Short Term 12 Quotes
A 20-something supervising staff member of a residential treatment facility navigates the troubled waters of that world alongside her co-worker and longtime boyfriend.
Grace: Mason, you have no idea what I'm going through right now.
Mason: Then tell me. That's how this works. You talk to me about it so that I can take your hand and fucking walk through this shit with you. That is what I signed up for, Okay? But I cannot do that if you won't let me in.
Grace: I can't. I'm sorry.
Mason: Then tell me. That's how this works. You talk to me about it so that I can take your hand and fucking walk through this shit with you. That is what I signed up for, Okay? But I cannot do that if you won't let me in.
Grace: I can't. I'm sorry.
Mason: So, 3 years ago, right, we have this girl here named Liza Green. She's 17,older than everybody else on the unit at the time, and I don't mean this in a pervy way or anything, but she's real pretty.
Grace: She was gorgeous.
Mason: All the guys on the unit want her but she won't give any of them the time of day because she was busy. She was always studying.
Grace: She was very smart. Mmm-hmm.
Mason: Really smart. So, two weeks before she turns 18 and leaves, we get this new intake. It's a 15 year old guy. He's really tough. He's really quiet. But, he's cool. He's just kind of like kicking back, checking out the scene. And I swear I didn't hear him say a word, the whole first week he was here. But, then one day, we were doing community meeting and we ask for announcements. And this guy raises his hand, and he looks directly at Liza Green, then he says, I know you don't know me. I just got here. But I just want to say that I've been watching you. I think you're the most interesting thing about this place, and I'm really sad I'm not going to get to know you before you leave.
[Jessica gets surprised]
Mason: I just wanted to tell you that.
Nate: What a pimp! What'd she say?
Mason: Nothin.
[Everybody laughs]
Grace: It was so awkward.
Mason: It was so fuckin awkward I couldn't stand it. And then she left and never talked to him. The kids teased him for like a year about it.
Nate: Oh, that blows.
Mason: No, he didn't give a shit. No, didn't even faze him. It was like, he knew somethin everybody else didn't.
Nate: Who is this guy?
Mason: That was Marcus.
Jessica: What? I never heard this story.
Grace: Oh, wait. It gets so much better.
Mason: Yeah, yeah. So, check this out. Grace and I are getting coffee at Ronnie's this morning. And we walk in, and who do we see sittin there alone at a table? Marcus! Buttoned-up his shirt. He's sippin on a cappuccino.
Nate: Marcus drinks cappuccino!
Mason: So, we're talking to him. We're catchin up. And he's telling us about his new job at the aquarium and his much he tales home in tips. And now, he's going to start applying for classes next semester.
Jessica: Oh my god!
Mason: Yeah. And it's weird 'coz I'm like, I have not heard Marcus talk this much ever, since I met him, like, what is the deal? Is he excited to see us? Is he nervous about somethin? And that's when I notice, there's another cappuccino on the table and an empty chair next to him. And then just like in the fuckin movies, bathroom door flings open, out walks Liza Green.
Nate: They were on a date?
Grace: It was like their fifth one.
Mason: As soon as she sits down, dude just goes beet red. So embarrassed.
Grace: Oh... oh, it was so cute.
Mason: Oh, it was so fucking cute, I almost pissed my pants.
Grace: She was gorgeous.
Mason: All the guys on the unit want her but she won't give any of them the time of day because she was busy. She was always studying.
Grace: She was very smart. Mmm-hmm.
Mason: Really smart. So, two weeks before she turns 18 and leaves, we get this new intake. It's a 15 year old guy. He's really tough. He's really quiet. But, he's cool. He's just kind of like kicking back, checking out the scene. And I swear I didn't hear him say a word, the whole first week he was here. But, then one day, we were doing community meeting and we ask for announcements. And this guy raises his hand, and he looks directly at Liza Green, then he says, I know you don't know me. I just got here. But I just want to say that I've been watching you. I think you're the most interesting thing about this place, and I'm really sad I'm not going to get to know you before you leave.
[Jessica gets surprised]
Mason: I just wanted to tell you that.
Nate: What a pimp! What'd she say?
Mason: Nothin.
[Everybody laughs]
Grace: It was so awkward.
Mason: It was so fuckin awkward I couldn't stand it. And then she left and never talked to him. The kids teased him for like a year about it.
Nate: Oh, that blows.
Mason: No, he didn't give a shit. No, didn't even faze him. It was like, he knew somethin everybody else didn't.
Nate: Who is this guy?
Mason: That was Marcus.
Jessica: What? I never heard this story.
Grace: Oh, wait. It gets so much better.
Mason: Yeah, yeah. So, check this out. Grace and I are getting coffee at Ronnie's this morning. And we walk in, and who do we see sittin there alone at a table? Marcus! Buttoned-up his shirt. He's sippin on a cappuccino.
Nate: Marcus drinks cappuccino!
Mason: So, we're talking to him. We're catchin up. And he's telling us about his new job at the aquarium and his much he tales home in tips. And now, he's going to start applying for classes next semester.
Jessica: Oh my god!
Mason: Yeah. And it's weird 'coz I'm like, I have not heard Marcus talk this much ever, since I met him, like, what is the deal? Is he excited to see us? Is he nervous about somethin? And that's when I notice, there's another cappuccino on the table and an empty chair next to him. And then just like in the fuckin movies, bathroom door flings open, out walks Liza Green.
Nate: They were on a date?
Grace: It was like their fifth one.
Mason: As soon as she sits down, dude just goes beet red. So embarrassed.
Grace: Oh... oh, it was so cute.
Mason: Oh, it was so fucking cute, I almost pissed my pants.
Mason: Grace. Where are you going?
Grace: I can't do that.
Mason: Ok. Let's go. Let's go. I'll drive us home.
Grace: I don't wanna go home. It's not what I'm talking about.
Mason: I know it's been a really fucked up day, okay?
Grace: Mason, you have no idea what I'm going through right now.
Mason: Then tell me. That's how this works. You talk to me about it so that I can take your hand and fucking walk through this shit with you. That is what I signed up for, okay? But I cannot do that if you won't let me in.
Grace: I can't. I'm sorry.
Mason: You're sorry? Grace, are you serious? I've been waiting for you for a really long time and I wouldn't take a second of it back because I love you so goddamn much, okay? But I've been waiting for three years to as why is that you don't trust me. I've been waiting for three years for you to, just once, take the advice you give your kids every fucking five minutes and learn to talk about what's going on inside your head. You can't do that for me? Whatever it is, okay, just talk to me.
Grace: I can't do this. I can't. I can't marry you. I can't have your baby. I can't any of that. I can't do it.
Mason: So what do you wanna do? Huh? You wanna get an abortion?
Grace: I already made the appointment.
Mason: Do whatever you want, okay? Cause I'm done.
Grace: I can't do that.
Mason: Ok. Let's go. Let's go. I'll drive us home.
Grace: I don't wanna go home. It's not what I'm talking about.
Mason: I know it's been a really fucked up day, okay?
Grace: Mason, you have no idea what I'm going through right now.
Mason: Then tell me. That's how this works. You talk to me about it so that I can take your hand and fucking walk through this shit with you. That is what I signed up for, okay? But I cannot do that if you won't let me in.
Grace: I can't. I'm sorry.
Mason: You're sorry? Grace, are you serious? I've been waiting for you for a really long time and I wouldn't take a second of it back because I love you so goddamn much, okay? But I've been waiting for three years to as why is that you don't trust me. I've been waiting for three years for you to, just once, take the advice you give your kids every fucking five minutes and learn to talk about what's going on inside your head. You can't do that for me? Whatever it is, okay, just talk to me.
Grace: I can't do this. I can't. I can't marry you. I can't have your baby. I can't any of that. I can't do it.
Mason: So what do you wanna do? Huh? You wanna get an abortion?
Grace: I already made the appointment.
Mason: Do whatever you want, okay? Cause I'm done.
