The Wonder Years s05e19 Episode Script

There's one thing every kid needs growing up It's a best friend.
Someone you trust.
Someone who trusts you.
Someone you measure yourself against.
You go through everything together.
The important thingsstupid things Things that matter Things that don't.
Paul Pfeiffer and I had been best friends since the day we were born.
And in that time, we'd been through everything.
Well, almost everything.
Everything, that is, but Here it is, guys.
Our invitationTo paradise.
What? "Bedknobs and Broomsticks"? Look again, doofus.
"Carnalknowledge".
In adolescent termsIt meant one thing.
A three-letter word, starting with "S", ending with "X" And sandwiched in the middle Ann-Margret.
/ You got it.
Lemme see that.
Not that I was some kind of fiend, ya understand.
I was justsixteen.
So, when do we go? / How about Friday night? I'm there! / Count me in! After all, it was a major cinematic event.
Something no red-blooded male could turn down.
Forget it - you can't see this.
What?! You heard me.
Says right here - ya gotta be seventeen.
That was Paul for ya.
Grandma in size twelve desert boots.
So? We've all got fake ID's, right?/ Right! Besides, PaulI think you're missin' the point.
Yeah - lemme lay this out for you.
In this movieTheydoeverything.
Everything? / Everything.
Like what? Now, keep in mindThis was nineteen-seventy-two.
Well, uh Lust and ignorance went hand-in-hand.
Well, if you don't know, we're not gonna tell you.
Yeah.
/ Right.
Look.
Paul, we're goin'.
So, you coming with us or not? Well, I'd like to.
/ Great! There.
Done deal.
But, Ican't.
I'm having dinner.
With my family.
I don't believe this.
Dinner with your family? I'd known Paul a long time.
I'd seen him do a lot of unexplainable things.
But this Kev, I told you - it was unavoidable.
My mom's old college roommate's staying in town.
I mean, she and her family -/ So, tell 'em you're sick.
Oh, right.
Look.
This roommate's got a daughter who's a freshman in college.
And she's studying marine biology.
So? Well I'm interested in marine biology, so I thought this would be - Wait.
Paul - lemme get this straight.
You're giving up a perfectly good Friday nightto talk about fish? Well There.
I had him on the ropes.
All I needed nowWas a sucker-punch.
Come on Come with us.
For me.
OKmaybe I can make the nine o'clock show.
Bingo.
I'll pick ya up at eight-thirty.
And with that, we were on our way.
The plan was set.
Paul.
Keverooski's here.
Oh.
Paul.
You ready? Well, actuallyWehaven't had dinner yet.
Say, Kev - why don't you join us? Ida bastes a mean turkey.
Thanks, butI have plans.
Alvin! Woops - the chef called.
I couldn't believe it.
What are you doing? I was counting on you.
Look, Kev, I'm sorry.
But we kinda got delayed, you knowtalking.
Oh, yeah? Talking about what? Marine biology? Sea life? Squids? Woops.
Paul.
Talk about your basic bad timing.
Uh, Kevthis is my mom's college roommate's daughter.
Beth.
Swell.
It's nice to meet you - Paul's told me a lot about you.
Um, well He says you're off to see a movie tonight.
Yeah.
But I'm not too sure about which one we're gonna go see, yet.
I mean, maybe"Bedknobs and Broomsticks", or, you know I hear Jack Nicholson's very good in it.
Great.
First I'm stood up, now I'm made a laughing-stockin front of a total stranger.
So, Paul - what's it gonna be? Are you coming or not? Kev - I can't.
OK, then.
Fine.
Stay.
So much for doing everything together.
But I'll tell ya this You miss tonightYou'll be missing out.
Well.
.
this is it.
Yeah.
And so, we'd arrived.
Minus one best-friend, maybe But ready for anything.
/ Wow There it was.
Beneath that marquee lay forbidden experience.
Mysteries unveiled.
Mysteries like So, who's gonna buy the tickets? What do ya mean "who's gonna buy the tickets"? I thought you we're gonna buy the tickets.
What? Why me? Cause you're the one with the fake ID.
Me? I don't have a fake ID.
I thought you had a fake ID.
What?! You told me you had a fake ID.
Hey, Kev? You have a fake ID? I don't believe this.
It was incredible.
Here we wereFifty feet from the consciousness-raising experienceOf our lives and we'd been shut down for lack of a pettyForgery.
So what are we gonna do? Chuck! What are ya doin'? OK - we were breaking and entering.
Maybe it was wrong, but these things happen whenYou're keeping an appointment with My God - you're hot.
Destiny.
There she is It wasawe-inspiring.
We sat there, three under-age pilgrims at the Mecca of forbidden fruit.
Just us Ann-Margret And, of course One angry usher.
See your tickets? Cindy's not a virgin, either! Won't anything make a man out of you? You once told me never to take your gun away from ya You yellow-bellied And there ya had it.
The perfect end to a perfect evening.
All I knew was I was miffed.
At Ricky and ChuckAt fake ID's and R-ratings Not to mention the neighborhood turn-coat.
Paul - what are you doing here? Well, I saw the light on.
Could we talk for a second? What about - marine biology? No Wellwhat is it? Well It's kinda hard to say.
Keep in mindthe night I'd had.
I'd been ditched, dumped, and thrown out on my ear.
I was in no mood for beating around the bush.
Look, Paul - it's late.
So unless this is really, really important It's about Beth.
You know atat my house.
What about her? Wellwe were having dinner together - I know that, Paul.
And One thing led to another Wait.
Lemme guess.
After the turkeyyou snuck into the kitchen, and made mad passionate love to each other.
Right? Right? OK - it was mean.
I couldn't help myself.
I just wasn't prepared for what Paul said back.
Well See, that's the thing it wasn't the kitchen.
And with thatsuddenly, everything changed.
I can't believe this! / Neither can I.
Paul - if you're lying to me Kev, I'm not lying.
It happened.
You sure? / I think so.
It was incredible.
Paul Pfeiffer had come to me in the middle of the nightWith the biggest news of our lives.
Well, his anyway.
Sohow did it happen? Exactly.
And, like all best friendsI needed the low-down.
Well / Paul? What are you doin' here at this hour? Rats! Uhnothing.
I wasjust visiting.
Ohwell don't stay up too late.
/ Sure, Dad.
G'night.
And, back to the main event.
So? Where were we? I don't know Paul! No, I mean, I don't know.
Besides, it was.
dark, and.
confusing.
And that's it? That's it.
Then she and her family went back to their motel.
Jeez - talk about leaving outOne or two minor details.
What do you mean, "that's it"? Not to pry, or anything.
What? That's all you're gonna tell me? What do ya mean? I just told ya everything OK.
Fine.
You don't want to tell me.
I understand.
Even though I didn't.
At all.
Period.
I mean there's no point in talking about it anymore, right? Right.
Somaybe I should go.
Yeah.
I mean if the guy wanted to be that way Let him.
What did I care? Just because we'd alwaysGone through everything together before Seeya tomorrow? / Sure.
No reason why things shouldn't change now.
Nope.
The best thing to do was just forget about it.
I forgot about itall night.
Hey.
/ Hi.
Look, Paul About last night I know you came over to talk to me becauseI'm your friend.
So, if you need to talk about it I just want you to know that I'm here for you.
Thanks.
But I don't think I want to talk about it anymore.
Oh, come on.
I know you want to talk about it.
No.
Kev, really Of course you do, Paul! I mean, I'd talk about it with you.
Yeah, well, it didn't happen to you.
What?! It was kinda like being socked in the face.
Wait a minute.
What's that supposed to mean? Look, Kev / I mean, excuse me.
Maybe you should tell me what subjects we can talk about.
Would it be sports? Marine biology? I mean, you come to my house in the middle of the night You wake me up to brag about - I did not.
/ You did too.
I did not.
/ You did too.
Look Just don't tell anybody about this, OK? Me? Hey - don't worry about it - my lips are sealed.
Good.
/ Great.
After all, let him keep it to himself.
Mr.
High-and-Mighty.
I was leading a pretty exciting life of my own.
Ricky! Do ya have to do that? What? Dump the.
milk in your mouth like that.
Can't ya just drink it? Like a person? Sorry.
The thing is, suddenly my friends all seemed likeChildren.
OK, gents.
We are in! In where? You knowthe movie! My brother said he'd buy us the tickets if we pay his way in! Cool! / Great.
What's the matter with him? Nothing.
It's just you guys should hear yourselves.
We're in".
.
"cool" I mean you guys are sixteen years old, sneaking into a movie theater.
Doesn't that tell you anything? Apparently it didn't.
Look.
Has it even occured to youthat people here - people our age are doing exactly the things that the people in the movies are just pretending to do? OK - so it didn't makeReal sense.
I knew what I meant.
Unfortunately What "people"? Oh, no.
It was amazing.
These two dolts, who couldn't grapple with the concept of grilled cheese Had suddenly turned into geniuses.
Hey, Kevin - tell us his initials.
Forget it! If we guess.
.
will ya tell us if we're right? No.
Come on, Kev - we'd tell you I told ya - it's no one, OK? Hey, guys.
And that's when it happened.
What? Now, of course, to an impartial juryI may have been innocent it's him I don't believe it! It's Pfeiffer! Pfeiffer you dog! Way to go, Pfeiff! Who's the lucky girl? Stilldeep down, I knew Paul, I didn't Thanks a lot, Kev.
I was guilty as hell.
That afternoon, I took a walk.
Didn't feel much like driving.
I thought about what had gone on between me and Paul.
About how our lives were changing.
Something was happening to us.
Something complicated.
And all I knew was I couldn't let things go the way they were.
Paul! Kevin's here to see you.
Well, one thing was obviousThis wasn't gonna be easy.
Hey.
/ Hi.
What are ya doin'? Oh, this? Nothin'.
It's Beth's.
She left it here.
Yeah - about that.
Paul I'm sorry about what happened.
You know, with me, andWith the guys.
I just don't know what got into me.
I mean I guess I should be happy for you.
But, insteadI just feel lousy.
And I don't know why.
Anywaycongratulations.
And, uh.
I think it's great.
In a way, it was kind of a good bye.
The end of an era.
After all, the guy didn't need meAnymore.
So there was nothing left to say, but It's awful.
What? It's horrible.
You mean? / No - not that.
Me.
I just don't know how to handle this whole thing.
What are you talking about? / I mean, what am I supposed to feel? Did she like me? Or not? Was I OK? Or was she laughing at me? Or It was the first time I ever realizedHow truly perilous love could be.
It just happened so fast.
And thenshe was gone, andI was left, and Now she's getting on an airplane andI'm never gonna see her again.
And I guess at that moment it was clear.
Some things never change.
I'm just not good at these casual relationships, Kev.
After allPaul was Paul.
And no matter what The guyNeededme.
The white zone is for loading and unloading of passengers only.
No parking.
Growing up is complicated.
Kind of a race against time.
A search for identity.
For love.
And the outcome'sAlways in doubt.
WOMAN on PA: Passenger Lee Allen, departing to Things happen fast.
Sometimes too fast.
Flight number forty-seven to BuffaloNow departing.
But that night, with PaulI knew one thing.
We'd been through everything together.
I think I saw her.
You did? / Yeah.
And she probably saw you.
Think so? Yeah.
And from here on out No matter whatwe were gonna need each other more than ever.