Post by MW on Jan 14, 2024 12:32:29 GMT -5
It’s been a rough week for Marcus Welsh.
Embarrassed. Humiliated. Abandoned. Disowned.
The death of Charlie.
It’s enough to break a man. And, by the looks of it, Welsh is on the verge of disrepair.
A half eaten poptart WITHOUT frosting. A bowl of cereal WITHOUT milk. Chicken nuggets WITHOUT sauce.
It’s madness.
There’s also the room temperature of Busch Light next to the kitchen chair his body hangs onto by a thread. A loud belch, crunch, and Welsh throws an empty can at the elephant hourglass.
“CLINK”
It hits and bounces off, landing in a pile of several others. Welsh reaches into the box, grabbing another can. He cracks it open, warm suds flowing over the rim and down his hand. He takes a sip and winces…it’s tough going down. His cheeks puff like he might spit it back out. He fights, fights, and gets it down. He gasps for air and releases a loud, putrid, wet belch before shaking his head and blinking his watery eyes.
“Just like the good ole days.”
His focus drops down onto the elephant hourglass, “What? You got something to say?”
“Marcus fy machgen ti angen help.”
Welsh leans in, “Come again?”
“Marcus fy machgen ti angen help.”
He pulls out his phone to translate. “What language do you speak or have chosen to speak today dumb elephant man?”
“Welsh.”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“WELSH.”
"Still me."
"I'M SPEAKING WELSH FOR GOD'S SAKE!"
“Oh…” it clicks. Marcus sets the translator up. “Alright, you may speak again elephant glass thing.”
“馬庫斯我的孩子你需要幫助”
Welsh tilts his head, eyeing the elephant. He takes a long sip of Busch Light, it goes down much easier this time. He speaks, spewing some suds across the table, “Fuck you.”
“Alright, fine,” the elephant hourglass breaks his bit. “Figured a cultured man like yourself might know a few alternative languages.”
Marcus is too buzzed to let pithy jabs bother him. Another sip of beer goes down. He turns and spits on the ground.
“Classy. You need a roommate, Marcus.”
“Did you find Adi?” Some life rushes through the man. He perks up, leaning in.
“Even better…”
Welsh looks toward the front door of his apartment as it swings open and a rush of wind enters. A new, fresh air!! A light shines behind the individual as they step in and reveal themselves to be…
“SID BUCKLEY?!”
“Marcus!”
Sid rushes into the room, arms wide, ready to embrace. He gives a strong hug to Welsh, who does his best to turn away from it.
“Let me tell you pal, I cannot thank you enough for this invite!” Sid releases his grip but follows it up with a couple of firm slaps on the back.
“What invite?”
“I’m going to tell you something that is going to be a little surprising to you, Marcus. And it’s because I trust you, you’re a good friend… Business isn’t going so well over at SportzSportzSportz.”
Sid lets out a heavy sigh immediately after finishing his words. He shakes his head and looks at his friend, who is returning a blank stare.
“What’s the surprising part?”
“Obviously I had to cut some costs to make ends meet… Starting with my office. Man, I loved that office. I’m going to miss it. Anyway, that led me here!”
“Because you stopped paying for your office?” Welsh shoots a confused look Sid’s way.
“Mmhmm.”
“What about your home?”
Sid raises his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“Were you living at your office, Sid?” Welsh’s question is met with a scoff.
“Marcus, home is where your heart is. And my heart is here now!” Sid grabs a beer in one hand and the half eaten UNFROSTED poptart in the other. “Let the party begin!”
“Make yourself at home,” Welsh mumbles. He kicks some cans around and realizes he doesn’t have a second chair for his kitchen table. So, he sits on the kitchen counter. He watches Sid, who is in the zone, pounding back the beer and devouring the poptart. He reaches for another beer and another poptart.
“You able to split the groceries fifty-fif…seventy-thirty?”
“Of course! I’ve got grocery money.” Sid waves Marcus off. “Acting like I’m homeless or something.”
Sid polishes off another poptart. He reaches for the box and turns it upside down. It’s empty. He shakes it for good measure. “Hey roomie, we got more of these?”
Not waiting for an answer, Sid heads for the cupboards to investigate. Welsh reaches behind his back and grabs a couple boxes of Little Debbie snacks. He slides them into a drawer before Sid turns around.
“Fridge,” Welsh nods. Sid opens the fridge and finds another case of Busch Light. Welsh watches him return to the table.
“Alright but before we make this official…a few questions. First of all…what are your thoughts on people who wear a lot of makeup and sport a bunch of tattoos?”
“Uh uh.” Sid grimaces and shakes his head. “Not my type.”
Welsh slides down, to his feet and nods. He leans up against the counter, watching Sid crack a can open. “Okay…now, let me ask you this. Who do you think had the best draft of the Bravery and Strength Trials?”
“Think?! I have the data. I have the rankings!” Sid slams his can down on the counter to emphasize his point. Beer splatters all over the counter. He points firmly at Welsh. “You did.”
The wise draft guru proceeds to lick the spilled beer off the counter.
“Well, I mean, the data certainly doesn’t lie, right?” Welsh laughs, heading toward the table. He drops down, getting eye level with Sid. “Okay, one more question, Who is the REAL champ? Meyhu or Sahara?”
“Hmmm…” Sid rubs his chin. It's a tough question, even for the expert. “Well, I know what the data says. But really, only you know the answer to that question.”
Welsh ponders. “I see so instead of giving the bike to one or the other you split it in half. Damnit, Sid…you’re wise beyond your years.” Welsh reaches back, opens a drawer and secures his hidden Little Debbies. He tosses them onto the table, “Welcome aboard, roomie!”
Welsh extends his hand. Sid shakes it. A firm, manly shake. We zoom in on the two hands.
“Time to Change” by The Brady Bunch begins to play.
Fade in to a shot of Welsh riding a bike along the coast. The wind blowing through his hair. A smile on his face. He turns to say something and laughs. We pan back and see Sid pedaling behind him. A two person bike! They pedal down the coast joking and laughing. A couple of motorcycles pull up alongside. Leather, hairy bikers pointing at them and pumping their fists.
We cut.
Sid stands in front of a mirror at a barber shop. He’s carefully combing his hair back. Once finished, he turns and looks at Marcus. Marcus is combing his hair in the same manner. Welsh finishes and looks to Sid. Sid says something and they both laugh. A hairy, leather biker emerges from behind, putting his arms around both men and nodding.
We cut.
Welsh stands in front of a food cart. He hands over some money and turns around with a foot long hot dog coated in mayonnaise. He takes one end and bites into it. Sid steps in and points at Welsh’s mouth, he’s got some white stuff on the edge. Welsh laughs. Sid leans in and takes a bite from the other end. Welsh points out some white stuff on the side of Sid’s mouth. Sid goes “oops!” and they both have a laugh. A couple of hairy, leather bikers rise into view and wipe the mayo from each man’s mouth before giving it a taste and smiling, nodding. Welsh and Sid laugh.
We cut.
Welsh and Sid are holding hands and spinning around. We zoom in on Welsh’s face as his head spins around. He’s laughing, having a great time. We cut to Sid who is doing the same, his hair remaining in perfect position. Back to Welsh. Back to Sid. We then cut to a hairy, leather biker who is spinning with them…he tosses a wink and then laughs. The three men let go and fall to the ground.
We cut.
The music ends as Sid falls onto the couch. He’s exhausted. Welsh enters from the back.
“Yo, roomie, Top Gun’s on and the volleyball scene is coming up in a few min,” Sid slaps the cushion next to him, “Saddle up!”
Welsh is about to leap onto the couch when his elephant hourglass calls out.
“Marcus…MARCUS!”
Welsh turns, “What? The most epic Volleyball scene ever is coming on!”
“I’m thinking…maybe this roommate thing was a bad idea.”
“Are you crazy? I am having the time of my life!”
“I don’t normally do this…but let me show you an image of the not-too-distant future if you sit down and watch this scene with Sid.”
Welsh is silent.
“Yep.”
Welsh scratches the back of his neck and looks at Sid. Sid is singing “Danger Zone” quietly to himself, legs crossed. Welsh looks back at the elephant hourglass.
“You see?”
“I need to find Adi.”
“What was that?” Sid looks up.
“I, umm, I gotta run out for a bit. I’ll be back.”
“Sounds good, partner!” Sid leans forward as the Volleyball scene starts. He begins taking notes on all the players.
Welsh exits.
Embarrassed. Humiliated. Abandoned. Disowned.
The death of Charlie.
It’s enough to break a man. And, by the looks of it, Welsh is on the verge of disrepair.
A half eaten poptart WITHOUT frosting. A bowl of cereal WITHOUT milk. Chicken nuggets WITHOUT sauce.
It’s madness.
There’s also the room temperature of Busch Light next to the kitchen chair his body hangs onto by a thread. A loud belch, crunch, and Welsh throws an empty can at the elephant hourglass.
“CLINK”
It hits and bounces off, landing in a pile of several others. Welsh reaches into the box, grabbing another can. He cracks it open, warm suds flowing over the rim and down his hand. He takes a sip and winces…it’s tough going down. His cheeks puff like he might spit it back out. He fights, fights, and gets it down. He gasps for air and releases a loud, putrid, wet belch before shaking his head and blinking his watery eyes.
“Just like the good ole days.”
His focus drops down onto the elephant hourglass, “What? You got something to say?”
“Marcus fy machgen ti angen help.”
Welsh leans in, “Come again?”
“Marcus fy machgen ti angen help.”
He pulls out his phone to translate. “What language do you speak or have chosen to speak today dumb elephant man?”
“Welsh.”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“WELSH.”
"Still me."
"I'M SPEAKING WELSH FOR GOD'S SAKE!"
“Oh…” it clicks. Marcus sets the translator up. “Alright, you may speak again elephant glass thing.”
“馬庫斯我的孩子你需要幫助”
Welsh tilts his head, eyeing the elephant. He takes a long sip of Busch Light, it goes down much easier this time. He speaks, spewing some suds across the table, “Fuck you.”
“Alright, fine,” the elephant hourglass breaks his bit. “Figured a cultured man like yourself might know a few alternative languages.”
Marcus is too buzzed to let pithy jabs bother him. Another sip of beer goes down. He turns and spits on the ground.
“Classy. You need a roommate, Marcus.”
“Did you find Adi?” Some life rushes through the man. He perks up, leaning in.
“Even better…”
Welsh looks toward the front door of his apartment as it swings open and a rush of wind enters. A new, fresh air!! A light shines behind the individual as they step in and reveal themselves to be…
“SID BUCKLEY?!”
“Marcus!”
Sid rushes into the room, arms wide, ready to embrace. He gives a strong hug to Welsh, who does his best to turn away from it.
“Let me tell you pal, I cannot thank you enough for this invite!” Sid releases his grip but follows it up with a couple of firm slaps on the back.
“What invite?”
“I’m going to tell you something that is going to be a little surprising to you, Marcus. And it’s because I trust you, you’re a good friend… Business isn’t going so well over at SportzSportzSportz.”
Sid lets out a heavy sigh immediately after finishing his words. He shakes his head and looks at his friend, who is returning a blank stare.
“What’s the surprising part?”
“Obviously I had to cut some costs to make ends meet… Starting with my office. Man, I loved that office. I’m going to miss it. Anyway, that led me here!”
“Because you stopped paying for your office?” Welsh shoots a confused look Sid’s way.
“Mmhmm.”
“What about your home?”
Sid raises his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“Were you living at your office, Sid?” Welsh’s question is met with a scoff.
“Marcus, home is where your heart is. And my heart is here now!” Sid grabs a beer in one hand and the half eaten UNFROSTED poptart in the other. “Let the party begin!”
“Make yourself at home,” Welsh mumbles. He kicks some cans around and realizes he doesn’t have a second chair for his kitchen table. So, he sits on the kitchen counter. He watches Sid, who is in the zone, pounding back the beer and devouring the poptart. He reaches for another beer and another poptart.
“You able to split the groceries fifty-fif…seventy-thirty?”
“Of course! I’ve got grocery money.” Sid waves Marcus off. “Acting like I’m homeless or something.”
Sid polishes off another poptart. He reaches for the box and turns it upside down. It’s empty. He shakes it for good measure. “Hey roomie, we got more of these?”
Not waiting for an answer, Sid heads for the cupboards to investigate. Welsh reaches behind his back and grabs a couple boxes of Little Debbie snacks. He slides them into a drawer before Sid turns around.
“Fridge,” Welsh nods. Sid opens the fridge and finds another case of Busch Light. Welsh watches him return to the table.
“Alright but before we make this official…a few questions. First of all…what are your thoughts on people who wear a lot of makeup and sport a bunch of tattoos?”
“Uh uh.” Sid grimaces and shakes his head. “Not my type.”
Welsh slides down, to his feet and nods. He leans up against the counter, watching Sid crack a can open. “Okay…now, let me ask you this. Who do you think had the best draft of the Bravery and Strength Trials?”
“Think?! I have the data. I have the rankings!” Sid slams his can down on the counter to emphasize his point. Beer splatters all over the counter. He points firmly at Welsh. “You did.”
The wise draft guru proceeds to lick the spilled beer off the counter.
“Well, I mean, the data certainly doesn’t lie, right?” Welsh laughs, heading toward the table. He drops down, getting eye level with Sid. “Okay, one more question, Who is the REAL champ? Meyhu or Sahara?”
“Hmmm…” Sid rubs his chin. It's a tough question, even for the expert. “Well, I know what the data says. But really, only you know the answer to that question.”
Welsh ponders. “I see so instead of giving the bike to one or the other you split it in half. Damnit, Sid…you’re wise beyond your years.” Welsh reaches back, opens a drawer and secures his hidden Little Debbies. He tosses them onto the table, “Welcome aboard, roomie!”
Welsh extends his hand. Sid shakes it. A firm, manly shake. We zoom in on the two hands.
“Time to Change” by The Brady Bunch begins to play.
Fade in to a shot of Welsh riding a bike along the coast. The wind blowing through his hair. A smile on his face. He turns to say something and laughs. We pan back and see Sid pedaling behind him. A two person bike! They pedal down the coast joking and laughing. A couple of motorcycles pull up alongside. Leather, hairy bikers pointing at them and pumping their fists.
We cut.
Sid stands in front of a mirror at a barber shop. He’s carefully combing his hair back. Once finished, he turns and looks at Marcus. Marcus is combing his hair in the same manner. Welsh finishes and looks to Sid. Sid says something and they both laugh. A hairy, leather biker emerges from behind, putting his arms around both men and nodding.
We cut.
Welsh stands in front of a food cart. He hands over some money and turns around with a foot long hot dog coated in mayonnaise. He takes one end and bites into it. Sid steps in and points at Welsh’s mouth, he’s got some white stuff on the edge. Welsh laughs. Sid leans in and takes a bite from the other end. Welsh points out some white stuff on the side of Sid’s mouth. Sid goes “oops!” and they both have a laugh. A couple of hairy, leather bikers rise into view and wipe the mayo from each man’s mouth before giving it a taste and smiling, nodding. Welsh and Sid laugh.
We cut.
Welsh and Sid are holding hands and spinning around. We zoom in on Welsh’s face as his head spins around. He’s laughing, having a great time. We cut to Sid who is doing the same, his hair remaining in perfect position. Back to Welsh. Back to Sid. We then cut to a hairy, leather biker who is spinning with them…he tosses a wink and then laughs. The three men let go and fall to the ground.
We cut.
The music ends as Sid falls onto the couch. He’s exhausted. Welsh enters from the back.
“Yo, roomie, Top Gun’s on and the volleyball scene is coming up in a few min,” Sid slaps the cushion next to him, “Saddle up!”
Welsh is about to leap onto the couch when his elephant hourglass calls out.
“Marcus…MARCUS!”
Welsh turns, “What? The most epic Volleyball scene ever is coming on!”
“I’m thinking…maybe this roommate thing was a bad idea.”
“Are you crazy? I am having the time of my life!”
“I don’t normally do this…but let me show you an image of the not-too-distant future if you sit down and watch this scene with Sid.”
Welsh is silent.
“Yep.”
Welsh scratches the back of his neck and looks at Sid. Sid is singing “Danger Zone” quietly to himself, legs crossed. Welsh looks back at the elephant hourglass.
“You see?”
“I need to find Adi.”
“What was that?” Sid looks up.
“I, umm, I gotta run out for a bit. I’ll be back.”
“Sounds good, partner!” Sid leans forward as the Volleyball scene starts. He begins taking notes on all the players.
Welsh exits.