Life As We Know It (You Can't Always Get What You Want)
(10 years later)
Me: (creeps up behind Daley in the kitchen)
Daley: (turns around after cutting vegetables and motions to the camera in my hands) What are you doing with that thing?
Me: Don't you remember? It's been ten years. I'm gonna see what everyone's up to.
Daley: Wow. You remembered.
Me: Of course. I just gotta find everyone in the phone book. Gosh, I haven't talked to them in so long.
Daley: Me neither.
Me: So what 'cha cooking?
Daley: Vegetable soup.
Me: (takes a whiff of the air) Smells delicious.
Daley: Just wait 'til you taste it. I got this recipe off of the internet this morning.
Me: I'm always willing to try something new. (points the camera at myself) So this is my life. Daley and I are happily married. We have no children. I was a professional football player until I had a severe leg injury. I don't think I try as hard as I used to. And I still haven't gone bungee-jumping. (turns the camera to Daley) Your turn.
Daley: I'm married to you. No kids. I'm a lawyer. I'm still bossy. And I haven't met the president.
Eric: Hey, man. It's nice to see you. Come in. (motions me inside)
Me: (sits down on the recliner in the living room)
Eric: (sits on the couch across from me) How have you been? Man, I haven't talked to you in ages.
Me: I've been good. What about you?
Eric: Same. What's up with the camera?
Me: Remember when I said I'd find everyone in ten years and see how their lives had changed?
Eric: Oh, yeah. I remember now.
Me: Is that a wedding band I see?
Eric: (nods with a smile) Yeah.
Me: I thought you said that you weren't gonna get married.
Eric: Well, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.
Me: So who's the lucky lady?
Eric: Taylor.
Me: Taylor Hagan?
Eric: It's Taylor McGorrill now.
Me: Man, that's great! How are things going?
Eric: It's going.
Taylor: (walks in through the front door) Nathan? Oh, my gosh! It's been so long! What are you doing here?
Me: Catching up.
Eric: Remember that ten-year thing he was doing?
Taylor: Oh, yeah. That explains the camera. (sits down next to Eric) It's so good to see you.
Me: You, too. I hear that you're married.
Taylor: (holds up the back of her hand to show me the ring) Yup. And it was everything I dreamed of.
Me: That's great. So what are you guys doing now?
Eric: I'm a manager at a car-selling company. She's a nanny.
Me: That's cool. So what happened to the comedian thing?
Eric: Things changed, I guess. Reality hits. You know?
Me: Oh, I know what you mean.
Eric: Yeah. I heard about that leg injury. None of my neighbors believed me when I told them that I knew you.
Me: (chuckles) So what about modeling, Taylor?
Taylor: Oh, I gave that up when we had a baby girl.
Me: You have a kid? Wow! Where is she?
Eric: (puts arm across Taylor's shoulders) She died a while ago. We found her in the pool out back.
Me: Oh. I'm so sorry.
Taylor: (stands) Do you want something to drink, Nathan?
Me: No, thanks.
Taylor: (walks into the kitchen) I could use some tequila.
Me: I'm sorry about your daughter. I didn't know.
Eric: Taylor still hasn't gotten over it. (sighs) It's hard. You know?
Me: No. I don't. Sorry. Daley still isn't wanting kids.
Eric: (chuckles)
Me: How old was she?
Eric: Almost three.
Me: Man. I don't know what to say.
Eric: Don't say anything.
Me: (turns off the car) I'm at Melissa's house. I'm pretty sure Jackson's here, too. Their love for each other always seemed like it would last a long time. (picks up the camera and gets out of the car, then walks onto the porch and rings the doorbell)
Melissa: (opens the door) Nathan? What are you doing here? I'm so glad to see you. Come on in.
Me: (follows her into the living room and takes a seat)
Melissa: So what have you been up to? I see that you're married. Who's the woman?
Me: Daley.
Melissa: Wow. I always thought you two would be together forever.
Three kids run into the living room.
Damon: Mommy, Mommy, we finished our dinner.
Melissa: Okay, honey. Guys, this is my friend Nathan. Say hi.
They all mumble their greetings.
Melissa: Nathan, this is Damon, Alex, and Aaron.
Me: Hey, guys.
Aaron: Can we have dessert now, Mommy?
Melissa: You guys go on upstairs and play, and I'll bring your dessert up to you soon, alright?
Aaron: Okay.
The three go upstairs.
Nathan: They're so adorable.
Melissa: Thanks.
Me: How old are they?
Melissa: Alex is eight. Aaron is six. Damon is five.
Me: So who's their father?
Melissa: Cody.
Me: Cody Jackson, right?
Melissa: Correct.
Me: Just making sure we were talking about the same person. So how are you two doing?
Melissa: We're divorced.
Me: What? When did that happen?
Melissa: About four years ago.
Me: Man. I always thought you two were perfect for each other.
Melissa: Yeah. Me, too.
Me: So where are you working now?
Melissa: I'm a teacher.
Me: That's good.
Melissa: Yeah. I enjoy it.
Me: So how's traveling the world going?
Melissa: (laughs) I gave up on that dream a long time ago.
Me: What happened?
Melissa: Well, I got married and had Alex. I was so busy with my job, so my parents watched him.
Me: Where was Jackson?
Melissa: He worked, too. Cody was a mechanic. His friend gave him his garage before he left town.
Me: Wow. That must have been exciting.
Melissa: Oh, it was. We had Aaron the next year, then Damon the next. That's when things started going downhill.
Me: What happened?
Melissa: Cody started using heroin. He got addicted and soon lost the garage.
Me: Aw, man. That's terrible.
Melissa: Yeah. But he wouldn't quit, so I divorced him.
Me: Where is he now?
Melissa: Last I heard: he was in prison. He should be getting out in a few days if he isn't already out.
Me: Gosh. I would've never thought that Jackson would get strung out.
Melissa: Me neither.
Me: Where do you think he'd be staying?
Melissa: I don't know. Maybe an apartment in High Point Subdivision. That's where he was before he got locked up.
I get out of my car and look around. There are kids playing in the middle of the street without adult supervision. I can hear an argument going on in one house. There is even a drug exchange going on out in the open. I walk up to Jackson's apartment, having to step over a beaten-up bum to go up the stairs. I find his apartment number: 34.
Me: (knocks on the door) Jackson? You here?
There is no answer. After knocking again, I decide to go home and try again tomorrow. I go down the steps, accidentally kicking the bum and rolling him onto his back.
Me: Sorry, man. (looks at the bum) Jackson? Is that you?
Jackson: (groans)
I pull him to his feet and put his arm across my shoulders, supporting him as we climb the stairs. I open the door to his apartment, then walk in and lay him down on the mattress, for his room had very little furniture.
Roaches are all over the place~even inside of the refrigerator and microwave. Daddy long-leg spiders hang from the ceiling and walls.
Me: Are you okay? What happened?
His lips and left eye are swollen. Both eyes are black. His nose has dry blood on it that reaches his lip. Bruises cover his cheeks.
Jackson opens his eyes. He immediately squeezes them closed and touches his head, wincing with pain. Slowly, he sits up, running a hand through his hair.
Me: How you feeling?
Jackson: (jumps into a standing position, as if getting prepared for a fight) Who the f*ck are you?
It shocks me that I'm not surprised by his question.
Me: It's Nathan. Remember me? From Hartwell High School.
Jackson: (pauses for a moment to think) Yeah. What are you doing here?
Me: I just came to catch up. What happened to you?
Jackson: Some guys roughed me up a little and pushed me down the stairs.
Me: What for?
Jackson: (shrugs) That's just how it is here.
Me: Melissa told me that you just got out of prison.
Jackson: (his head shoots up so he was looking at me) You talked to Melissa? How's she doing? The kids okay?
Me: They're doing just fine. She is, too.
Jackson: (nods)
Me: You still love her, don't you?
Jackson: I guess.
Me: Just not enough to give up the drugs for her. Do you ever visit her and the kids?
Jackson: No. She got a f*cking restraining order against me.
Me: Hey, you want me to get you some water?
Jackson: Yeah.
I walk over to the kitchen and look inside to grab a bottle of water, but the only thing that is in there is a half-eaten jar of peanut butter. I don't see any bread anywhere, though. I open a cabinet, causing a couple roaches to fall onto the counter. I grab a glass, then go over to the sink and fill it with water.
Me: (hands him the cup) Here.
Jackson: (drinks thirstily)
Me: So did you ever find your mom?
Jackson: (sets the cup onto the floor, allowing a roach to crawl into it and drown) No. How do you know about her?
Me: You don't remember when you said that you were gonna find her?
Jackson: (shakes his head) No.
I show him the disk I had brought with me~the one of us on graduation day. He watches it, smiling when Melissa came on the screen.
Jackson: She was so kind~the first girl that didn't think I was a piece of sh*t. Too bad she was wrong.
He sees Taylor, Eric, me, Daley, and, finally, himself.
Jackson: D*mn. I was so young. So are you and Daley still together?
Me: Yeah.
Jackson: I've seen you on TV playing football a few times. How's that going?
Me: I injured my leg a while ago, so I'm not playing anymore.
Jackson: D*mn. That sucks. You were really good.
Me: Thanks.
Jackson: You, uh…. You doing anything today?
Me: No. Why?
Jackson: Wanna go for a ride?
Jackson: (points to a driveway) That one.
Me: Right here?
Jackson: Yeah. (gets out after I pull the car into the driveway) I'll be right back.
I think it's weird that he doesn't invite me inside. I mean, what was he doing here anyway? Well, he wasn't kidding when he said he'd be right back, for he was in my car (he didn't have his own) within three minutes.
Me: Where to now?
Jackson: Wanna grab something to eat?
Me: Sure.
We walk into Jackson's house. I'd bought him lunch since he looked like he hadn't eaten in days.
Me: (watches Jackson pull a small bag from his pocket and realizes that Jackson had been buying heroin at the house I'd taken him to) I guess I'd better get going.
Jackson: (trembles anxiously as he prepares the heroin) Okay.
Me: You mind if I come by another time.
Jackson: Sure. Whenever you want.
I watch as Jackson sticks the needle into his leg and pushes the plunger down. He leans back against the wall with an expression of relaxation, as if he'd been waiting for his shot all day. He unclamps his teeth, letting the belt that had been in his mouth (and tightly around his leg) go. I step outside, leaving him with his bad habit.
Me: (takes a bite of vegetable soup) And their kid died. She drowned in their swimming pool.
Daley: That's terrible. So did you see Melissa and Jackson today.
Me: Yeah. Mel gave me the whole story. You will never believe this.
Daley: What?
Me: So they had three boys. Mel's a teacher. Jackson was given a garage by his friend that left town. So he was a mechanic. But he lost the garage because~get this~he got addicted to heroin.
Daley: What?
Me: I know. I couldn't believe it either. So Mel divorced him. He just got out of prison and lives on High Point.
Daley: That's awful. We should help him.
Me: He's not gonna listen to us, Daley.
Daley: Does he even care about his kids? And what about Melissa?
Me: He loves them very much. Just-
Daley: Not enough to quit.
Me: Right.
Daley: I still think that we should help him.
Me: Daley-
Daley: He could overdose, Nathan. We can't let that happen when there might be something that we could do about it.
Me: (sighs) I'll talk to him when I go back to his house.
The phone rings.
Me: (gets up) I'll get it. (picks up the phone) Hello?
Eric: (hysterically) She lost it. She went crazy.
Me: Eric? What happened?
Eric: She killed herself, man.
Me: What?
Eric: First Abigail. Now Taylor. I don't know what to do.
Me: Just calm down. Where are you?
Eric: I'm at home. She hung herself, Nathan.
Me: I'll be right over there.