ZOOM IN:

INT. PHONE SCREEN-GROUP CHAT

It's Midday and an incoming text message pops up on the lock

screen, "emergency meeting now! at the park."

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. PARK-MIDDAY-AFTERNOON

LILA, Canadian-Italian College student Major undecided,20s

slightly tall, short black hair, smudged makeup.

RYLEE, Pure Italian College student Major Psychology,20s

tall, long thick black hair, perfect makeup, with blotches.

Lila agitated, pacing back and forth in front of Rylee.

Rylee, impatiently tapping on the picnic, a little bit

annoyed.

RYLEE
Ugh, where is she? She should've been
here by now.

LILA responds still looking from her phone.

LILA
Maybe if you just sit and wait, then
boom magically she'll show up.

RYLEE
Honestly Li this is not the time to
make jokes, I really need my girl
group...

LILA
And I understand, which is why we're
here, and Holly will show up, so just
calm down and wait.

HOLLY, French American College student Major Religious

studies 20s, long blonde hair, medium height.

Holly walking over, a little bit in a rush.

HOLLY
Hey guys, sorry I'm late, there was
traffic.

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 2.

RYLEE
It's fine Holly I'm just glad, you got
here.

LILA
(Said sarcastically, looking up
from her phone)
She honestly couldn't wait for you to
get here.

HOLLY
So what's the need for this "so-
called" emergency meeting of yours
Rylee, because the last time you did
this, you wasted everyone's time.

RYLEE
First of all, I wouldn't have to call
a meeting, if you guys just respond to
the group chat, when I text.

Lila continually checking her phone, her leg moving up and

down.

Holly notices Lila's off-ness but doesn't say anything.

RYLEE
So I have something to tell you
both...

LILA AND HOLLY

What is it?

RYLEE
I met this new guy

LILA
congratulations... I guess. You
couldn't have just said that over
text? I'm pretty sure we would have
responded within a day.

RYLEE
What is your problem ? and the
attitude. You need to lose it.

HOLLY
Rylee ignores Li, She does this all
the time, come on you know this.

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 3.

RYLEE
Right sorry, anyway so like I was
saying I met this new guy, but...

LILA
(Said sarcastically)
There's a but oh great, this is going
to be fun...

RYLEE annoyed gives a side-eye to Lila.

HOLLY laughs at Lila's comment and Rylee's side-eye.

HOLLY
Where did you meet him? tell us about
him. We need more than, " I met a guy
but..."

RYLEE
Well I meet him in front of the post
office, I was walking in to drop off
some mail to send to my parents, and
You know me, I never pay attention
when I'm walking, anyways I kind of
walked into him, and split his coffee
all over his shirt.

LILA
Such a cliche, are you sure this isn't
some fairytale, actually no. It sounds
like a Hallmark movie.

HOLLY
I mean she's not wrong Ry it does
sound like one of those hallmark
movies.

RYLEE
And I didn't say you were wrong that's
the but. It sounds just like a
fairytale, He's everything any girl
could ever want.

LILA
And you have a problem with that why?

HOLLY
Ok unless I'm missing the point of
this, you don't want the picture-
perfect guy?

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 4.

RYLEE
I do, but I don't, it's just all too
much. Like I can't handle it. He
opened my car door for me, but like I
want to be the one that gives you the
hint to open the door, not you just
doing it right away.

LILA
His momma raised him right.

RYLEE
I get roses every day. Like sent to my
door, Shower me with gifts, take me on
dates constantly, not when it just
suits him.

Oh did I mentioned, He wants me to

meet his parents. He thinks it's the
right time, or whatever.

RYLEE looks down and fuses with her jacket.

And even this jacket, gosh this jacket

he bought it for me even though I told
him not to. Like I don't need him
spending money on me. I'm an
independent woman.

HOLLY
Did you ever just think that maybe,
just maybe he choose and wanted to do
all these things because he genuinely
cares about you, maybe he doesn't want
to lose you.

RYLEE
Maybe Holly but I can't take it, I
want the bad guy... The one that has
to be reminded of all the things, the
one that causes so much headache I
have to call my friends and complain.

LILA
(Quietly said)
Yeah so much for bad guys.

RYLEE
What did you say, Lila?

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 5.

LILA
I said nothing, continue with the "my
boyfriend is so perfect I can't stand
him" story.

RYLEE
Li you don't get it's exhausting being
happy and treated right all the time.

LILA
Yeah, sure I don't.

RYLEE
Why are you saying it like that? Do
you have a problem?

HOLLY
I mean anybody looking in and hearing
the story, would have a problem,
you're complaining about something
that is benefitting you.

LILA phones keep buzzing on the picnic table. She looks down
at it and picks it up.

LILA
Will you guys excuse me for a second,
I have to take it.

HOLLY
Is everything ok? You seem agitated.

LILA
Yeah, it's fine. I'm fine.

LILA walks away from the group to take a phone call.

RYLEE
What's up with her, she's been off
since we got here.

HOLLY
I noticed it as soon as she started
talking earlier, but I didn't want to
pry.

RYLEE
Hopefully, she'll tell us.

HOLLY
She's coming back.

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 6.

LILA is walking back towards the group, even more, agitated

than before. She sits back down at the table where she left
the other girls.

LILA
Sorry about that, it was someone being
stupid.

RYLEE AND HOLLY

It's fine Li

LILA
(Takes a deep breath)
So continue with the story of your
boyfriend being so perfect it's
disgusting you.

RYLEE
I just think it's too much like it's
too good to be true. Oh and don't even
get me started on how he opens about
his feelings and emotions.
(Sighs)
Like dude, I don't want to hear about
your feelings, well... I mean I do,
but I don't want you to tell me right
away. I want to pry it out of him that
he gets irritated and walks away.

HOLLY
so you prefer your men, to be closed
off and emotionless, basically all the
ones who haven't dealt with their past
traumas.

RYLEE
Basically.

and have y'all heard that new hit song

on the radio?

LILA and HOLLY both nod.

LILA AND HOLLY

Yes, it's really good.

RYLEE
Well guess what... my boyfriend wrote
that song for me, it's like I can't
escape, everywhere I go it's playing.

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Some guy across the street starts playing the song and
singing along aloud a little off-key.

RYLEE
(throws hands in the air)
See what I mean.

LILA
All I can say is... you have it easy.

LILA rolls up her sleeves, not realizing her bruises are

showing on her arms.

HOLLY is the first to look over and notice the bruises on

Lila's arm, then Rylee.

HOLLY
(Gasps slowly and lightly)
Lila, what is that on your arm?

LILA looks down to see that she not knowingly rolled up her
sleeves. And puts her sleeve back down quickly.

RYLEE
No, you don't get to do that, put them
back up.

LILA
Guys stop making a big deal. it's not
that serious.

HOLLY
Bruises are serious Li, how did you
get them?

LILA
I fell guys, honestly, it's nothing.

RYLEE
That doesn't look like nothing, Holly
is right how did you get those. You're
really careful with your body. You're
not like that.

LILA looks at the girls hesitantly.

HOLLY
We're going to keep asking so you
might as well tell us now.

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 8.

LILA
Fin-

LILA sentence is interrupted by another phone call.

Uh sorry, guys I have to answer this

again. I promise I'll tell you but I
need to take this.

LILA walks away from the group to take another call. Leaving
the girls alone.

HOLLY and RYLEE both look at each other with silence,

sadness, and disappointment.

LILA walks back toward the group and sits down at the picnic
table.

RYLEE and HOLLY look really concerned.

RYLEE
(touches Lila's hands softly)

LILA pulls her arm away from RYLEE.

So... are you going to tell us who was

on the phone, or are we going to play
the guessing game.

LILA
Look this is very difficult in
general, and y'all are the first I'm
telling.

HOLLY
Lila, it's fine, take your time, we're
here for you no matter what.

LILA
Well... I guess to start with, the
person that keeps calling is a guy
that I meet a while ago.

RYLEE
Yay! you have a boyfriend too,
twinnies.

HOLLY gives Rylee a side-eye.

HOLLY
Rylee not now.

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 9.

RYLEE
Right sorry.

LILA
Uh... so yeah. I meet him a while ago,
it was just supposed to be a fling, to
be honest, and then things started
getting serious.
(a sly smile)
He made me feel special like it was
actually worth it to be in a
relationship and take it for the long
haul.

Then a couple of months down the

line,I started to notice when I asked
to come over. He would get annoyed and
through a whole fit, and he would not
answer my calls for days.

HOLLY
Oh, Li...

LILA
So I decided to do the same, You know
not to answer his phone calls as well,
I didn't answer or respond to his
calls or text for three days.

I guess he finally got frustrated. and

He showed up to my job and went
batshit crazy like I've never seen
that side of him before. He
embarrassed me in front of everyone,
and the next day he acted like nothing
ever happened.

Ever since anytime he calls, I find

myself picking up his calls even if I
don't want to. I find myself becoming
smaller just to make him bigger.

RYLEE
Lila... that's just wrong.

LILA
I knew it was wrong, but I didn't stop
myself, I thought to myself if I told
him how I felt maybe he'll listen and
stop. But that just made things worse,
and he seemed to get angrier. It went

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 10.

from causing big scenes too

(Choking on her words, avoiding
eye contact, looking around)
to- to putting his hands on me.

LILA phone rings again.

HOLLY takes the phone and puts it in her pocket.

HOLLY
No, you're not getting up to answer.
and why does he keep calling?

LILA
Honestly, he wants me to come over,
but I said I was with you guys, which
he doesn't believe, the reason for the
back to back calls.

RYLEE
Well, too bad sucker she's with us.

HOLLY
Ok Lila you've explained a lot so far
but, the bruises. They look fresh like
last night or a day ago.

LILA
I call those my battles wounds.
(laughs a little)

RYLEE AND HOLLY

Not funny at all.

LILA
You're right, it's not. I"m laughing
because I actually fought back. I
fought him last night. And I'm still
going to end up in the situation
again, I'm sure of it.

RYLEE
What exactly did he do?

LILA
Well for one, last night was one of
his goodnights or started out as one.
You could say we seemed like a happy
couple. We had a date, I got flowers
and then we went back to his place. We

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watched a movie, ate some snacks,

which led to play-fighting, He had hit
me jokingly, so I did the same, and it
happened a couple more times until at
one point I hit him too hard and
didn't realize it.

I bent down to pick up the pillow I

had hit him with, and all I felt from
behind was him, he pulled my hair
really hard. He snapped. And he star-
started choking me. He then found
anything he could throw and threw it
at me, and just holding my arms really
tight till they turned purple.

RYLEE
Why are you with him still?

LILA
I guess in some way, I'm protecting
someone else's daughter from getting
hurt.

HOLLY
So that means you get hurt in the
process?

LILA
Uh... I don't know.

RYLEE
That means yes, Lila you're not the
sacrificial lamb here. Tell him he
needs help, even take him to get help
and leave him there.

LILA
But I can't, some part of me loves
him. Some part of me believes it's a
phase and it going to go away, I know
it is.

RYLEE
Yeah but the time it is, you'll be
dead on his kitchen floor.

LILA
You don't understand what it's like to
love some, that'll you go through hell
and back for them.

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RYLEE
Yes, I do.

LILA
Do you really though Rylee? You were
just complaining about how you have
the picture-perfect boyfriend, and you
can't stand him. I mean come on, he
wrote you a darn love song.

You should be happy.

RYLEE looks down at her hands, quietly.

Right now you have nothing to say,

exactly my point.

RYLEE
I'm sorry.

Everything freezes in time except for Holly who starts

talking.

HOLLY
The lesson learned is you shouldn't
take what you have for granted, there
is things other people are going
through and you don't know of or
about.

Everything unfreezes.

RYLEE
So what are you going to do now?

LILA
I'm going to leave him, I guess
sitting here and just talking about
it, helped me realize that I need to
better myself and I can't let anyone
bring me down or make me small.

HOLLY
And Rylee what are you gonna do about
Mr.Perfect?

RYLEE
To be honest. I still don't know
yet...

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HOLLY
seriously if you haven't learned
anything from today, is you should
appreciate what you have, be grateful
that you got the good one, you know
he's never going to fail you or leave
you. He's never going to give up on
you, and most importantly He loves
you.

RYLEE
You're right Holly, he does love me
and care for me and treats me right,
and that's what matters most.

LILA
I guess this meeting was important
after all.

HOLLY
Looks like you're right, Li.

HOLLY hands back Lila's phone.

RYLEE AND HOLLY

You know what you need to do.

LILA sighs in relief.

LILA dials up her partner.

LILA
Hey, I know it's just that...

LILA gets cut off by the other person on the call.

LILA a little bit annoyed.

ok, but can you just let me explain.

You need to calm down...

Gets cut off again.

Can we just talk about this later?

LILA pacing back and forth.

wait... stop talking and listen to me

for a sec.

The phone abruptly hangs up. LILA starts to smile.

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LILA
(To herself)
Well, that's a relief, it's over
now...
(To the group)
That was hard but what made it easier
was he broke up with me.

They all hug.

RYLEE AND LILA

I'm actually glad we did this.

HOLLY
It was well needed.

RYLEE
Well, it's dinner time, we should all
get something to eat.

LILA AND HOLLY

Totally agree.

They all start walking back to their cars. HOLLY turns back
around.

HOLLY
I'll be right there, I forgot my water
bottle on the table.

HOLLY runs back to get her water bottle.

HOLLY gets a text message.

ZOOM IN

EXT. PHONE SCREEN-INCOMING TEXT MESSAGE

TEXT MESSAGE FROM "GOD TO HOLLY SPIRIT"

GOD
The good job went according to plan.

HOLLY
Thank you!

HOLLY smiles.

THE END.

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