[bell rings] [indistinct chatter]
[phone chiming]
SIMON: Victor! How'd it go with Mia?
Did you guys...?
VICTOR: I choked. Big time.
But honestly, Simon, is sex such a big deal?
I mean, everything else about our relationship is picture perfect.
I know you probably think I'm grasping at straws,
but if there's a chance for me to be happy and normal,
why not try?
‐ Hey. ‐ Hey.
Um...
Look, about last night,
I'm sorry I freaked out like I did.
‐ It's okay.
If you're not ready, you're not ready.
‐ Thanks.
‐ So...
I have a favor to ask you.
Um, my dad is hosting this university fundraiser Saturday.
It'll be super lame and boring‐‐ ‐ I'd love to.
‐ Okay, well, it starts at 5:00,
but the first few hours are just old people eating tiny quiches,
and bidding on a silent auction,
so... ‐ Are you kidding?
I love tiny quiches, and old people,
and don't even get me started on silent auctions.
I'm always wishing regular auctions would...
shut up. ‐ Yeah, I think you need to shut up.
[Victor chuckles]
VICTOR: Happy and normal.
I can do that.
♪ upbeat music playing ♪
‐ ♪ Waiting for the time ♪
♪ Waiting for the place ♪
♪ And I, I, I ♪
♪ I, I need ♪
♪ Somebody to tell me it'll be all right ♪
♪ Somebody to tell me it'll be just fine ♪
♪ If someone has been there before, say it right now ♪
♪ 'Cause I just need to hear it ♪
♪
[indistinct chatter]
‐ Dude, I have some hot goss.
Now, I was gonna text, but I wanted to see your face when I told you.
‐ You and Lake hooked up.
‐ Oh, my God. It's already on Creek Secrets?
I mean, w‐what are the kids calling us? Is it Fe‐lake? Or Lake‐lix?
Please let it be Fe‐lake. ‐ No, it's not on Creek Secrets.
I saw you both, and you looked like two snakes trying to swallow each other.
‐ Oh, stop it.
Oh, there she is. All right. Wish me luck.
I'm going in.
Hey.
‐ Hi. ‐ Loved your Instagram post this morning.
"Felt cute. Might delete later."
You are, and ya shouldn't. [chuckles]
‐ Thanks. ‐ So, I'm not sure what you're planning Saturday night,
but my cousin works at the botanical garden,
and the corpse flowers are about to bloom.
I mean, they're supposed to smell terrible,
but if you just want...
[groans] Whoa, here? Now?
[door squeaks closed] Awesome!
Let me just take out my Invisalign.
‐ We never hooked up, okay?
‐ Yes, we did. On Mia's couch?
‐ No, I know we did. But what I'm saying is...
it can never happen again.
Oh, Megan. Love your top.
[exhales]
♪
[groans]
‐ Ugh. Pilar,
you have been looking at your phone and sad‐sighing for an hour.
‐ All my friends back at home are at a Billie Eilish concert.
‐ Oh. You are having what they call "MOFO."
‐ It's not "MOFO," it's "FOMO."
‐ So, uh, I found your hair dryer.
[gasps, then sighs] Yeah. Adrian had it under his bed.
I guess he's been using it to warm his pajamas?
‐ [laughs] We have some weird‐ass kids. ARMANDO: Mm‐hmm.
‐ Uh, Mando,
I've been looking at our bills,
and everything here is so much more expensive.
What if...
I went back to giving piano lessons? ‐ No.
‐ No?
‐ I'm just saying that I'm... I'm doing really good right now.
That's all.
You do not need to work, amor.
I got this.
ADRIAN: Mom, where's the hair dryer?
My pajamas are freezing.
[thunks]
‐ ♪ No limits, no limits ♪
‐ Victor, thank God you're here. Something terrible has happened.
‐ The espresso machine is busted. Sarah's just being dramatic.
‐ I am not being dramatic, Benji.
Is that what you think of me? That I'm dramatic?
Victor, you stay here and man the store.
Benji, you and I are driving to the repair guy in Willacoochee.
‐ What if Victor and I went?
‐ Okay, fine. But don't come back without that machine looking new,
and ready to brew. Here. Take my car.
‐ [sighs] Um, how far is Willacoochee,
'cause I have a thing at Mia's tonight that I can't miss.
‐ Oh, it's like a couple of hours.
But if we leave now, get there by 10:00,
get this thing fixed by lunch, we can have you back by 4:00.
‐ That's cutting it close.
‐ Please, Victor. I, I can't do another road trip with Sarah.
Last time, she made us stop at the Ann Taylor Outlet.
Two hours of watching her try on irregular turtlenecks.
She bought them all, Victor.
All of them. ‐ Okay, fine.
I'll go. I'll let Mia know.
‐ Great. You're driving. [keys jangle]
No license. I keep failing the test.
[laughs]
MIA: Willacoochee? That's a trek.
VICTOR [over phone]: But don't worry. I'll definitely be back in time.
‐ Say hi to Benji. Bye.
HAROLD: No, that's fine. Okay. ‐ Hi, Mia.
‐ Hi. ‐ Good to see you.
‐ Okay. We're hugging.
‐ So was that Victor on the phone?
You know, I'm pretty excited to meet him.
‐ I remember how nervous I was to introduce my first boyfriend to my dad.
[laughs] Pete Hadley. My dad hated him.
But in his defense, Pete showed up hung over,
and he threw up in our bird bath. [laughs]
Poor birds. MIA: Hmm.
It's a great story, Veronica.
‐ Ooh. She just does not like me.
[Harold sighs, clears throat] Which is... fine.
Because I'm dating you, and not her. ‐ Look, just give it time, okay?
She's a teenager.
And I'll bet you were pretty much the same way when you were that age.
‐ Oh, I was much worse.
Thank God for tattoo removal.
[Harold chuckles]
You think I'm joking.
[loud knocking]
‐ Oh. Hey. Is, uh, Victor around?
I need some lady advice.
‐ Not here. ‐ Oh.
Huh.
Pfffft.
‐ Fine. What is it?
‐ Okay, so the other day, this girl and I hooked up.
It was extremely erotic.
Like in The Shape of Water where that mute girl
feeds the fish man all those hard‐boiled eggs?
[sighs] But I tried talking to her at school,
and she just blew me off. Said it couldn't happen again.
‐ So?
‐ So, I want it to happen again?
I need it to happen again.
‐ Okay. Who's the girl?
‐ Promise you won't tell?
‐ You know what? Don't tell me. I was just being polite.
‐ It was Lake. [laughs] [phone dings]
[laughs] She just posted a selfie.
Captioned "Brain freeze!"
I'm gonna write back, "LOL."
No. "Hilarious."
"LOL" or "hilarious?"
‐ How many of her posts do you like? ‐ All of 'em.
Sometimes I unlike a post, just to re‐like it,
to make sure she saw that I liked it.
And I hear it. [sighs] Oh, God.
‐ You're not the only person who stalks somebody's Insta.
All I do lately is watch my friends back at home having fun without me.
‐ Yeah, well, 20/20 was right.
Social media really is the drug in our front pocket.
[sighs] But whatcha gonna do?
‐ We could go cold turkey.
No phones, no temptation.
‐ Oh, I‐‐ ‐ Adrian!
‐ Yeah?
‐ I need you to make those disappear.
‐ Make what disappear?
‐ How did he do that?
‐ God, I love road trips.
My dad and I used to road trip to Dollywood, like, twice a year.
‐ Really? ‐ Yeah.
‐ [laughs] I never would have pegged you as a Dolly Parton stan.
‐ What? Rude. Dolly is timeless.
Yeah, she's one of the few things that gay sons and straight dads
actually agree on. [laughs]
‐ Are you guys still close, or... ?
‐ You mean, since I came out?
Oh, we're not estranged or anything.
But it's not the same as before.
‐ Yeah.
That's really shitty.
‐ Yeah. Yeah, it is.
♪ song plays softly on radio ♪
[phone jingling]
[scoffs] I'm not gonna force you to road trip with me
and then just talk to my boyfriend the whole time.
‐ "I used to be bad at playing the piano,
"but now, thanks to my mami's lessons,
I'm a natural!" ‐ Okay.
Papi, that was good, but just remember, I'm not your mami.
You're just some regular kid taking piano lessons. [door opens, then closes]
‐ Adrian, back on the keys?
‐ No, we're actually making an Instagram video
for Mami's new piano lesson business.
I mean, not Mami. This woman I don't know.
‐ Papi, why don't you go to your room and practice your lines?
‐ Okay.
[Armando chuckles] ISABEL: Thank you.
‐ I told you you didn't have to work. ‐ I know.
I know I don't have to work.
I want to work.
Why are you being like this? It's just piano lessons.
‐ Your piano lessons is how you and Roger ended up...
...getting so close.
‐ How many times do I have to promise
that that is never gonna happen again?
I need this.
Something outside of the house. Something for me.
‐ Then do something else. Anything else. ‐ Like what?
Music is my passion. I love teaching. I'm good at it.
I've apologized a hundred times.
I moved across the country.
When are you gonna start trusting me again?
‐ I don't know.
[sighs]
[chair squeaking]
‐ What did people do before phones?
‐ I don't know. Talk to each other.
‐ Okay. So let's do that.
‐ So, uh, what do you want to talk about?
Oh, I know. Lake posted this super funny Instagram story
of her singing Mamma Mia songs.
‐ You're obsessing again.
You're just like my friend Mandy back in Texas.
She loves talking about her boyfriend, TJ.
‐ No, no. Now you're obsessing.
‐ [sighs] I don't even know why I'm acting like this.
It's not like my friends in Graham were even that cool.
But at least I had a crew, you know?
People to get coffee with.
People to watch reality shows with.
‐ And you haven't met one person at Creekwood you like hanging out with?
‐ Nope. Or anyone that wants to hang out with me.
I'm kind of an acquired taste.
‐ Hey, for what it's worth, I do like coffee.
‐ Do you wanna get coffee?
‐ Sorry. Didn't catch that.
‐ Do you wanna get coffee? ‐ I'd love to.
[tapping]
[clanging]
[banging]
‐ Yeah, she's broke.
‐ Um, so what's the damage?
‐ And can it be fixed in an hour or two? I really need to get back to Atlanta.
‐ Yeah, boys, I know you're in a hurry,
but this old machine is like my wife at a train station.
When I try to rush her,
she insists we have time to get soup.
She orders the soup,
she makes 'em toast the bread bowl...
‐ Will you just call us when it's ready?
‐ I shall. And now I shall get my special tools.
‐ Okay.
‐ Relax.
You worrying isn't gonna make him go any faster,
If we get tight on time, you can always go straight to Mia's.
‐ Y‐yeah, not like this.
Mia's thing is super fancy.
‐ Okay, well, I saw a thrift shop on the way into town.
And we have time to kill.
‐ Okay. Okay, fine.
But I'm not wearing anything someone died in.
♪ "Shades" by The Knocks ♪
‐ ♪ People say that I'm a rock star ♪
[laughing]
VICTOR: Ooh! I actually like it a lot.
‐ Looking good.
‐ ♪ Well just because I'm such a rock star ♪
[laughing]
♪ Doesn't mean I always get high ♪
[Victor laughs] ‐ Howdy.
‐ ♪ Uh ♪
♪
[both vocalizing]
[Victor laughing]
[phone jingling]
[clears throat]
‐ Hey!
‐ Hey. Uh, are you on your way back?
People are starting to get here. VICTOR [over phone]: Um, not quite.
Uh, the machine's taking longer than we thought,
so I'll probably miss the auction part.
But I'll be there for the back half,
and I'm actually picking out a special outfit for it right now.
‐ I can't wait to see it.
‐ Can't wait to see you. ‐ Okay. Bye.
[phone beeps]
ANDREW: Well, this is awkward.
‐ [chuckles] Maybe for you.
This is my house. What's your excuse?
‐ I love auctions.
Actually, you wouldn't happen to have 40K I could borrow?
I'm... I saw this Babylonian jug
I suddenly can't live without.
‐ Did your dad make you come?
‐ Yeah. He, uh, ignores me 90% of the time.
Then, at fundraisers, he parades me around to his alumni friends
like some sort of freakin' show‐pony.
‐ Mm. Been there. ‐ I know.
‐ What was that game that we used to play to get through these things?
‐ Uh, "Daughter or‐‐ BOTH: Trophy Wife."
‐ I love that. ‐ Yeah.
ANDREW: Perfect. MIA: Aah.
Uh, well, definitely daughter.
‐ Yeah? ‐ Yeah.
MIA and ANDREW: Oh...
‐ Aah, damn it. [both giggling]
And gross.
‐ So, no Victor tonight?
‐ He's on his way.
‐ Mm.
He's running a little late, isn't he?
‐ Goodbye, Andrew.
BENJI: Sarah, stop yelling.
SARA [over phone]: Well, how much longer will it take?
‐ I don't know how much longer. ‐ Find out the ETA!
‐ Okay, fine. We will.
Now will you please just do a head space and calm down?
‐ I'm calm, I'm calm. Just give me a coffee machine
and I'll be calm, okay? It's my bread‐‐
BENJI: Hey, so Sarah called.
She said to stay in a motel if the machine isn't ready tonight.
That way we can bring it back first thing tomorrow before we open.
‐ We would stay the night here?
‐ Yeah. Don't worry, I know you need to get back.
So let's just pay, drive over to the repair guy,
and light a fire under his ass.
‐ Okay. Okay, cool. [phone jingles]
Oh. One sec.
‐ Hello? WALLY [over phone]: Hey.
I just finished up your repair.
‐ So it's, it's ready? ‐ It's ready!
You just come on by and pick her up.
It's Wally's Repair, down past the thrift store,
the Five and Dime across from the candy‐‐ ‐ Okay. Great.
Thank you. ‐ Okay.
Bye‐bye. ‐ All right, bye‐bye.
[phone beeps off]
[cash register beeping]
[cash register dings]
[clears throat]
Uh, hey. I just spoke to Wally.
So, we're gonna need to spend the night.
‐ But what about your, uh‐‐ ‐ Mia will understand.
I mean, work is work, right?
‐ Right.
‐ Guess I won't need this anymore. [chuckles]
Thank you.
‐ Victor, stop apologizing.
No, I get it. It's your job.
You can meet my dad‐‐
Yeah, another time.
Really, I'm not mad.
Yeah. Okay, we'll talk later.
Okay. Bye.
[phone beeps off]
‐ You know, I feel like I know that voice,
and you are definitely mad.
He's not coming, is he?
‐ Andrew, I'm really not in the mood.
‐ You hungry?
‐ Is that grilled cheese?
‐ Yeah. The food at this party sucks,
so I snuck into the kitchen and whipped one up for you.
You know, it's funny, I remember you wolfing one of these down
every single day in third grade. [Mia laughs]
‐ It's literally my favorite food in the entire world.
[Mia chuckles]
I forget that you're actually okay.
When you're not busy being the absolute worst.
‐ Yeah? Well, thank you.
I... think.
[Mia chuckles]
‐ Okay. You just had to ruin it.
‐ Hey, how come we never talked about what happened between us?
‐ 'Cause there's nothing to talk about. It was a mistake.
‐ Well, you asked me to come over.
Okay, and... ever since then,
you've been acting like it never even happened.
You know, if you didn't like me,
then how come you called me up in the middle of the night‐‐
‐ Because my mom called me.
Um, yeah. The night we...
...you know, uh, my mom called me.
She didn't even say anything, but I knew it was her.
And we just stayed on the phone in silence for like...
a minute, and then she hung up.
In some screwed up way, I think it was her version of a goodbye.
I just needed to feel something else,
so I called you.
I'm sorry, Andrew.
I mean, you were just a very bad idea,
on a very bad night.
‐ Um...
Enjoy the grilled cheese, yeah?
‐ And then Nicole started all this drama with Nathan.
‐ Wait, is this the Nicole from your math class,
or Nicole from chemistry class?
Nicole from theater? Nicole from wood shop?
Nicole from tea‐making?
Sorry, there's a lot of Nicoles in Creekwood.
‐ Chemistry. Keep up.
‐ Sorry. I feel like I should be taking notes.
[both laugh]
What?
‐ I just, I realized I haven't thought about my friends back in Texas
for like, two hours.
‐ Yeah. I haven't even thought about Lake. [door opens]
‐ Nice. ‐ No, no. Lake.
Oh. Hey!
What up?
‐ Nothing. Nothing.
Other than the fact that I posted nine Instagrams today,
and you didn't like any of them. And you like everything.
You even liked it that time I accidentally butt‐posted
a picture of the inside of my pocket.
[huffs] So what's your deal?
‐ Um, I've, uh...
I've realized I was coming on too strong.
‐ Oh.
Thank you.
‐ It's just, when the best thing that ever happens to you actually happens,
you try to do whatever you can to keep it going.
‐ Huh.
Well, meet me in the bathroom in two minutes. [giggles]
‐ Wait. You don't mind, do you?
‐ Yeah, right. 'Cause I had such a great time hanging out with you.
‐ I did too.
[chair slides]
♪ playing "Dreaming of You" by Selena on piano ♪
‐ ♪ Late at night when all the world is sleeping ♪
♪ I stay up and think of you ♪
‐ No, keep going.
Please.
[begins playing]
‐ ♪ 'Cause I'm dreaming of you tonight ♪
BOTH: ♪ Till tomorrow ♪
♪ I'll be holding you tight ♪
♪ And there's nowhere in the world ♪
♪ I'd rather be ♪
ARMANDO: Hmm?
‐ Armando, I'm sorry. ‐ Oh, no, no. Stop.
I was wrong. I...
If this is what you wanna do, then...
you should do it.
[exhales]
‐ Thank you. ‐ Yeah.
I love you. ISABEL [whispers]: I love you.
[distant dishes, silverware clinking]
‐ Did everybody leave?
‐ Almost. The dean is still here.
He and your dad are comparing their favorite scenes
from The Shawshank Redemption.
Hence why I am in here.
So that boy was cute.
‐ Andrew?
I guess.
‐ You don't like tall, dark, and charming?
Sexy?
I'm gonna stop. This feels inappropriate.
‐ Um, I have a boyfriend, remember?
‐ The elusive Victor.
‐ Well, I'll take elusive over vomiting. [both chuckle]
‐ Poor Pete Hadley. He was so sweet. But so dumb.
[scoffs] I didn't understand why he even showed up
to meet my dad if he was that drunk,
so I asked him, and you know what he said?
He said, "You always show up for the people that you love,
no matter how many whiskey sours you've had."
I'm sorry that tonight didn't turn out the way you wanted it to.
‐ Yeah. Goodnight, Veronica.
‐ Goodnight, Mia.
[Mia sighs]
♪
[thunder rumbles] [rain pouring]
[door squeaks open]
[thunder rumbles outside]
[door closes]
‐ Uh, hey, look, you could just sleep on the bed,
and I'll sleep on the... floor.
‐ That carpet is pretty nasty.
Come on. There's plenty of room.
[chuckles nervously]
[keys jingling] [rain pouring outside]
‐ I, uh...
thought you never passed your driver's test.
‐ That wasn't exactly true.
I have a license. It's just... suspended.
‐ Why?
What happened?
‐ Before I came out, I was kind of a mess.
I knew I was gay, but I didn't want to be.
So I drank.
A lot.
And then one night, I got super wasted,
and decided that I wanted Wendy's, real bad.
[exhales] So, I took my dad's car to the drive‐through,
and that's exactly what I did.
Drove through...
...the Wendy's.
‐ Oh, my God.
‐ Yeah. Luckily no one was hurt.
But I totaled my dad's car.
‐ Wow. [exhales]
That's intense.
Were, were you okay, or...?
‐ Yeah. Yeah, just... banged up.
But waking up in the hospital with my parents standing over me,
it made me realize that I could have died
without ever really being who I was.
So that's when I came out.
Hey, um, no one at school really knows about the accident,
so, if, if you could‐‐ ‐ Yeah.
I won't say anything.
[Benji exhales]
But thank you for telling me.
‐ Yeah. Of course. You are so easy to talk to.
I'm really glad you started working at Brasstown.
‐ Me, too.
‐ [sighs] I guess we should probably get to sleep, huh?
‐ Yeah, yeah. We should. [Benji clears throat]
‐ Goodnight. ‐ Goodnight.
[light clicks off]
[Benji sighs]
[thunder rumbles]
[rain pouring outside]
‐ Hey.
Is everything okay?
‐ Victor, no.
‐ I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Benji.
‐ Victor, wait. [door opens, then slams]
[panting]
VICTOR: I kissed him, Simon.
I kissed him, and it was the worst thing I could have done.
I can't keep denying this.
I am what you think I am,
but, but I, I hate it.
I don't want my life to be this hard.
[birds chirping]
[car whooshes]
Hey, Benji, look. I‐‐
‐ Let's just listen to the radio.
♪ "Shelter" by FINNEAS ♪
‐ Okay.
‐ ♪ There's no one else ♪
[phone dinging] ♪ Could ever hold me like you do ♪
SIMON: Victor, it breaks my heart
to hear you talk about yourself like that.
You're perfect.
And that part of you that you wish you could cut out,
that's the part that makes you... you.
If you could only see what my life is like in New York,
you'd see that there's a world beyond high school.
Beyond your family.
I wish you were here right now so I could give you a hug,
and make you believe it.
[tapping on screen]
Love, Simon.
‐ ♪ I'd be crazy ♪
♪ Not to want to be the one to keep you up all night ♪
♪ Give me, give me shelter, from the storm ♪
♪ Give me, give me shelter, keep me warm ♪
♪ Come kiss me by the delta ♪
♪ Where the river's torn ♪
♪ But I'll be whole as long as I'm yours ♪
♪ I don't want to think about a life without you ♪
♪ I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna ♪
♪ I don't wanna go to war but I'm about to ♪