ACT TWO
FADE IN:
INT. JOSH AND LILY'S LIVING ROOM - LATER
Lily is curled up on the sofa, despondent, while Josh sits on
the other end.
JOSH
You DECKED the guy?
Lily throws up her hands.
LILY
I didn't mean to!
JOSH
I can't believe you actually
leveled your therapist.
LILY
Stop saying that! It was an
accident!
JOSH
So...did it make you feel any
better?
LILY
(looking over at him)
Sure, Josh, just as soon as I'm
finished dying of humiliation!
JOSH
Awww, babe.
He opens his arms invitingly, and she scoots over and curls up
next to him.
JOSH (CONT'D)
I'm sure it wasn't that bad.
(pause)
Did you give him a shiner?
She swats his leg.
LILY
No...I didn't hit him in the eye.
I hit him in the jaw.
JOSH
Ouch.
She makes a clucking noise, and reaches for the phone.
JOSH (CONT'D)
What?
LILY
(sighs, dialing)
I promised Mrs. McPherson I'd try
and talk to Sam for her.
She waits on the phone for a few seconds, then hangs it up.
LILY (CONT'D)
Great. No answer on her cell.
And she doesn't even have a
regular phone anymore.
She leans back against Josh, who closes his arms around her.
LILY (CONT'D)
So much for getting rid of stress.
CUT TO:
INT. A WAREHOUSE - CONTINUOUS
The rave is in full swing. Sam's cell phone happens to be
dangling from its pouch on her belt, as she and Jaycee dance
in the midst of the throng of party-goers.
DISSOLVE TO:
EST. L.A. SKYLINE - MORNING
Sometime after dawn.
CUT TO:
INT. SAM'S APARTMENT
Sam is lying face-down on her rickety old bed, dead to the
world, still wearing the previous night's clothes. Finally
she opens one eye, groaning. She turns over, and the sound of
the springs creaking makes her groan again and grab her head.
After a few moments, she tries to sit up—but only makes it
partway before squeezing her eyes shut and collapsing back
onto the mattress.
CUT TO:
INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE SAM'S APARTMENT - LATER
The door opens, and Sam shuffles out, barely awake. Suddenly
Jaycee's door opens, and a scruffy-looking guy pops out. He
pulls up short when he sees Sam.
PARTY DUDE
Hey, you were with Jaycee at
Eddie's last night. I remember
you.
SAM
(swaying)
Good for you.
PARTY DUDE
Party hardy—catch ya later.
He trots off down the hallway, with Sam squinting after him
and mouthing, "party hardy?" Then the door opens again, and
Jaycee sticks her head out.
JAYCEE
Oh, hey, Sam. Did I tell you
Eddie's raves rock, or what?
SAM
(dully)
I'm dead. I just want you to know
that.
JAYCEE
Oooh, looks like someone had a
good time last night. Someone
else, I mean. So, blow off school
and crash today.
SAM
(rubbing her head)
Ohh...I can't, I have a history
test...
Sam blinks, trying to focus.
SAM (CONT'D)
Is it history?
(moaning)
Ohhhh, my head... I need
aspirin. Lots of aspirin.
JAYCEE
(holding up a finger)
I got something better. Hang on.
Jaycee disappears back into her apartment, re-emerging a
moment later with a couple of pills in her hand. She holds
them out to Sam.
JAYCEE (CONT'D)
Here, take these. They'll make
everything better.
Sam casts a foggy glare at her.
SAM
Nothing will make this better.
Jaycee puts the pills into Sam's hand and closes it around
them.
JAYCEE
Trust me.
Finally, Sam pops the pills into her mouth.
JAYCEE (CONT'D)
There...give it a few minutes to
kick in, and you'll be good as
new.
CUT TO:
INT. SUGAR DADDY'S BEDROOM
When Sugar Daddy wakes up, he, too, is suffering, but with a
different cause; his hands go immediately to his stomach.
CUT TO:
INT. SUGAR DADDY'S BATHROOM - LATER
Sugar Daddy trudges in and steps up onto the scale. He peers
down, and his eyes widen.
INSERT: THE SCALE DIAL
from Sugar Daddy's POV, spinning comically around and around.
SUGAR
Oh, man...
MRS. BERNADINO (O.S.)
Michael! Come down to breakfast!
Ellie's making Crepes Suzette!
SUGAR
(shoulders drooping)
Oh, MAN...
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER
Natalie is walking down the hall with an armful of books when
Sam skips—literally—up from behind and catches her shoulder.
NATALIE
(surprised)
Sam! I, uh—
SAM
(overriding her)
Hey, I know I totally blew you off
yesterday, but it was just one of
those things, you know? Anyway,
Nat—can I call you Nat? You
really look like a Nat—I wanna
make it up to you. We'll go do
the whole thing, right now, 'k?
C'mon!
While Sam pulls at Natalie's arm, Natalie looks Sam over, with
a very strange expression on her face.
NATALIE
Ah...we have history?
SAM
(clapping)
History! Yes! Bring it on,
girl—I'm psyched for all that
historical stuff!
Sam prances off down the hall, while Natalie stares after her,
eyes narrowed.
FLIP CUT TO:
INT. GIRLS' RESTROOM - LATER
Natalie, Carmen and Brooke are conferencing on the tuffet in
the Novak.
CARMEN
No way!
NATALIE
I know what I saw, okay? Look, we
had stoners in Minnesota—okay,
not as many as in California, but
we had enough of them. I'm
telling you, she was higher than
the space shuttle.
CARMEN
No, you don't understand. Sam
doesn't DO that kind of thing.
Not ever. It's impossible.
As if on cue, all of them look over to Lily, who is leaning
against the wall, eyes down, arms folded. At the sudden
onrush of silence, she looks up at them, then shrugs.
LILY
I don't know.
CARMEN
Lil!
LILY
Look, up until a couple weeks ago,
I'd be right there with you.
But...who knows what Sam's doing
now? She's got a new place, new
friends...
CARMEN
Come on! You know she's not doing
drugs!
LILY
Have any of you even seen her
today?
Carmen and Brooke shake their heads.
LILY (CONT'D)
(to Carmen)
And how would YOU know? You
haven't even BEEN here most of the
last two weeks.
CARMEN
(indignant)
Hey, I've had good reasons for not
being here!
NATALIE
(interrupting)
Guys! What about Sam?
BROOKE
(holding out her hands)
Even if Sam is into something,
what are we supposed to do about
it?
NATALIE
You're her friends—
Brooke rolls her eyes.
NATALIE (CONT'D)
(backtracks)
Okay, you're the people who know
her the best. I just thought you
should know. Maybe you could talk
to her...
BROOKE
Well, I can't do it.
LILY
(resigned)
I'll do it.
Lily pushes herself away from the wall, a faintly disgusted
look on her face.
CARMEN
Lily...
LILY
No, I can't get my own life
straight; I might as well take a
shot at everyone else's.
Lily walks out before anyone can say anything else; the other
girls just look at each other guiltily.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER
Sam—in a much less hyper state—is rummaging around in her
locker when she is hit by a twinge of pain; she winces and
touches her forehead gingerly. When she closes her locker
door, she finds Lily standing behind it.
SAM
Oh, hey, Lily.
Sam notices the way Lily is looking at her, and her eyes
narrow.
SAM (CONT'D)
What?
LILY
Are you...okay?
Sam feels another twinge, and squeezes her eyes shut for a
moment.
SAM
I was out late last night.
LILY
Yeah, I tried to call you.
SAM
Sorry...Jaycee dragged me to this
rave.
LILY
(slightly incredulous)
Sam—you don't rave.
SAM
(annoyed)
So I'm trying to expand my social
life, okay? Is that a crime?
It's not like anything's happening
here.
LILY
Sorry.
SAM
(shakes her head)
No, I'm...I guess maybe I did stay
out too late.
She leans against her locker tiredly.
LILY
Are you sure you're okay? Maybe
you should go to the nurse's
station.
SAM
No, it's just a headache. I'll be
fine.
(pause)
What's with the sudden concern?
LILY
I need a reason to be worried
about my best friend?
Sam gives her a skeptical look.
LILY (CONT'D)
Ah...um...Natalie thought...there
might be something wrong.
SAM
Natalie?
(remembering)
Oh...yeah, I ran into her before.
But I'm fine. Really.
Lily seems reluctant to let it go.
LILY
If you're sure...
SAM
You know, speaking of Nat—
Natalie—I should do some research
for that English paper we were
supposed to do. I really feel bad
about blowing her off yesterday.
LILY
Well...okay...
Sam touches Lily's arm.
SAM
I'm glad there's still some people
around here who care about me.
Before Lily can come up with a response to that, Sam is off
down the hallway. Lily finally sighs, shakes her head and
turns in the opposite direction.
CUT TO:
INT. A CLASSROOM - LATER
Sam is sitting at a table, surrounded by books, but not doing
much researching. Instead, she has her head down on the
table, moaning quietly and rubbing her temples.
Behind her, Jaycee appears in the open doorway and taps on the
door.
JAYCEE
Knock, knock.
Sam turns around, startled. The sudden movement brings on
another wave of pain. Jaycee saunters into the classroom.
SAM
What are you doing here? You
can't just wander around campus.
JAYCEE
Hey, I can pass for seventeen.
Besides—
She takes something out of her pocket and shows it to Sam.
INSERT: A SCHOOL ID CARD
from Kennedy High, with Jaycee's name on it.
JAYCEE (CONT'D)
I used to go here.
SAM
I didn't know that.
Jaycee looks Sam over critically.
JAYCEE
You don't look so hot.
SAM
(managing sarcasm)
Really.
JAYCEE
Look, I thought you might crash,
so I brought you this.
She digs two more pills out of her pocket and lays them on the
table.
SAM
I can't keep taking this stuff. I
don't even know what it is.
JAYCEE
(cajoling)
Relax, it's nothing. You're not
going to get hooked. Look at me—
do I look like a drugged-out
zombie? But, hey, it's your
choice—you can keep feeling like
you do now, or...
Sam winces again, and, with an irritated glace towards Jaycee,
picks up the pills and pops them into her mouth.
JAYCEE (CONT'D)
See, that wasn't hard. You'll be
feeling great in no time. And,
just in case those wear off—
She scribbles on a corner of Sam's notebook.
JAYCEE (CONT'D)
There's a guy here who can give
you more. Just tell him I sent
you, and it'll be cool.
SAM
Doesn't this stuff cost money?
JAYCEE
(nonchalantly)
Naw, hardly anything. Well, I
gotta jet. See you tonight?
Sam nods absently, and Jaycee is out the door, while she runs
her finger over the name written in her notebook.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT TWO