- I'm not lying, I swear.
I can't find it.
(door opening)
- [Mother] Unless you wanna tell me the truth,
Amy, you're grounded.
Get that basement cleaned up
and put those old CDs in alphabetical order.
(door slams)
The garage sale is this weekend.
(slow, melancholy music)
- F, G, H, I, J, K, L.
A,B,C.
A,B,C,D,E.
(slow, melancholy music)
(video game beeping)
No, no, no.
Hop over the cliff.
No!
(video game beeping)
Not again!
No!
(Amy yells)
(box crashes to the ground)
(phone dialing)
- [Female Operator] We're sorry, the number you have reached
is not in service.
(zapping)
- Ow! The number you have dialed
- [Male Operator] is not in service at this time.
- [Female Operator] Please check the number
or try your call again.
(phone ringing)
- Ow.
- [Amy] Hello.
Hi. Hi.
- Yeah, sorry.
- Is this the right number for like,
if you need help with a game?
- [Call Center Worker] Yeah, it sure is.
- Okay.
So, I've been on the same level for so long.
- Cool your jets, kid.
What game?
- Legend of Sursha.
- Oh, thank God.
- Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker.
- [Mother] Ames.
How you doin' down there?
- Fine.
- [Mother] Making progress?
- Yep.
- [Mother] Good.
- It's like she's always watching me.
So, why did you thank God?
- What?
- Before, when I told you what game I was playing.
- Oh, it's just everyone's been calling in today
about this new game, Ghoulies Two,
and I haven't played it yet.
What level ya on?
- Three.
Why does it matter that you haven't played it yet?
- Level three, okay.
So, you wanna start over at the beginning
and make sure you get those first two inch worms.
- [Amy] Okie dokie.
- Yeah, so you're game, I know how to win it,
but this new game everyone's calling in about,
I gotta keep transferring the calls to the other guys,
'cause I don't know how to beat it
and I think they're starting to get a little annoyed.
- [Amy] Why don't you just play it so you know?
- No time.
Been prepping for a sick gig.
- What's a sick gig?
- The kind where I can finally shred my own solo.
Oh, I'm in a band, I play the guitar.
- Oh, cool.
- And we have a show tonight, this is just my side job,
'cause nothing beats the 5.50 an hour they offer here.
- 5.50 an hour?
Whoa.
- Yeah, it's pretty sweet.
Except when no one will cover your shift.
And I'm gonna miss this gig tonight.
Now it's too late to even let the guys know.
And that big record label dude was gonna be there.
- You can't just message them?
- What, like telepathically?
- No, like group text, silly.
Like I had to do this morning.
'Cause I'm grounded, I had to tell my whole track team
I can't make it today,
even though this race is our only chance
to place for regionals.
- That blows.
Whatchya grounded for?
- Failing math.
Well, hiding that I failed math.
But what's the big deal?
I just hate math and I think I'm old enough
to decide what I hate.
- Sure are, for me, it was algebra.
That stuff ain't for regular people like us.
No, it's for like, astrophysicists and shit.
- Exactly.
- You leave the discovery of black holes
and parallel universes to the experts, would ya.
- Agreed.
- The only numbers I care about pertain
to the sweet rhythms of my guitar solos.
- And the only numbers I care about are my track times.
- Oh.
So that's what you wanna do when you grow up?
- Yep, my goal is the 2024 Olympics.
- That's a little far off, no?
- Life isn't a sprint, it's a long distance marathon.
- Hell of a marathon.
- Kk.
I'm coming up to the place where
I always fall off the cliff.
- Oh, okay.
So the key is to build momentum sliding down the hill,
so just press the front and the side buttons
at the same time.
(video game beeping)
- Oh, okay!
I made it!
I've been on that level for the past hour.
How did I not think of that?
- Hey, sometimes you just need an extra pair of eyes
to help you see clearer.
That's it.
Oh my God, my Santana tape.
I've been looking for this everywhere!
- What's that?
- Hold the phone, you don't know Carlos Santana?
- Oh, I think my mom listens to him.
His song's about Maria and the Spanish Harlem, right?
- No.
Wrong guy.
No, no, this Santana is the world's greatest guitar player.
- Oh.
- Oh, it's such a rad track.
It's all about how in life, you gotta play this game
of give and take, ya know.
You make the effort and you get what you want in return.
It was the inspiration for my solo,
which I'm not even gonna get to play tonight.
- What's your name?
- Caesar.
- Mr. Caesar, I'd like to speak with your boss.
- What for?
- To tell him I'm a satisfied customer.
- All right.
(video game beeping)
(phone ringing)
Hey Donnie.
Yeah, gamer, line two.
- [Boss] Yello.
- Hello, sir.
I'd like to say your very excellent employee
helped me and many others today.
And now I think he deserves to go out and do what he wants.
- Hello?
- See, he made the effort,
so he should get what he wants in return.
It's called a give and take.
(phone sizzling)
- Christ.
Mother!
(boss grumbling)
Guys, the lines are totally down, again.
I'm gonna have to send you all home early tonight.
- So, another story about my bunny.
Whenever I walk downstairs and I go into the kitchen,
and I open the fridge, she goes "Meh, meh, meh."
And I'm like, "What, Kenny?"
And they go, "Meh, meh."
And I say, "What Kenny?"
- Hey Amy, I think you're a great kid
and you're totally gonna make the Olympics.
Good luck!
- Thanks Caesar.
I wish my mom would understand that.
I give so much and still, I get punished.
I mean, I lied.
I guess I was just worried about what she'd say
when she saw I failed.
- Ames, if you failed, it just means that you need help
and that's fine.
- Mom?
- [Mother] Who are you talking to?
- [Amy] My video game friend.
- Okay.
Why don't you come upstairs, show me your exam,
and we will figure this out.
There might even still be time for you
to make your track meet.
- Caesar, guess what!
(phone beeping)
Hello?
(phone beeping)
(footsteps)
(upbeat music)
♪ How am I to know ♪