The Dark Stranger

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1

- Leah.

Leah, you know I gotta do my

hair.

Leah, open the door.

- Okay, sorry, I was having a

shower.

- That would be awesome if it

were true.

- Sleep well?

- Yeah.

- Planning on taking a shower

today?

- I did, see.

- Don't forget to eat something,

Leah.

- Don't forget to eat.

Don't forget to shower.

Anything else?

- Yeah, Dr. parson's coming over

today?

- Yeah, probably.

I doubt the break cords I cut

on her car will stop her for

long.

She's pretty persistent.

- How's the drawing coming?

- It's not.

- Well, you keep trying it'll

come back.

- You should wear your Navy one.

- This doesn't go?

- No.

- Thank you.

- Toby, will you get that?

- One, two, three.

- You're all right.

You're okay.

- I'm really sorry. I tried.

I'm really sorry.

- It's okay.

You tried, angel, you tried.

- Okay.

- Hello Brendan, may I?

- Yeah.

- Thank you.

- - Come on in.

I'm sorry

I'm sorry you had to

come all the way day here

but I really just need more

time to think about this.

- Oh, it's not a good time?

- Yeah.

- - Okay.

- It's not a good time.

- I understand

leave you with this.

- Oh, good.

- If you have any questions,

I'll show you what we have in

mind.

Yeah, okay.

- Thanks for

coming all the way down here.

- Yeah, no problem.

- Who was that?

- Just a salesman.

Hey look it's Sabrina again.

- Just hit decline.

- Well, you know she's just

worried about you, right?

- Yeah, I know I'm just

not ready for friends.

- Okay.

Hey, you ready?

- Yeah, dad

- yeah, son?

- Any chance I could borrow 50

bucks?

- Now by borrow I'm

assuming you mean give.

- I'll pay you back someday.

- That's reassuring what's it

for?

- Well, the guys and I finally

got a gig at the bar on

queen I was telling you about

and the only way they'll let us

play

is if we cover the pa rental.

- Why are you having to pay to

entertain a bunch of bar

patrons?

In case you didn't know usually

it's the other way around.

- We got to go.

- - Dad,

just let him have it.

- Let me handle it, honey.

- Mom, stop, mom.

It's beautiful.

- Oh, no, it ain't.

That's what he wants you to

think.

It's garbage.

It's garbage.

- Ow.

- So have you thought about

what we discussed last time?

Well, what if we were

to go out on the porch

just say for 30 seconds?

- I'm really not in the

mood to fail today so...

- Why do you assume you'll fail?

- 'Cause I know me

I'm just gonna freak out like I

always do.

- What are you scared of, Leah?

- I don't want to give them

more ammo to talk about me.

- What do you think

they're gonna talk about?

- About what I did.

- We've been over this.

- Listen you weren't there okay

so don't...

- How's the medication?

So the same.

Well, let's give it a little

longer.

What about the cutting, anything

new?

- Happy?

- It's my job to check, Leah.

- It's been six months since

since the hospital and nothing's

changed.

I haven't

I haven't changed.

- I know it's frustrating

but if you don't want to

end up back in the hospital

you are going to have to make

an effort to move forward.

- Hello.

Who's there?

Dad.

Toby.

Mom.

- Leave me alone.

- Mom, mom, mom, what did you

do?

Mom, stop, mom.

It's beautiful.

You're killing yourself with

that you know that, right?

- Who cares?

- I do. Please, please stop.

- Give it back. Give it back.

- Okay.

- Hi, Leah, how was your day?

How was your session with Dr.

Parsons?

That looks good

thank you.

Well, aren't you gonna join me?

It's no fun eating by myself.

So I wanted to tell you that

I spoke with my ta mark after

school today

and I think he's gonna help

me with this little project.

- You mean the show and

tell all with mom's art.

- Okay.

How did you know?

- I read the proposal that

creep gave you this morning.

- That creep is Randall Toth

and he's curating a

group show about artists

who have dealt with depression.

And that's why he wants

to use your mother's work.

- Great, so now everyone

can know what happened.

- It's just an art show, Leah.

- You know that's not

how mom would see it.

- Maybe,

but I thought that it

could be a great excuse to

get both your work out into the

world.

- I'm sorry, my work?

I might as well take out a

full page out in the paper.

Leah Garrison, depressed artist,

irritating sympathies not

welcome.

- Leah, this isn't about

anything other than

celebrating talent and I think

that you

and your mother can be

involved in that, that's all.

- So that everyone can criticize

my work.

- Will you at least talk

to Dr. Parsons about it?

- I don't know.

- All I'm asking is that

you talk to her about it.

- Can we just eat now and not

talk?

- Yeah,

yeah.

Good.

- Sorry I can't cook like mom.

- No,

it's fine.

- Don't treat me like an idiot.

Sh*t.

You know it and I know it.

- Please honey talk to me,

talk to me, honey.

Honey,

talk to me.

I'm here for you, angel.

- Don't call me that.

- Please, Leah.

Leah, please.

- Please, please stop.

- Give it back. Give it back.

Angel, I'm so sorry. I didn't

mean...

- You know what I can't take

this anymore.

You wanna kill yourself

go ahead.

We'd be better off without you.

- Do it.

- Shut up.

- Do it.

- Stop.

- See you, Toby.

- See you tomorrow.

- Later t.

- Dad, you hear that?

It's crazy.

You should've came downstairs.

I think we

really found our sound.

- Yeah, I'm pretty sure I found

it too.

- I'm just saying it'd be nice

if

came and listen in the same room

sometime.

- Next time, buddy.

- Let me guess the wrath of

Leah.

- She's had a tough time.

- I'm aware we all have.

- And everyone deals

with things differently.

That's why I need you

to be patient with her.

- Look I'm trying.

But sooner or later she's

gonna have to suck it up

and join the land of the living

again.

- She's doing her best.

- No, no she's not.

And I'm sick of it.

I'm sick of you babying her

'cause I'm a part of

this family too you know.

- Not everything has to be about

you.

- Apparently nothing does

'cause Leah she's your

she's your little angel, right?

And that nothing else matters,

right?

- Toby,

we'll talk about this later.

He didn't mean that.

- Yeah, he did.

I'm sorry.

I'm trying. I'm really trying.

- I know you are,

I know.

- I can do that.

- Okay.

- Okay.

What are you doing

please don't touch that.

- No, it's all right, honey.

I'm just sending Mr. Toth

some of your mom's paintings

so he can pick what he wants for

the show.

- Can you just take a

picture and email it, please?

- Honey, no he really wants

to study the original.

- Okay, I don't care what he

wants he can't have this one.

- Honey, it's all right we'll

- get it back.

- - Dad, please

can you just give it to me, dad?

Look what you made me do.

- I didn't.

- Okay, just let me have it.

- I'm so sorry.

Leah, I didn't realize that

it meant so much to you.

- Where's Toby isn't he

supposed to go with you?

- Yeah, he's not going to school

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