Previously on "Cruel Summer"...
We should make a list of all the things we want to do this summer.
Number 12 on the list.
Play hide-and-seek in an empty house.
Ready or not, here I come.
I complete a list item
which is supposed to be fun,
and you're repaying me by flushing my mom's bag of joints?
Even best friends grow apart.
We're not growing apart.
I like you, Angela.
Well, it's not like I stole your husband.
You left him, so...
Wait, I'm sorry, hang on. Is that what he told you?
You're drunk and you dropped your keys in the fountain.
I'm so sorry, okay?
Jamie!
You, uh, still think about Kate?
Dude, I'm happy... with Jeanette.
She's... she's great.
[girls giggling]
-Vincent: You ready? -Ben: With you, I'm ready.
-Jeanette: Jamie! -Ben: Please listen to me, Jeanette, you need to go.
-I came as soon as I heard. -Bitch!
-[girls screaming] -Get her out of here! Go!
Ben, do you, in any way...
blame Jeanette for what happened to you?
-What? -It's Kate Wallis.
Chatting with her sister.
Kate, what's wrong?
My mom hit me.
I just don't know where to go.
Come inside.
Jeanette: Kate went to Martin Harris's willingly.
This changes everything.
I think this is the key to Martin Harris's house.
It's Jeanette. She's lying.
[modem buzzing, beeping]
Greg: You only used this key once?
I already told you, a bunch of times.
Okay, tell me again, 'cause I'm trying to wrap my head
around the fact that you've been lying to my face
when I told your mother we can trust your word.
Is Mom coming home soon?
I'm working on it.
But, please, Jeanette, just answer the question.
We used it one time,
for some stupid, immature list item last summer.
And you stole it from my office?
You could have gotten me fired, do you get that?
I'm sorry! It was dumb.
We broke into Martin Harris's house.
We played hide-and-seek, but that's it.
And you never went back?
No.
If the police find out about this from Mallory or Vince, or anyone,
this could look very bad.
I know. It keeps me up at night, okay?
That's why you're going to tell them yourself.
Today, after school.
It's for your own good.
Jeanette: Do you think anyone will notice?
Cindy: That you got your braces off?
Everyone's gonna notice.
I mean, it's the first day of school, there's a lot of stuff going on.
You were already beautiful, braces and all.
Dad, you have to say that.
Doesn't mean it isn't true.
Cindy: Derek! We're eating.
I think he's still sleeping.
I can hear him snoring from the hallway.
You're gonna be late for school.
He told me last night he's driving himself.
-Have some of these. -Oh, blueberries.
I think I found a bullet, like you asked.
And this one might be silver.
What am I looking at?
It's a private online chat between Kate Wallis and her older sister,
who's pretending to be somebody else.
-Okay. -It's about how Kate ended up
in Martin Harris's basement.
Kate Wallis went to Martin Harris's house willingly.
This is not the narrative that she's presented on the record.
It's a glaringinconsistency in Kate's story.
This could help demonstrate that Kate has bent the truth.
Kate won't contribute to a narrative
that paints her to be anything less than a saint.
When in reality...
she's a huge liar.
And now we have proof.
Stop.
Come on. Does your new hobby have to include
taking candid photos of me?
I'm documenting our precious high school memories.
I'm not sure there's that much I want to remember.
What with all the Kate rumors
and my mom leaving.
Can we skip today?
Look, maybe today
you have a few eyes on you.
But the rumor mills spin on,
and tomorrow everyone will be talking about
how Sharon Ethridge gave John Rollo a handy.
[laughs] A girl can dream, right?
So... how you feel about being
a non-couple couple today at school with Ben?
[clicks tongue]
Uh... it's just gonna be mad weird.
And... you're stalling.
Yes. [laughs]
Still can't believe your mom didn't take the minivan.
Cindy didn't take a lot of things.
-[school bell rings] -[rock music playing]
student: What's up, Hallowell?
Medford High is going down this year.
You bet your ass.
Hey, Tyler.
Ben Hallowell might be scoring
on and off the football field this year.
[giggling]
Jamie: Dude, you're loving these girls' attention, aren't you?
Shut up.
-Renée: Is that Jeanette Turner? -Tennille: She's such a bitch.
Look at who just rolled in from Loser Island.
Or is it juvie?
[giggling]
The rumor mill will spin on, remember?
Right after it chews me up and spits me out.
[both sigh]
A new year, a new you... Smile!
Thanks, Mom.
Bye!
-Hi! -Welcome, Jeanette Turner, to life without braces.
[Jeanette laughs]
Are you seriously still carrying around Kate's scrunchie?
I'm just trying to remember to give it back, jeez.
That's what you said when you wore it to the mall,
and to the movies, and to the roller rink,
as if we'd ever just run into Kate Wallis.
-It's weird, Jeanette. -You're making it weird.
You two, stop, please. Please.
I cannot relive the contraband incident.
-Fine. -We're stopping.
Thank you.
Well, kids, today summer dies.
And in its place, this bullshit.
Welcome. It's gonna be a great year.
Let's go inside.
I picked it out for you in Paris.
You like it?
So, you were shopping in Paris
while I was rotting here in Skylin?
It was for work.
But maybe you and I can plan a trip sometime.
I'm going to register for my GED.
So whatever you want to say, just say it.
Yeah, Derek mentioned that you dropped out.
How in the world did that happen?
It's funny how you miss things when you abandon your family, Cindy.
-It's "Mom." -It's whatever I want it to be
if you want me to keep sitting here.
You're still mad at me?
[scoffs] Mad?
Mad is what I was when you packed a bag to go to Aunt Susan's
with no warning.
Or when you forced visitation on me?
Because the rules of separation say that I have to see you.
Do you hate me?
No.
Thank God.
Look, I just...
I want you to think about this lawsuit.
What about it?
I know you don't want my advice
and I know you're really mad at the world right now,
but... when you look back on your life,
how are you going to feel about having sued a kidnapping victim?
Wow.
You're still on the Wallises' side?
No. I don't want you to have any regrets.
This lawsuit is a no-win situation for you.
I know that is a hard truth to hear,
but your dad won't ever say the right stuff.
No. You don't get to say a bad word about him.
Nothing.
He is not perfect.
But at least he stayed.
Sorry, I'm afraid it's a no.
It's cool. No need to explain.
I'd love to look the other way,
but it's a liability to have someone with a record
working at a place that deals with cash and alcohol.
I'm sorry.
Thanks.
[school bell rings]
Kate's gonna be on The Marsha Bailey Show?
I know. She is so lucky.
I don't know if "lucky" is the right word.
Oh, lover boy, sad she won't talk about you?
Tennille: Speaking of lovers,
hey, Ben, you wanna catch a movie on Friday?
Oh, with the... with the crew?
No.
Oh.
Um...
I kind of have to focus on training right now.
The scouts are about to swarm.
I'm... I'm sorry.
Renée: Your loss, Hallowell.
Jamie: Yikes.
What are you looking at, creep?
Hey!
Shit, shit.
-Are you okay? -That reporter spotted me.
What do you want?
Can we talk?
I can't keep sitting here like a sitting duck, okay?
-Once one comes, the rest follow. -[camera shutter clicks]
Look, I just really needed to talk to you since I saw you.
And you can say no, but just...
please consider coming to my garage later to talk.
I gotta go.
-Vincent: Hello. -Hi.
Survived the first three periods.
Oh, kind of.
And to celebrate...
surprise!
No, you finished the prank tape?
Of course I did. It's the last list item.
I'm a closer.
Are we still doing that?
Don't tell me you're nervous.
Not at all.
Good. Because it's gonna be hilarious
and we're the geniuses behind it.
If we pull this off, we could be legends.
Mallory: Okay, I'm gonna go to the AV room at lunch when everybody's here.
You two are on lookout.
It-It's just kind of the... the list is a summer thing.
I don't know, summer's over.
Not until every item is complete.
Okay. Well, I need to ask Mr. Willis a question,
so I'll meet you guys inside?
Meet us at the chem lab, and hurry.
How's the hangover, Jamie boy?
I think it'll be a long time,
like years, before I drink again.
[laughing and giggling]
By the way, have you all seen Kate today?
-Nope. -Hmm-mm.
Yeah, me either.
Maybe she's home sick.
She's probably busy doing next week's homework. You know Kate.
I made her late for her birthday last night.
I hope she's not mad at me.
Trouble in paradise?
Yeah, never mind. I'll call her.
Hey, jailbird.
Hey.
-Hey! Where are you going? -Home.
Don't give them the satisfaction of getting under your skin, Jeanette.
I can't do this. Everybody hates me.
I don't.
You shouldn't be seen with me.
Everybody's gonna hate you too.
Jeanette, I don't care.
With you and Ben under wraps,
you don't wanna be in the spotlight.
The rumor mill's gonna keep spinning,
but I don't want you to be in it.
Jeanette!
Yeah, I'll call you later?
For your own good, you shouldn't.
Don't say that.
Dude, what are you doing?
You're creeping on Jeanette.
Look, man, you don't know what you're talking about.
Why?
'Cause I'm not all cool and popular
and athletic like you and your friends?
I was just checking in on her.
You completely forfeited your privilege to check on her
when you dropped her on a dime.
It is so much more complicated than that, and you know it.
Everyone at school today has been torturing her.
You kind of made it open season when you gave her a black eye.
Exactly.
That feeling is called guilt.
And it's your problem,
not Jeanette's.
Leave her alone.
-[tinny notes on tape] -[female breathing loudly]
man: Till death do us part.
woman: Till death do us part.
[romantic orchestral music in background]
[recorded breathing continues]
[receiver clicks on tape]
[loud click on tape]
I even got Mr. Harris.
This morning, his sprinkler soaked him.
You really are a closer.
You took forever.
I had to pee.
Is that allowed?
Whatever. Let's just do this.
[sighs]
How long should I wait? Like 15 minutes?
Don't you want to get in and out as fast as possible?
Well, it's lunch, and a part of the prank
is interrupting class so we have to wait for class to start.
After I hit "play," I'll slip out.
We'll be a few minutes late, it's no sweat.
This is really time-consuming.
Do you have somewhere better to be?
No.
I didn't think so.
Vince, you take that hall. Jeanette, you cover this one.
Who died and made you boss?
Uh, a lot of people, actually.
Guys.
Oh!
Hi.
Well, I guess I'll...
get going.
Your mom died, right?
[scoffs]
Mine too.
I... Three years, this fall.
I guess we have that in common.
Well, I'd love to talk about it sometime...
if you want to.
I mean, I don't really know anyone else
like... us.
How about now?
Like... now now, or...?
Yeah.
It's not something you can talk about with just anybody.
It's a sensitive subject.
Yeah.
I knew my mom was dying.
It was cancer.
Every day I'd wake up and...
wonder if that would be the day.
That day didn't come for another year.
I was 13.
I'm sorry.
Hmm...
It's brutal.
Was your mom sick?
A car accident.
She was dead hours before I knew.
I've always tried to remember...
those few hours when she was gone,
but I didn't know my world was upside down yet.
Yeah.
Do you remember the last thing you said to her?
I asked her to pick up
some string cheese on the way home.
[laughs]
How about you?
I had a lot of time to think about it.
And there was something...
that I wanted to be brave enough to tell her.
But...
I chickened out.
I told her that...
I loved her
and, uh...
that was it.
What was the thing you chickened out about?
Um...
♪
What do you want?
Hey. Um...
Do you wanna sit down?
No, I don't wanna sit down.
Yeah. Uh...
Yeah, that's... that's fair.
How could you ask me to sit with you?
Really? After you called me a bitch
and you punched me in the face?
And I'll regret what I did
every day for the rest of my life.
I got caught up in this
macho protective thing, and it was dumb.
And I'm so... so sorry.
That's what I've been trying to say.
Why did you do it?
I thought I was defending Kate.
I didn't have a reason not to believe her.
Over me?
You knew me.
Yeah.
And now?
Who do you believe?
Well, it's not good, Cindy,
but at least it's an explanation for the key.
I'm saying you were right and I was wrong.
What else do you want me to say for you to come home?
Fine.
Fine! You don't wanna come home, don't come home!
Why aren't you in school?
I hate it there. I'm not going back.
Oh, you wanna be a high school dropout?
Maybe?
Who are you?
How could you even ask me that?
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where are you going?
To crawl under a rock.
No, we're going to the police station right now.
Your actions have consequences, Jeanette.
♪
[footsteps approaching]
Do you know where my daughter is?
Hey. I've been paging you. Is everything all right?
Cindy came to see me.
She what?
I-I am so sorry. That's way over the line.
Greg, why haven't you been honest with me?
Um, given the time, I'd say she's at lunch.
Everything okay at home?
Yes and no.
It's a little embarrassing, but...
I'm not sure if she showed up to school today.
You haven't seen her?
It's a big school.
Um... did you check with the front office?
No.
You've been around our family long enough now
to know how we do things.
Quietly.
Privately.
I needed someone inside the fold,
which is why I came to you.
Let me make a call.
woman: Good morning.
Kelly Sue? It's Martin.
Could we run through today's absences?
-Kelly Sue: Oh, sure. -Great.
Let me see, I've got Evan Lewis...
Evan Lewis, okay.
And there's another here, uh...
oh, Kate Wallis.
Kate Wallis, thank you.
She's not here?
I'm afraid not.
Joy: She stormed out of the house last night.
Rod and I waited up all night but she didn't come back.
She's running way to prove a point.
Lord, I ran away to pout at a friend's house
a dozen times when I was her age.
Suddenly I'm on the flip side of my old teenage trick.
[floor creaks]
Well, if she's going off her old playbook,
I'm sure she is safe and, uh...
pouting at a friend's house, like you said.
But not showing up to school is a whole new level.
I hate to say it, but...
maybe it's time to involve the police.
No.
Uh... that would be
the antithesis of...
of doing things quietly,
privately.
You know, she's been missing a whole night
without police involvement.
I wouldn't want them
to confuse that with negligence,
which obviously you and I
both know is not the case.
See, this is why I came to you first.
Kate's a good girl.
She'll come home, I'm sure of it.
Holy shit, Kate.
Joy: Thanks again, Martin.
[door opens and closes]
Mrs. Wallis!
I'm Jeanette.
Yes, Cindy Turner's girl?
Yeah. I'm one of... I'm one of Kate's friends.
No, that part doesn't ring a bell.
We're new friends.
I wanted to tell you, if you need anything,
I'm here.
What would I ever need from you?
So, third time this week.
Is it?
But... who's counting, right?
Right.
Oh, no, you...
you probably think that I have a drinking problem.
I really don't.
I sell the stuff. I can't judge.
I don't even really go to bars.
Then why is it your third time here this week?
Guess I just like the company.
Rod: Excuse me, can I get some quarters for the meter?
Just picking up a keg for my, uh...
Everything okay here?
Rod: How about those quarters?
Greg: He and his wife spread false rumors about my daughter.
You told me you had no reason to believe Jeanette was involved
at all with what happened to Kate.
I don't.
But you knew she had a key to Martin Harris's house.
Have I not been an open book with you?
I thought we both were.
When we met, my business was falling apart,
my daughter was the town pariah.
I was newly separated.
I told you all that up front, didn't I?
Except about the key.
She had the key from when she played hide-and-seek
in that house two years ago.
When she was still kid enough to play hide-and-seek.
I made her turn it over to the police.
They seemed satisfied.
So... no.
I don't believe my daughter had anything to do with what happened to Kate.
[sighs]
There's...
Hey... ask me anything.
Open book, remember?
You said Cindy left you.
She did.
She told me
she asked for space
to work things out and you shut down.
She packed a bag
and walked out that door.
And yeah, as a result,
I probably did shut down.
I don't wanna stand between two people
that should still be married.
Cindy was my high school sweetheart.
We... we shared values
and children and property,
and our marriage was...
sensible.
It was a good marriage but it ran its course.
But you and me...
I mean, it happened fast
and I came with a little bit of baggage
so it's probably not that sensible, but...
it also feels right.
Yeah?
I'm myself when I'm with you.
The me I am now.
I like this guy.
Good.
'Cause that guy likes you too.
Yes!
TP stuck to your shoe.
Oh, Mrs. Robb...
you made this way too easy.
What are you doing here?
Uh... an AV Club meeting.
AV Club meets in the morning,
so again, what are you doing in here?
[clears throat]
It's a prank.
Uh... it's a video
of all our favorite teachers
doing silly things.
It's playing instead of the afternoon announcements.
What the hell is that?
Oh, it's harmless.
It's you this morning.
This is playing school-wide. That's not harmless. Turn it off.
Now!
You've earned yourself a detention.
[sighs]
What the actual hell?
I have news, Mallory.
I don't care. You abandoned me.
I have a good reason. Kate Wallis...
Shut up about Kate Wallis.
"A," she's the worst,
and "B," she's way out of your league.
Uh... she's not.
What's wrong with your league?
Our league with me and Vince?
N-Nothing. Nothing, that's not what I meant.
Wait, wait.
Mallory, what happened?
Mr. Harris caught me. I got detention.
Vincent: Oh, man, I...
Mrs. Sherrod came around and I had to scram.
Fine.
And what's your excuse?
What's your excuse for abandoning me and Vincent after we went shoplifting?
I thought we were past that.
Maybe I'm not past you, your pushing me around all the time
and calling all the shots.
What are you talking about?
My mom says it's natural for best friends to grow apart.
-Easy. -No...
Let her talk.
Friends...
they don't bully one another.
It's everything you want or else.
That's not a friendship.
Maybe I wanna make some of my own choices.
Maybe I wanna make some new friends.
So, what, you don't wanna be friends with me and Vince anymore?
I didn't say anything about Vincent.
Got it.
Hey. Give me a ride to the field?
Sure. Yeah.
[starts engine]
You know, I tried to apologize to you last year.
Whoa, eyes on the road.
I saw the way people were torturing you at school.
It was too much.
So I started driving to you...
-[tires squeal] -Ben: Dude, have you been drinking?
I just needed liquid courage to talk to Jeanette.
Then everything just...
[tires squealing]
...spiraled.
-Jamie, stop! -Got it.
-Jamie, hit the brakes! Stop! -[tires squeal]
And I ruined my best friend's future.
[sirens wailing]
Radio the hospital.
We've got a severe compound fracture.
officer: Watch your head, son.
Vince.
Are you okay?
I don't know.
I'm coming with you.
No, I don't think you should.
I'm sorry.
girl: Feel better, Ben!
Right there.
[officer taps ambulance door]
[siren wailing]
[exhales loudly]
[panting loudly]
[groans]
Jamie: Thank God the other driver was okay,
but...
Ben...
And you were on your way to see me?
More damage I've caused from all this.
It's not on you at all.
It's on me.
You know, every day I wake up...
and I forget for a moment
that any of this ever happened.
And then you remember?
And it ruins the rest of your day.
Yeah.
What's with the tape recorder?
Whoa, you got your braces off.
[laughs] Yeah.
Yeah, it was like
the best day of my life when I got mine off.
You had braces?
Yeah, it was like the head gear,
full setup.
Really nice smile, by the way.
-Oh, thanks. -Yeah.
Um...
I... I, um...
I overheard that Kate was missing.
Uh, yeah, yeah.
She wasn't in school today.
She's not at home either.
What?
Yeah.
M-Mrs. Wallis reported her missing to Mr. Harris.
Oh my God, really?
I know that they always, like, suspect the boyfriends first
from like TV and stuff, so I don't know, I thought I should just warn you.
I gotta... I gotta go.
Okay.
Bye.
See you later.
So a few months after Kate went missing,
on Christmas Eve, uh...
it's dumb but I got this message
on my answering machine.
Just a bunch of random sounds and...
What?
But I just thought it might have something to do with Kate.
Christmas Eve?
Let me hear it.
It... it's nothing.
It's embarrassing I even kept it, really.
Then let me hear it.
-[tinny notes playing] -[female breathing loudly]
man: Till death do us part.
-[breathing continues] -woman: Till death do us part.
[romantic orchestral music in background]
[breathing continues]
See? I told you it's nonsense.
I gotta go.
[thunder rumbling]
Mallory?
Hey.
What?
You know I hate asking you for a favor, but...
I need that snow globe.
Why would I still have that?
Come on, it's important.
Why would that piece of junk be important?
If you think it's a piece of junk, then what does it matter? Just give it back to me.
Like I said, I don't have it.
And I'd love to say I'm sorry, but I'm not, at all.
So, peace.
[Pixies playing "Where is My Mind?"]
♪ With your feet on the air and your head on the ground ♪
♪ Your head will collapse and there's nothing in it ♪
♪ And you'll ask yourself
♪ Where is my mind?
♪ Where is my mind? ♪
♪ Where is my mind?
♪ Where is my mind? ♪
♪ Way out
♪ In the water
♪ See it swimmin'
♪ I was swimmin' in the Caribbean ♪
♪ Animals were hiding behind the rock ♪
♪ Except a little fish bumped into me ♪
♪ Swear he was trying to talk to me, said, "Wait, wait..." ♪
♪ Where is my mind?