Wait a minute. Excuse me. But how is a road trip to Mexico a rite of passage? Are you getting this, Julia?
You know what? I say just be supportive and wave adios so the two of them will shut up already and hit the highway. Send me a postcard.
No, no. This is not about postcards. Will, this is not about documenting an experience. It's about having one. It's about driving too fast and partying too late and-- And sleeping too long and living too hard.
No, no, no, no, no. He's just seen way too many beer commercials.
Because there comes a time in every man's life, when he has to sit on a beach and take stock of where he's been and where he's going. There comes a time when he just has to take a deep breath and swallow the worm.
Swallow the worm? Is that a metaphor?
A tequila reference, actually.
Griffin? Uh, hey, I-I don't understand. When--?
Uh, how you been? You look...
I-I didn't hear from you. You-- Didn't you get my letters at school?
Um, no, no, I-- See, no, no, as soon as I'd done my time and my term was over, I was-- I was outta the place. My roommate's old man's got, uh, this shipping operation down in Florida. He got me this merchant marine gig. My boat's-- I just got back from Bangkok. They got weird food in Bangkok.
Um, you didn't call or anything.
N-no. Um, I thought about it. I decided it would be a bad idea, you know, c-considering how things are with you and Justin.
We broke up. Uh, Justin and me, l-last s-spring, I-I wrote you. I wro-- I wrote you all about it.
I can't believe it's you.
[Julia comes home while Griffin is watching TV]
Hey. Oh, you're home early. Cool.
Okay. It's not cool. You're mad?
What were you thinking? I mean, what could possibly have been going on in your brain to think that it was okay to talk to my boss like that?
What was I supposed to do, sit there and watch him rag on you?
Well, no-- Nobody treats you like that. I don't care who he is.
Griffin, I got fired. Okay?
'Cause of that Xeroxing thing?
What? So you got fired from some lousy job you hated anyway. Big deal. You don't need to be working for that jerk.
I needed a recommendation from that jerk. I needed this job for college, and y-you ruined that for me. I am so tired of this stuff. I'm sorry, Griffin, but I am. I used to think it was cool, you know, the way that you would show up whenever you wanted and be aloof and create all these dramas. I used to think that that made you this really romantic guy.
What do you mean used to?
I love you, Griffin, but stuff has happened to me, and I am different now. And there are things that I want. Only you... You're just... [sighs] You're just still hanging around. I mean, isn't there anything that you want?
I am not going to win. I have nothing to write about. A-- A pivotal event in my life? What am I--? What are you writing about? What's your essay? Your, uh-- Your entry?
Well, uh, meeting my birth mom.
Oh, great. Fantastic. They're gonna love that. They're gonna eat it up with a spoon.
Well, excuse me. It's not like I made it up so I'd have something to write about.
And don't even tell me. You're gonna write about your parents.
Well, yeah. But I don't know what that has do with anything.
Man, talk about a ringer.
Justin, that is disgusting.
You know what? I bet you'll both win. Yeah, you'll tie. And you'll both go to Stanford, and I'll be busy over at, uh, Stop & Shop saying, "paper or plastic?" Paper or plastic? Can I double-bag that for you? Paper or plastic? Paper or plastic?
Fine, I'll stop by sometime.
Oh, that's great. Another one of your "drive-bys."
What do you want from me?
I want you to come home for Christmas.
I'm not doing Christmas this year.
Oh, get over yourself, Bailey, okay?
SSam
The thing I said earlier? You know, I said a lot of things earlier. You're gonna have to be more specific.
Well, I don't remember word for word, but...
SSam
This is good. Aluminium frame. You can lug this around for a few months, right?
I-- I was whining about Grace, and you said something like: "Those people know a lot about the legal system."
SSam
Oh, right. Yeah, that was a joke. Here, you gotta try it on to see.
So, when you said "those people," you meant blacks?
So it was a joke about how blacks are criminals?
SSam
Oh, it's not like I think all blacks are criminals. I'm sure lots aren't.
SSam
Fine. What--? What's your point? That I'm a racist? 'Cause I'm not. I got, like, three black guys working for me, so--
Look, I'm not attacking you. I just wanna know how you feel. 'Cause for me, I don't think that race should be an issue.
SSam
You don't think there's any difference between blacks and whites?
SSam
So, when you're driving through the tenderloin at night and you lock your doors, what's that about?
That's not because it's a black neighbourhood. It's because it's an unsafe neighbourhood.
SSam
Oh, so you lock your doors in unsafe white neighbourhoods too? Hard to say, right? It's 'cause there aren't any.
[Scoffs] That is not true. And besides, it's more complicated than that.
SSam
Oh, of course it is. Look, this is a stupid thing to fight about. I-I-- I'm sorry if the joke made you uncomfortable. I won't make jokes like that anymore. Okay? Hey, check it out. Daypack inserts. We should get some of those.
[about him talking to Grace's parents] What'd I do wrong? Am I being too nice? Is that it? You think I'm kissing up to them?
No, you're not. That's the problem. You're just being you.
Right. Okay, that's the problem. I'll just start being someone else.
No, wait. Look, it's... In my whole life I've been struggling to find a me that's different than them. Honestly, it's like... My meter for making decisions: If they object, do it. Then all of a sudden, I fall in love with you. And outta nowhere, they decide it's the best idea they've ever heard.
So they're out there right now thinking they've won. Thinking I've stepped in line and I've decided to behave or something. It's just...
Look, I know that's not what's going on here, and you know it. What's the harm in letting them think that they've won just this once?
Well, the harm is... The harm is... The harm is it bugs me. Look, I know I'm being a baby about this. But can't you just let me do that just this once?
