighborhood to see it deserted, it hasn't been like this in years.
"Come on …." She said as I walked up the sidewalk and approached the front door along side her.I held on to the doorknob as I turned and asked
"Are you sure ?" She laughed and replied
"Oh Christ, yes I'm sure; come on now …"
We entered as it my parents were already setting up plates, they were expecting us.
Laura looked around the home as she saw old pictures framed to the wall and paintings and other sorts of belongings to our family.Mother turned and yelled
"Ohhh, there she is, this her right ?" She said in a hurry as I replied
"Yes yes ….hello mama this is Laura …."
They hugged as I looked at my father who was sitting in the kitchen as he gave me a mean look, felt as if he was disappointed.
"Oh look gorgeous my dear- come quickly; you must be starving …." Said mother as she dragged Laura to the kitchen, I slowly approached the kitchen so I could sit with father as he looked at the floor, trying not to make eye contact.
"God I just can't let go of Gorgeous you are darling …." Said mother to Laura as I sat down slowly and cautiously.Father still ignored me as I cleared my throat and asked
"Have you talked with- " he got up and walked into the living room, he acts is if I'm not there.
I can't explain why my father had such hatred for me but I can theorize it's to due with how I live.I have no job, no goals in life and live like a slob in that rat hole I call a room.
"So how'd you both meet …" asked mama as they both sat down.
"Oh come on I don't wanna -" I said as Laura interrupted "don't be rude now, we really back in high school but officially got to know each other after it was all over…"
Mother laughed a bit as my father turned on the tv, he watched the weekly news.
"Well that's just adorable, I can't think of anything better - you know his brother of his; he's going to have a kid soon- yea with this girl he met …."
Said mother as I was stunned, I had no idea,
"What, really ? " I asked as she nodded with joy and said
"Yea, oh it's amazing to know, that brother of yours- always with that spark of news ...hehe…."
She said with a bit of tears of joy, Laura smiled as she asked
"Do you know when it'll be born ?" Mother cleared up some tears as she replied
"Well I don't know for sure but that kid will grow to be a strong one, it's in the genetics you know- I mean look at this one …."
I felt embarrassed as I said
"Alright Ma, let's eat okay ?"
Mother got up and checked on what she had made, it was chicken Alfredo and cups of pink lemonade.
The day went on well as father got less stubborn and joined us to eat.We ate well as Laura and mother were in the kitchen fixing up the next batch of food, some lasagna.I sat their with father as we both ate in silence and ignored each other.I went for it again as I cleared my throat,
"Hey- you remember when I was little and you'd take me to the little carnival that was setup at that park, I forgot the name of it -"
I said as he looked at me with those dagger eyes and replied
"McDowell Park …."
I smiled and said
"Yea, McDowell Park - man I remember the ride I went on with you- where we saw that little boy puke on himself -Hehe …"
We both laughed as he added on
" yea well I knew it was going to happen, kid ate so much before hand- Christ it was yucky huh ?"
We still laughed as mother and Laura had plates ready for us, this whole night was wholesome.
An hour passes by as me and Laura entered my room, mom and dad were sleeping in the living room couch as the tv kept playing.
"So what do you wanna do now ?" She asked as I locked the door on the way in.She jumped on the bed and laid back as we laughed,
"You wanna watch a movie ?" I asked as she sighed and said
"Nope …."
I question her again and said
"Then you wanna go for a drive ?"
She then answered
"Nope"
I was a bit confused as I said
"Then what the hell can we do ?…."
She gave me this dangerous look, I couldn't figure out what drove her to be this way but this isn't the same girl I remember from high school.