Higher Ground

Scott Barringer:
You're like a stalker or something.

Shelby Merrick:
I only stalk the very best.

Ezra Friedkin:
I made a film for Junior High Social Studies. It was called Smoke Gets in My Eyes, celebrated my youth lost to the drug culture.

Daisy Lipenowski:
Mine was called The Upside of Death. I thought it was a comedy.

Shelby Merrick:
You would.

Katherine Ann 'Kat' Cabot:
I am not a problem to be fixed, but a work in progress.

Augusto 'Auggie' Ciceros:
Nah, we don't play flag football. We play tackle. When no one's looking.

Shelby Merrick:
We're not girls, man. We're profoundly dysfunctional adolescents.

Katherine Ann 'Kat' Cabot:
Peter, you know us. You've read our records, our psych-evals, our rap sheets. Where in any of that was there anything that'd possibly make you think that we knew how to bake a cake?

Scott Barringer:
For the first time in so long, I feel like I can breathe.

Peter Scarbrow:
Scott, tell me, what's the difference between nature and human nature?

Scott Barringer:
I don't know, bugs?

David Ruxton:
You can't mess with a mess, man. It's, like, redundant.

Scott Barringer:
She's not a skank. She's a woman, and she's my friend... Three things I can no longer say about you.

Daisy Lipenowski:
You're wearing a mask.

Shelby Merrick:
That's a good one, coming from Goth girl.

Daisy Lipenowski:
My mask was an honest one for all the world to see. Yours is invisible.

Shelby Merrick:
You are so way creepy.

Daisy Lipenowski:
You're hiding something. And it's taking your energy, using it up; there's less and less left. Soon there'll be none.

Shelby Merrick:
How's the tour going, Scott? Have you shown him Dead Man's Jump or should I?

Sophie Becker:
I got every airline schedule in the world, and figured every place they did NOT go, and that's where I went.

Frank Markasian:
Daisy.

Daisy Lipenowski:
Bite me.

Laura:
Dais'!

Daisy Lipenowski:
You too.

Peter Scarbrow:
How's Juliette doing?

Hannah Barnes:
Um... Shelby's in talking to her.

Peter Scarbrow:
Shelby. That's like shock therapy, isn't it?

[Daisy is chopping wood]

Shelby Merrick:
Daisy, with an axe?

Juliette Waybourne:
Never know when you can go chop-chop on us.

Katherine Ann 'Kat' Cabot:
Better safe than sorry.

Daisy Lipenowski:
I'm touched. [Takes a badly aimed swing]

Daisy Lipenowski:
Didn't need that toe anyway.

Shelby Merrick:
Well, at least you still got eleven toes left.

Daisy Lipenowski:
Oh, you're just jealous.

David Ruxton:
Um, I should warn you, I don't 'group' well.

Daisy Lipenowski:
They always shred my copy of Mortuary Sciences Monthly. Apparently we're not supposed to think about a career.

Daisy Lipenowski:
Nice parking job mom. Why don't you have another drink?

Daisy Lipenowski:
No one makes you feel stupid. You make you feel that way.

Shelby Merrick:
Two words: 'get a grip.' Okay, make that three.

Shelby Merrick:
I don't know what you have, Freakin', but I bet it's hard to pronounce.

Scott Barringer:
We're not even losers until we cross the finish line. We sit here and we're nothing. We move, then we're a team. At least we're that.

Peter Scarbrow:
Nature goes on without you. Human nature goes on within you.

Peter Scarbrow:
Brought them home in style. Filthy, dead last, and smiling. Good work.

Juliette Waybourne:
Don't you ever wish that sometimes you could just... float?

Ezra Friedkin:
With or without the use of pharmaceutical aids?

Sophie Becker:
I've met some tough kids in my life, but Shelby? Man, she's as hard as concrete.

Peter Scarbrow:
Reinforced concrete.

Scott Barringer:
I wonder why he didn't leave a note?

Ezra Friedkin:
Yeah, really I'd leave a note.

Scott Barringer:
You'd leave a book.

Shelby Merrick:
I'm a human being, so speak to me like one!

Ezra Friedkin:
You're drooling.

Shelby Merrick:
And you could be bleeding.

Shelby Merrick:
Hey... you missed out on a really good time.

Scott Barringer:
Is that why Ezra looks so happy? He took my place?

Shelby Merrick:
You don't know anything.

[After telling Shelby about his step mom]

Scott Barringer:
You're not gonna tell, are you?

Shelby Merrick:
No, I won't tell.

Scott Barringer:
Thanks.

Shelby Merrick:
Yeah, well, we'll see what you say when you get my bill.

Scott Barringer:
I always thought that if anyone ever found out about my step mom, about what happened, I thought if I ever told anyone, I'd never be able to look at them again.

Shelby Merrick:
You can look at me, can't you?

Scott Barringer:
You're beautiful.

Shelby Merrick:
There're only two words I ever want to hear from you, "I'm sorry."

Scott Barringer:
I don't know why you're...

Shelby Merrick:
Wrong words.

Shelby Merrick:
I'll have coffee.

Sophie Becker:
De-caf.

Shelby Merrick:
Then I'll have a coke.

Sophie Becker:
Diet. No caffeine.

Shelby Merrick:
What was I thinking? I'll just have water. Wouldn't want to get crazed on sugar and caffeine.

Daisy Lipenowski:
Come on, let me see some *feelings*, people. You're eating gruel at a lockdown facility for societal rejects!

Shelby Merrick:
Why'd you come back?

Scott Barringer:
Because... 'cause I love you.

[opening credits of episode "Babes in Arms"]

Anna Akchmatora:
The secret of secrets is inside me again.

Shelby Merrick:
What are you doing in here?

Daisy Lipenowski:
Hiding.

Shelby Merrick:
From what?

Daisy Lipenowski:
Life. What are you doing in here?

Shelby Merrick:
Hiding.

Daisy Lipenowski:
From what?

Shelby Merrick:
Life... By the way, you look really stupid.

Daisy Lipenowski:
Good. I look the way I feel.

[Juliette has been caught self-injuring]

Juliette Waybourne:
It makes the pain inside me go away. So that I don't have to think about it. It lets it leak out, where everyone else can see it.

Shelby Merrick:
[To Scott] In my whole life, no one has ever looked at me the way you do. No one has, has ever touched my face, or brushed my hair out of my eyes like you do. And then maybe this is really selfish, but it's not just you I'm gonna miss. It's the way I feel when I'm with you that I'm gonna miss even more.

Juliette Waybourne:
You know what's so funny about pain? It's all mine. I can start it and stop it. It's all mine. I own it. You know what I mean?

Shelby Merrick:
Why do they always want to talk so much?

Daisy Lipenowski:
You could try being honest with him... radical

Shelby Merrick:
You think if you tell everyone about wacking daddy with a seven iron they'll leave you alone. You've got your hiding place, I've got mine!

[Jess has run away from home and come to Horizon]

Jessica Merrick:
I didn't know what else to do. I just-I couldn't take being home anymore. Being anywhere near home, or school, or people. Everything reminded me of him. Everything. There was nobody who understood. Not even social-workers, she didn't even understand. I just had to get away so I ran. I just kept going and hitch-hiking, buses, walking, I just kept going. And the further away I got the better I felt. But I- I ran out of money in Seattle. I was so hungry. At first, I thought it was cool, you know, but then it just started to hurt, like physical hurt. And, and I went into a store, and looked at all the food and I picked it up but I didn't know how to steal. I couldn't- I couldn't steal. Then I thought, well I'll just beg you know? But I couldn't. I was just so cold and wet. I could've called mom and she would've come and got me but I was never going back. Ever. I was so hungry Shel. You have to believe me!

[brokenly]

Shelby Merrick:
I do Jess. I know.

Jessica Merrick:
And then, this car pulled up. And there was this guy, and he wasn't too old, you know? He wasn't too old, not like Walt. And he gave me money right away for- [pause] for, you know. It felt so good to be warm, and dry. The car smelled brand new, that- that brand new smell. The guy was gonna- he was gonna take me for something to eat. But I was just so scared. And we were driving. And it was raining and sleeting outside, and I looked out the window and I saw this sign. It was a sign for milk. And it was called "Horizon Farms" and the stop light turned green- and I jumped out of the car. [proudly] I jumped out of the car. I jumped out.

[they embrace]

Shelby Merrick:
Good for you Jess. You look terrible. You go in the bathroom and get cleaned up.

[Jess leaves]

Scott Barringer:
So was that how it happened to you?

Shelby Merrick:
More or less.

Scott Barringer:
But you didn't jump out of the car.

Shelby Merrick:
No. I didn't have any signs. [sobs] I didn't know where to go.

Scott Barringer:
I understand.