RMrs. Reese
I'm sorry, Lucy. I didn't know if you'd remember to come back again today.
No, I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd start on my lunch again today.
RMrs. Reese
You should have. It's called a "given". You see, this situation isn't all that different from a geometry proof. Why Mrs. Reese eats my lunch...your lunch is something to be eaten. That's the definition of lunch. Your lunch is in here to be eaten because you leave it in here. That is a "given". I don't want it to sit and rot, etc. That is also a "given". So what conclusion can we draw from this?
That is my lunch is left in here, you're going to eat it unless I get back here before you do?
RMrs. Reese
Exactly right. Which route did you take to get back here?
RMrs. Reese
Okay, "G" that's our geometry room. And "F" that's you...famished. If you draw an imaginary line from here to here.
RMrs. Reese
And how could you have gotten to "G" quicker?
By going from here to here?
RMrs. Reese
Yep. You bisect the angle to the midpoint on the hypotenuse.
So, can I have whatever's left of my lunch? [there's nothing left]
RMrs. Reese
I had a light, light breakfast.
Okay, I just came down to say I'm sorry.
For skipping class, or getting caught, or causing me to come and get you in the principal's office so that your teacher can tell me that for some reason my 16-year-old daughter can't seem to find her way to class?
Yes. Mom, Mrs. McKee just reads aloud every day and it's boring. Besides, I can read the book by myself.
Well, some of it, but I can't get into it. And besides, like I said, Mrs. McKee reads the thing aloud in class every day.
Yes, but you'd have to actually be in class to hear it and benefit from it. You see where I'm going with this?
See, if my kid can't "get" anything, not even the tiniest little morsel, from a classic novel about societal mores, shame, scorn and ostracism, then I look to my kid. Not the teacher, not Nathaniel Hawthorne, but my kid. Of course, now that I know my kid has read and/or heard very few of those actual words, I feel better. Or a different kind of worse, I'm not sure.
You know the person guts I hate? Bobby Tripp. I hate the guts inside his guts, and the guts inside those guts!
Our little neighbor? Why do you hate him?
Because he saw my underwear on the swing and he won't shut up and say he's sorry!
Well, if you think about it, there's really no way he could shut up and say he's sorry.
Don't make me crawl over that seat and sock you!
Hey, how was school today?
Fine until Bobby Tripp saw my underwear while I was on the swings and now he won't shut up about it.
Why weren't you wearing the shorts that I made to match that outfit?
Because I was in a hurry this morning. And besides, why should I have to wear shorts because boys can't shut up about underwear? Why should all the girls at school have to suffer because the boys are losers? What's wrong with this world?
Can I get back to you on that?
Take your time. I'm not going anywhere.
Once the twins are here, our lives will never be the same. They're gonna need lots of attention and quiet, and once they're here, they're here. Forever.
What if we don't like them?
Well, having a baby is kind of like rolling the dice in Vegas. Sometimes the odds are really good, and you win big.
And sometimes, you crap out.
Annie [to Ruthie]: Are you okay? What happened?
And what exactly were you playing?
That I got shot, just like in the video game called "Bah Boom." Ricky had it at school, and it's really cool. You hold it in your hand, and a soldier walks around in the :jungle and tries not to step on any land mines or get shot by the bad guys.
Honey, do you know that there are real children who step on real land mines and lose arms and legs, and some even die?
No, but this isn't for real. It's just a game, a video game. Can I have one?
No, you cannot have one. I don't like those games. We'll find something else for you to play with, okay?
[When Simon is on the phone with Deena]
DDeena
Johnny, my old boyfriend, broke up with his girlfriend. Actually, the girlfriend broke up with him.
So you're breaking up with me?
DDeena
No, I'm not breaking up with you. That's the problem.
Good, I don't think I can go through another breakup so early in the school year. Wait, then what is the problem?
DDeena
Johnny. He's gonna come after you. I just know he will. He's like that.
When you say "come after me," exactly what do you mean by that?
Oh, hey, little buddy, am I in your way?
It's not buddy. it's Simon Camden. Are you Johnny?
So you've heard of me. That's good. Have you heard that this is my girlfriend, Deena?
I believe that's "was" your girlfriend. Deena was your girlfriend. She's my girlfriend now.
We'll see about that, buddy. I'll see you later.
DDeena
See what a jerk he is?
Don't worry, I can take care of him. Piece of cake.
Simon [to Johnny] Deena doesn't wanna talk to you.
Look, Mighty Mouse, stay out of this or I'll take you out of this.
[makes a gun gesture with his fingers] Get it?
Yeah, just when you least suspect it, you're gonna turn around and find a .38 special pointed right at you. [chuckles] Yeah, I just might do that. You're gonna have to look over your shoulder everywhere you go.
Eric [to Simon]: Are you in some kind of trouble?
I'm not sure about that, either. See, the thing is, he's probably just trying to scare me, but Deena's old boyfriend... he said he was gonna shoot me.
Eric [to Vice Principal Blackstone] Yeah, but you have to do something. He threatened to shoot my son.
VPVice Principal Blackstone
I have to follow procedure. I have to call in the parents, have a meeting with them, send the kid to a counselor. They have to recommend that he see a therapist or I have to risk losing my tenure and retirement. And that may not sound like much, but I have a family too.
But what about tomorrow? What if he comes to school with a gun tomorrow?
VPVice Principal Blackstone
I agree that Simon and Deena should stay home from school until I get some answers.
Well, thanks for your help.
VPVice Principal Blackstone
Martin, I had your son's locker opened this morning.
VPVice Principal Blackstone
I had reason to believe he might have a weapon.
MMr. Morton
And did he? No.
VPVice Principal Blackstone
His locker looks like an altar to violence. There are pictures of people torturing animals. A stack of gun ads. CDs of an extremely sexual and violent nature. Comic books along the same themes. My guess is, his room looks the same way.
MMr. Morton
So what if it does? He's a teenage boy.
He's a teenage boy who pointed his finger at my son's head and mentioned the exact gun he would use on him. [to Vice Principal Blackstone] I'm sorry. You asked me to let you handle this. [to Mr. Morton] And I can't help but notice that he threatened my son with the exact same gun that you own.
MMr. Morton
I have a license for that gun.
I don't care if you have a license for that gun. Licensed or unlicensed, your son has access to it, and I... you seem to be in complete denial of any possibility that something could go terribly wrong here.
MMr. Morton
I know my son, okay? My son would never shoot anyone.
At the very least, until this situation is resolved, you might wanna take the gun out of the house.
MMr. Morton
The gun is for our protection.
Did you know that people who keep a gun at home for self-protection are 43 times more likely to kill themselves, a family member or an acquaintance than to be killed by an armed intruder?
MMr. Morton
Do you know that guns don't kill people? People kill people.
People with guns kill people!
VPVice Principal Blackstone
Gentlemen...
No, is it too much to ask this man to admit that his son has a problem and take some action?
MMr. Morton
Oh, I'm gonna take action, all right. I'm not gonna be forced to give up my right to bear arms. I'm not gonna have my back pushed against the wall by some lame assistant principal and a minister who's got friends in the police department. What I am gonna do is call the school board and the chief of police, because this is harassment. Furthermore, I'm gonna take my son out of this school. I'm gonna put him in a private school where he won't be treated like some common criminal. The public school system has failed my son and failed my family. And if this is what I get for my tax dollars, then forget it! [to Johnny] Come on, son, we're done here.
JJudge
Will the minor please rise? Johnny, I've gone over your record very carefully, as well as the psychological evaluation that was provided to me. And I had to consider that this was not your first offence, that you did admit to stalking the Reverend with an intent to kill him, and to date, you have shown no remorse. Now, this is not to say that I have no hope of your ever changing, because I do. We have successfully rehabilitated young men and women just like yourself, and I intend to follow your case very closely. But today, Johnny, based upon the information gathered, as well as my own conversations with you and your parents, I feel I have no choice but to relinquish you to the State Youth Authority, where you will remain under their care until you're 25 years old, which is the maximum penalty I am allowed to assign a 12-year-old. This concludes this hearing. Court is recessed.
Don't let them take me! Please! Don't let them take me! I wanna go home! I wanna go home!
Mr. Morton [to Eric] I was... I was wrong. And I just wanna apologise for what happened and for not listening to you when you told me my son was in trouble. If I had, this wouldn't have happened. I just thank God he didn't kill anyone.
