"I do not believe that any of us,  would exchange places with any other people or any other generation," "The energy, the faith,  the devotion," "Grownups like to tell you where they were when," "Presldent Kennedy was shot which they all know to the exact second," "Whlch makes me almost jealous," "Llke I should have something important enough to know,  where l was when lt happened," "But I don't yet," "And the fact that lt was a better time then,  and people knew what they were supposed to do,  and how to make the world better,  Now, nobody knows anything," "We know who ls popular or that social studies ls boring," "Or that Brlan always has stomach trouble," "But nobody knows anything important," "I nstead of changing the world,  people sit ln class and write notes about other people," "My soda." "Get back." "Get back." "Get back." "Get back." "Stay back." "Be quiet." "Did you see who it was?" "Did you?" "AN G E LA AN D J O RD AN C ATALAN O C OM P LET E S EX!" "I N H I S C AR." "C AN YO U B E Ll EVE H E R?" "My God, I can not believe this." "That is like the weirdest thing that ever happened at this school." "Ever." "J ust think about who... if we all weren't in our classrooms just minding our own business." "And look." "By what." "I could have been right at that spot." "I was there like ten minutes earlier." "What is the big deal?" "It's not like anybody even got a flesh wound." "A bottle of soda was shot tragically." "I don't want our school to have a reputation." "Like yours, you mean?" "Everyone knows there are, like, fifty guns in school at any given moment." "And the fact that they haven't gone off before shows you... what a totally safe place this is." "Give it a rest." "Geez!" "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "No one is going to get shot I promise you." "Who would write a note like that?" "Everybody writes notes like that." "We write notes like that." "Yeah, but we write notes that are true." " This isn't true?" " Rayanne!" "We barely made out." "You haven't been telling people" "Oh, Angela, come on." "Hey Rickie!" "I wouldn't blab about your personal life. I promise you." "What are you looking at?" " What happened to your shirt?" " Oh nothing." " lt got caught on the fence outside." " So, can you believe all this?" " Did you see anything?" " No. I was in English." "Maybe I should get a gun." "What do you mean English?" "You were supposed to be in social studies." "What's the difference." "So, what's this I hear about you and Jordan?" " l can't believe this." " You know they had sex." " Rayanne." " That's what I heard." "You heard it too?" "God, just shoot me." " We could probably arrange that." " You mean you didn't have sex?" "Angela come on, come." "You've got to start thinking of this as a positive thing." "This can help you get to the next level with Jordan." "Did he at least think you were a good kisser?" " l don't know." " Did you like the way he kissed?" "They weren't the kind of kisses you can actually evaluate." "I ntroductory kisses." "You should have had sex with him." "Where were you when the gun went off?" "Mom, it wasn't anywhere near us." "We barely heard it." "We have to worry about our kids being shot in school." "How did it come to this." "This is horrible." "This is a disgrace to all of us" " That's too much." " l'm sorry honey." "I'm going to say it in this meeting." "I am. I mean it." "We have to draw the line somewhere." "We just can't keep accepting the total deterioration" "The only thing shot was a bottle of soda." "I don't even know if you should go there alone anymore." "Maybe we should drop you off every morning." "Dad!" "The gun was in the school." "We can't be with her all day." "We are not going to change our entire lives over this." "There was one stupid gun shot." "You are not dropping me at school." "God. I'm not an eight years old." "At my school this kid slipped on this wet spot." "And fell." "Like on his face." "Maybe we should take her out of school." " Honey." " Put her in private school." " l wish we could afford that." " Maybe that's not an excuse." "Maybe we should sacrifice other things." "Like the house in Palm Beach?" "This is our daughter we are talking about." "I know." "Listen, I don't know why the world's gone so crazy... and I don't know what to do about it." "I wish we could keep them... in some kind of bubble to protect them but I know we can't." "I'm not asking for a bubble." "How about just a place where they can live, and walk to school... and become grownups without having to worry about... guns and Al D S and serial murderers." "That didn't use to be exotic." "That wasn't the province of the rich." "We all had that." "Why can't they have that?" "I don't know." "There, did you see that?" " What?" " That guy." " People are looking at me." " That's good." "They're looking at me." "Oh, they're looking at you." "H i." "H i." "See?" "Now what was that about?" " He said hi?" " That was not hi." " That was hi." " That was a different hi." "That was a he wants to get to know you hi." "From someone who never talks to me has never talked me... and would never talk to me." "Except now he thinks you put out so he talks to you." " See, I told you that note was good." " Rayanne." "Maybe Jordan started the rumor." "Don't be ridiculous." "It's a very guy thing to do." " Hey Catalano." " Hey." "So, what about this gun thing?" "I would hate to be that soda bottle." "Splat." "So, do you know what everyone is saying?" "What?" "About how you and Angela had sex." " Who?" " You and Angela." "No." "Who's saying that?" "I don't know." "People. I mean." "She told me the truth, of course." "What truth?" "How far you guys went." "Well." "Yeah." "Because nothing happened." "Right, so how come it's all over school?" "I mean, you're not talking it up like some low- life... derelict cretin telling everyone you did her, are you?" "J ust checking." " H i Brian." " H i." " This is Gina." " Hey." " Right." "H i." " Brian saw the entire thing." "I heard you actually chased the gunmen." " Chased the gunmen?" " l would have screamed." "I have to leave the room when my father uses the electric knife." "I think chase is a little bit strong, but I was going to check out the situation... because you know if there's a gun" " M r." "Foster." " My man M r." "Krakow." " Are you still getting all those A's?" " Yes sir." "Real good M r." "Krakow. I want you to come to my office for a few minutes." " l need to ask you a few things." " Actually I have a class, and" "You're excused from you next class, M r." "Krakow." "Really?" "Great. I mean, of course." "Man these are some grades." "You always gotten grades like this?" "Yes sir." "We need more kids in our school like you, Brian." "All the schools need more kids like you." "You're on a valedictorian path, M r." "Krakow." "All your teachers give you an unqualified thumbs- up." "So." "What happened yesterday?" " l already told M r." "H iggins" " But I'd like to hear it from you." "Right. I was leaving the bathroom and I heard a shot" "And you were in the bathroom because?" "Because?" "I had to go to the bathroom" "Which one?" " The one by the" " No, I meant what kind?" "How long were you in the bathroom?" "I didn't actually go. I mean. I had a stomach ache but I didn't actually go." "Because?" "Because you heard something in the hallway." "I heard like a scuffle, but I didn't see anyone when I came out... I just heard the shot." "You heard a scuffle loud enough to keep you from taking nature's call... but you didn't see anything." "No sir." "Brian, I don't have to tell you this is a serious criminal act..." " we are talking about here." " Yes sir." "I'd hate to hear that you were protecting someone." "With your unblemished record and all." "I'm not protecting anyone." "Ladies and gentlemen." "Ladies and gentlemen, please." "May I have your undivided attention for one moment?" "Please may I have your attention?" "Your undivided attention." "Thank you. I just wanted to let you know some of the things... we have been working on to ensure a safe environment here at Liberty." "We will not tolerate violence in our schools." "We will not accept it, and we will not live with it." "But all the safety measures in the world... won't work unless I have the cooperation of you." "All of you." "Yeah." "The people who come to these meetings are the people... who let their kids have guns." "Are you getting the guns out of school?" "That's the only question that's important here." "We're going to open this up for your comments in just one moment, please" "My daughter has been in tears for thirty- six hours." "We are not going to live with this kind of terror in our schools." "Friends." "One moment please." "We're going to get nowhere fast if each and every one of us speaks out of turn." "Now, as I was saying to your point Madam, Ms. Krzy zanowski here... is going to provide special counseling... for any student who has a problem coping with the incident." "That is good." "Put the kids in therapy so they can adjust to being shot." "We can hear what everybody has to say if we could just..." " say it one at a time." " Excuse me, M r." "Principle, could l-- lt would help if you would say your name and the name of your child." "My name is Amber Vallone and I have a daughter Rayanne Graff who I leave... in your capable hands everyday, and what I'd like to know is... while you're bringing in counselors, and being all upset... should I just send my daughter to school in a bullet prove vest... every day or are you actually going to do something... about the guns in our school." "It's not the lack of economic opportunity or the poor home life... or the lack of values." "But the guns." "You know the things that shoot." "Are you going to get that gun out of our school?" "Yes, I would like to see it happen." "Hey, you know, I really liked what you said in there." " Oh God." " l wish I could do that." "What loud?" "Obnoxious?" "Forceful. I'm Patty Chase." " H i." " Angela's mom?" "Angela." "Rayanne talks about her all the time." "She's in love with her." "She wants to be Angela." "Really?" "Gosh they seem so different." "You know kids." "They find one person and they just can't get enough of them." "Like being in love only they are not allowed to have sex." "Right." "No, don't you remember there would be like this one person... who had like perfect hair, or perfect breasts, or they were just so funny... and you just wanted to eat them up." "J ust live in their bed and just be them." "Like everybody else was in black and white and that person was in color." "Rayanne thinks Angela is in color." "Major color." "Thanks." "So, how is Rayanne handling this whole incident?" " She's great. I'm the basket case." " Angela's just the same." "'Who's going to shoot me with this body, Mom?" "' She says." "They think they're immortal." "And they have other things in mind." "Speaking of which Jordan is unbelievable." "Your daughter has complete taste." "Excuse me?" "Rayanne showed me his picture in the yearbook." "If I were Angela running around with him... I wouldn't give a damn about guns in the school either." "So you think that Jordan has gotten in the way for Angela" "And she was so obsessed with him all that time and now... it's actually happening." "But we know what that's like, right?" "Young love... or lust." "What is the difference?" "Yes." "Jordan." "I could have died. I did die. I mean, this woman knows and I don't know." "She's not even a woman." "She's like this forty year old girl." "She's gorgeous." "And she's telling me about my daughter's sex life... which apparently she now has, and I don't even know about it." "Patty, kid's talk." "The girl talked to her mother." "We don't know that it's true." "These things are always true." "Of course it's true." "Taste this." "I couldn't taste anything." "Guns are going off in school." " Angela's sleeping with someone." " You don't know that." "How is it?" "You know, and even if she isn't, which I pray is true... she obviously has some sort of secret life completely apart from us..." " this is wonderful." " Cilantro." "So what do we do?" "Do we confront her?" "Oh God, no." "Geez, I don't want to know if it's true." "What sort of attitude are we supposed to have?" "Are we suppose to have an attitude?" "I already have an attitude." "But it may be my mother's attitude." "I don't want to get hysterical about this." "Why shouldn't I be hysterical?" "She's fifteen. I should be hysterical." "Danlelle, lf you have on my sweats I'm going to kill you," "Do you understand me?" " Can I taste whatever it is?" " Sure." " Cilantro, I love that." " Very good." "I thought with the tomato it would sharpen it a bit-- l think it's great." "is that the fillo stuff?" "Honey?" "Who's Jordan?" "No one." " You mean Jordan Catalano?" " ls that his last name?" "I don't know." "You brought it up." "I met Rayanne's mom tonight... and she was all excited about your new boyfriend, Jordan." "Boyfriend?" "That's a laugh." " So, he's not your boyfriend?" " Mom, I barely know this person." "I don't know if I want to know this person." "Well, then you haven't..." "What did you hear?" "What did she tell you?" "Nothing." "She didn't tell me anything." "Did she say I was sleeping with Jordan Catalano?" "No." "No, of course not." "No one said that." " lt's just. I just wondered" " She did." "I can't believe this. I can't believe this. I hate everyone." "Obviously I told my mother." "But all I said was you were hot for him." "Why did you even tell her that?" "Now, my mother thinks we slept together." "Okay." "Do you want my mother to call your mother... and tell her you didn't sleep together?" "I could do that." " H i honey." " Hey fag." "Go to hell." "Maybe later." "I have something for you." "is that perfume I smell?" "You know you are boring, don't you?" " Turd head." "You need something?" " Yo, Graff." "Why don't you come driving with us tonight?" "That would be exciting." "If I were in a coma." "You'll be excited." "Later." " l could have handled that." " Yeah." "You're doing great." "No, no. I'm asking a particular question. ls it fair?" " What does fair have to do with it?" " Fair has to do with what?" "Anybody?" "Fair has to do with the right to come to school... and be able to do your work, and not be terrified." "Not have your heart beating fast." "Not jump every time there is a loud noise." "The right to come in and be left alone." "No?" "Maybe not everybody is left alone anyway." "Meaning what?" "You don't know what goes on around here, okay?" "Maybe some people have guns to protect yourself." "Maybe some people who have guns are like victims, too." "And they're like forced to carry." "You think kids with guns are like gangsters or dealers." "Your saying that if someone is threatened it's okay for them to carry... a gun in school?" "You don't think the school authorities can protect them?" "Man, you don't know what goes on around here." "Yes. lf l was" "Say I was threatened, and I'm not saying that I am... I'd be packing in no time." "No time at all." "That's very clearly stated." "So, what do the rest of you think about what he just said?" "Should people take the law into their own hands like that?" "I mean, is that the answer?" "Does that solve anything?" "Anyone?" "Angela?" "Angela?" "And right before the gun went off... I was thinking about how much I wanted that soda." "is that weird?" "Like, why did I leave it there in the first place?" "And what if I had gotten up to go get it right at that moment?" "Oh, my God. I think I better change my locker." "Like what happens when you don't sleep." "Like I haven't slept since it happened and keeps coming back to me... just keeps coming back." "What was that?" "I just keep going over and over in my mind." "Like all my friends and they go by the locker all the time... and it's just, not even me." "If someone just had been going by there, and gotten shot." "It's hard, isn't it?" "You don't think I could get a few days off, do you?" "You are here again because I wanted to hear your story... and Detective Martinson wanted to hear it too." "I really don't have anything else to tell." "M r." "Krakow, can I tell you something?" "This is a good school." "We want to keep it a good school." "Do you know what I mean?" " Yes sir." " No, you don't, son." "You see, I've got these officers here, the school board, the newspapers... the television and a whole lot of nasty, angry parents." "They all want to know something about what happened." "And you're the person who knows that something." "Right now you are standing between... me and my ability to keep this good school and I don't like that, son." "I don't like it when people do things to my school." "You get my meaning?" "So, why don't you tell us what was the noise that caused you... to come out of the bathroom?" " Hey, Brian." "How are you doing?" " You actually know my name." "Of course I know your name." "How are they treating you Bri?" "Baseball bats?" "Electrodes attached to various parts of your anatomy?" "Excuse me. I have a class." "J ust remember what happens to snitches." " Hey, Brian." "Are you okay?" " Yes, sure." "I'm really sorry you're the person that has to deal with this." " lt's no problem." " Because you know... if you saw something, like somebody had a gun, then you should tell them." "If you don't, you would be part of it and people are really scared, Brian." "So, you should tell them if you saw anything." "You shouldn't feel bad about that because, people will thank you." " H i Brian." " What?" "You know I was thinking, this whole thing with the gun and all... it would really make an important article for the paper." "So, I was thinking that you and I should do an interview sometime." "You know, just to let people know what really happened." "Maybe sometime after school." "What do you think?" "What?" "See you later." "Has the threat of violence changed the quality of my life at school?" "No, not really." "What do you mean?" "I just don't see the point in talking about it." "Sometimes talking itself makes people feel better." "And sometimes talking gets people into trouble." "People say things about people and it doesn't always mean it's true." "You mean about who might be carrying a gun?" " About anything." " Any weapon?" "No." "J ust about anything anybody says about people." "It's not always true." "I just think people want to believe things about people... so they decide certain things are true and they don't even ask." "And it's not fair." "Because you have to live with it anyway." "But if it's not true the person could always say that, couldn't they?" "I think if something is false... people aren't going to keep on believing it." "Usually people latch on to things when there is a kernel of truth." "That's when they get into trouble." "H i." "M ind if I?" "You might as well turn it off." "No. I like it." "This is hard." "We need to talk." "When I was twelve,  my mother gave me my sex talk,  I'm not sure either of us has fully recovered," " Now that you and Jordan are" " Oh my God." "Mom, please." "Angela. I can accept that you have a boyfriend." "I don't have a boyfriend." "Fine." "A pal." "A male pal." "Whatever word you want to choose." "The point is... I'm your mother, and I don't think you're ready." " Mom, please." " l don't think you're ready." "But... I have to know if this is what's happening... because I don't think that I keep you from" " Mom, I beg you to stop." " l need to know that you are using-- l mean, I remember how this feels, I do... but it's the times that we live in..." " Mom, please." " Honey... I know you do not want to think about these things, I know..." " you think you are invulnerable..." " l don't think that" "You have to use some kind of protection or you are going to be" "Mom, I am not having sex, all right?" "Really!" "I am not even close to an embarrassing degree." "Okay." "I am sorry, honey." "I want you to be prepared when the time comes." " Whenever the time comes." " lt will never come, not with Jordan." " ls that what is bothering you?" " No, nothing is bothering me." " Something is bothering you." " Mom, you couldn't possibly... understand or help. I don't mean to hurt your feelings so just, please?" "I am here if you need me." "You know that." " That is good to know about." " Yeah." "My uncle choked on a chicken bone." "That's when the change happened, J ust like that," "Somewhere ln those few seconds, I knew my life would never be the same," " Did he survive?" " Yeah." "I knew then that the rumor was right,  Not ln actuality, but ln my heart," "Because at that moment I would have done anything, I wanted him so much," "Look, I didn't say anything about, you know." " l know." " l just wanted you to know that." "Thank you." "Because I'm not like that." "I don't do that." "No." " So weird." " Yes, yes." "I mean the way people talk." "I mean, people think we did it." "I know." "It's like we might as well done it anyway at this point." "I mean, you know, if everybody is talking about it already... maybe we... I mean, not to make a big deal of it or anything." "Out of what?" "Out of anything." "I mean if everybody's... already assuming it anyway." "Maybe, we should just... lt's amazing the things you notice," "Llke the corner of his collar that was coming undone," "Llke he was from a poor family and couldn't afford new shirts," "That's all I could see," "The whole world was that unraveled piece of fabric,  I think I have to go." " Look, I'm sorry if l" " No, it's okay." " No pressure or anything." " l have to go." "You could just think about it." "It's such a lle that you should do what's ln your heart,  lf we all did what was ln our hearts,  the world would grind to a halt," "And they know that he knows and I can't believe he didn't tell them." "He got a perfect score on his PS AT." "Do you believe that?" "Math will be ruined." "What does this have to do with Angela?" "That's when they had sex." "Her and Jordan?" " At Brian's house." " Oh my God." "Can you believe it?" "Right in the front yard." "Brian watched the entire thing through his kitchen window." "I thought you and Angela were really tight." "She was like my best friend." "This whole things been really hard for me to accept." "But Brian wouldn't lie." "So it's like... it's like she's this completely different person." "Like a slut?" "No." "No, she's not." "I think she's just confused or something." " Do you want me to kill her?" " No, it doesn't matter." "Brian's the one who ought to be killed." "He should definitely die." "You know he's going to rat on Rickie." "What actually is there to rat on Rickie." "Do you know?" "I know whatever he did, he did because he had to." "You haven't had to clean him up after some Neanderthal... beat the hell out of him." "Come here for a minute, son." "Rickie Vasquez." "Are you familiar with the name?" "Excuse me?" "What can you tell me, son, about Rickie Vasquez?" "He goes here." "I don't, I mean..." "Did you hear something..." "Did he see something about the gun?" "M r." "Krakow, I'm going to tell you about a little legal term." "It's called accessory after the fact." "I don't like accessories after the fact." "I don't want them in my school." "You are going to come to my office today at 3 o'clock... and you are going to tell me everything you know about..." "Rickie Vasquez and anyone else who might be involved in this incident." "And if you don't, no matter what your grade scores... you may not be going to this school much longer." "Do you get my clear intent?" " Yes sir." " Good." " What?" " l don't even want to talk to you." " Good, then don't." " Did Rickie have the gun?" "Give me a break." "God, Angela." "Look, because you don't know the whole situation." " l just don't want to see him hurt." " H im hurt?" "What about me?" "This is the police now." "I have to get kicked out of school for protecting someone I don't know?" "Don't ask me?" "And this has nothing to do with the truth." "Nobody is interested in the truth." "All they care about is..." " what they want to believe." " lf you're concerned with the truth... why did you lie about me?" " Your name didn't even come up." " Not the gun thing." "With Sharon!" "What you said to her about me and Jordan Catalano." " What are you talking about?" " l heard her, Brian." "You told her terrible things." "False things." "You lied to her." "I didn't lie to her, I just..." "What difference does it makes." "I can imagine what she did with it." "But it's just that you lied too." "When you said you didn't know about Jordan coming over that night." "I thought about it for like fifty hours." "You knew it, didn't you?" "You used me." " lt's not the same." " Maybe it is because... you just did what you wanted." "And didn't care about what damage it did to anybody else." "What damage did it do you?" "Angela?" "Angela." "Can I talk to you for a second?" " How are you doing?" " You know." "Life goes on." "I was thinking about what I said to you yesterday?" "You know, the thing." "Right." "The thing." "Yeah, look, I'm sorry about that." "Afterwards, I thought it through and..." " l can see how you got upset about it." " No, I wasn't upset." "Some girls wouldn't be, but you're not like that, so... I just wanted to say I'm sorry." "No, it's really okay." "I mean, it wasn't a problem." "I really didn't think about it." "I mean, I did think about it, and I thought... maybe what you were saying wasn't so wrong." " No, it was really wrong." " Why?" "And I just want to let you know that if it will make you feel better... I'm just going to make it real clear that... I don't have any real interest in you or anything." "You know." "So they'll stop saying all that." "That I barely even know you, which is of course true... and that basically, you and I mean nothing to each other." "So that should solve the problem." "Thanks." "It's the least I could do, you know." "Right." " Hey." " Hey." "What are you doing out here?" "It's what I always do. I can't make it through a whole day in there." " l know what you mean." " Yeah." "What do you need to hide from?" "Your life is perfect." "I'm serious. I would give anything to have your life." "My life is so pathetic." "You have this great house." "Parents that are there." "No one bothers you at school." "Rickie, I need to talk to you about the gun." "Don't." " You can't carry a gun, Rickie." " l don't." "Because it would be really bad." "Tragically bad." "Angela, I don't carry a gun. I wouldn't even know how to shoot one." "But didn't Brian see you?" "Isn't that what he's going to tell them?" "This is really serious." "People are going to think you are dangerous." "I know." "That's what I want." "So, what did happen?" "My cousin brought it in to sell it." "And I got real mad at him for bringing a gun into school." "So, we got into this big argument... and the next thing I knew the thing fell out of the box and went off." "And he peed in his pants and ran away." " He did not." " He did." "Big stain." "And that's what happened with the gun?" "That's the whole story of the gun." "And now Brian is going to say you did it." " l'm telling you, I hope he does." " No, don't be stupid." "You know it's weird." "I always think of you as Rayanne's friend." "I mean like, you just think of me as... as someone who's just, you know, around." "It's weird how something has to happen sometimes,  to see how you actually feel about something," "Sit down, M r." "Krakow, we're just waiting for our friends... from law enforcement." "Can you imagine Rickie in a high- security prison." " Who'd supply his make up?" " Do you think it might be possible... you not make everything into a joke." "Angela, there is nothing to worry about." "Harlin, this guy Tino knows, he's been busted with a gun... twice and nothing ever happened." "It's no big deal." "You know what I'd really like?" "To be put out of my misery." " Are you kidding?" "This is fun." " Fun?" "Everyone running around all upset and rumors flying." "Can't you feel it in your fingers and your toes?" "It's like being alive." "It is such a rush." " You're out of your mind." " Last year?" "That rumor about me and Mark Hammer in the orchestra pit... during the talent show?" "I n that case it was true, but... man, all that conversation." "People writing notes." "They look at you different, like, trying to figure out who you really are." "Like you're famous." "Admit it. lt's really great." "I don't know what you are talking about." "Come in, gentlemen." "So, M r." "Krakow?" "I thought a lot about what you said." "And I decided that the main thing is really to protect the school." "That's good, Brian." "I went to the bathroom." "I heard a scuffle." "Then a shot. I came out." "I saw two pairs of legs running in opposite directions." "Who those people were I can't say." "And if you or these men or anybody else threatens me anymore... pressures me anymore" "Brian-- l will insist on having a lawyer... and I will sue you for harassment and anything else I can." "And if you try to expel me in order to solve your public relations problems... then I will reveal to anyone who will listen... just who is destroying the spirit of this school." "So, they still haven't found out who had the gun." "Mom, it's really okay." "Let it go." "The school hasn't self destructed yet." "It's just so hard not being able to protect you." "Yeah, but you can't." " Hey, what's up?" " Hey everybody." "Rayanne." "J ust a little knife." "You know, a girl's got to protect herself." "I mean heavy artillery like some people might"