Party of Five (2020) s01e08 Episode Script

1 Previously on Party of Five Please welcome the organizer of this event, Lucia Acosta.
It's not the biggest fight.
It's not the ultimate fight.
But it's tonight's fight.
And now, please welcome The Natural Disasters.
Didn't feel right.
- What didn't? - The place, th-the song.
Look, you're about to be very, very mad at me, but in my defense You called my dad! Amanda and I dance together.
Do you mind getting a picture of us.
Okay.
Smile.
You too, Amanda.
Does being an Amanda feel safer than being a Valentina? Drop it Ohh! Ohh, yeah! - Amanda! Way to go! - Go, Amanda.
Way to bring it home.
Go, Amanda! Go, Amanda! Go, Amanda! When we get home, you can tell Natalia I'm not speaking to her.
I won't be able to tell her myself because I am not speaking to her.
You can't blame Natalia, Val.
She was worried about you.
I'm worried about you.
Well, you can stop worrying.
- I'm fine! - No.
No, you're not fine, Val, not if you're too afraid to tell people your own name.
That was something I did on the first day, okay? I walked in, I signed up, I looked around, and I didn't see anyone else who looked like me.
And I just thought, what if I used a name that didn't make me stick out? Because the fact that I don't have parents makes me stick out enough.
Val, you do have parents.
Not like those girls do.
Mami and Papi are never gonna show up to see me dance.
And when you have the name Amanda Davis, no one thinks maybe the reason your parents aren't there is because they got thrown out of the country.
Are we driving or what? Uh, one oat milk latte and, uh, six thousand dollars of liquid justice.
All the cash we raised last night.
You didn't have to bring this here, but thank you.
And thank you.
Uh, I wanted to check in about what happened last night.
Ha! It's definitely going to be an evening to remember.
Isn't that stuff you see all the time on the front lines? Punches getting thrown? People yelling insults at each other? I'm not talking about what happened with your brother.
I'm talking about you.
That speech of yours Ah! Oh.
Uh, well, there was a lot there to inspire me No.
Just sit with that for a second.
You really came into your own, Lucia.
And you're going to learn how to take a compliment before I'm done with you.
Uh, so what's next? Another event? No.
After every fundraiser, we have a follow-up dinner to discuss distribution of funds.
Have you ever planned a meal for activists? Vegan.
Gluten free.
Paleo And you're a vegetarian.
Yeah, but that's mostly because of climate change.
Twist my arm and I'll eat a Double Double.
Uh well, if there's any way I can help, uh Maybe you don't know this about me Really, why would you, but I love to cook.
Huh? - Hey.
- Good morning.
So, what happened after my dad hauled me off? Did Emilio get in trouble with the cops? No, it was okay in the end.
Look, I was just I was up all night worried that I'd screwed everything up for you and your family.
Well, if you were so worried, why didn't you text me back last night? Because my dad took my phone away along with everything else: you know, my car, my freedom.
I had to climb out a window to get here.
Sometimes it's it's hard to know where I stand with you.
You can blow hot and cold.
Mad last night, sorry this morning.
Keeps you on your toes, though, yes? It's one way I'm different than my dad.
You know, he decides how he feels about a person and then there's absolutely no changing his mind.
That guy is never gonna like me.
We ruined the first night of his new life, remember? He's never gonna forgive either of us for that.
What about your mom? Do you ever think about living with her? Sure.
Yeah.
I just I, um It's complicated.
She's not very good at taking care of other people.
Well, do you even need that? I don't know.
I'm 16.
Aren't I supposed to need it? Well, nobody's taking care of me and I seem to be doing pretty well.
I must admit, uh, it's a little weird having you here.
Well, you haven't been over to my house in a long time either, so we're even.
So, uh, do I just insist that she be honest with them? No matter what it costs her? Well? Is it really that you don't know what to say to her, Emilio? Or are you asking me to do it for you? Look, I'm just her brother.
Right? I think it'd mean more coming from a priest.
But you've laid down the law in the past.
So why are you having trouble now, do you think? I'm wondering if you feel like you lack the moral authority to make your case.
What do you mean? Some of my parishioners were at the fundraiser last night.
I heard how you walked off the stage Jesus! Oh, I'm sorry.
Sorry.
Look, Padre, I don't know what you heard, but it was just the wrong song.
That's all.
And what would've been a better song? I don't know.
Something that's not about what your hair looks like after sex.
Sorry.
Shit! Oh, sorry! Let me ask you, Emilio.
Do you have those other kinds of songs in your repertoire? Or would you say they're all a variation on the, uh, hair and sex theme? So what if they are? No.
No, no, I mean it, Padre.
What's wrong with that? Your sister does not yet have those, uh alarm bells that go off when who she shows herself to be doesn't match who she truly is.
But you have them, Emilio.
You might not want to listen, but they're sounding.
Is Val upstairs? I'll go have a word with her.
Ooh! Didn't your mother teach you how to cook? Nope.
Never wanted me to learn.
She'd come home after working 12-hour days at a candy factory and make me sit on a stool and read to her from my school books while she cooked my dinner.
She wanted me to have a life where I used my mind, not my hands.
My mother thought it was something every girl should know.
Yeah, well, joke's on me though 'cause now I live alone and I can't feed myself.
I don't know what I'm gonna do when I have kids.
So, you're planning on having kids? Um I mean, yeah.
Eventually.
You? Maybe that's not something you know just quite yet.
Oh, I-I know.
I, I definitely know.
Kids.
Yes.
Absolutely.
Gotta have 'em.
Do you worry about being able to raise a family and focus on your career? God! I hate that question.
Me, too.
It's the worst.
Hey.
Oh.
What's this? Lucia offered to cook for us all.
Oh, fantastic! So we don't have to have Poison Control on hold all night? Hola, querida.
So, I'm just gonna put my stuff down in the bedroom, and then are you gonna make a liquor store run or should I? Mom.
Suffocating here.
Really.
Are you absolutely certain? Do you really mean it? She really means it, Mrs.
Barnett.
Nothing could make me happier.
I mean, mi casa es su casa.
I didn't say that because you're Oh God.
Words just fly out of my mouth sometimes.
Please, Beto, forgive me.
- It's okay.
- This was Beto's idea.
I am so grateful to have you as an ally, Beto.
The only advocates in my life charge me $700 an hour.
Speaking of which, I should call my lawyer.
But I thought custody was fifty-fifty.
Ugh.
It is, but nothing riles Jim up like a person willing to take him on.
Well, you know, right? He doesn't like anyone who's an Alpha.
I, I wouldn't say I'm an Alpha.
Well, you went to his office to meet with him.
Sounds pretty Alpha to me.
Oh! Hi, Jennifer Randle, please.
Thanks.
Wait, you went to see my dad? At his office? I thought if I could get on his good side somehow So, you two talked about me? - Behind my back? - I was trying to make things easier.
We talked about this this morning.
Why didn't you tell me then? - Because - Oh, again, words fly out.
I, I didn't mean to start a fight.
- No - No, we're not, we're not fighting, Mom.
It's, um - It's fine.
- Mm-hmm.
It's in the past.
You are staying the night, young man.
And not in that sad twin in Ella's room.
I'm gonna give you two my bed.
Oh, uh, that's really not necessary, Mrs.
Barnett.
Oh, Margaux, please.
And I insist.
Hello, Jennifer Well, that was $125 worth of Celine Dion.
Well, she loves you, that's for sure.
Kindly explain your selection process.
She is clueless about wine.
I decided I could buy three bottles of $10 wine or 10 bottles of $3 wine.
Bet you anything this stuff tastes like salad dressing.
Can you set the table? I'll be out in 10.
Shall we see? Uh, no, thanks.
So, is everyone who's coming at the fundraiser last night? There'll probably be some new plus ones.
Everyone in this group has pretty much slept with everyone, so Although wait, have I No.
None of my exes are coming tonight.
Well, except Sully.
So, you and she aren't together? - Or you are? - Exactly.
Now this is surprisingly not terrible.
Here.
You gotta try it.
Finish it.
I'll pour a new glass.
So, do you have one of those are-we-or-aren't-we, depends-on-the-day kind of relationships? Ah.
Well, I mean, who doesn't? Hmm.
So you get it.
I mean, we're not poly, but we're definitely not mono.
Pretty much just is what it is.
Ultimately, I believe in not limiting your options.
I mean, I show up with my suitcase, sometimes I stay long enough to unpack it, sometimes I don't.
But at the end of the day, Sully and I both know I'll eventually be unpacking it someplace else.
To freedom.
Freedom.
You ever plan on calling me back? It's just gonna get ugly, dude.
I figure if we don't say what we're thinking, maybe in a few months or years, we'll be able to sit down and have a few beers.
Actually, uh you knew what I was thinking.
Long before I did.
I thought it was just that one song, but it's all the songs, man.
And the truth is, I don't think I can sing songs about a life I'm not living anymore.
I-I I guess it's time for me to move on.
And you should, too, man.
Seriously, dude.
Go make some new music.
It's hard enough watching you guys do this without me, do you really have to do it using the stuff I wrote? We've got a session on Monday, man.
The studio is booked.
We're not gonna pull the plug and take six months to write new material and hope, just hope that it's good enough to land us back where we are right now.
We need those songs.
Come on, man.
Please.
You at least going to include me in the liner notes? We'll dedicate the whole album to you, man.
- Thanks, bro.
- Mm-hmm.
Anyone home? Who wants dinner? Ai.
So after you made Padre Jimenez lecture me, I called Kelly.
Guess what she said? Guess.
- Uh - She called me a liar! And said that impersonating someone on Instagram is a felony and I could be arrested! That's not true, Val.
You didn't impersonate anyone.
You made a fake name, like half the people on the internet.
Not the half that's blocked me from their DMs.
Kelly told the whole entire troupe, and they deleted me from the chat.
Well, give them some time.
They'll come around.
If you want, I'll go down there with you and talk to them.
Hmm? Stay away from me.
You act like you understand, but you don't understand.
No one understands.
Not Natalia who ratted me out.
Or Lucia who doesn't listen.
Or even Beto, 'cause he's never around.
Only Mami understands but you don't let me talk to her either.
You take everything away! Everything! Val Lucia.
We're just sitting down for your dinner.
Can you join us? Uh in a minute.
It's been a while.
I just wanted to check on you.
Open up.
Oh, my God.
What was she thinking? Take a sip.
Lucia.
Honestly, I cannot believe Allison gave you all that wine.
It felt right in the moment.
Isn't that how she makes her decisions: whatever feels right? W-what do you mean? I mean isn't that how she's with you? What did she tell you? Just that you two are on and off and she's the one who comes and goes.
Which doesn't seem like something you'd want.
Not if you want a family.
Uh, okay, well, that's personal.
- Allison shouldn't have - You're so, like committed.
To everything.
Causes.
People.
When you're with someone, you're with them.
Like how you are when you're with me.
Why would you want to be with someone who only wants to be with you some of the time? Listen to me Lucia.
You're not in any shape for a dinner party.
I think you should go and lie down in the guest room.
You can sleep in there tonight, and we'll talk about this in the morning.
Okay? I'm sorry.
Is it a 12-year-old girl thing? Because Micah and I just had a falling out and 24 hours later, we're good.
It's an every girl thing.
We hold grudges to the death.
No exceptions.
- Yeah.
- Are you gonna try to write some new songs for yourself? What about? Invoices? What rhymes with diaper rash? Mustache.
Eyelash.
Take out the trash.
Poet, remember? Maybe we could I don't know collaborate.
I could help with the words if you wrote the music.
You wanna be a songwriter? Aren't lyrics a type of poetry? You said that.
Yeah.
You'd be slumming it, working with me.
I mean, your stuff is so - So what? - It's beautiful.
And the things you write about, they're so big and important.
Doesn't that make them worth singing about? We don't have the same frame of reference.
I mean, the things you write about are so specific to your people.
To your life.
To your culture.
Um don't we have the same culture? Aren't my people your people? Technically.
Look my parents brought me to this country to be an American.
I mean, they wanted me to fit in.
It mattered to them that I spoke English without an accent.
You know, so I played football and not soccer.
I listened to music that wasn't anything like my parents listened to.
And all my friends have they've been white.
My girlfriends too.
Suddenly, it's like I'm betraying my people by not being Mexican enough, not seeing myself as part of a place my parents actually took me away from.
So, for me to sing about the Mexican experience, the immigrant experience it feels like a lie.
Oh.
Did I wake you? No, I, I just didn't know what that noise was.
So Being up late like this, it's the best thing about having my own place.
Um, Jim operated on a more of a traditional clock.
W-what are you making? Oh Curtains for the guest room.
This is my third attempt.
Jim, he thinks that I can't finish anything that I start.
But I just I want to get it right, you know.
I just want to get something right.
You're the same.
Am I? You hang in there.
I can tell.
You wanna work through problems.
I'm so grateful she has you.
She seems so much better.
Better than When she was in the hospital.
Oh.
Right.
It was awful.
I can't tell you, I mean, for her, too, but Did she tell you about her roommate? The one who pulled out all of her eyebrows? Yes.
It was terrible.
Of course, we wanted her to have a private room, but they wouldn't allow it.
They said that it was safer if there was someone else there.
We thought that we were gonna lose her.
It was awful.
I think that she's turned a corner.
Thanks to you.
Hey, Val.
Good morning.
I made pancakes.
Look, I know you're angry.
It's okay that you're mad at me.
It really is.
Hey.
Look, just let me know you're okay, or I'm coming in.
Hey.
Come back to bed.
You were in a psychiatric hospital.
Wait, what? I woke up last night and your mom was up sewing, - and she said that - She's up at night again? Shit.
Ella, what happened? Nothing.
Nothing happened, Beto.
Well, did something almost happen? 'Cause she made it sound like I'm sure she did.
I'm sure she made it sound as dramatic as possible.
Did she tell you they had me in restraints? You were in restraints? No! Of course not.
But I've heard her tell the story where I was.
Well, what is the story? And why haven't you told it to me? Because you're gonna jump to conclusions about me that aren't true.
- And then you're gonna - Ella did you try to kill yourself? No.
Well, did you do something that would have led people to think you wanted to die? Look it was two years ago.
They were in the middle of splitting up and having screaming matches day and night, right in front of me.
And the thing is, I don't know a 14-year-old in the world who could see their parents yell at each other like that and not want to do something.
Did you take something? You're already looking at me differently.
I can feel it.
No, I'm just trying to understand.
Wait Wait, something is Why would Emilio be you calling this early? - Hey.
- Emilio! A bunch of her clothes are missing from her drawer, - and I think she took her backpack.
- When's the last time you saw her? I knocked on her door last night, but she wasn't answering me.
Are you sure she was in there? Yeah.
Yeah, it was locked, so yeah.
And later? When you got home? I didn't come home.
You didn't? Where were you? - Where were you? - Look, okay, so it's been at least 10 hours since anyone's seen her.
We need to call the police.
We can't do that.
They'll call the social worker.
So what? Val's missing.
The more people trying to find her, the better.
No, no.
If the social worker thinks I'm not taking care of her, that she ran away Worry about that after we find her and know she's safe! Well, I doubt she ran away.
She's probably at a friend's place.
She's trying to make you worry.
No.
No, she wouldn't do that.
Well, if she's trying to punish you guys, she might.
- What? - No, she has a point.
I mean, she was pretty pissed at me.
For what? What did you do to her? What does it matter, Lucia? She's gone.
Okay, maybe she's at a friend's house? Who are even her friends from school these days? Uh, there was Cassidy, right? Cassidy.
And wasn't there a Brittany? But she doesn't mention them anymore.
I don't think she's hung with any of them since Mami and Papi Oh, I know she likes, um, the girls from her dance troupe.
No.
Trust me, she's isn't with any of them.
Maybe we should just call Mami.
That's who Val calls when she's upset.
Maybe it'd help to know when the last time they were in touch was.
Okay, try her, but you can't let her know Val's missing.
You think I'm an idiot? What is it, mi amor? Just calling to see how it's going down there.
Uh can I call you a little bit later? There's been an accident.
Remember I told you about the woman that lives above us? Jacinta? She, she cut herself cooking and, and she's here, and it's very deep.
Oh.
Well, that sounds, um you go deal with that.
Just have you spoken to Val at all? Like, last night or this morning? No.
Why? She just said she was gonna call you.
Tell her this afternoon would be a better time, okay.
- I have to go, mi amor.
- Wait Emilio got a call.
Where is it? It's always here.
Isn't this where Mami kept it? Why do we even need it? Shouldn't we just go get her? No, the guy said we need two forms of ID.
That's the only way they'll release her to us.
Luce, anything? Still looking.
It's not anywhere downstairs.
Wait, the officer didn't let you talk to her? No, she wouldn't talk to me.
Look, we'll deal with that later, okay.
She's fine.
She's safe.
The guy said they've got someone waiting with her in the facility down there, so It was under her bed.
She took hers with her.
Well, sure, she needed it to cross the border.
Get the baby and let's go.
Who lets a 12-year-old buy a bus ticket on her own? She must have gotten someone to help her out.
She's become a really good liar lately.
You said her friends were vicious when she mentioned the name thing? One of them threatened to call the police.
Probably scared the hell out of her.
So she ran to the one place she knew was safe Mami and Papi.
I really don't think it was about her needing to feel safe.
It's a very scary trip for a little girl who doesn't feel safe to make all by herself.
Well, what is it, then? You think she's doing this for attention? Oh, come on.
She is so not.
Okay, maybe not in a show-offy kind of way.
But in a I'm-sad.
I-don't-know what-else-to-do kind of way.
Something's broken and she doesn't know how to fix it, so she tried this.
Hey, our family is not broken, okay? It's in pieces.
Two very distinct pieces.
And if she can be the thing that those pieces have in common, you know, if she can connect both halves of her life by uniting everyone in their worry - That's ridiculous.
- Of course it is.
It's irrational and immature and totally magical thinking.
Only the thing is is sometimes it works.
Okay, well, that's not it.
Hmm? Whatever you went through, I'm sorry.
But that's you.
That isn't Val.
You don't know her.
- Hey.
- Well, I know her some.
Maybe you and Beto made the situation worse for her.
You haven't been paying enough attention, ever since you and Ella You two share a room, - you didn't come home last night.
- All right.
- Is that on me, too? - I also wasn't the one who paid for her to join that dance troupe, where this whole thing started.
Ella could've never known that Val was gonna do that This isn't helping anything.
You're gonna scare the baby.
Knock it off.
Hey.
Lucia.
Are you okay? You took off so early this morning, I was worried.
I left messages.
Uh, look, now's not a good time.
Who're you talking to? I'm in the car with my family.
Can I call you later? Well, could you maybe just listen? I let you into my private life in a way that may have left you a little confused about what's appropriate.
Do you have feelings for me, Lucia? I think you do.
And while that's flattering I think you may have confused my affection for you for something more.
Are you there? I shouldn't have I wasn't I'm sorry about the things I said.
Do not be sorry.
Okay? Just understand what kind of relationship you and I are able to have.
I can be your friend.
I can teach you what I know.
Give you advice.
I just need you to know that things can never be romantic between us.
That's not a line we can ever cross.
Okay? Lucia I need to know that you've heard me.
I'm sorry.
I I have to go.
Could you mind your own business, please? - Every Sunday at least.
- When? When? When exactly are we gonna do that when you spend your whole entire time with this girl? - I can easily - Look, look, hey, guys.
Hey, I'm just saying, okay.
We need to figure out a plan.
Otherwise, we pick her up, we bring her back home and what? What's going to be different? Maybe we take her to a therapist? Yeah.
Yeah, we could.
But how much do you think a good one costs? Oh, how should I know? I didn't pay the bills.
There's gotta be doctors that specialize in this kind of thing.
You think a lot of brown people who can't afford lawyers to help them avoid deportation are working through their emotional issues in therapy? Man, what's your problem? Ever since that phone call I don't wanna talk about it.
Maybe you need a therapist.
Hey.
Hey! Enough, you two.
God.
Look, we're about 30 miles away, and we need to figure out how to make her want to get in this van and come home, and it not seem like some kind of punishment.
Otherwise, she's just gonna want to go back to being, if not Amanda Davis, then some other girl who isn't her.
Wait, she's using the name Amanda Davis? Where the hell have you been for the past three hours? Wait, that's the name? Amanda Davis? What is wrong with you? What is wrong with him? Val didn't pull that name out of thin air.
That's the name of the little girl that Mami takes care of.
Please have your documents ready Uh, we're looking for a Valentina Acosta.
Are you okay? We were so worried.
Are you mad at me? Don't be mad.
I understand now why you took that name.
You don't want to be some other girl.
You wanted to be that girl, the one that gets to spend every day with the mother you don't get to be with.
I was I just I need to see her.
To see them both.
Look how brave you were doing all this getting a bus ticket coming all this way So what happens now? You keep going.
Okay? - I love you.
- I love you too.
Where are you meeting them? Emilio made some reservation at a motel halfway between.
We'll take a bus south, and they'll take one north.
We can Skype.
I'm sure they'll have wi-fi.
What if I, I call someone, messenger my passport? Then I can come with you.
We can't wait that long.
I'm just scared.
You're gonna have a few days away and a lot of time to think, and the things you're gonna be thinking about me are bad things.
I don't know, I-I can't tell if it made it worse telling you what actually happened.
Do you understand at all? I don't know.
We can talk about it.
Val comes first right now.
Bey here's your passport.
Thanks.
I'll get Ella home safe.
- Ella, please, don't just walk - Let her go.
No.
Back off, Luce.
You've never had anyone.
You don't know what it's like to be in love.
I wish you could come with us.
Me too.
I sent Rafa along with the three of them so, uh there's no need for you to come for a few days.
You're doing the right thing.
Letting them go.
Sending them all together to see your parents.
Ah, it's just It's funny.
If I were American, I could go with them to Mexico.
But because I'm a Mexican, I they won't let me.
I have to stay here.
Maybe this is the kind of stuff I should be writing songs about.
Maybe.
Hey, do you have any poems on the subject? Poems about the border? Mm-hmm.
Only about a thousand of them.
- Can you read me one? - Yeah.
Hold on, I have it on my phone.
Okay, this one's called Dos y Dos.