01x09 - Paper Covers Rock

[bunniefuu]

[DR. GARRITY] We can sit
here all day if you like.

Why did you do it, Edward?

It's not rhetorical. I need an answer.

Why did you push a
piano down the stairs?

I wanted to hear what it sounded like.

- Is this a joke to you?
- No.

Good, because it's not funny.

We have protocols at this school,

to safeguard against the
likes of an active sh**t,

terrorism, the outbreak of a virus.

Things I never thought I'd have
to prepare for as an administrator.

But what I don't have a protocol for

is a student shoving a
piano down a stairwell.

I'll pay for a new piano.

- This isn't about that.
- What is it about then?

It's not about a piano.

Look at me.

You've been through a lot.

Nobody's gonna hold this against you.

But that's only because you
got lucky, and nobody was hurt.

You could have k*lled someone.

- But I didn't.
- [SIGHS]

I didn't k*ll or hurt anyone.

In fact, I-I made sure no one was
on the stairs when I pushed it.

Why did you push it?

[DR. GARRITY SIGHS]

Edward, you're probably the
smartest student at this school,

which is why I feel I can
be forthright with you.

We're going to work
together with your family

and our school psychologist,

and we're going to find the right
educational environment for you.

But you won't be attending
Riverview any longer.

[BREATHING SHAKILY]

I'm sorry, okay? [BREATHES SHAKILY]

I'm calling your aunt and Dr.
Barlow, our school psychologist.

You're going to chat with her. [SIGHS]

[SIGHS] Edward.

It's Mrs. Foster's birthday.
Someone brought in a sheet cake.

Do you want a piece?

Yes, please.

[DR. GARRITY SIGHS]

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

What is this, Sam?

[SIGHS]

It doesn't mean anything.

It doesn't mean anything?
What the f*ck is going on?

We just need to calm down...

- Are you gay?
- No.

[STAMMERS] So, you're bi then?

Can you just tell me what
the f*ck is happening here?

[INHALES SHARPLY] Sam.

[GEENA] Who's gonna
take me to the dentist?

I am, Geena-bean. Um,
say goodbye to Daddy.

- Goodbye, Daddy.
- Bye, sweetie.

- Sienna.
- I'll talk to you later.

Linda.

Sweetie, we're late.

Knock, knock.

Are you up?

Honey.

- We gotta roll.
- [SIGHS] I feel like sh*t.

Are you okay? Are you sick?

I don't know, but I don't
think I can get out of bed.

- Is it physical or is it emotional?
- I don't know. I don't know.

Okay.

Um... [SIGHS] ... all right.

Well, if you're not physically ill,

sometimes it's better

to just get up out of bed
and get your day started.

I've been feeling super gutted lately.

And today, I got up very early,
and I went to the river, and it...

[LINDA] Well, that is great
for you, but not everyone's you.

What does that mean?

It means that sometimes I just
wanna lay in bed and feel like sh*t

and play games on my phone,
and it's actually not a crime.

I never said that it was. If that's
what you think you wanna do...

- It is.
- Okay.

- If that's okay.
- It is... Of course it's okay.

- Are you sure that you feel okay?
- [SIGHS] I'm fine. I'm fine.

[PHONE RINGING]

Oh, God. Better... It's
Edward's... It's Edward's school.

[LACEY] Hello.

Yes, this is... this
is Lacey. He did what?

So nice to meet you.
I'm Adriana Washington.

[ADRIANA] So I say to you,
get out and vote tomorrow.

Vote for this city.
Vote for this district.

Vote for your own peace of mind.

Because the time is now for real,

sustainable changes in
housing, affordable rent.

And I am here to tell you

that I will be there for
you every step of the way.

[CHUCKLES]

- You got somewhere to be?
- Uh, maybe.

- [PERSON] Ms. Washington?
- Hi, I'm Adriana. Nice to meet you.

[INHALES DEEPLY]

Tomorrow is the
election. She's very busy.

She said she would say goodbye.

We can do a video chat from the airport.

Mmm.

[SIGHS]

What are you drawing?

I'm leaving this for her.

[KOJO] Oh, Becks. This is nice.

We will see her again, you know?

Maybe.

[RADIO STATIC]

[RADIO HOST] I can
imagine they'll be...

[RADIO HOST ] There's
gonna be an issue now...

[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[LINDA GROANING]

[WAILING, SOBBING]

Li-Linda?

Call . [SOBBING, WAILING]

[STAMMERS] Okay.

[LINDA] Call !

[LINDA WAILING, SOBBING]

Oh, God.

[AMBULANCE RADIO CHATTER]

[SIRENS BLARING]

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

Rock, paper, scissors, sh**t.

- Bye.
- Hey, hold my hand.

Rock, paper, scissors, sh**t.

[JORDAN] Eddie, Eddie.

[FLIGHT ATTENDANT ]
... brace position. Lean forward...

- Hi. What happened?
- [DR. GARRITY] Ms. Curtis.

- Where is he?
- So, we have a slight problem.

- [DR. GARRITY SIGHS]
- [LACEY] Okay.

Okay, just so I... just so
I... I unders... He disappeared?

What does that mean? Did
he w... Into thin air?

Did he walk through a wall?

We believe he went out the window.

He went out the window?

We're on the ground floor, of course.

So you're telling me
that in the last hour,

Edward pushed a piano down the stairs,

and then he jumped out of a window?

What are you doing about that?

[PHONE RINGING]

It's him. It's him. This is
him. This is Edward. Right now.

Hello. Hi. Honey, where are you?

Is this Lacey Curtis?

Yes. Who is this?

[NURSE] I'm calling
from All Saints Hospital

on behalf of Linda Stollen.

Is this her next of kin?

Linda?

[CHUCKLING]

[SIGHS]

- Dee Dee.
- [GASPS] Milo.

- What are you doing here?
- I just need to speak to you very briefly.

You need to make an appointment.

- Oh, sh**t.
- Yeah.

Oh, no. Okay, two minutes? I...
I mean, I came all the way over.

- Do you mind? Real quick. Real quick.
- [SIGHS]

- Come on. Yeah.
- Oh, thank you.

- [DEE DEE] This is nice.
- Yeah, we try.

[SIGHS]

Ah. So, you see people one-on-one?

Yeah. That's my job.

I'd be happy to set up
an appointment for you,

- if that's something you'd like.
- Oh.

I thought we were your only clients.

The grief group? Nah. I...
I have other people I see.

Uh, Dee Dee, what's this about?

Oh, well, our next session
is our last session.

Yeah. I'm aware of that.

So we need to have a party.

[STAMMERS] That would be very
unusual for a support group.

Listen, Milo, I'm no
expert on mental health,

but what I do know is that when you
bring a group of people together,

and they share something, and
then they meet for one last time

there should be a party.

And what's that entail?

- Snacks. Punch. Cupcakes. Party stuff.
- Okay. Okay. Yeah, that's fine.

- That's good. Yeah.
- Yay. That's great.

Do you have discretionary
funds or whatever,

you know, from, like, the airline?

- [SIGHS] For snacks and punch?
- Yeah.

No. But yeah. [INHALES SHARPLY]

- Here's $ , okay?
- Thank you.

- Okay. [INHALES DEEPLY] Yeah.
- Thank you.

Um, I also... I wanted
to say that this group,

um, this experience, for
me, has been very helpful.

So thank you.

[SIGHS] Thank you. I
mean, you're welcome.

I wish it didn't have to end.

- I know. [SIGHS]
- Why does it have to end?

Well... [STAMMERS] I mean, you know,

there are other avenues you can take

to continue your healing process, and...

Well, I don't want other avenues.

I mean, I-I want this
group. I like this group.

This is... This is our group,

and I think we share something
pretty f*cking unique, you know?

Yeah. You do.

- And yet it has to end. [CHUCKLES]
- Yeah.

Why? Because the airline
stopped subsidizing it,

'cause they've already legally
covered their f*cking asses? Like...

That is a valid take.

What do you think about that?

[SIGHS] I think it f*cking sucks.

I think it's cruel what
they're doing to you.

But... [SIGHS] I'm not
allowed to say that, so...

Well, I appreciate your candor.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

[SIENNA] It was that guy
who was at the garage sale.

Yeah, that's who it is.

- His name is Vernon.
- Oh, his name is Vernon? And?

Nothing happened.

So you didn't have sex with him?

- No.
- Are you sure?

Sienna, I'm...

What about Ben?

- [SIGHS]
- Is there more to tell?

Sienna...

[SIGHS] Just f*cking tell me. Please.

You owe me that much.

Ben... [EXHALES]

Ben was the first
person that I ever loved.

Nothing much ever really happened.

We were... We were young.

We... We flirted. We
kissed a couple of times.

[STAMMERS] So you knew.

Y... Before you even met me. You knew.

I love you. I-I chose you.

You got to make a choice, Sam. I didn't.

Because you didn't give me the dignity

of letting me make that choice with you.

Sienna, I... I-I love you more than...

No. f*ck you, Sam! f*ck you!

[LACEY] Still no word.

Do you wanna tell me about
what happened at school today?

I pushed a piano down the stairs.

Yeah. Yeah, you did.

Why did you do that, Edward?

I wanted to hear what it sounded like.

- This isn't a joke.
- I'm not laughing.

I need something better than "you
wanted to hear what it sounded like."

I don't know why I do anything.

I mean, I can't tell you why
I did something if I don't...

if I don't know why I did it.

Why do you care anyway?

Why do I care?

I mean, Linda's dying.
Her baby might die.

Nobody's dying.

- Everybody is going to be fine.
- You don't know that.

Nobody knows that.

Nobody's just gonna be
fine. We're all gonna die.

- You need some dinner?
- I'm not hungry.

I'm gonna call your uncle John.

I'm gonna have him come pick you up.

- You guys are divorced.
- We're not divorced.

We're separated. And
he's still your uncle.

I mean, he's still my husband,

and for all intents and purposes,
no matter how dysfunctional,

we are still a family.

And everything, Edward... Edward,
everything is gonna be okay.

Everything is going to be okay.

I'm gonna call your uncle John.

[SIGHS]

[CHATTING INDISTINCTLY, LAUGHING]

[STEVE] Thank you for
agreeing to do this with me.

Why are you so obsessed with
these f*cking dumplings anyway?

Well, our nainai made these for
us when we stayed with her one winter,

and Brent and I were
very happy there, so...

- So, you're recapturing the magic.
- Exactly.

You know making dumplings is probably
not gonna make you feel better.

- Yeah, probably not.
- [PHONE BUZZING]

It's Dee Dee. Hi, Dee Dee.

Hi. [SLURPS] Mmm.

Milo asked me to throw a party
for our last grief group tomorrow.

You know, first I thought
maybe I'd do something simple,

like, you know, punch and cupcakes.

And then I thought, maybe we
should give it some variety.

You know, lean into it.
So I'm making my, uh,

stuffed Roma tomato appetizer,
which is unparalleled.

I think that we should
do something that reflects

the cultural diversity of the
group. Which is where you come in.

So, you want me to
bring something ethnic?

Your word, not mine.

Right.

Well, for good or ill, I
will bring soup dumplings.

- Okay, look, I gotta go. Bye-bye, bye.
- Wait. Steve? Wait...

[SIGHS]

What are we doing here?

- I came to make dumplings.
- Don't be cute.

No, I'm not. I swear. I promise,
I came to make dumplings.

- Why are you here?
- To make these.

No.

- No. Why are you here?
- [SIGHS]

Look at me. Why?

I don't know.

I know why. It's the same reason
why I let you come over here.

Why are you here?

I want to hear you say it.

- [JOHN] Are you hungry?
- No.

Oh, I got, uh, more of that party mix.

You know, the... the big plastic barrel

with the Cheetos and
the pretzels and sh*t.

This one's, like, bottomless.

You're not gonna ask me why I did it?

Look, dude, I did way stupider
sh*t when I was a kid, you know?

So, I'm not really... Or why?

Do you... Do you want to talk about it?

No.

No. I get it.

When I was my folks split-up.

I used to steal
lightbulbs from our house,

and I'd smash 'em up against
the side of our garage.

And when my Dad found out where
all the lightbulbs were going,

uh, he made me go see this shrink.

And the shrink was, like, asking me,

you know, "Why are you doing that?"

And I was like, "Dude, I don't
know." And I didn't. And I don't.

I just liked breaking things.

I liked the way it sounded.

Yeah, exactly.

I wanted to hear it. [SIGHS]

Right?

[EDWARD SIGHS]

You know, I'm supposed to be dead.

Hey. No, you're not.

I was supposed to die on that plane.

Before we took off, Jordan
had the window seat...

But I wanted it.

So we rock, paper, scissored for
it, and he did rock, and I did paper.

So, I got his seat.

But it was his seat.

Jordan should have lived, not me.

I'm not supposed to be here.

The only reason I am is
because paper covers rock.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[SOBS]

You got no electricity
and it's flooding?

That's... Yeah, no, I mean, that's...

I'm gonna have to look at
it, but that sounds like

you got two separate
issues hitting at once.

Yeah. Yep. Perfect storm. All right.

[EXHALES DEEPLY]

[EDWARD SIGHS]

All right.

My dude. Um,

I am gonna have to run across
campus and deal with an emergency.

You're probably gonna stay here.

Uh, I got, you know,
Internet. Got video games.

Got the complete works of J.R.R. Tolkien

in paperback, if that's your thing.

You good to chill here while I'm gone?

Yeah.

[JOHN] Sorry, man.
Honestly, most nights,

I sit here and I do jack sh*t.

It's, like, of course, the
one night I got company,

I'm running around putting out fires.

Uh, soda's in the
fridge. You got snacks.

You're good.

Yeah, yeah. I'm...
I'm... I'm... I'm good.

[JOHN SIGHS] Edward, listen.

You know, for what it's worth,

rock, paper, scissors
is a binding contract.

And anyone who plays understands that.

So, the minute you b*at
Jordan, that seat became yours.

You're supposed to be here.

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[SIGHS]

[LUCY] ... water rafting that
we could also do. If it's...

[CLAIRE] How far is
it? Um, like, an hour?

I think so.

- [SMACKS LIPS] Hi, Lucy.
- Mrs. Cameron. Hey.

- Mom, what the f*ck?
- Hi, girls. Hi, Zoe.

- How are you?
- Hi.

- Do you want ramen?
- No, she doesn't want ramen.

- What are you doing here?
- What am I supposed to do?

You don't respond to any of my texts.

Well, maybe you should
take that as an indication

that I don't want to
communicate with you right now.

- Well, I do.
- Well, of course you do.

It's all about Dee Dee, always.

- Can we speak privately?
- [ZOE] No, we can't. But, can you go?

Fine. Then I'm gonna tell you
what I need to tell you right here.

- Can you leave?
- I failed you as a mother.

- Oh, shut up. Shut up!
- Because, listen.

- I was too focused on... on appearances.
- Here?

On appearances and on looking
like this perfect family,

instead of focusing on you
and-and... and what you needed.

- You were such a fragile little girl.
- Mom, not here, okay?

And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I
need to tell you how sorry I am.

Will you just hear me out, please?

Okay.

Your father failed you too.

We failed each other.

He and I both. We just failed in
every aspect of our stupid lives.

[ZOE SIGHS]

And he hurt me. He hurt us.

When he went to LA, Zoe, he met someone.

- What?
- A man who he cared about.

- Cared about how?
- He... It was a man that he loved.

- Mom, what are you saying?
- He loved a man.

I know. I know. I know it's
hard. It's hard to hear.

I've been so angry. I've
been so f*cking raw and angry.

But here's the thing. He was underwater.
He was just trying to survive.

What I need you to know
is you and me, Zoe, honey,

we're still alive, and
we can still change.

We don't have to keep
making the same mistakes

over and over and over again.

[LUCY] Should we, like, go?

- Shut up, Lucy.
- Sorry.

I've been doing this-this
grief group, you know?

This group therapy. And it's been great.

- Yeah, Mom, it sounds like it.
- No, no, no. It's great.

And our last session is tomorrow,
and I'm throwing a party.

Because even though I may never
see any of those people again,

which really scares me 'cause
I've really grown to rely on them,

I know that I'm gonna change.

In a way, they kinda
replaced your father for me.

Like, I... They helped me
to know who I am without him.

And so, even though I
know it's gonna be hard,

I know that I can change.

I can change and be a better mother.

I can change and be a better person.

And I promise you that.

- Okay?
- Okay.

- I love you, sweetheart.
- [SIGHS]

Bye, girls. Lucy, I'm sorry I snapped.

[SIGHS]

[SIGHS]

Oh.

[GASPS]

- Oh, hey. [CHUCKLES]
- I'm here.

Hmm. [CHUCKLES] Mmm.

[KNOCKS] Mama, ready to see your baby?

[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY, CHUCKLES]

Oh.

Sorry. In the NICU, I can
only take the mother inside.

Okay. I'll be right...
I'll be right out there.

- Hey.
- Hey.

I love you, Sam. And I
don't wanna f*cking lose you.

But I need to know that you
are one hundred percent in.

I don't want an open marriage.

I don't... I don't
wanna have to share you.

I don't wanna have to
worry every single day

that maybe you might want
someone else or something else.

So you need to decide, Sam.

You need to decide what
you want your life to be.

[AGENT ] I need your ID
and boarding pass, please.

Boarding pass?

I think this is... [WHISPERS]

Sir, are you Kojo Ansah?

- Yes.
- Come with me, please, sir.

- What is this about?
- Come with me.

[AGENT ] Next in line. I need
your boarding pass, please.

[PERSON ] My boarding
pass is on my phone.

[AGENT ] You can just show me.

Yep. That's fine.

What is the problem, please?
All my papers are up to date.

- Adriana!
- [ADRIANA] Hi, guys.

I'm so sorry. I just...
I had to see you.

[CHUCKLES]

You have this much power as
a congressional candidate?

Nah, me and Ade when to grade
school. I always got her back.

Thank you.

- I'll leave you alone.
- [ADRIANA] Thank you.

I made you a drawing.

I know. And I love it so much.

I can make you another one.

Really? Okay. Go for it.

So, is this the part of the movie
where you stop me at the gates

and declare your love
and tell me to stay?

- Maybe.
- Or...

is it the part where you
join us on the flight,

and we go off to Ghana and
live happily ever after?

I haven't seen that movie.

It's a good one.

The election is tomorrow.

- Are you going to win?
- Natalie seems to think so.

[CHUCKLES] Of course.

I will draw you a
map. Give me your hand.

- Okay, so this is Accra, your hand.
- Okay. Okay.

And where your palm
ends here, is the ocean.

[KOJO] Here is our
neighborhood of Labone.

[ADRIANA] Mmm.

[KOJO] And here is
where we live. Our home.

My father and my uncle built this
home slowly over several years.

They began before I was born.

I finally completed the southern
wing myself after years.

In this house, my mother
lives with my sisters,

two nieces and four nephews.
Some are here. Some are away.

Some are Becks's age.

Everyone has been following your
campaign with great interest.

Here, this is where I raise pigeons.

You raise pigeons?

They are not like the pigeons
here. [LAUGHS] They are exquisite.

[CHUCKLES]

And in this room here, this
is where Becks will stay.

And this room, this is my room.

And should there come a day,

tomorrow or the day
after or the year after,

where you desire to see this
little corner of the world,

you come here.

Now I know where to find you.

[CRIES]

[SIGHS]

[CRIES]

I love you.

[BECKS] I love you too.

Medo wo.

[WHISTLING]

[MACHINES GROANING]

[WRITER ] Dear Edward, my wife
was on the same flight as you.

I don't know how to go on.

I don't know how you're doing it.

I'm sorry for what happened to you.

I have three girls. Ellie, Emma and Eve.

[WRITER ] My name is Jingyang
Yao. I live in Tianjin, China.

I was sad when I heard
about what happened to you,

and I would like to be your friend.

[WRITER ] Dear Eddie,

I was wondering if you saw
my daughter on the flight.

I hope you don't mind.
I included a picture.

[WRITER ] It is such
a joy to learn of you.

Some might say that your
story is one of sadness,

but it is not sad at all.

It is an incredible example
of God's grace and his mercy.

[WRITER ] When I dropped
her off at the airport,

I grabbed her face and I kissed
her three times on the nose.

That's how we used to say goodbye.

[WRITER ] For it is he who
chose to save your life.

It is he who chose to spare you.

[WRITER ] Ellie's just
about a year and a half.

She keeps asking for her mama.

- She doesn't understand what it means to die.
- They say ghosts linger

- when they have unfinished business.
- [WRITER ] Dear Edward,

did you see my grandpa on the
flight? He was seat C.

- All I wanted to remember him by was his watch.
- [WRITER ] Dearest "Edward",

aka Randall Timothy Wakeshire. LOL.

That's right. I know who you are.

I've seen your real birth certificate.

I've seen the evidence. Watched
the documentaries on YouTube.

I know the truth. We
know who you really are.

[MAHIRA] Dear Eddie, I'm writing to you

because I knew your brother, Jordan.

Well, more than knew.

I don't know if he
ever told you about me.

He said he never told anyone.

But maybe you weren't just
anyone. Jordan was my boyfriend.

He was the first person I ever loved.

[WRITER ] ♪ Endured apocalypse ♪
♪ Inhaled in hell ♪

[WRITER ] When you take out all
the E's and D's in Eddie Adler,

you're left with "liar"! You
think we weren't gonna notice that?

[WRITER ] Have you gotten my
other letters? I'm worried.

I've been writing you every
day now and still nothing.

[WRITER ] I read that
your seat was A.

She was just a few rows back in B.

Maybe you saw her on
the way to the bathroom.

[WRITER ] Dear Edward,
I'm going to die today.

I'm going to run my parents' car
in the garage until I suffocate.

♪ Dear Edward ♪

[WRITER ] Do you have any pets?

[WRITER ] If you could, tell
Ellie her mother loved her so much.

You special boy.

[WRITER ] Be faithful! Be glad.

It is in his name that
you were granted this life.

[WRITER ] I tried leaving a normal
su1c1de note, but I couldn't do it.

I can't do anything
normal. I can't do anything.

How come you got to live?

[WRITER ] I know you don't
mean to be selfish, but you are.

[SPEAKS ARAMAIC INDISTINCTLY]

- I miss my wife.
- I want my daughter back.

I didn't even know him.

Praise be unto the Lord our God.

- Edward! Wake up!
- [ALL YELLING INDISTINCTLY]

- I'll love him till the day I die.
- [YELLING CONTINUES] Edward!

[ALL] Edward.