06 INT. 50/50 - DAY
ERICA walks in. Holds a small latte. Looks concerned. Stares at nothing, thinking about her conversation with Sarah.
ERICA - V.O
I'm here to help you.(...) Your life can change
right now if you decide to trust me...
SARAH - V.O
Open the door!
BRENT appears behind her.
BRENT
Was that true?
Erica screams. Spoils her latte.
ERICA
Brent! You scared the hell out of me!
BRENT
Couldn't be more sorry! What's happening to you, today? Are you having one of those strange days,
Strange?
ERICA
Very funny. I was just thinking.
BRENT
About what? I was thinking about Dave and Ivan's vibrators.
ERICA
What?
BRENT
Yes, my lady, I was there, at the counter, but you didn't notice me.
I think that those kinky objects may improve my relationship with Julianne...
Not that we need, though, but... I think it's time for me to buy another
Brent's little helper. What do you think?
ERICA
I think I'm gonna go get a mob.
Erica walks through the door.
CUT TO:
07 INT. DR. NAADIAH'S OFFICE - DAY
ERICA walks in. DR. NAADIAH is sitting on her chair.
ERICA
DR. Naadiah, I tried. I tried to stay calm, to wait for
Sarah to come to me, but... I can't do this.
There's so much going on in my head, right now. I need to go and see her again.
I need to convince her that I can help her.
DR. NAADIAH
First of all, Erica, take a deep breath.
Erica takes a deep breath.
DR. NAADIAH
Secondly, sit, please.
Erica sits.
DR. NAADIAH
And thirdly, it's not your job to convince or force Sarah joining therapy.
ERICA
But, she's my first patient! If I fail now, it means that
I'm not ready to be a doctor and that I can't do this. It's discouraging.
DR. NAADIAH
Is that really what it is?
ERICA
Yes!... What do you mean?
DR. NAADIAH
I think you know what I mean. What I can tell you to aid you
is that you can only truly help Sarah when you face what you're denying.
ERICA
Excuse me? Denying? If you're talking about DR. Tom,
I'm not denying anything. I own him this.
Sarah being my patient is right.
It's my way to thank him for saving my life.
DR. NAADIAH
Okay. It's good you said that out loud. The power of speech has another power.
It solves our differences with each other and even our own internal problems.
After a goodbye to someone we love, we keep them
with us by talking about them. That's the first step.
ERICA
First step to what?
DR. Naadiah smiles.
ERICA
So... You're saying that now... Now that I'm dealing
with DR. Tom's absence I can go to Sarah?
NAADIAH
Welcome, DR. Erica.
Erica smiles. Walks to the door.
ERICA
Thank you, DR. Naadiah.
NAADIAH
Any time.
Erica walks through the door.
CUT TO:
08 INT. 50/50 - DAY
ERICA walks in. BRENT, JULIANNE and RACHEL are sitting at different desks.
ERICA
Hey, guys!
BRENT
Erica, you were gone for so long.
What happened?
ERICA
Oh, I was in the washrooms.
BRENT
Why? Were the toasts more Libyan than French?
JULIANNE
That's so bad, Brent!
BRENT
Sorry.
JULIANNE
Erica, I have some "astronomical" news. My meeting
with our new writer this morning was beyond awesome
and Osso Barko, the not-so-fancy-and-reliable book
for a company is actually doing "Super". Look.
Erica approaches. Julianne hands her a document.
ERICA
(Surprised)
Wow, people really like this stuff.
So, it means...
JULIANNE
That 50/50 is definitely back.
RACHEL
And that my salary is safe.
BRENT
And I can't wait to see Jay Manuel's book out.
Julianne hands Erica some dossiers.
JULIANNE
Now, I just want you to take a look at these ideas
for the On the Origin of the Speeches and then...
"Show time", mes amis.
ERICA
Copy that.
JULIANNE
And what about Jana's book?
ERICA
It's going good. She's rewriting the first two chapters with the directions
I gave her, and... She's giving us the definitive title at the end of the week.
JULIANNE
Can't wait for that! Aw, everything is falling into place.
Julianne catches Rachel writing a text message on the cellphone.
JULIANNE
Hope you're not doing a break, Ray-Ray, or else you
will be falling out of this job. And your salary... finito. "Comprende"?
RACHEL
Sorry, I was just texting my boyfriend. His mother is...
JULIANNE
(Cuts her off. To Brent)
Oh, and sweetie, tonight is Zumba night!
BRENT
Are you sure I'm gonna like that,
Jules?
JULIANNE
If you like dancing, you heart Zumba.
Trust me. It's gonna be fun.
ERICA
(To Brent)
Well, it's better than a vibrator.
JULIANNE
What?
BRENT
Nothing. Erica is just... Trying to be funny.
Erica laughs. Her head suddenly hurts.
CUT TO:
09 EXT. PARK - DAY
Erica's mind: The image is blurry. We can see SARAH standing. A car approaches. She gets in. In the car, a MAN shows her money. He kisses her with violence. Sarah feels uncomfortable.
CUT TO:
10 INT. 50/50 - DAY
Erica gets concerned.
ERICA
Oh my God!
RACHEL
Are you Okay, Erica?
ERICA
I... I... Yes, I just realized I forgot my phone in the washrooms.
BRB!
JULIANNE
Oki doki, chicken!
Erica walks through the door.
CUT TO:
11 EXT. STREET - DAY
ERICA comes out of a random building. Sees a car stopping.
SARAH gets out, fragile and hurt. The car goes away. Sarah walks on Erica's direction without seeing her.
ERICA
Did you regret that?
Sarah notices Erica.
SARAH
You? You here? Didn't you get my message? Stay out of my life!
Now, stop pissing me off! I'm not in a good mood.
Sarah prepares to go. Erica stops her.
ERICA
(Serious. Raises her voice a little)
Did you regret that?
SARAH
(Threatening tone)
Get... Out... Of...
ERICA
(Faces her)
I asked if you regret selling your body when you need money.
I asked you if you regret living in the streets.
I asked you if you regret being a homeless and a prostitute, because
you don't trust me or your parents to help you. Was that man that
spanked you more truthful than us? Was he? Are you so
egocentric that you won't let other people help you?...
You wish you could have a better life, but you do nothing to have it.
Sarah looks apathetic. Erica grabs her hand and pulls her.
They both walk through the door of a building.
CUT TO:
12 INT. ERICA'S OFFICE - DAY
ERICA and SARAH walk in.
SARAH
(Shocked, looking around)
Oh my God...
Erica drags a full-body mirror. Stops it in front of Sarah.
ERICA
(Severe)
Look at you. Do you like what you see? Is this
what you always wanted to be?... Is it? Answer me!
SARAH
NO!
ERICA
Do you want to change this? Do you want to change you?
SARAH
(Cries)
Yes...
ERICA
Do you want my help to fix your life?
Silence.
SARAH
Y-yes...
ERICA
So you have to make a commitment:
There's no turning back, no chickening out. You will be
my patient until the end. And don't worry; it won't cost you any money.
Erica shows Sarah a marker.
ERICA
So... How is it gonna be?
Confused and sad, Sarah accepts the marker.
ERICA
Now, I want you to look at the mirror and write everything...
Every regret you have.
Sarah looks at the mirror. Cries. Starts writing. Erica watches her, showing an arrogant face, but she's proud of her. Takes a breath. Sarah fills the mirror with writing.
Erica feels something weird inside her head. Sees flashes of Sarah's regrets. Sarah stops writing. Erica stays beside her, looking at the mirror.
ERICA
(Delicate tone)
Look at this. These regrets are you. They are so many and
so deep that we can't see the real you, Sarah.
You can't see the real you.
So, one by one, you are going to erase them.
Erica sits, followed by Sarah.
SARAH
I didn't realize I had so many. It feels like
my whole life is a regret.
ERICA
It feels like you're at the bottom of the rabbit hole.
SARAH
Yeah...
ERICA
That means you need to build, or rebuild, the foundations to climb the hole.
You can't put yourself together if you don't have something to call Home.
SARAH
I'm not going to beg for help to my parents.
ERICA
Why?
SARAH
Because...! I... I robbed them. I can't do that, I can't go back again.
Do you know what I promised my father the last time I came back home?
He told me - just like you did - that he would help me if I made a commitment...
And I broke it! I feel too ashamed to go back home.
ERICA
Life ain't easy, Sarah. In order to be happy we need
to do some things out of our comfort zone. You feel like things are easier
if you don't go talk to your parents, but they are the only people who can help you.
And you know they will. They won't let you live in the streets.
You just need to talk to them.
SARAH
I can't... And I'm too tired,
and... I'm not feeling good.
ERICA
You need to go to a Hospital.
Open the door and you'll find yourself there.
SARAH
What?
ERICA
Trust me, Sarah. What did we agree?
We'll talk tomorrow.
Sarah gets up and opens the door. Goes away. Erica is concerned. Takes a deep breath. Gets up and stands in front of the mirror. Reads the regrets.