THE SITTING LIFE

Written By

Bridget Dinan
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING

TEXTBOOKS and PAPERS are scattered around the bedroom.

PEYTON, 17, lays on her bed. She is asleep and uses her
textbook as a pillow. Her phone begins to RING and her head *
snaps up.

A sticky note is stuck to her forehead. She looks around and

grabs her phone. She answers it and pulls the sticky note
off her head.

PEYTON
Hello?

MRS. THOMPSON (V.O.)

Peyton! Hello, this is Mrs.
Thompson. How are you?

PEYTON
Im doing fine, how are you?

MRS. THOMPSON (V.O.)

I am just great! Listen I was
wondering if you were available
this afternoon to come and watch
Lily?

Peyton looks around at all of her notes.

PEYTON
How long would it be for? I have a
major test this week that I need to
study for and-

MRS. THOMPSON (V.O.)

I know you messed up last time with
the whole stitches needed in her
head thing, but I could really use
your help and no one else answered.

PEYTON *
I dont know, I really need to *
study and- *

MRS. THOMPSON *
Oh please help me out. You owe me *
for what happened last time. *

PEYTON
Okay. Yes I would love to watch
Lily.
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 2.

MRS. THOMPSON (V.O.)

Perfect! Be here at three this
afternoon! See you then.

Mrs. Thompson hangs up. Peyton rubs her eyes and goes back to
reading her textbook.

EXT. THE THOMPSONS HOME- AFTERNOON

Peyton walks up to the Thompsons door. She has a giant

backpack that is completely filled. She knocks on the door.
MR. THOMPSON answers the door.

MR. THOMPSON
Peyton hello! Come on in. Lily is
in the living room.

PEYTON
Okay thanks.

INT. LIVING ROOM *

Peyton walks in and sees LILY watching T.V. She sits down *
next to her. Mrs. Thompson comes running in.

MRS. THOMPSON
Hi Peyton. We are late so we have
to get going. Call if you need
anything. Seriously anything, and
please be careful.

PEYTON
Everything will be fine I promise.

Mrs. Thompson gives Peyton a look of disbelief, kisses Lilys

head and runs out the door.

PEYTON (CONTD)
What are you watching Lily?

LILY
A movie. Shh I want to hear!

PEYTON
(whispers)
Sorry! Ill just be sitting here
studying okay?

LILY
Why are you studying?
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 3.

PEYTON
Because Im on my way to becoming
valedictorian thats why. Now watch
your movie.

LILY
Maybe we can play hide and seek? *
That would be fun. *

PEYTON
No I think you should just watch
your movie right now. I really have
to study.

LILY
But I want to now.

PEYTON
Lily just watch your movie.

Lily rolls her eyes and gives Peyton a nasty look. She turns
back to the TV.

Peyton begins to read through her notes and flips through her
textbooks. She lays on the couch with the book in her hands
and as she reads a chapter her eyes begin to droop.

She falls asleep and the textbook falls to the ground.

CUT TO BLACK: *

TWO HOURS LATER *

Peytons eyes flutter open and she yawns. She sits up and
looks at the clock under the TV It was 6 p.m.

PEYTON (CONTD)
OH MY GOD.

Peyton shoots up from the couch. Lily is no where to be seen.

PEYTON (CONTD)
Lily Where did you go?

Peyton waits for a response but nothing happens. She moves

towards the staircase.

PEYTON (CONTD)
Lily?

There is no answer, or sign of movement from upstairs.

 4.

PEYTON (CONTD)
Lily this is not funny. You come
out right now. I am not playing
this game.

Peyton still does not receive a reply. She runs up the

stairs.

INT. LILYS BEDROOM - NIGHT

Peyton walks into Lilys room and sees that it is empty.

PEYTON
Lily? Please answer me or your
mother will kill me!

There is complete silence and Peyton begins to panic and

freak out. She runs around the upstairs looking in each
bedroom.

She sees no sign of Lily upstairs and runs back downstairs.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Peyton begins to look in the cupboards, under tables, in the

trash can, and even the cookie jar too panicked to think
logically.

PEYTON
Lily if you come out Ill give you
cookies and ice cream! Anything you
want at all!

Peyton heads for the basement door and opens it.

PEYTON (CONTD)
Are you down there?

No response again. Peyton walks to the back door.

EXT. BACKYARD - NIGHT

Peyton runs into the yard and looks around frantically. She
checks the shed outback, Lilys tree house, and she is no
where to be found.

PEYTON
What have I done?

She runs back towards the house.

 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 5.

INT. KITCHEN

Peyton pulls at her hair trying to think of what to do.

PEYTON
Do I call them? No, last time it
was she needed stitches in her head
and now this? And what would I even
say? Like hey Mrs. Thompson
everythings fine and dandy I just
happened to have LOST your child!
I am so dead. How could I have
possibly fucked up again.

Peyton puts her face in her hands and lets out a frustrated
shriek.

PEYTON (CONTD)
What do I do?... A search party? *
(firmly) *
No thats stupid. *

CUT TO:

EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT

Peyton rounds up the NEIGHBORS. They all stand in a circle *

ready to make a game plan.

PEYTON
Okay everybody we all have to split
up and look around. I dont think
she could have gotten that far.

NEIGHBOR 1
How exactly did this happen again?
You fell asleep?

PEYTON
That is not whats important right
now!

NEIGHBOR 2
Seems pretty important to me.

All of the Neighbors begin to mumble to each other about the *

situation. They give Peyton judgmental looks.

PEYTON
All of you shut up! Fan out we have
got a little girl to find!
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 6.

NEIGHBOR 2
(to Neighbor 1)
We should call the police. We will
never find her in the dark.

Everyone begins to fan out. They look behind bushes, up

trees, and all around their homes. Peyton stands in the
middle of the street scanning the area. Her phone begins to
RING. *

PEYTON
Oh my God its her! Okay breathe
Peyton you got this... Hello?

MRS. THOMPSON (V.O.)

Peyton! How is everything going? I
havent gotten any calls so Im not
sure if that is a good thing or a
bad thing. Hopefully a good thing.

PEYTON
Oh yes everythings just great.

MRS. THOMPSON (V.O.)

Wonderful. Okay well we are
actually heading home earlier than
planned. We will probably be back
in about 15 to 20 minutes.

PEYTON
(squeaky nervous)
Perfect! See you soon!

Peyton hangs up the phone.

PEYTON (CONTD)
EVERYONE KEEP LOOKING. I cant
believe they are coming home early!
Lily where the hell are you?

Peyton begins to run back towards the house.

PEYTON (CONTD)
One more sweep and then Ill call
them to fess up.

INT. HOME - NIGHT

Peyton looks in all of the same places downstairs again and

then she heads upstairs.

PEYTON
Lily are you up here?
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 7.

INT. LILYS BEDROOM

Peyton walks into Lilys room again and looks around. She is
about to turn around when she sees a trail of cookie crumbs
leading to beneath Lilys bed.

Peyton drops to her knees and looks under the bed. Lily lies
there asleep with a half eaten cookie hanging out of her
mouth. Peyton sighs with relief.

She reaches under the bed and gently pulls Lily out waking
her up in the process. She lays her on the bed.

LILY
You finally found me.

PEYTON
Finally is right. Why did you hide
from me? You scared me.

LILY
You fell asleep and I got really
bored. Then I decided it would be
fun to play a really hard game of
hide and go seek.

PEYTON
You were playing a game?

LILY
(giggles)
Yup! And you stink.

PEYTON
Never ever do that again Lily. Get
under the covers and try to sleep.
Mommy and Daddy will be home soon.

LILY
Okay, but I think next time we play
you should hide. I got bored while
waiting.

PEYTON
Well next time I promise to
actually play with you.

Lily slips under the covers and snuggles into her bed. She *
quickly falls asleep and Peyton heads back downstairs.
 8.

INT. LIVING ROOM

Peyton collapses onto the couch and takes a deep breath

letting it out nice and slow. She hears Mr. and Mrs. Thompson
pull up in the drive way.

She grabs her textbook from off of the floor and pretends to
read it as they come through the door. They walk into the
living room.

MRS. THOMPSON
Everyones just running around out
there its really weir- Peyton, hi
everything go okay?

PEYTON
Of course. Shes fast asleep in her
bed.

MRS. THOMPSON
Oh good. Im going to go up and
check. Hun pay her please?

Mrs. Thompson leaves to go upstairs.

MR. THOMPSON
Okay heres your money. I hope she
wasnt too misbehaved. She can be a
handful sometimes.

PEYTON
Thank you sir, and no not at all
she was a perfect angel. It was
like... like she wasnt even here.

MR. THOMPSON
Well excellent! Im sure we will
have you back really soon!

PEYTON
Yeah um hopefully.

MR. THOMPSON
Dont worry that whole stitches
thing has blown by. It could have
happened to anyone.

PEYTON
Right. Well I guess I should get
going.

Peyton begins to pack up all of her things. She grabs her

backpack and heads for the door. Mrs. Thompson comes down and
stops her.
 9.

MRS. THOMPSON
Peyton wait. Thank you so much for
coming over on such short notice. I
am very pleased with how the night
turned out. Ill be calling you
again for sure.

PEYTON
Oh thank you. I appreciate it. Ill
see you later I guess.

Peyton walks out the door.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Peyton walks towards her car slowly. She sits down on the
curb to take a breath. She notices a bunch of lights flashing
down the street.

PEYTON
What is that?

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Mr. Thompson sits on the couch watching TV. He flips through

the channels. Mrs. Thompson walks in and sits beside him.

MR. THOMPSON
Lily still asleep?

MRS. THOMPSON
Yes shes out like a light. She
must have had so much fun that it
tuckered her out.

MR. THOMPSON
Will you be calling Peyton again?

MRS. THOMPSON
Oh definitely. Turn the news on so
we can catch the weather.

Mr. Thompson turns on the news. She continues to ramble on

about Peyton and does not pay attention to the screen.

MRS. THOMPSON (CONTD)

She is just so responsible. Lily
was in bed on time fast asleep-
 Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy) 10.

MR. THOMPSON
Uh sweetheart-

MRS. THOMPSON
The house isnt a mess like the
other sitters leave it and-

MR. THOMPSON
Sweetie look-

MRS. THOMPSON
She is so smart too. Her mother
told me she is on the way to
becoming valedic-

MR. THOMPSON
HONEY.

MRS. THOMPSON
God! What is it?

Mr. Thompson points to the TV screen. Lilys name is

scrolling across the screen. They recognize all of their
neighbors running around crazy. They are being interviewed
about Lily being missing.

They turn away from the TV both wide eyed. They stare at each
other.

MR. AND MRS. THOMPSON

OH MY GOD.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Peyton stands staring down the road. There are police cars *
everywhere and a helicopter with a beam of light shining *
down.

She hears yelling from inside the Thompsons home.

PEYTON
Uh oh.

MR. AND MRS. THOMPSON (O.S.)

PEYTON WHAT DID YOU DO?

FADE OUT.
11.