Little Man Tate Page #4

Oh.

Well, then boohoo, Fred. I'm all busted up inside.

What about you?

Come on. Wake up and face north, twink.

I'm an a**hole. A**holes don't have friends.

But then, I don't really care.

- You don't? - The reasonable man adapts to the world.

The unreasonable man expects the world to adapt to him.

Therefore all progress is made by unreasonable men.

- Jane say that? - It was George Bernard Shaw.

- Like to ride horses? - I dunno how.

Well, then, today's your lucky day.

When I was a kid, the guy'd grab me by the neck and shake me and say...

..."So, shithead, you think you're smarter than your old man?"

Well, were you?

I'm smarter than everybody...

...except Jane.

I dunno. Guys like me...

...and maybe you, we're different.

I mean, I hate to admit it, but...

...without Jane I'd be just another creep in a cape.

The only drag is listening to her give those same stupid lectures over and over.

- If it weren't for the game, I'd go crazy. - The game?

Yeah. Sometimes, instead of listening to her, I just count the words she says.

Actually, I count everything. Buildings. Dance steps.

Airspace. Trees.

Wow.

See, Fred. It's not the size of a guy's IQ that matters.

It's how he uses it.

I like you, Damon.

Come on. I'll race you back.

Damon?

Damon!

Damon, how many fingers?

- Orange. - You'll be fine.

Here's your jacket. Bye-bye, Fred. I hope I see you soon.

Fred.

Let me take these, OK?

Let's go. I'm gonna make your favourite dinner.

French toast and fried apples.

Hey, ta-da!

Money's been kinda tight lately, but...

...l'll think of somethin'. Don't worry about it, OK, kid?

You didn't paint the right number of keys on here, lepton.

I ran outta paint. What'd you just call me?

- Lepton. - What the hell's that?

- You wouldn't understand. - Whoa, wait a minute. Speak slowly then.

OK.

- A lepton is a Z particle. - So?

Do you know what protons and electrons are?

Yeah.

OK. What are they?

They're those, uh... those teeny, tiny things that atoms are made out of.

Well, leptons are even smaller.

- So have you looked for a new job yet?

- Hello. - Hello, is Derf there?

- Derf? You got the wrong number. - Wait! That's Bob Yee.

- Hi, Bob. What are you doin'? - Guess what?

- I got that job at TRW this morning. - Really? Wow.

So what are you doin', huh?

Uh, nothing. Just sitting around.

Do you think Damon'll be OK? For a second, I thought he was dead.

I thought he was dead, too, but Jane says it's just a concussion.

Jane knows CPR.

She did? I didn't know that?

She told me she was gonna teach me sometime.

Did you know Jane speaks five different languages?

"Clipper Ships" by Matt Montini.

"Me and my dad make models of clipper ships."

"I like clipper ships because they are fast."

"Clipper ships sail the ocean."

"Clipper ships never sail on rivers or lakes."

"Clipper ships have lots of sails and are made out of wood."

OK. Who's next?

I want to write a book about Fred...

...about his formative experiences.

His life story, if you will.

Well... Gonna be a short book.

Ms Tate, over the years, I've met many math and music prodigies...

...but never one with Fred's kind of intuition...

...his, uh...

...his kind of, um, sensitivity.

This summer, I've been asked to teach a class at Fieldhurst...

...and I'd like to use that time to really observe Fred.

He would take a class and, in return, I would waive his tuition at the Institute...

...for as long as he attends.

Wait. Wait a minute.

- You wanna take Fred to college? - Just for the summer.

Why can't you just wait and, like, observe him in the fall?

I wouldn't have time. I'd be busy running the Institute.

Well. As it happens, we already got plans.

Me and a friend got good jobs dancing at this hotel in Orlando for the summer.

The place is really nice. It's got a big pool and everything.

- A pool? - Yeah, so that's that.

Ms Tate, Fred is not a leper.

Intelligence is not a disease that you have to protect him from.

He's blessed, but he's certainly not alone.

There are many gifted children out there.

Yeah? How many of 'em are blessed with ulcers, huh?

How many of them go to bed worrying about the ozone layer, the rain forest...

...and why innocent people get murdered all the time?

Fred worries about everything. He can't help himself.

You wanna send him to college. Jesus.

You hear about kids ten years older than him...

...jumping outta windows on account of the pressure.

Let's not get hysterical. We're talking about one class for one summer.

I told you. We already made plans.

What I'm trying to tell you is that...

...your son is starving for stimulation and challenge, and for some order in his life.

What I'm trying to tell you is that...

...your son is starving for stimulation and challenge, and for some order in his life.

Things that you don't provide but that I will.

I know that to deny a child's potential is to smother his true self.

Fred doesn't give a sh*t about his potential.

He just wants to be a normal, happy little kid.

Well, he's not normal, thank God, and he's certainly not happy.

And you underestimate him greatly...

...if you think that a summer by the pool will ever be enough for him.

Fred wants to go to college.

Don't take my word for it. Ask him.

Hey. What are you doin'?

Your résumé.

Oh.

So, I understand that you and Jane made some plans, huh?

So, were you just gonna sneak off to college without saying anything?

Fred, do you wanna go to college?

You know, Jane says you do.

It sure sounds great to me.

Sounds like a great opportunity.

I mean, you hang round here for too long and you might, uh...

...you might smother your potential or somethin'.

I'd sure feel real lousy if that happened.

Course, you know you're gonna have to live with her.

Which means you'd also miss out on a real summer vacation.

Hey.

You wanna go to college or you wanna go to Disney World?

I've already been to Disney World. I went with Jane, remember?

You look crabby.

I'm not crabby.

I'm pensive.

This'll take a couple of minutes, so why don't you just go park the car?

- Hi, Jane. - Wait, wait.

Just a minute, Fred. OK, now!

- Hi, Jane. - Hi, Fred.

Wow.

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