Episode 27
SCENE 1
(Camera fades in on Darryl standing in the doorway to KC's room waiting for his friend.)
Darryl: How long can you do your hair? You take as long as Gel.
KC: Says the guy who takes hours to get his tribal markings just right. I swear you and Gel were made for each other.
Darryl (grins): I won't argue with that.
(KC turns away from the mirror and shakes his head.)
KC: Get away from me with that lovey-dovey crap! Let's get something to eat.
(Darryl laughs and the two boys start walking down the corridor. They pass Cal and Paul's room who have moved into Dylan and Chester's old room. The door is open and the two new Mallrats are still moving things around while also signing. KC and Darryl continue walking.)
Darryl: They asked to share a room?
KC: I know. Wonder what goes on behind closed doors.
Darryl: What do you mean?
KC (grins): Come on, Darryl. I bet it gets pretty cosy in there. Like you and Gel...
Darryl: You think, they're... (whispers) gay?
KC (laughs): Why else would they share a room? And have you seen them together?
Darryl: No, why?
KC: They're pretty close.
Darryl: It's weird... Think about it. Doing things with a guy. Like you know... stuff.
KC: Kissing? Sex?
Darryl: Yea.
KC (shrugs): As long as I don't have to see it or get hit on, they can do whatever they want.
Darryl (mumbles): Still weird.
(Camera moves back to show Paul and Cal before fading out.)
SCENE 2
(Camera cuts to Sammy, who's lying in his bed staring at the wall. Lottie walks in with a pile of clothes in her arms. She puts it down on the other bed in the room and smiles at him.)
Lottie: This is all my stuff. We're room mates now.
(She starts sorting her stuff into the dresser as she keeps on talking.)
Lottie: I used to think you were crazy, Dylan and Chester shared a room and you and M-... you know, but it's actually fun. Do you miss them? Dylan and Chester, I mean? It's like when we started now. Just you and me.
(She walks over to him and kisses him on the forehead.)
Lottie (laughs): Shut up! I didn't mean it like that.
(Sammy doesn't react to anything she does or says, but that doesn't seem to bother Lottie. Ruby walks in with fresh bandages in her hands.)
Ruby: Hey you two. All moved in, Lottie?
Lottie (nods): Yep. This is my room now, too.
Ruby (smiles): That's great. I have to ask you to leave for a second though.
Lottie: Why?
Ruby: I have to tend to Sammy's wounds and I think he'll be more comfortable if you left the room for that.
(Lottie frowns, but slowly gets up and leaves. Ruby sighs as she pulls out a bottle of pills and a tube of ointment out of her pockets.)
Ruby: Are you ready, Sammy?
(Camera pans out.)
SCENE 3
(Camera pans around the café with Cal and Paul sat on one side of a table and Amber, Salene, Bray, Ryan and Trudy sat opposite them.)
Bray: So you're all set now?
Cal: Yes, the room is really nice. Thanks.
Amber (speaks slowly): Paul, we are really interested to hear what happened to you.
(Paul frowns and crosses his arm in front of his chest. He glances quickly at Cal who sighs.)
Salene (speaks slowly): Paul, we are happy that you are here and we don't understand why you are so mad at us.
Cal (signs as he speaks): You could start with speaking normally to him. He doesn't really like it, when people talk slow. He'll tell you, if you speak too fast
Amber: Sorry.
Bray: What happened to you back in the city? Patsy said you ran away because of Lex.
(Paul leans forward and signs to Cal with a stern expression.)
Paul: This is stupid. I liked it being just you, Cara and me. They will never understand me. This is like slavery all over again. You speak for me, because nobody has the patience to try to understand me.
(Cal smiles nervously at the other Mallrats and then signs without speaking.)
Cal: Will you give them a chance? It's been a long time. Back then nobody had the excess energy to learn how to sign. I'm sorry, Paul, but this is how it's going to be right now. We'll figure something out.
Ryan: Is everything okay?
Cal: How about you just answer the questions and I translate to them.
(Paul stares at him for a few seconds, before he gives in.)
FLASHBACK
(We see a young Paul run out of the mall. He rounds a corner and is greeted by a bunch of Demon Dogs. They start chasing him for a few seconds before they grab him.)
Cal VO: I was mad at Lex about something he said, so I went outside and ran straight into some Demon Dogs.
(Scene changes to Paul sitting in a dark room, his hands and feet are tied and tears are running down his cheeks. There are more kids in the room tied up the same way. As the door opens a flash of light hits them and one by one they are dragged out of the room.)
Cal VO: They caught me and several others. We were all sold to slave traders. From there I was sold to the Firebreathers.
(Paul is seen scrubbing the floor of a big hall. Someone shouts at him, but he doesn't hear. The guy pulls him up by his collar and punches him hard in the face. Paul tries to sign, but the guy just slaps him on the wrists. Not far from them Cal watches them with interest.)
Cal VO: I couldn't talk and I couldn't sign. People thought I was stupid and wanted to get rid of me. That was when Cal noticed me and told them I was deaf. Since then Cal and I always worked together. We were a package deal, either you bought both of us or none of us.
(Multiple pictures of Cal and Paul working together, being sold to another tribe, eating together, growing up together.)
(Scene changes to both of them getting sold to a different tribe. By now they have both grown and got some muscles from work.)
Cal VO: We were sold again, but this tribe wasn't so bad. They wanted us as guards and loosened up a little. It took us month until they took of our chains. That night we fled and have been free ever since.
(Cal and Paul are sneaking out of an abandoned train station and break into a run. Scene cuts to them lying on a field laughing hysterically.)
FLASHBACK ENDS
Bray: I tried finding you. We thought the Locos got you.
Paul: Locos, Demon Dogs... Makes no difference. Why is Ebony here?
Cal: He asks about Ebony.
Bray: Oh... that's a long story actually. She left the Locos and helped us out.
Trudy: She's betrayed us, too, but apparently she always comes crawling back.
(Paul turns to Cal and smirks.)
Paul: Welcome to the Mallrats. Where even the garbage of humanity is accepted.
Ryan: What did he say?
Cal (smiles): He's glad to be back.
(Camera fades out.)
SCENE 4
(Camera fades in on Ebony and Slade, who are lying in bed, the covers pulled over their naked bodies. She rests her head on his shoulder and they both have their eyes closed.)
Slade: You can almost forget how busy this tribe is by just lying here.
Ebony: We don't have to be a part of this.
Slade: What do you mean? Leave?
Ebony: Actually I only meant we could stay in bed all day, but... yea, we could leave.
Slade: I couldn't.
Ebony: Why not? You've been a Mallrat for barely a year.
Slade: Yes, but Ram and Ruby are my friends and I don't want to leave them. I also don't want to go when we're on the verge of a war.
Ebony: A war? They are just a bunch of idiotic kids. This will be over in a week.
Slade: Are you sure?
Ebony: Of course. I've dealt with the Chosen and these guys don't even have a leader. It makes it so much easier. They are not organized.
Slade: Which is what scares the others.
Ebony (snorts): That's because they can't wrap their heads around it. They know nothing.
Slade (grins): Ah, I've missed hearing you rant about how stupid the rest of the tribe is.
(Ebony laughs and moves so she is lying on top of him.)
Ebony (whispers): Amber is the most moronic of them all.
Slade: Talk dirty to me.
Ebony: Trudy is a hysteric mess.
(They laugh before Ebony seals his lips with a kiss and the camera pans out.)
SCENE 5
(Sammy is still lying in his bed, but he has moved to lie on his stomach and face the other wall. He doesn't react as Gel walks into the room and sits on the edge of his bed.)
Gel: Hey Sammy. It's me, Gel.
(She gently runs her fingers through his hair.)
Gel: I'm sorry. I'm sorry this happened to you.
(Tears start welling up in her eyes and she starts to breathe in and out deeply to stop them from falling.)
Gel: I haven't been a very good friend to you. I want to say sorry again. Please get better soon. You should rest now.
(She gets up and runs from the room as she can't keep the tears away anymore. Sammy curls into a ball and pulls the covers over his head.)
SCENE 6
(Camera cuts to Ruby as she enters her room. She jumps when she sees Ram waiting for her by the window. He grins and walks towards her.)
Ruby (laughs): You scared me!
Ram: I noticed. You've been checking on Sammy?
Ruby (nods): Yes. He's still not talking. I wish I knew exactly what happened to him, so I could help him.
Ram: You said you had a pretty good idea.
Ruby: Those injuries... There's not much else that could have caused them.
(She looks away as she re-calls the images in her head. Ram hugs her and she rests her head against his shoulder.)
Ruby: I just can't believe it. He's so young and he's... well, he's a boy. I wonder how he got away from them alive.
Ram: Maybe you think too much about this.
Ruby: How can I not, Ram? He's lying in his room white as a sheet and hasn't said a word since he's back. I want to find those bastards and end them!
Ram (frowns): End them?
(Ruby pulls away and looks him straight in the eye.)
Ruby: End them!
Ram: Just...
Ruby: What? You don't think they deserve that?
Ram: No, they deserve whatever is coming their way. I just want you to keep safe.
(Ruby smiles widely at him as he turns slightly red. She moves closer again, but he walks towards the door.)
Ram: There's something I have to do. Catch you later.
(He leaves hurriedly. Ruby sighs and sinks down on her bed.)
Ruby (mumbles): Yea, see you later.
(Camera fades out.)
SCENE 7
(Cara is sitting at the kitchen bar, her feet dangling from the barstool, as she sips at a glass of water. She hums quietly to herself while playing with her hair. Lottie enters and starts making hot chocolate without acknowledging Cara's presence.)
Cara: Uhm... hi?
(Lottie turns around, glances at her and resumes her work.)
Lottie: You're Carla right?
Cara: Cara. And you must be Lottie.
Lottie: Yup.
Cara: You're making hot chocolate for the boy?
Lottie: His name is Sammy.
Cara: What's up with him?
Lottie (snaps): That's none of your business!
Cara: Woah, I was just asking. Calm down!
(Lottie places two cups on the bar and starts filling them with hot water.)
Lottie: Sorry.
Cara: I mean, I was here when he got back. Did those Anarchists do that to him?
Lottie (shrugs): Guess so.
Cara: The other day we found this dead girl. Paul insisted on bringing her back to the Astros.
Lottie: What a nice story.
Cara: I'm just saying, if he got back, he got lucky.
Lottie: Just shut up, will you. Someone else didn't. Our friend died and Sammy went through something horrible, so don't go around telling us he got lucky! And don't you go near him and say that crap!
(She takes the two cups and leaves without looking back. Cara looks after her in surprise.)
Cara: Way to go, Cara. You're always so smooth at making friends.
(Camera pans out.)
SCENE 8
(Camera pans around the park where a few chairs have been set up in a circle. Lex, Jay, Ryan, Slade and Ebony are patrolling the fence. Lex and Ebony keep in hearing distance to the meeting, not wanting to miss something. Bray and Amber stand inside the circle as they greet the tribe leaders and the few people they brought.)
(Cloud and Tilly walk up to Amber and Bray and shake their hands. It's clear to see on Cloud's face that he doesn't enjoy this get together. Both of them take a seat pretty much ignoring everyone else.)
(Noel arrives with Ben and Yara following close behind. Noel and Yara both hug Bray and shake Amber's hand and then introduce them to Ben before taking a seat.)
(Samara, the leader of the Skygliders, arrives in the company of three bulky men, who don't say much and stand behind her when she sits down instead of taking a seat.)
(Gordon, the leader of the Lost Boys, shakes Bray's and Amber's hands with a friendly smile and does so to all the other leaders as well before he sits down. With a female and a male member of his tribe on either side.)
(Camera pans around all their faces as Amber welcomes them all and takes her seat next to Bray. Camera fades out.)
SCENE 9
(Camera fades in on Jack as he knocks on a door. He waits a moment before a voice asks him to come inside. He smiles shyly at Alice as he closes the door behind him.)
Alice: Jack. I was wondering when you'd come and visit me.
Jack: R-really?
Alice: Nah... I actually didn't think you'd be interested enough in the baby stuff.
Jack: Yea, well... I'm going to be an uncle, kind of.
Alice: If you'd finally marry Ellie, you'd be an uncle yes.
(Jack looks at her shocked and Alice starts laughing.)
Alice: I'm kidding, Jack! You really are scared of commitment, aren't you.
Jack: I'm not, I'm just... Did Ellie say something?
Alice: Only about you freaking out about the baby. Relax, she doesn't expect a proposal any time soon.
(Jack lets out a sigh of relief.)
Alice: Well now that we've put the bad jokes past us, why are you here?
Jack: I wanted to congratulate you. You're going to be a mother.
Alice: Congratulate me?
Jack: Yea, isn't that what you're supposed to do?
Alice: I guess. I just thought everyone would judge me for getting pregnant by Liam.
Jack: I don't think the other will see it that way. I don't. You're having a baby, that's great. (pauses) You do want it, don't you?
Alice (smiles): I've gotten used to the idea by now.
Jack: How long have you known?
Alice (shrugs): Five months.
Jack: What?
(Alice motions to her wide dress that conceals the roundness of her belly.)
Alice: I'm not wearing this, because I like it so much.
Jack: Oh... Maybe you should think about telling the others.
Alice: Now don't you start on me, too.
Jack: I just think it won't be such a big deal and you have to tell them eventually. It might be better you do it before you go into labour.
Alice: Don't get smart with me! I will, okay?
(Jack shrugs. They look at each other in awkward silence for a while.)
Jack: Uh.. I think I'll go see if Lex needs help with security.
(He quickly leaves. Alice smiles and places her hands on her belly as the camera fades out.)
SCENE 10
(Camera fades back in to show Lex and Jay leaning against the fence as they watch the tribal meeting.)
Lex: It's funny, isn't it?
Jay: What is?
Lex: They're called Lost Boys and yet they have a ton of girls. It would've been extra funny if their leader was a girl, too.
Jay (rolls his eyes): You don't know where they got the name, do you?
Lex: They gave it to themselves?
Jay: Yea, but it's from Peter Pan. He had a bunch of orphan boys living with him and they were called the Lost Boys.
Lex: So? There are still girls.
Jay: I think the parallel was them being orphans not them being boys. But maybe they were only boys to begin with.
Lex (shrugs): It's still a stupid name!
(Jay takes a deep breath and decides to let it go. Camera pans out.)
SCENE 11
(Camera pans in on Brady running down the corridor and barging into Sammy and Lottie's room. She crawls on Sammy's bed and curls up next to him. His face is half hidden behind an arm and she squeezes her head under it to look at him with big brown eyes.)
Brady: Sammy? (pauses) Sammy, are you sad? You don't have to be sad.
(Tears start forming in Sammy's eyes and he moves his arm so it's wrapped protectively around Brady.)
Brady (smiles): Don't cry. I love you.
(She kisses him on the cheek.)
Brady: There kiss it better and sleep on it. That's what Mummy says. We sleep now!
(She closes her eyes, but opens them again a second later to see if Sammy is trying to sleep. Tears are falling from his eyes now, but he shuts them and Brady happily does the same.)
SCENE 12
(Camera pans around the attendants of the tribal meeting as they hotly discuss the problem at hand.)
Gordon: … and Beatrice two days ago. That makes five of us gone missing and we all know that missing these days means dead.
Yara: No, it doesn't! I found that boy the other day.
Bray: Sammy. He came back to us after he had been missing for days.
Samara: Oh isn't that great. All our tribes slowly lose people and the Mallrats get their people back. What does that mean?
Amber: Don't act like he wasn't harmed! He's in a bad place.
Samara: You say that, but we don't know that.
Bray: Will you all stop! This is not a pity-party which tribe has had the most losses. We are here to try and put and end to this!
Cloud: And how do we do that?
Lost Boy1: Why don't you ask your stars about that?
Gordon: Stop that!
Noel: Fighting amongst ourselves really brings us nowhere. I think it's a great idea that we all face this together. The Anarchists are a plague and we have to get rid of them before they get rid of us.
Samara: Of course, I say we fight them!
Bray: Can't we settle this peacefully? We don't have the numbers.
Samara: If all of us fight them, we do have the numbers.
Cloud: I'm not willing to let anyone of my tribe get hurt.
Noel: But they are getting hurt, Cloud! With every day we don't do anything another one of our people is getting killed.
(Cloud crosses his arms stubbornly as the camera pans out.)
SCENE 13
(Trudy is walking down the corridor looking into all the rooms. She does the same to Gel and Darryl's room and finds the younger girl fixing her make-up in front of the mirror.)
Trudy: Have you seen Brady?
Gel (shakes her head): No.
(Trudy is about to leave as Gel jumps up.)
Gel: Trudy, wait!
Trudy: What is it?
Gel: It's about Sammy. No actually it's about me wanting to learn how to fight.
Trudy: You?
Gel: Of course! I realize now how important it is.
Trudy: Okay, but what has that to do with me?
Gel: Well, don't you know how to fight?
Trudy: Me? No, sorry, Gel. I haven't done a lot of fighting in my life. You should ask Lex or Ryan or Jay... anyone really but me.
(Gel smiles and follows Trudy outside.)
Gel: Okay. I'll help you look for Brady.
Trudy: Thanks, that's really nice of you.
(They start walking and looking into the rooms together until they reach the open door to Sammy and Lottie's room. Camera pans around to show Brady curled up next to Sammy, who has now wrapped both his arms protectively around the little girl. Camera zooms in on Gel and Trudy smiling at them before fading out.)
SCENE 14
(Camera fades in on Paul and Cal, who are sorting out their stuff in their new room. Paul is putting their clothes into the closet while Cal unpacks his guitar and then starts to play instead of helping. When Paul turns around he rolls his eyes.)
Paul: You're not helping.
Cal: Doesn't matter, we're all done anyway.
(Paul points at Cal's bag that still is half filled with his stuff.)
Cal (smiles): I'll do it later.
(Paul sits down on the bed opposite Cal and the older boy puts the guitar down to be able to sign to Paul again.)
Paul: You know they're going to fight.
Cal: I thought as much.
Paul: Are we going to participate?
Cal: We're part of the tribe now. We have to, don't we?
Paul: I don't want Cara to fight. You know she will.
Cal: We can't tell her what to do. She hates that.
Paul: I know, but they have kids here and somebody needs to look after them. Cara could do that.
Cal: Then you go tell her, she has to babysit. She won't like it.
Paul: She's only 14.
Cal: I know that. I'm just as worried about her as you are. Why don't you stay with her when we fight? Tell her you need her ears.
Paul: What about you?
Cal: If I stay with her, she'll know. And you do need ears in a fight.
Paul: Not necessarily. (smiles) but you won't let me fight without you or Cara by my side.
Cal: Without someone hearing by your side. You can have a pick from the tribe, but I don't think you want to.
Paul: I'll stay with Cara.
Cal: Thanks.
(Cal picks up his guitar again. Paul watches him play as the camera pans out.)
SCENE 15
(Camera cuts to the meeting of the tribe leaders in the park.)
Amber: Maybe if we had a punishment for their actions we could put an end to this.
Samara: Oh I have a punishment!
Bray: Samara, we want to settle this as peacefully as possible.
Samara: Well, it's not possible at all!
Amber: We could prosecute them. If they saw that their actions had consequences, they'd stop.
Noel: But they already have consequences. If they lose a fight they pick, they have to die. That's part of their stupid rules.
Gordon: They are no cowards. Prosecution will not scare them.
Bray: What are your ideas?
Samara: I still vote for a fight. Get this scum out of our city!
Gordon: I don't want to fight them, but I don't really see any way around it.
Noel: What if we tried talking to them? They must meet somewhere, don't they?
Yara: They hang out in the parking deck north of the shopping mile.
Cloud: And who should go there? They'd probably kill us on sight.
Amber: Not if we are prepared. No one is going alone. I think it's a great idea.
Samara: That's suicide!
(Camera pans around the leaders before fading to black.)
SCENE 16
(Camera fades in from black to Sammy still lying in bed. He's alone and looks over at the second bed in the room. My Immortal – Evanescence starts to play in the background.)
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
Your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
FLASHBACK
(Sammy and Mouse are in the parking deck surrounded by Anarchists. They are holding each other close as the Anarchist's laughter echoes through the building. Kierce steps forward smiling down at them.)
Kierce: Just one little fight. You win, you get to go. You lose, well...
(Sammy and Mouse don't answer, so Kierce grabs Mouse by the neck. The young girl kicks and screams, but is overpowered by the older and taller boy. He kicks her in the head and she loses consciousness.)
FLASHBACK ENDS
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
FLASHBACK
(The lifeless and bloody body of Mouse lies discarded among the abandoned cars in the parking deck. Sammy crawls towards her from off-screen. He's been beaten as well and is clearly in pain. He cradles her head in his lap as tears fall from his eyes. Her blood soaks his clothes.)
FLASHBACK ENDS
You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me
(Sammy curls up and cries silently into his pillow.)
Mouse VO: Sammy, I'm scared! Let's go home!
(The music slowly fades out as the camera cuts to the next scene.)
SCENE 17
(Camera cuts to Ryan sitting on a chair in the middle of the café with his shirt off. Ruby appears from off-screen and sets down some scissors and bandages on the table next to him.)
Ruby: How is your arm? Any pain?
Ryan: A little sore maybe and I can feel it's gotten weaker.
Ruby: Well that's normal. Let me see.
(She takes the scissors and cuts his old bandages off. The wound has healed nicely, but it has left a thick pink scar. She carefully puts pressure on it, but it doesn't seem to affect Ryan much.)
Ryan: It feels weird.
Ruby: You feel something, that's good. If there were any nerve damage I couldn't do anything about it.
Ryan: So it's all healed?
Ruby (nods): Just take it easy, okay? It must have cut through some of your muscles and they need more time to fix themselves. In a few weeks you can start to train your arm.
Ryan (grins): Got it, Doc!
(He gently massages his shoulder before putting on his shirt. Ruby laughs and gathers up her stuff.)
Ruby: Can I get you to wash this with boiling water? Bandages don't grow on trees.
(She hands him his old bandage.)
Ryan: Yea, sure.
Ruby: Thanks.
Ryan: No thank you. All that reading really comes in handy, doesn't it?
Ruby: Just don't go get yourself stabbed again. I don't really know what I'm doing yet.
Ryan (smiles): I'll do my best.
(She nudges his other shoulder as she walks out of the room and the camera cuts to the next scene.)
SCENE 18
(Salene walks down the corridor and enters Sammy and Lottie's room. The boy is now sitting with his back against the wall huddled in the covers. She smiles at him and reaches her hand out for him to take.)
Salene: Hey Sammy. You've been cooped up in here for a while and today is a lovely day. Do you want to go out into the park for a moment?
(The boy hesitates and just looks at her with wide eyes for a while, but Salene doesn't back down and eventually he gets off the bed and takes her hand. He's wearing normal jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt. Eerily normal by tribe standards, only his bright orange hair standing out.)
Salene: You don't talk much anymore, huh? That's okay. Most of us are quite good talkers, I think. Has Lottie been chewing off your ear?
(A faint smile appears on his face before it quickly disappears. She leads him outside. In the distance we can see the tribal meeting still going on, but Salene just walks towards the vegetable garden and the tree standing next to it. Sammy seems to be very interested in the meeting and only turns towards Salene when she gently squeezes his hand.)
Salene: We had a little ceremony for you and Mouse before you came back. I thought this was a great spot for her. What do you think?
(Sammy spots the necklace on one of the branches. He lets go of Salene's hand and reaches up to touch it.)
Salene: I think, she liked it here.
(Sammy has gone pale again as he thinks of the last seconds of Mouse's life.)
Sammy (hoarsely): It's good.
Salene (smiles): I'm glad you like it.
(Sammy nods. The camera pans out.)
SCENE 19
(Camera pans back in as we see Sammy and Salene go inside again and the camera moves over to the tribal meeting. Samara has gotten to her feet and is standing in the middle of the circle now.)
Samara: I say, we take a vote. Who here wants to try to talk to the Anarchists? One vote per tribe.
(Gordon, Amber and Noel raise their hands.)
Amber: I think that says it. We're going to talk to them.
(Samara sits down clearly not happy with the result of the vote.)
Cloud: And who is we?
Amber: I'll go.
Bray: And me.
Noel: I'll come too.
Gordon: I'll come.
Amber: I think the Skygliders and Astros should at least have one representative to go with us.
(Samara looks at her guards then points at one of them.)
Samara: Bruce will go.
Cloud: I'll send someone. When and where?
Gordon: We meet tomorrow at the market place and go there together.
Samara: And what happens when they don't want to talk? Can we then fight them?
Noel: I guess, we don't have any other choice then.
Samara: So you will all back me up, when it comes to that?
(The other leaders nod and the tribal meeting breaks up as the camera fades out.)
SCENE 20
(Ruby is lying on her bed and reads a book. Camera moves in close to show it's about emergency medicine and trauma. When somebody knocks on the door, she mumbles incoherently to signal them to come in, but doesn't look away from the book. Ram comes inside and watches her quietly for a little while.)
Ram: I can come back later, if you're busy right now.
Ruby: Just a second.
(She continues reading until she gets to the end of the page and closes the book.)
Ruby: Did you want anything special?
(Ram sits down on the bed next to her.)
Ram: I said, I was coming by later.
Ruby: That was a promise? I just thought you meant at dinner or something. You suddenly seemed very eager to get away from me.
Ram: What? No. Why should I?
Ruby (shrugs): Don't know.
Ram: It's not like I have anything important to do since Jack and I built the camera. I just keep myself busy.
Ruby: With what?
Ram: Computer stuff... You. Uhm, I mean... we see each other a lot. You know, since we're friends and all.
Ruby (smiles): Yea friends.
Ram: You, me and Slade. Who'd have thought.
Ruby: But Slade is different from you and I, isn't he?
Ram (frowns): What do you mean?
(Ruby rolls her eyes..)
Ram: What?
(She leans in and kisses him gently on the lips and surprises him. It takes Ram a few seconds to understand what's going on before he can react, but by then Ruby has already pulled away.)
Ruby: I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I...
(She tries to get up, but Ram quickly cups her face and connects their lips again. Ruby places a hand in his neck and pulls him closer as the camera fades out.)
SCENE 21
(Meanwhile the rest of the tribe has gathered in the café. Even Sammy and Lottie sit at a table near the door, as Amber and Bray talk about the outcome of the tribal meeting.)
Amber: Tomorrow Bray and I will be meeting with some of the other tribes and go talk to the Anarchists.
Jay: You mean try to talk to them.
Lex: I want to come!
Bray (shrugs): I don't see a reason, why you can't.
Amber: But don't pick a fight with any of them.
Gel: Why not? They deserve to be taught a lesson.
Amber: They do, but not tomorrow. We're trying to figure something out to settle this without any more losses.
(Some of the Mallrats are not okay with this, but none of them speaks up to challenge the decision.)
Amber: Good, then the meeting is over.
Alice (shouts): Wait!
(She gets up from where she was sitting with Jack and Ellie by her side. The two of them share a knowing look, before smiling encouragingly at Alice.)
Amber: Alice? What is it?
Alice: Well, I don't know how to tell you guys this.
Ebony: Just spill the beans!
Alice: I wasn't going to say anything, but soon I won't be able to hide it anymore, so...
(She places her hands on her abdomen thereby showing the bump.)
Alice: I'm pregnant.
Lex: What?!
Alice (rolls her eyes): I'm pregnant, Liam is the father and I'm already five months along.
Trudy: Congratulations... I guess?
Alice (nods): Thank you, Trudy.
(Kayla gets up and hugs Alice.)
Kayla: You're going to be a great mom.
(Ebony looks at them in disbelief before leaving the café. Sammy and Lottie also slip out quietly. Camera cuts to the next scene.)
SCENE 22
(Camera cuts to the park, where Lex, Ryan and Jay are giving fighting lessons to Gel, Darryl, KC, Salene, Kayla, Ellie and Trudy. Cal, Paul and Cara are watching from afar.)
Cal: Maybe you should join, Cara. You're not that good in hand to hand combat.
Cara: I don't want to.
Paul: When we fight it's you and me. You'll better be able to carry your weight.
Cara: Fine!
(She glares at them, but then walks up to the group and joins in the training. Cal and Paul high-five before heading back inside.)
(Gel is paired with Kayla this time and very determined to fight. They are equally strong, but Kayla is quicker, so she manages to disarm or defeat Gel a few times. The younger girl gets angry now. She grabs her pole with two hands and holds it horizontal while running at Kayla and pushing her with brute force. Kayla falls hard to the ground.)
Kayla: Gel!
Gel: Sorry.
(She reaches out and pulls Kayla to her feet, but she doesn't look sorry at all. Instead she smiles smugly. Camera fades out.)
SCENE 23
(Camera pans around the corridor as Salene leaves her room and makes her way to Paul and Cal's room. The two boys are inside holding a conversation, but focus their attention on her, when she appears in the doorway.)
Salene: I'm sorry. I hope I'm not interrupting anything.
Cal: Not at all.
Salene: I was just wondering... Since you're back for good, Paul, it might be best I learned some sign language to communicate. What do you say?
(Although he's able to read lips, Paul turns to Cal who repeats it for him. Paul looks unsure, but then a small smile appears on his face. He motions for her to come inside.)
Paul (to Cal): Can you help us?
Cal: In a second. I'll just get us some water, okay? How about you show her the alphabet first?
(Paul nods and Cal leaves.)
Salene: The alphabet then...
(Paul smiles and holds up his left hand and points at the thumb with his right index finger while mouthing A.)
Salene (copies him): A?
(Paul nods and goes on to show her the next letter as the camera pans out.)
SCENE 24
(Camera cuts to the kitchen where Cal is filling three glasses of water as Ebony enters. She spots him and takes a seat at the kitchen bar.)
Ebony: So what's your deal?
Cal (confused): What do you mean?
Ebony: Playing the nice Samaritan to get you and your little friend a home. I don't buy it!
Cal (snorts): I may be patient, but I definitely won't play a role for four years just because I might run into Paul's old tribe. Why do you even care? You don't even know him.
Ebony: I'm looking out for the tribe.
Cal: Well, you don't have to. Cara and I are harmless.
Ebony: You say that, but can I trust you?
Cal: You can, but you'll just have to wait and see since words won't convince you. Now, I have somewhere to go.
(He picks up the glasses and passes Ebony on his way out. She glares after him, pissed about having new people in the tribe.)
SCENE 25
(The camera pans around the park as the sun is setting until it lands on Paul, Cara and Cal. Cal is playing on his guitar while Cara is singing along to it and Paul watches them contently. In his lap is a sketch block, but the paper is empty.)
(We still hear Cara's singing as the camera cuts to Sammy and Lottie playing cards on Sammy's bed. When he turns his head the ghost of Mouse sits on the other bed and watches them before fading away. Sammy throws his cards and buries his face in his hands.)
(Camera cuts to Jay sitting in his room with the picture of Ved in his hands. He sighs and puts it away.)
(Ruby and Ram are lying on the bed in her room. There hands are intertwined as they kiss passionately. Camera fades to black.)