ACT TWO

FADE IN:

INT. MCQUEENS' DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY - MORNING

A replay of the other morning: Mike walks up to the door of
the den and knocks on it.

MIKE
Brooke?

BROOKE (O.S.)
(from the other side)
I'm up! Don't come in—I'm not
dressed!

MIKE
Okay, honey. Breakfast in fifteen
minutes.

CUT TO:

INT. MCQUEEN DEN - CONTINUOUS

Where Brooke, sitting on the bed with the phone cradled on her
shoulder, is quite dressed.

BROOKE
Okay! I'll be right there!

She waits for a few moments to make sure Mike is gone, then
puts the phone back to her ear.

BROOKE (CONT'D)
(into the phone)
I'm gonna have to go... No...
I shouldn't even be having this
conversation... Look, this is
dumb... Okay...okay, today...
Yes, I promise... Okay...bye.

She puts the phone down and falls back on the bed, grimacing.

CUT TO:

EST. KENNEDY HIGH - DAY

The busy quad.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY

Some students are putting up a banner across the busy hallway
that reads "Kennedy High Career Day". Below and down the
hall, Brooke is at her locker. She opens it up and pulls a
book out, then spies a note sitting there. Curious, she picks
it up and unfolds it. A moment later, she looks around
furtively, hastily refolds the note and sticks it in her bag
before closing her locker.

CUT TO:

INT. GIRLS' RESTROOM

The door opens and Lily walks in and heads for the mirror.
She is teasing her hair when she spies Sam, sitting on the
tuffet behind her, her knees pulled up to her chin. Lily
spins around, surprised.

LILY
Hey!

Sam just gives her a half-hearted nod in response. Frowning,
Lily comes over and sits down beside her.

LILY (CONT'D)
What's wrong?

SAM
(shrugging listlessly)
Harrison.

LILY
(rolls her eyes)
Of course. Men—the source of all
problems.

SAM
(concerned)
What—you and Josh?

LILY
Oh, no. I mean, I don't have a
problem with Josh. I'm just—I'm
worried about him. Miss Glass is
so mean.

SAM
This is something new?

LILY
It's not funny. She's really on
him about this Career Day thing.
It's so unfair. He won't even ask
his father—which I totally
support, by the way—but he's been
really quiet, like he's keeping it
all pent up inside.
(pause)
My dad used to do that...keep
everything bottled up.

After a moment of silence, Lily perks up and turns to Sam.

LILY (CONT'D)
So, I told you mine, now you tell
me yours. What's up with
Harrison?

SAM
(sighing)
Oh... He's just—I don't know.
He's not as affectionate as he
used to be.

LILY
Maybe you should go on Jerry
Springer.

SAM
Lily...I'm serious. I mean, we
started off really great. For
like two weeks we just clicked all
the time. We were practically
living together. Then Brooke came
home from the hospital...

LILY
You think this is because of
Brooke?

SAM
No! It's got nothing to do with
her. That's...just when it
happened. I mean, okay, so after
she got home, we didn't have the
place to ourselves, we couldn't
just go running around naked
anymore...

Sam trails off, and looks over at Lily.

SAM (CONT'D)
Ah...just pretend you didn't hear
that last part, okay?

LILY
(trying not to grin)
Who, me? So, Brooke comes home,
and no more honeymoon haven.

SAM
But, it's more than that. He's—
it's like he's drifting away, and
I don't wanna say anything, 'cause
what if I'm just being completely
paranoid and clingy?

LILY
Sam, you're not being clingy.
Besides, wasn't it you who
convinced me and Josh to talk out
our problems?

SAM
Yeah, but that's different.
You're—

LILY
Married?

SAM
Please, don't use the "M" word
talking about Harrison. I did
that a while ago...it was really
bad.

LILY
Did what?

SAM
Oh, I...I said something about us
being married, and—he totally
freaked.

LILY
(looking over curiously)
Sam? Is there something about
this relationship you're not
telling me?

SAM
No! I don't want to be married to
Harrison! I mean, maybe, someday,
but... It was just a stupid,
offhand remark. I don't even know
why I said it.
(pause)
See? I'm being clingy.

LILY
(sighs)
Sam, you're not being clingy.

The bell rings.

LILY (CONT'D)
Come on.

They get up and walk out.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

LILY
You and Harrison know each other
better than anyone I know—even
better than me and Josh.
Everything'll work out.

Just then, the girls run into Calvin Krupps.

KRUPPS
Good morning, ladies.

SAM
Good morning, Principal Krupps—
and congratulations on the
promotion.

KRUPPS
(smiling)
Well, thank you. It's always been
my ambition to be able to take a
school and mold it to my vision.

As he is speaking, Krupps holds out his hand and mimes a
molding action, in a vaguely disconcerting way that makes
Lily's eyebrows go up.

KRUPPS (CONT'D)
Oh, Ms. McPherson—would you mind
stopping by my office at lunch?
I'd like to talk to you about
something.

SAM
(shrugs)
Sure.

KRUPPS
(rubbing his hands together)
Good. I'll see you then.

Krupps moves on, and Lily looks over at Sam.

LILY
What was that about?

Sam just shrugs. A moment later she spots Harrison by her
locker.

SAM
I'll catch up with you.

She changes direction and walks up to Harrison.

SAM (CONT'D)
Harrison, can we talk?

HARRISON
(looking around)
Uh...right now?

SAM
Look, I don't want to sound...I
don't know...paranoid—

HARRISON
(interrupting)
Sam... I know I haven't...been
there...really as much as I
should. I don't know...I guess I
got a lot on my mind.

SAM
(regrouping)
Ah—I just...didn't know if it was
ME, or—

HARRISON
No. It's not you. You're...
wonderful.

He kisses her lightly.

SAM
(relieved)
You know, Lily was right. She
said, just come out and say what
you feel, and it'll be all right.

If Harrison's smile is a bit forced, Sam doesn't notice.

HARRISON
Yeah.

SAM
Oh, ah... Lunch?

HARRISON
Sure.

SAM
Great. See ya.

She kisses him goodbye and heads off, as he watches her go,
grimacing.

CUT TO:

INT. ENGLISH CLASS - LATER

Ms. Ross is holding court.

ROSS
...and so what Shakespeare is
saying here is that it's affairs
of the heart that are at the root
of—Miss McQueen, are you all
right?

All eyes turn to Brooke, who is partially slumped over her
desk with her head in her hands. She uncovers her eyes and
looks up at Ms. Ross, blinking.

BROOKE
(weakly)
Uh...affairs of the heart...I
heard you, Ms. Ross...

ROSS
I think maybe you should go lie
down at the Nurse's Station.

BROOKE
All right...

Brooke stands up shakily and limps towards the door. As she
passes by Ms. Ross' desk, the teacher scribbles out a hall
pass and hands it to her.

ROSS
Here. Now don't you worry about
class—you need to take care of
yourself.

BROOKE
Oh...thanks...

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Brooke steps outside and closes the classroom door behind her.
She closes her eyes for a moment, gathering herself, and then
starts off down the hallway.

CUT TO:

INT. NURSE'S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER

The room is closed and dark, the window shades pulled shut.
The door opens and Brooke steps through uncertainly.

BROOKE
Hello? Is anyone here?

She takes a few unsteady steps into the room, then jumps at
the sound of the door closing behind her. She spins around—
ungracefully—and is caught up in the arms of Harrison, who
stifles her surprised yelp with a kiss.

BLACK OUT.

END OF ACT TWO