I'm here at Clausen Middle School,
where only hours ago a mountain lion was shot dead.
Parents, neighbors and teachers were all shaken up...
yet thankful that no one was hurt.
They can be dangerous, and so...
I guess after this incident they'll probably be...
telling all the teachers and the students, you know, to really be...
keep an eye out because, uh, uh... one wrong move--
especially if you run-- then you become the prey.
Sometimes, the most beautiful things...
are the most innocent things, and they keep passing us by.
I won't let them pass you by.
Hello?
Hey.
What?
You want to come over after school today?
I don't know.
I still got that movie.
It's not due back till tomorrow.
Oh, yeah?
Well, do you wanna?
It centers on an invented character...
Jose Jimenez, the reluctant astronaut.
My name Jose Jimenez.
I am cheap astronow...
with United Stay Inna-planetar...
My name Jose Jimenez.
Jose Jimenez was created on television and in a record album...
by a noted comedy writer and performer, Bill Dana.
Here is Jose being interviewed by a reporter.
I've been noticing this, Mr. Jimenez--
What is this called, a crash helmet?
Is that mine?
No, that's mine.
I bought it at Tuberry Silver.
For, like seven dollars.
I would like all of you to pay very close attention to this... demonstration.
If you were to be approached by a lion...
or if you are to see something that you think might be a lion on campus...
it's very important that you make yourself as big as possible.
OK, so you come...
Come at me, come at me.
Come on. Like we rehearsed, just come at me. OK?
Ready?
Big as possible.
What... are you doing?
I was going to the bathroom.
Logan, you woke me up.
I'm sorry.
Go to bed, Logan.
I had to pee.
I said go to bed, Logan.
Come... here.
Give me a kiss.
Look, I'm sorry.
Just come here, come here and kiss me.
Did you have a good time at the dance tonight?
Dance with lots of girls?
Sleep tight, honey.
Can we be evil together?
I want to be evil with you.
Evil with you... evil with you, evil with you, evil with you...
Oh, you should let me, uh...
you should let me take a picture of you after your fight like that.
What should I be doing?
I don't know. You don't have to be doing anything.
Wait.
What are you doing?
It'll make a better picture, don't you think?
You look weird.
Just take it.
We should take another picture.
My camera has a timer, so we can set it to take one with both of us.
Check it out, I'm popular.
Did it take it?
Well, why would he hit you?
Has he ever hit you before or-- or threatened to?
No.
Oh, so he just hit you?
Yeah, he said I was looking at him funny.
Well, what do you think he meant by that?
Funny like you were making fun of him?
I don't know, just funny, I guess.
Well, would you like me to have a meeting with the two of you?
No, I don't think so.
Well, he shouldn't have hit you.
Don't you think he should know that?
Shouldn't you know that?
Isn't that adultism?
Uh... I'm sorry?
He won't do it again.
Why won't he do it again?
'Cause I won't look at him again.
- You think that's what he wants? - Probably.
Do you feel different, Logan?
- What do you mean? - Like from the other kids.
Do they seem different?
Yeah.
Does that bother you?
- Not really. - No? Why doesn't it bother you?
I don't know. I don't mind being by myself or anything.
Are you by yourself a lot?
I guess, sometimes.
Do you ever feel down about being by yourself?
Sometimes.
What do you do when you feel down?
I dream.
You daydream?
Sort of.
What do you dream about?
Being somewhere else, not being alone.
Not being alone.
You think they really had to shoot him?
What, the mountain lion?
When they shot him, do you think he knew he was going to die?
Well, no one... nothing ever does, I think.
Oh, then, maybe he died peacefully.
Would you like to think that's how he died?
I guess, yeah.
- You're in trouble. - No, I'm not.
You're not in class.
I was... I was talking to the counselor.
I hate her.
Really?
Everyone here... they're all stupid.
Yeah.
Why aren't you in class?
'Cause I'm late.
You can be late and still go, right?
Why would I want to do that?
Why would you want to sit here?
You don't have a safety band.
What's a safety band?
You know those gold bands, those rubber bands...
they're supposed to protect us from the mountain lions.
I'm not scared of the mountain lions.
You're not?
No. I've seen 'em.
I, like, know where they live.
Yeah, right.
I do.
Where do they live, then?
Out in the woods.
I want to see 'em.
Meet me in the woods then.
Really?
If you're not afraid of them.
I'm not.
All right, tomorrow after school.
Where you going?
To class.
Sometimes, I worry...
that I won't have good stories to tell my kids.
Like, I won't have good stories about being a kid...
...that other people like, you know?
It'll just be boring. It'll just be boring. It'll just be boring.
It'll just be boring...
There is a kid at my school-- this boy, Daniel--
he was always dirty and got made fun of a lot.
He killed himself one day after school.
His mom found him hung in his closet.
Nobody really talks about him anymore.
It's like, it's just something that happened.
Like it happened a long time ago or something.
I bet now he looks down at us.
Maybe he just laughs.
Maybe he was always laughing, inside.
I guess it doesn't really matter.
I'll meet you in the woods tomorrow after school.
You got to be kidding me.
Why is it...
Logan...
that everything that you touch turns to shit?
Look at me when I'm talking to you-- pay attention!
Look at me!
Do you know how much this cost me?
Do you have any idea how much groceries cost?
And you wonder why I'm never home.
You broke the eggs. You broke the eggs, that's great.
Why don't we just break the rest of the eggs while we're at it, huh?
Dump all the rest of the milk.
I swear to God, you do not pay attention to anything.
You are constantly off in another world...
and I am the only one that is around to take care of everything!
I have had it-- I need some help from you!
I can't do all of this on my own all the time!
Are you listening?
Am I reaching you?
You know what-- I give up.
I give up, I give up.
Are you gonna cry? You're gonna cry now?
That's rich.
You know, you can't cry about shit when it's your own fault.
Egg all over my goddamn...
If I could be with you forever...
I would be your only dream. I would be your only dream.
I would be your only dream...
I could hit him for you, if you want.
Who?
Bryce. I could do it, you know.
No, it's not worth it.
Yeah, maybe you're right.
Do you like school?
Not really.
I hate it. Not as much as I used to hate it because, really, it's almost over.
What's almost over?
Junior high, it's dumb.
It's just such a dumb time.
Yeah, but it's not really over.
High school will be better. More kids.
Right, more kids that'll hate me.
Who hates you?
I don't know, boys like Bryce.
Everybody, really. Nobody talks to me.
You think I hate you?
I don't know yet.
Yet. So you mean you will know?
Yeah, maybe.
Well, I don't hate you.
Yeah, well, you're different then, I guess.
I really want to see lions or a lion.
I guess they're not around today.
How many have you seen?
Like, two.
No, wait... three.
All together?
No, different times.
Do they see you?
No.
How do you know?
You think I'd be here if they saw me?
I'd be dead for sure.
You can't survive something like that, you know?
I thought they lived in caves or something.
That's total bullshit.
Oh.
Some kid killed himself In one of those caves a couple years ago.
They just don't want us messing around in there.
Don't want any more dead kids, I guess.
Hello?
Jesus, where were you after school?
I was with Rodeo.
What?
He said he knows where the lions are and he said he might take me.
- Such a liar. - No, he's not.
Let me know when you see the lions then.
So what are you doing?
Oh, I'm making a list.
A list?
A list. Ways to be cool.
Ways to be cool?
Yeah, so we can be cooler.
So what's on the list?
Mostly stuff about motorcycles.
Motorcycles?
Yeah, got anything to add?
Uh, how about not making lists?
That'll make you cooler.
Whatever. Maybe I just won't give you a copy then.
So...
So what?
Rodeo's, like, your new best friend now?
I don't really have a best friend.
Oh...
But you're still mine.
That's OK, right?
Just call me later, OK?
Well, it's stupid.
Why is it stupid?
Because... he's lame.
Why is he lame?
He just is.
He probably, like, wants to blow you or something.
What if he did?
Did he?
What can I say?
Everyone likes me.
You're so full of yourself.
And you know what?
If you, like, let him like you, then you're a fag.
He's just bored with everything.
Except you, right?
Yeah, he likes me.
But, what's so...
bad about someone liking me?
Are you jealous?
God, no.
Sounds like you are.
Well, he can't come over.
You can't bring him over here.
Why is that?
Well, you just can't, OK?
He's your friend. Don't try to make him mine.
- Whatever. - No, not whatever. I'm serious.
And if he makes you a fag, then you can't come over either.
When you're a ghost, will you haunt me?
What?
A ghost.
I want to know if you'll haunt me when you're a ghost.
You mean, like when I'm dead?
Yeah, when you're really dead.
You want me to?
Well, no.
Well, I guess I'd watch you.
I mean, I'll have to.
I'm your mom.
So... if you died tomorrow, like, in the day, could you watch me in the night?
Yeah.
If I died, would be able to watch you?
Would you want to?
I guess. What else would I do?
You better be watching me.
If we both pretend that there was an end...
then maybe there really will be a beginning...
and it will start with us running away together...
off, off, off...
far, far, far away.
And we'll live with the lions and sleep in trees.
Just sleep, that's all we'll need.
Do you think about breaking things?
We could break things.
Hearts?
Don't break my heart.
Does my hair look OK?
You look like you could be famous or something.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
OK, you get half and I get half.
Well, we should do something cool with them.
- Like what? - Like put 'em all over town.
Right.
Let's just go wait outside.
...most boys just want to get drunk or go steal something.
They like to get into trouble.
Right.
Yeah.
You never want to do that stuff or what?
I don't know, I guess I didn't really think about it.
That's cool.
Thanks.
How come you don't have a girlfriend?
I don't know.
I have... a bunch of times.
How come you don't?
I don't know.
Girls don't really like me, I guess.
They don't really think about me.
Sometimes... girls make me want to go to sleep.
Yeah?
I'm gonna go home and sleep.
I got, like, two hours of sleep last night.
Last couple nights, actually.
Really?
Yeah, but you can call me if you're bored or whatever.
I don't really have your number.
Yeah?
You never really gave it to me.
I don't really like to give it out.
Hello?
Is this Rodeo?
Yeah, who's this?
Oh, you don't know me.
But you know me.
What are you doing right now?
Nothing. Who is this?
I'm... Leah.
Leah.
Do I know you from school?
You don't know me.
Yeah, but you know me.
I think you're cute.
What about you?
What about me?
What do you look like?
I don't know, my friends say I'm pretty.
Do I know your friends?
Oh, I don't know.
What are their names?
No, I don't think you know them.
Why are you calling me?
I just wanted to say that I like you, that I think you're cute.
Like... you want to blow me or something?
Do you want me to?
I don't even know you.
But... would you want me to?
I want to be more than friends.
Shouldn't we be friends first?
Oh... aren't we?
You said you want me to suck you.
I want to know who this is.
I really am pretty.
My friends wouldn't lie to me about that.
So... what are you doing right now?
Nothing, I guess.
Wanna get off?
Right now?
Yeah, like, on the phone.
What are you wearing right now?
What are you wearing?
I don't... want to say.
Boxers.
Oh.
I'm wearing this flower dress.
It's yellow and white.
I've got my hand down my pants.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Hold on.
Have you... done this before?
Like, with other girls?
What?
Like... on the phone?
Are you touching yourself?
Yeah.
I wanna see who can come first.
Like a race?
Yeah.
OK.
I can... feel you more than any ghost would ever dare try.
Uh, I've got to go.
Hey.
You want some?
Hey. We should go.
Hello?
Hi, it's Leah.
Oh, hey.
What's going on?
Nothing.
Bored, like always.
Wanna talk?
I wanna fuck.
Who?
Whoever this is.
Oh.
OK.
You can... fuck me.
Where?
Can't we... do it on the phone?
No.
Why not?
Because that's not fucking.
Oh.
You're a girl, aren't you?
Yeah.
Then why can't I fuck you?
I'm a girl.
You can, I just... don't know if I'm... ready for that.
Call me when you are.
Hello?
Hey, it's Leah.
Oh.
Hey.
What's going on?
Nothing.
What do you want?
I think...
I'm ready to have you fuck me.
OK, where?
The caves.
Where the lions live?
They're not there.
How do you know?
I've...
been there before.
OK...
What time?
Two hours.
I'm here.
Yeah?
Why won't you let me see you?
Take...
off your clothes.
Are we gonna fuck or what?
You can... fuck me.
You're not Leah.
Yes, I am.
You... really didn't know?
Hello?
Hey...
It's Logan.
Hey.
Wh-what are you doing?
Nothin'.
Can you come over?
Why?
I wanna show you something.
Are you...
gay?
No.
Some... Someone at school said you're gay.
Who said that?
Are you?
I'm not gay.
But...
But you like boys... right?
I don't know.
If you like...
boys...
then you're gay.
You think your mom would still take me camping if I looked like this?
It gets better, you know.
Junior high...
Everybody hates it.
It's up to you...
...how long you want to hate it for.
There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus. Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus. Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus. Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus. Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus. Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus. Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus. Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus. Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus. Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus.
Please find a safe place.
There's a lion on the campus. Please find a safe place.
We here at Clausen Feel it's important...
to respect one another.
I'm talking about tolerance.
We also feel it's important...
to smile to one another.
Something as simple as a smile.
It's really amazing, the difference that it can make In a day.
And so we expect all of you to tolerate one another...
to be kind to one another.
Your teachers and I have come up with...
something to help promote this idea of...
kindness.
Shall we?
This is our...
Tolerance Totem.
We hope that this...
with your cooperation, will make Clausen Junior High...
...for everyone.
Logan.