[MUSIC]
[SIRENS]
you gotta stop listening
to the same voices playing
over and over in your head.
I can pretty much get
the voices to stop now
but it's the images
that keep coming back.
Certain ones like the day
they raided us,
the tear gas burning my eyes,
the moment they cuffed me,
watching one of
my best friends die.
Maybe it's a good thing
that I can't get rid of 'em.
So I can't forget
where I came from.
[MUSIC]
Everyone has their number.
My number is 18.
This is my 18th foster home
placement
and that goes along
with other numbers,
11 misdemeanors, 9 felonies,
4 convictions and 1 new haircut
at the insistence
of my case worker.
[GRAVEL CRUNCHING]
[DOOR CLOSES]
They say that when you
get released from prison
you have the glow,
a new attitude.
Who knows?
I'm just hoping 18 will be
my lucky number.
We thank you for the food
that you have before us
and we thank for the loving
hands that have prepared it.
Lord, we have a new member of
the family at the table tonight
and we thank you for bringing
Brendan into our lives
and for the new life
that you have given to him.
We ask that you give him
strength and wisdom
in his new endeavors at school
and may he always
rely upon you.
This we ask in Jesus' name,
amen.
Amen.
So, you must be excited
about school.
Tomorrow morning we have
a meeting with the principal.
It's nothing special.
That the transition's
going smoothly.
Okay.
Northside's a good school.
I've been a teacher there
going on 25 years.
Vanessa was a nurse there
for how long, sweetheart?
Long enough.
Well, speaking
of smooth transitions,
your curfew will be 9:00
on school nights.
You've had a curfew before?
I've had a lot of practice being
on time in the last few years.
Yes, yes, I suppose you have.
But it will be different without
someone looking over you.
I'm sure it'll all
work out fine.
Of course, it'll be fine.
I just want to be clear
on our expectations.
There'll be plenty of time
for these things later.
[MUSIC]
I smell alcohol on your breath,
weed on your clothes,
we have to report it.
Same with fighting
or erratic attendance.
Now, what's going on with
the community service?
The Faith Club's working
on a few projects this fall.
He'll pick up the hours there.
It's important that you
don't fall short
in that area either, Brendan.
Yes, sir.
(KNOCK ON DOOR) Sorry I'm late.
He's volunteered
to show you around.
So you just moved in
with Mr. Stubbs, huh?
Yeah.
That's cool.
Yeah, he's a pretty cool guy.
He mentors our Bible study
after school.
Yeah, that's what he was
telling me.
Well, look, Northside is
just like any other school.
We got jocks, geeks, princesses
and even a few cool kids
such as myself.
When you are working with
absolute value inequalities,
there's a lot you have
to keep straight.
You have to combine everything
you know about inequalities
with everything you know
about absolute values.
[MUSIC]
[CHEERLEADERS CHANTING]
[MUSIC]
Did you tell him he could work
on Lewis's car?
- Hmm?
- He's working on Lewis's car.
Yeah, he said he took
some shop classes
and asked if he could.
Well, sweetheart,
I really don't think
that was your decision to make.
Since when do you care
about cars?
You know what I mean.
Okay, I'm sorry.
You're right.
Guess I should have said
something to you.
I can tell him.
Well, you can't tell him now
that you let him start.
I thought we agreed we were
gonna try to help
the kid turn his life around.
[ENGINE TRIES TO TURN OVER]
Well, I just didn't know
that Lewis's car would be
a part of that plan.
[ENGINE STARTS]
So in the garden, we see him
pitting man against God
and in Job, we see him trying
to turn God against man
and in Matthew,
we see him scheming
to turn Jesus from God.
Now, Jesus has just begun
his ministry.
He's only been baptized
a few days prior.
He hasn't even performed
a single miracle
and yet the enemy is already
trying to bring him down.
[MUSIC]
So, Brendan, how are you
finding it so far?
- Uh, it's...
- He doesn't say much.
He's got that quiet thing
going for him.
Yeah, he keeps to himself.
So does that mean you're
not gonna join
our volleyball team then?
Volleyball team?
Yeah, the Seekers has
an intramural team
and we play after school
at the park.
You should come out,
Friday night.
It's more like jungle ball
than volleyball.
And then afterwards you can
check out my band.
See, we play mostly
alternative rock
with some Christian skate
punk thrown in and...
They change their name weekly.
Well, we're just still trying
to find our identity, you know?
Okay.
[MUSIC]
He helped him get
insurance, too?
Yeah, set up a payment schedule.
Where's he getting his money?
Mike arranged that
he would cut grass
at the school in the fields.
I told Mike this was a bad idea.
I mean, he barely
knows this kid.
How do you make a person
trustworthy? Trust them.
Mike trusted those roofers
a couple of years back.
They did half the job
for the full price
and then they disappeared
on him.
(DOOR SHUTS) Hey, Russell.
How you doin', man?
What, you hit a number
on the lotto?
You're giving away cars?
I could use
a high definition TV.
You only fall asleep
in front of it.
Not if it was HD.
You know, if you're thinking
of passing on
there's this new rec center
the department is sponsoring
and they're looking
for donations.
I remember Lewis had
that foosball table
he used to play on night and day
when he was a kid.
We're not sure what we're
doing with that yet.
Yeah.
[MUSIC]
[ENGINE RUNNING]
[MUSIC]
[FOOTSTEPS]
Brendan, right?
I'm Detective Russell Dwyer.
I work for the county.
Ever since I heard that Stubbs
took you in.
You've been in the system
long enough to know
that your record isn't
gonna fold up neatly
and disappear on you.
I mean, conditional discharge
where they seal your records,
that's for misdemeanors.
Drunk and disorderly,
whacking mailboxes
with a baseball bat.
But that's not you.
Now, I know what
you're thinking,
another cop hassling me
for no good reason,
but I have a reason.
I am a stat man, Brendan.
You into fantasy football
or baseball?
Oh, you should try it.
It's a good distraction.
Now, I love it because
it's all stats
and the guys that are
really great at it,
well, they learn how to dig
through all the useless data
and find what's
really important.
I checked the recidivism
statistics on that boys club
you spent the last
three years in.
Do you know what
recidivism means?
It's a 50 cent word that means
messing up again.
Do you know the recidivism rate
of those rats
that came out of that hole
you were in?
90% arrested within
two years of release.
Nine out of ten and that's
why I'm here, Brendan.
Nothing personal,
just the stats.
Now the Stubbs,
they're good folks.
Never took a shortcut
in their lives.
And they had a son.
He was a cop.
He was killed in the line of
duty, routine traffic stop.
Guy shot him dead on the side
of the highway.
They don't need any more
heartache.
Yes, sir.
I will be seeing you, Brendan.
[FOOTSTEPS]
[MUSIC]
I heard some kids talking
about you at school today.
I guess they found a story
about a Brendan King arrested
in a drug raid in the city
about three years ago.
If you're uncomfortable talking
about it, I completely...
No, it's cool.
Anyway, I wouldn't worry
if it gets out.
Girls love a bad boy.
They love the challenge to
reform a rebellious boy.
No, they've done studies
on it, man. (CHUCKLES)
Did a car just go off
the road up there?
Wait, Brendan, stop the car!
[MUSIC]
Whoa.
Hey!
Hey, you gotta be careful, man.
[MUSIC]
Hey. (BANGING)
Call for help!
[COUGHING]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[COUGHING]
Hey, you okay?
Sorry, it's gonna be okay,
I'm gonna get you outta here.
One, two, three.
Ow!
[COUGHING]
[RADIO CHATTER]
[BACKGROUND CONVERSATIONS]
- She gonna be okay?
- She's gonna be all right.
- Could you give us a minute?
- Sure, no problem.
[RADIO CHATTER]
We found these
on the floor of the car.
Wanna tell me about it?
A Northside High student
risked his life
to pull a girl from her
burning car yesterday.
The 17-year-old girl
who is yet to...
It's a good thing you were
coming by.
That was a darn heroic thing
you did.
Anyone would have done it.
I don't think so.
Could have easily have gone
another way.
Well, the car looked like
it was about to explode,
so I hung back, but my friend...
You being there was no accident.
God has a plan.
Hope you believe that.
[MUSIC]
Hey, is this seat taken
or does Katie Couric want it
so she can interview you?
No, she just left,
so it's all yours.
We're rock stars, dude.
Did you catch me on the news?
I plugged you big time.
You saved the homecoming queen,
how crazy is that?
You talked to her since then?
No.
Dude, you gotta get on that.
You're like a super hero.
- Now you've lost it.
- I haven't lost it.
What are you doing
in this class?
I've never been in this
classroom before.
Yeah, well... there are a lot
of pretty girls in this class.
Mr. Sheedy.
Sorry.
Just don't let this fame go
to your head, all right?
[MUSIC]
(WHISPERS) Brendan,
Brendan King.