An Invisible Sign Page #5

unless it was a leap year.

- [Laughs softly]

You know that?

- Yeah.

- You know that?

- I have to go to the bathroom.

- You okay?

- [Breathing quickly]

[Gagging]

[Coughing]

[Muffled coughing]

- What's wrong?

- Just...

not into it.

- You were with me before.

- No, I wasn't.

- What did you do

in the bathroom?

- Please leave.

- Liar.

[Children chattering]

- Class!

Class!

I'm Miss Gray,

and I'm a weirdo.

Who wants to come up here

and be a booger?

- Miss Gray is not a weirdo.

- Yes, she is.

And so are you.

[Laughter]

[Silence]

- Ann.

- You're late.

And it's my turn

to do "numbers and materials."

- Is it really your turn?

- I'm not a liar.

Ta-da.

See?

It's a perfect number.

- Awesome!

- Where did you get that?

- I made it.

42 plus 5 equals 48.

- No, it's not.

It's 47.

- You didn't make it.

I know who it belongs to.

- It's mine, and I made it.

[Bell ringing]

[Children chattering]

- Go on, Lisa.

- Okay, but don't let her

get away with anything.

- So how about you and I go

to the hardware store together

and we'll give the number back

to Mr. Jones?

I mean, he'll be so happy

that he got his number back,

he may even give you a reward.

- A reward?

I don't want a stupid reward.

And you cannot keep me

from recess.

- Give... it... to me.

- Weirdo.

- I'll go.

I'll go to the hardware store

with you.

Then you can take me

to visit my mom.

- Hey, you psyched

for the sulfuric acid experiment

tomorrow?

We're gonna rock that.

- Mr. Smith.

- What's up?

- Want to come

to the hardware store

with me and Miss Gray?

- I can't.

I have my after-school

science club meeting.

I have to show up

because I said I would,

and I always mean what I say

and say what I mean.

I'm a straight shooter.

Not everyone is, but...

Hey, listen,

thanks for the invite.

- You're gonna miss a good time.

- Mr. Jones?

Mr. Jones?

If he's not here, why would he

leave his door open?

- Maybe he was captured

by pirates.

This way.

- "And falling on a bench,

he laughed until the tears..."

- Mom!

Nan!

- Hi.

- This is my math teacher,

Miss Gray.

- Is she an invisible

math teacher?

- Miss Gray?

This is Miss Gray.

- Lisa, you want to get

some potato chips?

- Aye-aye, matey.

- Arr!

Shiver me timbers.

Well, come on.

- [Giggling]

- I really like your hair.

- [Chuckles softly]

You can't catch cancer.

- Lisa asked me

to bring her here today.

- Yeah, she doesn't

like my sister very much.

But she likes you.

- I like her too.

Her dad got her into pirates,

she said.

- No.

Lisa never knew her father.

- Well, I-I thought-

- Would you...

Iook in on Lisa

from time to time?

- Of course.

[Doorbell ringing]

[Frantic knocking]

Mr. Jones!

Mom?

Mom?

Dad?

Have you seen Mr. Jones?

Mom, have you seen Mr. Jones?

- He's gone.

And I can't find my car keys.

- Who's gone?

Mr. Jones?

- No, Mona.

Your dad.

Your dad's gone.

- What?

Where did he go?

- I don't know where.

I don't know where he is.

And I found these

behind the washing machine.

He's been hiding them,

and I don't know for how long

he's not taking them.

- This never would have happened

if I still lived here.

- Stop it!

You can't help him!

And I don't know

where he is.

- Dad?

- Is that your father?

I've been trying

to get him to move,

but he won't get up.

- Dad.

- The energy

is trapped in this circle,

and it needs to be released.

- Let's go home.

- Do you need me

to make a call for you?

- No, we're fine.

Thank you.

Why did you stop

taking your medicine?

- Because they're poison.

And they'll poison my body.

- No, it'll help you.

- You understand?

I have to dig right here.

If I don't open this...

I...

- Please...

Let's just go home.

- Don't you want me

to get better?

- That's all I want.

[Knocking]

[Children chattering]

- I have my

"numbers and materials."

I know it's not Friday,

but this one's special.

It's my dad's fake arm.

- Cool!

- It looks like a number 1,

right?

- Can I touch it?

- Pretty awesome, huh?

- It doesn't look like a 1.

It looks like an arm.

- It does too

look like a number 1.

[Children chattering]

- Why did your dad's arm

fall off?

- It didn't fall off.

It got blown off in the war.

Should I subtract now,

Miss Gray?

Miss Gray?

Miss Gray.

Miss Gray.

- What?

- Should I subtract now?

Hey, that's my dad's!

- Elmer!

- Give it back!

[Laughter]

- Get back here!

- Elmer, give Danny back

his dad's arm.

- Give it back right now!

- Elmer!

Hey, Elmer!

Give it!

Elmer, give it back!

- Give it back!

- Miss Gray,

you can't control the class.

You're gonna get fired.

- Shut up.

- No one cares about you, Lisa.

- Give me the arm!

- No!

- Help!

[Laughter]

- Miss Gray, look!

[Children gasp]

- I'm gonna divide you,

subtract you,

and multiply you.

- Lisa!

Go stand by the door.

- Ha!

- Ann, you need to learn

how to be nice!

- [Whimpering]

Oh, my God.

- I, uh...

Okay.

I'm sorry.

I...

[sighs]

[Loud thud, glass shatters]

[Children shouting]

- Lisa! Lisa!

Lisa. Lisa.

- Let me go.

- Stop it.

- Let me go!

- Stop!

- [Crying]

My mom died.

She died!

Why can't I get cancer too?

- I'm sorry.

- I'm sick of Lisa showing off.

- Ann!

- I'm gonna chop her

into pieces.

[Sobbing]

- Ann...

put the ax down.

- I'm gonna chop her!

- No, you're not.

- I'm gonna chop her

into pieces.

- You're not gonna chop anyone.

- I'm sick of her.

- Please?

- And I'm sick of you.

- Give me the ax.

There comes a moment

when you look around,

waiting for the person in charge

to help you,

and then you realize

you're the person in charge.

You are the grown-up.

You're the only grown-up there.

And you're not very good at it.

Life is much, much harder

than math.

Dad!

[Children screaming]

- Miss Gray!

[Children screaming

and shouting]

[Shouting fades]

- I got nine stitches.

- I got 27.

- 9 times 3 equals 27.

- You're correct.

[Knocking]

- What are you doing?

- I'm doing what you do.

[Knocking]

I used to imitate you at lunch.

The bench makes the same sound

as your desk.

Why do you do it?

- Why?

Um...

I do it when I feel...

Alone.

- Then that's why I do it.

I want to be like you.

- Don't do that.

Don't be like me.

- But I'm alone.

I'm all alone.

- Not only did you bring an ax

to school,

but you lied about having

a college degree.

Shame on you.

You're a wonderful math teacher,

Miss Gray.

But you are never allowed

to step foot in my school

ever again.

[Doorbell ringing]

- Mr. Jones!

Ow!

Hello?

[Woman shrieks]

- What are you doing?

Get out of here!

- You're not dead?

- Why would I be dead?

- What's going on?

- I don't know.

- I found your numbers

all over town,

and your store was left open.

Your car's gone-

- Get out of my bedroom.

- Who is this girl?

- Mona Gray.

- Mona Gray,

will you please get out?

- Should I call the police?

- No.

- But you need your numbers.

How are you gonna know

how you feel or who you are

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