[AGM] Baz Luhrmann lyrics
[Marion = talks_for_ten. Jimmy’s an NPC.]
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your
Life…the most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they
Wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
Olds I know still don't.
“When’re you comin’ home?”
Andy frowned slightly at his brother’s question, before tilting his head towards the cell phone on speaker that was sitting on the counter next to him as he fixed himself a sandwich. He accompanied that with a longer pause, taking a bite of the sandwich, chewing and swallowing before responding.
“-I wasn’t aware that I was?”
There was a snort from his brother on the other end of the phone. “I’m just anticipatin’ the pattern. You go out somewhere, you live off whatever you can for a while, and then when things fuck up you come runnin’ home to Mom and Dad and mooch off them for a while.”
“I don’t mooch,” Andy said with a slight growl. “I always pull my weight wherever I stay, I get a job, I contribute to the rent. I buy groceries. When I was staying with Mom and Dad that time, I paid whatever bills they wanted me to pay. It’s not like I’m living on fucking welfare.”
“I’m just saying, Andy, you’re still wanderin’ around like you’re some lost little kid. Sure, you’ve got a pretty sweet set-up with Marion now, you’ve got a job, you’ve got your women-”
“I’ve got a girlfriend, actually.”
“Oh really? Is that what they’re calling one night stands these days? Girlfriends?”
“Fuck you,” Andy snapped. “That’s not what it’s like at all. I say girlfriend as in an actual relationship.”
“Bullshit.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Jimmy-you don’t believe me.”
“How long have you been seeing her? Two days?”
“Three weeks.”
There was another audible snort from the other end of the line, and Andy grit his teeth, closing his eyes to try and hold back the anger welling in the pit of his stomach. He knew that his actions in the past haven’t exactly given Jimmy any reason to believe otherwise, but still-guy could actually find something where he fit in rather well without having a career.
“Look. I have a job. I’m being responsible. I haven’t gotten arrested since we were back in Jersey. What the fuck more do you want from me?”
“I want you to fucking do something with your life.” He heard the screen door on the back porch of his brother’s house smack and he knew that Jimmy was going out for a smoke. He paused for a moment, waiting for the telltale exhale that said he’d lit up so that his brother could continue. “You’re gonna be thirty. Thirty. How much longer do you think you can keep doing this drifter, different job every month thing? When are you going to fucking grow up, Andy?”
“Oh, you mean be like you? You mean be a slave to Dad’s company even though I hate it, just because it’s something to fucking do with my time? I’m not you, Jim. When are you going to get that through your thick fucking skull?”
“Christ, kid, you’re not eighteen anymore. Trying to find yourself is no longer and acceptable fucking excuse.”
It was the same fight every time Jimmy called. Every damn time. Andy was sick of the argument about things that never changed, and yet every time, there they were, duking it out over the phone or in person. Andy had completely abandoned his sandwich at this point and resting his elbows on the counter and burying his head in his hands.
“Look, I’m doing well out here. I’ve got a job, I pay my half of the bills.”
“Half? You and Marion split the rent fifty-fifty?”
Andy paused for a minute, before shaking his head. “No, but what I don’t pay I make up for with the groceries.”
“Right. And this job? What is it exactly?”
Andy grit his teeth. “Security guard.”
“Security guard. Oh, yeah-that’s a great career.”
“No one ever said it was a fucking career, Jimmy.”
“Say things with you and this girl get serious. Say you decide you want to marry this girl-you want to have a family. You really gonna be able to support them on that kind of money.”
“Well, who knows where I’ll be by then?” Andy said with a shrug. “I’ve only been at the job a few months-maybe by the time me and Serena-”
“Serena?”
He didn’t appreciate the mocking tone in his brother’s voice. Not at all. “Yes, Serena, and don’t even fucking start about her. You don’t know her, so don’t fucking bring her into this. But if me and Serena make it that far, maybe I’d have gotten a promotion, maybe I’ll have found a better job-I’ll be making more money. It happens.”
“You shouldn’t have to fucking speculate, Andy. You should fucking know.”
“Look, Jimmy. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you this, but I’m not you, okay? Not everybody is meant for college, or even meant for a fucking career.”
“Oh, that’s just bullshit. Bullshit. Maybe not for people who live in your Andy Rhodes Fantasy World, but for the rest of us, who live in the Real World? We need careers in order to survive and support our families. We need to be sure that we’re going to have that. No speculation or what ifs. And you don’t have that.”
“Now. I don’t have that now. I could have that then.”
“Could and will are two different things. Do you really think this girl is going to take you seriously?”
“Yeah. I do.”
He heard the slam of the front door of the apartment in the background, but he was still focused on his brother’s voice. He just wanted to hang up the phone, end with him having the leg up for once, but the door was distraction enough for his brother to get the words in that he needed.
“Yeah, well-we’ll see how she feels when she realizes what she’s working with.”
Marion appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, and Andy looked up at her before picking up the phone. “Oh, look, it’s Marion. Here, talk to Jimmy, Marion.”
He quickly shut off the speaker phone and handed the phone over to his sister, before reaching for his car keys off the side table. “Going out. Be back later.”
As the door slammed behind him, he just wanted to scream.
1053 words
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your
Life…the most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they
Wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
Olds I know still don't.
“When’re you comin’ home?”
Andy frowned slightly at his brother’s question, before tilting his head towards the cell phone on speaker that was sitting on the counter next to him as he fixed himself a sandwich. He accompanied that with a longer pause, taking a bite of the sandwich, chewing and swallowing before responding.
“-I wasn’t aware that I was?”
There was a snort from his brother on the other end of the phone. “I’m just anticipatin’ the pattern. You go out somewhere, you live off whatever you can for a while, and then when things fuck up you come runnin’ home to Mom and Dad and mooch off them for a while.”
“I don’t mooch,” Andy said with a slight growl. “I always pull my weight wherever I stay, I get a job, I contribute to the rent. I buy groceries. When I was staying with Mom and Dad that time, I paid whatever bills they wanted me to pay. It’s not like I’m living on fucking welfare.”
“I’m just saying, Andy, you’re still wanderin’ around like you’re some lost little kid. Sure, you’ve got a pretty sweet set-up with Marion now, you’ve got a job, you’ve got your women-”
“I’ve got a girlfriend, actually.”
“Oh really? Is that what they’re calling one night stands these days? Girlfriends?”
“Fuck you,” Andy snapped. “That’s not what it’s like at all. I say girlfriend as in an actual relationship.”
“Bullshit.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Jimmy-you don’t believe me.”
“How long have you been seeing her? Two days?”
“Three weeks.”
There was another audible snort from the other end of the line, and Andy grit his teeth, closing his eyes to try and hold back the anger welling in the pit of his stomach. He knew that his actions in the past haven’t exactly given Jimmy any reason to believe otherwise, but still-guy could actually find something where he fit in rather well without having a career.
“Look. I have a job. I’m being responsible. I haven’t gotten arrested since we were back in Jersey. What the fuck more do you want from me?”
“I want you to fucking do something with your life.” He heard the screen door on the back porch of his brother’s house smack and he knew that Jimmy was going out for a smoke. He paused for a moment, waiting for the telltale exhale that said he’d lit up so that his brother could continue. “You’re gonna be thirty. Thirty. How much longer do you think you can keep doing this drifter, different job every month thing? When are you going to fucking grow up, Andy?”
“Oh, you mean be like you? You mean be a slave to Dad’s company even though I hate it, just because it’s something to fucking do with my time? I’m not you, Jim. When are you going to get that through your thick fucking skull?”
“Christ, kid, you’re not eighteen anymore. Trying to find yourself is no longer and acceptable fucking excuse.”
It was the same fight every time Jimmy called. Every damn time. Andy was sick of the argument about things that never changed, and yet every time, there they were, duking it out over the phone or in person. Andy had completely abandoned his sandwich at this point and resting his elbows on the counter and burying his head in his hands.
“Look, I’m doing well out here. I’ve got a job, I pay my half of the bills.”
“Half? You and Marion split the rent fifty-fifty?”
Andy paused for a minute, before shaking his head. “No, but what I don’t pay I make up for with the groceries.”
“Right. And this job? What is it exactly?”
Andy grit his teeth. “Security guard.”
“Security guard. Oh, yeah-that’s a great career.”
“No one ever said it was a fucking career, Jimmy.”
“Say things with you and this girl get serious. Say you decide you want to marry this girl-you want to have a family. You really gonna be able to support them on that kind of money.”
“Well, who knows where I’ll be by then?” Andy said with a shrug. “I’ve only been at the job a few months-maybe by the time me and Serena-”
“Serena?”
He didn’t appreciate the mocking tone in his brother’s voice. Not at all. “Yes, Serena, and don’t even fucking start about her. You don’t know her, so don’t fucking bring her into this. But if me and Serena make it that far, maybe I’d have gotten a promotion, maybe I’ll have found a better job-I’ll be making more money. It happens.”
“You shouldn’t have to fucking speculate, Andy. You should fucking know.”
“Look, Jimmy. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you this, but I’m not you, okay? Not everybody is meant for college, or even meant for a fucking career.”
“Oh, that’s just bullshit. Bullshit. Maybe not for people who live in your Andy Rhodes Fantasy World, but for the rest of us, who live in the Real World? We need careers in order to survive and support our families. We need to be sure that we’re going to have that. No speculation or what ifs. And you don’t have that.”
“Now. I don’t have that now. I could have that then.”
“Could and will are two different things. Do you really think this girl is going to take you seriously?”
“Yeah. I do.”
He heard the slam of the front door of the apartment in the background, but he was still focused on his brother’s voice. He just wanted to hang up the phone, end with him having the leg up for once, but the door was distraction enough for his brother to get the words in that he needed.
“Yeah, well-we’ll see how she feels when she realizes what she’s working with.”
Marion appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, and Andy looked up at her before picking up the phone. “Oh, look, it’s Marion. Here, talk to Jimmy, Marion.”
He quickly shut off the speaker phone and handed the phone over to his sister, before reaching for his car keys off the side table. “Going out. Be back later.”
As the door slammed behind him, he just wanted to scream.
1053 words