Pariah Page #7

39.

(to Sharonda)

Sharonda! You done?!

Alike spins into the living room defeated.

SHARONDA (O.S.)

Coming!

AUDREY:

You coming with us?

ARTHUR:

Nope. Sleep.

AUDREY:

We could go to a later service. The

one o’clock-

ARTHUR:

I said NO!!

Arthur slams his fork on the plate. Audrey flinches. Alike

looks up. Sharonda appears in the doorway, looking from

Audrey to Arthur.

SHARONDA:

I’m ready.

Arthur pushes up from the table.

ARTHUR:

Alike, you look beautiful.

Everybody looks beautiful, okay?

Arthur disappears into the bedroom. Alike snatches up her

bible and launches out the door, Sharonda follows. Audrey

pulls on her sunglasses and hat and slams the door behind

her.

34 EXT. CHURCH - DAY 34

Alike sits in the passenger seat of the car as Audrey chit

chats with other churchgoers. Sharonda sits in the back

seat, flipping through a CD case and occasionally passing

CD’s to Alike to play. Alike faces stonily forward except to

cast impatient glances in Audrey’s direction. Audrey raps on

the window.

AUDREY:

Lee! Lee! Here’s someone I want you

to meet.

Alike cracks the window an inch.

40.

ALIKE:

Huh?

Audrey motions to Bina standing by with her mother, Ms.

Singletary. Alike cracks the window a little wider and

acknowledges them with a half-hearted wave.

ALIKE (CONT'D)

Oh. Hey.

AUDREY:

Get down out the car and come

speak.

Laboriously, Alike rolls the window back up, turns off the

car radio, and climbs down out of the car.

AUDREY (CONT'D)

What’s wrong with you?

ALIKE:

Alright, Mom.

AUDREY:

You’ll have to excuse her, she’s

been feeling rude lately.

MRS. SINGLETARY

Oh don’t worry, Audrey, I

understand how it is. Hormones.

It’s just a phase.

AUDREY:

Alike, this is Mrs. Singletary, one

of my co-workers and her daughter,

Bina. Sylvia, Bina, this is my

daughter Alike, we call her “Lee”

for short.

Alike shakes both of their hands in turn.

ALIKE:

Hi.

MRS. SINGLETARY

Hello.

ALIKE:

Nice to meet you.

BINA:

Hi.

41.

AUDREY:

And this is my youngest daughter,

Sharonda.

SHARONDA:

Hi.

BINA:

Hi.

MRS. SINGLETARY

Hi there, nice to meet you.

AUDREY:

Lee, Bina goes to the same school

as you.

ALIKE:

Cool.

BINA:

Yeah, I think I’ve seen you around.

Mrs. Alvarado’s class right? AP

English?

ALIKE:

Yup.

Audrey looks pleased with herself. Alike squirms.

AUDREY:

So. Now that we’re all acquainted,

don’t be a stranger.

MRS. SINGLETARY

Oh no, we won’t.

AUDREY:

Bina I think you and Lee may even

go to school the same way. Don’t

you live off of St. James Place?

MRS. SINGLETARY

There is something to be said for

safety in numbers.

Bina nods. Alike squirms.

MRS. SINGLETARY (CONT’D)

Well, we need to be pushing off --

I’ll call you about those VBS

workbooks.

42.

Alike retreats into the car, Sharonda hops in behind her.

Alike reaches over and turns the key in the ignition.

AUDREY:

Alrighty, I’ll be around. Take

care.

Alike toots the horn. Audrey circles and gets in the driver’s

side.

35 INT. FAMILY CAR - CONTINUOUS 35

ALIKE:

You’re funny.

AUDREY:

I don’t know what your problem is.

SHARONDA:

Can somebody put in this CD please?

Audrey cranks the ignition and starts to back out.

ALIKE:

I don’t know what you think is

going to change.

AUDREY:

I know God doesn’t make mistakes. I

know that much.

An invisible scab is ripped open in Alike and the fire dies

in her eyes. Satisfied, Audrey slips the car into gear.

AUDREY (CONT’D)

You may not like Bina, but you’re

certainly gonna be spending much

less time with that Laura person, I

guarantee you that much.

SHARONDA:

Moooom, can you-

AUDREY:

Be quiet. Nobody’s putting in

anything. I’m gonna listen to what

I want to listen to for a change.

Alike wilts against the window and tacky zydeco music leaks

from the car as it jerks away from the curb and into traffic.

43.

36 EXT. STREET - DAY 36

Alike strides down the sidewalk. Bina speedwalks to keep up.

BINA:

Look, I don’t like lying to my

mother, that’s all.

ALIKE:

Then don’t, she doesn’t have to

know.

BINA:

She does. She asks me everyday.

ALIKE:

So tell her yeah.

BINA:

No, I’m sick of lying to cover for

you.

ALIKE:

So don’t.

Bina stops short. Alike keeps walking.

BINA:

Look Alike, Lee. Whatever it is you

wanna be called. I’m not trying to

hang out with you, either, but I’m

not about to take an L for it. So

stop dodging me, let’s just go to

school together and be done with

it. We don’t have to see each

other any other time than that.

Alike doesn’t miss a step. Bina yells after her.

BINA (CONT’D)

Whatever, my mother asks me again,

I’m telling her. Then she can tell

your mother, then it’s whatever for

you.

Alike stops short. Bina crosses the street and continues in

the direction away from school. Alike spins around scanning

the street, then catches sight of her on the opposite

sidewalk.

ALIKE:

Hey!

Bina keeps on pushing, the school now in sight.

44.

ALIKE (CONT'D)

Hey!

Alike checks for traffic then dashes across the street to

catch up with her.

ALIKE (CONT'D)

Hey look, I’m sorry.

BINA:

Yeah, you sorry your mom is gonna

bug out.

ALIKE:

No for real, I’m sorry. I didn’t

mean to be that way. It’s just...

OK, I am concerned that my, my mom

will find out, but...

BINA:

But?

ALIKE:

It’s not like that. It’s just-

she’s just. If you knew her, you’d

understand. She’s like, I don’t

know.

The girls walk in silence for a moment.

ALIKE (CONT'D)

So what’s your favorite class?

BINA:

You don’t have to make small talk.

Let’s just walk.

ALIKE:

I said I’m sorry. It’s not you,

it’s just that my mom is like,

she’s like...

BINA:

Overprotective?

Alike relaxes her shoulders, both relieved and surprised.

ALIKE:

Yeah.

BINA:

I can tell. I’ve seen--I mean, a

lot of people’s parents are like

that.

45.

ALIKE:

Yeah?

BINA:

Yeah.

ALIKE:

Yeah. But probably not like mine.

But anyway...

BINA:

Anyway, like I said, we don’t have

to talk. Just walk.

Alike’s cell phone chirps--it’s Laura. Alike sighs and

stuffs the phone back into her pocket.

37 INT. LAURA’S BEDROOM - DAY 37

ALIKE (V.O.)

Hi! This is Lee, I’m not able to

answer my phone right now-

Laura snaps her cell phone shut. A GED study book still

glossy and uncreased is propped open on the bed in front of

her. She opens her cell phone again and pulls up Alike’s

number. Her thumb hovers over the ‘talk’ button. She snaps

the phone shut and tosses it aside before turning the radio

down and dragging the book closer. The cell phone rings and

she snatches it up. A picture of a girl making a kissy face

with the name “Tasha” underneath blinks onto the screen and

Laura snaps the phone shut and tosses it aside. She hoists

the GED book into her lap and lets her head hit the wall.

There is a knock at her bedroom door and Candace peeks in.

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