Rearview Window June 6, 2001: I SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO apologize to the readers of my fic for the delay. The month of May was literal hell for me, but now things have settled down and I will hopefully be finishing this up by the middle of the month. By the end of the month I should have the "season finale".

"Rearview Window" will be the SECOND TO LAST story to my own "season", but DON'T FRET. Throughout the summer, I will be offering snippets of the kids' lives...whereupon you, the reader, will be given clues as to what happened over the summer. They will not appear as individual episodes -- they will be more like "scenes" that stand on their own (but when put together, can form a coherent story/mystery). They will still be in script form and most likely vary in length. The last of my season's Populars is tentatively titled, "(Vacation) All I Ever Wanted". Here's the promo/sneak preview:

WB VOICE OVER
What do you get when you put six girls...

CLIP: MARY CHERRY, NICOLE, BROOKE, SAM, LILY, CARMEN all struggling over two tons of luggage.

WB VOICE OVER
...three boys...

CLIP: JOSH, SUGAR DADDY, and HARRISON all shaking their heads, wide-eyed at the camera.

WB VOICE OVER
...two stowaways...

CLIP: Two pairs of eyes peeking out from under a tarp. SMASH CUT TO Mary Cherry in complete horror, screaming.

WB VOICE OVER
...and a missing captain...

CLIP: There is no one at the helm of a big yacht. It's so quiet you can hear the ocean ripple.

WB VOICE OVER
...on a boat to nowhere?

CLIP: A very wet and panicking Mary Cherry in a bathing suit, seemingly shoulder-deep in clear blue water. Nicole is standing next to her.

MARY CHERRY
OH MAH GAWD, it's the Loch Ness Monster!!!

Nicole turns to her wide-eyed, grits her teeth and smacks her on the head.

WB VOICE OVER
...one heck of an adventure!

CLIP: Mary Cherry as Christina Aguilera, Nicole as Pink, Lily as Mya, and Carmen as Lil' Kim from the "Lady Marmalade" video, seductively working the camera while singing.

ALL GIRLS
Gucci, Gucci, yeah, that's Prada (Hey yeah yeah!)

CLIP: Sugar Daddy burying Josh in the sand as Lily tries to dig him out.

CLIP: Emory and April looking very 25-days-into-Survivor.

TUNA
(excited)
We're gonna die here!

EMORY
(smiles)
Awesome.

CLIP: Brooke and Sam look at eachother in shock.

WB VOICE OVER
On the season finale of Popular.

CLIP: Harrison doing a Titanic-like lean at the edge of a yacht. Nicole walks by with her cane, casually reading a magazine and shoves him overboard...he falls with a splash into the water.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These characters are not mine. They are property of the WB/Touchstone Pictures. However, this storyline and the dialogue contained within ARE of my own creation, and may not be used without my permission. Rearview Window is ©2001 JaCk/jack.andrew@att.net . All rights to my part in this creation are reserved.

NOTES ON REARVIEW WINDOW: This is the follow-up to Heaven Can't Wait. I'm gonna try and keep it light this time, so not to worry.

The way this is set up is thus: In watching Popular, you might notice that there's a short beginning part and around 4-5 longer parts after the Kendall Payne song introduction that make up the show (between the commercials.) Rearview Window 's "short beginning part" will be called the prologue, and appears as four acts (chapters/sections/whatever.) Also, the acts may be longer than the normal 43-47 minute long length of the actual show, UNLESS I decide to make it five acts. Despite this being in its loose script format, I prefer to call this legitimate fan fiction, esp. since it may never see the light of screentime. Thanks for the interest and please email me with any thoughts or criticism.

The storyline takes place after the events in Heaven Can't Wait and is also my first story to be completed in May. Depending on whether or not The WB picks up POPULAR for a third season, I'm considering a summer series. Please read the other stories in my POPULAR series before reading this. Hey. You can't navigate without a compass, hon.

REARVIEW WINDOW: PROLOGUE

INT. BROOKE & SAM'S HOUSE - MORNING

VIEW OF THE CEILING from the kitchen counter as a baby CRIES. INTO VIEW: a close up of SAM MCPHERSON's face as she tries to smile and dangles a soft, squeaky squishy toy at the camera.

SAM
Shh...shhh, it's o.k., really!

CUT TO: Baby MADELAINE MCQUEEN, screaming and crying.

SAM
(squeaking the toy)
She's coming back really,
really soon!

The baby continues to screech as Sam rolls her eyes in frustration.

SAM (cont'd)
Ugh, not soon enough!

BROOKE MCQUEEN enters on her crutches. She maneuvers around on them better than Sam does.

BROOKE
Hey, what's the matter with Maddie? Is
she o.k.?

SAM
She's been crying for the last 20 minutes, didn't you hear?
Or do you have your blowdryer set on sandblast again?

BROOKE
Ha ha. Where's Jane?

SAM
She said that she needed to run out to get some more
diapers, but I think she was lying.
(pauses)
She's gone insane. She knew that this screamathon
wouldn't end and she booked it.
(pauses)
Let's face it. We have to tote this little rugrat to
school and sit with the other dozen teen mothers
at Kennedy.

BROOKE
(cooing at the baby)
I'm sure she just got stuck in traffic. She might just
be a little late, that's all.

SAM
That's ALL? That means that I'll just "be a little late"
for school and Brooke, you know how Claw gets --

BROOKE
(focused on the baby)
You wanna ride with me and Jamie?

SAM
W...wait, you're getting a ride to school from
Jamie? Why?

BROOKE
Uh...because he's my boyfriend?

SAM
No, I mean why would he take time out of his
campus schedule to drive his high school girlfriend
to first period?

BROOKE
(calming the baby)
Sam. Just because you don't have a boyfriend
right now doesn't mean you can rag on mine.

SAM
I'm sorry, I'm just --

BROOKE
A little frustrated?
(gestures towards her crutches)
Believe me, I can relate.
(pauses)
But Jamie referred me to this new-age physical
therapist friend of his who specializes in pain
management via soothing aromatherapy --

SAM
Aromatherapy?

BROOKE
AND it's working to make me feel less frustrated
and more hopeful.
(pauses)
You should try it, it really works.

SAM
No, no thanks. I have other things to do with
my time than sit around sniffing sandalwood
candles.

BROOKE
It's oils, Sam.
(pauses, changes tone)
But you know what? Not even your sour, frustrated
self can get me down today.

She carefully picks up a calmed Madelaine and holds her.

SAM
Well, at least your magical golden rays of
sunshine are working to help someone around
here.

BROOKE
She just needed to be picked up.

Sam nearly tumbles when she fumbles with her crutches.

BROOKE (cont'd)
Looks like you could use some help --

SAM
No, I'm fine --

BROOKE
Sam, you've been saying that ever since all of this
happened, and the truth is...we're not fine. We've
been through such a horrible tragedy and until we
admit to ourselves that we do need help, we're just
going to wallow in anger and self-pity.

SAM
I think those oils you've been snorting have affected
your brain.

BROOKE
You see? Your cynicism comes from an area
that I've moved passed --

SAM
Such the progressive healer.

BROOKE
Look, I'm not looking for a fight this early on our
first day back. I don't want to think about what
happened --

SAM
What happened is going to be on everyone's minds
today.

BROOKE
Yes, but we don't have to let it eat away at us --

SAM
So you're just going to ignore it?

BROOKE
No one is saying that you have to ignore what
happened. You just have to accept that it has.
(pauses)
Life goes on, Sammy, even after something
terrible has happened. We just have to manage
to get through it, deal with it, that's all.

Sam watches Brooke with Madelaine. Madelaine has truly taken to her big sister.

SAM
I guess I'm just afraid to.

BROOKE
You can't let your fear become an obstacle. It
helps that we have people who care about us
and who want to help us through this.

Sam rolls her eyes.

The front door opens and JANE MCPHERSON enters.

JANE
Hi guys, sorry I'm late --

SAM
Mom, I have to get to school --

JANE
Yes, I know honey, I'm sorry, I hit some unexpected
traffic on the way back from the airport --

SAM
The airport? What are you talking about, where are
the diapers?

Jane sighs.

JANE
Um...Sammy...you remember when I said that I had a
surprise for you?

Sam shakes her head in confusion.

WOMAN (O.S.)
Jane...Jane dear, are you sure these are the right ones?

VIVIAN MCPHERSON, Jane's mother-in-law, enters the house, carrying a bag of diapers by its handle. Sam's mouth drops in surprise as Brooke turns, holding Madelaine. Vivian spots Sam and smiles.

VIVIAN
Samantha...how lovely you've grown!

JANE
Uh, Brooke...I'd like you to meet Sam's grandmother,
Vivian.

VIVIAN
(wide smile)
How do you do? I've heard so much about you.

Brooke's eyes widen in surprise. Jane smiles and shrugs.

TITLE SEQUENCE