The Secret Life of the American Teenager s04e16 Episode Script
They Gotta Eat
MADISON: Previously on The Secret Life of the American Teenager Why are you insisting on going to summer school? Your mother wants me to go so I'll be there when Ethan is there.
Why do you even care if I go to summer school? What are you doing here? I'm moving in! I thought your mom said you couldn't move in.
Yes.
She did.
She said I had to go to med camp.
I couldn't go to summer school.
And, how's she going to find out about it? She left for Africa this morning.
Get up, you're going to summer school.
That's going to be my punishment now? You go out there and you find yourself another boyfriend.
Mom, you totally got the wrong impression of Ben.
Thanks again for letting me walk into school with you.
It makes the first day of high school a little less awkward for me.
You're the person looking out after him at school and keeping him out of trouble.
Amy used to be my best friend.
So did Lauren.
Did you do something they won't forgive you for? I just wanted to apologize.
You knew what you were doing.
I'm not so upset with you as I am with Henry.
Would you consider going out with me? No, I can't.
It was their pot.
They brought it over.
This girl is not the girl for you, Benjamin.
You let Ethan in the apartment alone after everything he did at school today? See, I did learn a little something at summer school.
(CHUCKLES) Amy, please, I really need to talk to you.
Okay, go ahead.
Well, can we go somewhere, like get coffee or something? You know I have to go to work.
I still work at the nursery.
I miss you.
And I miss Lauren.
Yeah, well, you should have thought about how much you were going to miss us before you slept with Jesse.
I made a mistake, I apologized.
I don't know what else to do.
There is nothing else to do.
It's done.
I don't think Lauren can forgive you.
And until and unless Lauren forgives you, we're not friends.
Okay, well, what if instead of forgiving me, you and Lauren just forget it ever happened.
You know, that's what Jesse and I agreed to do, just forget it ever happened.
Yeah, right.
Look, you can't be trusted.
And that's all there is to it.
Well, is there a way I could maybe earn back your trust? How? I don't know, that's what parents say, you know, whenever you lose their trust, that you have to earn it back.
Why does everyone think I'm everyone's parent? I am not your parent.
And I only want to be a parent to John.
I have to get to work and get to John right now.
So, goodbye, Madison.
AMY: (ON PHONE) Guess who tried to talk to me? Who? The one who shall not be named.
Oh, she tried to talk to me, too.
And so did he.
He called me today.
What did he say? That he wanted me to just forget it ever happened.
That's exactly what she said.
I'm not gonna do that.
Well, I don't know how you could do that.
I don't even wanna do that.
I wanna remember that she slept with my boyfriend, knowing that I wouldn't sleep with him because that's the kind of person she is.
And now I don't want that kind of person as a friend, especially not as a best friend.
She violated every code.
The best friend code, the girlfriend code, the woman code.
I really hate her.
She's a cheater.
(SCOFFS) My dad's here.
Oh, no.
Yeah.
Bye.
Who do you hate? I might as well tell you.
Madison.
Because she's a cheater? Yeah.
She's a cheater, she Stole my idea for a paper that we had to write for sociology class.
Then I got in trouble for having the same topic.
It's interesting that she'd wanna take your topic, I mean, Madison's a journalist.
She should be full of ideas and I'd think she'd wanna do her own research and write her own paper.
You don't know anything about her and if you did, you'd hate her, too.
I don't hate anyone.
What was the paper about? About hating people.
And why are you always snooping around my door? Do you ever think about closing your door? You ever heard of knocking? I just wanted to let you know I'm leaving for work.
(CELL PHONE VIBRATING) Hello? RICKMy mom wants us to come over for dinner tonight.
What do you think? It's a school night.
You have a lot of homework? Uh, not really, but do we have to? No, we don't have to.
I don't want to.
But she's my mom and she wants us over there.
Well, I just don't know if I really feel like seeing her and Shakur tonight.
Not that mom.
Nora? RICKYeah.
At my house? At your dad's house, with your dad.
Um, all right.
Well, do you want me to meet you over there? You don't want to have dinner with my mom and dad, but you want to have dinner with your dad and Nora? What's that about? Nothing.
It's just, I don't know, your mom and dad are like parents and I don't want to be with Dad either, but I don't mind Nora so much.
She's fun and she makes my dad totally tolerable.
So, I'll see you over there, okay? I love you.
I gotta go or I'm gonna be late.
Bye.
Love you.
Yeah.
I love you, too.
Falling in love is such an easy thing to do Birds can do it We can do it Let's stop talking Let's get to it Let's fall in love + Hey.
How's summer school going? It sucks.
It totally sucks.
It's a complete waste of time.
Is it? Or are you just totally wasted? No.
I am not totally wasted or even wasted.
Does everyone know about that? Yeah.
I don't care.
Come on, you're dating a pothead? Dylan is not a pothead, okay? She smokes a little pot now and then.
(SCOFFS) That's what my mother used to do.
Smoke a little pot now and then.
Then she went on to bigger and better things.
(SIGHS) I don't need the evils of marijuana.
I'm gonna get more of that at dinner tonight with my dad.
And what part of Amy's family will you be dining with? Principal Nash, he sent of summer school studentss encouraging them to use with their childrenond who apparently have problems in summer school.
I'm not in summer school.
Her dad and my mom.
Nora.
Well, that'll probably be at my house with my dad.
er Oh? What's the problem? you to smoke pot?want (CHUCKLES) Not funny.
to see Dylan.
t want me The girl you were smoking pot with? Look, I just tried it, okay? And Look, it was stupid and I shouldn't have.
But I did and I'm not gonna do it again.
But now I'm forbidden to see Dylan again, and I am going to see Dylan again.
I don't care what the punishment is.
I don't care what he does to me.
(CHUCKLES) Really? Even if he disinherits you? Yeah.
Even if he loses all respect for you? I think he's already done that.
Even if he feels he can never the rest of your life? Yeah, look, I think he already has lost all respect for me and he doesn't trust me now.
So, what can I do? You know, I blew it, and respect me or trust me,t what have I got to lose and seeing Dylan?d Your own self-respect? He's leaving me no choice.
Sure, he is.
You have plenty of choices.
You can, one, do what he says and not see this girl and win back his respect and trust.
Or two, you could just find another girl to go out with who doesn't smoke pot, there are plenty of them, or three, you could just not go out for a while and grow the freak up.
But Dylan doesn't really smoke pot, okay? She has, but I don't think she'll ever do it again.
So I'm going to go out with her.
I'm in love with the girl.
We have everything in common.
Or you can just listen to no one.
Do what you want, possibly ruin your life.
You had a real happy year last year, why don't you go for another one? (SIGHS) That's all I got.
Maybe your dad will have something better for you at dinner.
Maybe if he agreed that with this girl,ke again maybe you could letting him see her, after you've talked to the girl's parents.
d You don't want to distance yourself from him, after all, you wanna get closer.
Yeah, you know, uh, I do wanna get closer, I want us to have an adult relationship.
It's time for us to grow into that at this point, but how? He's not an adult.
right now.
impossible I mean there are no girls out for him to go out with?ot He couldn't take a little break here? After everything that's happened and not date at all? It's tough to navigate these waters, Leo, it is.
But I suggest you do have dinner with him.
I think that letter that is a good idea.
all of us It's good to keep communication open.
After all, they've got to eat, right? Might as well take advantage of it.
And dinner conversation has to be communication, not interrogation, and I got to tell you, as someone who asks a lot of questions for a living, it's not easy for me to follow my own advice on that.
Well, you don't have any problems with Lauren.
No, but we still have problems communicating.
Just this afternoon, I overheard her saying something about hating Madison and it hurt me to hear her say she hates her best friend.
How could she not? I mean, after Madison slept with her boyfriend.
Oh, look, time's up.
We'll go off the clock.
I'd like to talk to you a few minutes more.
Hey, Mopey Head.
Still listening to sad music? I don't have anything else to do.
Other than my stupid homework.
Well, that kind of comes with the territory, doesn't it? You chose summer school.
You must have known there'd be homework.
Yeah.
I just didn't know I wouldn't be doing it with my best friends.
How'd it go with Amy? Did you talk to her? Yeah.
But it didn't help.
She's not going to be my friend unless Lauren forgives me.
It's just ridiculous that you girls are fighting.
The three of you are going to end your friendship because you bought the same backpack as Lauren? Well, she wanted to be the only one that had it.
You know, she said that I copied her, and that I copy her on everything and that I want everything she has.
She even thinks I want her boyfriend.
Well, that's just ridiculous.
Yeah.
I don't even want her boyfriend.
I'm not even attracted to him.
He smiles too much.
He's always just smiling and smiling and smiling.
(SIGHS) I hate that in a guy.
So, I guess I'm just going to have to find some new best friends.
Oh, honey, I hate to see you like this.
Girls can be so mean sometimes.
But I'm sure this all can be fixed.
I'm sure it can't.
Well, we'll see.
Yeah.
I tell you what.
Why don't the two of us go out to dinner tonight? Emily has book club tonight.
You got that letter? Yes, I did.
(SIGHS) All right.
It'll be fun.
Hey, did you ask me to ask Amy to come to dinner just because George got some letter from the principal about family dinners? Yeah.
RICKI don't wanna have dinner with George.
You wanna have dinner, just the two of us? We haven't done that in a long time.
And we're a family, too, you and me.
Well, isn't that sweet? Yeah, I'd love to have dinner, just you and me.
You tell George.
I'll tell George.
You tell Amy.
+ Lauren? What? Hey, Mom's working late and I'm starving.
Let's go have some dinner.
I know about the letter.
And I don't feel like it.
We already talked.
We just talked this afternoon.
No, we didn't really talk this afternoon, let's go have some dinner.
I'll pick you up in 15 minutes.
I just said I don't feel like it.
And I just said I'll pick you up in 15 minutes.
(PHONE RINGING) Fifteen minutes.
Excuse me? MORGAN: Dr.
Fields? Oh, I'm so sorry, I thought this was someone else.
Who's calling, please? It's Madison's dad, Morgan.
I guess we haven't talked in a long time.
No, we haven't.
Well, maybe we should.
Maybe we all should.
You and Lauren and me and Madison.
Do you really think that's a good idea? I was hoping that you'd think it was a good idea.
I took the idea right out of one of your books.
Chapter seven, confronting the problem head-on.
Oh, yeah.
You're right.
Or I guess I'm right.
But I just told Lauren I'd pick her up in 15 minutes to take her to dinner.
She didn't want to go with me, so I know she's not gonna want to go if I tell her that you and Madison want to join us.
And I know why.
Yeah.
Apparently she thinks that Madison wants everything that's hers.
Interesting way of putting it.
It just seems that they've been friends for such a long time that there must be some way to bring them back together.
I mean, I hate to see them lose a lifetime friendship over a guy and a backpack.
I don't know anything about the backpack, but I think I'd have to have several dinners with Lauren before she'd have dinner with you and Madison.
"But the more that time that goes by, "the more difficult it's going to be to mend this rift.
" Now you're quoting me.
And I think we should call George.
Juergens? It really is about the three of them.
Is it? Well, yeah.
(DOOR OPENING) Where have you been? Where have I been? Well, I went by my house to pick up some things, and I found a letter.
The principal sent my mother a letter! I mean, maybe he found out that I got kicked out of med camp and I'm living here (GASPS) and maybe he knows I'm lying to her.
Everyone got that letter.
Wait, everyone's in trouble? It's a stupid letter from the principal saying that he wants "parents to have dinner with their children more often.
" What? Why? I don't know.
It's supposed to help bond the family together, somehow cut down drug use, alcohol, all that.
But we're not doing drugs, and we're not drinking, and (SCOFFS) I'm really close to my mother.
Or I was, until I started lying to her all the time.
I'm a big, fat liar! Well, you could go to dinner with me and my family 'cause they got that letter, too and now we have to go over there for dinner.
Adrian, I don't, I just, I don't really feel like I'm up for it.
(CELL PHONE RINGS) (SIGHS) We're coming! It's your family, you go.
I don't wanna go.
It's part of your responsibility as my roommate.
Adrian, I don't wanna go.
I think I'm gonna see if I can get my mom on the phone.
I wanna talk to her.
I mean, I'm gonna see her in a few days and I wanna tell her before I see her face-to-face.
Fine.
I have to go.
Hey! Sorry I'm late.
That's okay.
Thanks for telling Nora and Ricky to have dinner on their own.
Ashley went up to see your mother, so that leaves the two of us.
And your buddies.
What buddies? Hi, Amy.
Shut up.
+ I didn't know you could cook, George.
Have to, otherwise, I wouldn't eat.
(CHUCKLES) This is delicious.
It was really nice of you to have us over at the last minute.
Lauren, wasn't it nice to get a home-cooked meal and not go out, have some time with your friends? (SCOFFS) The letter didn't say have dinner with your friends.
It said have dinner with your family.
MORGAN: But you're like family.
You three have been friends for a really long time.
And we want you to be friends for an even longer time.
So, someone wanna tell me what's going on? I know something's going on.
I got the phone bill today.
Ames? (CELL PHONE CHIMES) Uh, well Maybe Amy and I should just stay out of this.
Oh, Amy's already in it.
'Cause she took a side.
She took Lauren's side.
I don't think there are sides, really.
There's more like there's a right and there's a wrong and it was wrong to sleep with Lauren's boyfriend.
(CHUCKLES) Nobody slept with anybody's boyfriend.
Oh, dear lord.
This isn't about a backpack? It's not about a backpack.
It's not about a stolen idea for a paper, either.
(MOUTHING) So, how old is this guy? How old is he? Yeah, it's a simple question.
How old is he? He's 20, 21, something like that.
What, you don't know? Twenty or 21? What difference does it make? She's turning 19.
She's a grown woman.
She can date either She's going to college in a couple of months.
Legally, there's a big difference between 20 and 21.
For example, the legal drinking age is 21.
I'm not drinking.
Does he drink? No.
Have you had sex with him? Ruben! Can we just talk about you and not me? All right.
Let's talk about me.
I am very angry right now and I don't think that you should be sexually involved with a guy before you're even divorced.
Did you add something to the mole sauce? It tastes a little different tonight.
It's really good.
Uh, yeah, a little bit more cinnamon.
Wow.
Little cinnamon.
Hmm.
Big difference.
So, how's Ben? How is it being in summer school with him? It's okay.
He and Henry got into some big fight about Something.
Oh! He's dating some pothead from that private school.
Oh, come on.
Ben? Yeah.
I heard he got busted by Leo, smoking in his bedroom with this girl and her friends.
(SIGHS) (SPEAKING SPANISH) What did Leo do? I don't know.
The thing is I know what it sounds like, Ben's history.
Ninth grade, he starts high school.
First day, he falls in love with a girl who got pregnant that summer the first time she had sex with a guy she just met at band camp.
He was crazy about her.
Eventually she fell in love with the baby's father, and Ben Ben not being in a good place, had sex with another girl and, well They both took precautions but things went wrong and she ended up pregnant, and he stood by her.
He married her.
He did the right thing.
Unfortunately, the baby was stillborn.
So my Ben has been through a lot.
Yeah, which is why he probably got drunk that time.
Thank you for reminding me.
Yes, he did.
He was so distraught.
One night, he went out and had a few too many.
But I'm not making excuses.
I'm just saying, uh, my Ben has made mistakes but he's a good kid.
And you know what, Dylan, I realized the same may be true about you.
You may have made some mistakes yourself, but you may also be a good kid.
She is a good kid.
A very good kid.
An excellent kid.
Almost perfect.
Almost.
I think what Mr.
Boykewich may be getting at is Is what? That wasn't Ben's pot we were smoking and he didn't bring it from the party.
Then whose pot was it? Mercedes.
Who? My friend.
(SIGHS) Oh, geez, Dylan! Okay, okay, I'm back from what was practically a scavenger hunt.
Hello.
We didn't drop in.
We were invited.
Really? Are we all going to dinner? Oh, I don't think so.
We just want to apologize for any misunderstandings about, you know You.
So, we should be going.
We were just invited for cocktails.
Well, not cocktails.
Beverages and canapes.
Uh, but, you could stay for dinner.
They could stay for dinner, right, Dad? We should talk.
We should all talk.
I don't think so, Ben.
Thank you.
And, uh, we'll take care of it.
And, uh, I'll get back to you.
One of us will.
Good night.
Good night.
Thank you.
Bye, Ben.
What did you do? We'll talk about it at dinner.
It's not all bad.
(SIGHS) Ice cream? Um, no, no thanks.
I'm just going to help you get this stuff cleaned up and then I better get John and get home.
I swear I didn't know.
Morgan called and he said there was a problem between the three of you and he'd love it if we could all get together and I already cooked 'cause I thought you and Ricky and Nora and me were going to have dinner.
I thought this was way better, don't you think? I really had no idea anything was going on with you and Madison and Lauren because someone didn't tell me.
Someone waited to text me during dinner.
I didn't know what else to do.
Nice poker face, Dad.
(SIGHS) She slept with him? What happened to Jack? (SCOFFS) I don't know.
Jack's always been in love with Grace.
I mean, Jack's obsessed with Grace.
And I think Madison just wanted to be with someone and that someone who was convenient was Jesse.
Are you really never going to talk to her again? Well, I talk to her.
When I have to.
But I don't like her anymore.
I mean, I feel sorry for her, but I just don't like her anymore.
I don't like that she would do something like that to someone, especially Lauren.
What about Jesse? Are you speaking to him? Is Lauren speaking to him? He called Lauren, but she doesn't like him anymore and neither do I.
And she doesn't like Madison anymore either.
Well, that's a shame that that happened, but things like that happen.
Yeah, well this is how that happened.
Madison was feeling bad about herself because she and Jack aren't together anymore.
And she knew that Jesse had been trying to sleep with Lauren, and she knew Lauren didn't wanna sleep with him.
And, so, maybe it was a mistake but she had to have thought about it.
Did you think about it the night you first slept with Ricky? I mean, maybe, like you, she was just making out and then things went farther than she thought they would go.
We're talking about Madison.
I hadn't had sex before I slept with Ricky and I didn't know what I was doing.
She knew what she was doing.
Ricky knew what he was doing.
And you forgave him.
Eventually.
It seems to me the longer you wait to forgive her, and I know you're gonna forgive her, the worse the summer is going to be.
It was a dumb thing.
People do dumb things.
I'm the king of dumb things.
But you're gonna get over it, so get over it.
No.
I'm not just going to get over it, Dad.
My best friend slept with my other best friend's boyfriend.
She's not my best friend anymore.
Are you really in any place to judge anyone? I mean, just because things turned out good for you doesn't make you better than anyone else.
Just look at our family.
You know, maybe it's family dinners that drive kids to drink and do drugs.
+ I ran up at lunch, put it in the slow cooker.
It's good, isn't it? Yeah! How'd you learn to cook? Uh Oh, Shakur and Margaret.
It's basically knowing how to read and making the effort.
It's not that hard.
Well, everything is delicious.
The brisket, the roasted corn, the salad.
I'm just glad we get to have this dinner together.
Just the two of us, a little family dinner.
So, let me ask you something.
Who do you love more, me or Margaret? Seriously? Yeah.
Margaret, I guess.
Really? Yeah, but if it's any consolation, Amy loves you best.
Aw, that's sweet, but let's get back to you.
What do I have to do to get you to love me best? I love you, but she was a mom to me when I needed a mom.
Besides, I thought if I said I loved her best, you'd work a little harder.
(BOTH CHUCKLING) You're joking, aren't you? Yeah.
Kind of.
Well, then, I'm kind of gonna rub this dinner in her face next time I see her.
She was a mother to you when you needed one, too, which is another reason I love her so much.
Yeah, I forgot about that.
I'm really happy that we're getting to know each other.
I feel the same way.
Thank you, Ricky.
Thank you for forgiving me.
And for letting me have this time with you and Amy and John.
I mean, if I were you, I would have hated my guts till the day I died.
(CHUCKLES) What good would that have done? And you were a victim, too.
Yeah, well, better we both hate your father than hate each other.
It's better we hate no one.
But I am never forgiving him.
You know, some things you forgive, some things you don't, or I don't.
We had some dinners didn't we, when you were growing up? I don't remember any dinners.
Family dinners? You don't remember the night your father had me stand against the dining room wall while he threw knives at me? (IMITATES IMPACTS) My reflexes are still like lightening.
I remember.
I just don't think it's funny.
It was terrifying.
Hmm.
I wasn't terrified.
You were high.
Did you forget that? Oh.
You're right.
I did forget that.
But my point was I did try to have family dinners when you were growing up.
Well, thank you for that.
(BOTH CHUCKLING) NORA: So sad I'm sorry.
(SIGHS) I forgot to call her.
Oh, I'll be on my way.
Yeah, I'll take you.
Just hold on a minute.
I meant to call you, but how'd it go? Dinner with your dad.
Well, we weren't laughing.
No? No.
And you didn't just forget to call me.
You didn't want to call me and tell me that you weren't coming over.
My dad let Madison and her dad, and Lauren and her dad come over since you and Nora weren't going to be there.
I didn't know.
How's Dr.
Fields? How do you think he is? Madison slept with his daughter's boyfriend.
Right.
I forgot.
You forgot? How can you just forget something like that? So why were they all over there for dinner? I don't know.
I guess they thought it would all end up in happiness or something.
With me, Madison and Lauren all friends again.
And did it? No.
All right, well, I'm just gonna give you some time and I'll take my mom back to your dad's.
Bye.
Night, John.
I'll be back to tuck you in.
I'll get those later.
Let's get out of here.
Are we in trouble? Yes.
Let's go.
Hurry up.
Bye, Amy! He loves you.
(MOUTHING) (KNOCKING AT DOOR) JACK: It's me, Grace.
(SIGHS) Hungry? How did you know? Adrian called me.
She's hanging out with her mom and she said you might like some food and some company.
Come on in.
You're welcome.
What is this? Oh, it's a vegetarian lasagna and a salad.
Rachel can really cook when she's in the big kitchen.
(SCOFFS) So you and Rachel and her kids and Tom all had dinner in my house and you didn't even invite me? And Milton.
Milton's there, too.
You know, I've been thinking I think my life really went downhill after we had sex.
I think that's when my life took a bad turn.
How has your life taken a bad turn? (SCOFFS) I don't know, but look at me.
I'm hiding in Adrian's condo, I'm going to summer school with a bunch of losers and lying to my mother.
Then go home, drop out of summer school and stop lying to your mother.
I'm not the problem.
Having sex with me wasn't the problem.
You' just making it the problem.
Thank you for the lasagna.
Good night.
Good night.
And by the way, this doesn't bother me at all.
It was just what I was expecting.
You can ask Adrian.
I told her this would happen.
Good night.
(CELL PHONE RINGING) Hello? Grace, is that you? Mom! I've been trying to reach you.
I've been calling and calling.
I just went downstairs to grab something to eat.
I'm eating, too.
Jack just brought over dinner.
Oh? Well, that was nice of him.
I'm keeping my promise.
I didn't let him stay.
No boys this summer.
Didn't let him stay? Stay where? Honey, I know.
I know what you're doing.
I know you're at Adrian's.
I know you're going to summer school.
Tom told me.
Tom told you? Yeah, he told me after the first day I got here and I was just waiting for you to tell me.
I'm actually really happy to get your message.
You were? Yes, I was.
I'm really happy that you decided to tell me the truth.
I'm really sorry.
Honey, me too.
I'm sorry I didn't let you make the decision about that on your own.
I mean, I was disappointed that you lied, but you know what? I thought you would do just what you're doing.
I want to stay here.
Just for the summer.
Why don't you decide after I tell you what I want to tell you.
And what's that? Turns out that your dad came over here every year to do more than just help people.
What? Grace, your dad had a girlfriend here.
Apparently for quite some time.
What? Yeah.
+ Hey, you want to, uh Have a drink? Yeah, I don't think that's good idea.
It's just, uh, I really enjoyed talking to you tonight.
And I could see why you like this girl.
I would have never guessed she smoked pot.
She looks like an angel.
Yeah.
She does.
e is an angel.
Yeah, well, those aren't wings she's flying on.
(CHUCKLES) Yeah, but like you said, good people make bad mistakes.
Well, I'll give it to her.
She did confess to her parents that it wasn't your pot.
Of course, she says it wasn't her pot, it was her friend's.
I don't know whose pot it was, and I don't care.
I swear she doesn't have a drug problem.
She doesn't.
And she's a nice girl.
We'll see.
Yeah, I hope we'll see.
I hope her parents let her see me again.
And if they don't? We'll see.
Okay, well, defying me is one thing.
Defying her parents, that's something else.
Unless her parents give you permission to sleep with her, I wouldn't go there.
I'm not going to go there.
Is that so? That is so.
I am that desperate to have one good year of high school.
I'm kind of glad they sent out that letter to tell parents to have dinner with their kids.
It worked out pretty well after all.
I don't care about that letter.
We've always had dinners together, until you got your own place, and since you've been back, we just got out of the habit of it.
But believe me, Dylan or no Dylan, we'll be having dinners, me and you.
And Camille? And Camille.
Goodnight, Dad.
Night.
Would you get out of here and let me turn out the lights? Otherwise I'm going to have to repeat this entire conversation when Mom comes home and I can't.
I'm sick of talking to you.
I'm sure a lot of people feel that way.
I just wish you had talked to me sooner.
You never have to lie to me.
You could have told me that no-good Jesse slept with your best friend.
My no-good best friend.
Lauren, it was a lousy thing she did, but this is why I think high school is too soon to be having sex.
Young adults just aren't emotionally mature enough to handle everything that goes with the territory.
Why do you keep talking to me? Go talk to Madison.
Because Madison is not my daughter.
You are my daughter.
And I love you.
Then you hate her.
You know I don't.
And you know you don't either.
You will get over this.
No, Daddy, I won't.
She ruined everything.
Oh.
Listen, there's just no sense in losing a best friend and losing a boyfriend, both.
And I know you don't want to put a guy you've dated on and off for the past year over your friend who you've known practically all your life.
I didn't even want him before she slept with him.
I knew I didn't like him anymore.
But I never said that to her and she didn't know I felt that way, yet she did that.
Now we're getting somewhere.
I'm sorry.
You want a sandwich? I'm hungry.
We never really got to eat.
I'm starving.
Come on.
Yeah.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR) Sleeping.
You can't sleep.
I know you're hungry.
Mmm.
I got us some pizza.
You feel like pizza? No.
I'm never eating again for the rest of my life.
I'd so much rather hear you say you'll never have sex again for the rest of your life.
Because, you know, you can live without sex, but you can't live without food.
Come on, it's your favorite.
I can't.
I'm just too embarrassed.
Dad, just turn the lights out and go and maybe, like, leave a slice on the dresser or something.
Hey, come on.
What you did is a terrible thing, but it's not the worst thing that could ever happen.
I mean, the worst thing that could ever happen is that you could wind up pregnant, or wind up with some wicked awful disease from this.
I'm not completely stupid, Dad.
We used a condom.
All right, I don't need to know anything else, other than You would never do anything like this again, right? I could never do this again.
I don't have another best friend.
Have I done something wrong? Is this about you desperately needing to be loved? Or something like that? No.
I just I did it without thinking about it.
You know? I just did it.
And partially because I knew that I shouldn't do it.
I was just so annoyed at Lauren for always being so perfect and I just started talking to Jesse about it, and we just Oh, geez, Dad I'm just so weak when a guy tells me that he wants me or he's attracted to me, or that I'm pretty.
I'm an idiot.
I'm just an idiot.
Well, you're getting smarter.
Or you better get smarter if you want to have any friends.
I know.
Why don't you tell Lauren what you just told me if that's the truth.
That is the truth.
And she won't talk to me.
And she blocked me.
Then write it in a letter.
Put it in your backpack and take it to her tomorrow.
What! Did you get enough to eat? Yes.
I got enough to eat.
Feel like doing anything? You trick me into having dinner alone with my dad and you think I'm going to feel like doing anything? I was hoping.
I didn't wanna have dinner with your dad just because of some letter the principal sent out.
Yeah, well, you could have, I mean for me.
Then it wouldn't have turned into some big confrontation.
Dinner at your house, Amy, is always a confrontation of some sort.
What is dinner over at your house? Here? We had a good time here.
No, I didn't mean our house.
I meant when you have dinner over at Margaret and Shakur's.
It's just food and conversation.
No one goes away upset or hungry.
I would just rather eat with Nora.
I know her better than I know Margaret and Shakur.
Yeah, you do, because you've had more meals with Nora.
I'm sure that's why the principal's pushing for families to have dinner.
My mom and dad insisted on all the kids having dinner every night together, no matter what kids were in the house.
We did that, too.
All right, all right, we didn't.
My dad was always working and I always had band practice or music lessons, and nobody wanted to eat with Ashley.
Someone always got upset, usually me, and no one ever finished their dinner.
Well, except for my dad.
I apologize about tonight.
Maybe I should have had dinner with you and your dad and John and my mom, and I definitely should have called you.
Yes, you should have.
But maybe it was good that you and Madison and Lauren all got pushed into a room together so you three could talk.
We didn't talk.
Oh, you know you and Lauren are going to eventually forgive Madison, so just go on and do it.
Um, no we are not going to forgive her.
I'm gonna have dessert.
you want dessert? No, I do not want dessert.
(SIGHS) Cookie? It's not even that I'm upset with Madison.
I just feel like I have to be upset with her for sleeping with Lauren's boyfriend.
Just like I had to be upset with my dad for cheating on my mom, and because he used to be married to Grace's mom.
Well, that wasn't cheating.
That was his first wife.
I know, but still, it felt like cheating.
Ashley and I used to call her wife number one, not just because he was married to her first, but he still seemed to care about her more than he cared about Mom.
I mean, I know that's probably not true, but I guess we just didn't like the idea of him ever being with someone else.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR) Jacob.
Hi.
Is your mom with you? No.
I just wanted to say goodbye.
Okay, but we said goodbye last night and as I told your mother, I will think about the possibility of you staying with us, but I just don't know.
Please.
Please.
If you don't let me live with you, she's going to send me to boarding school in Paris.
Yeah, well, about that.
I mean, wouldn't you get a better education in Paris than our neighborhood high school? First of all, I understand English.
All right? I speak English.
I don't speak French.
And secondly, I want to know my brother and my sister.
I am sure they want to get to know you as well.
But I want them to have some time to absorb all this.
And I don't even feel like I've had enough time to absorb all this.
I wanna get to know you better.
What else do you want to know? I'm a good student.
I've never gotten into any trouble.
Any.
My mother is a very nice woman.
She is even willing to let me go because that's what I want to do.
I want to go with you.
I can totally take care of myself.
I can cook.
I can sew.
Really? I can sew a button.
(SIGHS) I'm sorry, Jacob.
I have to go.
Jeff's picking me up and I can't be late.
He's a nice man, Dr.
Zegay.
Yes.
My father was a nice man, too.
Well let's just say I hope Jeff is more honest than your father.
Why do you even care if I go to summer school? What are you doing here? I'm moving in! I thought your mom said you couldn't move in.
Yes.
She did.
She said I had to go to med camp.
I couldn't go to summer school.
And, how's she going to find out about it? She left for Africa this morning.
Get up, you're going to summer school.
That's going to be my punishment now? You go out there and you find yourself another boyfriend.
Mom, you totally got the wrong impression of Ben.
Thanks again for letting me walk into school with you.
It makes the first day of high school a little less awkward for me.
You're the person looking out after him at school and keeping him out of trouble.
Amy used to be my best friend.
So did Lauren.
Did you do something they won't forgive you for? I just wanted to apologize.
You knew what you were doing.
I'm not so upset with you as I am with Henry.
Would you consider going out with me? No, I can't.
It was their pot.
They brought it over.
This girl is not the girl for you, Benjamin.
You let Ethan in the apartment alone after everything he did at school today? See, I did learn a little something at summer school.
(CHUCKLES) Amy, please, I really need to talk to you.
Okay, go ahead.
Well, can we go somewhere, like get coffee or something? You know I have to go to work.
I still work at the nursery.
I miss you.
And I miss Lauren.
Yeah, well, you should have thought about how much you were going to miss us before you slept with Jesse.
I made a mistake, I apologized.
I don't know what else to do.
There is nothing else to do.
It's done.
I don't think Lauren can forgive you.
And until and unless Lauren forgives you, we're not friends.
Okay, well, what if instead of forgiving me, you and Lauren just forget it ever happened.
You know, that's what Jesse and I agreed to do, just forget it ever happened.
Yeah, right.
Look, you can't be trusted.
And that's all there is to it.
Well, is there a way I could maybe earn back your trust? How? I don't know, that's what parents say, you know, whenever you lose their trust, that you have to earn it back.
Why does everyone think I'm everyone's parent? I am not your parent.
And I only want to be a parent to John.
I have to get to work and get to John right now.
So, goodbye, Madison.
AMY: (ON PHONE) Guess who tried to talk to me? Who? The one who shall not be named.
Oh, she tried to talk to me, too.
And so did he.
He called me today.
What did he say? That he wanted me to just forget it ever happened.
That's exactly what she said.
I'm not gonna do that.
Well, I don't know how you could do that.
I don't even wanna do that.
I wanna remember that she slept with my boyfriend, knowing that I wouldn't sleep with him because that's the kind of person she is.
And now I don't want that kind of person as a friend, especially not as a best friend.
She violated every code.
The best friend code, the girlfriend code, the woman code.
I really hate her.
She's a cheater.
(SCOFFS) My dad's here.
Oh, no.
Yeah.
Bye.
Who do you hate? I might as well tell you.
Madison.
Because she's a cheater? Yeah.
She's a cheater, she Stole my idea for a paper that we had to write for sociology class.
Then I got in trouble for having the same topic.
It's interesting that she'd wanna take your topic, I mean, Madison's a journalist.
She should be full of ideas and I'd think she'd wanna do her own research and write her own paper.
You don't know anything about her and if you did, you'd hate her, too.
I don't hate anyone.
What was the paper about? About hating people.
And why are you always snooping around my door? Do you ever think about closing your door? You ever heard of knocking? I just wanted to let you know I'm leaving for work.
(CELL PHONE VIBRATING) Hello? RICKMy mom wants us to come over for dinner tonight.
What do you think? It's a school night.
You have a lot of homework? Uh, not really, but do we have to? No, we don't have to.
I don't want to.
But she's my mom and she wants us over there.
Well, I just don't know if I really feel like seeing her and Shakur tonight.
Not that mom.
Nora? RICKYeah.
At my house? At your dad's house, with your dad.
Um, all right.
Well, do you want me to meet you over there? You don't want to have dinner with my mom and dad, but you want to have dinner with your dad and Nora? What's that about? Nothing.
It's just, I don't know, your mom and dad are like parents and I don't want to be with Dad either, but I don't mind Nora so much.
She's fun and she makes my dad totally tolerable.
So, I'll see you over there, okay? I love you.
I gotta go or I'm gonna be late.
Bye.
Love you.
Yeah.
I love you, too.
Falling in love is such an easy thing to do Birds can do it We can do it Let's stop talking Let's get to it Let's fall in love + Hey.
How's summer school going? It sucks.
It totally sucks.
It's a complete waste of time.
Is it? Or are you just totally wasted? No.
I am not totally wasted or even wasted.
Does everyone know about that? Yeah.
I don't care.
Come on, you're dating a pothead? Dylan is not a pothead, okay? She smokes a little pot now and then.
(SCOFFS) That's what my mother used to do.
Smoke a little pot now and then.
Then she went on to bigger and better things.
(SIGHS) I don't need the evils of marijuana.
I'm gonna get more of that at dinner tonight with my dad.
And what part of Amy's family will you be dining with? Principal Nash, he sent of summer school studentss encouraging them to use with their childrenond who apparently have problems in summer school.
I'm not in summer school.
Her dad and my mom.
Nora.
Well, that'll probably be at my house with my dad.
er Oh? What's the problem? you to smoke pot?want (CHUCKLES) Not funny.
to see Dylan.
t want me The girl you were smoking pot with? Look, I just tried it, okay? And Look, it was stupid and I shouldn't have.
But I did and I'm not gonna do it again.
But now I'm forbidden to see Dylan again, and I am going to see Dylan again.
I don't care what the punishment is.
I don't care what he does to me.
(CHUCKLES) Really? Even if he disinherits you? Yeah.
Even if he loses all respect for you? I think he's already done that.
Even if he feels he can never the rest of your life? Yeah, look, I think he already has lost all respect for me and he doesn't trust me now.
So, what can I do? You know, I blew it, and respect me or trust me,t what have I got to lose and seeing Dylan?d Your own self-respect? He's leaving me no choice.
Sure, he is.
You have plenty of choices.
You can, one, do what he says and not see this girl and win back his respect and trust.
Or two, you could just find another girl to go out with who doesn't smoke pot, there are plenty of them, or three, you could just not go out for a while and grow the freak up.
But Dylan doesn't really smoke pot, okay? She has, but I don't think she'll ever do it again.
So I'm going to go out with her.
I'm in love with the girl.
We have everything in common.
Or you can just listen to no one.
Do what you want, possibly ruin your life.
You had a real happy year last year, why don't you go for another one? (SIGHS) That's all I got.
Maybe your dad will have something better for you at dinner.
Maybe if he agreed that with this girl,ke again maybe you could letting him see her, after you've talked to the girl's parents.
d You don't want to distance yourself from him, after all, you wanna get closer.
Yeah, you know, uh, I do wanna get closer, I want us to have an adult relationship.
It's time for us to grow into that at this point, but how? He's not an adult.
right now.
impossible I mean there are no girls out for him to go out with?ot He couldn't take a little break here? After everything that's happened and not date at all? It's tough to navigate these waters, Leo, it is.
But I suggest you do have dinner with him.
I think that letter that is a good idea.
all of us It's good to keep communication open.
After all, they've got to eat, right? Might as well take advantage of it.
And dinner conversation has to be communication, not interrogation, and I got to tell you, as someone who asks a lot of questions for a living, it's not easy for me to follow my own advice on that.
Well, you don't have any problems with Lauren.
No, but we still have problems communicating.
Just this afternoon, I overheard her saying something about hating Madison and it hurt me to hear her say she hates her best friend.
How could she not? I mean, after Madison slept with her boyfriend.
Oh, look, time's up.
We'll go off the clock.
I'd like to talk to you a few minutes more.
Hey, Mopey Head.
Still listening to sad music? I don't have anything else to do.
Other than my stupid homework.
Well, that kind of comes with the territory, doesn't it? You chose summer school.
You must have known there'd be homework.
Yeah.
I just didn't know I wouldn't be doing it with my best friends.
How'd it go with Amy? Did you talk to her? Yeah.
But it didn't help.
She's not going to be my friend unless Lauren forgives me.
It's just ridiculous that you girls are fighting.
The three of you are going to end your friendship because you bought the same backpack as Lauren? Well, she wanted to be the only one that had it.
You know, she said that I copied her, and that I copy her on everything and that I want everything she has.
She even thinks I want her boyfriend.
Well, that's just ridiculous.
Yeah.
I don't even want her boyfriend.
I'm not even attracted to him.
He smiles too much.
He's always just smiling and smiling and smiling.
(SIGHS) I hate that in a guy.
So, I guess I'm just going to have to find some new best friends.
Oh, honey, I hate to see you like this.
Girls can be so mean sometimes.
But I'm sure this all can be fixed.
I'm sure it can't.
Well, we'll see.
Yeah.
I tell you what.
Why don't the two of us go out to dinner tonight? Emily has book club tonight.
You got that letter? Yes, I did.
(SIGHS) All right.
It'll be fun.
Hey, did you ask me to ask Amy to come to dinner just because George got some letter from the principal about family dinners? Yeah.
RICKI don't wanna have dinner with George.
You wanna have dinner, just the two of us? We haven't done that in a long time.
And we're a family, too, you and me.
Well, isn't that sweet? Yeah, I'd love to have dinner, just you and me.
You tell George.
I'll tell George.
You tell Amy.
+ Lauren? What? Hey, Mom's working late and I'm starving.
Let's go have some dinner.
I know about the letter.
And I don't feel like it.
We already talked.
We just talked this afternoon.
No, we didn't really talk this afternoon, let's go have some dinner.
I'll pick you up in 15 minutes.
I just said I don't feel like it.
And I just said I'll pick you up in 15 minutes.
(PHONE RINGING) Fifteen minutes.
Excuse me? MORGAN: Dr.
Fields? Oh, I'm so sorry, I thought this was someone else.
Who's calling, please? It's Madison's dad, Morgan.
I guess we haven't talked in a long time.
No, we haven't.
Well, maybe we should.
Maybe we all should.
You and Lauren and me and Madison.
Do you really think that's a good idea? I was hoping that you'd think it was a good idea.
I took the idea right out of one of your books.
Chapter seven, confronting the problem head-on.
Oh, yeah.
You're right.
Or I guess I'm right.
But I just told Lauren I'd pick her up in 15 minutes to take her to dinner.
She didn't want to go with me, so I know she's not gonna want to go if I tell her that you and Madison want to join us.
And I know why.
Yeah.
Apparently she thinks that Madison wants everything that's hers.
Interesting way of putting it.
It just seems that they've been friends for such a long time that there must be some way to bring them back together.
I mean, I hate to see them lose a lifetime friendship over a guy and a backpack.
I don't know anything about the backpack, but I think I'd have to have several dinners with Lauren before she'd have dinner with you and Madison.
"But the more that time that goes by, "the more difficult it's going to be to mend this rift.
" Now you're quoting me.
And I think we should call George.
Juergens? It really is about the three of them.
Is it? Well, yeah.
(DOOR OPENING) Where have you been? Where have I been? Well, I went by my house to pick up some things, and I found a letter.
The principal sent my mother a letter! I mean, maybe he found out that I got kicked out of med camp and I'm living here (GASPS) and maybe he knows I'm lying to her.
Everyone got that letter.
Wait, everyone's in trouble? It's a stupid letter from the principal saying that he wants "parents to have dinner with their children more often.
" What? Why? I don't know.
It's supposed to help bond the family together, somehow cut down drug use, alcohol, all that.
But we're not doing drugs, and we're not drinking, and (SCOFFS) I'm really close to my mother.
Or I was, until I started lying to her all the time.
I'm a big, fat liar! Well, you could go to dinner with me and my family 'cause they got that letter, too and now we have to go over there for dinner.
Adrian, I don't, I just, I don't really feel like I'm up for it.
(CELL PHONE RINGS) (SIGHS) We're coming! It's your family, you go.
I don't wanna go.
It's part of your responsibility as my roommate.
Adrian, I don't wanna go.
I think I'm gonna see if I can get my mom on the phone.
I wanna talk to her.
I mean, I'm gonna see her in a few days and I wanna tell her before I see her face-to-face.
Fine.
I have to go.
Hey! Sorry I'm late.
That's okay.
Thanks for telling Nora and Ricky to have dinner on their own.
Ashley went up to see your mother, so that leaves the two of us.
And your buddies.
What buddies? Hi, Amy.
Shut up.
+ I didn't know you could cook, George.
Have to, otherwise, I wouldn't eat.
(CHUCKLES) This is delicious.
It was really nice of you to have us over at the last minute.
Lauren, wasn't it nice to get a home-cooked meal and not go out, have some time with your friends? (SCOFFS) The letter didn't say have dinner with your friends.
It said have dinner with your family.
MORGAN: But you're like family.
You three have been friends for a really long time.
And we want you to be friends for an even longer time.
So, someone wanna tell me what's going on? I know something's going on.
I got the phone bill today.
Ames? (CELL PHONE CHIMES) Uh, well Maybe Amy and I should just stay out of this.
Oh, Amy's already in it.
'Cause she took a side.
She took Lauren's side.
I don't think there are sides, really.
There's more like there's a right and there's a wrong and it was wrong to sleep with Lauren's boyfriend.
(CHUCKLES) Nobody slept with anybody's boyfriend.
Oh, dear lord.
This isn't about a backpack? It's not about a backpack.
It's not about a stolen idea for a paper, either.
(MOUTHING) So, how old is this guy? How old is he? Yeah, it's a simple question.
How old is he? He's 20, 21, something like that.
What, you don't know? Twenty or 21? What difference does it make? She's turning 19.
She's a grown woman.
She can date either She's going to college in a couple of months.
Legally, there's a big difference between 20 and 21.
For example, the legal drinking age is 21.
I'm not drinking.
Does he drink? No.
Have you had sex with him? Ruben! Can we just talk about you and not me? All right.
Let's talk about me.
I am very angry right now and I don't think that you should be sexually involved with a guy before you're even divorced.
Did you add something to the mole sauce? It tastes a little different tonight.
It's really good.
Uh, yeah, a little bit more cinnamon.
Wow.
Little cinnamon.
Hmm.
Big difference.
So, how's Ben? How is it being in summer school with him? It's okay.
He and Henry got into some big fight about Something.
Oh! He's dating some pothead from that private school.
Oh, come on.
Ben? Yeah.
I heard he got busted by Leo, smoking in his bedroom with this girl and her friends.
(SIGHS) (SPEAKING SPANISH) What did Leo do? I don't know.
The thing is I know what it sounds like, Ben's history.
Ninth grade, he starts high school.
First day, he falls in love with a girl who got pregnant that summer the first time she had sex with a guy she just met at band camp.
He was crazy about her.
Eventually she fell in love with the baby's father, and Ben Ben not being in a good place, had sex with another girl and, well They both took precautions but things went wrong and she ended up pregnant, and he stood by her.
He married her.
He did the right thing.
Unfortunately, the baby was stillborn.
So my Ben has been through a lot.
Yeah, which is why he probably got drunk that time.
Thank you for reminding me.
Yes, he did.
He was so distraught.
One night, he went out and had a few too many.
But I'm not making excuses.
I'm just saying, uh, my Ben has made mistakes but he's a good kid.
And you know what, Dylan, I realized the same may be true about you.
You may have made some mistakes yourself, but you may also be a good kid.
She is a good kid.
A very good kid.
An excellent kid.
Almost perfect.
Almost.
I think what Mr.
Boykewich may be getting at is Is what? That wasn't Ben's pot we were smoking and he didn't bring it from the party.
Then whose pot was it? Mercedes.
Who? My friend.
(SIGHS) Oh, geez, Dylan! Okay, okay, I'm back from what was practically a scavenger hunt.
Hello.
We didn't drop in.
We were invited.
Really? Are we all going to dinner? Oh, I don't think so.
We just want to apologize for any misunderstandings about, you know You.
So, we should be going.
We were just invited for cocktails.
Well, not cocktails.
Beverages and canapes.
Uh, but, you could stay for dinner.
They could stay for dinner, right, Dad? We should talk.
We should all talk.
I don't think so, Ben.
Thank you.
And, uh, we'll take care of it.
And, uh, I'll get back to you.
One of us will.
Good night.
Good night.
Thank you.
Bye, Ben.
What did you do? We'll talk about it at dinner.
It's not all bad.
(SIGHS) Ice cream? Um, no, no thanks.
I'm just going to help you get this stuff cleaned up and then I better get John and get home.
I swear I didn't know.
Morgan called and he said there was a problem between the three of you and he'd love it if we could all get together and I already cooked 'cause I thought you and Ricky and Nora and me were going to have dinner.
I thought this was way better, don't you think? I really had no idea anything was going on with you and Madison and Lauren because someone didn't tell me.
Someone waited to text me during dinner.
I didn't know what else to do.
Nice poker face, Dad.
(SIGHS) She slept with him? What happened to Jack? (SCOFFS) I don't know.
Jack's always been in love with Grace.
I mean, Jack's obsessed with Grace.
And I think Madison just wanted to be with someone and that someone who was convenient was Jesse.
Are you really never going to talk to her again? Well, I talk to her.
When I have to.
But I don't like her anymore.
I mean, I feel sorry for her, but I just don't like her anymore.
I don't like that she would do something like that to someone, especially Lauren.
What about Jesse? Are you speaking to him? Is Lauren speaking to him? He called Lauren, but she doesn't like him anymore and neither do I.
And she doesn't like Madison anymore either.
Well, that's a shame that that happened, but things like that happen.
Yeah, well this is how that happened.
Madison was feeling bad about herself because she and Jack aren't together anymore.
And she knew that Jesse had been trying to sleep with Lauren, and she knew Lauren didn't wanna sleep with him.
And, so, maybe it was a mistake but she had to have thought about it.
Did you think about it the night you first slept with Ricky? I mean, maybe, like you, she was just making out and then things went farther than she thought they would go.
We're talking about Madison.
I hadn't had sex before I slept with Ricky and I didn't know what I was doing.
She knew what she was doing.
Ricky knew what he was doing.
And you forgave him.
Eventually.
It seems to me the longer you wait to forgive her, and I know you're gonna forgive her, the worse the summer is going to be.
It was a dumb thing.
People do dumb things.
I'm the king of dumb things.
But you're gonna get over it, so get over it.
No.
I'm not just going to get over it, Dad.
My best friend slept with my other best friend's boyfriend.
She's not my best friend anymore.
Are you really in any place to judge anyone? I mean, just because things turned out good for you doesn't make you better than anyone else.
Just look at our family.
You know, maybe it's family dinners that drive kids to drink and do drugs.
+ I ran up at lunch, put it in the slow cooker.
It's good, isn't it? Yeah! How'd you learn to cook? Uh Oh, Shakur and Margaret.
It's basically knowing how to read and making the effort.
It's not that hard.
Well, everything is delicious.
The brisket, the roasted corn, the salad.
I'm just glad we get to have this dinner together.
Just the two of us, a little family dinner.
So, let me ask you something.
Who do you love more, me or Margaret? Seriously? Yeah.
Margaret, I guess.
Really? Yeah, but if it's any consolation, Amy loves you best.
Aw, that's sweet, but let's get back to you.
What do I have to do to get you to love me best? I love you, but she was a mom to me when I needed a mom.
Besides, I thought if I said I loved her best, you'd work a little harder.
(BOTH CHUCKLING) You're joking, aren't you? Yeah.
Kind of.
Well, then, I'm kind of gonna rub this dinner in her face next time I see her.
She was a mother to you when you needed one, too, which is another reason I love her so much.
Yeah, I forgot about that.
I'm really happy that we're getting to know each other.
I feel the same way.
Thank you, Ricky.
Thank you for forgiving me.
And for letting me have this time with you and Amy and John.
I mean, if I were you, I would have hated my guts till the day I died.
(CHUCKLES) What good would that have done? And you were a victim, too.
Yeah, well, better we both hate your father than hate each other.
It's better we hate no one.
But I am never forgiving him.
You know, some things you forgive, some things you don't, or I don't.
We had some dinners didn't we, when you were growing up? I don't remember any dinners.
Family dinners? You don't remember the night your father had me stand against the dining room wall while he threw knives at me? (IMITATES IMPACTS) My reflexes are still like lightening.
I remember.
I just don't think it's funny.
It was terrifying.
Hmm.
I wasn't terrified.
You were high.
Did you forget that? Oh.
You're right.
I did forget that.
But my point was I did try to have family dinners when you were growing up.
Well, thank you for that.
(BOTH CHUCKLING) NORA: So sad I'm sorry.
(SIGHS) I forgot to call her.
Oh, I'll be on my way.
Yeah, I'll take you.
Just hold on a minute.
I meant to call you, but how'd it go? Dinner with your dad.
Well, we weren't laughing.
No? No.
And you didn't just forget to call me.
You didn't want to call me and tell me that you weren't coming over.
My dad let Madison and her dad, and Lauren and her dad come over since you and Nora weren't going to be there.
I didn't know.
How's Dr.
Fields? How do you think he is? Madison slept with his daughter's boyfriend.
Right.
I forgot.
You forgot? How can you just forget something like that? So why were they all over there for dinner? I don't know.
I guess they thought it would all end up in happiness or something.
With me, Madison and Lauren all friends again.
And did it? No.
All right, well, I'm just gonna give you some time and I'll take my mom back to your dad's.
Bye.
Night, John.
I'll be back to tuck you in.
I'll get those later.
Let's get out of here.
Are we in trouble? Yes.
Let's go.
Hurry up.
Bye, Amy! He loves you.
(MOUTHING) (KNOCKING AT DOOR) JACK: It's me, Grace.
(SIGHS) Hungry? How did you know? Adrian called me.
She's hanging out with her mom and she said you might like some food and some company.
Come on in.
You're welcome.
What is this? Oh, it's a vegetarian lasagna and a salad.
Rachel can really cook when she's in the big kitchen.
(SCOFFS) So you and Rachel and her kids and Tom all had dinner in my house and you didn't even invite me? And Milton.
Milton's there, too.
You know, I've been thinking I think my life really went downhill after we had sex.
I think that's when my life took a bad turn.
How has your life taken a bad turn? (SCOFFS) I don't know, but look at me.
I'm hiding in Adrian's condo, I'm going to summer school with a bunch of losers and lying to my mother.
Then go home, drop out of summer school and stop lying to your mother.
I'm not the problem.
Having sex with me wasn't the problem.
You' just making it the problem.
Thank you for the lasagna.
Good night.
Good night.
And by the way, this doesn't bother me at all.
It was just what I was expecting.
You can ask Adrian.
I told her this would happen.
Good night.
(CELL PHONE RINGING) Hello? Grace, is that you? Mom! I've been trying to reach you.
I've been calling and calling.
I just went downstairs to grab something to eat.
I'm eating, too.
Jack just brought over dinner.
Oh? Well, that was nice of him.
I'm keeping my promise.
I didn't let him stay.
No boys this summer.
Didn't let him stay? Stay where? Honey, I know.
I know what you're doing.
I know you're at Adrian's.
I know you're going to summer school.
Tom told me.
Tom told you? Yeah, he told me after the first day I got here and I was just waiting for you to tell me.
I'm actually really happy to get your message.
You were? Yes, I was.
I'm really happy that you decided to tell me the truth.
I'm really sorry.
Honey, me too.
I'm sorry I didn't let you make the decision about that on your own.
I mean, I was disappointed that you lied, but you know what? I thought you would do just what you're doing.
I want to stay here.
Just for the summer.
Why don't you decide after I tell you what I want to tell you.
And what's that? Turns out that your dad came over here every year to do more than just help people.
What? Grace, your dad had a girlfriend here.
Apparently for quite some time.
What? Yeah.
+ Hey, you want to, uh Have a drink? Yeah, I don't think that's good idea.
It's just, uh, I really enjoyed talking to you tonight.
And I could see why you like this girl.
I would have never guessed she smoked pot.
She looks like an angel.
Yeah.
She does.
e is an angel.
Yeah, well, those aren't wings she's flying on.
(CHUCKLES) Yeah, but like you said, good people make bad mistakes.
Well, I'll give it to her.
She did confess to her parents that it wasn't your pot.
Of course, she says it wasn't her pot, it was her friend's.
I don't know whose pot it was, and I don't care.
I swear she doesn't have a drug problem.
She doesn't.
And she's a nice girl.
We'll see.
Yeah, I hope we'll see.
I hope her parents let her see me again.
And if they don't? We'll see.
Okay, well, defying me is one thing.
Defying her parents, that's something else.
Unless her parents give you permission to sleep with her, I wouldn't go there.
I'm not going to go there.
Is that so? That is so.
I am that desperate to have one good year of high school.
I'm kind of glad they sent out that letter to tell parents to have dinner with their kids.
It worked out pretty well after all.
I don't care about that letter.
We've always had dinners together, until you got your own place, and since you've been back, we just got out of the habit of it.
But believe me, Dylan or no Dylan, we'll be having dinners, me and you.
And Camille? And Camille.
Goodnight, Dad.
Night.
Would you get out of here and let me turn out the lights? Otherwise I'm going to have to repeat this entire conversation when Mom comes home and I can't.
I'm sick of talking to you.
I'm sure a lot of people feel that way.
I just wish you had talked to me sooner.
You never have to lie to me.
You could have told me that no-good Jesse slept with your best friend.
My no-good best friend.
Lauren, it was a lousy thing she did, but this is why I think high school is too soon to be having sex.
Young adults just aren't emotionally mature enough to handle everything that goes with the territory.
Why do you keep talking to me? Go talk to Madison.
Because Madison is not my daughter.
You are my daughter.
And I love you.
Then you hate her.
You know I don't.
And you know you don't either.
You will get over this.
No, Daddy, I won't.
She ruined everything.
Oh.
Listen, there's just no sense in losing a best friend and losing a boyfriend, both.
And I know you don't want to put a guy you've dated on and off for the past year over your friend who you've known practically all your life.
I didn't even want him before she slept with him.
I knew I didn't like him anymore.
But I never said that to her and she didn't know I felt that way, yet she did that.
Now we're getting somewhere.
I'm sorry.
You want a sandwich? I'm hungry.
We never really got to eat.
I'm starving.
Come on.
Yeah.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR) Sleeping.
You can't sleep.
I know you're hungry.
Mmm.
I got us some pizza.
You feel like pizza? No.
I'm never eating again for the rest of my life.
I'd so much rather hear you say you'll never have sex again for the rest of your life.
Because, you know, you can live without sex, but you can't live without food.
Come on, it's your favorite.
I can't.
I'm just too embarrassed.
Dad, just turn the lights out and go and maybe, like, leave a slice on the dresser or something.
Hey, come on.
What you did is a terrible thing, but it's not the worst thing that could ever happen.
I mean, the worst thing that could ever happen is that you could wind up pregnant, or wind up with some wicked awful disease from this.
I'm not completely stupid, Dad.
We used a condom.
All right, I don't need to know anything else, other than You would never do anything like this again, right? I could never do this again.
I don't have another best friend.
Have I done something wrong? Is this about you desperately needing to be loved? Or something like that? No.
I just I did it without thinking about it.
You know? I just did it.
And partially because I knew that I shouldn't do it.
I was just so annoyed at Lauren for always being so perfect and I just started talking to Jesse about it, and we just Oh, geez, Dad I'm just so weak when a guy tells me that he wants me or he's attracted to me, or that I'm pretty.
I'm an idiot.
I'm just an idiot.
Well, you're getting smarter.
Or you better get smarter if you want to have any friends.
I know.
Why don't you tell Lauren what you just told me if that's the truth.
That is the truth.
And she won't talk to me.
And she blocked me.
Then write it in a letter.
Put it in your backpack and take it to her tomorrow.
What! Did you get enough to eat? Yes.
I got enough to eat.
Feel like doing anything? You trick me into having dinner alone with my dad and you think I'm going to feel like doing anything? I was hoping.
I didn't wanna have dinner with your dad just because of some letter the principal sent out.
Yeah, well, you could have, I mean for me.
Then it wouldn't have turned into some big confrontation.
Dinner at your house, Amy, is always a confrontation of some sort.
What is dinner over at your house? Here? We had a good time here.
No, I didn't mean our house.
I meant when you have dinner over at Margaret and Shakur's.
It's just food and conversation.
No one goes away upset or hungry.
I would just rather eat with Nora.
I know her better than I know Margaret and Shakur.
Yeah, you do, because you've had more meals with Nora.
I'm sure that's why the principal's pushing for families to have dinner.
My mom and dad insisted on all the kids having dinner every night together, no matter what kids were in the house.
We did that, too.
All right, all right, we didn't.
My dad was always working and I always had band practice or music lessons, and nobody wanted to eat with Ashley.
Someone always got upset, usually me, and no one ever finished their dinner.
Well, except for my dad.
I apologize about tonight.
Maybe I should have had dinner with you and your dad and John and my mom, and I definitely should have called you.
Yes, you should have.
But maybe it was good that you and Madison and Lauren all got pushed into a room together so you three could talk.
We didn't talk.
Oh, you know you and Lauren are going to eventually forgive Madison, so just go on and do it.
Um, no we are not going to forgive her.
I'm gonna have dessert.
you want dessert? No, I do not want dessert.
(SIGHS) Cookie? It's not even that I'm upset with Madison.
I just feel like I have to be upset with her for sleeping with Lauren's boyfriend.
Just like I had to be upset with my dad for cheating on my mom, and because he used to be married to Grace's mom.
Well, that wasn't cheating.
That was his first wife.
I know, but still, it felt like cheating.
Ashley and I used to call her wife number one, not just because he was married to her first, but he still seemed to care about her more than he cared about Mom.
I mean, I know that's probably not true, but I guess we just didn't like the idea of him ever being with someone else.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR) Jacob.
Hi.
Is your mom with you? No.
I just wanted to say goodbye.
Okay, but we said goodbye last night and as I told your mother, I will think about the possibility of you staying with us, but I just don't know.
Please.
Please.
If you don't let me live with you, she's going to send me to boarding school in Paris.
Yeah, well, about that.
I mean, wouldn't you get a better education in Paris than our neighborhood high school? First of all, I understand English.
All right? I speak English.
I don't speak French.
And secondly, I want to know my brother and my sister.
I am sure they want to get to know you as well.
But I want them to have some time to absorb all this.
And I don't even feel like I've had enough time to absorb all this.
I wanna get to know you better.
What else do you want to know? I'm a good student.
I've never gotten into any trouble.
Any.
My mother is a very nice woman.
She is even willing to let me go because that's what I want to do.
I want to go with you.
I can totally take care of myself.
I can cook.
I can sew.
Really? I can sew a button.
(SIGHS) I'm sorry, Jacob.
I have to go.
Jeff's picking me up and I can't be late.
He's a nice man, Dr.
Zegay.
Yes.
My father was a nice man, too.
Well let's just say I hope Jeff is more honest than your father.