THINGS CAN GET CRAZY
Chapter Four
"Thanks so much for coming to get me, James."
"The doors a little loose so you may need to slam it."
"Ok...this your truck?"
"Yeah."
"Ah..."
"So...you ok?"
"Yeah...he was just..."
"What's that?"
"What?!"
"Hey hey, relax. You've just got a little nick on your face and--"
"Oh oh it's nothing."
"...looks like a cut or something."
"It's nothing. I-I did that to myself."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah...while..."
"Shaving? That's my excuse, darlin'."
"...sigh...I'm sorry."
"Did he do that to you?"
"Who?"
"Natalie..."
"Ok, just don't tell anyone ok?"
"That he hits you? I--"
"Please! He said that he'd--"
"Ok ok. Just, if you ever need me, lemme know, ok?"
"Yeah...ok..."
"Ok..."
"Thank you."
"Don't."
"Ok..."
"So I hope you like spaghetti."
"That's for dinner?"
"That and vegetables along with, um, chicken...I think it's chicken."
"Chicken? Mmm...nice. Who cooks over there? Like, do you guys have a cook?"
"Well, kinda. Hank McCoy, aka the Beast, he cooks."
"The....Beast....?"
"He's blue."
"Oh?"
"And furry."
"Oh..."
"Don't worry. He ain't gonna shed all over your food...or on you...or anything like that."
"Ha ha! No no! I wasn't thinking of that!"
"Well most do."
"Yeah. No, no, I'm very open minded."
"Yeah..."
"..."
"..."
"...you're not good at talking to people, are you?"
"What gives you that idea?"
"I don't know...nevermind."
"Ok."
"..."
"..."
"See?"
"What?"
"Heh, oh nothing."
"Alright..."
"You know...you're...different."
"Different?"
"Like from the other guys I've met."
"How so?"
"Well, you...you actually care."
"...I do..."
"Yes...you do, don't you?"
"...I guess I do..."
"Yeah, well, all the guys I've met so far have either expected me to wait on them and could give a shit about me or have taken advantage of me."
"...I see...advantage..."
"Like Jack."
"Uh huh..."
"And Danny and Martin and all of them! They all just didn't care! I mean, they all just shut me out or shoved me in!"
"Uh..."
"Or maybe I should say they shoved themselves in!"
"Natalie...if you--"
"It's just not fair! I can't see to find anyone to just care about how I feel about all this! And....and..."
"Natalie...Natalie don't cry..."
"Oh...oh I'm sorry..."
"No no....hey, it's ok...look, we're here now. Ok?"
"Damn, my make-up..."
"Hey, look, it's ok."
"I...just...I'm sorry I..."
"Natalie, it's ok. Come here...come on, it's ok. Just forget about him, ok? Forget about them all. You'll be ok."
"...see? You do care..."
"...yeah. Yeah, I do."