Chasing Life (2014–2015): Season 2, Episode 12 - Ready or Not - full transcript

April tries to use her connections at the Post to schmooze with a book publisher at an exclusive event, but is out-scooped by a former friend from college

Previously on Chasing Life...

This is exciting. I was really
grabbed by your book

Jaclyn, I can't work for you.

- (Laughs)
- I'm ready to move on

and try succeeding in this
business on my own name.

You make me so happy.

More than anyone I've ever met.

Go at your own pace

and if you get tired, just take a break.

I mean, it's dangerous if the
wrong person breathes on you.

Sorry I got so territorial.



But I'm also not ready
to give up on this place.

It was the future I wanted to build.

But you're totally talking
about April, aren't you?

- (Rock music playing)
- ♪ Hey

♪ into my life

Beth: Yeah, she looks pretty in that one.

She uses so many filters, though.

You can't even tell what
she really looks like.

I mean, she's always
been really pretty though.

Ugh. I want her eyebrows.

Mmm, yours are better.

No.

Girl, hey.

Josh. Josh. Josh.



Josh.

My new roommate's eyebrows are
better than this girls, right?

Um...

Yes.

- Yes.
- (Chuckles)

See?

I'm sorry. You must be so bored.

My old friend from
college is coming into town

and we're getting lunch tomorrow, so...

We have to judge
everything she posts online.

Why? 'Cause you hate her?

No, I don't... I don't hate Ellie.

She just kind of gave me a bit of
a complex when we were at school.

It was between me and her
for editor of the paper.

She got it...

And then she edged me
out for valedictorian.

So you hate her.

Mm-mmm.

We always got along.

We even lived together briefly in New York.

Just thankful that Instagram
wasn't popular back then

or I would have had to watch her take about

a million gym selfies in the mirror.

It's crazy. She has so many followers.

Uh, I'm one of those followers.

I'm sorry. I've been
reading her blog for a while.

You know, she used to
write one for Cosmo.

Oh, no. I know. She got
that job right out of Vassar.

She's just such an oversharer, you know?

It's hard not to look.

Mm.

Well, I'm gonna have to
learn how to overshare myself.

- My agent said that...
- Oh, I'm sorry. I just need to interrupt

to make fun of you for saying "my agent."

Go ahead.

I've waited a very long
time to be able to say that.

Anyway, he said that I have to
pump up my social media presence.

You know, apparently,
authors don't just promote

their books anymore.
They promote themselves.

Well, in your case, it wouldn't
hurt to put a face to a name.

Hmm?

'Cause you're hot.

Oh. Oh! No, I'm, um... I'm...

Oh! My bad.

You okay?

Yeah. I just... I wasn't expecting that.

I've been so in the grieving
part of being a widow

that I hadn't even
considered the moving on part.

I'm definitely not ready for that.

Well, nobody's rushing you.

You can move on when you're
ready, whenever that is.

Right. Well, until then...

May as well just join your relationship.

You wanna be a throuple?

Aren't we already?

Yes. Babe, babe.

My two babes.

- (Theme music playing) -
♪ you bet your soul, honey

♪ you bet your soul
♪ we won't stop

♪ just right

♪ you could stay all night
and never wanna go home ♪

♪ 'cause we can't stop

Nice to see you so happy.

I much prefer it to violent.

Have you and Finn made it official?

Mom, no one "makes it official" anymore.

We're just together.

Well, he came along at a good time for you.

I know we haven't been
official for very long,

but it feels like we've
known each other forever.

It's weird.

Hey, Junior Ball is this week, right?

Oh, yeah. We're not going.

Aw, because of his leg?

No, because it sounds like torture.

Aw, Brenn, you should go.

I mean, I know it sounds lame,

but sometimes these cliche
milestones can be fun.

Pretty sure it's a better milestone
to never go to a high school dance.

- (Chuckles)
- Later.

- Bye.
- Bye.

So your 10k is coming up. Are you ready?

Uh, yeah. I'm ready for it to be over.

This is much harder than
I thought it would be.

So are you ready to move out again?

Obviously not. I'm coming
over for dinner tonight.

I am ready to have a place again though.

I only lived with Ellie
in New York for two months

before I had to come home and... you know,

I didn't live with Leo for very long, so...

I got hit on last night.

How did that go?

Awkwardly.

The idea of moving on with
someone else just feels so wrong.

Like I'm replacing Leo or something.

I thought I was doing better these days,

but... last night kind of threw me off.

Hey, you know what? Considering
what you've been through,

I can't believe how together you are.

Really! I wasn't writing book
proposals after your dad...

You're smart to keep yourself busy.

It helps you stay positive.

Not go to the dark place.

All right. Sorry, I'm just captioning this.

(Chuckles)

Did you like the filter?

Yep.

I keep trying to post
this, but I'm blowing up.

I have this meet-and-greet
with my Boston followers

in and hour and people keep tagging me.

I don't know how you do it. You must
post things, like, 20 times a day.

I can barely think of one
interesting thing to post a day.

Oh, it doesn't all have to be interesting.

When people follow you,
they just want to feel

like they're going
through your day with you.

Nothing is off limits.

Like this morning, my cat
wouldn't leave the bathroom

when I was trying to do a number two,

so I just took a picture.
Got over 2,000 likes.

I don't even have that many followers.

Oh, whatever.

You're killing it out here,
working for The Post.

I was. I had to quit 'cause my health.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Jeez. Well, if you updated
your social media more,

I would know that.

Well, I'm trying to up my game.

I'm actually writing a memoir,

so I need to get better at
putting myself out there.

Memoir.

Mm-hmm.

You have to lay yourself pretty
bare for one of those things.

You must have changed a lot since college.

What do you mean?

Nothing. I just...

You were always kind of private.

You were really easy to embarrass.

Like when you, me, and Brie
were gonna streak the green

and then at the last minute, you bailed

and you ran back to your dorm room?

And I think that... I think you
blamed feminism or something,

but, uh, we all knew that you were...

- Freaking out. Yes.
- Mm-hmm.

I remember.

I used to be a lot more concerned with
what people thought of me back then,

but cancer kind of eliminates that for you.

I'm living way more boldly now.

In a way, I never would have

if there weren't a
ticking clock on my life.

That's a really cool way of looking at it.

But I hope that you
haven't changed too much

because I would miss
my little hall monitor.

- (Chuckles)
- (Chuckles)

It is so good to see you.

And I am really proud to
say that I knew you when.

In fact, I'm gonna say it right now.

Let's take a selfie.

Okay.

(Chuckles)

Just look casual.

Oh, sorry. (Clears throat)

You went to college with Ellie Pratt?

She posted a picture from the
gynecologist the other day that went viral.

Yeah, we were kind of
frenemies back in school.

Now that we're older,
I think we can finally...

You know, be happy for
each other's successes.

Can I grab a drink?

Yeah, yeah.

Oh, my God.

You remember when Graham
banned me from drinking these?

Crack 'em open!

Mmm, no.

My cancer's already trying to kill me.

I don't need Graham after me, too.

It's fine. I promise.

He's barely home since he got the new job.

A job. How perfect is that for him?

I mean, he works for Yelp.

He gets to be a professional complainer.

Yeah, but now that he makes more
money, he has less to complain about.

He could actually afford
this place on his own.

He was gonna take it over
when I moved into the house.

What's the plan now?

I'm still deciding.

Since the house is an even
bigger project than it was,

I'm thinking just cut my losses,

sell it, and find something new.

You know, maybe exploring
some other cities, too.

Hmm? Really?

I thought you were
pretty attached to Boston.

Yeah, but that could be my problem.

You know, staying attached to the
idea of something I used to want.

Mmm. As long as you're not...

Giving up on something
that you still do want.

I know you loved that house.

Yeah, I did.

But this could be a good
chance at a fresh start.

You know, sometimes it's
good to know when to move on.

How many place settings do we need?

- Four.
- Five.

I invited William.

I invited Beth and Josh.

Oh, no, no, no. Is this gonna be awkward?

Beth dumped William's son.

She didn't dump him.

She just used him to
make another guy jealous,

and then he dumped her.

Okay, yeah, you should probably
text William and warn him.

(Knocking)

This will be entertaining.

I just got your text.

Hi, April. Didn't get your text.

So, Beth, how long have you and,
uh, John, been seeing each other?

- It's Josh.
- Oh.

Uh, I don't know. About a month or so.

So how's 10k training going, guys?

Um, well, I'm a bundle of nerves

and my body is angry at me, but...

It'll be over soon enough, right?

Sara, remember when you had
me pretend to be your boyfriend

-to make another guy jealous?
-That is not at all what happened.

Remember how ridiculous that was?

But with us it was harmless
because at the end of the day,

we're just a couple of girlfriends.

(Uncomfortable chuckles)

How's the fashion line, Beth?

More importantly, when am I gonna
get to wear one of your designs?

Oh, it's new, you know.
But it's going well so far.

Okay, don't talk about
me like I'm not here.

(Laughter)

You know, it is a little scary
to be out there on my own though.

Well, I think it's brave
of you to take the leap.

It's gonna pay off.

William: I wouldn't have
predicted that, though.

You seem like you'd have
the next thing lined up

before the first thing is over, so...

(Clears throat)

Babe, you've barely eaten anything.

You're not hungry?

No. For some reason, I've
completely lost my appetite.

Oh, no.

So, I think this is good news.

Really? 'Cause it kinda
feels like bad news.

And I have a lot of
experience with that, so...

No, no, no. It's good.

There's just... you know,
there's a complication.

But I think at the end
of the day, it's good.

It's good. It's good.

Good.

Good. Calvin, tell me the news!

There's a Boston-based book
publisher called Book Smart.

I love Book Smart.

Well, they love you, too. They
really responded to your proposal.

What? That's amazing news!

The tricky part is, they're also interested

in this other memoir for
a very similar demographic.

Chances are, they'll only choose one.

Oh.

Okay.

You know, I read this other proposal

and it's not nearly as
well-written as yours,

but what makes me nervous
is that this that girl has

a substantial social media following.

She's actually in Boston right now,

I assume to meet with the publisher.

I've been trying to get
you in there, but...

what's her name?

The author.

- Oh, Ellie. Ellie Pratt.
- (Chuckles)

I guess she has skin cancer?

I hate that Ellie has cancer

But isn't it kinda weird
that she didn't mention it

when we hung out yesterday?

I don't know. It's a pretty
personal thing to talk about.

But nothing is personal with this girl.

I mean, you follow her.

Well, maybe cancer is an exception.

Maybe.

But given our history, it's kind of

a crazy coincidence, you know?

It's like everything I
do, she has to do too.

Yeah. You're right.

She probably got cancer
just to compete with you.

- Okay, that doesn't make any sense.
- No.

Although, it would make a really
good episode of Dr. Phil

just try to give her
the benefit of the doubt.

- Okay?
- Fine.

There's only room for
one of us. That's okay.

I just really hope it's me.

Yeah, me too.

That way you can spoil both of
us once my fashion line tanks.

Hey. Stop with the self hate.

I don't hate myself as a
designer. Just as a businesswoman.

You want to see my business plan so far?

- Mm-hmm.
- All right.

Oh, okay. Wow.

Well, um...

Shouldn't you be using a spreadsheet?

Ugh, I don't even know what that is.

That's okay. That's okay.

It's easy. I will make you a template.

Easy.

Oh, my God. Ellie just
tweeted about her skin cancer.

I'm sure she just hadn't gone public yet.

"Cancer has taught me to live boldly

"in a way I never would have

if there weren't a
ticking clock on my life."

That's a nice way to put it.

That's exactly the way I put
it when I saw her yesterday!

She stole my words!

Okay. All right.

Screw the benefit of
the doubt. She's awful.

(Typing)

I'm gonna unfollow her tonight. Just...

You don't have to work on my
spreadsheet right now. We can...

Oh, I'm not.

I'm trying to figure out a
way to take this bitch down.

Oh. (Laughs)

(School bell ringing)

TJ: We really don't need to ask now.

Trust me. The more prepared you
are, the better the night will be.

No thanks, guys. No threesome
for me, but I'm flattered.

Please, if we were talking threesomes

you know you're not the one we'd be asking.

Babe...

I know you're kidding, but please stop.

You know I have a jealous streak.

Sorry.

I was wondering if you guys
were going to junior ball.

My parents are going to be out of town,

so after-partying at my place.

Junior Ball... I don't think so.

TJ: Oh, you should at least
come to the after-party.

Fifty shades of Grey Goose Martinis.

Think about it.

I am so glad we're on the
same page about this stuff.

Never been to a school
dance in my entire life.

What kind of dancing could I even do?

Eh, I guess there's always the robot.

(Chuckles)

Wait, you don't want to go, do you?

Well, not if you don't.
I don't really care.

Finn?

What?

Will you go to junior ball with me?

(Chuckles)

Was that a yes?

- I didn't hear you.
- Sure.

(Laughs)

There has to be some rule
against what she's doing.

It's like... it's like verbal
plagiarism. Is that a thing?

It's a thing in that this
stuff happens all the time,

but it's not a thing in that you
can't do anything or prove it.

Unless you happened to have a
recoding device at your lunch.

Ha.

The old me probably would have.

I'm glad I'm just meeting you now.

We need to meet these
publishers before Ellie does.

I have an idea.

Do you happen to have any
connections at the U.N.?

Now you're scaring me a little.

No. I found out that The Post

is hosting an event
for Book Smart tomorrow.

It's a book release for
a former U.N. Secretary.

I asked my old coworkers
at the paper if they could

get me in, but they can't.

Maybe you can,

since you know these publishers.

You do know these publishers, right?

You bet. Let me make some calls.

Oh, now. You want me to make the calls now.

I mean, I can... it...

Brenna: Thank you so much for doing this.

I know it's last minute to
ask for a dress in like a day.

I just want you to moderate
your expectations, okay?

Creating my own line has
been a little challenging.

Man, is it hot in here?

- No.
- I feel like I'm sweating.

You know what? I'm gonna grab
some water. I'll be right back.

Okay.

Hey, Brenna. That looks like
it's gonna be a nice dress.

It's cool, right? Beth made it.

You know what? We should go.

Oh, so what's it for?

Like a... Bat Mitzvah? Wha... ?

Bat Mitzvah?

Yeah.

Yeah, maybe Sarah Jessica
Parker's Bat Mitzvah.

Oh, no. I'm just saying, 'cause
it looks so... Buttoned up.

But maybe that's the style these days.

You know, I was gonna
add more yellow Lycra,

but that hasn't been a thing since...

I don't know. Way before I was born.

Ah, well, these are for running.

It's called exercise.

I mean, I don't know
if you maybe haven't...

- Let's go.
- Okay, well Shabbat shalom.

Spin around.

Oh, I hate it now.

Don't hate it. Don't listen to him.

He's right. You look like
you're going to a Bat Mitzvah.

Don't listen.

(Beeping)

We have invites, right?

No, but it shouldn't be a problem.

Stay here. I'm gonna go talk to the guy.

Excuse me.

Hey.

- Dominic.
- You got in!

Uh, not yet. My agent's working on it.

Dominic: I hope he has connections

because they're being way stricter
than usual about the guest list.

It's pretty high security
because of the author.

Hey. Calvin Roth.

I'm here with my literary
client, April Carver...

Oh, no, Calvin. Dominic's a friend.

He can't help us. I already tried.

Oh, sorry, bro.

Dude, I was trying to talk us in there.

Kind of like how I talked you
into being my client, right April?

Um, can I treat you to
dinner to make it up to you?

No? Okay. I'm gonna
call you in the morning.

Let's make magic.

Nice to meet you.

(Frustrated grunt)

April: Ugh.

I thought you guys were friends.

Yeah, so did I, but she's
gonna hijack my book deal

if I don't get in there.

You know what? Time for Plan B.

- April: Hey.
- Guard: Hey.

- Dominic: Hey.
- Hey, hold up there.

Oh.

Yeah, yeah, I got a haircut.

No, this pass is old.

We updated our cards several months ago.

Do you still work here?

Yeah, sorry. Did I give you my old pass?

(Chuckles) My new one
should be in here somewhere.

Just right in...

Ap? Ap! April!

Can we get a medic over here?

Medic!

Medic: Have you ever had a seizure before?

No, um...

No, but my doctor told me it might happen.

I have AML and I'm on a new clinical trial.

We should send you to the hospital.

No. No, no. You don't have to do that.

I'll... I'll tell my doctor what happened.

I see her all the time. Really.

Stay here one second, please.

Are you sure you don't
want to go to the hospital?

Yep.

'Cause I was faking.

Come on. They can't see us from back here.

You can't just do that, April.

I'm sorry! I... I had to think fast.

And when I passes out at that blood drive,

I ended up with an interview
with Richie Miranda, so...

Well, you should have warned me.

I thought it was really happening.

Sorry. I wasn't thinking.

(Party music playing)

April!

Ellie.

Is this your boyfriend?

No.

So where's your girlfriend?

I don't have one.

Good to know.

Doesn't cancer just eliminate
the need for small talk?

You just gotta lay it all
on the table out front.

Yeah, except the whole cancer part, huh?

Cancer's an incredibly personal thing.

It's each person's secret
to tell when they feel ready.

Ellie, you stole my words.

And now you're trying
to steal my book deal?

I mean, what do you even
need a publisher for?

Can't you just release an e-book?

Or like a series of tweets to
your thousands of followers?

Personally, I feel like my
story deserves a hard cover

and a display at Barnes and Noble.

And it's not like you have a monopoly on

on writing a book about cancer putting

your life in perspective.

My skin cancer scare
changed my whole outlook.

Scare?

Yeah.

I had the mole removed, so I'm fine,

but it was cancerous.

And just, you know, thinking about what
might have happened was really hard.

Anyway, I should... I should go
find my contact from Book Smart.

'Cause we've been tweeting
at each other, so...

Check you later?

She clearly wants you.

I need to distract her

so I can meet those
publishers before she does.

So...

You wanna use me as bait.

Please.

Thank you.

(Laughs)

April?

I didn't see your name on the guest list.

Hi, Raquel.

Feel like I have deja vu.

You're in a blazer and
you're here with Dominic?

Raquel: It's happening again?

Uh, no. No, we're just friends.

So then what are you doing here?

I am writing a memoir.

(Chuckles)

Man, I told you you'd get
a book deal out of this.

Well I don't have one yet, but Book
Smart showed interest in my proposal,

so I'm hoping to meet
someone that works there.

Have you met Gwen Johnson?

The president? (Scoffs)
Yeah, right. I wish.

Well, she's here.

She's in my Krav Maga class.

Or, she was before I skipped two levels.

My teacher said that he's
never seen more natural talent

from someone who's never been
in actual military combat.

- Wow.
- You wanna meet her?

I can introduce you.

Are you kidding?

Do I seem like a funny person to you?

You know, I'm no fashion expert,

but that dress looks done to me.

(Sighs)

Cheers.

Thank you, but if I drink that,

I am going to immediately pass out.

And that was not the desired effect.

I'm sorry.

I'm just kind of panicking about my job.

But you did so good with your first order.

That was one dress. And look at me.

I mean, if making one dress is that taxing,

then how in the hell am I going
to make this a full-time business

all by myself?

What was I thinking leaving Jaclyn?

You were being smart.

I just feel like I did
this way before I was ready.

You are ready.

And, look, even if you're not, sometimes...

Sometimes it's a good thing
to jump in without a life vest

and figure it out later.

I don't know about that,

because I am drowning right now.

God, I should never have
let you talk me into this.

I mean, it's not like you just
jumped in without a life vest.

You're a pharmaceutical rep.

Okay, my job might seem safe to you,

but I actually did take
risks to make it happen.

None of my family went to college

and they couldn't pay for it.

I took out a loan myself
and did a two year program

because it's all I could afford.

And now I'm really proud
of the work that I do.

In part because of how I got here.

You're not gonna stay over?

Well, I just...

I feel like I'm not helping you here.

So let's just talk tomorrow, okay?

(Door opens, closes)

Raquel: She was our head reporter
on the Bruce Hendrie campaign,

and April worked with us until last fall

when she had to leave for health reasons.

Now she's writing a memoir that I
hope to play a significant role in.

Oh, you will definitely be in it.

I actually sent my proposal to
Book Smart. Maybe you read it?

Oh, Gwen's too high
ranking to read proposals.

Well, wait a minute. I read some of them.

Um, what's it called?

Chasing Life.

Hmm. Well, titles can be changed.

It's a reference to something my dad wrote,

and it applies to my life,
since I'm living with cancer now.

So I kind of reclaimed it.

Oh, the cancer memoir.

I read your proposal.
That was very entertaining.

Wow, thank you.

Yeah, I wanted to give it some
levity so it wasn't too depressing.

Oh, no, no, no. That was
not depressing at all.

As a matter of fact, the chapter where

you thought your skin
cancer was herpes at first.

Ha! Now that had me laughing out loud.

That's actually not...
That one's not my book.

Oh, but your book is about cancer, too?

Who's your agent?

Calvin Roth.

Mmm.

Uh, April, why don't you
send me what you have.

I'll make sure Gwen gets it.

Thanks, Raquel.

Pleasure to meet you.
Good luck with everything.

Brenna come down. Thank you.

Oh!

Okay, hold on. Stay. Stay.
Wait, wait, wait. Wait.

Stay on the stairs. I want to
get a picture of you coming down.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

That's such a bad angle.

No one looks good from underneath.

Well, Brenna does.

No... no... not that I've seen
her from underneath that much.

I'm just saying she looks
good from all angles. I...

Not that I've seen her from all angles.

I'm just saying, you know, at school, I...

Sara: Finn, it's okay.
I'm not that kind of mom.

But I'm not not that kind of mom. Just...

Yes, thank you. We will behave.

I'm continuing down the stairs now.

Oh, um, uh, here's this...

Flower bracelet thing.

- Corsage.
- Yeah.

April: Oh, look who is
getting into the spirit.

I told you cheesy milestones could be fun.

Embracing the cheese, you know?

If you're gonna go for
it, go big or go home.

That's right.

(Laughter)

- Oh.
- Oh, how sweet.

Boop.

So, did you lock it up with the publisher?

No. Probably not.

I mean, she has a compelling
reason to pick the flashier book

and I just don't know that it'll be mine.

But you know what?

I tried.

- Raquel even helped, weirdly.
- That's not weird.

The Post isn't as
cut-throat as it used to be.

Raquel's way less hostile.

I'm like 20 percent less
attracted to her now.

(Chuckles)

Well, she's probably realizing
that old school journalism

is losing it's power and we
all need to stick together.

Which isn't so easy when there's a
new person getting fired every day.

Or quitting.

Everyone's trying to get out, even me.

Well, you have your book though, right?

It didn't sell.

Even after I added this whole
subplot with sexual roleplay...

I don't know that I need the details.

Now I'm trying to come
up with a backup plan.

Maybe I can invent something.

Ooh, any ideas?

A time machine to take me back to school

so I can pick another major.

- (Chuckles)
- Times are tough.

Even dudes with publishing
deals are getting out.

Dominic's trying to sell
his house so he can bail.

Yeah. He mentioned wanting
to start fresh somewhere else.

I gotta say, I'd be kind
of bummed if he left.

Ugh, God. Don't say that to
him or he'll change his mind.

What do you mean?

Don't tell a secret to
a man with a megaphone.

That's what my parents always used to say.

Is that an old Indian saying?

No. They just said that 'cause
I would tell all their secrets.

(Sighs) Come on, April.

You knew that guy was
still in love with you.

Oh, mom!

Oh, how many shower poufs did you get?

I thought you might like color options.

Right, well now my bathroom
is ready for gay pride.

Yes, but is it ready for...

This fabulous
over-the-door organizer?

How are you my daughter
and not excited about this?

Sorry, I am. Wow.

I'm just... I'm distracted.

I saw Danny today, and...

He basically told me that
Dominic still has feelings for me.

Oh.

Well, that's a lot to process.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Well, just because you know

doesn't mean you have to decide
what to do about it right away.

Is Dominic dating Ellie now?

No.

They probably hooked up last night.

So, I could wait to bring it up with him,

but he'll just move on.

You know, you've seen
the guy. He has options.

Consequences aside,
what would you tell him?

I don't know. I...

I would tell him that it's complicated.

You know, when we were together,
for the first time in my life,

I thought, "this is it.

This is the guy."

The timing was just terrible

and things ended so suddenly.

And not because we didn't have
feelings for each other anymore.

But then, you know, I fell for Leo

and... and I threw myself
completely into that.

And now it just...

It feels too soon to start anything again.

I know.

But when I look at that
picture, I don't know. I want...

I want to tell him to just...

I don't know, wait for me.

That's so selfish, though.

(Grunts)

Okay, but don't let guilt
make the decision for you.

Sometimes you just have
to listen to your heart,

no matter how selfish it sounds.

Then we do a mile along the waterfront.

And end up in the leather district.

- Oh, maybe I can find a daddy.
- I'm nervous.

I mean, I've never even made
it through a full practice run.

-You know what? Maybe I shouldn't do this.
-No, the a... no, the adrenaline

- will help.
- No, no, no, no, no. I... I... I...

It's been great running for fun with you,

but the pressure of a race

is just making me feel discouraged.

With all the family drama I've had lately,

negative feelings are
the last thing I need.

Use it to motivate you.

Think about someone who's wronged you.

Or... or one of your children.

Hell hath no fury like a parent scorned.

Yeah, so I've noticed.

You should lighten up
on Beth. She's only 24.

Well, I just hate to see my son blindsided,

and it's not like Beth
upgraded. Have you seen my son?

He's taller. He's better
looking than Tristan.

Uh, Josh? Ugh.

Mmm.

I'm sure my therapist
friend is not going to let

that Freudian slip pass, is she?

No, she is not.

Just found out that my ex is engaged

to that pocket gay.

Aw, I'm sorry. Why didn't you tell me?

I was still in shock.

It's stupid, but in my mind,
I was hoping that they'd...

Just be a fling.

You would have taken him back?

I agreed to be with that
man for the rest of my life.

He's the one that broke the contract.

Yeah, I didn't have that option,

working things out with my husband,

but I suppose if I had, I
probably would have tried.

Which would have been a mistake,

because I'm better off being
single than living a lie.

You... you can't really be that
zen about it. Weren't you angry?

Well, if I let myself dwell on the details,

I will get angry. That's
why I don't go there.

I'm telling you, Sara, sometimes
it's good to go there. Get angry.

It'll put a fire in
your belly in a good way.

Like when you need to run a 10k.

Hmm? Yes?

- Okay.
- All right.

- There you go.
- Actually, yes. Go.

- Okay.
- (Laughs) Yeah.

Well, here's to making it
through that train wreck.

Teej, we're waiting.

Sorry, my strawberry jalapeño
shooter needs a jalapeño.

Cheers.

Cheers.

TJ: What? You don't like it?

I made yours with cilantro and
lime 'cause you can't drink.

That's what it is, cilantro.

I used to love the stuff, but after my
transplant it tastes like soap to me.

Cilantro always tastes like soap to me.

(Both chuckle)

By the way, it's your lucky night.

Mariah and her new girlfriend

went to an anti-rape
rally at Harvard tonight,

so we have an extra room.

What do you mean you have an extra room?

Oh my God, you're so cute.

Babe, what did we talk about?

There's a bedroom at the end of the hall

waiting for you and your lady
whenever you're ready to get...

You know, more intimate.

Oh, don't worry. I got your back.

And your front.

TV: Okay, ladies,
time is running out...

You learn something new about
your best friend every day.

April: Never would have pegged you
for a home shopping network fan.

Something about how the models spin around

in those stretchy pants just calms me down.

(Knocking)

You get it.

Nope. I'm not wearing a bra.

Sorry.

April: Coming.

- Hey...
- (April sighs)

Ellie got published, didn't she?

No, but, uh, you sort of did.

What?

What are you talking about?

A chapter from your proposal
leaked to The Post's website.

I don't even know how it happened.

My old boss, Raquel, said she was
gonna slip it to Gwen at Book Smart.

Well, she slipped it to all of Boston.

April: Of course she wasn't
trying to do me a favor.

She was trying to screw me over!

Oh, my God! Is this...
Is this bad? Is this bad?

I mean, it's not the best thing

when you're looking to get published,

since it's no longer exclusive.

No, no. Calvin, Calvin.

You're supposed to tell me that it's okay.

I don't know if it is.
I'm new to this, too.

Just say it's okay. Say it's okay.

That wall is so pink.

Finn: Yeah, it is.

I used to want a bed like this.

I always wanted a waterbed.

(Both chuckle)

Well, this is awkward. (Chuckles)

It doesn't have to be.

You're in a unique situation

and you have to prioritize
your health above anything.

And I get that.

Living on the edge, huh?

What's wrong?

You know we can't do that,

as much as I want to.

I... I just hate that I've only

kissed my girlfriend with a stupid mask on.

Well...

How risky would it be
if we just kissed once?

I'm willing to find out if you are.

I don't want to make you sicker.

Can we just pretend that I'm not?

Please?

♪ I do

♪ I want you

♪ I want you

♪ I want you

♪ I do

Thank you for stopping by. I needed this.

Of course. It was on the way

to the finish line at my mom's 10k.

So, I realized I never talked to you

after throwing you to the
wolves at the book launch.

You mean Ellie.

Yeah, she was interesting.

Pretty aggressive.

So how long did you guys hang out for?

I saw the pictures you posted.

(Chuckles) You did?

Yeah.

Well, right after that,
she ditched me and started

chasing after the arts and
entertainment guy at The Sentinel.

Wasn't about me. She just
wanted press for her book.

Hmm. Well, she can take mine.

Now that my excerpt leaked,

there's no way it's getting published.

Hey, did you make a
decision about the house?

Yeah.

My mom thinks I'll be
able to sell it again as is

and financially, it makes the
most sense for me to do that.

So I'm in the market for a new place.

Here or... ?

Anywhere.

You know, there's nothing tying me
down to any particular city, so...

It's kind of exciting. There are so
many cities I can see myself living in.

Nashville, Seattle...

Keep me posted.

I should head to the race.

Thanks for this.

April: After I was diagnosed,
my anger felt insurmountable.

I couldn't accept the fact
that my life could be ending

when I was only supposed to be
a quarter of the way through it.

(Cheering and applause)

I feared the start
of my next chapter.

Is happiness even worth experiencing

if it's followed by
such enormous pain?

There she is! Go, mom!

It's the beauty and
tragedy of being alive.

And I didn't know if
I was strong enough

to go through another round
of hope and then despair,

especially as my body
conspired against me.

So, I press on, like we all do.

Whether we're sick or not,

we're all withstanding the lows
to get a taste of the highs.

They're that good.

(Cheers)

Beth?

I'm in the bathroom.

Can you come here a second?

Oh, my God.

Yeah.

I missed my period last month, but...

I mean, that happens to me sometimes.

So, the reason why I've been so sick

and emotional is, uh...

Josh Junior?

Or, sorry, I guess it could be Beth Junior.

Or Graham Junior.

Okay. Okay, we can figure that out.

I really don't know what to do.

(Phone ringing)

Don't. Don't.

No, just take it.

I'll still be frozen here when you're done.

Calvin: (Chuckles)

Um...

April: Hello?

You really got me, April.

Sorry?

Some good news first.

Book Smart picked you over Ellie. Boom!

But, I thought because
the chapter leaked, that...

The chapter leak is
what made them pick you.

The comment section on
The Post website blew up.

People love your story.

Oh, my God! That's amazing!

The most amazing news is that when we

sell this, I'll probably get my own office.

By the way, very funny using

the name Chasing Life,

when you know there's a book already
being shopped around with that title.

Oh, there is?

"Oh, there is?" Yes, it
was written by your dad.

Wait, do you know who's
trying to sell the book?

Is it Natalie Ortiz?

Something like that. It's, uh, hang on.

Olivia Ortiz.