Louder Than Words

[ INSTRUMENTAL PLAYS ]

GIRL:
This is not a sad story.

Well, that's what you were

thinking, isn't it?

You hear this music,

and you see me pedaling down

some sun-dappled street,

and you think, "uh-oh."

Ow! Oh, my gosh, Maria.

It's a story about my family

and how much we all

love each other.

[ SQUEALS ] Julie!

Julie's the oldest of

the triplets,

and she never lets the

other two forget it.

[ LAUGHING, SQUEALING]

I can do this, honey.

Why don't you go...

NARRATOR:
That's Steph.

When she does talk

to my parents,

she usually says the

wrong thing.

And Michael, snark central.

When do we get a break?

Are you in the union?

He's joking, but he means it.

Then there's dad.

Dad doesn't say the wrong thing.

He just doesn't say anything.

This reminds me of

our first date.

Not again.

[ KIDS GROAN ] I want to hear.

He invited me over to a house

he was remodeling

to help peel wallpaper.

Uh-huh. Wow.

You're such a romantic, dad.

I am. On the second date, we

pulled carpeting.

Mm-hmm.

She probably liked it.

Actually, I did, Steph.

We had fun.

Am I right? Yeah.

STEPH:
Well, that's about all

the fun I can handle.

Nice way to get out of working.

So is that when you fell

in love with mom?

When did you fall in

love with me?

Oh, I-I'll let you know.

[ BOTH CHUCKLE ]

[ KISS ]

Hey, you should have called.

"I know mom's unhappy you're

not getting along

"even if she doesn't show it.

You should talk to her."

She thinks it's so easy.

MARIA:
I guess you could say

my role in the family

is the glue.

I'm always trying to get

everyone to stick together.

I'm not in the mood.

I have a headache.

Want me to fix it?

You could breathe again

you would...

Feel better?

Mm-hmm.

So what will you do when you're

at college and I'm not there?

I'll come see you.

It's not that far.

It's just Boston.

Yeah, but what if you went to

nyu and commuted?

Or if you had a dorm?

I could take the

train on weekends,

and you could pick me up

at grand central.

...house is falling

your house is falling down

MARIA:
Even I couldn't

fix everything.

One day at school,

my shoulder started

hurting really bad.

That night, I woke up with the

worst headache in my life.

[ TIRES SKID ]

Okay.

Here we go. Got her?

Dad.

It's okay, sweetie. I got you.

[ MARIA SOBS ]

[ OVERLAPPING CHATTER ] Yeah,

we got him here now.

I want to go home. I know.

I wouldn't worry. If you're

half the s.O.B. Your father is,

we'll have you out of

here by breakfast.

I always treated you like a

lady, didn't I?

Eddie and I did some

business last year.

Oh, he did the business.

I ate crow.

Sorry.

If I didn't have a

taste for crow,

would I be running a

place like this?

MARIA:
The triplets were leaving

soon for college in Boston.

I was worried about

being left alone,

but I was more worried

about Michael.

What would he do without me?

On the beach, under the pier

where the cool

kids are so near

it's perfect for a

ladybug's...

Where you going?

Pick up some smokes.

I want to go.

Mom won't let you.

It's perfect for a ladybug

MICHAEL:
I can't

believe she caved.

I told her my homework was

done, which it is.

It's just different from how we

grew up. That's all.

You think I'm spoiled?

Well, you are kind of queen of

the universe, right?

[ BOTH LAUGH ]

Animal rights activists have...

[ POP ] I'm gonna let you...

No. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

You can listen to that corporate

crap with Steph and Julie.

Get a cd.

All my friends listen to

that crap, too.

When you go to Boston,

how am I gonna know what I

should be listening to?

Heh. You never give up, do you?

Yeah, otherwise.

Good choice.

Okay.

[ ROCK MUSIC PLAYS ]

Seriously, if you go

away to colle...

[ VOLUME INCREASES ]

It's not all my fault.

What?

That I'm supposedly spoiled.

Yeah. Heh. I guess mom just

likes giving you

stuff she couldn't give us.

Before dad made all his money?

I don't mean money.

Like before they got married,

she was just way stressed trying to

handle the three of us by herself.

I don't think she was ever really

happy till you came along.

[ BOTH LAUGH ]

It's kind of crazy dad married

someone with triplets.

Yeah. Well, he's kind of crazy.

We were very, very cute, though.

Can I have a drag?

Come on. I'm not a baby.

We'll have a smoke together

in a few years.

But by then, I'll have quit.

JULIE:
I'm really worried.

I know. I know.

Now, the thing about

encephalitis

is that it tends to resolve

itself without any treatment,

so our job is basically seeing

that you stay as comfortable

as possible in the meantime.

How's that sound?

Mom, are you there?

Sorry. We have a g.S.W.

Coming in,

and all the cubicles are taken.

We're almost done. Okay.

Mom?

What's a g.S.W.?

I knew that the pediatrician

was wrong about the backpack,

because a pinched nerve does not

produce neurological symptoms.

Is a g.S.W. A gunshot wound?

You're too smart for me.

Oh, my God. This place...

[ DOORS BANG OPEN ] Excuse me!

DOCTOR:
Tell me about it,

but you're safe here.

[ BABY CRIES ]

MAN:
You gotta stay

with your family.

I'll get you some water and

settle your nerves.

JULIE:
What do they

think happened?

Well, she probably got it

from the tick.

Keep you hydrated.

[ P.A. ] Nurse Carson,

you have a phone call, line one.

Nurse Carson, you have a

phone call, line one.

All right, Julie, listen.

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