Future Weather Page #2

I'll send you a postcard.

Same time next week?

You like it in the ground.

I'd sleep out here

with you tonight,

but I can't risk a tick bite.

Can you believe

how good she looks?

Do you sell light bulbs?

Right there.

You want one?

Nah, it's okay.

Total is $19.72.

I think these have

expired, hon.

Hold on. Let me talk to

the manager a second.

Will you give me a ride?

Sure.

Hey! Ernesto! Hey!

Did you get any I.D.?

- Whoo!

- Hot damn!

That was like fate

that I was there!

Yeah, that was awesome.

Thanks for the ride.

Sure. I won't tell

your mom, but...

Is she here?

No.

Listen, honey,

they're not gonna

press charges, okay?

But the deal is, I need to speak

to a guardian.

What about your dad?

I don't have one.

All right, I guess you'd better get

started on your homework, then.

If your mom's not

back in an hour,

I'm gonna have to take you

down to the jail.

I need to file a report.

You got somebody

you wanna call?

No.

So why are these things so

expensive? They last longer?

Looks like you're in luck.

What happened?

- You Mrs. Cready?

- Yes.

Well, we picked up your

daughter for shoplifting.

- Tanya! - There's not

gonna be any charges...

but, you know, you may

wanna keep an eye on her.

And next time I see you, you'd better

be giving your valedictorian speech.

Valedictorian?!

She's a terrible thief.

What's going on?

I shoplifted.

I can see that.

Why were you shoplifting,

and more importantly,

where is your mother?

Do you know that

Roy called me,

and the goddamn rent check

is late again.

The district manager requested

her for a bachelorette party.

They... they liked her best.

- How'd you get to the store?

- I walked.

You walked two goddamn miles

to shoplift a light bulb?

I like walking.

Where's your vanity?

Huh?

Where is it?

Mom loaned it to Juanita

for the miss apple pageant.

Where...

where's the TV?

It broke. No, you shouldn't

go back there.

- Why? - Something really

bad happened.

- Roy was supposed to...

- Oh, really?

- What happened, huh? What?

- It was really bad.

You better tell me what's going on,

Lauduree,

or I'm gonna find it

out for myself!

She moved.

She what?

She moved to California!

I'll see you in hell, Tanya.

I haven't seen

Mr. banana in years.

Want me to lay with you

till you fall asleep?

You must be feeling

pretty crummy.

I'm here if you want

to talk about it.

Right.

What were you planning doing

out here all by yourself?

Living.

Aren't you afraid

it'd get lonesome?

You live alone.

I have, for a long time.

I don't want to

leave my home.

I don't blame you, hon.

Let's not talk

about it tonight.

We're wiped out.

Let's get some rest.

We'll talk about it

in the morning, okay?

No, it's not.

It's based on evidence.

Hey, Ree, you up?

Yeah, I'm just working

on a report.

- Well, what time's your bus?

- No, there's no more debate.

Just follow the hot spots.

- Listen to me. Spring

is happening... - Ree!

Hon, you're talkin'

in your sleep.

What time is it?

It's 6:
45. Let's go.

I don't like to lollygag,

so I'm gonna spend the day

doing stuff around here.

Like what?

Well, I gotta pack up everything

to move it to my house.

- Now, I talked to Roy, and he said...

- When did you talk to Roy?

Well, earlier this morning.

- Did he call?

- I called him.

Thought you said we would

talk about it in the morning.

Lauduree, there is

nothing to talk about.

You are 13 years old.

You cannot live here on

your own. That is it.

Why?

Well, for one thing,

the criminal life

doesn't seem to be working

out so well for you.

I told you, I'm working

as a tutor to pay the rent.

- What is it? You don't like me?

- I like you.

Then what is so bad about

coming to live with me?

I can't leave my research.

Lauduree, you are

not a scientist.

You are a minor

without a mother.

I am in the middle

of finding out

That fix a greater

proportion of CO2

in the atmosphere

than oaks.

If you make me leave now,

I'll have to abandon

six months' of data.

Lauduree, look,

I know that you are an extremely

self-sufficient girl,

but even if I could abide you

living out here on your own,

the state would come in,

and they would take you away

and place you

in a foster home.

Now, is that what

you want? Huh?

And anyway, I am not gonna be

around here to bail you out.

Ed and I are movin'.

- What?

- Yeah.

To Florida, just as soon

as the house sells.

I'm not going.

Well, you can take

those trees with you.

No, I can't,

because pinus taeda

will not survive in

a tropical climate.

And guess what?

We're running out of time!

Well, you really don't have any

choice in the matter, do you?

Do you realize the situation

your mother's placed us in?

You had a piece of

hair sticking up.

It looked cool.

How do you know

they'll survive?

I think they'll do just fine.

Can't promise,

though, can you?

No, Ree, I can't,

because there are all sorts

of things in this world

that are beyond my control.

Like what?

Like a fungus.

Or you could mow them over

like you did mom's stargazers.

That was a mistake

for christ's sake.

Just tie a ribbon around them,

they'll be just fine.

Not if you've tied 'em on.

I'm gonna get ya!

Hey, you want me

to make you a scar?

- Nah.

- Yeah? Come on!

Don't be such

a fuddy-duddy.

I'm not. I just don't

like looking weird.

Well, I'll make you

look pretty, then.

I don't want to look

pretty, either.

- What do you want to

look like, then? - Mom.

- Mom.

- Hmm-hmm?

Mom, look what I found.

Pretty.

Will you take my picture?

Sure.

Where'd you get this?

Tommy.

I gotta get my

portfolio together.

Tout de suite, cherie.

This is the big time.

Mew. Another.

I wasn't ready.

Okay. Okay.

Cheese!

Hey. I'm gonna

smoke a cigarette.

Why don't you go on in

and say goodbye?

I'm just saying,

don't bug me about that.

Don't...

I'm sorry.

I'm not mad. No...

I'll call in to work.

No, what are they

gonna say?

Yeah. I know.

I'll call you back. Bye.

Thanks, Ed.

It's, um...

It's really big.

You're welcome.

So what's this I hear about your

mom driving to California?

She wants to be

a makeup artist.

Well, I just want to say,

Ree, how sorry I am.

She's not dead.

What'd she say?

She didn't die, Ed.

That's awful, Ree. I would

never say something like that.

Hon, you want to

start up the grill?

Sure.

Oh... I got you this too.

Thought you might like it.

Everybody's doing the

best that they can,

and you'd better rise

to the occasion, hon.

Real page-turner, huh?

What's happening now, Ree?

They're lost.

Everyone back at base camp

thinks they've either

died of hypothermia

or eaten each other.

Ooh.

Now, you want to do

something like that?

Work at a weather station

under perilous conditions?

It's just a story.

Well, sure, but...

I mean, people really do

do stuff like that, you know?

You could definitely get that

kind of training in Florida.

And it's a lot warmer

than the Himalayas.

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