Scene 15
Novenber 2018 Married Seven and a half years
CJ(Cooper Junior) Almost 7
Ella(Charlotte Elizabeth 5 years old
Carter King Freedman Almost 3
Setting School Soccer Field
Charlotte's watching CJ's soccer game at one end of the elementary school soccer fireld while Cooper watches Ella's soccer game at the other end.
Charlotte talks with CJ's best friend Branden's mother as they watch the boys play. Charlotte calls CJ over after a few minutes. She takes CJ to the side and firmly tells him. "I don't want you pickin' any more blades of grass while you're out there on the field. I want your foot on that ball." She points. "Kickin' it."
"Yes, momma" CJ sighs and walks back out to the soccer field, shoulders slumped.
Cooper sails over. "How's CJ doing?"
"See for yourself!" Charlotte gestures to CJ out on the field, spinning in circles oblivious to the game.
Cooper laughs.
"It's not funny, Cooper. It's embarrasin'." Charlotte scolds.
"He's not even seven yet, Charlotte. If he was doing that at twelve it would be embarrassing but at seven he's allowed." Cooper defends Chase.
"Big daddy would've pulled us off the team if me or my brothers did that."
"Maybe soccer just isn't CJ's sport." Cooper wraps his arm around Charlotte and they watch the game.
"How's Ella doin' in her game?" Charlotte asks.
"She's the star of her team! I came over to see if you wanted to switch and watch her play. She scored the first goal of the game."
"Atta girl!" Charlotte looks around Cooper's legs. "Where's Carter?"
"I thought he was with you?" Cooper looks at her.
"No. I told you he was following you when you were walking to Ella's field." Charlotte informs him.
"I didn't hear you." Cooper says, his eyes scanning the soccer field on high alert for his almost 3 year old.
"Shit!" Charlotte exclaims. "Where is he?"
Cooper looks at his watch. "It's been about twenty minutes then, that he's been missing."
Tears come to Charlotte's eyes hearing the word missing. Carter is now missing. It hits her like a ton of bricks. She's the mother of a missing child. Tears fall from her eyes.
"It's okay. He has short legs. He couldn't have got that far." Cooper tries to console her.
Chloe, Branden's thirteen year old sister, overhears and tells them. "I'll help you look for him."
"Thank You." Charlotte says Chloe's mother offers to keep an eye on CJ for them while they look.
"We should split up and all search in different directions" Cooper suggests.
"Call me if you find him." Charlotte tells him.
"I'll give you my cell phone number." Chloes tells them.
"You have a cell phone?" Cooper asks. "What are you ten?"
"No. I'm thirteen." Chloe defends.
"Who cares, Cooper! Let's just exchange numbers with her and find Carter." Charlotte scoffs. They program Chloe's number into their phones.
Charlotte goes around asking any parent who'll listen if they saw a little blonde boy about three years old in a blue shirt wandering around alone. Most everyone tells her no and she feels herself trembling. "I do not know where my two year old is right now." She thinks to herself over and over. "I'm a bad mother. I have no idea where my two year old is. He could be anywhere." She thinks. "We're living in LA. Someone probably snatched him and they're probably hurting him. He's probably crying for me." She's visibly trembling now. Her phone rings. It's Chloe. Charlotte's hands are trembling so much she drops the phone. She picks it up and pushes the answer button with her trembling finger.
"I found him." Chloe's voice resonates through the phone.
"Thank God!" Charlotte sighs heavily. She lets the tears of relief roll down her cheeks. She doesn't care who sees her crying. She's just relieved Chloe found Carter."Where are you?" She sniffles into the phone.
Chloe answers. "At the playground on the opposite end of the school."
"Is he okay?" Charlotte asks.
"He's fine. He was playing with some other little kids." Chloe tells her.
"Great! I'm on my way. Did you call his dad and tell him yet?" Charlotte asks.
"No. I called you first." Chloe answers. "Do you want me to call him?" Chloe asks.
"No. I'll do it. Thanks Chloe." Charlotte calls Cooper. She can tell he's just as relieved as she is when she gives him the news.
They reach the playground at the same time and they both hug and kiss Carter. After they hug Charlotte scolds the little boy. "You scared us to death. Don't you ever wander off without mommy and daddy again, Carter King!"
"Sorry, momma." Carter apologizes.
"There'll be no ice cream for you later." Charlotte scolds. It's the Freedman's normal routine to buy the kids a pop from the ice cream truck after their soccer games.
"Why momma?" Carter asks.
She grabs his hand and walks back toward the soccer field with Cooper and Chloe walking beside them. "Because you ran off. Momma and daddy had no idea where you were and we missed CJ and Ella's games now."
"Sorry, momma. Can I have ice cream?" Carter begs.
"No ice cream and that's my final offer." Charlotte repeats.
As Charlotte and Cooper approach the soccer fields CJ and Ella run up to them. "You missed my game, momma. I scored four goals!" Ella shouts with excitement.
Charlotte high fives her daughter. "Good for you, baby." She turns to CJ, "how many goals did you score in your game, CJ?"
CJ looks down at the grass. "None." He says.
"It's okay." Cooper pats CJ's back. "I didn't score my first goal until I was ten. You've got plenty of time."
The ice cream man rings his bell from the parking lot. "Can we have ice cream?" The kids shout.
"Yes." Cooper says.
"Me too?" Carter asks Cooper in hopes his daddy will say yes. He knows his daddy is a softy.
Cooper looks at Charlotte. "No!" Charlotte scowls at Cooper. "He needs to learn his lesson."
Cooper gives her a disapproving look and takes his other two children to the ice cream truck.
Carter cries a river.
"I'm not changin' my mind just cuz you're cryin'." Charlotte takes Carter to the car so he doesn't have to watch the other children eat their ice cream.
"Please, momma!" Carter wails out loud.
Charlotte sticks to her guns. "No. Sometimes life's hard. You might as well learn it now." Charlotte continues to walk to the car with Carter. She can see Cooper watching them from the distance. She knows he disagrees with her parenting style. He's a softy for the kids tears. Should be an interesting afternoon in the Freedman home later, she thinks.
End Of Scene 15