(tries to talk to Casey before class)
Casey! (as she walks away) I'm in good shape! I can keep up with you!
(storms off upset)
Right!
Tina (catches Gen bunking off skating to go to school)
Where have you been? You are aware you had practice half an hour ago!
(turns around from her locker)
Yes, I'm aware!
Tina And?
Tina Done?! (walks toward Gen)
Tina You've got to be kidding. That's ridiculous!
No; I was ridiculous for putting myself through this for so long! We both know I don't have the talent!
Tina Gen, perseverance is nine-tenths of mastering any sport.
Do you know what I want? No, you don't know what I want! Because you never cared!
Tina (to onlooking crowd)
If you have any sense of self-preservation, you'll scatter. (to Gen) I'm listening!
I want to stop missing school! I like school! And you know what? It's stupid! And the band will probably be horrible, but you know what I want? I want to go to the homecoming dance! And I want to go with Brian! And I want to stop feeling like an idiot for flunking math because I don't have the time to learn it! And I want–!
Tina (shouts)
All right! (says softly) All right. I can see that maybe we've overdone it!
Overdone it? Just a little! Casey's skates, Mom?
Tina We'll continue this discussion at home!
(slumps down the wall, crying. Then Casey offers her hand to help her up)
You heard the whole thing?
(nods her head)
It's your slot, Case! If I drop out you're right next! You're going to sectionals!
No. Thanks, but tomorrow's my Harvard interview! That's my slot! That's what I should be doing.
Tina [Before Casey's long program]
Put these in. (Hands her earplugs)
Tina Believe me, you don't want to know. If they fall, you'll get cocky. If they bring the crowd to its feet, you'll feel pressured. No one else exists. Go into the bubble.
Are you happy about my feet?!
Tina What? I'm sorry, Casey, but your old skates were a mess.
You bought her new skates?!
Oh, please! Like you didn't know!
How can you lie to my face?! You're just as bad as she is!
T Teddy
Hey, ease up, Casey!
Oh! Just defend her, like you weren't part of it!
T Teddy
How can you think that?
Because it's true! Y-you set me up! All of you! What kind of people are you?!
(to Casey)
Honey, get in the car. Just get in the car. (to Tina) How dare you!
Tina Just hang on, kids.
You think you can just waltz away after injuring my daughter?!
Tina It's Joan, right?
Pulling her away from her studies behind my back?!
Tina Nobody pulled her!
Filling her head with some kind of fantasy that she can skate and then sabotaging every chance she had?!
Tina I did you both a favor. You didn't want this for Casey and you're right. She's not cut out for it. Is she gifted? I'll give her that. But Casey will never fight for it. She's too polite to do what you have to, which is to push past everyone and everything and just take it.
So that's the example you set for your daughter. To lie and to sneak around and to cheat!
Tina I made my daughter strong, and you made Casey at home in a lecture hall. And she's going to do very well there. So you see? We agree.
My daughter is brilliant. She will succeed at whatever she does. But she will do it the right way, despite people like you trying to convince her otherwise.
