The Crowded Room

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

Hello? Hello?

- -

Let's stay with Ariana. Did she get you the gun?

No, that was me.

-Not Ariana? -No.

-Does it matter? -It could. Yeah.

Why?

-Why did I get the gun? -Yeah.

She-- She needed rescuing.

You needed to rescue her? Don't you find that at all ironic?

Why-- Why would I find that ironic?

People need help sometimes. You must know that, right?

That's not the way it turned out though, is it?

She shot two people, and now you're here all alone.

Hello. Hello!

- -

Danny!

- - Dan, come on. Let's go. Dan.

-He's a loudmouth. -

You wanna stay here?

- Open this fucking door. -You handle it.

Danny. Danny!

What the fuck are you doing in there? What the hell happened to your face?

-I'm okay, Mom. -Get the hell out of this house.

You scared your mother half to death, not coming home.

-Baby, just come home. - Dan.

-Okay. Let's go. Right now. Come on. - Danny.

Move, mister.

The boy stay here now.

-The fuck? -Get off my property.

I don't tell you twice.

What is this bullshit?

-Danny, baby-- - Shut up. Let me handle this.

Don't talk to a woman that way. You're a bully. All bullies are cowards.

He wants to be here.

Out of our hair. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Let's go.

Come on. Candy, come on.

Baby?

I'm okay.

- -They're cool. I'm good.

Let's go. Candy, come on.

I promise you that I'll be safe here.

Why did you stay there after the fight with Bill?

I didn't know what to do.

I couldn't go home.

Why?

I guess my stepfather thought that I was trouble.

We were on a collision course, him and I.

What happened between the two of you? What are you not telling me?

It was just time for me to move out. That's all.

Okay.

Enter Yitzhak. Right when you needed him most.

Almost as if he'd been waiting for you. It's some coincidence.

I just figured I was lucky.

Have you ever been lucky?

No. Not really.

- - Yitzhak had home rules.

You pay the rent on time. You do school or GED.

No parties in the house. No sex in the house.

-No drugs in the house. -

Follow the home rules and you'll be safe from those bullies.

It's "house."

What'd you say?

We say "house rules."

House rules.

That sounded like a lot of fun.

Yeah, it was a real laugh riot.

He your dad?

Stepdad.

Yeah, I had one of them. Yitzhak got you those.

That was fast.

I know.

So how come you live here?

You gonna ask a lot of questions, is that it?

Yeah, I guess. So?

Yeah, I room here.

He helped me out of a jam. Kinda like he did you.

How come?

'Cause he's the fucking pied piper. Mayo?

-Excuse me? -Do you want mayonnaise on your BLT?

-Sure. -You don't have to cry about it.

Eat.

This is amazing.

Obviously.

And that was pretty much all she told me about herself.

At first, anyway.

What are you writing?

Please go on. You were telling me about Ariana.

I guess she's what you would call a night person.

Fuck you!

- -

I'd be waking up, and she'd be coming home.

Hey, are you okay?

Fuck off, Danny.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you.

She would come home late. She was drunk a lot.

Sometimes she would hit the wall so hard, I thought she was gonna break her hand.

But mostly she just cried.

And then the next day, it was as if nothing had ever happened.

You know, I can't remember a time

where my mom and Marlin were in the same room

without yelling at each other.

But with me and Ariana, it was different.

I mean, we would hardly say a word to each other.

We understood one another without even talking.

Yitzhak, he would come and go. He would never say where.

So, most of the time, it was just me and Ari.

How long did you live there?

A couple of years.

Can you be more specific?

Three years all in.

-And what else did you do? -What do you mean?

Did you have hobbies? Did you go on trips?

Is there anything that you can think of that was memorable?

No.

What did you do for money? How'd you pay rent?

-Jonny sold a ton of weed. -Okay.

I would be what you would call a passive investor.

So the rent and the utility were paid for under the name Yitzhak Safdie,

and they were always paid in cash.

Like I said, Yitzhak was secretive.

Did he ask you to do anything for him?

What kind of things?

Errands, maybe.

Is it possible that you did some things that maybe you don't remember?

What?

Do you remember everything you've ever done? No.

Look, I was just living my life. Can't a person just live?

Yeah, course they can.

I think that when I was living in that house,

it was the only time in my life that I've ever actually been happy.

I don't understand why your mother and stepfather would leave you there

all alone for three whole years.

-It was only across the street. -You were a kid.

-I was 18. They draft kids at 18. -That's not the point.

Why would they let you go? You needed a family.

What?

You know,

the longer I was there, the more they became my family.

- -

Anyone need anything from the grocery store?

Quisp beats Quake every time.

Nah. Big miner stomps little alien.

Mm-mmm. Not if the alien has a little helicopter beanie.

You beat me fair and square.

They're not really adversaries, you know.

How you been, Danny Sullivan?

So, uh, how's college anyway?

Yeah, it's pretty good. I'm back home for summer, which is instantly weird.

Apparently, during which time you've been relegated to shopping duty.

Right?

Hey, I'm sorry about what happened with me and you.

I think I just got scared.

You know, then that thing happened with Bill.

You know he got suspended?

Mm-hmm.

Did you get kicked out? I never knew.

Mm-mmm.

Mmm. Well, everyone said you did.

Ah, well then it must be true.

Because no one argues with everyone, right?

I really am sorry.

I liked that you were different.

I mean, it made me anxious, but it was exciting.

Well, I got to go. Farewell, large, ungainly miner.

Farewell, small, propeller-headed alien. Go in peace.

We should hang out sometime.

-F-Friday. - Hmm?

I'm having some people over at my place on Friday at eight o'clock,

if you're interested.

You have a place?

I have a place.

Okay. You should give me your address.

Um, sure.

Thank you. Come back soon.

See you Friday.

See you Friday.

-Yo, Danny. You're a sight for sore eyes. -What up, Jonny?

So, they got you delivering groceries now, is that it?

I actually thought I might have some people over.

To the ghost house? I thought you said you couldn't do that.

-I might have just invited Annabelle. - Oh, man.

Only problem is, I don't really know any people.

Well, you know me and Mike.

-That's kind of my point. - Asshole.

-Okay, I'll tell some people. -Could you get me some more weed?