What Will Change?
When Martin and Ruthie get home, Ruthie goes to her room, and Martin goes to his garage apartment.
"Hey Martin," someone says as he walks in.
"What are you doing here?" Martin asks.
"What, you don't want to see your good old friend Mac?" Mac replies.
"Well, I was just going to call you. We, uh, we need to talk, okay?" Martin says.
"About what?" His voice suddenly rising, "About how you knew how much I like Ruthie! And you still went out with her! About how you lectured me on how I couldn't date her because I was TOO old! About how you are a backstabbing, little jerk, rat of a friend. Huh? Wanna talk about that?" Mac stomped out the door.
"Mac! Come on, Mac. Come back here," Martin called after his fuming friend.
Oh, no! What if he tells Eric, Martin thought. He instinctively ran after him.
Mac walking down the stairs from the attic when Martin finds him
Martin says, "What were you doing up there? That's Ruthie's room!"
"I know," Mac smirks.
"What are you doing? What were you doing?" Martin asks, angrily.
"I went and gave Ruthie a letter, a friendly letter, I wrote her," Mac shoves Martin out the way.
Martin forgets him and goes up to the attic. Mac continues to walk down the stairs.
Mac bumps into Matt, Ruthie's brother, "Matt! Hey how are ya?" Mac says.
"Umm, I'm, uh fine, thanks. Who are you, exactly?" Matt replies, confused.
Mac smiles, "I'm the one with the answers my friend."
Matt says, "What? What do you mean?"
Scene switches to Ruthie and Martin in the attic
"Hey, Ruthie did Mac give you a note?" Martin asks.
"Wha- what?" Ruthie asks. She seems distracted.
"Ruthie, are you okay?" Martin walks over to her bed where she was sitting, with the phone in front of her.
Ruthie bursts into tears, and Martin tries to hug her but she pulls away.
"Ru- Ruthie! What's wrong?"
Ruthie chokes out, between fits of crying, "Phone call…from Peter…his mom…dad…car…hurt…d- d- died!" She starts crying, uncontrollably.
"Oh, Ruthie," Martin tries to kiss her but she screams at him, "No! We can't do this anymore! Peter is coming back, for good!" She starts crying more and more.
Knock Knock at the door.
Eric and Annie walk into Ruthie's Attic Room. When they see her crying, they immediately walk over to her.
Annie says, "What's wrong, honey? What's happened?"
Ruthie shakes her head, crying more than ever.
Eric turns to Martin, and says sternly, "What has happened, Martin?"
"Well, Sir. I don't know if I am the one to tell you that," Martin says, his eyes on the ground.
Eric grabs his arm and leads him downstairs, Annie staying with Ruthie.
When they are in the kitchen Eric says sternly, but in a panic, "What has HAPPENED!"
Martin clears his throat, "Well, uh, Peters, uh, Peters parents, they uh-"
"SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!" Eric yells, lividly.
"They died! In a car accident, I think! And Peter is coming back, here." Martin says.
Eric puts his hand over his mouth. After a long silence he says, "I must go talk to Ruthie." He stands up, and so does Martin, "I think it'd be best if you stayed here," Eric says.