"YOUNG WERTHER" "Ismaël --- can I talk to you?" "Sure." "It's not for me." "Did Elsa call you?" "No, it's for Fay." "What does Fay want?" "Can't you guess?" "To go out with you." "Tell her I can't." "Are you still going out with Elsa?" "I think so." "What do you mean?" "I have to kiss her all the time." "I heard different." "You heard different." "Besides, Fay isn't 13 yet." "Yes she is." "It's hard to tell." "Before or after, you tease us just as much." "I don't understand." "You understand just fine!" "No, I don't get you." "It's girl talk." "Use your brain." "I still don't get it." "First you tease us for being flat, then for having breasts." "It's not hard to understand." "I didn't understand." "I just asked her age." "You understood." "Yeah, I wanted to see how you'd say it." "You're a real jerk!" "Don't knock my main man." "Can you let us talk?" "Fay's a friend, not a girlfriend." "What does Jessica want?" "I don't know yet." "To go out with him?" "I don't know." "She's wanted to for I don't know how long." "I can't force myself." "It's not just because I'm going out already." "I'd break up fast, and that's not fair." "I thought maybe you wanted to go out with me." "Why the smile?" "It's impossible." "Because of Elsa?" "No, it's just impossible." "You never go out with boys." "Are you in love?" "I didn't ask with who." "I'm just trying to figure this out." "It's harder to admit when you're in love." "I'm sure he's really cute." "He's perfect." "Like I'm not?" "He's more than perfect." "Do I have a chance?" "No." "When I'm in love, it's serious." "Because you're not going out with him yet?" "That's why you love him so much." "Do you have a chance?" "Yesterday, he waited until I left before... kissing his girlfriend." "How do you know, if you left?" "I saw their reflection." "At least he knows I exist." "But he still kissed her." "He's tactful." "Is he in our grade?" "You can tell me." "He's older." "He must think I'm too young." "And his girlfriend?" "Gorgeous --- and top of her class." "So it's hopeless." "Who knows?" "It looks pretty bleak." "~ What's up ~ It was for Fay." "~ And?" "~ I'd never date Fay..." "And Jessica won't date me." "She's hooked on someone older." "He's cute and smart." "You need looks, brains --- and to be older!" "We're both out of luck." "You have Mirabelle." "Still, it sucks being a kid." "Yes?" "Come in." "Stay seated." "Ismaël, the principal would like to see you." "Hello, Ismaël." "You were friends with Guillaume." "Yes." "This is his sister." "Yes, we've met before." "She'd like to talk with you." "Did Guillaume say anything strange these past few days?" "About what?" "His problems...he said nothing?" "No." "How did he seem yesterday?" "Fine." "I see him less since he was left back." "Nothing unusual?" "I'm thinking..." "I didn't see him." "Did he mention a guitar?" "No...no guitar." "He never asked for money?" "No." "Was he sad about something or someone?" "What's going on?" "Was he dating someone?" "What's going on?" "He killed himself last night." "He hanged himself." "I'll come by this afternoon." "Ismaël, I know it's terrible." "It's too much for you." "This school is too big." "I didn't know Guillaume." "Do you want to tell me about him?" "You couldn't have guessed." "No one could have." "I don't understand it, either." "The death of a friend isn't easy." "He didn't say anything." "Things like this...they build up in you for a while." "I don't think it's simply a question of death." "Of what, then?" "Of life --- the desire to live." "It's hard to understand." "Maybe Guillaume wanted something beyond his reach..." "Something inaccessible." "He preferred to die... rather than give it up." "It doesn't sound like Guillaume." "What could it be?" "I don't know." "Something big...something like love." "I don't understand." "I want to go back." "Come and see me whenever you want to." "Ismaël?" "Guillaume." "He never really gave a shit." "But still..." "Last year, he never opened his math or science books." "Leaving him back was worse than unfair." "It was a major fuck-up." "Teachers don't know anything." "His book reports supposedly "missed the point"." "They were better than the books!" "There's more to life than school." "Guillaume read a lot." "But he wasn't a bookworm like his egghead parents." "I liked him for that." "He wasn't phony." "He was a real rebel." "Ismaël knew him since kindergarten." "He's taking it hard." "What didn't we understand?" "Compared to most other kids, he was oversensitive... he just cracked up." "We became friends the day I let him play in goal." "He was happy I gave him my position." "And making him happy made me happy." "Why commit suicide over a guitar?" "It kills me not to understand." "What kills me is not seeing him again." "Remember his smile?" "It was an awesome smile." "It was more than awesome." "Talking about him in the past is scary." "It's for old people." "So we didn't know him?" "You know yourself?" "I know myself a little..." "And we knew him." "You should have." "The principal chose you, not me." "Jealous?" "What an ass!" "You should have seen his sister!" "I'm not jealous." "You're the ass." "Your best friend dies and now you're a hero." "It's obscene." "The girls cry and walk you home." "What's the deal?" "You tell me." "He's dead and we were too dumb to help him." "Asshole!" "I feel worse than that!" "It's normal." "Théo's scared shitless of death." "He couldn't even go to his grandmother's funeral." "Théo's right, though." "We lost touch with Guillaume." "Once I was in love with Guillaume." "I was scared he'd say no so I never asked him out." "You should have." "Yeah." "Don't be mad at Théo." "Things are different now." "Like we were granted a reprieve." "The only person I know who died was my grandfather." "He was old but it hurt a lot." "I remember a boy in first grade... he died of some disease." "They sterilized the classroom... and it was like he never existed." "Was he a friend, like Guillaume?" "No." "All that bullshit about infinity." "We're here for a second... and he found that even that was too long." "~ Call if you get depressed." "~ You, too." "~ You telling your parents?" "~ I don't know." "~ Bye." "And call Théo." "~ Right." "What's the story with the guitar?" "It's something the kids in his grade might know." "I'll ask around." "We'll see where it leads." "Guillaume never went out with a girl from school." "Maybe he tried and it ended bad." "Ended in bed?" "Ended bad, Einstein!" "All our love stories end bad." "It's better that way." "He didn't like being in love." "I'm not sure." "Once he showed me a picture of a girl." "He didn't ask me what I thought." "He clammed up, so I dropped it." "Was she pretty?" "She was in the picture." "A blonde..." "With blue eyes, I'm sure..." "Black boys like Barbie dolls." "He wasn't black." "Cut the shit." "I can bullshit if I want." "When's the funeral?" "Tomorrow." "His class is going." "They hardly knew him." "They're two-faced!" "Shouldn't we go to the funeral?" "And see his parents?" "No thanks!" "Only Ismaël can go." "We'll go when we can be alone." "Come on, Pièrre." "~ He never heard of the guitar." "But check this out." "~ What?" "He got suspended." "He wouldn't pay for stolen test tubes." "Who stole them?" "No one admitted it, so the teacher made us all pay." "Why steal test tubes?" "To piss in them." "Everyone paid but Guillaume." "How much?" "We each had to chip in 20 francs." "Guillaume said no, so the teacher considered him guilty." "That's disgusting!" "The teacher got him suspended for three days." "Guillaume laughed about it." "How stupid." "It's easy to pay." "The real thief probably paid." "The teacher was stupid." "That makes it easier for you." "It didn't for Guillaume." "See you later." "Your trial is rigged." "You'll blame his teacher and parents." "We didn't see it coming." "Did you know he was suspended?" "Did he even tell you?" "No." "We meant more to him than the teachers, so we're to blame." "We just want to hear all the sides." "Then we'll decide." "Guillaume's as guilty as we are." "Let him talk!" "Even if it hurts." "We didn't give up on him." "He gave up on us." "Otherwise, he wouldn't have been left back." "Can't you feel the pain he felt inside?" "I sure as hell can." "We felt nothing." "We're losers." "We're just as stupid as the teacher." "Teachers never got to him." "A juicy raw deal would have given him courage." "The courage to kill himself?" "I disagree." "If his teacher was a sleaze, he deserves to pay." "I never said he wasn't a motherfucker." "If Simon's right, what do we do?" "What do you think?" "~ I don't know." "~ And you?" "Beat the shit out of him." "What a bastard!" "We don't know her name." "They won't either." "I'll make one up." "I'll ask about the guitar, too." "Guillaume lent me a Doors CD." "I don't want to give it back." "~ I'll talk to his sister." "~ OK." "If you feel you're bothering them, just leave." "She'll be happy to see we're thinking of him... that we care enough to come." "Tell her it's hard on us, too." "Tell her we skipped the funeral not bother them." "Fourth floor." "If it takes too long, call me." "Can't you wait?" "I have to babysit my sister." "Try waiting." "OK." "Why are you lagging?" "I wanted you to dump Fay." "She's nice but she's overdoing it." "You're becoming syrupy and sentimental." "I'm not in love with Fay." "I know." "But you're real sentimental." "What's wrong with that?" "Are you going to give back the CD?" "We can share it." "One week at a time." "Or give it to the first girl we meet." "The first girl who sleeps with one of us." "We thought he was tough, now we're learning he was weak." "Mirabelle rants and raves but she's got balls." "See you later." ""Suspended for three days..." ""dead forever."" "We won't know if the teacher feels guilty." "We had to do it for Guillaume." "If he quits, we'll know for sure." "Maybe he'll kill himself." "His sister showed me the guitar." "They think he stole it, because he tried selling it... maybe to buy drugs." "He didn't do drugs." "His sister doesn't know about the girl in the photo." "How can we find her?" "Guillaume went to Sunday mass to check out the girls." "He stared at their necks, hoping they'd turn around." "He loved meeting eyes with pretty girls he didn't know." "That's weird." "We can case out the churches in the area on Sunday." "Yeah." "Hopefully, I'll recognize her." "Any news about your friend?" "No." "I think there's a girl involved." "Your boyfriend looks nice." "We just started." "We'll see..." "I hope it'll last." "I like when you smile." "And his parents?" "Nothing." "Unlike all of ours, they're not separated." "His mother looks dead." "She was distant --- cut off from everyone." "You can imagine." "~ And yours?" "~ My what?" "Your parents?" "My mother won't divorce." "That's all my Dad thinks about." "He's obsessed." "Whenever I visit him, the divorce papers are out." "He's nice, but not with her." "My mother's still alone." "She won't date." "It's a disaster." "I tried fixing her up... but it's hard enough finding someone for me... ~ He never complained about them?" "~ No." "My Dad said that if I goofed off, I'd be a garbage man." "I wanted to be one!" "Hanging onto the back of the truck..." "I'd better go or I'll end up as a cashier in a supermarket." "~ Hi." "~ Hi." "Is she blonde-blonde or blonde-brown?" "I'm not sure --- in the picture, she was blonde." "It's a lead." "We'll cover St. Marcel, St. Jacques, and St. Etienne du Mont." "And us, St. Salpice, St. Médard, and St. Séverin." "OK." "We'll meet up later." "She's cute." "She's not blonde." "Are you sure?" "Don't clown around." "No kidding, she's really cute." "We want a blonde." "Not me." "I'm no racist." "They're all ugly as sin." "Is that why Catholics are losing faith?" "Don't ask me --- I'm no expert." "Maybe I'm wrong." "Joan of Arc was definitely a hot number." "How do you know?" "Because they roasted her." "You're not funny." "Between you and Simon, I don't know who's worse!" "Pièrre --- get Théo and Simon at St. Marcel." "She lives right across the street from Guillaume." "It's definitely her --- no doubt about it." "She may be why he killed himself." "We don't know that." "No, we don't." "You saw where she lives --- right here!" "You recognized her --- not me!" "What do we do?" "Think of a plan." "We have her pegged." "Now we'll work her over." "With pleasure." "Relax --- let's wait 'til later." "She sure is cute." "I'll say." "We should tell the girls." "You tell Mirabelle." "I can't." "I'll tell her how horny you were." "Just try." "Let's go." "~ How are you?" "~ Fine." "See you later." "What's her name?" "Why?" "I just want to know." "Miren." "What could he want?" "Do you have a good excuse?" "Maybe." "I followed a girl in the street." "Why?" "It's hard to explain." "Are you in love?" "No." "A friend of mine was, I think." "So you don't love her?" "Not really." "Go to study hall." "I tried giving you an easy way out." "You can at least love the girls you follow." "Just a little." "Get going." "Simon, continue." "Mirabelle!" "We found the girl." "The one Guillaume told me about." "It's better if you ask her." "She'd think we were hitting on her..." "This is shady." "He mentioned her once." "Just ask her and we'll know whether she knew him or not." "I don't buy it." "Let's just try." "If she didn't know him, we'll forget about her." "We always hang out after school." "Now we have something to do." "OK." "I don't want to twist your arm." "That's her." "Excuse me." "Do you know a boy named Guillaume?" "Who sent you?" "A ghost." "A ghost named Guillaume?" "Yes." "I hate ghost stories." "I don't know Guillaume." "Everyone knows a Guillaume." "I had one in my class years ago." "I don't know yours." "Somehow, I'm not surprised." "She doesn't know him." "It's her in the picture." "Maybe you're wrong." "I'm sure I'm right." "Why would she lie?" "We're still clueless." "We'll never know why he died." "He outsmarted us." "We were too dumb." "You're hard on us." "I'm sure he was sick of us." "How can you say that?" "~ I'm ranting and raving?" "~ As usual." "~ You find your life worth living?" "~ I can't complain." "Don't get sidetracked." "She knows Guillaume because she's in the picture." "He told me her name, too..." "It was strange." "It sounded like Mirabelle." "Mi-Something." "Like Muraine." "Maybe Miren." "It could have been Miren." "That's a name?" "If that's her name, it must be her." "Anyway, now it's too late." "~ You think she's important?" "~ I don't know." "Can we talk?" "If you want." "Can you walk me home?" "No, I have to get home early." "I told Jessica I don't want to go out." "I thought we were going out already." "Why?" "When you were sad, you took my hand." "You took mine!" "Anyway, we didn't kiss." "Kissing comes later." "I like you as a friend, that's all." "Don't take it bad." "Can you think it over?" "It wouldn't help." "You don't know if you're in love with me." "It takes time." "It'd take too long." "Even if I love you?" "Even if you love me." "Anyway, what does that mean?" "I think of you a lot." "How many times today?" "I didn't count, but a lot." "For how long?" "Half of English class." "It's so boring, it's normal." "Why are you teasing?" "I'm not." "You are too." "Boring or not, I think of you a lot." "I can't force myself, especially not now." "Why now?" "Because." "Because of what?" "I met a girl." "You went from Elsa to her?" "You're not listening!" "I said I met a girl." "Did anything happen?" "No, nothing." "You're not going out?" "No!" "I didn't say I was!" "You're right." "I like Fay, but you don't owe her anything." "Any news from Elsa?" "No, but it's over." "She didn't send a friend to tell me." "That's not too cool, if you ask me." "She'll come from there." "~ I'll give you a signal, OK?" "~ Yeah." "Take a picture of Simon --- surround her on the sidewalk." "I know." "Right, then." "We should act like foreign tourists." "Germans." "How dumb!" "It'll be funny in English." "OK, let's do that." "~ Synchronize our watches!" "~ I forgot mine." "Don't goof around." "This is serious." "Don't worry." "How's that --- OK?" "She's with a guy." "Who cares?" "It's too late now." "Let's scram." "You scram!" "Did they take my picture?" "Why would they do that?" "But they ran off." "They're losers." "Here you go." "They're great." "Why two copies?" "If there's a problem." "Is it the girl in Guillaume's photo?" "Yeah." "Put her next to Guillaume's." "They match." "How stupid!" "If you took pictures of my mom and dad... you wouldn't say they match!" "Trust me!" "Look, he's the only boy it works with." "With you it wouldn't!" "I have a book for you." "Is it good?" "Not bad." "It's about a guy who kills himself." "It's kind of like Guillaume." "Supposedly, Napoleon loved it." "My father told me." "He's an expert." "Your father or Napoleon?" "Well...both of them." "A gift from your Dad?" "~ Write me a book report." "~ What fun." "Then I can show off to my Dad." "He rereads it once a year." "Don't quiz me tomorrow." "Kids these days don't read any more." "Their vocabulary is pitiful." "Too right!" "At dinner, I didn't understand my parents." "They used such big words." "Their questions went over my head." "I panicked." "They didn't even realize." "Like Balzac and Zola, the gruesome twosome." "15 pages to describe a toothbrush!" "And all those Molière plays." "One day I'll read them." "Is the show over?" "~ You started!" "~ No, you did!" "Let's go." "Good bye, sir." "I have to talk to you." "It's serious." "You took my picture?" "You're Guillaume?" "No, it's not me." "I'm sick of being followed." "Guillaume killed himself." "He was my best friend." "I have one question, that's all." "Are you part of a gang?" "We're no gang." "But maybe a girl did ask you some questions." "You recognize him?" "Didn't he live around here?" "He killed himself?" "~ Yes." "~ Why?" "We don't know." "I knew him a little." "He used to hang out across the street." "Once he come and asked me if I was in love." "I told him yes." "~ Was it true?" "~ Yes." "Since then, he never came over, but I'd see him now and then." "I'm sorry." "That's all I know." "He told me about you." "I wondered if you knew him." "No." "I don't like your thinking he killed himself over me." "I didn't say that." "You're here, so you thought it." "You've got it wrong." "Sorry, we'll stop bothering you." "Bye." "~ They didn't go out?" "~ No." "Why did she lie to me?" "She knew him by sight --- they didn't talk... except once, so his name meant nothing to her." "You think he died for her?" "Why not?" "We let him die." "We didn't see it coming." "We're as much to blame as anyone else." "When it was building up... we didn't notice." "When the time came, we weren't there." "We can blame the girl or his parents... whoever...even that asshole teacher." "But we didn't notice, so we didn't care enough." "If you see someone starving to death... by not caring, you let him die." "~ So we didn't love him enough?" "~ Right." "When you're not loved, you don't love yourself." "Without our love, he couldn't love himself." "For boys, girls are everything." "That's bullshit." "When you're oversensitive, unfair things hurt a lot." "Getting suspended was worse than any mystery girl." "You didn't see her." "All this guesswork!" "Suicide hits when you least expect it." "That's your opinion." "We're all talk, no action." "For you, it's really serious." "Guillaume is all we talk about." "A teacher wastes him and you chit-chat." "Get off your ass!" ""How her figure haunts me!" ""Waking or dreaming, she fills my soul." ""When I gently close my eyes,..." ""here, in my head, in my mind's eye..." ""are her black eyes." ""When my eyes shut, her eyes remain..." ""an ocean, an abyss..." ""they remain before me, within me."" ""So what do we do?" "Ismaël"" "I was never in love, but..." "I'm sick of this "love kills" stuff." "Last year, when Claudia dropped me,..." "I cried for two days." "I remember." "Two whole days!" "What a wimp!" "But I never considered suicide." "I'm not crazy." "I know a girl who kissed her boyfriend's best friend." "That was smart." "She didn't even know why she did it." "The word spread." "She wanted to quit school." "She swallowed tons of pills." "I got there just in time." "She didn't really want to die." "No, she made a big production out of it... so her boyfriend would apologize." "Apologize for what?" "For breaking up over something so stupid." "I think you can kill yourself almost by mistake, over nothing." "Did he apologize?" "More or less." "Not all girls are show-offs..." "I know one who really did it." "Her friend said "get some fresh air"." "Splat, she jumped out the window." "Splat, she died." "All because a guy dumped her." "I have her picture." "In some countries, people talk to their dead." "Here, you can't." "It's like they scare us." "Tell him we won at soccer by a landslide." "He'll be thrilled." "First, let's accept that he's dead." "You shouldn't have." "You regret it." "I'm sure." "Naked down there --- it's pretty creepy." "They always dress them up." "What's he wearing?" "A suit and tie?" "If they keep their coffin clothes up there... they'd pack it in again." "But the view must be great from up there." "He got there first." "He was always ahead of us." "It's stupid to commit suicide --- they win!" "I'll give him the picture." "You're so far away." "You shouldn't have left us." "You were our friend." "You thought we forgot about you." "If that's what you thought, you were wrong." "We miss you and we're lost without you." "Especially Ismaël... and your sister and parents." "Maybe you're better off and God opened his arms real wide." "I hope we'll see you someday." "We won't forget you." "We'll live for you." "I thought it over." "We can still go out if you want to." "That's nice, but it's because we're shook up over Guillaume." "No, I'm serious." "I'm glad you came." "What about Fay?" "Fay gave up hope." "She told me what you told her." "Unless you want to go out with her." "I still don't." "It's not really the moment." "No..." "But think it over." "OK." "Sensitive people like him feel everything." "Everything weighs heavier on them... than on normal people." "I followed him home." "I staked out his building." "I'll need someone to warn me when he comes." "What do you do?" "I'll unscrew the light bulb and spray the teargas." "I can do it alone." "No you can't." "You did the graffiti." "We should share the risks." "I should do it with you." "It's up to you." "I have to do it --- it's obvious." "I'll give the signal." "The dynamic duo." "What can I do?" "Not much." "You can stay with Théo." "We'll do it tomorrow." "The asshole finishes at 12." "He's home at 12:15." "This is for Guillaume, not for us." "So don't blab." "Unscrew the bulb." "Climb on me." "Let's get in place." "Knock three times." "Just before he comes." "You see the doorknob?" "Yeah." "Murderer!" "Did he recognize us?" "We'll see on Monday." "At last we did something." "It was a bull's eye --- he'd better learn Braille." "See you later." "Bye." ""I have so much." "My love absorbs it all." ""I have so much." "Without her, it's all nothing."" "Waiting long?" "No --- five minutes." "What couldn't you say on the phone?" "I can't talk to her." "~ To who?" "~ The girl Guillaume knew." "I can understand why." "Can you come with me tomorrow?" "To talk to her." "No --- to bolster me up." "I can do that." "You'll yell at me if I chicken out... like you're my second." "Ask Théo." "It's more up his alley." "I can't trust him with girls." "Then ask Simon." "Simon would make fun of me." "I can rely on you to keep quiet." "Ok, I'll come." "~ Let's go." "~ Yeah." "Why are you steering clear of me?" "It's in your head." "Is it Guillaume?" "Yes." "There's another reason." "~ Like what?" "~ A good reason!" "Think..." "Since Miren, everything's a secret." "Don't piss me off." "I called you this morning." "Your Mom said you left early to take a test." "There was no test." "That's my business." "You want her, and you won't let me near her." "What an asshole." "You didn't ask me to take her picture." "Miren was Guillaume's." "You keep her distant." "Maybe you're seeing her, maybe not." "But I like her, too." "Let's not fight, OK?" "You're always sneaking a peek at her picture, not me." "I saw you." "Let's see less of each other." "You're dropping me like a girlfriend?" "Nice one!" "Just don't talk about her." "I'll drop the subject." "Find another one, because... girls have always been our main topic of conversation." "Cut the shit." "Admit you're in love." "If it's true, what's it to you?" "It's better when you're honest, isn't it?" "I can't talk about Miren to you." "You're some friend." "You're like Guillaume now... you never say what's on your mind." "Leave Miren alone." "And Guillaume, too." "If it weren't for Guillaume, would you care?" "You're a real genius." "You don't want to date her." "You know we're more in love when they turn us down." "Being in love doesn't mean dating." "I know." "It's not like with your family...or your friends." "When I see her, it's like I'm frozen." "I can't even think." "I tried this morning, but I chickened out." "It's weird." "It's only with her, because Jessica asked me out." "Lucky stiff!" "You're a real lady-killer!" "Not with Miren." "I'd take Jessica instead." "She's nice." "And those boobs!" "Miren will drive you crazy for zilch." "She's too tough a catch." "Before Miren, I wanted Jessica." "Now I think of Miren, not Jessica." "Let Miren see you with Jessica." "That'll make her want you more." "They're all back-stabbers." "I mean, Jessica's Fay's friend..." "Are you coming on Saturday night?" "~ Your place?" "~ Yes." "Sure." "Did you ask Ismaël?" "~ No." "~ You'd better ask him first." "~ Because of Guillaume." "~ Yeah." "Is he out yet?" "He's coming." "Try trapping him." "Then you'll know what he's like." "No, I was thinking of Guillaume." "Invite the girl Guillaume knew." "We'll all meet her." "Ask Ismaël." "Is that a good idea?" "Sure it is." "OK, I'll ask him." "Are you coming Saturday?" "To your place?" "Yes." "It's very soon after Guillaume." "It won't be gruesome." "We'll act like Guillaume's there." "I don't know." "If we invite the girl Guillaume knew --- we'll all be together." "But if it's a bad idea..." "I don't know." "Can you ask her?" "Yeah." "Ok." "Try, then." "I'd chicken out." "Thanks for the help." "Let's wait here." "Calling you a chicken might work." "It just makes me more scared." "It's hard to be constantly ready." "I know." "A minute ago I was ready." "Now I'm not at all." "The winner isn't the best --- it's the most focused." "I lost my concentration." "I didn't wake up at 6:30 to hear you whine." "I'm better now." "Relax and focus." "You have to take deep breaths." "With serenity!" "Go on." "Deeper." "Hi." "Hi." "I was visiting my friend's sister." "I'm glad --- I wanted to talk to you." "I would have put it in your mailbox." "You know my last name?" "No." "Were you waiting for me?" "No." "You weren't?" "Is it a good book?" "Napoleon knew it by heart." "Really?" "You couldn't care less." "Nope --- thanks to Napoleon, I flunked a test." "Did you like it?" "It was a gift." "I bought you a copy." "I hope you'll like it." "I'll read it someday." "Boys never give books as presents." "It's the kind your parents give." "You don't have to read it." "I know." "Thanks." "I'll try it during vacation." "But with the dead tree... the crows, and "the sorrows" in the title... it doesn't look like fun." "Good books aren't always fun." "Is it a suicide story?" "I don't think so." "I hope not." "There's a party on Saturday." "Do you want to come?" "I have a boyfriend in London." "I'm faithful." "Don't invite me because of Guillaume." "I hate being stared at." "Believe me, it's not a trap." "I don't want any... ghost stories between you, your friends, and me." "It was weird for him to follow me like he did." "It's even weirder if you take his place." "If you're crazy, I won't come." "No, I'm not crazy." "I hope not." "I don't know your name." "Ismaël." "I'm sorry about your friend." "There was something special about him." "I could feel that." "It hurts me more than you think." "I believe you." "OK for Saturday... but that doesn't mean we're going out." "I know." "Call me." "OK." "What's your number?" "47 43 13 39" "Bye." "47 43 13 39" "She's coming." "I have her number." "You're in deep shit." "Very deep." "She has a boyfriend in London." "She's 15." "Let's go --- we'll be late." "Thanks." "You said you'd think about it." "Did you?" "So much has happened..." "Guillaume." "For Fay, the answer's no." "I'm not talking about her." "Don't act dumb." "So much has happened." "You just said that." "Maybe." "You asked me to go out." "I'm not an idiot." "You're really in love?" "Do I date just anyone?" "I'm cute and not too dumb?" "Cute, yes." "As for dumb..." "What...are you dating someone else?" "No." "You don't like me any more?" "You asked me out." "If you want, I'll find someone else." "~ I thought that wasn't your style." "~ I won't wait forever." "We'll see on Saturday." "If you're dating someone else, say so." "I'm not, honest." "You love another girl." "What about your Mister Perfect?" "And your friend's girlfriend?" "Who told you?" "Me." "I'm telling you now." "She barely knew him." "Are we going to kiss?" "It's not hard." "If you want." "You have to want to." "Yes." "You're not sure?" "Yes." "Was it hard?" "Yes and no." "Will you walk me home?" "~ If you want." "~ Stop saying "if you want"!" "I'll shut up." "Why?" "Can you only say "if you want"?" "No, that's not all." ""I will see her!" ""I tell myself when I wake up..." ""and look at the beautiful rising sun..." ""I will see her!" ""This sole desire rules my entire day." ""Everything..." ""is engulfed by this one hope."" "~ Hi." "~ Hi." "You look like a clown with your Jordans." "What a ham!" "And that white jacket looks faggy." "Not with my hands in the pockets." "Oh yeah." "Can you date a girl you don't love... while loving a girl you don't date?" "How vile!" "That's truly ignominious behavior!" "Are you trying to ruin our friendship?" "You're right." "We've got plenty of time to become depraved." "I dreamt of a girl." "She had an accident." "After that, she limped." "The boys stopped liking her." "~ She was all yours!" "~ Yeah!" "You shouldn't mutilate people." "You're a real sadist." "You must lack self-confidence." "I'm hung up on her." "You really want to go after her?" "Yeah." "It's easier when you're not so hooked." "If you can, try forgetting her." "I can't." "You're expecting it to work out?" "Yes." "If you think you have a chance, go for it." "Not a big chance --- but I can always try." "So you'll try." "But I won't get my hopes up too high." "But you'll try." "Yeah." "I'll go wait for her." "Bye." "I'll see you later." "You were waiting for me?" "~ Yeah." "~ Is something up?" "Yes." "You're not friends with Théo like before." "It's in his head." "No, it's real." "He told me Guillaume was weak." "He meant a coward." "He said he didn't have any balls." "He has it wrong." "Guillaume was all charged up... much more than us... so he short-circuited." "I hate it when Théo talks about Guillaume like that." "It's not that big a deal." "Anything else?" "No." "There's something." "I don't like this girl." "You already told me." "It shouldn't go on after Guillaume." "You thought she was unimportant." "I wouldn't die for her." "I didn't say that." "We're not sure for Guillaume, though." "But he knew her." "So what?" "You're weird." "You know something?" "No." "Well...when I asked Guillaume out, he said... he loved someone else." "You said you were afraid to talk to him." "When was this?" "Before I started with Théo." "He didn't tell me." "We shared everything." "You did --- but he didn't." "Maybe he didn't want to hurt you." "I doubt it." "Why?" "It just felt like he wasn't lying." "How?" "Could you tell if they were a couple?" "How could I know that?" "Shit, Mirabelle, use your intuition!" "Were they a couple?" "I have no idea." "What did you think back then?" "Maybe I thought he was going out." "You mean with Miren?" "Maybe." "Or someone else." "This isn't leading anywhere." "I came for Théo." "Be nice." "He's paranoid enough." "No, you came for Miren." "Théo can wait." "~ Hi." "~ Hi." "I have to call my parents from there." "I have to be home before 12." "Were you waiting long?" "No, I'm used to waiting." "~ Hi." "I'm Ismaël's best friend." "~ Can I phone home?" "~ This way." "She's good looking." "The picture was OK but in real life... she's even better." "Don't go near her." "Why?" "She only like psychos?" "Maybe you and I will be closer if I get close to her." "Cut the crap." "Why?" "Are you a couple?" "What about Mirabelle?" "Not here yet?" "I don't want us to fight." "If you want, I'll tell everyone to steer clear of her." "Remember: we're not going out." "~ I didn't say that." "~ I did." "And it still holds." "Because I was Guillaume's friend?" "Because I said so." "I didn't know you went out with him." "You want me to leave?" "Why not with me?" "I'm too small?" "That's it." "My father is 6' 3"." "I'll grow 5 or 6 inches tonight." "I'm a growing boy." "We'll see then." "You like her?" "Yeah, and I'm not alone." "Is London Boy tall?" "Enormous." "You can't imagine." "He must be partying now, too." "Very funny." "My secrets are for me." "I don't like to share them." "I'm not being mean --- I want to know all about you." "What for?" "I'm curious about people I like --- is that crazy?" "It's like once... when a boy said I was too ugly to dance with." "Ask Pièrre." "My legs hurt." "My head, too." "I don't want to dance with Pièrre." "That's Guillaume's girl?" "Yes." "I knew I didn't have a chance." "I know what it's like." "I thought you and Jessica..." "No." "I'm in love with her." "You could have said you loved her." "I could have, but I couldn't." "We might as well break up." "You're right." "You can tell them you dumped me." "I'll say we never went out." "If you want to." "Nothing to drink?" "You want to get plastered?" "I need to." "Besides, that's why we came." "Not me." "Right." "Is rum and beer OK?" "OK." "~ You're in my seat." "~ You don't have a seat." "If you want me to get drunk in the kitchen, just say so." "Now you're wising up." "Where's Pièrre?" "I don't know." "What's there to drink?" "I don't care." "Same here." "We don't care at all." "Well, we do and we don't." "Boys make me insecure." "I don't like being in love." "I'm always up tight." "I'm worse." "I'm a sissy." "A real chicken." "It's incredible." "I'm stuck up --- but I'm as bad off as everyone else." "I can't talk to her." "Everything I say sounds so stupid." "Here you go." "Thanks." "She makes me stupid." "I have the scoop on Guillaume." "He was in love with this girl." "She just wanted sex." "So he poked her, but in his sleep." "The next day, it hit him." "Yeah, he freaked out." "He woke up in a porno nightmare." "He couldn't cope." "His deep love turned into deep throat." "Instead of being Young Werther... he was a tongue wagger!" "He holes up in his room " "Popping skinflicks into the VCR." "He thinks he's got a screw loose." "The girl " "Is screwing other guys." "He can't work at all " "Gets left back " "He realizes she's just a whore, and he's--- a pervo sex fiend." "She's gone." "He's cunt struck." "Give that back." "He kills himself." "It all hangs together." "Funny: "hangs"!" "We're disgusting." "Well, I'm going to puke." "Yeah, you do that.." "Everyone's breaking up." "Yeah." "It must be contagious." "It's no fun." "No, it sure isn't." "I'm telling him." "Can we talk?" "Sure." "You're right." "It's been too long." "You're free." "I know I'm short on looks." "I'm no goldilocks with baby blues." "Don't worry, I've been dumped before." "Besides, I don't care about you...you bastard." "I was wrong." "Guillaume made Miren get to me." "But I don't care." "I think she's stupid." "She pretends she didn't know Guillaume." "She's all yours." "You mean it?" "Yeah." "Besides, I was too much of a friend with Guillaume." "What's the link?" "By the way, it's over with Mirabelle." "I'm seeing Jessica tomorrow... we're going to the movies." "I told you Jessica was tops." "What movie?" "We'll decide tomorrow." "So you can go out with Miren, if you want to." "She's hooked on London Boy." "He's bullshit." "How do you know?" "I just do." "She's pretty dumb." "A major yawn." "Because you got dumped?" "All you wanted was to have sex." "I didn't even ask." "She's 15 and a virgin." "She caught on to your game." "They're all teasers." "Insist." "Show her how much you care." "She's a lousy kisser." "At 15?" "Usually after four whole years of junior high... you learn how to kiss." "Maybe she's not interested." "Anyway, tonight won't be the Big Night." "And you and Jessica?" "I'm not too into her." "Changed your mind?" "Deep down I knew." "What do you mean?" "Nothing." "Let me tell something to Miren." "Then I'll leave." "I have a favor to ask." "What?" "Let me love you." "It's more than a favor." "Do you have to beg?" "Yes, even if you don't love me." "You can't love the guy in London." "If I were a girl, I wouldn't have let Guillaume get away." "If you can't love, your life will be shit." "And I feel sorry for you." "What do you mean?" "One day or another, you'll love me." "You're crazy." "No." "If you can't feel, it's hopeless." "My best friend already got by you." "Don't do that again." "You're drunk." "Don't do that again." "I wanted to talk, but I couldn't find the words." "I know what happened." "Don't worry, I won't kill myself... even though you killed part of my life." "But she has to change... or you did it for nothing." "Goodbye for now." "I'll be back." "Don't worry." "Even if you can't hear me, I'll talk to you." ""Oh, the void!" ""This horrible void!" ""Often I think..." ""that if I could hold her to my heart just once..." ""this enormous void would be filled!""