MY FATHER'S SON – PART ONE

Opening scene: The lunchroom at Hurston Middle School. Linda sits with Gina at lunch.

Gina: So my dad knows loads of stuff about Max's dad. They used to work out together…and he once had to save him from his old gang.

Linda: What about your mom?

Gina: Mom said Max's dad was there when she fainted in the garden. They found barrels of poison there that were making her sick.

Linda: Uh huh.

Gina: And both of Carlo's parents knew him too…and always wondered if there was something going on with him and Max's mom. Uncle Alex said when he first met the guy…it was in this very cafeteria…and they almost had a fight. Jackie's dad was there too…and had to keep them from killing each other.

Linda: Yeah. Jackie said her father was kind of the leader of the group.

Gina: Seems he was. And Aunt Tina said Max's dad used to ride a skateboard just like Max does. But he got hit over the head and it threw off his balance, so he had to give it up.

Linda: Hmmm.

Gina cocks her head and looks at her.

Gina: What's wrong?

Linda: Nothing. I just wish I could help too. But my dad didn't know this guy.

Gina: Oh. But…you do help. I mean…if you hadn't fixed the laptop…we never would have found Ghostwriter…and Max wouldn't even know who to look for.

Linda gives a shrug as she looks over and gasps. At another table, a tall blond girl with several friends is yelling at a kid wearing a bandanna.

Girl: This is my spot. I always eat here and you had better move!

The boy says nothing and keeps eating as he glares at her.

Girl: I'm warning you Pal.

Second girl: What? Don't you talk?

Third girl: Yeah. You too good to say anything?

The boy still says nothing and keeps eating.

Linda: (approaching the girl) Hey! Leave him alone, Sylvia!

Gina: (behind Linda) Yeah. Your name isn't on the seat!

Sylvia: Who asked you Four-eyes? (pokes Linda's glasses)

The other girls laugh but the boy stands up and gets between Sylvia and Linda.

Boy: BACK OFF!

Sylvia and her friends stumble back. The boy glares at them as he grabs his things and leaves. Linda stares after him and Gina makes a face at Sylvia.

Sylvia: What a weirdo.

Gina: He probably just doesn't want to put up with snobs.

Sylvia makes a face as Gina and Linda leave. They get their things and go out to the hallway, but don't see the boy anywhere.

Linda: Where did he go?

Gina: I dunno. I mean…is he new? I haven't seen him before.

Linda: Me either.

They both look up as the bell rings.

Linda: I guess we'll have to find him later.

Gina: What for?

Linda: To thank him of course. I hate it when Sylvia pokes at my glasses like that. She's such a bully.

Gina: Yeah…and he doesn't seem to put up with bullies. Just stares them down without talking.

Linda: Yeah.

Gina peers at Linda and gives a grin.

Gina: You thought he was cute, didn't you?

Linda: Hey!

Gina: You like him…

Linda: I don't even know who he is.

Gina: But I bet you're going to find out…

Linda: (rolls her eyes) Whatever. We'd better get to class.

Gina giggles as the bell rings.

CUT TO: The park. Jackie is writing in a blue casebook as Carlo tries out Max's skateboard. Linda and Gina come over as Carlo falls off and Max laughs.

Max: Stick to skates, Pal. It's not as easy as it looks.

Carlo: (getting up) It sure isn't. Maybe my balance is out of whack like your dad's.

Max: Maybe.

Gina: You get any more leads?

Max: Well I asked my mom about that poem…and wrote it down. She says my dad wrote it to her after they uh…spent the night together. It's the last thing she ever got from him.

They gather around the casebook and read the poem.

Max: (reading)

Always my love

And always my friend

Cherish forever this memory.

My words may not come

But I haven't forgotten

Everything that you are to me.

Remember the words I have sent you

And one day my words

May bring me back again.

Carlo: Not a whole lot of clues in here.

Linda: Well…he wrote it before he disappeared.

Gina: There is one clue though. He says my words may bring me back again…whatever that means.

Max: Well…he was a writer. I'm guessing…Mom might find him…if he publishes a book. I was looking in the library for books that were written by Robert Baker.

Jackie: Did you find any?

Max: (sighs) No. I'm guessing he hasn't published any yet.

Linda: Or he may have published under another name…or his initials. A lot of writers do that for privacy.

Gina: And you did say the guy was private.

Max: (rubs chin) This is true. But it's so frustrating! How am I supposed to find him if he's using a different name? It took me fifteen years to find out the first one!

Carlo: You may have better luck at the VA.

Max: Maybe. But since Mom didn't put his name down when I was born, I can't really prove he's my dad. They might not tell me anything.

Gina: You could at least try.

Max shrugs as Linda looks over. She sees the kid in a bandanna coming over on a skateboard.

Linda: Hey. It's that guy.

Carlo: What guy?

Gina: Oh yeah. It's the guy we saw at lunch. Sylvia was harassing him for being in her seat.

Linda: And he told her off when she poked my glasses.

Max: Cool. Maybe his board works better than mine.

Carlo: I'm taking a breather. Go play with the new kid.

Max shakes his head and boards over to the kid in the bandanna, who raises an eyebrow.

Max: Hey. Cool board.

The kid gives a casual shrug and Max hold his hand.

Max: I'm Max.

Kid: (shaking it) Jake.

Max: Cool. Think you can race on that?

Jake give a grin and nods so Max points out the others.

Max: Around the playground…by the tree…jump the rail…and finish by that bum Carlo what's being lazy today. Got it?

Jake nods and holds up a hand. When he drops it, they both take off. Max finds that Jake is far better at skateboarding and reaches Carlo first. Max skids to a stop and shakes his head.

Max: Wow but you're fast.

Jake shrugs as Max turns to the others.

Max: This is Jake. Jake…that's Carlo…Jackie…and Gina and Linda said they met you earlier.

Jake nods and gives a wave. Linda gives a shy smile as Gina cocks her head.

Gina: You sure don't say much.

Linda: (hisses) Gina…be polite.

Carlo: You new here?

Jake nods and kicks up his board.

Jackie: Where you from?

Jake: Chicago.

Gina: Oh so you do talk.

Jake: When necessary.

Max: Aw shoot.

They all look at Max, who's looking at his board. One of the wheels is crooked as he spins it.

Max: Not again.

Linda: Hand it over.

Max raises his eyebrows and hands her the skateboard. She sits next to Carlo and pulls a repair kit from her pocket.

Max: Good grief. You fix skateboards too?

Linda: When necessary.

Gina: She can fix anything.

Carlo: And you carry a screwdriver in your pocket?

Linda: I carry this to fix my glasses. (rolls eyes) There we go. (hands skateboard to Max) Try that.

Max: Cool. (to Jake) Let's try that round again.

Jake nods and they do the race a second time. This time Max wins, although it's close. But Jake runs into Max and they both fall over and roll into the grass. Jake's bandanna comes off, revealing jet black hair. He then puts his hand up to his ear and looks around as he sits up.

Max: (sitting up) Sorry. You lose something?

Jake sighs and jumps up, gets on his board and skates off. The others stare after him and look at each other.

Max: What's up with him?

Gina: I dunno. That's what he did after lunch too.

Carlo: Seems like a weird guy to me.

Linda: But…what's this?

Linda picks up a strange object lying in the grass, as well as the blue bandanna. Jackie comes up next to her.

Jackie: My grandfather has one of those. It's a hearing aid.

Linda: Yeah. Looks like some of the wires came loose too.

Carlo: A hearing aid?

Gina: Why would a kid need that?

Max lets out a groan and they look at him.

Max: That must be why he doesn't like talking.

Carlo: It is?

Max: Well would you like talking if you couldn't hear your own voice?

Linda: Oh no. You mean he's…?

Gina: He's…what?

Max: He isn't able to hear without a hearing aid. He's deaf.