Empathy No. 068
CARLIE: Hey. Brooke went off to do whatever it is she does up there, so we have some time to just hang out.
RODERICK: Oh, uh...okay.
CARLIE: You have all the tapes I made for you. You liking this stuff?
RODERICK: Yeah, uh...most of it's great.
CARLIE: You're uncomfortable. Is it because we're in your bedroom? I told you I wasn't going to try again. We can go out there-
RODERICK: No, it's fine.
CARLIE: Good, because it's private here and I wanted to talk to you. It's just that you've been really distant ever since we had sex.
RODERICK: I haven't been trying to...it's a difficult situation back here, and, uh...
CARLIE: God, you are so bashful about this. Roderick, you didn't do anything wrong.
RODERICK: I know that.
CARLIE: I was thinking maybe there was something wrong with me.
RODERICK: No! It's just...Allison started acting really strange-
CARLIE: Yeah, and I am still very, very sorry that I told her. I was not trying to cause any trouble for you.
RODERICK: It's fine, nothing bad happened.
CARLIE: Exactly, nothing bad happened, Roderick. Okay, straight up - do you know why I decided to have sex with you?
RODERICK: I don't...you thought I was good-looking?
CARLIE: I mean, that's part of it, but I know a lot of good-looking guys and I wouldn't touch 'em. It was the day before, when we were together-
RODERICK: I got up and left and didn't say anything!
CARLIE: Not that, what you did after. When we were chatting? You were honest with me. You know, it's not just you. A lot of girls, they're out with their dates and the guy panics because he doesn't know what to do, I guess. Look, I have guys who come up to me like they think I'm just gonna drop to my knees right there, and if I even just take a step towards them they run off. You know what they do then?
RODERICK: They lie.
CARLIE: Yeah! They go off to their idiot friends and they're like, "Oh, she did this to me, I did that to her." Happens to a lot of my friends, too. But not you. You didn't tell anyone and you were honest with me. You know, that you hadn't really been with a girl before, and I caught you off guard. And that's when I knew I could trust you, that you had respect. That's important.
RODERICK: I guess I just don't care what the other boys think.
CARLIE: Well, the funny part is that you're about the only one who hasn't said he's had sex with me.
RODERICK: They just say that because they all want you.
CARLIE: Yeah, that's not the reason.
RODERICK: It is. I'm the one who's seen you, ah...
CARLIE: Seen me naked? You can say it, it's fine, it's just us!
RODERICK: I don't know...
CARLIE: This really does makes you uncomfortable! Hold on, it just hit me...your Mom only has sisters, right? And I remember you told me about some of your old friends - girl's names, right?
RODERICK: Most of my childhood friends were girls, yes.
CARLIE: All right, so maybe it comes from being raised around women, you act different. I was raised around a lot of men, maybe that's why I'm like this.
RODERICK: I don't know about any of that. Hold on...
CARLIE: What's this?
RODERICK: I just wanted to sit next to you.
CARLIE: On the bed? You're fine with that?
RODERICK: I can trust you, too.
CARLIE: You know, this feels a lot like that day on the couch. What were you thinking when I cuddled up with you?
RODERICK: Well...your face was so close, I thought maybe you wanted me to kiss you.
CARLIE: And?
RODERICK: I couldn't imagine you wanted that from someone like me.
CARLIE: Well, I did. Look, Roderick...I really liked having sex with you, and I want to do it more, but I understand where you're coming from. You were raised by a single mother, you don't want to make me into a single mother, I get it. And I'm sure you have your own pressure, because you wake up every day to...the trophies, and the kids at school, everyone trying to get you to be in some club or whatever. People telling you you're special. I like being with you, you make me happy, and I'm not going to do anything to drive you away. Okay?
RODERICK: You know what? Meeting you was the luckiest thing that happened to me in a long time.
CARLIE: Roderick, that's...oh...you said we couldn't do this anymore.
RODERICK: I know.
CARLIE: Oh, Roderick...