08x09 - Go Ask Alice

[bunniefuu]

Simon, Lucy, Matt
and Mary are gone...

and I have another
year before Ruthie,

so tell me why you're
involved in my business?

Yes, well, uh, you
know, with our children

we usually felt that dealing
with the vice-principal

was enough, but,
uh, I got involved

when one of the parents

in my neighborhood
called me, and, uh,

well, asked me to intervene.

And they asked that I
deal directly with you.

The Millers understand

why there's a "no visitor"
policy on the campus.

But it's just their older
son coming to pick up

their daughter after
basketball practice,

and he's a family member,

so surely something
could be worked out.

So I take it you've
sided with the Millers,

and you'd like me to change

a school policy to
better suit their daughter?

Well, I'm not sure I would've

put it that way but...

yeah, I thought there
might be a compromise.

In this case, um,
I don't think so.

So...

is there anybody
else who's unhappy

that you'd like to make happy?

Perhaps I could help
you bring about justice

for some other student.

Principal Jones, I
don't mean any offense,

but you've hardly
allowed me to speak.

I don't mean

any offense either,
Reverend Camden,

but I'm a very busy woman,

and I've already spent
a lot of time and effort

talking to the student, and
the brother of the student,

and the parents that
you're representing,

and I have explained ad nauseam

that this visitor policy is
not my personal policy.

This is a district-wide policy.

And frankly, I'm
annoyed that they don't

want to take no for an answer
and just play by the rules.

But, you know,

rules are made to be
broken, are they not?

What about the Ten Commandments?
They meant to be broken?

What about the Golden Rule?

Forgive me,

I'll stop wasting your time

and I'm going to
get back to work.

I have a teacher out
sick and a substitute

who hasn't arrived,
and I have to go to class.

(indistinct conversation)

What are you doing here?

Oh, I had a meeting
with Ms. Jones.

Ah, isn't she great?

Sure, but she's
a bit of a stickler

for the rules, isn't she?

Yeah, you know she is.

She's absolutely
fair to everyone.

There's no guessing what's
allowed and not allowed.

The athletes aren't favored
over the other students,

so no one resents us.

And everyone is
treated the same.

Do all the students
feel the way you do?

I don't know, and
I don't really care.

Bottom line, this is
the highest-rated school

academically in
the whole district.

And I don't feel like
I'm going to get stabbed

(bell rings) by another student
every time I go around a corner.

I gotta get to class. See ya.

Hey, come by for dinner tonight.

You're that reverend
guy, aren't you?

Simon Camden's dad?

Yeah, Eric Camden.

Bet I know why you're here.

'Cause that new
guy and the principal

are a little too close, if
you know what I mean.

I heard he's not

really a student, he's a spy.

She's always trying
to get information.

Get rid of her enemies
before they get rid of her,

know what I mean?

♪ th Heaven ♪

♪ When I see their happy faces ♪

♪ Smiling back at me ♪

♪ th Heaven ♪

♪ I know there's
no greater feeling ♪

♪ Than the love of family ♪

♪ Where can you go ♪

♪ When the world
don't treat you right? ♪

♪ The answer is home ♪

♪ That's the one
place that you'll find ♪

♪ th Heaven ♪

♪ Mmm, th Heaven ♪

♪ th Heaven. ♪

(barks)

(dishes clink)

(clunk)

That's enough.

Don't want to raise
the bar too high.

I've been working to keep it
at a reasonable level for years.

Sorry.

m*llitary training.

And how is your dad?

He's in Iraq.

He's hot and he's tired.

And he's ready to come home,

but not before the job's done.

I got an e-mail from
him this afternoon.

Oh, so you were
home this afternoon?

No, I just

ran by the house
to check my e-mail

before I came over to
help Annie with dinner.

And before that?

Uh, before that?

Uh, baseball. Why?

No reason, just asking.

I'll see you soon.

Are you going out with Martin?

No, I have homework to do, too.

You're not avoiding
him because of what

people at school are
saying about him, are you?

No. He doesn't know
what people are saying.

Are you sure?

I mean, most of the time,

people eventually hear
what's going around.

CECILIA: You're not
going to tell him are you?

No, but maybe you should.

Why?

Because you think he may not be

who he says he is.

I didn't say that.

But you're thinking it.

Ruthie, do me a favor.

Can we just forget I
ever confided in you?

Sure. Sorry.

Forget it.

Good night.

Did your dad seem a
little off at dinner tonight?

Well, he started his
day by going to see

that witch over
at the high school.

Witch? What witch?

The principal.

What did he see her about?

You know the Millers, they live

in the yellow house
down the street?

Their daughter's
always in the driveway

sh**ting baskets?

She's all-state in
girls' basketball.

And they have an older son.

Graduated last year,

always sits in his car
in the front of the house.

Always looks asleep.

His name's Griffith.

I know the yellow house

with the backboard
over the garage.

I don't know any
of these people.

The brother wants to pick
up the sister from school

and the witch won't let him.

So they asked
Dad to give it a sh*t

before they go to
the school board.

Is this straight?

Yeah.

Good.

Does the brother just
want to pick her up

in front of the school,

or does he want to drive
on the school property

and wait in the parking lot?

I don't know.

They don't let anyone
other than students

from the same school drive
onto the school parking lot.

Even parents have to park
and wait at the sidewalk,

off school property.

Well...

before you call
this woman a witch,

shouldn't you know
if she is a witch?

And that's the story
of Mushkil Gusha.

I liked it.

It was very good.

But I feel bad for the daddy

when he took the
daughter away from him.

Yeah, he didn't
do anything wrong.

And neither did she.

She didn't steal the necklace.

But, you know, in the end,

everybody found out the truth

and they all liked the man.

And they liked his daughter.

And their lives were
never difficult again.

Good night.

Good night.

ERIC: Good night.

(Happy barks gently, then pants)

So you in the mood for
what is probably gossip?

Not really.

It involves Martin.

And Cecilia?

No, and Ms. Jones,
the high school principal.

Where did you hear it?

From a student?

I think I'll pass.

You're right.

Maybe we should slow down.

I mean, you are just , right?

Right. .

Hello.

Hey...

You both go to Kennedy
High School, right?

Right. Right.

What do you think of the
principal there... Ms. Jones?

She's a witch. She's great.

You hardly know her.

You just started
going to school there.

And I think she's great.

You want to know why?

Because I did just start
going to school there.

And she seems to know how
hard it is to be the new guy.

And she's gone out
of her way to help me.

She sat in with the
counselor when I registered

so she'd make sure
I got the right classes

and the nicest teachers.

And she got my
last coach to call

Coach Hardwood so he'd
know where I am with my game.

And she even came to my house

and met with my aunt.

Hey, who d*ed and
made him the president

of Ms. Jones' fan club?

Hi.

Oh! Oh, it's just you.

(chuckles)

I just had an
interesting discussion

with Cecilia and Martin
about the principal

you met with today... Ms. Jones.

Ah...

I had a very
interesting discussion

with another student
about Ms. Jones.

(phone rings)

Hello?

Yeah, but I'm not a
member of the school board.

Okay, but, you know,
why don't you let me

talk to her again?

Okay.

But let me meet with
the other parents first.

And if that doesn't work then,

I'll be there, if it's
that important to you.

How come no one in this
family says "good-bye"?

They just finish what
they're saying and hang up.

Now I've started doing it.

People outside the
family think I'm nuts.

It's a bad habit.

Save me a bite
of that, will you?

That was our friend from
the board of education.

You know, the preacher's kid

who helped Simon
get into college early?

The, uh, the Harvard bum.

I'm sorry, did I
say that out loud?

Anyway, there's a school
board meeting about Ms. Jones.

Seems she's upset
a number of people.

He suggested I be there,
sort of as a moral compass.

Ever stopped a lynching before?

On occasion.

Why?

Something's not right here.

You're not interested
in that guy, are you?

He's a loser.

Ms. Jones just
transferred him here

so he can help out
the baseball team.

He's not really a sophomore.

He's a senior.

He's just claiming
to be a sophomore

so he can play for three years.

See, she's pushing
Coach Hardwick

to get into the state
championships,

and if he doesn't,
he's going to get fired.

Fired! After what,
ten years here?

First of all, the new
guy's name is Martin,

and he's really .

I've seen his driver's license.

And secondly, he
had to transfer here

because his only parent is
a marine stationed in Iraq.

Love is blind and
apparently also deaf.

How do you know
it's his real license?

And I don't guess that
you've met the father.

I've seen pictures. Yeah,

'cause there aren't pictures
of marines floating around,

are there?

Hey, I'm making a
snack for the boys.

Fruit salad.

You want some?

No thanks.

Sure. Oh, good.

Have you seen Cecilia?

It's a little early.

Maybe she'll be around later.

If you want to play a game
with the boys while I start dinner,

that would be a great help.

I'll go get a game.

Candyland maybe?

If we win, could we have
candy instead of fruit?

Yeah, we love candy.

Yeah, but fruit is much
better for you than candy.

Come on, guys.

Let's go get a game. I don't

want fruit.

I don't like fruit.

Really?

I love it.

Then I love it.

Me, too.

Yesterday, Cecilia told me

something that was being
said at school about Martin

that was really stupid.

And? And I told her

I thought she believed it

and I hurt her feelings.

I know I did.

Well, at least you know when
you've done something wrong

and you want to make amends,

so don't be so hard on yourself.

The thing is, once you say
something that you shouldn't,

it's out there and
you can't get it back.

Again,

good for you.

Hard lesson to
learn... Really, it is.

KEVIN: Over there.

Everything okay here?

Well, everything
is fine, Officer.

Um, I was just
telling this young man

that he cannot park here

while he waits for his sister

to get out of
basketball practice.

It's sort of an
ongoing conversation.

We like to chat every
day about this time.

You want to move along?

Am I breaking any law?

Maybe.

Well, I'll risk it.

No, really, Officer,
I... i-it's okay.

I-I think Griffith was
about to leave anyway.

Weren't you, son?

I'm not your son.

But yeah, I'll leave.

I'm Officer Kinkirk.

I'm also Reverend
Camden's son-in-law.

Married to Lucy.

Ah.

Thanks for checking up on me.

(typing rapidly,
computer beeping)

I'm running a check
on the car for you.

What are you hoping to find?

Parking tickets, moving
violations, that kind of thing.

People who don't like rules
don't just break one rule.

She's impossible to talk to.

Is that about everything or
just one particular subject?

My son has a speech problem.

He has every right

not to meet the foreign
language requirement,

and the counselor agreed.

All we needed was
one letter from Ms. Jones

to make it official.

And you know what she said?

"Talk to me after he's tried

this Mr. Sanborn's
class for one month."

And?

And now he's
skipping a class a day

and he's in detention for it,

and if he gets
enough detentions,

he's going to get suspended

and eventually
tossed out of there

and for no good reason.

Why don't you... tell me
what's going on with your son

or daughter? It's my daughter.

She's hypoglycemic

and she needs to leave
school every day for lunch,

but Ms. Jones won't allow it.

Okay. My daughter is friends

with this woman's daughter,
and since she doesn't drive,

my daughter is willing
to take her, but no...

My son didn't make
the baseball team

because she's brought in some
new kid from another district,

and he's heard that this kid
is actually some kind of spy,

like a narc or something,
who's been brought in

to get information on
the other kids for her.

Is he a good player?

Yes, he's a good player,

but he's probably
years old or something.

Um... she's so cheap

she gets her hair
cut at the barbershop.

And this is a
problem because...?

Well,

um, men get their
hair cut at barbershops.

Women are supposed to get

their hair cut at salons.

She's just not setting

a very good example.

Okay.

We need to talk about
you and about me.

There's some rumors
going on around school

about you and Ms. Jones.

Yeah, I know, I heard.

Last night, I came up to
say good-bye to Ruthie.

That's why I said we
better slow it down.

But I was willing to get
to know you a little better

before I just called it quits

because I don't want
to judge you unfairly.

Know what I mean?

Like the way people
judge Ms. Jones?

A lot of people
are judged unfairly.

Why does it bother you so much

that people don't
like Ms. Jones?

Hi.

Is this a good time?

I saw you talking with Martin

and I didn't want to interrupt.

It didn't go so well.

He overheard us last night.

I'm sorry.

What you said was the truth.

I have let what other people
say affect what I'm thinking.

No, I cannot come down there.

No, I don't wish to
come down there.

I can't imagine what
good would come of it

if I did come down there.

Can I come to you?

You were just here yesterday.

Yesterday was about one student.

Today it's a lot of students.

I don't care.

Do you hear? I-I don't care.

You might care if
they keep pressing

for a meeting with
the school board.

Considering the current climate,

I don't think that would
work out in your favor.

I know who you met with and
I know what they're claiming.

The, the Spanish teacher
has a learning disability,

and I thought that Mr. Smith's
son might be inspired

to at least try to learn
a second language.

And these two students
who want to leave for lunch,

they... they just want to
leave campus to meet guys.

And I don't know why where
I get my haircut is a problem.

I'm on your side... I am...

But regardless of how
lame their complaints are,

I get the feeling you're
about to be trampled

by a herd of
disgruntled parents,

and I'm trying to help you.

I can't take the time to worry
about myself right now, okay?

I have other worries,
hundreds of them.

They're called students.

Are you worried about
one student in particular?

Alice Miller maybe?

Stay out of it, okay,
Reverend Camden?

If that's what you want.

But how are you
going to help anyone

if the school board removes you?

I am not a victim, okay?
And I don't need rescuing.

Thanks anyway.

He's not out there...
My brother Griffith...

I looked everywhere for him.

He's not out there.

So now's our chance.

Talk to me.

Tell me what's really going on.

You can trust me,
Alice, whatever it is.

You can trust me.

Alice, I just want to tell you
again, you did the right thing.

You're very brave,
coming forward.

No one has a right to
do what he did to you.

No one.

You did nothing wrong, okay?

It's not your fault.

Thank you for trusting me.

Yeah, well, I want to
thank you for believing me.

Uh, I have to go.

Um, I'll see you tomorrow?

Yeah.

Uh, Lucy.

Uh, Lucy Camden.

(sighs)

Oh.

Hello.

I-I thought it was
you, but I wasn't sure.

Did you want something?

Yes, I do want something.

Would you be willing to
forget that you just saw me

if you thought that it would

make a big difference in
the life of a young woman,

maybe even save her life?

I have to have more
information than that.

I can't give you more
information than that.

Look, I-I know you're
studying to be a minister,

and this may be the first time

you've been put
in this situation,

but it won't be the last.

Please help me.

Don't say anything

to anyone, especially
your husband.

I need a little time.

I don't know if I can do that,

not without knowing
what you're up to.

I-I can't tell you,
Lucy, really, I can't.

Can you tell me anything?

I'm in trouble?

No, no, I am not in trouble.

You are in trouble.

You have
outstanding parking tickets

and you've got two
moving violations

in the past six months

and you haven't showed
up in court or paid your fines.

And I'm in trouble?

May I see you a minute?

We have a problem.

Griffith's attorney...

His father's
attorney, that is...

Is on the way down here
and he's not too happy.

Seems Griffith's dad is

one of the largest contributors

to the police chief's
campaign fund,

and he claims
that they were told

the tickets were taken care of.

The chief's fixing parking
tickets and moving violations?

I doubt it, even for
campaign funds.

You want to ask him? No.

I don't either.

I have an update on our problem.

Griffith's dad can't
find Griffith's sister.

She's not at school,
she hasn't come home,

and we were holding Griffith,

so he's threatening
to hold us responsible.

Is Mr. Miller here?

No, he's in the chief's office.

They're setting up
an AMBER Alert.

So they know who the
daughter's with, what car she's in?

They're looking for Ms. Jones.

RUTHIE: The school board called.

I told them you were resting,

and they told me to tell you

there's a meeting tomorrow
regarding Ms. Jones.

They think you should be there.

(groaning) They?

That Harvard bum who
got Simon into school.

Sorry.

I just miss Simon.

It's okay. Me too.

Thanks for the message.

Maybe I should try
calling Ms. Jones again.

Maybe you should go
and talk to Ms. Jones again.

I tried to see
her this afternoon

and she refused to see me.

And when did that ever stop you?

Fine.

Thank goodness you're here.

I went home, but before I
could even get out of the car,

I turned around and came back.

Because... I have
to talk to someone.

I think Martin's upset with me,

because I let some
rumors at school bother me.

Rumors about him.

Well, I don't know if
I really want to hear

anything bad about
Martin; I like him.

I do too.

But... a lot of people don't.

They think he's
involved with Ms. Jones

and spying for her.

In order to find out what?

I don't know.

Who's using dr*gs,

or who's late for school,

or who skips lunch period,

or which teachers and
coaches aren't doing so great.

She fired Coach Hardwick.

People think Martin had
something to do with it.

Oh, well, I can help
you with that one.

Coach Hardwick's mother
was just put in a nursing home.

Ms. Jones let him
have the week off.

I know because he called me

for information
about Alzheimer's,

and some advice because
we're both going through

the same thing.

Oh.

You don't really think Martin is

a spy for Ms. Jones, do you?

No.

It's just that it is easier
to believe bad things

about people than good things.

And he is really
defensive of Ms. Jones

when no one else is.

That's because Martin
has judged Ms. Jones

on his experience with
her, not anyone else's.

And I also think he judges you

on his own experience with you,

not on what anyone
else says about you.

And I think, maybe, Cecilia,
you could do the same for Martin.

I hope so.

I'll let you two talk.

I'm sorry about before.

No, it was my fault.

I was rude to walk away
and not answer your question.

I'm not her spy.

We've never talked
about anything other than

my dad, my family, my
classes and my game.

I'm sorry if I ever
believed anything else.

Me, too.

Hi.

How is everything? Great,

now that I've been
completely honest with myself.

You really do give
good advice Ruthie,

even though you're .

I have a lot of experience.

You guys never believed
I was a spy, did you?

Never. People make up bad stuff

all the time, just
for the heck of it.

Then you start worrying
if anyone will believe you

when someone really
does do something wrong.

What's going on?

My daughter didn't come
home from school today.

Evidently Ms. Jones has
taken off with her someplace.

God knows where.

Now, of course, if your, uh...

if your lousy son-in-law hadn't
had Griffith in police custody,

over a couple of
stupid parking tickets,

she'd be home right now.

I knew something like
this was going to happen.

I had no idea you thought
Ms. Jones would take off

with your daughter.

Are we sure that's
what happened?

We're sure.

See... Alice isn't,
uh, she's not well.

Your daughter Alice isn't well?

No, uh, she looks
like a normal girl,

but she isn't.

She got an early acceptance
from a school back east,

along with a
basketball scholarship.

We were very excited, but...

we had hoped that
she would stay at home

and go to school
somewhere around here.

This isn't because we
were selfish or mean,

or anything like that.

It's just that we know Alice;
we know she wasn't ready

to just go out and
live on her own.

Well, she got so angry,
that she started threatening

to run away.

And that's why we had
Griffith watch over her

the way that he did;

make sure she wouldn't
go where couldn't watch her.

And that's why the kid
is sleeping in his own car,

just to make sure
that she doesn't run off

while her mother
and I are asleep.

I don't know what's
wrong with her.

She's becoming
a different person,

a very angry person;

a very angry person who would
do anything to get away from us.

Anything, like...?

I don't know...

Make up something
about us, or Griffith.

I thought that was why
Ms. Jones was so crazy

about keeping him
out of the parking lot.

Did she say anything
about Griffith or about us?

No, nothing.

Well, I mean, I'm not trying

to accuse you of anything.

I just thought that...

that if Alice had made
up some horrible story

just to get away
from the family,

that you and your
son-in-law might be helping

Ms. Jones to help her and...

not knowing that she's not...

Not well?

Yeah.

I guarantee that the
reverend knows more

than he's willing to tell me.

Why don't you give it a sh*t?

I'll see what I can do.

He's lying.

You know that, don't you?

Yep.

But we don't want
to let him know that.

What are you doing home

so early?

Roxanne and I were dismissed,

and we were both warned
to stay away from the Millers.

Evidentially, you may have
been right about Ms. Jones.

No, I wasn't.

She's taken off

with Mr. Miller's daughter,

and it seems that this
happened while Roxanne and I

were questioning his
son down at the station.

I wasn't right about her.

By the way, when
you were telling me

all about the Millers, maybe
you should have mentioned

that Mr. Miller spends a
lot of his money supporting

our local politicians,

including our police chief.

I-I didn't know.

But...

I was wrong about Ms. Jones.

What?

I may have misjudged her.

I just said she took
off with a student.

There's an Amber
Alert out for her car.

She's not in her car.

She's, uh...

up in our apartment... Ms Jones.

If she were in her car,
the police would find her,

and she needed
some more time, so...

I gave her a ride.

First of all, don't
forget I am the police.

And secondly, she
needed some time?

All I know is Alice
Miller is in the custody

of Child Protection Services.

(whimpers)

(sighs)

Mr. Miller has been
calling up the parents,

trying to stir up
trouble for Ms. Jones,

'cause he wants her
out of the school, I guess.

And he sort of kind of
offered a reward for anybody

who would come forward
with a complaint about her.

A hundred bucks wasn't much,

but I needed it on
account of my son

doesn't have a
decent pair of shoes.

So anyway...

Well, I-I-I couldn't
come up with much.

I mean, I know Ms. Jones gets
her hair cut at the barbershop,

so I tried to make
that sound bad,

but it really isn't, 'cause
it's one of the students

who went to Kennedy High School

and then he went
on to barber school,

and he's the one
who cuts her hair,

so she's just trying to
support his business.

I mean, I really like the woman.

She's tough, but she's
fair, and she's funny and...

evidently she's gone
a little overboard

by committing a felony,

so I just wanted to admit,
right now, that Mr. Miller is

the one who stirred
up all the trouble,

in case we're called in to court
to testify on related matters.

I-I just wanted to volunteer
to tell the truth here and now.

I'll tell you what.

I keep an extra
hundred-dollar bill

in my wallet for emergencies.

Buy your son some shoes.

And, uh, thanks for
setting the record straight.

Although, I'm not sure
we got the full story

on Ms. Jones yet.

It was on the news.

You can't believe everything
you see on TV, or...

read in the newspapers,
or even hear from people.

That's true.

Okay, my son...
doesn't need new shoes.

I need new shoes.

(embarrassed chuckle)

I need to go to the dentist?

The doctor?

You knew I was lying
all along, didn't you?

I suspected.

If people will tell one lie,
generally, they'll tell another.

Wow, you're only the
associate pastor, huh?

You're good!

I better be going too.

I told my attorney
to find my wife.

I haven't heard from
either one of them.

I'm just hoping

that Ms. Jones and
Alice will show up,

that it's all some
kind of mistake.

It's not a mistake.

Who are you?

I'm from Child
Protection Services.

(nervous chuckle)
You're not gonna...

arrest me or anything
crazy like that?

I'm here to interview you,

for the purpose of
having you arrested, yes.

You got to help me out here.

I mean, I told
you... Alice is sick.

She makes things up.

I think only God
can help you now.

No.

No. I know people.

You can't make
these charges stick.

I know people. People like me.

People rely on me.

Alice will be back
home tomorrow night.

Yeah, maybe Alice
will... but you won't.

Not if I can help it.

I didn't know.

I was in my car
because I didn't want him

to do anything to me again.

That's why I'm always out there.

That's why I never go in
the house when he's there.

I thought it was just me.

He told me it was just me.

He told me if I let
Alice near anyone...

that she would tell
people about me.

Only no one would believe her.

And then we'd both
be in trouble, right?

I didn't know Alice had
stories of her own to tell.

I never knew.

I want to k*ll you!

(sobbing): I really
want to k*ll you.

But you know what?

This is better.

Seeing you go to jail...

seeing you revealed
for what you really are...

Yeah, this is better.

They've been in
there a long time.

Well, there's a
lot to talk about.

I was feeling pretty
brave this afternoon.

Now, I...

I just feel ashamed.

It's embarrassing.

Humiliating even.

Everyone's going
to know about this.

It's going to be in the news.

In all the papers.

First of all,

you did nothing wrong.

It-It's his shame.

Let it belong to him.

Don't-Don't claim
it for yourself.

You're the victim.

And I know that's
difficult, Griffith,

you know, not to feel
embarrassed or ashamed, but, uh,

I'll help you work on that.

I'll get a counselor who
specializes in working with

victims of sexual abuse.

I know that if you're strong
enough to break the silence,

that you're strong enough
to work through this.

It's just going to
take some time.

A lot of time and a lot of work.

I don't want anybody to
know what happened to me.

I never wanted anyone to know.

I understand.

Male victims of sexual
abuse don't often come forward

for that very reason, but

you did the right thing...

for yourself and for every son

or daughter of abusive parents.

And maybe other
victims will be encouraged

to come forward, if-if they know

that there's help for them and

serious consequences for
the person who abused them.

But what if my father
gets away with it?

What if there are

no consequences for him?

I-I don't think anyone's
going to sympathize

with your father, once
the truth is known.

Well, what if he convinces
people it was me?

That I asked for it somehow?

No.

No, you didn't.

Just keep reminding yourself
you didn't do anything wrong.

But he told me
that I deserved it.

He told me that I
was, I was nothing,

that I was worthless.

He told me I was stupid.

Just a stupid mistake.

Well, that's another form
of abuse... emotional abuse.

And that, too, is
wrong in and of itself, or

when it was used as a way

of controlling you
in this situation.

I don't know.

Maybe I am stupid.

How could I have let
this go on for so long?

How could you, or how could he?

You're the one who stopped this.

(sniffles)

You stopped him,
you and your sister.

You didn't do anything wrong.

I just don't know.

You don't know what, Mother?

If you can go through with this?

Yes, you can, Mrs. Miller.

If you don't, it's your
life all over again.

This is what happened
to you, isn't it?

Your father abused you.

Or an uncle or someone.

Someone abused you.

Yes.

My father.

WRIGHT: So let's
break the cycle right now.

There are going to
be two cases made.

One in children's court
and one in criminal court.

You're going to have to go along

with the court orders,
whatever those are.

What will they ask me to do?

More than likely,

they'll state that you
cannot have any contact

with your husband,
and you cannot allow him

to have any contact
with your children.

You'll have to
commit to counseling,

and you're going to have

to get into an alcohol
treatment program.

We're going to monitor all this,

to make sure that
you stick to the rules.

ALICE: Wait a
minute. Wait a minute,

You're not saying
that you're going

to send me home
with her, are you?

WRIGHT: No, I'm
not. Reverend Camden

has a licensed foster
family who goes to his church

that we can have you stay with.

Your other choices are
staying with a relative,

if you have a relative

that we think can provide a
safe and nurturing environment.

I'll take foster care.

The family that Reverend
Camden recommended.

I don't think I have
any relatives I can trust.

Oh, Alice,

you don't mean that.

A foster home

with a family you don't know?

What? Something worse
is going to happen to me

than what happened in our home?

How could you even think

that I would want to come back?

You knew.

(voice breaking):
You let it happen.

You drank yourself
into a stupor every night,

so you could pretend you
didn't have anything to do with it.

You had everything
to do with it!

You could have stopped it.

I hate you.

(crying quietly)

(voice breaking): I want
to be put in a foster home.

MRS. MILLER:
Maybe you and Griffith

could rent an apartment maybe.

Maybe that would be better.

We could consider that
possibility at some point.

Maybe... at some point.

But not right now.

Not until I know

that my father is
going to stay in jail.

I wouldn't feel safe.

I know

Griffith probably didn't know,

but I just wouldn't feel safe.

Hi. I thought I'd come by

and see if there's
anything I can do.

Oh.

And I also wanted to apologize,

um, if I seemed short yesterday.

I've had a feeling something was

terribly wrong,

and I've been hoping
and waiting for Alice

or her brother to tell
me what was going on.

And I didn't want you

or anyone else
getting in the way.

I know I can be abrupt,

and a lot of people
don't like me,

but even those who don't
know that they can trust me.

It's obvious that you

care a lot more
about your students

than your popularity.

I respect you for that.

Respect and admire.

I thought you'd understand.

Your job isn't exactly a
walk in the park, either.

Are you coming home?

Is Alice?

(deep sighing)

No.

Then I'm not, either.

But you don't have
anyplace to go.

Well, as a matter of fact, I do.

Reverend Camden
helped me find something,

and I can stay there until
I figure something out.

But you don't have a job.

You don't have any money.

He'll help me find a job.

Until then, I'll get by.

(sighs and sniffles)

So, uh...

(sniffles)

when am I going
to see you again?

In court, Mother.

You'll see me in court.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry this happened to you.

I'm sorry it happened
to both of us.

I love you.

I love you, too.

But... this is my fault.

Your fault?

How do you get that?

I knew...

what he did to you.

I was too afraid to say anything

until he started to do it to me.

And then, I just
couldn't stand it.

Especially once I had no hope
of leaving for school next year.

No, Grif, it wasn't your fault.

It was his fault,

and it was her fault.

But I'm not going
to let what he did,

or what she let him do,
stop me from living my life.

And you shouldn't, either.

(sighs)

Today was horrible,

but it's better than
tonight would have been.

And we have got
horrible days ahead of us.

Weeks or months
of court proceedings.

Years of therapy and hard work.

But nothing in our future
is going to be as bad

as any night with him.

I'm going back to school.

I'm going to finish the season,

and I'm going to graduate.

And then I'm going
to go to college.

I don't care

what the other students say.

I can't let our father take
anything else from me.

Don't let anything happen
to Ms. Jones, okay?

Don't let the
stupid school board

fire her or anything.

I need her.

We all do.

'Cause there are other houses

and other families
just like yours.