Bad Apples

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1

(somber music)

(woman humming)

(door bell ringing)

[Child] Trick or treat.

[Woman] Hi.

Oh, you guys look so cute here.

Alright, for you as well.

Alright.

[Child] Happy Halloween.

[Woman] Okay kids,

Happy Halloween.

(woman chuckles)

(door creaking)

(knife slicing)

(dramatic music)

(woman panting)

No right.

You had no right to...

(woman mumbles)

(woman screams)

(knife slicing)

(woman crying)

[Woman] Baby Mark.

(woman crying)

(eerie music)

[Man] F***!

(knife slicing)

(children chattering)

(door creaking)

[Man] Honey, I'm home.

(girl spitting)

(somber tinkling music)

(birds chirping)

(moving to ominous music)

(school bell ringing)

[Principal] Happy

Halloween, students.

Masks will not be

permitted on campus today.

So, if you have a mask...

Tommy, mask, off!

[Principal] Please place

it inside your locker

and leave it there until

the end of the school day.

Thank you for your understanding

and cooperation, students.

And, have a blessed holiday.

Hey, Mama, what's your name?

My name is Mrs. Block

and I start teaching

here next week.

Why?

Because I'm a teacher

and it's my job.

No, I mean, why here?

Mrs. Block, Principal

Dale will see you now.

Thank you.

It was nice

meeting you, Tommy.

Call me.

[Secretary] God damn

it, Tommy, stop hitting

on every woman who walks

in here or I will end you.

(girls giggling)

So, how is small town life

treating you, Mrs. Block?

Well, I mean, there's

some adjustments for sure,

but, uh, it's nice.

[Principal Dale] Where

are you from originally,

Los Angeles, if

my memory serves?

Yes, my husband and I are

both native to Los Angeles.

And, you taught

middle school out there.

Yes, for about eight years.

(chuckles) Oh, that

must've been hell.

It's not as bad as you might

imagine or may have heard.

I'm sure, but I

have heard stories.

What kinda stories?

Oh, you know, troubled

youth stories, hooligans,

Los Angeles ne'er-do-wells.

I mean, there are

certainly some bad apples,

but I can assure you that is

not a California relegation.

(chuckles) Sure, sure.

But truthfully, this whole

world has gone to hell

in a hand basket and

not just Los Angeles.

We have to watch these kids

closer than ever before,

keep an eye out.

These kids, they're dangerous.

They're dangerous now.

I'm sure I'll do just fine.

Are you a God-fearing woman?

Are you asking me

if I'm religious?

I'm asking you if you

fear the good Lord on high.

I'm sorry, Principal

Dale, I'm struggling

to understand how that

question is relevant.

[Principal Dale] It's not.

Consider it a personal

inquiry on my behalf.

Okay, then I would say that

I am agnostic, if anything.

I don't subscribe to a

particular core belief system.

Oh, I see.

You're one of those

science people.

Well, never mind.

Look, Mrs. Block...

Call me Ella.

Mrs. Block.

Now, you may be used to

certain teaching methods

back where you're from

and I, and by I, I mean,

the board, respect that.

But, what you have to respect is

this is a very particular town

with a very particular

way of life,

way of belief, way of education.

If you can adapt to

that with an open mind,

you'll fit in just fine.

You come highly

recommended and frankly,

I thank the good

Lord that you're here

because we could certainly use

someone with your background.

I just don't wanna

have any issues.

There won't be any.

[Principal Dale]

Great, then I'm excited

to see you here come Monday.

Okay, see you Monday.

Oh, Mrs. Block,

Happy Halloween.

(somber music)

(birds chirping)

(phone vibrating)

(alarm chirping)

You set the alarm?

I don't wanna sleep all day.

[Robert] I thought you

had a meeting this morning.

I did.

I came back home and got in bed

just to sleep for half an hour.

Get up.

Honey, even God

took a day off work.

This moving is kicking my

ass six ways from Sunday

and I don't like it.

There's a veritable

boatload of boxes

crying to be unpacked.

We can't let their cries

go unheard for very long.

We don't wanna look like bums.

But, everyone think

we're bums, who?

Who's gonna think we're bums?

We don't know

anybody in this town.

Not for long, shiny

personalities such as ours

need other similar

auras to thrive.

Honey, I start work tonight,

Halloween Night,

at the hospital.

Brother needs to sleep.

Do you know how many candy

apple-related child injuries

I'm gonna have to deal with?

Makes me sad just

thinking about it.

[Ella] Fine, be a bum.

Okay, I will.

I'm going to do

some unpacking.

Coffee, stat.

[Ella] Yeah, yeah.

Why do we even

have this still?

It's a giant R.

[Ella] Coffee stat, my ass.

Coffee, coffee, no.

Da da da da da

Da da da da da

Honey, is that you?

No, it's not.

[Robert] Hey,

you wanna join me?

Sorry, too busy

for copulation.

[Robert] Come on, we gotta

break in the new place.

[Ella] There's a cup of

coffee for you on the tub.

(Robert grunts)

Hey, hey, if I use,

if I use curly shampoo

on my head, will it

make my hair curly?

God save me.

You're stressing yourself out.

[Ella] I'm not

stressing myself out.

You're worrying.

I'm not worrying.

We should hire day laborers.

You trust day

laborers with our stuff?

Racist.

No, it has nothing

to do with race.

[Robert] You know

what this house needs?

[Ella] Organization?

A pumpkin.

Why the hell do

we need a pumpkin?

It's Halloween.

Wow, is it?

Lady, you're oblivious.

Are you not aware of

your surroundings?

Forgive me.

Are you gonna rinse that?

Eventually.

I'm gonna head to the

supermarket we saw

on the way into town.

There's a supermarket

on the way into town?

Oblivious.

Robert, we just have so

much to do around here.

We don't need to waste

our time decorating.

I'm gonna cut you off there.

We totally can waste

time decorating.

It's the best part

of being an adult.

You get to pick and choose

when to be responsible.

And, plus, I'm not even

saying we whole hog it.

I'm simply suggesting

that we carve a silly face

into a pumpkin to

help center us.

I'm centered.

You're also a liar, not

a very convincing one,

but a liar nonetheless.

Fine, get your stupid pumpkin.

But, no candy.

I prefer not to have to

field a myriad of knocks

from expectant hungry

kids all night.

God, you're lame.

I have sh*t to do, understand?

I need keys.

[Ella] Pivot your head

a little to your right.

Really?

That's the first

thing you unpack.

Organization, that's

what this place needs.

Well, it also needs a pumpkin.

Have fun unpacking.

Thanks.

(Ella sighs)

Rinsing.

Accomplishment.

(bird chirping)

It's gonna be a long day.

(sighs)

(somber music)

(loud knocking)

Who is it?

[Mrs. Dekker] Woo hoo.

Hi, it's Mrs. Dekker.

I'm your neighbor next door.

I wanted to welcome you

to the neighborhood.

Weirdo.

Well, that's a bad idea,

if ever I've seen one.

What is?

Well, I didn't hear

you unlock the door,

which leads me to believe

that you didn't lock it.

Which is a very bad idea.

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