The Life and Death of Jacob Walston Epilogue

The Life and Death of Jacob Walston: An Epilogue
by
flyingbeetlekites
FADE IN

BEGIN FLASHBACK SEQUENCE

INT. HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM - DAY

JAKE, 18, is in a graduation gown and cap at the podium. He
is tall and confident, used to being the center of
attention. Messy dark hair and clever eyes.

The crowd is in a dull reverie from the long speeches that
came before. Jake scans the crowd with a somber expression.
Waiting until all eyes are on him.

JAKE
Party rock.

The audience exchanges glances.

JAKE (CONT'D)
Party rock. Is in the house
tonight.

Members of the audience murmur and look at each other as
they recognize the lyric from song "Party Rock" by LMFAO.

JAKE (CONT'D)
Everybody...just have a good time.

A loud hoot and some clapping from the crowd.

JAKE (CONT'D)
And we gonna!

He pounds the podium with a fist and raises his voice as a
preacher to his flock.

JAKE (CONT'D)
We gonna make you lose your mind!

Students are laughing, cheering.

Jake's 15-year old sister, JASMINE, rolls her eyes and
smiles. She is used to her brother's theatrics. Her slight
frame could never command a crowd in the same way as her
brother, but she has the same clever eyes.

Next to her is their mortified mother, ELIZABETH, 40s.
Jasmine has clearly inherited her Filipina mother's petite
stature while Jake got his height from their white father,
JOSEPH, 40s. Joseph is clearly enjoying the speech as he
records it on his phone, while Elizabeth shakes her head in
dismay.
2.
JAKE (CONT'D)
And we.
(gestures to the
exasperated teachers and
principal behind him)
We. We just wanna see you...
(points to the audience)
...shake that.

The crowd goes wild. Jake smiles at the applause.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM - DAY

MR. CABRERA, 50s, the high school principal, is at the
podium, giving away the diplomas.

MR. CABRERA
Jacob De la Cruz Walston.

Jake enters from stage right. He shakes Mr. Cabrera's hand
and takes his diploma, pausing for a photo.

END FLASHBACK SEQUENCE

INT. HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY - DAY -

A small high school library in well to-do Los Angeles high
school remains mostly quiet and empty during lunch. The
LIBRARIAN sits at her desk, looking at her computer. A few
STUDENTS sit at circular desks, studying and reading.

Jasmine looks at her laptop, tightly ensconced in a corner
between bookshelves. She wears a gray hoodie and jeans and
her long dark hair is a frizzy mess.

ON LAPTOP SCREEN

TYPED into the search bar are the words:

"how likely are relatives of suicide to commit suicide"

The search loads and lists several articles. The cursor
CLICKS on an article titled "Son of poet Sylvia Plath
commits suicide"

BACK TO JASMINE

Sylvia Plath and her son's suicide is a more intriguing
reality than the one around her. As she reads, she writes
carefully in a red journal.
3.
ON LAPTOP SCREEN

TYPED into the search bar are the words

"how to cope with depression"

The search loads and Jasmine clicks on a website. She
focuses on a paragraph that says, "Do things that make you
happy."

ON JASMINE'S JOURNAL

Jasmine WRITES

"Things that make me happy

1) Reading

2) Running

3) Not having a dead brother"

BACK TO JASMINE

She continues to write in her journal and ignores a
half-eaten granola bar on the ground beside her.

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY

Jasmine walks against the humming tide of students on their
way to class. As she passes by, students give her
acknowledging glances. A nod, a smile, a small wave. She
stares blankly ahead and ignores them.

INT. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST'S OFFICE - DAY

A quiet room with a couch, a desk, and a shelf of books.
The walls are decorated with watercolors.

JULIE, the school psychologist, sits at her computer chair
in front of Jasmine, who is lounging on the couch. She is
in her 60s, with the half-lidded exhaustion of someone who
has had to counsel emotional high school students all day.

JULIE
How are you today, Jasmine?

JASMINE
Fine. Kinda tired.
4.
JULIE
Have you been getting enough
sleep? What do you think is
causing the tiredness?

JASMINE
Probably just stressed for the
SAT. And I'm worried I won't be
able to keep up my GPA.

JULIE
Talk to me about that. Your worry.


INT. JASMINE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

There is a messy bed and clothes strewn on the floor.
Family photos, some notebooks and pens, a blue water bottle
with the UCLA logo, cover the desk. Books fill the small
deskshelf. Posters of hip hop artists hang on the wall.

Jasmine wears an old T-shirt and shorts. She is on the
phone talking to Jake. He remains unseen during the
conversation. Jasmine paces around her room as she
converses.

JAKE (V.O.)
Oh man. You're gonna love college.

JASMINE
Why?

JAKE (V.O.)
It's just, like, more freedom. No
Mom and Dad to tell you what to do
all the time.

JASMINE
That'd be nice. What are you up to
tonight?

JAKE (V.O.)
Uh...friends wanna go to a party.
Thirsty Thursday you know.

Jasmine gets up and walks towards her door, putting one
foot carefully in front of the other in a straight line.

JASMINE
Well, don't party too hard.
5.
JAKE (V.O.)
So just LSD. No cocaine. Got it.

A voice from downstairs calls out to Jasmine. It is her
mother, ELIZABETH.

ELIZABETH (O.S.)
Jazz!

JASMINE
Gotta go. Dinner.

JAKE (V.O.)
Oh, okay. Say hi for me.

JASMINE
You should call them.

JAKE (V.O.)
They're always on my case.

JASMINE
They worry about you.

JAKE (V.O.)
If you keep nagging like this I'm
gonna have to stop calling you,
too.

JAKE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Jazz?

JASMINE
Yeah?

JAKE (V.O.)
Never mind. Bye, kid. I love you.

JASMINE
Bye, adult. Love you too.

INT. WALSTON DINING ROOM - NIGHT

A dining room of an upper middle-class home in Westwood,
California. The home is two stories, with the kitchen,
dining room, and living room on the first floor. Upstairs
are the master bedroom and Jake and Jasmine's bedrooms.

The dining room is tastefully decorated with mahogany and
vases of flowers. Elizabeth puts down a plate on the table
as she talks on her cellphone. She wears a pristine white
blouse that has somehow avoided the stains of the day.
6.
ELIZABETH
Of course, Alan, I'd be happy to
check again if the venue is booked
for tomorrow.

She flits out of the dining room into

INT. WALSTON KITCHEN - NIGHT

Joseph opening the oven door and pulling out a steaming
tray of of baked chicken and vegetables. He straightens up
as Elizabeth walks in with rolling eyes.

ELIZABETH
Yes, Alan. I'm checking it right
now. It's loading...

She mimes pulling out a laptop and typing on it. Joseph
smiles at her.

ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Mmhm. Yes, I know. I know how
important this is. Yes. Okay. Yep.
Says right here. Alan Fischerman
at the Glasserman Center. November
23. 5:00 PM. You are all set.

She pauses to let the caller speak.

ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Yes, I know. You can definitely
never be too sure. Alright, I'll
see you tomorrow, Alan. Bye.

Elizabeth hangs up the phone with a sigh and opens a drawer
to get cutlery.

JOSEPH
You have got to start ignoring
phone calls after 8:00 PM.

ELIZABETH
If I wanted to ignore clients, I
would have become a professor like
you. So I could ignore my
students' many e-mails.

JOSEPH
Hey! I let them talk to me during
office hours. That's TWO HOURS of
my day just for them.
7.
ELIZABETH
(as she leaves)
Five hundred unread messages,
Joseph!

Joseph laughs and follows her with the tray of food.


As Joseph and Elizabeth continue to set the table, Jasmine
walks into the dining room.

JASMINE
I was talking to Jake.

Elizabeth seats herself beside Joseph.

JOSEPH
I'm so glad we had another kid
just so we could keep track of the
first one.

ELIZABETH
He hasn't called us. How is he?

Jasmine joins her parents at the table and starts serving
out the chicken.

JASMINE
Fine. Happy about his newfound
freedom.

JOSEPH
Well, since you're still in our
evil clutches, why don't you tell
us what's going on at school?

JASMINE
Nothing really. I have the highest
GPA of all the juniors, so I'll
probably be valedictorian next
year.

JOSEPH
You gonna write a better speech
than your brother?

JASMINE
I'm gonna quote Kanye. "Now I
ain't sayin' she's a gold
digger..."

JOSEPH
God help us.
8.


Julie jots down notes as Jasmine speaks.

JASMINE
...So yeah, with all the tests
Corbin is piling on, I'm having a
hard time keeping up with
everything.

JULIE
Jasmine, the most important thing
is to take care of your mental
health first. You can always
lessen your academic workload
until you feel you are in a more
stable place.

JASMINE
No, I like working. It helps. It's
a distraction from the sadness.

JULIE
Just as long as it is not causing
an additional burden. You've gone
through something very traumatic
and we want to focus on your
healing process.

JASMINE
Yeah. Okay.

INT. CLASSROOM - DAY

MR. CORBIN, 40s, is stocky with wild gray hair and a thick
beard. He calls out attendance as students chit-chat before
class.

MR. CORBIN
Alex Chan?

One of the students raises his hand in acknowledgement.

ALEX
Here.

MR. CORBIN
Jasmine?

He scans the students. Jasmine is not there.
9.
INT. ALISA'S COFFEE - DAY

Jasmine sits at a quiet coffee shop. A few customers study
with books and laptops. Some chat with friends.

Jasmine is alone at a table by the window, looking at
papers and scribbling in her red journal. A BARISTA, 20s,
brings her two drinks.

BARISTA
Here you go. A cup of coffee and a
peppermint tea.

JASMINE
Thanks.

Jasmine sets the cup of coffee in front of the empty chair
across from her and sips her peppermint tea. She picks up a
piece of paper and looks at it.

INTERCUT - A CERTIFICATE

The certificate says:

"Certificate of Completion

Berkeley Firearms

certifies that JACOB WALSTON

has completed all prescribed
requirements and is hereby awarded
the certification for BASIC
FIREARM SAFETY COURSE

with all rights and privileges
thereunto pertaining on this 13th
day of September 2013."

BACK TO JASMINE

Jasmine looks at the certificate while writing in her red
journal.

INT. ALISA'S COFFEE - DAY - FLASHBACK

Jasmine and Jake sit at the same table by the window. He
sips a black coffee and she sips a peppermint tea. Some
10.
napkins on the table. Jake wears a black hooded sweater
emblazoned with the word "Mathletes," the logo of the only
sport he plays. He slouches in his chair, long legs filling
the space under the table.

JAKE
You thinking of going to UC
Berkeley at all?

JASMINE
A bunch of hippies? Gross.

JAKE
Man, it's not like that.

He sips his coffee and grimaces.

JASMINE
Why don't you just put milk in it?

JAKE
It's a matter of principle.

JASMINE
Oh yeah. I forgot that was one of
God's commandments. Thou shalt not
put milk in thine coffee or thou
wilt be deemed a pussy.

JAKE
It's worse than adultery.

JASMINE
Speaking of...are you and Kelsey
gonna do long distance?

JAKE
It's not that long of a distance.

JASMINE
Longer than your dick.

JAKE
Longer than your mom's dick.

JASMINE
Don't disrespect your mother like
that. Also, nothing is longer than
Mom's dick. That woman is very
well-endowed.

JAKE
I know. Poor Dad.

Another sip of coffee.
11.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Seriously, Jazz, where do you want
to go for college?

JASMINE
I don't know, man. Stanford? Just
to fuck with you.

JAKE
You couldn't get in. You're a
dummy.

JASMINE
I'm at least going to try.

JAKE
(impersonating Yoda)
Do or do not. There is no try.

Jasmine holds up a Vulcan salute in mockery.

JASMINE
Live long and proper, Obi-wan.

JAKE
Shut up.

JASMINE
Beam me up to the Dark Side,
Scotty.

Jake balls up a napkin and throws it at her.

EXT. ALISA'S COFFEE SHOP - DAY

Seen through the window, Jasmine laughs and throws the
napkin back at her brother. They have a snowball napkin
fight.

INT. ALISA'S COFFEE - DAY - BACK TO PRESENT DAY

Jasmine stares at the cold cup of coffee. The chair across
from her remains empty. She pulls out her cellphone and
scrolls through messages.

ON SCREEN

The recipient at the top says "JAKE" and is timestamped
"November 22, 2013 1:43 AM."

Below the date is a text message that says:
12.
"Party fun. drunk as skunk. don't do drugs. Stay in school.
Llove u J."


INT. HIGH SCHOOL MAIN OFFICE - DAY

Jasmine enters the main office and sees Mr. Cabrera talking
to Elizabeth and Joseph in hushed tones. Elizabeth and
Joseph see Jasmine and look at her in wide-eyed shock.
Joseph rushes to embrace Jasmine.

JASMINE
What's going on?

JOSEPH
Jake...

JASMINE
What about Jake? What happened?

JOSEPH
They...they found him...

There is a pause. Joseph is unable to say anything. Jasmine
looks to Elizabeth for an answer.

JASMINE
What?

ELIZABETH
He shot himself.

INT. DORM ROOM - DAY

Elizabeth, Joseph, and Jasmine pack up Jake's belongings in
large suitcases while his roommate DAVID helps them.

DAVID, 18, is exhausted and still in shock from finding
Jake's body. Jasmine sits at Jake's desk rummaging through
notebooks and papers.

DAVID
I wish I asked him how he was
feeling. I thought something was
up because he usually goes out
with us, but...I don't know. He
seemed fine. Even cracked a joke
before I left.
13.
David sits down on his bed and stares at the ground.
Elizabeth sits down next to him and puts an arm around his
shoulder. She looks up at Joseph, who looks on helplessly.

DAVID (CONT'D)
(in tears)
I wish I'd said something to him.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

JOSEPH
It's okay. You didn't know.

Jasmine watches as her parents comfort David.


INT. ALISA'S COFFEE - DAY - BACK TO PRESENT DAY

Jasmine finishes her peppermint tea and leaves the still
full cup of coffee on the table.


Jasmine sits at the dining room table, ignoring an open SAT
prep book in front of her while she reads an article on her
laptop and writes notes in her red journal. The food on her
plate is mostly untouched. She is in pajamas, hair in a
ponytail.

ON SCREEN

An article entitled "How to buy firearms in California
(with pictures) - wikiHOW"

BACK TO JASMINE

Elizabeth wanders into the dining room and watches her for
a moment. She is in a blue pastel dress and her hair and
make up are still preserved from the workday.

ELIZABETH
You ready for the test?

Jasmine glances at her and then back to her laptop.
Elizabeth approaches her at the table.

JASMINE
Yeah.
14.
ON SCREEN

Jasmine quickly closes the tab on firearms and switches
over to a new tab. This one has a photo of actor John
Cleese with a lemur on his shoulder.

BACK TO JASMINE

JASMINE
Did you know that John Cleese
loves lemurs?

ELIZABETH
(looking over her
shoulder)
What?

JASMINE
Lemurs. John Cleese loves lemurs.

ELIZABETH
Since when did John Cleese's love
of lemurs become a subject on the
SAT?

JASMINE
He was in a movie with them and
then just got...obsessed.

ELIZABETH
Which movie?

JASMINE
Fierce Creatures.

ELIZABETH
Well, stop monkeying around and
get back to studying.

JASMINE
Ha ha.

Jasmine remains buried in her laptop while Elizabeth
watches.

ELIZABETH
Hey, Jazz?

JASMINE
Yeah?

ELIZABETH
How are you feeling?
15.
JASMINE
Like a fierce creature.

INT. FUNERAL HOME - DAY - FLASHBACK

Friends and family sit in pews during Kelsey's eulogy.
Kelsey, 18, is red-eyed and red-nosed from crying. Still,
her good looks and fit figure stand stark against the
funeral black. She stands behind a podium next to a closed
casket surrounded by flowers.

KELSEY
I remember last year at state when
I messed up during the hundred
meter hurdles.

Jasmine, Elizabeth, and Joseph sit in the front pew.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
When that gun went off...I...I
don't know what happened.
(beat)
I stumbled. I think I let that get
into my head and I stumbled a
couple more times. Skinned myself
pretty badly. Afterwards, I was
just crying and venting to Jake
about how disappointed I was in
myself.

Funeral goers shift in their seats and wipe away tears with
tissues.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
He said, "Kels, this is a good
thing. I was starting to get
worried that you were too perfect.
Like, you're a robot or something.
I was even gonna check your body
for nuts and bolts in your sleep."

The funeral goers half chuckle, half sob. Elizabeth and
Joseph look at each other and smile.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
He touched my scratched up palms
and said, "You bleed. You're
human."
(her voice breaks)
I wish I could tell you it's okay,
Jake. That you bleed. That you're
human. And that's okay. And I love
you. We love you.
(MORE)
16.
KELSEY (CONT'D)
(beat)
I'm going to miss you, Jake.

There is no sound from the funeral goers but hushed
sobbing. Jasmine remains dry-eyed.

EXT. OUTSIDE OF THE FUNERAL HOME - DAY

Friends and family console Elizabeth and Joseph. Jasmine
watches, standing by her parents' white car in the parking
lot. Kelsey hugs Elizabeth and Joseph tightly and gives her
condolences. She turns to walk to her car, but spots
Jasmine. Kelsey heads towards her.

INT. JASMINE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT - BACK TO PRESENT DAY

Jasmine sits on her bed and scribbles more in her red
journal.

ON JOURNAL

A page covered in messy scrawls:

"called October 12 to talk about
art festival"
"search history tried therapy???"
"said he felt tired a lot"

In large, bold letters and underlined:

"KELSEY'S FAULT"

INT. ALISA'S COFFEE - DAY - FLASHBACK

Jake, Jasmine, and Kelsey sit at the table by the window.
Kelsey is eating a croissant piece by piece, flakes
drifting down onto the table.

KELSEY
I'm just saying. I think you guys
should start running.

JAKE
Yeah, then we would be able to eat
as many fucking croissants as we
want and still be skinny like you.
17.
KELSEY
It's not about that! Running has
so many benefits. You get fit, you
get a bunch of awesome
endorphins--

JASMINE
We can eat as many fucking
croissants as we want and still be
skinny like you.

She tries to pull a piece off Kelsey's croissant.

KELSEY
You two are the worst.

Kelsey smacks Jasmine's hand away. Jake sits up and begins
to pull a piece off the croissant also.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
Stop it. Get your own.

Jasmine joins in the pastry heist and the siblings shield
Kelsey from her snack.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
Hey! That is mine!

They are interrupted by the barista, who brings their
drinks.

BARISTA
Here you go. Black coffee and
peppermint tea.

The three sit back as the barista puts down the drinks.

JASMINE
Thank you.

JAKE
Thanks.

Jake takes a sip of his coffee and grimaces.

KELSEY
Just put milk in it!

JAKE
Milk is for baby cows. I am a man.

Kelsey picks up the remains of her torn up croissant and
waves it in his face.
18.
KELSEY
No croissants for you until you
start running.

JAKE
No.

KELSEY
Come on. Just try it for a week?
Please?

JAKE
Nope.

JASMINE
You know how to get this guy to
run? Stand at the end of the track
with a chocolate glazed doughnut.
He loves those.

JAKE
A track has no end, Jazz. It is an
oval.

JASMINE
(to Kelsey)
You know what? I'll do it. I'll
try a week.

KELSEY
Really?

JASMINE
Yeah.
(to Jake)
Maybe then I'll be able to run
circles around you at something.

JAKE
Don't you mean "run ovals?"

Jasmine chucks Kelsey's remaining croissant at him.

EXT. FRONT OF WALSTON HOUSE - DAY

Jasmine runs down the street toward her home. She wears
bright purple sneakers with green lighting bolts on the
sides. She stops, breathing hard, and looks down at her
phone.

ON SCREEN

Receiving a call from "Bro-nobo Ape"
19.
INT. WALSTON KITCHEN - DAY

Jasmine hacks away at a container of strawberry ice cream
while she talks on the phone.

JAKE (V.O.)
Kelsey broke up with me.

Jasmine pauses.

JASMINE
What? Why?

INT. JAKE'S DORM ROOM - DAY

Jake is alone, lying on his bed while talking to Jasmine on
his phone. Curtains are closed and lights are off. He is in
a dark blue hooded sweater with the UC Berkeley logo. His
dorm room is typical of a freshman in college. Star Wars
and Lord of the Rings posters on the walls.

JAKE
I don't know. It's...I don't know.

INT. UC SANTA BARBARA CAMPUS - DAY

Kelsey is on the phone with Jake, walking to her next
class. She is in a flowy summer dress and sunglasses, tan
and beautiful in the sunshine.

KELSEY
(into phone)
We're only eighteen! It's crazy to
think of forever right now.

INTERCUT JASMINE IN THE KITCHEN/KELSEY ON CAMPUS/JAKE IN
HIS BEDROOM

KELSEY
I think we need to be able to just
be. You know? Be ourselves. Figure
out who we are without each other.
Then maybe...

JASMINE
That's stupid.

KELSEY
(into phone)
I love you. I love you so much,
Jake.
20.
Jake gets up and moves to his desk. It is neat except for a
few papers and some small gadgets: a Rubik's cube, a binary
clock, a Newton's cradle, and the like.

JAKE
I told her I understand.

Jasmine uses her knife to draw a heart on the surface of
the ice cream and draws a jagged line through it.

JASMINE
Fuck that bitch.

JAKE
Hey, come on. That's not fair. I
mean...she has a point.

JASMINE
Bullshit. Look at Mom and Dad.
They met when they were
what...twenty-one?

Jasmine scoops the ice cream into a bowl.

JAKE
Twenty-one's not eighteen.

Jasmine takes a bite of the ice cream.

JASMINE
Mmmfh.

JAKE
What?

Jake picks up a framed photograph from the corner of the
desk.

JASMINE
Sorry, I'm eating.
(beat)

INSERT - A FRAMED PHOTOGRAPH

Of Jake and Kelsey at high school graduation. Both are
draped in tassels and medals, arms around each other and
smiling widely.

BACK TO JAKE
21.
JAKE
I don't know. Sad I guess.
Afternoon ice cream?

JASMINE
Yup.

JAKE
You know they have an ice cream
machine in the dining hall? Like,
all different types of ice cream
every week. And fro-yo too. You
should try when you come visit.

JASMINE
You have a lot of options.

JAKE
(still looking at the
photograph)
So does Kelsey.

Jasmine is unsure of what to say. It is hard to hug someone
over the phone.

JASMINE
I'm sorry, Jake.

Jake puts the photograph face-down on his desk.

JAKE
It's okay. I'll get over it.

EXT. OUTSIDE OF THE FUNERAL HOME - DAY

KELSEY
Jazz!

Kelsey reaches for a hug, but Jasmine shrugs and turns
away. Kelsey looks at her, unsure.

JASMINE
Nice eulogy. Too bad you left out
the part where you broke his
heart, so you can chase other
guys.

KELSEY
Jazz, that's not fair.

JASMINE
What's fair, Kelsey? Three years
and you couldn't even do it in
person.
22.
KELSEY
I'm sorry. I know you're really
hurting, but I had every right to
break up with him.

JASMINE
What a fucking comfort that must
be.

KELSEY
Jasmine.

She starts to tear up.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
Jasmine, I'm sorry. But...his
death is not my fault.

Kelsey looks as if she wants to say something more, but
thinks better of it. She reaches out and touches Jasmine
lightly on the shoulder. Jasmine shrugs her off.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
I'm here. If you need to talk.

Jasmine watches as Kelsey walks away. She catches
Elizabeth's eye. Elizabeth smiles weakly and waves her to
come over. Jasmine stays by the car.


ON JOURNAL

Jasmine circles the words "KELSEY'S FAULT" over and over.

BACK TO JASMINE

Jasmine pulls out her laptop and continues scribbling notes
in her red journal.

ON LAPTOP SCREEN

Jasmine TYPES the words "most effective ways to commit
suicide" into a search browser.

BACK TO SCENE

Jasmine writes in her red journal.
23.

"Shotgun Lethality rate = 99%. Such an overachiever" is
written in neat cursive.

BACK TO SCENE

Jasmine shuts her journal and lays down on her bed. She
shuts her eyes tightly and massages her temples. She gets
out of bed and goes to

INT. JASMINE'S BATHROOM - NIGHT

Jasmine opens the medicine cabinet and takes out a bottle
of aspirin. She looks at it for a moment before opening it.
She takes out a pill and puts it in her mouth.

She turns on the faucet, takes a long sip of water, and
then swallows the pill. She returns the aspirin bottle into
the cabinet and closes it.

INT. MR. CORBIN'S CLASSROOM - DAY

Jasmine stands in front of her physics teacher, Mr. Corbin.
The room is empty except for the two. Mr. Corbin sits
behind his desk, looking at one of Jasmine's exams. His
desk is covered with stacks of paper and some gadgets: a
Rubik's cube, a binary clock, a Newton's cradle, and the
like.

MR. CORBIN
Jasmine, I'm worried about you.

Mr. Corbin puts the test down on the desk. On the top of
the test is her score, 32/100, in red ink. Jasmine fiddles
with the straps of her backpack.

MR. CORBIN (CONT'D)
I know this material can be a bit
difficult, but you haven't asked
for help.

JASMINE
I've been busy studying for the
SAT.

MR. CORBIN
How you holdin' up?

JASMINE
Fine. I'm fine. It's just... It's
hard.
24.
MR. CORBIN
I bet.

JASMINE
But I'm okay. I just...I didn't
study like I was supposed to.

MR. CORBIN
I understand. Listen, you can
always come in and re-take tests
you fail. And I'm here for
tutoring if you need it.

Jasmine does not respond.

MR. CORBIN (CONT'D)
Don't put too much pressure on
yourself. If you feel like you
need to take a break or --

JASMINE
I'm fine. It's just normal school
stress.

MR. CORBIN
You've been through a lot,
Jasmine. It's okay if you need
more time. And I'm always here if
you need to talk.

JASMINE
Okay. Thanks.

EXT. UCLA KERCKHOFF PATIO - DAY

Jasmine sits in the outside patio of Kerckhoff Coffee
House, correcting her failed physics exam while she drinks
a cup of tea.

She is distracted by her thoughts and gives up, opting
instead to watch the students walking past.

INT. MR. MICHELI'S CLASSROOM - DAY - FLASHBACK

Jasmine takes notes as her Pre-calculus teacher, MR.
MICHELI, lectures on parabolic equations.

Mr. Micheli, 30s, is tall and lanky. He wears a
professorial cardigan and thick horn-rimmed glasses. The
whiteboard behind him is covered with diagrams and
equations. His hands are smudged with marker ink.
25.
The door opens and Jake enters. He is wearing a shirt with
Darth Vader and the STAR WARS logo. He hands a slip of
paper to Micheli, who reads it.

MR. MICHELI
Carolina, they want you at the
office.

A student, CAROLINA, gets up to leave. Jake follows her,
but decides to stay. He starts folding one of the slips
into a paper plane.

As Mr. Micheli continues his lecture, LUCAS, 17, dark and
handsome, turns in his seat beside Jasmine. He grins at
Jake, welcoming the distraction.

The other students watch Jake in their periphery. Lucas
catches Jasmine's eye and jerks his head toward Jake.
Jasmine studiously bends over her notes and ignores him.

When Jake finishes with the plane, he winks at Lucas and
prepares to launch the plane into a trash can on the other
side of the room.

MR. MICHELI (CONT'D)
Jake. Don't.

Jake, unashamed, holds up the plane in defense. He makes
his way to the front of the room.

JAKE
It's a direct application of what
you're teaching, Micheli, come on!

MR. MICHELI
Oh, is that so? Care to explain to
the class?

Jake gestures to the marker in his outstretched hand.

JAKE
May I?

Mr. Micheli smiles and relinquishes the marker. Jake grins
and launches the plane towards the trash can. It lands with
a soft thunk.

JAKE (CONT'D)
(to the class)
Now. Let's talk about how I did
that.
26.
INT. WALSTON LIVING ROOM - DAY

Jake and Jasmine sit on the couch. He taps away at his
laptop. She eats a bowl of strawberry ice cream as she
reads The Sun Also Rises.

JASMINE
You are such an attention whore.

JAKE
What are you talking about?

JASMINE
Today in class. With the airplane.

JAKE
Please. You loved it.

JASMINE
I hated it. But Lucas was very
grateful for the break from
learning.

JAKE
What's going on with you two,
anyway?

JASMINE
What do you mean?

JAKE
Word on the street is you two were
caught canoodling at the game.

JASMINE
Canoodling? What are you, fifty?

JAKE
I feel like it. What with my baby
sister growing up and canoodling
with boys. Seems like only
yesterday she was peeing her pants
at school.

JASMINE
I was six.

JAKE
Yeah, I was sick too. From the
smell.

JASMINE
Shut the fuck up.

She tosses a throw pillow at him.
27.
JAKE
Stop ruining Mom's decor.

JASMINE
There's a reason they call it a
throw pillow.

JAKE
Haha.
(beat)
By the way, me and Kels and a
bunch of people are gonna do a
Star Wars Marathon this weekend.
Wanna come?

JASMINE
Please stop. You know I'm not
gonna watch Star Wars.

JAKE
It is time, young Padawan.

JASMINE
Stop trying to make Star Wars
happen, Jake. It's not going to
happen!

JAKE
(gesturing at his shirt)
Oh, I think it happened.

Jasmine shakes her head as she sips her tea.

EXT. UCLA KERCKHOFF COFFEE SHOP PATIO - DAY - BACK TO
PRESENT DAY

Jasmine takes one last sip of her tea and packs up her
things. She begins to walk around the UCLA campus. She
walks down Kerckhoff Steps and onto BruinWalk, the main
path that goes through the center of the campus.

As she walks up the path, she is stopped by a MOTHER, 40s,
and her SON, 17.

MOTHER
Excuse me. Do you know where the
Physics and Astronomy Building is?

JASMINE
Oh yeah. I can walk you. I'm going
that way anyway.

MOTHER
Thank you so much!
28.
The mother and her son follow Jasmine up a hill towards
red-bricked buildings. Students walk past them, headed to
their classes.

The mother chatters while they walk. The son is quiet. He
has his mother's wispy blonde hair, but not her penchant
for conversation.

MOTHER (CONT'D)
Ethan here is thinking about
applying for astrophysics. What
about you? What are you studying?

Jasmine is too tired to tell the truth.

JASMINE
Mechanical engineering.

MOTHER
Oh, that's kind of similar to
astrophysics. Isn't it, Ethan?

ETHAN (SON)
Uh-huh.

MOTHER
How are you liking UCLA?

JASMINE
It's great. A lot of work though.
(to Ethan)
What year are you?

ETHAN
Junior.

MOTHER
What about you? What year are you?

JASMINE
I'm a freshman.

MOTHER
Oh, so you're just finishing your
first year. Any advice?

JASMINE
Call your mother.

MOTHER
Ethan, are you listening to this?

ETHAN
I'll text you.
29.
The three reach the top of the hill and Jasmine gestures to
a red-bricked building with a grassy lawn.

JASMINE
PAB's over there.

MOTHER
Thank you so much.

JASMINE
No problem.
(to Ethan)
Hey, man. Good luck.

ETHAN
Thanks.

JASMINE
Enjoy high school while it lasts.
Everything changes in college.

EXT. BOELTER HALL, UCLA ENGINEERING BUILDING - ROOFTOP

Jasmine stands on the rooftop of the engineering building,
watching students scurry through the courtyard below her.

She closes her eyes.

INT. JAKE'S DORM ROOM - NIGHT - IMAGINING

Jake puts the barrel of a semiautomatic shotgun into his
mouth and pulls the trigger.

EXT. BOELTER HALL, UCLA ENGINEERING BUILDING - ROOFTOP -
DAY

Jasmine opens her eyes and checks her phone.

ON CELLPHONE SCREEN

Jasmine TYPES the words "jumping off roof fatality rate"
into a search bar.

In the middle of her search, a bubble pops up on her phone
that says "Dad."

Jasmine opens the text message. It says: "Just finished.
You on campus?"
30.
BACK TO JASMINE

Jasmine steps away from the edge of the roof and continues
to watch the students below her.

INT. WALSTON DINING ROOM - NIGHT - FLASHBACK

Jasmine sits across Joseph at the dining table. They are
both doing schoolwork. Joseph's phone is in front of him
while he talks to Jake on speakerphone.

JAKE (V.O.)
I need money.

JOSEPH
For what?

JAKE (V.O.)
Matlab.

JOSEPH
How much?

JAKE (V.O.)
About three hundred dollars.

JOSEPH
Okay, we'll send the money to your
account.

JASMINE
(loudly)
Don't blow it all on hookers.

JAKE (V.O.)
It's for software. Not hardware.

Jasmine grins and Joseph shakes his head.

JOSEPH
How's everything?

JAKE (V.O.)
Good. Everything's good. Gotta
study for a midterm I have coming
up.

JOSEPH
Which class?

JAKE (V.O.)
Multivariable calculus.
31.
JOSEPH
You doing okay in that class?

JAKE (V.O.)
Yeah. It's not too difficult. I
understand most of it.

JOSEPH
I expected nothing less.
(beat)
What else is going on?

JAKE (V.O.)
Uh...I'm in the Engineering
Society. I'm helping out with
organizing meetings and stuff.
Trying to convince the computer
engineers that mechanical
engineers aren't completely
useless.

JOSEPH
Good luck with that. I've known my
fair share of Mech-Es. All they
care about is how to build the
biggest gun.

JAKE
All computer engineers care about
is how to create the most
realistic sex robot.

JOSEPH
I can't think of a more noble
task.

Jake chuckles over the phone. Jasmine smiles to herself.

JOSEPH (CONT'D)
Don't stress yourself out though.
I was like that in college. Missed
out on a lot of fun stuff because
I was in too many organizations.
Just focus on your studies and see
how you feel at the end of the
semester.

JAKE (V.O.)
Man, I got this. You worry too
much.
32.

Jasmine is at her desk, looking at Jake's old papers while
writing notes in her red journal. She picks up an old
receipt and looks at it.

INTERCUT - A RECEIPT

From Cabela's for a Stoeger Model 3000 Compact
Semiautomatic Shotgun, dated October 12, 2013.

BACK TO JASMINE

Jasmine puts the receipt away and picks up an engineering
notebook. The front of the notebook is labeled "Jacob
Walston, MEC ENG C85."

Jasmine flips through the pages.

ON JAKE'S ENGINEERING NOTEBOOK

Covered with notes, math equations, and diagrams. As
Jasmine flips through the pages, Jake's notes become
messier. His handwriting is no longer a neat print, but
becomes unintelligible scrawling. Margins are covered with
question marks and doodles. After a while, the notes stop.

Jasmine ends on a page with only the words "I don't get any
of this" written in neat, square print.

BACK TO JASMINE

Jasmine picks up her journal. She flips through it and
pulls out a folded piece of paper. She unfolds it. It is
wrinkled and worn from being read over and over.

JAKE (V.O.)
Dear, Jazz...

INT. JAKE'S DORM ROOM - NIGHT

Jake sits at his desk, writing on a piece of paper. He is
crying as he does so.

JAKE (V.O.)
I'm sorry I didn't tell you the
truth.

Jake pauses and looks at David's empty bed. He goes back to
his note.
33.
JAKE (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I feel heavy all the time. As if
my pockets are filled with rocks.
It is hard to keep my head above
water at times, but I have done it
all these years for you and Mom
and Dad and Kelsey.
(beat)
But I'm tired. It seems so much
easier to let myself slip under
and let the waves carry me
wherever.

Jake sits back in his chair and closes his eyes, breathing
deeply.


Jasmine cries silently as she finishes reading the note.

JAKE (V.O.)
I'm sorry I gave up. Take care of
Mom and Dad. I love you. Jake.

Jasmine begins to write frantically in her journal. Her
scribbling is manic, as if she can force some truth out of
the page.


It says in messy cursive: "Liar liar liar liar
fuckingliar."

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

Jasmine stands at Jake's grave. A clear blue sky and warm
sun disregard her sorrow by creating another lovely day.
The cemetery is silent and empty. The tombstone reads:

JACOB ALONZO WALSTON
SON, BROTHER, FRIEND
AUGUST 5, 1994 - NOVEMBER 22, 2013

Jasmine stares for a moment.

JASMINE
Why?

She asks again, furious.
34.
JASMINE (CONT'D)
Why?

She kicks the tombstone and stumbles back from the pain.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
Why? Why? Why?

As she repeats the question, she starts to cry. Her soft
sobs turn into a loud keening and she collapses onto the
grass. Eventually, the tears subside and she looks up at
the sky.

There is no answer.

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

The Walstons' living room is neat and tasteful like their
kitchen. Jasmine sits on the couch dressed in a bright red
shirt and black jeans. Elizabeth sits beside her, dressed
and made up from another event. Joseph stands in front of
Jasmine and Elizabeth dressed in a white button up shirt
and khakis.

JOSEPH
Jazz, why?

There is no answer.

JOSEPH (CONT'D)
Why would you lie about ditching
school? And Corbin said you were
failing Physics.

ELIZABETH
It's okay if you're struggling and
need a break. But we need you to
tell us.

JOSEPH
And you can't just skip counseling
with Julie. It's really important
you go to your sessions.

Jasmine looks down at the ground and says nothing. Joseph
sits on the other side of her on the couch.

JOSEPH (CONT'D)
Jazz, this isn't like you at all.

JASMINE
How would you know what's like me?
35.
ELIZABETH
Jasmine --

JASMINE
You didn't know Jake. You didn't
know him at all.

Elizabeth and Joseph say nothing. They are still weighed
down by grief, eyes dull and tired from long nights of
crying.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
Just leave me alone.

Elizabeth and Joseph look at each other, hurt but
understanding their daughter's resentment. After a pause,
Joseph puts his arm around Jasmine's shoulder.

JOSEPH
You're right. We didn't know Jake
as well as we should have.

ELIZABETH
We don't want that to happen with
you.

Elizabeth clasps Jasmine's hands tightly. Jasmine sighs and
looks at Elizabeth, then Joseph.

JASMINE
I--I know. I'm sorry. I just...
(beat)
I miss Jake.

She bursts into tears. Her parents embrace her.

ELIZABETH
Oh, Jazz. It's okay.

JOSEPH
We love you. We'll try to figure
this out, okay?

Jasmine nods.


Jasmine sit between Joseph and Elizabeth on Julie's couch.
Julie sits in front of them in her chair.

JULIE
One option is for her to see a
psychiatrist.
(MORE)
36.
JULIE (CONT'D)
To see if there is any medication
that can help. And I think it
would do Jasmine a lot of good to
start going to group therapy.
There are a lot of grief support
groups in the area. It might be
worth checking them out.

ELIZABETH
What do you think, Jazz?

JASMINE
Sure. That sounds good.

INT. BATHROOM - DAY

Jasmine stands in front of the sink, holding an orange pill
bottle. It is for Lexapro, an antidepressant. She stares at
it for a moment before opening it and taking out a pill.
She takes the pill with a glass of water and looks at her
reflection.

She opens the medicine cabinet and takes out the aspirin
bottle. She reads the label.

EXT. PARK - DAY - FLASHBACK

Elizabeth is in her 30s, talking to Lucas' mother,
STEPHANIE, on a park bench. The two mothers are slim and
stylish, watching a six-year old Jasmine, an eight-year old
Jake, and a seven-year old Lucas play by the swings.

ELIZABETH
Jake finally confessed that he
hates playing the violin. I could
finally confess that I hated
listening to him play it.

The two share a laugh.

STEPHANIE
Lucas just dances around the house
shirtless, pretending he's Usher.

JASMINE (O.S.)
Ouch! Mom!

Elizabeth immediately turns and hurries off to the
children.

ELIZABETH
What happened?
37.
Jasmine holds up her arm for inspection.

JASMINE (O.S.)
Jake bit me!

JAKE
I didn't! Lucas, tell her!

LUCAS
I didn't see. I was playing.

Elizabeth looks carefully at Jasmine's arm. It has a deep
bite mark shaped like an upside down U.

ELIZABETH
Jake, is this true?

JAKE
(looking her straight in
the eye)
No.

JASMINE
Yes he did!

JAKE
No, shut up!

ELIZABETH
Jake. If you didn't do it, how did
she get this bite mark?

JAKE
She bit herself. To get me in
trouble.

JASMINE
I didn't!

ELIZABETH
(to Jake)
You're lying.

JAKE
Am not! You don't believe me
'cause she's the baby.

ELIZABETH
I don't believe you because if
Jasmine bit herself, the bite mark
would be shaped like a U when I
look at it.
(she holds up the arm to
Jake)
(MORE)
38.
ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Instead, it's upside down. Meaning
someone else bit her.
(she brings Jasmine's
arm up to her mouth to
demonstrate)

Jake looks away.

ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Apologize to your sister.

Jake says nothing.

ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Jake. She's your sister. You're
supposed to take care of her, not
hurt her.

JAKE
Sorry.

ELIZABETH
You are grounded, young man. And
no dessert for a week.

Jake is heated with anger, but says nothing. He is quickly
learning that the devil is in the details.

INT. A CONFERENCE ROOM IN A CLINIC - PRESENT DAY

Jasmine sits in a circle of people for group therapy. She
is wearing her gray hoodie and jeans again. The group's
counselor is LILY, 50s. Her soft eyes take in the grief of
the patients, REBECCA, MELISSA, HEE-YOUNG, WALLY, and
JAMES.

The patients vary in age, but all share an expression of
stunned grief as they listen to James talk about his
experience.

JAMES
I don't even know my wife any
more. All she is now is a mother
with a dead child. All I am now is
a father with a dead child.

LILY
Does anyone else feel the same way
as James?

There are murmurs of agreement.
39.
JASMINE
I didn't know him at all.

LILY
What do you mean by that, Jasmine?

JASMINE
He lied. The whole time. It's like
I didn't even know him.

Jasmine pauses to consider this and then the words all come
out in an angry rush.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
He was pretending. His whole life
was pretending to be happy, to be
successful. He didn't really love
our family. He didn't really love
me.

LILY
It's understandable that you feel
as though your brother deceived
you. But thinking that he didn't
truly love you is black-and-white
thinking. The fact that your
brother struggled with suicidal
thoughts, while loving you and
your family at the same time, can
both be true.

JASMINE
No. He lied. He was a liar. He's
always been a liar.


Jasmine sits on her bed in pajamas with her red journal
open in front of her.

She looks through it.


Covered with her neat cursive. The contents are her
research on her brother and his suicide. Jasmine flips
through the pages.

One page says: "six times more likely."

Another page says: "why didn't he ask for help???"

Another page says: "aspirin not that effective"
40.
Another page has a doodle of a stick figure holding a gun
to its head.

BACK TO JASMINE

Jasmine forms her hand into the shape of a gun and puts it
in her mouth.

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

Jasmine is in pajamas, standing in front of the sink with
the orange pill bottle. She takes one of her
antidepressants with water and stares at her reflection in
the mirror.

She opens the medicine cabinet and takes out the aspirin
bottle. She looks at it for a moment and then goes to

INT. JASMINE'S BEDROOM - DAY

Jasmine opens a desk drawer and puts the bottle of aspirin
in it. She shuts the drawer and puts her head down on the
desk.


Jasmine, Elizabeth, and Joseph sit at the table in silence.
Jasmine's plate remains empty.

ELIZABETH
Jazz, you should eat a little
something.

JASMINE
I'm not hungry.

Joseph takes his plate and stands.

JOSEPH
I got some work to finish for
tonight.

He leaves with his plate. Elizabeth watches him go.

ELIZABETH
Could you try eating a little?

JASMINE
No.

Jasmine stands and pushes in her chair.
41.
JASMINE (CONT'D)
I'm going to bed.

She leaves her mother alone at the table. Elizabeth breaks
down and weeps into her plate.


Jasmine pulls out a black notebook from a drawer. She
peruses it at her desk.

ON NOTEBOOK

A page with a poem.

BACK TO JASMINE

As she reads the poem, Jake's voice narrates.

JAKE (V.O.)
A poem for jazzy jazz
Jazz, you cool cat
With your purple sneakers
And wiry hair
Your big head is a radio
Receiving messages from aliens
I'm sending you a transmission
At 3 Hz
So you can barely hear it

Jasmine closes the notebook and looks around the room. She
grabs a pair of scissors and her purple sneakers from the
corner of the room. She cuts up her sneakers with tears in
her eyes.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY - DAY

Jasmine sits at a desk, staring into space. Her laptop and
red journal are in front of her, along with her math
textbook and notebook.

ON MATH NOTEBOOK

The page is blank except for the words "I don't get any of
this" in her neat cursive.
42.
BACK TO JASMINE

The door of the library opens and Lucas walks in. Jasmine
watches him. He walks quickly through the shelves,
whispering to himself as he looks for a book. He spots the
book and grabs it.

As Lucas heads to the librarian, he catches Jasmine's eye.
He nods in recognition and heads towards her. She closes
her notebook.

LUCAS
Hey, what's up?

JASMINE
Nothing. Just studying.

LUCAS
Oh man I gotta do that. I do not
understand what's going on in Mr.
Hull's class.

JASMINE
Yeah. Me neither.

LUCAS
The volume stuff's all gibberish.
We need Jake to make origami cones
and teach us or something.
(realizing)
I mean -- I just meant...

He trails off into awkward silence.

LUCAS (CONT'D)
Sorry.

JASMINE
It's okay. I miss him too.
(gestures)
What book?

LUCAS
(holding it up)
Oh, it's a play. Who's Afraid of
Virginia Woolf? For AP Lit. Be
glad you're not in that class. Mr.
Johnson is making us do so much
reading.

Jasmine nods and says nothing.
43.
LUCAS (CONT'D)
Uh...I gotta go. But...if you ever
wanna study together or
something...

JASMINE
Yeah. Sure.

LUCAS
Okay. Later, Jazz.

Lucas leaves the library while Jasmine stares at her
notebook.

INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Joseph, Elizabeth, and Jasmine sit at the table, having
dinner.

JOSEPH
How was school today?

JASMINE
Fine. Talked to Lucas a bit.

ELIZABETH
Oh yeah? How's he doing?

JASMINE
Okay, I think. He doesn't get
what's happening in Calculus
either.
(beat)
And that's without a dead brother
distracting him.

Elizabeth puts her fork down in frustration.

ELIZABETH
Jasmine.

JASMINE
What? It's true.

JOSEPH
Jasmine, that comment was
insensitive. You know that.

Jasmine shrugs.

ELIZABETH
I know you probably still feel a
lot of anger, but please.
(MORE)
44.
ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Think of your father and me. That
kind of comment just...

Elizabeth looks at Joseph.

JOSEPH
...it hurts, Jasmine, okay? It
hurts so much to think about Jake
and everything that happened and
--

His voice breaks and he starts to cry.

JOSEPH (CONT'D)
I don't know. This is hard.

Elizabeth and Jasmine watch him, hopeless.

JASMINE
I'm sorry. I just...

Jasmine stares at her plate of food and then at the empty
seat Jake used to occupy.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
This is stupid. I'm going to my
room.

ELIZABETH
Jasmine, please.

Joseph looks up at Jasmine and Elizabeth gets up to reach
for her. Jasmine shakes her off.

JASMINE
Whatever. I hate this.
(beat)
I hate Jake.

Jasmine storms off to go upstairs to her bedroom. Elizabeth
and Joseph look at each other.


Jasmine lies in bed, her face covered with a pillow.

JOSEPH (O.S.)
Jazz?

JASMINE
(taking the pillow off)
What?
45.
Joseph opens Jasmine's door and stands in the doorway.

JOSEPH
I'm just checking in. Can we talk
about what happened at dinner?

JASMINE
No. Go away.

JOSEPH
Jasmine, please. I just want to
make sure you're okay.

JASMINE
I'm fine. Just tired.

In the months since his death, Jake has made himself known
on Joseph's face. He is etched in the worry lines on their
father's forehead. He is in the red marks their father's
glasses left when he took them off to dry the tears. Jake
weighs down the corners of their father's mouth.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
I'm sorry about what I said.

JOSEPH
I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to
get upset with you.

JASMINE
I just want to go to sleep.

JOSEPH
I love you, Jazz.

JASMINE
I love you too.

Joseph pauses before leaving and shutting the door. Jasmine
listens as he walks away from her room. She gets up and
locks her door. She opens her desk drawer and takes out a
bottle of Aspirin. She pours the contents out onto her desk
and gathers the white pills into a pile.

She looks at them for a long moment then, suddenly, takes
one pill and puts it in her mouth. She grabs her water
bottle and sips some water. She swallows the pill.

After a few seconds, she takes a couple more pills and does
the same.

Then, she takes the pills by the handful, taking long swigs
of water until only half of the large pile is left.
46.
She looks at the rest of the pile, breathing hard. The
realization of what she has done hits her. She quickly puts
the rest of the pills back in the bottle and returns it to
the drawer.

She walks over and collapses on her bed. She covers her
face with a pillow and begins to cry.


Jasmine is pale and wide awake, wrapped up in her
comforter. She has not slept, becoming dizzy and nauseated
throughout the night. She is in the same clothes as the
night before. Her breathing is quick and shallow. She is
shaking.

There is a knock on her door.

ELIZABETH (O.S.)
Jazz, you okay?

JASMINE
(hoarse)
Fine.

ELIZABETH (O.S.)
Are you ready for school?

JASMINE
No.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DAY

Elizabeth stands outside of her door, dressed for work in a
gray blazer and pencil skirt.

ELIZABETH
Do you want to call in sick?

JASMINE (O.S.)
Yeah.

ELIZABETH
Okay, I'll call them.
(beat)
Your father and I have to go to
work. Call us if you need
anything.

JASMINE (O.S.)
Fine.
47.
Elizabeth listens to the silence for a moment and then
turns away from the door to go downstairs. She hesitates
and then goes back to the door. She tries the door handle,
but finds that it is locked.

ELIZABETH
Jazz, can you open up?

JASMINE (O.S.)
No. I don't want to talk to you.

ELIZABETH
(pushing hard on the
handle)
Jasmine, please.


Jasmine sits up on her bed and stares at the door.

JASMINE
No.

ELIZABETH (O.S.)
(desperate)
Jasmine, open the door.

JASMINE
No.


ELIZABETH
(calling out to the
kitchen)
Joseph!

Joseph bounds up the stairs.

JOSEPH
What? What's going on?

ELIZABETH
She won't open the door.

Joseph pushes on the handle and bangs on the door.

JOSEPH
Jasmine, what's going on? Open the
door!

JASMINE (O.S.)
Go away.
48.
Joseph and Elizabeth look at each other, afraid.

JOSEPH
(gently)
Jasmine, please.


Jasmine puts her head on her knees and then looks up at the
door.


Elizabeth and Joseph wait. Finally, the lock clicks and
Jasmine opens the door. She stands in the doorway, ashen.

Elizabeth hugs her tightly.

ELIZABETH
Jasmine, what's going on?

She looks at Jasmine more closely and holds Jasmine's face
in her hands. Jasmine says nothing. Her eyes are red and
her breathing is shallow.

ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Jazz?

Jasmine vomits on Elizabeth's suit.

ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Oh my god.

Joseph rushes to support Jasmine as she wretches all over
her mother and the floor. Tears and sweat streak down her
face.

JASMINE
I...I took aspirin. A lot of
aspirin.

Elizabeth and Joseph stare at her in stunned silence.

INT. RONALD REAGAN MEDICAL CENTER HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

Jasmine is in a hospital bed, hooked to an IV. She is in a
hospital gown, drifting in and out of consciousness. The
room is bright. Elizabeth and Joseph sit next to the bed.

DR. ELLERS takes notes as she asks Jasmine some questions.
49.
DR. ELLERS
Now about how many pills did you
take?

JASMINE
Don't know. Thirty? Forty?

DR. ELLERS
Around forty. Okay. And do you
happen to know the dosage?

JASMINE
No.

DR. ELLERS
When? What time?

JASMINE
Last night. Eight.

DR. ELLERS
Around eight p.m. How are you
feeing right now, Jasmine?

JASMINE
Sick.

DR. ELLERS
How so?

JASMINE
My stomach feels sick. My ears are
ringing.

DR. ELLERS
Stomach pain, nausea, ringing in
your ears. Alright. Jasmine, one
last question. When you took the
pills, what was your intention?
Did you want to end your life?

JASMINE
I don't know. I guess.

DR. ELLERS
Okay.
(beat)
Jasmine. Here's what's happening.
When you overdose on aspirin, your
liver can't process all of it and
it becomes toxic. So what we're
going to do is have you drink some
charcoal to help with this.

Jasmine nods.
50.
JASMINE
Am I gonna die?

DR. ELLERS
Well, Jasmine, you took a lot of
aspirin and your blood pressure is
high.
(looking at her chart)
But otherwise your vitals look
okay. You'll get through this.

Dr. Ellers leans in to talk to Elizabeth and Joseph.
Jasmine slowly loses consciousness.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

Jasmine is woken up by NURSE #1, who hands her a paper cup
filled with a black liquid.

NURSE #1
Charcoal water. Drink the whole
thing.

Jasmine takes the cup and drinks. She wipes her mouth with
the back of her hand and looks at the streak of grit from
the charcoal.

NURSE #1 (CONT'D)
Good.

Jasmine lies back and falls back to sleep.

INT. RONALD REAGAN MEDICAL CENTER ICU ROOM - NIGHT

Jasmine wakes up in the ICU of the hospital. A green
curtain separates her bed from the door. She is still in a
hospital gown and hooked up to an IV. NURSE #2, a large
African American woman in her 30s, watches her.

JASMINE
Water.

NURSE #2
Oh, you want some water? Hold on,
honey.

NURSE #2 goes to the sink and fills a paper cup with water.
She brings it to Jasmine, who drinks it quickly.

JASMINE
Thank you. What's your name?
51.
QUEEN (NURSE #2)
Elizabeth. But you can call me
Queen.
(beat)
My Daddy always said every woman
is a queen. He named all of us
kids after queens. Elizabeth,
Mary, Catherine...

JASMINE
My mother's name is Elizabeth.

QUEEN
I know. She's been worried sick
about you.

JASMINE
Where is she? Where are my
parents?

QUEEN
Your mom and dad went down to the
cafeteria to get something to eat.
They've been watching you for
hours.

JASMINE
Where am I?

QUEEN
The ICU.

Jasmine thinks about this.

JASMINE
I have to go to the bathroom.

QUEEN
Right here.

Queen gets up and opens a large cabinet under the sink. It
swings out to reveal a toilet. She gets some sanitary wipes
from a drawer. She points at a black button above the seat.

QUEEN (CONT'D)
Now when you're done, you press
this to flush.

Jasmine gets up and walks over to the toilet. Queen hands
her the wipes and draws the green curtain between them for
privacy.

QUEEN (O.S.)
I'll just be right here.
52.
Jasmine shifts the hospital gown and sits on the toilet.
When she is finished, she opens the wipes and cleans
herself. She holds up the wipes. They are black.

JASMINE
My poop is black.

QUEEN
That's just the charcoal, honey.

JASMINE
You could barbecue with my poop.

Queen bursts out laughing.

INT. RONALD REAGAN MEDICAL CENTER ICU ROOM - DAY

A new doctor, DR. CHANG talks to Elizabeth and Joseph while
Jasmine listens from the bed. Queen has been replaced by
another nurse, NURSE #3, who stands off to the side.

Elizabeth and Joseph are exhausted, but alert. They sneak
glances at their daughter.

DR. CHANG
Her bloodwork came back from the
lab and her toxicity levels are
way lower than yesterday. We are
just waiting for a room to become
available on the fourth floor and
then we'll transfer her.

JASMINE
What's on the fourth floor?

DR. CHANG
The psychiatric ward.

JASMINE
(stirs)
What? I don't want to go there.
(to her parents)
No. I don't want to go there.

Elizabeth looks to the doctor.

DR. CHANG
Jasmine, you just overdosed on
aspirin in an effort to end your
own life. We are taking that very
seriously.

JASMINE
But I'm fine. I'm alive.
53.
DR. CHANG
Jasmine, when someone attempts
suicide, we have to hold them at
the hospital for at least 72
hours. This is for your own
safety. Now, you have nothing to
worry about. The staff on the
fourth floor are absolutely
wonderful. We want to help you get
better, so you can get out of here
and get back to your normal life.
Okay?

Jasmine looks helplessly at her parents.

ELIZABETH
It will be alright, Jazz.

DR. CHANG
We'll come check on you later. If
not me, then Dr. Blaine. He's the
ICU doctor on the second shift.
(to Joseph and
Elizabeth)
Let me know if you have any
concerns.

JOSEPH
Thank you.

Dr. Chang leaves the family with the nurse.

ELIZABETH
(to Jasmine)

She and Joseph draw close to the bed.

JASMINE
I don't know. I don't want to go
to the psych ward. That's where
crazy people go.

ELIZABETH
Jazz...

JOSEPH
It's just to make sure you get the
help you need. You'll be safe
there.

ELIZABETH
You're not crazy. We understand
why you did what you did.
54.
JOSEPH
I'm glad you're okay now. Your mom
and I were so worried.

JASMINE
I'm sorry.

Elizabeth reaches over and squeezes her arm. She and Joseph
are too tired to say much of anything.

An AIDE pushes the curtain aside, bringing in a food cart.

AIDE
Hello, I have lunch for you.

The aide hands NURSE #3 a tray with a large covered brown
container, a cup of grape juice, a small white container, a
fork, and a spoon.

Jasmine watches eagerly, realizing her hunger.

The aide leaves and the nurse pulls out the food tray
attached to the hospital bed. He brings the container and
sets it on the tray.

JASMINE
Thank you.

NURSE #3
No problem! Enjoy.

Jasmine uncovers the brown container to reveal steaming
chicken and vegetables. She inspects the food and picks up
the white container. She takes off the lid to reveal
strawberry ice cream. She holds it up to show Elizabeth and
Joseph.

JASMINE
Strawberry ice cream! This place
is all right.

INT. HALLWAY OF THE PSYCH WARD - NIGHT

MIKE, 40s, a nurse in blue scrubs, pushes Jasmine in a
wheelchair down the empty hallway. On the wall is a phone
booth with a bright yellow phone. Jasmine is in a green
hospital shirt and pants that are too large for her. There
is a white patient tag around her wrist. She wears fuzzy
blue slippers. Mike is stocky and gray-haired, with bright
blue eyes.

JASMINE
I can walk.
55.
MIKE
It's all right. We give you the
VIP service here.

MIKE stops in front of a room numbered 4119. There is an
empty plaque-holder on the door.

MIKE (CONT'D)
We'll get your name up here
tomorrow.

He opens the door to...

INT. PSYCH WARD BEDROOM - NIGHT

The windowless room is mostly bare. There is an adjustable
hospital bed in the middle. It is covered in white sheets
and a neatly folded blue blanket is set on top of a thin
pillow. There is a bare desk with a chair. A television
screen hangs on the wall.

Jasmine steps out of the wheelchair and looks around the
room. Mike grabs the folder from the night stand and shows
it to Jasmine. He takes out pamphlets.

MIKE
Here are some pamphlets that have
information about mental health
and our services here.

Jasmine takes the pamphlets and folder wordlessly.

MIKE (CONT'D)
Bathroom is over there. If you
need any soap, shampoo,
toothbrush, anything. Just let us
know.

JASMINE
Like a hotel.

MIKE
That's right.

Jasmine sits down on the bed and stares at the ground.

MIKE (CONT'D)
Let's see...what else...oh yes, we
do room checks every 15 minutes.
So we'll be knocking on the doors.
If you're in the bathroom, just
make sure you shout out a
response.
56.
JASMINE
Like a prison.

MIKE
I know it's tough being here. But
just know that we want to help you
get better, so you can get back
out there where you belong.

Jasmine says nothing to this. Mike takes the wheelchair,
leaves the room, and closes the door behind him. Jasmine
stares into space for a moment, then gets up and goes to
the

INT. PSYCH WARD BATHROOM - NIGHT

The bathroom has a toilet, a shower stall, and a sink.
There is no mirror. There is a small bag on the sink.
Jasmine opens it to see a small plastic comb, a toothbrush,
a tube of toothpaste, a bar of soap, and a small bottle of
shampoo.

Jasmine strips off the hospital clothes and looks around
the bathroom. She is tired and still dazed from the past
few days.

INT. PSYCH WARD HALLWAY - NIGHT

NURSE #4, in blue scrubs, stands outside of Jasmine's room
and knocks on the door. When there is no response, she
opens the door. The room is empty. Sounds of someone
showering from the bathroom.

NURSE #4
Hello? Room check!

INT. PSYCH WARD BATHROOM - NIGHT

Jasmine pauses in the act of shampooing. She hesitates for
a moment before responding.

JASMINE
I'm here!

INT. PSYCH WARD HALLWAY - NIGHT

NURSE #4
Thank you!

Nurse #4 closes the door.
57.

Jasmine is in fresh hospital clothes, white shirt and pants
that are way too big on her slight frame. She wears no-slip
hospital socks. She sits on her bed and takes the remote
control from the nightstand and turns the television on.

A cartoon show comes onscreen. Bright and colorful
characters. The sound is on mute. She watches silently for
a moment before turning the television off.

She lies down and covers herself with the thin blue
blanket. She stares at the ceiling.

INT. PSYCH WARD BEDROOM - DAY

DR. CAMERON shakes Jasmine awake. He is tall and balding
with a dark beard. His eyes are calculating, but not
unkind. He carries a clipboard with Jasmine's information.

DR. CAMERON
Jasmine?

Jasmine wakes up and looks bleary-eyed at the doctor.

DR. CAMERON (CONT'D)
Hi, good morning. My name's Dr.
Cameron.

Jasmine sits up.

I'm the doctor on the day shift
for the next couple of days. How
are you feeling this morning?

JASMINE
Fine.

DR. CAMERON
Very well. Would you mind if you
just talk to me about the last
couple of days? What led up to
your suicide attempt?

Jasmine pauses. She stares at the half-open door behind the
doctor.

JASMINE
My brother killed himself. It's
his fault this is all happening.
58.
INT. PSYCH WARD COMMON ROOM - DAY

Jasmine is in the common room area of the psychiatric ward,
having her vitals checked by a nurse. Two nurses chat
behind a counter.

Several patients in the same hospital clothes as Jasmine
mill about the common room. Some eat breakfast. A couple
watch television. All are weary.

Jasmine watches the other patients.

The nurse hands Jasmine a small white cup with three pills
in it and a cup of water. Jasmine takes the pills out of
the small cup and swallows them with water.

INT. PSYCH WARD COMMON ROOM - DAY - LATER

Jasmine sits on the couch with the other patients for a
group therapy session.

The counselor leading the group is LINDSAY, 40s, a tall
woman with golden brown hair and soft, blue eyes.

On Jasmine's right is DYLAN, 17, slovenly dressed with
dirty, unkempt hair.

Across from Jasmine and Dylan, on the other couch, are SEAN
and MIRIAM. Sean, 15, is a tightly wound spring, bouncing
up and down in his seat. Miriam, 16, is simply skin
stretched over bones. In a chair next to Lindsay is BRIAN,
16, nervous and bug-eyed. All wear the same hospital garb.

Lindsay passes out pieces of blank paper and markers to the
group.

LINDSAY
So right now we're going to talk
about bringing ourselves to a
happy place. When you feel upset,
or sad...when you're not in a good
place...what helps you get through
that moment? What brings you out
of those negative feelings and
into a happy space? Take a few
minutes to write down some ideas.

The patients scribble. Sean catches Jasmine's eye. He grins
at her. Jasmine looks back down at her list.

LINDSAY (CONT'D)
Alright, so why don't we share?
Brian, let's start with you.
59.
BRIAN
Well, I wrote that reiki makes me
feel calmer.

LINDSAY
What is that?

BRIAN
Reiki? Well, basically, you know,
Lindsay, you and me, we have...a
life force flowing through us.

LINDSAY
Mmhm.

BRIAN
(to the other patients)
We all have this life force. And
the reason we...we feel agitated
or distressed is because our life
force is low.

Dylan exhales out of his nose. Brian ignores him.

BRIAN (CONT'D)
But the thing is...you can give
someone life force. By touching
them in the right places.

Brian leaps to his feet and folds his hands in prayer.
Then, he reaches for Lindsay.

BRIAN (CONT'D)
May I?

LINDSAY
No, that's...that's okay. Just
um... why don't you explain how it
works?

BRIAN
Okay, so.

Brian extends his hands out in front of him.

BRIAN (CONT'D)
By laying your hands on someone
else, you can transfer your ki,
your life force to them. Guide
them with your spiritual energy.

He pushes his hands outwards slowly. His eyes are closed in
deep concentration.
60.
BRIAN (CONT'D)
And then that person is healed.

DYLAN
That's fucking crazy, man.

Brian straightens up.

DYLAN (CONT'D)
So...so by just touching
people,you can heal them?

BRIAN
Yeah.

LINDSAY
Well, thank you, Brian.

Brian sits back down.

LINDSAY (CONT'D)
What about you, Dylan? What gets
you through tough times?

DYLAN
Oh, I, I don't know. Sometimes
I'll just walk. I'll walk. Or I'll
play video games or something. But
you know...you know, I have a lot
of things to share, but they tell
me, they always tell me how I
monopolize these sessions. You
monopolize these sessions, they
tell me. So, I, I don't know what
else I'm allowed to say.

LINDSAY
It's okay, share what you like.
And if it looks like other people
should get a chance, I'll let you
know.

DYLAN
Nah, it's alright. I'll let other
people talk.

LINDSAY
Who's next? ...Jasmine? What about
you?

Jasmine looks down at her paper.
61.
DYLAN
You think I monopolize these
sessions, Lindsay? I think I
just...I just want to say what's
on my mind. I got a lot on my mind
and I just want...want to make
sense of it you know? I have to
say it out loud to other people to
make sense of it. But I end up
monopolizing--

LINDSAY
I understand, Dylan. Let's try and
have others share.

Dylan stops talking and breathes in deeply.

LINDSAY (CONT'D)
We will definitely have more
discussion, okay?

Dylan nods.

LINDSAY (CONT'D)
So, what about you, Jasmine? What
brings you to your happy place?

The group watches Jasmine. She looks down at her paper and
pauses for a long moment.

JASMINE
I used to hang out with my
brother. He always cheered me up.

She looks up at Brian.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
I guess he gave me his life force.

Brian smiles.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
But now he's dead. So I don't
really know.

DYLAN
How'd he die?

JASMINE
He shot himself.

MIRIAM
Jesus.
62.
LINDSAY
Jasmine, besides your brother,
what else gets you through tough
times?

JASMINE
I don't know. I guess...I go on
the Internet? I write.

LINDSAY
Are there other people you can
talk to about things?

Jasmine shrugs.

JASMINE
My therapist.

LINDSAY
Ok, well, that's someone, right?
That's a start. Seth, how about
you?

INT. WALSTON LIVING ROOM - DAY

Elizabeth waits by the door as Joseph puts on his shoes in
the living room.

ELIZABETH
I can't believe they only give you
two hours to visit.

JOSEPH
I know. Well, we'll try to make
the most of it.

Joseph walks over to Elizabeth and puts a hand on her
shoulder. The two linger in the suffocating silence of
their home.

ELIZABETH
I can't believe we almost lost
her, too...

JOSEPH
But we didn't.

ELIZABETH
I would have been next, Joseph. I
would have gone next.

Joseph wraps her in his arms and shuts his eyes against the
idea. Even with all of the tears the two have shed in the
past few months, still more come.
63.
ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Where did we go wrong?

JOSEPH
Nowhere.
(beat)
Everywhere.


Elizabeth and Joseph sit by Jasmine's bed. Jasmine is
wrapped tightly in her covers.

ELIZABETH
How are you doing?

JASMINE
I don't know. Fine, I guess.

JOSEPH
Did you talk to the doctor this
morning?

JASMINE
Yeah. He says I have to get
evaluated some more.

JOSEPH
How do you feel about that?

Jasmine shrugs.

ELIZABETH
Kelsey asked about you. Well,
everyone is asking about you.

JASMINE
Who's everyone?

ELIZABETH
Lucas. Your teachers. Lucy and
Kevin and Ian and Amanda... They
said they might come visit.

JASMINE
Do they know what happened?

JOSEPH
We had to tell them.

JASMINE
What about work?
64.
JOSEPH
We're taking time off for now.
They understand.

A pause while Jasmine digests this.

JASMINE
How do you do it?

ELIZABETH
How do we do what?

JASMINE
Keep living.

Joseph and Elizabeth glance at each other. Joseph gets up
from his chair and sits on the edge of Jasmine's bed.

JOSEPH
Jazz, do you remember when you and
Jake were in elementary school?
And we'd come to pick you up?

JASMINE
Yeah.

JOSEPH
Your mother and I would look for
the two of you in the throng of
kids. And we'd always spot you
together. Jake would be holding on
to your hand while he looked for
the truck.

Elizabeth smiles at the memory.

ELIZABETH
We'd always joke in the car. Come
up with nicknames for you. Look,
there's Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

JOSEPH
Batman and Robin. Mac and Cheese.
Simon and Garfunkel.

ELIZABETH
Bonnie and Clyde.
(beat)
Except we obviously didn't think
you'd end up like them.

A pause, then the three burst out laughing. The laughter
borders on the edge of hysteria, but the family prefers it
over the somber cloud pervading the room.
65.
JASMINE
(when the laughter
subsides)
Jake would have loved that.

JOSEPH
Jasmine, we know Jake's death has
been hard. I have felt suicidal a
lot of times since...

ELIZABETH
I beat myself up for all the times
I thought about picking up the
phone and calling him, but decided
instead he needed space.

JOSEPH
And I gave him the money for the
gun, you know? I can't forgive
myself for that.

Jasmine is overwhelmed. In her own grief, she has not fully
realized her parents' pain.

JOSEPH (CONT'D)
But your mother and I love you. I
love you. And I want us to heal.

JASMINE
I'm sorry. I'm sorry for doing
this.

Elizabeth walks over and slides into the bed with Jasmine.

ELIZABETH
You know, growing up with Filipino
parents, I was never really
encouraged to talk about mental
health. It was just not part of
the culture. I didn't want it to
be like that with my own kids, but
it still happened.

She puts her arm around Jasmine and pulls her close.

ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
These past few months have been
hell, Jazz. But there are
resources. Therapy has helped me a
lot. Helped me not to feel like it
was my fault, like I've failed as
a mother...
(beat)
(MORE)
66.
ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Nothing will ever erase the pain
of losing Jake, but your father
and I continue for you. For us.

Mother and daughter cry together. Joseph joins them in the
bed and the three embrace.

INT. PSYCH WARD COMMON ROOM - NIGHT

Jasmine eats her dinner alone at a round table. Spaghetti.
A couple of patients watch television. Jasmine notices the
boxes of jigsaw puzzles on the shelves underneath the
television. She finishes her food and puts it on a metal
tray next to the table.

She gets up and grabs a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle of a blue
jay from the shelf.


Jasmine opens the jigsaw box and empties the contents onto
the desk. She sits and begins to look for the edges,
comparing them to the image on the box.

INT. PSYCH WARD BEDROOM - DAY

Jasmine has rolled out the yoga mat and is stretching.
There is a knock on the door.

JASMINE
Yes?

The door opens to reveal Dr. Cameron.

DR. CAMERON
Doing some yoga?

JASMINE
Reiki.

DR. CAMERON
Interesting. How are you doing
today?

JASMINE
I don't know. Fine, I guess.

Dr. Cameron sees the unfinished puzzle on the table.

DR. CAMERON
Working on a puzzle?
67.
JASMINE
Yeah.

DR. CAMERON
You've got to have a lot of
patience for that.

JASMINE
Like you.

DR. CAMERON
Hm?

JASMINE
You got a lot of patients.

Dr. Cameron chuckles. Jasmine smiles briefly.

DR. CAMERON
That's a good one. I'm glad you've
kept your sense of humor.

JASMINE
Jake was always trying to make
people laugh.

DR. CAMERON
Oh yeah?

JASMINE
Funny guy. You wouldn't have known
he was so depressed.

DR. CAMERON
He hid it from you.

JASMINE
Yeah. You know this whole thing
has been like a puzzle.

DR. CAMERON
What do you mean?

JASMINE
Trying to figure it all out. Why
he did it. Why he killed himself.
Piecing together all the
information I have. He wasn't
doing good at school. His
girlfriend broke up with him.
(beat)
But I still don't know why.
68.
DR. CAMERON
It is normal to try and understand
the reasons behind your brother's
suicide. At the end of the day,
there are a lot of factors. He had
a mental illness that was left
untreated, there were a lot of
triggering events in his
life,...there isn't really ever a
clear answer. And I'm sorry. I
know that might make you feel
helpless.

JASMINE
But maybe, if I could figure it
out...

DR. CAMERON
What do you think will happen?

Jasmine jerks her head in irritation. She knows nothing
will happen.

JASMINE
You know, my Mom said therapy has
been helping her.

DR. CAMERON
That's good.

JASMINE
It's a load of bullshit.

DR. CAMERON
Why do you say that?

JASMINE
Because it is.

She turns away.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
I'm tired. Could you leave?

DR. CAMERON
Jasmine, what is it that you're
feeling right now?

JASMINE
Tired.

DR. CAMERON
Okay, Jasmine. Thank you for
speaking with me this morning.
(MORE)
69.
Make sure you attend the group
sessions today. I know therapy
feels like "bullshit" right now,
but maybe one of them might help?

JASMINE
Fine.

Dr. Cameron leaves the room and Jasmine goes back to the
puzzle on the table. Tears form in her eyes as she works.
She stops abruptly and then grabs a pad of paper and a pen
from the table and scribbles.

ON PAD

On the page she WRITES:
"sibling suicide rates"
"tall buildings near me"

BACK TO JASMINE

She balls up the piece of paper and throws it at the wall.


Jasmine eats lunch in the common room with a few other
patients. All of a sudden, Dylan throws his tray onto the
ground.

DYLAN
This is not what I fucking
ordered! I said LASAGNA! THIS IS
FUCKING SPAGHETTI!

The patients freeze in the middle of their lunch. Nurses
run toward him.

DYLAN (CONT'D)
Fuck this garbage hospital and
your garbage food! Get away from
me!

He pulls books off the common room shelves and throws them
onto the ground. Not satisfied, he begins to bang his head
against the wall. The loud thuds accompanying his ghastly
screams.

The nurses rush to restrain him. Jasmine watches in horror
as Dylan is injected with a drug and secured to a bed that
is quickly wheeled out of the room.
70.

Elizabeth and Joseph are back for visiting hours. Jasmine
works on her puzzle.

ELIZABETH
How are you feeling today, Jazz?

JASMINE
I don't know.

JOSEPH
How's therapy going?

JASMINE
Fine, I don't know. The kids here
are crazy. One of them had to be
restrained earlier.

ELIZABETH
Oh no. What happened?

JASMINE
He wanted lasagna and got
spaghetti. So he freaked out.

ELIZABETH
Poor thing.

JASMINE
Yeah, well they're all like that.
Weirdos. I don't belong here.

JOSEPH
Well, if you keep going to therapy
sessions and cooperating, the
doctor says they'll let you out
sooner.

JASMINE
It's so boring here. There's
nothing to do. I miss having my
phone.
(beat)
Could I borrow yours?

JOSEPH
Now, Jazz. They said no phones.
You're not supposed to think about
the outside world while you're in
here.
71.
JASMINE
But it's been days since I've had
Wi-Fi. And I just want to look
something up.

ELIZABETH
More facts about John Cleese?

JASMINE
No, just random stuff. Could I
just borrow it for, like, a few
minutes?

Elizabeth looks at Joseph helplessly.

JOSEPH
Why don't you tell us what you
want to know and we can look it up
for you.

JASMINE
It's nothing important. Just
what's going on in the Internet
world. New memes. You know.

JOSEPH
Oh, you think I'm too old to know
about memes? Come on, try me. I
bet I'll know it.

JASMINE
Can't you just let me borrow a
phone?

ELIZABETH
No, Jazz. We can't. What do you
need to look up so badly?

JASMINE
I want you to research the rates
of people committing suicide after
their siblings have, okay?

Elizabeth and Joseph are taken aback.

JOSEPH
Jasmine, what --

JASMINE
Because I want to fucking know
what's going to happen to me. I
want to fucking know what happened
to Jake. You two don't know
anything. About mental health.
(MORE)
72.
JASMINE (CONT'D)
About what happens when someone in
a family commits suicide.

She points accusatorily.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
You two are probably gonna get
divorced! And I'm probably going
to end up dead like him!

ELIZABETH
Jasmine, what is going on?

JASMINE
I'm sick of you two pretending
things are going to be okay! They
aren't! Jake is still dead and no
amount of therapy is going to
change that.

JOSEPH
Jasmine, please.

JASMINE
Get out.

ELIZABETH
Fine. If you want us to leave so
badly, we will.

She takes her purse and leaves.

JOSEPH
(calling out)
Elizabeth. Elizabeth!

He turns to Jasmine.

JOSEPH (CONT'D)
I know you're in a really tough
place right now, but please think
of your mother, Jasmine. Think of
me. We love you and we'll come
again tomorrow, okay? Use the
phone in the hallway if you need
to call us.

He hurries out of the room after his wife. Jasmine sits
alone, staring at her puzzle.
73.
EXT. PSYCHIATRIC WARD BALCONY - DAY

Jasmine sits on a bench in a large balcony. An ORDERLY
watches the patients during outside time. The balcony is
enclosed by a rail to ensure the patients' safety, but
there is plenty of space for them to get fresh air and
exercise. SEAN runs laps. He finishes and approaches
Jasmine.

SEAN
Hey, mind if I sit?

JASMINE
Go ahead.

SEAN
You're the one with the dead
brother.

JASMINE
Yeah. You're the one with the
cocaine addiction.

SEAN
(laughs)
Yep.

JASMINE
Aren't you, like, fourteen? How do
you even get cocaine at that age?

SEAN
Fifteen. And if you got rich
parents, you can get anything you
want.

Jasmine is wary.

SEAN (CONT'D)
I almost died this time.

JASMINE
How many times have you been
hospitalized?

SEAN
This is the first time. Last
couple of times, parents chucked
me into rehab. Did my time, got
out.

JASMINE
It's all bullshit.
74.
SEAN
What is?

JASMINE
Rehab. Therapy. All of it.

SEAN
Probably.

They sit in silence for a while, the only sound from Sean
tapping his feet.

SEAN (CONT'D)
My grandpa committed suicide.

JASMINE
Really?

SEAN
Yeah.

He mimes wrapping a rope around his neck and tugging
sharply upwards.

SEAN (CONT'D)
When I was eight. I didn't really
know him, but my mom...well she
wasn't really the same ever since.
She kinda just stopped caring
about everything.
(beat)
Why I'm in this situation I guess.

JASMINE
I read somewhere that relatives of
people who commit suicide are 65%
more likely to attempt suicide.

SEAN
Makes sense. Yeah, I wouldn't be
surprised if she ended up off-ing
herself. Dead dad and dud son.

JASMINE
Do your parents go to therapy?

SEAN
Hell no! Do yours?

JASMINE
Yeah. They say it helps. I've been
going too, but it hasn't helped
me.
75.
SEAN
Maybe you ain't doing it right.

JASMINE
Maybe.

ORDERLY
(calling out)
Time's up, everyone! Let's head
back inside!


It is time for group therapy. Jasmine, Sean, Dylan, Miriam,
and Brian sit in the circle. Lindsay hands out worksheets
and pens to the patients.

LINDSAY
So, let's do a check-in first.
Just tell me one word for how
you're feeling this morning. Sean,
why don't you start?

SEAN
Uhh...good.

DYLAN
Embarrased. No. Tired. Wait.
Uh...hungry.

MIRIAM
I don't know.

LINDSAY
Just a word. Any word that comes
to mind.

MIRIAM
I guess...bored.

BRIAN
Anxious.

JASMINE
Pissed.

LINDSAY
Okay, thank you for sharing your
word. Let's dive in a little
deeper into this and then maybe we
could try a little Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy today. Jasmine,
you said you were pissed. Why is
that?
76.
JASMINE
I'm pissed because my parents
think therapy is going to solve
everything, but it's all bullshit
and doesn't work.

DYLAN
Oh my God, I know. My parents are
the same way. They really think
therapy is some magical thing or
something. It's like, no, Mom and
Dad. I have anger issues because
you used to hit me when I cried.

LINDSAY
Why do you think --

MIRIAM
All they do in therapy is tell you
to breathe in and out.
(mocking)
Breathe in. Breathe out.

DYLAN
Why don't you breathe in...and
then hold your breath, doctor?

The patients laugh. Lindsay struggles to get the
conversation back on track.

LINDSAY
So let's go back to what Jasmine
said about --

SEAN
My parents have got so much more
shit to work on than me and they
don't even go to therapy. Why
should I?

BRIAN
My mom pimped me out when I was a
kid.

The group falls silent.

DYLAN
Damn, dude. That's heavy.

LINDSAY
It sounds like there is a lot of
resentment towards your parents
for the trauma they have inflicted
on you. In the past and in the
present.
77.
She clasps her hands together.

LINDSAY (CONT'D)
That trauma is not something you
can ignore. The things our parents
did and what their parents did an
what their parents' parents
did...they can create a vicious
cycle. What we want to do in
therapy is help you build skills
to break out of those bad habits
and create new neural pathways.
(to Miriam)
And yes, that does involve some
breathing in and breathing out.

Lindsay thinks to herself for a moment.

LINDSAY (CONT'D)
I have a story too. About a mom
and her daughter. Can I share with
you this story?

The patients nod their assent.

DYLAN
Well, you gotta tell us the story
now, Lindsay. Can't stand this
suspense.

Lindsay smiles.

LINDSAY
Okay. But as I tell the story, I
want you to try and stay mindful.
If you find your thoughts
wandering, bring yourself back
into your body. Here, let's have
everyone close their eyes.

The patients comply.

INT. WALSTON KITCHEN - DAY - IMAGINING

As Lindsay tells the story, Jasmine imagines she and her
mother in place of the characters.

LINDSAY (V.O.)
A young woman went to her mother
and told her about her life and
how things were so hard for her.
She did not know how she was going
to make it and wanted to give up.
(MORE)
78.
LINDSAY (V.O.) (CONT'D)
She was tired of fighting and
struggling.

Jasmine has a conversation with Elizabeth in a silent
enactment of the story.

It seemed as one problem was
solved a new one arose. Her mother
took her to the kitchen.

Elizabeth pulls Jasmine towards the stove.

She filled three pots with water.
In the first, she placed carrots,
in the second she placed eggs, and
the last she placed ground coffee
beans. She let them sit and boil
without saying a word.

Elizabeth does so as Lindsay continues to speak.

In about twenty minutes, she
turned off the burners. She
fished the carrots out and placed
them in a bowl. She pulled the
eggs out and placed them in a
bowl. Then she ladled the coffee
into a bowl. Turning to her
daughter, she asked --

ELIZABETH
Tell me what you see?

JASMINE
Carrots, eggs, and coffee.

LINDSAY (V.O.)
She brought her closer and asked
her to feel the carrots. She did
and noted that they were soft.
She then asked her to take an egg
and break it. After pulling off
the shell, she observed the
hard-boiled egg. Finally, she
asked her to sip the coffee. The
daughter smiled, as she tasted its
rich aroma.

Elizabeth and Jasmine continue to mime the story in the
imagined kitchen.
79.
JASMINE
What's the point of this, Mom?

ELIZABETH
Each of these objects had faced
the same adversity: boiling water.
But each reacted differently. The
carrot went in strong, hard, and
unrelenting. However, after being
subjected to the boiling water, it
softened and became weak. The egg
had been fragile. Its thin outer
shell had protected its liquid
interior. But, after being through
the boiling water, its inside
became hardened. The ground coffee
beans were unique, however. After
they were in the boiling water,
they had changed the water.

Elizabeth holds Jasmine's face gently in her hands.

ELIZABETH (CONT'D)
Which one are you? When adversity
knocks on your door, how do you
respond? Are you a carrot, an egg,
or a coffee bean?


DYLAN
I'm definitely a carrot. No,
sometimes I'm an egg. I'm
an...eggrot. Carregg. Not coffee
though.

LINDSAY
When was a time when you were the
carrot and when was a time when
you were the egg?

As Dylan shares, Jasmine doodles a cup of coffee on her
worksheet. She draws another steaming cup next to the
coffee.

INT. PYSCH WARD BEDROOM - NIGHT

Elizabeth and Joseph are back to visit Jasmine. She works
at the table on her mostly finished puzzle.

ELIZABETH
How are you doing today?
80.
JASMINE
I feel a bit better.

JOSEPH
Looks like you're almost done with
your puzzle.

JASMINE
Yeah.

She looks up at her parents.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
I want to apologize for last
night. I was being unfair.

JOSEPH
We understand.

JASMINE
Some of the other kids shared in
group today. And they've got some
real fucked up parents. Made me
realize how much you guys have
actually done for me. Even with
everything that has happened with
Jake.

ELIZABETH
Well, I'm glad we haven't reached
the highest levels of fucked up
yet.
(beat)
Look, Jazz. We have the same fears
you do. About what's going to
happen. With you. With us. Your
Dad and I have been going to
marriage counseling.

JASMINE
Really?

JOSEPH
Yes. It's been a struggle for us,
Jazz.

JASMINE
I didn't know that.

JOSEPH
We're sorry if we haven't done a
very good job communicating. We
wanted to put on a brave face, so
you wouldn't worry even more.
81.
JASMINE
That's what I was doing!

ELIZABETH
Maybe we can explore more options
for family therapy when you're
released?

JASMINE
Yeah. That sounds nice.

JOSEPH
I'm sure you'll be released soon.
And then you can go on your phone
as much as you want.

Jasmine scoffs.

ELIZABETH
You know, back in my day, we
didn't even have smartphones to
entertain ourselves.

JASMINE
Oh and let me guess, you had to
walk five miles to school and get
a job when you were eight.

ELIZABETH
Three.

Jasmine laughs.

JASMINE
You know, Lindsay told us an
interesting story today.

ELIZABETH
Oh yeah? What story?

JASMINE
Okay, so there's this mom and her
daughter...

INT. PSYCH WARD BEDROOM - DAY - LATER

JASMINE
...so when life's adversity comes,
which one are you: the carrot, the
egg, or the coffee?

JOSEPH
Well, which one are you?
82.
Jasmine thinks for a moment,

JASMINE
I'm peppermint tea.

ELIZABETH
What do you mean?

JASMINE
I don't change the water entirely
like coffee does. I'm barely
there. But you still get a hint of
the flavor. Something sharp and
minty fighting through the heat of
the water.

Jasmine's parents smile at her. She smiles back. A peaceful
quiet envelops the room.

EXT. PSYCH WARD BALCONY - DAY

Sean and Jasmine sit together on the bench.

SEAN
So you get out today huh?

JASMINE
Yep.

SEAN
Lucky. I'm tired of this place.

JASMINE
It's not so bad. Lindsay's pretty
nice.

SEAN
She's hot.

Jasmine rolls her eyes at this.

SEAN (CONT'D)
My dad came to visit me yesterday.

JASMINE
How'd that go?

SEAN
It was whatever. He was on his
phone, texting his clients
nonstop. Can't even put work aside
to talk to me for a second.
83.
JASMINE
Oh. Sorry.

SEAN
I'm used to it.

Jasmine watches Dylan do push-ups on the concrete.

SEAN (CONT'D)
Just gotta do good, so I can get
out of here. Eat my spaghetti with
no complaints.

Jasmine shakes her head and smiles.

SEAN (CONT'D)
Good luck out there, I guess. Stay
away from pills.

JASMINE
Stay away from powder. Or whatever
form cocaine comes in.

SEAN
Sometimes powder. Also pills. Or
crystals. Like the decorative shit
in our bathroom.

JASMINE
Well, stay away from all forms of
cocaine.

SEAN
Will do. I'll use all the Jedi
mind tricks Lindsay taught us.

JASMINE
(mimicking Yoda)
Overcome addiction, you will.

Sean laughs.

SEAN
That was not good.

JASMINE
I've never seen Star Wars.

Sean stares, aghast.

INT. PYSCH WARD BEDROOM - DAY

Joseph and Elizabeth sign some paperwork while Dr. Cameron
explains what they are for.
84.
DR. CAMERON
Okay, so sign here and here...

Jasmine is still working on her puzzle, only a few more
pieces left from completion.

Joseph and Elizabeth hand the papers to Dr. Cameron.

Alright, you are all good to go!
Thank you so much.

JOSEPH
Thank you, Dr. Cameron.

Dr. Cameron walks over to Jasmine at the desk and watches
as she places the final free piece in the puzzle.

DR. CAMERON
So you finished.

JASMINE
No.

She points at a gap where the white table pokes through a
missing piece.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
There's one piece missing. This
puzzle is defective.

DR. CAMERON
Well, you did what you could.

He smiles at Jasmine and reaches out for a handshake.

You're free to go. It has been
great being your doctor, Jasmine.

Jasmine shakes his hand.

JASMINE
Thanks.

DR. CAMERON
Good luck out there. I know you'll
do great.

He shakes Joseph and Elizabeth's hands.

JOSEPH
Thank you, doctor.
85.
ELIZABETH
Thank you for everything.

DR. CAMERON
You're welcome.

He leaves the room. Joseph and Elizabeth look at their
daughter.

JOSEPH
Ready to go?

JASMINE
Yes.

INT. A CONFERENCE ROOM IN A PSYCHOLOGY CLINIC - DAY

Jasmine once again sits in group therapy with Lily and the
other patients: Rebecca, Melissa, Hee-Young, Wally, and
James.

LILY
It may seem counterintuitive, but
remembering our loved ones through
mementos can actually be helpful.
Listen to a song they loved. Look
at photos.

REBECCA
Whenever Law and Order comes on
the TV, I just break down crying.
That was Tyler's favorite show.

LILY
Yes? And how do you feel
afterwards?

REBECCA
A little bit better actually. Like
something he loved still exists,
so, in a way, he's still kind of
here?

MELISSA
I can't do it. Anything that
brings back memories...

Melissa pretends to throw something away.

MELISSA (CONT'D)
Otherwise, I'm a mess the whole
day.
86.
WALLY
Oh, I'm the same way.

REBECCA
But maybe if you sit through it...

The conversation becomes background noise as Jasmine stares
off into space.

INT. WALSTON LIVING ROOM

Jasmine sits on the couch watching TV in between Elizabeth
and Joseph. The dark room's only source of light is the TV.

ON SCREEN

The scene from The Return of the Jedi when Yoda is dying
and speaking with Luke.

LUKE
Master Yoda, you cannot die.

YODA
Strong am I with the Force...but
not that strong! Twilight is upon
me and soon night must fall. That
is the way of things...the way of
the Force.

BACK TO JASMINE

Tears stream down Jasmine's face and she hugs a pillow
close. She sniffles as she watches. Tears in Elizabeth and
Joseph's eyes.

LUKE (O.S.)
But I need your help. I've come
back to complete the training.

YODA (O.S.)
No more training do you require.
Already know you that which you
need.

Jasmine wails into her pillow. Joseph and Elizabeth look at
each other and laugh. They put their arms around their
daughter.

INT. ALISA'S COFFEE - DAY

Jasmine walks up to the counter. The barista smiles at her.
87.
BARISTA
The usual?

JASMINE
Yeah, but can I get it to-go?

BARISTA
You got it.

The door opens and Kelsey walks in. She is in a sundress.
There is a scar on her face, a thin line that runs from her
temple to her cheek. She starts when she recognizes Jasmine
at the counter.

KELSEY
Jazz! Hi!

Kelsey hugs her tightly before she can react.

JASMINE
Hi, Kelsey.

KELSEY
Oh my gosh, I've missed you.

Kelsey walks over to at a table and waves for Jasmine to
come over. Jasmine joins her.

JASMINE
How are you?

KELSEY
Good, good. Just ended my first
year, so I can finally have summer
vacation. What about you, are you
out of school?

JASMINE
A couple more weeks.

KELSEY
Okay, almost there. Then...senior
year?

JASMINE
Yeah.

KELSEY
That's really exciting.

JASMINE
Yeah, we'll see.
88.
KELSEY
Listen, I'm so glad I ran into
you. How are things going? I was
so worried when you were at the
hospital.

JASMINE
Things are okay. I'm going to
therapy and...I don't know. Things
are getting better.

She pauses and notices the scar on Kelsey's face.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
(gesturing)
What happened?

KELSEY
Oh.

She covers the scar briefly, then uncovers it.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
I --

She looks down, ashamed.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
I got really drunk and fell.
Busted my face.

She looks up at Jasmine.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
After Jake's funeral, I went back
to school and...just...lost my
mind. I started drinking. All the
time. I didn't know how else to
cope. I knew his death wasn't my
fault, but I couldn't stop
thinking about what else I could
have done to reach out. To still
check in on him and make sure he
was okay. I mean, we were together
for three years. I could have done
more.

Jasmine listens in shock as Kelsey tears up.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
I ended up in the hospital a
couple of times myself. I was
lucky.
(MORE)
89.
KELSEY (CONT'D)
I had really good friends who took
care of me and got me help. Who
knows what would have happened
if...

Kelsey shakes her head at the thought.

KELSEY (CONT'D)
Anyway, we're both here.

Jasmine reaches over and holds her hand tightly.

JASMINE
Yeah, we're here. Bleeding. Human.

Kelsey smiles through her tears.

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

The sky is overcast. A few visitors walk through to visit
loved ones. Jasmine puts down a paper coffee cup on the
ground by Jake's tombstone. She holds another paper cup of
peppermint tea for herself.

JASMINE
Here, I brought you coffee. Just
the way you like it.

She lifts up her cup of tea and sips.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
Junior year is almost over. I have
to go to summer school though.
Fell behind on some classes.

She sits down in front of the tombstone.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
You'd probably laugh and call me a
dummy.

She starts to cry.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
I finally watched Star Wars. It
wasn't even that good. I don't get
the hype.

She chuckles a little while crying. Then, she takes a few
deep breaths to calm herself.
90.
JASMINE (CONT'D)
Jake, I don't know why. But that's
okay.
(beat)
I hope you're not sinking any
more.

She straightens up.

JASMINE (CONT'D)
Bye, adult. I love you.

She leaves. Jake's tombstone stands. Steam rises from the
coffee cup.

FADE OUT.

THE END

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