Elle Page #17

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Michelle wearily heads upstairs. As she passes the guestbedroom, she does a double-take. There’s a MALE FORM, fullyclothed, lying on top of the covers. It takes her a moment torealize who it is.

MICHELLE:

Vincent?

The young man wakes, groggily.

VINCENT:

Mom... hey?

MICHELLE:

What are you doing? How long haveyou been here?

VINCENT:

Huh? ...Um, a while I guess. Josiekicked me out.

MICHELLE:

(with mixed feelings)

What happened?

VINCENT:

I don’t know.

MICHELLE:

You must know. She must have had a

reason, however demented.

VINCENT:

She had a reason. I lost my job.

MICHELLE:

Lost...?

VINCENT:

I resigned.

MICHELLE:

You resigned?

VINCENT:

I had to. My car broke down.

MICHELLE:

You resigned from McDonald’sbecause your car broke down?

92.

A sound startles and chills Michelle. A BABY’S CRYING.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

You brought the baby here?!!

Michelle now discovers the baby hidden behind pillows placedto keep him from rolling off the bed.

VINCENT:

I had to!

MICHELLE:

Why did you have to?

Vincent picks up the baby.

VINCENT:

She was talking about going back toAmerica and taking Lucien with her.

I could tell she meant it!

Michelle shakes her head, taking it all in, as Vincentclumsily shoves a bottle in the baby’s mouth.

MICHELLE:

I can’t believe I’m saying this butcan’t you see Josie had a right to

be angry? You have responsibilities-

including a new apartment - and youquit your job?

VINCENT:

You say it just like her. Like itwas just despicable. It was maybestupid but it wasn’t despicable.

Michelle looks struck by that. She softens.

MICHELLE:

Vincent, you have to take him back,

right now. You’re not married. Thiscould be considered kidnapping.

VINCENT:

Kidnapping? He’s my son!

(off her look)

HE’S MY SON!

MICHELLE:

Alright...

VINCENT:

Not “alright”...

93.

There’s a FURIOUS KNOCKING downstairs.

MICHELLE:

(sarcastically)

Who could that be?

She turns and heads down the stairs. She opens the front doorand Josie bursts in, moving right past Michelle.

JOSIE:

Where is he?

Vincent appears on the stairs. Michelle watches anxiously asJosie goes up the stairs toward him, tearing into him...

JOSIE (CONT’D)

Where’s my baby?

(not giving him a chance

to answer)

Where’s my baby?!! Is he alright?

What did you do to him?

VINCENT:

(confused)

What did I do to her?

JOSIE:

I wouldn’t trust you to take careof a hamster! F***ing idiot.

Where’s my baby?!! Give him to meright f***ing now! Now!

The baby’s cry alerts her to his location. She passes Vincenton the stairs. He grabs her wrist. Josie wheels on him.

JOSIE (CONT’D)

Get your hand off me. Get your handoff me, Get your hand off me...

MICHELLE:

Vincent! Let her go.

He doesn't immediately. A moment of unbearable suspense:

Vincent looks ready to hit her... before he finally does lether go. She charges upstairs. He starts to go after her.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

Let her go.

Vincent looks at his mother like a helpless child. The baby’sCRYING stops. A moment later, Josie reappears, coming down

the stairs, bouncing the baby in her arms.

94.

VINCENT:

Josie...

MICHELLE:

Vincent, be quiet.

Josie walks right past him, to the front door. She stops.

JOSIE:

I had to take the RER here.

Vincent starts plumbing his pockets. He’s not finding anychange. Michelle crosses to her purse, takes out a twenty.

She brings it to Josie, who glares at Vincent one last time

and exits. Vincent’s eyes fill with tears. He tries to hideit. Michelle goes to him. Looking at him, something occurs toher.

MICHELLE:

It was always about the baby,

wasn’t it? He’s what you were in itfor.

Vincent looks up, like his guilty secret had been found out.

VINCENT:

I could be a good father, I know it.

Michelle touches his arm, tentative but tender.

MICHELLE:

I’ll make mostaccioli for dinner.

124 INT. NATURALIA -- EVENING 124

Michelle browses. Vincent approaches with a bag of chips.

MICHELLE:

Those are so full of salt.

Vincent looks disappointed, goes to put them back. Michellepushes the cart around a corner. Just as she’s selecting atomato sauce, she hears Vincent talking to someone in theaisle just vacated. She backs up to look. It’s Patrick.

Vincent’s talking with him, like they were old friends.

Seeing Michelle, Patrick’s smile tenses up a little.

PATRICK:

Michelle, hey. How’s your knee?

MICHELLE:

How’s your hand?

95.

He glances self-consciously at the bandage on his hand. Moreuncomfortable now. He shrugs, not knowing what to say.

VINCENT:

We were just talking about whetherit matters if a chocolate chipcookie comes from Lithuania. I sayit does.

PATRICK:

I’m skeptical, I guess.

MICHELLE:

I’m withholding judgement.

Michelle moves down the aisle, stopping right in front ofPatrick. He wonders what she’s going to say. She reaches pasthim to take down a can of sauce. This makes him smile.

Feeling more confident now-

PATRICK:

Vincent says you guys haven’teaten... Rebecca took off on a road

trip with her parents and left mewith like a metric ton of LasagnaI’ll never eat by myself.

(gestures with wine)

I was getting this to go with it.

VINCENT:

Sounds good to me.

Michelle looks at Vincent, back at Patrick. She smiles. Sure.

125 INT. PATRICK’S HOUSE -- NIGHT 125

Michelle, Patrick and Vincent sit around a table, eatingpasta. The wine is flowing.

MICHELLE:

Where did Rebecca and her parentsgo?

PATRICK:

They went to see the Pope inSantiago de Compostella. They’redriving. Insane if you ask me.

MICHELLE:

The Le Quesnoy Family.

96.

VINCENT:

The Pope’s going to give mass at

the cathedral. I have a hard time

imagining him barefoot. It’s so

weird to think he’s, like, a real

person, with feet.

Patrick and Michelle both chuckle. Vincent grins big, thewine already having an effect. He reaches for the bottle.

MICHELLE:

Careful there, sport.

Vincent gives an “aw, mom” look, fills his glass.

126 INT. PATRICK’S HOUSE - DEN -- LATER 126

Patrick brings in coffee. Vincent’s stretched out asleep onthe sofa.

PATRICK:

He’s out.

MICHELLE:

His eyes were bigger than his

liver.

Patrick smiles, sits down. Michelle takes off her shoes. He

watches her flex her bare feet.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

The floor’s warm.

PATRICK:

It’s a wood boiler. I installed it

myself.

MICHELLE:

Sounds like a job.

PATRICK:

It was. It holds fifty liters.

Works by inverted flame combustion.

MICHELLE:

Inverted flame combustion? That

sounds like a made-up thing.

PATRICK:

Finally, something you don’t know.

She grins. He watches her. She sees the way he’s watching.

Finally, as if it were some wild gambit, he adds-

97.

PATRICK (CONT’D)

It’s in the basement.

MICHELLE:

Of course it is.

PATRICK:

Would you like to see it?

A challenge. A dare.

MICHELLE:

Yes.

127 INT. PATRICK’S HOUSE - HALL -- MOMENTS LATER 127

Michelle follows Patrick to the basement doorway. He opensit, stands aside for her to down first. She hesitates. The

wood boiler ROARS down there. The steps leading down are litonly by the flicker of its hellish firelight. Michelle looks

at him and takes the first step down.

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