Please Give Page #12

ALEX:

It’s a mess. I’m a mess. I never

want her to find out.

(beat)

I know it sounds crazy but maybe

this will even help things.

MARY:

Maybe you and I will help your

marriage?

ALEX:

They say that happens.

MARY:

How could you be that callous. To

me.

ALEX:

(realizing)

Oh, you’re so right. I didn’t

really mean it that way.

Depressed, Mary flips on the TV from the bed, watches

something.

MARY:

(resigned)

I don’t want to f*** you anymore.

89 EXT. STREET - DAY 89

Abby and Kate walk the dog.

ABBY:

Have you ever thought about killing

yourself?

KATE:

(startled)

No! Why would you ask me that?

ABBY:

Rebecca’s mother killed herself.

KATE:

That’s horrible.

(beat)

No wonder.

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ABBY:

No wonder what?

KATE:

You can see how damaged those girls

are.

(alarmed)

You don’t ever think about things

like that, do you?

Abby rolls her eyes. Kate drops it.

KATE:

(looking around)

I wonder where our friend is.

ABBY:

Make up man?

KATE:

Yeah.

They look around.

ABBY:

Hopefully he found a nice spot near

Sephora.

KATE:

I hope nothing happened to her.

ABBY:

You’re worried.

KATE:

A little. She lives on the street.

ABBY:

You don’t even know her.

KATE:

Oh god, look at this.

They approach an OLD MAN surrounded by bags and trash. He’s

holding out his hand. Kate stops and opens her purse. Abby

rolls her eyes as Kate takes out a ten and holds it out for

him.

ABBY:

(seeing the bill)

No way.

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Abby snatches the money.

KATE:

Abby!

ABBY:

You don’t give me ten dollars!

KATE:

(seething)

You give that man that money right

now and we’ll discuss this later.

ABBY:

No.

KATE:

I buy you everything you need.

ABBY:

I’m keeping this ten dollars!

Kate is so embarrassed, so mortified, she’s (for once)

speechless. She searches in her wallet and takes out a five

dollar bill.

KATE:

Abby, I don’t have another ten.

ABBY:

So give him the five.

KATE:

(more appalled than ever)

Give him the ten!

ABBY:

No!

Defeated, Kate hands the five to the old man.

KATE:

(to old man)

I’m sorry. I’m so ashamed.

OLD MAN:

Suck my dick.

90 EXT. ROOF TOP - DUSK 90

Rebecca and Eugene are lying on a blanket on his tar roof.

The evening is warm, the stars are out. Nervously, Eugene

leans over Rebecca and kisses her. It’s gentle but charged.

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Across the street, a FEW PEOPLE are having a barbecue on the

roof. Rebecca and Eugene look over and watch them.

After a beat, Rebecca lies back, enjoying the smell of the

barbecue, and where she is.

91 INT. KATE AND ALEX’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 91

Kate is lying in bed in the dark, wide awake. Alex comes in

and thinking she’s asleep, undresses quietly. He slides into

bed as smoothly as possible, his back to her. They lie there

for a bit. Then -

KATE:

Our daughter is a sociopath.

Alex takes this in, not quite sure how to respond.

92 INT. MODERN AGE - DAY 92

Alex is looking at the crappy furniture arranged with the

nice stuff, all over the store.

ALEX:

I don’t know what you were

thinking!

KATE:

The guy. His sister or wife or

whoever was so mean, I had to buy

it. I felt bad for him.

(reaching)

And who’s to say that this stuff

isn’t valuable?

ALEX:

I can. This stuff isn’t valuable.

KATE:

Somebody designed it. Maybe in

fifteen years this chair -

(gestures to yellow chair)

- will be worth a ton of money

because some genius German

designed it.

ALEX:

We’ll never sell any of it.

Kate goes and sits in the yellow chair.

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KATE:

I already sold one piece for a lot

of money.

ALEX:

You did?

KATE:

Yeah, I don’t exactly feel good

about it.

ALEX:

That’s great!

KATE:

No, it’s not.

ALEX:

I don’t understand.

KATE:

I practically stole from them.

ALEX:

So why did you charge them a lot of

money?!

She thinks about this, surprised by it.

KATE:

(beat)

I wanted to.

ALEX:

And therein lies the mystery of

being human.

KATE:

And I’ve been feeling very

suspicious lately, Alex.

He freezes. Waits. Suddenly his face softens with guilt.

KATE:

A couple of people have come in

here, people who don’t look like

they’re shopping for our kind of

furniture. And they’re asking

questions.

ALEX:

(relieved)

Like what?

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KATE:

Like, “where did you get this?” And

“How do you find your things?” You

heard those two rude people.

ALEX:

People ask that all the time.

They’re curious.

KATE:

No. I think that some of the people

we’ve bought from asked their

friends, or their lawyers to come

in and see how much we’re charging.

ALEX:

Your guilt is warping you.

KATE:

(beat)

Why isn’t it warping you?

ALEX:

It is. Your guilt is warping me.

She smirks at him.

ALEX:

If doing this makes you feel so bad

let’s stop doing it.

KATE:

But then someone else will just do

what we’re doing. The guy on eighth

avenue - you know that store? He’s

buying from us and selling it for

more! Us quitting isn’t going to

help.

(beat)

Nothing helps.

93 INT. ANDRA’S APARTMENT - DAY 93

Rebecca enters Andra’s apartment.

REBECCA:

Hi Grandma!

She sees Andra in her chair in front of the TV but goes to

the kitchen because she sees a mess.

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94 INT. ANDRA’S APARTMENT/KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS 94

She finds an opened, bulging can of grapefruit juice on the

counter, and juice splattered everywhere.

REBECCA:

Grandma?

No response.

95 INT. ANDRA’S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 95

Sitting in front of the TV as it plays ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT

(the reception slightly better,) Andra slumps, unconscious.

REBECCA:

Oh my god, Grandma! Grandma? Wake

up!

She shakes her shoulder and realizes she’s dead. Stunned, she

looks up at the TV show and gets momentarily engrossed.

96 INT. HOME FOR PHYSICALLY DISABLED/WORK OUT ROOM - DAY 96

A large room filled with mats and weights, a mirror on one

wall. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES work out.

A woman in a suit, MRS. MELNICK, gives Kate a tour.

MRS. MELNICK

This, obviously, is the gym where

they can work out. The patients

come in here once a day, for about

an hour. This is something you

could actually help out with!

Kate looks at the faces of the struggling patients. Some are

more severely disabled than others, barely able to move their

limbs with any control.

KATE:

It looks like it’s painful.

MRS. MELNICK

Oh, no. They look forward to this

all day! Let me introduce you to

someone.

She walks her over to a severely disabled YOUNG GIRL with a

sweet face.

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MRS. MELNICK

Sweetie, this is Kate. She’s going

to be helping out.

The girl smiles holds out a twisted hand.

MRS. MELNICK

Kate, this is Abby. Abby, this is

Kate.

Kate is startled by the girl’s name.

MRS. MELNICK

Abby here is one of our most

athletic. Aren’t you Abby?

ABBY #2

Yes I am.

MRS. MELNICK

Would you like to show Kate how

well you can do a cartwheel?

KATE:

Oh, no, she doesn’t have to.

MRS. MELNICK

I think you’d like to, wouldn’t you

Abby?

KATE:

No, really - it’s okay.

Abby #2 goes to the mat and does a very clumsy, spastic

cartwheel. When she’s done, she looks over at Kate, beaming

with pride.

Kate starts to cry and hides her face.

KATE:

(whispering to Mrs.

Melnick)

Oh my god, it’s just so sad.

MRS. MELNICK

(beat)

Please stop.

KATE:

I don’t mean to - I’m so sorry. I

don’t know how you can take it -

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