The Middle

The Middle Season 2 Episode 04

Teenagers here in the middle

are just like teenagers around the world.

They're stupid.

Hey, kid, you mind taking a break on that thing?

We're trying to eat here.

Whatever.

They're so stupid, they'll even show up on a school day

at the very place they know their dad goes to eat lunch.

Axl?

Oh. Hey.

What are you doing here?

You skipping school?

No, for your information,

I am not skipping school. I'm suspended.

- For what? - Skipping school.

See, this is why I didn't tell you.

I knew you wouldn't be cool about it. God!

Mom, did you know that there was this magic kit in the hall closet?

Why didn't anybody tell me?

Wow. The old magic kit. You found it.

Damn. I thought I got rid of that stupid magic kit.

It was annoying when Axl did it.

It was annoying when Sue did it.

I could only imagine with Brick.

You're always on me to make friends,

and what better way than through the amazing world of illusion?

Amazing world of illusion.

Let me practise a trick on you.

Not now, Brick. I gotta finish cleaning

all these smelly cross-country uniforms,

then I gotta go buy healthy snacks for the meet,

'cause apparently the half a box of doughnuts

that I stole from work shows a lack of effort.

Wow. No wonder you're stressed.

Thank you. I am.

You need some entertainment.

I hold before you a coin

from the lost city of Atlantis.

With this coin, I...

I hold before you a coin

from the lost city of Atlantis.

With this coin,

I will attempt...

I sense you're losing interest.

Just get to the trick, Brick.

I hold before you a c...

Mom, you're not gonna believe it.

The worst thing happened today.

The school board has to trim their budget,

and everyone's saying that cross-country is the sport that's gonna get cut.

Oh, Sue. No, they can't do that.

You will be left in awe

as you watch this coin transported...

Your patience is requested.

How can they even think about cutting cross-country?

We're all getting so close.

Like, the other day, one of my team-mates called me "Sandy. "

That's practically "Sue. "

Well, they can't do this.

No way. We are not taking this lying down.

Thanks, mom. I knew you'd say that.

There's this marathon school board meeting

on Wednesday to discuss the cutbacks.

A meeting?

Cross-country's either at the beginning or the end.

I don't know which, so we'll just have to go for the whole thing.

Go, XC! That's cross-country.

Go ahead, Axl.

Tell her what you did. Tell her.

I hold in my hand a coin...

Oh, the magic kit.

I thought we got rid of that thing.

He found it. What did you do?

Okay, first of all, that cafeteria is unsanitary,

so Troy and Fitz dared me and Darrin to sneak off school grounds for lunch,

and Darrin's like, "It's on!" and I was like, "It's so on, "

and Darrin's like, "Yeah, " and I'm like, "Hell, yeah!"

so Darrin's all driving, and I'm all in the trunk,

then we feast at Joe's subs, and everything's cool

until we sneak back to school, and I'm still in the trunk,

and Darrin's sexting this girl that he's never gonna get.

He forgets I'm in there.

Three hours later, the vice-principal hears my screams,

and now they want to make an example out of me,

because I wouldn't follow their totally unfair rule,

so I'm suspended for five days. Eh.

Suspended?

Okay. This is not good. We do not get suspended.

Wait. Why are we just now finding out about this?

Well, they sent home a note, but you're always talking about how busy you are,

so I signed it for you. You're welcome.

You're gonna wanna remove yourself from my line of vision.

Now.

Suspended?

I got it!

Wow. That's incredible, Brick.

It's in your other hand.

What? I could see it.

You know, I'm kinda relieved this is all out in the open.

I didn't like lying to you guys,

and now I don't have to pretend to go to school.

I can just hang out here and watch tv.

Suspension is supposed to be a punishment, Axl.

Oh, it is. There's nothing good on.

All right. That's it. You're not laying around this house

all week like you're on vacation.

Starting tomorrow,

you're gonna spend every day of your suspension with me at the quarry.

And guess what? You're being put to work.

What? This is so not fair.

When I turn 30, I am so outta here.

So the next day, Axl started work at t he quarry as part of his punishment.

Did you alphabetize those?

It was a punishment all right, but for who?

This computer is so slow. I'm gonna speed it up for ya.

Uh-oh. Some numbers went away.

Get up, get up, get up!

Two weeks to fix a front loader?

That's too long, Fred. We're not...

We're not gonna make our delivery dates.

We're down to two front loaders, and that's just not...

Congratulations, dad. Your plan's working,

'cause I can't wait to go back to school.

If I had to work at that place every day,

I'd pack a lunch box full of poison.

If you had to work there every day, I might need to share.

I'm serious. That place is lame.

Hey. Watch it.

That quarry is filled with hardworking people

trying to provide for their families.

It puts a roof over your head and clothes on your back.

And you might as well get used to it,

because you're stuck there for two more days.

Actually, it's three more days.

Oh.

Do you think Axl might just be an idiot?

Mike.

No, I'm serious. Is he an idiot?

Is our kid an idiot?

'Cause I'm starting to seriously wonder if he's an idiot.

You can't call your kid an idiot.

The books say you're not supposed to.

Well, I know that. It's just...

There's usually a lot of hours in the day...

When he's at school that we don't see him,

but I was with him, Frankie.

I-I watched him all day long, and...

I'm worried.

Remember how smart he used to be?

Then the hormones kicked in.

It's like they fritzed out his brain.

Well, tomorrow I'm gonna bust his ass,

and he's gonna learn some respect for hard work.

Does it have to be tomorrow?

Can't you get off work and go to the school board meeting instead of me?

They listen to tall people.

You'll be fine.

You go down there, you make your case for cross-country,

and if it doesn't work out, it's not your fault.

You tried.

It is my fault.

No, it's not. Go to sleep.

It is my fault, Mike. It's all my fault.

What are you talking about?

I prayed for cross-country to go away.

What?

I prayed for it to go away. I just...

I've just been so resentful of it!

I have to do everything.

I bring water. I bring snacks.

I-I make endless signs for fans who never show.

And why should they? It's boring. It's so boring.

Meet's cancelled. Someone saw a bobcat on the trail.

I mean, I never meant it to happen.

I was at church last Sunday praying for all the things

you're supposed to pray for- Haiti, Pakistan...

And then cross-country just pops into my head.

I tried to stop it, but it was too late.

The message was already sent.

And the next day Sue comes in and says cross-country's gonna be cut.

Oh, God.

What kind of mother prays for something like that?

Frankie, they're 0-and-12.

If God does want to cut cross-country,

it's only 'cause he's a benevolent God

and he wants to put it out of its misery.

But maybe I brought them to his attention.

Cross-country might not get cut,

and then you'll see that God doesn't get involved in sports,

'cause if he did, The Colts would've won the super bowl last year.

So two hours and eleven minutes in

I suddenly remembered what I hated about these parent meetings...

The parents.

You can't cut wrestling.

My son needs an outlet.

He has anger management issues!

Wrestling is safe. We're not cutting the real sports.

Then why am I here?

Moron.