Worlds Greatest Dad Page #5

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about my mom.

- Why?

- 'Cause she threw up in your planter

at that thing at your house

after the funeral.

I wondered who did that.

She drinks too much.

I know.

Don't worry, Andrew.

It meant a lot to me

that you came.

Thanks, Mr. Clayton.

Mr. Clayton.

Something doesn't make

sense to me.

What, Andrew?

Did Kyle seem

that bummed out to you?

What do you mean?

To do what he did.

He just...

it's just, he didn't

seem that sad.

Andrew, Kyle was

a complex guy.

Yeah, I'll say.

- Hey.

- Hey.

How are you?

I'm okay.

Good.

I want to apologize that I haven't

been there more for you.

It's just that

I don't do death well.

Don't worry about it,

you know, l...

I've been kind of a zombie

lately anyway.

I'm really sorry.

Please don't be mad.

I'm not.

Let's do something soon,

all right?

All right.

Cheer up, pumpkin.

I like you.

Thanks.

(door closes)

Anderson:

Hardly anyone came to the funeral.

I felt bad.

I should have gone.

Don't blame yourself.

It was a weekday.

(door opens)

Lance,

this is Mr. Pentola.

- Mr. Pentola.

- Dr. Pentola.

Oh, Doctor.

Nice to meet you, Mr. Clayton.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

Thank you.

Dr. Pentola is a therapist.

We called him in

because we were afraid

Kyle's death may

trigger other suicides.

He's a grief counselor.

Oh.

Before we begin,

I've read a lot of suicide notes,

and this one seemed...

deep.

Really?

I need to ask you

a question.

And I want you to be

completely honest with me.

Of course.

Did Kyle have any friends?

Excuse me?

Well, it's just

no one's come to see me.

You'd have to know Kyle.

Well, I shouldn't say

no one.

A couple of kids came in

with age-appropriate depression,

eating disorders.

One kid came in

with head lice.

I know him.

Not really my area

of expertise.

But no one's come to talk

about Kyle.

Hmm.

- Oh.

- Who were his friends?

- Andrew Troutman.

- And who else?

That's it.

Kyle was kind

of a Ioner.

A lone wolf.

Uh, I'll have to ask Andrew

to come and see me.

And, Lance,

that goes for you too.

If you need to talk, if you wanna

get anything off your chest,

please, just come

and see me.

Of course, Doc, I will.

Thank you, Lance.

You're welcome,

Mr. Anderson.

All right, guys,

who wants to read next?

- Right here!

- All right.

Who's gonna

give me $20?

- AIl:
Oh.

- Oh, come on now.

- (laughing)

- Mike:
All right. Okay.

Jason.

Go ahead.

"Negro?

I may be young

but I'm not your boy

I won't pick your cotton

or pick up your dishes

Yeah, I sing, I dance

But I do it with the dignity

of my ancestors

I am not your monkey."

Right on.

Stay black, y'all.

Anybody else

have their haiku?

(sobbing)

(beeps)

(ringing)

- Claire:
Hello?

- Hey, sweet tarts.

- Hey.

- How are you?

- What are you doing?

- I'm watching Mike play basketball.

Oh.

- You okay?

- Oh, yeah.

- You sure?

- Oh, yeah.

- (gasps) Oh my God!

- What?

I gotta go. Mike just won

the basketball game.

(cheering)

Yeah, Mike!

- Hi.

- Hi.

I made you something.

What?

- Those brownies.

- Oh.

- Oh.

- Yeah.

Well, I'll come over

and have some.

I was thinking maybe I could come in

and we'd eat them together.

No, I can't.

- Why not?

- I'm busy.

Bonnie, I really need

to talk to somebody.

I don't like people

in my apartment.

My apartment is a little

sad right now, you know?

If l... if I let you in,

you can't tell anybody.

- Okay.

- Okay.

So...

- Brownies, huh?

- Yeah.

- Come in.

- Ah.

Please, don't tell

anybody, okay?

Because l... I don't wanna get

thrown out of here.

- Oh, I promise.

- Thanks.

I-I know

it's a fire hazard

and I know it's not

rational, but...

I feel that

if I throw anything out,

something terrible

will happen.

- No, I understand that.

- Good.

What's wrong, sweetie?

I know my son was a jerk,

but I miss him.

Hey.

- Of course you do.

- Mmm.

It'll get better.

It doesn't feel like it

right now.

Do you know that

I have read every one

of your books?

- How?

- How?

You threw 'em out.

Oh, yeah.

You are very talented.

Really?

Honest.

You have a gift.

And you can't give up.

I won't.

Listen,

they're gonna have a zombie

marathon on television

and I cordially

invite you, sir.

Oh, well, bless you, madam.

- Uh-huh.

- It's a date.

Good.

Don't forget the brownies.

- I won't forget.

- No.

Your dog's staring at me.

What dog?

(laughs)

I got ya.

- Lance!

- Oh.

- I'm glad I caught you.

- What's up?

You know that while we respect

individual privacy,

we also respect freedom of speech

and expression here at school?

- Yeah.

- Well, one of the kids on the paper

went online and they found

Kyle's police report...

the report of his death. And now they've

gone and published his suicide note.

- Oh my God.

- Yeah. I just found out about it.

I thought you should know.

It's all over campus.

- Really?

- Yeah.

You... are you

gonna be all right?

Sure.

I'm really sorry

about this, Lance.

It's that goddamn

first amendment, huh?

Yeah.

Lance's voice:

"To all those I hate,

I don't know why

I'm writing this.

You never cared about what I thought

or felt while I was alive.

Besides you're all too shallow

to comprehend the pain I feel."

I hope

I become a ghost

I hope I can see

the end of time

I hope I become

a ghost

And make sure

the future turns out fine

I hope

I become a ghost

Oh, when the world

is said and done

The stars will become

so close

And there will be nowhere

that I can't run

Ooh ooh ooh ooh

I hope

I become a ghost

And watch all my

grandchildren growing old

Some they will

remember me

And others through the stories

they've been told

Now I don't intend

to frighten you

I just wanna see

if what I think is true

'cause then and only then

we'll know

If it was worth

to become a ghost

Ooh ooh ooh ooh

There's nothing

sad about it

There's

nothing sad about it...

Lance's voice:

"Which brings me to you, Dad.

Lance and Kyle's voices:

Don't blame yourself.

You tried hard and were

the best dad a kid could want.

I blame me doing this

on a defect in me...

Kyle's voice:

...in my soul.

I'm sorry."

Now that I've become

a ghost

I don't get to laugh

with friends like you

There's nothing sad

about it

There's nothing

sad about it.

I love you, Dad.

Has anyone seen

carl or Steven?

Mm-hmm.

Oh, you have?

So they're in school?

Yeah, I saw 'em

this morning.

First of all I want to thank you all

for being here,

especially the newcomers.

It means a lot to me.

Who has experience

with writing poetry?

- Yes, Heather.

- Can I ask a question?

Sure.

What was Kyle's

favorite band?

Uh...

he liked

Bruce Hornsby.

Yes, Ray?

Did he listen

to any metal?

- A little Ozzy.

- I knew it.

Anybody have any questions

about poetry or...

Yes, Jason?

Did the boy know Jesus

before he went?

Well, I would say

he was an agnostic.

But I think he was spiritual

in his own way.

Yeah... yes, Heather?

What's his sign?

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