Struck by Lightning Page #3

there was a boy who...

who wanted to fly."

I'm worried

about my grandson though.

He's changed over the years.

He used to be so happy and...

now he walks around

with so much negative energy.

Sometimes...

someone's personal rain cloud

can be deadly.

Hey.

Where have you been?

Munich.

Oh.

Some people

get to come home

to wonderful

fiances and sonograms.

And i get a...

smart-ass kid i never

even wanted in the first place.

[Laughs]

I wasn't wanted,

huh?

Never have a kid

to save a marriage.

It does not work.

[Laughs]

I could've been a pharmacist.

But i settled

for settling down

because i thought

that's what i wanted.

Because that's what he

wanted.

It's never too late

to change your life, mother.

Oh, it was too late years ago.

You're lucky,

carson.

You're young and naive and,

and all those dreams you have

about getting out of this town

and becoming something

still seem reachable.

You should hold onto that

as long as you can.

[Coughing]

Goodnight, mother.

[April]

Her last name was phillips.

You have any

hidden, crazy sisters

i should know about?

Um, not that i'm aware of.

I mean, my father

was in the navy, so...

good.

You had me worried.

I'm surprised your aura

didn't set off the smoke alarm.

She sure set you off.

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

Just people like that

make me question the human race.

It makes me wonder

if we're doing the right thing

by bringing another one

into the world.

Oh, hey.

We're doing the right thing.

And that lunatic

has nothing to do with us,

our life, or our child.

Okay? Remember that.

Okay?

Hey, remember,

we have that meeting

with the attorney tomorrow.

And the neighbor

across the street with

the wondering eye

- wants to have a barbecue.

- Oh, yeah.

[Answering machine] hi.

You've reached neal phillips

with pr real estate.

Please leave a brief message

and i'll get

right back to you.

Child... support... late!

Is that brief enough

for you, a**hole?

We print tomorrow

and none of you

have written anything.

Oh, but i did collate

these kitten pictures.

Okay. I mean, is this how

it's gonna be all year?

I mean, do any of you

actually want to be here?

I really want to be here.

All right, well,

it looks like

i will be here all night

doing what

you all should've done.

Again.

Would you cut

the soliloquy short?

This doesn't matter.

No one reads

the chronicanyway.

Hey, the art class uses it

to papier-mache things.

[Period bell rings]

Carson.

Why do you care so much?

Just don't, okay?

[Scott]

Uh, you're an animal.

[Nicholas]

No, you are.

- [Scott] mm-hmm.

- [Nicholas] no, you are.

[Nicholas]

Okay, i am.

[Scott]

Mm-hmm, i told you.

- [Carson] ahem!

- [Scott] get off me!

[Toilet flushes]

Well, gentlemen.

I... am... shocked.

Amused.

But shocked.

Go ahead.

Tell the whole world.

We don't care.

God, scott.

Please don't tell anybody.

My parents can't find out.

Listen, cagney, lacey.

I know what it's like

to be an outcast.

I bet.

I wouldn't wish the struggles

of an outed outcast to anyone.

So i won't tell.

- Thank you. Thank you.

- Fantastic.

But...

since i will be keeping

my mouth shut about your

you know, inabilities,

you know, not to,

perhaps you could

return a favor.

- How much do you want?

- Oh, no.

Have some

self respect. No!

I don't want you to

sh*t a dime for me, nicholas.

But you know what

the clover high chronicle

could use?

- A finance section.

- [Scoffs]

And a weekly update from

the performing arts department.

You want us to write for

you hid-e-odous school paper?

- For how long?

- No.

Until we graduate

and go our separate ways.

That's it. No.

I'd rather you just let

the whole school know.

- Shut up, scott.

- Don't talk to me like that.

Just because he's here,

you're gonna

talk to me like that?

- We'll do it.

- Gentlemen,

sharpen your pencils.

[Bob]

I'd like to thank you both

for coming today.

Um, there's no

delicate way to put this,

so i'm just going to say it.

Neal, you cannot marry april

because you are still married.

[Nervous laughter]

How come

i'm the only one

laughing here?

Um, how?

Your wife never signed

the divorce papers.

This is a really

long joke, you guys.

Well, um, april.

Um...

this is a joke,

right?

'Cause you would've

told me if you had an ex-wife

or so much as

a cocker spaniel

- before we had...

- just... just a son.

His name

is carson phillips.

Seventeen years old.

A son?

Okay, i've gotta go.

April...

don't you dare

say anything to me.

Bob.

[Period bell rings]

Can anyone tell me which

president's administration

- was referred to as camelot?

- Clinton?

No.

That was came-a-lot.

Heh, heh, heh, heh.

[Cell phone ringing]

[Cell phone ringing]

Hey, sheryl. It's neal.

Listen, we need to talk.

It's really important.

So i'm gonna

come over there this afternoon

and i'm

not leaving until we do.

See you soon.

Thanks.

Thanks.

You heard back from

- northwestern?

- Oh, my god!

You scared the crap out of me!

It's a juice cup.

Um, yes, i did.

That is a fancy schmancy school

you're looking at up there.

- And?

- Well, i didn't find out

if you'd been

accepted or denied,

but the person i talked to

said that high school newspapers

and clubs just

aren't cutting it anymore.

So, if you want to impress them,

you're gonna have to submit

- something else.

- Like what?

Um...

you know what?

I actually wrote this down.

Somewhere i made a list.

Here we go.

You could submit a novel,

a book of poems...

i can't read

my handwriting down there.

I'm not a novelist

and i'm not a poet.

I'm a journalist.

I know.

You're a journalist.

Um, what about

a literary magazine?

- A literary magazine?

- It's not as common

as a high school newspaper,

and you know, a magazine

filled with your work

and the work of other students,

well, i think it

would show them that you can

inspire others to write

while writing yourself.

Okay, i'll do it. How?

I don't know how to do

a literary magazine.

But get permission

from the principal first,

because he can be

such an a**hole. Um...

okay. All right. Um...

thank you.

[Doorbell rings]

[Sighs]

Okay.

Hi, sheryl.

- Neal.

- Yeah.

Your screen's still broken.

- Can i come in?

- Uh, well, just for a minute

'cause i'm

expecting company so...

yeah. Okay, sure.

- Hey.

- Hey.

Hey.

Oh. It's pink now.

Yeah.

Hmm.

Can i get you a beer?

Um, let's see.

Well, no.

No, i think i'm good.

Thanks.

Hi. You look...

- you look good, sheryl.

- Oh.

- No, come on.

- Oh, thanks.

I'd say the same about you

but then we'd both be liars.

Yeah.

The last time i saw you,

you were screaming

profanities at me

in the middle of the street.

- So this is a step up.

- I think you are exaggerating

- just a little bit.

- No, no.

- Yeah.

- But i deserved it.

So why are you here,

neal?

Did you come to gloat about

your new happy life?

Uh, no.

I'm here because um...

[laughs]

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