Tao Lin: Richard Yates

“About what? Is someone going to tell me? No?”

“Can we have some privacy please?” said Dakota Fanning.

“Listen,” said Dakota Fanning’s mother. “If I had known it was going to be like this I would have made different arrangements. Come down right now and talk to your relatives. This is extremely rude. Your uncle Kenny set up a really nice buffet for everyone, there’s a really nice potato salad he and Carol made themselves, come down and get some food and mingle. Right now. Immediately. I’m not going to say it again.” She went downstairs. Haley Joel Osment and Dakota Fanning went downstairs. An aunt gave Dakota Fanning a cucumber from the refrigerator. Haley Joel Osment put pasta, lettuce, potatoes, cauliflower on a paper plate and they sat on a sofa in the living room where about twelve people were on sofas or folding chairs watching TV and about six people were standing against a wall playing “Simon Says.” After about fifteen minutes a 13-year-old girl over six feet and about 200 pounds who had been quiet with a depressed facial expression won and shouted “Victory” more than once with her arms above her head while sometimes jumping. Haley Joel Osment and Dakota Fanning looked at each other with excited facial expressions. “Victory,” said Dakota Fanning. “She said victory,” said Haley Joel Osment and touched Dakota Fanning’s leg and they grinned or smiled the next few minutes while sometimes saying “that was good” or “she jumped.” They finished eating and went to a small fenced-off room and sat on a two-seat sofa. They were alone except for a small dog which they played with for about thirty minutes. Haley Joel Osment pointed at a cut on Dakota Fanning’s arm and asked what it was.

“It’s from the night we went to New York City.”

“How did you get it?” said Haley Joel Osment.

“The night we went to New York City.”

“How?” said Haley Joel Osment.

Dakota Fanning stared ahead for about ten seconds.

“A steak knife,” she said in a loud monotone.

“Did you write about it?” said Haley Joel Osment.

“No. I’ve been writing about other things. I thought it was insignificant. There’s also one on my neck.” Haley Joel Osment asked how she got one on her neck. She said when he was upstairs using the computer she opened the drawer and looked at the different knives and chose the steak knife and held it to her neck. “Then I think I cried and just cut my arm,” she said. “I put the knife back and closed the drawer and brought you the vegan burger and tomato bowl. It was stupid.”

“When you said you wouldn’t cut yourself anymore did you mean you wouldn’t cut yourself hard?”

“No,” said Dakota Fanning in a bored voice.

Haley Joel Osment stood and left the room. He went in the bathroom. He left the bathroom. He stood in the living room staring at the TV. People were playing soccer. People were holding digital cameras. Dakota Fanning hugged him from behind. He touched her arms a little. He held her arms to his body. “Are you hungry?” he said in a strange voice without thinking.

“Yes,” said Dakota Fanning. “I think we’re leaving soon. I’ll eat something healthy at home.”

“Luna Bar,” said Haley Joel Osment.

“It’s okay. I’ll just have a smoothie when we get home.”

Haley Joel Osment said she should eat more times throughout the day and whenever hungry to prevent urges to binge-eat. He walked away and opened the refrigerator and closed the refrigerator. Dakota Fanning took a “Peanut Butter Cookie” Luna Bar from her bag and stood eating it. They looked at each other from across the kitchen with neutral facial expressions for about five seconds. An aunt came in the kitchen and said something. Dakota Fanning and Haley Joel Osment went outside, walked over the yard in the dark, went in the backseat of the car. Dakota Fanning’s parents were in the car. Haley Joel Osment took his Moleskine notebook from his pocket and wrote “mail checks to HSBC.” He wrote “email Thaddeus.” He wrote “50 push-ups.” He put the notebook in his pocket and stared ahead. Dakota Fanning held his hand. He moved his hands under his thighs and closed his eyes. After a few minutes he opened his eyes and saw Dakota Fanning’s cell phone lit on her lap. He reached toward the cell phone and asked what she was doing. “I’m using the light to write in my notebook,” she said in a panicked voice. “I can’t write and hold your hand at the same time. Do you want me to hold your hand instead?” Haley Joel Osment did not respond. About five minutes later the car stopped at an intersection where a right turn would go to Dakota Fanning’s house. Dakota Fanning’s mother turned left. Haley Joel Osment closed his eyes and felt himself trying to close his eyes again. “Two ways to be better,” he thought quickly. “I can accept. Complain. I can feel bad. Or the other thing. Or the other thing.” He opened his eyes and saw Wal-Mart, that it was raining, that Dakota Fanning wasn’t writing in her notebook and closed his eyes. The car turned onto the gravel parking lot. Dakota Fanning looked at Haley Joel Osment’s face and said “Thank you for coming.” Haley Joel Osment said “Thank you for inviting me to spend Thanksgiving with your family” to her mother. “You’re welcome,” said Dakota Fanning’s mother. “Happy Thanksgiving.” Haley Joel Osment looked at Dakota Fanning’s father staring ahead at the windshield or the forest. “Bye,” said Dakota Fanning.

Haley Joel Osment looked in her direction without focusing on her face. He touched her shoulder a little and left the car. He jumped over a puddle and went in the restaurant.

Author photo by Noah Kalina

TAO LIN is the author of the novel Eeeee Eee Eeee , the novella Shoplifting from American Apparel , the story collection Bed , and the poetry collections Cognitive — Behavioral Therapy and you are a little bit happier than i am . Translations of his books have been published around the world, including in France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Norway, Serbia, South Korea, China, and Taiwan. He lives in Brooklyn.