Grace Is Gone Page #3

to tell your dad if I tell you?

He cheated.

How?

He had a buddy take a picture

of the physical examiner's eye chart.

Memorized the letters.

What?

Your dad wanted

to serve so bad.

I mean, he really bought

all that patriotic "l Want You" crap.

Which was a good thing, too,

because he never would have

met your mother otherwise.

[Heidi] Well, how'd the Army

find out about his eyes?

Eventually they just gave him

a test he couldn't cheat on,

and that was that.

End of the dream.

[sobbing]

Why don't you and Dad

like each other?

Did your dad tell you that?

Well, we're just--

we're just different.

We have different opinions.

Doesn't mean we don't

like each other.

I mean, do you agree

with him about everything?

You shouldn't.

Why not?

Because it's important

that people have their own views

based on an understanding of facts.

Ahem.

But it's also important

not to trust the facts

because most of them are lies.

I don't understand.

Well, it basically comes down to a...

gut thing.

You just have to be

open to allowing

for a truth which differs

from your own opinions,

or else you'll never actually

see the truth at all.

[beeping]

[whispering]

What's that about?

It's her time of day.

What, it's-- it's her time of day?

Mom and Dawn

both set their watches

at the same time every day.

That way, they know

that they're both

thinking of each other

at the same moment.

Girls?

Yeah?

Yeah?

Do you...

want to play tag?

Sure.

That's good because...

you know why?

Why?

Because, uh, you're it.

You're it.

Woo hoo hoo hoo hoo!

You're it. Time out.

What do you mean time out?

You can't call time out.

That is so lame.

You can't just--

All right. I'm just going to read the paper

and find out what's going--

[Heidi, Dawn]

Time in.

You know, I mean,

it's so typical.

I'm the victim of this kind

of thing every single day,

and you know why?

It's because

I'm an honest guy,

and I have to pay for it.

Mm-hmm.

- Ha!

- Aah!

[phone rings]

[knocking]

Hey, the phone's ringing.

Open up.

[ring]

[ring]

Hello.

Yeah, this is John.

Oh, hey, Mary.

What the hell

are you doing, man?

What's wrong?

Where are the girls?

The girls are fine.

Stan, I just talked to Mary.

I know what's going on.

Do the girls know?

No.

That's good.

Don't tell them yet.

We got to go.

We got to go.

We got to go.

Stan, what are you doing to them?

I'm taking them on a trip.

Just stay out of it.

Stay out of it?

You're the one

who brought me into it.

I didn't bring you into anything.

You were just here. I didn't plan that.

Do you really think

that-- that-- that taking

them to an amusement park

is going to help them get

over losing their mother?

- Just stay out of it.

- You're going to screw those girls up.

Is that what you want to do?

- Get out of my way.

- They'll never forgive you.

Get out of my way!

Nobody asked you!

Do you understand?

I got to go.

Don't you want to wait for Mom?

No.

We're on a schedule.

Stan...

please stay and wait for Mom

because we can talk

it all out together.

No.

It was nice seeing you

again, John.

I got to go. Okay?

Girls!

Girls, get your stuff together!

Girls!

- Come on. Get up.

- Aah!

Okay. Come on.

Get up. We got to go.

- Why?

- What?

- We got to go right now.

- Why?

I thought we were going

to see Grandma.

We're going

to talk to her later.

- Get in the goddamn car.

- Dad.

What about Uncle John?

What about Uncle John?

We didn't get to say good-bye.

You'll see him again.

[Dawn]

I'm bored. Let's drive into a field.

No, Dawn. We already did that.

Why not?

Because we already did it.

So?

So we ought to do something else.

Seems like we've been driving forever.

Well, it's going to be forever

with that attitude, isn't it?

You're kind of quiet back there, Heidi.

What are you doing?

Just working on my report.

What's your report about?

Mom.

Whose idea was that?

Mrs. Shimerhorn's.

Mrs. Shimerhorn's.

Why does she think

that's a good idea?

Because she thought

it would help or something.

Help with what?

What do you need help with?

I don't know. You know how

people get when Mom goes away.

No. How do they get?

Like serious.

[Dawn]

I call bed!

I call bed.

Not if I get there first!

Oh!

Dad, this is so fun.

You want to try?

I'm going to go get a cot.

Okely-dokely, artichokey.

I have to poop.

You don't have to tell me

things like that.

There's free shampoo

and a sewing kit!

Hey, what are bath salts?

[Woman]

Noble Elementary.

Mrs. Fissel?

Yes.

Hi. This is Heidi Phillips.

I was calling to tell you

that my sister and l

are going to be missing

a couple of school days this week.

Oh, that's okay, Heidi.

We're not sick or anything.

We're just taking a trip.

For fun?

Oh, Heidi, I understand.

I was wondering if you

could have our teachers

e-mail our dad our homework.

Of course, sweetheart.

Is Mrs. Shimerhorn there?

Mrs. Shimerhorn is in the hospital.

Why?

She's actually having her baby.

Oh, she is?

Yeah, and Miss Abrams

will be taking over for her

for the rest of the year.

Oh. Can you ask her

if it's all right

if my report is late?

Mrs. Shimerhorn said

it had to be done by Monday.

I'm sure it's fine, Heidi, okay?

I'll see you soon.

Okay.

Bye, sweetheart.

Bye.

[Dawn]

Who was that?

Mrs. Fissel.

What did you call her for?

I was trying

to get our homework.

Heidi!

She was really nice.

[toilet flushes]

That's cool.

Bang-bang!

Choo-choo train!

Come on, Heidi, do your thing!

Say woo!

What?

[sprays water

out of her mouth]

Got you.

Marco.

[Dawn]

Polo!

[Heidi]

Marco.

Polo.

- Marco.

- Polo.

- Marco.

- Polo.

Count how long

I can do it.

Okay.

Yeah.

Dad, watch this.

That's good.

This is a long time.

It's like five days.

[gasp]

Aah!

That was good.

- Yaah!

- [giggling]

- [Stanley] That was about, like,

- How long?

I don't know, two minutes?

[Dawn]

Ha!

[Heidi]

You weren't counting.

[Stanley]

I was close.

Dad?

Yeah.

What's going on?

What do you mean?

Why are we doing all this?

I just wanted to give you girls

a surprise, you know?

Take you on a trip.

You didn't go to work

yesterday, did you?

No, I didn't go to work.

Were you fired?

You know Mom's

going to be really mad

if you lose your job, right?

I didn't lose my job, Heidi.

Okay?

But if you were going to,

you'd tell us, right?

Yeah, I would tell you.

I'm going to go to sleep.

What are you doing?

Nothing.

You're not old enough to smoke.

I'm 18.

No, you're not.

Want to bet?

I saw you with your mom at the pool.

That wasn't my mom.

Oh, yeah? Who was it?

It was an autistic woman.

I take care of her for money.

You shouldn't lie.

I'm not lying. It's the truth.

How old are you?

Want one?

Sure.

Heidi?

Heidi?

Heidi!

[cough]

Why are you coughing?

You haven't even smoked it yet.

I knew you'd never smoked before.

[Stanley]

Better go home, boy.

Get your stuff.

We're going right now.

- Now?

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