“We’re fucked.”
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89 • Richard Yates
“Your neighbor,” said Haley Joel Osment. “We’re
fucked.”
“I knew we should have used the back door,” said Dakota Fanning.
“You should have just told your mom I was Pedro or someone.”
“Pedro is in Boston,” said Dakota Fanning.
“He could have came back or something.”
“I wasn’t thinking about that,” said Dakota Fanning.
“Can you call her back and tell her I’m Pedro?”
“I don’t know. She won’t believe that.”
“What is wrong with your neighbor?” said Haley Joel Osment. “Why would she do this?” Dakota Fanning said her neighbor stayed home every day and didn’t have anything else to do. Haley Joel Osment said her neighbor was an asshole. “My mom is driving home from work, she’ll be here in around forty minutes,” said Dakota Fanning.
“She said she wouldn’t call the police if we both stayed here.” Haley Joel Osment said her mother probably said that so the police could capture him easily. Dakota Fanning said she didn’t think her mother would do that. They went through a hallway to a room with two desks and many boxes of papers. Haley Joel Osment sat on a chair. Dakota Fanning sat on Haley Joel Osment. They looked at photos of Dakota Fanning’s family they had looked at on different days including one of Dakota Fanning in a pink ballerina suit. Haley Joel Osment thought about a room in the house he grew up in that also had boxes of papers, two desks, two windows with shut blinds. He thought that how he felt about that room was maybe similar to how Dakota Fanning felt about this room.
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Tao Lin • 90
Dakota Fanning’s mother was home. She said something in the living room. She came in the storage room. Haley Joel Osment stood and shook her hand. “Hi,” he said. “Hi,” she said. They went in the living room. Haley Joel Osment and Dakota Fanning sat on the sofa. Dakota Fanning’s mother leaned against a wall and looked at them. “You couldn’t wait, could you?” she said after about ten seconds. “What day is today? It was almost two weeks, just a few more days, right? Two days, or something. Two more days. And I was going to let you see each other. But you just couldn’t wait.” She stared at Dakota Fanning a few seconds. “And now you’re going to have to deal with the consequences.”
“You wouldn’t give us a date,” said Dakota Fanning.
“If you had just given us a defi nite date when we could see each other we would have been okay with that.” Dakota Fanning’s mother said Dakota Fanning would have to earn back her trust over time. She asked Haley Joel Osment what he did in New York City. Haley Joel Osment said he mostly stayed in the library. He said he was a personal assistant to someone starting a jet company. She asked how Haley Joel Osment made money. He said he had money from his books, writing articles sometimes, and the personal assistant job. They talked about Haley Joel Osment’s apartment on Wall Street and then Dakota Fanning asked if she could go to New York City with Haley Joel Osment to eat dinner with a person named Ana. Dakota Fanning’s mother asked what they would do in New York City.
“Walk around, and go in bookstores, and eat dinner,”
said Haley Joel Osment.
“And this Ana,” said Dakota Fanning’s mother care-
fully. “She’s a writer?”
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91 • Richard Yates
“Yes,” said Haley Joel Osment. “She’s in her 30s.”
“I know, Dakota has told me about her,” said Dako-
ta Fanning’s mother and stared at Dakota Fanning a little blankly a few seconds then said “So all these times you’ve said you were with Pedro, or whoever, you’ve been lying to me.” Dakota Fanning said she only lied once. She
mhp-yates-01.indd 88
mhp-yates-01.indd 88
7/9/10 7:48:42 AM
7/9/10 7:48:42 AM
89 • Richard Yates
“Your neighbor,” said Haley Joel Osment. “We’re
fucked.”
“I knew we should have used the back door,” said Dakota Fanning.
“You should have just told your mom I was Pedro or someone.”
“Pedro is in Boston,” said Dakota Fanning.
“He could have came back or something.”
“I wasn’t thinking about that,” said Dakota Fanning.
“Can you call her back and tell her I’m Pedro?”
“I don’t know. She won’t believe that.”
“What is wrong with your neighbor?” said Haley Joel Osment. “Why would she do this?” Dakota Fanning said her neighbor stayed home every day and didn’t have anything else to do. Haley Joel Osment said her neighbor was an asshole. “My mom is driving home from work, she’ll be here in around forty minutes,” said Dakota Fanning.
“She said she wouldn’t call the police if we both stayed here.” Haley Joel Osment said her mother probably said that so the police could capture him easily. Dakota Fanning said she didn’t think her mother would do that. They went through a hallway to a room with two desks and many boxes of papers. Haley Joel Osment sat on a chair. Dakota Fanning sat on Haley Joel Osment. They looked at photos of Dakota Fanning’s family they had looked at on different days including one of Dakota Fanning in a pink ballerina suit. Haley Joel Osment thought about a room in the house he grew up in that also had boxes of papers, two desks, two windows with shut blinds. He thought that how he felt about that room was maybe similar to how Dakota Fanning felt about this room.
mhp-yates-01.indd 89
mhp-yates-01.indd 89
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Tao Lin • 90
Dakota Fanning’s mother was home. She said something in the living room. She came in the storage room. Haley Joel Osment stood and shook her hand. “Hi,” he said. “Hi,” she said. They went in the living room. Haley Joel Osment and Dakota Fanning sat on the sofa. Dakota Fanning’s mother leaned against a wall and looked at them. “You couldn’t wait, could you?” she said after about ten seconds. “What day is today? It was almost two weeks, just a few more days, right? Two days, or something. Two more days. And I was going to let you see each other. But you just couldn’t wait.” She stared at Dakota Fanning a few seconds. “And now you’re going to have to deal with the consequences.”
“You wouldn’t give us a date,” said Dakota Fanning.
“If you had just given us a defi nite date when we could see each other we would have been okay with that.” Dakota Fanning’s mother said Dakota Fanning would have to earn back her trust over time. She asked Haley Joel Osment what he did in New York City. Haley Joel Osment said he mostly stayed in the library. He said he was a personal assistant to someone starting a jet company. She asked how Haley Joel Osment made money. He said he had money from his books, writing articles sometimes, and the personal assistant job. They talked about Haley Joel Osment’s apartment on Wall Street and then Dakota Fanning asked if she could go to New York City with Haley Joel Osment to eat dinner with a person named Ana. Dakota Fanning’s mother asked what they would do in New York City.
“Walk around, and go in bookstores, and eat dinner,”
said Haley Joel Osment.
“And this Ana,” said Dakota Fanning’s mother care-
fully. “She’s a writer?”
mhp-yates-01.indd 90
mhp-yates-01.indd 90
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91 • Richard Yates
“Yes,” said Haley Joel Osment. “She’s in her 30s.”
“I know, Dakota has told me about her,” said Dako-
ta Fanning’s mother and stared at Dakota Fanning a little blankly a few seconds then said “So all these times you’ve said you were with Pedro, or whoever, you’ve been lying to me.” Dakota Fanning said she only lied once. She
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