ACT TWO
FADE IN:
INT. SAM'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Sam walks into her room, still slightly dazed.
SAM
(to herself)
I did it...I did it! Mom's not
going on the cruise, she'll never
meet Mike, they won't fall in
love...Brooke will NEVER be a part
of my life!
(pause)
Hang on...does this mean I have to
live the past two and a half years
all over again?
And suddenly Clarence at her side.
CLARENCE
Uh-uh, Sam. This was just a quick
trip.
(points)
Just walk through the doorway, and
you'll be back in the present.
Sam follows his finger, then looks back dubiously.
SAM
I just CAME through that door.
Clarence doesn't reply, but just looks at her with a pained
expression on his face.
SAM (CONT'D)
(sighs)
All right...
She turns and walks back out through her bedroom door, and—
CUT TO:
INT. SAM'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
—right back into her bedroom. She looks around, annoyed.
SAM
(looking up)
Clarence! It didn't work!
When she brings her eyes back down from the ceiling, he is
standing in front of her.
CLARENCE
Sure it did.
SAM
Hello? I'm exactly where I was
before.
CLARENCE
Not...exactly.
She looks around the room, and notices that things have subtly
changed.
SAM
(thinking)
Wait a minute...this is my room?
This is my room! We never moved,
and this is still my room!
(laughing)
I love it!
She runs out of the room, with Clarence following.
CUT TO:
INT. MCPHERSON BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Sam waltzes in, arms spread.
SAM
Hello, bathroom that I don't share
with a preening blonde prima
donna!
She looks around critically.
SAM (CONT'D)
It's smaller than I remembered.
A thought occurs to her, and she rushes out again.
CUT TO:
INT. MCPHERSON UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
Sam runs into Clarence in the hallway.
SAM
Hey, Clarence—how come I still
remember the way everything was?
CLARENCE
(making a dismissive gesture)
Oh, don't worry, that's just a
technicality.
SAM
(eyes narrowing)
A technicality? Whoa...is there a
catch you didn't tell me about?
CLARENCE
(reassuring)
There's no catch.
SAM
You're sure? I didn't just sell
my soul or something?
CLARENCE
Sam, that's the OTHER side. This
was a straight-up offer,
guaranteed.
SAM
(pressing)
No glitches? Nothing that can go
wrong?
CLARENCE
No glitches.
(pause)
Okay, the change doesn't become
permanent-permanent until dawn,
but like I said, that's just a
technicality.
SAM
(nodding along)
And what about my memory? I don't
wanna look like a spaz because I
can't remember the last two and a
half years.
CLARENCE
By morning, you won't remember
that things were ever any
different. In fact, you won't
even remember I was here. This'll
just be the way it always was.
SAM
(murmuring)
I still can't believe it...
She focuses on him.
SAM (CONT'D)
Well, since I'm going to forget
you, I guess I'd better say thanks
right now. This is...
(grinning)
...the best Christmas present I've
ever gotten.
Curiously, Clarence doesn't react to that.
CLARENCE
I'll be around tonight to help out
with things you don't remember
yet.
SAM
Okay.
(pause)
Oh! What if my mom sees you?
CLARENCE
(shakes his head)
You're the only one who can see
me, or hear me. Oh, and, Sam?
SAM
Hmm?
CLARENCE
Try to keep that in mind, okay?
You know all those movies where
people talk to ghosts and stuff,
and everyone else thinks they're
crazy?
Sam makes an "oh" expression, then nods in understanding,
clamps her lips shut and flashes him a silent thumbs up.
CUT TO:
INT. MCPHERSON LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Sam comes down the stairs.
SAM
Mom? Mooo-om!
The living room is silent. In the corner is a Christmas tree
with presents underneath. Sam wanders around, reacquainting
herself with her old home. Finally she notices that the
answering machine is blinking, and bends down to press the
"Play" button.
JANE (V.O.)
(on the answering machine)
Hi, honey, it's me, I'm going to
be working late at the office
tonight, so just order pizza for
yourself, okay? And don't open
any presents without me.
Sam turns to Clarence, who is lounging at the foot of the
stairs.
SAM
Okay, A, Mom has an office? And
B, she's working on Christmas Eve?
CLARENCE
She works in the real estate
division of a big corporation
downtown. And she pretty much
works all the time now.
SAM
(confused)
No...that's not right. Mom was
never into big business.
CLARENCE
Well, she is now. For one thing,
she had to make enough money to
support the two of you.
Sam immediately turns indignant.
SAM
What? Mom made plenty of money!
CLARENCE
(shrugs)
She felt she needed more.
Besides, she doesn't have much
else.
Sam's face darkens.
SAM
Oh, come on. It's not like Mike's
the only guy in the world.
She goes and sits on the sofa.
SAM (CONT'D)
You know what? I'll help Mom find
a boyfriend. I can do that.
Someone nice. Someone not named
McQueen.
She picks up the phone and dials a number from memory.
OPERATOR RECORDING (V.O.)
(on the phone)
We're sorry, the number you have
dialed is not in service. Please
hang up, and try your call again.
Frowning, Sam hangs up the phone.
CLARENCE
If you're trying to call Lily,
you'll find her with her mother.
Sam throws him a disturbed glance, and picks up the phone
again. After another dial and a couple of rings:
LILY (V.O.)
(on the phone)
Hello?
SAM
Lily! It's Sam.
LILY
(immediately concerned)
Are you all right? Did something
happen?
SAM
(off-balance)
Ah...no. I'm—I'm fine.
LILY
(relieved)
Good. I was afraid, because of,
well, you know. Plus, the
anniversary's coming up...
The expression on Sam's face makes it plain that she has no
idea what Lily is talking about. So she decides to ignore it:
SAM
No...I was just calling to see how
you were.
LILY
Me? I'm...doing all right.
SAM
Good, good...how's Josh?
LILY
(puzzled)
Josh? Josh who?
Sam's mouth drops open again.
SAM
Ah...hang on, Lily, okay?
She pulls the phone away and cups her hand over the
mouthpiece, then looks up at Clarence expectantly.
SAM (CONT'D)
Lily and Josh?
CLARENCE
(shaking his head)
The only reason they ever got
together was the "experiment" that
Nicole messed with, remember?
It's just a random event that
never happened.
Subdued, Sam takes a moment to think, then brings the phone
back to her ear.
SAM
Uh, nevermind, Lily, I was just a
little mixed-up. So, um, you're
all right? Christmas plans coming
along?
LILY
Yeah, Sam... Hey, you're still
coming over tomorrow, right?
SAM
(improvising)
Oh, ah, yeah, right. Wouldn't
miss it.
LILY
Great. Well, Merry Christmas,
Sam.
SAM
(flat)
Merry Christmas.
She hangs up the phone and stands up, trying to think her way
through the situation, talking half to herself and half to
Clarence.
SAM (CONT'D)
Okay...there's no Josh and Lily.
Okay, I can fix this. They fell
in love once—I can get them
together, and they'll fall in love
again.
CLARENCE
Ah, I think you're going to have a
hard time with that, Sam.
SAM
(annoyed)
Why?
CLARENCE
When Josh's mom moved away a few
months ago, Josh went with her.
There was no reason for him not
to.
Sam rubs her hands over her face in frustration.
SAM
Why didn't you tell me about this?
CLARENCE
(sadly)
I could only make you the offer.
I couldn't control what you did
with it.
Sam is still trying to think when something else occurs to
her.
SAM
Hey, what's this "anniversary"
Lily was talking about?
Clarence opens his mouth to answer, but before he can, the
doorbell rings.
Sam turns and walks to the front door, looking through the
peephole.
INSERT: THE FRONT STOOP - PEEPHOLE POV
A forty-ish man in a dark suit is standing there.
SAM (CONT'D)
Who is it?
RICHARD (O.S.)
(through the door)
It's Richard!
SAM
(confused again)
Who?
RICHARD (O.S.)
Very funny. Open the door and let
me in.
Sam throws a glance back at Clarence, who is sitting at the
bottom of the stairs.
CLARENCE
(quietly)
I wouldn't do that...
But Sam, making sure the chain is latched, is already opening
the door—and the moment it is cracked, a hand slams it open,
snapping the chain and sending Sam stumbling backwards with a
yelp. Before she can recover, the man rushes through the
door, catching Sam by the throat and driving her backwards
until she slams into the wall. There he holds her, leering
closely at her panic-stricken face.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT TWO