Stepmom Page #14

RACHEL:

It's two solid months, around the

clock, Jackie needs some cover-

age, you're in a trial, what are

we talking about? There'll be

other assignments.

He kisses her hair and flinches slightly. Tries to pretend it's

because she's concentrating on the movie.

LUKE:

They're my kids.

RACHEL:

Great, wallow in guilt, you sure

you're not Jewish?

A long beat. He snuggles closer. They watch together.

LUKE:

She's not gonna die.

RACHEL:

I know that.

INT. JACKIE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Jackie and Ben cuddled in bed, watching a video in the darkened

room. It is not a French Comedy. They are, however, eating

popcorn.

The door opens. Annabelle stands motionless, composed. Her face

looks like she's been crying. She clears her throat...

ANNABELLE:

I'm sorry you're sick.

From across the room. Jackie stares at her.

JACKIE:

I can't hear you.

ANNABELLE:

THEN TURN OFF THE CARTOON!

Jackie cups her hand to her ear. Shakes her head, can't hear a

thing. Waves, come on over. And slowly...

...Annabelle does. Crawls up into the bed, on the opposite side

from Ben. Into her mother's arms. Jackie kisses her head, strong.

Big smile.

ANNABELLE:

I said...

JACKIE:

...I'm not deaf, y'know.

They grin at each other. Like equals. Jackie picks up the remote,

cuts OFF the sound. And when Ben turns to her...

JACKIE:

(singing)

In the still...still of the

ni-ight...I held you...held

you so ti-ight...

BEN:

That's Rache's song!

JACKIE:

Sugar. I was slow dancing to that

song before Rachel was even born.

Wow? Really? You bet. Annabelle chuckles.

JACKIE:

You think she's the Queen of Cool?

Jackie shakes her head. Pulls down the covers, pulls up her

t-shirt...

JACKIE:

Does she have a tattoo?

The butterfly. Just below her navel. Ben has seen this before, of

course. Touches it, with his small hand.

ANNABELLE:

He wouldn't know. I saw her

in the shower!

JACKIE:

And...?

Ben looks to his sister. For the verdict. Annabelle shakes her

head. Nope.

ANNABELLE:

She is only the Princess of Cool.

Mommy is the Queen!

JACKIE:

She is but an arriviste.

A new word, apparently.

JACKIE:

A newcomer. She's still got a

thing or two to learn.

Annabelle nods. You betcha.

JACKIE:

(resumes singing)

I held you...held you so ti-ight...

(to Annabelle)

You sing lead, you've got the voice...

She bumps head gently with Ben.

JACKIE:

The stud and I will doo-wop.

And as they doo-wop the back-up...

ANNABELLE:

(sings)

For I love...lo-ove you soooo...

promise I'll never...Let you go...

ANNABELLE/JACKIE

(sing)

In the still of the ni-ight.

EXT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - NIGHT

Parents streaming slowly in for a PTA night. They are chatty,

tired, preoccupied. And 95% female.

INT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COMMON ROOM - NIGHT

Folding chairs set in rows. Parents taking their seats with coffee

and cookies. Up front, a table where a panel of speakers are

beginning to gather. A faded banner says PTA -- TENAFLY DAY SCHOOL.

Jackie is nibbling at a single cookie, when...

...a figure slips into the seat beside her. Rachel is juggling a

coffee and maybe nine cookies. Drops one. Picks it up. Dusts it

off. Jackie is repelled, but has to smile.

JACKIE:

Small world.

RACHEL:

Luke's depo ran late. I promised

I'd take notes.

To prove it, she balances the cookies on her thighs, and produces a

notebook. Looks around, and in a conspiratorial near-whisper...

RACHEL:

So I have to tell you something

in confidence...

JACKIE:

You're a cross-dresser.

RACHEL:

That. And. Annabelle is over

her head. With Brad 'The Dreamboat'

Kovitsky.

Does a Groucho eyebrow move.

JACKIE:

She hasn't mentioned this.

RACHEL:

She was afraid you'd make a big

deal out of it.

Jackie is hurt. Covers...

JACKIE:

Moi?

RACHEL:

Toi. They've been 'going out'

for two weeks.

Rachel breathless and happy. Jackie attentive.

RACHEL:

As you may know, 'going out' in the

six grade doesn't mean sh*t. They

don't actually go to a movie or

anywhere, they don't even eat lunch

together, it's just a declaration to

the world that they're...

JACKIE:

...going out, yeh. I had kids of

my own, once.

RACHEL:

Anyway. He walks up to her on

lunch yard today. And tells her...

publicly...that they're 'breaking up.'

Jackie's mouth drops.

JACKIE:

Oh, my God.

RACHEL:

Right. Which is the whole point of

this 'going out' thing, so one of them

can dump the other one, and they can

imitate the whole passionate adult

soap opera tragedy, without ever

having to actually date.

JACKIE:

She's devastated.

RACHEL:

Doesn't begin to describe it.

I mean, you've got cancer, this

is serious.

Rachel GRIPS Jackie's arm.

RACHEL:

She spent an hour in the girls' bath-

room, crying with eight of her closest

friends, who are sending the message

to every boy in the grade that Brad

Kovitsky is yesterday's toast.

Devours an entire cookie in one gulp.

RACHEL:

So here's the point. I pick her up

from soccer, she tells me the whole

mess, and asks me what to do.

How about that?

JACKIE:

And you said...?

RACHEL:

Beats me. Ask your mom.

Oh.

RACHEL:

So she's gonna. Tomorrow.

Leans closer. Whispers...

RACHEL:

Don't f*** this up.

INT. JACKIE'S KITCHEN - DAY

Jackie and Annabelle are sitting at the kitchen counter with maybe

twenty hardboiled eggs. They are cracking the shells gently, and

carefully peeling them.

JACKIE:

Well, did you really think you'd

meet someone at eleven that you'd

spend the rest of your life with?

Annabelle keeps her eyes on her eggs. A craftswoman.

ANNABELLE:

No, but I thought till Thursday.

Oh.

JACKIE:

What's Thursd...

ANNABELLE:

A debate. Man's inhumanity to

woman. He's pro women. I'm con.

Ms. Flannery is twisted.

JACKIE:

I could help with the debate.

ANNABELLE:

(glum)

Great.

JACKIE:

(thinking it over)

Actually. I could only help him.

ANNABELLE:

Every time I'm on the lunch

yard, and he's with twelve of

his retarded dorkface little

adoring out-crowd henchmen...

JACKIE:

You don't like his friends.

ANNABELLE:

...they all yell 'There goes the

Virgin Queen' or the 'Ice Princess',

or some really clever cut like that.

Like it hurts my feelings.

They keep peeling eggs.

JACKIE:

You wouldn't kiss him, huh?

ANNABELLE:

Not with my mouth open.

JACKIE:

(softly)

Good girl.

Annabelle's eyes well up. She covers by concentrating all the

harder.

JACKIE:

And what do you do wh...

ANNABELLE:

I call him a fartface or a pervert,

or something equally lame.

JACKIE:

You have to ignore him.

And on this. Annabelle looks up.

JACKIE:

He's not even there. You don't

see him, you don't hear him, you're

just too much of a woman to bother

with little boys.

ANNABELLE:

This is a joke, right?

Jackie shakes her head. Nope.

JACKIE:

All he wants is the attention.

When he can't get to you, he'll try

harder for a little while. Then,

he'll give up. It'll be no fun.

The kid blinks.

ANNABELLE:

You think Rache would do that?

Takes Mom back a bit. Enough for her daughter to notice.

ANNABELLE:

It's just she's younger. Maybe

she remembers how to do this.

Jackie shrugs. Maybe. Annabelle studies her.

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