Script writing

Forgiveness

KADEN'S FAMILY'S

HOUSE. EVENING:

Kaden is sitting on the sofa, drinking some whiskey. He is sad. Olivia enters the room. She comes and sits beside him.

KADEN (CONT'D)

(without looking at her)

Hello, Olivia.

OLIVIA

Hello, brother.

She examines him for a moment in silence. Then

OLIVIA (CONT'D)

No luck with Bree?

KADEN

Nope. She hates me.

Olivia opens her handbag and takes out a brochure. And she gives it to him.

29.

OLIVIA

Here. Take it.

KADEN

What is it?

OLIVIA

A helping hand from your sister.

Kaden doesn't understand.

OLIVIA (CONT'D)

It is a special school for

children with disabilities. Bree

is volunteering there. Tomorrow

there will be a big celebration.

There's a good chance that you

might earn her forgiveness

spending time doing something for

the kids.

Kaden now understands what she means. He smiles and kisses her on the cheek.

KADEN

Thank you, sis!

NEXT DAY. THE

SPECIAL SCHOOL FOR

CHILDREN WITH

DISABILITIES:

The school is celebrating its 10th anniversary. We see the anniversary bulletin board. Bree enters a large classroom with a decorated door. There are a lot of gifts and happy kids inside. Some of them run up to her happily and show their toys and other gifts to her.

A SMALL GIRL

(excited)

Bree, look what I've got!

And she shows Bree her new barbie doll. Another kid shows her his new toy robot.

BREE

Woow! They are so cool!

THE KID

(pointing his hand

towards the other

entrance to the room)

He brought us so many gifts and

toys!

30.

Bree raises her head to see who the kid is showing and she sees Kaden talking with the school's principal at the door. The school's principal is a 40-45 year old woman. Kaden notices Bree, too and finishes talking with the principal. He comes up to Bree. Bree is just standing and looking at him coldly while he is approaching.

KADEN

(smiling, softly)

Hi.

BREE

(cold)

Hi.

Kaden feels uneasy in front of her and starts looking around.

BREE (CONT'D)

So you've decided to do some

charity work.

KADEN

I thought the kids would like it.

BREE

They do. They are happy. These

kids don't get gifts everyday.

KADEN

I guess so.

BREE

Well then. Have a good day, Mr.

Elmer.

And turns to walk away from him.

KADEN

Bree, can we have a cup of coffee together?

BREE

No. I don't have time.

KADEN

Please...

BREE

Why are you insisting? I don't

want to have anything to do with

you! Stop disturbing me!

31.

KADEN

I understand your hatred but please... If you'd just give me a chance to explain myself... I'm not a bad person...

BREE

I don't care what kind of person you are! I have seen enough of you! And the thing you've done here today, it means a lot to the kids! So don't spoil it!

She turns and paces angrily away from him. When she walks away, her notebook falls from her bag down on the floor. But she is so angry that she doesn't even notice it. Kaden sees it and wants to tell her but Bree is already too far away. So he just picks up the notebook and looks after her.

THE SPECIAL SCHOOL

FOR CHILDREN WITH

DISABILITIES. A

CLASSROOM:

Bree is teaching a little mute girl to draw. And when she goes around the girl to see her drawing, she notices severe bruises on the girl's neck. She comes closer to see her neck well. She carefully tries to touch it but the little girl groans with pain.

BREE (CONT'D)

(worried)

What is it, sweetheart?

But the girl is mute. She is just looking at Bree with sad eyes.

BREE (CONT'D)

Let me see it.

And when she looks at it, she sees that there are other bruises on the girl's neck and back, too.

BREE (CONT'D)

Who did this to you?

The girl's eyes are full of tears now. We see deep pain in Bree's eyes, too.

THE PRINCIPAL'S

OFFICE:

Bree storms in.

32.

BREE (CONT'D)

Lindsey's father is beating her!

She has bruises and scars all over

her body!

THE PRINCIPAL

Lindsey Allen?

BREE

Yes!

The principal stands up and slowly walks up to her.

THE PRINCIPAL

I suspected as much. It is her stepfather, by the way. Her mother got married last year.

BREE

We have to do something about it!

THE PRINCIPAL

Of course, we do! I'll call her

mother to school immediately and

talk to her.

THE PRINCIPAL'S

OFFICE:

Lindsey's mother comes out of the office. She is a thin, silent woman. She looks very weak. Bree is waiting with Lindsey in front of the principal's office. As soon as Lindsey's mother appears at the door, Lindsey runs up to her. Her mother takes her hand and turns to leave. Bree calls out after her.

BREE

Mrs. Matthews!

Mrs. Matthews stops and turns to her. Bree approaches her.

BREE (CONT'D)

Mrs. Matthews, did you know that

your husband is using physical

force against your daughter?

Mrs. Matthews says nothing. Just looks at her pitifully and leaves with Lindsey.

NEXT DAY. THE

SCHOOL:

Bree is here. She checks the children and sees that Lindsey is absent. She goes to the principal's office again.

33.

BREE (CONT'D)

Why is Lindsey not at school?

THE PRINCIPAL

Bree, they called today and said that Lindsey will not attend our school anymore. They are hiring a private tutor.

BREE

What? But that's unacceptable..

THE PRINCIPAL

I'm sorry, Bree. We can't do

anything in this case.

Bree is very disappointed and angry. She knows that things are not going to change for little Lindsey in that house. So Bree decides not to give up. She goes to Lindsey's house.

THE MATTHEWS' HOUSE.

Bree is pressing the doorbell. The door opens a little bit.

It is Lindsey's mother. She is trying to hide her face.

BREE

Mrs. Matthews, where is Lindsey?

And at this moment, the husband, Mr. Matthews comes up to the door angrily, pushes his wife back inside.

MR. MATTHEWS

What do you care? Why are you

disturbing us?

And he tries to shut the door in her face. But Bree won't let him do it.

BREE

(to Mrs. Matthews)

Mrs. Matthews, this is not the

solution! Please...

And at this moment she sees bruises on Mrs. Matthews' face, too.

BREE (CONT'D)

He beats you, too! Mrs. Matthews, why are you letting him do this to you?

Mr. Matthews gets even angrier. He gets out of the house and starts pushing Bree away from the door violently.

34.

MR. MATTHEWS

(yelling)

That's it! Get the hell off my

property!

BREE

(while being pushed, to

Mrs. Matthews)

Mrs. Matthews, please, we can help you! Don't let him do this to your daughter! Don't do this to yourself, either! Please!

Mr. Matthews finally pushes her out into the street, then goes back inside angrily and locks the door.

BREE (CONT'D)

This is not the end! You hear me? I'm not gonna let you do this! You will pay for this!

Bree goes straight from their house to the Department for Child Protection. She tells them everything.

KADEN'S OFFICE:

Zach comes in. Kaden is deep in thought.

ZACH

Okay... Let's go out tonight and

have some fun!

KADEN

No, Zach. I don't feel like going out today.

ZACH

You've been feeling this way for a really long time. What's going on, man? The same old situation with that girl?

KADEN

I don't know how to fix it, Zach. And I can't stop thinking about it. I just can't. I have to do something.

ZACH

I think you're exaggerating things a bit. Or

(pause)

You have fallen in love with this girl and you don't even know it.

35.

Kaden looks up at him with a smile but doesn't say anything.

THE UNIVERSITY:

Bree is here with her friends. She gets a phone call. It is the principal of the special school for children with disabilities.

BREE

Yeah, Mrs. Smith.

And whatever she hears on the other end, makes her happy.

BREE (CONT'D)

(excited)

Oh, that's great news! Thank God! Thank you for letting me know, Mrs. Smith!

After she hangs up, she turns up to her friends who look at her wondering what made her so happy.

BREE (CONT'D)

(happy)

It's about the kid I told you. She is finally taken away from her stepfather! And they also opened a case against him.

EVENING. A

BUILDING:

It's the building that Bree lives in. We see Kaden's car in front of the building. He is alone inside the car sitting in the driver's seat. Bree's notebook that she dropped at school, is lying on the passenger's seat. Kaden is trying to use it as an excuse to meet her.

BREE'S APARTMENT:

It is a relatively small studio apartment with an open plan kitchen living room. She is sitting on the sofa, drinking coffee while working with some papers and laptop.

BACK TO KADEN:

He is dialing Bree's number.

BACK TO BREE:

Bree's phone is buzzing, so she picks it up.

BREE (CONT'D)

Hello?

36.

There is silence on the other end of the phone.

BREE (CONT'D)

Helloo?

Kaden finally finds his voice and starts speaking.

KADEN

(in a low voice)

Hi.

Bree doesn't recognize the voice.

KADEN (CONT'D)

It's me again, Kaden.

BREE

Oh, Mr. Elmer...

KADEN

Yeah, Mr. Elmer.

BREE

So?

KADEN

So?

He has forgotten why he called.

BREE

Why are you calling me?

KADEN

Oh... Yeah... I'm calling because I have something of yours. Your notebook. You dropped it the day we met at school.

BREE

Oh, I thought I lost it.

KADEN

I tried to tell you, but you walked away from me before I could say anything...

(pause)

So I have it.

BREE

Ok. I'll find a way to take it

from you.

37.

KADEN

Oh, no need for that. I'm already here to give it to you.

BREE

You are here? Where's “here”?

KADEN

Your place. I'm in front of your

house.

BREE

Oh, why would you bother? You

could've at least given it to

Olivia. I would've taken it from

her.

KADEN

I wanted to bring it to you personally. Because I still want..

At this moment Bree's doorbell rings.

BREE

(to herself)

Who is it?

(then to Kaden)

Wait a moment, is that you? Are

you already here? At my door?

She stands up and goes towards the door to open it with the phone in her hand.

KADEN

What do you mean? Hello? Bree?

But Bree has already opened the door. It is not Kaden. It is Lindsey's stepfather. He is very angry and looks dangerous. As soon as Bree opens the door, he forces himself into the apartment. Bree tries to prevent him from entering by closing the door.

BREE

(screams)

No!

But he pushes her back inside violently and shuts the door. He pushes her so hard that Bree falls down on the floor and drops her phone.

BACK TO KADEN:

Kaden is hearing the voices over the phone.

38.

KADEN

Bree? What's going on?

BACK TO BREE:

MR. MATTHEWS

I told you to stay away from my

family, didn't I?

Bree stands up and tries to get away from him. But he catches her by her hair and throws her down on the sofa. Then he reaches down, puts his hands around her throat and begins to choke her. At this moment Kaden storms in and sees it. In a moment he grabs Mr. Marrhews from behind, turns him to face him and hits him straight in the face twice. Mr. Matthews staggers back from the punches and falls down. Kaden immediately turns to Bree to check if she is alright.

KADEN

Are you okay?

He sounds very worried. It is written all over his face. At this moment Mr. Matthews stands up and quickly gets out of the apartment. Kaden tries to catch him but Bree stops him.

BREE

No! Please! Let him go! Just leave him!

Kaden sits down beside her. Bree's hair and clothes are messed up. She looks really terrified.

KADEN

(gently, worried)

Are you really okay? Who is he?

BREE

Yeah, don't worry, I'm okay. And thank you so much! I don't know what would have happened to me if you weren't here.

And she starts crying. She can't stop crying. She got really scared. Nothing like this has ever happened to her before.

KADEN

(soflty hugs her, in a

soothing calm voice)

Hey, you're alright. Nothing

happened.

39.

AFTER A WHILE. BREE'S APARTMENT.

Bree and Kaden are sitting on the sofa. Bree has finally calmed down. She is telling Kaden the whole story about Lindsey. Kaden looks angry and concerned.