“Last Good-Bye”
by
Mary Robare
© Mary Robare - 2008
EXT. CAR - DUSK
Headlights are getting closer from the distance. A girl screams in the distance and the brakes screech.
CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
MARIE MICHAELS, a 19-year-old blonde girl, sits straight up in her bed. Marie looks very startled and is breathing heavily and looking around her room frantically. KEN MICHAELS, Marie’s older brother who has darker blonde hair and much taller than Marie, comes in the room. He is in such a hurry that he is dressed only in his boxers.
KEN
Marie, are you alright? I heard you screaming.
MARIE
Ugh, yeah, I’m fine Ken. Just another one of my dreams again. I’m sorry if I woke you up.
KEN
No biggie. Do you want me to stay in here for a bit, while you get to sleep?
Marie nods and hangs her head. Ken comes over and sits on the bed while Marie lays back down. Ken reaches over Marie and picks up a teddy bear that looks old and used.
KEN
Here you go little sister. You’ll be fine.
INT. APARTMENT - MORNING
Marie walks into the living room from the hallway dropping her backpack on the floor near the couch. She is dressed in a t-shirt, jeans, and running shoes. Ken is sitting on the couch wearing a policeman uniform. Marie continues walking into the kitchen. Marie grabs an apple and walks back into the living room and sits down next to Ken.
KEN
Oh my God! It’s a miracle, you showered!
Marie snottily mimics Ken. Ken pushes at Marie playfully.
KEN
Gimme a break. You know I’m just kidding, so calm yourself.
MARIE
(under her breathe)
You’re such an ass.
KEN
So, are you excited? First day of school?
MARIE
It’s not like I’ve never been to school or anything. It’s not like I’m jumping out of my seat excited to be going there.
KEN
Really? Well then why’d you insist on fighting Dad so much to let you go? Are you just doing this to be spiteful?
MARIE
You caught me. Darn it. My plan is ruined.
KEN
You never really make much sense to me little sister.
MARIE
It’s not that I don’t want to,
(snottily)
big brother. It’s not that I’m excited to be going to school, more just excited to get out of here. I can’t sit at home all day everyday.
Ken stands up and rubs Marie’s head while walking towards the door. Marie swats at his hand in a failing attempt.
KEN
Well, sunshine of my life, I have to get to work. What time are you suppose to be done today?
MARIE
I’ll be home in time to make you dinner. Don’t worry about it.
KEN
Hey, I don’t mind making my own food. It’s just that you always make better food.
MARIE
See ya later Kenny.
KEN
Later Rie. Have a good first day, don’t kill anyone and try to be nice.
MARIE
(making a big fake smile)
You know me.
INT. MATH CLASS - DAY
Marie walks into her classroom and sits down towards the back of the class. As people start filing in she looks very uninterested in the crowd gathering in the classroom.
Marie looks around the room and notices that one tall blonde haired boy is looking at her. Marie, being the kind of girl that doesn’t want that type of attention, looks away abruptly.
Marie, intent on not looking back at the blonde haired boy, opens her notebook and starts to doodle across the top of the page.
A short, older woman, clearly the professor, enters the room but the students continue chattering away.
PROFESSOR WELLES
(whistles)
Had to get your attention somehow didn’t I? As you have probably guessed, I’m going to be teaching this class. I’m professor Welles and this is Calculus I.
INT. BIOLOGY CLASS - DAY
Marie walks into another lecture room, this one larger than the pervious one. She sits downs toward the back of the class again. The teacher is already handing of syllabi to the students.
TEACHER
By the end of this week you should all have lab partners picked. Each Friday we’ll work in the lab and all your future lab work will be done with this partner and all lab reports will be turned in together.
BILLY
Hey ... hey Blondie. How about me and you be partners?
Marie turns around with a not so enthusiastic look on her face to see the voice that has just addressed her. BILLY ANDERS is sitting behind Marie with an enormous grin on his face and his feet up on the back of the seat next to Marie.
BILLY
So what’d you say Blondie?
MARIE
Do not call me that.
BILLY
Well, I don’t know your name.
(Awkward pause)
Mine’s Billy if that’s any help.
Billy reaches out his hand to shake and Marie looks at him for a second with a judging face on and then shakes Billy’s outstretched hand.
MARIE
I’m Marie.
BILLY
Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Marie. So what do you say? Partners?
MARIE
I don’t know you.
BILLY
It’s not like I know you either. And before we had this little conversation I thought you might be at least a little friendly, but maybe just a little shy. But if you don’t want to be partners with me, Marie, and in turn break my poor little heart, well then go ahead. Let me have it. Try and let me down easy though, please. I’m fragile.
Marie shakes her head and chuckles.
MARIE
Fine. Whatever.
BILLY
Is that like, “whatever I’ll be your partner.” or is it more like “whatever, if you talk to me again I’ll punch you in the face.”?
MARIE
Jesus, I’ll be your partner.
Marie shakes her head and turns back around to face the front of the class. Billy leans far back in his chair while chewing on his pen cap.
INT. ENGLISH CLASS - DAY
Marie walks into her final class of the day and sees that her teacher is already sitting at the front of the class behind his desk reading a book. Marie sits in the middle of the classroom while the rest of the students file in.
JARED JONES, the tall, thin, and curly haired professor, stands up and lays his book down on his desk. He takes off the pair of thin-framed reading glasses that he was wearing onto the desk as well.
JARED
Good afternoon class. I’m Jared Jones, you can call me professor Jones, or Jared, or Mr. Jones, whatever makes you feel more comfortable. You’ve all made it this far, so I’m going to expect that you know how to speak English fairly well. It’s not so easy to use it to write though. The main goal I have for this class is to make you a better writer, and to do this we’re going to be writing a lot of papers. So, your first assignment
(groans from the class)
Yeah I know, assignments suck, but you’re in college, so deal with it. It’ll be due by Friday and what I want from each of you is an essay about yourself. See that’s not so bad now is it?
NERDY BOY
Excuse me Professor? How long is this essay suppose to be?
JARED
As long as it needs to be. Some people aren’t that complex and could write this essay in one page. So far, I’ve had everyone in all my English classes write this essay and no one has exceeded 15 pages. However, I’m not all that fond of reading 15 page histories of the last 18 years or so. I’m just looking to get to know my students and their writing style. I don’t necessarily need to know how someone feels when they get cut from the 6th grade football team. Does that make sense?
NERDY BOY
So, no set length?
JARED
Right.
EXT. CAMPUS - DAY
Marie walks toward the building that her biology class is in. From behind her she hears someone yelling. Marie turns to see that Billy is running to catch up with her.
BILLY
Hey there Blondie!
MARIE
I thought I told you not to call me that.
BILLY
Well, you did. But you look so darn cute when you get that little pissed off look on your face, yep, that one.
(Awkward pause)
So, am I allowed to walk with you to class or should I stay like 10 feet behind you at all times?
Marie shakes her head and continues to walk to class.
BILLY
So you’re just not going to talk to me the whole way? Alright, I suppose I can deal with that.
MARIE
I don’t care if you walk with me but I’m just not a chatty person by nature. Are you ever just calm?
BILLY
Rarely.
INT. BIOLOGY CLASS - DAY
Outside of the door to the classroom DEREK HARPER is handing out fliers to a party. Marie notices that Derek is the same boy from her Calculus class that she saw on the first day of class. As he hands one to Marie he winks at her. Marie goes to throw the flier away and Billy grabs her hand.
BILLY
You’re too anti-social. You are going to this party or I won’t talk to you anymore.
MARIE
Joy.
BILLY
Oh harsh. Where’s the love Marie, where’s the love. Well, two can play at that game then too. If you don’t go I’ll never shut up. I will bug you forever! And I think you know I’m capable of doing just that.
Marie groans and goes to sit down in her seat. Billy sits down in the seat right next to Marie. Billy starts to doodle in his notebook, mostly just cartoons. One of the pictures is clearly of Marie and it has little hearts around her head. Marie points to the picture.
MARIE
What’s with the hearts?
BILLY
I know that it’s just a matter of time before you fall madly in love with me. I mean who couldn’t? I guess if you don’t love adorable.
MARIE
You’re not my type. You’re far too full of yourself. Now how about you pay attention for a bit and stop distracting me.
Billy mimics Marie silently in retaliation.
INT. ENGLISH CLASSROOM - DAY
Marie walks into her English class a little early. She’s the only student that is in the room. Jared is there, sitting at his desk reading a book like before.
MARIE
Professor Jones, excuse me. Um, here’s my paper.
JARED
You know it’s not due till Friday right? Are you sure you don’t want to reread it or anything?
MARIE
I know. It’s ready to be turned in though.
JARED
I’m surprised you had time to get this done in only two nights. What did you do? Stay up all night working on this silly paper I made you guys write?
MARIE
It didn’t take too long. Just a few hours I would guess. I don’t really have much of a life anymore, so it was actually kind of fun. Something to do you know.
JARED
I’m surprised that a pretty girl like you doesn’t have a date every night of the week. You’re probably beating them off with sticks.
MARIE
I don’t really date much.
JARED
I see, well, I’ll be sure to put this one on the top of my stack,
(looks down at paper)
Marie.
INT. APARTMENT - DAY
Marie walks into the apartment and throws her backpack down onto the floor.
KEN (O.S.)
Rie, is that you?
MARIE
No, it’s a burglar that just happened to have a key to your front door. Of course it’s me.
(Under her breath)
Moron.
Marie walks into the kitchen to find Ken talking on the phone.
KEN
(into the phone)
Okay, yeah. Well, she’s here. Do you want to talk to her?
Marie looks confused towards Ken while he hands her the phone.
MARIE
(whispering)
Who is it?
KEN
(whispering)
Dad.
Marie makes a very angry face at Ken followed by shaking her fist at him as well. Marie aggressively takes the phone out of Ken’s hand to talk to her father MAX MICHAELS.
MARIE
(Into the phone)
What do you want?
MAX (O.S.)
I just wanted to see how my kids were doing.
MARIE
Well, I’m just peachy Max.
MAX (O.S.)
I would really like it if you’d call me Dad again.
MARIE
Let’s not get into that today. If you were more of a Dad then maybe I’d call you that.
MAX (O.S.)
Well, anyway, how’s college going? Are you having fun?
MARIE
You don’t want me to have fun. You stopped me from having fun a long time ago. You also didn’t want me to go to college. It’s sort of the reason I moved out Father.
MAX (O.S.)
I know sweetie. I just worry about you. You are my baby girl you know.
MARIE
Do not call me sweetie, ever. And how can you call me your “little girl”. You barely notice me Max. I was like a tenant in your house. You barely looked at me after Mom died. I had to grow up when I was 8 years old.
MAX (O.S.)
Marie, can we not get into this again. You know I love you or else ...
Marie hangs up the phone on Max and hands the phone back to Ken. Marie walks out of the kitchen and heads for the front door. Ken follows behind her.
KEN
Rie? Did you just hang up on him? Again?
Marie reaches for the doorknob. Ken stops her from opening the door by putting his hand up against the door.
KEN
You need to get over yourself Marie. He’s your father. He’s our father. And whether you believe it or not, he cares about you.
MARIE
Mind you own business, big brother.
Ken lifts his hand off the door and throws his arms up in frustration. Marie quickly walks out the door and slams it behind her.
EXT. STREET W/BENCH - NIGHT
Marie walks down the street and then sits down on a bench on the street. She lets out a deep breath while she watches the traffic go by.
FADE TO:
INT. MAX MICHAEL’S HOUSE - PAST
Marie and Max sit at the dinner table. Both look uncomfortable in the situation and everything is silent for a few minutes.
MARIE
So Dad, even though you didn’t want me to I applied to the university and I got in. And because I knew it would be a problem with you I talked to Kenny and he said that it’s alright if I move in with him.
MAX
I don’t think that’s such a good idea Marie.
MARIE
What part?
MAX
Any of it really.
MARIE
I really don’t give a crap if you think it’s a good idea or not. I can’t just sit here moping around all day everyday. I want to, no, I need to go back to school, and more importantly I need to get out of this house.
MAX
I don’t think that you’re ready for that yet though. I really wish that you would go back to therapy for a few months. Maybe if you do that, then next semester we can think about you going back to school.
MARIE
Yeah, because you know what’s best for me, don’t you Max? You’re just super Dad aren’t you? You think you know everything about me, but I’m pretty sure that you don’t know anything. At least anything that matters.
MAX
I just want what’s best for you. You’re simply trying to forget the past and that’s not healthy at all. I should know, I tried to do the same thing.
MARIE
It’s not the same at all. You had time to deal with Mom dying while she was dying. Reggie died in a car accident. I was in a coma while he died. I woke up and my world was gone, again. Because in case you forgot, I had to deal with Mom dying too.
Marie stands up and walks out of the room.
INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT
Marie solemnly walks into the apartment. She notices that Ken is sitting on the couch. As soon as Marie shuts the door Ken jumps up off the couch.
KEN
What do you think you’re doing, Marie?
MARIE
I was coming into the house. And now I’m tired, I was thinking about going to bed.
KEN
I mean what are you doing leaving and not saying when you’re going to be back! I had no idea where you were going, when to expect you back, if you were going to do something stupid, anything!
MARIE
I didn’t particularly want to listen to your lecture on why I should give Dad a second chance. I didn’t need that, again. I needed to spend some time alone.
KEN
You were gone for two hours! Next time you want to be alone you might let me know where you’re going to be while you’re alone.
Ken holds up Marie’s cell phone.
KEN
Or at least bring your phone with which you conveniently left on the table.
MARIE
Oops, my bad.
Marie grabs her phone out of Ken’s hand and then walks towards her room.
INT. KITCHEN - MORNING
Marie and Ken are sitting down together at the kitchen table eating breakfast. The tension in the room is obvious and Marie is clearly still angry with her brother.
MARIE
I’m going to a party tonight. If that’s alright with you of course.
KEN
Yeah, sure. I don’t care if you go to a party, as long as you behave. Am I going to be seeing you after your done with classes today?