I'm normal.
I'm like everybody else.
I'm normal. I'm a regular kid.
I'm normal.
I'm a regular kid. I'm normal.
Regular kid...
I'm just like everyone else.
I'm...
I'm a normal kid, and...
...I'll be strong.
It's called the Dragon's Dilemma,
and the dilemma the Dragon has
is whether to send you plunging down 200 feet to the ground
or up 200 feet in the air.
Are you listening to me?
I want to go home.
It's my birthday... I should decide what I get to do.
No. You can't. You...
Paul, you spend enough time alone at home as it is.
- Paul, I just spent five dollars on this. - Hey, Paul.
Is that you?
How you doing, buddy?
- You know these guys? - Yeah, we're his friends.
Oh. Hey.
- You're his dad, right? - Yeah.
Huh.
- So, how'd it feel? - How'd what feel?
When you screwed that dog and made him.
Tell me their names.
They don't have names.
Step right up...
Uh...
I was gonna give you this tonight, but instead...
Step right up!
Happy birthday.
Open it.
Do you like it?
You like it?
Hey, don't worry about those kids, okay?
Just forget about 'em.
You ready?
Okay.
- Okay, this is it. - Dad, I don't want...
Dad, I don't want to do this.
Now, what do you do when people make a comment?
- Yeah, but you said... - What do you do?
- Dig-Dignity. - Right, dignity.
Show some dignity. Stand up straight,
you speak loud, and... I can't make this clear enough...
Paul, you don't run.
Something happens, you get nervous,
you stay right where you are...
and you don't run.
Okay?
Now take off your mask.
Great.
Dignity. Right?
Stand up straight.
Get on line. You got this.
I'll be strong.
I'm a regular kid. I'm normal.
- Regular kid. - Tickets.
Tickets. Tickets. Tickets.
You got a ticket?
So, how'd it feel?
When you screwed that dog and made him?
Paul! Paul!
Where's your dad now, buddy?
I'll bet he's back at the pound!
He's probably fingering your mother
before they put her to sleep!
My mom's not a dog!
- Yeah? You ever met her? - Shut up!
Make me!
Dog!
Why don't you bark for us?
Go on, bark!
You heard him!
- Bark! - Bark for us, boy!
He said bark!
- Bark! - Only thing you're good at!
Bark, you idiot!
Come on, we know you can do it!
Spit it out!
Bark, dog!
I'm gonna go to my room.
Look, I know you had a rough day,
but I really want to show you something.
Every child is like a beautiful musical note.
It's just that some notes are more unique than other notes.
What we like to do is take those musical notes
and put them together and make a song.
And we call that song Bishop Griffin.
Here at Bishop Griffin,
we believe that a well-rounded education comes from...
embracing the differences of those around us
while creating a safe, inclusive environment
to learn, play and grow.
Oh! Nice shot there, Byron.
Every child has a right to be educated.
Every child has a right to be respected.
Every child has a right to be loved.
Nice work there, buddy.
- Who's that? - Um, Iron Man.
That's exactly what I thought.
A griffin is not a lion nor eagle.
A griffin is something else entirely.
At Bishop Griffin's, we take inspiration from the griffin.
And together we teach one another how to fly.
Okay.
What do you think?
I think that if you send me to this school,
I will burn it to the ground.
Yeah, right. Okay,
I have one last birthday present for you.
Check this out.
Try it on.
Give it a shot.
Paul.
"To Paul, from Mom."
Do you know where this came from?
Wow.
Wow, look at you. You look great.
Look out, ladies. James Bond over here.
You don't know where this came from?
Oh, that? Yeah, that, uh, came this afternoon.
What was in it?
Nothing.
I can't get over how great you look.
- You look... - I look like a Build-A-Bear.
No, you don't.
Yeah, I got a good feeling about this school.
I got a good...
I got a good feeling.
It's gonna be a terrific opportunity
for you to meet people like you.
I don't want to meet people like me.
Why not?
Because I hate me.
I, uh, I don't know what to tell you, Paul.
All right, what do you want me to do?
I don't know what to do.
I-I can't get you to stick up for yourself.
I can't get you to meet friends.
I can't get you to take off that stupid mask.
What do you want me to do? Help me out.
Mom wouldn't make me go to this school.
What?
- Mom... - Mom?
Yeah, well, if she cared so much about you,
why'd she leave?
I'm sorry.
Paul, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that, okay?
- I didn't mean that. Come on, let's eat. - Don't touch me.
Paul, I said I was sor... Ow!
You just bit me!
Paul?
Paul, open up. Come on.
Come on, pal.
I'm sorry, okay? I said I was sorry.
I don't want to talk about her anymore, okay?
I'm sorry I said that, but...
...I don't want to talk about her,
and I don't think you should think about her.
Paul, please open the door?
There are some...
There are some things that I've always wanted to ask you.
You were there when I was born, obviously.
And then you ran away.
Was it easy?
Did it hurt?
Have you ever looked back?
Fuck!
? Have you ever been lonely? ?
? Have you ever been blue? ?
Mm-mm.
? Have you ever loved someone... ?
Excuse me.
Where in the hell did you come from?
Do you know how to get to Pennsylvania?
You'll have to speak up, kid.
I have a bum ear.
Do you know how to get to Pennsylvania?
- Pencil what? - Pennsylvania.
What's your name?
I don't know.
You don't know your name, hmm?
All right.
You have parents, boy with no name?
No.
So, what, you just grew out of the ground fully formed?
? Take me back in your heart... ?
What are you hiding...
behind there, hmm?
Nothing.
Hey. It's okay.
There's nothing to be ashamed of here.
Look around you, hmm?
? I've been through, then you'd know... ?
We welcome all comers.
? Have you ever been lonely? ?
So... show me.
? Have you ever been blue? ?
I won't look. Okay?
Well.
? If you knew... ?
That is some...
kind of beautiful.
? Then you'd know why I ask you... ?
My name is Mr. Silk.
And I think we should talk.
After you.
Make yourself at home.
Ants.
You got to watch out.
You stare at 'em long enough, it starts to feel
like they're crawling around inside your bloodstream.
- Smoke? - No. Thank you.
So...
do you like my carnival?
Don't lie.
I see it as it is.
Hmm.
Wasn't always that way.
This little cluster of
tilt-a-whirls and guess-your-weights.
She was my baby.
Best cotton candy in the tristate area.
Hmm?
Here's to you.
Ah.
Anyway, you know kids.
Start out so damn cute, but you come home one day,
you barely even recognize them.
I tell you,
the transitory entertainment business
just isn't what it used to be.
Makes a man feel...
...very old.
You get my meaning?
I'd like to offer you
a partnership, and with it,
enough money to get to Pennsylvania
ten times over.
What would I have to do?
Do?
Just... be yourself.
So what do you say?
Do we have ourselves a deal?
Hi.
Detective Pollok. We spoke?
So take me through what happened again.
Uh...
Oh, uh, I told you
we had an argument, and, uh...
And he bit me.
- He bit you? - Yeah.
And then he left.
Oh, uh, that's his hair. Sorry.
Uh, it's just all over. It's...
not a big deal. Excuse me.
Does he bite you often?
No. No, he doesn't.
But he's got a temper. He was angry?
No, he's a good kid.
But he bit you?
Do you want to see his room?
Do you have any current photos?
No, I don't.
He, uh... he doesn't like his... picture taken.
Not one?
What teenager doesn't like his picture taken?
He doesn't.
When do I get the money?
You're an eager one, huh?
First you do the work, then you get the paycheck.
So, show me what you got.
Take off your shirt.
No.
Well, here's what's...
gonna happen.
There's gonna be a line of folks out here.
And now, for the beguiling, bizarre.
Come see the dangerous Dog Boy.
They come in.
They look at you.
You look at them.
Eye contact. You do your thing.
- What thing? - The thing where you're you.
Oh, one more thing. Do you have a nut allergy?
I think I'll call it "Wolf Mash."
Look, I'm not hiring you for your sunny disposition.
And last I heard, you can't buy a bus ticket
with a wallet full of principles.
There goes Pennsylvania.
The horror. The horror of this child.
Folks like you and me.
We give the people what they want.
Come over here. Come over here!
What they fear.
There's a power in that.
I don't think I want to do this anymore.
So go home.
Go back wherever it is you came from.
Get the hell out of here!
Leave!
Get ready
to scream!
Only five dollars.
The horror of this child!
Attaboy.
Clowns!
Tonight...
we dance!
Ha-ha! Yes!
Hey, drink up, you...
marauders...
pirates.
I'd say that we had a damn productive day, huh?
Yeah!
Where's my money?
Whoa, fella!
So you had a hard day at the office.
I see no reason why we should terminate
our working relationship.
Do you?
- The money. - Patience, boy.
This is not a one-shot deal.
We're just getting started.
Why don't you hop on this sucker?
- Give it a spin. - Yeah. - Come on.
Join the family.
Let's ride!
Come on, boy with no name!
Have some fun!
Come on!
Let your hair down!
Ha-ha!
God, yes!
I wish you could see it as it once was.
Oh, but we built something special.
Paradise... paradise!
I close my eyes and I can still hear
the children's laughter.
Where did it all go?
Get him. Get him!
Violence!
No.
No! Save the Dragon! Don't let it get to the Dragon!
Put out the fire!
My God, no!
Oh, no!
Did you ever wonder about who I was?
About what I was capable of?
Or did you just want to get as far away as possible?
Before I ruined your life, too.
Or did I mean anything to you at all?
Okay.
- Hello? - Hey, it's Detective Pollok.
- Have some news about your son. - Is he okay?
He apparently burned down a carnival.
Does he have any past experience with arson?
No, no, h-he doesn't have any experience with that.
I'm just gonna tell you... now that I know
he's a potential threat...
What do you mean?
He's not a potential threat.
He's a 13-year-old boy.
13-year-olds can do terrible things.
Look, I'll be in touch, okay?
Uh-huh.
Okay. Thank you.
? When you dream, you only dream ?
? You're Annabel ?
? All the secrets ?
? There inside you, Annabel ?
? Born beneath an emerald sky ?
? Sing, Annabel ?
? Nothing that they did ?
? Will stop you, Annabel... ?
Wait, wait, wait. I'm-I'm, uh...
Hey.
Do you have any food? I...
I haven't eaten in, like, a day.
Go eat a squirrel or something.
Yeah, I'm... I'm not doing that.
Okay, then.
Shit.
Um, for the record, you're trespassing.
For the record,
I saw you doing that thing earlier,
and you looked like shit.
Goodbye.
Look,
my mom's coming home soon, and if she finds you here,
she's gonna beat the crap out of you.
I don't care. Let her.
She'd wreck your face open.
Probably look better.
So, like, am I supposed to feel sorry for you or something?
So long, then.
What's your name?
Aristiana.
That's a stupid name.
Wait. Wait, wait.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. It's not...
It's not that stupid.
You don't know how to be nice to people, do you?
Just because you look like that
doesn't give you permission to be a dick.
I'm sorry.
So, what,
are you on the run from some laboratory?
No.
Just trying to get to Pennsylvania.
Then why is your hair like that?
It's a condition.
And, what, you've never heard of a razor before?
Just grows back twice as thick.
Oh.
Well...
my mom cut off all my hair last night.
That sucks.
Yeah. Um...
So, I have a show tonight,
if you want to come.
A show, like a... like a movie, or...?
Yeah, something like that.
I gave the boy
an opportunity.
? Candle, candle on my clock ?
And then he broke into my property...
? Oh, Lord, I must have heard you... ?
...stole my money, set my entire carnival on fire.
? As the flames licked my head ?
? And my lungs filled up black ?
? In your tiny, little shack... ?
Three generations of Silk up in smoke.
? And I repent ?
? All those messages you sent ?
? Clear as day ?
? But in the night ?
? Oh, I couldn't get it right ?
? Oh ?
? Oh, oh, oh. ?
After they've gotten into trouble...
where do all the bad little boys go?
Wait, um...
I don't think I should go in there.
Come on. Looking like that, they're gonna love you.
Come on.
Paul, um, I have to go change, so...
But, uh, what do I...?
You'll be fine. Go get a drink.
Tell them you're with Aristiana.
I'm with Aristiana.
- What?! - I'm with Aristiana.
I can't hear you.
He's with Aristiana!
And I am, too.
What is this?
It's a potion, man.
It's made of magic.
I'm not old enough.
Please. You're never "not old enough" for anything.
Do you smoke?
So, how do you know Aristiana?
I, um... I slept in her doghouse last night.
Awesome.
My name's Rose.
Hey. It's your girl.
? Gentle whisper, endless winters, Annabel ?
? Why they couldn't let you be both, Annabel ?
? Land of the lights ?
? Of the ice, but love still lies ?
? You are the truth they denied ?
? Red like the sea ?
? Tangled hair and porcelain ?
? Under the stars ?
? You begin ?
? Da, da, da. ?
You...
you were amazing. You were amazing.
I, um...
I was lying about you sucking or whatever.
You're drunk.
Am I drunk?
I've never been drunk before.
Well, you're definitely drunk.
Hmm... I'm drunk.
That's cool.
But you-you... I mean, you're really...
- Paul! - You're...
You really are on the lam.
- Told you. - Well, looks like
we pretty much have to do something illegal.
What? Huh?
Hey.
Take it off.
Come on.
Do you want to hear something cool?
Uh, yeah.
I can breathe underwater.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can. I know because when I was younger,
I tried to drown myself, and I couldn't.
Why did...?
Why did you do that?
Earlier?
Do what?
The...
Because I wanted to.
Yeah, but...
look at me.
Yeah?
Just...
I don't understand.
Paul...
you're not ugly.
You don't have to lie to me.
Do you see these?
I got these a year ago when I punched a mirror in half.
I've been beautiful ever since.
You want to hear a secret?
Sure.
I'm gonna kill my mother.
- You are? - Yeah.
I decided it last night after she cut my hair.
I'm gonna wait till she's sleeping
and bash her brains out with a rock.
You shouldn't do that.
You should poison her.
Easier.
Or you could just run away like I did, you know?
Why are you going to Pennsylvania anyway?
My mom is there.
Never met her before.
Like, ever?
Yeah, pretty much.
She sent me this.
112 Sapphire Street.
Kevin?
Shh. Shh.
Kevin, are you in there?
Kevin? Kevin?
Oh, my God. What is this?
Get over here! What are you...?
- Mom! - What's going on here?! Oh, my God.
- What the hell are you?! - Mom, no, please stop!
- Answer me. What are you doing? - Mom!
What are you doing to my son?!
What did you do to him?
- Paul, we have to go. - Kevin!
Kevin!
Dude, bar's closed.
Tequila and cinnamon.
And light it on fire.
Bar's closed.
Excuse me?
I hate to do this, but I have something in my shoe.
And it's just been bothering me...
...all day.
Damn, gosh.
- How did I miss that? - Who are you?
My drink?
You seen a boy and a dog?
- A boy with a dog? - A boy and a dog.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Well...
...we're in for a long night.
? Loving those angel eyes. ?
Well, lookee here.
Hmm?
She said she'd be here any minute.
Okay.
Oh, and, um, something you should know,
- don't ask about her eye. - What happened to her eye?
There are rumors that her dad scooped it
- out of her face with a spork. - A spork?
Yeah, or that she did it herself
because she was tired of people
calling her pretty, or that...
Huh.
Come on.
So, by my estimations, we should be in Pennsylvania
in like, I don't know, three hours?
Depending on traffic?
Do you think we could stop
- at a gas station first? - Why?
I just smashed my mom's head in
with a piece of wood last night,
and I'd really like to make some purchases
- to take my mind off of it. - Yeah. Yeah, okay.
That reminds me.
Hey, Paul, do you think I can borrow your mask?
Uh, sure.
? She'll put you under her spell... ?
All right, this is a stickup!
- Oh, my God. - I swear to God,
- I don't give a damn. - Take it easy.
I will blow your head all the way to Pittsburgh.
Fill it with snacks.
Paul, you don't have to do this.
Come on!
- Give me the money! - Okay.
Get some of the salt and vinegar chips, too. Yeah.
And the Goldfish. But not the regular Goldfish.
Get the Cheddar-Blasted Goldfish.
- Hey! - What?
You have any Ho Hos?
- What? I don't know what you're talking about. - Ho Hos!
- Do you have 'em? - Rose, calm down.
Please. I don't know what a Ho Ho is.
Ugh, don't play dumb with me.
- Give me the bag. - Here.
Ah. Here they are.
Thanks, man.
Wow.
- Rose! - What?
You told me you stopped robbing convenience stores.
I did. Because gas stations have way more money.
Rose. Where did you get a gun?
It's not a real gun.
- It's a water gun. - What?
- I painted it black. - Yeah.
As if. Paul, are you okay?
I-I...
I feel...
Look what you did to him.
I feel amazing.
Feel amazing. Ooh!
Paul.
This is, like, the best birthday present ever.
It's your birthday?
Well, why didn't you say something earlier?
We got to have a party.
- Really? - Yeah. Pennsylvania can wait.
I've never had a party for me, like,
with real kids and people.
Perfect.
But before we go any further, we're gonna need
to get some more supplies.
? I love dancing ?
? Crazy romancing ?
? Fellas advancing constantly ?
? Marriage is for old folks ?
? Old folks, not for me ?
? One husband, one wife ?
? What do you got? Two people sentenced for life... ?
All right, this is a stickup, lady!
We want your cake! Paul, choose your cake!
Hurry, lady!
? Singing, good healthy... ?
Thank you very much! Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
Go, go, go, go, go!
It looked feral, like, like it had rabies.
The whole deal.
? Cold folks ?
? Not for me... ?
- Paul? - This is a stickup!
? One married he, one married she... ?
Uh, don't move, don't move.
ARISTIANA'S MOTHER This is my son.
And then your son ran off
with this creature on his own free will?
No. Yes. Look...
I'm not saying that Kevin doesn't have
- his own issues. - Don't call the cops!
- We will blow your head off! - He does. He's a confused kid.
- ? I'm not ready ? - Go, go, go, go, go.
- Go, go, go. - ? To quit being free ?
? And I'm not willing ?
? To stop being me... ?
- You were pretty good. - Hey, Rose.
These Goldfish? Not Cheddar-Blasted.
? To some guy who says... ?
Goddamn it.
? Doo, doo, doo... ?
Uh, some kids,
they just robbed a fireworks store.
Yeah, okay.
All right! This is a stickup.
Come on.
Well, one of 'em looked like a dog.
I got 'em.
? Now I want New Year's every eve ?
? Marriage is for old folks ?
? Marriage is for cold folks ?
? That's what I believe... ?
So, um,
where are we gonna have this party?
At your house?
Don't worry. I know just the place.
You ever met a royalty before?
- Uh, no. - Well, get ready.
I'm gonna introduce you to the Queen.
There she is! The Queen.
Make sure you bow.
Really?
Yep.
This place is amazing.
Yeah. A bunch of kids jumped off it
in some sort of death pact, and it's been awesome
- ever since. - I'm gonna go change.
Suit yourself.
Where's the beer?
She's angry at me for taking you along.
I knew her before, you know.
When she was a scrawny little geek
with terrible clothes and no personality.
She used to not speak to anyone and then go onstage
and read this awful poetry about horses.
Don't be mean to her.
Whatever.
She's right, you know.
Running around like this?
It's probably all gonna end in tears.
Well, it's, um...
At least it's fun, right?
It's not really that fun.
Then why do you do it?
It's probably all my self-destructive tendencies.
Wouldn't be so bad, you know.
- What? - Jail.
I mean, in some jails,
I hear they have an ice cream station.
A library.
Nice beds.
What, you don't have a bed?
Not really.
Why not?
You were asking about my house before?
You've already been to my house.
My house is the car, Paul.
Oh.
Chug.
So, what do you want to do next?
Happy birthday!
This is crazy, huh?
I can't believe it's all for me.
Why aren't you down there?
It's gonna take forever to grow back.
I'm sorry.
I mean, I don't know why we care
so much about hair anyway.
I mean, it's just, like, these tentacles
that grow out of our skulls, but...
When I was little, I used to go in the bathroom
and wrap a towel around my head, so...
...it's got to mean something.
Are you mad at me?
Well, you did rob, like, four different stores.
- Yeah. - But...
I'm glad you get to have your own party.
Having fun?
Yeah. I have fireworks.
And you don't know what direction they went in?
I really have no idea.
Showtime, y'all!
God bless all the stupid children.
I want to dedicate this night to Paul on his...
How old are you, Paul?
Thirteen.
On his 13th birthday!
Happy birthday.
Make a wish.
- Stop! Police! - This way! Come on!
Goddamn it, Rose.
Wait.
- What... Why? - Oh, I lied.
That's definitely not a water gun.
Shit.
- I think this is my time to punch out. - What?
- Come on. Getting arrested? - No, no, no.
We're sticking together because, um,
- you made me a party, and you can't... - Paul. Go.
- We should. - What...?
Wait, wait, wait, Rose, Rose.
What happened to your eye?
Lazy eye.
When you stopped running...
...did you like where you ended up?
Did you start a new family?
Did you tell 'em about us?
So, here it is as I see it.
We don't have any food,
we're being chased by the police,
and I left my nail polish behind.
So... what do we do now?
I know.
Okay.
? Oh, whoa, oh, oh ?
? Death, she must have been your will ?
? A bone beneath the reaper's veil ?
? With your voice, my belly sunk ?
? And I began to feel so drunk ?
? Candle, candle on my clock ?
? Oh, Lord, I must have heard you ?
? Knock me out of bed ?
? As the flames licked my head ?
? And my lungs filled up black ?
? In their tiny little shack ?
? It was real and I repent ?
? All those messages you sent ?
? Clear as day, but in the night ?
? Oh, I couldn't get it right ?
? Oh, whoa, oh, oh ?
? Here is a church ?
? And here is a steeple ?
? Open the doors, there are the people ?
? And all their little hearts at ease ?
? For another week's disease ?
? And eagle, eagle, talons scream... ?
How is it?
? I was on the fence... ?
- Weird. - Bye!
? Down my throat ?
? Into the pit, with my head ?
? Upon the spit ?
? Oh, Reverend, please, can I chew your ear? ?
? I've become what I most fear ?
? And I know there's no such thing as ghosts ?
? But I have seen the demon host ?
? Ooh... ?
? Oh, whoa, oh, oh ?
? Oh, whoa, oh, oh. ?
Hi.
- Hello? - Uh, I'm sorry to bother you. I just...
I kind of got a weird question for you.
I-I just wanted to know if this wrapping paper,
does it look familiar to you?
- No. - My son is missing,
and he got this package.
Uh, and you have the same...
I don't know what you're talking about.
Wait a minute. Hey.
I know you.
From the carnival.
Percy?
What are you gonna do when you see her?
Uh, I guess I'll just figure it out
when I get there.
Here it is.
Paul, are you sure this is it?
- Yeah. - 'Cause it looks kind of...
Uh... Okay, um...
Is it okay if, um... you stay out here?
I think I just...
think I need to do this alone, you know?
- Yeah. Okay. - Okay.
Okay.
Hello?
Where is he?
Where the hell's my son?
I don't know.
What's this?
It was just a prank.
Paul.
You okay?
It was all a joke.
She didn't want to meet me. She never did. Sh...
- Paul, let's go outside. - No, I-I'm...
I'm not a regular kid. I'm...
I'm not a-a hero. I'm-I'm-I'm a freak.
Paul, you can't say that about yourself.
No, we have to be honest with ourselves, okay?
We're never honest with ourselves.
- I think I'm very honest... - No, you're not, okay?
I'm not a hero, and you're not a girl. You're-you're a boy.
And nothing we can do will ever change that.
You're right.
You're not a hero.
Hey there, boy with no name.
You know, I've been thinking.
What is it you're trying to repent for?
What?
I'm sure this has been fun,
running around, playing pretend,
looking for, what, validation, hmm?
If you try to hurt me again, I'll burn down more than...
Don't you dare talk about burning!
My apologies.
What I should be saying is: congratulations.
Looks like you finally got where you needed to be.
But lest you forget, boy with no name,
you've still got a contract to hold up.
Silence!
But I think you're not facing the reality of your situation.
No more fairy tales.
No more make-believe.
You have a disfiguring medical condition...
...that disturbs the people around you.
You think you can have a job?
A wife? Children?
All you're good for is
a long stare and a weak punch line.
You heard him!
Why don't you bark for us?
Son.
- Go on, bark! - You're going to die ugly...
...and unloved.
You little bast...
Police!
Hey.
Tea.
How'd you guys find me?
It was your father, actually.
Really?
Uh, am I going to jail, or...?
Let's take that one step at a time.
Where is he?
Paul.
You don't run. When you get nervous, you don't run.
How many times do we have to go over this?
I'll give you a minute.
I'm sorry.
No, I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Forget the school, okay?
Forget the school. It was a stupid idea.
Okay?
Yeah.
I'm trying, pal.
I'm trying as hard as I can.
- I know. I'm trying, too. - Yeah.
I know you are.
Where's your mask?
- I lost it. - Okay. That's okay.
It doesn't matter. We'll get you a new one.
I was thinking maybe... maybe it'd be easier
- if I wore one, too, so we... - No. No, Dad,
it's... it's fine.
Okay.
Wow.
You went to go find your mom.
- How'd you know that? - That... it doesn't matter.
You still want to find her?
You told me you didn't know where she lived.
- Okay. - This is it?
Yeah.
Have you ever been in there?
No. No.
I mean, I've been through her, uh, garbage a few times.
Not in, like, a creepy sense but in a professional way.
It's funny, I always thought she lived in, like...
Paris or something.
Paris. Nope.
Are you sure you don't want me to go in there with you?
No. I'm okay.
Okay.
Paul, wait.
I don't know what it's gonna be like in there,
okay, so I don't think you should expect it go great.
I know, Dad.
And the last thing to ask,
I guess...
...did you ever wonder if I would find you?
Hi.
Hello.
I can get you, um, some water, or, like, um...
Water?
I always thought you lived in a mansion,
with kids who played the flute or the cello.
Did you want me to have a nice house
so you could come and stay with me?
No, it just made it easier to dislike you.
Um, sorry to disappoint.
I don't have a flute. I have a recorder, I think.
Do you want it?
Okay.
I think it's somewhere over here.
Yeah.
Happy birthday.
You remembered.
Yeah.
I don't know how to play this.
Here. Want to show you.
Just, um, put your fingers over these holes like this.
You're really bad at that.
Yeah, let's be honest, these things...
sound like shit no matter what, so...
Damn it, I was trying not to swear.
I'm sorry. It's just...
It was me.
I never told your dad, but...
...this is pretty much all my fault.
What do you mean?
Dad?
Who's that?
- It's me. - Sleeping.
Remember the person I told you about last night?
He's here.
Well, would you look at that.
Jen, uh, you mind leaving us alone for a bit?
You know, I was awful angry when she told me about you.
If I had known before, I-I would've...
I mean, I didn't even know she had a kid.
You didn't know about me?
She's always been very, uh...
It was hard for her, growing up with me.
Used to lie and say that her dad was the guy
who hosted "Wheel of Fortune."
Yeah, she pretty much cut me out of her life
for something like 25 years.
When did she start talking to you again?
Uh, about 13 years ago.
- Hmm. - And, you know, it's...
it's really easy to blame anyone for anything.
But when you get to be my age,
it all just seems sort of...
So, what kind of names have they called you?
- What do you mean? - Come on. I want to see
if they've gotten any more creative since I was a kid.
Dogface. You ever get Dogface?
- Mm-hmm. - Yeah, that's a staple.
- How about Furball? - Mm-hmm, yeah.
Um, uh, Hairy Potter.
- You mean, l-like the... - Yeah.
With an "I," yeah.
Hey, that ain't half bad.
You ever try to cut it off?
- Oh, yeah, yeah. - But it came back, right?
- Yeah, twice as thick, yeah. - Yeah.
- Mm-hmm. - Once, I tried to set it on fire.
- Really? - Yeah, I got too scared at the last second.
But I still managed to burn down a shed.
Wow. I tried Nair.
This is a weird question, but...
How hard is it?
What do you mean?
I mean...
...how hard will it be?
I'm not gonna lie, it's gonna be tough.
You got any friends?
- Yeah. - Well, then,
you're a heck of a lot further along then I was.
I mean, when I was your age,
I was still wearing a sack over my head.
So, no, it's never gonna be truly easy.
But I guess I'd just say this:
the world is gonna be mean to us no matter what we do.
So we can't afford to be mean to ourselves.
You know, your mom's got this, uh,
art studio thing.
She'd been working on this project for quite a while.
I always thought that it was connected to me.
But now I don't think that anymore.
You guys have a good conversation?
Yeah.
Did he say anything bad about me?
- Uh... - He can.
He should, because...
I know how he feels about me, and he's not wrong.
But when I first saw your face
and I knew what your life was gonna be like,
I just... I couldn't.
I couldn't do that.
If you want to be angry at me, it's okay.
If I were you, I'd be angry.
- Do you want me to yell at you, or something? - Yes.
No. I don't know. Maybe.
I had all these questions for you.
You're a good artist.
You're really good at drawing.
- Well, can I give you a hug? - No.
Can I take the recorder home?
Yeah.
Thank you.
Hey.
Oh, look at that... a dust bunny.
Can you...?
Do you think we could go talk?
Yeah.
Listen, I'm sorry.
I'm really, really sorry about what I said, and I was just...
It's fine.
I'm over it.
You don't have to pretend.
I'm not pretending.
You think I'm not used to people being terrible to me?
Think you're special?
Aristiana...
I mean, chances are, 20 years from now,
I'll either be an alcoholic or beaten to death.
Come on, I got something to show you.
You know, I... I meant what I said.
I'm really sorry.
So, how are things with your mom?
I'm staying with my aunt for a while.
You know, it's not perfect, but...
it's getting better.
I met my mom today.
Really?
Yeah.
How was it?
It was...
...really weird.
I don't know...
I'm sorry, Paul.
Can I tell you something?
Yeah.
I'm pretty sure you're the most amazing girl I've ever met.
Yeah, I'm...
I'm pretty sure I am, too.
You think we'll still be friends in 20 years?
In 20 years, I think the whole world might be underwater.
But, uh... yeah.
I think we'll still be friends.
? And I wish we could stay frozen ?
? In this moment ?
? So you and I could drink up this night ?
? For it's over ?
? In the blink of an eye ?
? Have you come here for a reason? ?
? Are you murders in disguise? ?
? Is there something I'm not seeing ?
? That will lead to our demise? ?
? The forces out there are relentless ?
? They will pull us apart and run us down ?
? I wanna break across the fences ?
? Before I lose you in the crowd ?
? And we could be frozen ?
? In this moment ?
? So you and I could drink up this night ?
? For it's over in the blink ?
? Of an eye... ?
? Oh, whoa, oh, oh ?
? Death, she must have been your will ?
? A bone beneath the reaper's veil ?
? With your voice my belly sunk ?
? And I began to feel so drunk ?
? Candle, candle on my clock ?
? Oh, Lord, I must have heard you knock me out of bed ?
? As the flames licked my head ?
? And my lungs filled up black ?
? In their tiny little shack ?
? It was real and I repent ?
? All those messages you sent ?
? Clear as day, but in the night ?
? Oh, I couldn't get it right ?
? Oh, whoa, oh, oh ?
? Here is a church and here is a steeple ?
? Open the doors, there are the people ?
? And all their little hearts at ease ?
? For another week's disease ?
? And eagle, eagle, talon, scream ?
? I never once left in between ?
? I was on the fence and I never wanted your two cents ?
? Down my throat, into the pit ?
? With my head upon the spit ?
? Oh, Reverend, please, can I chew your ear? ?
? I've become what I most fear ?
? And I know there's no such thing as ghosts ?
? But I have seen the demon host ?
? Ooh... ?
? Oh, whoa, oh, oh ?
? Oh, whoa, oh, oh. ?
Clowns... tonight we dance!
Ha-ha, yes!