ACT II
FADE IN:
INT. MCGUIRE HOME—KITCHEN—DAY
Lizzie is sitting at the counter despondently, not even touching the food before her. JO is doing some housework. Before long she notices Lizzie's mood.
JO
You okay honey?
LIZZIE
(startled from her reverie)
Huh? Oh, yeah mom. I'm fine. Just fine…
JO
Does it have anything to do with Kate?
ANIMATED LIZZIE
Do you get some kind of ESP when you become a mom?
LIZZIE
How'd you know?
JO
I'm a mom. We know things.
ANIMATED LIZZIE
Thought so.
JO
Want to talk about it?
LIZZIE
(blurts out)
It's just, Kate seems to really want to be our friend again, but Miranda won't give her a chance.
JO
Well, you can't force someone to like a person.
LIZZIE
I know mom. But if Miranda just gave her a chance, then she'd see Kate's totally serious about it.
Jo sits down next to Lizzie to bestow some parental advice.
JO
Lizzie, when you become friends with someone you give over a part of yourself, you give them your trust. You understand?
LIZZIE
Uh, huh…
JO
Well, when that friend does something to hurt you, like say, stopping being your friend, they take a certain amount of you with them. That can be a very painful thing.
LIZZIE
Me and Gordo were hurt too mom, but we're giving her a chance.
JO
Some people just feel differently than others. Miranda's probably just scared that if she started to like Kate again that she'd do something to betray that trust again, and she'd feel worse than before.
LIZZIE
So, Miranda's scared?
Jo nods.
ANIMATED LIZZIE
Wow. I didn't think Miranda was afraid of anything. Especially Kate.
Lizzie sits there contemplating.
CUT TO:
INT. HIGH SCHOOL—CAFETERIA—DAY
Miranda is sitting at a table with her lunch, alone. Lizzie comes up with a tray.
LIZZIE
(gently)
Mind if I sit down?
MIRANDA
It's a free country…
Lizzie takes a seat.
LIZZIE
Miranda, I—
MIRANDA
(interrupting)
Just save it, alright?
LIZZIE
(hotly)
No, I won't 'just save it'. I think you're being totally unfair about this.
MIRANDA
(blowing up)
I'm being unfair? What about Kate? Was it fair for her to dump us like last season's fashions?
LIZZIE
Just because you're afraid—
MIRANDA
Afraid? Afraid? Why should I be afraid? Afraid of what?
LIZZIE
Afraid that if you give Kate another chance that she'll let us down again.
MIRANDA
She already did it once Lizzie.
LIZZIE
But she's learned her lesson.
MIRANDA
How are we supposed to know that? Because she says so?
LIZZIE
We're in High School now Miranda—we can be whoever we want. We can all start over, wipe the slate clean.
MIRANDA
Some slates just can't be 'wiped clean'.
Miranda picks up her tray and leaves. The camera pans back to reveal Kate, who's heard everything. She looks torn.
CUT TO:
EXT. HIGH SCHOOL—FIELD—DAY—LATER
It's P.E. class. Gordo lines up next to Miranda, who is busy tying her shoelaces. Miranda engages him before he even has a chance to say anything.
MIRANDA
I guess you're going to try and convince me to forgive Kate too? Let me save you some trouble Gordo—not happening.
GORDO
I can't say as I blame you.
MIRANDA
No, you can't.
(beat)
I'm not in the wrong here.
GORDO
I didn't say you were. Kate's been pretty awful to us.
MIRANDA
No Gordo, she's been horrible to us! Remember when she tried to ruin my outfit on school picture day?
CLIP: PICTURE DAY—Kate using Ed to attack Miranda with paint.
BACK TO SCENE
GORDO
That's true…
MIRANDA
And have you forgotten Monty Carlo night?
MIRANDA (CON'T)
(V.O.)
If it hadn't been for you and the others, Lizzie would have been totally humiliated in the yearbook.
CLIP: LIZZIE'S ELEVEN—The gang pulls off the yearbook switch.
BACK TO SCENE
MIRANDA (CON'T)
Face it Gordo, Kate's just rotten to the core.
GORDO
That's what I thought too.
MIRANDA
And what changed your mind?
GORDO
This summer, when we were all in Rome. And then there's how she's acting right now. Do you know how difficult it had to have been to come back practically begging our forgiveness?
MIRANDA
She's hasn't begged my forgiveness.
GORDO
Well, how could she? You won't even talk to her.
MIRANDA
That's right. And it's going to stay that way.
Miranda takes off to do whatever exercise the class is to do.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY—DAY—EVEN LATER
Lizzie and Gordo are walking down the hallway.
GORDO
Well, I've given it my best shot. Miranda just seems dead set against forgiving Kate.
LIZZIE
(frustrated)
If only we could figure out some way to convince Miranda…
GORDO
Chinese water torture?
(off look)
Sorry.
GORDO
Maybe if Kate talked to her herself…
LIZZIE
(sarcastically)
Oh, that's a great idea Gordo. Especially since Miranda won't even stay in the same room with her.
ANIMATED LIZZIE
Sheesh! And he's supposed to be the smart one!
GORDO
Well, I'm tapped out for ideas.
As our duo pass out of frame, we see Kate at her locker. She's overheard the conversation.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY—DAY
Miranda is walking down the hall when Ethan lopes along and joins her.
ETHAN
Hey Miranda.
MIRANDA
(brightening)
Oh, hey Ethan.
ETHAN
So what's this I hear about you and Kate?
MIRANDA
(confused)
What'd you mean?
ETHAN
Word has it you're giving her the cold shoulder. What's up with that?
MIRANDA
I don't really want to talk about it Ethan…
Ethan gets all philosophical.
ETHAN
Friends are like golf, you know?
MIRANDA
Huh?
ETHAN
Like, in golf there's par for the course. But every once in a while you sink a hole in one. Friends are like that hole in one. Rare, and irreplaceable. Get it?
MIRANDA
Uh…
ETHAN
I'm just saying, friends don't come along everyday. But when they do you've got to give them their props.
Ethan walks away, leaving a visually troubled Miranda.
CUT TO:
INT. DIGITAL BEAN—DAY—LATER
Miranda is alone at a table contemplating her beverage. She's got a lot on her mind. Enter Kate.
KATE
(hesitantly/meekly)
Uh, Miranda? We need to talk.
Miranda just looks at her.
MIRANDA
What about?
KATE
You, me—I mean, I've noticed how you've been avoiding me…
MIRANDA
(sarcastically)
Caught on to that did you?
KATE
(pleading)
Miranda…
Miranda's suddenly energized.
MIRANDA
Just tell me why Kate?
MIRANDA (CON'T)
(off look)
Why'd you throw us away like a used rag? We were your friends Kate. Your friends. I was your friend. How could you treat us like that? How could you treat me like that?
Miranda starts to tear up.
KATE
I—I don't know. It just—
MIRANDA
(interrupting)
You don't know? You don't know? It hurt Kate! It hurt.
KATE
(quietly)
I'm sorry.
MIRANDA
Yeah, well, you know what the worse part is? I'm sorry too.
With that, Miranda begins to get up to leave.
KATE
Miranda, don't go.
MIRANDA
Just give me one good reason Kate. One good reason I should believe you after what you did to us. Me.
KATE
Lizzie's forgiven me…
MIRANDA
(lamely)
Yeah, well… Bully for Lizzie.
Miranda storms away, obviously shaken.
CUT TO:
EXT. SIDEWALK—DAY
Miranda is walking down the street, struggling to make sense of the calliope of things she's feeling. As she walks, we hear voice-overs of the various people who've advised her to 'forgive and forget'. We also hear her own sharp retorts.
CUT TO:
INT. HIGH SCHOOL—HALLWAY—DAY
Gordo and Kate are at her locker, talking. Up comes the 'popular posse' spearheaded by CLAIRE MILLER.
CLAIRE
(horrified)
So it's true! You've been hanging out with the 'dork patrol'!
GORDO
It's always nice to see you too Claire…
CLAIRE
(to Kate)
Tell me this is not what it looks like!
KATE
Well, I—
CLAIRE
(interrupting)
You do know what this would mean don't you? Loss of social status. Ejection from the cheerleading squad. Doomed to the life of a loser.
CLAIRE (CON'T)
Kate, you're not one of them. You're one of us, the beautiful people. People like us don't hang around people like them.
KATE
Claire, I—
CLAIRE
We're best friends Kate. Trust me when I tell you that you do not want to hang around with these dirks. You're pretty. You're popular. You're a cheerleader. What could you possibly want from the likes of him?
GORDO
(sarcastically)
Duh, I don't know. Maybe compassion? Caring? The chance to hang around someone with an IQ higher than that of a doorstop?
CLAIRE
Are you calling us stupid Gor-dork?
GORDO
If the pom-poms fit…
Kate comes between the two of them.
KATE
Guys!
(beat)
Claire, I did some thinking over the summer—
CLAIRE
Obviously you didn't do enough. If you hang around losers Kate, you too become a loser.
MIRANDA
(O.S.)
Are you calling my friend a loser?
Miranda comes into frame, ready to scrap. She settles in beside Kate, who now has a smile a mile wide on her face.
MIRANDA (CON'T)
(to Claire)
You're the loser. Didn't I just hear that Jeff Mankiwitz turned you down for a date because your breath reeks?
Claire draws back as though physically assaulted—her posse gasps.
MIRANDA (CON'T)
If I were you, I'd be more worried about getting a tic-tac than who Kate is friends with.
Kate has found new strength.
KATE
Claire, you are my friend. But they're my friends too. And I've learned that you don't have to pick one over the other. I'm not going to walk away from them Claire.
KATE (CON'T)
(to Gordo and Miranda)
But I'm not going to walk away from Claire either. I like being a cheerleader, and I'm not going to quit the squad just because we're friends again.
KATE (CON'T)
(addressing everyone)
There's something everyone has to realize. Just because I'm friends with one group doesn't mean I'm going to stop being friends with the other. And true friends wouldn't make me choose between them.
She looks sternly about.
GORDO
She has a point.
CLAIRE
(to Miranda)
This isn't over…
Claire and company walk off.
KATE
(to Miranda)
Thanks.
MIRANDA
For what?
KATE
For sticking up for me.
GORDO
So, what changed your mind?
MIRANDA
A lot of things. But I guess mostly that everyone deserves a second chance. That, and friends aren't so plentiful that you can afford to throw them away.
MIRANDA (CON'T)
(to Kate)
Though if you turn on us again, I swear—
KATE
I won't. I promise.
At this moment Lizzie comes up, smiling.
LIZZIE
Hey guys, what'd I miss?
CUT TO:
INT. MCGUIRE HOME—KITCHEN—NIGHT
Jo is doing something kitchen related when SAM and MATT enter through the back door. From their paraphernalia it is obvious that they've been on some kind of camping trip.
JO
Oh, hey. Welcome back! How was the camping trip?
SAM
It was great. The fresh air. The clean living.
MATT
The fish!
He holds up a line of caught fish.
JO
(laughing)
Well, put the fish down and go get washed up. I've got dinner on the stove.
In the background we hear laughter. Sam turns to see Lizzie, Gordo, Miranda and Kate in the living room watching television.
SAM
(confused)
Wait a minute. Isn't that Kate Sanders in the living room?
JO
Yep.
SAM
But I thought Lizzie hated her?
JO
Yep.
SAM
But she doesn't now?
JO
Yep.
SAM
Did I miss something?
JO
Yep.
Sam turns right back around and heads for the backdoor.
JO
What're you doing?
SAM
Going camping. Everything made more sense out there.
Laughing, Jo retrieves him as we end on that note.
FADE OUT:
END OF EPISODE
