No Looking Back (1998) - full transcript

Thanks, sweetheart.

Hey, babe, it's me. Listen, I'm gonna
do the double shift tonight...

...so I won't be home till morning.
I'll try back later.

Oh, hey, I got you some flowers.
I hope you like them. Love you.

Hey, Claudia, it's Missy.
I just got the sonogram done.

You guys gotta come over and see it.
Okay. Call me. Bye.

Claudia, it's Kelly.

Don't forget to go food shopping
for Mom this week.

And don't forget the cigarettes.
Talk to you.

Thanks a lot.

Hey, Ma?



Hey, Mom, are you home?

-I guess you got the check I sent?
-Yeah. Yeah, thanks.

I'll-- I'll pay you back
in a couple of weeks.

Yeah, I won't hold my breath.

So is this a friendly visit
or are you home for good?

No, don't worry, don't worry.
It's just a little visit.

Yeah? What happened? Fired again?

No, no, this time-- This time I quit.

Oh, good for you.

Listen, I'm not gonna stand
for your bullshit this time, Charles.

The last three years have been
very peaceful here without you.

Act like an adult or you're out
on your ass. You understand?

Yeah, yeah. I understand.

And get that goddamn car
off my lawn too.



And don't touch
any of my beers either.

So, Claud,
when did you hear about this?

This afternoon at the diner.
Alice Smith told me.

-Who's Alice Smith?
-Alice Smith.

That slut that lives
across the street.

Teresa, don't hold that against her.

As far as I'm concerned, there aren't
enough chicks around like her.

What?

I wonder if he's home for good.

Did Happy Legs say
he was home for good?

We really didn't talk about it, Goldie.
She asked me if I knew he was home.

Does he know about you guys?

I have no idea.

-You think maybe he'd be pissed?
-I don't give a shit what he thinks.

Come on, you know the guy since
first grade. Give him a break already.

Are you kidding?
This guy's always been a mutt.

He's trying to bang any skank
he can get his hands on.

Even so, I think somebody
should tell him.

I don't give a shit who tells him.
Tell him.

Claudia, what do you think?

Yeah, probably.

All right, I'll go by his house
tomorrow after work. I'll go see him.

Mike, come by with me.

Fine. You want me to tell him,
I'll tell him.

Happy now, you pain in the ass?

-I just think it's the right thing.
-Congratulations, Huck Finn.

-Teresa, can I get another drink?
-In a minute.

Teresa, I'll take one too.
And put it on Claudia's tab.

Hey, nice car, man.

Just make sure you scumbags
keep your hands off it.

-Hey, Michael, what's happening, man?
-How you doing?

I hear you're home for a week
and nobody hears from you.

Yeah, look,
I was gonna call you guys...

...but I figured I'd run into you
sooner or later. So, what's up?

Nothing. I hear you're home,
I figured I'd come by, say hello.

You gonna invite me in,
or are we gonna freeze our asses off?

Yeah. Come on in.

-Hey, Ma, you remember Michael, eh?
-Hey, Mrs. Ryan.

Hey. How you doing?

-What's up, man? Everything all right?
-Yeah. Everything's fine.

Man, this place hasn't changed much.

Yeah, my mom hasn't gotten around
to hiring the new interior decorator, so--

I saw the Buick, I can't believe
you got that running again.

Yeah, well. I still see
you're driving the Impala.

I can't believe
that's still on the road.

After you left,
I got a decent mechanic.

So, what brings you back?
You miss home?

Did I miss home or something?
Is there something here to miss?

Hey, fuck you.

So, what's the occasion?
You got any work lined up?

Yeah, yeah, if you can believe it...

...I'm back at Bugsy's pumping gas
a couple of days a week.

So you seen anybody
since you're back?

No, nobody.

Hoping to run into Claudia
if she's still around.

-That's what I came here to talk about.
-Oh, why? What's up?

Please don't tell me she's married.

Not exactly.

We're together now.

What do you mean,
you're together now?

We're together, we live together.

Probably gonna get married
this summer.

No shit.

How long--? How long's
that been going on?

-About three years.
-Three years?

You didn't waste any fucking time.

You treated her like shit
and you took off.

At least I treat her good.

You and Claudia.

I can't-- Can't picture that.

So, what's the deal,
you guys are engaged or something?

Basically.

''Basically''? Hey, Michael,
how is one ''basically'' engaged?

Look, we both decided
we wanted to get married...

...but we haven't decided on a date.

So I guess you'd say
we're not officially engaged.

That's great man. Look, seriously,
no bullshit, I'm happy for you.

-So you're cool with this?
-Look...

...me and her were over
a long time ago.

A long time ago, Charlie.

Yeah.

-So no hard feelings?
-No, man.

To old friends.

Old friends.

Hi, babe.

-So how'd it go?
-What?

-What, you didn't go see him?
-Yeah.

-And?
-And he's still an asshole.

Back pumping gas at Bugsy's.
Really setting the world on fire.

-So did you tell him about us?
-Yeah.

-How did he react?
-He was cool with it.

Hey, you.

What's happening?

-You here to eat?
-Yeah. Yeah, I'm here to eat.

-You know what you want?
-Yeah.

Let me get a cheeseburger
and some fries, all right?

That it?

No. No, actually,
there's something I wanna ask you.

Can you sit down with me a second?

You can't see I'm working here?

Hey, Claudia, it's not like this place
is exactly rocking, all right?

Just sit down with me a second.
I'm not gonna bite you.

So?

So, you know, I just--
I wanted to come by and say I'm sorry...

...for the way I just took off,
you know, when I left.

So I'm sorry.

-That's what you wanted to ask me?
-Yeah.

Yeah, and also, you know, I mean,
I just wanted to see if, you know...

...if you're happy with all this.

Still living here, working in this
place, you know, your whole routine.

-What business is that of yours?
-Come on.

I've known you your whole life,
all right?

I just can't see you
being okay with this.

Well, it's not like
I'm gonna be here forever.

Oh, really?
You see your friend back here?

That's what she said too.
Now look at her.

Another couple of months in this town
your hair's gonna turn blue too.

You come here to eat
or to abuse me?

No, look, look,
all I'm saying is, like...

...what happened to all that stuff
you were gonna do?

Remember what I used to call you?

''Cloudia.'' You always
had your head in the clouds.

Talking about getting out of here,
seeing the world.

What happened to that girl?

I was 18 years old and I grew up.
That's what happened.

What about you?
You were the one with big plans...

...big dreams. What happened?

I didn't give up, all right?
It just didn't work out this time.

In a month or so,
I'm gonna get the hell out of here again.

I'm not sticking around here.

So why did you bother
coming back home?

Honestly?

Because I wanted to see you.

Yeah, well, hey,
here I am in all my glory.

Now what are you gonna do?

I'm thinking, you know, I'm thinking
if you're not so happy here...

...then, you know, when I take off,
why don't you come with me?

Remember? Like we always said
we were gonna do?

Oh, yeah. Just like that, no big deal.

You know what?

I never said I wasn't happy, you did.

Charlie, we've been here once before.

We were kids,
it seemed so romantic.

But it don't seem so romantic now,
does it?

Why not?

Because of Michael?

Partly.

And because I don't trust you.

Remember, you have a habit of running
away when things get a little ugly.

What are you talking about?
Talking about--?

You talking about the abortion?

Yeah.

I'm talking about the abortion.

I stayed and made sure everything
was okay before I left, all right?

I even spoke to the guy
at the clinic.

You even talked to that guy
at the clinic?

Well, that was mighty big of you.

You know something?
Everything wasn't okay.

I needed you
and you weren't there.

What wasn't okay?

Look, that doesn't
even matter now, okay?

But to answer your question, no.
I don't wanna go anywhere with you.

So, what are you gonna do?

You're really gonna stay
and marry Michael?

Yeah.

-I don't see a ring anywhere.
-Don't worry. It's coming.

I guess you play the cards
you're dealt, huh?

Or sometimes you just run away.

Look, I'm gonna
get back to work, okay?

So just-- Just leave me alone.

Fine.

-Oh, hey, babe.
-Hi, honey.

What are you still doing awake?

Nothing, really.
Just figured I'd wait up for you.

Oh, sorry.
I went over to Goldie's after work.

He wanted to show me
Missy's sonogram.

They're gonna have a boy.

I think I saw his little pecker,
it was really cool.

You're gonna make a great father,
aren't you?

I'm gonna try.

We got a good thing.

Don't we?

Yeah, we do.

-Hey, Kelly.
-Hey, babe. What's up?

-Is Mom up yet?
-She's right there in the kitchen.

Oh, well, don't get up or anything.

Hold your horses, I'm coming.

-Hey, Ma.
-Hi, hon.

Oh, Claudia, I told you
you didn't have to do that.

I can go to the store myself,
you know.

Yeah, well, don't worry about it.

-So what's going on Kelly, anything?
-Same shit, different day.

-Can't get a date.
-You're one to talk.

I get out of the house once in a while.

What about that guy Marty?
I figured he'd be right up your alley.

From the fish market? No, thank you.

-Do I look that desperate to you?
-You want us to honestly answer?

So I guess no news
from your father, huh?

You'd be the first one I'd tell
if I heard from him.

Please don't start with that again.

-Start with what?
-He left.

He ain't coming back. Trust me, I know
a little something about guys like this.

Why would you say that?

He did this when you were a baby.

He came back then, didn't he?

If he gave a shit about us,
he would've called already.

Even if that son of a bitch did call,
I wouldn't wanna talk to him.

Watch your mouth.
He's still your father.

Not to me, he's not.

Why don't you take that fucking picture
off the wall already?

Nice mouth, huh?

This is pretty good.
You're finally getting the hang of it.

What's the matter, babe?

It's just my mom, you know?
She won't give up hope.

It's tough to watch.

I don't get your dad.

I don't know how a guy can just run off
on his wife and kids like that.

Yeah.

-I can sort of understand why he left.
-You can?

Yeah. He obviously
wasn't happy anymore.

Where's it written
you gotta be happy all the time?

He didn't love my mother.
What's he to do?

-Spend his life being miserable?
-That's not the point.

We're talking about a guy
who abandoned his wife...

...in the middle of the night,
no explanation.

If he didn't love her anymore,
he should have asked for a divorce.

He tried. But she wouldn't listen.

She didn't wanna hear it,
didn't wanna believe it.

That's bullshit.
And why are you defending this guy?

Can't you see
how it's affecting your mother?

She hasn't left the house
in six months.

I'm not defending him.

I hate the son of a bitch
for what he's done to her.

But he's my father...

...and I grew up in that house,
so I can sort of understand his side.

Well, I can't.

Yeah, well,
I wouldn't expect you to.

Son of a bitch. Not again.

So, man, what happened to that other
mechanic you were telling me about?

He died.

Look, I don't want you
to take this the wrong way.

But that car you got?
A total piece of shit.

Why don't you junk it
and save yourself the headache?

Look who's talking.
What am I supposed to drive?

Buy a new car.
You got the good job now.

Do I look like I can buy a new car?

Why don't you ask your old man
for a loan? He's got money.

What do I look like?
I'm not gonna ask my parents.

What's the big deal?
They're your parents.

They're supposed to give you money.

Maybe if I lived at home,
they'd make my bed too.

Look, Michael, I don't know
if Claudia mentioned it at all...

...but I stopped in at the diner
the other day for lunch...

...and I happened to notice she didn't
have a ring on her finger, man.

-What's up with that?
-It's because she doesn't have one.

You know, I figure I'll buy her the ring
right after I buy that new car.

-You guys are engaged though, right?
-Yes, like I told you.

We're just not gonna make it official
till we settle on a date.

Neither one of us is going anywhere.

I gotta admit,
I'm a little jealous of you, you know.

I'm starting to think
maybe that's what I gotta do.

It's time to find a girl,
settle down, do that thing.

Yeah, you should.

Only problem is, it seems all the girls
I used to know around here...

-...they're already spoken for, huh?
-That's right.

-Don't forget it.
-Don't worry, man. I'm not about to.

So you gonna help me out or what?

Come on, you cheap bastard,
don't I always help you?

All of a sudden I'm gonna stop
fixing your car for free?

It died outside the house.

I don't know if you're cool with this,
but you'll have to come over to fix it.

Yeah, well, look, I got Saturday off.
I could maybe come by do it then?

No, no, no, Saturday's no good.
I gotta work.

How about Sunday?

Yeah. No, Sunday-- All right, yeah,
I'll come by-- I'll come by on Sunday.

Hey, Michael. Mike, are you home?

What the hell you are doing in here?

Oh, hey, Claudia. How you doing?

Don't ''How you doing?'' me.
What the fuck are you doing here?

Hey, you know,
it's really nice to see you too.

Nice place you got.

I'm not joking, Charlie.
What are you doing in our house?

I came by to see your boyfriend.

I knocked on the door
and it was open--

So you just let yourself in and started
helping yourself to our beer?

Yeah. Yeah, looks like that.

So is he around?

No. He's at work.

Why? What do you want him for?

Well, didn't he tell you? I'm supposed
to come by today to fix the car.

Yeah, he told me you were supposed
to come by tomorrow.

Yeah, but see, I gotta work tomorrow.

So I don't know, I figured I should
come by, see if I can do it today.

You knew he wasn't
gonna be home today.

No. No, I had no idea.

I mean, I don't know, you know...

...maybe, you know,
he may have mentioned it but--

Then why don't you
just come back tomorrow...

...like you said you were gonna?

Because I gotta cover
for The Foot tomorrow, all right?

So if lover-boy wants
his car ready for Monday morning...

...I can only do it today.

So is this gonna be the routine now?

You just hassle me
every chance you get?

Hassle you? Hassle you.
All right. Let me get this straight.

I come over here on my day off
to fix your boyfriend's car...

...for free, no less,
and you accuse me of hassling you?

What do you think?
I got nothing better to do...

...than come over
when Michael's not around...

...and see if I can sweet-talk
you for a couple hours?

I mean, come on, Claudia,
you know I'm not that kind of guy.

You're just not gonna give up,
are you?

Hell, no.

All right, look.
And don't laugh at this, all right?

But when I was in California...

...I got a chance to do a lot of thinking
about us and about how I took off...

...and, you know, and about
how much I missed you.

All right? So that's why I came home.

And that's why I'm hassling you.

And that's why I'm probably
gonna continue to hassle you.

Come on, you didn't miss me at all?

Yeah, I missed you.

Then what do you say?

No, I'm not gonna feel like this again.

-Hey, Claud, are you home?
-Yeah, Teresa. In here.

Charlie.

Hey, Teresa, how you doing?

I'm fine.

-How are you, keeping out of trouble?
-Yeah, yeah.

Trying to convince your friend here
to change all that, but--

He's just here to fix Michael's car.

Yeah. Yeah, I'm here to fix the car.

I'm gonna grab my beer
and get started out there.

-Oh, yeah, help yourself.
-All right. Speak to you.

All right, Teresa,
we'll see you at the bar.

-So?
-So what?

Don't pull that. What was going on?

Nothing was going on.
He just came in to get a beer.

Claudia, it was obvious
something was going on.

Teresa, we were just talking.

If I were you,
I wouldn't even give him that much.

Yeah? Well, you're not me, are you?

Take a break.

Can we get another round, please?

-Hey, Claudia.
-Hey, Alice.

So I heard that Charlie's been doing
lunch over at the diner a lot these days.

-What's up with that?
-Nothing's up with that.

Oh, really? People are talking.

Yeah? Well,
you shouldn't listen to them.

I mean, how long ago
did you guys break up?

About two weeks ago.

-Really?
-Yeah.

You seeing anybody else right now?

-No, not yet.
-That's good.

You wouldn't wanna rush
into something right away...

...you know, get into something crazy,
I don't know, I mean, would you?

Can you believe that slut? I don't know
what he was thinking, marrying her.

I'll tell you what. Her father gave him
a job. Couldn't get one on his own.

Bullshit. He got her pregnant.

Her father threatened to cut his balls off
if he didn't marry her.

-Can you see it?
-No.

No, turn it this way.

Oh, yeah. Look at that.
He's got a little one, huh?

-Yeah, takes after his father.
-Sorry.

He comes over on Saturday...

...when I told him to come by on
Sunday to fix the car, you know?

-Did he fix the car?
-That's not the point, Goldie.

He said himself,
he wouldn't do anything.

Oh, I feel much better now.

Hey, can we have a couple of shots?

-Tony from the pizza place is here.
-So?

What ''so''?
So he broke up with his girlfriend.

-I'm thinking maybe, you know....
-What?

Do you guys have any rubbers on you?

-Hear who moved in on State Street?
-I know.

The O'Hara's sold their house
to them.

That neighborhood's captured territory.
It's a shame.

I give my mother a week
before she's got her house up for sale.

All right, but tell me, why'd
he have to come into my house?

Mikey, the guy, he's--
He's fixing your car for free.

I'd say not out of whack
for him to come in and ask for a beer.

There's something going on
in his head.

I just wonder if he tried anything
with Claudia.

Don't you think she would tell you?

-Yeah, I do.
-Of course she would.

What's happening, fellas?

There they are.
How you doing, gentlemen?

-Hello, Charlie.
-Charlie, how you doing?

What's up, guys?
Guys, look, I want to meet....

Annie, right? Annie.

Annie, this is Michael and Goldie.
My two oldest friends.

Probably his only friends.
Nice to meet you.

I've known these guys
since I was younger than you.

So be nice to them, all right?

Annie. It's very,
very nice to meet you.

Control yourself, Goldie, all right?
You're a married man.

I'm sorry, Charlie.

So, what's up? I come over,
fix the car, I don't get a thank-you call?

No, thanks. I thought you were
coming over on Sunday, that's all.

Yeah, didn't Claudia tell you?

I was gonna come Sunday,
but I had to cover for The Foot...

...so I figured Saturday was cool,
I hope that was all right.

No, no, problem.
Just call us next time.

Yeah, sure. Whatever.

Hey, what are you doing next week?
You're on for poker?

Yeah, I'll be there. I'll be there.
What about you, Mikey, gonna show?

No, I'm definitely in.

Hey, I'll be right back.

I just have to go
to the bathroom, okay?

Yeah. Just don't take all night,
all right, sweetheart?

-Okay.
-You guys want drinks? Come on, Mikey.

-No. I'm good.
-Charlie, what do you want?

Yeah. You know what? Get me--

Get me, like, two shots
for her, all right?

Mary, three shots of Jack, please.

Charlie, where did you find her?

I know, can you believe it?
Is she fucking hot or what?

You ain't gonna
take her home tonight, are you?

What do you mean?
Of course I'll take her home.

-You know, if her mother's not home.
-She's jailbait, for chrissake.

You should be buying her
ice cream cones, not shots.

What are you talking about?
She's a freshman in college.

I even saw her lD, right?
So it's legal, right?

You know, in some southern states,
Charlie, it is legal.

I'm out of here.

What's with him?
All of a sudden, he's a saint?

Don't worry about him.
Let's do these shots.

-Cheers.
-All right.

To young girls.

-Wait a second.
-What? Something wrong?

No, I-- We just shouldn't be doing this
out here. Somebody might see us.

Well, then, what do you say--?
What do you say we go inside?

I told you we can't.
My parents are home.

-Your parents are home?
-Yeah.

Well, look, I'm kind of tapped out,
but you got any money?

-Or, like, a credit card on you?
-Yeah.

Well, then, what do you say
we go find a motel room?

I don't-- I don't know.

What do you mean, you don't know?
Is something wrong?

No, I-- No.

I'm just-- I'm not sure I'm ready
to do this right now, that's all.

What, are you afraid of me?

I mean, look at me.

Look at me.
I'm a fucking pussycat over here.

I'm not gonna hurt you. Come on.

It's almost 5.
My parents are gonna be up soon.

So, what are you saying to me?

It's time to go home?
You calling it a night?

I'm gonna be back home
in a couple weeks for spring break.

Maybe we could wait till then.

-Spring break?
-Yeah.

Yeah, yeah. You know what?
I'll be waiting by the phone.

Okay. Bye.

-Kelly, where are you?
-Hold your freaking horses, I'm coming.

Did she show you
what she's gonna wear?

-Jeez, she looks like a frigging hooker.
-Ma, don't start with her tonight.

-What do you think?
-Oh, my God.

What?

-You look beautiful.
-You really do, Kelly. You look great.

-Yeah? You don't think it's too much?
-If you got it, work it, baby.

I figure a night out
with Marty the fishmonger...

...has got to be better
than another night with you, Ma.

-What do you think?
-You look like a floozy.

But you've been dressing like this
since you're 1 3.

You didn't give a crap
what I thought then either.

Oh, don't say that, Ma.
You know I care what you think.

Get the hell out of here.

-So where you guys going?
-Casa Tina's.

Casa Tina's? That's expensive.
This guy must make some coin.

Hey, he's got his own shop.

-That's him.
-We got Mr. Manners here too, huh?

Doesn't even come to the door
to say hello.

What, are you embarrassed
about your family?

He's afraid of you, Ma.
He's heard the stories.

-So, what do you think?
-I think you're gonna have a great time.

Can you believe I'm actually nervous?

-Do I look all right?
-Don't worry. You look beautiful.

-Now go have a good time.
-All right, thank you.

-I love you, babe.
-Love you too.

So how's everything
with you and Michael?

Everything all right?

Yeah, everything's cool. Why?

No reason. Just, you know, making sure.
Because I like Mike.

He's a good man.

-Yeah, well, everything's fine.
-Good.

I'm gonna go sit down now,
okay, Tony?

All right.

If you need anything, let me know.

I'll be here.

So, what do you think of him?
Do you think he's cute?

He's not really my type.

I used to think
he was sexy in high school.

-I mean, he had hair back then.
-So ask him out.

I tried the other night at the bar,
but he didn't get the hint.

I think he got back with his ex-girlfriend
and I wouldn't feel right about that.

Let's say you're sitting
home alone one night...

...and you decide to order a pizza.

And our man Anthony shows up.
Do you invite him in?

Do I invite him in?
In a heartbeat, I invite him in.

Okay. So you invite him in.
Now what do you do?

Do I think he's into me?

Oh, yeah, he wants you, you can tell.

Okay.

Then I make my move.

-And?
-And....

And what? Do I have sex with him?

-Yeah.
-Yeah, well, if I'm gonna do it...

...I'm gonna do it right, right?

Hey, Foot, tell me...

...what the hell is a guy your age
still doing here pumping gas?

Making the rent, same as you.

Hey, pal, look, all right?

Don't go comparing your life to mine.

I ain't here making the frigging rent.

Yo, Bugs, I'm gonna grab some lunch,
all right?

Charlie, you gotta be kidding me.

You got 40 minutes, I'm timing you.

All right. Thanks.

Look, I'm gonna grab some lunch.
You want me to get you anything?

Very nice.

What's that smile about, huh?

You just come back
from the junior high school?

Hey. She was in college, all right?

-Besides, I just drove her home.
-Oh, I'm sure you did.

Want a beer?

Okay.

Look, I'm telling you,
nothing happened, okay?

I mean, I drove her home...

...maybe there was, you know,
a little kiss, and that's it.

Why? You-- You jealous or something?

Why would I be jealous?

No reason. I mean,
but if you are jealous, I can understand.

Because I'm sure it was a little weird
for you to see me with another woman.

Especially a fine young thing
like that, right?

Well, I suppose if I thought she were out
of the 10th grade, I might be jealous.

Hey, hey, she was in college, okay?
I mean, I saw her lD.

Well, I hope so, for your sake.

If l remember correctly,
you kind of like this song, don't you?

Yeah, you know, I like all his stuff.

Well, then what do you say
you give me a little-- A little dance?

What, in here?

Yeah, come on, you know,
a little slow dance.

What are you talking about?
You don't know how to dance.

I don't know how to dance?

First of all, it's a slow dance and any
retard knows how to do a slow dance.

And besides,
you don't remember our prom?

We did some dancing that night.

Sorry, I can't.

I don't know, it seemed the other day
at your house you felt like dancing.

What happened to that?

Yeah, well, we all make mistakes.

So, what are you trying to say?

You hate me or something?

No, I'm just not dancing with you.

All right, all right.

I guess I'll go back to work then, huh?

Guess so.

Enjoy the beer.

Thank you.

Hey, Claudia.

I told you you'd be cleaning
his dirty underwear, didn't l?

-You okay?
-Yeah.

-You sure?
-Yeah, I said I'm fine.

What, you don't wanna go to the bar
and watch the game?

No, forget it, it's fine.

We don't have to go to the bar. We can
go to my mother's and get a nice meal.

Everybody's gonna be there tonight.

Couldn't we go into the city
and go to a nice restaurant?

I just told you I can barely afford
to pay our bills...

...and you want to go to the city
to a restaurant?

Yeah. We haven't left this town
to do anything in over a year.

It might be nice to see
different faces, different streets.

Every time we go
over to your mother's house...

...you end up sitting
watching football...

...while your mother
and your sisters...

...trap me and ask me
when we're gonna get married.

-No, they don't.
-Yes, they do. Every time.

And what do you say to them?

The same thing I always say to you.

Yeah, which is bullshit.

-Please don't start with me.
-Don't start with what?

I'm not gonna wait till I'm old
to get married. I'm ready for this.

I know you're ready. In fact, everyone
we know knows how ready you are.

We've been together forever.
What do you want?

I don't know.
That's what I've been trying to tell you.

-You don't want to hear that.
-It doesn't make sense.

We're not getting any younger.

I mean, when do you think
you're gonna wanna do this?

I just don't wanna rush into it,
Michael.

What am I doing here?
Am I just wasting time?

If I am, tell me,
so I can get on with my life.

Why do you insist on hounding me?

I'm not hounding you. I'm just--

Yes, you are! Because we have
this same conversation every week.

I don't wanna go to your mother's
house and I'm not ready to get married.

-Why not?
-I'm not ready to become a housewife.

-Who says you gotta be?
-What else would I be?

Tell me what else would I be
if we got married.

-What would I do with my life?
-I don't know.

That is exactly my point. Neither do l.

Does she know about this?

Oh, ladies, this is my lucky day.

Goldie, I'll see your 50 cents
and I will raise you two bucks.

Oh, Mikey, Mikey. All right.
You sure you can afford this?

Don't you worry about me, Goldie.

Good, because I can't. I'm out.

You in or out?

Look at Mikey over here
playing the big spender.

Yeah, I'm in, tough nuts.

I see your two dollars
and I raise you...

...20. Think you can handle that?

-We don't play for those kind of stakes.
-Come on.

What are you doing?
We don't play for that kind of cash.

He's sitting here grinning
like the big man with the big hand.

I thought I'd give you a chance
to show us how big you are.

Don't be an asshole, come on.

You can always fold, big man.

Goldie, loan me 20 bucks.

Mikey, you're into me for 40 already.

Have I not paid you back?
Come on, loan me 20 bucks.

All right.

All right.

All right, Charlie, show me your hand.

I hate to do this to you,
because I know--

I know times are tough and all...

...but it's a full house.

-You're still a fucking scumbag.
-I don't know what to tell you, Michael.

All your life, I've been beating you.
You thought that was gonna change?

-Don't be a dick.
-He can't help himself.

You should've stayed in California.

I'm breaking your balls a little bit,
all right?

Don't turn into a mary on us, okay?

Guys, can we chill out
and play cards?

Hey, Charlie, take it easy.

Don't push me, Charlie, okay?

Man, I'm not pushing you at all,
all right? I'm playing cards.

You can't take it, hit the bricks.

-Fine. I'm out of here.
-Hey, Mikey, come on, man. Don't--

-I'll lend you some money, don't worry.
-Fuck him.

You know what? This ain't high school
anymore. You're fucking nothing.

And another thing, keep the fuck away
from Claudia, all right?

It's late.

See you tomorrow, Goldie.

You see this?

I fix the guy's car for free,
this is the thanks I get, right?

You're fucked up.
Why are you doing this?

-What is that suppose to mean?
-Why don't you tell me?

If I knew what you were talking about,
I could help you out, but I don't.

Okay, Charlie.

Is something going on
with you and Claudia?

No. Why?

-People are talking, Charlie.
-People are talking?

Because that's all
there is to do in this town.

Charlie, you can't do it to her.

You can't come back and start screwing
with her head again. It just ain't right.

Hey, who says I'm screwing
with her head, all right?

Let's say the only reason I came home
is because I wanna see her.

I show up to find my best friend
is living with her.

What am I supposed to do?
Pack my bags and take off?

I mean, that sounds fair to you?

So, what are you gonna tell me?

You're still in love with her
after all these years?

Maybe I am.

-What happened?
-She's all right. She's fine, thank God.

The doctor came by
a little while ago.

He said there's nothing wrong with her,
she just collapsed.

She's upstairs sleeping now, finally.

So, what was it?

Dad called.

He is such a piece of shit.

You wanna know why he called?

He's in love and he's found himself.

Oh, yeah, and he wanted to tell Ma
that she can have the fucking house.

He's living down in Vegas now...

...and he says
he's not gonna call us anymore...

...and doesn't wanna
hear from us neither.

I told you he never gave a shit
about us.

I hope he fucking dies tomorrow.

When she was on the phone with him,
she just sat there...

...just listening to him,
not saying nothing.

And then she hung up the phone,
reaI calm, you know...

...told me what he said...

...and then she just went to bed.

I woke up this morning to go to Mass,
she was still asleep.

So I-- You know,
I thought she was fine.

And then I come home and I found her
sprawled out on the floor.

Oh, hi, baby.

-How you doing?
-I'm okay.

I mean, you know,
it's no big deal, I fell down.

You always were my beautiful baby.

Hey, don't you cry
about a thing, huh?

I told you he's done this before.

You'll see, he'll be home soon.

You'll see.

Okay?

Yeah, okay.

You get out of here now,
let me take a nap.

-Go on.
-Okay.

I was wondering when you'd find
the time to come by, say hello.

How you doing, Charlie?

Same old, same old.
What's up? You need some gas?

Yeah. Fill me up. Regular.

Yeah, I'll fill you up.

-So...?
-Listen, I wanted to talk to you.

Do you think we could,
you know, go somewhere to talk?

Sure, is everything--?
Everything's all right?

Yeah, everything's fine.
I just wanna talk.

-Can you get a few minutes?
-Yeah, I can get a few minutes.

Give me a second, all right?

Hey, Bugs, I'm out of here, okay?

Hey, Charlie,
get over here first, will you?

Hey, man, what's up?

Jimbo's leaving at the end of the month,
leaving me high and dry.

I'm gonna need somebody
full-time at this point...

...so if you give me 30 hours a week
built, you're the man for the job.

I don't know. Give me a little time
to think about it?

Yeah, just don't jerk me on it.
Let me know as soon as you can.

Yeah. Thanks, man.

Look at you, huh?
The happy brown bagger.

Take it easy, Foot.

You think we screwed up?

Is this how
we were supposed to end up?

Why would you say ''end up''? You're
talking like your life's already over.

I feel it closing in.

It's always something.

I mean, look at my dad.
I think that's why he left.

Claudia, I mean, if you really feel
that way, why don't--?

You know, why don't you just
come away with me when I go?

Come on, Charlie,
you know I can't do that.

No, you know what? I don't know.

Why not? Why not come with me?

What's keeping you here?

Because you really hurt me last time
and I don't wanna go through that again.

Hey.

Look, all right?

I promise you
I'm not gonna hurt you again.

I know how badly
I screwed up last time.

I mean, why do you think
I was in such a hurry to get out of here?

But it's, you know, it's different now.

How?

I guess this time--

I mean, this time I need you.

And I love you.

Promise me
you're not messing with my head.

Yeah. Yeah, I promise you.

-Here you go.
-Oh, thank you, sweetheart. That'll help.

Want me to fix you
something really good to eat?

-No, this will do just fine for now.
-Okay.

What are you so chipper about, huh?

-Your poor mother lying here half-dead?
-Ma, don't talk like that.

I don't even know what you're saying.
I'm not ''chipper.''

Oh, yeah?

What's that smile on your face
all about?

I don't know. Just stuff.

''Just stuff''?

Yeah, just stuff.

Why don't you come over here and rub
some of that stuff off on your mother?

Oh, God.

I still miss him.

I know, Ma.

-She still loves him, you know.
-Yeah, try to figure that one out.

So did I tell you that Charlie moved
back home a couple weeks ago?

Yeah, you told me.

I think I'm gonna go out with him
tomorrow night.

Claudia...

...one asshole walks out of our lives,
you're gonna let another walk back in?

I swear you're as bad as mom.

I don't know
if I ever got over him, Kelly.

What about Michael?

You know? Are you thinking
about him through all of this?

Look, I don't want you to think
I feel good about this...

...but I'm just not happy
with Michael anymore.

I want a different life
than the one I'm living so much.

So you think Charlie's the answer.

I don't know.

But he might be.

No.

I'm not gonna tell you
how to live your life...

...but I will give you the one decent
piece of advice Pop ever gave me.

He said, ''No matter how hard you try,
you can't shine shit.''

And that kid is shit.

No, Kelly, you're wrong.
It's different now. He changed.

And he's reminded me
I want more out of life.

Oh, I find that so hard to believe,
Claudia.

People don't change.

Look at Pop.

I think you're looking
for something here...

...that wasn't right for you
three years ago.

So why do you gotta do this?

Because I don't wanna wake up
1 0 years from now and ask ''What if?''

Fine.

-Take it easy, Scully.
-You too, doll.

See you on Monday.

-Where are you headed all prettied up?
-Nowhere special.

''Nowhere special,'' my ass.

There you go.

-There you are, young lady.
-Thanks.

All right, so you gotta explain to me
your deal with Florida, all right.

I got a guy that I know from California
who's got a place down in Gainesville.

He said we could crash there for free
for a couple of weeks till we get set up.

What do we need with Florida?

It's a bunch of old people,
early-bird specials.

You gotta be kidding me.
It's beautiful down there.

-And they got good beaches, I mean--
-I don't need any more beaches.

I wanna go someplace different,
like Seattle.

Seattle? No shot.

It's miserable there.
I mean, it's cold, it's rainy.

If we're gonna do that,
we may as well stay here.

No, if we're gonna do this,
I want someplace warm.

I mean, let's go out West.
We'll go to Vegas.

No.

How about Texas?
You'd look good in a cowboy hat.

-Oh, you think so, do you?
-Yeah.

Texas, huh? I like Texas. That works.

It's a big place,
anywhere in particular?

No. We'll figure it out
when we get there.

All right, then. Texas it is.

You see?

I told you we were meant
for one another, didn't l?

Yeah.

What's up? Something wrong?

Do you ever think about what our lives
would be like if we'd had the baby?

Yeah. Yeah, we'd be miserable.

Because we're just
so happy now, huh?

I'm happy. I'm real happy.

Now, Claudia, think about it. If we
had kids, we'd be spending every day...

...working hard to feed them,
clothe them, put them through school...

...only for them to tell us to go
fuck ourselves when they turn 1 6.

No, thanks.

It's probably good you feel that way.

Because I'm wanna tell you something
that I haven't told anybody.

I mean, not my mother, not Michael,
not even Kelly. Okay?

Yeah, yeah. What's up?

After I had the abortion...

...there were some complications...

...and I had to go back
in the hospital.

And now they say there's a chance
I might not be able to have children.

Look, l....

Hey, I'm sorry, you know?

It's weird, you know?

I never really thought about wanting kids
until I heard maybe I couldn't.

Hey.

What do you say
you give me that dance now, huh?

Come on.

-Goldie, you seen Claudia tonight?
-Mikey, what's up?

No, I ain't seen her.

-Help yourself.
-Think she's at your house with Missy?

No, I don't think so.

Is everything all right?

No, everything's not all right, all right?

It's 1 :00 in the morning and
I haven't heard from my old lady all day.

Something's up man, I know it.

What are you talking about?
What's wrong with you?

She's probably out
with her sister or Teresa.

Maybe you just missed her at home.
Why don't you try her?

You probably just missed her, go ahead.
Come on.

Can I get another shot here?
This is bullshit.

Hi, we're not home.
Leave a message at the beep.

Claudia, if you're there,
pick up, it's me.

Claudia, it's me. Pick up.

She's not there.

Do you know something?

Michael, what would I know?

What would you know?

Is she out with Charlie?
Is that what's going on here?

Mikey, I don't-- I don't know nothing.

Do you know something or not?

Mike, what do you want me
to say to you?

Then you're gonna fuck me
behind my back too, huh?

Come on, Mikey.

Here. Thanks for the drink.

Have a nice fucking life.

-Michael, what's going on?
-Hey, Ter, sorry. Is Claudia here?

No.

-No.
-You know where she is?

No. I mean, maybe she's with Kelly.

I called Kelly's, there's no answer.

I tried the bar.
I can't find her anywhere, you know?

Well...

...if she's not there
and she's not here....

Do you...?

Do you wanna to come up?

-I mean, we can just talk--
-No.

Listen, babe, you see Claudia, just
tell her I'm waiting back home, all right?

Great. Fine.

Michael.

I'm sorry.

So am l.

Why are you doing this to me?

What?

Wanna tell me
where you were all night?

-I was at work and then I went out.
-You didn't think to maybe call me?

I'm sorry.

I just went out and lost track of time.

Please don't give me
a hard time about it, okay?

Give you a hard time, huh?

You walk through the door
at 5:00 in the morning...

...and I'm not supposed to
give you a hard time.

I'm sitting alone, staring at these walls.
I don't know if you're alive or dead.

And I'm not supposed
to give you a hard time.

Do me a favor, Claudia.

Sit down.

Sit down.

Now, why don't you tell me
where you were tonight?

I was at work and then I went out.

I called work.
They told me you left early.

Why'd you leave work early?

Because it was quiet and I had plans.

I called your mother's house.

I called there three times,
and there was no answer.

-Why would you call my mother's house?
-I don't know.

Maybe because
I was worried about you.

I'm sorry.

You don't give a fuck about me,
do you?

Michael....

I can't deal with this, Claudia.

Why can't you just
be honest with me?

Just answer me.
Do you give a damn about us anymore?

What? I can't hear you.

Where were you tonight?

I don't know.

You don't know.

You don't know where you were...

...or you don't know
who you were with?

Or you don't know
if you give a damn about us anymore?

I'm not gonna let you
make a jerkoff out of me.

There's plenty of other women out there
who'd show me a little bit of respect.

You were with Charlie, weren't you?

Weren't you?

Yeah.

Michael, let me explain.

The last thing I wanted to do
was hurt you.

-I don't deserve this.
-I'm so sorry.

You know what I want you to do?

I want you to leave my house.

I want you to pack a bag
and I want you to leave.

I don't ever wanna fucking
see your face again.

-Michael, come on.
-Get out.

Just get the fuck out of here.

Everything all right?

-Yeah, everything's fine, Mom.
-Any news from your father?

No.

Good.

The next time he calls,
he's gonna want the house back...

...and we're gonna be
out on the street.

Oh, God, will you smell that sea air?

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
I've been holed up long in this house...

...that I forgot
what the ocean smelled like.

You're feeling better, huh?

Yep.

I guess I am.

What's going on with you?

I'm....

I guess it's not gonna work out
with me and Michael after all.

Yeah, I sort of suspected that.

You know,
ever since you were a little girl...

...you were always much more
like your father than you were like me.

Don't take that the wrong way.

I fell in love with him
because he was so different than...

...God, everybody around here.

I guess I knew what I was getting into
when I married him.

But you always think
you're gonna change somebody.

You can't do it.

So it's okay, you know.

It's okay to take care of yourself.

Yep.

Hey, darling.

Well, look who it is.

Hi.

How you been?

So look, I've been doing
some thinking about the trip...

...and I think if we're gonna do this,
I figure we may as well leave next week.

What do you think?

I've been....

-I just don't think it's gonna work.
-You don't think it's gonna work.

That's great.

So, what are you gonna do?
You gonna marry Michael after all?

Nope. It's got nothing to do with him.

Well, then, what is it?

I mean, did I--?
Did I do something wrong?

No. No, you didn't do
anything wrong. I just--

I gotta figure some things out.

And I think it's best
if I just figure them out on my own.

If anyone's gonna understand that,
it's gonna be you, right?

Yeah. Yeah, I guess.

So, what, I guess this is
your idea of payback, huh?

Nope, it's nothing like that.

I'm just taking care of myself.

All right.

So I guess I'll see you around, right?

Yep.

See you around.

Hey, Claudia.

I hope you find
what you're looking for.