A Girl Like Her Page #4

Yes. Ha! We do.

- You smile about that?

- I do, because I think

it's, uh, it's rhetoric.

There's no forum

for any one of us

to say to anyone, "Hey,

"I think this is happening

with my kid in my classes."

They're not going

to investigate.

None of the administration

really wants to talk about it.

You try to stop something

happening one day,

but the next day, you don't know

if it's gonna escalate

or you don't know what happens

in the other classrooms, and

you don't know what happens when

you do take it that next level;

if it gets resolved

or if it just is, like,

brushed aside

and hushed over.

And if they do get punished,

then there's more bullying.

- Yeah.

- For... for the person telling.

One time, a few people

saw it and they sorta...

talked to Avery, but

no one really took it

any further and it...

it didn't really stop.

I've never seen it happen,

but if I did,

I don't... think I would've

done anything about it.

They just don't

want that status of being,

you know, a tattle tale,

a snitch.

Someone goes to a

teacher or a counselor,

and someone else will start

to make fun of them

by saying how they're weak

or they're a baby.

A teacher might like to put it

as if we were all zebras,

and we're watching

our fellow zebras being eaten

by a lion, and that's kind

of what it feels like.

We're just watching people

get attacked, and we do nothing.

I just

don't understand why.

I mean, they're popular,

they have all the nice

clothes, they have friends.

They, like, get things

they want.

Their parents, like,

love them to death,

stuff like that.

They have everything.

Hey, guys!

Welcome to

the Keller compound!

- Thank you. Good to see you.

- We are so excited

- to have you here.

- Thank you.

Come on into our kitchen.

I wanted to invite you

by saying come on down.

You are the next contestants

on "The Cooking is Right,"

and I am your host,

Kassie Keller.

Right in here, I've got...

a roast beef,

and right there is

a marvelous macaroni recipe

that came from

my Grandma Marge.

- You have a beautiful kitchen.

- Thank you very much.

My husband paid a lot

of money for it,

uh, when he had a job.

And up here,

I've got what I call

Kassie's Casserole,

which is actually just

chicken Parmesan

with some broccoli.

For Avery, she's trying

to lose weight,

and so she always wants

to eat a lot of vegetables.

Right here, we've got

cucumbers and tomatoes

and a meteor shower

of herbs

and spices to jazz it up.

I think she's still

reeling over the time

when she didn't make it

for Poms, and she came home

that night and said, "Oh,

it's... you know what it is?

It's because I'm too fat."

Um, I attribute her

not making that team

to the psycho coach

that she had, who was,

um, giving her a lot

of attitude about the way

that she treated other kids

on the team and chose not

to select her this year

for the Poms team.

This is Josh.

This is our son.

- Hi, Josh.

- Hi. How are you?

- Good.

- He recently graduated

from high school by

the skin of his teeth.

- Thanks.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Excuse me.

- Just joking around.

So Josh lives here

at home with us,

and his favorite thing

to do is play video games.

I think one day he might

actually become a video game

designer; I think that's

his big aspiration,

but right now, college

is not interesting to him.

- Maybe we stop with that, so...

- It's all right.

You know, it's... it's

your one minute of fame.

You might as well

suck it up.

You had your chance!

You could've been

on camera with your mom!

- Yeah.

- You missed it, buddy!

OK.

Avery!

Avery, can you get

down here, please?!

You know, you guys might

consider not eating

before Avery gets down here.

That's really obnoxious.

Avery!

- Chop chop!

- I'm coming.

Get this show

on the road.

I made sure you got

a lot of vegetables,

a lot of protein because

I know that you said

you're worried

about your weight.

Thank you for sharing that.

- You're welcome.

- So polite of you.

- You're welcome.

- Oh, my God.

- Why are we doing this?

- Can I eat now?

May I?

- May I eat now?

- Sure.

Go for it.

So why don't you tell us

how your day was today?

It was superb.

Just great.

Well, what kinds

of things make your day

superb?

I don't know.

Did you get

any tests back?

No.

What about you, Josh?

What'd you do today?

Um... not much.

Uh... beat

"Call of Duty," so...

I hear that's a pretty

popular game

with your age group

and the 13-year-olds

in America.

Ahem.

So, Avery, any boys that

you're interested in?

Not that it's any

of your business, but no.

- Better not.

- Hmm.

Well, why don't you

tell us... if you

don't want to talk about

that kind of stuff,

why don't you tell us

why your friends are

here today, filming our

family as we sit here

and dine on

this excellent cuisine?

I don't know, Mom,

because they like me?

I don't know, OK?

Do you think it's

because you are

a beautiful, talented,

intelligent young lady,

and that might be

the reason why you were

selected for this

prestigious opportunity?

Kassie, leave her

alone, will you?

Aren't you proud

of our daughter?

Don't you think

that this is

a great opportunity

for her...

- Just stop, just stop.

- to really shine?

Cut the bullshit. Just stop.

Just stop. Let's just eat.

- Let's just eat.

- Let's have dinner.

We're just

having fun here.

Can't we have fun

once in a while?

Yeah. Just give her

a break.

Let's... let's have

our dinner.

That's what

we're here for.

Well, maybe

when you learn how

to lighten up,

we can do that.

We can have dinner and

have fun at the same time.

OK.

Seriously,

please just stop.

Hmm.

All right.

Well, I think it's pretty

exciting that they're here,

and I'm glad that we can

be involved

in this film about you.

I'm very proud of you.

Very proud of you.

Mm-hmm.

I'll tell you

what...

Where are you going?

Game's on.

You know where I'll be.

I just wanted

a peaceful dinner

with our family,

and that's what I get.

I think I've lost

my appetite.

Food's good, Mom.

Yeah, it's good.

Thank you.

Raise your hand

if you have a best friend.

Now raise your hand

individually

and tell me what

makes that person

a best friend to you. Yes?

They love me,

no matter what.

They love you,

no matter what.

Yes?

They never

ask me to change.

They never ask you

to change.

Anyone else? Yes?

They're always there for me.

Always there for you.

Phenomenal, but the question

I ask all of you is,

why didn't you say

the grades that person had?

Sports they played?

Cars they drove?

Money that they did

and didn't have? Anybody?

Because that's

irrelevant.

It's not important?

Doesn't matter?

Then why do we believe

so much that it does matter?

The big question is, where do

some of you go to be safe?

Do you feel safe

in school?

Some of you?

- No.

- Truthfully.

- No.

- Why?

'Cause you can't

be yourself there.

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