THE PARENT TRAP
A MOUNTAIN OF DUFFEL BAGS sits on the quad as one eleven year-old, Hallie Parker, pops up from behind the huge pile.
Hallie
(to herself)
okay, found my duffel, now the question is, how do I get it out?
Hallie wears overalls, a baseball cap that says Girls Rule, sunglasses, and a sweat-shirt tied around her waist. Her ears. are pierced, her hair is short, she wears bright red high tops and metallic blue nail polish.
Hallie
(finding her duffel bag strap)
Okay, I can do it.
Hallie pulls on the strap with all her might, her face turning bright red.
Hallie
Okay, no I can't.
A skinny kid with a long neck, ZOE, steps in, carrying her duffel bag on her shoulder and chewing gum.
ZOE
You must be new.
Hallie
How can you tell?
ZOE
You didn't know to grab your duffel before the apes tossed it into the heap. I would say you need some serious help.
Hallie
Thanks. it's the big blue one.
ZOE
(helps Hallie pull on thestrap)
Cool hat.
Hallie
Thanks, it was a going away gift from my Dad.
As Zoe and Hallie pull on the strap together, the BusDrivers toss another half-dozen new duffels onto the pile. Hallie andZoe shoot the Bus Drivers a look. Just then, NICOLE, a strapping ten year-old in a tie-dye T-shirt, beads and a bandana around her head arrives and easily pulls her duffel from the center of the pile.
Hallie
Now that's my kind of woman.
ZOE
(cups hands around her mouth)
Hey! Tie-Dye girl!
Nicole turns around.
Hallie
Would you mind giving me a hand? My duffells the red one, way in there.
Nicole nods and drops her duffel.It LANDS right on Zoe's foot.
Hallie
You okay?
ZOE
(grabbing her foot)
That would be negative.
Nicole yanks Hallie's duffel out of the pile and drops it on Zoe's other foot.
ZOE
Aaaahhh! Why, thank you.
NICOLE
(smiles)
You're welcome.
(reading name-tag on Hallie's duffel)
Hey, you're from California?
ZOE
You are? Do you live in Hollywood?
NICOLE
Do you like live next door to a movie star?
Hallie
What are you two, Lucy and Ethel? I’ve never even been to Hollywood. I live in Napa, that's in Northern California, and I live next door to a vineyard.
ZOE
A whatyard?
Hallie
A vineyard. It's where you grow grapes to make wine. That's what we do, me and my Dad, we own a vineyard. What bunk are you guys in?
ZOE/NICOLE
(at the same time)
Arapaho.
Zoe and Nicole look at each other, not thrilled.