ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
EST. KENNEDY HIGH - AFTERNOON
CUT TO:
INT. GIRLS' RESTROOM
Brooke, Lily and Natalie are gathered in the Novak.
LILY
(to Natalie)
So, what did you think of your
first day here?
NATALIE
It's definitely not what I
expected when I got up this
morning.
Suddenly, Mary Cherry comes bursting through the door.
LILY
Mary Cherry! Where did you
disappear to?
MARY CHERRY
Why, just gettin' Natalie here a
"welcome to Kennedy" present.
NATALIE
Aw, you didn't have to do that.
You've all been so nice—well,
after that little thing this
morning.
LILY
(aside to Brooke)
Isn't there a saying that goes,
"beware of Cherrys bearing gifts"?
MARY CHERRY
(holding out a box)
I had it made up special, just for
you.
Natalie takes the box and opens it, breaking into a grin when
she looks inside. She lifts her present out of the box and
shows it to the others: a t-shirt with "I AM NOT NICOLE"
emblazoned on it.
NATALIE
(beaming)
I love it. It's perfect.
(pause)
Well...I guess I'd better go.
MARY CHERRY
D'ya need a ride?
NATALIE
Naw, my dad's picking me up. Man,
wait till I tell him about all
this.
LILY
We'll see you tomorrow, then.
NATALIE
(to Mary Cherry)
Thank you.
(looking around)
All of you.
She hugs each of the girls, and then leaves.
MARY CHERRY
I'm out. See y'all.
Brooke and Lily wave as Mary Cherry departs, leaving them
alone.
BROOKE
Did you ever find out about
Carmen?
LILY
No... I wanted to stop by her
place to check on her, but Sam
borrowed my car at lunch, and now
she's disappeared, too.
(pause)
I know, you don't care—you're
fighting with her.
BROOKE
No—I mean, yes, we're
fighting...but, it'll blow over.
It always does.
LILY
I don't know, Brooke... This is
bigger than...than sharing a
bathroom. This is about Harrison.
Are you really sure everything's
just going to work out?
Brooke hangs her head.
BROOKE
No. But what am I supposed to do?
I'm NOT giving up Harrison.
Lily shrugs morosely.
BROOKE (CONT'D)
You know, you've been friends with
Sam for a long time. Maybe...
maybe you oughta just—
LILY
Uh-uh. I promised you—in fact, I
promised both of you—I wasn't
going to take sides. A little
awkwardness isn't going to make me
break that promise.
There is a knock on the door, and then Josh walks in.
JOSH
Hey, baby. Hi, Brooke.
LILY
Josh! What are you doing?
JOSH
What? You girls aren't doing
anything. And it's not like this
is the first time I've been in
here.
The girls look at each other, and shrug.
JOSH (CONT'D)
Sam called. She wanted to call
you, but you don't have a cell
phone.
LILY
I swear, in twenty years everyone
in the country's going to be
walking around with brain damage.
(pause)
Is she okay?
JOSH
She said something important came
up, and she needed the car, and
she was really sorry, and she'd
bring it back as soon as she
could. Oh, and she asked if she
could bring some boxes over to our
place for a couple days. Anyway,
I said yes.
Lily sits and absorbs all of that.
JOSH (CONT'D)
Oh, and if we leave right now,
Shug'll give us a ride.
LILY
(getting up)
Oh. Okay.
JOSH
Brooke? Wanna come? Shug'll take
you home, too.
BROOKE
(shaking her head)
It's okay. I can get home by
myself.
LILY
Okay. See you tomorrow?
BROOKE
Yeah.
After Josh and Lily leave, Brooke just sits on the tuffet for
a moment, moping, before getting up.
CUT TO:
INT. MIKE'S CAR - MOVING
Neither Mike nor Jane are in a very good mood; Mike keeps
stealing glances at Jane, whose gaze is fixed on the passing
scenery.
JANE
Mike?
MIKE
Hmm?
JANE
Are you sure we're doing the right
thing?
MIKE
(sighs)
I'm not sure of anything.
(pause)
I'll tell you, that daughter of
yours—
She looks over at him sharply.
MIKE (CONT'D)
—daughter of OURS...is quite a
handful.
As they approach the house, Jane suddenly leans forward.
JANE
(pointing)
Look!
Mike follows Jane's finger, to see the front door wide open.
MIKE
Did we get robbed?
JANE
I don't think so...that's Lily's
car out front.
Mike pulls into the driveway, and they climb out of the car
just in time to see Sam emerge from the house, with her duffel
bag slung over her shoulder and box of odds and ends under her
arm. She closes the door behind her and locks it; only when
she turns back around does she see Mike and Jane.
JANE (CONT'D)
Sam...
MIKE
(sternly)
This is getting a little old.
SAM
Yeah, well, then the good news is
you won't have to worry about it
anymore.
JANE
Sam, you can't just keep running
away.
SAM
I'm not running away.
She tosses the house key at Mike, who automatically catches
it.
SAM (CONT'D)
I'm moving out.
JANE
(reasonably)
Honey, you can't move out. You
can't live off of Josh and Lily,
and you don't have any money to
live on your own.
SAM
You don't think so?
She digs her paycheck out of her back pocket and waves it at
them.
SAM (CONT'D)
Look familiar?
MIKE
(irked)
You broke into my desk?
SAM
(defiant)
What are you gonna do, call the
cops? Go ahead—you can tell them
you've been stealing my mail.
That's a federal offense.
JANE
(holding up her hands)
Wait, wait, nobody's calling any
cops. Sam, we weren't stealing.
We were just...holding it. For a
little while.
SAM
(jeering)
Really.
At this point Brooke enters the picture, taking in the scene.
BROOKE
What's going on here?
Sam turns on her.
SAM
You—I suppose you're in on this,
too.
BROOKE
(shaking her head)
In on what? Sam, you're making
even less sense than usual.
SAM
You don't know what they did?
She nods in Mike and Jane's direction contemptuously.
SAM (CONT'D)
They went to the paper. Tried to
get me fired.
Despite her animosity towards Sam, Brooke—at least
momentarily—turns an accusatory look on her father.
BROOKE
Dad, you didn't.
JANE
Sam, I don't know what Art may
have told you, but—
SAM
(snarling)
"What Art may have told me"? I
was THERE! I HEARD you! What,
are you lying to my face now?
Stunned by Sam's sheer ferocity, Jane takes a step back and
regroups.
JANE
Now look, young lady, I am still
your mother, and—
The cold, dead look in Sam's eyes alone makes Jane falter.
SAM
(dangerously quiet)
You try to ruin my life...my
career...try to keep me prisoner
in this house... What's next—
lock me in my room? Chain me to
the bed?
MIKE
Sam!
SAM
I don't know who you are anymore.
MIKE
(bleakly)
Is that really what you think of
us?
Sam turns the same flat stare on Mike.
SAM
(unrelenting)
That's what I see.
MIKE
You're wrong, Sam.
SAM
I don't think so.
Sam walks around them to Lily's car, the back of which is
already filled with boxes. She opens the driver's-side door,
tosses her duffel bag and the box onto the passenger seat, and
climbs in.
At this point Jane is spurred into action: as Sam shuts the
door, she runs over and pounds on the window.
JANE
Sam!
Unheeding, Sam starts the car. Jane rushes around to the
front of the car and puts her hands on the hood.
JANE (CONT'D)
I'm not letting you leave, Sam!
Sam looks up at her for a long moment. Then she throws the
car into reverse and pulls away backwards, using a neighboring
driveway to execute a sloppy three-point turn and roaring off
down the street.
Jane just stands there in the street, shaking; Mike has to
come over, put his arms around her and lead her away.
DISSOLVE TO:
EST. JOSH AND LILY'S APARTMENT
CUT TO:
INT. JOSH AND LILY'S LIVING ROOM - LATER
Sam is curled up on the sofa; Lily comes out of the kitchen,
hands her a glass of water and sits down next to her.
SAM
Thanks. Sorry about the car.
Lily reaches out and brushes the hair away from Sam's face.
LILY
I'm not worried about the car,
Sam, I'm worried about YOU.
SAM
(shrugs)
Well, don't.
They sit in silence for a moment.
SAM (CONT'D)
Do you think this is my fault?
LILY
I don't think it's anyone's
"fault". I just...think
everyone's reacting to everyone
else, and...
Sam stares into her glass.
SAM
It's so weird... I feel like,
I'm falling, and there's no
bottom, and I just keep on
falling...
(looking up)
Every time I think nothing else
can happen, nothing else can go
wrong, it does, and I—I just want
to know when it's going to stop.
As Sam sniffles, Lily leans over and hugs her tightly.
The phone rings. Lily holds Sam for a moment longer, then
gently lets her go, gets up and reaches for the phone.
LILY
(into the phone)
Hello? Oh—Ms. McPherson.
She looks at Sam, who shakes her head emphatically.
LILY (CONT'D)
(into the phone)
Sam? Yes, but... No, she
doesn't... I'll tell her...
Bye.
Lily hangs up the phone.
SAM
Tell me what?
LILY
She loves you. She misses you.
SAM
(eyes downcast)
I wish I could believe that.
Lily sits close and puts Sam's head on her shoulder.
LILY
(sadly)
Oh, Sam, of course you can believe
that. Look, if you want to stay
here—
SAM
No, it's okay. I found a place.
My own place.
(getting up)
I should go, get all my stuff out
of your car.
LILY
Are you sure? You're really not
going back?
SAM
Yeah. I'm sure.
Lily gets up.
LILY
(gamely)
I'll help you unpack.
Sam manages a grin, and they hug again before walking off.
CUT TO:
INT. AN APARTMENT
A dingy, old studio, obviously in a run-down neighborhood,
immersed in street noises. Lily and Sam come in through the
open door, each carrying a box. After they set the boxes
down, Sam looks around.
SAM
Did we miss anything?
LILY
I don't think so.
The landlady, a heavyset fifty-ish woman, walks in.
LANDLADY
Here you go.
She holds out a keyring to Sam, who takes it.
LANDLADY (CONT'D)
You got electricity and water—and
the bed. Phone, anything else you
want, you have to take care of
yourself.
SAM
It's fine, thanks.
The landlady nods her satisfaction, and leaves.
LILY
Sam, you sure you don't want me to
stay awhile?
SAM
(shaking her head)
You've got Josh to get home to,
remember? I'll be fine.
LILY
Okay. Hey, I'm picking you up for
school tomorrow. No way you're
taking the bus from here.
SAM
(smiling)
Thanks.
Sam hugs Lily, and walks her to the door.
LILY
Well...okay. Take care of
yourself, Sam.
SAM
Really, I'm okay.
LILY
(reluctantly)
Okay. Bye.
SAM
Bye.
Sam closes the door behind Lily, then turns and surveys the
one-room apartment, sighing. Rubbing her hands together, she
opens the nearest box, but before she can do much of anything,
there is a knock on the door behind her. She steps back to
the door and opens it. Standing outside is a raven-haired
woman in her early twenties, who promptly sticks her hand out.
JAYCEE
Hey. You're the new girl, right?
Saw you moving in, thought I'd
come over and say hi. I'm right
across the hall. Jaycee.
Sam shakes her hand.
SAM
Sam.
JAYCEE
Hey, Sam. So, I thought, new
beginnings and all, right? A
little "welcome to the building"
offering.
Jaycee pulls two bottles of beer from behind her back.
SAM
Well, I...
JAYCEE
Why don'tcha come over to my
place?
(grins)
I've got actual furniture.
SAM
(considering)
Uh...
Finally she shrugs.
SAM (CONT'D)
Sure—why not? New beginnings and
all.
Sam steps out into the hallway, closes the door behind her,
and then she and Jaycee go through the door on the other side
of the hall.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT FOUR
THE END