FROM HELL Written by Jack McVee December 18, 2001 Teaser INT. AIDEN'S BEDROOM - DAWN BIRDS EYE VIEW: Aiden lies peacefully in his bed, wrapped with sheets. A pleasant moment of silence, then/ GLORIA (O.S.) (loudly) HONEY! TIME FOR SCHOOL! More silence. GLORIA (O.S.) (louder) I MEAN IT! BREAKFAST IS GETTING COLD! The CAMERA inches in on his face. Slowly, an eye flutter opens. He groans quietly. AIDEN (ragged) I'm awake... We hear his mom walking away, presumably back downstairs. Aiden sits up and does some erratic just-woke-up stretches. AIDEN'S POV: Still a little blurry from the events of last week's episode, although it's not as extreme as it was then. He looks toward his window. The sun shines. He reaches out and holds up his hand in front of the window. The CAMERA focuses on his hand. A dark, startling contrast to the happy, bright world outside. ANGLE: Aiden's face. He blinks. Once, twice. His face darkens. AIDEN (to himself) ...I'm awake... BLACK OUT Opening credits. ACT 1 EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAWN Establishing. INT. HOUSE - CONSTRUCTION SITE - FRONT ENTRANCE Rubbel and singed items are scattered all over the place. The house looks like it's been left as it is in the midst of construction. TRACKING SHOT: From the foyer to the living area. Bare and skeletal. THE MAN from the previous episode is sitting in front of a broken, his figure silhouetted against the bright light. He's found some clothes. ANGLE: His face. His eyes squint and his brow narrows. He's obviously still getting used to seeing light. He wears a tattered, lost expression. ZELDA (O.S.) (PRE-LAP) I thought you'd like it. CUT TO INT. AIDEN'S KITCHEN - SAME Zelda and Aiden sit at the kitchen table. Aiden holds up a pendant in the form of a pentacle, with a beautiful opal in the center. AIDEN I do. I really do. ZELDA Then why do you look like there's not enough butter in your mashed potatoes? AIDEN I'm just... tired. You know I'm not the morningest of people. ZELDA But you DO like it, right? Aiden musters a smile and nods. It looks half-way genuine. AIDEN Of course. ZELDA Good! I liked it so much, too, that I... kinda got one for myself. She digs out the aformentioned opal pendant and shows it to Aiden. It looks nearly identical save for a more purplish colour scheme. AIDEN Great. Now we can be twins. ZELDA Neat, huh? The shopkeeper said that the opal, when used properly, can be used as a transporter for very powerful magicks- Gloria walks in, haulting the conversation. GLORIA Morning. AIDEN/ZELDA Morning mom/Morning Mrs. Dark. GLORIA Hope you don't mind, but I'm running late... ZELDA ...boss is gonna kill you... AIDEN ...so you can't give us a ride. Beat. GLORIA Hmm. Deja vu? AIDEN Have a good time thinking up an excuse other than "Titanic was on late last night". Gloria lets that one pass and kisses Aiden, then Zelda on the foreheads, before disappearing out the kitchen door. ZELDA So! I guess I'll have to give you a ride. AIDEN (slowly) I... guess... you.. will. Zelda reads between the words, looks at her friend with genuine concern. ZELDA You know, Aiden, if you're still feeling a little woozy from the torpor, then-- AIDEN I'm fine! I've already missed one day of school and one day's too much. I had two tests yesterday that I have to make up today. TWO! ZELDA Alright, alright! If you feel fine, then, I guess we'll go. AIDEN Great. That's great. He smiles, and this time, we see he means it. Zelda smiles in response. Aiden gets up to go get ready, but he's stopped by her. ZELDA Aiden? AIDEN Yeah? ZELDA (awkwardly) I'm just glad that you're, you know, handling everything so great. I know that if I just came out of a state of catatonia, I'd be... spazzy. I really wish I were more like you. You know, strong like you. Aiden lets this sink in, touched. AIDEN (appreciative) When bad things keep happening to you, you kinda force yourself to learn how to deal. (then) I kinda wish I were like you, too. ZELDA How so? AIDEN You never seem to be stressed about anything. I wish I had that in me. He walks outside the kitchen. ZELDA watches with a saddened concern. FADE TO: EXT. HIGH SCHOOL - MORNING - AN HOUR LATER Aiden watches the school slowly come to life as the courtyard begins filling up with busy, preoccupied students. A passing student bumps into him - lightly. AIDEN (emotionless) Sorry. Another bumps into him, only this time, it's enough to nearly knock him off his feet. AIDEN (still) Sorry. Aiden slowly begins marching towards the school. He takes in a deep breath. INT. HIGH SCHOOL - SECRETARY'S OFFICE - CONTD Aiden enters, looking extremely pensive. He walks up to the secretary. AIDEN Uh, hi. I'm here to sign in. SECRETARY Okay. I'll need your name in full and your student number. AIDEN Aiden Raziel Dark. 498194. SECRETARY (types that in) Mm-hm. It says here you were away yesterday due to... (squints) Etcetera. AIDEN Etcetera? SECRETARY There is a specific list of reasons why students are away. Health, traffic, family or emotional problems, and etc. AIDEN Well, the etc. part wouldn't really fall under specific. More like... eceterific. (sees no laugh, moves on) It was emotional problems. SECRETARY Uh huh. And do you have a note? AIDEN No, my mom said that she explained to the principal why I was away- SECRETARY I'm sorry, but in order to sign back into the school, you need a written note from a parent, doctor, or in case of “emotional problems”, a psychologist. AIDEN But I didn’t- SECRETARY If you would give me the number of your mother’s work or home number, I’ll be glad to give her a call. AIDEN (sighing) 905-672-9444. Extension 34. SECRETARY (writing it down) Please have a seat outside of the office. He glares at her quietly. INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - MINUTES LATER Congested with students. Aiden's on a payphone with MIGUEL on the other end. AIDEN (into phone) No... no, it's fine, really. Mrs. NotPaidEnough called my mom and everything's fine. MIGUEL (from phone) You sure? I could come over there and start bustin' some heads for ya. AIDEN (smiling) Your valiant offer is appreciated, but that's all it'll be. I still need to see Mr. HottieHotHot about my english project... MIGUEL Mr. Who? AIDEN Uh... David. I mean, Mr. Fumero. MIGUEL No. You called him something else. AIDEN Oh, I call him David sometimes because, well, that's his first name- MIGUEL You have a crush on your english teacher? Ew! AIDEN It's not a crush! It's a mild fascination. Plus, Mr. Fumero could pass for a male model. So it's okay. MIGUEL Well what about Destin? Don't ya like him? AIDEN I'm 15, Miguel. My hormones are on parade, and the idea of monogamy still hasn't implanted itself into my mind. MIGUEL Alright, fine... but remember, after school, you're coming straight over. AIDEN The library next to the psych hall, I know. MIGUEL Goody. Seeya. AIDEN Bye. He hangs up, looks around quickly. Aiden catches his reflection in a door window and fixes his hair... which ultimately messes it up even more. AIDEN Oh, come on! I conditioned you two times! TWO! You could at least make yourself look pretty for me. Predictably, his hair does nothing. AIDEN Oh, fine. INT. CLASSROOM - MORNING The room is only occupied by MR. FUMERO, a charismatic, handsome teacher in his late 20s. He really looks like he belongs on one of those sex-filled late night soaps than in a second-rate high school in a small canadian town. I'm just sayin'. He's doing some random teacher paperwork at his desk. The door opens quietly, and Aiden slips in. They immediately make eye contact. MR. FUMERO Aiden. AIDEN David. (catches himself) Mr. Fumero. MR. FUMERO It's nice to see you back from your first absence ever. AIDEN Yeah. I'm not too crazy about that blemish on my perfect attendence record either. MR. FUMERO The powers that be weren't too clear on why you were away. Aiden crosses over to a desk and sits down. AIDEN Well, um, you know how things can be. Things get tough. And all the... bad... stuff is just, *magnified* when you're a teenager. Mr. Fumero looks the kid over, assessing him, concerned. AIDEN My, uh, my mom got kinda... ill. But she's super, now. Really. (looks at his hands) I was in a bad place... emotionally. Wasn't a 100 percent me. MR. FUMERO Oh, Aiden. That's totally understandable. I may not be in my prime anymore, but I know what it was like to be a teenager. Harsh stuff. AIDEN Yeah. It's not very embracing. His voice sadly diminishes as silence consumes the room. AIDEN Umm, I did do the assignment that was due when I was away... Aiden digs around in his backpack and pulls out a very thick journal. MR. FUMERO (impressed) That's more than anyone in the class did. Combined together. Times four. AIDEN (half-smiles) I just had a lot to write about. He hands to Mr. Fumero, who skims a couple of pages. MR. FUMERO Ah, you did the journal format. AIDEN Mm hm. It's about Paige Venice. He's, um, he's both bisexual and a practicing wiccan. OFF MR. FUMERO, watching Aiden, intrigued. AIDEN Just wanted to spice it up a little. MR. FUMERO I'm sure it'll be an interesting read. Your writing is remarkably sophisticated for somebody your age. AIDEN Me? Nah... I just have a lot of time on my hands. MR. FUMERO No, really. You have a gift. SMASH CUT TO INT. ANOTHER CLASSROOM - LATER CLOSE UP: Mrs. Peikert. A mean old math teacher who looks like she belongs in the "Old Bitches R Us" catelog for modeling bitchwear for old bitches who like seeing other old bitches model bitchwear. I'm just sayin. MRS. PEIKERT (disgusted) What is this crap? WIDER revealing Aiden having handed in an assignment, which Mrs. Peikert had just cruelly assessed. Thankfully for him, the class for this period is finished and empty. AIDEN It's my trig assignment. I did it during my uneventful absence. MRS. PEIKERT Oh, don't pull that mature- for-your-age language on me, buddy. You've been slacking off in my class all semester and this... this EXCUSE for an ISU assignment just sums it all up in one big, happy FAILING GRADE. AIDEN (flabberghasted) I know that math may not be my strongest subject, but surely you could understand that I was under rather harsh circumstances when I was doing the ISU... MRS. PEIKERT Harsh circumstances? Was somebody holding a gun to your head while fire was raining down around you in apocalyptic waves? Aiden glares at her, albeit softly. AIDEN Mentally and emotionally, I wasn't really... myself. I could redo the assignment if you- MRS. PEIKERT That wouldn't really be fair to those who actually did the assignment with a sense of... how do you say... care? She practically shoves the assignment back at Aiden. He hopelessly clutches it in his arms. MRS. PEIKERT If you excuse me, I have a class to teach in five minutes. SMASH CUT INT. TORONTO UNIVERSITY - LIBRARY - LATER Filled with students, miling about, studying. Occupying a study table are MIGUEL and AIDEN. Aiden's in the middle of a full-fledged bitch attack. AIDEN So then I said to her, "Oh yeah! Teach this!" He mimicks a rather violent spasm of punches to an invisible Mrs. Peikert. They look kinda kitteny and pathetic. MIGUEL I think swimming at her borders on overreacting. AIDEN She's a frickin demon! I mean, how is it that some teachers are so cute and sweet and hunky and others are these horrible bitches who were summoned from the inky, shit-filled depths of hell just to make my life an inky, shit-filled hell... depth... thing? MIGUEL I doubt she's from hell. AIDEN Oh? Have you not seen The X Files? Or Buffy? Or Special Unit 2? MIGUEL I have. But you see, there's still the thing about them being TELEVISION SHOWS. AIDEN Miguel, stranger things have happened to me. I wouldn't be too surprised if Mrs. Peikert was indeed this... this slime covered beastie in disguise. How is it possible a human being could be that evil? Miguel swallows a lump in his throat, searching for a way to tackle this. MIGUEL Ya know, Aiden, ever since you, um, came back to 'life', so to speak, you've been kinda... AIDEN Kinda what? (loudly) KINDA WHAT? This draws stares from some people. SOME PEOPLE Shhh... MIGUEL Kinda... loud. And... a bit too judgemental? AIDEN Judgemental? Me? MIGUEL (cringing) Yeah. AIDEN I am not JUDGEMENTAL! SOME PEOPLE Shhh! AIDEN (quieter, but ignoring the people) It's just that things have been bugging me so much more now that I'm getting used to being back. When I was in that... that whatever it was, I felt like I was on a higher plane of existence. And I probably was. I wasn't dead, but... MIGUEL I'm just saying I'm worried about you, man. Your tempermental. AIDEN (standing up) NO I'M NOT! SOME PEOPLE Shhhhhh!! AIDEN (to the people) Oh GO TO HELL! SMASH TO INT. STREETS - DOWNTOWN - NIGHT Busy and brimming with people, as well as traffic. THE MAN is walking down street, awkwardly, trying to capture all the sights and sounds of the busy world around him. THE MAN'S POV: slightly tunneled and blurry. Lights are faint and human faces are indescernable. We see, however, that his vision gradually (as in, verrrry slowly) is clearing up. We see he's clutching a small PICK-AXE in his shivering hands. He looks scared. Real scared. INT. ALLEY WAY - CONTD The Man slips into this narrow passage and hurried walks through it. When he gets out of the other end, he BUMPS into a woman in her 20s, we'll call her April. APRIL Sorry. She goes on her way, but the Man GRABS HER shoulder and spins her back, desperation flooding him. APRIL Hey! Let go! THE MAN AIDEN? APRIL Let me go, freak! THE MAN AIDEN?? THE MAN'S POV: His tunnel vision slightly clearer. April's face is a mix of horror and disgust. APRIL I'll scream! The Man shakes her again. This time, it's enough to hurt her. THE MAN AIDEN! April bellows out a SCREAM, but it's instantly muffled by The Man's hand. THE MAN (totally freaking out) The witch. I have to find the witch. He's here, the witch is here. Aiden. It's Aiden. I need to find the witch. Waiden. Aitch. TELL ME! The Man looks about, seeing nobody around. His eyes are seriously bugged out. April's terrified beyond belief. THE MAN Bitch. BITCH. YOU BITCH! I'll make you pay, firewoman. I'll bring the fire back, yes, the fire! I'll bring back the fire and make you BITCHES PAY! The CAMERA shyly pans away as something happens to April that surely nobody would wish on their worst enemy. We hear her SCREAM in pain. BLACKOUT End of Act 1 Insert commercials. Act 2 INT. AIDEN'S LIVING ROOM - THE NEXT MORNING Aiden's having his morning coffee and watching the news, with a tiny grimace on his face. REPORTER (V.O.) ...was found dead last night, gutted with what appears to have been a pick-axe. Police say that no witnesses were on the scene. Officials have yet to comment on- CLICK! Tv off. Aiden twists around to see Gloria, remote in hand, shaking her head quietly. GLORIA Don't understand why they save the goriest stuff for the morning. That's when the stomach's the weakest. AIDEN It's horrible. You'd think that serial killers'd find a cleaner, and, well, less violent way to... spread their obscene message. That poor woman... He sets his coffee cup down on the table. Gloria takes a seat next to him. GLORIA You feel like going to school today? AIDEN Yes. Try asking me four times. Like you did when I woke up. GLORIA I'm just a little worried- AIDEN Mom, I know. But I'm... I'm really fine. I'm bitchin'. His mothers stares at him disprovingly. AIDEN What? GLORIA Just remember, if you feel dizzy or like you have to throw up... AIDEN ...I'll give you a call and sign out at the office. GLORIA Right. Gloria gets up to go to the kitchen. AIDEN What about you, mom? You feelin' better, too? GLORIA Oh, you know me and my strong immune system. AIDEN Right. We have good DNA. Good Dark DNA. They share a smile. AIDEN Where's Zelda, anyhow? GLORIA Hmm? Oh! She said her parents called her. They came back. OFF AIDEN as surprise registers in him. AIDEN Huh. CUT TO INT. ZELDA'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - SAME Zelda, pale-faced and looking a little sick, sits on the sofa and watches as Jennifer (Mrs. Raymond) unpacks her bags. ZELDA S..so, how was Florida? JENNIFER What? ZELDA Florida. The place you went to for two weeks but said it'd be one week. JENNIFER Huh? Oh! Right. Florida was nice. Very nice. ZELDA Good. Uncomfortable silence as Jennifer does more unpacking. ZELDA Did you... get me something? Zelda smiles a tiny bit, looks inquisitively at Jennifer. Jenn nonchalantly shakes her head. JENNIFER That never really came to mind. ZELDA Oh. Zelda fiddles with her hands. ZELDA Didn't, um... dad... come back, too? JENNIFER Mm hmm. He just went to work early. ZELDA He didnt wanna... say hello? JENNIFER He said for me to give you a hug for him. She unpacks more. ZELDA Um... were you planning on giving me that hug any time soon? JENNIFER Oh! (she laughs) Silly me. Jennifer drops her stuff, crosses over to Zelda and gives her an extremely awkward, emotionally-disconnected lookin' hug. The look on both their faces say more than the hug ever could. ZELDA Thanks. They both smile insincerely. Jennifer leaves the room as the phone rings. ZELDA I got it. (picks up) Raymond residence. WOMAN (from phone) Zelda? Beat. ZELDA Yeah. ...mom? ZELDA'S MOM (Betty) Yeah! Hi honey! ZELDA Hi! How's... how's L.A.? BETTY It's... L.A. How are you? ZELDA Oh, I'm super. BETTY Super dee duper? ZELDA What you said. What's wrong? BETTY Whaddaya mean what's wrong? Can't a firkin mother call her firkin daughter? ZELDA (she smiles) You usually only call when a relative dies. BETTY Right. Well, nobody bit the dust, I just wanted to see how my baby's doing up there in Canada. ZELDA It's... it's good here. BETTY Are the Raymond's treating you alright? Zelda scans the living... all the pictures framed are pictures of her foster parents, but none of her. ZELDA As always. BETTY That's good to hear. Listen, I gotta go... ZELDA Already? (beat) Another casting call? BETTY Wish me luck. ZELDA Here's hoping. BETTY (sincerely) I love you, baby. Beat. ZELDA I love you too, mommy. She hangs up, sadly. She takes a moment to recover. JENNIFER (O.S.) ZELDA! I'M GOING SHOPPING! SEEYA! We hear a door closing off-screen. Zelda doesn't react. But if she is, she does a good job of hiding it. INT. ABANDONED CONSTRUCTION HOUSE - AFTERNOON For the sake of continuity, let's call this house "Evil residence" from now on, kay? And yes, I did make that up all by myself. Sitting in the middle of the living room is The Man, his hands bloody from a recent kill. The RECENT KILL in question is lying right BEHIND HIM, a male teenager the same age as Aiden. We don't see what happened to him, but we do see he's lying face down in a puddle of his own blood. The Man's going through Male Teenager's K-Mart shopping bag. THE MAN'S POV: A videogame. A videogame memory card. A copy of FHM. And a DVD of "The Abyss". The Man smiles at it reverantly. His bloody handprint is smeared all over the cover. THE MAN Ab...yss. He looks towards Dead Male Teenager, grins at him appreciatively. THE MAN (trying it on for size) Abyss. Abyss. My name... is... Abyss. My friends, our villain found himself a name. ABYSS (to DMT) Thanks. Did I bring back the fire too much? No answer. ABYSS Hello? Fireboy? (nothing) Did I make fireboy cry? Abyss grabs D.M.T and hoists him up, trying to make him stand. We see that his lungs and eyeballs have been ripped out. ABYSS (losing it again) It wasn't my fault. You should've told me where Waiden is. I mean.. Aitch. Aiden. Witch. Aidenwitch. Bitch. The witch brought me here. The bitch, I mean- No! Waiden. Aiden. FUCK! Abyss HURLS DMT across the room as a surge of anger takes over. The dead body SLAMS harshly against the wall, leaving a bloody splatter. ABYSS (sad now) If only you knew... AIDEN (PRE-LAP) ...what it was like for me! CUT TO INT. MR. FUMERO'S CLASSROOM - AFTER SCHOOL Aiden and Mr. Fumero are sitting crosslegged on a couple of desks pushed together. Feels more like two friends talking rather than a student and a teacher. Aiden's still a raving bitch. AIDEN I mean, sure, math and I broke up a long time ago but I still try hard to be friends with it! And Mrs. Peikert, all old and wrinkly, seduced math and has it under her gross, bitchy finger! And now math won't even talk to me anymore! Mr. Fumero makes a 'O...kay' face. MR. FUMERO So, would you be math's husband or wife? (off Aiden) Well? AIDEN You're missing the point. MR. FUMERO That math left you. AIDEN No! That Mrs. Peikert is an old, wrinkly bitch who doesn't like me because I'm gay. MR. FUMERO Are you sure that's the reason? AIDEN It's the reason everyone else doesn't. Silence now. Mr. Fumero speaks, extremely controlled. MR. FUMERO You're a bright, smart, intelligent person who has a very, very big talent for writing. What everybody else thinks about you shouldn't matter. None of them matter. Only the ones you love. Aiden cracks a smile, genuinely touched. AIDEN Good to see you've been reading your Compliment-A-Day calender, Mr. Fumero. MR. FUMERO Yah know, it's after hours. You can call me David again. AIDEN Good. So, David, what'dya think of my project so far? DAVID Ohhhh, I really shouldn't say. Wouldn't be fair to the others I turned down that have asked. AIDEN Yeah, but, they all suck, remember? DAVID Right. I forgot. Aiden straightens himself out, prepared for the critique. DAVID It was- AIDEN Oh god! It sucked, didn't it? DAVID What? AIDEN You didn't answer right away because you were thinking of a way to say "It sucked" without saying "It sucked"! David grabs one strand of Aiden's hair (above his left ear) and pulls hard. AIDEN Ow! Now you're adding injury to insult? DAVID (smiles crazily) I know it bugs you. And I didn't hate it. It was a very involuted piece of writing. AIDEN (giddy now) Oh good! Did you like Paige? Because I spent most of the post-production tweaking Paige's character... DAVID I really liked Paige, yes. But what I liked most was that 30-page television episode you did, which starred Paige and his friends. Is "The Teller's Tales" a real serial or...? AIDEN Oh, yeah! It debuted last fall on the Halloween Fan-movies digital channel. All the episodes there are *so* good. DAVID Maybe you could send in a treatment to them, I'm sure they'd consider it... AIDEN No, no. The people running that show and writing for it are SO talented. They'd never accept mine. It's probably not marketable. Cuz, you know, all the abstractness and people would be racking their brains trying to figure it out. DAVID I have a few interpretations of it myself... CLOSE UP - the classroom door, hanging slightly ajar. DESTIN passes by, sneaking in a peak. DESTIN'S POV: David and Aiden talking. It's a somewhat intimate moment, and that fact isn't lost on Destin. DAVID ...such as that ball of energy in the sky. 'The gate', it was called? Yeah. I really think it symbolized Paige's need for a sense of security or maybe a way to pass into adulthood, because, obviously, Paige was very mature for his age... AIDEN Exactly! When I got my friend, Destin, to read it, he was all, "What the hell was up with that thing in the sky?" DAVID (smiles) You were expecting someone your age to understand your writing? ON DESTIN - watching, slowly reacting to the events and words before him. AIDEN He's... a little older, actually. But that doesn't mean he's stupid. We just dont share the same... uh, mindset. DAVID He's more of a spacial thinker, you're an interpersonal type. AIDEN Yeah! That's what I was thinking too... Aiden looks over to see Destin watching. Before either of them react... CUT TO INT. HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT - SAME Mrs. Peikert wraps an old wool coat around her as she walks towards her car, one of the only left in the parking lot. As she approaches the driver's door... ...ABYSS appears behind her. He taps on her shoulder. She SPINS AROUND like lightening, clutching her heart. MRS. PEIKERT Goodness! ABYSS Didn't mean to... frighten you... firegranny. MRS. PEIKERT Is there something you wanted? ABYSS As a matter of fact... The CAMERA dips behind his back, to see his pickaxe clutched there. ABYSS (smiles devilishly) ...there is. BLACK OUT End of Act 2 Insert commercials. ACT 3 INT. PARKING LOT - CONTD Where we left off. Abyss now speaks with a creepy lisp and wide eyes. ABYSS I'm looking for a wi... (stops himself) Aiden. He might be here. MRS. PEIKERT Aiden... Dark? Abyss smiles hugely. ABYSS He has a last name? Oh, wow! Mrs. Peikert glares at him gently. MRS. PEIKERT Are you... a friend... or? ABYSS You could say I'm his... brother. Do you know where he is? Or.. what he looks like? I just know that... I have to find him. See, there are these birds. These dozens and dozens and dozens of birds that live in my head. Some cats are there, too. They're all squakin' and screaming about this witch that's tied to me... A raised eyebrow from Mrs. Peikert. HER POV - Destin and Aiden exiting from the side of the school, talking heatedly. MRS. PEIKERT Umm... Abyss follows her glance, seeing the two teens heading towards a park/playground duo located a little off of the high school's property. ABYSS Oh! Thanks, firegranny! He heads off in their direction. Mrs. Peikert sighs. MRS. PEIKERT Jackass. INT. PLAYGROUND - CONTD The two of them stop at the swings. AIDEN It's just that, everyone's so damned concerned about me cuz I was in some stupid not-coma. DESTIN I'm not concerned, just... you know, making sure you're safe. (smiles) Cuz that's my job. Zelda's the emotional-guard, Miguel's the... where IS Miguel? AIDEN Studying. For finals. (then) Hey, it's his birthday on friday... DESTIN Oh. Well, I was getting to the point about me being your bodyguard. AIDEN I don't need a bodyguard. And you ARE worried. You bought me breakfast! And lunch! Aiden's eyes fall upon the large paper bag of McDonalds that Destin's carrying. AIDEN And I'm pretty sure that that's my dinner. DESTIN (it is) The POINT is, it's natural for friends to be a little, ya know, over protective. BEYOND THE JUNGLE GYM we see Abyss approaching... AIDEN I just don't like people thinking I'm some weak kitten! I've gone through the deaths of three loved ones within the span of three months... and I'm still standing. My dad... Jenny... (weaker now) ...Blair. If I were as pathetic as everyone keeps saying I am... I probably would've comitted suicide ages ago. Destin brushes a strand of air away from Aiden's face. They both sigh. AIDEN And if I let you know that I need you more than anyone right now... (softer) ...then I am weak. I am... pathetic. ON ABYSS - watching, interested. DESTIN Aiden... it's okay to need other people once in a while. AIDEN No! This is *all* the *time*. When we're not... you know... together... I think about you. I miss you. (then) I need you. DESTIN (surprised) You know I need you too, right? A sweet moment passes by. Without thinking, just feeling... they kiss. The kinda kiss that'd be censored to death if this were an actual television show airing at the 8pm slot on the WB instead of a vapid Gilmore Whores episode. (...what?) ON ABYSS - now revelling in quiet shock. ABYSS Oh... my. He looks down at his pick-axe, then up at them... they've broken apart now. Abyss turns and walks away, incredulous despite himself. DESTIN Please tell me that wasn't your first kiss. AIDEN (worried) Okay, it wasn't. DESTIN Oh my god, it was... AIDEN Why bad? DESTIN I... it was inappropriate. There should've been more candles. And Enya. And... well... without me holding a bag of greasy food in one hand. Aiden smiles. AIDEN It was wonderful. Destin smiles back. DESTIN It was, wasn't it? AIDEN Yeah. And... you're right. I'm being PissyAiden. It's alright to need other people. DESTIN (nods) A lesson well earned. Bad things happen to good people sometimes... but, hey, good things can happen to good people. AIDEN You always know what to say to make me feel better. Even when I'm at my worst. Destin kisses Aiden on the cheek, softly, gently. DESTIN It's very hard not to compliment you. He slaps an arm around Aiden's shoulders and they walk off-screen together. SMASH CUT EXT. ZELDA'S HOUSE - FRONT PORCH - THE NEXT DAY Aiden rushes over, like he just got a million dollars, and knocks rapidly. AIDEN ZELDA? ZELDA? ZELDA? ZELDA? He tries the door. It's unlocked. INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTD Aiden races in, seeing ZELDA on the couch, but not noticing her enough to stray away from his self-involvement. AIDEN Oh, my god! You will not believe it! Destin kissed me! My first kiss! Can you fuckin believe that? ZELDA, as we see more clearly now, is a mess. She's sitting straight up. Her eyes are blood shot and her face is wet - it looks like she's been crying for a long time. And she still is. AIDEN now takes notice of this, too. AIDEN I ... Zelda? Are you alright? He sits next to her, now very concerned. AIDEN Zelda?... Do you wanna talk? She shakes her head, lost. Aiden frowns, puts a comforting arm around her shoulders. Zelda lets him, resting her head against his shoulder. BLACK OUT Executive Producer Jack McVee