"Options"
Inspired by Margaret Atwood's "Happy Endings"
Do not own Life with Derek or anything that goes with it and I don't know "Happy Endings" either.
Max and Casey meet.
What happens next?
If you want a happy ending try A.
A.
Max and Casey fall in love and get married. They both have worthwhile jobs that they are passionate about. They buy the house of their dreams. Real estate values go up. Eventually, when they can afford live-in help they have two kids, whom are the apples of their eyes. The kids do well. Max and Casey have no problems sexually and have friends that have lasted since high school. They are able to go around the world and see all that they have wanted to see. Finally they retire. Both have hobbies which are their new passions. Eventually they die. This is the end of the story.
B.
Casey falls in love with Max but Max doesn't love her. He only wants one thing, and simply uses her as a means to satisfy his craving. Once he has eaten and has been satisfied he falls asleep. This happens twice a week. While he is asleep she does the dishes so he doesn't think she's a slob and goes to her bathroom to freshen up, she hopes he notices. After she tidies up his clothing just so he can put them back on in the reverse order of how he took them off, not once sparing a glance for her. She should realize he won't spare a glance for he never takes her clothes off, she has to do it herself and she pretends to love what is about to happen, she doesn't. She's merely hoping that he'll start to depend on her and want to spend more time with her. He leaves, there are no goodbyes. He will be back to return to the same routine.
Casey gets worn out. Although she knows she shouldn't cry, she does. She can't hide it. Her co-workers notice and her friends comment to her what a loser, user, and scumbag he is. She refuses to believe that so instead she lives in denial that there is a better Max in the current Max. She just needs to be there when that Max emerges.
One night Max says something he never has, that he is disgusted by the meal. Casey is hurt; she spent so much time on dinner tonight.
It isn't long before she is told that he's been seen out to dinner with another woman named Kendra. Is it the fact that he is out with another woman that gets to Casey? No, it is the fact that he's never taken her out for a meal, not even lunch. Casey decides the best way to respond is to clean her medicine cabinet. She finds the one bottle of alcohol she has in the house, sherry, and takes all the medication with that one bottle, she doesn't even finish it. She leaves a note for Max, in the end she doesn't want to die; she wants Max to realize what she means to him and save her from herself. This isn't what happens, she dies.
Max marries Kendra and everything continues as in A.
C.
Max, who is an older gentleman, falls in love with Casey even, is she's only 22. Casey however feels sorry for him because he is worried about that little bald spot he think he has. Even though she doesn't love him she sleeps with him. He is simply a co-worker she just happens to sleep with. Truman is the guy she loves, he is also 22 and as most 22 year old guys he isn't ready for a commitment.
Max however is the opposite of Truman seeing how he is married. He has been for quite some time. This bothers him. He has a stable job and is moving along just fine within it. But this doesn't matter to Casey. What impresses Casey are Truman's motorcycle and amazing playlists. Truman is rarely in town doing who knows what. Casey can't do the same so she spends her Thursday evenings with Max. This is the only day he can.
Max is married Kendra and has two kids, a house of their dreams, and hobbies, when they can, that they love. Max tells Casey of his feelings but to him he can't leave his wife simply because a commitment is a commitment. Casey doesn't really care, he does things guys her age can't and that is satisfying for now.
The day rolls around that Truman comes back into town. He has a little something special that Casey and he can smoke. They become incredibly high and end up in bed together. However Casey forgets Max has a key to her place. He comes in and finds the two in bed together. He can't be too mad since he is married and technically Casey is his mistress but he feels dejected. Max can't stand the thought that he's at the age he is and that he could become bald very shortly. In a rash decision Max purchases a handgun and returns to Casey's apartment. He shoots the two of them then himself.
Kendra after an appropriate amount of sorrow marries a considerate man named Sam. Everything continues as in A but with different names.
D.
Kendra and Sam have no problems. They are able to sort out any disagreements they might have. However their little cottage is by the sea. One day a big nor'easter hits. Their cute little cottage isn't worth what it once was. The rest of their story is about how they survive. While many don't survive, they do. Sam and Kendra are thankful and honorable, and continue as in A.
E.
Yes, by Sam has a bad heart. The rest of the story is about how kind and understanding they both are until Sam dies. Then Kendra devotes herself to charity work until the end of A. If you like it can be "Kendra," "cancer," "guilty and confused," and "bird watching."
F.
If you think this is all too bourgeois, make Max an activist and Casey a counterespionage agent and see how far that gets you. Remember, this is Canada. You'll still end up with A, though in between you may get lustful brawling saga of passionate involvement, a chronicle of our times, sort of.
However you will have to face it, the fact that ending are the always the same. When another ending seems to be true it isn't whether the intent was to deceive or a mere wish of what was.
The only reliable ending is the one offered here:
Max and Casey die.
Well who cares about endings. The beginning is more fun anyways. However if you know better you'll savor the middle, since it will be the best challenge.
Forget about the plot the what and what. So try your hand at the how and why