All Quotes

"Kate: You're wrong. You'll see."

"[Anna begins teaching the first lesson of the day. Later, Juan yet hasn't arrived for school]"

"Polly: Perhaps he has a cold or something."

"Kate: He's not sick!"

"[Anna is beginning to concern. At recess, she goes to the school office to call Juan's mother. But there is no response, she calls Tom]"

"[The children wait in the schoolyard while Anna is in the office. But they are becoming patient]"

"Kate: I'm going to his house."

"Polly: But we're not allowed to leave school."

"[Kate doesn't care what Polly says. She runs out of the schoolyard and heads straight for the trailer park]"

"[She isn't alone. The rest of the Big Green follow right behind her. As they get to the trailer park, they know at once that Juan and his mother are gone. Their car is nowhere to be found, and their trailer looks empty]"

"Nick: We just lost our center forward!"

"Sophia: We also just lost our friend, as well."

"[Red-faced, Nick nods in agreement]"

"Larry: And now we're busted."

"[Everybody looks toward the road. Tom is pulling up in his patrol car. And Anna is with him]"

"Anna: What are you boys doing here?"

"Kate: They're gone! We can see inside. Their stuff's all gone!"

"[Tom glances through the window of the trailer]"

"Tom: She panicked."

"Kate: I warned you. [Then she throws a scornful look at Tom] You did it! It's your fault! I saw you here!"

"[With that said, Kate takes off down the road at a run]"

"[Kate is out of breath by the time she gets home and shuts the door behind her. She has run all the road from the trailer park]"

"[Her father, heaped on the couch, stirs until he hears her come in]"

"Ed: What's got into you?"

"Kate: Juan's gone."

"Ed: The Mexi boy?"

"[Kate's face hardens]"

"Kate: Don't call him that! Don't you ever call him that!"

"Ed: I didn't mean nothing among it."

"[Kate stares at her father]"

"Kate: Yes, you did."

"Ed: What's gotten into you?"

"Kate: As soon as I'm old enough, I'm outta here. Nobody in their right mind would stay in this town!"

"Ed: Now wait a moment––"

"Kate: Don't worry. You'll never know I'm gone. You don't even know I'm here right now!"

"[She walks back out the front door, closing it behind her. Then she runs all the road to the old granary, climbs up to her secret room and looks at her special fashions. She hates everything she sees. She pulls out her pocketknife and begins slashing at everything in sight. The pictures of the walls, the throw pillows, everything. As she is finished, she finds that she doesn't feel any better. She collapses on the floor and weeps]"

"[Kate doesn't want to go home, where she goes for a walk into town]"

"Anna: Been looking for you! [Kate swerves around, alarmed. Anna is standing behind her]"

"Kate: Small town. Not a lot of places to look."

"Anna: I found quite a few. [She explains to Kate why the Moraleses have left Elma] Tom has no idea they were going to leave. He was trying to help them. A lot of people would have tried to help them. But they got frightened."

"Kate: They didn't even say a farewell."

"Anna: I'm sorry."

"Kate: That's how you know they aren't coming back. People only say a farewell if they plan on saying hello again. It's a rule."

"[Anna puts her arms around Kate's shoulder, giving her a gentle hug]"

"Anna: The other children don't know if they want to play tomorrow. They think perhaps we should forfeit."

"Kate: Whaddya think?"

"Anna: I think Juan would want you to do well. In school and in soccer."

"Kate: He wouldn't want me to do well. He'd want me to win."

"[The next morning, everyone in town gathers in front of The Office to see the Big Green off to their long-awaited match in Austin]"

"[After a while, Anna and Bomma Cole pull up in Anna's red convertible. Everyone gathers around as they get out of the car, opens the trunk and pulls out a box. Anna slices open the box and pulls out a set of clean and neatly wrapped green uniforms. Each shirt has a different number on it and the name "Adidas" sewn onto the back. They are real uniforms]"