LLOYD: I heard you put on quite a show last night.
RODERICK: I don't, uh...know what you-
LLOYD: Don't worry, I know where you guys went, it's not a problem. The deal I have with Allie is that if she's going to these parties or anyplace else where there might be drinking, kids acting stupid, whatever else? She just has to be honest with me. She's level-headed, I trust her not to ruin her life.
RODERICK: Okay.
LLOYD: Your mother told me you could sing, but you've never done it around the house. If you're really interested in that, I could find a group, an organization you could sing with. Maybe voice lessons if you're really interested.
RODERICK: That's fine, I don't need any of that.
LLOYD: All right. Suppose it would be in bad taste to ask you to perform at Thanksgiving next week, right? We haven't really talked to you too much about that. It's gonna be a real full house, are you comfortable with that?
RODERICK: I'll survive.
LLOYD: Because one reason that so many people are coming in is that they want to meet you and your mother. You'll have to do a little small talk. Probably a lot of questions about college plans...how you like school...if you're not sick of those questions now, you will be!
RODERICK: Yeah, I know.
LLOYD: So you don't have to hang around the family the whole weekend, but give it some time before you run and hide. That's all I'm saying. Eh...why is there this much traffic today? Doesn't matter, I don't have any other plans. But we need to get serious for a moment-
RODERICK: I'm not going back to Dr. Brawney.
LLOYD: Well, that's not exactly where I was going, but since you brought it up...you had a deal with us, and you've lived up to it. If you don't feel that the appointments are helping you, then you don't have to keep going to see her. But if you want my opinion? Even if you don't realize it, she is helping you.
RODERICK: I guess I can try it again, I just don't think it helps.
LLOYD: Well, from this man's perspective, you look better every single month. Now that's not all Azalea, it's mostly you, but she's still part of it.
RODERICK: Okay, I guess I'll try it again.
LLOYD: But what I really wanted to talk about is your mother.
RODERICK: I didn't mean to hurt her feelings.
LLOYD: I know.
RODERICK: I'm not a monster.
LLOYD: No one says you are. You really had two shocks. You know, one was something awful that you lived through and it came back, and one was something you found out that you never knew. She was only trying to help you through those things.
RODERICK: I know that. I'm sorry.
LLOYD: Everything she does is out of love. Maybe it doesn't always work out, but her intention is always to give you a happy life. Hold on, once we park, don't get out right away. I have more to say.
RODERICK: Okay.
LLOYD: No one is trying to change who you are.
RODERICK: I-
LLOYD: Please. Now, I can't very well sit here and tell you that I know your pain, all right? Because I just don't. Even on my worst days, no one did those kinds of things to me. So there's no way-
RODERICK: The worst part was that they didn't feel bad.
LLOYD: What's that?
RODERICK: Just...why do normal people think it's funny to hurt someone? Why do they laugh when someone's in pain?
LLOYD: There are some sick people-
RODERICK: When I was in the hospital that night, the one thing that I...I thought that it would stop. That they'd feel sorry, that they'd see what they were doing to me was wrong. And the first day they all kept their distance like they didn't want to break me but after a week, it all started again. And I overheard some of them talking, they said that what they did...it was okay, because it wasn't as bad as what Toby did, and he wouldn't have done it anyway if I wasn't such a freak. They were saying...they were saying that I deserved to...deserved to die. Because I wasn't like them. And everyone wants me to act like them, to be like them.
LLOYD: Roderick, no one...I can't speak for them, not the students or the teachers or anyone else. I like you the way you are. Your mother likes you the way you are. None of us can or would change you. We hate seeing you in pain. And maybe we aren't very...I don't know, elegant in how we express that, but it's true. Do you understand?
RODERICK: Yeah.
LLOYD: Good. All right, let's go.
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