INT. CHEZ LOUIS RESTAURANT - SAME
JOSH, looking comfortably semi-formal, pulls out the chair for LILY, then seats himself.
LILY
Wow, Josh. You weren't kidding when
you said "real restaurant". How did you
hear about this place?
Josh immerses himself in his menu, looking guilty.
LILY (cont'd)
Well...Josh?
JOSH
Wow, they've got chicken cordon bleu here...
and it's reasonably priced.
LILY
Josh. What's going on? I asked you a question.
JOSH
Oh, sorry Lil...word of mouth travels around the
locker room sometimes. I heard this place is
totally foreplay.
He looks around behind him. TURNER, the jock who bullied Nicole earlier, seats himself with his family in a booth near the bar.
JOSH (cont'd)
(under his breath)
I think I'm gonna get lucky tonight.
LILY
What?
JOSH
Nothin', Lil. Anything on the menu catch your
eye?
Lily looks over to the table where Turner sits.
LILY
No, but I see something that catches my ire --
Josh, isn't that the jerk who's been picking
on Nicole?
JOSH
Yeah, sure is.
He puts his menu down and starts to get up.
JOSH (cont'd)
Sit tight, Lil.
LILY
Wait, what're you going --
She watches Josh amble over to the table, where
TURNER sits with two sets of older people, plus a very beautiful young woman.
JOSH
Hey -- fancy meeting you here, Turner.
TURNER
Josh.
JOSH
Don't be rude, dude -- introduce me, man.
TURNER'S DAD
Is this one of your high school buddies,
Mark?
JOSH
Yeah, you could say that. The name's Josh...
Josh Ford.
He leans and shakes his hand, as well as Turner's mom and uncle & aunt's. When he gets to the young lady's...
JOSH (cont'd)
And who is this?
YOUNG LADY
Hi, I'm Kristen...I'm Mark's cousin.
Josh erupts in a smile.
JOSH
His cousin! Oh yeah, his cousin from San
Fran.
A look of revelation comes over his face.
JOSH (cont'd)
Wait, Turner -- isn't this the hottie cousin
that you were sayin' you'd like to score with?
YOUNG LADY
Excuse me?
JOSH (cont'd)
Yeah, well, you know how guys talk in the
locker room. I overhear alot of juicy stuff
in there.
(pauses)
I believe the exact words were, "Boy, I'd
like to bang her harder than the Fourth of
July fireworks at the beach."
The people at the table become uncomfortable.
TURNER
You're so full of crap, Ford --
JOSH
Oh yeah? Then how come we know all about
that little birthmark that she's got right below
her ass, the one that no one can see unless...
well, unless you get close enough.
The older ladies at the table gasp.
TURNER
I'll kill you --
YOUNG LADY
Not before I kill you first, you pervert!
Turner shrinks into his seat.
JOSH
Yeah, well -- have a pleasant visit, Kristen.
He turns, but turns back.
JOSH (cont'd)
Oh, and I sure hope you remember this the next time
you think about pickin' on my friends, dude. Have
a
nice evening, folks...sorry I interrupted your
perfect family gathering.
He makes it back to the table.
LILY
What just happened there?
JOSH
I just served Turner dessert. He won't be
bothering anyone anymore.
He looks over the menu.
JOSH (cont'd)
So how's the vegetarian selection, Lil?
See anything you like?
Lily smiles sweetly.
LILY
I think I see something that I like very
much.
Josh looks up and smiles to Lily's smile.
INT. HARRISON JOHN'S HOUSE - SAME
HARRISON slouches on the couch, watching TV. ROBIN comes by as he flips channels.
ROBIN
Nothing on?
HARRISON
Nothing that I'd like to see...hence
an evening of surfing the vast ocean
of NeverNeverland TV.
Robin sits down next to him.
ROBIN
Better to have those cute little shorts
on than holing yourself up in your room
again. Good to see you out, kid.
HARRISON
Yeah, well...I figured I'd take the first
step out of the bomb shelter.
(pauses)
Time to start healing, right?
ROBIN
Definitely -- especially the physical
wounds.
She touches his face.
HARRISON
It wasn't anything --
ROBIN
No, is was something.
(pauses)
I know you're angry...but I also know that
you've all of a sudden feel you've been saddled
with a responsibility to protect someone other
than yourself and...it's hard to deal with.
(pauses)
It's kind of how I feel as your mom. I would do
anything to protect you.
HARRISON
You don't have to, Mom. I can protect
myself.
ROBIN
Well, maybe, but sometimes...I can't help
but worry about you like that.
(pauses)
You'll understand some day...if and when
you become a parent.
HARRISON
That's a long way off.
ROBIN
Well, you never know.
The doorbell rings.
HARRISON
Kinda late to be expecting someone,
Mom.
ROBIN
I'm not...are you?
Harrison shakes his head in question as she gets up and answers the door.
ROBIN (cont'd)
Nicole?
NICOLE
Hello Mrs. John. Is Harrison --
HARRISON
Nicole...uh...what're you doing here?
ROBIN
Well...come in, please.
NICOLE
I can't stay very long -- I just wanted to pop
in and see how Harrison was doing.
HARRISON
F...fine. I'm doing o.k. You want your
mask back? It's up in my room --
NICOLE
You can have it. Wouldn't want your skin
flakes wreaking havoc on my delicate complexion.
(pauses)
Though I do need to talk to you.
ROBIN
I'll give you kids some privacy.
She leaves Nicole and Harrison standing. Harrison snaps out of it.
HARRISON
Please, sit.
NICOLE
As I said, I won't be very long. I just
have a couple of things I need to say
and I'll be gone.
They sit in uncomfortable silence. Harrison notices the prominent placement of her horseshoe pin.
HARRISON (cont'd)
I see you haven't trashed our connection
yet.
NICOLE
Hm? Oh, yeah, well...what can I say. I
haven't been paying much attention to my
wardrobe lately.
HARRISON
It's not just that. You...you're not mad at me
anymore, are you?
NICOLE
No, I'm not. Even though you maliciously
sought to destroy me, I know you didn't
know Emory was making that voyeuristic
video.
(pauses)
That's not the issue anymore.
HARRISON
Okaaaay...then what is?
NICOLE
The reason that I'm here is...to tell you something
that you need to know.
HARRISON
(oblivious)
What do I need to know?
NICOLE
Our talk earlier...what you said -- it really
got to me. And I've thought about what
you said, about family...and your father.
And...how you didn't want to be like him.
HARRISON
(still oblivious)
Yeah...?
NICOLE
Well, I don't want to be like my mother,
either. So...I'm here to tell you that I'm --
She stops herself.
NICOLE (cont'd)
That I'm willing to put the past behind us
and start to get to know eachother as
brother and sister.
Harrison smiles.
HARRISON
Wow, that's great...I didn't think you'd --
NICOLE
Yeah, well. I guess I've always wanted to
know what sibling rivalry was like. What
better way to get that by exploring it
with someone I've already had plenty of
practice with, hm?
HARRISON
So much for putting the past behind us.
NICOLE
Well, some things are past. I do want
you to know that even though we're
sibs, we will keep the 7th Heaven moments
to ourselves, deal?
HARRISON
Hey, fine by me...I understand where you
are with the image thing.
NICOLE
There's no image left, Harrison. It's just me.
HARRISON
Yeah, but...I think I know you better than
you know yourself sometimes. You'll restore
your image in no time.
NICOLE
Fat chance.
HARRISON
You just wait...and if you think you're gonna
throw in that moist towelette, think again -- you will
have an annoying, gangly geek boy following you at
even turn until you realize that you're Nicole
Julian -- and Nicole Julian doesn't go down in
flames without a fight.
NICOLE
Just like her brother?
HARRISON
Perhaps.
She gets up, and he follows suit. He opens the door for her.
NICOLE
Harrison --
She stops herself. She looks troubled.
HARRISON
What?
NICOLE
It's...nothing.
(pauses)
Catch you in class.
HARRISON
Class...sis.
Nicole smiles a weak smile as Harrison nods, shutting the door. Nicole stands outside, her eyes welling.
NICOLE
(quiet)
Guess it's just you and me, kid.
She clears her throat and, head held high, continues on to her car.
INT. BROOKE & SAM'S HOUSE - SAM'S ROOM - A LITTLE LATER
Sam reclines on her bed, reading from the lamplight of her funky lamp. The phone rings and...
SAM
Hello?
Sam's brow furrows.
SAM
Hello?
Sam listens for a moment.
SAM
Harrison. Stop playing games -- I know it's you.
INTERCUT SAM'S ROOM/HARRISON'S ROOM
HARRISON
How'd you know?
SAM
(laughs)
Because...I can recognize your deviated
septum from a mile away.
(pauses)
What's with the stalker call?
HARRISON
I didn't mean to creep you out. I...just
wanted to talk.
SAM
Oh.
(pauses)
What about?
HARRISON
Okay, so I lied.
(pauses)
Maybe I just wanted to hear you breathe.
SAM
Why?
HARRISON
To make sure you were still alive.
SAM
O.k., now you've got me both confused and
curious. What's going on?
HARRISON
Well, you heard me breathing, right?
SAM
Uh...yeeeeaah...?
HARRISON
What else did you hear?
SAM
Um...nothing.
HARRISON
Wrong answer.
SAM
Guess I should've used a lifeline. Okay Regis...tell
me, what should I have heard?
HARRISON
You should've heard the happy silence of a
guy who's finally realized what it means to
be alive.
SAM
Ah, I see...would this have anything to do
with your newfound sibling?
HARRISON
Yeah...kinda. I guess I realized that since the
truth is out, it's like...there, and it's really not
as bad as it seems. I'm actually looking forward
to the bonding.
(pauses)
But that's not the reason I called.
SAM
Well...why did you call?
HARRISON
I told you...I wanted to make sure you were
alive.
SAM
Well, just because I'm breathing doesn't
mean...it doesn't mean anything.
Harrison pauses.
HARRISON
But it's a start.
(pauses)
Isn't it?
Sam hesitates and closes her book.
SAM
Yeah...I guess it is a start.
FOCUS ON SAM, laughing as Harrison talks to her.
SAM (cont'd)
A fresh start.
Continue to focus on her amusement as we
FADE TO BLACK
(a.k.a. "BREATHE")
written/scripted by John Andrew
SUGGESTED MUSIC (Edited Versions of):
Rosemary's Baby: The Soundtrack (Nicole's Nightmare)
"Every Breath You Take" by The Police (Harrison on Nicole)
© MARCH 2001
Remember my words after reading this "epi":
Thou wilst forgive the filler Popular fanfic episode "The
Truth is Out...There" like thou forgivest the real episodes "It's Greek
to Me" and "Fag". I know it wasn't a great one, but even the pros have
their off days.
On the next Popular by John Andrew:
"THE LAST DANCE"
(No alternative title/appears after the events in Coup,
airdate 3/16/01.)
Mary Cherry usurps all of Nicole's ill-begotten power back and then
some by purchasing Kennedy High School. The Junior Prom is upon us
and it promises to be a night that no one's likely to forget anytime soon,
while a troubled Nicole agrees to ally herself with her "brother", Harrison.
Lily takes up a new and possibly dangerous cause.
"HEAVEN CAN WAIT"
(No alternative title/appears after the events in The Last Dance.)
The students come to grips with their mortality after the events at the Junior Prom take the life of a student and a faculty member. Harrison stands vigil by a fellow students' hospital bedside while that student has an out-of-body experience. Guest starring Barry White.