1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: High podcast friends. As regular listeners know, I try to 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: run a family friendlish podcast, but because it's integral to 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: the plot. In this episode of Heavyweight, we dropped the 4 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: F bomb and unprecedented nine times. If they were giving 5 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: out peabodies for swearing, maybe i'd get one. Also, as 6 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: long as I'm giving advisories, I also pronounced the word 7 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: garage as garage. I encourage you to listen anyway. Hello, 8 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: did you get a message from me a couple months ago? 9 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: A phone message was on your birthday. I was wishing 10 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: you a happy birthday. It's possible I didn't hear anything back, 11 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: so I was concerned. Yes, when someone leaves your message 12 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,919 Speaker 1: on your birthday, you have no obligation to return that message. 13 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: But that's it. Oh my gosh, it would have been 14 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: nice to get. I'm not saying a thank you card. 15 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: But you know, if I. 16 00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 2: Was under no obligation, why are you now giving me 17 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: rushes as to how I should have responded. 18 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,839 Speaker 1: Some things in life aren't obligatory, but we just do them, 19 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 1: you know what I mean? 20 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 2: Absolutely, like picking up the phone when I just saw that. 21 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: You called me exactly like, hey, wait a minute. From 22 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: Gimblet Media I'm Jonathan Goldstein, and this is Heavyweight. Today's 23 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: episode Sky Sky and her son Clark ever ritual, Well, 24 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: I don't know about you. Every night, after his teeth 25 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: are brushed and he's all tucked in, right before Clark 26 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: goes to sleep, Sky sits down on the edge of 27 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: his bed and they talk. 28 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 3: What was your favorite part of that movie? Probably like 29 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 3: the end was a good end. The helicopter scene was good. 30 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:02,639 Speaker 1: Clark's eleven. Naturally, there's a lot of discussion about comic 31 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: books and movies. 32 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 2: I don't think it was a movie. You know, the 33 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 2: original Jumanji was not funny. 34 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: But there's something about the stillness of nighttime that also 35 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: frees Clark up to speak in a way that he 36 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: doesn't normally. Not only does he tell Sky about what 37 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: he's watching and reading, he tells her about his feelings. 38 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: He shares stories about what's going on at school, and 39 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: Sky shares stories too, stories from her childhood. Some stories 40 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: she tells just to entertain Clark, but other stories she 41 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: tells to impart a lesson. There's one story in particular 42 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: she's told Clark over and over again throughout the years, 43 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: and lately it's been coming up a lot recently. Sky 44 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: told me the story. 45 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 3: So the story, in a way, the story starts when 46 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 3: I moved. 47 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: When she was eleven years old, Sky was best friends 48 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: with a group of four girls. They wore a spree sweatshirts, 49 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: and watched love Boat on the weekends. They were the 50 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: popular girls. 51 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 3: That was sort of the vibe of that group was like, 52 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 3: we're exclusive and we're kind of the shit. Yeah, you 53 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 3: know how like in high school they have you know, 54 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 3: most beautiful and most popular, and all of those. We 55 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 3: decided to make our own book of you know, awarding 56 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 3: people various prizes. We gave me best Eyes, and I 57 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 3: remember sort of having this pride in that. 58 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: They spent all the fifth grade together. Then summer came 59 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: and with it long days filled with lazy bike rides 60 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: and trips to the candy shop. But early one summer morning, 61 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: Sky woke up to find her yard had been teepeed 62 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: covered in toilet paper and there was more. 63 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 3: Someone had written fuck you on our garage door. And 64 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 3: we had a double garage, and so fuck was on 65 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 3: one you was on the other, and they were written 66 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 3: in large white letters on our brown garage. 67 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: Sky's mom had seen the vandals make their getaway. The 68 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: words fuck you had been written by none other than 69 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: Sky's for best friends. 70 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 2: And they had been written in paint. 71 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 3: I wish they had done it was something that had 72 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 3: come off, because I do remember this feeling of like 73 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 3: being driven home day after day and seeing those words 74 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 3: on the garage door. Teeping someone's house is one thing, 75 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,839 Speaker 3: it's sort of a common prank, but the fact that 76 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 3: they wrote fuck you, that felt to me like it 77 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 3: really came from anger. And they had to have brought 78 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 3: the paint, you know. There had to have been some 79 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 3: thought put into this. 80 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: Why had they done it? What were they angry about? 81 00:04:54,560 --> 00:05:03,119 Speaker 1: Sky had no idea. Did you ever see those girls again? 82 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 3: Well? 83 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 2: I saw them again, for sure. 84 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 3: We all funneled into this junior high school that fall, 85 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 3: and I think that I just avoided them. I never 86 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 3: ever said a word to any of the four girls ever. Again, 87 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 3: I pretended it never happened. 88 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: And when Sky tells Clark this story, here's where she 89 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: delivers the moral. Awful things do happen, but in the 90 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: end everything turns out fine. Sky grew up, got married, 91 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: has a job she likes, and a family she loves. 92 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: Her story, she tells him, has a happy ending in 93 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: the past. When he's heard this story, Clark's taken his 94 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,840 Speaker 1: mom's lesson at face value. But Clark is now the 95 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: same age Sky was when her friends turned on her. 96 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: He's starting to see his own classmates leave old friends 97 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: behind for the more popular crowd. For the first time, 98 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: He's able to image what it would be like if 99 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: his own small group of friends suddenly cast him out, 100 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: stopped coming over to his house to play video games, 101 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: stop speaking to them altogether. So Sky's moral that everyone 102 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: lives happily ever after is starting to feel untrue, and 103 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:20,559 Speaker 1: so Clark has a question for his mother, why didn't 104 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: she ever confront her friends about what they did? Why 105 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: not then? But also he asks Sky, why not now? 106 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 4: Like did they do it for themselves or because of you? 107 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 4: Or was it because of something you did or something? 108 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 1: Clark brings up Sky's story during their bedtime ritual, asking 109 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: for details, weighing the injustice, fantasizing about Sky looking up 110 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: her old friends and confronting them with some questions. 111 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 4: I think you can't be like the person that you 112 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 4: normally are, where you're like tim and little. 113 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 3: Mommy funny that you think of me as timid Mommy, 114 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 3: that's very interesting. 115 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 4: Yeah, well, I have like a lot of occasions to 116 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 4: prove that your New Year's resolution was to say no 117 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 4: more often. That was your resolution because you were too 118 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 4: timid to say no. 119 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 2: To people before that. 120 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 3: Well, I like to think that it's less about me 121 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 3: being timid and more about me being a can do 122 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 3: kind of person. 123 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:35,679 Speaker 1: There it is right there. At school functions, Clark watches 124 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 1: his mom try to accommodate the other parents and get 125 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: steamrolled in the process. In restaurants, he sees his mom 126 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: settled for the wrong meal rather than bother the waiter. 127 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: For once, he wants Guy to stop worrying about everyone 128 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: else's feelings. He wants her to focus on herself. 129 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 3: I would really love to know, like why it's important 130 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 3: to you. 131 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 4: It's basically for me, are like my mom avenging. Those 132 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 4: people just wanted you to kind of like get your avenge, 133 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 4: my revenge, avenge yourself. Sorry I'm using the wrong word. 134 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 4: You gotta be like you did this and do you 135 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 4: remember why it happened, and say sorry to me, he said. 136 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 3: At the end, Mom, You've got to figure this out. 137 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 3: You've got to go for it. You have to have 138 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 3: a chance to find out why this happened. 139 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: It's not just Clark who feels this way. There's someone 140 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: else who also wonders why this happened and has always 141 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: wished Sky had had the chance to ask. Is this Rachel? 142 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 1: This is Skuy's mom, Rachel, the only eyewitnessed what happened 143 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 1: that night, and the person talking to her while chewing 144 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: a hunk of munster cheese and hollow bread because his 145 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: boss Alex thinks taking lunch breaks is more of a 146 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: BizOps thing, is me? 147 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 5: I got out of my chair and I stood at 148 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 5: the window and pulled back the drape, and I see 149 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 5: their bikes sort of going off into the night. 150 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: The night the girl showed up around two or three 151 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: in the morning, Rachel was reading in an armchair by 152 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: the window. She's always up in the middle of the night. 153 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: It's a habit that began in childhood. She tells me 154 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 1: that her own mom, Sky's grandmother suffered from schizophrenia. She 155 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: was unpredictable, and the middle of the night was the 156 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 1: only time the house was ever quiet and safe. Who 157 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 1: was during those calm nights alone that Rachel began writing poetry? 158 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 5: And here I am all these years later, and I'm 159 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 5: still doing it. There's something holy about the middle of 160 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 5: the night. Nobody's hassling you, and you can really hear 161 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 5: yourself somehow. 162 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: But on the night the vandals struck, she could also 163 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: hear four eleven year old girls making their getaway. When 164 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: the sun came up, Rachel saw the fuck you on 165 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: the garage and immediately she phoned up one of the 166 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: girls and spoke with both her and her mom. Well 167 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: neither denied what had happened. Nothing much came of the conversation, 168 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 1: and after that Sky begged Rachel not to make any 169 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: more phone calls. The idea of confronting anyone just upset 170 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: Sky Moore, so Rachel stopped calling, and after a few 171 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: days things seemed to go back to normal. 172 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 5: We felt it was over, and for her it really wasn't. 173 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 5: It really took her, being I think, grown up, for 174 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 5: her to start saying to me, I think about this 175 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 5: all the time, and it was shocking to me. I 176 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 5: had not understood that, and I felt dopey that I 177 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 5: hadn't understood that, because I thought I was pretty well 178 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:25,319 Speaker 5: attuned to her and her feelings. It broke my heart. 179 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:36,239 Speaker 5: She always understood how to sit in with people, completely 180 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:39,719 Speaker 5: unlike her parents. My husband, you know, was born in 181 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:43,319 Speaker 5: Finland and was a mathematician and had his PhD when 182 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 5: he was nineteen. And I was this strange, you know, 183 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 5: high school dropout poet. I mean, we were really odd 184 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 5: and eccentric birds, and here was this kid who was 185 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 5: just exquisitely normal. And to us, she's always been a wonder, 186 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 5: you know, like, who is this very social being? This 187 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 5: is a kid who whose first word was high and 188 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 5: who when she was small literally sat on the front 189 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 5: step all day and said hi to every person who 190 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 5: passed on the sidewalk, and we loved her for that. 191 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 5: And what happened with the girls, This had the effect 192 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 5: of making her more you know, pulling in her wings. 193 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: And this is the person Clark sees today, someone who 194 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: keeps her wings tucked in so tight for fear of 195 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 1: them getting in anyone's way, that she's forgotten how to 196 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: open them. Rachel knows that Clark has recently begun urging 197 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,679 Speaker 1: his mom to be less timid, and she approves. 198 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 5: There's something authoritative about a child they haven't had. They're 199 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 5: not all hammered by doubts and worries about what they're 200 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 5: saying they're like, well, why didn't you do this? 201 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 1: You know, Rachel had asked me to call at the 202 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: end of her work night. It's now seven thirty AM, 203 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 1: close to her bedtime, so we say our goodbyes, but 204 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: just before putting down the phone, she offers a final benediction, 205 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 1: as I was so beautiful. 206 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 5: The way he wanted her to figure this out. Because 207 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 5: she'll hear that from him in a way that she 208 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 5: probably could never hear that from me, it has more 209 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 5: of a chance to wake her up. 210 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 1: And with that, Rachel heads off to bed, and I 211 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:43,440 Speaker 1: turned back to Sky, who, with a little help from Clark, 212 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: is still trying to wake up. 213 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 3: He does have this sense of but that's an unfinished thing. 214 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, like the good that this good ending hasn't fully 215 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:55,840 Speaker 1: happened yet. 216 00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, the good ending hasn't happened. So it's sort 217 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 3: of turning into a different story, which is that it's 218 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 3: kind of never too late to summon courage and do something. 219 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 2: That scares you. 220 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 3: I guess in a way, I want to live up 221 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 3: to his to who I think he'd like me to be. 222 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 3: You know, I think like I need to show him 223 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 3: that I can stand up for myself. 224 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: Thirty five years later, and Sky's finally decided she's ready. 225 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 1: She just needs help reaching the girls and not backing 226 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: down when she does. So you want to do this? 227 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 3: I think that I want to do this. Yes, I 228 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 3: want to do this. You know now I'll be able 229 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 3: to say I did what I could. 230 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 1: And if you want to be able to say you 231 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: did what you could to save scads of cash with 232 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 1: some truly great deals, here's the chance you've been dreaming 233 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: of your entire life. Sky and I get to work 234 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 1: reaching out to the four girls, Sam, Nicky, Randy, and Tessa. 235 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: We begin with Sam because Sky already has their contact info. 236 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: They'd run into each other at their ten year high 237 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: school reunion. Sky Sam had said, it's me. It would 238 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: have been the perfect opportunity to ask about the fuck 239 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: you on the garage door, but Sky just couldn't bring 240 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: herself to mention it, so instead they made awkward small talk. 241 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 3: And then she fronted me on Facebook, which practically made 242 00:15:58,160 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 3: me laugh. 243 00:15:58,880 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 2: But I. 244 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 3: This sounds ridiculous, but I didn't want to be rude, 245 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 3: and so I accepted her friendship. 246 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 1: I helped Sky write a Facebook message to Sam saying 247 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: she has some questions about the end of their friendship, 248 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: but with no response, Sky follows up again and again. Eventually, 249 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 1: Sam writes back, we just naturally grew apart as life 250 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 1: events progressed, she says. She concludes by saying that Sky's 251 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:33,480 Speaker 1: attempts to contact her are making her feel quote overwhelmed 252 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 1: and stressed, and that makes Sky feel bad. Second is Nicky, 253 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: who says that even though Skuy's mom clearly remembers her 254 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 1: being there that day, she absolutely wasn't. In fact, she says, 255 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: she and Sky weren't even that close. Third comes Randy. 256 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 1: Randy's hard to get a hold of so when we 257 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 1: get no answer on her house phone, we try all 258 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: the numbers we can find. We leave her repeated messages, 259 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: but it seems like she's not even getting them. But 260 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: as it turns out, she's gotten all of them, because 261 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 1: she sends Sky an email to say that she's not 262 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: happy about it. In fact, she's creeped out. Sky was 263 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: at the grocery store when she received the email. 264 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 3: I was in line and I completely was out of 265 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 3: my body as I was reading it. I so forgot 266 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 3: where I was that someone had to say, are you 267 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:34,879 Speaker 3: in line? 268 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:37,960 Speaker 2: And I was like Uh, no, I'm not, and I. 269 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 3: Had to push my cart away from the checkout stand 270 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 3: because I could not focus. 271 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,479 Speaker 1: Sky went into damage control mode, writing back to Randy 272 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,919 Speaker 1: to say how deeply sorry she was. I asked her 273 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:54,119 Speaker 1: to read me what she'd send. 274 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,119 Speaker 3: Randy, I'm so grateful that you wrote me back. It 275 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 3: makes me cringe to think about how so my creepy 276 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 3: and weird it must have seemed to get those messages. 277 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 3: I'm kicking myself for letting that happen. I'm still hoping 278 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 3: to talk to you privately and just explain myself. 279 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 2: Would that be okay? 280 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 1: Like, you know, is there a kind of like do 281 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 1: you feel like your default is to sort of apologize 282 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: for having reached out? 283 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:27,679 Speaker 3: Yeah? 284 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 6: I do. 285 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 2: That has occurred to me. 286 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,679 Speaker 1: Later, Sky shares the email with Clark, and it seems 287 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 1: like it's occurred to him as well. 288 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 4: I think you were over apologetic if you say yourself 289 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,480 Speaker 4: as the kind of character was like, oh sorry, sorry, sorry, 290 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:51,159 Speaker 4: I shouldn't have done that. That automatically makes her basically. 291 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,400 Speaker 2: Like gives her power. Yeah, puts her in. 292 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 4: A better spot than you're in, and that's bad. 293 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: At Sky's insistence, Randy finally agrees to a phone call, 294 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 1: but in the end, all she tells Sky is that 295 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:08,639 Speaker 1: she doesn't remember that night, doesn't remember any toilet paper 296 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:18,320 Speaker 1: or grasdoor, She doesn't remember anything at all. Of the 297 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 1: four friends, only one remains, Tessa, the girl Sky's mom 298 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:27,400 Speaker 1: phoned directly after the incident. Over the next couple weeks, 299 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: I speak with Tessa several times. She can't decide if 300 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: she wants to talk with Sky. For one thing, she 301 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,920 Speaker 1: says it was so long ago that she doesn't remember much, 302 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 1: to which I rejoin that she's all we've got. For another, 303 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: she adds getting contacted like this through a third party 304 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: interlocutionary international podcasting host is pretty weird, to which I 305 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: admit that it is slightly unconventional. Finally, Tessa says she 306 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:57,720 Speaker 1: doesn't want to inadvertently drag the other girl's names through 307 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: the dirt for something they did as kids, to which 308 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 1: I say, well, let's change those names and draw some 309 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:07,640 Speaker 1: pseudonyms through the dirt. And once I agree to change 310 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,120 Speaker 1: the names of the four girls, Tessa, not her real name, 311 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: agrees to sit down with Sky, still her real name, 312 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,360 Speaker 1: so she can finally have a conversation about the night 313 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: in question. Both Sky and Tessa live in California, pretty 314 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: close to where they grew up. I figure my presence 315 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: at their meeting could be calming, helpful even All Sky 316 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: has to do is invite me out there to join her. 317 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 1: I like California, and no I love it. But because 318 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: of her cursed timidity, Sky just doesn't have the lima 319 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 1: beans to ask. So I continue to offer her prompt. 320 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 1: I haven't been there in some time. 321 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 2: Well, it's a lovely state. 322 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: After several minutes of this elaborate dance, I get to 323 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 1: the point, for both our sake, So does you do 324 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: you think that? 325 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 7: Uh? 326 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: You think I should come? 327 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 2: That would be amazing. 328 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 1: And so it's off to California A for some long 329 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: overdue Q and A. 330 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 8: Hi. 331 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 9: Good how about you guys? Hi Clark, nice to meet you. 332 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: Sky picks me up at the hotel. Clark's along too, 333 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:29,919 Speaker 1: to make sure his mom doesn't lose her. 334 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,439 Speaker 2: Nerve Clark, you can continue to navigate for me. 335 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 8: WI. 336 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: Clark sits in the passenger seat, leafing through a comic book. 337 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: All right, let me I'm just going to throw this 338 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: in here if that's okay. Yeah, And then I tossed 339 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: my bag into the back of the hatchback and we 340 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: head off to meet Tessa. It felt great to be 341 00:21:52,880 --> 00:22:00,679 Speaker 1: in San Francisco. It's just like the mom and the 342 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:04,640 Speaker 1: Papa saying if one is going to San Francisco, one 343 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:08,360 Speaker 1: should wear flowers in one's hair. As we speed down 344 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,680 Speaker 1: the highway, I close my eyes, lean back, and would 345 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: that I had hair, enjoy the wind blowing through it. 346 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 2: Wait, is the trunk open? 347 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: Oh wow? It seems that in my excitement to hit 348 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 1: the streets of San fran I'd left the hatchback door open, 349 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: which it turns out is the source of the San 350 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 1: Franciscan breeze. She whizz, I'm sorry about that. 351 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 5: God. 352 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 1: Sky finds a place on the shoulder of the highway 353 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: to pull over, oh man, and shuts the trunk door 354 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: of that, and with that we were back on our way. 355 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 10: That's why they call me mister excitement. Actually, no one 356 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 10: calls me mister excitement. San Francisco is pretty. 357 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 2: We're not in San Francisco, you know that, right? I mean? 358 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 1: As we drive to meet Tessa, I ask Sky how 359 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:27,160 Speaker 1: she's doing. 360 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:33,200 Speaker 3: I feel nervous sighted, which is a word. 361 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:36,680 Speaker 9: That I am when when I you use the word 362 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 9: nervous sided Clark. 363 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 4: Like before, like baseball games and like stuff like that. 364 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 2: I mean, I kind of feel nervous sighted. 365 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 5: Nervous. 366 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:53,119 Speaker 1: Sided is a portmanteau word, like the way say romance, 367 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:57,720 Speaker 1: a word denoting an incestuous relationship between brothers. Is or 368 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 1: she lax the act of chilling out with a bar 369 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 1: of family sized x lax. 370 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:07,919 Speaker 2: How do you feel about meeting do you want to 371 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:11,199 Speaker 2: meet her? I will resist temptations to punder over what 372 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:11,640 Speaker 2: she did. 373 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 1: Clark is eleven years old. In the comic books he reads, 374 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: that's how problems are solved with punches, kung fu chops. 375 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,160 Speaker 1: Writing the scales is a simpler business. It's one thing 376 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,880 Speaker 1: to hear stories about his mom being stepped on. It's 377 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: another to be in the same room with one of 378 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: the people who did the stepping. Sky tries to tamp 379 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:34,840 Speaker 1: down his need for revenge. 380 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 2: Well, as we were talking about last night before you 381 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 2: went to slay, you won't forgiveness. Giveness forgiveness. We need 382 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 2: to find the forgiveness. 383 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:51,440 Speaker 1: I wanted a quiet place for Sky and tested to talk, 384 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,200 Speaker 1: and it turned out that on the weekends the local 385 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: university had an unoccupied studio. 386 00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 2: I think we're basically here. 387 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 1: We pull in the empty campus parking lot. 388 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:03,680 Speaker 2: Clark, you want to look and make sure I'm within 389 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 2: the lines. There was a little lines. 390 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:15,879 Speaker 9: Okay, let's get set up. So this is where Clark 391 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,160 Speaker 9: and I, well, we'll sit. 392 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: The studio is only big enough for Sky and Tessa, 393 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:24,120 Speaker 1: So Clark and I sit in the control booth where 394 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,680 Speaker 1: we'll be able to eavesdrop on the conversation. There's a mic, 395 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 1: so should the need arise Clark and offer guidance that 396 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: only Sky can hear through her headphones. 397 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 2: I'm mom, Hi, Clark. 398 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: Okay, so you turn it on. 399 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 2: It's good to hear your voice. 400 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 5: Can you hear me? 401 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 10: Sky? 402 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 1: Sandy the studio technician helps us get set up and 403 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:47,399 Speaker 1: takes a level on Sky's voice by asking her an easy, 404 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,880 Speaker 1: neutral question. Tell me, how's it right in today? 405 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:53,239 Speaker 2: How is the right end? 406 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 8: You don't have to shout into it. 407 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,200 Speaker 3: It was easy, except for when we left the hatchback 408 00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:58,360 Speaker 3: open on the freeway. 409 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: Laugh it up, Sandy the studio technician, Laugh it up. 410 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: Tessa's running late, so Sky sits waiting in the studio 411 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: by herself. Finally, wait, she's here. 412 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 8: Ah, okay, okay, Hey, I'm Jonathan, glad you made it 413 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 8: a nice to meet you too. 414 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 1: Tessa's stylish and like Sky, looks younger than her years, 415 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 1: you could still see a trace of the popular girl. 416 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:55,439 Speaker 1: I show her into the studio where Sky's been waiting. 417 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:58,360 Speaker 1: The two haven't seen each other since they were children. 418 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 2: Who do you do you keeping close touch with anywhere 419 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,399 Speaker 2: in high school? Anyone? 420 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:08,080 Speaker 1: As they settle in, the mood is formal, a little 421 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: stilted since the room is only about the size of 422 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:13,880 Speaker 1: a small elevator. Their knees practically touch. 423 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 3: You guys can start now, okay, thanks Clark. Clark says, 424 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:23,919 Speaker 3: we can start okay. So so I'm just gonna go 425 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 3: backtrack a little bit. Yeah, so my memory is that 426 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:32,679 Speaker 3: we were all in sort of a tight knit group. 427 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 2: You know, is it too early for me to ask 428 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 2: this discussion? 429 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:42,359 Speaker 11: Why didn't you do it? 430 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:43,200 Speaker 2: For both of us? 431 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:49,160 Speaker 3: But then had also written fuck you on the garage door, 432 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 3: and that then from from that point on, we never 433 00:27:56,280 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 3: spoke again. And and it's something that has always stuck 434 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 3: with me because I don't know why it happened. And 435 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:11,440 Speaker 3: so I guess I'd love to know what your memories are. 436 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,959 Speaker 1: Clark's got this look on his face. Love to know 437 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: what your memories are. From his perspective, his mom's doing 438 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: what she always does. That is exactly what he told 439 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 1: her not to. She's being overly sensitive to Tessa's feelings. 440 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:30,640 Speaker 1: But even after thirty five years of waiting to ask 441 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 1: the question, Sky just can't help being Sky. Tessa takes 442 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:36,440 Speaker 1: a sip of water. 443 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 11: Sorry, I'm just my throat is dry. 444 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:41,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, no problem. 445 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: Sky smiles warmly and gives Tessa a moment to collect herself. 446 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 3: Take your time, so I have a vague recollection. 447 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 6: It's really really vague. What I what really stands out 448 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 6: is that we were just going teping, like we went 449 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 6: teping a lot, you know, not just on that night, 450 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:17,200 Speaker 6: and we literally just stumbled upon your home. And that's 451 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:18,480 Speaker 6: why I remember. 452 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 1: Clark furrows his brow. He wants his mother to push harder, 453 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:24,040 Speaker 1: be more aggressively. 454 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 4: Mom, ask why you weren't invited to go toilet papering 455 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:28,760 Speaker 4: with them? 456 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 1: That's a really good question. We watch a. Sky waits 457 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 1: patiently for Testa to finish speaking. 458 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 3: He wanted me to ask you why didn't come with 459 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 3: you that night teeping? 460 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 2: Why weren't you invited? Not why didn't that come why 461 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 2: I wasn't invited. 462 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 6: I I in my mind we had drifted apart by then. 463 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 1: Inside the control room, Clark shakes his head. 464 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 2: I think there's more the story, you do, Yeah. 465 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,800 Speaker 1: What makes you think that? He slumps back in his 466 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: seat and crosses his arms. He seems frustrated. 467 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 6: I remember your mom calling my mom, And for my 468 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:20,480 Speaker 6: mom it wasn't a big deal either. My mom, first 469 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 6: of all, didn't even know what two being was. I 470 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 6: had to explain it to her. 471 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 2: Oh okay. 472 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 6: I did not realize until maybe now that it was 473 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:33,600 Speaker 6: more of a big deal for you. 474 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:34,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. 475 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 3: And I feel like you're being very, very honest, and 476 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:39,479 Speaker 3: I really really appreciate that. 477 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,720 Speaker 1: When Tessa and I last spoke, she mentioned how odd 478 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: this whole undertaking seemed to her. A woman she hadn't 479 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 1: heard from in thirty five years, wanted to talk to 480 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 1: her about a random night from their childhood. Oh and 481 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 1: she also wanted to bring along her eleven year old 482 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: son and his forty eight year old sidekick, both of 483 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:03,280 Speaker 1: whom would be communicating with Sky through a secret microphone 484 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 1: WA's way so she can talk about wait wait wait. 485 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:11,240 Speaker 1: Inside the control room, I watched Sky perform a delicate 486 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:14,920 Speaker 1: balancing act. She's aware that Clark is watching, so she's 487 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 1: trying not to be too timid, but she also wants 488 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:20,560 Speaker 1: to set a good example for how to behave and 489 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: through all that, she can't help seeing it from Tessa's perspective, 490 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 1: how weird and uncomfortable this must be for her. Sky 491 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 1: wants to help Tessa feel safe, and so she treads lightly. 492 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:36,800 Speaker 3: I mean, I think being the parent now of a child, 493 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 3: I understand how quickly things can get confused. And it 494 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 3: really was the words that that's what seemed to communicate 495 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 3: to me, I've done something terrible, like I must have it. 496 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 3: I must be responsible for this in some way, you know, 497 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 3: And so I wondered, did I do something? 498 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 1: You can see the TESSAs weighing her response. She doesn't 499 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 1: quite know what to say, but with Sky being so 500 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: gracious and open, it's like she feels the least she 501 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 1: can do is try to meet her halfway, and so 502 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 1: tentatively she offers a thought. 503 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 11: Ah, maybe you were a little different than them in 504 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:30,640 Speaker 11: what way? 505 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:35,760 Speaker 1: Again? Tessa searches for the right words, all the while 506 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 1: never seeing us or we, but always they. 507 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 6: They were like they were a little mischievous. You know, 508 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:56,600 Speaker 6: they were a little rebellious and wanting to do something bad, 509 00:32:57,480 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 6: and I was, and maybe you weren't. Maybe you didn't 510 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 6: want to go along with what they were doing. 511 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 2: Well, you know what's interesting about that is the whole 512 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:11,320 Speaker 2: tepeeing thing. 513 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 3: I remember that being a sing but I remember I 514 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:21,480 Speaker 3: actually remember not wanting to do that. Would you say 515 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:25,680 Speaker 3: that that maybe I was more like a goodie two shoes. 516 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:31,280 Speaker 2: Type compared to them? Yeah, you know. 517 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:41,320 Speaker 1: According to Tessa, if Sky had stayed friends with those girls, 518 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 1: it would have meant a summer of drinking alcohol and 519 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:48,600 Speaker 1: pulling off semi illegal pranks after dark, all things Sky 520 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 1: wouldn't have wanted. Even back then, she didn't want to 521 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 1: upset anyone. To her friends, that made her seem like 522 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 1: a goody two shoes, And to a goody two shoes 523 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:01,400 Speaker 1: who thinks they're better than you, what could be more 524 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:04,760 Speaker 1: of a fuck you than a literal fuck you? The 525 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:08,759 Speaker 1: words large and clear emblazoned across her family's grage door. 526 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:12,239 Speaker 1: I turned to Clark to see what he makes of 527 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:14,799 Speaker 1: all this. Is there something that you feel like we're 528 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:18,360 Speaker 1: just kind of missing or we're not getting it? 529 00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 2: I remember really not wanting to be. 530 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 1: Clark stairs straight ahead, watching his mom. I can see 531 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:28,399 Speaker 1: he's thinking something through. He makes a move towards the mic, 532 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: but then shies away. He's antsy, rising from his seat, 533 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:37,279 Speaker 1: settling back. Eventually I make a suggestion, do you just 534 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:39,760 Speaker 1: want to go in there? 535 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:40,680 Speaker 2: Yeah? 536 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 1: Totally. Clark gets up, leaves the control room and makes 537 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:48,000 Speaker 1: his way to the studio to talk to his mom 538 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:51,920 Speaker 1: in person. Watching him, I have no idea what he's 539 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:52,239 Speaker 1: up to. 540 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:54,759 Speaker 2: Oh Clark is here. 541 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: Oh Clark enters the room. 542 00:34:58,719 --> 00:34:58,880 Speaker 8: Was that? 543 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 1: But it's not as mommy's addressing. It's Tessa. I take 544 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:06,799 Speaker 1: a deep breath as Clark begins to speak. 545 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 4: Uh, did you feel in any way like dragged into it, 546 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:15,120 Speaker 4: like to do like to toilet paper people's houses. 547 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:21,319 Speaker 6: I don't know if I would say dragged, but I 548 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:25,240 Speaker 6: would say definitely I was a follower. 549 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:30,160 Speaker 1: I'm not exactly surprised by Clark's question. It's the same 550 00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:34,279 Speaker 1: one he's been asking since the beginning, essentially, why did 551 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:37,200 Speaker 1: you do this to my mother? But I am surprised 552 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:40,839 Speaker 1: by the way he's asking it, not with anger but 553 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:44,839 Speaker 1: with sympathy. For the first time, Clark's trying to see 554 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 1: it all from Tessa's perspective, he's following his mom's example. 555 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:53,799 Speaker 6: Sometimes you're with friends because those are the ones you have. 556 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:57,160 Speaker 6: So you'll stick with your friends even though you see 557 00:35:57,239 --> 00:36:01,040 Speaker 6: things that you don't like in them. You just don't 558 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 6: want to be alone. 559 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:06,920 Speaker 11: Yeah, thanks, okay, yeah, thanks Claire. 560 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:11,040 Speaker 1: And because Tessa didn't want to be alone, she continued 561 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:13,480 Speaker 1: to hang out with the girls for several more years 562 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:18,040 Speaker 1: before eventually finding a new group of friends. Tessa turns 563 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:18,759 Speaker 1: to Sky. 564 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 6: Honey, you freaking dodged a bullet. 565 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 12: That's what you did, not being with those girls, I 566 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:32,280 Speaker 12: have to say. 567 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,319 Speaker 1: Sky tells Tessa that there's still one thing she's been 568 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:39,279 Speaker 1: wondering about. Why did Tessa agree to talk with her 569 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:41,759 Speaker 1: at all? It would have been easy to say no, 570 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:43,600 Speaker 1: everyone else did. 571 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:49,560 Speaker 6: Why I said, yeah, truthfully, the call was so out 572 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:52,560 Speaker 6: of the blue, of course, I you know, at the beginning, 573 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:57,520 Speaker 6: I said, yeah, sure, you know, like, and then I 574 00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:01,400 Speaker 6: talked to my daughter and she was like, no, like, 575 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:02,279 Speaker 6: don't do that. 576 00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:03,240 Speaker 2: How old is your daughter? 577 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:05,400 Speaker 6: My daughter is almost thirteen? 578 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:07,920 Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, what was she worried about? 579 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 6: She's she kind of said, like, what's in it for you? 580 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 2: Mm hm? 581 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:15,120 Speaker 6: You know, she was kind of worried that, like I 582 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:17,440 Speaker 6: would come out as a bad person or something. 583 00:37:19,239 --> 00:37:21,279 Speaker 2: How is she feeling right now that you're here. 584 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:22,280 Speaker 11: She's mad? 585 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 6: She is, Yeah, she's mad, But you know I told her, 586 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:28,200 Speaker 6: like not everything we do in life is for us, 587 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 6: it's for other people as well, So she'll be fine. 588 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:35,759 Speaker 1: Whereas Guy set out to show her Sun that she 589 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:38,120 Speaker 1: has the courage to stand up for her own needs, 590 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:41,040 Speaker 1: Tessa wants to show her daughter that she has the 591 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:43,960 Speaker 1: courage to stand up for someone else's. 592 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:53,560 Speaker 6: I'm sorry that I didn't. The thought of you thinking 593 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:57,840 Speaker 6: for thirty five years that you had done something wrong 594 00:37:59,120 --> 00:38:05,120 Speaker 6: is like, Oh, I really don't think that you did anything. 595 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 6: I really don't. I'm sorry that you felt like that. 596 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:11,840 Speaker 6: You know, I wish that you hadn't. 597 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 2: I'm so glad. I'm hearing it now. 598 00:38:14,239 --> 00:38:18,560 Speaker 6: I'm glad too. So I'm really glad, And it's really 599 00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:21,520 Speaker 6: good to see you. And you literally look exactly the same. 600 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:23,959 Speaker 6: Maybe your hair is a little shorter. 601 00:38:24,120 --> 00:38:24,200 Speaker 4: And. 602 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 3: Michael, go ahead, was that dramatic hug? Oh you want 603 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:38,520 Speaker 3: a dramatic hug. 604 00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:42,040 Speaker 2: That's glad. I think we have to have the dramatic. 605 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:47,640 Speaker 1: Hug because the room's so small. When they stand, they're 606 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:50,759 Speaker 1: already almost touching. They look at each other for a 607 00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:56,520 Speaker 1: brief moment, and then Sky opens her wings. 608 00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:58,840 Speaker 6: Oh, it's good to see you. 609 00:38:59,160 --> 00:38:59,960 Speaker 2: So good to see you. 610 00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:11,320 Speaker 1: After the meeting with Tessa, Clark didn't have much to say, 611 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:15,000 Speaker 1: but at night, back in his room, in that space 612 00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 1: where he feels free to open up, Clark's eager to 613 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:19,600 Speaker 1: talk about Tessa. 614 00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:24,520 Speaker 4: Honestly, I didn't know that person, so I thought they 615 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:29,319 Speaker 4: might like still be the bully, still bullying you. And 616 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:32,560 Speaker 4: I didn't want you to feel like scared or anything 617 00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:35,920 Speaker 4: in that situation, so I was kind of anxious. Well, 618 00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:40,080 Speaker 4: then I met Tessa and she was like super nice, 619 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:47,040 Speaker 4: she was super hard, And I feel like you'd like 620 00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:55,359 Speaker 4: you weren't timid, Mommy, you were brave, Mommy. 621 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:59,280 Speaker 1: Tonight there's no talk of avenging. Through his mom's example, 622 00:39:59,719 --> 00:40:02,800 Speaker 1: Clark learning that one can be kind without being timid. 623 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:06,000 Speaker 1: The kindness can carry its own strength. 624 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:09,480 Speaker 3: If you had if he hadn't had that night where 625 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:12,560 Speaker 3: you had said you have to figure this out, mom, 626 00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:15,399 Speaker 3: I really honestly don't think I would have done it. 627 00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:19,719 Speaker 2: So thank you. You're welcome. 628 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:27,399 Speaker 1: There's a lot more coming for Clark. Moments when he'll 629 00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:30,520 Speaker 1: have to make difficult decisions. Some of them he'll talk 630 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:35,520 Speaker 1: about with Sky, and some he won't. But for now 631 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:39,080 Speaker 1: they keep talking, neither of them quite ready to go 632 00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:40,879 Speaker 1: to sleep just yet. 633 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:45,520 Speaker 3: Remember when you said that there was an international Tomato day, 634 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:47,760 Speaker 3: Jop judging. 635 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:51,160 Speaker 2: Me, it was international. 636 00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:32,720 Speaker 7: Now that the fern entures returning to its goodwill home, 637 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:40,640 Speaker 7: Now that the last month's rent is scheming, with the 638 00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:47,440 Speaker 7: damage to possible, take this moment to dissolve. If we 639 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:53,160 Speaker 7: meant it, if we talked, we felt around for far, 640 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:58,680 Speaker 7: tooting from things that accidentally talk. 641 00:42:03,080 --> 00:42:06,000 Speaker 1: Heavyweight is hosted and produced by me Jonathan Goldstein, along 642 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,919 Speaker 1: with Khalila Holt, Peter Bresnan, and Stevie Lane. The show 643 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:12,440 Speaker 1: is edited by Jorgeus, with additional editing by Alex Bloomberg. 644 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:16,640 Speaker 1: Special thanks to Emily Condon, Devin Taylor, Anica Pillsbury and 645 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:19,880 Speaker 1: jud jud Ju Ju Ju jud Ju Ju. Jackie Cohen. 646 00:42:20,800 --> 00:42:23,680 Speaker 1: Bobby Lord mixed the episode with music by Christine Fellows, 647 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:28,600 Speaker 1: John K. Sampson, Blue Dot Sessions, and Bobby Lord he himself. 648 00:42:28,880 --> 00:42:31,959 Speaker 1: Additional music credits can be found on our website gimltmedia 649 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,800 Speaker 1: dot com. Slash Heavyweight our theme song is by The 650 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:38,000 Speaker 1: Weaker Thans courtesy of Epitaph Records, and our ad music 651 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:41,080 Speaker 1: is by Hailey Shaw. Follow us on Twitter at Heavyweight 652 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:44,480 Speaker 1: or email us at Heavyweight at gimltmedia dot com. We'll 653 00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:46,440 Speaker 1: have a new episode next week