INT. – HOTEL BEDROOM – DAY (Before the incident)

Light breaks into the room from behind closed curtains, and Drew stirs in bed. Someone is seated next to her, awaiting her arousal. (Not that kind of arousal, you dirty, dirty, child.)

Her eyes open slowly, take in the view of the person next to her, and then shut. Without reopening them, she speaks.

      DREW

      (Groggily)

      Danielle, what the hell are you doing in my hotel room?

DANIELLE holds up a cupcake with a single lit candle stabbed into the center, and begins to sing the Birthday Song. After she is finished, she returns to her normal voice.

      DANIELLE

      Happy sixteenth, Drew-ness. Come on, sit up and blow the candle out.

      DREW

      (Eyes still fastened)

      How did you get in here without a key?

      DANIELLE

      (Anxious)

      I flirted with a bell-boy and got him to let me in.

      (Bouncing in her seat)

      Come on, come on, now make a wish and blow the candle out before the whole thing catches fire.

Drew unwillingly rises from her sheets, hair going out in all directions, and takes a look at the cupcake, questioning its origin.

      DREW

      Dani, that’s a cupcake from the batch they were giving out free in the entrance       hall yesterday.

      DANIELLE

      (Still enthusiastic)

      So? It’s still a cupcake, it’s still your birthday, and you’ve still got to blow    the candle out. Come-fûcking-on, you pain in the ass, make a wish.

DREW

(Sardonically)

Well, when you put it like that, who am I to oppose?

She hunkers down, closes her eyes for a brief moment in deep thought, opens them, and blows out the flame that was atop the half-melted candle.

DANIELLE

What did you wish for?

DREW

Now, Danielle Melissa Harrison, if I told you what I wished for it wouldn’t   come true, would it?

DANIELLE

(Rolls eyes)

Don’t give me that, you of all people shouldn’t believe that shiit-drenched myth       that society feeds us.

(Sneaks a few finger dips of icing)

They make it sound as if the wish would come true in the first place. And you       and I both know better than to be so naïve.

DREW

(Shows discomfort; rubs eyes in fatigue)

God, woman, quit running your mouth, it’s too fûcking early for me to be       listening.

Drew pulls the sheets off of herself and gets out of bed, revealing her sleep-attire; a white spaghetti strap and a pair of simple white underwear.

      DANIELLE

      Then tell me what you wished for, you big pansy-ass wench.

Drew shrugs her shoulders and holds them in suspension.

      DREW

      Stop your probing. And name-calling wont get you jack shiit. Why do you want to know, anyway?

      (Pause; no answer from Danielle, just a blank gaze)

      Fine, if you’re so damned curious-

      (Beat; drops her shoulders)

      I wished for a happy ending.

Danielle’s gaze drops to a frown, and she gets up from her place on the bed, wanders over to her life-long friend and takes her in a cordial embrace.

      DANIELLE

      (Into her ear)

      You’ll have it. Eventually.

      (Beat)

      Now stop being a depressed little blob, it’s your fûcking birthday. Get wacky,      get wild. Get wasted.

      (Lets her go)

      Don’t forget we’re meeting the crew for bagels and cappuccinos. They’ve all got     you a gift. Plus, Curtis says he wrote you a song on his new acoustic.

      DREW

      (Throws her head back)

      God, Curtis has to stop trying.

      DANIELLE

      Yea, . He doesn’t have to stop trying; you have to stop rejecting him.

Drew saunters over to the window and pushes the curtains to the side and looks out at the fading light.

      DREW

      (Sighs)

      No, I’m just not interested.

DANIELLE

The fûck you aren’t. You’ve been interested since the third grade. And he’s a       good guy, unlike every other walking pênis you’ll find in our school.

DREW

(After a brief giggle)

Well, I just don’t like him anymore.

DANIELLE

Yea, as if I’d believe that.

(Beat)

It’s not that you’ve lost interest in him. You’re just discouraged and upset with your parents’ split-up. You’ve been like this for two God damn weeks.

(Takes hold of her shoulders)

It’s your birthday. Act like it. And act like the Drew that I knew before all       this drama happened. I’m starting to miss her; we’re all starting to miss her.

Drew turns around and smiles at Danielle. Danielle takes hold of her cheek and gives her a gentle and encouraging smack.

      DANIELLE

      (Off pajamas)

      Now go put some real clothes on.

      (Beat)

      You’re driving the lêsbian inside me crazy with that outfit.

      (Winks)

Drew laughs, grabs some clothes from off the chair, and runs into the bathroom. While she is dressing, Danielle snacks on the cupcake’s icing.

Drew exits the bathroom fully clothed, es her side-bag, and absconds the bedroom with her friend at her side, leaving the cupcake behind.

They go into the living room of the hotel suite, and Drew walks off toward another room in front of her.

      DANIELLE

      What are you doing?

      DREW

      (Looking O.S.)

      I’ve got to check on my mom.

      DANIELLE

      Is she still catatonic?

      DREW

      (Turns the door knob)

      We’ll see.

They enter into the room to see Drew’s mother, MRS. DUNVILLE, seated at the foot of her already-made bed. It looks untouched, almost as if she hadn’t gone to sleep at all. She was staring into a void, hands entwined and resting on her lap.

      DREW

      Mom?

      (Caringly)

      I’m going out for some breakfast with Danielle and the rest; do you want me to       bring you back a bagel or some coffee?

No sound from her mother.

      DANIELLE

      (Jokingly)

      Can I pick you up some Pall Malls and côndoms, Mrs. D? Textured or flavored?

As she says this, Drew throws a playful smack her way onto her abdomen, Danielle is laughing while she crouches over in hilarity. There is still no answer from Mrs. Dunville, just silence.

Danielle looks at Drew, perplexed, and hops in front of her doing a “Happy Dance.”

      DANIELLE

      Hey come on, Mrs. D.

      (Beat)

      It’s Drew’s birthday. Let’s boogie!

      (Does the twist; turns back to her; stops)

      Alright, fine. Be a stiff.

Drew looks at Danielle disapprovingly and shakes her head in disappointment. Danielle shrugs and leaves the room. As she exits, she speaks.

      DANIELLE

      (To Drew)

      I’m gonna go have a cigarette; I’ll meet you outside in front of the building.

Drew walks over to her mother and notices that she is dressed in the same clothes she wore yesterday. She pushes a clump of hair out of her still face and places it behind her cold ear. She pulls a brush from the cosmetics bag on the side and starts to comb her hair gently. 

      DREW

      (While brushing)

      We’re going to end up fine, ma.

When she is finished she puts down the brush and ambles on over to the window to open up the curtains, and continues to speak.

      DREW

      It’s all going to be okay. We’ll get through this.

      (Pause)

      I’m going out; I’ll probably be back in an hour with some breakfast for you.

      (Beat)

      Until then, we’re on the top floor, look at that view. It’s beautiful isn’t it?

She returns to her mother and gives her a tender kiss on the cheek.

      DREW

      I love you, ma.

She leaves her mother and walks out of the room, shutting the door.

A tear falls from Mrs. Dunville’s eye, and pursues down her cheek.

      MRS. DUNVILLE

      (In a whisper)

      I love you too.