The Tenth Circle

You think she's gonna be your little girl forever.

Happens overnight, you aren't prepared for it.

The child who vamped for the home videos no longer exists...

...and little habits, gestures stop being cute...

...and start being terrifying.

Keep in mind that in Dante's Inferno, the sinners are not repentant.

They have, in Dante's words, no sting of conscience...

...no guilt...

...not even while they're suffering the consequences of their sins.

The ninth circle of hell is reserved for the worst sinners.

The punishment was to be conscious of time...

...but frozen, unable to act for eternity.

Frozen from the neck down for eternity.

Imagine:. Even the slightest movement would freeze the tears on your face.

How long were you frozen?

-Five minutes? -Three and a half minutes.

Long enough to get a cramp in my leg.

Two minutes.

Now imagine eternity.

Welcome to Dante's ninth circle of hell.

You're dismissed.

""Burn, baby, burn.

That's the name my mom's students call her course in Alighieri Dante."

He wrote The Divine Comedy.

Only it's not actually a comedy, it's a poem, mainly about hell.

"She's grad-school professor in English lit.

And my dad makes the best spaghetti sauce in the universe...

...with ltalian sausage--"

That's it?

I'm spaghetti sauce?

What happened to awesome, award-winning graphic novelist...

...with over 20 awesome comic series to his name?

-Dad, I'm not finished. -What about handsome...

...in a "rugged yet sensitive" way?

-Plays guitar like Clapton? -You don't even have a guitar.

Well, I will buy one, and I will learn.

This is supposed to be a biography. As in, true.

Can we keep the "rugged but sensitive" part?

Please?

-Come on, Dad. I have to do this. -All right.

But, here, check this out.

Okay.

When I was 2, my dad went--

My mom went back to school to get another degree...

...and my dad stopped being an artist...

...so that he could stay home and take care of me.

That's me.

Okay, so, I grew up thinking that that's how all families were.

With, you know, the mom at work...

...and the dad at home drawing comics and making lunches.

So.... But l--

Okay. Sorry.

Okay, but it turns out...

...my family is just unique.

I did it. And you know how you can't even hear yourself talk...

...because your pulse is in your ears, and people are looking at you?

I was totally like that. I felt like I was gonna hurl, but I did it.

I mean, not hurl. My speech, I gave it.

Now I'm never gonna have to do public speaking again, ever.

What is it?

Jas, I thought you were walking me to French class.

-What are you doing? -Excuse me?

We'll talk later.

Inhale, you freak.

At least try to look cool about it.

Did Jason just break up with me?

Guys don't fall in love. They just wanna hook up.

-Friends with benefits. -Oh, I hate that expression.

I don't believe in it.

What planet are you from?

So that's how it is with you and Moss?

See this one?

This is Ryan Zeder.

Stole my cherry and broke my heart.

And all the rest, just random hookups.

This last one's Moss.

And none of them mean anything?

That's the point, girl.

Friends with benefits.

No one gets hurt.

Jason isn't like that.

What do you think he's hooking up with Jessica Rinchley for?

To discuss, like, nuclear disarmament or something?

Get real.

Freak.

Freak. What--? What are you doing?

I don't know.

Why wasn't I good enough?

Hey, sweetie.

It's me. I'm running a little late.

I'll be there in 1 0. Sorry.

Don't worry, I'm going home with Zepher.

Yeah, I'm just getting to the car now.

-Loser. -Bitch.

-What was that? -Nothing. I'll see you later, Dad.

Okay.

Trixie, what are you doing?

God, I'm freezing.

-You want a ride home or something? -No.

Yeah. I don't know.

I have practice. I can give you a ride home if you want.

No.

I mean, I just-- I wanna know-- Just....

What?

-How you do it. -Do what?

All of it.

You know, make it through the day like it didn't matter.

-lt mattered, Trixie. -You said you loved me.

-Look, I don't know-- -lf that's true, then we can fix it.

-Whatever it is, we can fix it. -Trixie.

Come on, because I love you, and--

Trixie, cut it out!

We can fix it, Jason.

It's over.

You don't mean that.

Look, I don't love you, okay?

-Come on, don't cry. -No.

You don't mean that.

"Come back. You don't know where you're going.

That's not hell. It's adolescence.

You can't save her."

You can't save her.

Hey.

Trixie?

Hey, sweetie.

Sweetie, everything okay?

-Trixie, is everything okay? -Yeah, I'm in the shower.

-Yeah? -You"re so gonna owe me, girl.

-Because tonight's the night. -For what?

Party. Here tonight.

Moss is bringing Jason without Miss American Doll...

...orders from moi, and I have a plan for how you're gonna get him.

-But it's a school night. -Are you serious?

Do you want him back or not? Improvise.

Hey. Where's mom?

She's got papers to grade.

-Again? -Yep.

You ready for dinner?

-No. -"Uh-uh." What is that?

Some kind of Neanderthal poetry?

Come on, it's lrish stew.

Well, I can't.

I told Zepher I'd go over and study with her.

You gotta eat.

We have a test.

Her mom's making us sandwiches. I'll probably spend the night.

Well, Trixie, you should've told me this.

I am telling you this.

What, now you don't want me to go study?

Walter, I can't believe you're making me do this.

Don't move.

All finished.

Doesn't really look like her.

She'd never wear that kind of necklace.

You don't know her.

Read the picture.

"Call me."

"57"....

"266."

Hello.

Hi, it"s Laura Piper. You drew my picture the other day.

Yeah, I remember you.

When we met, he was this outlaw artist.

He had some dark past...

...which made him seem haunted and broken.

He slept in this big, drafty studio.

No job.

He was everything my parents disapproved of.

So of course I married him.

And now he's a better wife than I am.

The only time we get passionate...

...is when I put the recycling in the wrong bin.

And now you love me, right?

No.

I love the parts of you that remind me of my husband.

I'm sorry.

I'm being honest, so you'll let me go.

-Spend the night with me. -Maybe next time, Seth.

No. Laura.

-Look, I'm all out of stash. -What else you got?

All right.

Caveat emptor.

Buyer beware.

I'm all ready.

Are you sure this is gonna look good?

Show some faith, girl.

And take off your bra.

What?

Trix, if you want to go down there dressed in a snowsuit, be my guest...

...but it isn't gonna be mission accomplished.

-But this is not the-- -Look, Trix.

You have one shot at this.

And the rules:.

You're not gonna even look at Jason.

But you are gonna flirt your ass off with everyone else.

She looks so wicked, huh?

See you later, man.

-All right. -Bye.

-What's up, bro? -Yeah, bro.

-We're gonna roll. -Jason's totally sloshed.