That's What I Am Page #5

That thing is a sickness...

...and sooner or later,

it's gonna take over other parts of his life.

It's human nature.

That assumption

is completely unfounded.

Mr. Freel, sir.

I have known Mr. Simon

for 12 years now...

...and there has never been so much

as a hint of an impropriety.

Sometimes these things take a while

to fester.

Mr. Simon is a widower.

His wife passed away many years ago.

Now, I heard that they can sometimes

get married to cover their tracks.

It might explain

why he never remarried.

I'll tell you what I'm gonna do for you.

I am gonna talk to Mr. Simon...

...and see if there was some kind

of misunderstanding...

...that can make sense

of Jason's claims.

And I can guaran-damn-tee

that if this guy isn't dealt with in a hurry...

...there will not be a parent in this school

that doesn't know about what's going on.

- I'll go to the papers if I have to.

- Please, sir.

Please don't do anything until I

have had a chance to look into it myself.

You've got 48 hours.

And excuse me if my son...

...isn't in this guy Simon's class

in the meanwhile.

That's your prerogative, Mr. Freel.

Meanwhile, back on my march...

... toward understanding the mysteries

of impending manhood...

... it occurred to me

going steady with Mary Clear...

... could provide

some much-needed insight.

Hey, anybody seen Modak?

That's if I could bluff my way through it

without totally humiliating myself.

I needed an ID bracelet.

And I needed it fast.

Among his many other talents, Modak

was also known as the school hustler.

Every school and prisoner of war camp

has one.

A guy who knows the angles

and can get anything you want.

For the right price, of course.

- Modak?

- Nichol.

- I need an ID bracelet.

- I can help you with that.

Look, I don't have anything

with Andy on it, but I got a couple blanks.

Get your name on it at Sears

for five bucks.

Blank's okay.

It's the thought that counts.

I don't have the money anyway.

- Then why am I talking to you?

- I thought maybe you'd trade.

- That can work. What you thinking?

- Baseball cards?

- Vintage?

- '52 Mantle rookie card.

- Condition?

- Excellent. Still smells like bubblegum.

I'll take three and we're done.

What? Modak, that's ridiculous.

Three's all I got.

- That's way too many. Are you kidding?

- Hey, relax. I don't make the rules.

Actually, I guess I do make the rules.

So take it or leave it.

Okay. I'll bring them tomorrow.

I trust you.

So who's the lucky girl?

Mary Clear.

You might have a problem with that.

Because that's the one I gave her

when we went steady.

I'll have to take my chances.

- Pleasure doing business.

- That was maybe a 10-dollar bracelet.

Hey, give Mary my best.

She's a good kid.

And today, those Mantle rookie cards

are worth about $100,000.

The trip through that dark tunnel

from boy to man...

... does not come

without great expense.

- Stephen?

- Evelyn, hi. What's up?

Well, I'm sorry to interrupt

your free period, but something came up...

...and I thought we should deal with it

as soon as possible.

PTA drive fall short again

for the 12th year?

No, it's...

It is awkward.

Frankly, I'm embarrassed to come to you

with this, but I don't have any choice.

Ev? What are we talking about here?

Well...

...Jason Freel.

Yeah?

You know how children are.

And, actually, he insists...

Apparently, there's a rumor...

...that's going around the school

that you're...

...a homosexual.

This is so embarrassing for me

to come to a man of your...

Well, you know

how much I respect you.

- A homosexual?

- Yes.

This whole misunderstanding stems

from the Karen Connor incident.

Some active revenge on Jason's part.

But, unfortunately, he's already gone

to his mother and father.

Ev, it's okay. Just take a breath.

Mr. Freel insists,

unless something is done...

...he is going to tell the other parents

and the papers.

According to him, this is a fact.

It's funny.

Suddenly I feel a great deal of empathy

for young Jason.

As soon as I can say that you deny it,

well, that's good enough for me.

And when you do deny it,

if that's not enough for him...

...then I will stand right beside you

and fight.

They see a man like you.

Unmarried, single all these years.

You know how people are...

...and they just take a situation

and they blow it up for no reason.

I guess...

I guess I just don't know

how my private life has any bearing...

...on my ability as a teacher.

Shouldn't the work just stand for itself?

Yes, of course.

But this isn't about that.

I think it is.

No.

No, it isn't.

This would be so much easier...

...if you would just deny it

and we could move forward.

Are you denying

that you're a homosexual?

I'm not going to justify that question

with an answer.

I am 57 years old, Ev.

I have been a teacher most of my life.

I will not compromise

who or what I am...

...for the likes of Jason Freel.

Or his parents.

I'm sorry.

It took maybe 30 seconds for word

of Mary Clear and my impending union...

... to cover the school grounds

like a suffocating fog.

If only our fire drills

were that organized.

Andy Nichol is gonna ask Mary Clear

to go steady.

Even the Blue Angels don't fly

with that kind of precision anymore.

There would be no turning back now.

Hey, Nichol.

Come here.

I'll be back in a second.

- Hey. You a geek now?

- Back off, Taylor.

Make me.

- What?

- It's all over school, man.

- What?

- What do you mean "what?"

You and Mary Clear.

Ricky Brown's looking for you, man.

He's pissed. He still likes her.

- Then why did he break up with her?

- You didn't know?

She actually broke up with him.

Did I neglect to mention

Mary's last and longest relationship...

... was with Ricky Brown?

Of course, I had assumed

he broke up with her.

Nobody would be crazy enough

to stand up to Ricky Brown.

I did not know that.

- Mrs. Freel?

- Lf you're selling something...

...we're not interested.

- Oh, no.

I'm the principal from Jason's school,

Evelyn Kelner.

- You wanna talk to my husband?

- Yes, please.

He's out back. Come on in.

Thank you.

I'm just not sure that you understand

the kind of man that Stephen Simon is.

I mean, I have never ever worked

with a better person...

...or a better teacher

in my entire career.

Did he deny it?

Well, he felt...

And actually, I support him on this.

He couldn't understand...

...why his record as a teacher

wouldn't stand on its own.

Fancy way of saying he didn't deny it.

What did you expect him to do? Admit it?

This isn't about his teaching ability.

We'll give him that.

It's about kids looking up to him

like he's some kind of example...

...on how to live.

We have a moral obligation.

It's in the Bible.

You know he was taking kids for rides

in his car?

I gave him permission.

He had won a new car.

He was just treating the children.

I guess we'll know who to point

the finger at on that one, won't we?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes