Character Interview with Alex
Describe how you look.
Alex: Brown hair, sorta long. Green eyes. Lots of scars, but those are mostly where they don’t show ’cept when I’m not wearing a shirt. Which is never. I got two fingers that are crooked and don’t bend right cuz my old man slammed the hood of his truck on ’em when I didn’t fix it fast enough.
How do you think your friends and family see you?
Alex: Cole would say I’m smart and brave and kind, but he’s a dreamer. He don’t know the real me, the one who steals metal and snagged the license sticker off someone else’s motorcycle then stuck it on mine.
How would a stranger describe you?
Alex: Stupid. White trash. Dangerous.
What is your biggest fear? Who have you told this to?
Alex: My old man—he’s crazy. I don’t tell nobody ’cause if I do, someone’s gonna get hurt. I was always afraid if I told Cole, it’d be him, and if I told anyone else, it’d be Momma. Now that Cole’s dead, I’m scared his ghost’ll get stuck here. I don’t want him to be gone for good, but I want him to be happy, you know?
Do you have a secret?
Alex: Yeah, where I live and what my last name is. I ain’t even gonna tell you.
Sounds like you’ve had to deal with a lot of violence from your dad. How has that affected how you feel about discipline?
Alex: Putting out cigarettes on your kids is a lousy way to teach ‘em stuff. But I gotta say, it sure keeps ’em from doing bad things again.
Who depends on you? Why?
Alex: Momma. Her back’s messed up and my old man will steal her check or her pain pills if I don’t hide ’em. She ain’t got no way to get out of the house, ’cept the bus that takes her to her doctor appointments. I gotta buy her groceries and all that. I gotta make sure the old man don’t hurt her.
How would you spend a typical day?
Alex: Back before Cole died, I’d go to school ’cause he wanted me to, even though it was a waste. Then I’d work on his car as much as I could. I’d spend the rest of my time at my job at Ivan’s shop. And maybe I’d deposit Momma’s disability check and buy her some groceries and yarn.
If you could be a bird or animal what kind would you be?
Alex: A hawk or an eagle. Something badass that don’t have to worry about other birds eating it.
What makes you happy? When and where were you the happiest?
Alex: I was happiest working on stuff at Cole’s place. His race car, my bike, even that waterfall he had out back. But that ain’t ever gonna happen again.
What are your talents and skills?
Alex: Working on machines. That’s about it.
Does your talent have a down side?
Alex: Other than people always asking me to fix stuff? Nah, I don’t think so.
Describe your bedroom.
Alex: I got a mattress on the floor, an old broken dresser with the paint chipping off, boxes of parts and broken machines I’m gonna fix. My room’s got one window and the walls are this dirty white. There’s some holes in them where my old man threw stuff at me and missed. The carpet’s this old nasty gray thing.
Describe your nightstand or dresser. What’s on top of it? In it?
Alex: I ain’t got a nightstand. I don’t put nothing on top of my dresser ’cause I gotta be able to push it in front of the door at night in case the old man comes after me. Inside it’s got the normal stuff. Jeans, shirts, socks, underwear.
What is your favorite food?
Alex: Anything that ain’t spoiled.
What food do you hate?
Alex: I ain’t come across nothing I won’t eat, yet. You get hungry enough, you’ll eat anything.
What do you look for in a friend?
Alex: Can they keep their mouths shut? Can they keep outta my business? Can I trust ’em?
Are you someone who fits in with society or someone who fights it?
Alex: I guess I fit in. I don’t rock the boat with other people. I stay outta trouble at school and work. I don’t get in fights.
What’s the best thing that could happen to you?
Alex: My old man would get hit by a garbage truck or maybe overdose.
Where do you have a scar or birthmark? Describe the circumstances surrounding your scars.
Alex: I got lots of scars. My old man’s the circumstances.
How would you describe your childhood?
Alex: I don’t wanna think about it.
What is the worst thing that could happen to you?
Alex: It already happened. Cole died.
What are some experiences from your childhood that have affected the sort of person you are now?
Alex: All of ’em. That’s a stupid question. What else is gonna make me who I am?
Tell me about the last time you cried.
Alex: The night Cole died. Before that, who knows? It’s been years. Crying don’t fix nothing. It just pisses off my old man.
On what occasions do you lie?
Alex: Any time it’ll save my ass. Only I can’t really lie to Cole. Sometimes I don’t tell him stuff, but I don’t lie to him. Not since those first few days after I met him.
Describe your most embarrassing moment.
Alex: When I was in third grade, Momma was in the hospital for a long time. Then even when she got home, she couldn’t do much, so my clothes were always dirty, and I never took a bath. The kids started teasing me ’cause I stunk so bad.
Do you have any special belief systems?
Alex: Do whatever it takes to stay alive. Don’t hurt nobody innocent.
If you followed politics, what party would best reflect your beliefs?
Alex: Politics don’t make no difference to me.
What kind of TV shows do you watch?
Alex: Stuff that’s funny, like The Simpsons and South Park because it makes me forget for a little while. Programs about machines on Speed Channel and Discovery. I also like them shows where they tell you how they built something real big, like the Hoover Dam. I can’t believe people ever did stuff like that. I wouldn’t mind having that kinda job.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Alex: To be able to read.
What are the things you like least about yourself?
Alex: Being a coward. Being worthless. Not being able to read. Not being worth Cole’s time, but having him stick around anyway.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Alex: That I’m a white trash loser who don’t deserve to have a cool guy like Cole in my life.
If you knew you had exactly one month to live, what would you do?
Alex: Get Momma somewhere safe. I know I’m too much of a chickenshit to do it, but that’d probably mean killing the old man so he couldn’t ever hurt her again.
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Alex: This is a stupid question. If I die, I sure as hell ain’t coming back. I’d just be glad to have it over with.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Alex: I ain’t got no heroes, but if I did, it would be Cole.
Whom do you most wish to please? Why?
Alex: Cole. Because he believes in me.
Alex: Brown hair, sorta long. Green eyes. Lots of scars, but those are mostly where they don’t show ’cept when I’m not wearing a shirt. Which is never. I got two fingers that are crooked and don’t bend right cuz my old man slammed the hood of his truck on ’em when I didn’t fix it fast enough.
How do you think your friends and family see you?
Alex: Cole would say I’m smart and brave and kind, but he’s a dreamer. He don’t know the real me, the one who steals metal and snagged the license sticker off someone else’s motorcycle then stuck it on mine.
How would a stranger describe you?
Alex: Stupid. White trash. Dangerous.
What is your biggest fear? Who have you told this to?
Alex: My old man—he’s crazy. I don’t tell nobody ’cause if I do, someone’s gonna get hurt. I was always afraid if I told Cole, it’d be him, and if I told anyone else, it’d be Momma. Now that Cole’s dead, I’m scared his ghost’ll get stuck here. I don’t want him to be gone for good, but I want him to be happy, you know?
Do you have a secret?
Alex: Yeah, where I live and what my last name is. I ain’t even gonna tell you.
Sounds like you’ve had to deal with a lot of violence from your dad. How has that affected how you feel about discipline?
Alex: Putting out cigarettes on your kids is a lousy way to teach ‘em stuff. But I gotta say, it sure keeps ’em from doing bad things again.
Who depends on you? Why?
Alex: Momma. Her back’s messed up and my old man will steal her check or her pain pills if I don’t hide ’em. She ain’t got no way to get out of the house, ’cept the bus that takes her to her doctor appointments. I gotta buy her groceries and all that. I gotta make sure the old man don’t hurt her.
How would you spend a typical day?
Alex: Back before Cole died, I’d go to school ’cause he wanted me to, even though it was a waste. Then I’d work on his car as much as I could. I’d spend the rest of my time at my job at Ivan’s shop. And maybe I’d deposit Momma’s disability check and buy her some groceries and yarn.
If you could be a bird or animal what kind would you be?
Alex: A hawk or an eagle. Something badass that don’t have to worry about other birds eating it.
What makes you happy? When and where were you the happiest?
Alex: I was happiest working on stuff at Cole’s place. His race car, my bike, even that waterfall he had out back. But that ain’t ever gonna happen again.
What are your talents and skills?
Alex: Working on machines. That’s about it.
Does your talent have a down side?
Alex: Other than people always asking me to fix stuff? Nah, I don’t think so.
Describe your bedroom.
Alex: I got a mattress on the floor, an old broken dresser with the paint chipping off, boxes of parts and broken machines I’m gonna fix. My room’s got one window and the walls are this dirty white. There’s some holes in them where my old man threw stuff at me and missed. The carpet’s this old nasty gray thing.
Describe your nightstand or dresser. What’s on top of it? In it?
Alex: I ain’t got a nightstand. I don’t put nothing on top of my dresser ’cause I gotta be able to push it in front of the door at night in case the old man comes after me. Inside it’s got the normal stuff. Jeans, shirts, socks, underwear.
What is your favorite food?
Alex: Anything that ain’t spoiled.
What food do you hate?
Alex: I ain’t come across nothing I won’t eat, yet. You get hungry enough, you’ll eat anything.
What do you look for in a friend?
Alex: Can they keep their mouths shut? Can they keep outta my business? Can I trust ’em?
Are you someone who fits in with society or someone who fights it?
Alex: I guess I fit in. I don’t rock the boat with other people. I stay outta trouble at school and work. I don’t get in fights.
What’s the best thing that could happen to you?
Alex: My old man would get hit by a garbage truck or maybe overdose.
Where do you have a scar or birthmark? Describe the circumstances surrounding your scars.
Alex: I got lots of scars. My old man’s the circumstances.
How would you describe your childhood?
Alex: I don’t wanna think about it.
What is the worst thing that could happen to you?
Alex: It already happened. Cole died.
What are some experiences from your childhood that have affected the sort of person you are now?
Alex: All of ’em. That’s a stupid question. What else is gonna make me who I am?
Tell me about the last time you cried.
Alex: The night Cole died. Before that, who knows? It’s been years. Crying don’t fix nothing. It just pisses off my old man.
On what occasions do you lie?
Alex: Any time it’ll save my ass. Only I can’t really lie to Cole. Sometimes I don’t tell him stuff, but I don’t lie to him. Not since those first few days after I met him.
Describe your most embarrassing moment.
Alex: When I was in third grade, Momma was in the hospital for a long time. Then even when she got home, she couldn’t do much, so my clothes were always dirty, and I never took a bath. The kids started teasing me ’cause I stunk so bad.
Do you have any special belief systems?
Alex: Do whatever it takes to stay alive. Don’t hurt nobody innocent.
If you followed politics, what party would best reflect your beliefs?
Alex: Politics don’t make no difference to me.
What kind of TV shows do you watch?
Alex: Stuff that’s funny, like The Simpsons and South Park because it makes me forget for a little while. Programs about machines on Speed Channel and Discovery. I also like them shows where they tell you how they built something real big, like the Hoover Dam. I can’t believe people ever did stuff like that. I wouldn’t mind having that kinda job.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Alex: To be able to read.
What are the things you like least about yourself?
Alex: Being a coward. Being worthless. Not being able to read. Not being worth Cole’s time, but having him stick around anyway.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Alex: That I’m a white trash loser who don’t deserve to have a cool guy like Cole in my life.
If you knew you had exactly one month to live, what would you do?
Alex: Get Momma somewhere safe. I know I’m too much of a chickenshit to do it, but that’d probably mean killing the old man so he couldn’t ever hurt her again.
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Alex: This is a stupid question. If I die, I sure as hell ain’t coming back. I’d just be glad to have it over with.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Alex: I ain’t got no heroes, but if I did, it would be Cole.
Whom do you most wish to please? Why?
Alex: Cole. Because he believes in me.
