"The Scarlet Letter Jacket" "I can't believe you came over here." "It was on my way." " I have one second." " So, go." "No." "You have to kiss me more." " Look who's getting bossy." " You have no idea." "You want to just get in the back seat for a minute?" " I'm leaving now." " Chicken." "No." "It's fine." "I can just never show my face at school again." "What?" "No." "Right." "Look, I gotta go." "OK." "See you in a few." "Bye." " Where were you?" " I was getting the paper." " You went out ten minutes ago." " Oh, that's completely untrue." "What do you mean, you can't show your face at school?" "No reason." "No one wants to see my face anyway." "Grace." "Mom, I don't want to talk about it." " What happened at school?" " Mom." " Did something bad happen?" " Not at school." "Can we just go?" "Even when she was a baby..." "I couldn't get enough of her smell." "I would sneak into her room when she was asleep... and I'd bury my nose in her hair, and..." "Oh, I can still get away with it every now and then." "She always says I can tell her anything... but then she makes the biggest deal out of it." "People heard about what happened with you and that dad." " What do you mean?" " That you and he were-- that we walked in on you." "So, I've decided..." "I'm just never gonna tell her anything again." " But it's worse than that." " It is?" "Yeah, well, they kind of messed up the story." "They started saying that you caught me and that guy's son." "You?" "Apparently, we were having sex when you walked in." "Mom." "Honey, I'm so sorry." "Well, all these people think I'm capable of having sex... which clearly will never happen in real life." "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry for putting you in that position." "You can't worry about what other people say and think." "You have to live your own life." "That doesn't apply to high school." "Oh, how did I not know that going out... with another parent at the school... would be disastrous?" " He's a parent at the school?" " You knew that." "I didn't know that." "I knew he had kids." "What's his name?" "Rick Sammler." "You're seeing Rick Sammler?" "Why?" "Rick Sammler was the one undressing you... in your living room?" "Do you think you could say that a little louder?" "I'm not sure they heard you outside." "Well--so, what is-- what's wrong with Rick Sammler?" "Nothing, except his ex-wife is one of my best friends." "That's your friend Karen?" "Yes." "Do you want to have a football program?" "Do you want to have a ginls' soccer team?" "Then you're gonna have to get your butts out there... and act like a carnival means something... 'cause that's where your money's gonna come from." "All right." "Committees--food, Joanie, Graham, Robbie." "Sales, Nancy." "You can get the tickets printed... through your father, right?" "Signs, Grace." "you're a good artist." "And who doesn't have an assignment?" "Eli, I see you skulkin' back there." "You guys and Lisa." "The most important thing is getting done on time." "Now, we're gonna have a building session tomorrow... in the courtyand, and I want everybody there." "Grace." "Oh, what a bummer." "You have to work in the carnival." " Tell me about it." " Any cute guys, at least?" " Who?" " Can we please not discuss it?" "Oh, you're kidding, right?" " Well, he is cute." " Shut up." " Hi, Grace." " Hi, Grace." "Hi." "Nice blouse." "Thanks." "Bitch." "Well, if you do it now, you won't have to do it later." " I don't have that much." " Then it won't take very long." "Can I have another cupcake?" "I don't think your mother wants you to have all that sugar." "Dad, sugar has no effect." "That's what grown-ups say who don't want to get fat." "Zoe, we have to work." "Nobody does their homework in the afternoon." "Why can't I have another cupcake?" "Zoe, your mom and I talked about this... about putting things off." "I know, I know." "All right, let's get upstairs and get to work." "I have to take a rest first." "I have a headache." " No, you don't." " Dad?" "Gracious." " Dad." " Hi, sweetheart." "She's eating my cupcakes." "Mom." "OK, that's tomorrow's dessert." "How many did you have?" "Two." "I had one." " There's still one left." " I'm gonna kill her." "OK, Grace, upstairs." "Get your clothes." "Zoe, have you started your homework?" "I was gonna start right now." "Wait up." "I thoughtyou were gonna play bad cop this week." "I tried." " Thank you for taking them." " No problem." "Jake, don't eat that." "It gives misleading signals when you hang out." "When they're ready to go, you should" "Excuse me, I was helping with homework, as we discussed... and as soon as they come downstairs, we're leaving." "I'm not saying you should run out of the house." "Yes, you are, and that's fine." "Jake... never mind." "I'm sorry about last week." "Well, that's all right." "Don Lipson thought it was very funny, by the way." "Thought what was funny?" "Well, you on the couch with-- what was his name, by the way?" "You told Don Lipson?" "No, no, Don Lipson told me in canpool this afternoon:" "In carpool?" "Then who told Don Lipson?" "Lil, gossip like that doesn't go to waste... certainly not in this school." "What exactly did Don Lipson tell you?" "Well, I challenged him to a duel... before he could go into details." "I had to defend your honor." "There's nothing wrong with my honor." "I'm joking." "Hey, it's OK, all right?" "You can do whatever you want." "I mean, I just want what's best for you." "Thank you, Jake." "That is very kind." "All right, you monsters." "Let's go!" "Let's get out of here." " Bye, mom." " Bye, sweetie." " See you later." " Get me some cupcakes, OK?" " Have fun without us." " Love you." "I'm just gonna turn this down." "I suppose I should've asked... but I got it into my head that you liked sea bass." "Oh, really?" "I'm duly impressed." "It seems like I never have any time to cook anymore." "Well, if I never cooked another meal in my life... it'd be too soon." "So, the trucks pull up to her house, off-load." "The lady drives up in her mercedes... takes one look, and I get the call." "It's too pink." "Six tons of marble go back to Italy... because it clashes with her cat." "I love being an architect." "If you need to go, it's OK." "No, no." "So, this is our fourth date." "Fifth, if you count when you broke up with me." "Sorry." "I just don't know exactly what you expect of me... or what I expect of me." "I don't expect anything of you." "I know." "It's just" "Do I help you clean up?" "Do we go upstairs... and make love and then clean up?" "We can make love while we clean up." "And maybe that's what you expect of me." "I don't expect anything of you, he said again." "I'm just not sure all of this... is as easy as you may want it to be." "You just hush up." "One thing you should know..." "If you want me to respond, don't let me talk." "Just-- oh, do what you're doing." "Or better yet, hit me over the head... with something very large." "The thing is, all I've been thinking... since I got here is, when can we go upstairs?" "Hi, it's Rick and the kids... and here comes the beep." "Hi, it's me." "Listen, I'm on my way over... to pick up Jessie's outline." "She has to hand it in tomorrow." "OK, you're not there." "Just wanted you to know I'm coming over." "That was her cell phone." "She lives five minutes away." " I'll go." " No." " I can't meet your ex-wife." " Why not?" "Because it's bad enough we're at the same school." "Everybody's already talking about it... and she doesn't even know we're going out." "This is--this is ridiculous." "We're not doing anything wrong." "You divorced her, remember?" "I'm not gonna have you leave..." "Just because somebody I was married to" "If I don't leave in thirty seconds..." "I'm gonna meet her whether I want to or not." "I thought you said she lived five minutes away." " She called from the car." " What do we do?" "You'll meet her." "You'll meet her." "It'll be fine." " I'm going upstairs." " Hide in my room." "Hey, I just called." "You didn't pick up." "Oh, hey, I was in the, I was in the bathroom." "You have Jessie's outline." "I need it for school tomorrow." "Yes, it's upstairs." " I'll go get it." " No, no, I'll get it." "What smells so good?" "Are you actually cooking?" "If I never cook another meal, it'd be too soon." " Voila." " Thanks." "What's that smell?" " Oh, my God." " Oh, God." " Do you need some help?" " No, no, no, I just..." "Careful." "Sorry." "You're gonna pick them up tomorrow, right?" "Absolutely." "Hungry?" "Do we have any more red?" "Just this weird pink." "OK." "Why do we call them "Hot dogs" anyway?" "Why not call them "hot hogs"?" "That's what they're made from." " You can't do that." " Do what?" "All right, here we go." "Watch this." "Wait." ""Screaming" is spelled with an "A"." "I knew that." "Wait, wait, wait, wait." "Oh, no." "Here, watch this." "Get some hair." "Oh, hey, guys." "Oh, hey, we're planning a new ad campaign for the carnival." "Cool." "Let's see here." "They gave us... the work schedule for the booths." "Three for your family... and three for yours." "Oh, looks like you guys are gonna be really happy." "You're on popcorn together at 12:00." "I saw this picture once of my mom in high school... and you just knew she was, like, Miss Perfect." "Attention, all setup volunteers... pizza will be served in the auditorium..." "Gracie, honey, time to go." " Mom, we're not finished." " Zoe has homework." "No, I don't." "Can I help, too?" "No, Mom?" "OK, just for a little while." "So, it was hard for me to believe she has any idea... of what my life is like at all." "Everybody loves her and wants to talk to her." "Well, you're a better parent than I am." " I hope so." " Can I help?" "Yeah." "Are you any good with a hammer?" " No." " Here." "Here, hang these up." "Oh, another victim." "Thank God." "Hope you're planning on staying till eleven... 'cause that's how long it's gonna take to do this." "Nancy, I thought I'd sleep over." "We know why Wendy Graves isn't coming." "Oh, poor thing." "Can you imagine, after twenty-two years?" " You're kidding." " No." "He says..." ""If I want to go camping in the north woods..." ""I should just be able to do it and not ask anybody."" "Except his girlfriend." "Meanwhile, Jenny Ah$$arson." " Oh, my God." " I know." "Why she thought she needed surgery to begin with..." "What happened to her?" "Her face is completely immobile." " She can't even smile." " No." "Jenny Ah$$arson had a face-lift?" "She's so beautiful." "Not anymore." "I was a cheerleader." "I was on the yearbook." "I was always busy." "Time of my life." "Totally alone." "I'm faster than you!" "Is that what we sound like?" "No, we only show care and concern... when we talk about other people." "Are they already talking about me?" "No... but it's only a matter of time." "It's, like, everybody always thought they knew me." "Nobody knew a thing, not a thing." "They don't have lives, so they have to eat other people's." " Hey, Naomi." " Hey, it's Mary!" "Do you have the letters of transit?" "You would make the worst spy in the world." "I didn't have my glasses." "I couldn't figure out... what you were trying to tell me." "What happened out there?" "Do you remember when you were a kid... how the girls were always meaner than the boys?" " You should hear them now." " Are they talking about us?" "Not yet-- at least not to my face." "I just got a glimpse of what it'll be like when they do." "To hell with them." "Who cares what they say?" "Who made you so handsome?" "I bet you say that to all the fathers." "That's me, school slut." "Thank God." "Do you" "Is it OK if--if we--if we keep this... just between the two of us for a while?" "For the kids' sake." "Grace is going through so much now already." "I want to work in the booth... where they get dunked in the water." "You don't even go to the school." "She's an australopithecine." "Have you ever noticed she's an australopithecine?" "Look at her." "She's a little ape-thing." "Who volunteers to handle dinner tonight?" "Not me." "Hey, dad, I got the schedule." "Hey, Jess, you got your wish." "Dad's working the dunking tank." "Cool." "What?" "Oh, I meant to tell you." "Looks like our mom's working with the mom." "Who put this together?" "Miss Hughes." "Don't worry, she's cool." "She talks tough, but she said... if we have any problems, we can talk to her in first period." "Well, I think this qualifies as a problem." "I think our mom would be so much happier... working with Russell's mom... at the balloon-breaking booth, don't you?" "I'll take care of it in the morning." "My man." "Meanwhile, look at this." "Oh, yeah, I know." "She's cool." "I don't mind working with her." "You two are already sleeping together, from what I hear." "Shut up." " Honey, is that" " Yeah, I know." "Are you OK with that?" "Well, it makes me totally uncomfortable... if that's what you mean." "But there's no way I can change it... because Miss Hughes is totally mean... and will kill me if I ask her." "Well, sweetie, just look at it as another life lesson." "One more uncomfortable situation." "Oh, my God." "I'm--I'm supposed to work with his ex-wife?" "I was waiting for you to see that." "No, no." "There's no way." " Mom, I can't change it." " You have to change it." "You don't know Miss Hughes." "I can't go in there." "Didn't you just talk about life lessons?" "I don't need any more life lessons, I'm older than you." "Mom, it's one hour." "Please." "OK, tell Zoe that dinner's ready." " I can't believe this." " Oh, thank you." "Hello?" "Oh, Naomi." "Naomi, have you seen the schedule..." " for this carnival?" " No." "Jules, guess who I'm working with..." " at the carnival." " Who?" "And here's a chance to spend quality time with Karen." " I'll get in trouble." " You won't get into trouble." "Please, just do me this one favor." "I will never ask anything of you ever again." "No, I didn't arrange it." "It happened by chance." " OK." " Thank you so much." "OK, bye." "Is that the coolest thing ever?" " Yeah." " Unbelievable." "You're so lucky, Grace." "I'll hold him." " Hey, daddy-o." " Hey, kid." "Don't worry, dad-- only four more hours." "I'm counting every minute." "Where's your mom?" "She's over there." "Let's go, Grace." " Are you wearing makeup?" " Mom." "My mom worries if I don't have a good time." "She worries that I'm depressed, that I'm anxious." "She doesn't understand." "That's a rational response to high school." "Oh, this looks great." "Here, let me get that." "Got to go." "There's Jennifer." "See you, dad." "OK." "Have fun." "Jen!" "Dad, I need twenty dollars for tickets." "What are you talking about?" "Here's five." "Ten." "Why don't you ever hit your mom up for money?" "Because you're so much easier." " They're right over there." " Oh, for heaven's sake." " Hey." " Hi." "When you like a boy, it is impossible to be rational." "I mean, you think about him, like, 500 times a day... whether you want to or not." "This machine is so stupid." "How do they expect us to know how to do this?" "Beats me." "Well, there's some kind of booklet over there." "You could read to me what it says." "OK." "This is theoretical, you understand." "I don't actually like anybody right now." "What's it say?" "Instructions are for wimps." "Here." "OK." "I don't think we're supposed to put that much in." "I'm not going to eat it." " Hi." " Hi." " I'm Lily Manning." " Karen Sammler." "How are you?" "Fine." "I'm a little confused... because I thought I was working with Jeanie Boston." "I thought I was working with Naomi--yeah, Naomi Porter." "That's so funny... because Naomi said she was allergic to latex... but she thought she was working with Jeanie Rolston in..." "Gosh, these schedules always get screwed up." "I know." "Don't they?" "Well, we'll just show them how you bust balloons." "OK?" "Yeah, OK." " Give you a hand?" " Yeah." "Yes." "Could you lift the back of this..." "Yeah." "Would you hand me that adjustable?" "This?" "Yeah." "Jake Manning." "Rick Sammler." "Yeah." "We were never actually introduced." "No." "I guess not." " Check it out." " Hey, come on." "Hi." "What do you mean, you're allergic to latex?" "That's a good one." "I do have a weird thing with balloons-- with--thanks." "Bye." "So, you have a kid here?" "Yeah, and I have one over at Salle." " You have a son?" " Yes, one--Eli." "You OK?" "Thank you." "Hand me that..." "Yeah." "Great minds." "Under?" "Yeah, I think so." "So, I'm not supposed to threaten... to kick your ass or something like that, am I?" "I was wondering about that." "You look like a pretty tough customer." "Oh, yeah, ferocious." "How many kids do you have?" "and you?" "The same." "The youngest is in seventh, and the oldest is a junior." "Back!" "Back!" "You never read the instructions." "I did, too." "Where do you turn this thing off?" "No idea." " What are you guys doing?" " Making popcorn." "Are you getting that stuff on the ground?" "That is gross." "You need to talk to Josh." "He's getting so annoying... about the game on Saturday." " Tell him I'm going to drive." " Well, he doesn't believe you." "I think you should talk to him now." "Don't worry." "I got it." "Thanks." "You think you're going to get him to like you." "Sorry?" "He's being nice to you because of your mother and his father." "What?" "He thinks your butt's OK... but your legs are too fat, and your breasts are too small." "That's what he said." "To who?" "You're a ninth grader." "Thanks." "Deb Mullican was my best friend in high school... and she had this boyfriend, Robbie..." "Oh, God." "This is really upsetting." "This destroyed our lives, and I can't remember his name." "Stand behind the line." "No more winners." "We're running out of prizes." "Of course, then we can go home." "You're right." "Move them up closer." "You know what?" "Go ahead." "Lean in." "Two tickets." "Ah, a winner." "Bainbridge--no, Bannister." "Oh, God." "This is embarrassing." "It's definitely a "B"." "You OK?" "Yeah." "Why?" "You think we're going to have enough balloons?" " Yeah, I've got another bag." " Oh, good." " Hi, guys." " Hi." "Great." "Robbie Howard." "Oh, my God, he was so cute." "He had this really long hair." "And Deb got it in her mind... that I was trying to take him away from her." "Give me two dollars worth of popcorn." "There's no money." "It's just tickets." " Well, here's my tickets." " Just hold on a second." " Let me have a bigger one." " We don't have any bigger box." "I think I was here finst." "Here." "Here, OK, take it." "Take it all!" "Hey, where are you going?" "Oh, no." "Wait, wait, wait." "Come on, dunk him, dunk him!" "Come on." "Here we go." "No arm." "You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn." "Come on!" "Dunk him!" "Yes!" "And the thing was, Robbie kept flirting with me... and I did like him, but I didn't do anything." "That was really important to me." "But no matter what I said, Deb wouldn't believe me." "So, how's it going?" "You don't know what you're missing, faker." "Lily, have you seen Grace?" "What do you mean?" "She's doing popcorn." "Yeah." "The booth is empty... and the kids are stealing the popcorn." "Eli's doing popcorn." "You mean our kids are working in the same booth?" " Isn't that funny?" " Yeah." "And apparently they're both gone." " Together?" " No, I don't think so." " No one's implying" " Implying what?" "That they're together." "Listen, I know he's not reliable... but Ian actually said he saw Grace, and she was crying." " Oh, God." " Go, I can handle all this." "Go." " Excuse me." " I'll come with." "And if you see Eli, tell him he's in trouble." "How could she not know, the way you're acting?" "I'm sorry, I wouldn't have gone over there... if I hadn't heard Grace was upset." "I better go find her." "All right, Porter... you want to tell me what the hell's going on here?" "And then I started hearing all these terrible things..." "Deb was saying about me... that I was throwing myself at Robbie." "I was calling him at home." "I didn't eat for a week." "Gracie." "Grace?" "So, I finally got up the nerve to go up to her." "I remember it was in gym class... right there in the locker room." "Deb screaming at me... and everyone stopped getting dressed... and was watching us, and... she had this look on her face like I was a monster." "And she never spoke to me again." "Looking good, dad." "Yeah." "Next year, we're going to heat the water." "Your daughter has much too good an arm." "You can do whatever you want with your life... but if you put me in a situation... where everyone on the entire planet... knows my business before I do... and makes me the subject of general conversation... then the least you can do is let me in on the joke." " Karen..." " Look, just forget it." " No, I just want to explain." " I don't want you to explain." "I really don't even want to think about it." "There are a lot worse things in the world" " I don't want you to leave." " I'm not leaving." "You left the pies in the back in the sun." "Oh, look..." "Rick, I'm happy you have a life." "Look, this all just started" "Oh, clearly, this has been going on long enough... for every woman in this school to be giving me worried looks." " I know, I'm really sorry." " I don't want you to be sorry." "I don't want anybody to be sorry." "I don't want to be part of your life." "I..." "Karen, I was going to tell you." "I--I would've told you if I thought that" "You thought what?" "All you had to do was tell me... and there wouldn't have been a problem." "But, see, that's just who you are." "You avoid the difficult conversations... because you don't want to hurt anybody... and God forbid someone be mad at you." "These are melting." "Grace." "Gracie?" "Honey, are you OK?" "No." " You left your booth." " Arrest me." "Is this about that boy?" "No, mom, it was about Bosnia." "Honey, I'm so sorry." "This has been so unfair to you." "Just because I'm going out with his father... you shouldn't feel you have to spend time with him." "Of course I have to spend time with him." "We're in the same school." "We're in all these things together." "He's a Junior, you don't have to be thrown together." "Mom, he's there." "He's in the halls." "He's around." " Then just ignore him." " I don't want to ignore him." "He's a Junior." "He's cute." "He's a boy." "Honey..." "I know there's no chance." "And anyway, what if you and the dad..." "I don't know." "He's a boy, and he's nice." "And now all these people have watched me... make a complete fool of myself." " You are not a fool." " If you go for something... and you have no right to expect it, then you're a fool." "But you didn't go for it." "You wanted to go for it." "People can't make you a fool for wanting something." "These people can." "Honey, I think you should go back to the booth." "They all know." "Mom, I can't face it." "OK." "OK." "It's almost time to leave anyway." "A couple of months later..." "I heard that Deb and Robbie had broken up." "Then we'd all graduated... and I was all nervous that summer about college." "And two weeks before I was supposed to leave..." "Robbie calls." "He wanted to see me." "I couldn't believe it." "He said he couldn't stop thinking about me." "I didn't know what to do." "Looters have stripped... the abandoned popcorn and balloon booths of all prizes." "The national guard has been called in." "Did you find Grace?" "She was hiding in shame like her mother." "I think it's my duty to tell you... that Karen, my ex-best friend, figured it all out." "I'm sorry." " Well, you should be." " I am." "I mean, who are you to be sexual at your age?" "What do you mean, sexual?" "I'm sneaking around like a mouse." "What, I can't go out with anybody?" "No." "You have to live in shame and misery and loneliness... so all the other mothers know they made the right choice." " What do you mean?" "What choice?" " Domestic bliss." "To stay and care for our kids and our husbands... and give up any romantic illusion we ever had." "I do care for my kids, and Jake left me." "I didn't choose to be in this situation." "Lily... this has nothing to do with you." "Don't you see?" "ln their minds, you broke away from the herd." "And God forbid you should actually be thriving... out there in the wild." "You find this great-looking guy... who's already abandoned one of us" " Oh, she kicked him out." " It doesn't matter." "They hate you for it." "I hate you for it." "I don't want to be hated." "I'm not built for that." "I just..." "Robbie came to my house that night." "And I can remember every smell." "I can remember the torn screen in the door when I opened it." "We walked outside, and we started kissing." "Nobody ever kissed me like that before." "And he was telling me he loved me, and I..." "It's all right." "I know everything." " Hello, Naomi." " Hello, Rick." " How are you?" " Just fine, Naomi." " How are you?" " Really fine, thank you." "I'm leaving now... to go and see the wonderful amusements at our fair." "Bye." "Robbie wanted to make love that night... but that was ridiculous." "I mean..." "I wanted to so much." "I don't understand this." "What is it that we've done that is so wrong?" "We're divorced, and we're sleeping together." "Let's tell them all to get a life." "Let me ask you." "Do you think maybe we've been too fast about this?" "No." "Me, neither." "But still, isn't it possible that... some of this between us is immature?" "Maybe they're not completely wrong to gossip about us." "Maybe if we were really grown-up..." "What is really grown-up?" "Maybe we need to consider the other people involved-- my daughter, your ex-wife, my ex..." "Husband." "What does it mean that I couldn't remember that word?" "Maybe it means that you're not quite divorced yet." "Yeah." "How could we have considered them?" "Had a six-month waiting period?" "No." "It's just that whatever we do... causes ripples in these people's lives... and that's strange." "I need to deal with the effect on other people." "And you know what?" "I think you're wrong." "I think the other people... can damn well take care of themselves." "You're talking about my daughter." "And my daughter and my son... and all of the people in both of our lives... who supposedly want the best for us." "You're mad." "No, I'm not mad." "I'm frustrated." "Well, I worry about other people." "That's something I guess you better get used to about me." "OK." "OK, what?" "OK, I'll try to get used to that." "Rick, I'm talking about just taking a moment." "I understand." "I really understand." "Take the time that you need." "Thank you." "Dad?" "On my way." "We'll talk later?" "Good." "I was supposed to meet Robbie... at the beach the next night." "I didn't sleep." "I couldn't even breathe." "All of the sudden, all at once, he was my whole life." "But I just..." "I was just this certain kind of person." "I couldn't bear... that people might think I had done something wrong." "And I could hear them all talking about it." "And it didn't matter how good I..." "I tried to be, because... they were just going to hate me anyway." "And I thought about that all afternoon." "Then the night came, and I..." "I was sitting there with my parents watching TV... and they kept talking to me... and I kept looking at the clock, thinking..." ""I have to go, I have to go."" "and I just... never went." "I don't think about this all the time, you understand." "But..." "I never went."