INT. SHAGGY LOUISE GROUT'S HOUSE - LIVINGROOM
Shaggy fixes a cup of tea while Brooke sits.
BROOKE
I'm sorry, were you getting ready to
go to work?
SHAGGY
Nah...called in sick. I don't do it
very often, but when I do...it's well
deserved. I still hafta work tonight,
though.
BROOKE
I see. Well, I actually meant to talk to you
a little while ago, but you weren't here.
SHAGGY
So I heard.
BROOKE
Your Aunt Terri was here.
SHAGGY
Yep...Tee's off on a Grand Strand vacation
in Myrtle Beach, though. She won't be back
for another week or so.
BROOKE
Oh.
Shaggy sits down across from her in Terri's Lazy Boy.
SHAGGY
So what's going on with Nicole? Is she
o.k.?
BROOKE
I'm not sure...I mean, she's o.k., I think...but that's
not exactly why I'm here.
(pauses)
I want to know more about Nicole's father.
SHAGGY
Her father...why?
BROOKE
I dunno...I just think maybe it'd help me
to understand something that's been going on,
that's all.
SHAGGY
Mm. Well, her dad didn't even stick around
to finish the cigarette afterwards, if you know
what I mean.
BROOKE
Are...you saying that you weren't with him for
long? I don't mean to be crude --
SHAGGY
Hey, no sweat, kid. I know I had my share
of youthful indiscretions.
(pauses)
I had quite a few...male friends back then. It
made up for the fact that I had no other men
in my life. My father left when I was barely out
of diapers...and the succession of step-fathers
weren't worth the mud they tracked in n' outta
the house. Anyway...there was one, sweet guy --
Bobby John. He was married...had a baby on
the way. We met at the Fontana diner where I was
working at the time. He was everything a gal like
me
could hope for -- handsome, stable...very intelligent.
College graduate, if I do remember. He and I shared
the same kind of hopes and dreams for ourselves...
but I kinda got stuck...left behind while he went off
and did his thing. I knew he was gonna make good
for himself.
(pauses)
Hey...not everything's meant to be.
(pauses)
But enough about him...sorry. Um, you asked about
Nicole's father, right?
Brooke's expression turns.
BROOKE
Excuse me?
SHAGGY
Her father -- you wanted to know about him,
right?
BROOKE
No -- I mean, yes, but...this Bobby John...
he wasn't her father?
SHAGGY
Oh -- if only. No, no. I'm sorry if I gave
you the
wrong impression. I just get so wistful...sometimes
I'll go on a tangent. Bobby -- Robert...he helped
me
during the tough time I was having with the guy who
was Nicole's father -- my boyfriend at the time, Jimmy.
Brooke stares at her in disbelief.
CUT TO
INT. KENNEDY HIGH - CHEMISTRY CLASS
Nicole's cellphone goes off and everyone reaches for their cellphones.
BOBBI GLASS
For whom does the bell toll this
time?
Nicole digs into her bag.
BOBBI GLASS
Ms. Julian -- if that's Springer calling,
tell 'im you'll be late for the taping.
Otherwise, shut the damned thing off.
Nicole answers.
BROOKE'S VOICE
Nicole, don't hang up --
NICOLE
(quiet)
Brookie? Where are you?
BROOKE'S VOICE
Nicole, I -- I've got news for
you if you could just hold on for
a second --
BOBBI GLASS
Is that Miss McAbsent?
NICOLE
(quiet)
Sorry Brookie, Claw's on the rag.
BOBBI GLASS
'Scuse me, what wazzat?
NICOLE
(clears throat, louder to Harrison)
I said get your paws off my bag!
She smacks Harrison on the arm, her eyes wide. Miss Glass rips the phone away from her.
BOBBI GLASS
Miss McQueen, I suggest you save the
idle chit chat for after school -- in detention.
She hands it back to Nicole.
BOBBI GLASS
You'll be joining her for the party if you
don't
wrap it up.
NICOLE
(quiet)
Chat later, Brookie --
BROOKE'S VOICE
But --
Nicole clicks it off.
BOBBI GLASS
Now where was I, before I was rudely
interrupted. Ah yes -- positive and
negative
ions and chemical bonding.
Nicole watches as Miss Glass draws the ions on the board.
BOBBI GLASS
A peaceful covalent bond is formed when
two
atoms are able to share electrons...like
so.
Nicole watches Miss Glass's chalk run over the board.
BOBBI GLASS (cont'd)
An ionic bond is formed when, like in the
case of
many divorce settlements these days, the
sharing is so
unequal that an electron from atom X is
completely
lost to atom Y, resulting in a pair of charged
ions.
Nicole begins to see and hear things...as the marks on the board look strangely non-related to chemistry.
BOBBI GLASS (cont'd)
A plus sign if you're positive, a minus
sign if you're
negative.
Nicole gasps.
BOBBI GLASS (cont'd)
Something wrong, Ms. Julian?
Nicole shakes her head.
BOBBI GLASS (cont'd)
Good, let's keep the audible gasps to a
minimum.
(pauses)
The key to bonding in ionic solids is --
like in
many supermodel/ageing rock star pairings,
opposites attract. Each ion is attracted
to
neighboring ions of the opposite
charge,
and repelled by ions of the same kind.
SAM looks interested, and almost peeks over her shoulder to GEORGE.
BOBBI GLASS (cont'd)
But interestingly, there is no such thing
as a
"completely" ionic bond, as electrons aren't
wholly lost by one atom when they get
together and do their nasty chemical lambada.
GEORGE raises his hand.
BOBBI GLASS
Yes, Mr. Austin.
GEORGE
Well, what about covalent bonds? Can't
they
be "completely" covalent?
BOBBI GLASS
Off-sides there, Mr. Austin, as you quickly
rush
me into my second point. Yes, there
can be
a completely covalent bond, if the two nuclei
have equal attracting powers -- molecules
consisting
of two identical atoms will certainly guarantee
a
nice, non-boat rocking bond. Unlike
an ionic
bond, it's a case of like meets like, loves
like.
INT. KENNEDY HIGH - HALLWAY - LATER
GEORGE stands in the hall, talking with LADY T and a few of his friends. SAM appears in the background and approaches.
SAM
Um -- George, can I talk to you?
George turns.
GEORGE
Uh, yeah, um --
He turns to Lady T.
LADY T
G'head, baby...we'll meet up later.
She leaves with her friends.
GEORGE
So...how you been doin'?
SAM
Fine. And...and you?
GEORGE
I'm o.k., but you don't look fine.
SAM
(quick)
So, is what Miss Glass said true?
Is
that why you were so quick to..."cool
off"?
GEORGE
Sammy...we're just friends.
SAM
(nods)
That's not what it looked like earlier.
GEORGE
Are you spying on me now? Sam, look
--
we both needed time apart to think about
things. I have alot of stuff in my
own mind
goin' on....Lady T's my homegirl...and that's
it.
(pauses)
But I can't lie to you and say that Miss
Glass wasn't completely wrong.
(pauses)
Anyway...I heard about the awards ceremony.
SAM
Who hasn't?
GEORGE
I know -- sounds like some pretty rough
stuff
went down. I want you know that if
you ever
need a friend --
SAM
Mm. Yeah, well, I have friends.
GEORGE
You sayin' that you don't even want me as
a
friend anymore?
SAM
No -- that's not -- it just came out wrong.
GEORGE
Yeah. I guess it must be that miscommunication
thing goin' on again.
(pauses)
Or rather, non-communication.
(pauses)
Look, Sam -- let's not let this get ugly.
I said
I thought we needed some time. And
obviously
you still need to work out some things.
But I
promise you, right now -- I'll be there
for you if
you ever need someone to listen.
Sam nods...and BROOKE runs into her, breathless.
BROOKE
Sam -- hey George.
George nods.
SAM
Brooke -- where have you been?
GEORGE
I gotta go. See you 'round, Sammy.
Sam sighs.
BROOKE
It doesn't matter, I need your help --
did I interrupt something?
SAM
No, we were done. But you -- you better
have a good reason for not showing up --
Claw's got an APB out on you.
BROOKE
I do -- I have a very good reason --
but I need to find Nicole.
Have you
seen her?
SAM
Uh, no -- no, she took flight right after
chemistry. She looked a little pale
--
BROOKE
Oh God...okay, I have to go find her --
SAM
What's so urgent?
BROOKE
I...I can't say, it's just really important
that I find her.
SAM
I thought we weren't keeping secrets --
BROOKE
This is something that Nicole would
have to tell you.
Brooke takes off, determined to find Nicole.
SAM
(to herself)
Well, guess I'll never hear of it then.
INT. KENNEDY HIGH - CAFETERIA - SAME
Cue "Every Breath You Take": HARRISON sits alone. He watches the students again as he sits, nursing his chocolate milk. He catches a glimpse of NICOLE near the head of the lunchline, water in hand. After she checks out, she turns and glances at him, and continues walking...
...all of a sudden is stopped by a troupe of LARGE, IMPOSING JOCKS, including the ones that harrassed Harrison earlier. OVER TO NICOLE...
JOCK 1
Well if it ain't Lil' Miss Incest
Whore.
NICOLE
Mm, and here I thought that godawful
stench was Vera Krupps's mystery
meatloaf. Outta my face, beefcake.
She tries to move, but the jocks block her path.
JOCK 2
Whoa, whoa -- what's the rush,
babe?
JOCK 1
Yeah, where ya goin', ho? Don'tcha
wanna go treat yer bro to a little
lunchtime family fun in the farmhouse?
JOCK 3
Yeah, I hear you can suuuuuure ride
that horse, baby!
HARRISON
Hey! Why don't you try showing the
lady
a little respect?
He pushes his way in between the jocks and Nicole.
NICOLE
Harrison --
JOCK 2
Lady? That ain't no lady.
JOCK 1
I got a better idea --
He grabs Nicole by the arm and shoves her into Harrison.
JOCK 1
-- why don't you give us an instant replay
for us?
HARRISON
Hey, why don't you just leave her alone --
JOCK 1
Make me.
JOSH
I'll make you, Turner.
JOSH appears in front of Harrison.
JOCK 1/TURNER
Ooo, looks like the little farm couple has their
own personal bodyguard. What's the matter, Harry
--
you can pound your sister butcha can't fight your
own fights?
JOSH
Pound this --
Josh lunges at Turner as Nicole slips away. Josh starts kickin'
some major ass as a full-fledged fight explodes, and Harrison gets attacked...
EXT. KENNEDY HIGH - LAWN - A LITTLE LATER
Harrison sits on the steps with Nicole, one of her frozen eye masks pressed against his eye.
HARRISON
These really do come in handy when
you need 'em...too bad they don't
come in a more masculine color, huh?
NICOLE
I'll fax the company with the suggestion.
She pauses and looks away.
NICOLE (cont'd)
You didn't have to do that. I could've
easily taken them down.
HARRISON
Somehow I don't think they would've fallen
that easily.
(pauses)
Besides...I needed to.
NICOLE
You didn't need to do anything --
HARRISON
Yes, I did, and...and I wanted to.
You're
my sister...and it wasn't just a want or
a
need...it was like something inside me
snapped and...I all of a sudden got this...
rage, this feeling inside me that I've never
felt before...it made me want to beat the
hell out of those guys.
NICOLE
Yeah, well...guess I should change your
nick from Zitmaster to Killer, huh?
Harrison smiles.
HARRISON
Yeah, maybe...back on point, though...
this is what I wanted to talk to you about
before...in this way.
(pauses)
I know...you can't instantly forgive
me
for what I did -- and I'm not asking you
to. But what happened just now --
it
just enforces what I've come to realize.
NICOLE
And what's that?
HARRISON
Well, I've been doing alot of thinking
since the big bang -- absolutely no
pun
intended -- and that rage back there?
That was part of my frustration of knowing
that I missed out on being there for you
when you probably needed me the most.
(pauses)
That I've missed so many years of your
life -- our lives -- together, getting to
know
you as my sister and stuff.
NICOLE
Mm, well. You know me now.
Isn't that enough?
HARRISON
It's not the same. I keep wondering
how it
would've been like had we'd grown up
together in the same family. Like,
how it
would've been for us boarding the school
bus on our first day of kindergarten...how
you would've reacted to the time I ate
paste and then...and then threw up on Mrs.
Evans's shoes.
They laugh together. Harrison bites his lip.
HARRISON (cont'd)
Besides...who knows what you would've
been like -- or what I would've been like
--
had we known eachother growing up.
(pauses)
God, I just know...I just know for sure
that as
a father, I would never do what my
father did.
I wouldn't cheat on my wife like he did.
I
wouldn't leave a woman alone with a child
--
NICOLE
Maybe he didn't know.
HARRISON
Still...if I knew it was possible
that I'd
gotten a girl pregnant, I'd be there waiting
for the results. I'd be right there.
They sit in uncomfortable silence for a moment as Nicole looks at him, then looks away.
NICOLE
You'd make a great father, Harrison.
HARRISON
Wow, two within the span of ten minutes.
I think you're breaking the record for
compliments there, Nic.
NICOLE
Yeah, well -- don't get used to it.
Family
or not, you're still my verbal punching
bag.
HARRISON
I'll keep that in mind.
Harrison laughs as Nicole gets up.
NICOLE (cont'd)
Well...I hate to leave your face in such
a
sorry state of rearrangement, but I've
got places to be, people to berate.
(pauses)
You gonna be o.k.?
HARRISON
Eh, I'll be fine. I've got your magic
healing
mask right here.
She turns but he grabs her hand.
HARRISON (cont'd)
Nicole --
(pauses)
-- thanks for listening.
Nicole nods and heads towards the parking lot...
EXT. KENNEDY HIGH - PARKING LOT
...as Nicole reaches her Boxter, BROOKE finally catches up to her.
BROOKE
Nicole!
NICOLE
Hey B. Better duck and cover before
Claw sees you --
BROOKE
(breathless)
I know...I'm dreading having to face her
wrath, but before I do, I have to
tell you
something.
(pauses)
Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't.
At least, not until you know what I know.
NICOLE
Hi, Brookie -- I left my translator at home.
I don't really have time for your cryptic
messages, so spill.
BROOKE
I...I can't. I've done too much PI
damage
already.
Nicole opens her car door and gets in.
NICOLE
Then there's nothing to talk about --
BROOKE
There is, just --
(pauses)
-- you need to go to your mother's --
Shaggy's. Right now.
Nicole cocks her head in question as Brooke pleads with her.
BROOKE
Trust me. It'll be worth the time
to take
this detour before you go down a road
you can't turn off of.
She retreats from Nicole's car. Nicole reaches into
her bag to pull out her lip gloss, instead pulling out a brochure for Planned
Parenthood.
END OF ACT 3