Episode #104
The Day After #103

TEASER

INT: CHASE HOME (COURTNEY’S ROOM)
MIDDAY

Having both had early-morning classes, COURTNEY and LAUREN are now able to go about their usual midday lounging. Seated only the floor with their bare feet stretched out in front of them, the girls are sitting amongst various bottles of nail-polish and the numerous accessories that go with them.

LAUREN: I hate waiting for this stuff to dry!

COURTNEY: I know, I know ... Just hold your horses.

Lauren shakes her feet in the air, trying to speed up the drying of her freshly painted toenails.

LAUREN: Arg!

Courtney laughs at her friend’s impatient grunt.

COURTNEY: Calm down over there.

LAUREN: I’m calm ...

She lays down on her back, stretching her feet up towards the ceiling. Her continued giggle brings back a torrent of happy memories, and she suddenly feels compelled to share the warmth they bring.

LAUREN: You know, I’m glad things haven’t changed between us since you and Jason got together. In spite of everything, we still always have time to just hang out together.

COURTNEY: I’m happy about it, too. You’re my best friend ... No guy -- not even one as terrific as Jason -- is going to come between us as friends. Now the only thing left is to find the right guy for you.

A pleased smile crosses Lauren’s face.

LAUREN: I think I may have already.

***

INT: CHASE HOME (FOYER)
MIDDAY

In response to the ringing doorbell, HELEN enters and opens the door. She finds her good friend, PAULA, waiting patiently outside.

HELEN: Hey, there! It’s nice to see you!

PAULA: It’s nice to see you too!

She nods her head towards the paper grocery bag she is holding in her right hand.

PAULA: I brought over the things we’ll need for the cookies.

Helen must search her mind for a moment before she figures out what Paula is talking about.

HELEN: Oh, for the church bake sale!

PAULA: Yeah ...

Aware of her friend’s distraction, Paula steps inside the house.

PAULA: Are you all right?

HELEN: What do you mean?

PAULA: You know exactly what I mean. Have you spoken with Don yet?

***

PARIS, FRANCE
INT: HOTEL ROOM
AFTERNOON

Though it is quite late in the day, DON has been unable to climb out of bed thus far. His head has been pounding, as if there were some sort of colossal struggle going on inside it. There’s no doubt about it -- something’s wrong with him.

DON: I’ve got to get to a doctor and find out what’s going on.

He rolls over, groaning in agony as this slight motion leaves his head spinning.

DON: But first, I need to get that painting out of the way -- and more importantly, I need to get rid of Sally and get back home to Helen.

ACT ONE

INT: CHASE HOME (COURTNEY’S ROOM)
MIDDAY

COURTNEY is quite surprised by LAUREN’s declaration.

COURTNEY: Really? You found someone?

LAUREN: Well, I don’t know, but there’s definitely potential ...

COURTNEY: How could you not tell me about this?

She playfully whacks her friend with a small pillow.

LAUREN: Like I said, it’s not exactly set in stone or anything. I just said there’s someone I’d like to ... get to know a little better.

COURTNEY: Who is he? C’mon -- Do I know him?

LAUREN: As a matter of fact, I met him through you.

***

INT: CHASE HOME (FOYER)
MIDDAY

PAULA puts down the paper bag as she awaits HELEN’s answer.

HELEN: No, I haven’t.

PAULA: Helen! You’ve got to figure out what’s going on as soon as you can. Misunderstandings like this can cause terrible damage -- and if you let it go on too long, it just may turn out to be irrepairable.

Helen closes the front door with a sigh.

HELEN: I don’t know what to do next. I mean, Don lied to me about being there with Sally.

PAULA: But just because she’s there doesn’t mean there’s anything going on between them! Maybe there’s a more rational explanation.

HELEN: Or maybe it just so happens that the man I’ve put my trust in for over twenty years -- the man who I share a child with – the man I love – ran off with another woman.

***

PARIS, FRANCE
INT: HOTEL ROOM
AFTERNOON

SALLY enters her hotel room. She kicks off her high heels and tosses her shopping bags onto the bed. She’s had a wonderful day of shopping ... a day amazingly free of worry. But it’s time to get back to business, she knows. She’d hardly been able to get Don off her mind the entire time.

SALLY: Maybe it’s not so bad that Helen found out I’m here after all. I was terrified that Alex’s being there would ruin everything, but it just may have helped me out.

She smiles devilishly.

SALLY: Yes, I’ve got a feeling that Don’s marriage to Helen will never be the same.

ACT TWO

INT: CHASE HOME (COURTNEY’S ROOM)
MIDDAY
COURTNEY has figured out who it is that LAUREN has a crush on.

COURTNEY: I’ve got it!

LAUREN: Who?

COURTNEY: Duh! It’s Alex!

LAUREN: You got me.

COURTNEY: Lauren, that’s so cool! You guys would be the best couple!

LAUREN: Huh? I hardly know him, Court. I was just saying, there’s definitely potential there.

COURTNEY: Potential indeed. Let’s list the positive points ...

LAUREN: Okay.

COURTNEY: Go ahead ...

LAUREN: Okay, uh ... First, he’s a total cutie.

COURTNEY: I’ve gotta agree with you there.

LAUREN: And second, I had a great time being around him the other night.

COURTNEY: See? We’re off to a good start. Plus, he’s such a nice guy, and he seems pretty sensitive. He opened up to my mom and I about his mother and my dad when we needed to know stuff.

LAUREN: But still, Court ...

COURTNEY: What? What’s wrong?

LAUREN: I don’t know. Maybe nothing. I was just thinking – It’s possible that there’s plenty we don’t know about Alex Marshall.

***

INT: CHASE HOME (KITCHEN)
MIDDAY

PAULA and HELEN have now made their way into the kitchen.

PAULA: Helen, that’s insane. I can’t see Don just running off with his ex-wife after all these years.

HELEN: Well, apparently, neither of us knows Don as well as we thought we did.

PAULA: I’m just not buying this. It doesn’t make any sense.

Helen says nothing. She has grown pensive, her eyes turned toward the floor.

PAULA: You’ve got to admit, there’s at least some chance that you’ve misinterpreted what’s going on.

HELEN: Maybe you’re right. But still – that doesn’t change the fact that Don lied to me about Sally being there in France with him.

***

PARIS, FRANCE
INT: HOTEL ROOM
AFTERNOON

SALLY gazes scornfully at the painting that is propped up against the wall -- the painting that Don somehow managed to sneak out of the museum.

SALLY: I still don’t believe it. How did he pull this one off? And why?!?

She flaps her hands in frustration.

SALLY: I guess he hasn’t exactly been on the ball lately, though ...

She kneels down before the painting, running a finger over its surface.

SALLY: There really is something wrong with him. He’s just been acting too weird lately -- weirder than he was when I got to King’s Bay. I’ve got to figure out just what it is that’s wrong with him before he gets much worse.

Not to mention, of course, that there just may be a way she can manipulate it to her advantage, as she has done with most everything else in the past few months.

ACT THREE

INT: CHASE HOME (COURTNEY’S ROOM)
MIDDAY

LAUREN touches a finger to her toenails to confirm that they are now dry. As she stands, she hears COURTNEY’s unworried response.

COURTNEY: Of course not, but I have a feeling we’re all gonna get to be good friends. I’m sure there’s nothing scandalous in his past, if that’s what you’re getting at.

LAUREN: You’re probably right. But do you really think he’s gonna stay in King’s Bay? I mean, he just came here to find his mom.

COURTNEY: From the conversations I’ve had with him, it seems like he doesn’t have real solid roots anywhere. I wouldn’t let where he lives -- or doesn’t live -- get in the way if you really like him.

LAUREN: I really do like him ... But what if he does decide to pick up and leave town as soon as this mess with his mother is cleared up?

COURTNEY: I guess you’ll just have to charm him into staying here.

She says this without any hint of manipulation.

***

INT: CHASE HOME (KITCHEN)
MIDDAY

PAULA and HELEN are in the midst of baking. Supplies are spread all over the kitchen, and a mess is definitely being created. Still, this happy setting does nothing to distract Helen from her gloom.

PAULA: You’ve got to call him back, Helen.

HELEN: I know. But what am I gonna say?

PAULA: Tell him how you feel. Get the truth from him.

HELEN: How am I supposed to know what the truth is anymore?

PAULA: That’s something you’ll have to judge for yourself. All I know is this: You’ve been married for more than twenty years, and it’s obvious that you love Don. I am positive that he still loves you, too. You’ve got to decide whether this marriage is something you want to fight for.

***

PARIS, FRANCE
INT: HOTEL ROOM
AFTERNOON

DON rolls over again as he hears a knock on the door. He attempts to shout a response, but can’t force the words out. From outside, he hears a familiar voice.

SALLY: Don, it’s me!

He practically cringes at the sound of her voice as he drags himself out of bed to open the door. When he manages to do so, SALLY hurries into the room. She is instantly aware of his haggard state.

SALLY: Don, what’s wrong? You look awful!

DON: Gee, thanks.

He takes a labored breath, bringed a momentary pause to the conversation.

DON: Look, what are you doing here?

SALLY: There’s something we need to do right now, Don.

She stares at him hopefully.

END OF EPISODE #104

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