better things

Scars

by Rebecca Bohanan

BOHANAN EXT. JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA - SUNSET - ESTABLISHING SHOT Desert winds blow through the prickly, twisted branches of a few dozen Joshua trees. A tumbleweed rolls by.

INT. LA COPINE RESTAURANT - CONTINUOUS SAM, FRANKIE, and DUKE sit at a reclaimed wood table in a mostly-white restaurant with macramé hanging on every wall. Incredible-looking, half-eaten food sits on simple dishes. A GROUP OF WOMEN in Patagonia vests and Pendleton prints sing around a PIANO next to Sam’s table. The song is an acoustic version of Better Days by Graham Nash. Sam, Frankie, and Duke smile, swaying along. WOMEN (singing) When your love has moved away/ You must face yourself and say/ I remember better days... Don't you cry `cause she is gone/ She is only moving on/ Chasing mirrors through a haze... CLAIRE WADSWORTH, the restaurant owner, takes a solo. CLAIRE (singing) Now that you know it's nowhere/ What's to stop you coming home/ All you got to do is go there/ Then you'll really realize what's going down... As Claire’s solo ends, she wraps her arm around Sam and leans into her, suggesting Sam take the next verse. Sam hesitates, then joins in. SAM (singing) You went to a strange land searching/ For a truth you felt was wrong/ That's when the heartaches started/ Though you're where you want to be, BOHANANYou're not where you belong... 2.

EXT. LA COPINE RESTAURANT - NIGHT The desert sky is now dark. Light from the restaurant windows shines like the stars above it. Inside we see Sam, Frankie, and Duke at their table, talking and laughing with friends.

INT. LA COPINE RESTAURANT - CONTINUOUS Claire sits next to Sam, pouring her another glass of wine. Duke colors. Frankie taps the ice in her glass, bored. FRANKIE Can I go out back? SAM It’s night in the desert. You’ll get eaten by coyotes. FRANKIE They prefer stray cats and rabbits. Grass and insects, if they must. SAM Well, you might step on a tarantula. FRANKIE The common wolf spider is not dangerous. The idea that its venom is poisonous to humans is a myth, don’t you know anything at all, Mom? I’m going out back. I don’t know why I asked. CLAIRE Don’t take any ayahuasca from those guys. It’ll really mess you up. SAM Yeah! What she said! (to Claire) Good parenting. Frankie rolls her eyes, pushes away from the table, exits. SAM (CONT’D) I can’t believe you’re really doing this. I mean, you’ve done it. CLAIRE BOHANANI can’t either. 3.

SAM How long has it been? CLAIRE Almost two whole years. SAM That’s it?! And you’re already in The New York Times? Slow down! Let rest of us lame-os catch up. CLAIRE I really thought we were crazy. DUKE Why? This place is so nice. CLAIRE When we bought it, it was empty and boarded up with chains. DUKE Whoa. SAM What was the asking price? CLAIRE $60,000, cash only. We carried it all in a paper bag! SAM No way. DUKE Like bank robbers! Claire’s wife, NIKKI, the chef, walks by and kisses Claire. NIKKI You’re telling my favorite story. SAM Just a couple of talented lesbians on the lam. NIKKI Actually, a dollar flew out and blew down the road, so we got it for $59,999. SAM BOHANANHa! That’s less than Max’s college. And she dropped out. 4.

NIKKI That’s a lesson, Duke. Always negotiate down. SAM That’s a good lesson, Dukie. A smart one. Listen to her. (to Nikki) You should talk to all my girls. Nikki heads back to the kitchen. CLAIRE Frankie seems to be doing well. SAM Mmmmm. She’s a fighter. CLAIRE She reminds me of me at that age. 15? SAM Yup. CLAIRE How long has she been out? SAM Oh. Um. ‘Scuse me? CLAIRE She’s out, right? SAM As in, out, like, she’s gay, or? Not that I know of. DUKE You think my sister’s gay? Why? CLAIRE I don’t know. I guess I do, yeah. Did. I didn’t mean. Anything. SAM No, it’s fine, it’s fine. If she’s gay, great! If she’s an aardvark, you know, she’s Frankie. Perfect every which way. CLAIRE BOHANANTotally. Yes. 5.

DUKE Am I gay? SAM That’s something you’ll tell us. If you want to. DUKE But how do I know? SAM You’ll just know. You’ll know who you like. Right, Claire Bear? CLAIRE That is pretty much the whole thing. Yeah. Duke CRIES. Sam moves to comfort her. SAM Dukie, honey, what’s wrong? CLAIRE I’m sorry, Sam. SAM Don’t be. (to Duke) It’s okay, Duke. What is it? DUKE I want to know now! SAM Then you can know, baby. Then you can. Think about it, and tell us. How do you feel, inside yourself? DUKE I feel... I like... Sam and Claire are on the edge of their seats. DUKE (CONT’D) NOBODY! SAM That’s perfect, baby. Nobody. Sam hugs Duke, smiles at Claire, who smiles back. BOHANANMAIN TITLES 6.

EXT. DTLA ACE HOTEL - ROOFTOP BAR - NIGHT MAX dips her feet in the Ace Hotel’s rooftop pool. She’s wrapped in a blanket, leaning on her friend, PAISLEY. MAX Sometimes I feel like this place is only fun if you’re doing coke. PAISLEY You want to do coke? MAX No. I’m just saying. We’re mostly just wrinkling our feet. PAISLEY Max! We’re young and our lives are endless and this is our freedom! MAX I think I’m ready for bed. A tall, intense-looking young man with a shaved head, wearing a white tank top and jeans, approaches Max. This is ROB. MAX (CONT’D) Um. Hello? PAISLEY Max, Rob. Rob, Max. ROB Let’s get this party started, huh! MAX We’re heading out, actually. ROB Damn. Figures. MAX Maybe you should join your parties before dawn. ROB Just got off work. MAX Are you a grave digger? PAISLEY BOHANANRob is a chef. 7.

ROB Cook. PAISLEY Chef-in-training. ROB I just heat stuff up. I don’t design the menu. PAISLEY You’ll have to forgive his brutish ways. He doesn’t know how to keep a conversation going. He works in the kitchen at Vespertine. MAX I’ve never heard of it. PAISLEY What? You gotta get your mom to take you. It’s a Michelin 2-star. ROB Three. PAISLEY So sorry. MAX What kind of food is it? ROB Tonight I was on the veggie station for the charcoal-grilled Miyazaki Waguy with roasted Oregon cépes, Welsh onions, and jus gras. MAX I don’t like food that sounds pretentious. PAISLEY You mean delicious? MAX I don’t like food that sounds like you’d eat it on a date with a guy who just goes on and on about how The Catcher in the Rye changed his life in 8th grade. That type of BOHANANfood disgusts me. 8.

ROB Sick book. Is there a Gelson’s around here? MAX Um. Yeah. Rob takes out his iPhone, opens Maps. Max looks at Paisley, confused. Paisley shrugs.

INT. SAM’S HOUSE - LATE NIGHT Max and Rob enter the house, carrying grocery bags from Gelson’s, tip-toeing around shoes and clutter. ROB Nice digs. MAX (whispering) My mom’s asleep. ROB Oh. Mom’s house. Makes more sense. MAX You don’t think this could be mine? Rob looks around, taking it all in. No, he does not. ROB Where’s the kitchen?

INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Max sorts groceries while Rob sets up at the stove. ROB Knife? A moment of tension passes as Max hands a carving knife to this total stranger. ROB (CONT’D) (re: the knife) This is nice. Someone around here must be serious about food. MAX My mom’s always, like, trying to BOHANANshow off how gourmet she is, or whatever. She’s annoying. 9.

ROB That’s tight. There’s an open burn on Rob’s arm. As it passes over the heat of the stove, he winces. ROB (CONT’D) Fuck. Hazard of the job. MAX You should put something on that. ROB It’s fine. MAX But it’s going to scar. Max reaches to touch the burn with a towel. Rob winces again and drops a small piece of Le Cruset stoneware, which breaks. MAX (CONT’D) Shit. Was that expensive? ROB Fuck. SAM enters in her pajamas, groggy. SAM What is happening in my kitchen when nothing’s supposed to be happening? (re: Rob) Who are you? Creepy stranger in my house, waving a knife all carelessly around my first born? MAX Mom! Rob’s a chef. ROB Cook. MAX He’s making me something. SAM It’s 4am! ROB BOHANANThese are my off-hours. 10.

SAM And these are my ON-hours. To SLEEP. You know-- (Sam shuts her eyes, leans her head, snores) Sleep! You’ve heard of it? You’ve done it? MAX Mom, relax. We’re not doing anything bad. SAM Except breaking my stuff. ROB That wasn’t great. SAM Uh. Duh. Ya think? ROB Do you want to try the Waguy? SAM (frustrated grunt) Hmmmm.

INT. KITCHEN - DINING TABLE - SUNRISE Sam, Max, and Rob eat a beautifully plated meal as the sun breaks through the clouds. They chew in silence. CLOSE ON: The microwave clock. It’s 5:07am.

INT. MAX’S ROOM - A LITTLE LATER CLOSE ON: Rob’s face as he sleeps alone in Max’s bed.

INT. KITCHEN - SAME Sam and Max wash the dishes. Sam is scrubbing passive- aggressively. MAX Mom. What are you doing? Just say something. BOHANANSam stops washing, throws a sponge in the sink. 11.

SAM I told you, I told your sisters, I told Phil, I’ve got a big audition, a ginormous one, that will pay for everything everyone buys forever, just let me sleep-- MAX Please, Mom. How much sleep could you really need? SAM I am not a dolphin, Max. I do need to stop moving--and eating--every once in a while and rest. MAX That is so unfair. You’ve had 10,000 auditions in your life. I only get one soulmate. SAM (frustrated grunt) Hmmmm. Sam takes a deep breath, steps away from the sink. SAM (CONT’D) Baby, don’t fall for that guy. MAX Why not? SAM I can tell he’s no good. Do you know how I can? Max timidly shakes her head “no.” SAM (CONT’D) See. You can’t even blame this on your father. This one’s all me. MAX What are you talking about? SAM That guy works terrible hours. His job is completely unstable. So that means his life is unstable. He wants to create. He’s ambitious-- BOHANANMAX What’s wrong with that? 12.

SAM He’s trouble. (beat) He’s me, Max. MAX Ew, gross, Mom! SAM Yep. That’s what he’s up to. Coming over in the middle of the night. He’s being “unavailable.” Takes one to know one! MAX Unavailable means, like, ghosting, or breadcrumbing. He came over. SAM No, sweetie. In adult love--which you are now, you’re an adult--these things have to happen during the day. That Marcho Farms nature-fed veal with Hakurie turnips should just be a plain black cup of coffee during daytime for a cute little first date, that’s it, say your good-byes, then decide if you like each other or not afterward. That’s how it should go. MAX You’re just so not romantic at all. SAM I’m trying to help you, Max. Don’t you want to grow out of this phase of completely giving your mind and heart over to men who destroy them? MAX Harsh, Mom. It’s not like you’ve found lasting love. SAM I want you to do better than me! What was your first impression of this guy? Did you even like him? He talks like a caveman. ME HUNGRY. ME SMASH. He smashed my Le Cruset. MAX BOHANANWell, maybe my first impression wasn’t right. 13.

SAM No. The first impression is ALWAYS right. The gut feeling. Don’t ignore that. Don’t do this thing all the girls do, when they think an asshole guy can change into Mr. Perfect. If this guy was into you, he would have got your number and texted you during normal hours, because he would have respected that you might have wanted to sleep at sleepy time. He would have cared that your basic needs were met. MAX What about his basic needs? Like, he sleeps different hours than me and you. He’s basically a night shift worker. What about that? Sam rolls her eyes. Maybe there’s a point there. MAX (CONT’D) I think Rob deserves a chance. You’ll see. SAM All right then. Max exits. Sam stays behind, lets out a sigh.

INT. MAX’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS Max enters, sees her bed is empty. Rob snuck out. Disappointment washes across her face. Max walks closer to her bed and sees a sticky note was left on her pillow. It says, “THX - ROB.”

EXT. LACROSSE FIELD - DAY Frankie and two friends, STEPH and JESS, sit in the grass, lacing up their cleats. STEPH I’m so stoked you’re trying out for the team, Frankie. FRANKIE Let’s just see how catch goes BOHANANfirst. I don’t exactly come from an athletic background. 14.

JESS Eh, you’ll be a natural. We all are. FRANKIE (confused) We? Women? JESS You’re hilarious. STEPH So you’ve never played any sports before at all? FRANKIE Um. I’ve been ice skating. STEPH That’s adorable. Steph leans into Frankie, touching her arm. She’s definitely flirting, but Frankie’s not getting it. FRANKIE I guess it’s, like, a fun fact about me, or something. STEPH I want to learn all your fun facts. FRANKIE (still not getting it) Oh...kay. Jess rolls her eyes at Steph and how thick she’s laying it on. FRANKIE (CONT’D) Should we get started? STEPH All business. I love it. The girls stand, walk onto the field with their lacrosse sticks and ball. FRANKIE Don’t throw the ball directly at my head, or anything. STEPH I would never want any balls near BOHANANyour head. 15.

JESS Oh my god, shut up!

EXT. PRODUCTION OFFICE - HALLWAY - DAY Sam fills up a cup of water at a cooler, takes a few sips. She tugs on her shirt, smooths it out, shakes out her hands. SAM You got this. Sam throws her cup in the recycling, walks down the hall.

INT. PRODUCTION OFFICE - CONTINUOUS SAM enters and is greeted by a producer, LINDA. LINDA Sam. So good to see you. SAM Thanks for having me in for this. I mean, really. This is great. Happy to be here. LINDA I’m so glad you feel that way. SAM Is Jon here already? LINDA He’s on his way. He’s coming from triathlon training. SAM Oh, right. I forgot he does that. The Malibu one? LINDA Mmm hmmm. Every year for charity. He’s even done it with the flu. SAM (with a snort) What a saint. If someone asked me to run, then bike, then swim all in a row for anything, I’d just be like, take my money! Take it! Give it to anyone you want. ‘Cause I BOHANANain’t doin’ all that shit. 16.

LINDA You’re so funny. Let’s have a seat. Sam follows Linda into a smaller office.

INT. OFFICE - CONTINUOUS Sam takes a seat across from Linda in a big, comfy chair. SAM So, I didn’t get much from Mer about the part. LINDA Standard family sitcom--in a new and fresh way that’s unlike any other sitcom we’ve seen-- SAM Of course-- LINDA Suburban setting, urban feel-- SAM How many kids? LINDA Um. You mean, just...on the show? SAM Yeah. I’m assuming Jon and I have kids, if it’s a traditional family sitcom thing. LINDA Oh. Hmm. SAM No kids? LINDA Yeah. Sam, umm, we actually asked you in here to read for the part of...well, not Jon’s wife. Jon’s mom. SAM What? There’s no way. LINDA BOHANANI’m sorry if this is a shock to you. 17.

SAM You want me to read for Jon Cryer’s MOM? Jon Cryer is 54. LINDA And? Sam looks around the room, struggling. Does she really have to say it? SAM I’m 50. LINDA I’m not following. SAM I can’t play the MOM of someone who is FOUR YEARS OLDER than me. LINDA But you’re talking real-life years. We’re only concerned with television years. Make sense? SAM So, in television years, I’m so pruney and undesirable that people watching on their iPhones in Not- Hollywood-sville, Ohio will only understand why I’m even on this show if you force them to believe I GAVE BIRTH to Duckie? Duckie, who is OLDER than me. LINDA Why don’t we take a minute-- JON CRYER enters, wearing a ridiculous triathlon onesie. JON Hey, Sam! Thanks for coming in. SAM Oh, hey. Yeah. Well. Listen, I’m really appreciative for the call, I am. But we’re not starting off on the right foot here at all. They apparently have me in mind to play... (embarrassed to say it) Your mom. BOHANANJON Oh. Yeah. I know. 18.

SAM You do? JON I recommended you for the part. SAM YOU recommended me? JON Yeah! You’ll be fantastic! SAM Uhh-- Sam looks around the room from wall to wall, her mind racing. How does she get out of this? SAM (CONT’D) Okay. Here’s what I want to do. I want to call it a draw. JON I’m not following. SAM Neither of you really follow much, do you? You must have sucked at Follow the Leader. JON I’m really sorry you’re upset. I don’t know, I thought you would be happy for the work. SAM WOW. HERE’S WHAT I WANT TO DO. I want to leave here, and I don’t want anyone to know what happened. You’re not going to tell a single soul you offered me this part, or that I turned it down, or even that I told you off-- LINDA BOHANANWe’re not? 19.

SAM No. And I’m not going to immediately call every 38 to 55- year-old lady in this town who can still pass as a MILF--or, I guess, to you that would be a GILF--and tell them what kind of sexist, shameful casting operation you’re running, circa 2019. JON I see. I really wish this could have worked out. SAM Boo hoo. And you don’t look late 30s. AT ALL. Age up your parts. Do that for him, Linda. By the way, how old are you, 62? On television you’d be dead. LINDA Thank you for your insight. SAM Draw? Jon and Linda exchange a look. Jon nods. JON Draw. LINDA Draw. SAM Eeeeshhh. Sam walks toward the door. With her back turned: SAM (CONT’D) Next time, don’t call me. She flips them off as she exits. BOHANANACT BREAK 20.

INT. MAX’S ROOM - NIGHT Max lies in bed in the dark, scrolling through whowhatwear.com on her iPhone. A text message pops up. ROB: Yo. Max checks the time. 2:11am. ROB: Wanna rustle up some grub? Max takes a deep breath, thinks about it, then texts back. MAX: Meet me in the driveway.

EXT. SAM’S HOUSE - A LITTLE LATER Max waits in the driveway, bundled up in a sweater and UGG boots, shivering. Rob’s old Jeep pulls up to the curb. He turns off the engine, slams the front door, walks up to Max. ROB What’s with the outdoor rendezvous? Max points toward Phil’s house. MAX We’re going over there.

INT. PHIL’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Max slides the glass back door closed as they enter Phil’s dining room. ROB I didn’t take you for the breaking- and-entering type. MAX (whispering) This is my grandma’s house. ROB No shit. MAX She’s got a kitchen too. BOHANANROB Nooooo shiiiit. 21.

MAX She’s a sound sleeper. And doesn’t go as batshit as my mom. Usually. ROB Now you’re talkin’.

INT. PHIL’S KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Max turns on the light. Rob rummages through Phil’s fridge, pulling out food. He sizes up Phil’s cutlery. ROB Let’s get wild. Max giggles. COOKING MONTAGE: 1. Butter drops into a hot pan, sizzles. 2. Rob chops onions like a pro. 3. Salt and pepper grind over the butter. 4. Onions drop into the pan. 5. Steaks drop into the pan. 6. Butter is whisked on top of the steaks. 7. Lettuce is washed. 8. Potatoes are peeled and cut into wedges. 9. Potatoes are doused in oil and salt. 10. A tray of potatoes slides into the oven. 11. Avocado, tomato, and feta are sprinkled over the lettuce. 12. The steaks are flipped, the tops are cooked to perfection. 13. Sunflower seeds are sprinkled on the salad. 14. The meal is plated. 15. Rob slides a plate in front of Max, who sits at Phil’s dinning room table, smiling up at Rob. BOHANANEND MONTAGE. 22.

Max and Rob eat. Beneath the light from Phil’s ceiling fan, Rob notices a mark on Max’s arm. ROB (CONT’D) Seems you’ve got a few scars of your own, there. MAX I’ve taken a few hits. ROB What from? MAX (pointing as she speaks) This one was a dog bite. This one, car accident. This one, I’m not sure. Probably riding my bike without training wheels. I remember I asked my dad to take them off before my feet could reach the ground. I wanted to fly. ROB See, there’s nothing wrong with scars. They remind you of what you’ve done. MAX You don’t just have a few scars, though. You look like you’ve been to war. ROB I have, every night in the kitchen. Chef’s screaming in my face like my fucking life depends on plating the Hudson flowers. All I want is to not get fired. And to learn to cook the langoustine thermidor. MAX You could still use a few Band- Aids. Like, just put some on after work. Or on your break? ROB One day I’ll have made it through this, all this training and learning and assembling other people’s ideas, and I’ll have my own restaurant... BOHANAN(he takes a bite) Where I’m the head chef. (MORE) 23. ROB (CONT'D) And I do my own menu, and I scream in some dumb kid’s face, and I’ll look down at my scars and remember, I fought for this. MAX That’s super intense. I’ve never felt that way about anything. (beat) You want to open your own restaurant? ROB Yeah. Of course. We all do. MAX In LA? Or, New York, or something? ROB Oh. I see what you’re doing. MAX What am I doing? ROB You want to know where I want to live. If we want to live in the same place. If there’s some future plan where we could be together. MAX No, I just want to know about your restaurant. I’m interested. ROB I can only think about now. Disappointment washes over Max’s again. She struggles to hide it from Rob when PHIL enters. PHIL Just as I suspected. Mice in the kitchen. Snacking on my cheese, I see. Joke will be on you, when your cheeks grow chubby like a rodent’s! (looking at Max’s face) It won’t be long now. Max touches her own cheek. Is that true? PHIL (CONT’D) Who’s this man? He looks like a gas BOHANANstation attendant. 24.

MAX This is Rob. PHIL You cooked up tomorrow’s dinner! ROB Wanna bite? Phil sits at the table, cuts a bit of steak from Rob’s plate. She eats it, then quickly spits it into a napkin. PHIL Ohh! That’s horrid! Ohh, it’s like swallowing rubber. ROB But you didn’t swallow. PHIL Is this they eat at the Chevron? MAX Gran, Rob is a cook. Phil laughs out loud. PHIL I’ve never known you to crack a joke, but that was rather funny. Good on you! (to Rob) You must learn to season your food properly. Life is too short for another rubbish meal. (to Max) I thought you might do slightly better than your mother with courting, but you’ve really disappointed me. You’re at least prettier than her, by a little. At least put some effort in. Phil stands, walks toward the door, then turns. PHIL (CONT’D) If you’re going to wake me, make it worth it next time. Phil exits. ROB BOHANANYour gran just went straight up beast mode. (MORE) 25. ROB (CONT'D) You said she’s less batshit than your mom, but...I don’t know...it’s a close race. MAX Closer than I thought. ROB It’s amazing you’re so chill, coming from them. Damn. MAX I guess you’d better take a cooking class, or something. Find a Groupon. Max and Rob laugh. ROB She’s right about you being funny. MAX No one’s ever said that about me. They only say that about my mom. ROB So you get at least one good thing from her. MAX Can we do something during the day? Normal hours? Rob presses his lip, thinking, then nods “yes.” Max grins from ear to ear.

EXT. SANTA MONICA PIER - DAY Max, Rob, Paisley, JOHN-O, and a few other FRIENDS stand in line waiting for a carnival ride on the pier. The whole scene is lively and exciting. Max’s friends laugh, enjoying each other’s company. Rob, however, is checked out. He stands a few steps away with his arms crossed. He checks the time on his phone. MAX Hey. Having fun? ROB BOHANANYou know. Honestly. Not the most fun. 26.

MAX What’s wrong? ROB I’m not usually out right now. I’m usually asleep. MAX But you have tomorrow off, you said. ROB Mmm hmm. MAX You’ll sleep then? ROB I think things will go better if you don’t view me as a normal person. MAX What does that mean? ROB I’m more like a top-tier athlete. MAX (with a scoff) What? Um. ROB My schedule is very make-or-break. This right now, just out here in the sun for no reason, waiting to spin around for a few seconds on some dumb ride...this doesn’t help me get where I need to go. MAX What about the part where you need to just have fun with me? ROB Isn’t that what we’re doing when I make you food? MAX I don’t really think it is. ROB Well. That’s what works for me. BOHANANMAX This is what works for me. 27.

Max notices her friends have moved up in line. She turns to join them. Rob reluctantly follows.

EXT. PARK ACROSS FROM THE PIER - LATER Max and her friends sit on a picnic blanket, talking and eating. Rob’s by himself, leaning against a tree with a hat over his eyes, sleeping. JOHN-O (re: Rob) What’s with him, by the way? I thought you said he was cool, Paisley. PAISLEY I thought he was. MAX Just let him sleep, I guess. An awkward moment passes.

INT. SAM’S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY Frankie, Duke, and Steph are lounging on the couch, watching the 1995 movie Now and Then. Duke looks at Steph, noticing how close she sat to Frankie. STEPH (re: the movie) I love Gaby Hoffmann. Did you know she grew up in the Chelsea Hotel? Her mom was a Warhol superstar. FRANKIE That scene was kind of lame. Warhol basically invented reality TV by just filming people he thought should be famous and giving them their 15 minutes. He said as much himself. STEPH Well, Gaby’s cool on her own. Don’t you think they’re suggesting she likes girls in this movie? FRANKIE BOHANANYeah, maybe. Steph inches closer to Frankie, puts her arm around her. 28.

FRANKIE (CONT’D) What are you doing? STEPH Just getting closer to you. FRANKIE I’d like some space back, please. Duke watches, nervous for Frankie. STEPH You don’t have to be scared. FRANKIE I’m not. STEPH Well, you’re really defensive. FRANKIE Just scoot over. STEPH Don’t you want me to kiss you? FRANKIE What? No. Steph looks shocked, hurt. FRANKIE (CONT’D) Why would you think that? STEPH I guess because I like you and I want to kiss you, and we get along, so I thought maybe you would want that too. FRANKIE I...am not into girls, in that way. STEPH But...why do you dress like a man? FRANKIE This is just how my mom dresses. STEPH I...don’t get it. FRANKIE BOHANANMy mom is the strongest woman I know. (MORE) 29. FRANKIE (CONT'D) I dress like her because she’s the kind of woman I want to be. They’re just clothes, anyway. STEPH I feel so stupid. FRANKIE You shouldn’t. It’s fine. STEPH I think I want to go. FRANKIE Okay. Um... Steph gets up, grabs her bag. FRANKIE (CONT’D) But we’ll still be friends, right? STEPH Yeah. Sure. Steph stops at the door. STEPH (CONT’D) You’re really, really smart. It’s hot. Just so you know. If you ever change your mind about girls...will you think of telling me? FRANKIE Okay. But. I don’t think I will. Steph nods, exits. Frankie sits down on the couch. DUKE Whoa. FRANKIE That was so weird. DUKE Maybe you should tell Mom. FRANKIE Why? DUKE What if Mom thinks you’re gay, but you’re not? You could tell her BOHANANabout the clothes. 30.

FRANKIE Fuck no. The only thing Mom can’t think is that I admire her. In any way. At all. That’s where I draw the line. (beat) Do you want to finish this movie? Duke gives a slow, confused nod.

INT. METRO CAR - EXPO LINE - EVENING Max and Rob sit in a metro car, both tired. MAX Just out of curiosity, what would you say if I were to ask some sort of future-minded thing, like, where do you see this going? ROB Uh, I mean. Expo and Sepulveda. Isn’t that your stop? Max doesn’t even bother clarifying.

INT. EXPO AND SEPULVEDA STATION - CONTINUOUS Max exits the train alone. She walks through the station in daze. Going up the stairs, she misses a step, trips, and falls. MAX Shit. She scraped her knee, and it’s bleeding.

INT. SAM’S HOUSE - A LITTLE LATER Max enters, her knee is still bleeding. SAM (O.S.) Max! Is that you? Are you hungry? I saved you some dinner. Sam walks down the hallway, spots Max and her injured knee. SAM (CONT’D) BOHANANHoney, what happened? 31.

MAX I tripped. SAM C’mon, let’s wash that.

INT. BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS Sam wets a washcloth, wipes off Max’s knee. SAM I’ll get the first aid kit. MAX It’s fine, Mom. SAM You have to bandage that. It’ll scar if you don’t. MAX I think... I fell when I didn’t really have to. I want to remember that. (beat) I should let it scar. Sam doesn’t get it, but see’s Max is serious. SAM Okay, sweetie. Sam rubs Max’s arm reassuringly. END OF EPISODE

BOHANAN