ACT THREE
FADE IN:
INT. SAM'S APARTMENT - MORNING
The apartment is still and deathly quiet...
INSERT: THE ALARM CLOCK
ticking over from 6:59 to 7:00.
The clock begins to buzz harshly. After a second a hand
snakes out from under the bedcovers and comes down on the
clock, silencing it. The covers lift up for a moment, Sam
peeks out before diving back under again.
INSERT: THE ALARM CLOCK
this time, ticking over from 7:19 to 7:20.
The buzzing noise fills the room again. Sam throws back the
covers with a groan before shutting off the alarm.
CUT TO:
INT. SAM'S APARTMENT - LATER
Sam, dressed but still looking haggard, shuffles over to her
tiny table with a glass of water in hand and sits down
heavily. She tips over an unmarked prescription bottle,
scoops up a couple of pills from those that spill out and
swallows them.
Then she spots the assignment paper from Mr. Osbourne lying on
the table. With a groan and a roll of the eyes, she picks it
up and studies it for a moment. She flips open her laptop and
begins to type.
INSERT: THE COMPUTER SCREEN
which says
WHAT THANKSGIVING MEANS TO ME
BY SAM MCPHERSON
For a while Sam just sits there, staring at the screen.
INSERT: THE COMPUTER SCREEN
still blank, except for that title.
Finally, with a dismissive snort, she leans forward and starts
tapping away.
INSERT: THE COMPUTER SCREEN
which now shows a flashy website titled "".
In a blank box she types "Thanksgiving". A moment later the
screen changes to a list of essays, including one titled "What
Thanksgiving Means to Me, by Bernie Barnaby". She clicks on
that one, and an essay appears on the screen.
Sam reads for a few moments, then starts tapping the keys
again.
INSERT: THE COMPUTER SCREEN
Sam has cut-and-pasted the entire essay; now she deletes the
"Bernie Barnaby" and replaces it with "Sam McPherson".
With her work done, she closes the laptop, smiling for the
first time.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER
Harrison is walking along when Natalie veers across his path.
NATALIE
Hey, Harrison.
HARRISON
Oh, hey.
NATALIE
I just, uh...I wanted to say I'm
sorry. About last night.
HARRISON
(puzzled)
What about last night?
NATALIE
You know...I think I got a little
too personal.
HARRISON
No. Don't worry about it—I mean,
you didn't.
NATALIE
Still...if you'll keep helping me
with Spanish, I promise no more
personal questions.
HARRISON
Look, I'll help as much as you
need. You don't have to promise
anything.
NATALIE
Whew. Great. Okay, I'm off to
class.
She holds up a finger and tries her Spanish again.
NATALIE (SUBTITLE) (CONT'D)
I'm sweep the shrub!
For a moment Harrison opens his mouth to correct her, but as
she turns and trots off, he decides against it.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
Another hallway, where Josh and Lily are conferring by his
open locker.
JOSH
I dunno, babe. I got a bad
feeling about this.
LILY
Josh...okay, I have a bad feeling
too, but...they asked us. Can you
imagine how bad it must be if THEY
had to ask US? Besides, you want
to help, right?
JOSH
Yeah...well...yeah...
LILY
So we have to at least try.
Besides, what are you complaining
about? You've got the easy part.
JOSH
Yeah, I sure wouldn't want to talk
to Sam after that whole Harrison
thing. I mean, if someone was
going around with you behind my
back, I'd want to kick his ass.
LILY
Josh!
JOSH
I'm just saying, I'd really hate
the guy. So, you know, I
understand how Sam feels.
As the bell rings, Lily sighs at the daunting task ahead of
her.
CUT TO:
MONTAGE
A series of brief shots, sans any real dialog, of various
classes, including: Miss Glass pontificating in Chemistry,
Natalie still struggling in Spanish, Mr. Osbourne's usual free
flowing discussions, and everyone—including Sam—turning in
their papers.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER
where Mary Cherry has cornered Lily.
MARY CHERRY
...and Mama said I could bring
anyone I wanted. So I'm bringin'
you.
LILY
(slightly bemused)
Well, I appreciate it, Mary
Cherry, but I think Josh and I are
going to have our own little
Thanksgiving this year.
MARY CHERRY
But...but...ya hafta save me from
her!
LILY
So just take someone else. I'm
sure there are lots of people who
would love to go.
MARY CHERRY
(considering)
Ya know, you're right. It IS an
honor, after all.
SLIDE CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER
BROOKE
Sorry, Mary Cherry, but with
things as bad as they are at home,
I just can't skip out on Dad and
Jane.
SLIDE CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER
CARMEN
I'd love to, really—especially
with all that food—but it's just
going to be me and my mom this
year.
SLIDE CUT TO:
MONTAGE
Another short montage, again without dialog, of several other
students turning Mary Cherry down, while she cajoles, pleads,
and even begins to offer cash. Finally...
SLIDE CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER
HARRISON
As much fun as it sounds, I'm
planning on spending Thanksgiving
at home.
By this time Mary Cherry looks utterly defeated.
HARRISON (CONT'D)
Besides, fancy dinner parties
aren't really my thing. I'd be
worried that I was going to do
something obnoxious and ruin the
whole evening for everyone.
MARY CHERRY
(thinking)
Something obnoxious...?
HARRISON
Well, yeah, you know me...
Suddenly she is hugging him.
MARY CHERRY
That's it! Joe, you're a genius!
A bona-fide genius!
She runs off down the hall.
HARRISON
(looking after her)
I am?
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER
Brooke is walking down the hall when Lily grabs her by the arm
and pulls her into the Novak.
CUT TO:
INT. GIRLS' RESTROOM - CONTINUOUS
Lily sits Brooke down on the tuffet.
LILY
Okay, Brooke, the thing is this:
sometime today, Josh is going to
come talk to you...about making up
with Sam.
BROOKE
Why?
LILY
Because your dad asked him to.
BROOKE
(doing a double-take)
What?
LILY
(nods)
And Sam's mom asked me to talk to
her.
BROOKE
Wow...they're desperate.
LILY
Yeah, I think so.
BROOKE
(thinking)
Sam'll never go for it, you know.
She really hates me.
(pause)
Not that I don't deserve it.
LILY
I still have to try. I just
wanted to warn you about Josh—
he's really nervous about it, and
I didn't want you to be too hard
on him.
BROOKE
Thanks. Don't worry—I'll be
gentle with him.
Brooke can't resist wagging her eyebrows a bit while saying
that, and in a moment both girls break out giggling.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. CHEMISTRY CLASS - LATER
The classroom is empty, except for Miss Glass, who is cleaning
up. Mary Cherry sticks her head through the doorway, then
walks in.
MARY CHERRY
(sweetly)
Miss Glass?
Miss Glass looks up, annoyed.
GLASS
What do you want?
MARY CHERRY
I was just wonderin' what you're
planning on doing for
Thanksgiving.
GLASS
I'm going to do what I always do
on Thanksgiving: stick a frozen
turkey dinner in the microwave,
put on Tom Jones' Greatest Hits,
and curl up with the latest
edition of Meow Life.
(pause)
Well, either that or a John Waters
film festival.
MARY CHERRY
(making her pitch)
How would you like to be my guest
at the annual Cherry Family
Thanksgiving Dinner?
GLASS
The what?
MARY CHERRY
It's a huge party, with lots of
people, and lots of free food, an'
Mama said I could bring anyone I
wanted, an' after considerin'
everyone, I decided I wanted to
bring you!
Miss Glass seems flattered in spite of herself.
GLASS
Well...I was never one to turn
down free food...
MARY CHERRY
Great! Thursday, three p.m.,
don't be late!
And she's out the door before Miss Glass can change her mind.
CUT TO:
INT. GIRLS' RESTROOM - LATER
Lily is trying to talk to Sam, who is absolutely livid.
SAM
No! NO! I can't believe you're
even ASKING me that!
LILY
(placating)
Sam, come on, your mom just asked
me to—
SAM
Oh, my mom asked you, that's just
great!
LILY
I think Brooke might be willing to
talk—
SAM
Brooke? That little slut? Of
COURSE she does! She stole
Harrison, she single-handedly
ruined my life—of course she
wants to wipe the slate clean NOW,
that she has everything!
Lily regroups, and plunges forward again.
LILY
Sam, I'm sure your mom doesn't
expect you and Brooke to be
friends—
SAM
That's good, because it's never,
ever going to happen.
LILY
—but it's going to be
Thanksgiving, and—
SAM
(biting)
And what? Seriously, what do
they expect me to do? Come
crawling back, sit down for a nice
family dinner? I don't think so.
She shakes her finger at Lily.
SAM (CONT'D)
NEVER.
With that, Sam storms out.
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT THREE