Tex Page #3

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Give me your palm.

Your far past.

You are a fourth-generation cowboy.

Your next year. Change.

don't change.

Your future.

There are people who go, people who stay.

You, you will stay.

"Change" and "don't change"?

What do you mean?

You may think to yourself

one yes-or-no question.

- OK, yeah.

- I am sorry.

The answer is no.

Good night, then, Tex. Go to bed, man.

Tex, where in the heck you been?

Just went down to this party.

Friend of Bob's.

Only stayed for a few minutes.

- I think I'm sick.

- I think you're drunk.

Good night.

Remember that last fight

Mom and Pop had? Before she died?

She ended up walking out there

in the snow.

I could hear 'em shouting at each other.

You couldn't remember that.

You weren't even three years old.

I remember it anyway,

or I sort of remember.

Everybody was so tall.

I wanted to go out there and stop it,

but I couldn't reach up to the door knob.

And after that, I don't remember it all.

There's not much to remember.

She stayed out there a couple of hours

and came back in.

A few days later, the doctor said she had

pneumonia and put her in the hospital.

A few more days and that was it.

I'm gonna get some sleep.

- Can you get undressed by yourself?

- Yeah, I'm fine.

Oh, my head!

Hi, Cole.

Mace, Bob and Johnny

both came home drunk last night.

Oh, no.

I'd like to know why.

Well, they were drinking, I imagine.

I know Bob, and I'm not sending him

to college to be an idiot.

Now, we've got that straight.

Bob wouldn't get drunk,

and if he did, he wouldn't drive.

And he sure as hell

wouldn't let Johnny drink.

Well, except for them coming home drunk,

that sounds fine.

- Somebody got 'em drunk.

- Wasn't me.

I happen to be in training, which means

I'm in bed every night by 10 o'clock.

I wouldn't touch a beer if I was dying

of thirst. Why don't you ask Robert?

I did. He said it was his fault. Says he

took them over to some party somewhere.

Maybe he's telling the truth. He does

that sometimes. Keeps you guessing.

Now, don't you get smart with me, Mace.

I'd like to talk to Tex,

if you don't mind.

Yeah, well, I do mind.

I mind a lot, as a matter of fact.

Don't you have enough kids of your own

to hassle?

- How old are you, Mason?

- 18. I'll be 19 this summer.

I haven't seen your Pop

around here much this year.

His work requires him to travel.

What is this call? The census?

Two boys living out here alone

without the sign of an adult.

Now, that's really something.

I bet the state welfare people

would like to know about this.

And if anybody was to call

at County Juvenile Bureau...

If everybody was to mind their own

business, we'd be doing just fine.

I would appreciate it if the two of you

didn't associate with my kids.

Well, you tell that to them.

I don't believe that stuff.

Not associate with his kids!

Probably afraid

we're gonna corrupt 'em all.

After Bob Collins shoving everything

from dirty magazines to 3.2% beer

in my face my whole life!

Tex?

- You lose something?

- It's sorta nice down here.

Cool and quiet.

Come and have breakfast

under the kitchen table,

so you'll be on time

to get under the school bus.

You'd like that, wouldn't you?

Anyway, I can't make it to school today.

I woke up sick. I think I got

a 24-hour virus or something.

An 80-proof hangover, that's what you got.

I can't make it through a day of school.

Everything's spinning around.

Then maybe you'll sit still for once.

Tex, I don't want you

missing any more school.

Hear what Cole said about that Juvenile

Authority? Think that ain't for real?

You're a minor without a guardian,

remember?

I thought you were my guardian.

As far as the damned court is concerned,

I'm as underage as you are.

How about if we go to Indiana, then?

Nobody said nothing

about we going to Indiana.

I don't even know if I'm going.

Coach sent them that film

and I haven't heard a damn thing.

They're gonna want you, though.

I know that.

You're probably the best

high school basketball player...

Tex, I'm trying to explain to you.

We are not both going to Indiana.

- Why can't I come?

- What do I with you when I'm at college?

Where are you gonna live? In my locker?

So you're gonna go

and I'm gonna stay here?

Nobody's going nowhere if you bring

social workers down on our necks.

Grow some brains, will ya?

You want to stay off some youth farm?

Start thinking ahead five minutes.

All you care about is going off

and being a big basketball star.

Well, it beats staying here

and being a screwup.

OK, guys, that's it.

OK, I like it.

Oh, you added some colour to it, I see.

Good.

Be careful when you're gluing it.

Nice. Nice texture.

Oh, yeah, I like it a lot.

Smooth that out a little bit.

- How's this coming?

- Fine.

That's good. Very good design.

Good. I really like how it's taking

shape. That's just fine.

Grade it, quick!

It's going fast. You'd better grade it.

Tex, setting fire to school property

is not a little joke.

I don't care

what that property happens to be.

Now, what if something on that desk had

caught on fire, or somebody's clothes?

Yes, ma'am.

Were you angry with Mrs. Germanie

because you couldn't do a good sculpture?

I don't think there was any psychology

involved, if that's what you're asking.

My sculpture looked better on fire.

- Tex...

- No, ma'am, really.

If you'd had seen it,

you'd probably agree with me.

- Are you and your brother getting along?

- We're doing great.

Mason, he's always after me about

eating right and studying and everything.

- Have you heard from your dad?

- Oh, Pop, yeah.

When he goes away on one of his trips,

he doesn't go for long.

But when he does go away,

he always makes sure he sticks a little

note in with the cheque that he sends us,

just to let us know how he's doing.

I could suspend you for this.

I'm gonna let it pass,

but please do not let me see you

in this office again this quarter.

I'll probably be in there again this week.

Yeah, well, good for you.

- Here.

- What do you mean?

Well, seems I can catch enough hell as it

is, without going round looking for more.

- You're starting to sound like Cole.

- And what's wrong with that?

You're the one who goes round

griping about him all the time.

Now you sound like you believe him

about me and Mace being so bad.

Tex, you leave Cole out of this, you hear?

He's my father

and I can b*tch about him if I want to.

B*tch about your own,

if you ever see him again.

I want to talk to you.

- Sure.

- No, some place a little more quiet.

When are you and Johnny gonna stop

being so stupid and start talking again?

People thought we sounded stupid

even when we were talking.

Yeah, well, this is ridiculous.

It's been two weeks.

I wouldn't let a little argument

get between Linda Murphy and me.

I thought your best friend was Marcie.

That was last month.

If I switched best friends every month,

I guess it wouldn't matter.

- But this matters to me.

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