Struck by Lightning Page #4

You never signed

the divorce papers.

Oh, jeez.

I thought i mailed

those back in.

- Yeah, no.

- Oh, maybe i uh,

ripped them up

into little pieces

and threw 'em

into the fireplace.

I forget.

[Carson]

I have to talk to you!

I know you can see me!

I'm tired.

What do you need,

mr. Phillips?

I already told you i can't force

the english teachers to pass out

the chronicle or any

other biased publication.

I have absolutely

have no inquiries or requests

about the chronicle.

Uh, god!

I...

i want to start

a school literary magazine.

[Laughs]

Why-why...

why are you laughing?

Okay, fine.

You can start your

literary magazine or you know,

you can start

a hunting magazine

for all i care,

but...

you're gonna have to find

your own funding because...

the school is broke.

I'd also like to announce it

at the assembly this week.

- [Laughs]

- It'll take three seconds.

Fine. If for nothing else

than my own amusement.

Great. Great.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hey! Break it up!

Not on my campus!

There's a motel 6

down the street!

[Screams]

I got ya! I got ya! I got ya!

Yep, that's it.

Yep, it's just papers.

Signature

doesn't change anything.

[Exhales heavily]

Okay. Yeah,

thanks, sheryl.

For what's it's worth,

i'm sorry.

I'm sorry i'm not the man

you wanted me to be.

- Yeah. Me, too.

- Yeah. Me, too.

Okay.

Oh, please.

Please, please.

Okay. I'll see ya.

Okay. I'll see ya.

[Sheryl]

There's so much stress

in my life.

It's a miracle

i'm able to function

as well as i do.

But does anybody care?

Does anybody...

does my son

see how much i struggle

every single day?

- Well, i don't envy you.

- Thank you, dr. Wheeler.

You're the only person

who understands my situation.

He's becoming more and more

like his father every day.

He's rude, sarcastic.

He makes

a joke at my expense

whenever he can.

And all he talks about

is leaving for college one day.

Everybody abandons me

or plans to abandon me.

If i had a goldfish...

he would probably

abandon you as well.

- It would abandon me.

- But you don't have a goldfish.

No, i don't,

thank god.

Well, the thing

about goldfish is

they're in that bowl,

they can't get out.

- It would find a way.

- [Laughing]

That's pretty

extreme thinking.

- Um, let me ask you this.

- Yes.

- Is he on antidepressants?

- No.

- Do you think he needs them?

- Do i think he needs them?

Well, in all honesty,

i think all teenagers

need them

whether they're

depressed or not.

You know, teenagers

are so full of hormones.

They don't know

what the hell they want.

All they're thinking

about is rubbing against

a pillow or a cushion

or another teenager.

You know, so.

I can't believe how you're

making me feel so much better.

And i think if he had

something to ground him,

uh, he wouldn't be

so eager to fly away.

You need to be

on antidepressants.

No way.

You're medicated enough

for the both of us.

Aren't you depressed?

Currently, while having

this conversation? Yeah.

Everyone gets depressed.

It's an emotion.

People turn to pills.

Before they turn

to their problems these days.

Well, sometimes

it's the only solution.

You're depressing me right now.

Are you saying that

i'm gonna take a pill

and then you're gonna disappear?

That was uncalled for.

And so are

most prescription drugs.

We are living in

a medicated society.

We start

drugging kids with a.d.d.,

which they all have,

and then it

doesn't stop till death.

You were on

add medication as a kid,

and you turned out

somewhat decent.

No, i wasn't.

I hid it in your food.

I thought i was

just really calm and

mature for my age.

Nope, you were drugged.

When your father and i

started our divorce,

you started

asking so many questions,

we found it easier

to roofie you than answer you.

Well, it isn't dinner

unless some form of

my childhood foundation

is shattered.

[Groans]

- I need money.

- I give you an allowance.

I need more money.

$300.

I want to start

a literary magazine at school,

and i need money to print

the first 100 copies or so.

No.

Why not?

I know you're rolling in it.

Grandpa died

and left us everything.

Wrong.

He left me everything.

You, his car.

- What about my college fund?

- Key word, college.

Okay. If i start

taking antidepressants,

will you give me the money

to start my literary magazine?

Deal.

Pass me the salt.

Hello,

future farmers and inmates.

I'm carson phillips from

the clover high chronicle

here with some

very exciting news.

This year,

for the first time ever,

clover high

will release its first

literary magazine.

Whoo! Awesome!

[Scattered applause]

Now, i know most of you

can't read let alone write,

but for all

the secret writers out there,

please submit

any original work

to the box outside

the journalism classroom

and it will be published.

Poems.

Short stories.

Hit lists.

Anything.

Okay. Thank you.

God bless.

Whoo!

Carson!

Okay, assembly dismissed.

Return to your homerooms.

And hey!

Say hello to someone

you don't know today.

I am so excited

for homecoming tonight.

Our float

is gonna be flawless.

The crowd is gonna love it.

Whoo!

- [Sighs]

- Oh... no.

Shiterary magazine.

God.

Typical. I mean,

i can't even run

a school newspaper.

I don't know why

i thought i could start

a literary magazine.

[Sighs]

- Oh...

- personal space, malerie.

Okay.

Just don't be

too hard on yourself.

If you can get

nicholas forbes

and scott thomas

to join the chronicle,

then i think

you can do anything.

I'm blackmailing them.

I caught them

playing lewis and clark

in the boy's bathroom.

- Don't ask.

- There seems to be

a lot of that

going on right now.

I caught claire mathews

and coach colin

bonking...

each other...

in the boy's locker room.

I just go in there

to think sometimes.

Coach colin walker?

I thought she was

dating justin walker.

Oh, that must be awkward.

Too bad they aren't writers.

If they had work

in the magazine,

then everybody

would want to have work

in the literary magazine.

It would sell out for sure.

You know, it just

makes you think though.

Everybody

has something to hide...

even claire mathews.

Ha!

Yeah.

Yeah,

i guess you're right.

I travel lightly today.

Not a problem,

mrs. Phillips.

Ms. Ms. Ms.

What?

Why are you looking at me

like i just told you

i used to be a man?

This is for carson phillips?

Yeah,

that's my son.

Why does he need

antidepressants?

I don't think that's

any of your business, april.

- Forgive me, miss phillips...

- you know what, call me sheryl.

Just simple sheryl.

I think i may be

engaged to your ex-husband.

Neal phillips?

Wait! Miss phillips?

Sheryl?!

[Door opens, closes]

Hi.

Hi.

How was work?

Not good.

I'm sorry,

but there's only

so many times

i can say i'm sorry.

But i want you to realize

that all of that was a really

dark period for me.

Um, so...

can you really blame me

for not wanting to

carry it with me?

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