I knew the choices I was making was wrong and I did it anyway... and I am sorry. I am sorry that I did it, and I am sorry for the way I've been acting, and I am sorry for everything that everyone has gone through because of me. And it kills me to know that sorry doesn't make a difference, and that it doesn't undo what I did, and it doesn't make my family like me again.
EricHold on...
Look I know you love me. But how could you like me? I don't even like myself, and I don't know what to do to make things better.
Eric
Well, we'll just have to wait and see what happens, and then deal with it.
I know I blew it, but up until now, I've been a pretty good kid. Now it's gone. It's all gone. Who knew that one mistake could ruin your whole life?
Your dad and I.....when you're an adult, you know that one mistake can ruin your life. Your life's not ruined. It's going to be radically different, but only you can decide if that's going to be a good different or bad different.
Eric
Hey, do you wanna tell me anything?
Eric
Sometimes when someone leaves out information that absence could be considered a lie by omission.
Eric
I thought we agreed that you couldn't see anyone while you were on restriction.
I'm not seeing anyone. But in the interest of not lying by omission there's a guy who's also doing community service that I talk to. But he is just a guy. And doing community service together can hardly be considered seeing anyone. And, besides, why does punishment always have to be a bad thing?
Eric
Well... because it's punishment. Does this guy have a name?
Yes, he has a wonderful name. Robbie Palmer. Now I have to go or I'll be late.
Eric
We know.
Eric
We think your community service shouldn't be anything but community service.
It's not something you're doing for yourself, it's something you're doing for the community as a payback. When the first phase of your service is complete and if you get a satisfactory review, then we'll see about Robbie coming over so we can get to know him better and you can get to know him better.
Then I guess I'm really grateful.
Shana didn't call yesterday. That's the first time that happened.
Eric
I didn't know any of this.
Maybe Matt just doesn't want to tell you that stuff.
Eric
Why would that be?
I don't know. Sometimes kids just don't want their parents to know stuff. They have their reasons.
Eric
Like you having your reasons for not wanting to tell us what your science experiment is?
Are you sure it was Lucy?
Eric
Oh, it was Lucy all right. They were just making out right there on the street. They don't even know each other. She just met him. Frankly, this is not the kind of behavior I'd expect from a National Merit Finalist. I can only guess where the other two were.
They were probably watching the movie. Why is that so hard to believe?
Eric
If the younger brother has the nerve to make out with Lucy right on a public street, then it scares me to think of the brother who was arrested is capable of.
You're out of your mind, you know that?
Eric
Maybe, but it doesn't make me wrong about this.
We've got to hope that we raised our daughters well enough that they're doing anything more than kissing. But I think we have to expect the kissing.
Eric
And you're happy about this, aren't you?
I'm not thrilled. But I'm not going to drive myself crazy. They've got make their own decisions. We can't make the decisions for them.
We figured if we told you that we were buying cigarettes, you wouldn't let us buy anymore, and our project would be ruined.
Eric
If you knew we wouldn't approve, maybe it wasn't the best project to do.
NNigel
Well, we did show how easy it was for kids to buy cigarettes.
Eric
What were you planning to do if you got caught buying the cigarettes?
NNigel
The person selling the cigarettes gets in trouble, not us.
Eric
You guys didn't do your research. It's a $75 fine and 30 hours of community service for minors caught by buying cigarettes. Besides that, you're saying that you were willing to let the guy who sold you the cigarettes get into legal trouble, just so you could get a good grade on you social studies project?
But those people are killing us by selling us cigarettes. Not us, technically, but kids who smoke.
It's a very interesting project, but it's also a project that could've have some serious consequences for other people, as well as you two. And who wants to tell of how actually smoking the cigarettes you bought fit in.
We were expanding the project, you know, going from the thrill of buying the illegal project to the thrill of smoking it. Plus, when you make something so bad, it makes it irresistible, too.
NNigel
Yeah. It's like when we had the cigarettes, we couldn't help ourselves. We had to smoke.
Even knowing all we know about smoking and how bad it is. Sorry.
I'm afraid you're going to have to throw out your project and start over.
Eric
What do you think?
Well, it turns out there was no mistake. Miss Riddle has been calling Ruthie stupid.
Eric
What?
Yeah, and when I confronted her about it, she acted like it was nothing.
Eric
Unbelievable.
She called me stupid, too.
Eric
[about Bobby] Do you know him?
I know of him. He's new at school. He's not very popular.
Eric
Why is that?
Everyone thinks he's weird.
Eric
Because of his outbursts, like the one in church today?
The jocks really make fun of him, especially Brian, the captain of the football team. He calls him Spazz Man. (Eric gives him a look) Well, I don't call him that!
Eric
Do you remember when I told you that all is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing?
Yes. [pauses] Let me guess. I'm the good man doing nothing.
Eric
Good and smart.
Eric
Bill!
BBill
Look, you don't understand, okay? Nobody understands!
Eric
I'm trying to...
BBill
Please just leave me alone! Please!
Eric
I want to understand. Your wife wants to understand. Hey, I'm here, but you have to open up to somebody. You have a lot of pain and anger. You can't keep it bottled up inside, or else you'll explode.
BBill
When I was growing up, I had a cousin with Tourettes. We didn't know it at the time, but later, we found out that was what he had. He had these horrible facial tics. I teased him all the time. I was really just mean. I tortured him relentlessly.
Eric
I'm not quite sure I follow.
BBill
I just can't stand to think there's some kid out there doing that to Bobby. Torturing him, making his life a nightmare, the way I did to my cousin. I mean, every time I look at him....it just reminds me of how badly I've acted in the past. Look, I did the research. Tourettes is hereditary, so basically, Bobby is the way he is because of me! You know, ADD I could deal with, but this, you know...I just don't think I can bear it.
Eric
A young woman came into my office, and she just...appeared quietly at my door, and then...she couldn't bring herself to tell me why she was there. And it's just driving me crazy because I know she needs help. You know, maybe she was abused, maybe somebody hit her. Maybe she's a runaway. Maybe she's pregnant or---maybe she has one of 1,000 other problems, but I don't know. If she doesn't come back I'll never know. She just seemed so fragile. I didn't want to push her for a conversation because if I had she just would've run off. As it was, she disappeared, like, in the blink of an eye. I think I've seen her someplace, you know, but I can't...place her.
Does she go to school with Mary and Lucy?
Eric
She could. She's the right age. I don't think I recognize her.
Well, you could scan the yearbook...oh, but then you already have!
7th Heaven · 700 quotes
