The Last Day
Narrator: You could always tell when summer was coming to an end and school was going to start.
(Show boys playing football in street)
Narrator: I think it's a feeling only kids could feel. The summer days seem to go faster and your mum starts to want to go shopping for things like pencils and notebooks.
(See the day fade and it becomes dark outside and the boys in the street start to go into their houses.)
Narrator: The last day of summer is something you want to make special...something you don't want to forget. You try to cram everything you can possibly image in that one last day....One year a group of kids climbed a mountain on their last day of summer. Another year three nerds spent all there money to have the Sunnydale Theatre for a day and watch a marathon of Star Wars movies... (Scoffs) what geeks.
(Show a bunch of kids playing on the streets)
Narrator: For weeks my friends and I planned this day. It was suppose to be a day of baseball, soccer, and ending with capture the flag...but my mother had another idea..
William: (O.S) Mum no!!
(Show William and Joyce in the kitchen. Joyce is running around from counter to counter. The kitchen is full of food)
Joyce: William, it's the last day of summer...we always do this...
William: No...the Chases always do this. They are the ones that host the neighborhood barbeque...why do we?
Joyce: Well it's something called generosity...the Chases do it every year and I think that's wrong...I volunteered to do it this year so they can enjoy themselves instead of doing all the work.
William: But that means we do all the work! (Joyce gives William a look)
Narrator: I think generosity is very important...but come on mom it's the last day of summer!
William: But I had plans...
Joyce: Well honey if we get all set up for tonight early...then you can go do your plans.
(William frowned)
Narrator: By the time my family set up for tonight's barbeque...people were starting to show up.
(Show at night William and Willow's backyard decorated up. There were Japanese lanterns hanging, white lights hanging above a few tables in the lawn. Show people talking, eating, and dancing to music 'No One to Blame' by Howard Blame)
Narrator: By the start of this evening...I was mad.
(Show William sitting on a lawn chair on his patio alone. He was looking dejected.)
Narrator: Everyone was having fun...even my dad, which never happens.
(Show over to Mr. Giles who is working on the grill and talking to other people)
Narrator: Out of protest I didn't eat one of his burgers.
(Show William going over to Riley and Angel)
Riley: (To William) Hey you missed a great game today in the park.
William: (Sounding not to happy) Oh really...
Angel: Got to say...best game of the summer!
William: That's just great...hey Peaches did you try a peach?
Angel: Would you stop calling me that!
(William looks around the crowd and sees The Summers family enter the backyard. Joyce goes over to them and starts talking to Mr. Summers while Xander and Oz make there way over to William, Angel, and Riley.)
Xander: Hey...nice party.
William: Would have been better if I didn't have to help out.
Xander: Oh, that's what you were doing...you really missed a great game today.
William: Yeah...I heard...got to go. (Leaves the guys)
Riley: What's up with him?
(Show William storming into his house through the back door)
Narrator: I really didn't want to talk anymore...I hated playing nice to my parent's friends...
(Show William going up the stairs to his room and collapsing onto his bed face first.)
Narrator: Alone at last...
(Knock on his door)
Narrator: Or not...
William: (Getting up off his bed to answer his door) Listen mum I don't—(opens the door to reveal Willow) Oh...it's you. (Goes back in his room and lays back on his bed)
Willow: Why aren't you downstairs?
William: Spending the rest of my last day here...
Willow: (Groans in frustration) Are you still on that last day of summer thing?
William: Well it IS the last day Willow.
Willow: Technically...the last day of summer is not till September—
William: Don't get cute Will... (Mumbles) you big brain.
Willow: Okay...it's the last day of summer...but look what you are doing...you're sulking in your room.
William: I like sulking.
(Willow rolls her eyes and goes down the stairs)
(William goes to his window and looks out in the backyard)
Narrator: Willow had a point...I was acting like a ponce...
(William skips the crowd and seeing Riley, Angel, Oz, and Xander playing pin pong on the patio. Willow went outside from the back door and over to Rupert who was working on the grill still. Joyce was talking with a bunch of other wives. Then his eye caught something. Elizabeth. She was sitting in the same lawn chair William was sitting in earlier and just watching the party.)
Narrator: I guess I wasn't the only one having a bloody awful time.
(Elizabeth sat in the lawn chair in her summer dress looking dejected and kicking her feet back and forth since her feet couldn't reach the patio floor)
(Cut to William at the window looking at Elizabeth)
(Close up of Elizabeth's sad face and the close up of William looking at her)
(William moves away from the window and goes down the stairs)
Outside:
William: (O.S) Hey pet.
(Elizabeth looks up from her sit and sees William by the door of the back door)
Elizabeth: (Softly and shy like) Hi.
(Walks over to her and stands by her chair and looks out at the party)
Narrator: For a minute I regretted going over to her until...
Elizabeth: So...last day of summer... (Looks up at William) pretty crampy huh?
William: (Smiles a little) I know what you mean.
Elizabeth: I guess it had to end...
William: Even though I don't want it to... (Sighs) yeah I guess it had to.
[Music starts 'Foolish Heart' by Steve Perry]
Elizabeth: I'm kind of nervous about school...it's a new school for me.
William: Ah don't worry about that pet...besides Willow will be around.
(William sits down in the grass. Elizabeth gets up off her chair and sits down next to William in the grass. He smiles at her and she smiles a little too.)
Elizabeth: Yeah I guess...
(They both look the couples dancing. Elizabeth looks over at her father who is near Xander and Oz helping them play ping pong)
Elizabeth: My dad misses my mom...
(William looks at Elizabeth and then at Mr. Summers)
Narrator: I really knew that she meant that she missed her mum.
William: (Quietly) I know.
Elizabeth: It's been hard for him...
William: And you?
Elizabeth: (Looks at William) (Softly) It's been hard for me too.
Narrator: As the next music faded into the last day of summer I realized at that moment that Elizabeth and I were feeling the same thing. (Pauses) We were both miserable.
(Show shot of William sitting in the grass)
Narrator: All I wanted was my summer back...
(Show shot of Elizabeth)
Narrator: And all she wanted was her mother.
(Show shot of both of them together)
Narrator: But it seemed that my problem seemed more mundane...summer would always come around...but as for Elizabeth...there was no bringing her mum back.
Elizabeth: William?
William: Yeah?
Elizabeth: Are all boys like you?
William: What do you mean?
Elizabeth: Why aren't you with your friends is what I mean?
William: I am with a friend.
(Elizabeth looks a little surprised.)
Narrator: Yes that summer of 1986 was the summer that stood out...I played baseball, went to the beach a few times, earned twenty bucks by mowing lawns, and met Oz, Xander, and my Summers girl.
(Show a big shot of the people at the party and Elizabeth and William sitting next to each other in the grass, away from everyone else. 'Crazy For You' by Madonna plays)