Here and Now

When I was in the cave,

I saw this woman. I think she was my mom.

Don't start looking behind you.

You might not like what you find.

I want you to present to my board a budget.

Convince these assholes that you are a great investment.

Everything is upside down.

So much hatred.

I'm overwhelmed and I'm a white guy.

Dad, not every problem I have has to do with being black.

I was wondering if you'd write a foreword for my book.

I would be honored.

- I'm not sure what to write. - Well, I could read it.

Well, you'd be doing me a huge favor.

I think that's my brother's boyfriend.

What do I do?

I think you should tell your brother.

Thanks for meeting me here.

I'm celibate. I just didn't want you to get the wrong idea.

So glad you just said that.

To not fucking.

I cannot fuck all day.

I've noticed that you withdraw 300 dollars

three times a month, Simon.

I'm... I'm sorry.

I can't even look at you! Get out!

Mama?

Okay?

Good morning.

Farid?

Farid.

Hey, I was speaking Spanish.

- Mmhmm. - You don't speak Spanish.

In my dream.

What's going on with you, Farid? Hmm?

Nightmares? No, just a dream.

Strange.

Very strange.

Okay, I got to run. I left the groceries on the counter for you.

Don't wait too late to go, okay?

He doesn't answer the door after 5:00.

Who?

Uncle Amir. No.

I told you, I can't today. You're taking them.

Why don't you take them tomorrow?

No. No.

I'm coordinating regional fundraising

for the refugee crisis this week, okay?

Maybe you can get off your ass and take groceries over to the man that raised you.

And berated me, and forbade me to answer the phone,

and threatened to beat me every time I spoke Farsi.

And turned you away from Islam.

Yeah, well, he didn't need to do that.

Mmm. He got you out of Iran during the revolution.

You owe him. Get up.

Doc? You in there?

I don't have a key for the deadbolt.

Wait. Uh...

I'll be right there.

Yeah.

Fuck.

Sorry, I, uh...

I had some stuff last night.

You slept here?

I would've brought coffee.

No, I'm all right.

I'll just go down and grab some...

downstairs.

Well, I can come back later.

I just wanted to drop this off real quick.

What's that?

I finished your son's manuscript over the weekend.

He's, uh, he's your son.

It's good. Not for me, exactly,

but it could help people.

He really cares, I think.

Like you.

You wrote my foreword for me?

No.

Well, I wrote how it made me feel,

and I wrote it how a dad would, I think.

Just a first draft for you to build on, if you want.

It's what I'd want my dad to say if I, uh, you know.

You're like one of those...

elves with the shoes.

Honestly, I've been hitting a wall with this.

I don't... get it.

You seem to understand it better than I do.

Yeah. Well, thank you.

Just hope it helps. I e-mailed it to you, too.

Anyways, I'm going to get you that coffee.

Uh, wh... what are you doing later?

You have class?

Uh, just some research stuff for our 1:30.

'Cause I'm supposed to meet up with Duc.

He got me this pass for some super gym for my birthday.

Would you want to come with?

You might be able to distract him

from beating up on me too bad.

You sure I won't be in the way?

Nah, it'll be fine.

Training people is part of his gospel. He loves it.

Uh, Duc!

Hey.

That's weird. This you? Uh-huh.

This is where I live.

I gave you my card, right?

You did. Right.

Yeah. I saw you go by a couple of times.

Is this your, uh, regular running place?

I don't think I've seen you here before.

Not regular, no. Yeah.

Got to change it up with cardio, you know, keep it interesting.

Mm-hmm. Well, do you want to come in?

I mean, I can get you some water, some tea, or a towel.

Oh no. You look busy.

Oh, gutters, huh?

Oh yeah, my little garden flooded last week.

Oh.

You sure you don't want to... it's really no trouble.

No, I'm all good. Thank you.

I got to... I got to get going.

I'm going meet my dad at the gym in not too long.

Oh. Workout part four?

Okay. It's good seeing you.

You too.

Hey, wear something tighter next time.

Bye.

A racist mock lynching at James K. Polk Academy

has many students at the Portland magnet school expressing outrage.

This is a hate crime. The perpetrators should be prosecuted

while hate crimes are still against the law.

But Audrey Bayer,

a conflict-resolution consultant speaking for the school

dismissed the idea of prosecution.

These are just kids,

with their whole lives ahead of them

We have to continue to support them,

even when they screw up.

Shireen Verma News 8, Portland.

There you go. Thanks. Thanks.

You know, I could've gotten them.

That's fine.

Mom forgot that she let me borrow her credit card.

And also, you never pay for anything.

Never.

You okay? Yeah, I'm fine.

I just missed you.

I saw you the other day. Right.

Home sucks.

Mom and Dad have been kind of weird.

What happened?

I don't know. Some kind of fight, and now, Mom's doing that

staring-off-into-middle-distance- while-chewing-her-lip thing.

It's probably Dad just being spacey again.

I remember, um, my junior year...

Dad trimmed his pubes into the toilet

and forgot to flush it, and Mom realized.

And she started yelling at him for days and lost her voice.

Kristen, that was funny.

Oh my God.

What?

Okay.

I didn't mean to see him...

but I can't just not tell you.

Where?

Hawthorne Bridge. What were you doing there?

Were... Were you following him?

No, no, I wasn't.

We just... "We"?

I was with my friend, we were doing some school thing,

and I just... I saw him.

Did you tell your friend who he was?

You... you don't know what he was doing or why.

Kristen, you're so fucking immature.

I mean, you know I have enough shit going on in my life, okay?

I don't need you to be fucking ruining the good stuff.

I am not.

Ramon, he was in there for two hours. What could he be doing?

Kristen, this isn't one of your little gay porn movies, okay?

This is my fucking life.

Hey, Fred, this is Ramon.

I... I know we're supposed to be meeting this afternoon,

but I... I can't make it, so I will call and reschedule.

That seems oddly specific, Simon.

Here it comes.

Here comes the story.

I think it's the most interesting thing you've written in years.

Gigi! Monster!

Are you going to school in pajamas?

No, I'm wearing my dress.

Ooh, that sounds pretty. Go put it on for Gigi.

You tired?

Uh-huh.

You going to the gym?

Uh, no, it's... I have Krav Maga.

It's the self-defense class I'm taking.

How is it? Would I like it?

No. I don't think so.

It's, uh, it's kind of intense.