My Town Page #3

Right.

And I don't respect him.

Oh, come on.

And I'll tell you something else,

I don't respect you, either.

At least Fletcher Mays is consistent.

You're worse. You're a hypocrite.

You were saying something about striking a nerve in this town.

Say, are you familiar with the two most popular ways of giving a cat a haircut?

(CHUCKLING) I don't think so.

All right, one way.

You take the cat by the tail, flip it over on its back,

and you take the clippers in this hand and you start to clip away.

Then pretty soon this hand is all bloody

and, like, cut to ribbons and you gotta quit or else you're gonna lose...

(CHUCKLING)

Lose your hand.

Ah, but there's another way.

You take that cat and you start to pet its head and it starts to purr and...

You know how a cat purrs. It's a real nice sound.

And then with this hand with the clipper

you clip just a little bit at a time, you know?

That cat doesn't know what's going on.

He's just purring away,

little by little.

Next thing you know...

The cat had his hair cut,

and the cat loves you.

You should have been a teacher.

Lucas...

Sometimes it takes a bloody hand.

Is it so important?

Amber is 14.

(WHISPERING) Jesus.

After one class, she already knows more about her body then I did at 21.

And believe me, it's still not much.

But you can't do it overnight.

No, not here.

And wait 10 years for this town to come around?

That won't do Amber any good when she needs it.

You know...

When I was in high school, I was so uninformed.

Then I found myself being ashamed and afraid of my body.

Well, you know what?

When I look at the girls in my class,

I see the same fear and confusion.

Puberty is tough enough when you know what it's all about.

Lucas, you know, I didn't ask for the class, but there is a real need.

I can't argue with that.

No.

But which is better?

Some education...

Or none at all?

Are you saying...

They'd actually fire me?

I'm just a simple country banker, Laura,

but I know how a small town can make a big deal out of something like this.

(SIGHS)

And I'm just a teacher.

But I'm afraid I wouldn't know how to do it any other way.

(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

AMBER:
So, I tried to find out what was going on with Tug, but he's not talking.

You'd think as nice as I am to the little worm, he'd trust me a little more.

I had my first payday yesterday. Unfortunately, it's also my last.

The Fishers just don't have enough business to keep me on.

In fact, without a few hardcore regulars

they wouldn't have any business at all.

At least, I have a few bucks for clothes.

If Miss Adams has the time, she said she'll take me shopping in Cincinnati.

That would be excellent.

Guess Lucas didn't get very far, cause she's still teaching the class honestly.

Just like she promised.

I know you're embarrassed to talk about these things.

I'm sure that every one of you thinks

that you're the only one who doesn't know already,

but I'm willing to bet that the girl sitting next to you

is thinking about the exact same question that you're afraid to ask.

That fence there, I threw it over when I heard the siren.

I can't believe you were that stupid.

How did I know it was the paramedics and you sprained your arm?

I thought it was the cops.

Well, I didn't sprain it for nothing. Let's get it.

(SNARLING AND BARKING)

I heard.

You gonna make a move? It's almost closing time.

Fletcher, we've been playing chess for 15 years now,

you've never been in such a hurry,

since you met that, uh, what was her name, Carmen?

Yeah, the beautician that wanted to put a perm on the hair on your chest.

Just move.

(DOOR CHIME RINGS)

(CONVERSING INDISTINCTLY)

(CHUCKLES)

(DOOR CLOSES)

Did you move yet?

Oh, I didn't wanna do anything behind your back.

You know, you've gone too far this time, Lucas.

Bring those people here, that's one thing.

But that, that, woman...

Teaching such, such... They're our children.

Well, that's supposed to be the point, isn't it?

You listen to me.

You brought that woman here and I know you like her.

But it's up to you to control her, 'cause if you don't,

there are a lot of people who see things my way.

Remember, you're not the only member of the school board, Lucas.

I moved.

Hey, it's only 5:10.

We ran out of coffee.

Oh.

Things'll work out.

Yeah, sure, by week's end we'll have every derelict in the state.

Oh, Hal, you know all businesses take time to get off the ground.

Let's face it, Cynthia, the diner is a bust.

Think there's any chance Harry'd give me my job back?

You called him what?

A gutless air-sucking bag of wind.

(LAUGHS) I don't know.

With a body like the Goodyear Blimp.

Oh.

Oh, you don't wanna go back there, Hal.

You said telling him off was the best thing you ever did.

Yeah.

We'll work something out, honey.

You shouldn't be so supportive, what would your shrink say?

You know, Hal, all that I ever really wanted

was to know that you thought I was an important person.

Well, I always have.

You never said so.

No?

I think maybe it's time you and I had a little talk.

How about over dinner? I'm starved.

Yeah.

Gotta be a decent place to eat in this town somewhere.

You wanted Cincinnati. Oh, thank you. So, what do you think?

Oh, excellent. Excellent, you know what I mean?

Well, just watch where you're walking,

I'd hate for that excellent traffic to squash you all over the excellent street.

AMBER:
Why in the world did you want to come to Wheelerville?

LAURA:
It's that unbelievable to you, isn't it?

That anybody would like it there.

It's Wheelerville!

Oh, you have no idea how lucky you are, Amber.

To wake up to clear skies, to go to school without taking a bus or a subway.

To go anywhere, night or day, and not be afraid.

To have someone like Lucas to ask you how you are and actually mean it.

Yeah, what about all the jerks like Fletcher Mays.

You have your share of them anywhere.

Yeah, well small towns have bigger shares.

That's debatable, but at least there you can recognize them.

Sometimes that's half the battle. How is Lucas, anyway?

Recognizable.

He's in a very difficult position, Amber.

He could stand up to this town, if he really wanted to.

Not that simple, honey, he's got a lot to lose.

So do I. You.

Oh.

All we need is a few pictures of Mr. Slovak going into his storm cellar.

No sweat.

And a few inside.

Inside? What are you, a stand-up comic?

How else are we gonna prove there's a radio?

I'll take a polygraph.

We gotta take pictures. It's the only way.

Ever since the dog chewed up the envelope.

No way, Huck Finn, not me.

Do you love your country, Billy?

(SIGHS)

Do you wanna keep it free? It's your duty, Billy. As an American.

That's a fact.

(SOFTLY) Rambo, he thinks he's Rambo!

Dinner's in the warmer.

Yeah, I don't know what we'd do without you, Mrs. McDaniel.

Starve, I suppose.

Is Amber back yet?

On the porch, looking at those pictures again.

I thought I told you to throw those things away.

You can fire me if you want, but I won't go throwing out pictures of a child's mother.

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