Nowhere Safe

There's just one more in the laundry room.

It's okay.

Mom...

What?

See, everything's fine.

Ashley!

We're going to be late.

I'm coming.

Sure you don't want to wear something a little nicer?

No mom, I don't.

Okay. You ready?

Sure.

It's going to be fine.

Yeah, just another school.

Okay stop! Stop, stop, stop.

What, here?

Yeah.

Ashley, that's a bit extreme.

Mom, it's not worth the risk.

The most powerful civilization...

Hi.

Oh, here.

Thanks. I got it.

A fight... A fight to the death!

Wanna move?

Nice hoodie.

Oh, uh, thanks.

Miss Beardall used to work out of here

so I hope this is okay for you as well.

Of course.

Good because we don't have any extra office space available.

Okay, let's see, you have your first hour off,

class in the second hour, fourth hour,

lunch and a sixth hour class.

Okay.

And if you need any help, call me.

That is Mr. Carlisle.

What is he...?

Don't even get me started.

I need to get back to my office.

Stop in this afternoon?

Thanks.

Maxie!

Hey! Don't do that!

Wait, did you say something?

That's what I thought.

Yo, Burnside. What's up man?

You going to Cal's this weekend?

Yeah dude!

All right everyone, take your seats.

I see we have a new student.

Please stand, tell us your name.

Um, my name is Ashley Evans.

Hopefully you're not too far behind

in the curriculum but I'll get to you.

Just sit there.

It's always nice to have some fresh blood here.

Let's turn our text books to page 207.

Hey, check it out. She's that girl...

Oh whatever.

Romans!

Did you see how high she jumped?

Ah, good morning class.

Ancient Rome was one of the most powerful,

most technologically advanced societies in the world.

Also one of the most violent.

Now, can someone tell me what the coliseum was?

Oh, my parents saw it on a cruise they went on last year.

Awesome! What was it?

Awesome.

Oh, oh...

Wei?

Col-i-see-um,

an amphitheater in Rome.

Wei scores! Yes, it is the amphitheater in Rome.

Thank-you Wei.

Now, the coliseum was the mecca of all entertainment.

Let's say you wanted to go and see two warriors fighting.

Yeah!

Where would you sit?

Sitting? I'd be fighting in the middle of the arena.

Yeah!

That's a beast. Okay, Nick?

Box seats - wherever the emperor sat.

Okay. Carrie?

I guess that makes me queen. Or empress.

No way I'm sitting in the last section.

Totally! I get it.

Totes!

All right, anyone else? Max?

Oh, I'd probably just be--

Max, he'd be in the middle of the coliseum wetting his pants.

Yeah, I'd kick his butt.

Well as a gladiator you'd have many opponents to fight.

Sure would...

Yeah with one big difference.

What'd you say?

Uh, nothing.

No, you said something...

What was the difference?

Well...

they fought to the death.

Blondie's right. They fought to the death

because they were the lowest class.

What?

Most of them were prisoners of war, slaves, criminals.

Or just people that the Romans used to torture.

They had no choice.

It was either fight...

or die.

Throughout the coliseum crowds roared and

people flocked to see the latest fight.

Remind you of anything today?

Um, boxing.

Battles we gather to watch. Anything else?

Oh, American football.

Yes, Wei.

Movies.

That's very insightful Carrie.

See, violence is as much a part of our society today

as it was in ancient Rome.

Now, we may not literally kill people for entertainment anymore

but we do flock to death and suffering.

You ever rubber neck on the side of the road

to see an accident?

When someone's house goes up in flames

why do we rush to film it on our cell phones?

You ever leave a negative comment online

or spread a rumor for all the world to see?

I know we talk about the Romans and how

they really delighted in the bloodshed,

but I think the real question today for us here is this...

Why do we take so much delight

in watching other people suffer?

History is always in the making.

What will your history be?

Hey... Watch it.

Uh, here.

Thanks.

Yeah.

I'm Max.

Ashley.

What's your next class?

Uh, spanish.

I've got drama.

I hear there's a new teacher today.

Later!

Okay, well welcome.

I'm really looking forward to hearing

what you've been doing in drama.

Um, so what play have you been working on this semester?

Any of the roles been cast yet or

are we still in the casting process?

Anyone?

Oh, thank-you.

Honey can you hand me a tomato?

So? How'd it go today?

It was just school.

Come on, tell me about one class.

Okay, um, history was good.

Really? The teacher seems kind of eccentric.

Yeah he was.

Okay, look, it's not perfect.

But we're lucky you know it's hard to find

a position in the middle of the school year.

So does that mean we're lucky

that the previous drama teacher died?

Lemonade from lemons.

Subtle.

Here's your mom's locker you loser. Ow, no, come on man!

What's your problem?

I can't believe you stabbed me in the back like this.

I trusted you.

Lisa I didn't... Of all people

I can't believe you went and did that.

Ok, thank-you.

Hi.

Hi.

Where did you get this dress?

Um, I got it from a costume store years ago.

I'm thinking about using it for our play.

I'm Julie Johnson by the way. I'm the new drama teacher.

Kevin Carlisle, history.

Wow, you've taken such good care of it.

Thank-you.

Hey, watch this.

Hey, pick it up!

You gotta give them credit.

They know how to make their own fun.

Want the run down on everyone here?

Uh, yeah, sure.

All right. Well, there you've got your intellectuals.

They got a full ride scholarship

through all the universities.

They're nice enough.

Then we got the foreign exchange students.

You know, Brazilian, German, Italian, French. Norwegians.

Now, they're always hanging out with each other,

but none of them know english.

You gotta wonder how they communicate right?