Cold Case s04e20 Episode Script
Stand Up and Holler
Patriot pride! Patriot pride! Patriot pride! Patriot pride! Come on.
Pump those legs.
Patriot! All right, back in formation! There's no way we're not going to make the varsity squad.
We've worked so hard.
You know how awesome that would be, hanging out with the senior girls? Going to senior parties? Cheering in front of real people instead of our bedroom mirrors.
Rainey, I just want you to know that if you make it and I don't Shh! That's not gonna happen.
But if it does, I won't be mad.
Celeste, shut up.
We're both gonna make it, okay? Be-Fri.
What's up, St-End? Okay.
Rainey.
Let's see your varsity cheer.
Ready?! Okay! We is the key! To take victory! We is the key! To take victory! Okay, stop.
Rainey, um, what are you forgetting? Um You're never fully dressed without a Smile.
Right.
Sorry, I was just, uh concentrating.
Well, don't.
'Cause it makes you look like you have a giant bloomer wedgie.
Gather round, girls.
It's your moment in the sun.
All right.
Your new varsity members are Celeste Church and Rainey Karlsen.
Thank you, everyone, for trying out.
Whoo! present Victim's mom found graffiti on some art.
Not graffiti, it's part of the art.
Exhibit where visitors write down secrets, put them up on a wall.
People pay money for that? Yeah, it's art.
If I can make it, it ain't.
Are you the detectives? Yeah, Detectives Rush, Valens.
You must be Ms.
Karlsen.
Yes.
Rainey's mom.
You found something related to your daughter's death.
They said she took an overdose of drugs accidentally.
High levels of GHB and alcohol in her system.
Rainey didn't do those things.
It's hard to always know what a teenager's up to.
I know my daughter.
She was a good girl.
Not a follower.
Well, according to the autopsy I know what the autopsy says, Detective.
Someone murdered her.
And that proves it.
"I killed Rainey Karlsen.
" Could be some kind of prank.
Scotty that drawing.
What is it? Same thing they found on her body.
They never released that to the public.
So whoever wrote that note Killed my daughter.
Cold Case 420 Rainey Karlsen.
Junior at Birmingham High School.
Just made the varsity cheerleading squad, popular, pretty, lots of friends.
Who'd want to kill someone like that? I would.
High school.
I loved high school.
Really? I was a big hockey star.
You? First round at state.
Scored the winning goal, MVP.
Couldn't keep the girls off me.
Who were you in high school, Lil? Definitely not the cheerleader.
Bad girl no one'd mess with? You could say that.
You, too, Miller? Look at you the wrong way, get popped in the mouth? Who says you still won't? Same drawing on Rainey's body showed up on this from the museum.
We track it? No luck.
Latents checked for prints and surveillance footage was a wash.
Drug panel found high levels of GHB in her system mixed with alcohol.
GHB, the date-rape drug? Yeah, but in small doses, kids use it recreationally.
Street name: Liquid X.
Levels were off the chart.
Maybe she was partying, miscalculated the dosage.
Or she was drugged.
No evidence of sexual assault.
So, why use it? Maybe the assault got interrupted.
She was out partying.
None of her friends saw it.
Missed the afterschool pep rally.
Never to be seen again.
Till she turns up dead on the 50-yard line.
Not likely to have booze and drugs in your system and be partying alone.
Her best friend was Celeste Church.
If anyone knew who Rainey was partying with that night, homegirl would.
I had no idea who Rainey was with the night she died.
I thought you were best friends.
Had been since sixth grade, the year Rainey's dad died and my parents dragged me through their nasty divorce.
Sounds like you had a lot to talk about.
We were each other's shelter from the storm.
To be honest, I couldn't believe she wanted to be my friend.
Special girl? A kind of girl who had no idea how special she was.
Rainey bloomed junior year.
That what changed your friendship? High school pecking order? No, making the cheerleading squad did.
But you both made it in, right? Yeah, but our squad captain, Becca Abrams, was the gatekeeper to all the parties and she chose favorites.
I take it you weren't one of them.
Right.
But Rainey was.
Hey, Be-Fri think we can sit with them? It'll totally rock if we can.
Well, get over here.
So, I'm like, "Mom, that's totally unfair.
Why can't a I have a Beemer and a boob job?" My parents just like to deny me things.
Your mom would actually let you get a boob job? Well, long as I asked her in cocktail hour.
Anyhoo Celeste now that we're friends, we have a secret to let you in on.
Oh, cool.
In junior high, we had a nickname for you.
The Black Hole.
'Cause you ate everything in sight.
Isn't that so stupid? I never heard anyone call you that.
You know, I finally lost all my baby fat.
I wear a size 6 at The Gap now.
Ugh, I'm so pissed at them.
They totally resized all their clothes to make fat people feel good.
Celeste isn't fat.
We both wear a size 6.
I mean, just 'cause everyone else in America weighs 5,000 pounds, don't punish me.
Totally.
Rainey you got to try this new lip gloss.
It's got viper venom in it to make your lips puffy.
Puffy lips are good? What's this about puffy lips? Oh, my God, shut up, Casey.
Saw you girls at tryouts.
Looking hottie bo-bottie.
Thanks.
Rainey, there's a huge kegger this weekend.
You've got to come.
Um, okay.
Friday or Saturday? Um, I can't remember.
Rainey, we'll let you know.
All right.
Rainey's gonna party with us.
Welcome to the big leagues.
On the outside, I was this popular cheerleader, but on the inside I was still a fat sixth grader.
Rainey and Becca became fast friends? Well, Becca had no choice.
Rainey was a major threat to her boyfriend.
Yeah, but if Becca saw Rainey as a threat, why'd she pal up to her? It's like when Madonna wore that "I Heart Britney" T-shirt or when Britney started hanging out with Paris Hilton.
A ploy for a fading star to control a rising star.
Becca wanted to control Rainey.
"Frenemies," exactly.
And rain or shine, Becca was determined to keep her man.
Determined enough to kill Rainey? The cheerleading squad was a shark tank.
Everyone out for blood.
Sounds like Becca was the Great White.
You think someone killed Rainey? That's so sad.
She was such a sweetheart.
Don't you think we should maybe actually send her the centerpiece? We understand you saw Rainey as a rival.
Your boyfriend had the hots for her.
Please.
Rainey was pretty, but she was seriously clueless when it came to guys.
So why invite her to party with you? She was a cheerleader Birmingham's elite.
It was all part of the benefits package.
Doesn't mean you didn't dose her beer at one of your keggers.
Look, you can imagine how bad it looked for me when she turned up dead.
Why's that? Someone in our squad ODs on drugs? Not cool.
Right.
You have any idea who might have wanted to hurt Rainey? Totally.
The people who always want to hurt the good-looking popular people sad weirdoes of the world.
Okay, you are riding your skateboard He's so hot.
hit a rock and go flying, but your skateboard stops.
Yeah, but isn't he kind of old? What, according to Newton's First Law of Motion is the rock? Yes, Casey? My ass? That's a good guess, but I think I'm looking for a different answer.
What's up, nerd? Rainey, did you have a guess? Um, just stretching.
Okay other guesses? Uh, hello? You look stupid if you look smart.
Shouldn't it look smart if you look smart? Listen, if you want to commit social suicide by being a big ol' loser, you can go ahead and turn in your pom-poms.
No, I mean, I'm sure I would have gotten it wrong or whatever.
Okay.
BOY: You're pathetic.
Excuse me? They say men keep women down? But you tear each other apart, especially you cheerleaders.
You don't know me.
I don't need to.
You're a cardboard cutout.
I'm an individual.
Really? Nice outfit and lip goo.
It's called lip gloss, freak.
Someone should do the female race a favor and eradicate you idiots.
And since you're spending your life just stretching, I'd start with your worthless ass.
Losers are so pathetic.
Spend all their time projecting their ugliness onto other people.
It's sad, really.
So you think this Joe character killed Rainey 'cause he was a loser? You've got to do better than that, Becca.
A few months after Rainey died, Joe was expelled from school.
For what? For making drugs in the chem lab.
Drugs? What kind? Rumor was ???? VALENS: Heard you were cooking up some X back in the day.
Of course that was the rumor.
Rumor? You were expelled for drug use.
Not liquid X.
I got caught smoking pot on the bleachers for the fifth time.
Wasn't a rumor that you threatened Rainey.
Told her you'd eradicate her worthless ass.
Look, I was an outcast in high school by toting around my Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, thinking I could change the world by provoking dialogue.
That explains that away.
Well, maybe you took out some of that adolescent angst on the popular girl.
I was wrong about Rainey, okay? You didn't think she was cardboard cutout? I thought she was better than those bunch of morons she hung with.
Morons like Becca? And Casey.
You think he had something to do with it? Guy'd stop at nothing to get in her pants.
You shouldn't assume I'm an idiot because I'm a cheerleader.
You're right.
Pigtails and short skirts usually equal genius.
An unbalanced force.
What? That's the answer.
An object at rest has to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
Newton's First Law of Motion.
If you're not an idiot, why act like one? You wouldn't understand.
Wouldn't understand a little thing called "peer pressure"? Offer me drugs.
What? Just do it.
You want drugs? No! And that's how you deal with peer pressure.
It's just it's like they belong, you know, with their cool uniforms and their pom-poms.
Everyone knows who they are, wants to be their friend.
Maybe it's stupid and shallow to want that.
No, sounds like what we all want.
Rainey, you better be on that kegger on Saturday.
I'm not taking no for an answer.
Casey, what are you doing? What about Becca? That old jock mattress? Get your hands off of her, you tool.
Who the hell are you? Guess I'm no one.
You saying Casey drugged Rainey? It is his style.
Meaning? You'll never guess who was brought up on date rape charges his sophomore year at college.
Mr.
Big Man on Campus himself.
Those date rape charges were dropped.
You're not supposed to ask me about that.
We'll ask whatever we damn want, Casey.
You got a real problem with keeping that thing in your pants, huh? What kind of questions is that? Well, we know you had the hots for Rainey Carlson.
So? She was tight.
Where were you the night Rainey died? My parents were out of town.
I threw a kegger.
There were, like, a hundred people there.
We're gonna need those names.
Fine.
The point is you pursued Rainey.
Wanted to get your rocks off.
I'm not saying I wouldn't hit that.
Sure, I tried.
She told you to get lost.
Wasn't me she told to step off.
Shh.
BECCA: All right, juniors.
Congratulations on your first game.
You were awesome.
Thanks, Becca.
I'm so excited.
Now We have a little tradition.
We all did it after our first varsity game.
Now it's your turn.
To do what? Kiss.
Each other.
But there aren't any guys around.
Isn't that kind of lame? Excuse me? Lame? It's a frickin' tradition.
I don't want to, Becca.
Really? Well, you do what I say.
I say "kiss," you better kiss.
Let's just do it.
It'll be stupid.
That's exactly the point.
Come on! That ain't no kiss! Let's see some tongue action! (chanting): Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Hey, hey, where do you think you're going? You didn't roll the dice yet.
What? Let go of me.
??? Oh! Coach Pruitt? You're an adult.
You're supposed to protect us! No, look, Rainey, this is all in good fun here, okay? I wonder if Principal Palmer thinks it's in good fun.
You threatening me? I doubt she'd want a perv like you teaching us.
You are way out of bounds, young lady.
You know what I'm saying? It was just a little hazing.
Rainey couldn't deal.
Coach Pruitt was in the girls' locker room? Sure, he let us in the gym.
Bought us beer from time to time.
Totally cool guy.
And Rainey threatened to rat him out? She was uptight.
Girls I'm with need to know how to party.
If she went to the principal, it would have meant Pruitt's job, his future.
So maybe he shut her up before she had the chance.
?????? You must be Lamont's parents.
He's a great kid.
I just wanted to discuss his homework environment.
Detectives Miller, Jeffries.
Homicide.
We're investigating the murder of Rainey Karlsen.
Rainey, that was, uh Ten years ago.
My first year of teaching.
Understand she caught you playing peekaboo in the girls' locker room.
Threatened to tell the principal and ruin your career.
Well fortunately, she never reported me.
That is fortunate-- for you.
She did, however, teach me a valuable lesson.
And that was? It was time for me to grow up, stop trying to be friends with my students.
And that's relevant to her murder how? It happened the day of the pep rally.
The one Rainey missed.
Yeah.
Morning after, they found her body.
So what happened? Rainey blew her top.
She wasn't gonna take it anymore.
We all know that force is a vector.
You can see here that that's represented by these arrows.
If a table didn't push back with the equal force gravity exerts on the book, it would go right through the table.
Quit your sniveling.
Last year I rolled a 12.
GIRL: That's why books don't go right through tables.
Pretty weird, if you ask me.
Um, that was good, Doreen.
Go ahead and sit down.
Becca, you're next.
Friction.
It's a real downer.
How do you fix it? Lubrication.
Ooh! ??? What? How was that a real presentation? She doesn't even have a poster board.
Why is that okay? I mean, it'd be great if she were a playmate and this were the Playboy Mansion, but this is supposed to be a physics class.
I know I'd rather be at the Playboy Mansion.
We're supposed to actually be learning things.
All right, Rainey, you've made your point.
Why should I listen to you? 'Cause you're the teacher? You're a joke.
I'll give you detention, young lady.
No way.
I'm not afraid of you.
You tell him, Rainey.
Joe, drawing on your desk, that's vandalism-- detention.
Don't turn this on him just so you can feel in charge while you let your buddies do whatever they want.
You're pushing it.
Joe is the only real person in here! Rainey The rest of you are just pod people! I'm out of here! Someone needs to take a chill pill bo-kay? Bo-kay that! Rainey called me out.
And she was right.
Joe went after Rainey? He find her? I don't know.
I never saw her again.
Funny how Joe forgot to mention any of this.
You said Joe did a lot of drawing on his desk.
Yeah.
Kid fancied himself a angst-ridden Picasso.
You still have that desk? Is this a public school? Uh, it's, uh, one of these over here.
Look familiar? Recognize this? Yeah, it looks like my handiwork.
What about this? You were with Rainey the night she died.
You wrote your secret in the museum; you killed her.
Yeah.
I wrote it.
It was me.
Are you admitting to the murder of Rainey Karlsen? Yes.
Just like that.
You did it? Yeah.
You want to tell us why, Joe? People kill people all the time for no reason.
But Rainey stood up for you.
Told Coach Pruitt to s You didn't drug Rainey with GHB, did you? No.
Then why admit to it? It's our ten-year reunion.
No one thinks about her cares about her.
No one but you.
It's my fault she died.
I'm the unbalanced force.
If it weren't for me, she'd be alive today.
Hey.
Been looking for you everywhere.
And the one place you're not is the pep rally.
Yeah.
I'm not going.
Does that mean you're quitting? I'm already in trouble with Becca.
If I quit, she'd turn everyone against me.
I'd go through the rest of high school being A nobody? Yeah.
(laughs): Wha What are you doing? It's an atom.
Or the universe.
Or high school.
So that's what it looks like.
You don't want to be these orbiting dots, because then you get all tangled up in the beginnings and endings of things, and you bump into other dots.
What do you want to be? The center.
Grounded and observant.
Still.
And.
um when bodies fall out of the gravitational pull of a larger body, that's when they become their own center.
I like that.
I draw it a lot.
To remind myself.
Does it work? Yeah.
I mean,sometimes.
It can be lonely.
Can two centers be friends? I'd like to think so.
I'm gonna quit the cheerleading squad.
You're better than them, Rainey.
I'm gonna go to tell Becca right now.
Before I lose my courage.
Hey, Rainey, remember, it's just high school.
Yeah.
It's just high school.
I was wrong.
It wasn't just high school.
Same night Rainey died, she told Becca to shove it.
And you never told the cops? I was the bad druggie kid, voted most likely to serve time.
If you said you were with Rainey the night she died, you'd be the scapegoat.
No one would've believed it was Becca.
She was the Queen Bee.
I'll handle this.
This is a special night for me.
It's my ten-year reunion.
Can't your stupid investigation wait until tomorrow? Tough to say good-bye to the glory days, huh, Becca? What's that supposed to mean? Your life peaked at the high school prom.
Everything since then it's been all downhill.
I happen to be perfectly happy.
Is that why you can't hold down a job? Why at 28, you've had two failed marriages? Going on three? Little fish in a big pond.
That's why this night means so much.
You get to be Great White Becca again.
I don't have to listen to this.
The old Becca would have never run away.
You ruled this school.
When you said "Jump," they said, "How high?" Being popular was a full-time job, 24/7.
Then Rainey comes along.
Tells you to take your pom-poms and shove 'em.
Excuse me? I rescued that toe-bag from Loserville.
I don't think so.
No? She was going to quit the squad.
Show the world what a loser you were.
News flash: I am not a loser.
I showed that bitch who was boss.
You know, Rainey not showing up for the pep rally really screwed our formation.
Our totem pyramid was lopsided without her.
She's totally out of line.
So what are you gonna do about her? You know what I need from you bitches? More complaining.
I'll deal with her, all right? But for right now I have a surprise for you.
We're gonna party hardy tonight, bo-kay? All you need is one drop.
Seriously.
What is it? Liquid X.
It'll make you feel like ten times as drunk.
And that's good news for you, Celeste.
Fewer calories.
Well, look who decides to show.
Thanks for ruining formation, Rainey.
You rock.
And P.
S.
: that stunt you pulled in class? Not cool.
I'm quitting.
What? No, you're not.
Nobody quits.
Well, I am.
Rainey, no.
You can't.
Celeste, it's okay.
You can quit, too.
But I don't want to.
Get a grip, Celeste.
No one's quitting.
Do you know how lucky you are to be on this squad? How many girls would die to shake your pom-poms? Let them.
I don't want it if it means the prize is being you.
Being me? You're the meanest, most manipulative, most vapid person I have ever known.
Every girl wants to be you because every guy in school wants to bang you.
Good luck holding onto that for the next 40 years because that's all you have.
I want something more.
Don't move a muscle, bitch.
Grab her! Right now! You know, Rainey, you skipped out on hazing.
I think it's time you had your fair share.
Get off me! Give me a drink.
Get off me! Now, Celeste! Come here! What's wrong with her? She only had one beer! We're out of here, Celeste.
She's your friend.
You clean this mess up.
I taught that twit who was boss: me.
You left Rainey on the field with Celeste? Yeah.
Those two losers deserved each other.
And Celeste handed you the drink? You sure about that, Becca? Look, I-I don't know what Thunder Thighs did.
Okay? And frankly, I don't care.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a full evening to attend to.
Don't move a muscle bitch.
Surprised to find you here, Celeste.
Everything looks so small.
Back then, it all seemed so important.
Making peace with the past? That why you came back? Make peace with Rainey? Crap.
I was almost happy.
You were never happy back then.
That why you drugged your own beer? I just wanted to fit in.
Be popular.
To be liked.
Instead, they used you.
Humiliated you.
Rainey didn't.
She stood up for you.
She was your best friend.
Rainey left me in that locker room alone.
What happened? In that locker room.
I just want to forget it.
Please.
Rolling the dice wasn't just kissing, Celeste, was it? Rainey found out.
she was gonna destroy the squad.
You couldn't let her do that.
I'd given up everything to be a cheerleader.
I paid too high a price.
Come on.
You have to get help, Rainey.
We have to get help.
Wow.
I'm really sick.
That was my beer and it had a whole bottle of X in it.
We need to go now.
What? Why would you drug your own beer? I just wanted to check out for a little bit.
Check out? You mean like kill yourself? No.
Forget it, Rainey.
Just forget it.
Real friends don't do the things they do.
Let's walk away, Celeste.
Walk away? Like what you did to me in the locker room? I'm so sorry.
I heard you had to kiss ten guys.
It wasn't kissing, Rainey.
When I tell my mom No, you can't tell.
It's gonna be over.
Over? There'll be no more squad anymore.
But without a squad, what will I do? Anything you want.
You're funny.
You're smart.
But the squad's all I've got.
I'm popular now.
And people like me.
And I'm finally somebody.
You always were somebody, Celeste.
To me.
I can't give it up now.
After all I've been through.
All I've done.
It's all I have, Rainey.
I feel really sick.
Maybe you should call an ambulance.
I'm gonna tell my mom what they did.
I already called an ambulance, Rainey.
You did? Yeah.
They're coming any minute now.
Don't you worry.
Thanks, Be-Fri.
You're my best friend.
I think I hear sirens.
Me too, St-End.
Joe's right.
You can see it all from the center.
I'm gonna go to sleep now, okay? Okay.
("High and Dry" by Radiohead playing) * Two jumps in a week * * I bet you think that's pretty clever * * Don't you, boy? * * Flying on your motorcycle * * Watching all the ground beneath you drop * * You'd kill yourself for recognition * * Kill yourself to never, ever stop * * You broke another mirror * * You're turning into something you are not * * Don't leave me high * * Don't leave me dry * * Drying up in conversation * * You will be the one who cannot talk * * All your insides fall to pieces * * You just sit there wishing you could still make love * * They're the ones who'll hate you * * When you think you've got the world * * All sussed out * ??? * You will be the one screaming out * * Don't leave me high * * Don't leave me dry * * Don't leave me high * * Don't leave me dry * * Don't leave me high * * Don't leave me high * * Don't leave me dry.
*
Pump those legs.
Patriot! All right, back in formation! There's no way we're not going to make the varsity squad.
We've worked so hard.
You know how awesome that would be, hanging out with the senior girls? Going to senior parties? Cheering in front of real people instead of our bedroom mirrors.
Rainey, I just want you to know that if you make it and I don't Shh! That's not gonna happen.
But if it does, I won't be mad.
Celeste, shut up.
We're both gonna make it, okay? Be-Fri.
What's up, St-End? Okay.
Rainey.
Let's see your varsity cheer.
Ready?! Okay! We is the key! To take victory! We is the key! To take victory! Okay, stop.
Rainey, um, what are you forgetting? Um You're never fully dressed without a Smile.
Right.
Sorry, I was just, uh concentrating.
Well, don't.
'Cause it makes you look like you have a giant bloomer wedgie.
Gather round, girls.
It's your moment in the sun.
All right.
Your new varsity members are Celeste Church and Rainey Karlsen.
Thank you, everyone, for trying out.
Whoo! present Victim's mom found graffiti on some art.
Not graffiti, it's part of the art.
Exhibit where visitors write down secrets, put them up on a wall.
People pay money for that? Yeah, it's art.
If I can make it, it ain't.
Are you the detectives? Yeah, Detectives Rush, Valens.
You must be Ms.
Karlsen.
Yes.
Rainey's mom.
You found something related to your daughter's death.
They said she took an overdose of drugs accidentally.
High levels of GHB and alcohol in her system.
Rainey didn't do those things.
It's hard to always know what a teenager's up to.
I know my daughter.
She was a good girl.
Not a follower.
Well, according to the autopsy I know what the autopsy says, Detective.
Someone murdered her.
And that proves it.
"I killed Rainey Karlsen.
" Could be some kind of prank.
Scotty that drawing.
What is it? Same thing they found on her body.
They never released that to the public.
So whoever wrote that note Killed my daughter.
Cold Case 420 Rainey Karlsen.
Junior at Birmingham High School.
Just made the varsity cheerleading squad, popular, pretty, lots of friends.
Who'd want to kill someone like that? I would.
High school.
I loved high school.
Really? I was a big hockey star.
You? First round at state.
Scored the winning goal, MVP.
Couldn't keep the girls off me.
Who were you in high school, Lil? Definitely not the cheerleader.
Bad girl no one'd mess with? You could say that.
You, too, Miller? Look at you the wrong way, get popped in the mouth? Who says you still won't? Same drawing on Rainey's body showed up on this from the museum.
We track it? No luck.
Latents checked for prints and surveillance footage was a wash.
Drug panel found high levels of GHB in her system mixed with alcohol.
GHB, the date-rape drug? Yeah, but in small doses, kids use it recreationally.
Street name: Liquid X.
Levels were off the chart.
Maybe she was partying, miscalculated the dosage.
Or she was drugged.
No evidence of sexual assault.
So, why use it? Maybe the assault got interrupted.
She was out partying.
None of her friends saw it.
Missed the afterschool pep rally.
Never to be seen again.
Till she turns up dead on the 50-yard line.
Not likely to have booze and drugs in your system and be partying alone.
Her best friend was Celeste Church.
If anyone knew who Rainey was partying with that night, homegirl would.
I had no idea who Rainey was with the night she died.
I thought you were best friends.
Had been since sixth grade, the year Rainey's dad died and my parents dragged me through their nasty divorce.
Sounds like you had a lot to talk about.
We were each other's shelter from the storm.
To be honest, I couldn't believe she wanted to be my friend.
Special girl? A kind of girl who had no idea how special she was.
Rainey bloomed junior year.
That what changed your friendship? High school pecking order? No, making the cheerleading squad did.
But you both made it in, right? Yeah, but our squad captain, Becca Abrams, was the gatekeeper to all the parties and she chose favorites.
I take it you weren't one of them.
Right.
But Rainey was.
Hey, Be-Fri think we can sit with them? It'll totally rock if we can.
Well, get over here.
So, I'm like, "Mom, that's totally unfair.
Why can't a I have a Beemer and a boob job?" My parents just like to deny me things.
Your mom would actually let you get a boob job? Well, long as I asked her in cocktail hour.
Anyhoo Celeste now that we're friends, we have a secret to let you in on.
Oh, cool.
In junior high, we had a nickname for you.
The Black Hole.
'Cause you ate everything in sight.
Isn't that so stupid? I never heard anyone call you that.
You know, I finally lost all my baby fat.
I wear a size 6 at The Gap now.
Ugh, I'm so pissed at them.
They totally resized all their clothes to make fat people feel good.
Celeste isn't fat.
We both wear a size 6.
I mean, just 'cause everyone else in America weighs 5,000 pounds, don't punish me.
Totally.
Rainey you got to try this new lip gloss.
It's got viper venom in it to make your lips puffy.
Puffy lips are good? What's this about puffy lips? Oh, my God, shut up, Casey.
Saw you girls at tryouts.
Looking hottie bo-bottie.
Thanks.
Rainey, there's a huge kegger this weekend.
You've got to come.
Um, okay.
Friday or Saturday? Um, I can't remember.
Rainey, we'll let you know.
All right.
Rainey's gonna party with us.
Welcome to the big leagues.
On the outside, I was this popular cheerleader, but on the inside I was still a fat sixth grader.
Rainey and Becca became fast friends? Well, Becca had no choice.
Rainey was a major threat to her boyfriend.
Yeah, but if Becca saw Rainey as a threat, why'd she pal up to her? It's like when Madonna wore that "I Heart Britney" T-shirt or when Britney started hanging out with Paris Hilton.
A ploy for a fading star to control a rising star.
Becca wanted to control Rainey.
"Frenemies," exactly.
And rain or shine, Becca was determined to keep her man.
Determined enough to kill Rainey? The cheerleading squad was a shark tank.
Everyone out for blood.
Sounds like Becca was the Great White.
You think someone killed Rainey? That's so sad.
She was such a sweetheart.
Don't you think we should maybe actually send her the centerpiece? We understand you saw Rainey as a rival.
Your boyfriend had the hots for her.
Please.
Rainey was pretty, but she was seriously clueless when it came to guys.
So why invite her to party with you? She was a cheerleader Birmingham's elite.
It was all part of the benefits package.
Doesn't mean you didn't dose her beer at one of your keggers.
Look, you can imagine how bad it looked for me when she turned up dead.
Why's that? Someone in our squad ODs on drugs? Not cool.
Right.
You have any idea who might have wanted to hurt Rainey? Totally.
The people who always want to hurt the good-looking popular people sad weirdoes of the world.
Okay, you are riding your skateboard He's so hot.
hit a rock and go flying, but your skateboard stops.
Yeah, but isn't he kind of old? What, according to Newton's First Law of Motion is the rock? Yes, Casey? My ass? That's a good guess, but I think I'm looking for a different answer.
What's up, nerd? Rainey, did you have a guess? Um, just stretching.
Okay other guesses? Uh, hello? You look stupid if you look smart.
Shouldn't it look smart if you look smart? Listen, if you want to commit social suicide by being a big ol' loser, you can go ahead and turn in your pom-poms.
No, I mean, I'm sure I would have gotten it wrong or whatever.
Okay.
BOY: You're pathetic.
Excuse me? They say men keep women down? But you tear each other apart, especially you cheerleaders.
You don't know me.
I don't need to.
You're a cardboard cutout.
I'm an individual.
Really? Nice outfit and lip goo.
It's called lip gloss, freak.
Someone should do the female race a favor and eradicate you idiots.
And since you're spending your life just stretching, I'd start with your worthless ass.
Losers are so pathetic.
Spend all their time projecting their ugliness onto other people.
It's sad, really.
So you think this Joe character killed Rainey 'cause he was a loser? You've got to do better than that, Becca.
A few months after Rainey died, Joe was expelled from school.
For what? For making drugs in the chem lab.
Drugs? What kind? Rumor was ???? VALENS: Heard you were cooking up some X back in the day.
Of course that was the rumor.
Rumor? You were expelled for drug use.
Not liquid X.
I got caught smoking pot on the bleachers for the fifth time.
Wasn't a rumor that you threatened Rainey.
Told her you'd eradicate her worthless ass.
Look, I was an outcast in high school by toting around my Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, thinking I could change the world by provoking dialogue.
That explains that away.
Well, maybe you took out some of that adolescent angst on the popular girl.
I was wrong about Rainey, okay? You didn't think she was cardboard cutout? I thought she was better than those bunch of morons she hung with.
Morons like Becca? And Casey.
You think he had something to do with it? Guy'd stop at nothing to get in her pants.
You shouldn't assume I'm an idiot because I'm a cheerleader.
You're right.
Pigtails and short skirts usually equal genius.
An unbalanced force.
What? That's the answer.
An object at rest has to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
Newton's First Law of Motion.
If you're not an idiot, why act like one? You wouldn't understand.
Wouldn't understand a little thing called "peer pressure"? Offer me drugs.
What? Just do it.
You want drugs? No! And that's how you deal with peer pressure.
It's just it's like they belong, you know, with their cool uniforms and their pom-poms.
Everyone knows who they are, wants to be their friend.
Maybe it's stupid and shallow to want that.
No, sounds like what we all want.
Rainey, you better be on that kegger on Saturday.
I'm not taking no for an answer.
Casey, what are you doing? What about Becca? That old jock mattress? Get your hands off of her, you tool.
Who the hell are you? Guess I'm no one.
You saying Casey drugged Rainey? It is his style.
Meaning? You'll never guess who was brought up on date rape charges his sophomore year at college.
Mr.
Big Man on Campus himself.
Those date rape charges were dropped.
You're not supposed to ask me about that.
We'll ask whatever we damn want, Casey.
You got a real problem with keeping that thing in your pants, huh? What kind of questions is that? Well, we know you had the hots for Rainey Carlson.
So? She was tight.
Where were you the night Rainey died? My parents were out of town.
I threw a kegger.
There were, like, a hundred people there.
We're gonna need those names.
Fine.
The point is you pursued Rainey.
Wanted to get your rocks off.
I'm not saying I wouldn't hit that.
Sure, I tried.
She told you to get lost.
Wasn't me she told to step off.
Shh.
BECCA: All right, juniors.
Congratulations on your first game.
You were awesome.
Thanks, Becca.
I'm so excited.
Now We have a little tradition.
We all did it after our first varsity game.
Now it's your turn.
To do what? Kiss.
Each other.
But there aren't any guys around.
Isn't that kind of lame? Excuse me? Lame? It's a frickin' tradition.
I don't want to, Becca.
Really? Well, you do what I say.
I say "kiss," you better kiss.
Let's just do it.
It'll be stupid.
That's exactly the point.
Come on! That ain't no kiss! Let's see some tongue action! (chanting): Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Tongue! Hey, hey, where do you think you're going? You didn't roll the dice yet.
What? Let go of me.
??? Oh! Coach Pruitt? You're an adult.
You're supposed to protect us! No, look, Rainey, this is all in good fun here, okay? I wonder if Principal Palmer thinks it's in good fun.
You threatening me? I doubt she'd want a perv like you teaching us.
You are way out of bounds, young lady.
You know what I'm saying? It was just a little hazing.
Rainey couldn't deal.
Coach Pruitt was in the girls' locker room? Sure, he let us in the gym.
Bought us beer from time to time.
Totally cool guy.
And Rainey threatened to rat him out? She was uptight.
Girls I'm with need to know how to party.
If she went to the principal, it would have meant Pruitt's job, his future.
So maybe he shut her up before she had the chance.
?????? You must be Lamont's parents.
He's a great kid.
I just wanted to discuss his homework environment.
Detectives Miller, Jeffries.
Homicide.
We're investigating the murder of Rainey Karlsen.
Rainey, that was, uh Ten years ago.
My first year of teaching.
Understand she caught you playing peekaboo in the girls' locker room.
Threatened to tell the principal and ruin your career.
Well fortunately, she never reported me.
That is fortunate-- for you.
She did, however, teach me a valuable lesson.
And that was? It was time for me to grow up, stop trying to be friends with my students.
And that's relevant to her murder how? It happened the day of the pep rally.
The one Rainey missed.
Yeah.
Morning after, they found her body.
So what happened? Rainey blew her top.
She wasn't gonna take it anymore.
We all know that force is a vector.
You can see here that that's represented by these arrows.
If a table didn't push back with the equal force gravity exerts on the book, it would go right through the table.
Quit your sniveling.
Last year I rolled a 12.
GIRL: That's why books don't go right through tables.
Pretty weird, if you ask me.
Um, that was good, Doreen.
Go ahead and sit down.
Becca, you're next.
Friction.
It's a real downer.
How do you fix it? Lubrication.
Ooh! ??? What? How was that a real presentation? She doesn't even have a poster board.
Why is that okay? I mean, it'd be great if she were a playmate and this were the Playboy Mansion, but this is supposed to be a physics class.
I know I'd rather be at the Playboy Mansion.
We're supposed to actually be learning things.
All right, Rainey, you've made your point.
Why should I listen to you? 'Cause you're the teacher? You're a joke.
I'll give you detention, young lady.
No way.
I'm not afraid of you.
You tell him, Rainey.
Joe, drawing on your desk, that's vandalism-- detention.
Don't turn this on him just so you can feel in charge while you let your buddies do whatever they want.
You're pushing it.
Joe is the only real person in here! Rainey The rest of you are just pod people! I'm out of here! Someone needs to take a chill pill bo-kay? Bo-kay that! Rainey called me out.
And she was right.
Joe went after Rainey? He find her? I don't know.
I never saw her again.
Funny how Joe forgot to mention any of this.
You said Joe did a lot of drawing on his desk.
Yeah.
Kid fancied himself a angst-ridden Picasso.
You still have that desk? Is this a public school? Uh, it's, uh, one of these over here.
Look familiar? Recognize this? Yeah, it looks like my handiwork.
What about this? You were with Rainey the night she died.
You wrote your secret in the museum; you killed her.
Yeah.
I wrote it.
It was me.
Are you admitting to the murder of Rainey Karlsen? Yes.
Just like that.
You did it? Yeah.
You want to tell us why, Joe? People kill people all the time for no reason.
But Rainey stood up for you.
Told Coach Pruitt to s You didn't drug Rainey with GHB, did you? No.
Then why admit to it? It's our ten-year reunion.
No one thinks about her cares about her.
No one but you.
It's my fault she died.
I'm the unbalanced force.
If it weren't for me, she'd be alive today.
Hey.
Been looking for you everywhere.
And the one place you're not is the pep rally.
Yeah.
I'm not going.
Does that mean you're quitting? I'm already in trouble with Becca.
If I quit, she'd turn everyone against me.
I'd go through the rest of high school being A nobody? Yeah.
(laughs): Wha What are you doing? It's an atom.
Or the universe.
Or high school.
So that's what it looks like.
You don't want to be these orbiting dots, because then you get all tangled up in the beginnings and endings of things, and you bump into other dots.
What do you want to be? The center.
Grounded and observant.
Still.
And.
um when bodies fall out of the gravitational pull of a larger body, that's when they become their own center.
I like that.
I draw it a lot.
To remind myself.
Does it work? Yeah.
I mean,sometimes.
It can be lonely.
Can two centers be friends? I'd like to think so.
I'm gonna quit the cheerleading squad.
You're better than them, Rainey.
I'm gonna go to tell Becca right now.
Before I lose my courage.
Hey, Rainey, remember, it's just high school.
Yeah.
It's just high school.
I was wrong.
It wasn't just high school.
Same night Rainey died, she told Becca to shove it.
And you never told the cops? I was the bad druggie kid, voted most likely to serve time.
If you said you were with Rainey the night she died, you'd be the scapegoat.
No one would've believed it was Becca.
She was the Queen Bee.
I'll handle this.
This is a special night for me.
It's my ten-year reunion.
Can't your stupid investigation wait until tomorrow? Tough to say good-bye to the glory days, huh, Becca? What's that supposed to mean? Your life peaked at the high school prom.
Everything since then it's been all downhill.
I happen to be perfectly happy.
Is that why you can't hold down a job? Why at 28, you've had two failed marriages? Going on three? Little fish in a big pond.
That's why this night means so much.
You get to be Great White Becca again.
I don't have to listen to this.
The old Becca would have never run away.
You ruled this school.
When you said "Jump," they said, "How high?" Being popular was a full-time job, 24/7.
Then Rainey comes along.
Tells you to take your pom-poms and shove 'em.
Excuse me? I rescued that toe-bag from Loserville.
I don't think so.
No? She was going to quit the squad.
Show the world what a loser you were.
News flash: I am not a loser.
I showed that bitch who was boss.
You know, Rainey not showing up for the pep rally really screwed our formation.
Our totem pyramid was lopsided without her.
She's totally out of line.
So what are you gonna do about her? You know what I need from you bitches? More complaining.
I'll deal with her, all right? But for right now I have a surprise for you.
We're gonna party hardy tonight, bo-kay? All you need is one drop.
Seriously.
What is it? Liquid X.
It'll make you feel like ten times as drunk.
And that's good news for you, Celeste.
Fewer calories.
Well, look who decides to show.
Thanks for ruining formation, Rainey.
You rock.
And P.
S.
: that stunt you pulled in class? Not cool.
I'm quitting.
What? No, you're not.
Nobody quits.
Well, I am.
Rainey, no.
You can't.
Celeste, it's okay.
You can quit, too.
But I don't want to.
Get a grip, Celeste.
No one's quitting.
Do you know how lucky you are to be on this squad? How many girls would die to shake your pom-poms? Let them.
I don't want it if it means the prize is being you.
Being me? You're the meanest, most manipulative, most vapid person I have ever known.
Every girl wants to be you because every guy in school wants to bang you.
Good luck holding onto that for the next 40 years because that's all you have.
I want something more.
Don't move a muscle, bitch.
Grab her! Right now! You know, Rainey, you skipped out on hazing.
I think it's time you had your fair share.
Get off me! Give me a drink.
Get off me! Now, Celeste! Come here! What's wrong with her? She only had one beer! We're out of here, Celeste.
She's your friend.
You clean this mess up.
I taught that twit who was boss: me.
You left Rainey on the field with Celeste? Yeah.
Those two losers deserved each other.
And Celeste handed you the drink? You sure about that, Becca? Look, I-I don't know what Thunder Thighs did.
Okay? And frankly, I don't care.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a full evening to attend to.
Don't move a muscle bitch.
Surprised to find you here, Celeste.
Everything looks so small.
Back then, it all seemed so important.
Making peace with the past? That why you came back? Make peace with Rainey? Crap.
I was almost happy.
You were never happy back then.
That why you drugged your own beer? I just wanted to fit in.
Be popular.
To be liked.
Instead, they used you.
Humiliated you.
Rainey didn't.
She stood up for you.
She was your best friend.
Rainey left me in that locker room alone.
What happened? In that locker room.
I just want to forget it.
Please.
Rolling the dice wasn't just kissing, Celeste, was it? Rainey found out.
she was gonna destroy the squad.
You couldn't let her do that.
I'd given up everything to be a cheerleader.
I paid too high a price.
Come on.
You have to get help, Rainey.
We have to get help.
Wow.
I'm really sick.
That was my beer and it had a whole bottle of X in it.
We need to go now.
What? Why would you drug your own beer? I just wanted to check out for a little bit.
Check out? You mean like kill yourself? No.
Forget it, Rainey.
Just forget it.
Real friends don't do the things they do.
Let's walk away, Celeste.
Walk away? Like what you did to me in the locker room? I'm so sorry.
I heard you had to kiss ten guys.
It wasn't kissing, Rainey.
When I tell my mom No, you can't tell.
It's gonna be over.
Over? There'll be no more squad anymore.
But without a squad, what will I do? Anything you want.
You're funny.
You're smart.
But the squad's all I've got.
I'm popular now.
And people like me.
And I'm finally somebody.
You always were somebody, Celeste.
To me.
I can't give it up now.
After all I've been through.
All I've done.
It's all I have, Rainey.
I feel really sick.
Maybe you should call an ambulance.
I'm gonna tell my mom what they did.
I already called an ambulance, Rainey.
You did? Yeah.
They're coming any minute now.
Don't you worry.
Thanks, Be-Fri.
You're my best friend.
I think I hear sirens.
Me too, St-End.
Joe's right.
You can see it all from the center.
I'm gonna go to sleep now, okay? Okay.
("High and Dry" by Radiohead playing) * Two jumps in a week * * I bet you think that's pretty clever * * Don't you, boy? * * Flying on your motorcycle * * Watching all the ground beneath you drop * * You'd kill yourself for recognition * * Kill yourself to never, ever stop * * You broke another mirror * * You're turning into something you are not * * Don't leave me high * * Don't leave me dry * * Drying up in conversation * * You will be the one who cannot talk * * All your insides fall to pieces * * You just sit there wishing you could still make love * * They're the ones who'll hate you * * When you think you've got the world * * All sussed out * ??? * You will be the one screaming out * * Don't leave me high * * Don't leave me dry * * Don't leave me high * * Don't leave me dry * * Don't leave me high * * Don't leave me high * * Don't leave me dry.
*