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EVERY DAY Pilot by Casey Callaghan Based on the novel Every Day by David Levithan

COLD OPEN BLACK A, our narrator, is a 16-year-old boy. A (VO) Every day, when I wake up, I am someone else. (Given the curious nature of As existence, he will frequently act and speak through the guise of other characters while he is inhabiting their body. When this occurs, the designation [CHARACTER]/A will be used to show A acting or speaking through that character.) FADE IN: INT. TEENAGE BOYS BEDROOM - NIGHT A currently inhabits the body of KEVIN, 16. Kevin/A sits in bed reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. A knock on the door, then KEVINS MOM enters. A (VO)(CONTD) I am myself -- I have my personality, my memories-KEVINS MOM Are you reading those again? KEVIN/A I love them. Its like visiting friends. A (VO) --My soul, if you like-KEVINS MOM Not too late, alright? Lights out by midnight. Kevin/A lets out a single, quiet laugh.

KEVIN/A Okay mom. KEVINS MOM Okay. Love you, sweetie. See you in the morning. Kevin/A glances down, and then, knowing a secret, looks up at Kevins mother with a small smile. A (VO) --But I am also someone else. KEVIN/A Love you too. INT. KEVINS BEDROOM - 11:53 PM The lights are off. Kevin/A lies on his side in bed, staring at his clock. The clock switches to 11:54. Kevin/A rolls onto his back and sighs softly. KEVIN/A See you in the morning. He closes his eyes. INT. TEENAGE GIRLS BEDROOM - MORNING An alarm clock goes off. We hear the rustling of someone stirring from sleep, and a somewhat masculine grunt. A hand reaches up and shuts off the alarm. The beds denizen sits up--A is now inhabiting the body of KAREN, 16. A (VO) It has always been like this. END COLD OPEN

ACT ONE FADE IN: POV: INSIDE KARENS CLOSET Karen/A opens the closet door. She appraises her wardrobe, then selects a top and a pair of shorts. A (VO) Here are the rules of my existence. INT. KARENS BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING - CONTINUOUS Karen/A dons the selected clothes, then pulls out a duffel bag and fills it with equipment for soccer practice after school. A (VO)(CONTD) Every morning I find myself occupying the body of someone approximately my age in my approximate geographic location. Right now that means spending time inside the bodies of sixteen-year-olds in the state of Maryland, and today that means a day in the life of Karen Adler. INT. KITCHEN - MINUTES LATER Karen/A tosses the duffel bag on the kitchen counter, then puts on her shoes. She grabs a banana from a bowl of fruit, picks up her duffel bag and heads for the front door. A (VO)(CONTD) Race and gender are immaterial, and I have no control over what body I end up in. I have no idea what happens to the personality of the original owner, but my best guess is that they are still (MORE)

A (VO)(CONTD) in there, somewhere, watching their day unfold without their input. EXT. FRONT OF KARENS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Karen/A gets in Karens car--a used Mitsubishi--buckles up, backs out of the driveway, and drives off. A (VO)(CONTD) Ive learned that they recall the events the next day, so I imagine the whole thing feels like an extended out-of-body experience. EXT. FRONT OF GINNYS HOUSE - MINUTES LATER Karen/A pulls into the driveway of Karens friend GINNYs house. She honks to announce her arrival, then peels the banana. A (VO)(CONTD) I have access to the memories of the person Im occupying, but not their feelings. For example, I know that every morning, Karen gives Ginny a ride to school. Ginny emerges from the house carrying a duffel bag of her own, which she tosses in the back before climbing into the passenger seat. A (VO)(CONTD) However, I dont know if Karen finds this to be a privilege or a burden. GINNY (smiling) Hey. KAREN/A (smiling) Hey.

Ginny buckles her seatbelt. A (VO) Fortunately, these things usually reveal themselves. GINNY Since when did you start liking bananas? KAREN/A Since I learned they were one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Karen/A offers the banana to Ginny. KAREN/A (CONTD) Want a bite? GINNY (laughing) Ew, no. Karen/A bites the banana. KAREN/A (with her mouth full) Suit yourself. She backs out and heads for school. A (VO) Accessing memories isnt perfect, though. GINNY Whens that American Revolution report due? A (VO) Specific memories usually dont show up until I go looking for them. KAREN/A Uh...

A (VO) And I cant remember something the owner has forgotten, even if they used to know it. KAREN/A (tongue-in-cheek) Tomorrow. Youd better start writing. GINNY God, youre such a bitch. Why am I friends with you? KAREN/A Because I have a drivers license. Ginny bristles at this. A (VO) Ginny failed her drivers test twice, which Karen well knows. Like I said, its not perfect. KAREN/A Im sorry, I dont know why that came out. GINNY Yeah, me either. An uncomfortable silence. KAREN/A Cmon, you know I think youre a great driver. Id let you drive Mitzy anywhere, anytime. Unless I need her. GINNY (smirks) Thanks. The wound isnt healed, but its been given a nice bandage.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL - CLASSROOM - AFTERNOON PAN across several bored students at their desks, including Ginny. Karen/A, however, who is sitting next to Ginny, pays full attention. A (VO) I also retain my own memories. The TEACHER is introducing their new unit--ANIMAL FARM, written in capital letters on the blackboard. TEACHER Who knows something about this book? Karen/A raises her hand. The teacher calls on her. KAREN/A Its a satirical allegory criticizing Stalinist communism during the Russian Revolution. Several nearby students look curiously at Karen/A, including Ginny, who stares at her with a look that says who are you, and what have you done with my best friend? The teacher is shocked as well, but soon regains his composure. TEACHER Yes, very good. Animal Farm was written by George Orwell as... He continues his lecture, and Karen/A continues to pay full attention. A (VO) Two years ago, accelerated English. One of my favorite books.

EXT. SCHOOL/SOCCER FIELD - AFTERNOON Karen/A and the rest of the SOCCER TEAM are running drills while their COACH (46, female) observes. Someone passes the ball to Karen/A and she dribbles downfield, deftly maneuvering past a defender. A (VO) Ive also come up with a few guidelines. Number one is to know my limits. Avoiding injury in team sports is easy enough, but other activities are less forgiving. A defender charges Karen/A. COACH Defender coming--pass to your out! Karen/A struggles to decipher and execute the instruction. She makes a pass that is easily intercepted by the defender. A (VO) I tried to ski once. I thought it would be like sledding, and I could learn as I went. I broke a leg in three places. The coach blows her whistle and practice halts. She jogs up to Karen/A. COACH Karen, whos your out there? Karen/A feigns being winded as A accesses. KAREN/A Jill. COACH. Thats right. Come on, stay focused.

The coach blows her whistle and the team resets to the start of the drill. A (VO) The worst part was knowing someone else had to deal with it the next day. Since then Ive sat a few things out. Ginny watches A/Karen jog half-heartedly to restart the drill. INT. LOCKER ROOM/SHOWERS - LATE AFTERNOON The camera pans across Karen/A taking a shower -- we first see her arms, which are in the process of scrubbing dirt off of each other, and then her face, which features two tightly shut eyes. A (VO) Number two is to respect their privacy. If I had a body, I wouldnt want some stranger ogling it. If theyre forced to give me unfettered access to their memories, the least I can do is take only what I need. Just seems like common courtesy. Ginny walks by in a towel, notices Karen/As strange shower behavior, and gives her a sidelong glance. INT. KARENS HOUSE/DINING ROOM - EVENING Karen and her MOTHER and FATHER are eating dinner. The mood is somewhat tense. A (VO) Number three is to maintain the relationships Im given. I think Karens father is pretty harsh on her, but its Karens choice to change it -- if it even needs to be changed.

Karen/As cell phone buzzes in her pocket. She pulls it out to find that Ginny has texted her. KARENS DAD No phones at the table -- you know that. KAREN/A Sorry. She puts the phone away. A (VO) Even if a change needs to be made, a single day wont do much. It pains me sometimes, but the status quo is usually best for everybody. INT. KARENS BEDROOM - NIGHT Karen/A tosses her backpack and duffel bag onto her bed. She gets her clothes from the duffel and tosses them into a hamper. Then she gets some binders and a textbook from her backpack and sets them on her desk. She removes the phone from her pocket and goes to plug in into its charger when a blinking red light reminds her that she has a message from Ginny. She unlocks the phone and reads the text: you busy? She types her response: sorry, dad was giving me crap at dinner. doing homework, call you after? She grabs a pen from a holder nearby. Her phone buzzes again--another text from Ginny which reads: sure She sets the phone down, then sits at the desk to start her homework.

A (VO) Number four is to leave the person a little better off than they were before. I make sure to get them ahead on their homework, or squeeze in a good workout, or practice their instrument. I think of it like borrowing a car: you always fill the tank before you bring it back. EXT. KARENS HOUSE - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING SHOT From the front of the house, the brightest light we can see comes from Karens room on the second floor. INT. KARENS BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS Karen/A is engrossed in her assignment. She writes something on a piece of paper, checks something in a textbook, writes something else, reads a passage from her copy of Animal Farm, and writes one final thing. She puts her pen down, runs her hands through her hair, and exhales, all in an act of decompression after completing such a rigorous academic gauntlet. As she relaxes, she notices a photograph of Karen and Ginny. They are at a pool party, and both are posing for the camera. Karen/A takes a deep breath, then sighs. She picks up her phone and dials Ginnys number. Two rings, then Ginny answers. GINNY (OS) (over phone) Hello? KAREN/A Hey, its me.

INT. GINNYS HOUSE/GINNYS BEDROOM - CROSSCUT Ginny sits on her bed, phone to her ear. GINNY So is this acting weird thing permanent or can I expect my best friend back tomorrow? Karen/A moves the phone away from her mouth so Ginny doesnt hear her exhale loudly through her nose in exasperation. A has had this conversation several times before, and it isnt a particularly comfortable one. Fortunately, that also means that A has become quite good at it. KAREN/A What do you mean? GINNY Are you serious? Since when do you know anything about George Orville? KAREN/A Orwell. GINNY Who. Cares. Why are you Miss Valedictorian all of a sudden? KAREN/A I dunno, its just, Ive started looking at colleges and I want to get my grades up. GINNY Oh come on, you know youre going to get a soccer scholarship--or at least you were, until you completely forgot how to play. Is that whats going on? I start getting better so now soccer is a waste of time? KAREN/A No, thats not--

GINNY And now reading books is cool so I have to catch up to you there too. KAREN/A Come on, Ginny-GINNY Oh, and youre a much better driver too, we cant forget that. Maybe I should walk to school tomorrow-KAREN/A GINNY! The conversation stops cold. Karen/A is on the verge of tears. KAREN/A (CONTD) Its not like that! Im... Im just having an off day, thats all. GINNY Whats that mean? Is that code for your parents getting a divorce or something? KAREN/A Dont say that. GINNY Why not? You say it all the time. (mock-imitating Karen) My dads such a dick, my mom could do way better. KAREN/A Stop it! GINNY Dont tell me what to do!

KAREN/A Goddamn it, Ginny! This isnt about my parents, its about us! The conversation goes quiet. Karen/A wipes away a tear. KAREN/A (CONTD) Im sorry about what I said in the car this morning. I dont know why I said it, I just... have you ever had a day where you didnt feel in control of your body? Karen/A waits for a response from Ginny. It doesnt come. KAREN/A (CONTD) Like its doing everything on its own and youre just along for the ride? Another pause -- Ginny gets the hint this time. GINNY Yeah... KAREN/A Ive just been having one of those days. Like, I could feel myself about to do something, and by the time I realized what I was doing it was too late to stop it. A beat. GINNY So what do you want? You want me to forgive you and pretend it never happened? You still said it, even if you didnt mean to say it or whatever. KAREN/A I know, and Im really sorry. But it wasnt me who said it. I would never say that. I just didnt feel like myself at all, all day.

A beat. GINNY So are you back to the normal you, or is this apology someone else too? KAREN/A Im back to normal. GINNY Good, then I wont have to remind you in the morning that you agreed to let me drive. KAREN/A (smiling) Deal. Ginny smiles as well, glad to have her best friend back. KAREN/A (CONTD) Oh, and I checked, the American Revolution paper is due the week before Thanksgiving. GINNY Oh, cool. Thanks. KAREN/A Sure. Awkward silence. GINNY Alright, see you in the morning. KAREN/A Yeah, see you. GINNY Bye. KAREN/A Bye.

Karen/A hangs up the phone. She bends over, puts her hands to her forehead, and exhales all of the tension from her body. Repairing a friendship is difficult; repairing one that wasnt yours to break is even harder. She puts the heels of her palms to her eyes to wipe away a few tears, then lays back on the bed. A (VO) Number five: keep a diary. The life I lead is not an easy one. It could be worse, and it has its perks, but it comes with one hell of an emotional roller coaster. Karen/A gets out of bed and sits at Karens desk. She powers up the computer and logs on to As email account. She types at a steady pace, adding todays entry to the diary. A (VO)(CONTD) Its tough to see a therapist with my... condition, so the only person that can help me sort through all my baggage is me. Id go nuts if I tried to keep everything organized in my head, so at the end of the day it all goes into my diary so I can revisit it later when Im in the right mood and Ive given some distance to anything that needs it. I keep a copy in two different email accounts so I always have access to it, and Im thankful every day that I live in the Internet age. Idve snapped years ago without it. Karen/A logs out of As email account, shuts off the computer as well as every light in the room other than her bedside lamp, and climbs into bed.

She lies on her back, exhaling away the stress of the day and reflecting on the events that transpired. She glances at the clock -- it is a little after eleven. A (VO)(CONTD) Number six: be asleep by midnight. When I was eight, I ended up in a life I really liked: a well-off kid with very competent parents, a good social life and a great deal of athletic and intellectual talent. I desperately wanted to keep that life for myself, and I thought if I just stayed up until midnight, the switch wouldnt happen and the curse would be broken. The camera remains still as she gets out of bed and walks to the other side of the room. We hear the soft sounds of items on a bookshelf being removed and rearranged, and then Karen/A returns to the bed with a pair of items: a framed photo and a thick book. A (VO)(CONTD) Imagine that your soul is a physical part of your being. Whatever miraculous process placed your soul inside of your body joined the two together so that your soul was intertwined with every cell you possessed. Karen/A tosses the book on the bed and looks at the photo. ANGLE ON: PHOTO It is the photo of Karen and Ginny at the pool party. ON SCENE Karen/A looks at the photo for several moments, as though trying to absorb the feeling of friendship from it, and then sets on the nightstand. She then cracks open the book -- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix again -- and searches for a particular page before digging in.

A (VO)(CONTD) Now imagine your soul, this web of energy attached to your body, was ripped off all at once. Imagine how incredibly painful that would be, and multiply it pain by ten. I woke up screaming in the body of a girl named Melinda. Her parents tried to comfort me, but I just curled into a ball and sobbed until they gave up and I passed out from exhaustion. Ive been in bed by midnight every night since. I dont know why being asleep makes a difference, and I dont care as long as I never have to go through that again. A the narrator pauses; Karen/A continues reading. A (VO)(CONTD) And thats my existence in a nutshell. I dont know why it ended up like this. Maybe its punishment for the sins of a past life, or a curse that a vengeful gypsy laid upon my family. Or just another random event in our chaotic universe. Whatever the reason, it doesnt change the fact that I have a responsibility to live each life as best I can. And its not all bad. In the span of six months, Ive been a beauty queen, computer genius, star athlete, and professional actor. Ive received rewards I didnt have to earn, and made mistakes that wouldnt affect me the next day. Ive learned how to appreciate good fortune, weather bad, and turn one into the other. And even though it is made up of the lives of others, I have a (MORE)

A (VO)(CONTD) life that is truly unique to me. And if someone gave me the chance to trade it in for a normal one? Karen/A give a longing glance to the photo. A (VO)(CONTD) Id take it in a heartbeat. Karen/A returns to the book. FADE TO BLACK END OF ACT

ACT TWO FADE IN: INT. KARENS BEDROOM - NIGHT Karen/A is sound asleep. ANGLE ON: KARENS ALARM CLOCK The clock switches from 11:59 PM to 12:00 AM SMASH CUT TO: INT. LESLIE WONGS BEDROOM - MORNING Someone is pounding on a bedroom door. A is now in the body of LESLIE WONG, and has slept through the alarm. Leslie/A bolts awake and looks at the clock. LESLIE/A Shit. GRANDMA WONG yells through the door with a thick accent. GRANDMA WONG Wake up! Time for school! LESLIE/A Okay mom. GRANDMA WONG Mom? You wish I was mom! Mom maybe let you stay home sick! A accesses to learn the identity of the yeller. A (VO) Guess its gonna be one of those days. GRANDMA WONG Hurry up! Owen late enough without your help!

LESLIE/A Okay grandma! Leslie/A gets out of bed and goes to Leslies closet. Everything in it is well maintained, but functional rather than fashionable -- about a year out-of-date, and far more JCPenneys than Aeropostale. Leslie/A selects an outfit and puts it on. A (VO) Owen is Leslies brother. For a more ordinary life, I imagine siblings are a blessing. An unspoken ally during the turmoil of childhood, and someone to validate all your memories of it when youre older. For me, theyre a nightmare. The majority of abuse in my life, though mostly non-permanent, has come at the hands of my temporary brethren. Leslie/A examines herself in front of the mirror. She combs out most of the tangles in her hair, and applies a few basic layers of makeup: cover-up, a subtle shade of lipstick, and a touch of eyeliner. A (VO)(CONTD) My brothers have scarred me with fists, furniture, and fan blades. My sisters have made me cry over Barbies, barrettes, and boys. One even left me at a train station when we ran away together. Sometimes I think they sense somethings wrong when I show up, and seize the chance to let out some frustration. Regardless, my favorite siblings have always been the quiet ones. Leslie/A opens the passenger door of Owens car and gets in. OWEN sits in the driver seat, smoking a joint. Leslie/A closes the door and appraises Owen, who glares back at her.

OWEN Dont say a word. Leslie/A stares at the glove compartment. A (VO) So far, so good. INT. SCHOOL - HALLWAY - MORNING Owen heads to his locker without so much as a later. Leslie/A opens her locker and studies Owen while he walks away. CARRIE, 16, a friend of Leslies, approaches. CARRIE Whatcha lookin at? LESLIE/A Owen. CARRIE Ugh, what a loser. LESLIE/A (quietly) Stop it. CARRIE Are you serious? A beat. Leslie/A pulls something out of her locker. LESLIE/A Hes still my brother. Carrie sighs--its too early for this dance. She opens her locker and changes the subject. CARRIE So whatd you do last night? A (VO) Theres one answer that always works. LESLIE/A Not much. You?

CARRIE Didnt you get my text? LESLIE/A (covering) ...No, my phone died. CARRIE Oh. Carrie is practically bursting with excitement. Leslie/A takes the bait. LESLIE/A So what happened? CARRIE Corey texted me! LESLIE/A Wow! CARRIE I know! I dont know how he got my number! We talked for, like, an hour, and he told me... Carrie continues talking while Leslie/A provides the expected supportive reactions. Carrie moves some books from her locker to her bag, still talking. Leslie/A glances down the hall and sees Owen talking surreptitiously with another boy at his locker. A (VO) These conversations bore me to tears, but theyre incredibly easy to fake as long as you nod and smile in all the right places. My days are usually smoother when I dont need to have opinions. CARRIE You didnt give him my number, did you?

Leslie/A is jerked back into the conversation. LESLIE/A N-no! No, I barely even know him. Carrie glances down the hall to find the distraction. She turns back, baffled that Leslie/A was paying attention to her brother instead. The bell rings, and Carrie closes her locker. CARRIE Ill tell you the rest at lunch. Leslie/A sighs and closes her locker. INT. CLASSROOM - EARLY AFTERNOON A MATH TEACHER is giving a trigonometry lecture. Leslie/A takes notes. A (VO) Im feeling compelled to worry about Owen, and I dont know why. Maybe that part of Leslie is still here for the day, or maybe Im just a fixer. Either way-A FEMALE ADMINISTRATOR makes an announcement over the loudspeaker. ADMINISTRATOR (over intercom) Owen Wong, please report to the principals office. Owen Wong to the principals office, please. Leslie/A looks up, worried. She glances over at Carrie, who looks back with a mixture of pity and I told you so in her eyes. Carrie returns to taking notes, and Leslie/A, slightly shaken, does the same.

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - LESLIES LOCKER - MINUTES LATER Leslie/A opens her locker and exchanges a few things from her bag. A few feet away, the door to the girls bathroom open and Owen peers out stealthily. He sports a few bruises on his face, along with a split lip. OWEN (whispering) Leslie... Leslie! Leslie/A looks toward the bathroom and spies her brother. Owen motions Leslie/A over to him. Leslie/A closes her locker and walks toward Owen. When she gets close enough, he pulls her into the bathroom. INT. GIRLS BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS Owen locks the door. LESLIE/A What are you doing? Youre supposed to be in the principals office. OWEN I was. I left. LESLIE/A What!? OWEN They wont listen to me! They think Im dealing! They went to check my locker so I left. LESLIE/A Are you? A GIRL tries to open the door, then knocks on it.

GIRL Hello? Open the door, please. LESLIE/A (to Owen, half-whispered) Start crying! OWEN What? No! LESLIE/A Ugh! Leslie/A whips up some very realistic fake sobbing. The girl pounds on the door. GIRL Open the door! LESLIE/A (through fake tears) Can you use another bathroom, please? GIRL Bitch, I gotta pee! Leslie/A continues sobbing. The girl sucks her teeth and leaves, pissed. Leslie/A immediately returns to normal. LESLIE/A Are you dealing? OWEN No! LESLIE/A What happened? OWEN Nothing. Leslie/A gives him a skeptical look.

OWEN (CONTD) I swear, Im not dealing. LESLIE/A Then what happened? OWEN It doesnt matter! Theyre gonna call home, promise me youll tell mom and dad Im not a drug dealer. Leslie/A says nothing. OWEN (CONTD) Leslie! A beat. LESLIE/A Fine. OWEN Alright, call me when you get home and let me know what the situation is. Owen unlocks the door, peeks out, and then bolts. ANOTHER GIRL enters. She examines herself in the mirror, then looks at Leslie in the mirror. GIRL #2 First blow job? Leslie shoves open the door and storms out. INT. CLASSROOM - AFTERNOON Leslie/A is taking a test in her American History class. She scribbles an answer, then looks up at the clock. It ticks away the seconds impassively. Leslie/A returns to her test.

A (VO) My life is filled with someone elses problems. You dont know how tempting it is to just wait for midnight to take them away. I had a week where I decided I was done shouldering other peoples burdens. I just stayed home sick and ate junk food and played video games, and Id wake up the next day with a clean slate and do it again. Worst week of my life. A note lands on Leslie/As desk. She glances at it, then up at the TEACHER. His nose is buried in a biography of Harry Truman. A (VO)(CONTD) How we deal with adversity defines our character. That week I did nothing was the first time I truly felt like I was living borrowed lives, because I left no sign of who I was. The problems I face are someone elses, but the solutions are mine, and how I overcome obstacles is a mark that only I can make on the world. Leslie/A unfolds the note. ANGLE ON: NOTE The note reads: Owen? ON SCENE Leslie/A looks up at Carrie, who raises her eyebrows in question. A (VO)(CONTD) I will never have a yearbook photo or star in a home movie. (MORE)

A (VO)(CONTD) I will be remembered solely through my actions, so I have to make them count for all they can. Leslie/A checks to see if the teacher is pay attention, then turns to Carrie and shrugs and shakes her head. The teacher clears his throat. Leslie/A and Carrie get back to their tests. Having noticed nothing, the teacher turns a page in his book. EXT. SCHOOL PARKING LOT - LATE AFTERNOON Leslie/A walks with purpose across the parking lot, head down, lost in thought. She looks up. An empty parking spot. Disappointed but not surprised, Leslie/A shakes her head and sighs, and begins the trek home. Before she gets too far, Carrie pulls up in her car. CARRIE Need a ride? Leslie/A smiles and makes for the front seat. INT. CARRIES CAR - MINUTES LATER CARRIE So Corey said that Owen and Josh Wolf were fighting at lunch because Josh owed your brother money. LESLIE/A For pot. CARRIE Thats what Corey says.

LESLIE/A Did Corey see it? CARRIE Well, not him, but some of the guys he hangs out with. LESLIE/A My brothers not a drug dealer. CARRIE How do you know? LESLIE/A He told me. CARRIE And you believe him? Leslie/A doesnt respond. CARRIE (CONTD) I dont know if this is some family honor thing, but letting him slide wont help him. LESLIE/A Im not letting him slide if hes not lying. CARRIE Hes a pothead! If hes not dealing now he will soon. Just let him get caught and your parents can send him to military school or Scared Straight or something. At least then hell stop being a dick to you. Leslie/A gives a short laugh at this in spite of herself. Carrie pulls over and eases the car to a stop. CARRIE (CONTD) Just -- whatevers going on with him, dont let it hurt you.

LESLIE/A It wont. CARRIE Do you want me to come in? So you dont have to deal with them alone? LESLIE/A Nah, theyll be fine. Im the good child right now. A chuckle of camaraderie from Carrie. Leslie/A gets out of the car, then turns back. LESLIE/A (CONTD) Say hi to Corey for me. Carrie grins at this, and drives off. INT. LESLIES HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER Leslie/A walks into the kitchen. Leslies FATHER and MOTHER are there, her father a few ticks short of furious and her mother looking demurely worried. Leslies grandmother, in another room, is reading a magazine in a rocking chair. MR. WONG Where is he? LESLIE/A ...Hi. MRS. WONG Hi, sweetie. MR. WONG Hi. Where is he? LESLIE/A I dont know.

MR. WONG What do you mean you dont know? LESLIE/A I dont know. I heard him get called down to the principals office, and then his car was gone from the parking lot. Its not like he left a note. GRANDMA WONG (from the other room) Ha! MR. WONG You cant take his side this time. This isnt like a failed test, this is drugs. Illegal drugs. Now where is he? LESLIE/A I dont know! MRS. WONG Shes telling the truth. I can tell when shes lying. MR. WONG Fine. Is Owen a drug dealer? LESLIE/A He says hes not. MR. WONG Really? Because Josh Wolf says he bought the pot they found on him from your brother. LESLIE/A Maybe Josh Wolf is a drug dealer! Did Owen have any pot? Mr. and Mrs. Wong share a glance. MRS. WONG No.

LESLIE/A Or in his locker? MRS. WONG No. LESLIE/A Did you find any in his room? Mr. and Mrs. Wong share another, more surprised glance. LESLIE/A (CONTD) Jesus, Im not stupid. MR. WONG Language. And no, we didnt find any in his room. Yet. An uncomfortable standstill has been reached. MR. WONG (CONTD) If he calls you, you are to tell him to come home immediately. Got it? Leslie heads toward her bedroom. LESLIE/A Got it. At that moment, Leslie/As cell rings. The room freezes for a moment. Leslie pulls out the phone and checks whos calling. MR. WONG Is that him? Mr. Wong moves to take the phone but Leslie/A quickly answers the phone before he can. LESLIE/A (into phone) Hey Carrie! I was just about to call you.

INT. OWENS CAR - CROSSCUT Owen has pulled into the parking lot of a big box store and is calling Leslie from inside his car. OWEN (into phone) Whats going on? Are they pissed? LESLIE/A (lighthearted, into phone) Yeah, theyre pretty mad. They ransacked his room, but they didnt find anything. Theyll probably search his car when he gets home too. Mrs. Wong motions for Leslie/A to hang up the phone. MR. WONG What are you doing? Dont tell her that! Hang up the phone! LESLIE/A (into phone) Sorry, I gotta go, my parents are here. Can I call you back? OWEN Okay, meet me at the playground in fifteen minutes. LESLIE/A Alright, Ill talk to you then. Bye. She hangs up. MR. WONG Whats wrong with you? LESLIE/A Not drugs! Mr. Wong isnt thrilled by this petulance, but he understands there are bigger fish to fry.

MR. WONG (exasperated) Im gonna check his room again. He storms out, headed upstairs. Mrs. Wong follows at a more measured pace. She turns back to Leslie, looking apologetic and ashamed. She starts to say something, then stops. Leslie/A returns the look with one of pity and forgiveness. Mrs. Wong turns and walks upstairs. Leslie/A listens for them to walk out of earshot, then heads for the front door. She opens the door, then stops and looks into the house. Leslies grandmother, still rocking, is taking in the scene. She looks right at Leslie, then returns to her magazine. Leslie/A leaves. EXT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND - FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER Leslie/A enters the playground and sits on a swing. After a few moments she starts swinging. We hear a car pull up, but Leslie keeps swinging, oblivious, until she hears a car door slam shut. At this, she looks for the disturbance and slows her swinging, finally coming to a stop. Owen sits in the swing next to her. OWEN You always pick that swing. LESLIE/A Really? Awkward silence.

LESLIE/A (CONTD) What happened today? OWEN Its none of your business. LESLIE/A I cant help you if I dont know what Im helping with. Owen remains reticent. Leslie/A gets off the swing. LESLIE/A Tell me what happened or I will go home and tell mom and dad that I saw you selling weed today. OWEN I wasnt! Josh was! He debates whether or not to call her bluff, then gives in. OWEN (CONTD) Josh is my dealer. He said I owed him money--which I dont--and tried to punch me. They found weed in his jacket when they broke us up, so he told them that he was just trying to get proof that I was a drug dealer, like some 21 Jump Street narc bullshit. I told them he was full of crap, but hes the Golden Boy so he got to walk and they started talking about calling the cops. ...They didnt call the cops, did they? LESLIE/A Not yet, but they will if they find your stash before you get home.

OWEN Oh my god -- there is no stash! I used it this morning! Why do you think I was buying from Josh? Despite As resolve, some of Leslies meekness creeps in, and Leslie/A feels embarrassed by her stupidity. LESLIE/A Well... you should probably come home anyway. Waiting is just gonna make them angrier. OWEN Cant you check things out first? Go home, make sure theyve calmed down-LESLIE/A And what if they havent? Are you gonna spend the night in your car? Skip town? Owen thinks on this. OWEN Fine. But if you tell them anything I told you, youre dead. He walks to the car, and she follows. They get in, and Owen starts the car and takes off before Leslie/A can close her door. INT. WONG HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - MINUTES LATER All three adults are in the living room. Mr. Wong, still furious, is pacing. Mrs. Wong sits on the couch, staring into space and chewing a fingernail. Grandma Wong is reading in her rocker, though shes moved on to a romance novel. A door slams in the kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Wong look up. Leslie/A enters, followed by Owen, who wants to be anywhere else but here.

Owen locks eyes, first with his mother, then his father. Mr. Wong rushes to Owen and slaps him in the side of the head, then again, hard. Leslie gasps, while Mrs. Wong hurries in to stop her husband. MR. WONG (to Owen) What the hell is wrong with you? OWEN I didnt do anything! MR. WONG Bullshit! Is that why you ran away from school? Because you didnt do anything? OWEN They were gonna call the cops! Did you want me to get arrested? MR. WONG So it was something illegal! OWEN No! MRS. WONG Can we all just sit down, please!? Owen and Mr. Wong call a momentary cease-fire. Leslie/A and Owen sit on the couch, while Mr. Wong resumes pacing, though less feverishly than before. MR. WONG Are you a drug dealer? OWEN No. MR. WONG Then why would you get arrested?

OWEN Because Josh Wolf said I was a drug dealer. MR. WONG And why would he say that? OWEN Because they found pot on him when they broke us up. MR. WONG So, what -- you were buying from him? OWEN No! I have no idea why he had it! Mr. Wong rubs his forehead. MR. WONG So even though you allegedly did nothing illegal, rather than wait to tell the cops the truth, you ran away to avoid being arrested on the testimony of some potsmoking asshole? OWEN ...I guess. MR. WONG Great. So youre either a lying criminal, or youre retarded. MRS. WONG Stephen... MR. WONG Do you know whats gonna happen? Because you cant act like a rational, responsible adult, youll either go to jail, or just be expelled!

LESLIE/A They wont expel him until they hear his side of the story. MR. WONG Stay out of this, Leslie. (to Owen) If -- if -- this has nothing to do with drugs, then why were you and Josh fighting? Owen looks down at his lap. MR. WONG (CONTD) Owen Wong, so help me God-LESLIE/A It was a girl! The entire family -- even Grandma Wong -- looks at Leslie/A with varying degrees of surprise. MRS. WONG Really? OWEN (to Leslie) What are you t--? LESLIE/A (to Owen) Its not worth it. (to the room) He has a crush on Natasha Lee. But he told Josh, and Josh started flirting with her. MR. WONG (to Owen) Is that what happened? Owen doesnt respond for a moment, then: OWEN ...Yeah. Hes been hitting on her ever since I told him. (MORE)

OWEN (CONTD) At lunch he was talking about what he was gonna... do to her, so I punched him. MR. WONG (to Leslie) Do you know this girl? LESLIE/A Yeah, shes super cool, and suuuper pretty. Like, too pretty. She doesnt seem like his type, but if he thinks he can get her... She shrugs. MR. WONG I still dont know why you were stupid enough to run away if this was just over a girl. OWEN Shes not really into the whole fight for my honor thing. I thought that if I took off, the drug thing would get back to her first instead of the real story. MRS. WONG They wont arrest him for fighting over a girl, will they? MR. WONG Not if he had stayed and told them that, but as far as they know he ran away from a drug charge. Mr. Wong ponders his next move. MR. WONG (CONTD) We are going to call the principal and convince him not to do anything until tomorrow. (MORE)

MR. WONG (CONTD) You are going to go to the office before first period tomorrow and tell him everything that happened, and youre going to apologize until youre blue in the face. OWEN But dad-MR. WONG Enough! Youre lucky youre not in jail right now! Get your ass upstairs, and when dinners ready that room had better be spotless! Owen makes a frustrated sound, then stalks up to his room. Leslie/A watches her brother go, then studies her father. Hes lost in his thoughts for a moment, then notices her watching. MR. WONG (CONTD) You too, Leslie. If hes trying to go a little easier on her, it doesnt come through. Leslie/A follows Owen upstairs. INT. LESLIES BEDROOM - MINUTES LATER Leslie is scrawling something in a notebook. She tears the sheet out and leaves her room. INT. OWENS BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS Owen is cleaning his room with have been pulled out, his desk and his bed completely unmade. room was chaotic and thorough. but the music from his iPod is indistinctly heard. a scowl on his face. Drawers and closet rummage through, The search for drugs in this Owen is wearing headphones, loud enough to be

Leslie/A enters with the paper. LESLIE/A Hey, I brought you this. I thought you could-Owen looks up at her entrance. He stands up and pulls the headphones out. OWEN What the hell are you doing? Get out of here! Not expecting this reaction, Leslie/A hurries out of the room, ashamed at her breach of sibling etiquette. INT. WONG HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS Leslie/A heads for her room, but on the way, a thought occurs to her. Adopting a no-nonsense look, she returns to Owens room. INT. OWENS BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS Owen has resumed his cleaning. Leslie/A approaches and yanks the headphones out of his ears. OWEN What the hell? LESLIE/A Listen moron, I have been covering for you all day, and I lied to save your ass down there. How about a little thank you? Owen is stunned -- Leslie has never spoken to him like this before. OWEN ...Thank you.

LESLIE/A Better. Heres the deal: I am done lying for you. I dont give a crap if you smoke in here, but if you ever do it in front of me again, mom and dad will find out, and Natasha Lee wont save you this time. Got it? OWEN ...Got it. LESLIE/A Good. Here. She hands him the piece of paper. OWEN Whats this? LESLIE/A Its a love note you wrote to Natasha. Hide it somewhere completely obvious and maybe during the next drug bust theyll find it and back off. OWEN Oh, uh... thanks. LESLIE/A Youre welcome. She knocks a few books off his desk. LESLIE/A (CONTD) Happy cleaning. She leaves. INT. WONG HOUSE - DINING ROOM - AFTER DINNER Mrs. Wong clears the table while the rest of the family digests. Owen makes for the living room.

MR. WONG Help your mother with the dishes, please. Owen is smart enough not to say anything, so his protest is silent as he complies. He takes his own dishes as well as his fathers out to the kitchen. Mr. Wong -- still seated, elbows on the table, eyes closed -- runs his hands through his hair, trying to soothe the tension of the day. Leslie/A watches him for a moment, then picks up her dinnerware and takes it into the kitchen. INT. WONG HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Leslie/A sets her dishes on the counter next to the sink. One at a time, Mrs. Wong is washing dishes in the sink and placing them on the counter. One at a time, Owen is picking up the dishes that Mrs. Wong is setting down, drying them, and placing them in a drying rack. Mrs. Wong and Owen dont talk to, or even acknowledge, one another. Leslie looks into the living room. INT. WONG HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS Grandma Wong shuffles to her rocker, picks up her magazine, and starts rocking and reading. INT. WONG HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS There is no conversation, no shared smiles, no sign at all that this is a family who just enjoyed a home-cooked meal together. Leslie/A lingers for a moment, hoping that some form of camaraderie will bubble to the surface, but none does.

She heads upstairs. INT. LESLIES BEDROOM - NIGHT Leslie/A sits at Leslies desk, typing on the computer. A (VO) There is love here, strong and steady, but also distant. Like a star: enough to remind you that someone is watching out for you, but not enough to help light your way. I think I wanted to help Owen so badly today because we shared something beyond our temporary siblinghood. In a house full of people who care for us, somehow, we are still alone. No wonder he smokes. The camera pans through the wall of Leslies room to: INT. OWENS ROOM - CONTINUOUS Where Owens desk is pressed up against the same wall as Leslies. There are notebooks and pens scattered across the desktop, but Owen quickly abandoned his homework in favor of listening to music on his iPod. The music is just noise, though, a distraction from the events of the day. Abruptly, Owen stops the music and pulls the headphones out of his ears. He grabs his backpack, opens the main pouch, takes the notebooks from his desk and stuffs them in the backpack. He then opens a smaller pouch, into which he stuffs the iPod and headphones. Out of the smaller pouch, Owen pulls a Ziploc bag with several joints in it. He studies it, then pulls open one of his desk drawers and tucks the Ziploc bag underneath it. He then pulls out a folded-up piece of notebook paper from his pocket -- the love letter that Leslie/A gave him. ANGLE ON: LOVE LETTER

Owens head blocks some of the letter, but what can be seen reads as follows: Natasha-You probably heard what happened with me and Josh, and I just want to say Im sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, but I did want to fight for you. You ON SCENE Owen folds up the note, places it in the drawer, and closes the drawer. The camera remains focused on the drawer as Owen walks out of frame. We hear the sounds of clothing being removed, and the room gets darker when the overhead light is turned off. We hear Owen climb into bed, and the room goes almost completely dark when Owen clicks off his bedside lamp. Some light from outside -- maybe a streetlight, maybe the moon - illuminates some of the room, including the closed drawer containing the note. END OF ACT.

ACT THREE FADE IN: INT. WONG HOUSE - LESLIES BEDROOM - NIGHT The room is dark except for some illumination from outside. Leslie/A sleeps comfortably in Leslies bed. ANGLE ON - LESLIES ALARM CLOCK The clock reads 11:59, then switches to 12:00. A whooshing sound, like a breeze rushing through a just-opened window, blows through the room. ESTABLISHING SHOT - JUSTINS APARTMENT - NEXT MORNING INT. JUSTINS APARTMENT - JUSTINS BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS A is now in the body of JUSTIN (no last name), male, 16. Justin is more boorish than your average teenager (which is saying something), but is otherwise a normal young man. Justins bedroom is messy, and decorations include posters of anarchical metal bands on the walls, and an amp paired with an electrical guitar that sports a handful of stickers. Unbidden by Justins alarm clock, Justin/A wakes up. His eyes pop open, and he inhales deeply through his nose, hoping to get some oxygen to his brain and get it going. He sits up. Justin/A is looking a little worse for wear, as a result of whatever Justin was doing last night: eyes puffy and red; hair a tangled mess; hoop earring still in; and wearing a ratty, rumpled t-shirt. Justin/A yawns, but it quickly turns into a phlegmy coughing fit. After a few rounds, Justin/A manages to inhale deeply to steady himself, followed by a few smaller breaths. When his breathing is finally under control: JUSTIN/A Good morning, Justin.

Justin/A gets out of bed, then heads to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM - MINUTES LATER Justin/A examines himself in the mirror, and frowns slightly, disapproving of Justins lack of self-care. He smacks his lips a few times in dislike of the taste in his mouth. He grabs a toothbrush, applies some water and toothpaste, and brushes. INT. JUSTINS ROOM - MINUTES LATER Justin/A returns, his hair damp and body wrapped in a towel. The shower has soothed some of last nights wear and tear, but not all. From the waist up, we see Justin/A give his hair a vigorous rub with the towel, then toss the towel on a pile of dirty clothes. He opens the top drawer of Justins dresser, looking for underwear. ANGLE ON - JUSTINS UNDERWEAR DRAWER Next to unkempt piles of underwear and socks and an open box of condoms is a pack of cigarettes. ON SCENE Justin/A pulls the pack of cigarettes out of the drawer, gives them a disappointed look, then grabs socks and underwear as well, and closes the drawer. INT. JUSTINS KITCHEN - MINUTES LATER The kitchen, as with the rest of Justins house, is run down. There are scuff marks on the cabinets (one of which is missing a handle), the countertops are about thirty years old, and dirty dishes form a mound in the sink. Justin/A drinks deeply from a cereal bowl, not so much eating his breakfast as inhaling it. He sets the bowl in the sink, gives it a spritz of water, the grabs his backpack from the kitchen floor and heads for the front door.

On his way out, Justin/A glances into the den. INT. JUSTINS HOUSE - DEN - CONTINUOUS Justins mother sits in a lounge chair. TV commercials can be heard, and although we cant see the TV, we can tell that shes watching the commercials, transfixed. A lit cigarette is in her hand. JUSTIN/A (in background) Bye mom. JUSTINS MOM (without looking) Shh! Justin/A leaves the apartment. EXT. APARTMENT PARKING LOT - MORNING From high above, we see Justin/A walk down the steps from his building to his car -- a used subcompact INT. JUSTINS CAR - CONTINUOUS And a beat-up used subcompact, at that. Cigarette butts fill the ashtray, trash is scattered about the back and passenger seats, there are a few tears and burn holes in the leather seats, and every glass and reflective surface is smudged to some degree. Justin/A starts the car. Almost immediately, he is assaulted by heavy metal music at high volume. He jerks his head back in surprise and discomfort, and fumbles around until he manages to turn the volume to a more civilized level. His ears no longer being assaulted, Justin/A tunes the radio until he lands on something a bit more sedate: the local NPR affiliate.

Now comfortable in his command over the car, Justin/A attempts to clean the windshield. He pulls the appropriate lever, but no washer fluid emerges. The wipers struggle and squeak across the dry windshield, only serving to smudge it further. Justin/A sighs, turns off the wipers, and backs out of his spot. EXT. APARTMENT PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS From above, we see Justins car back out of his spot and pull out of the parking lot. EXT. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT LOT - FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER Justin/A, cigarette in mouth, steps out of his car and slams the door behind him. As he walks toward the front of the school, he lights the cigarette, his stride slowing just a bit. Once the cig is lit, he resumes his original pace. A (VO) If I had the choice, I cant imagine Id start smoking. I just seems so... inconvenient. The smell, the cost, the dirty looks from women when a secondhand cloud floats within a city block of their toddler. And, you know, lung cancer and such. Justin/A reaches the smoking area in front of the school, settles on a picnic table, and takes in his surroundings, taking the occasional drag off the cigarette. A (VO)(CONTD) But when Im a smoker for the day, I cant imagine not smoking. Its only happened a few times, but the itch is awful, like someone running a finger down your spine while they hold a match to the back of your neck. (MORE)

A (VO)(CONTD) For one day, nicotine fumes beat that, hands down. God help me if I ever show up in someone trying to quit. A FEMALE FIGURE enters the frame, but we only see her from behind, from about the middle of her back to her knees. Shes wearing a light jacket and jeans, and her hair comes to just above the bottom of her backpack. Justin/A doesnt yet notice her, as shes standing just outside his periphery. He takes another drag. FEMALE FIGURE (OS) Hey. Justin/A startles, and looks at the speaker. We now see the female figure from the front. It is RHIANNON, 16 -- Justins girlfriend. She is hesitant, nervous. A (VO) This is Rhiannon, and I can tell without accessing that she is Justins girlfriend. No one else would be so plainly vulnerable around him. Justin/A takes her in for a long moment, aware that he is staring -- and that hot his mouth. He removes the cigarette from exhales the smoke, careful to do it away back to her. A/JUSTIN Hey. Rhiannon gives him a meek smile, as though she dare not hope for any more warmth between them. She looks down at the ground, digging a shallow hole in the dirt by wiggling the toe of one of her Converse back and forth. Justin/A looks down at her shoes as well. until he becomes smoke is still in his mouth and from her. He turns

ANGLE ON - RHIANNONS SHOES Rhiannon has drawn a cityscape on the white rubber sides of her shoes, each drawing encircling its shoe entirely. Tall skyscrapers are drawn near the toe, a residential stretch ducking under the shoelaces (which have been left carefully marker-free), a stretch of highway going along the back of the arch, culminating in a factory with smokestacks at the heel. ON SCENE Justin/A cocks his head, as if trying to make out any details Rhiannon included in her work. Rhiannon notices him looking, and stops her toe-digging. Justin/A notices Rhiannon noticing him looking, and he looks away, embarrassed and fearful that he has broken some unspoken contract between them. Rhiannon quickly takes a seat next to him, placing her backpack on the ground in such a way that he can no longer see her shoes. She is also embarrassed, and looks away from Justin/A, hunching her shoulders. Justin/A is curious. He was the one staring, not her -- why is she embarrassed? JUSTIN/A Are you okay? Rhiannon looks at him, seemingly puzzled by the question. She studies him, trying to determine if theres a catch. RHIANNON (flatly) Sure. They look away. An awkward silence. Then Rhiannon looks back. RHIANNON (CONTD) Are you mad at me?

Unable to help himself, Justin/A laughs in surprise and relief; he was sure that she was the one who was mad. Quickly, though perhaps not quickly enough, he realizes that laughter is probably an inappropriate response to that question. He sobers up, and gives her what he hopes she well understand is a sincere response. JUSTIN/A No. Im not mad at you at all. The edge is softened, but still there; she doesnt quite believe him. RHIANNON (tentatively) Do you still want to get lunch today? A good question. Justin/A takes a breath, wondering what the correct response is. A (VO) I should say no. I should avoid any risk there might be of my carelessness disrupting the balance between them that is already perched on a knifes edge. Rhiannon dare not plead out loud, but her eyes desperately want him to say yes. Justin/A smiles at her. A/JUSTIN Sure. Lunch sounds good. Rhiannon smiles back at him, as broadly as she is comfortable doing so around him. They lock eyes for a moment, until Rhiannon breaks to avoid confronting Justin with too much emotion. She puts her hand between her knees, where they are safe and comfortable, and stares into the distance bearing a hint of a smile -- her boyfriend is definitely not mad at her.

A (VO) But I cant help it. I see this girl with cities on her shoes, and I want to learn everything about her. I want to give her an afternoon with her boyfriend where she need not be guarded. I want to be in love with her, just for one day. The bell rings -- time for first period. Rhiannon gives Justin/A a loving glance and a light squeeze on the hand, then departs. Justin/A takes one last puff of his cigarette, tosses it on the ground, extinguishes it with his foot, and heads to class. INT. CLASSROOM - MID-MORNING Justin/A is at his desk as a BIOLOGY TEACHER presents a lesson on cellular mitosis. The overhead lights are off, but whatever teaching aid is being used gives off enough light for Justin/A to write in his notebook with one hand, while his other hand holds a spot in a closed textbook. BIO TEACHER (OS) Justin? Justin/A, either lost in another world, or perhaps forgetting that his name is Justin today -- or both -doesnt respond. BIO TEACHER (OS) (louder) Justin? Justin/A looks up this time. He opens the textbook to the saved spot, lamely pretending he had been paying attention. The teacher is at the overhead projector, dry-erase marker in hand, having stopped his lecture to deal with this young man who isnt paying attention.

BIO TEACHER Could you explain mitosis to us, please? JUSTIN/A Uhh... A (VO) Afraid I havent learned this one yet. JUSTIN/A No. The teacher sighs and caps her pen. BIO TEACHER Alright folks, clear your desks. Time for a pop quiz. General moans from the class. ANGLE ON - JUSTIN/AS DESK We see Justin/As hands remove the textbook from the desk, the notebook temporarily forgotten as the textbook gets stowed in his backpack. BIO TEACHER (OS) You can all thank Mr. Sumner for this one. The lights come on and we can see what Justin/A has written in his notebook: Shakespeares 19th sonnet. The follows lines are clearly visible -And do whate'er thou wilt, swift-footed Time, To the wide world and all her fading sweets; But I forbid thee one most heinous crime: O! carve not with thy hours my love's fair brow -- until Justin/A removes the notebook from the desk as well.

INT. HALLWAY - LUNCH Justin/A wanders the school, looking for Rhiannon. He turns a corner and sees her at the opposite end of the hallway. She sees him immediately -- she was expecting him to come this way -- and rushes to him, wanting to make the most of this rare time he has granted her. She is next to him, and smiles. RHIANNON Hey. JUSTIN/A Hey. They stand there. Rhiannon is waiting for Justin to take the lead, as usual, and Justin/A eventually picks up on this. JUSTIN/A You ready? RHIANNON Mm-hmm. They walk toward the cafeteria side-by-side. Rhiannon steals the occasional glance at Justin/A, but she makes no attempt to touch him and wears only half a smile, as her past with Justin has trained her to never fully be herself. Justin/A catches her during one of these glances, and she quickly looks away. Justin/A takes her hand and stops walking. He turns to her. JUSTIN/A Lets go somewhere. She stops as well, and turns at the question. She eyes him, suspicious. JUSTIN/A (CONTD) Where do you want to go? Rhiannon laughs.

RHIANNON I want to go to lunch. She turns away, but he pulls her back. JUSTIN/A No, lets go somewhere else. She studies his face, and doesnt respond. JUSTIN/A (CONTD) Anywhere you want. He gives her a smile. She still doesnt believe him, but her growing grin says shes starting to. He raises his eyebrows mischievously, coaxing her. Finally she gives in, and smiles broadly. RHIANNON Lets go to the ocean. Justin/As eyes light up, and he starts jogging for the exit, Rhiannons hand still firmly in his. She jogs just behind him. INT. JUSTINS CAR - MINUTES LATER Justin/A and Rhiannon are headed down the highway to the ocean, but Rhiannon still hasnt let her guard down. She is enjoying herself, smiling demurely as she gazes out the window, but she still isnt being herself. Justin/A notices. JUSTIN/A Wanna put on some music? Rhiannon returns from her reverie and turns on the radio. She listen to NPR long enough to register that its not Justins favorite station, to which she promptly tunes in.

It plays the same heavy metal as when Justin/A started the car that morning. A/JUSTIN Ugh, no, change it. At this, Rhiannon is surprised, but not enough to stop her from finding something she enjoys. She settles on an indie rock station. When the song reaches the chorus, A/Justin sings along for several bars until Rhiannon, who has crossed from surprised into suspicious, turns off the radio. JUSTIN/A (CONTD) What? RHIANNON What has gotten into you? JUSTIN/A (shrugs) Music. Rhiannon gives a skeptical snort. Justin/A grins; he too appreciates how ridiculous that sounds. JUSTIN/A (CONTD) Really. Rhiannon stares, studying him. JUSTIN/A (CONTD) (encouraging) Come on. He turns the radio back on, and the same song has reached another chorus. He sings along, so earnestly that Rhiannon cant help but be won over. She shakes her head and smiles, and eventually joins in the singing as well. When she does, Justin/A turns up the radio and they both sing at the top of their lungs. The song ends and the DJ comes on, delivering a pitch for an upcoming music event. Rhiannon turns down the radio and rolls down the window.

A (VO) I want to give her one good day. Rhiannon sticks her hand out the window, making it swim and dive in the wind. Justin/A smiles to himself -- She is having a good day. EXT. BEACH - EARLY AFTERNOON The beach from above. The sound of a car parking, two doors opening, and two doors closing. A few seconds of stillness, then Rhiannon runs barefoot toward the ocean. She slows down, turns, and yells for Justin/A to hurry up. She takes off again, and Justin/A runs after her moments later, also barefoot. Rhiannon is ankle-deep in the ocean by the time Justin/A gets there. She splashes him as he enters, and after he recovers he splashes her back. The two laugh and holler as the splash fight continues. EXT. BEACH - SUNSET Rhiannon and A/Justin lay on the blanket, watching the clouds. RHIANNON We should do this every week. JUSTIN/A Nah, only once. Keeps it special. RHIANNON (turning to him) Never again? JUSTIN/A (turning to her) Well, never say never. RHIANNON (turning skyward) Id never say never.

A beat. Rhiannon gives a contented sigh. RHIANNON (CONTD) This has to be one of the best days ever. A/Justin props his head up on his elbow to look at her. JUSTIN/A Whats it up against? She looks at him. RHIANNON What? JUSTIN/A Well, if its only one of the best days, I wanna hear what the others are. RHIANNON Come on. JUSTIN/A (mock indignant) No, really. I wanna know that first day that comes to your head that beats this. She considers. RHIANNON No, its stupid. JUSTIN/A Hey, you dug this hole, get yourself out of it. She sighs, playfully irritated at his mocking of her discomfort. RHIANNON Promise you wont laugh? JUSTIN/A Promise.

Rhiannon takes a deep breath. RHIANNON In fourth grade, my church held a fundraiser for... hurricane victims or something, and they were doing a mother-daughter fashion show, so I signed us up-except my mom didnt know until I told her at home. She was pissed. I mean, you know her, even going grocery shopping makes her uncomfortable. But she wouldnt take us off the list because, you know, church fundraiser. So were driving there the day of, and I knew she was really nervous because she had the radio on, but she wasnt singing, she was just staring out the windshield, and her lips were really tight. We get there and shes still not saying anything, but when we walk in theres this woman checking everybody in, and she looks at my mom and says oh, we have something that would look great on you. She leads us back to these dressing rooms they had set, and they had, like, twenty racks of clothes, and she said I could try on whatever I wanted. So I immediately go try on the gowns, and this lady stays with my mom and hands her a bunch of outfits to try on, and every time my mom comes out of the changing room the lady would say things like, oh, that dress goes great with your eyes, and her smile was so warm that we knew she meant every word. So its our turn on the runway, and I go first, and I walk in a way that I thought was how a model did it but probably made me look like a (MORE)

RHIANNON (CONTD) flamingo. But of course everyone clapped and cheered and I curtsied, and then it was moms turn. She stood at the top of the runway, and it was the prettiest I had ever seen her. I mean, some of it was the makeup, but I think it was her smile. She was still nervous, but you couldnt tell from the way she owned that runway. She was beaming, she was waving, she even did a little turn-and-kick at the end of the runway, and everyone loved it. All the other moms came up after the show and told us how great we were, and the whole way home mom kept how proud she was of me and how glad she was that we decided to do it. Everything went back to normal in about a week, but that day still feels so special because it was such a great break from everything...like today. She looks at Justin/A. RHIANNON (CONTD) What about you? JUSTIN/A Hmmm... No, Ive never done a mother-daughter fashion show. RHIANNON Ass. She uses her feet to try and shove Justin/A off the blanket. JUSTIN/A Ah, ow! Okay, okay! He thinks.

A (VO) Caution dictates I should give her something of Justins. But caution left hours ago. JUSTIN/A In fifth grade, me and a bunch of my friends were playing hide-andseek in the woods, and not go-dosomething-constructive-so-mommycan-get-work-done hide-and-seek, but I-hope-youre-comfortable-inthat-bush-because-you-might-bethere-all-day hide-and-seek. So I was looking for a hiding spot and I decided that I wanted to climb a tree, because I had never climbed a tree before and it seemed like fun. I found one that had a branch I could reach and I started going up, and I didnt look down until I got about ten feet off the ground, which was a mistake because I got so scared I almost fell. So Im clinging to the trunk and I refuse to go down because that would involve looking down again, and then I stare at a branch just above my head and I think, its just a little higher. I climb up to that branch, and Im a little less scared, and I see another one. So I climb up to that one, and I get even less scared, and I see another one. And I just keep going, and I dont stop until I cant find a branch to support me, which is when I finally decide to see where I am. I look around, and all I can see is the tops of trees. It wasnt even scary, it just felt so peaceful staring out over all that green. I could still hear my friends playing, but it was like they (MORE)

JUSTIN/A (CONTD) were a part of some insignificant world that I had left behind a long time ago. I had found something that no one else would ever get to see, something uniquely mine that would always be a part of me... still gives me chills thinking about it. RHIANNON Thats amazing. JUSTIN/A Yeah, it was. Silence. They bask in the pleasant glow of As story. RHIANNON You wanna know another day like this one? JUSTIN/A Of course. RHIANNON Our second date. JUSTIN/A Really? RHIANNON Yeah. And not just because we had sex for the first time. I mean, it was great, dont get me wrong, but I felt like we were connected that night, like we had stopped time just so we could spend the whole night alone together. And you kept staring at me until I blushed, and when I asked why you said, I love how your skin glows in the moonlight. Justin/A glances at the moon, then back at her skin.

JUSTIN/A (smiling, sincere) It still does. She smiles back. They share a kiss, then she becomes his little spoon. He embraces her tightly. A (VO) What is it about the moment you fall in love? INT. JUSTINS CAR - NIGHT Justin/A drives home from the beach. He glances over to the passenger seat. Rhiannon is fast asleep, peaceful in her slumber. Underneath the following voiceover, Justin/A shows no expression other than that of a young man who is deeply, purely in love. A (VO)(CONTD) The moment you fall in love doesnt just feel good, or right. It feels like no other outcome ever existed for your life. It feels like every prior moment in history had to happen exactly as it did in order to bring you here. In your heart, no matter how absurd you know it is, you feel that everything has been leading to this, all the secret arrows were pointing here, the universe and time itself crafted this long ago, and you are just now realizing it, you are just now arriving at the place you were always meant to be.

EXT. RHIANNONS HOUSE - NIGHT Justins car pulls into Rhiannons driveway and parks. Justin/A and Rhiannon get out of the car, and he walks her to the front door of her house. At the front step, Rhiannon unsuccessfully tries to hold back a yawn. RHIANNON Wanna hang out after school tomorrow? JUSTIN/A Well see. I do want to, but I dont know what else is going on. Rhiannon is dismayed, but understanding of Justin/As response. Justin/A notices, and tries to comfort her. JUSTIN/A (CONTD) Lets not worry about tomorrow-lets end today on a nice note. RHIANNON (smiling) Okay. They kiss. RHIANNON (CONTD) Thank you for today. No matter what trouble we get in, it was worth it. JUSTIN/A (smiling back) Yeah. RHIANNON I love you. For a fraction of a second, A wants to say I love you back--but he cant, not as Justin. Instead, he kisses her on the cheek.

JUSTIN/A Sleep well. Rhiannon is much less understanding of this response, and cannot hide her disappointment despite her best efforts. She gives Justin/A a conciliatory smile. RHIANNON You too. She goes inside the house. Justin/A gives a soft, frustrated sigh at having ended the evening like this, and returns to the car. INT. JUSTINS CAR - CONTINUOUS Justin/A puts the keys in the ignition, but before he drives away he takes a moment to reflect on the position that he, and Rhiannon by extension, have been thrust into. He rubs the tension from his face, and then starts the car and heads home. INT. JUSTINS APARTMENT - FRONT DOOR - NIGHT The flickering glow of the television casts light on the front door, and we can hear David Letterman reciting that nights Top Ten list. The door cracks open quietly, and Justin/A pokes his head in to survey the scene. INT. JUSTINS APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS Justins mom is passed out in her chair in front of The Late Show, snoring. INT. JUSTINS APARTMENT - FRONT DOOR - CONTINUOUS Justin/A enters the apartment, being careful that his backpack doesnt make too much noise. He closes the door softly, and walks quietly to his bedroom.

INT. JUSTINS BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS Justin/A turns on a light, tosses his keys on his desk, sets his backpack on the floor, and takes off his shoes. A (VO) Ive only let myself fall in love once -- or at least, what I thought was love. Justin/A sits at the desk and opens Justins computer. He navigates to an email account and begins writing a new message. We dont get to see what he types, but whatever it is, it is typed with great efficiency and purpose. A (VO)(CONTD) It seems pretty foolish now, since looking back it wasnt much more than words. Intense, heartfelt words, but still words. After several sentences, he leans back and puts his hands on his head, as if trying to think of what to type next. After a few moments, he pulls out Justins phone and finds something it contains. He studies this information for several moments, committing it to memory, then returns to typing. A (VO)(CONTD) But what I didnt realize until tonight is what separates true love from all other emotions isnt understanding how you feel about the other person. Justin/A puts the finishing touches on the email, sends it, and then shuts down Justins computer. He stands and stretches. A (VO)(CONTD) Its understanding how they feel about you, and knowing that you have a responsibility to respect that feeling, no matter what it may be.

Justin/A peels off clothes and tosses them into a pile until he is down to a t-shirt and underwear. A (VO)(CONTD) I love her with all my heart, and I hope shes able to love me back. But if shes not, whoever she does love had damn well better appreciate it. Justin/A lays back on Justins bed -- above the covers, hands behind his head, and he is immediately deep in thought. After a moment, he gets up and returns to the desk. He sits in the desk chair and pulls a notebook out of his backpack. He flips to a page with room to write, finds a pen on the desk, and writes one short sentence. ANGLE ON - NOTEBOOK In the notebook, Justin/A has written I love Rhiannon. ON SCENE Justin/A lays the pen on the open notebook and returns to the bed, assuming the same position as before. A (VO)(CONTD) I doubt anything will change, or if hell even remember writing it. But maybe... maybe. Justin/A reflects for a while longer before turning off the light. He lays in the same position, but in the moonlight coming through his window, we notice one minor change: a contented smile creeps onto his face. He inhales deeply through his nose, then exhales in a large, satisfying sigh. Today was the best day hes had in a long time. He turns his head to look at the bedside clock.

ANGLE ON - BEDSIDE CLOCK The digital clock reads 11:53. ON SCENE Justin/A returns to staring at the ceiling, and the moonlight lets us witness another change. As he reflects further on his day, the smile slowly fades to a neutral expression, when eventually gives way to sadness. The clock has reminded him of what he has been able to ignore all day: His life will never let Rhiannon be in love with him again. This reality is overwhelming. Justin/A cannot contain himself and begins to sob. His hands cover his face, and tears pour down his cheeks. Sadness flows out of him uncontrollably, and his chest shudders with the agonizing breathing pattern that goes hand-in-hand with a deep, vulnerable cry. Eventually he rolls over so he can use the pillow to muffle his anguished moans, not wanting to alert Justins mother. When the sobbing has abated, Justin/A rolls onto his side, vocalizing a single thought as tears continue to flow. JUSTIN/A Please let me stay... please let me stay... please let me stay... Justin/A repeats this over and over like a chant, a magic spell that will break the curse of his life and let him be with Rhiannon forever. He rocks back and forth slightly, and the camera stays on his tortured face until: ANGLE ON - BEDSIDE CAMERA The clock changes to 12:00. ON SCENE A is ripped from Justins body, and travels via whatever extradimensional method allows him to leap from one person to another every twenty-four hours.

INT. AMY MANGANOS BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS A is now in the body of AMY MANGANO, 16, a gaunt-looking girl with long, straight black hair. Amy/A is jolted awake, and arches her back and screams in sudden, intense pain, before collapsing back onto the bed. With great physical discomfort now added to his emotional anguish, A begins sobbing again, the only difference being that he is now in a body that is far, far away from the boy that Rhiannon loves. FADE TO BLACK. END OF SHOW.

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