Suppertime at Susan's. The table is set nicely, linen table cloth, good china, with basket of buns, wine glasses. There appears to be food on the counter ready to be served. Susan gets a text message on her Blackberry. It's Max saying he's not coming for supper.
Susan is crushed, angry and finally, resolved. She clears the table, throws out the bread, leaves the food uneaten.
She gets her laptop, puts it on the table and sends M. a message.
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Susan: You've stood me up for supper for the last time. You'll have to get some new friends because I'm not one of yours anymore. You cannot treat me with disrespect and disdain and expect me to keep on letting you in the door. Time to break the cycle. This may be your life, pissing off people and then crawling back to ingratiate yourself but it's not mine. You have no decency, no self-respect, otherwise, you would keep your word. You don't seem to have learned anything in 40-some years. Too bad. You used to have a lot going for you.
Max: Why don't you see it's you who made me this way. You have to take responsibility for the shitty things you say to me and the way you treat me. I don't want to cook or eat with you because of the way you act. How many times have I told you that I find the things you say and do around me inappropriate. This is not the first time I've told you this this week, month, year. So don't try to blame me.
S: Here's what you're doing. You are trying to feel alive when inside, you're dead. You spark controversy and ill-will because of the reaction it creates in others who lash back at you. This arouses your emotions, such as they are, and you feel like you're engaged. But all you've really done is piss people off and make them withdraw from you. I suspect that this has been the story of your life since childhood. And this is why you can't hold on to anyone.
M: That's a good one. You sound like a retarded egghead. Project much? Retard.
S: Max, I am not going to be a charm on the chain link bracelet of your life. When are you going to grow up? You alienate people and make them hate you. Then you wait a couple weeks or months and call them back, hoping that they'll have forgot about what you did. And, initially, they do. They are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. But along the way, it becomes too much. Doubt consolidates to knowledge and people start avoiding you. They block your emails, they block your phone calls, ya, they unfriend you. They want to forget that they ever met you, ever tried to know you.
M: See what you are doing? Even in your emails you're abusive and aggressive. You are truly retarded if you don't see how you are acting. You are not the victim here.
S: Really.
M: Yes. You're aggressive, fat, stupid, broken, and ugly inside but I don't take the time to remind you of these facts. No. I prefer to accept this and try to help you to change. Mostly, I feel sorry for you - and while you have helped me somewhat, the abuse you dish out for helping me is unacceptable. So check yourself, moron.
S: Ya, why do you keep on coming back.
M: At times you are wonderful but mostly, you are broken.
See you next week.
