Short Term 12 Page #8

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She takes the first one square in the face. BANG!

Color splatters across Grace's face as she slams into thewall. Jayden comes after her, but Mason grabs her in time.

JAYDEN:

AAAHHH!! Get the f*** out of myroom you f***ing b*tches!

MASON:

Grab her right arm!

Nate struggles to grab the other arm. He finally gets it.

MASON (CONT’D)

Okay, against the wall!

They quickly back up to the wall in the hallway.

MASON (CONT’D)

One, two, three down!

JAYDEN:

Don't f***ing touch me!!!

They slide themselves and the fighting girl to the floor.

They each pin her legs down with their own until she isvirtually immobile, except for her vocal chords.

JAYDEN (CONT’D)

F*** yoooooooooooooouu!!!!

Grace touches her face and realizes she hit her with the

cupcake. She pulls off the paper cup, which was still stuckto her face.

INT. GROUP HOME HALLWAY -- CONTINUOUS

Marcus steps out of his room and looks down the hall.

INT. GROUP HOME LOUNGE -- CONTINUOUS

The rest of the kids are playing video games on the couch.

One kid stands up to take a look.

JESSICA:

Luis! Sit down!

INT. JAYDEN'S ROOM -- CONTINUOUS

JAYDEN:

AAAAAAAH!! You're f***ing

squishing me fat ass!

Mason repositions himself.

MASON:

Sorry, how's that?

JAYDEN:

Let me go!!!

Jayden gets one foot loose and tries to kick her way out.

Grace grabs her feet.

MASON:

You shouldn't be here, Grace.

JAYDEN:

What's wrong Mason? Can't hold myfeet yourself you weak ass f***!

You need the b*tch to do it for

you!

MASON:

Hold her good Nate.

JAYDEN:

Yeah hold me good Nate.

Jayden spits hard on Nate's face.

NATE:

Oh...cool.

MASON:

(calmly)

Sorry man.

Jayden catches her breath and begins to cry.

GRACE:

It's going to be okay Jayden. It’sgoing to be okay.

JAYDEN:

I f***ing hate you.

GRACE:

That's fine, you don’t have to likeme right now. Just let it pass.

MASON:

How you doing Nate?

NATE:

Not so good.

Jayden continues to cry.

GRACE:

You’re doing good. Doing reallygood.

Grace takes a deep breath and exchanges a look with Mason.

MASON:

Grace. How's my cupcake?

Grace shakes her head.

INT. GROUP HOME LOUNGE -- DAY

Something else is playing on TV.

Nate walks up to Jessica at the door.

JESSICA:

How is she?

NATE:

She’s in the cool-down room now. I

need that.

Jessica grabs a bottle of quick-dry, antibacterial handcleaner and squirts some in his hand. He immediately rubs itall over the side of his face that Jayden spit on.

Marcus walks over to the coffee table where the kids are

playing a board game. He tosses a stack of colored paper andpens onto the coffee table.

The kids look up at him.

MARCUS:

Everybody grab one. Come on.

INT. COOL DOWN ROOM -- DAY

Grace and Jayden sit against the wall in silence. Aninflatable punching bag, shaped like a smiling beagle, bobs afew feet in front of them.

Jayden makes more creases in her hand with her fingernail.

Grace notices her.

GRACE:

You wanna see mine?

Grace pulls down her sock to reveal an ankle riddled withscars. She has Jayden's attention.

JAYDEN:

Sh*t.

She points to a really big scar.

GRACE:

That one's from a sneeze. I

slipped and cut too deep. Almost

cut my achilles.

Grace laughs at the irony. Jayden looks off at nothing.

JAYDEN:

Why?

Grace shrugs, looking at the scars, remembering each one.

GRACE:

When my mom died, I had to livewith my dad...and...

(beat)

It's impossible to worry aboutanything else when there's bloodcoming out of you.

They sit in silence for a moment.

Jayden looks at her wrist, playing with the button of thebracelet Grace gave her. Grace notices her.

Jayden looks up to the smiling beagle punching bag. She

throws a soccer ball, hitting it square in the head. It

slams to the floor and gently floats back up with a smile.

JAYDEN:

God, I hate that thing.

GRACE:

Me too.

Through the small window in the door, we see Grace and Jaydenkicking and punching and throwing the punching bag againstthe walls.

INT. GIRL'S HALLWAY -- DAY

Grace exits the CDR and holds the door open for Jayden. As

they walk back to girls' side, she sees Marcus exiting withJessica. Jessica nods to Grace as they head back to thelounge.

They reach Jayden's room and Grace stops at her door as shewalks in.

GRACE:

Take as much time as you need.

INT. JAYDEN'S ROOM -- DAY

Jayden walks in and sees 14 hand-drawn birthday cards neatlylaid out on her bed.

Grace watches her from the door with a smile.

(Cue MUSIC)

INT. GROUP HOME LOUNGE -- AFTERNOON

Sixteen candles burn brightly, one in each of the 16 cupcakesthat all the kids are holding together in front of Jayden.

All the kids gather around Jayden, singing the last verse ofHappy Birthday (or chanting Jayden, Jayden). They are allincredibly out of tune.

EVERYONE:

Happy Birthday to

JAYDEEEEEEENNanana!

Jayden blows out her candles and everyone claps loud enoughto make her smile. When the room settles, Mason looks toGrace.

CUT TO:

INT. GROUP HOME LOUNGE -- AFTERNOON

The entire unit stands in a circle chanting together withtheir hands waving in the air. Mason leads them. As he

chants they all clap and slap their thighs to the samerhythm. Nate joins in the group, very excited. This is his

kind of game.

MASON:

Big booty big booty big booty. Bigbooty number three.

Mason sends the chant around the circle: "Number three,

number 6" "Number 6, number 4" "Number 4, big booty" "bigbooty, number 2". Number two misses his turn and everyonelaughs and teases him.

Zero in on Jayden, who catches herself laughing and having agood time. Her face changes, watching everything from theoutside.

Mason starts another round, getting all the kids to lifttheir hands in the air and join in the big booty chant.

Jayden doesn't join this time.

INT. SAMMY'S ROOM -- CONTINUOUS

As the game continues in the lobby, Grace walks into Sammy'sroom with a cupcake. Sammy lies in the same spot as before,

staring into space.

She places it on the bedside counter, runs her fingersthrough his hair before leaving the room.

After she leaves, Sammy looks at the cupcake.

INT. GROUP HOME LOUNGE -- CONTINUOUS

The circle of kids are still keeping a rhythm.

Jayden gets up and walks to her room. Grace watches her.

Mason looks to Marcus.

MARCUS:

Slow this down a little bit. Y’all

ain’t go no rhythm.

MASON:

Tell me about it. I’m trying to

keep them in line. It’s just, it’s

hard.

Marcus begins to spit out some freestyle lyrics, teasing someof the staff and the people in the circle. Nate is reallyinto it, smiling and bouncing to the beat. When Marcus

finishes, Nate immediately jumps in, picking up where he leftoff:

NATE:

I’m out the gate. Right my name is

Nate. When I came here, y’all try

to playa hate.

Mason and Jessica exchange a what-the-hell-look.

All the kids erupt with hoots and laughter as Nate and Marcusbreak out into a friendly freestyle battle.

Sammy peeks out from the doorway to see what's happening.

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