INT.

LIMO – MORNING

Mia is in the limo alone with Joe, on their way to

pick up Lilly. Joe catches Mia in the rear-view
mirror.

EXT. LILLY’S BUILDING – CONTINUOUS

ANGLE ON MICHAEL as he enters the limo without seeing

Mia closely yet. ANGLE ON LILLY entering limo.

LILLY
Did I miss something? Are we
going to a wedding?

MIA
No, school. This is the surprise
ride. This is Joe. Joe, Lilly.
Lilly, Joe.

LILLY
Hi, it’s nice to meet you. You
look like Shaft.

JOE
Yes. Excuse me.

MIA
You want a ride?

LILLY
Yeah, Totally.

MIA
I got it.

JOE
Of course.

LILLY
Oh, my word.

EXT. MARKET STREET – THAT MORNING

As the limo drives smoothly up Market Street, Lilly

plays with the TV and all the limo gadgets.

JOE
Please fasten your seatbelts.

LILLY
 Is your mother dating an
undertaker?

MIA
No. This long lost grandmother
showed up and she wants me to
use it.

LILLY
And?

MIA
I don’t know. I guess she’s just
trying to be nice to get me to
like her.

[A whole lot of cut shit]

LILLY
I’m on the verge of becoming a
nutcase, and my parents think I
need an attitude adjustment. So
my dad wants to take me to
dinner tonight, just the two of
us. We ran out of things to talk
about when I was eight.

MIA
At least your dad’s still alive.

LILLY
Hey. I thought you were getting
over that. It’s been two months.

MIA
I know, I know. But after all,
he was my dad.

LILLY
Biologically yes, but you never
met the man. Just a nice card
and a gift on your birthday for
15 years.

MIA
Be fair, they were beautiful
presents. Remember the Faberge
merry-go-round? That was nice.
And he paid for my school
tuition.

LILLY
 I guess so.

[A whole lot of cut shit]

LILLY
Who destroyed you?

MIA
Oh. You think it looks that bad?

LILLY
You look ridiculous. You should
sue.

MIA
Well, um… [Laughs] I know it’s a
little straighter and shorter-

LILLY
Weirder!

MICHAEL
An attractive weirder.

LILLY
No. It’s not attractive.

Mia stares out the window, too hurt and upset to

respond. Lilly’s also upset, so she’s like a dog with
a bone.

JOE
Seat belts, please.

LILLY
What I really can’t understand -
you ditched me again yesterday.
When I needed your help on the
Greenpeace petition. This bag!
You have one of these bags? You
know we could hock that and feed
a whole Third World country? Am
I right?

MIA
No

JOE
If there are no more passengers,
I think we should close the
door.
 LILLY
You used to care more about what
was inside your head instead of
on it. Come on, Mia. Fess up. I
don’t know where you are these
days, and now you’re an A-Crowd
wannabe? You’re morphing into
one of them. Who knows, next
week you could be waving pompoms
in my face. You sold out.

Mia doesn’t respond, but we see her eyes welling up

with tears. Michael tries to make eye contact with
Mia, but Mia angles her body so neither Lilly nor
Michael can’t see that she’s crying, but Joe catches
it in the rear-view window. He feels bad for the kid.

JOE
Was my mirror fogging up or was
someone tearing back there?

MIA
I’m fine.

JOE
Very well. Then I’ll go meet
your grandmother. You should
know that no one can make you
feel inferior without your
consent.

MIA
Eleanor Roosevelt said that.

JOE
Yes. Another special lady, like
yourself. I’ll be back at 3
o’clock.

MIA
Thank you.

Lilly and Michael get out of the limo and start to

join the throng of students entering the school. Mia
feels awkward and self-conscious about her new hair,
and before exiting the limo, Mia pulls a funky hat out
of her knapsack and puts it on, desperately trying to
cover her hair. Lilly instantly nails her.

LILLY
She has a hat. Do you really
think wearing that hat is gonna
 keep people from seeing your new
Lana-do. Just because the
student population might be
morally bankrupt, doesn’t mean
they’re blind.

Mia is about to burst into tears, but instead she

uncharacteristically defends herself.

MIA
Lilly! Just stop it, OK? Just
because your hair sucks, get off
mine.

ANGLE ON MICHAEL as he stops in his tracks, surprised

by Mia’s strong words.

MICHEAL
Ouch, thank you.

LILLY
Can you please pretend you have
a life for just one moment?

MICHEAL
Hey. Relax. Breathe.

Michael looks to his sister to catch her fury, which

is huge. Like watching a tennis watch, the fight is on
and as it escalates it catches other students’
attention as well. Mia and Lilly are the new game to
watch – and everyone’s watching. Even Lars. Lilly is
so stunned it takes her a sec to respond.

LILLY
What did you just say to me?

MIA
You heard me. I am so sick of
you ragging on me all the time
and always telling me what to
do. I get enough of that from my
mother and now my grandmother. I
don’t need it from you.

LILLY
I’m not an idiot. I know
something’s going on you’re not
telling me. Friends tell. So,
you know what? Here is your
friendship charm. I’m taking it
off and it’s going in the dirt.
 MIA
Don’t do that. OK? Just… All
right, just… Wait.

LILLY
Why?

MIA
I will tell you the truth, but
you’re gonna think it’s stupid
and freak.

LILLY
Try me.

[Mia tells LILLY her secret.]

LILLY
Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

MIA
Is that all you can say

LILLY
I’m sorry I was harsh. I don’t
know what else there is to say.
Will you come on my cable show?

MIA
I can’t, this is a royal secret.
You can’t tell anyone, not even
Michael. You are sworn to
secrecy. Secret handshake. We
might have to think of a new
secret handshake.

LILLY
Are you sure you can run a
country? You barely keep your
goldfish alive for a couple of
days.

MIA
I’m not sure of anything right
now.

LILLY
There are pros and cons to being
a princess.

MIA
Don’t say that word, people can
hear.

[A whole lot of cut shit]

LILLY
Number one, no privacy Number
two, you always have to look
just right. Number three… Are
you ok? What was number three?
You can’t go nutso.

MIA
Lilly, Lilly. I really don’t
want to talk about this at the
moment. Ok?

LILLY
Ok. One last question. Now that
you’re “out,” would you come on
my cable show Saturday night?

MIA
Yeah, sure.

LILLY
I love you. I’m going to buy you
another charm for your charm
bracelet. Ok? Ok. See you
Saturday night.