The Wonder Years s05e23 Episode Script

growing up, summer vacation meant one thing.
Fun.
Two solid monthsOf goofing off, hanging out And sleeping late.
June, July and AugustWere a time when anything was possible Hey, everybody.
When the hardships of school were over And the promise of great times lay ahead.
Honey, you're late for supper.
Sorry, I was playing ball.
Do we have anything to eat? Yeah, I'll heat you up something.
As for me that summer of 1972, I was sixteen.
Still young enough to bask in the pleasures of summer.
The real delights The harbingers of doom.
Wayne, what's the matter with you? None of your business, dork.
Whatis he sick? Worse.
He got a job.
Oh.
Your father found Wayne a position at NORCOM.
On the loading dock.
You're kidding! It was grim.
Within hours of his graduation My brother had been Shanghai'dBy the American workforce.
Well, congratulations butthead.
I'm sure it will be good for you.
Shut up, scrote.
/Not that I wasn't sympathetic.
Still, it was about time The Wayner got a taste of the old PuritanWork ethic.
Ah, come on Wayne, don't look so miserable.
One more word, and I swear I'll kill you.
Ooohh Here you go, honey.
I mean after allThis was Wayne's problemnot mine.
And how about you? Until of course It was.
Me? You.
What are you gonna do for a summer job? WelluhI, uh.
Oh, God.
Here they came.
Those two words which meant death to summer fun.
Start lookin'.
"Start looking.
" Can you believe that? Naturally, I took my case to a higher court.
I mean here it is Two days into summerAnd he wants me to get a job.
It's not fair.
Well.
.
I mean what does he think I am, some kind of machine? Well, you have a good point.
Of course I do.
Yep, I was building an airtight defense, here.
Besidesit's only June, right? There's plenty of time to look for a job, right? Sure.
I mean we just finished finals.
We deserve a littlerelaxation.
Sure.
/And there it was.
A manifesto worthy of the Bill of Rights.
My game.
Want to play again tomorrow? I can't tomorrow.
I'm working.
I got a job.
Paul, this is totally unacceptable.
The rotten, no-good traitor.
Look, Kev.
I didn't have a choice.
My father knows the owner of this restaurant, Mr.
Chong.
Wait.
You're working at a Chinese restaurant? What are you going to be doingchopping onions? Well actually I'll be functioning as Assistant Manager.
You knoworganizing the kitchenSupervising the busboys Well that's great.
I don't believe this! What? / Come on.
We're going to be working the rest of our lives.
This could be our last great summer together, right? Well /There.
What could he possible say to that? If you want, maybe I can get you a job with me at Mr.
Chong's! Thanks, but no thanks, Paul.
Kev No, really, it's fine.
After allIf Paul wanted to squanderHis youth, what did I care? So my days would be boring.
Winnie! That just left me more room for Kevin! /My nights! Hi! Winnie Cooper.
The very reasonSummer evenings were invented.
You almost ready? Oh, what time is it? It's almost eight.
You get off in twenty minutes, right? Well, not exactly.
I have to work until eleven.
Eleven! Winnie, I thought we had a date tonight.
Well, we did.
But the manager asked me to switch shifts.
Whatyou mean every night? I hope you're not mad.
WellNo.
Hey, so we'd had a setback.
We could work this out.
Winnie, just talk to him, OK? For us.
I mean think about it.
We could take starlit drivesroll down the windows Turn up the radio Yeah, I was cookin' here.
Maybedrive up to The Point and Waitress! Rats! Kevin, I can't.
Fine, then! While you're working, what do you expect me to do? Well Oh, no.
Not her.
Not Winnie.
Not myBest girl! Maybe you should get a job.
Ugggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Just sort out the junk and throw it in the trash.
And when you finish with the closetI want you to start on the garage.
Evidently, there was no end to this.
Mom! Kevin If you're not going to have a job it's only fair that you help out with responsibilities around the houseright? Right.
And there you had it.
The verdict was in.
The courts had ruled.
I don't believe this.
I'd been sentenced to June in hell Two months of hard labor Heavy lifting, chores.
It didn't seem fair.
It's not that I minded work.
I just couldn't shake the feeling that out there The world was full of adventure romance.
Memories! Cara.
I want you take Wayne's sheets to the laundry room.
Wayne's sheets?! OK.
Enough was enough.
I was a man at the end of his rope.
It came down to this.
I could spend my summer hauling sheets Or take the softest, cushiest job I could find.
Hey, Paul?.
.
Yeah.
Listen.
Is that job still open? I mean, after all, how bad could it possible be? Stupid question! Kev? How's it going? How's it look like it's going? Is something wrong? I thought you told me I'd be doing what you're doing Not exactly.
I said I'll see what I can do on such a short notice.
Well, thanks For nothing.
PAUL: Yessir! Yes, sir! Fact.
I had joined the ranks of the gainfully employed.
And there was nothing I could do about it but - sulk.
Kevin? Are you alright in there? Don't come in, I'm naked! Things had gone from bad to miserable.
My best friend was a jerk My best girl was on a career track And the only person who understood me Seemed a million miles away.
I thought you were gonna to light my cigarette.
So, I've been examining the layout to the kitchen pretty inefficient.
I mean, now just try this on for size, OK? What if we take all those jars and put them on the high shelves, then take the cans and put them in the cabinets to the back.
That way the busboys won't be knocking into the sauce jars There are times in a young life when you have to do something for yourself.
When you have to stand up for what you believe in.
When the world has closed the door on adventure.
And your only choice Is to bust out.
Kevin, what are you doing? We're calling in sick today.
What? / You heard me.
But we can't do that.
Wait a minute.
Where are we headed? North.
To the lake.
It took about three hours to travel the distance from drudgery to paradise.
From hard labor, to summer memories.
Sure, it was irresponsible.
But deep down, I knew it was the smartest thing I'd ever done.
This is the dumbest thing you've ever done! Do you realize no one in the world has any idea where we are? So? It's part of the adventure.
I don't want an adventure! I'm an Assistant Manager.
I want to go home.
Face it, the guy had all the daring-do of a newt.
Look, we came all this way so you might as well enjoy it.
Besides, we're not leaving until we find her.
Who? / Cara! And how are we going to do that? Don't worry.
I know where to find her.
Yeah, and where's that? Easy.
The drive-in.
Well, at least we got good seats! So we got here a little early.
Have a little faith will you.
She'll show up.
Yeah, when? I dunnowhen it gets dark.
Great! Yep! Nothing to do but sit back and wait for destinyTo take its course.
DestinyOr one 6-ton bulldozer.
Hey, what do you guys think you're doing? We're waiting for someone! Well, wait somewheres else!I'm tearing this old place down! Now, get out of here! Got any more great ideas? A few Well, one or two, anyway.
OK, none.
Hi, Mr.
Chong? Hi, it's Paul.
Yessir, I know I'm late, sir.
Three hours later, we called home.
Yessir! No, sir.
It wasn't deliberate.
It was horrible.
Yessir, I still want to work for you.
After half a day of scouring the territory,we reached a dead-end.
Not a sign of her anywhere.
My plan to bust out had turned out to be a bust.
And now, there was nothing to look forward to, but True love.
Yessir, we're on our way home now.
Kevin! Where are you going? Nowhere.
Kevin? Kevin! But from now on, there was no going back.
Hi.
It was a moment worthy of great poets.
What are you doing here? I missed you.
Yeah.
I missed you too.
Bingo! So, uh You thinkmaybe you could get off in a little while? It seemed likeMy whole world was riding on what she said next.
I'll see what I can do.
Great.
It was - perfect.
The night, the stars.
Look how clear the sky is.
Yeah.
Summer is great, isn't it? I guess.
It was like nothingHad changed.
Well, almost nothing.
Did you get my Christmas card? Sure.
Yeah! You didn't write me back.
Wellyou know I'm not much of awriter - but IThought about you a lot.
Kevin Why are you here? I told you! I drove all the way up here to be with you.
My God.
Didn't she understand? You wanted to see me, didn't you? Yeah.
It was just kind of a surprise.
I mean, its been a long time.
And the way she said that, the sound of her voice The look in her eyes I guess I knew what had to happen next.
Wait.
What's wrong? I better go home.
What?! Why? I don't knowI have to work tomorrow.
Well, alright, then I'll drive you home.
No.
I'd rather walk.
Cara, wait.
Cara! You're back.
Yeah.
Where's Cara? Kev? What happened? But the problem was, I hardly knew myself.
None of your business.
Oh fine.
That's just fine! I'm going to sleep.
Whathere! Kev, we are notrepeat are not, going Paul, will you just get off my case?! Look, it's late And I don't feel like driving home tonight, alright! Suit yourself.
Goodnight! Yeah.
Course that night I didn't sleep.
I lay there, feeling bad about what I'd done.
Running off, full of summer madness.
Using Cara.
Leaving Winnie.
I felt like a stupid selfish adolescent Which, I guess I was.
OK.
We follow this road into town.
Then we can take a short cut to Barton's Crossing.
Right Then it's a straight shot down I-91 So make sure to get plenty of gas! Whatever you say, Paul.
The next morning I'd made up my mind about two things.
OneI was never gonna to spend another night in an Oldsmobile And two.
Somehow, I was going to have to make this right.
Hey.
/ Hi.
Listen.
I'm sorry about last night.
About not writing.
And aboutcoming up here and Yeah, well, about that / No, let me finish.
It was time to tell her.
I had a life, I had a job I had a girlfriend See, Cara / Kevin I have a boyfriend.
What? We've been going out since February.
I should have told you last night.
I'm sorry.
Well, that's great! You think? Yeah.
I really do.
I mean, who was I to stand in the way of true love? Hey! Send me a Christmas card? I will.
But I didn't.
After all, when you're sixteen,eight months is a lifetime.
And time had moved on.
For both of us.
"Traveling at night" "The headlights were bright" "And we'd been up many an hour" As for me, I had my own roads to travel.
"And all through my brain" "Came the refrain" Wait a minute.
What about the gas? Oh We got enough.
But - Paul, come on - we don't have time! We gotta get back.
"And home sings me of sweet things" "My life there has its own wings" "To fly over the mountain" May I help you? Sure, I had a restless spirit.
But I knew what was good for me.
Yeah.
How about a shake? I get off in twenty minutes.
I'll be here.
And the way I saw itThe summer was young.