ACT ONE

FADE IN:

EXT. KENNEDY HIGH - DAY

SUPER: September 21, 2001

The campus might be a bit more subdued, but for the most part
the kids are getting on with their lives.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY

Carmen is standing by her locker when Mary Cherry comes
rushing up.

MARY CHERRY
Carmen! Carmen! I've got it!

CARMEN
(shaking her head)
What have you got?

MARY CHERRY
Why, the answer to our problems,
of course!

CARMEN
If this is about the Glamazons—

MARY CHERRY
Of COURSE it's about the
Glamazons! What else would it be
about?

CARMEN
I don't know, Mary Cherry. I
mean, maybe Brooke is right. It
just doesn't seem to important
anymore.

MARY CHERRY
Are you kidding? It's very
important! Look, I can't do
anything about all that stuff
that's going on everywhere else,
but this here is MY turf. As red
blooded American high-school
senior girls, it is our patriotic
duty to see to it that the natural
social order is restored.
Like my mama says, carpe the diem,
and honey, I intend to do some
carping!

CARMEN
Okay, even assuming that bringing
back the Glamazons is...
patriotic...I still don't see HOW
we can do it. The Career Day
thing was a fiasco, and with
everyone in a funk these days...

MARY CHERRY
Didn't I say I had the answer to
that? Come on!

Mary Cherry grabs Carmen by the arm and drags her off.

CUT TO:

INT. GIRLS' RESTROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Mary Cherry comes bursting through the door, still dragging
Carmen behind her. After looking around to see if anyone else
is there, she motions for silence. Mary Cherry then
meticulously stoops down and peers under the door of each
stall, while Carmen waits and stews. Finally Carmen lets out
an exasperated snort and throws her hands into the air.

CARMEN
All right, Mary Cherry, what's
this all about?

Mary Cherry hurries back across the room.

MARY CHERRY
(hushed)
This information is absolutely top
secret. Nobody else can learn of
this—especially those Bring It
people!

CARMEN
(thoroughly frustrated)
Learn of WHAT?

MARY CHERRY
I have it on very good authority
that the hottest musical act in
these United States of America is
coming right here, to this very
school.

CARMEN
Britney Spears?

MARY CHERRY
Bigger.

CARMEN
N'Sync?

MARY CHERRY
Bigger!

CARMEN
(eyes narrowing)
Wait a minute—you don't mean...

Mary Cherry nods excitedly, and whips out a CD showing five
twenty-something guys, all chewing gum and blowing pink
bubbles.

CARMEN (CONT'D)
(awestruck)
The Bubblegum Boys!

MARY CHERRY
According to my source, they're
coming here to shoot the video to
their retro-techno-pop remake of
the Mamas and the Papas classic
"California Dreamin'"!

CARMEN
That seems strange, somehow.

MARY CHERRY
I know! It seems that they had
this school in New York all picked
out, but now they don't want to
fly there! So instead, they're
going local—namely, right here!

CARMEN
So...how does this help, exactly?

MARY CHERRY
(gaping)
Don't you see? Boy bands—music
videos—CHEERLEADERS! That's our
express one-way ticket right back
to the top of the social heap!

CARMEN
Huh?

MARY CHERRY
The Bubblegum Boys' manager is
coming next week to scope out the
place. All we have to do is
convince him that the Glamazons
should be the ones dancing in the
video, and—
(snaps her fingers)
—we become THE most popular girls
in the whole school!

CARMEN
And, how do we do that?

MARY CHERRY
Well...I'll think of something.

Carmen collapses back onto the tuffet with a groan.

CUT TO:

INT. CHEMISTRY CLASS - LATER

The students are settling in. Lily comes up to Brooke, who is
sitting by herself.

LILY
(gently)
Sam's not here?

Brooke looks up, and shakes her head mutely.

LILY (CONT'D)
Seen Harrison?

Brooke just shrugs despondently and looks away. Lily decides
to let the subject die, and moves off.

CUT TO:

INT. SAM'S BEDROOM

The room is dim, curtains shut tight against the sunlight.
Sam is huddled against the headboard of her bed, knees up
against her chest, wrapped in a blanket.

A quiet knock on the door breaks the silence.

JANE (O.S.)
(from the hallway)
Sam?

After a couple of moments, the door opens, and Jane pokes her
head in.

JANE (CONT'D)
Honey? Do you want me to fix you
some lunch? Some...soup, or
something?

From Sam comes a barely perceptible shake of the head. Jane
ventures a couple of steps inside.

JANE (CONT'D)
I...I know you don't want to talk
about it...

SAM
They're giving up... They aren't
going to find anyone...just...

JANE
I know how much you loved him. I
loved him too, you know—he was
the best brother-in-law anyone
could ask for.
(pause)
Sam...he wouldn't want you to hide
away like this. He'd want you to
get out and...and...well...

SAM
Sure.
(long pause)
Just as soon as he tells me to.

JANE
(stymied)
I'll bring you up some soup later.

Jane retreats, closing the door behind her; Sam scrunches
herself into an even tighter space.

A few moments later the door opens again.

HARRISON
Sam?

Sam doesn't even look up as Harrison steps gingerly over to
the bed and sits on its edge. Hesitantly he reaches out and
strokes her hair.

HARRISON (CONT'D)
Sam, I...

At a loss, he turns away for a moment and regroups.

HARRISON (CONT'D)
...I'm sorry. I don't know...

Finally Sam looks up at him.

SAM
Why...? People...they aren't
supposed to just...die...like
that... Like when you got
leukemia, and you got better...
It's not supposed to... First
Daddy, and...

Her voice breaking, she reaches out and clutches at him.

SAM (CONT'D)
Why? Why? WHY?

Harrison gathers her into his arms and holds her tightly as
she sobs against his chest.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. MCQUEEN LIVING ROOM - LATER

Jane is aimlessly cleaning when Harrison comes down the
stairs.

JANE
(anxiously)
Did she eat?

HARRISON
Yeah. Finally. A little. She's
asleep now. I think.

They sit down across from each other.

JANE
I just don't know what to do. I
don't want to make her go back to
school again.

HARRISON
Yeah...even when she was there,
she wasn't... You know what I
mean.

JANE
(nodding)
But I can't let her hide up in her
room forever, either.
(smiles)
I'm really glad you're here for
her, Harrison.

HARRISON
Oh...yeah. I mean, I'm glad I can
help. If I'm helping, I mean.

JANE
I really don't know what she'd do
if you weren't here. She depends
on you so much—especially now.

The front door opens, and Brooke walks in, still leaning
slightly on her cane. She stops short when she sees Harrison
sitting there.

BROOKE
You're here.

HARRISON
(rising)
Uh, yeah—

JANE
Harrison came by when he heard Sam
had stayed home. He's been with
her all afternoon.

Brooke looks bleakly at Harrison and, without another word,
turns and heads for her room. Jane shoots a quizzical look at
him, and he manages a casual shrug in response.

HARRISON
I'll talk to her.

As Harrison goes after Brooke, Jane sighs, and returns to her
cleaning.

CUT TO:

INT. MCQUEEN DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Harrison reaches the door to the den just as it closes; after
a moment's hesitation he opens it and walks through.

CUT TO:

INT. MCQUEEN DEN - CONTINUOUS

Brooke is sitting on her bed when Harrison walks in and closes
the door behind him.

BROOKE
Don't! Just—go away!

HARRISON
Brooke, what am I supposed to do?
I can't abandon Sam now—she needs
me!

BROOKE
SHE needs you? What about ME?
I need you! I don't have anyone,
I can't talk to anyone—

Harrison kneels in front of Brooke and takes hold of her
shoulders.

HARRISON
I still love you, Brooke. But...
we promised we wouldn't hurt Sam.
I can't end things with her, not
right now—not with everything
she's going through.

BROOKE
I don't care!
(sniffling)
I'm sorry. I do care—I don't
want to hurt her. But—I miss
you. And I feel like...I'm all
alone...

HARRISON
You'll never be alone. I just
have to help Sam get through this,
and then we'll be together. I
promise.

BROOKE
I just don't know how much longer
I can keep doing this.

HARRISON
I know. Just a little while
longer. Please?

Brooke turns away, but finally nods. Harrison hugs her
tightly.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT ONE