ACT ONE

FADE IN:

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY

The hall outside Osbourne's social studies class. Students
are leaving, in clumps of two or three. When the last one
has trickled out, Osbourne closes the door.

CUT TO:

INT. SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS - CONTINUOUS

Osbourne walks to his desk. Brooke is standing there, arms
folded.

BROOKE
(impatient)
Did you find out anything?

He reaches into one of his desk drawers, pulls out a paper,
and holds it out across the desk to her.

OSBOURNE
This is your computerized
transcript. It was sent
automatically to the
institutions to which you
applied.

She takes the paper and scans it; it takes only a moment for
her eyes to widen in disbelief.

BROOKE
What—? This—no way. I
mean, no way! I never—
D's? I never got a D in
my—all right, one time,
seventh grade, I loathed
Home Ec, but—this—these
are—are—

OSBOURNE
(calm)
The word you are searching
for, Miss McQueen, is
"impossible."

BROOKE
You KNOW these aren't my
grades.

OSBOURNE
Of course. The school's
computer system contains
incorrect information.

BROOKE
Then why isn't there an
uproar all over?
(eyes narrowing)
It's because it's just me,
isn't it?

Osbourne tilts his head in agreement.

OSBOURNE
As soon as it becomes clear
that this was not merely a
clerical error, Principal
Krupps had a number of other
students' records checked,
at random. It seems as
though someone...hacked, I
believe is the term...into
the system, in order to
alter your marks.

BROOKE
(glaring)
Sam.

OSBOURNE
A logical prime suspect.
Unfortunately, it may be
impossible to prove. We can
surmise what was done—but
the school cannot afford to
hire a computer security
expert to ferret out how it
was done.

BROOKE
(unhappy)
Let alone who did it. I
don't think Sam knows THAT
much about computers,
anyway.

She paces half the length of the classroom and back.

BROOKE (CONT'D)
Okay, nevermind—I can kill
Sam later. But this can be
fixed, right? You can send
the right grades to
everyone? You said there
were procedures.

OSBOURNE
There are, indeed.
(pause)
However, your case entails
certain...complications.

Brooke, who has been fidgeting, stops and leans over
Osbourne's desk, spreading her hands on the desktop.

BROOKE
Complications?

OSBOURNE
Your marks must be
reconstructed by hand, from
the school's paper records
and, if necessary, the
District's archives.

BROOKE
I thought everyone had this
permanent file that has
every detail since
kindergarten in it. Or is
that just a suburban school
myth?

OSBOURNE
(chuckling)
No, it's not a myth. You
do, indeed, have a permanent
file.

BROOKE
(sardonic)
I can HEAR the "but" coming.

OSBOURNE
However... It is my
understanding that during
the technology push of
ninety-nine, the school's
paper recordkeeping became
somewhat...confused.

Brooke throws up her hands in disgust.

BROOKE
Great. Just great! I'm
going to be going to
community college. Or maybe
I should skip that and just
go straight to a job at Mr.
Cluck's.

She has started to pace back and forth in front of
Osbourne's desk; finally he rises and holds out his hands in
a placating gesture.

OSBOURNE
Calm yourself, Miss McQueen.
You will certainly not be
employed at a fast food
restaurant.

Brooke snatches up her transcript and waves it at him.

BROOKE
No, not with these grades!
I'll have to become a bag
lady and sleep in alleyways.
Or just sponge off Dad the
rest of my life.

OSBOURNE
Miss McQueen, PLEASE. I
said that your records would
be reconstructed, and they
shall be.

BROOKE
There it is again—"but?"

OSBOURNE
These things do take time.

BROOKE
More time than I've got?

OSBOURNE
(carefully)
I don't wish to appear
pessimistic, nor to raise
false hopes.

Brooke chews that over for a moment.

BROOKE
So it's possible.

OSBOURNE
It is possible.

(disgruntled)
I am finding that American
colleges can be...
intransigent... with
regard to their timetables.

Brooke sits down at a desk in the front row and props her
chin on her on her hands gloomily.

BROOKE
She's going to get away with
it.

After a moment of silence, she looks at Osbourne.

BROOKE (CONT'D)
Isn't this where you're
supposed to be all
reassuring?

OSBOURNE
Miss McQueen, I would like
nothing more than to give
reassurance.

BROOKE
Do you know you have this
bad habit of stopping right
before the "but?"

OSBOURNE
It's entirely possible that,
should you wish to attend an
institution of your
choosing, you shall have to
wait until the spring term
to begin.

BROOKE
This can NOT be happening to
me.
(looking up)
If I hear one word about
denial, I'm coming across
that desk, so help me.

OSBOURNE
You are distraught, Miss
McQueen. I do assure you
that I shall continue to
press your case with these
various colleges, however
unreasonable, however...

BROOKE
Pig-headed?

OSBOURNE
...stubborn they may be.

BROOKE
Thank you.

Osbourne looks up at the clock.

OSBOURNE
Your next class...

BROOKE
I know. I'm going.

She stops at his desk.

BROOKE (CONT'D)
Really. Thanks. I seem to
keep saying that, but... I
hope you know how much
everything you've done means
to me.

OSBOURNE
I consider it—consider
YOU—a very worthy cause.

Flushing, Brooke turns to go. In the doorway, though, she
runs smack into Mary Cherry.

MARY CHERRY
Oops! Sorry, Brooke.
(calling)
Urgent message for Mr.
Osbourne!

In a moment, Osbourne has joined them, taking a slip of
paper from Mary Cherry's outstretched hand and scanning it
briefly.

OSBOURNE
It seems I've been summoned
into the lion's den. Excuse
me, ladies.

He slides past them and walks off.

MARY CHERRY
(confused)
I thought that was from the
principal's office.

Brooke gives her a look.

BROOKE
Mary Cherry, why are you
delivering messages?

MARY CHERRY
Oh! You know how "community
service" is supposed to look
good on your college
applications? Well, I
figure a school is kinda
like a community, right? So
here I am, servin'!

Brooke thinks that over, while Mary Cherry watches her
anxiously.

MARY CHERRY
(CONT'D)
D'ya think it'll work?

BROOKE
(hastily)
What? Oh—sure! Uh, I
mean, volunteering is good!
But, uh... wasn't your
mother just going to buy
your way in to wherever you
wanted to go?

An over-dramatic, Southern belle sigh from Mary Cherry.

MARY CHERRY
Sadly, in spite of truly
heroic efforts by our great
President Dubya, economic
difficulties are ravaging
even the great state of
Texas.

BROOKE
Your mother's company is in
trouble?

MARY CHERRY
Like a ripe cornfield facin'
a plagueful o' locusts.
Mama said the only way I was
gettin' into college was
to...to...

Here she falters, her lower lip trembling. Brooke looks at
her quizzically.

MARY CHERRY
(CONT'D)
...to EARN my way in!

Mary Cherry seems positively horrified by the thought.
Brooke tries to look sympathetic, but can't quite manage it.

BROOKE
You know...a lot of people
do that. Earn their way in.

MARY CHERRY
But not RICH people! It'd
be shameful if I didn't get
in the traditional way—by
Mama donatin' a building to
the institution of my
choice! Just shameful!

Suddenly Mary Cherry is bawling at Brooke, who, after a
moment, awkwardly pats her on the shoulder.

CUT TO:

INT. KRUPPS' OFFICE - LATER

Krupps is sitting at his desk working on something or other
when his intercom buzzes. He reaches out and picks up the
handset.

KRUPPS
(into the intercom)
Yes, Shirley?... Oh, yes,
send him in.

He hangs up the intercom and stands as the door opens and
Osbourne walks in.

KRUPPS (CONT'D)
Erick. Please, have a seat.

Osbourne obligingly sits down.

OSBOURNE
I just left Miss McQueen.
She is quite distraught at
the difficulty regarding her
transcript.

KRUPPS
You told her we'd do
everything in our power to
fix things?

OSBOURNE
Of course.

KRUPPS
Good, good... I sent for
you, though, to discuss
another matter.

Osbourne's eyebrow goes up.

OSBOURNE
Oh?

Krupps opens his desk drawer and pulls out a thick manila
envelope. He sets the envelope down on his desk, removes a
bunch of photos from it, and hands them to Osbourne.

KRUPPS
These arrived via messenger
this morning.

Unperturbed, Osbourne flips through the photos.

INSERT: THE PHOTOGRAPHS

These are the pictures taken of Sam and Osbourne during the
ski trip: Sam stumbling into Osbourne's arms, Osbourne
helping Sam up the steps of her cabin, Sam lying on the sofa
while Osbourne checks her forehead. They are meant to be
suggestive, but in reality it's not hard to tell that
nothing lewd is going on.

OSBOURNE
What did Miss McPherson have
to say about these?

KRUPPS
I haven't shown them to her
yet. I wanted to hear what
you had to say first.

Osbourne's eyebrow goes up again, as though he finds that
mildly surprising. He flips through the photos again before
laying them on the desk.

OSBOURNE
Regarding the subject
matter? There's not a great
deal to be said, I believe.
These photographs were taken
during the class field trip
in January, of course.
You'll recall that Miss
McPherson wished to see me
on Saturday evening, and
that shortly thereafter she
fell ill.

KRUPPS
(neutrally)
I remember.

OSBOURNE
These appear to have been
taken during the period of
time in which I escorted
Miss McPherson back to her
cabin.

KRUPPS
Any idea who took them?

OSBOURNE
(shaking his head)
I'm afraid I had no idea
that we were being
surveilled.

KRUPPS
Do you think this is some
kind of blackmail attempt?

OSBOURNE
If so, it's a poor one. The
photographs are not
particularly compromising.
And, to be perfectly frank—
YOUR activities with Miss
McPherson that weekend would
have provided more ideal
material.

KRUPPS
(to himself)
True... If I'd had any idea
there was...

Krupps puts the photographs back into the envelope absently.

OSBOURNE
May I ask what you intend to
do?

KRUPPS
I'm going to find out who's
behind this, of course. It
doesn't matter who the
target of this little scheme
is. Somebody violated the
privacy of the school's
students and faculty, and
that's just not acceptable.
I was hoping you could give
a lead.

OSBOURNE
(sighs)
Well, it was worth a try.

Krupps stands; on cue, Osbourne rises as well.

KRUPPS (CONT'D)
I hope I haven't disturbed
you unduly.

OSBOURNE
It IS disturbing in
principle to be spied upon,
but... I really can't see
what damage has been done.

Osbourne starts towards the door, then turns back
uncertainly.

OSBOURNE
(hesitantly)
I'm not certain whether or
not I should bring this
up...

KRUPPS
Please, feel free.

OSBOURNE
It's just that I've heard
this rumor...

Krupps chuckles, rather humorlessly.

KRUPPS
High schools ARE great
breeding grounds for rumors,
aren't they. If this
particular one is what I
think it is, then—it's
true.

Another raised eyebrow.

OSBOURNE
Excuse me?

KRUPPS
Sam's apartment was broken
into recently. She didn't
feel safe there, so I
offered her the use of a
spare bedroom at my house.

Osbourne seems to be literally struck speechless—he opens
and closes his mouth a couple of times before managing to
put a few words together.

OSBOURNE
Mr. Krupps...sir...I can
appreciate your intentions,
but...you must be aware of
how this looks...!

KRUPPS
I'm not jeopardizing Sam's
safety for the sake of
appearances. Besides, I'm
immune to scandal. I
thought you'd figured that
out by this time.

OSBOURNE
A sufficiently public
scandal would force the
Board to take action, I'd
think.

Krupps eyes Osbourne warily.

KRUPPS
Is that a threat?

OSBOURNE
Of course not. If I'd had
any interest in creating an
embarrassing situation, I'd
have done so in January.

Osbourne makes a meaningful gesture towards the envelope.

OSBOURNE (CONT'D)
There may be someone with
that intention, however.

KRUPPS
It doesn't matter. Sam's
well-being comes first.

OSBOURNE
(grating)
Miss McPherson's well-being
would be best served by a
reconciliation with her
family.

KRUPPS
Sam would never agree to
that now. And given what
her family has done, I can't
say that I blame her much.

Osbourne rubs the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated.

OSBOURNE
I can assure you that Mr.
And Mrs. McQueen are well
aware of their role in the
matter, and are ready to
take responsibility for
their actions.

Krupps leans against his desk easily.

KRUPPS
Yes, I guess you would know-
-since you've taken Brooke
McQueen under YOUR wing.

OSBOURNE
I have ADVISED Miss McQueen
on occasion. My utmost
concern has always been her
best interest, and the
strengthening of ties
between her and her family.
Reconciliation has always
been my goal.

KRUPPS
I happen to think that
reconciliation is NOT in
Sam's best interest.

OSBOURNE
With all due respect, Sir,
you're wrong. Miss
McPherson needs her family—

KRUPPS
What Sam needs is support.
Support her so-called family
is either unable or
unwilling to provide.

OSBOURNE
Mr. Krupps, you can't
seriously expect—

Krupps holds up a hand to cut him off.

KRUPPS
Erick, we obviously aren't
going to change each other's
mind. I think we ought to
just leave it.

Osbourne looks reluctant, but Krupps' tone leaves no room
for argument. Krupps shows Osbourne to the door.

OSBOURNE
I urge you to examine your
actions carefully.

KRUPPS
(easily)
I always do, Erick. Believe
me, I am absolutely
convinced that Sam is better
off away from that home
situation right now.

After Krupps closes the door
behind Osbourne, he picks
the envelope up off his
desk, walks to the door to
the back office, and opens
it.

CUT TO:

INT. KRUPPS' BACK OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Sam is sitting behind the desk; she looks up when the door
opens.

SAM
Oh, I was just going to go
looking for you.

She beckons, and he walks around the desk to look over her
shoulder at a computer screen—a new addition.

INSERT: THE COMPUTER SCREEN

Various spreadsheets are arranged around the screen, but on
top of everything is a password box.

KRUPPS
Oh, right. After Brooke
McQueen's records got
tampered with, the
District's IT office had new
security software installed.

SAM
(casually)
Did they figure out who did
that?

KRUPPS
(shakes his head)
Whoever it was, they were
good. If this weren't a
cash-strapped high school,
we might get 'em.

SAM
(sourly)
I'm sure Brooke think it was
me.

Krupps looks at Sam intently.

KRUPPS
Don't worry about that. I
know about Brooke McQueen's
bias against you. If she
starts throwing accusations
around, they won't go
anywhere.

SAM
Thanks.

KRUPPS
Now, then, the password
is... uh...

He scratches his head for a moment.

KRUPPS (CONT'D)
Hang on a second.

He rushes back into his office, re-emerging a moment later
holding a slip of paper.

KRUPPS (CONT'D)
The password is—
(reading)
—bike-three-seven-snow.

Sam frowns, but taps the keys obediently.

INSERT: THE COMPUTER SCREEN

A row of asterisks appears in the password box; then the box
disappears.

SAM
What's "bike-thirty-seven-
snow" mean?

KRUPPS
(shrugs)
I dunno. The IT guy
assigned it to me. I'm
afraid to change it.

He looks at Sam significantly.

SAM
Oh, no—don't look at me!
I'd crash the whole thing.

KRUPPS
It's all right—I keep this
in my desk in case I forget.

SAM
I thought you weren't
supposed to do that.

KRUPPS
(shrugs)
I don't think anyone's going
to be rifling through my
desk.

Sam touches the manila envelope, which Krupps has laid on
her desk.

SAM
Is this for me?

KRUPPS
(uncomfortable)
Oh—not exactly. But it's
something I think you need
to see.

Tentatively, Sam picks up the envelope, opens it and looks
inside. She pulls out the photos and flips through them
quickly. Then she looks up at Krupps with a carefully-
crafted wide-eyed expression.

SAM
Mr. Krupps, I... Believe
me, this isn't what it looks
like!

Krupps puts his hand on hers gently.

KRUPPS
I know.

SAM
(caught off-guard)
You do?

KRUPPS
I've already talked to Erick
about it.

SAM
(echoing)
You have.

KRUPPS
He thinks this might be a
warning to me.

SAM
I don't get it. How?

KRUPPS
Well, if someone was
sneaking around the ski
resort snapping photos...
They might have gotten some
of us. These—
(gesturing at the
photos)
—aren't really what you'd
call incriminating. But if,
say, someone got a shot of
the two of us in the hot
tub...

SAM
(catching up)
Oh...oh! Well...I,
uh...maybe it's not. I
mean, maybe it's just
somebody trying to get Mr.
Osbourne.

Krupps thinks about that a bit.

KRUPPS
I guess that could be...with
the zero-tolerance policy
most schools have, these
pictures could be
misinterpreted.
(pause)
And it wouldn't be the first
time someone tried to set up
a staff member for sexual
harassment.

SAM
I remember.

KRUPPS
But this is different—YOU
aren't behind this, like
Miss Julian was behind the
attempt to blackmail me.

SAM
(going along)
Uh...right.

KRUPPS
They must have thought the
axe would fall on Erick even
with you telling the real
story.

SAM
Yeah, must be.
(pause)
It's not, right? Mr.
Osbourne's not going to get
in any trouble.

KRUPPS
Absolutely not.

Sam does her best to put on a relieved face.

SAM
Well...good, then. That's
good.

CUT TO:

INT. GIRLS' RESTROOM - LATER

Brooke is consulting with Lily, while they are both checking
themselves out in the mirror.

LILY
I'm sorry, Brooke. Just
because I know which way to
plug in a RAM module,
doesn't make me some kind of
super-hacker.

BROOKE
Come on, Lily, you hack into
stuff all the time!

LILY
Yeah, but that's easy.
You're talking about
tracking down somebody
ELSE'S hacking. I don't
know how to do that.
(pause)
Hey, why don't you ask
Emory?

BROOKE
Emory? Does he know about
hacking?

LILY
No, but he knows
every...um...

BROOKE
Geek?

Lily makes a vague gesture of agreement.

LILY
...in school. He might know
someone who can help.

BROOKE
(nodding smartly)
Emory. Right.

Brooke spins around and marches off. A second later she
marches back.

BROOKE (CONT'D)
Will you come with me?

Lily looks at her strangely.

BROOKE (CONT'D)
(fretting)
I'm not very good with
Emory, I, I, I, there's this
whole him-being-a-dork
thing, and I think he still
looks at me like I'm some
kind of princess or
something...

LILY
Brooke, that's silly.

BROOKE
You don't think Emory's a
dork?

LILY
He's...eccentric.

Brooke raises a skeptical eyebrow.

LILY (CONT'D)
And I'm sure he doesn't see
you as a princess.

FLIP CUT TO:

INT. - SCHOOL HALLWAY - LATER

Emory presses his hands together and makes a little bow.

EMORY
Ah, Your Highness. How
might this humble lackey
serve you?

Brooke shoots Lily a dirty look; Lily pushes her forward
unceremoniously.

BROOKE
Look, you know that somebody
broke into the school's
computers and tampered with
my grades, right?

EMORY
"Hacked" is the correct
word.

BROOKE
I know, I know... Do you
think you can maybe help me
find out who did it?

EMORY
(trying for suave)
Fear not, fair maiden. I DO
like to keep my ear to the
ground, so to speak...

BROOKE
Does that mean you can help?

Faced with a direct question, Emory starts to hem and haw.

LILY
(prompting)
Come on, Emory! Yes or no?

Finally, Emory pulls a scrap of paper out from somewhere,
scribbles on it, and hands it to Brooke.

EMORY
Meet me at my cousin's place
after school. He can find
out who did the deed. He's
the genius in the family.
(confidently)
I got the looks.

Lily and Brooke glance at each other, but wisely refrain
from saying anything.

CUT TO:

EXT. KENNEDY HIGH PARKING LOT - LATER

In the distance, students are milling about, with some
getting into cars and driving off; but this is a secluded
corner of the parking lot. Sam walks up to her car, keys in
hand, and is about to unlock her door when someone clamps a
hand on her shoulder. She yelps and spins around.

BLACK OUT.

END OF ACT ONE