Imaginary Heroes

This is the championship 100 freestyle

qualification heat for the east coast Olympic trials.

Gentlemen, get behind your blocks.

Matt Travis was a great swimmer.

Step up.

Take your marks.

But it wasn't just that he was a great swimmer.

It was simply that he was greater at swimming

than anyone I ever knew was good at

whatever they were good at.

Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!

Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!

Go! Go! Go!

Matt Travis was a legend

at 10, 15, 20...

and he hated the attention.

Hey!

Come on. Let's go.

But the only thing he hated more than the attention...

was swimming.

Matt Travis hated to swim

more than anyone I knew hated to do

whatever they hated to do.

And when someone hates something that much...

it doesn't matter how good they are at it.

But you can't expect other people to understand that.

Tim, can you go wake up your brother?

Please.

Matt.

Matt!

Where are the bedroom keys?

Under the bathroom sink.

What?

Behind you. What in the world have you tracked through my...?

No!

This is where we live, Mom.

She thinks she can sit on her porch

and smoke cigarettes on this day?

She is blowing the smoke in my face.

You're being dramatic.

It's a free country.

And that's the problem, Timmy.

She doesn't talk about me when you go over there, does she?

Do you really think I'd let her?

You wouldn't tell me anyway, would you?

No.

We would have been heading to Atlanta

for Olympic trials in May.

She bought a new grill.

She doesn't even have a husband,

and she buys a new grill.

Are you expecting her to come over?

Of course not.

She's screwing Bill McKenna.

He manages The Home Depot.

He bought her the grill.

Is this the boy we've been hearing so much about?

Is this the one?

How about it, fella?

Yeah, he's gonna be

a swimmer like his brother,

Benny?

I can see it now.

When he gets into high school,

he's gonna sprout like his brother

and he'll be a champion.

He's 17, Hal. He's graduating this year.

Lightning doesn't strike twice.

Don't worry, honey.

He's just an old, bitter asshole.

Which one?

Take your pick.

What was it like?

"It"?

I stepped in the blood, and...

"it" was like a crater.

Like a giant, um...

canyon.

His head was split open right in the middle

and just...

Looked like he was praying.

Praying?

Praying to God.

You know that the most important

moments in our lives are lost.

And we can never retrieve them

because they've been disintegrated.

And once they're gone,

how much longer are we going

to be able to remember them?

That's why Joe thinks that

we need a digital camera.

I know exactly what you mean.

I am so hungry.

Did you see the spread?

Yeah. Yeah, well, I'm doing protein,

so there's nothing.

I brought a tuna fish...

Excuse me.

I'm here to pay my respects, Sandy.

I'm so sorry.

Tim?

Your mother said you used to

play the piano like Beethoven.

We have a piano.

You can come over any time of the day.

Even to talk.

Yeah.

Would you like that?

Later.

Hey.

You got a new grill?

Yeah.

This is Ginny.

Hi.

Ginny, this is Tim.

He's, Was Matt Travis's brother.

Really?

You don't look anything like him.

I'm really sorry.

That kind of thing can fuck you up for life.

If I ask you something,

promise you won't think I'm, like...

Yeah, of course.

Forget about it.

No.

I'm gonna blow up an M80

in the bathroom at school tomorrow.

What? Really?

You're very late for dinner.

And you're too old to be up this late.

Was he really that unhappy, Tim?

He broke a lot of dishes.

He stopped washing his clothes about three weeks ago.

He spent a lot of time in the shower.

He was masturbating.

He was crying.

You cut yourself.

They don't make shot glasses as strong as they used to.

Parents neither.

You're gonna need stitches.

Come on.

When was the last time you went to a doctor?

When they tied my tubes.

I bet we're the only mother and son in town

who can say "masturbating" to each other and not laugh.

I don't want to have that conversation ever again.

What?

Don't worry. I did not read your diary.

So are you gonna go to

jazz band practice tomorrow?

No. I quit.

Sorry.

Sorry, Tim.

Sorry, Tim.

Sorry.

Sorry, man.

Sorry.

I cringe to ask,

but did anyone find the three minutes

to do their reading?

No, of course you didn't.

- What was that? - I don't know.

You've got to be kidding me.

Hey. Hey, you!

You can't leave campus!

What's your name? Tell me your name!

People are so stupid

I can't bear to live around them anymore.

And they only get worse.

You just have to find the one quality

that makes them bearable.

Like me.

I'm your mother, so you have to like me.

Okay.

What about Dad's?

Well...

he used to make me feel like I was

the only person... in a crowded room.

Kyle set that fire at your school...

with a cherry bomb.

No.

It was an M80.

The truth is you won't understand

how good for you I am

until I'm dead.

I never really loved my parents till they died.

I...

I certainly never told them.

Steph told me that she loves me.

I didn't say it back.

Well...

do you love her?

I don't know.

Then you don't, Timmy.

Timmy, I, um...

I've got a surprise for you.

Want one?

What is that?

Ecstasy.