San Francisco By Kaitlyn Boudah

Based on the short story "San Francisco"

Kaitlyn Boudah 45 Quincy Mail Center Cambridge, MA 02138

INT. HOUSE FRONT HALLWAY - DAY Bands of light stream through the little windows around the houses front door. The door is open, and in the doorway stands MAIDY, a plainly dressed sixteen-year-old girl. Her backpack SLIDES off her shoulder and she releases it onto the floor next to her. She stares into the house without a sound. PSYCHOLOGIST (V.O.) I want you to tell me what you remember about how your mother died. CUT TO: INT. PSYCHOLOGISTS OFFICE - DAY Maidy is seated in a big, comfy chair in a disgustingly-wallpapered shrinks office. Shes wearing the same outfit as when she stood in her houses doorway. The PSYCHOLOGIST sits opposite her in a stiffer looking chair. MAIDY Are you crazy? PSYCHOLOGIST Itll help to get it out. Maidy sighs and leans back in her chair. MAIDY What do you even want me to say? PSYCHOLOGIST Just everything you want to say. What caused it, when it happened, what happened before, what happened after -- anything. Just talk to me. CUT TO: INT. MAIDYS HOUSE - DAY - CONTINUOUS We are back in Maidys house. She is wandering down the front hallway as if shes never been there before. MAIDY (V.O.) Fine, I guess. If I have to be here. Well, as you know, my mom had a brain tumor -- a big one, you (MORE) September 19, 2011

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MAIDY (V.O.) (contd) know, obviously, or maybe they could have done something about it. Right up here, right near her temple, she said. Maidy is in her KITCHEN, looking out the window into the bright, beautiful sunlight. She walks slowly over to some FAMILY PHOTOS sitting along the kitchen counter. MAIDY (V.O.) (CONT.) I mean, you never would have guessed anything was there, that anything was wrong in the first place. It was funny, there was this one day last year that my little sister - shes the crazy one, really, she should be here talking to you, not me - she said, "Mommy doesnt look so good." Maidy is looking at a picture of a young version of herself and her FATHER and younger sister, DARCY, posing, baseball caps on their heads. She moves to the next photo, one of her and her MOTHER. Theyre embracing, smiling at the camera. In the photo, Maidy is wearing a gold WATCH. MAIDY (V.O.) (CONT.) And it was so offhand and sad and cute, but then two weeks later mom comes back home crying her eyes out and dad tells us shes got a brain tumor and two years to live. Maidy stares at the picture. E.C.U. on the watch on Maidys wrist in the photograph. MAIDY (V.O.) (CONT.) That sucked. Finding out sucked. The randomness of the whole thing. It was like -- Jesus Christ, is this happening to me? Ugh... CUT TO:

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INT. PSYCHOLOGISTS OFFICE - DAY Back in the office, Maidy puts a hand on her face. There is a silence. PSYCHOLOGIST What was your mother like? MAIDY What, before? Or... after? PSYCHOLOGIST Whichever you would like to talk about. MAIDY My mom was... (beat) Brave. And she liked clothes. She liked buying clothes and necklaces and stuff like that. Maidy rubs her wrist. CUT TO: INT. MAIDYS HOUSE - DAY - CONTINUOUS Maidy sets down the picture frame with sudden intensity and speedwalks out of the kitchen. She RUNS up the stairs. MAIDY (V.O.) She gave me this watch, before... It was an antique watch. I think it was my grandmothers. It was really pretty. PSYCHOLOGIST (V.O.) I notice youre not wearing it. BEDROOM - MONTAGE Maidy is RIPPING fitfully through jewelry and clothes drawers, looking under papers on her bedroom desk, looking under her pillow, in the upstairs bathroom, searching for the watch.

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END MONTAGE PSYCHOLOGISTS OFFICE Maidy looks up at the psychologist, hand still on her wrist. MAIDY I cant find it. CUT TO: EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY Its a gray day -- group of people dressed in black are standing around a grave, into which a CASKET is being lowered. A pastor gives religious remarks. Maidy is there, holding 5-year-old Darcys hand. Her father stands near them. MAIDY (V.O.) Yeah, um, Id like to say my mom paid a lot of attention to both my little sister and me, you know, in the last year. But I feel bad, because I think she spent more time with me. Not that she didnt love us both equally, I just think... I dont know. I think she forgot. MAIDYS HOUSE Maidy is looking in all the drawers in the kitchen. She goes down into the basement and looks there, becoming more and more frantic. Maidys voice LAUGHS. MAIDY (V.O.) (CONT.) My sister is so cute. Shes so sweet and funny, I dont know if she even really got what was going on. She pauses in the bathroom, looking in the mirror. She stares at her own face. MAIDY (V.O.) (CONT.) She came to me the other day, when I was sitting in my room kind of crying, and she asked me what was (MORE) September 19, 2011

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MAIDY (V.O.) (CONT.) (contd) wrong, and I thought I was being dramatic and said PSYCHOLOGISTS OFFICE MAIDY (CONT.) "Time flies, Darcy." (beat) And she looks at me and she goes, "Fruit flies." And Im like, "what?" And she says again, "Fruit flies. Fruit flies like a banana." She smiles. The Psychologist laughs a little. Then her smile fades. MAIDYS HOUSE Maidy approaches and slowly ENTERS a bedroom at the end of the hall, and by the grown-up furniture and French country decorations its clear its her parents. MAIDY (V.O.) (CONT.) She just had to be the one. Shes too young for that shit. Maidy walks toward the tighly-made BED. MAIDY (V.O.) (CONT.) Its just nice to know she didnt see it happen, or anything. Finding your mom dead is a little bit better than watching it happen. You dont see the transition. It kind of looked like she was sleeping, anyway. She turns away from the bed and begins to look through her mothers drawers, more gently than before. A few TEARS are visible on her face. PSYCHOLOGISTS OFFICE Maidy sniffles. Shes crying. She wipes her eye. MAIDY I dont think this is helping.

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PSYCHOLOGIST Im sorry. You dont have to keep going. We can take a break. How about this: what are some things you like to do? MAIDY I... go for -Maidy is cut off as an EARTHQUAKE RUMBLES through the room, causing the furniture to tremble. Maidy reacts violently. She shouts loudly and SWINGS her arm back, KNOCKING over a lamp which CRASHES to the floor. The psychologist LEAPS out of his seat. PSYCHOLOGIST Maidy! Maidy, calm down, its okay. Maidy looks furious. She composes herself and wipes a tear from her cheek. MAIDY Sorry. Im fine. Im not crazy. (beat) I shouldnt even be here. Theres no reason for me to be here. PSYCHOLOGIST Maidy, Im interested -- when was the last time you saw your moms watch? MAIDY I lost it, I told you. I dont remember. PSYCHOLOGIST Okay. Theres an awkward silence. PSYCHOLOGIST (CONT.) I want you to talk to me about one more thing. You know why its good for you to talk to me, right? MAIDY No.

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GRAVEYARD Were back at the graveyard, an identical scene to the one we saw before, with Maidy, her father and her sister. PSYCHOLOGIST (V.O.) I want you to tell me why you hit that man at the funeral. MAIDY (V.O.) Oh, come on. PSYCHOLOGIST (V.O.) Or at least tell the story to me again. I want to know what you were feeling. Maidy is staring down into the grave. The crowd moves a little as the casket hits bottom. MAIDY (V.O.) I told you, we were standing there, and my mom had just been put in the hole, and then there was a quake -just a little tremor. Not a big deal. The earth SHAKES around the funeralgoers. Dirt crumbles and falls into the hole. MAIDY (V.O.) (CONT.) And then this guy -- my moms friend -- next to me nudges me and is like, We see the MAN nudge Maidy. She turns to him. He cracks a little smile. MAN (MAIDYS VOICE) "Feel that? I think that was a sign of your mothers wrath." Maidy swiftly PUNCHES the man in the face. In slow motion. MAIDY (V.O.) (CONT.) So I turned around and socked him.

8. MAIDYS HOUSE Maidy is sitting on her bed, crying, her fingers tightly grasping her hair. PSYCHOLOGIST (V.O.) Do you remember what you were wearing? PSYCHOLOGISTS OFFICE Maidy looks offended. MAIDY Im sorry? PSYCHOLOGIST Like, any jewelry that day? Any outfit you planned in advance? MAIDY I dont know how the fuck that has anything to do with it. PSYCHOLOGIST Never mind. Im sorry. MAIDYS HOUSE Maidy pauses on her bed, as if something has just dawned on her. FLASHBACK - GRAVEYARD We see the repeated punching scene, but this time shes wearing the gold watch. When she hits the man, shes hit him so hard that the antique watch BREAKS and SHATTERS, cutting the mans chin a little bit. Broken glass scatters like diamonds. END FLASHBACK Maidy gets up. She kneels and peers under the bed. She reaches for and retrieves a SHOE BOX that has been deliberately taped shut. Ripping the tape, she opens it. There is the watch, aboslutely shattered. The SLAM of the back door is heard. Her father and sister are home.

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DAD (O.S.) Hellooo? Maidy? Maidy SCRAMBLES to close the box and shove it way under her bed. She stands and dusts herself off. DAD (O.S.) Maidy? Are you okay? The house is a mess. Quick, little footsteps up the stairs. Darcy runs in and HUGS Maidy. Maidy calls back to her dad. MAIDY I was just looking for something. DARCY What were you looking for? MAIDY ... I cant find the watch mommy gave me. DARCY You lost it? PSYCHOLOGISTS OFFICE Maidy is standing by the door, backpack on, ready to leave. PSYCHOLOGIST Thank you for your time, Maidy. Have a good rest of your day. MAIDY Yeah. Thanks. She exits. The psychologist stands for a moment, then moves to pick up the broken lamp. FADE TO BLACK