01x15 - Gifted & Talented

[bunniefuu]

Look, let's get our story straight before anybody gets here.

Let's just tell the truth.

The truth?

[Chuckles] You are such an amateur.

[Sighs] Cristela, what happened?

They called me to come down to the school right away.

Uh, someone got kicked out of the soccer game for screaming at the ref.

Isabella! How could you?

It wasn't me.

I said "someone."

Now, that makes more sense.

They don't let them keep score.

A-and I kept shouting it.

If you don't keep score, it's just girls jogging.

Sorry to keep you waiting, but it makes me feel powerful.

You don't have to make people wait, Mr. Lathrop.

Your uniform makes you look powerful.

Listen, rules are rules, and the enforcement of them is the basis of a civilized society.

Well, most civilized societies don't let men your age wear shorts and knee socks.

Thank you for coming down, Mrs. Gonzalez.

I want you to know that someone else will have to bring Isabella to the next game.

[Scoffs] By what authority?

Uh-oh.

Well, if you didn't have that, no one would listen to you. Hmm.

You know what? We're out of here.

Let's go. Come on.

A-and, uh, by the way, why does a soccer ref have his own office, anyway?

Ha!

I'm also in charge of the gifted and talented program.

The one Izzy's trying to get into.

On the other hand, I love what you've done with the office.

Daniela's right.

You are really rockin' those shorts.

Is there a Mrs. Whistle? why do you have my egg timer?

You don't know how to make eggs.

Yeah, I do.

You know, it's not really the challenge you make it out to be.

I'm using it to time Izzy on her practice test for the gifted and talented program.

Gifted and talented? Please.

All kids belong in the "sit down and be quiet" program.

Hey, real quick... a-squared plus b-squared equals?

C-squared. Aha! Yes!

I thought it was some fancy program, but apparently, they're working on the alphabet.

Hey, you ready to crush it on another practice test? Hm?

No.

We learned about World w*r II today, and I'm wondering if any of this matters.

Izzy, I didn't practice enough, and I didn't get in.

I mean, no pressure, but it ruined my life.

Maybe she needs a break, Cris.

Yeah. You don't want her to be too smart, or she might end up like this one.

And what is that supposed to mean?

Men don't like women who are too smart.

But men have always liked me.

I know.

You're just right.

You know, Izzy, if you get into this program, you won't have to blaze your trail, like I did.

You know, you can get into the right schools and meet the right people.

Will she complain less than you? 'Cause then I'm for it.

Ladies, your tires have been rotated.

Ooh! Thank you, sweetie.

Speaking of rotating tires, I think it's time [singsong voice] For Izzy to do another practice test!

[Chuckles]

What... what does that have to do with tires?

N-nothing.

I just thought we needed to rotate the subject back to this whiz kid, huh?

Don't bother, Izzy.

That program is only for crazy-smart people.

Henry, your sister is crazy-smart.

I took the test last year, and I got blown out of the water.

Well, you're smart in other ways, Henry.

Like...

Felix?

Setting the parking brake before we changed the tires?

That was all Henry. Ha!

Ohh! Brilliant.

Izzy, how about another practice test?

Nah. I think I'm ready.

Where'd that attitude come from?

I wouldn't worry about it, Cris.

If she doesn't pass, all that means is she doesn't have to hang out with a bunch of nerds.

He knows he's still a nerd, right?

I don't know why Izzy doesn't want to practice.

I loved my gifted and talented program.

Did you think it made your life easier?

Of course.

It instilled in me a sense that I was gifted and talented.

I've noticed you haven't been able to shake off that feeling.

So, I was just thinking... a-and this isn't placing blame, but what you don't want to do is pressure someone who isn't up to the curriculum into an advanced program.

That's the kind of mistake an ungifted parent or guardian might make.

I'm not pressuring her.

Well, how important did you make it sound?

The words..."ruined my life" may have come up.

[Elevator bell dings]

[Sighs]

This is gonna be one of those days.

Ugh.

Where you have to overcome the stigma of being a rich blonde in America?

No.

That's easier than you think.

No, I just... I just got in a little Fender bender.

Oh, my gosh. Are... are you okay?

Yeah. But the other car just came out of nowhere.

I mean, actually, it was parked, but it seemed like it just sh*t out right in front of me, you know?

Late again, Maddie?

Hey, daddy, if I got in a car accident, wouldn't the best news of all be that I didn't get hurt?

Oh, boy.

But, you know, I didn't run from my responsibility.

I left your number on the windshield.

Oh, no, no. No. Not this time.

You've got to learn some personal responsibility.

Okay. So put it on your personal card?

No.

You're paying for this one.

Fine!

Wait. How?

There's an opening in the mail room.

Oh, wow. What happened, sir?

I fired somebody for being too nosy.

Any more questions?

Okay, fine. I will do an awesome job.

And I'll start right now.

The... the mail room's the other way.

I knew that.

I was just, you know, checking this out.

Izzy, come on! The results will be online!

She probably got the highest score in the class.

[Chuckles]

Please let her get the highest score in the class.

She will. Like mother, like daughter.

So smart.

Let it go, Daniela.

Why are you so jumpy?

I'm not.

I'm just worried that I-I-I put a little too much pressure on Izzy.

No, you didn't, Cris.

You put way too much pressure on her.

Ah, there she is!

And there he is, right behind her.

Good for you, Henry!

Don't be nervous.

I'm not. Whatever happens, I'm gonna be okay.

That's a great attitude.

Not really.

This must be a mistake.

Izzy, you didn't pass.

It was really hard.

Cris, I thought you prepared her.

Maybe I should have studied with her.

Really?

Izzy, I am so sorry.

It's okay.

No, it's not. I blew it for you.

I-I told you how very, very crucial this was, and now your whole life is gonna be a struggle.

Even when I apologize, I'm adding pressure.

It's not your fault, Cris.

Y-yes, it is!

No, it's not! I failed it on purpose!

What?

I heard mom and dad talking, and they said it would make Henry feel bad if I passed when he didn't, so I didn't.

Would you believe me if I said that's what I did last year so Izzy wouldn't feel bad?

So, wait.

Izzy failed because of something you said, not something I said.

That makes more sense.

I didn't know she heard us.

I feel terrible.

What did you say?

Just that if she passes, we were worried that Henry would feel bad.

You know, if you call one kid "gifted and talented," you're calling the other one "ungifted and untalented."

Uh, no.

You're calling them "gifted and talented's brother."

Well, I-I didn't want her to fail, but you got to admit, what she did was so sweet.

I mean, I'm still proud of her.

You can love your kids no matter what their test scores, but you should only be proud of them for trying their best.

"Love your kids." "Be proud of your kids."

You know what my mother did?

She fed us.

Almost every day.

Felix. You're okay with this?

Yeah, it's no big deal. She'll be fine.

I only went to high school, and I own my own flooring business.

Yeah, and by the time you're 50, your knees will be sh*t, and Daniela will be carrying you to bed.

Sounds good to me.

Doesn't this bother any of you?!

People like us, we don't always have to take the hard road.

In my village, the hard road was the easy road.

Every other road was a trench.

Well, it doesn't matter now anyway, 'cause Izzy didn't pass.

She should be happy she has a school to go to with four walls and a roof.

And floors!

Everyone forgets the floors.

We shouldn't want Izzy to grow up to be like her aunt, who is so smart, she works all day and night for free.

Hey, I am this close to becoming a lawyer.

And I'm sure I would have been one by now if I had passed that test.

Daniela: Well, Izzy didn't, so I guess she'll have to just get along, like the rest of us common folk.

Oy! Will you stop and remember you are pretty?

Hey.

Are you mad?

Oh, no.

Okay, a little.

I worked hard making those practice tests.

I'm sorry.

It just seemed like the nice thing to do.

You know, the nice thing to do isn't always the right thing to do.

It is according to Jesus.

Wow. You are not gonna make this easy.

It's just that sometimes, in this world, you just have to worry about yourself.

You worry about everyone else.

You're worrying about someone else right now.

[Sighs]

Man, if this gifted and talented program had a debate team, you would make a great captain.

Putting Henry aside, did you want to be part of the program?

Yeah.

It sounded really great.

Then we're gonna do something about it.

What can we do?

I don't know. I didn't pass the test when I took it.

And just so you know, at this age, you and Henry, you're supposed to hate each other.

Mail's here! Come and get it!

[Sighs]

This job is pretty easy.

Yep, nothing's that hard if you're just willing to do it terribly.

Um, so, how is this organized?

Oh, okay. Well, this is all mail, so...

Where's mine?

Okay, not everything is about you, Josh.

Yeah, but my mail should be.

Maddie, look, I know you're organized.

We've been working together for months, and I've yet to see you in the same outfit.

Yeah, and you wear the same outfit every day.

No, I don't.

Mm, yeah, you do.

[Scoffs]

Look, I'm just saying that everybody is gifted and talented in their own way.

Mine is the regular way.

Mm.

And you... you do this every day.

Aww!

Thanks. You noticed.

You know, that's why I do it.

No, my... my point is that, unlike half of your drives to work, this is no accident.

You should take your mailroom duties as seriously as you take your wardrobe.

Okay, I have been to the post office, Josh.

They do not take their wardrobe very seriously.

[Knock on door]

Hello.

How's my favorite referee/gifted-program coordinator?

Read the sign... "no retests."

Not even for my niece, who has a vague and undocumented learning disability?

If we let your niece retake the test, should we let all the other kids retake it, too?

Fine with me.

But don't you see what that would do to the very foundation of the system?

Not really.

Okay, I guess I don't, either.

It's just...

She failed the test on purpose.

She didn't want to hurt her brother's feelings because he didn't get in.

Wow.

My sister hated me when we were that age.

I know, right?

Argh!

You got to admit, you're part of the problem, too.

I mean, you know, not keeping score to spare kids' feelings, it just leads to kids not trying.

That's what I'm always saying!

Wait... you want to keep score?

Of course I want to keep score!

I love sports.

If you don't keep score, it's just girls running around.

Jogging, right? Jogging, yeah.

[Laughs]

Yeah.

Look at us, getting along.

[Laughs]

Letting my niece take the retest.

[Laughs]

Sorry. It's a district rule.

And there's no way we can get around it?

Nope. It's a hard and fast rule.

And there's no way... okay, here's what we do.

We say you threatened to sue.

The only thing the district hates more than winners is lawsuits.

Funny you said that, because I work at a law firm.

Here's my card.

This is just a card for a free coffee.

And that's all yours.

[Clicks tongue]

Hello.

Hi.

Mission accomplished.

Izzy can take the retest.

Can't you just leave well enough alone?

I think we all know the answer to that.

[Chuckles]

Okay. But we'll have to come up with something to make Henry feel good.

Um, Felix, why don't you and Henry rotate those tires again?

Then they'll just be the way they were to begin with.

Yeah, but he won't know that.

Stop worrying about Henry!

Being in this program, surrounded by other gifted kids, could benefit Izzy.

I wish I would have gotten in.

[Sighs]

Maybe we should let her do it.

It could be good for her.

No, it wouldn't, Felix.

It would just make her feel out of place.

What are you talking about?

A good parent would not send her where she doesn't belong.

That's why when the letter came saying that you were accepted, I tore it up and threw it in the trash.

Did you do that with mine, too, ama?

Um, uh, Daniela, we need to check on the...

Daniela.

What?! I'm smart enough to know this just got good.

Even for you, that was mean.

No, Cristela.

Letting you know you got in and then telling you you couldn't go... that would have been mean.

Uh, also mean. Yeah, mm-hmm.

[Sighs]

You know, there was another option.

Uh... Let me do it?

Oh, so you could've been made fun of because you didn't have the things all the other kids in the fancy program had?

So what?

I didn't have a backpack or a pencil case or a dad!

I still would have done well.

Oh, and, by the way, they made fun of me at the regular school, too.

We are not supposed to aim so high.

Because the higher you aim, the farther you fall.

Then why did you come to this country?

To make a better life for my kids.

Exactly!

And that's what we should be doing with Izzy.

She has a backpack. She has a pencil case.

She has a dad!

I was denied that opportunity, and I don't want her to be!

I was raising three children by myself!

Did the best I could.

Tore it up?

Yep.

Threw it in the garbage?

Yep.

Your own mother?

Yeah.

I got a cake.

Well, people lead very different lives.

Hey, it was a long time ago. It's over with.

And it is kind of hard to argue with the results.

My current excellence does not excuse mistakes that were made.

Well, it should.

Everything you went through made you who you are, and that is the most determined, stubborn person I've ever met.

[Chuckles]

Nice try.

But I'm mad, and I'm gonna stay that way.

Proving my point.

Look, let's look at this from another perspective.

I know you had a hard road to get here, but I bet it wasn't as hard as your mom's.

Oh, sure.

Take the side of the poor, single, immigrant mother.

Psh. So easy.

Is that right?

How should I know? I'm just making you study.

Hey, ama.

What are you doing?

I'm helping Izzy aim high... like her aunt.

We're studying for the retest.

Really?

You know... you take over.

It all seems like nonsense to me.

Ama.

I know you did your best.

And because you did...

Then you can do your best.

You heard her, Izzy.

Three generations are riding on this test.

Have fun!

You ever seen your grandmother apologize?

Nope.

Well, that's the closest you're ever gonna get.

Voilà!

Anybody else getting a big "price is right" hit off of this?

What have we here?

Oh, I organized the mail like my closet.

Okay, so, the partners are my dvf dresses, the associates are my dkny blouses, and the paralegals are my d&g skirts.

I knew you could do it, sweetie.

[Giggles]

Where's everyone's mail?

Hmm.

I will be right back.