No Good Nick (2019) s01e09 Episode Script

- Hey.
- Good morning, Nick.
There she is, up and at 'em, ready to start the day.
Why are you acting weird? We're not acting weird.
You're the one acting weird.
Liz has something to tell you.
Look, we're worried about you.
Is everything okay? Other than the fact that we're out of Crunchy-O's, yeah.
Because, first, your teacher called us in, and then we caught you skipping school, and then you were crying last night.
So we decided to call Social Services.
You called Dorothy? No, we called a family therapist who works with Social Services.
She's coming by today.
Guys, there's no need for anyone to come.
Everything is good with me.
Look at how happy I am.
Yeah, stop making that face.
You coming to live with us has been a big adjustment for everyone, but especially for you.
We wanna make sure we're giving you everything you need.
This woman, Ingrid, supposedly digs deep, gets to the core of the issues.
I really think she can help.
Deep digging? Are you sure? What did that ever get anyone? Dinosaur fossils.
Oil.
Diamonds.
I could go on.
And now, a family therapist is on her way.
A real one.
What did you do? I didn't do anything.
I mean, I skipped school and lied about it, but it's not like I robbed a liquor store.
Well, you did rob their wine room.
But they don't know that.
Relax.
We have someone on the inside at Social Services.
So the file Ingrid has matches the same fake story you told the Thompsons.
Oh, that was smart.
Don't be so surprised.
All you have to do is convince this therapist that you've bonded with the family, and she'll get out of your hair You have bonded with the family? Actually, after last night, I'm not sure.
You better figure out how to make it look that way.
Because if you screw this up, we're all going down.
Wait, what? Yeah, these people are like human lie detectors.
If she senses something's not right, she could start an investigation.
She can do that? Yeah.
And if she finds out you're supposed to be living with me and Dorothy, the hammer's gonna come down on us and all our extracurricular activities.
You won't have a home to come back to, 'cause we'll be in jail.
Great.
So no pressure? If it starts to go south, you text me 911.
Good luck.
So we're having a woman from Social Services come to the house today.
Wait.
There's a social worker coming here? Fantastic.
I can ask her all about Nick, since that girl Riley didn't give up the goods.
See? That is part of the problem.
How is Nick ever supposed to feel like she truly belongs here, if you're always making her prove herself to you? Yeah, that's right.
We all drove her to tears last night with our questions.
I feel really bad about what happened.
But no matter how hard I try, Nick won't open up to me.
I thought you and Nick were close.
Well, I thought we were.
But when Riley showed up, it really threw me.
I mean, Nick had a best friend that she never told me about.
It got me thinking.
There's a part of her life that she keeps secret.
Yes, secrets.
Nothing but secrets with this girl.
This is exactly why we can't trust her.
Shut up.
I don't like being on your side.
It makes sense that Nick is having some issues reconciling her old life with her new one.
Being moved around has to be difficult for anyone.
We just want her to be happy here, we're not sure why she's not.
Well, hopefully the family therapist will help us work it out.
But in the meantime, let's keep this discussion between us.
[LIZ.]
There might be things we're not comfortable saying in front of Nick.
[JEREMY.]
I'm comfortable telling Nick that I don't trust her.
I tell her all the time.
Well, I don't want Nick to know how hurt I am that she doesn't consider me her best friend.
[ED.]
We wanna make sure we're being good parents to her.
Yeah, these are all issues that we can bring up with Ingrid later.
But let's keep this to ourselves, okay? [LIZ.]
No need to put any more pressure on Nick.
Hey, people.
Ingrid is gonna be here any minute, so let's bring our A-game.
She's been cleaning the kitchen for two hours.
Bonus! That's my chore.
Is that what you're wearing? It was.
- Well - [DOOR BELL RINGS.]
Since she's here, I love it.
This is gonna be great.
So great that we shouldn't even bother doing it? No? That's no.
Hello.
I'm Ingrid.
Hi, Ingrid.
Welcome.
Come in.
Can I get you a drink? I mean a beverage.
Not a drink drink, 'cause it's only ten a.
m.
We don't break out the hard stuff 'til noon.
[INGRID SIGHS.]
I'm Ed.
Hi.
This is Molly and Jeremy and Nick.
So nice meeting you all, especially you, Nick.
How's it going? Great.
I know I haven't been here that long, but it feels like home.
I really love it here.
Glad to hear that.
Now, I've read your file When you're finished, can I take a peek at that? So I know how much you've been through.
My being here isn't a reflection on you.
It's about your family wanting you to have all the resources you need to succeed.
That's exactly why we called.
Now, I'm sure you all have some things you want to talk about, but I find it helpful to break up into small groups so I can see how the family interacts.
Perfect.
Come on, Mol, let's show her our room.
- Okay.
- [NICK GIGGLES.]
Sounds great.
I think she liked my outfit.
This is Nick's side.
This is mine.
But I don't believe in borders.
I'm kind of an activist.
Yeah, I can see.
Love the global-warming countdown clock.
So how do you girls like sharing a room? Oh, it's great.
Molly and I hit it off right away.
We did.
[LAUGHS.]
We love to hang out, and we always stay up late talking.
- It's just - What? Well, sometimes I find it hard to open up.
Molly tells me everything, but I kind of keep stuff to myself.
Yeah, that's true.
I know that's no way to treat a best friend.
You mean me? Of course.
Ah, I didn't know you felt that way.
How can you not? From the day I moved in, I felt we had a connection.
What about Riley? Last night made me realize you're my best friend now.
I just wish there was something I could do to prove it.
Actually, there's a fun buddy exercise that can help, if you're both up for it.
Absolutely.
[LAUGHS.]
The object here is to stand up together.
It won't be easy, but best friends can make it happen.
We got this.
Piece of cake.
- Go! - Okay.
One two - Yeah, not happening.
- [BOTH LAUGH.]
Okay, here we go.
One, two, no.
[LAUGHS.]
This never gets old.
We're gonna be here all day.
No, we're not.
Because we're a great team.
Now, let's prove it.
Yeah.
[MOLLY CLEARS THROAT.]
Okay, nice and steady.
- Okay.
- That's it! Oh! We're doing it! [BOTH SQUEAL.]
Good job, girls! - We did it! - Told you we could! Bestie.
[GIGGLES.]
- [HANDS SMACK.]
- [LAUGHS.]
[INGRID.]
Ah-ah.
Jeremy is the youngest student council president - in the history of our school.
- [JEREMY LAUGHS.]
Well, I am kind of a natural leader.
Listen, as long as you're here, I have some important questions.
First, do you know someone at Social Services by the name of Dorothy Wojciechowski? [INGIRD.]
Erm I don't think so.
Really? Interesting, isn't it? Though it's a big department.
I certainly don't know everybody.
Jeremy doesn't trust me, and I get why.
What, you do? Sure.
I'm a complete stranger.
I showed up and just like that, Jeremy had to share his house with me, his family, everything.
For all he knows, I could be some kind of street-smart con artist out for revenge.
[LAUGHS.]
- You've got some imagination.
- Well All I'm trying to do is get the facts.
I've tried since day one to show Jeremy that he can trust me, but no matter what I do, it's not enough.
Honestly I'm out of ideas.
You're gonna have to rely on Nick's voice commands to guide you to the other end of the room.
Why do I have to be the one who's blindfolded? Because you're the one who has to learn to trust.
Don't worry, I won't walk you into the fireplace.
Wait, did you start a fire? It's really hot in here.
Nick, just make your instructions clear and navigate him around the obstacles.
Okay, first, take one step forward.
Guess we're doing baby steps.
Sorry, it's a little scary.
I got you.
Take one adult step forward.
Good, then slide two steps to your left.
No, wait! My left, your right.
Not instilling me with confidence.
You guys can do this.
Come on, Jeremy, give it a shot.
Okay, two steps to your right.
Now, three steps forward.
Three to your left.
Two steps forward.
Three more to your right.
Three steps forward.
- We did it! - Agh! [NICK LAUGHING.]
Nice job, partner.
[HANDS SMACK.]
Uh! She's not much of a high-fiver.
Ah-ah.
Obviously, Liz and Ed are a huge part of why I'm so happy here.
Really? You're really happy living with us? Totally.
I mean, I'm a teenage girl, so I'm not always gonna show it, but you guys are great parents.
We are? Yeah.
You always set a good example.
Not only is Liz a great mom, but she's also a great chef and business woman.
I find her really inspiring.
Oh, well, I do try to set an example for girls, you know, everywhere.
Ah, we love to cook together.
Liz taught me how to make pasta by hand.
[LAUGHS.]
And I feel accomplished when I stir the powder into my mac and cheese without leaving any lumps.
You're working too hard.
Those cheesy little lumps are flavor balls.
Oh my God, I had the best session with Ingrid.
Nick told me I'm her best friend.
I don't know why I was so worried.
Of course we're best friends.
Well, I'm glad all your dreams came true.
My session was about building trust Oh, hello.
What are you doing? What happened to trust? Please, a two-minute exercise wasn't enough to change my mind about Nick.
Now I can look at her case file.
We already have her file.
We have the one she showed us.
Doesn't mean it's real.
I wouldn't put it past her to give us fake documents.
This is exactly what she showed us.
Yeah, and you know why? Because Nick is a normal girl, and you are a crazy person.
And it's not just Liz who makes me feel like I won the lottery.
This guy, where to begin? He made this.
Ed's so artistic.
I'm inspired by him too.
That is impressive.
Impressive, unique, magical, call it what you will.
Plus, he always puts his family first.
He even made us learn self-defense, and devised an emergency preparedness plan.
I dare this house to catch on fire.
Well, you keep leaving your paper trees by my oven, and it will.
Okay, well, I think I've got all the information I need.
Why don't we join the others in the living room? Ha! Sounds good.
Maybe we were worried about nothing.
- Do you think I inspire Nick that much? - Well, obviously.
Yeah, it's not a huge surprise.
I gotta say, I think we were pretty smart to call Ingrid.
It did help Nick open up about her feelings.
I know.
Look at us.
We really come together on the important stuff.
I know, right? [SIGHS.]
With the job we're doing, maybe Ingrid will even want us to bring in more kids.
Or, and hear me out, no.
Well, I haven't been here very long, but I think I've gotten a sense of how Nick interacts with everyone.
This did go well, didn't it? Yeah, too well.
I don't know what's happening here, but I do know when I'm being manipulated.
What? Clearly, you just staged a big show for my benefit.
Now, tell me, what's really going on here? Wait, so you think Nick's not being genuine? Please continue.
I'm a trained professional.
I know when kids aren't being honest.
And it's clear to me, Nick isn't.
Oh, you know what? Hold that thought.
I'm getting a text.
Let me just tell them I can't talk.
Maybe she's not being honest because she doesn't feel safe here.
And if that's true, this might not be the right home for her.
- Wait, what? - Let's not overreact.
Yeah, Nick, you're being honest with us, right? 100%.
[SIGHS.]
Okay.
You spent a lot of time talking about how great everyone else is.
Not once did anyone say anything about you.
Maybe that's because they don't know the real you.
I don't know what else there is to say.
Just start with the truth.
I bet you've been holding it in a long time.
It'll feel good to let it out.
She's right.
I have been hiding something.
- I knew it! - Shut up, and let her talk.
Whatever it is, you can tell us.
The truth is sometimes I feel like I'm living a lie.
Like I can't be myself here.
I feel a lot of pressure to pretend to fit in.
Why? You don't have to feel pressure around us, we're your family.
I know.
But I miss my old life.
Especially my dad.
I feel like I'm betraying him if I like you guys too much.
- Oh, sweetie.
- You could have told us.
It's complicated.
I feel like we're finally seeing the real Nick.
Yep.
Here I am.
The feelings you're having, they're completely natural, but it's not healthy to keep them all bottled up.
You can tell me anything.
After all, we're besties.
Nick, everyone in this room cares very much about you.
It'll take time, but you'll need to open up to make this work.
But you agree that this is the best place for her? There's work to be done, but I think you're all up for the challenge.
[MOLLY AND NICK LAUGH.]
Come on.
You guys are gonna buy that act? What do you mean? She just told you exactly what you wanted to hear.
She totally played you.
- Jeremy, stop it! - No.
I'll give it to her, she's good.
But every time I get close to figuring out what's going on with her, she finds a way to wiggle out of it.
She may have everyone else fooled, not me.
Enough! I'm sorry.
I don't know what's going on with him.
I think I know.
I've seen it before.
A child comes into a house, and sometimes their siblings feel displaced.
Wait, I'm the one with the problem? It can feel very threatening.
Unbelievable! Erm, I will go talk to him.
You know, he might benefit from some therapy.
You have my card.
[ED.]
Thank you for everything.
My pleasure.
So nice to meet you all.
Bye now.
Bye.
I guess we should go talk to Jeremy.
First I think I know someone who could use a hug.
And I think I know someone who could use a drink drink.
[DOOR BELL RINGS.]
I guess Ingrid forgot something.
Hi.
I'm Sam Vaupen from Social Services.
I'm the supervisor in charge of Nick's case.
And I just got a call that someone was sent to your house without proper authorization.
But don't worry.
I'm here to take over.
Hi, Sam.
It's nice to see you.
Actually, the therapist just left.
She felt that everything was fine, and that I'm in a good home.
Oh.
Well that's great.
I have to say, I'm really impressed with how on it Social Services is.
I don't know why everyone says the system is broken.
You people really step up.
Yeah, well, it's it's all about the kids.
She's the one who keeps secrets.
She's the one who ditches school.
And I'm the one with the problem? You snoop through her stuff and follow her around.
You are the one with the problem.
Why is it so hot in here? Because you need to chill out.
No, it's not me, it's boiling in here.
Nick closed the vent 'cause she was cold.
Just open it.
You know, if I were you, I wouldn't even feel safe sharing a room with her.
[CLUNK.]
What the ? What is that? A phone.
Ha! Who has a secret phone except someone with something to hide? Well, thanks for stopping by.
Hey before I go take good care of Nick, okay? She's a special kid.
And she's been through a lot.
I know, and we will.
And she might not tell you because she doesn't wanna cause a fuss, but there are a lot of things about her that you should know that I learned from her last family.
She could eat Crunchy-O's for breakfast - every day.
- [NICK LAUGHS.]
Also lunch and dinner.
Oh, well, I'll tell you one thing, I am done making you frittatas.
And she loves old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons.
[ED CHUCKLES.]
I'm more of a Bugs Bunny guy, but I respect the moose.
And sometimes she she has trouble sleeping in fact, I brought something from her last family that usually helps with that.
[GASPS.]
Bobo! "Well, hello, Nick.
How are you?" Don't tell anyone about this.
We really appreciate this.
You know, Ingrid was great, but your knowledge is super-specific.
Yeah, no wonder you're a supervisor.
It's because I care so much.
- I'll show you out.
- Yeah.
[MUSICAL PHONE RING TONE.]
Oh, I wonder if I should answer this.
You better.
You don't want it going to voicemail.
It's fine if you need to take the call.
You should, but probably outside.
You know, for the confidentiality of the other cases.
Good point.
Bye now.
[DOOR CLICKS.]
I've gotta use the bathroom.
Go for Max Hammer.
Hey, guys.
Hey, what are you doing with that? The question is, what are you doing with it? Yeah, Nick, why do you have a secret phone? It's not a secret phone.
Then why were you hiding it in the air vent? Because people in this house like to go through my stuff.
Well, clearly, I have good reason to.
[SIGHS.]
Jeremy called the last person you talked to.
It was some guy named Max Hammer.
Maybe it was a wrong number.
I hit redial.
Nick, you can tell me.
- What's going on? - Yeah.
Give us the truth for once.
Fine.
You want the truth? I keep that phone because some of my homes haven't always been safe.
But you're safe here.
How do I know that? I don't always live with people who have my best interests.
What does that have to do with a secret phone? That phone was given to me by my last family, just in case.
In case of what? I don't get it.
- Of course, you don't get it.
- Jeremy You have no idea how good you have it with two parents who love and support you.
That still does not explain why you hide your phone.
- I don't have to explain.
- I never hide mine! - You never had to! - I'm not a liar! - [SMACK.]
- [MOLLY.]
Nick!