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TRANSCRIPT:
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[Scene: Dining Hall. Grabbing a basket of flowers from off a table, Mrs. Garrett takes a set of the flowers out and sniffs them as she walks across the room. She sticks the flowers into a glass vase on one of the middle tables. She takes another set of flowers out and sniffs them again, walking to another table. She puts the flowers into the vase on that table. Jo and Blair enter in their school uniforms and stand on each side of Mrs. Garrett.]

 

Blair: (happy and proud of herself) Mrs. Garrett, you will not believe this, that I have done it again.

(Jo folds her arms across her chest and rolls her eyes.)

Mrs. Garrett: What have you done again Blair?

Blair: Thanks to me, Jo has won the annual ‘Best New Student Award.’

Jo: (nods skeptically) Thanks to her.

Mrs. Garrett: You’ve come a long way baby. (Jo smiles.) Oh, congratulations Jo, I’m so proud of you. (She hugs Jo. Jo allows this, but she’s not all too thrilled.)

Blair: What about me? I’m her mentor. I took a raw piece of marble and sculpted a masterpiece.

Jo: (grinning) I’d like to tell her what she can do with her chisel.

(Mrs. Garrett smiles.)

Blair: See, just bubbling over with clever repartee. Before I gave her polish, she would have simply grunted and punched me out.

Jo: Good habits are hard to break.

(Jo heads to the back to go upstairs and Mrs. Garrett goes to the serving counter with her basket of flowers.)

Blair: (following Jo) See you later.

(Tootie runs in with an armload of mail and Natalie runs after her.)

Natalie: Tootie, I see my package. (Tootie turns to face her.) Would you just give it to me?

Tootie: (points) Natalie, stay! (She begins to look through the mail.) Now just wait until I get my own letter.

Natalie: (tries to grab her package) Would you…

Tootie: (pulls the mail away) Would you stop?

Mrs. Garrett: Careful Natalie. Touching a mail monitor is a federal offense.

Natalie: (pulls her package out of Tootie’s hands) I’ll take my chances. (Tootie gives up and sits down. Natalie goes over to Mrs. Garrett.) I need this book to help me with my report in English Lit. (She pulls out the book from the package.)

Mrs. Garrett: (looks at the book) Oh, the ‘Films of the Three Stooges?’

Natalie: (nods) My report is called ‘Why We Laugh.’

Mrs. Garrett: (opens the book and looks through the pages) Oh, what a fun subject.

Natalie: (seriously) Comedy is not fun, Mrs. Garrett.

Mrs. Garrett: (jumps) Of course not. (She puts the book on the counter next to her flowers.)

Natalie: It’s a science. Curly, Larry, and Mo had to think very carefully before they decided on if they slapped. (She slaps herself.) Uh. An eye gouge. (She uses her two fingers and jabs them in the air and then covers her eyes.) Oh. Or a nose twist. (She uses one hand to hold her nose and another one to slap it away.) Ah. That is nothing to laugh at. (She takes her book and heads to the stairs.)

Mrs. Garrett: (laughs) Natalie really breaks me up. (She heads over to where Tootie is sitting.) She can be as funny as a rubber chicken.

Tootie: (looking at a letter) That’s awful.

Mrs. Garrett: Well I know it’s not one of my best. (Tootie looks at her seriously. Mrs. Garrett sits down next to her.) What’s the matter honey? Bad news from home?

Tootie: No, this isn’t my letter. I opened Jo’s by mistake. It’s from her father.

Mrs. Garrett: Oh, Jo will understand.

Tootie: No she won’t. Cause she told everybody her father lives in Miami.

Mrs. Garrett: I know.

Tootie: He really lives in the state slammer. (She hands the letter to Mrs. Garrett.)

Mrs. Garrett: What? Prison?

Tootie: (nods) No wonder Jo didn’t want to see Escape from Alcatraz.

Mrs. Garrett: That poor kid, trying to keep a secret like that. Hold on Tootie, we’ll figure something out.

Tootie: I already did. Jo’s letter got lost in the mail and it’s about to get flushed out to sea. (She gets up and takes the letter from Mrs. Garrett. Mrs. Garrett gets up.)

Mrs. Garrett: (gabbing the letter back) Forget it. Tootie, that would be a lie.

Tootie: But Jo’s going to think I snooped on purpose. You know my reputation.

Mrs. Garrett: Yes, you’ve earned it… Look, I’ll talk to Jo and explain everything. In the mean time, zips the word.

 

[Scene: Girls’ Room. Jo sits in a chair as Natalie tries to put her hair up. Jo takes a deep breath, trying to be patient. Blair stands on the other side watching and trying to give tips. Tootie enters the room.]

 

Tootie: Hi.

Blair: Hi Tootie. We’re deciding a hairstyle for Jo when she accepts her award.

Natalie: How about the Nancy Reagan quaff? (She pats Jo on the head.)

Jo: (brushes Natalie’s hand off her head in frustration and her hair falls down her shoulders) Forget it. I don’t want to look like someone put starch in my bra.

(Natalie and Blair laugh. Tootie goes over to the bunk beds and jumps onto the top of hers.)

Natalie: Oh wait a minute, wait a minute. How about the Barbra Streisand look? We could frizz your hair and break your nose.

Jo: Who cares about hair? (She gets up and runs her fingers through her hair.) It’s what I say that’s important. (Natalie sits down in the chair Jo left and begins playing with a wig on the desk in front of her.)

Blair: Absolutely right. (Jo looks over at her and she walks over to Jo.) And I’ve written a few words for you, (Jo folds her arms across her chest.) if you don’t mind. (She pulls out a piece of paper from her pocket and unfolds it in order to read it.) ‘A person doesn’t do this alone. There’s always an inspiration. A wonderful and multitalented inspiration…’

Jo: Look, I’m doing this my own way. (She walks past Blair to stand on the other side of Natalie. She grabs a can of hairspray from the desk and pretends it’s an award.) This award never could have happened without the help from my mother, who couldn’t be here tonight because she threw her back out. And there’s one other person…

Natalie: (grins and nods) Your father.

(Tootie watches with eyes wide open.)

Jo: No.

Blair: (smiles with expectation) Who then?

Jo: Mrs. Garrett. (Blair’s smile fades.) Without her, I wouldn’t have stuck around long enough to achieve anything. Thanks a lot, that’s it.

(She puts the can back on the desk and Natalie applauds. Blair gives Natalie a look and Natalie stops clapping and looks down at her lap. Jo shrugs. Mrs. Garrett enters.)

Mrs. Garrett: (with the letter in her hand) Hi gang.

Natalie: Hi Mrs. Garrett.

All: Hi.

Mrs. Garrett: Could I talk to you for a minute Jo?

Jo: Oh sure Mrs. G, go ahead.

Mrs. Garrett: Well, it’s uh… kind of between you and me.

Jo: Oh yeah? (She looks back at the other girls.) What kind of trouble am I in now?

Tootie: (quickly) I don’t know, don’t ask me. Was she asking me?

(Jo looks at her confused.)

Mrs. Garrett: (plays with the letter in her hands) Well, it’s, it’s, it’s really nothing Jo.

Tootie: (jumps off the bunk) Well, uh… (She grabs her shoes off the floor.) I think I’ll go rinse out a few things.

Natalie: Your shoes?

Tootie: Well there’s socks inside. Bye. (She leaves and the girls watch her.)

Blair: Come on Natalie, let’s go.

(Blair and Natalie leave.)

Jo: (throws her hand out) So, what’s the big deal here?

Mrs. Garrett: (shows her the letter) Uh, this letter came for you. It was opened by mistake.

Jo: (takes the letter and takes it out of the envelope) Oh, pfff, is that all?

Mrs. Garrett: Well, you know how a lot of our envelopes look alike when your mind is on something else. (She laughs while Jo reads the letter.) It’s so easy to mix them up.

Jo: This was opened by mistake, huh?

Mrs. Garrett: (puts her right hand up) Yes.

Jo: So, you know about my father. (Mrs. Garrett nods.) Well, it could have been a lot worse. It could have been Tootie. (Mrs. Garrett looks alarmed.) She wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut with crazy glue. (Mrs. Garrett laughs.) Or it could have been Blair. She treats me like one of the boat people as it is.

Mrs. Garrett: Jo, don’t sell your friends short.

Jo: You’re right. (She looks at the letter and then back at Mrs. Garrett.) Some father I’ve got. A jailbird. (She looks down at the letter again.)

Mrs. Garrett: (puts her hand on Jo’s shoulder) Well, I’ll leave you alone so you can read your letter. (She starts to leave.)

Jo: (huffs) I don’t have to read it. I already know what he wants. (Mrs. Garrett turns to look at her.) For me to visit him on his birthday. He’ll be forty this Saturday. Big deal. (She folds her arms over her chest.)

Mrs. Garret: As I recall, it is a big deal.

Jo: (turns to walk away from Mrs. Garrett and lets her arms fall to her sides) He writes me all the time. Asking me to understand, to be forgiving. (She stops and folds her arms across her chest again.)

Mrs. Garrett: And how do you answer him?

Jo: I don’t.

Mrs. Garrett: Oh, not a word?

Jo: (turns and goes toward Mrs. Garrett) Look, I don’t owe my father a thing. When I was twelve, he walked out on mom and me. We didn’t hear from him for years and then we find out he’s in jail. He broke into the warehouse where he works and ripped off a bunch of typewriters.

Mrs. Garrett: I see.

Jo: (turns and walks away) It’s okay. It’s been so long, I don’t even miss him anymore.

Mrs. Garrett: Sound like your dad made a lot of big mistakes. But it also sounds like he loves you.

Jo: (angry) Love isn’t writing phony letters. It’s what you do. (huffs) Boy, there are a few things I’d like to say to him. Now that I’m older, I know better words.

Mrs. Garrett: Why don’t you use them? Go see him.

Jo: Hey, give me a break. (She turns away.)

Mrs. Garrett: You have a choice. You can eat yourself up inside about your father or face up to him. Have it out, once and for all.

Jo: (turns to her) Just like that, huh? Well, even if I wanted to, how would I get there? The prison’s up near Albany.

Mrs. Garrett: (snaps) You’re in luck. It just so happens that I have to go up to Albany on Saturday.

Jo: (doesn’t believe her) Oh yeah? (She folds her arms over her chest.) Why?

Mrs. Garrett: Why? I need some… vanilla… Albany is famous for their vanilla.

Jo: Oh sure, people come from miles away.

Mrs. Garrett: Miles and miles. (Jo nods sarcastically.) How about it? I’ll get my vanilla and you can get a load off your mind.

Jo: (lets her arms fall to her side and goes past Mrs. Garrett) Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in so long. (She puts her hands on the back of a chair.)

Mrs. Garrett: Then it’s time.

Jo: (looks over at her) You’re right. I’m gunna get him out of my life once and for all.

 

[Scene: Visitors’ Room at Prison. Jo and another girl stand next to a prison guard, who shuts the door. He points the girl to one of the booths and guides Jo to another booth. She sits down and looks around. Her fingers start drumming the table. Her booth is split by a piece of glass. There are two phones, one on each side of the glass. Charlie Polniaczek comes through a door in a blue prison uniform and sits down opposite of Jo. He smiles and points to the telephone. Although she’s not happy, Jo grabs the phone and puts it to her ear.]

 

Mr. Polniaczek: Hi honey.

Jo: (hesitant) Hi. This is weird, I could have called you from school.

Mr. Polniaczek: Thanks for coming.

Jo: You got gray.

Mr. Polniaczek: (he runs his fingers through his hair) Yeah, I forgot to use my greasing formula. Jo, you’re beautiful. It’s like looking at your mother. You didn’t even go through an awkward stage.

Jo: (upset) Yeah I did. You just weren’t around to see it. And listen, don’t just try to pick up like nothing happened. I got plenty to say to you.

Mr. Polniaczek: I don’t blame you. I’ve been a lousy father.

Jo: That doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Mr. Polniaczek: I know. I lied to you, I made you ashamed of me, I struck out in everything a father’s supposed to be. How am I doing?

Jo: Better.

Mr. Polniaczek: Hey, come on. It’s all ancient history. Tell me about you. I know you’re doing great at that school.

Jo: (concerned) How’d you find out? You didn’t call the school, did you?

Mr. Polniaczek: Don’t worry. I wrote to your mom. She told me.

Jo: It’s going okay. I met some really nice girls there.

Mr. Polniaczek: You mean Blair, Natalie, and Tootie?

Jo: (astonished) Yeah.

Mr. Polniaczek: I don’t suppose you told them about me.

Jo: (disgusted) Are you kidding?

Mr. Polniaczek: (sad) Right. (Then suddenly) Oh, listen. I graduated from high school in here. They mailed me a real diploma.

Jo: (in disbelief) You got a diploma in jail?

Mr. Polniaczek: (excited) Yeah, Jo, I’ve changed. I’m going into business when I get out of here. The stock market.

Jo: The stock market?

Mr. Polniaczek: Yeah, I even got them to subscribe to the Wall Street Journal. You see, what I do is research companies and I scope out what their stock will do.

Jo: (nodding) Uh huh.

Mr. Polniaczek: Course, with a felony record, I can’t be a broker. But, I can be an analyzer or something.

Jo: Yeah, you’ve got a better line of bull than Merrill Lynch.

Mr. Polniaczek: (nods) Don’t worry, I’m starting at the bottom this time. I’m gunna take it slow and steady. Like you did in that school, winning that Best New Student Award.

Jo: (in disbelief) You found out about that? You don’t do bad for a shut in.

Mr. Polniaczek: Jo, all I’m asking for you to do is forgive me. Can’t we start again clean?

Jo: Same old song.

Mr. Polniaczek: Hey, give me a break. (Jo looks angry.) How am I gunna make it out there if, if my own daughter won’t even give me another chance? (Jo stares at the corner of the glass.) Hello? Hello? Yoohoo, (taps the speaker on the phone) you still there?

Jo: (looks at him) Yeah, sounds like you kinda done a turn around. And like you say, it is ancient history.

Mr. Polniaczek: Then can we be friends?

Jo: (builds herself up) Sure, sure. (She looks at her watch.) Uh, I’ve gotta get going. Mrs. Garrett’s waiting outside. I’m gunna hang up now, bye. (She starts to hang the phone up. He taps the window to get her back on the phone. She picks it up again and puts it up to her ear.)

Mr. Polniaczek: Just one more thing.

Jo: (unhappy) I owe you money for overtime?

Mr. Polniaczek: No, no. I’d like to come up to the school when they give you that award.

Jo: (astonished) You mean break out? (She puts her hand over the receiver and looks over at the guard nervously. She puts the phone back to her ear.)

Mr. Polniaczek: It’s alright, I’m getting parole. I had to see how you felt about me getting back into your life again. What do you say?

(Jo is unhappy because the visit didn’t turn out how she had planned it. But she stays on the phone.)

 

[Scene: Dining Hall. Jo stands in front of Mrs. Garrett, tapping a tin on the table. The table has two trays of muffins.]

 

 Jo: (turns away from Mrs. Garrett) I don’t believe it. (She turns back around.) I go up to the prison and tell him off and end up with him coming here.

Mrs. Garrett: Jo, nobody’s going to find out about anything.

Jo: Right, because I’ll be next to him every minute doing all the talking.

Mrs. Garrett: Kind of like the Muppets. (She shakes her head and Jo glares at her.)

(Blair enters.)

Blair: Uh, your father just called from the administration building. He’s here.

Jo: Oh, he’s in from Miami already? I’ll go down and meet him.

(Tootie enters from the kitchen with a bunch of napkins.)

Blair: By the way, I found out a secret Jo’s been hiding from us.

(This gets Tootie’s attention.)

Mrs. Garret: Blair, why don’t you just keep it a secret?

Tootie: I don’t want to hear it.

Blair: You don’t want to hear it? But it’s just too delicious. (She grins.) Jo is really Joanna Marie. (She laughs.)

Jo: (Relieved, she pretends to laugh.) Yeah, that’s what my dad calls me sometimes.

Blair: Isn’t that a hoot?

Jo: (gets serious) But nobody else.

Blair: (serious) I prefer Jo myself.

(They nod in agreement. Natalie leads Mr. Polniaczek into the dining room.)

Natalie: Hey Jo, look who I found outside.

Mr. Polniaczek: Hi.

Jo: Hi, um, this is my father everybody.

Tootie: From Miami. (Jo and Mr. Polniaczek look at her carefully.) Wow, what a tan.

Jo: This is Mrs. Garrett, our dietician.

(Mr. Polniaczek shakes her hand.)

Natalie: And warden.

Tootie: (wraps her hand around Natalie’s shoulder) She’s kidding.

Mr. Polniaczek: It’s really a pleasure meeting you.

Mrs. Garrett: The pleasure is mine, Mr. Polniaczek.

Jo: These are my roommates, Tootie, Natalie, and Blair.

Mr. Polniaczek: I heard all about you guys.

Natalie: Funny, we never heard a thing about you.

Tootie: But we’re not nosey. (She pulls Natalie over to fold napkins.)

Mrs. Garrett: Welcome, welcome to Eastland.

Mr. Polniaczek: Thank you.

Blair: Jo, why didn’t you tell us how handsome your father was? So distinguished looking. Now I want to find out all about him.

Jo: (quickly intersecting) Yeah, like what?

Mrs. Garrett: Jo, maybe your father would like a cup of coffee.

Mr. Polniaczek: Oh yes, that would really hit the spot.

Jo: Oh sure, hey, why don’t you just come over here with me? (Jo pulls him towards the coffee maker on the serving counter.)

Mr. Polniaczek: Sure. (She starts to get a cup of coffee for him.) Jo, I really like the looks of your uniform.

Jo: (smiles) Thanks.

Blair: They could be worse, if you’re forced to wear a uniform. You know what I mean.

Jo: How would he know? How would he know what you mean? (She spills some coffee on her skirt. She starts wiping it off and her father tries to help her.) Oh, it’s okay. I’ve got a clean skirt upstairs… Why don’t you come with me? I’ll show you my room. (She starts to lead him off.)

Blair: (grabs his arm) No. Stay here. I want to get to know your father better.

Mrs. Garrett: Jo, your dad’s going to be just fine.

Jo: (unsure smile) Okay, I’ll be back soon. (She stares at him seriously.) Don’t talk their ears off.

Mrs. Garrett: Don’t worry about our ears. Go on.

(Jo leaves to go upstairs.)

Natalie: Mrs. Garrett? You told me to tell you when it was a half an hour before the awards? It’s ten minutes before the awards.

Mrs. Garrett: Oh dear, Natalie, Tootie, you better bring out some more coffee cups. Mr. Polniaczek, please sit down and make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.

Tootie: Uh, Mrs. Garrett, I better stick around. Blair’s sure to ask some dumb and embarrassing questions.

(Mrs. Garrett nods.)

Blair: So Mr. Polniaczek, how come Jo’s been keeping you such a big secret?

Tootie: (gives Mrs. Garrett a look) Did I lie? (Mrs. Garrett nods and leaves. Tootie, Blair, and Mr. Polniaczek all sit at one table.) Jo’s told us all about your life… in Miami. Sun and surf and free coconuts for everybody.

Mr. Polniaczek: Yes, I’m in transportation there. I drove a truck.

Blair: Really? My father has a warehouse in Miami. Maybe you’ve trucked on by it? Warner Textile Mills?

Mr. Polniaczek: Warner Text on the New York exchange? I charted your dad’s company.

Blair: (confused) Charted it?

Mr. Polniaczek: Yeah, it’s kind of a hobby I have. See, what I do is I analyze how healthy a corporation is to determine its earning potential.

Blair: You did that on my daddy’s company? How sweet.

Mr. Polniaczek: Yeah, it’s a shame about its financial problems he’s had.

Blair: (stunned) Financial problems? What financial problems?

Mr. Polniaczek: Yeah, well you know, the Japanese competition. The government audit. It was all over the Wall Street Journal.

Blair: hhhhhh….

Tootie: If it wasn’t in Harper’s Bazaar, forget her.

Mr. Polniaczek: Hey, don’t worry. Warner Textiles is coming back stronger than ever.

Blair: You wouldn’t kid me? (Mr. Polniaczek shakes his head and Blair sighs in relief.) You know, you sound more like a broker than a truck driver.

Mr. Polniaczek: Thanks, I’ve been thinking about getting into that line. But it won’t be easy. I haven’t been past high school.

Blair: I don’t see why a truck driver couldn’t get into the stock market. On the other hand, Mr. Polniaczek, (Jo comes into the room) I understand how difficult it would be for, well, someone with your background to change after so many years.

(Jo watches them, thinking he’s given her up.)

Mr. Polniaczek: Yeah, it’s gunna be a whole new world out there for me.

Blair: Well, it certainly sounds like you’ve paid your dues.

(Mr. Polniaczek takes a sip of his coffee.)

Jo: You just couldn’t keep your mouth shut, could you? (He looks over at her confused.) I knew I shouldn’t have let you come up here.

Mr. Polniaczek: Wait a minute, honey…

Jo: Don’t call me that! So now you all know about his stretch.

Blair: Stretch? We weren’t even talking about exercise.

Jo: (angry) Don’t play games with me, Blair. I’m talking about his prison sentence.

(They all look away from Jo.)

Tootie: Oh no.

Jo: What’d he tell you? It wasn’t his fault? That child support made him do it?

Tootie: He didn’t tell us a thing, you did.

Jo: (caught  of guard, but doesn’t change course) Yeah, well so what? (Mrs. Garrett reenters the room.) I’m tired of feeling guilty about him (looks at her dad) and I don’t need you messing up my life again. I’ve been doing just fine without you! You want to do something for me? Get out of my life and this time, stay out! (She turns and rushes out of the room to go to her room.)

Mrs. Garrett: (hand on Blair’s shoulder) Blair…

Blair: (gets up) Right. (She taps Tootie on the shoulder.) Tootie?

Tootie: (gets up) Right.

(The girls leave.)

Mr. Polniaczek: (gets up after a moment) Well Mrs. Garrett, it was nice meeting you.

Mrs. Garrett: What? You’re not going to stick around for your daughter’s big night?

Mr. Polniaczek: You heard Jo. She doesn’t want me here. You know, she’s right. I don’t want to cause her more trouble.

Mrs. Garrett: Look, I know you’ve been through a lot and Jo’s giving you a rough time, but you’re her father. Leaving now is not the answer.

Mr. Polniaczek: I think it’s the only answer. (He turns and leaves.)

Mrs. Garrett: …So that’s where she gets it from.

Mr. Polniaczek: (stops and turns to look at her) Gets what from?

Mrs. Garrett: Her way with dealing with problems. Whenever the going gets rough, Jo gets going right out the door.

 Mr. Polniaczek: (walks back over to her) What do you mean?

Mrs. Garrett: Well, whenever there’s a problem and your daughter’s hurting, her first reaction is to run away from it instead of sticking around and working it out. Just like you’re doing, right now.

Mr. Polniaczek: But you heard what she said. She wants me to leave.

Mrs. Garrett: How do you know what she wants? Your both so busy running away from each other, you don’t know one another at all. Don’t you think it’s time one of you stopped running?

 

[Scene: Girls’ Room. Jo sits at a desk, her back to the door. Blair enters.]

 

Blair: Hi. Can we talk?

Jo: We’ve got nothing to talk about.

Blair: Don’t get bratty with me. I can give lessons in that. I want to talk about your father.

Jo: My father’s none of your business.

Blair: You’re acting like he’s none of yours either.

Jo: What would you know about it?

Blair: I’ve had three fathers. I could give lessons in that too.

Jo: (gets up) But none of them are ex-cons. (She folds her arms across her chest.)

Blair: True. (Jo looks over at her.) But none of them ever came over here to see me either. Not when I won Best New Student. Or when I was Harvest Queen. Or when I won the Fine Arts Festival. Or…

Jo: (drops her arms to her sides) Give me a break!

Blair: (goes over to Jo) The point is, your father cared enough to come up here in person. All I ever get from my father is a letter signed by his secretary and a check signed by a machine.

Jo: What about the time you spent with your father in Rome last summer? (She folds her arms across her chest again.)

Blair: Four weeks out of the whole year.

Jo: And the ski trip to Aspen?

Blair: One weekend.

Jo: Acapulco?

Blair: Ten days… You know, maybe I’m not the best one to be talking to you about this.

(There’s a knock at the door and the two girls look to see Mr. Polniaczek come in.)

Mr. Polniaczek: Blair, can I talk to my daughter alone?

(Jo drops her arms to her sides.)

Blair: Yeah, I was just going anyway.

Jo: (grabs Blair’s arm) Blair, you don’t have to go.

Blair: Yeah, I do.

Jo: No, you don’t.

Mr. Polniaczek: Yes, she does.

(Blair looks at Jo in concern and then leaves the room.)

Jo: (angry) How come you’re still here?

Mr. Polniaczek: I’ve got a few things to say to you and I’m not leaving till I say them.

Jo: Haven’t you said enough? You’ve already made it tough enough to face anybody.

Mr. Polniaczek: Why? You’re not the one with the prison record. Your father is.

Jo: Yeah and do you know what it’s like going to a school like this, with a father like you?

Mr. Polniaczek: Hey, I met your friends and they’re not gunna hold my past against you. Nobody will.

Jo: I don’t care. (She moves the chair out of her way and goes past him towards the door.) I don’t want you around. (She folds her arms across her chest.)

Mr. Polniaczek: With or without a prison record, right?

Jo: (turns to him) What do you want from me?

Mr. Polniaczek: I want to be your father.

Jo: (sarcastically) Oh hey, that’ll be great. We’ll be a family and we’ll get close and we’ll do stuff together and I’ll depend on you and you’ll run out on me. Well no thanks, I’ve tried it before.

Mr. Polniaczek: I’m telling you I won’t run out on you this time.

Jo: How do I know that?

Mr. Polniaczek: Cause I’m here, aren’t I?

Jo: That’s not enough!

Mr. Polniaczek: It’s a start! Jo, can you believe me? I’m not the same person I was before. Give me another shot. Meet me half way, honey.

Jo: (not relenting) Why?

Mr. Polniaczek: Because I’m your father and I say so. And I happen to love you.

(Jo looks uncertainly at him and she can’t decide whether to trust him. Mrs. Garrett comes to the door.)

Mrs. Garrett: Excuse me for interrupting, but we have to go to the award ceremony. Don’t you want to get a good seat for your dad?

Jo: (takes a moment)…Yeah. (She puts her hand on his arm.) The one right next to me. (She looks at him and they both smile. The frame freezes and the credits roll.)
 

END OF EPISODE

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