J.D. Ho |
|
ACT THREE FADE IN: INT. GIRARDI HOME - KITCHEN - NIGHT Joan flies through the kitchen and we can hear her FOOTSTEPS as she runs upstairs. Kevin wheels in a moment later. Helen looks up from her reading. HELEN Kevin? Kevin plays it totally cool. He shrugs. KEVIN The brat didn't want to walk home. Hey, did you know Luke could make methamphetamine in our kitchen if he wanted to? He knows the recipe and everything. How cool is that? He wheels out of the kitchen. Helen stares after him. CUT TO: INT. GIRARDI HOME - JOAN'S ROOM - A MINUTE LATER Joan lies on her bed, curled up. She doesn't answer the KNOCK at her door. But she can't ignore the second KNOCK. JOAN I'm trying to sleep. Can it wait? Helen opens the door. JOAN (CONT'D) What happened to the privacy policy? HELEN I think there's a clause that says when my daughter goes out without permission and comes home upset, I'm allowed to barge in and ask what happened. Joan sits up, searching for the words. JOAN I had this date. I know it's a school night, but... It just wasn't what I thought. I was confused. I'm sorry. Joan flops back down. Helen sits on the bed. HELEN Joan, this has got to stop. I don't know what to do with you lately. Cutting class, going out on school nights... Helen tries to rein it in. She looks at the ceiling for answers. JOAN Mom, do you ever ask yourself why you're here? On this planet, I mean. What your purpose is in life? Why is it so unclear? Why are we told to do things that don't make any sense? Why do bad things happen to us? HELEN (careful) I think... that figuring it all out is what makes life interesting. If we knew all the answers, we wouldn't... ask people for help. We wouldn't have the experiences we have. Or be the people we are. JOAN I wish I were someone else. HELEN Someday you'll be the person you want to be and that feeling will go away. Joan buries her head in her pillow. JOAN Not that I don't appreciate the pep talk, but I really just want to go to bed. Okay? HELEN You cannot leave this house at night without my permission. Understood? JOAN (reluctant) Yes. Helen hesitates. Considers saying something more. But, instead, she leans over and kisses Joan. HELEN Goodnight, then. JOAN Goodnight. CUT TO: INT. ARCADIA HIGH - HALLWAY - DAY Joan hurries down the stairs. Today she's back in her regular clothes. It's the between-classes rush. As she nears the landing, she bumps into Luke, who is stumbling along without his glasses. JOAN What are you doing? LUKE What do you mean? He acts nonchalant. Not like he's having trouble walking down the stairs or anything. JOAN What happened to your glasses? LUKE I'm not wearing them today. JOAN Why not? LUKE (testy) Do I need a reason? The bell RINGS. JOAN Come on, we're late for Chem. She grabs his arm and drags him down the stairs. CUT TO: EXT. ARCADIA HIGH - SAME Will pulls open one of the doors and steps inside. INT. ARCADIA HIGH - MAIN OFFICE - A MINUTE LATER Helen looks up when Will enters. HELEN Will. What's going on? WILL Remember I interviewed that girl last night? The drug case? HELEN Right. WILL She's a student here. And so's the dealer who sold that kid the drugs. I'm thinking he might be in her circle of friends because she wouldn't give me a name. HELEN Who's the student? WILL Melanie Waterson. You know her? HELEN Yes. (off Will's look) She's one of those sad stories, Will. She comes in here late all the time. She's doing poorly in class... You know, I saw her with Joan yesterday. WILL With Joan? HELEN It looked like they were arguing. It was when I came to pick Joan up from detention. Maybe Joan-- She stops herself. Will shakes his head. WILL I'm not interrogating my own daughter. HELEN It's not interrogation. Just ask her. WILL You think she'll tell me anything? I'm her father. HELEN Do you have a better idea? CUT TO: INT. ARCADIA HIGH - CHEMISTRY CLASS - SAME Adam, Grace, and Joan sit in their customary seats in Chemistry. ADAM Did you really go out with that guy Brett? JOAN What? Is my life on CNN? ADAM He's been telling the whole school he slept with you. JOAN Are you serious? ADAM Did you? JOAN (sarcastic) Just call me Slut Joan. They shut up as Ms. Lischak steps lightly down the center aisle. Joan bites her tongue, but the fury remains on her face. MS. LISCHAK Homework please. Pass it to the center. Students rustle through binders and bags. Ms. Lischak collects papers as the students hand them over. When she reaches Luke's station, she holds a hand out expectantly, but only gets Friedman's. MS. LISCHAK (CONT'D) Luke? LUKE (expressionless) I don't have it. MS. LISCHAK A first. I'll make an exception to my dungeon rule. You may turn it in tomorrow. She continues on down the aisle. FRIEDMAN Dude, what's up with you? You always do your homework. LUKE (irritated) Yes. I'm aware of that. CUT TO: INT. ARCADIA HIGH - MAIN OFFICE - LATER Will exits the principal's office. From her place behind the front desk, Helen looks at him expectantly. WILL (resigned) We're bringing in the dogs. Helen observes him closely. HELEN What are you afraid of? (off his surprise) You had that look on your face. Like you were going to meet your doom. Will smiles. WILL What if I find something in Joan's locker? HELEN If it's there, don't you think it's better that you find it than that you don't? WILL I'm about to invade the privacy of two of my kids. It doesn't seem right. I'd never search their rooms at home. HELEN You could just ask her. WILL If I ask her, then it seems like I suspect her. But if I search the whole school, then I suspect everyone. It's equal opportunity suspicion. PRELAP: The bell RINGS. CUT TO: INT. ARCADIA HIGH - HALLWAY - LATER Several police officers walk the hall with a large German Shepherd. The dog is all business, sniffing at the rows of metal lockers. He pauses for a moment, then moves on. Students begin filtering out of their classes. The dog stops at a locker and looks back at his handler. Grace, Joan, and Adam observe from down the hall. GRACE This is so unconstitutional. No one even notified us. The P.A. system CRACKLES to life. PRINCIPAL CHADWICK (O.S.) Good Morning, Arcadia High. You may notice several police officers in the hall today, but do not be alarmed. Simply go about your business. Thank you. Grace scowls. GRACE That's it? (yelling to the air) Thanks for treating us like adults! The officers have found something. One of them uses a large lock cutter to cut the lock off a locker. ADAM Whose locker is that? JOAN It's Brett's. CUT TO: EXT. ARCADIA HIGH - LATER Two police cruisers stand parked outside the school. Two officers escort Brett into one of the cars. Will watches, a sad expression on his face. Toni walks up to Will. TONI We got crystal meth, marijuana, ecstasy... WILL He's going to face some time for that. TONI He's sixteen. WILL Nothing surprises me anymore. But it sure as hell makes me mad. CUT TO: INT. ARCADIA HERALD - DAY Rebecca sits on the edge of Kevin's desk. REBECCA So. Your dad just conducted a locker search at Arcadia High. KEVIN You have a source at the P.D. now? REBECCA It's called a police scanner. KEVIN Is that legal, because, you know, I have connections -- REBECCA Can it, Kevin. I just want to know what you think: for or against? Support or oppose? KEVIN Why does my opinion matter? REBECCA Because you're a smart, informed citizen and it's an important civil rights issue. Kevin thinks for a second. KEVIN The other night, my sister -- you've met her right? Rebecca nods, arms folded across her chest, waiting. KEVIN (CONT'D) She's fifteen and she went out on this date. The guy freaked her out, and she called me and asked me to pick her up. So I did. Rebecca looks at Kevin expectantly. REBECCA What does that have to do with anything? KEVIN She knew I'd help her and that I wouldn't rat her out to mom and dad. The point is, not everyone has someone to call. REBECCA Are you being purposely cryptic? Get over it. KEVIN My dad protects people who can't do it for themselves. It's his job. REBECCA You know, you have this way of making me change my mind. Kevin smiles. KEVIN Is that a good thing? REBECCA Yeah. She gets up. REBECCA (CONT'D) By the way... He didn't interview the players. KEVIN I know. REBECCA I think you should. KEVIN Me? REBECCA Who else am I talking to? KEVIN Why? REBECCA You're the fact checker. You're a good fact checker. So go interview the players. Go get the facts. Off of Kevin's grin we CUT TO: INT. ARCADIA HIGH - HALLWAY - AFTERNOON Joan walks toward the exit. The halls aren't empty, but only a few kids wander around. MELANIE (O.S.) Joan! Joan stops and turns to see who it is. JOAN'S POV Melanie is an approaching fury, wild hair flying, her eyes totally red. She looks like hell. And she's pissed off. BACK TO SCENE Joan is paralyzed by indecision. Melanie reaches her destination and gives Joan a full frontal shove, sending her SLAMMING into the metal of the lockers. We don't need to be told it's painful. Joan's bookbag falls to the floor with a THUD. MELANIE (CONT'D) I warned you to stay away from my boyfriend! JOAN Melanie, look, I think there's a misund-- Melanie holds Joan against the lockers, yelling in her face. Joan tries to turn away. MELANIE There's no misunderstanding, Joan Girardi. People have stopped to watch the girlfight. But the crowd is neutral, rooting for no one. And definitely not interfering. Confusion passes over Joan's face. JOAN I'm not dating him. What is your problem? MELANIE I know you went out with him. You didn't think I'd make the connection, did you? Thought you'd get the dirt on him so you could report him to your dad! JOAN What are you-- MELANIE You narked on my boyfriend! He's in jail now because of you. Joan pushes Melanie away. JOAN Get over it. I didn't say anything to my dad, okay? She tries to escape the cage of Melanie's arms, but Melanie is quick and Joan finds herself with a switchblade pressed against her throat. If Joan could swear, she would, but it's all there in her expression. Eyes wide, she stills. Without moving her head, she ventures a look to the side. JOAN'S POV The audience members are backing away instead of coming to her aid. Great. BACK TO SCENE MELANIE (tearful) You took away the one thing I really needed in life. I needed him. JOAN (softening, reassuring) Hey, everything's going to be okay. Melanie lets her guard down for the briefest second. It's all Joan needs. She grabs Melanie's arm and ducks to escape. But things don't go quite as Joan planned. It happens quickly: Melanie tries to regain control, but her knife slips, gouging Joan's shoulder. We see the blood, and off Joan's shocked expression we FADE OUT. END ACT THREE ACT FOUR FADE IN: INT. ARCADIA HIGH - HALLWAY - AFTERNOON In shock, Joan touches her shoulder. She's bleeding. A rush of teachers suddenly materializes to pull Melanie away from Joan, but they don't need to because Melanie is already backing away. She drops the knife and brings her hand to her face in horror. MELANIE (hyperventilating) Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God. (to Joan) I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Helen kneels beside Joan. HELEN Joan. Are you...? JOAN (cracking) I'm bleeding. Wordlessly, Helen gathers Joan into her arms and tries to help her sit up. JOAN (CONT'D) Mom? HELEN It's okay, baby. (out into the crowd) Can someone help me get her to the infirmary? Melanie turns to Mr. Price, who has her by the arm. MELANIE I'm sorry. Helen and another teacher help Joan to her feet. Blood seeps into Joan's shirt. MELANIE (CONT'D) I didn't mean to hurt you. She's crying, but Joan ignores her. Helen puts an arm around Joan. HELEN I'm here. It's okay. CUT TO: INT. ARCADIA POLICE DEPARTMENT - SAME Will stands outside an interrogation room watching as an officer questions Brett. Toni approaches Will. WILL What's the final count? Toni ignores the question. TONI You might want to get back down to the high school. Something's happened to Joan. CUT TO: INT. INFIRMARY - LATER Joan sits in a chair, trembling. A plump, gray-haired NURSE begins cleaning the wound. NURSE It's not as bad as it looks, honey. I'll stitch it right up. You won't even feel it. Joan frowns. JOAN Stitches? NURSE Normally, we don't do stitches in the infirmary, but trust me, I'll do a better job than any doctor. Joan stares at the Nurse, wondering. NURSE (CONT'D) You know, Melanie is a very special girl. Joan realizes she's talking to God. She pulls away. JOAN You let her hurt me. NURSE Stay still. She begins stitching. JOAN You promised -- you promised you'd never let anything happen to me. You said you'd protect me. NURSE I did protect you. If I hadn't, you wouldn't be sitting here now. But I can't protect you from life. Life just happens. JOAN You act like this is nothing. Like I got a papercut. NURSE This is a papercut, Joan. Joan looks at the Nurse without comprehension, on the verge of tears. JOAN I do these things for you without knowing why (her voice breaks) or what I'm doing. NURSE That's called faith. JOAN (scornful) Faith. Faith will get me killed. NURSE She used to be a straight A student. JOAN So? NURSE Her parents put a lot of pressure on her. They aren't like your parents. They think that good grades are more important than letting their kids grow up. JOAN I'm supposed to feel bad for her? Joan winces and glares at the work being performed on her shoulder. NURSE You don't know yet what Melanie will go on to do in this life. She might save your life someday. Just like you saved hers. JOAN Yeah, right. NURSE Yesterday, the path she was on was clear. Today, it isn't. Today, she has a better chance than yesterday. The Nurse unwraps a bandage. NURSE (CONT'D) Don't get this wet. Come back in ten days to get the stitches out. CUT TO: INT. ARCADIA HIGH - PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE - LATER Melanie sits in a chair in front of the principal's desk. She's crying a little, SNIFFLING. Will sits in a chair beside Melanie. She stares at her lap, unwilling to meet his gaze. There's a moment of silence. WILL You hurt my daughter. I'm not in a lenient mood. Melanie wraps her arms around herself. MELANIE Mr. Girardi... I -- I never thought I'd hurt someone like that. I didn't ever want to do that to anybody. She finally looks up at him beseechingly. Will watches her, but continues talking. WILL My daughter was a miracle. There were problems...during the delivery. She was twisted around in the womb, and when she was born, she was under weight. But she pulled through. She always has. And I'm proud of her. Whenever something happens to her, I think about the day she was born, how I might have lost her. Melanie begins crying anew. Silent tears spill out, beyond her control. WILL (CONT'D) Sometimes she makes mistakes, but I genuinely believe she's a good person and she'll go on to do great things in life. Melanie wipes her nose on her arm. MELANIE I'm so sorry. (whispering) I wish I could take it back. WILL I don't know anything about you except you're a user who attacked my daughter with a knife. Melanie shakes her head as if she can't bear to hear the words. Once again, she won't look at Will. WILL (CONT'D) (gently) So...tell me something else. Melanie raises her tear-filled eyes. MELANIE What do you want to know? WILL What do you want to tell me? MELANIE (after a long silence) I used to want to be a doctor, so I could help people. Will waits, sensing more. MELANIE (CONT'D) And now... I just want to make it through the day. Every day, I just want to make it. And I can't make it without Brett. Without my fix. WILL I know you don't think you'll make it, but you will. MELANIE What's going to happen? WILL I don't know. That depends on you. CUT TO: INT. ARCADIA HIGH - SCHOOL OFFICE - A MOMENT LATER Joan waits with Helen just outside the principal's office. They watch as Will escorts Melanie out. JOAN Dad? Will takes her in his arms. WILL I was worried. JOAN I'm okay. She pulls away. JOAN (CONT'D) Dad, listen, I don't want to press charges. If that's okay. Will casts a glance in Melanie's direction. WILL Let's keep that between us. I need leverage to get her into treatment. JOAN (nodding) Okay. Will opens the office door for Melanie. CUT TO: INT. GIRARDI HOME - KITCHEN - NIGHT Luke sits at the table staring down the cardboard box -- his nemesis. There's still nothing on the box. Magazines lie open on the table. There are scissors and glue. But no progress. Joan wanders in and opens the refrigerator. She rolls her shoulder awkwardly. LUKE Want me to get something for you? JOAN No. I'm okay. It doesn't hurt that much. What are you doing? LUKE I have to decorate this box to show my inner self and my outer self. And it's due tomorrow. JOAN (laughing) Are you serious? She pours a glass of milk and sits at the table. LUKE It's not funny. It counts toward my grade. JOAN It takes a box to stump a genius. LUKE If you're not going to help, then just shut up. JOAN What's so difficult? Just do it. LUKE The outside is easy -- obviously. It's the inside I'm worried about. JOAN Inside you...there's a teen pop star begging to come out. LUKE (groaning) Oh, God. Don't remind me. JOAN You had that phase where you memorized all the songs from "The Lion King." LUKE I had a terrible voice. JOAN You drove mom crazy. LUKE I can't believe she didn't tape my mouth shut. It's a good thing I decided I liked science instead. JOAN (laughing more) Remember the time you tried to build a bomb in the kitchen? LUKE (defending himself) I wanted to see if it could be done. JOAN I don't think the kitchen was ever the same after that. LUKE The burner on the stove... JOAN No, I think that was from the time you tried to isolate all the ingredients in your cold medicine. LUKE This isn't helping. You've basically proven that, even to my sister, I'm the outside of the box. JOAN Your singing has nothing to do with science. LUKE I don't sing anymore. Joan contemplates the box in silence. JOAN When did you change your mind? LUKE About what? JOAN Science. I can't remember when you got into it. It's not like Mom and Dad pushed it on you. Maybe if you figure out why you love it so much, you'll know what to put on the inside of the box. LUKE What would you put on the inside of yours? JOAN (slowly, thinking) I don't know. I guess... I'd put you and Kevin in there. And Mom and Dad. Grandma and Grandpa. And Rocky. And Adam and Grace... LUKE I'd put those things in, too. JOAN But you're different. You have this thing you love to do. I don't. Like, Price would tell me I have no goals in life. He'd say: (imitating Price) "Joan, you're a blank slate. Write something." LUKE You think you're a blank slate? JOAN No. More like a... LUKE A work in progress? JOAN Yeah. But isn't everyone? CUT TO: INT. GIRARDI HOME - HELEN AND WILL'S ROOM - LATER Helen brushes her hair, getting ready to go to sleep. Will sits in bed watching her. HELEN Did you ask Joan if she knew about the drugs in Brett's locker? WILL I wasn't sure I should. I felt it was my job as a cop, but not my job as a father. HELEN What did you decide? WILL I asked her if there was anything I should know because, if it was important, she should tell me. Helen waits. WILL (CONT'D) She said there wasn't. And I believed her. He sounds unsure of how he feels about this. Helen climbs in bed next to him. HELEN When Joan showed up late yesterday in that outfit -- I didn't know what to do. I was shocked -- not just by the clothes, but because I thought I knew my daughter better than that. Then I realized she doesn't know herself. Will puts his arm around Helen, listening. HELEN (CONT'D) All these crazy things she does -- she's just trying to figure things out. WILL Shouldn't we be worried that she was dressed like a girl from the strip? HELEN This too shall pass. We have to have faith that we raised her to do the right thing. WILL But if it doesn't pass in a week, I think we should ground her. HELEN Absolutely. She snuggles in and Will turns off the light. CUT TO: INT. ARCADIA HIGH - HALLWAY - DAY Melanie clears her things out of her locker. The hallway is crowded with students going to and from classes. Joan approaches Melanie hesitantly. JOAN Hey. Melanie looks up. MELANIE Hey. How's your-- She motions to her shoulder. JOAN The nurse said it'll heal just fine. MELANIE Joan, I'm-- JOAN (rushing) It's okay. (normal) You don't need to apologize. Melanie shifts awkwardly. JOAN (CONT'D) What's going on? Are you leaving school? MELANIE I'm doing this program... I'll be coming back next semester. I really want to finish. (tearing up) My dad hates when I mess up. JOAN Maybe my dad can talk to him. He's good at that stuff. MELANIE Your dad's a nice guy. JOAN Yeah. I guess he is. Melanie wipes her eyes, then shoulders her bag, shuts her locker, and begins walking down the hall. Joan watches her go and we CUT TO: INT. ARCADIA HIGH - LUKE'S ENGLISH CLASS - DAY The students sit at their desks, which have been arranged in a circle. Miss Graves sits at one of the desks. MISS GRAVES Luke? Would you go next? Luke shifts nervously. All eyes focus on him. Luke reluctantly lifts up his box from behind his chair. The box has been cut so that it folds into a pyramid shape. The outside is completely papered with diagrams and charts. LUKE I call this the Lukebox. He pauses, nervous. LUKE (CONT'D) On the outside, I have the periodic table and charts of the physical laws that govern the universe... I've always loved science, ever since I was a little kid. Maybe I just liked to terrorize my mom by exploding things in the kitchen. The class LAUGHS. Luke holds a small device in his hand. LUKE (CONT'D) But then, I realized that I love science because there are always surprises. He presses a button on the device and the pyramid bursts open revealing the inside of the box, which is decorated with flashing lights (like Christmas lights). Even Colin, the bully who made fun of Luke earlier, is impressed. COLIN Dude, that is so cool. LUKE Science is about solving the mysteries of the world around us. Things that seem boring become infinitely complex when you look at them under the microscope. He hesitates. MISS GRAVES Tell us about the lights. LUKE It's called the Lukebox because, before I decided I wanted to be a scientist, I... I used to sing. Badly. The class LAUGHS again and we CUT TO: INT. GIRARDI HOME - JOAN'S ROOM - NIGHT The room lies in darkness. Will enters and flips the switch on the wall. He surveys the room. There's a poster of Orlando Bloom on the wall. Will walks over to it and studies, consternation clear on his face. JOAN (O.S.) Dad? Will turns around. Joan leans on the door jamb. JOAN (CONT'D) What are you doing? WILL Who is this guy? And why is he right above your bed? JOAN It's Orlando Bloom, Dad. Legolas. WILL Right. JOAN Do you need something? WILL No. I haven't been in here in a while. You changed some things. JOAN I guess. She sits on the bed. Looks around, wondering what's different. JOAN (CONT'D) I moved that little table because I kept stubbing my toe. WILL Is this room big enough for you? She shrugs. JOAN I miss my treehouse. WILL I remember when I built that for you. JOAN I liked that no one could see me. And I could pretend I was all these things, like a tree princess, or a wood fairy. Joan sighs. Life is more complicated now. JOAN (CONT'D) Sometimes I miss being a kid. WILL You still are a kid. JOAN No, I'm not. Will realizes it's true. WILL Dinner's almost ready. Help set the table? JOAN Sure. She gets up and heads for the door. JOAN (CONT'D) You coming? WILL (shaking out of his reverie) Yeah. Joan exits. JOAN (O.S.) Luke! Help me set the table! Will stops at the door and takes one last look at the room before he switches off the light. FADE TO BLACK. THE END
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.