Happiness Page #8

DIANE:

Anyway, if you ever need someone

to talk to, I want you to know.

I'm here. And I care.

JOHNNY'S POV OF JOE: pulling out of the driveway. Off to

work.

70.INT. JOHNNY'S HOME - MORNING.70.

Pulling up his pajama pants, JOHNNY rises from the toilet

and turns to look at the bowl.

He leaves the bathroom without flushing the toilet.

He walks into his parents' bedroom. BETTY is walking around

naked, getting dressed.

JOHNNY:

Mom?

BETTY:

Yeah?

JOHNNY:

There's blood in my BM.

(BETTY freezes.)

Can I stay home from school today?

71.INT. JOHNNY'S HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY.71.

A DETECTIVE is gently interrogating JOHNNY. BETTY sits

beside him. JOE paces. A NURSE adjusts things. A DOCTOR

examines charts. A POLICEMAN stands by the door.

DETECTIVE:

How are you feeling?

JOHNNY:

Okay.

DETECTIVE:

You sure?

JOHNNY:

Yeah. I feel fine. Maybe a little sore.

But I'm ready to go back to school.

DETECTIVE:

Good! Now, Johnny. I have to

ask you a few questions. Is that okay?

JOHNNY:

Yeah.

DETECTIVE:

Good. Now then. When did you first

start feeling sick?

JOHNNY:

Yesterday.

DETECTIVE:

What happened?

JOHNNY:

I threw up at my friend's house.

BETTY:

Johnny spent the night there.

I thought he just had a little virus.

DETECTIVE:

Did you eat anything unusual?

JOHNNY:

No. Just a tuna sandwich.

BETTY:

He loves tuna salad.

DETECTIVE:

I see. And when did you first

notice the blood?

JOHNNY:

When I went to the bathroom this morning.

DETECTIVE:

Now tell me � and it is very

important that you be honest�

BETTY:

Don't be afraid, Baby.

I'm right here with you.

Daddy's not going to touch you.

DETECTIVE:

Is there anyone in the last

day or two who�hurt you?

JOHNNY:

(a beat.)

I don't think so.

DETECTIVE:

But someone did�hurt you. No?

JOHNNY:

(looks at JOE, then

back to the DETECTIVE)

No. No one hurt me.

JOE:

Whadya mean no?!

You've been f***ing raped!!

A stunned silence. JOE hangs his head.

JOE:

Sorry.

Pause.

BETTY:

Would you like me to fix you

a tuna salad sandwich?

JOHNNY:

Okay.

72.INT. MAPLEWOOD HOME - EVENING. 72.

The family is at the dinner table.

TRISH:

More potatoes, Bill?

BILL:

Oh, no thanks. Mmm, I've got plenty.

TRISH:

The babysitter should be here

any minute now.

BILL:

When does the PTA start?

TRISH:

We've still got half an hour.

BILL:

(to BILLY)

So how was school today?

BILLY:

Okay.

BILL:

Was Johnny there?

BILLY:

No.

TRISH:

I just hope none of you kids

catch what he's got.

TIMMY tries amusing everyone by pretending to throw up his

potatoes.

TRISH:

Very funny, Timmy. And now you are

excused and can go right to bed.

TIMMY:

But Mom�!

TRISH:

Excuse me, Bill.

But then the phone rings. TRISH lets go of TIMMY, answers

it.

TRISH:

Hello?� Yes, is there a problem

Tawny?� Well, thank you for giving

me so much notice� Yes, well, I'm

sorry, too. You should have

thought of that earlier. Good-bye.

TRISH hangs up, returns to the table.

TRISH:

Bill, you're going to have to

go yourself tonight.

BILL:

Isn't there anyone else you can get?

TRISH:

Not at this late hour.

TRISH sees the mess TIMMY has been making with his potatoes

and takes him away.

TRISH:

(to TIMMY)

Now you can come with me and take a bath.

TIMMY:

But I'm not finished!

TRISH and TIMMY continue to argue o.s.

BILLY:

Dad? If you and Mom died in a place crash,

would it be alright f I took over?

BILL:

Well, probably one of your

aunts would want to help out.

BILLY:

So you don't think I'm old enough

to take care of myself and

Timmy and Chloe.

BILL:

Well, no.

BILLY:

Ronald Farber's parents are away in

Europe for a few days, and he's

staying home alone without a babysitter.

Why do I need a babysitter?

BILL:

Well, if you want to change Chloe's

diapers�

BILLY:

If I didn't have any little brother

or sister, would you let me stay

alone by myself for a few days?

BILL:

Your Mom and I are not Mr. and Mrs.

Farber. We worry. So no.

BILLY:

What if I were 12?

BILL:

No.

BILLY:

13.

BILL:

(a beat.)

At 13, I think you'll be okay.

BILLY:

Can you promise?

BILL:

As long as you don't still

look like you're 11.

BILLY:

I won't.

BILL:

Okay. At 13, then.

73.EXT. MAPLEWOOD HOME - NIGHT.73.

BILL backs out of the garage and comes to the end of the

driveway.

74.INT. BILL'S CAR - NIGHT.74.

BILL looks tense as he pauses before the intersection. He

picks up his car phone and dials information.

BILL:

Hello, in Roseland, please.

I'm looking for the address of

a resident. The name is Farber�

12 Angel Court?� Thank you.

He hangs up. A sigh. Suddenly the phone rings. He answers

it.

BILL:

Hello?

75.INT. MAPLEWOOD HOME - NIGHT.75.

TRISH is on the phone in the kitchen, cleaning up. CHLOE in

the b.g.

TRISH:

Hi, hon. It's me. Listen, I forgot to

ask if you could pick up a half-gallon

of skim milk on your way back

from the meeting.

BACK TO BILL:

On his car phone.

BILL:

Sure thing.

TRISH (O.S.)

Thanks! Love ya!

BILL:

Love ya!

He hangs up. Pause. He steps on thegas.

76.EXT. STREET - NIGHT.76.

BILL's car moves on, joining the traffic.

77.EXT. SCHOOL - NIGHT.77.

The parking lot is busy. BILL's car approaches, pauses.

BILL'S POV of people parking and walking inside the school.

Chatter is audible. Someone waves hello at him in passing.

78.INT. BILL'S CAR - NIGHT.78.

BILL is suffering. But finally he decides to move on.

79.EXT. STREET CORNER - NIGHT.79.

A Street sign reads, ANGEL COURT. Bill's car nears and

turns, slowly.

80.EXT. FARBER HOME - NIGHT.80.

A modern expensive house of the sort that, in this

neighborhood, makes an architectural "statement." The

number 12 is illuminated over the front door, as is a plaque

reading, The Farbers.

RONALD's silhouette can be faintly seen watching TV.

Bill's car pauses in front, then parks further down the

block.

80.INT. BILL'S CAR - NIGHT.80.

BILL sits, numb.

He pulls out from his pocket a handkerchief and a dark

little unlabeled bottle filled with some liquid.

He looks at the car clock.

Finally, he opens his door.

81.EXT. FARBER HOME - NIGHT.81.

BILL sneaks over to the side of the house and looks through

the window.

82.INT. FARBER HOME - NIGHT.82.

RONALD is lounging on the sofa, still watching TV. He

snacks on some chips.

BILL slides into the house through a kitchen window.

He tiptoes to a corner round which he can see the back of

RONALD's sofa, across the room.

The phone rings. BILL freezes. RONALD answers it.

RONALD:

Hello?� Oh, hey, how's it going?�

No, Billy Maplewood's selling me his�

Five bucks, big deal� Yeah, I know,

but Grasshole can't stay absent

forever. He'll probably show up

tomorrow� Yeah, he knows he's got it

coming, he knows� Oh, okay. Yeah�Bye.

BILL pours the bottled liquid onto the handkerchief.

He pounces on the victim. Within moments, RONALD succumbs,

unaware of his assailant's identity.

BILL looks around: the TV is still on; otherwise, silence.

He looks at RONALD, looks away.

FADE TO BLACK.

83.INT. 7�11 - NIGHT.83.

BILL buys a half-gallon of milk. He sees ALLEN riffling

through some porn at the magazine rack, but slips out of the

store unnoticed.

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