Family Matters - E5

EXT. FAMILY HOME FRONT YARD – MORNING

This yard shows Father's care, no one seems to do any serious garden work but the grass is kept short and a tiny fruit tree sits off to the side. Well-groomed hedges make natural fences on both sides but not at the street, a stone pathway goes directly from the front porch to the street about twenty paces away. Mother and Father step from the front door to survey the day, Mother in her red woolen robe and Father with a sleepy Baby in one arm and a large cup of coffee in the other. He hands the coffee to Mother, who takes a sip then hands it back to him.

- Father (optimistic)
Well I think it looks like spring will be here soon!

- Mother (shakes her head)
With any luck it'll stay cold a bit longer.

- Father
There's no reason at all why a hedgehog would be able to predict the weather.

- Mother (agreeable)
No more reason than a groundhog would.

- Father
That's what I meant, a groundhog. The first day of spring is the day I start up the old gas-powered mower, and not a day sooner or later.

- Mother
I'd even bet you can put off buying that gas for at least a few weeks. Pass that here.

Father passes her the coffee and she takes another sip, then gives it back to him.

- Mother
That coffee is much too bitter.

- Father
Is it?

He sniffs at the coffee and shrugs. Mother takes it from him again for another sip.

- Mother
Absolutely. What brand is it?

- Father
Generic.

- Mother
Don't buy that brand any more, it's much too bitter.

She takes another sip, then hands the cup back to Father.

- Mother
It does grow on you, a bit. I would be able to critique it better if I could compare it with others.

- Father (defensive)
All I know is that it's the cheapest one they have. But if you want me to start getting something different …

He looks down at the coffee cup pensively, like he doesn't want to drink it any more, and Mother takes it from him.

- Mother
No, this is fine.

She takes a sip and nods in satisfaction.

- Mother
The kids at school already?

- Father
An hour ago. And Daughter will be home an hour later than usual, from the anger management classes. She promised to go, but I might drive in to pick her up and make sure she did.

- Mother
I got in a few fights when I was her age, I still say it's nothing for that nosy principle to be worried about.

- Father
As long as she learns violence isn't the answer.

- Mother
When the anger management training doesn't work, sign her up for some martial arts classes.

Father nods and goes back inside, Mother stands on the front porch with a contemplative look. After a moment she sets out for the mailbox.

---

INT. SON'S ENGLISH CLASSROOM – MORNING

This room could be for any subject really. Today it is noisy with the background CHATTER of other students, and filled with thirty or so students who now arrange themselves in groups of three. Son spots the duo of Brother Girl and COUSIN GIRL in the corner, and heads for them. On the way there he turns down several offers from others to join their groups with a smile. At the front of the classroom, MR. TEACHER sits back in his desk chair and opens a book, he is a middle-aged man with a shrewd look to him. In the corner, Brother seems to hulk over Cousin in the chair next to him while actually he is a bit shorter than her, he looks dull and angry while she appears awkward and mousy. Son approaches with a grin.

- Son
Either of you mind if I complete this threesome? All of my friends have groups of three already.

- Brother (softly)
Go right ahead. As long as you plan on pulling your own weight.

- Son (happily)
Not a problem! In fact I even have a few ideas already if -

- Brother
We're doing it like a documentary, you can be the face-man and I'll handle the camera. Cousin will play Iconic Persecuted, we'll interview her as if she survived and is now doing a tell-all.

- Son
Do we have a location, or a camera?

- Brother
A groundskeeper's shack on our property, no one lives there any more. As for the camera, that can easily be acquired.

- Son
How did she escape?

- Brother (slight grin)
Daring rooftop escape.

- Son
Well it sounds like you have everything figured out! … Sorry I couldn't contribute more.

- Brother
We needed a face-man anyway, you'll do for that. And it wasn't my idea, it was all Cousin. She's the one who wanted a happy ending.

Brother points at Cousin, who nods meekly.

- Son
Great! I'm Son by the way, nice to meet you both! Here's to a great group project!

He puts out a hand for Brother to shake, but Brother leaves it there. After an awkward moment Cousin reaches out to shake Son's hand instead, and Son smiles happily at her.

- Brother (stiffly)
Girl. Brother Girl. And this is Cousin, the youngest daughter of my father's sister.

- Son
So that makes you two … related?

- Brother
Yes.

- Son
Awesome! We don't have much of an extended family, on either side, it must be cool having family to go see on holidays and such.

- Brother
Not really. Either they visit us and it's weird, or we visit them and have to rent a hotel.

- Son (confused, then to Cousin)
Why would … don't you live around here?

- Brother
Her family lives on the east coast actually, she's staying with us for the time being.

- Cousin (squeaky)
It's so lovely not hearing gunshots at night!

Son seems blown away by this, his mouth hangs open in amazement, while Brother looks annoyed with Cousin.

- Son
Wow, there was a firing range near your old home? That's awesome!

---

INT. GIRL HOME GROUNDSKEEPER SHACK – EVENING

This small kitchen looks cold and forgotten, and is the largest area in this apartment-sized home. Out the window it becomes obvious that this house is above an old stable, with grassy fields in all directions and the main Girl family house some ways in the distance. Brother stands behind an expensive camera, carefully aimed at Son and Cousin, who sit in chairs that half face each other. Son wears a reporter's fedora with a slip of paper that reads "Press" stuck in the brim and has a small notebook, while Cousin wears an old-fashioned bonnet.

- Son (serious)
And Miss Persecuted, what was your reaction to him stealing the food?

- Cousin (giggly)
Oh, you know. He may have done something wrong that one time, but everyone is essentially good after all so I knew we shouldn't be mad at him.

- Son
Really? Even when he might have endangered all of your lives? Food was scarce for you, weren't you worried about starving?

- Cousin
Oh no, Deity would never let us starve! We might go a bit hungry at times but that was what we had to do to survive, and it wasn't like we could move around much anyway.

- Son (breaks character)
Really? In all the theatrical productions they have a huge set to run around on, so I -

- Brother (sighs)
Cut, cut. Iconic Persecuted wouldn't know about the theatrical productions, so you can't mention them. You're interviewing her as if she survives the time in the attic, and they wouldn't have made a play about her if she survived.

- Son (smiles guiltily)
Oops! Slipped my mind, won't happen again.

- Brother
I need some fresh air, you two get back in character while I'm gone. Don't touch the camera.

He glares with clear menace at the two, then exits through a tall thin door with a big sigh, he makes quite a racket on the old and creaky stairs. Son grins conspiratorially at Cousin, who grins meekly back.

- Son
Well Miss Iconic, it seems my cameraman has stepped out for a smoke. Nasty habit, don't you think so?

- Cousin
Oh not at all sir! I hear it calms the nerves, and so I think if everyone had that habit we'd have less trouble everywhere.

- Son
Ever the optimist, you are! Now trouble, that's exactly what I'd like to talk about with you.

- Cousin
Sir?

- Son
Now that my cameraman is out and the camera is off, we can talk about some recent trouble. Happened around here actually, you might have heard something.

- Cousin
Son, why are -

- Son
No Miss Iconic, my name's Ace, Ace Reporter. Let's stick with that for now, all right?

- Cousin
I guess, but I don't understand -

- Son
Miss Iconic, ours is not to understand, ours is to report the news! Now then, and correct me if I'm wrong at all here, but after leaving the attic you started living in that house over yonder?

He points through the window at the Girl family mansion, and Cousin nods with a confused look.

- Son
Excellent! Now I'm sure you can help me! I believe a young girl lives there too, first name Rich? Popular girl by all accounts.

Cousin nods again, now she looks a bit worried, but Son smiles kindly at her.

- Son
Now you may not know this but I have a sister, first name Daughter? A few weeks back she came around these parts to spend an afternoon with this girl Rich, and next thing I know she's angry with the world. Won't say what happened, but acts like a different … a slightly different person. So the reporter in me is wondering, what exactly happened that night? Perhaps you were there?

Although she looks frightened, Cousin nonetheless nods. Just then, the sound of Brother's footsteps can be heard on the stairs. Son smiles and winks at Cousin as he leans back in his chair and tips his hat down over his eyes. Brother enters the room, Son pretends to be asleep and Cousin yawns.

- Brother
Oh that is simply disgusting, were you two making out up here?

- Son (laughs)
Nonsense my good man! Ace Reporter is too much of a professional to try wooing a girl who just survived the tragedies of war. All we did was get back in to character. Isn't that right Miss Iconic?

Cousin nods stiffly, and Brother narrows his eyes but shrugs, he takes his position behind the camera. With hand signals he counts down from three to one, at which point Son begins the interview again from where he left off.

- Son
Now then Miss Iconic, what I find most intriguing about your story is the daring escape you pulled on the night the attic was raided. Do you think you could recount that tale for us? Everything you remember from that night, everything!

Son winks again at Cousin, and her eyes widen. When she speaks, it is in a smaller squeak than before.

- Cousin
Oh, I … there's not much to say. I was in my room when I heard noises outside, they sounded like they might be soldiers running around. So I crept to the door and peeked outside, and a girl nearly fell inside.

- Brother
Wait, who -

- Son (apologetic)
I'm sorry Miss Iconic, my cameraman has a lot of bad habits and has forgotten the biggest rule of operating a camera. You would think the rule was always turning that little crank on the side, but actually it's that you don't make your presence known!

- Cousin
Oh, that's fine Mr. Ace, I'm sure he didn't mean to. Should I continue?

The two look to Brother, who signals for her to do so.

- Cousin
Oh, thank you! So as I was saying, this girl came stumbling in to my room. She said the soldiers were after her, and she needed to escape.

- Son
How terrifying!

- Cousin
If the soldiers were there, we would both need to escape. I was ever so glad she had warned me! Oh, and there was a back corridor only I knew about, so I took the two of us out through it and she hailed a cart from the street.

- Son
So not only did you escape, but there was someone else too! I wonder, how did she find your room? Or to put it a better way, what events led up to her ending up at your door?

- Cousin
Oh now that I don't rightly know. But she was certainly bent on escaping those soldiers.

- Son
Did you hear yelling beforehand? Perhaps the sounds of a verbal dispute?

- Cousin
No, and in fact I had met that girl at dinner before, and she did not seem put upon at the time. If I knew where that girl was now, I would ask her myself about what happened that night.

- Brother
Okay, cut, cut … what is wrong with you two, this improv is terrible.

- Son
Yeah, sorry, that was all my idea. Back to the original solo rooftop escape then?