"Kenny, son, please, don't." "This is your dad talking to you." "Don't eat that." " Why?" " It's really bad for you." "No, it isn't." "They say that this is the best ice cream in the whole world." "No, Kenny!" "No, son!" "Son!" "No!" "No!" "I scream." "You scream." "We all scream for ice cream." "No, I'm not going to shovel up a lot of horse buckey about how and..." "makes the life we are in death" "But we sure lost a good friend in Kent Baffler." "I knew Kent since... well... since he was as tall as his son Kenny there." "We had an informal little gang." "See Lane is with us today." "Called ourselves the "West End Bunch"." "You know because of the..." "movie "The Wild Bunch"." "But time... passed when we weren't looking." "Kent got to be a daddy, with kids of his own." "And... it just seems to me way too early to be sending him down to meet the earth." "Guess Toot couldn't make it, huh?" "I think Toot prefers to drink his respects to the dead." "That leaves what?" "Four out of the old bunch." "Forgetting about Birch Constance." "I wish I could forget that good-for-nothing peckerwood." "He was here." "I saw him." " He still live here, huh?" " He never left." "Damn, it sure got cold, fast." "You never should have moved back here." "That should have been you." "Darlene." "It's Ch..." "Ch..." "Cheery Tyme." "Come on, kids." "Gather round." "You were the first to say my name." "Now you get yours for free." "The best ice cream in the whole wide world." " Cheery Tyme!" " Cheery Tyme!" " Hey." " Hey." " You're shitting me." " Who's getting shot?" " Hey." " Hey." "You're warm." "That thing is at 72, but it's... freezing out here." "Maybe you're getting sick, baby." "So?" "How did it go?" "It went..." "Kent went into the dirt..." " Dad!" "Dad!" "Daddy!" " Hey, boss!" "Did you bring the ice cream?" "Nope." " Then, where were you?" " I was seeing an old friend of mine." " How is he doing?" " He's resting now, boss." "Oh, great." "I'm going out..." "Just going out to play." " One more dead soldier." " Oh, Toot." "For fuck sake, Joe, I ain't that drunk yet." "Yeah sure." "It's God's truth." "Listen to me." "Now..." "Skip was first." "Then, Kent." "Skip died in a car crash." "No!" "See that's why watching the news just makes you stupider." "Skip Stockwell's car was found, not wrecked, parked to the kerb with just his clothing inside." "Are you saying there's a possibility that Skip's running around loose naked?" "Here's a mental image I don't need." "Well, here's something you don't know, smartass." "Did you look in Kent Baffler's casket today?" " No, it was a closed box." " Do you know why?" "Cause all that was left for them to bury was his clothes too." "Deep down I suspect there is a point to all this, right?" "Yeah." "It all happens since Layne was back to town." " Layne." " Layne." "Yeah?" "What?" "Toot hasn't changed much, huh?" "He tried God once and the Alcoholics Anonymous twice... and failed all three times" " He hinges on you because..." " Because I left." "And now I'm back, so obviously..." "I must to be blamed for the West End bunch dying off, you know?" "Toots in that position will be pointing fingers." "This is bad timing, you know." "Skip and Kent dying like that." " It's middle age." "No mystery." " Says you." "Either way, sure shits all over my idea of having some half-ass plan for a reunion, you know, to welcome you back." " Here's to Kent." " That's nice and warming, Joe." "What has Darlene Baffler got against you anyway?" "Tell me the truth, old buddy." "You ain't one of them serial killers are you?" "I ain't serial." "Okay, case closed." "You're free to go." "Give Angela a big kiss from me." "You know where." "Not in your wet dreams, old buddy." "Toot?" "You make sure he gets home, okay?" "Yeah, I'll have Buck drive him." "I scream." "You scream." "We all scream." "Damn it!" "Fuck!" "What the hell are you doing out here, boss?" "Holy shit..." "Holy cow." "It's way past your..." " Hey dude." "Mom know you're out here?" " I don't want to miss him." " Miss who, boss?" " The man in the truck." "I scream." "You scream." " You scream." " We all scream." "For ice cream." "Where did you hear that?" "He was in bed by nine." "I must have dozed off or something." "Dozed off?" "Well, your son is now sleeping like he's in a coma and he isn't running a fever." "Although I'm not so sure about you, big man." "Oh God!" "What if he'd...?" "I... don't know what happened." "I would never do anything to hurt him." "It's okay." "I'm not angry." "Umm..." "Just rattled." "I'm scared to death and I don't like being scared." "Where's Marylyn?" "Well your daughter, with her amazing ability to make new friends like the speed of light, is having a sleepover at some new buddy's house." "Well, we better call her to make sure she's okay." "I'll do that." "Here you go, kid." "I scream." "You scream." " Oh, Jesus!" "Stop the music!" " What music?" "What I mean, Buck, my young saviours," "I think you're gonna have to pull this beast over double quick." "Stop!" "Stop the car!" "Mr Embry?" "Mr Embry?" "Mr Embry?" "You okay?" "I scream." "Okay." "Back check reveals Marylyn and Agnes all nestled where they're supposed to be." "This is of sugar plums..." "All that jazz." "We all screamed for an ice cream." "Say again." "Nothing." "It's weird, you know?" "I saw other kids out there and it's after midnight." "I'm pretty sure I saw Skip's son." "What's his name?" " Jeremy." " Right." "Yeah, Beth moved the kids out again." "Toot's drinking, you know?" "I know." "Got a load of them at Papa Joe's." "And no, I would never get intoxicated enough that I would mow down my own son." "I didn't even think it." "Hey, there's some..." "It feel cold to you all of a sudden?" "Leave the glasses on..." "I want you to take some dictation." "What's the best ice cream in the whole big world?" "It Cheery Tyme." "Talk to you or do I tease you some more?" "I'm sorry, babe." "I just had a... weird kind of..." "I don't know what you would call it..." "Flashback." "Old stuff." "Not nice stuff." "Stuff that doesn't go away." "That's why you didn't want to move back here." "When you were a kid, did you ever tease other kids?" "You know in a bad way, the way... you would regret for the rest of your life?" "You mean, maybe like calling kids with glasses four eyes?" "No, slightly worse." "Kent Baffler, me, Toot, Papa Joe and Skip Stockwell we were the Westend Bunch." "They say it's the best ice cream in the whole world." "Who says?" "Who cares dude?" "It's Cheery Tyme." "Cheery Tyme?" "Well, that's what it's called." "Cheery Tyme Ice Cream." " Why, Layne?" " I don't know." "Well, that's what it says." "Ch..." "Ch..." "Cheery Tyme." "You'll see, just wait." " Hey, Big Joe." " Where's the rest of the bunch?" "Jerking off." "Alright, boys and girls." "Who is ready for..." "Cheery Tyme?" " It's Cheery Tyme!" " Who's ready for some ice cream?" "Yeah!" "One, two, three." "Hot potatoes!" "Here!" "Here!" "Here!" " Oh I need something to cool me off." " Thank you." "Oh, that's better." "That's better." "Alright, who's next?" "Who's next?" "Hey." "I know someone who looks exactly like you." "Except his name is Erky." "I am Erky, Buster." "You know that." "What?" "Let me have a better look." "Are you sure that you ain't got a twin brother?" "Oh my!" "Everybody." "Let's give a big applause to Erky." "Let's all give him a big hand." "Wait a minute." "Where's that ice-cream?" " What's this?" " Well, he's good." "That's funny." "I've always wanted to do that." "Here it is!" "Oh, no." "You don't have to pay me." "You were the first to call me by name." "So, yours is free." "Free!" "Buster was born disadvantaged, as we would say today." "Look." "Kent and Skip are up there." "Come on, let's go." "I got to see this." "Well, as he got older, you know, he was just savvy enough to drive the truck and sell ice-cream." "Until they played the sneaky real game with the Parson's daughter." "Right?" "No." "On the contrary, you know?" "When Buster put on the makeup and the fake nose it mean it was... like he had found a persona, you know, where no one could tease him." "He was a friend of the kids and they were his." "Any exceptions?" "Ma'am, the official gang bully:" "Virgil Constance." " Hey, queers!" " Oh, crap." "Don't you know that ice cream will make you fat?" "Shut up, Virg" " Christ Virg, knock it off!" " This is stupid." "Come on, fight me back, you pussy." "Virg is fighting the crazy squirrel inside his head." " Need a treat." "Gee, thanks." " Give it back, Virg" "Give it back, give it back." "Over here." "You want it?" "Eat it!" "Asshole." " I'd like a drumstick, please." " What?" "A drumstick?" "You do know that you cannot play drums with one of my drumsticks, don't you?" " There you go." " Thanks." " Oh, brother." " Alright, who's next?" "You... you look like a new face." "What would you be... called?" " Layne Bannixter, sir." " Sir... sir?" "You don't have to call me sir." "I get to call you sir." "What do you have there, Mr. kind sir?" "Good sir." "Layne sir." "What's wrong with this street kid?" "They say he was born retarded or something." "A retard?" "Don't eat that shit, Layne." "The charter of the clown call it "Beat it **"." "Float on your ass, Virg" "Hey." "Come here." "I want to ask you something." "Got a question, I got an answer, huh." "I'm the answer man." "What can I do for you?" "What's up with this nose?" "Holy fucking dick!" "He ain't got no nose!" "Hey, he didn't mean it, okay?" "He's sorry." "Virg, tell him you're sorry for Christ's sake." "You wet your pants, man." "What happened to Buster?" "He died later." "What happened to the delinquent?" "What's his name?" "Virg." "Virg always had a special... kind of hate for me." "God knows why." "Basically, except now I'm starting to think... that since we moved back..." "Virg has decided to..." "mess with us." "The Bunch." "Same shit, different decade." "I swear I saw him at Kent's funeral, you know." "It was just for an instance, but..." "What?" "Showdown after all this time?" "That is sure what it smells like." "Well, you've just have to work it out of your head." "You'll see an answer." "You always do." "No." "Don't answer the phone." "I'm here, Joe." "Uh, what's up?" " Oh, crap." " Not crap." "No smell." "No one hold it, after all he didn't make a sound." "It don't make no sense for him to go running up buckeyes naked even if he was drunk, right?" "Probably hit his stupid head on a rock and now we gotta go plain find the inebriate." " No, I saw somebody else." " Not Toot?" "No, it was a big old hairbag." "Big guy, scraggly beard, like a hillbilly." "He had crazy eyes." "Could see his eyes in the dark." " Virg Constance." " Bet you can." "Next to him, shithouse rats have etiquette." "Toot said about clothes being left behind?" "Toot could be just fucking with us." "But then, this is a little complex for him." "Joe, you better call the police." "For what?" "This isn't a crime." "There's no body." "The best we could do is..." "vanishment." "We didn't go anywhere and we didn't do anything wrong." "Toby was out in the middle of the road, in the middle of the night and he said..." " I'm not his babysitter." " I know, honey." "You were at Agnes's." "But while you're at Agnes's did you just go out and maybe forget?" "Mom, Agnes and I didn't go anywhere." "We really didn't." "But I did kind of have this dream." "It was more like a nightmare." "We did go out because..." "we wanted to get some dessert." " But that was stupid because..." " Nobody is open." " Totally." " Morning." " Good morning." " Good morning." " Any calls?" " Nothing about Toot." "Just some from other..." "I'll tell you later." "Sounds bad." "And what more ** says, a lot of parents just dozed off last night." "And a lot of kids, wandered." "The little rascals parting the overdrove parental oppressors in the dead of night." "Daytime, they're okay." "Nightime..." "It's Cheery Tyme." "It's Ch..." "Ch..." "Cheery Tyme." "It's Ch..." "Ch..." "Cheery Tyme." "Ch..." "Ch..." "Cheery Tyme." "Ch..." "Ch..." "Cheery Tyme." "Toby?" "Toby!" "Angela!" "Toby!" "Where are you going, boss?" "The best ice cream in the whole world." "Marylyn." "Marylyn!" "Angela!" "Angela!" "Marylyn!" "Marylyn!" "Marylyn!" "Marylyn!" "Hey." " No!" "Let go of me!" "No!" " Marylyn!" "The best ice cream..." "I scream." "You scream." "Vamos!" "Show yourself, God dammit!" "We all screamed." "Ice cream." "Jesus Christ!" " It's freezing out there." " Not possible." "God, do you think she might be sleepwalking or something?" "Marylyn told me that she had this dream and now..." "Got something stuck on your shoe." "What the...?" " God damn it to hell!" " What's going on?" "What part of that little guilt trip story did you not tell me?" "It was Virg Constance's idea." "Every time he parks in front of Joe Danival's house, he never turns the wheels in, like he's supposed to." " So?" " So... we need a distraction, like in the bank robbery movies." "Buster can't make change for shit." "Gave him a 5 dollar bill and he's all confused." "Yeah." "Get him to step down, make change, then you bump him." "Why?" "To steal his ice cream?" "No, numbnuts." "So we can let go the brake... and watch the truck roll down the hill." " Watch the freak, freak out." " It will be awesome." "I can stop it." "This is stupid." "I'm out of here." " I'm out of here too." " No, you ain't." "You just got break to the ass wipe." "Come on, Layne." "I'm doing my part." "It is just that." " It will be bitchin'." " I'm going first." "Let's go." "This ain't garbage." "Look." "Hey, Buster." "You were the first to call me by name." "So, now you get yours for free." "And your name is K..." "Kent." "Stuttering, asshole." "Hey B..." "B..." "Buster!" "Can you m... make a change?" "Yes, sure." "If you look at that President, he sure don't look happy." "He could use some ice cream." "You." "Just do it!" "Now!" "Do it!" "Look, it goes in here..." "Alright pay attention, it's magic." "And it comes out..." "Here!" "Do it!" "You do it!" "Do it!" "Oh my!" "Do it, you pussy!" "Go on, do it!" "Shit, run!" "Oh my!" " Awesome!" " Like shit!" " Layne, what the hell did you do?" " Oh, God!" "You've killed him." "So Virgil put you up to it." "It wasn't your fault." "You were just a kid." "It was my fault." "I did it." "So what?" "Now Virgil is tripping around in a clown suit playing Pied Piper?" "Maybe it's not Virgil." " Oh, now wait just a hot second." " Either way, I need to find him." "Honey, you're starting to sound mildly insane." "Look, I don't know how it works." "What I do know is that... if you don't watch the kids every minute, they wander." "So I need you to pack up the kids and go to your mother's." " No." " Just for one day." " No." " Please, do this." "Go away while you do what?" "Virg?" "Layne Bannixter." "Pussy one." "You know I figured you'd show up sooner or later." " Virg..." " Well, well." "You've put on some beef since the last time I seen your scrawny ass." "It's been a big bad world outside haven't you, Layne." "You came back smarter than everybody and shit." "I wanted a comfortable life." "Adult life." "And so far it hasn't worked out." "Am I supposed to know what you mean by that?" "I was hoping you might." "The Westend Bunch, Virg." "We're dropping like crane flies." "To close together to be a coincidence." " Well you and me." " Papa Joe." "Fat home bricks." " Toot Embry." " Toot Embry." "I'll corn on that little gig." "You know that?" "I did." "I swear to God, I've done him and he squeal like a little girl." "Never dare to say a word about that to nobody." "Why you come up here and sweet talk me too, sunshine, huh?" "You were in the park yesterday." "You saw Toot, you saw what happened." "Fuck you." "Says who?" "Buck Treadway." "Well, now..." "And... what you aiming to do about that?" "Uh, Layne?" "Nothing." "I just want you to tell me what you saw." "It happened." "Fast." "Quick." "What were you doing in the park?" "Little old girl, I meet there sometimes, you know." "She didn't show up, but on my way I see this kid." " Toot's kid." " Here you go." "Eating an ice cream." "Bye bye, boys and girls." "What about Toot?" "Well, when I got to the park, seen him in the bushes." "In the name of God, he's gone, man, like I said quick." "Puck!" " You ran away?" " No, no." "Jesus, man." "Buster got him." "Buster?" "Yeah, B..." "B..." "Buster, you dumb fuck." "Who do you think?" "Buck Treadway didn't see Buster in Fletchers Park." "He saw you." "Oh, don't you get it?" "You don't get it do you, numbnuts?" "What's the matter?" "Don't you believe in revenging?" "It can't be Buster." "Yeah, he ain't coming around to collect Papa Joe's big fat ass and yours neither." " What about your big fat ass?" " I'm safe." "I'm safe, Laynesie." "Ain't got me no kid." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Unlike you and Papa Joe." "Okay." "So how do you suppose this happens." "Old Buster's ice cream." "He gives it to the kids, see." "Only it's different, special." "Your kid bites it, you bite the big one." "Should have kept your wee wee in your pants there, daddy-o." " Your kids will be death of you." " Son of a bitch!" "You hear that?" "We all shouted." "For ice cream." "You hear that?" "Go on kiddie." "Get even." "You're still the meanest bastard I ever met." "Angry words." "Angry words." "Except I don't give two shits for your body nor for your soul." "Give me a hand, will you?" "Layne?" "Layne?" "Over here." "What's going on?" "I need you to do something for me." "For us." " For the whole family." " What?" "I need you to do this, without asking any questions, or hesitation, because... you trust me." "I want you to take Toby and Marylyn to your mother's house." "I'm asking you again." " Oh honey, that's a 4 hour drive." "I..." " Please." " And everyone gone." " I checked." "Cheery Tyme Ice cream hasn't fielded a truck in more than 20 years." "I'm open to suggestions as to what we can do about it." "Joe, does any of your brood hate you enough to want to kill you?" "No, Joe Lee, is my youngest, he wandered too, but I grounded him." "He seemed okay." "He understood." "That's not going to matter if he hears the call tonight." "Nobody's gonna believe your story, you know?" "I don't care what nobody believes." "Nobody wasn't standing there when Virg dissolved." "Yeah, like melting ice cream." "Virg doesn't have any kids." "The man bragged about rape." "It ain't a stretch to think that one of his wild sperms must have gotten away." "So it's..." "like a voodoo doll then." "Kids eat ice cream and the parents die." "Christ, Joe." "Came for my kids last night." "He missed... so Virg got tagged." "You said Joe Lee was out last night too." "So what?" "I ain't afraid to die." "Listen to me." "He comes out at night." "He's cold, frozen." "Would you listen to yourself?" "You don't fight this kind of thing." "He just... collects you." "Joe, we have to secure the kids." " If we..." " It won't do any good." "We're all guilty, aren't we?" "Us." "Not our families." "It looks like you should have told her why, old buddy." "Go on." "Lock your kids down." "Use duct tape if you have to." "We're losing time light." "Why are you still here?" "Oh I just thought I'd wait to see if you made more sense after I had my coffee." "Now I'm thinking, not leaving Adren, especially if you're in trouble." "God dammit!" "They're fighting." "You want to know the truth?" "Buster Dockins has come back to kill us." "All the Westside Bunch." "Papa Joe and I are the only ones left." "We all scream for ice cream." "He uses the kids to get us." "The grownups, fathers." "If I'm right, this will be over by morning." "If I'm wrong, I'm crazy." "And either way, I want you and the kids safe." "I love you." "But please go now." "Kids!" "Get in the car, right now." "Are you saying we can **." "Go!" "I scream." "No!" "Toby!" "Marylyn!" "Come on!" "Stay in the car!" "We all shouted." "No!" "Cheery Tyme!" "We all screamed for ice cream, Buster." "Go ahead." "Get yourself some sweet revenge, kid." "God dammit, Joe!" "Answer the phone." "I scream." "You scream." "We all screamed." "Bring it on, you son-of-a-bitch." "For ice cream." "Buster!" "Buster!" "Come on out!" "Just down to you and me now." "Looks like you're today's special flavor." "Where's Papa Joe?" "You wanna see him?" "You really wanna to see him?" "Well, your wish is my command." "Here he is." "But wait." "You've been such a good boy that you get a special treat." "You're fucked, Buster." "They are not here." "I sent them far away." "Really?" "I scream." "You scream." "We all screamed for ice cream." "Who wants ice cream?" "I do." "Let me go." "I do." "No!" "Buster!" "Let me go." "Buster!" "Buster, I'm sorry." "There wasn't a day in my life that I won't be." "I'm sorry." "You are sorry." "We're all so sorry." "We did you wrong and one thing no one ever did was apologize." " You really feel sorry?" " Yes, I am." "You'll never know how much." "But now, time for you to go." "You were the first to say my name." "So you get this for free." " What kind of ice cream?" " The best ice cream in the whole world." " You betcha." "Here you go." " No!" " No, it's mine." " Marylyn, no!" "Alright everybody." "It's time for dessert." "Just dessert." "What are you waiting for, kids?" "Need to all get even." "Is Ch..." "Cheery Tyme." "Oh my!" "Buster." "Nothing beats homemade." "Oh, God." "Where did he go?" "Back where he belong." "I'm gonna miss you, old buddy." "Do we really get to stay out of school... for like a week because we're moving?" "Absolutely." "Maybe two." "Come on." "Let's get outta here." "I scream." "You scream." "We all screamed." "For ice cream."