– Say name and city, please.
– Yeah, Tremain in Gearhart, please.
– Press one to be connected at no additional fee. Happy Citizenship Day.
– So, how are things with your parents?
– Not that good. It’s official now, they’re gonna get a divorce.
– That must be hard.
– Yeah well, its out in the open.
– I uh… heard about you and Jennifer.
– Well, I think, everyone heard about you and Jennifer. So… Yeah…
– That didn’t last very long.
– Naw, it didn’t.
– So… why’d you break up with her?
– Why was I even going out with her, you mean.
– Yeah, that’s what I mean, but, you must have liked her a little?
– Well, I liked her a little last summer…before she decided I was her boyfriend.
– Well with all the stuff you’re going through, I guess something like that could be hard.
– Whatever.
– What?
– Macy… you know there’s just… everybody’s parents get divorced. There’s… other problems. Bigger problems.
– Like what?
– Like… people dying in Iraq… starving kids in Africa.
– Since when do you care about starving children in Africa?
– Well, you know what I mean, just… the little problems, they’re just all so stupid.
– Not if it’s happening to you.
– Well… just all the stuff in general.
– So… it seems like something did happen to you.
– No, you know what I mean, Macy.
– Not really.
– So, did something happen to you?
– No… I just feel like there’s like something, outside of normal life. Outside of… teachers, breakups, girlfriends… Like, right out there. Like, outside… there’s like different levels… of stuff. And… there’s something that happened to me.
– I thought so. Alex… Alex…
– What, you just gonna walk right past me?
– So, did you have fun with Jared on Saturday?
– Not really.
– What’d you guys do?
– Just hung out.
– Well, I went swimming at Elizabeth’s. You should have come. But, right, I guess that stuff doesn’t interest you anymore because, skating with Jared is more fun. But…
– Whatever, shut up.
– So… what are you doing after school?
– Nothing.
– We could do something if you want.
– OK.
– Cool. So, you gonna walk me to my class?
– OK.
(…)
– Dude, that’s not your board.
– Yeah it is, I just got it.
– What’d you get a new board for?
– Because I wanted to try something different.
– Why didn’t you tell me about this?
– Why would I tell you, it’s just a new board.
– Dude because I gotta skate with you and I can’t have some fag board riding next to me.
– Wow, it’s not even a fag board.
– Just drive.
– Yeah OK…
– Mmmm. I got boogie buns…
– Is… is that techno stuff?
– Dude, we should go check out Paranoid Park.
– Dude, I don’t think I’m ready for Paranoid Park.
– Yeah but no one’s ever really ready for Paranoid Park.