Tenderness

My wife likes to say there are two kinds of people.

Those chasing pleasure...

and those running from pain.

Lorelei Cranston is running.

Running from all kinds of everything.

Probably has been her whole life.

If you ask me, nobody gets to escape their pain.

It's there when you brush your teeth at night.

It's there before breakfast.

It'll come up, fierce and sharp.

It'll lay on you, blunt and heavy.

The most you can hope for is one good day.

'Cause on a good day,

you get to tell yourself

"I can fix this.

Today can be different."

"Today something might change."

Yeah?

Gary?

And then Mrs. Rodell yelled at Anna

and said she'd had enough of her last year in her class.

And Anna was like, "Hello, I wasn't in your class last year."

Well, it's a good thing I didn't know any of this, or...

What?

I got you a little treat for doing so well in trigonometry.

Thanks.

You're welcome.

Trig's easy. It's just memory.

God, I hope you don't remember everything

when you get older.

It's not just because you did so well in math.

I've got some news.

Come on honey, sit down.

And how you take it is important to me.

I've asked Gary to move in with us.

For real.

Not just a couple nights a week or whatever.

I know it's only been a little while,

but it just feels so different this time, you know?

Yeah, it is different this time.

Yeah?

Some people live for their pain.

It's all they've got.

They stay up with it.

Afraid it might slip away.

People like me.

I would love to dream.

But one way or another...

I'm always awake.

Get back! Get back!

Oh, Dotty.

She won't let you go.

You like that? Yes!

Look at that. Look at that.

Look at her. She's really amazing.

Oh, Dotty.

That's a good girl.

My stars are really nice this week.

They said, "Financial woes through midweek give way to..."

What's that word? It means horns of plenty.

They're kind of bullshit anyway.

Horoscopes.

No offense, but... kind of bullshit.

Confirming today the teen will be tried as an adult

for the brutal murder of his parents.

His case will be heard in Buffalo City Court,

commencing later this month.

By contrast, Eric Komenko committed the same crime at 15,

but prosecutors chose not to try him as an adult in this case,

citing high levels of the antidepressant Zoloxia

found in his bloodstream as a mitigating factor.

Komenko's sentence, juvenile detention.

He is expected to be released this coming Friday on his 18th birthday,

his record expunged.

Public questions about Komenko's case remain, however.

Victims' rights groups are protesting his release,

while members of Komenko's Baptist congregation are supporting it.

Komenko!

Lieutenant's here.

I can follow him, be close by.

It's going to pay off for us later on.

But I'm going to need your help.

Anything you need.

All right, Brian. Thank you.

Mexico.

Cool.

I wanted to take Spanish, but the teacher here got laid off.

Spanish?

That could be helpful.

What's happening on the college front?

I didn't want to send applications postmarked from here.

That makes sense.

So, you're going to live with your aunt?

Yeah.

You don't think that might be hard?

She said she wants me there.

Antidepressants messed with my chemistry.

The state even testified to that.

I know. I was there.

Look, I did this evil thing.

But I know I can put it behind me.

That's what expunged means.

What do you want from me?

You're a psychopath, Eric.

You're going to kill again.

You know it, and I know it.

And I want to prevent that from happening.

And when I do, I want you to know it's going to make me very happy.

It's the best thing for you.

When you walk out of here, know I will be waiting for you.

I got nothing else to do.

Thanks.

I hope your wife gets better.

Let's go, guys!

Back to class. Let's go!

I could get you a magazine, John.

Sorry.

How about some pie?

Not tonight, Debbie.

Hi. Would you like some more coffee?

Yeah, a cup will do.

Come on. Let's move it.

We got five minutes to clean this place up.

Hey!

Get her out of there.

I got her.

Open up!

Komenko.

- Komenko! - Right here!

Here you go, Eric.

Good luck.

Hey, Komenko!

Eric! Eric!

You going home?

Not exactly.

Morning.

Good morning.

We're two early risers.

Yeah.

Come and sit.

Have some breakfast.

Eric, you don't have to pray.

Or only if you want to.

In this house, your spirituality is your own.

I do want to.

Okay.

This isn't a library.

Fuck off, Paul.

A note from Lori there for you.

Read it to me, sugar?

She's going to go stay at Kim's for the weekend.

One of the girls from the store is going to drive her.

Excuse me.

It's okay.

I'm sorry.

It was nice of you to use a mint.

Wow. You look like a real college kid.

You mind me saying "kid"?

No.

Should I try that?

Sure.

- Here. - Thanks.

So, the money for the house came to...

Well, it's quite a lot.

I'll work for my money.

College is a full-time job.

Just don't forget who you are.

- I'm sorry. - It's okay.

I'm sorry, too.

Where's Battenville?

North of Albany.

Some random town.

That's cool.

I was going to go to Albany to look at colleges.

Maybe I could stop by.

Where should we meet?

There's a place out here called FunLand.

- Please! - Let's go. Go, go, go.

Can we get an umbrella?

- A what? - A ladies' choice.

They still have a cotillion.

Is that what they're called?

Can you be here on Sunday?

Yeah, I think so.

FunLand. Sunday.

FunLand.

How about 5:00?

Hey, Maria...

What do you like?

Hey, Maria...

What the...

Shit!

I'm sorry.

I was just going to wait until you stopped and then sneak out.

It was raining and I needed a place that was dry.

I was going to go home,

but then there was this dog barking, so I came in here.

Did someone put you up to this?

No, of course not.

You were with the reporters.