Chapter 1

(Setting: Roman's house. A birthday party for Will has just ended. Everyone except Roman, Cassie, Rex, and Rex's friend Carter--who had performed some magic tricks at Will's party--have left. Then Roman leaves to go to work and asks Rex to lock up when they leave.)

Cassie sees a pair of handcuffs on the coffee table. Mistakenly believing them to be a pair of trick handcuffs, she decides--on a whim--to sneak up behind Carter and handcuff herself to him.

Carter is talking to Rex and has his back to Cassie so he doesn't see what she's doing. Rex does see what his sister is doing and tries to warn her.

Rex: "No, Cassie don't!"

But it's too late. By the time Rex finishes his sentence, Cassie has already handcuffed her left wrist to Carter's right wrist.

Cassie(looking at Rex): "What? They're just trick handcuffs."

(looking at Carter): "Right?"

Carter: "They're not mine."

Cassie: "Then whose are they?"

Rex: "They're Dad's. And they're real."

Cassie: "Oh...well we can call Dad and he'll come with the key."

Rex: "It may not be that easy."

Cassie: "Why not?"

Rex: "Those are an old pair of handcuffs. The key to them broke."

Cassie: "What are we going to do?"

Rex: "I'll call Dad and tell him what's happened."

(Rex pulls out his cellphone and calls Roman.)

Roman: "Hello."

Rex: "Hey, Dad. It's Rex."

Roman: "What's up, Rex."

Rex: "We have a problem here."

Roman: "What kind of problem?"

Rex: "Cassie did something kind of foolish."

Cassie: "Hey!"

Roman: "What happened, Rex?"

Rex: "You know that old pair of handcuffs you left on the coffeetable--"

Roman: "The ones I asked you to put away for me."

Rex: "I didn't have a chance to. Right after you left, Cassie picked them up and handcuffed herself to Carter."

Roman: "Why in the hell would she do that?"

Rex: "She thought they were trick handcuffs. Do you have a spare key."

Roman: "No. I'll order a replacement key. But it may take a while."

Rex(to Cassie): "He's going to order another key but it may take a while."

Cassie: "How long?"

Rex(speaking to Roman again): "Cassie asked how long."

Roman: "Well, it may only take a few hours or it might take a few days."

Rex: "Okay. Thanks, Dad."

(Rex hangs up.)

Rex: "Dad said it may be a few hours--"

Cassie: "That's not too bad, I guess."

Rex: "--or a few days."

Cassie & Carter(simultaneously): "A few days!?"

Rex: "Well, I have to go to work now. You two are on your own."

Carter: "So what do we do now?"

Cassie: "It's not my fault."

Carter: "I didn't say that it was."

Cassie: "But you were thinking it."

Carter: "You're right. But I was trying to be nice by not saying so."

Cassie: "You wanna go to Salem Place with me?"

Carter: "Well if you're going, I guess I don't have a choice."

Cassie: "Right. Let's go."

Carter: "You're not concerned about having to explain to people why we're handcuffed?"

Cassie picks up her jacket and drapes it over their wrists.

Cassie: "Now people will just think that we're holding hands."

While Cassie and Carter are walking in Salem Place, they encounter one of Cassie's relatives, who has just recently returned to Salem. As they go around a corner, Cassie sees Carrie Brady approaching. Cassie tries to duck into a nearby store to avoid being seen, but Carrie sees them.

Carrie: "Hey, Cassie!"

Cassie: "Hello, Carrie."

Carrie: "So how long have you two been dating?"

Carter: "We--"

Cassie: "started dating last week."

Carrie: "And I see you're already finishing each other's sentences."

Cassie(smiling): "Yeah."

Carrie: "Well, I'll see you later."

Carrie walks away.

Carter: "Why did you lie to your sister?"

Cassie: "Because I'd rather let her think we're dating than tell her about what I did."

Carter: "Okay."

Cassie: "And later, after we get out of these handcuffs, I can tell her that I dumped you."

Carter: "Or that I dumped you."

Cassie: "Yeah, right!"

(Cassie laughs.)

Carter(feigning being hurt): "That really hurt, Cassie."

Cassie: "I was just kidding!"

Carter(smiling): "I know."

Cassie pulls back her right hand--her free hand---and punches Carter in his right bicep.

A few hours and a lot of window shopping later, Carter says:

"Let's go to the Brady Pub and get something to eat."

Cassie: "Are you crazy? What will I tell my grandparents?"

Carter: "You could tell them what you told your sister if you want. I'll go along with whatever you say. And I'll buy you dinner."

Cassie(sarcastically): "That's very generous of you considering that my grandparents will probably give us free food anyway."

Carter: "They may offer, but I imagine that if I say I want to pay they'll let me. Either way, you get your meal free."

Cassie(smiling seductively): "I've got another idea. We can go to my apartment and I'll cook for you. Maybe some dessert afterwards."

Carter: "Rex told me you can't cook."

Cassie: "I can too cook."

Carter: "Well if you don't mind, I'll take a raincheck on that. Perhaps sometime when we're not handcuffed together at the wrist."

Cassie and Carter go into the Brady Pub, and sit in a corner booth. Sean Brady sees them walk in, and goes over to their booth to wait on them.

Sean: "Hello, Cassie dear."

Cassie: "Hello, Grandpa Brady."

Sean: "And hello to you too, Lad. You're Rex's friend, right? Carter is it?"

Carter: "Yes, sir."

Sean: "I don't wanna seem nosy, but I noticed that you were holding hands as you walked in. So you two are a couple now?"

Cassie: "Uh...Ye--"

Carter(whispering into Cassie's ear): "Just tell him the truth."

Cassie(whispering into Carter's ear): "No."

Carter(whispering into Cassie's ear again): "Yes."

Sean: "What are you two whispering about?"

Cassie: "Can you keep a secret, Grandpa?"

Sean: "Aye, Lass. I have some experience with keeping secrets."

Cassie(embarrassed): "Well, the truth is that we're handcuffed to each other."

Sean: "How on Earth did that happen?"

Cassie: "...."

Carter: "She thought that they were trick handcuffs so as a joke she handcuffed herself to me when I wasn't looking."

Sean: "Well, whose handcuffs are they?"

Cassie: "They belong to my Dad. They're an old pair and he doesn't have a key to them anymore so he's ordering a replacement key."

Sean: "How long will that take?"

Carter: "He said it could be anywhere between a few hours and a few days."

Sean: "Oh. And until then you're stuck like that."

Carter: "Yes."