Party of Five, Season 2

Charlie:
You know, Claud, when the doctor says there's a 98 percent chance you're gonna be fine, that's a good sign.

Claudia:
I know.

Charlie:
Well, if you know, then what's the problem?

Claudia:
What if it's that 2 percent?

Charlie:
It won't be. That's what 2 percent means.

Claudia:
No, that's what zero percent means.

Julia:
I love this song.

Justin:
I hate this song.

Julia:
Justin, this was our song.

Justin:
Exactly.

Charlie:
Yeah. I'm the boss. I'm the boss, and kind of the dad... a couple of hours from now, I'll be the husband. If I had a clue how to be even one of those I'd be happy. [pause] There was this woman tonight. Last night, whatever it was. She wanted me to go to bed with her... and she was pretty and needy. Always a good combination, right George? It felt like this test, you know? The snake offering the apple, that kind of thing. And I said no. So if it was a test I passed it. Which means I ought to be feeling pretty good about it now. So, let me ask you a question. How come I still feel like I want to run away someplace? How come I feel like I can't breathe? How come it feels like someone's got their fist around my lungs?

Julia:
Are you bringing anybody to the wedding?

Bailey:
A date? No. You?

Julia:
No. Griffin never would have come anyway. He probably doesn't even own a tie.

Kirsten:
I can't wait another six months, Charlie. Because in six months we're going to be exactly where we are today, and I don't ever want to feel this way again.

Bailey:
I'm starting to think I should have expected things to turn out this way.

Sarah:
What's that supposed to mean?

Bailey:
It turns out all the Salinger men make the same mistake.

Sarah:
What mistake?

Bailey:
They walk away from the one thing that's actually the best thing that ever happened to them.

Kirsten:
I would have given you everything today. For God's sake, Charlie, I would have given you me! I can't give you more than that---I don't know how to.

Sarah:
Julia...

Julia:
What?

Sarah:
Um...I'm not the right person.

Julia:
What?

Sarah:
I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I'm really not. Please don't think that. It's just that I have problems for myself, because of being adopted. I mean, if my mother had made the same choice as you, I wouldn't be here.

Julia:
Oh. Right. Right. Um...[long pause] But see, you have to understand--

Sarah:
No, Julia. I know you need somebody on your side. I know that, and I want to...but I can't. I'm sorry.

Charlie:
I know you feel alone in this, Julia, but you're not. You're not the first one to ever make this decision. Something like a million women every year--

Julia:
I know the statistics, Charlie. Thanks.

Charlie:
I went with a girlfriend once to get one. In college.

Julia:
You did?

Charlie:
Yeah. Debra...Debra...Debra Lots of Bracelets Debra. [laughs] We didn't talk much beforehand about the decision. I mean, it just made sense for both of us. We weren't even 20, and it's not like we were in love with each other or anything. So...I felt really bad about it for a while afterwards, but that feeling...it goes away. You don't carry it around with you forever, Julia. You really don't. I mean, before this happened with you, I hadn't even thought about it in, like, years.

Julia:
And what about her?

Charlie:
Well...it took a little time, I guess, but yeah. After a while, she was okay.

Julia:
So you stayed in touch?

Charlie:
Well...no. Not exactly.

Julia:
So how do you know that she doesn't still carry this around with her?

Claudia:
[about Julia aborting her baby] I don't get it.

Julia:
What?

Claudia:
How could you even think about doing this? What about Owen? He was an accident, too. Do you think Mom and Dad should have never had him?

Julia:
This is different!

Claudia:
How is it different? It's not different at all!

Julia:
Claudia, I am too young to have a baby! Claudia, please.

Claudia:
If you do this...there are people who are gonna say that it's murder, and you have to tell me what to say when they say that about you. You have to tell me what to say to them! Please!

Julia:
I don't know...but I would not be doing this if I thought that was true.

Claudia:
God, I swear, sometimes I feel like the only thing anyone in this family ever says to me is 'Go away.' Justin, can I hang out with you? Justin?

Justin:
Go away, Claudia, OK? Just get out of here.

Charlie:
Can we sit down for a second? (they sit and he takes a deep breath) I want you to know that I think you're a really great person.

Kathleen:
Okay...

Charlie:
You've been incredibly good to me...I mean, really, really generous. So I want to be fair. That stuff you said last night about us moving forwards and about us not being so casual...the thing is, Kathleen, I like casual. Casual really works for me. Casual is what I thought we were doing here. But I don't know...I guess you're right. We can't be casual forever. And if you're not ready to get serious, well that...that says something. I guess eventually you either fall in love or you don't.

Kathleen:
And I'm guessing you're in category B.

Charlie:
I'm sorry. Since you've been so honest with me, and I thought that I owed it to you...

Kathleen:
[upset] Uh huh. Thank you for being honest. [walks off]

Griffin:
I'm sorry. I just thought maybe if you came to do something fun, it'd make you forget about the other stuff.

Julia:
Griffin, it's not your fault. It's like, what am I doing having fun. You know?

Griffin:
Why shouldn't you?

Julia:
I don't know. Whenever I made a mistake before I could always fix it. But this...there's no way to undo it. It's just there. Always. I get a knot in my stomach when I think about it.

Griffin:
Yeah, I know that feeling. I used to get drunk when I'd get that.

Julia:
I just want to feel like I'm still an okay person. Everyone tells me that I am, but it doesn't mean anything. I just look at them and think, what the hell do you know?

Julia:
You go to church?

Griffin:
Well, I kind of have to. Part of the military school plan.

Julia:
My dad used to take us to church...

Griffin:
Yeah. My parents too. Every Sunday, my mom and I would have a huge fight over wearing a tie. When I came here, it was like one more thing I have to do, you know? Punishment, great. I don't know. One day, I started to see things differently. I actually started to listen to what the guy was saying. A lot of the stuff I could care less about. But the main stuff, the overall feelings...it's cool. This is the only place where all the bad stuff that I've done...all of the mistakes that I've made, don't matter. [pause] They matter. They just don't change what I'm worth. As a person. Here I'm...loved. No matter what. My parents would never say that to me. Even if they thought it they wouldn't say it. I guess yours can't either, huh?

[Julia rests her head on his shoulder]

Julia:
Maybe I'll stay. It's nice here.

Griffin:
No it's not. The music sucks and the people talk funny.

Julia:
Well, it's nice being with you. What do you have at that place, a bunk? Maybe you could hide me in your bunk.

Griffin:
You probably shouldn't joke about that.

Julia:
Yeah, probably not.

Griffin:
Because, uh, I mean, you've got a life back there. You've got...well, a lot of things back there.

Julia:
Yeah. But I feel so far away from them now. I don't know if I can, you know, feel like this back there.

Griffin:
I just think you've got to hang in there and do the time. I mean, that's the one thing you know is going to change. For every sucky day you live, you don't have to live it again. It's done...you did it. Move on. Maybe the next one won't suck.

Julia:
And if it does?

Griffin:
Same philosophy. Just...do the time.

Bailey:
Hey, why do you have to be so cold?

Sarah:
Why do you have to be so judgmental?

Bailey:
I'm not...I 'm not. I'm just...I'm just trying...I'm trying to find you, is what I'm trying to do.

Sarah:
Well, here I am.

Bailey:
No, I know. But it's not you you. You're different. It started when you hooked up with the band...that when you guys were singing, you would cop this attitude. And now it's like you're a completely different person all the time.

Sarah:
I'm 16, Bailey. I'm still finding out who I am, and maybe...maybe who you're seeing, maybe that's the real me.

Bailey:
Well, she's not the you that I fell in love with.

Sarah:
Which means what...that if I change you're not going to love me anymore?

Bailey:
That's not what I said.

Sarah:
Because I might change, Bailey. But that should be a good thing. And if being with you means that I can't change, then there's something wrong with being with you, not something wrong with changing. [walks away]

Charlie:
You called Joe?

Bailey:
Yeah, sorry, we just didn't happen to have $2500 bucks lying around to bail you out. Take him home, Joe, will you? I can't look at him right now.

Charlie:
Closing up!

Bailey:
Tell your folks to start feeding you again, Will. It's your last free meal. Joe fired me today. Said there were only four days left to the only summer before the only senior year I'd ever have, and I should enjoy myself.

Griffin:
Does that answer your question, Major?

Bailey:
Julia?

Justin:
Bailey?

Sarah:
Justin?

Julia:
Sarah?

Julia:
Bailey! What are you doing?

Bailey:
If you wanna help out, Clash goes on this end, Wilco over there and just fill in the rest of the alphabet along the way.

Julia:
You just can't do this, you can't just decide to take this place away from me.

Bailey:
Hey, it's not like you'll listen to reasonable arguments.

Julia:
What arguments? I thought of it first. It was my idea.

Bailey:
What are you back to this dibs stuff? I'm older, okay? How about that? I get the attic because I'm older.

Julia:
Bailey, come on, I really need this place. I mean, when Justin comes over--

Bailey:
Hey, newsflash, you're not the only one going out with somebody.

Julia:
Yeah, I know, but-- I'm trying out for this band, the Nielsen Family. And I'm gonna need somewhere to practice.

Bailey:
Yeah, so? You can sing in the shower.

Bailey:
Look. I'm two seconds away from getting this TV internship. Coming home late probably. What am I supposed to do? Wake Owen up every night?

Julia:
You can have my room.

Bailey:
Oh, right, so, it's not good enough for you, but it's good enough for me?

Julia:
Bailey, I need the privacy, okay? I mean, doors mean nothing to anybody in this family.

Bailey:
Hey, you know what? I don't even have a door. Okay, I live with a 2-year-old. I'm 17. I deserve my own room.

Julia:
God, I'm so sick of you sometimes! I'm so sick of everybody being in my face all the time. "Take care of Owen and take care of the house. "And help me with my homework. And can I come in? And can we talk?" I just need somewhere to get away from all of you.

Bailey:
Yeah, well, same here. Now get out of my room. Beat it.

Bailey:
What the hell are you doing?

Julia:
I'm just helping you straighten up. (lamp breaks)