“THE ISLAND” FADE IN: INT. NADIA BRODERICK’S LIVING ROOM - DAY The room is full of natural light, and spotless. Riley Broderick sleeps soundly on the couch. The phone rings, and the answering machine picks up. Riley doesn’t stir. NADIA (FILTERED) Hey sis, it’s Nadia. Just calling to let you know that you’ve got that job at Calder Tours. You start tomorrow at nine. See you tonight! INT. FRONT OFFICE, CALDER TOURS – DAY The office is kitschy. Bare wood and stone, the walls are covered with maps of the area, and posters about canoeing and hiking. Riley enters the empty office, a little nervous. She looks around, trying to get her bearings. Will enters. WILL You must be Riley. I’m Will Calder, your boss. Riley looks at Will and smiles warmly. RILEY Hi. It’s nice to meet you. Riley offers her hand for a handshake. Will ignores it. WILL Your job is to book the tours, welcome people waiting to go on a tour, answer phones, and keep track of which guys are on which tours. You also have to keep watch over the radios, in case anyone gets into trouble. Riley nods, a little overwhelmed.
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RILEY I think I can manage that. Will crosses the room and goes behind the desk. WILL Put all bookings in this binder. Use this list to keep track of the tour guides. Answer the phone within four rings, and make sure you’ve got the coffee on every morning by 8:00. Be here by 7:30 tomorrow and every day after. Don’t be late. With that, Will leaves the office. Riley sits down and glares in the direction Will has just taken. INT. FRONT OFFICE, CALDER TOURS – DAY Riley is on the phone with a customer, trying to book their tour. RILEY Uh-huh. OK, so that’s a party of four, next Saturday, 9:00 in the morning, in a dinghy. All right. Thank you. Riley hangs up the phone and stares at it, incredulous. She goes to write down the information, not noticing that someone has entered. RILEY (CONT'D) Damn. Forgot to get their names! Riley rests her hand on the phone to pick it up. SAM Don’t worry about it. You don’t really need their names till they show up. Riley looks up at Sam. He is smiling at her. She smiles back. RILEY Thanks.
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SAM Not a problem. I’m Sam, head tour guide. RILEY Riley. Lackey. Nice to meet you. Riley and Sam shake hands. SAM Listen, do you need any help? I know how Will can be. He just glosses over everything and scares people. Riley looks up at Sam, then gets to her feet. RILEY Oh, so he’s usually an asshole, it’s not just me. SAM He’s not an asshole, per se. He just knows this place inside and out, and never takes the time to realize that not everyone else does. Don’t take it personally. Riley gets up and walks over to the coffee maker. She pours herself a cup. RILEY Want some? SAM Sure. Sam takes a Styrofoam coffee cup from Riley and sips. RILEY He seemed pretty adamant about the coffee being made by 8:00. What’s that about? Sam sets his coffee down on the desk, then sits beside it.
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SAM The man lives for caffeine, but hates to make it himself. Riley leans against the desk beside Sam. RILEY So I have to get up at the crack of dawn to make it for him? This guy’s a different kind of wacky. SAM Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it. Now, what don’t you understand? Riley pulls out the binder that has all the bookings in it, and shows it to Sam. INT. NADIA BRODERICK’S KITCHEN - DAY In their pajamas, Nadia and Will have breakfast. The kitchen is warm, welcoming, and spotless. NADIA That movie was so bad. I can’t believe I let you drag me to see it last night. She sips her coffee, then butters a slice of toast. WILL It was a good movie. You just don’t understand Schwarzenegger. Will gets up and pours himself more coffee. NADIA I understand Schwarzenegger. I just don’t understand what he was doing in that movie. I pick next week. Nadia gets up and searches through the refrigerator for orange juice.
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WILL I’m not going to see another chick flick. Nadia laughs and glances at the clock as she emerges from the fridge with the juice. NADIA It’s getting late. I wonder if I should go see if Riley’s up. INT. NADIA’S LIVING ROOM – DAY Riley enters the slightly cluttered living room, ready for work. She picks up her backpack from the couch and puts it on her back, still heading toward the kitchen. CUT TO: INT. NADIA’S KITCHEN – DAY Riley enters and sees Will and Nadia sitting at the table, kissing. Riley looks from her sister to Will, and they look at her, everyone awkward and uncomfortable. RILEY Uh, hi. Riley crosses the kitchen and grabs a muffin from a box on the counter, trying not to look at anything. NADIA Riley, I, uh-RILEY I’ll see you later. Gotta get to work. Riley exits, picking up speed as she gets closer to the doorway. Nadia gets to her feet and follows her sister, and is followed by Will. INT. NADIA’S FOYER – DAY. Nadia reaches the foyer as the storm door shuts. Riley is already on her way down the street.
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NADIA Riley, wait! Damn. Will joins Nadia. WILL Don’t worry about it. She’ll be fine. Will touches Nadia’s shoulder. She moves away. NADIA Will, I think you should leave. Nadia looks out the window of the storm door after Riley. WILL Come on, Nadia. She’s gone. Will tries to caress Nadia’s shoulder, but she pulls away. NADIA Will, I mean it. Will sighs, then leaves in a bit of a huff. INT. CALDER TOURS MAIN OFFICE – DAY Riley enters, a little out of breath from her race-walk to work. She doesn’t want to be at work, but is glad to be out of her sister’s house. Sam is there, waiting for the day to start. SAM Morning, Riley. Riley breaks out of her clouded thoughts and smiles. RILEY Hey, Sam. You’re here early. Sam shrugs noncommittally. SAM Coffee’s on. I’ve also made a list of today’s tours.
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Riley pours herself some coffee and sits down, still wearing her backpack. RILEY Thanks. I don’t think I could focus on that this morning. Sam is intrigued. SAM How come? RILEY It’s a long story. I don’t really want to get into it. Riley looks out the window and takes a long drink of coffee. SAM You can tell me. Come on. RILEY My sister is sleeping with Will. Sam is not shocked. It’s old news on the tiny island that Will Calder and Nadia Broderick are a couple. He gives her a look that clearly says “and your point is?” RILEY (CONT'D) You knew? And you didn’t tell me? SAM They’ve been together for a while. I thought you knew. What’s the big deal? RILEY What’s the big deal? Sam, do you know how off-putting it is to see your boss, in his pajamas, kissing your sister? And at quarter to seven in the morning, no less. Sam leans against the desk across from Riley.
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SAM Aside from the kissing my sister part, it’s something I see fairly often. Will’s my roommate. Riley gets up and walks around the room. RILEY You’re his roommate? You, my only friend on this dinky little island, and for all I know, you could, you might, you, are you— Sam sits on the desk so he can watch Riley in action. SAM Am I filling Will in on your disdain for him? No. (beat) Riley, I am your friend. The things you tell me are kept in confidence. Riley stops pacing and looks at him. He’s being sincere. RILEY I know. I’m sorry. It’s just been an overwhelming day, and it’s not even 8:00 yet! Riley and Sam begin to laugh. WILL Actually, it’s 8:02. Why is there no work going on here? Will stands in the doorway, ready for the day. SAM Sorry, man. Just taking a short break. Sam stiffens, and looks at Will. WILL And your excuse, Miss Broderick?
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Riley and Will exchange glares. RILEY I don’t have one, Will. WILL Then get to work, or I suggest you start looking for another job. Consider this your warning. Will pours himself a coffee then heads into his office. Sam heads out of the room, pausing to put a hand on Riley’s shoulder as he walks past. Riley sighs and drops her backpack. INT. WILSON’S PUB – NIGHT Sam and Riley sit across from each other at a small table. It’s quiet in the neighborhood pub, with only a few patrons, and classic rock playing on the jukebox. Their meals sit in front of them, half-eaten. SAM So, tell me about yourself. RILEY So, tell me about yourself. Sam swallows a sip of his drink and looks at Riley. SAM I’d rather hear about you. RILEY You’ve already heard enough about my crazy life. What brought you to this place? SAM We both walked here from work. RILEY Very funny. I mean what brought you to the island?
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Riley plays with her food and stirs her tea absentmindedly. SAM My parents used to bring me and my brother here every year on vacation, so I thought I’d come back and hang out on summer break. RILEY Summer break from where? SAM Harvard. Riley’s eyes bulge, and she fights to keep her tea in her mouth. RILEY Really? What in? No way! SAM You sound like you don’t believe me. I’m pre-med. RILEY You don’t seem like the Harvard type. Sam looks a little taken aback. He always thought he was the Harvard type. SAM What, I’m— RILEY Nice. Funny. Not a snob. Sam wipes his mouth with his napkin, and looks at Riley. SAM Thanks, I think. RILEY You’re welcome.
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Sam leans closer to Riley, who does the same. SAM Now, tell me about you. Why’d you come here? RILEY My grandparents retired and moved to Florida, and nobody would let me get my own place, so here I am, Will Calder’s bitch. SAM What about your parents? Riley is quiet for a moment, and sits back in her chair. RILEY They died, about four years ago in a car accident. SAM I’m sorry. I didn’t know. RILEY Don’t worry about it. (Beat) It’s getting late. Shall we go? Sam checks his watch, and nods. SAM Sure. Riley and Sam get up from their chairs, and drop a few bills on the table. INT. WILL’S KITCHEN – NIGHT Will and Nadia eat together. Will’s kitchen is very modern. Clean lines, minimalist, stark white.
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NADIA So, they’ve asked me to fly out to Boston next week to meet their CEO. Will swallows a bite of his food, and smiles at Nadia. WILL That’s great! Things are really happening for you. NADIA I know. I can’t believe it. Things are going so well right now. Riley’s great, we’re great, my job is fantastic… Nadia looks at Will, and smiles. She leans in and kisses him. WILL Let’s celebrate! Will gets up and opens the refrigerator. He produces a bottle of wine. Soon, glasses are filled, and the couple is ready to toast. WILL (CONT'D) To your expanding career, domestic bliss, and— NADIA To us! Nadia and Will drink their wine happily. There are a few moments of silence while they drink, and take new mouthfuls of food. WILL Now if only Riley would actually do something right at her job. NADIA Will, let’s not talk about this now. She needs time to adjust to her new surroundings.
(CONTINUED)
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CONTINUED: (2)
WILL What is she, a puppy? Nadia, she’s had almost a month to adjust. I think it’s time she put her nose to the grindstone and work harder. All she does is read magazines and fraternize with my tour guides. Nadia puts down her glass and looks at Will seriously, trying to restrain her anger. NADIA (tightly) Will, this is not the time nor place to discuss this. My sister works her fingers to the bone for you. She’s at that office for all hours! (beat, angrier) Did you think that maybe she might be a little tired and in need of a break? She’s just a kid. Will drops his fork, and slides his chair back. WILL She’s seventeen, Nadia. That’s an adult in my books. I can’t believe you’re taking her side! You know what I expect from my staff, and you never objected before. Will leaves the room, angry. Nadia sits, alone, staring at her plate. NADIA It wasn’t about my sister before. EXT. WEST BEACH – NIGHT Sam and Riley talk as they walk down the beach, the moonlight reflecting off the water, and the sea breeze cooling their skin.
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RILEY My sister? She’s all right, I guess. We were never really close. Probably the age difference. But she’s still my sister, you know? Do you get along with your brother? Sam and Riley stop and take off their shoes. SAM He’s cool. I don’t see him too much anymore. He’s an engineer in California. He’s got his own family. Riley and Sam continue walking. RILEY So, how did you end up living with Will? And how can you stand it? Sam smiles despite himself. SAM He’s really not as bad as you think. He gave me a place to stay when I couldn’t find anywhere the first summer I was here. The summer roommate thing just stuck. Riley nods, though she still can’t see why someone would voluntarily spend time with Will Calder. RILEY I still think you’re insane to live with him. But I guess I can forgive you. SAM (mock delight) Gee, thanks Riley! Riley laughs and rubs her bare upper arms. Instinctively, Sam wraps an arm around her shoulder, then tries to walk her into the surf.
(CONTINUED)
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RILEY Sam! Stop it! What are you doing?! Sam succeeds in dropping a guffawing Riley into the water. Riley then pulls Sam into the waves. INT. WILL’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT. Will’s living room is also modern, sleek, stark, and minimalist. Mostly reconciled, Will and Nadia sit on the couch, waiting for a video to rewind. Nadia stretches her arms and yawns. NADIA I should be getting home. Riley’s probably wondering where I am. Nadia begins to get up. Will catches her hand and pulls her back down to the couch. WILL She’s probably reveling in the fact that she has the house to herself. Stay here tonight. Sam’s still out… Will kisses Nadia passionately. Nadia breaks the kiss. NADIA No, I have to go. My sister is my responsibility. I have to see how she’s doing. Nadia gets up again. Will joins her. WILL Come on, Nadia. Just stay. You know you want to. Nadia looks at Will. She does want to stay. NADIA OK. I have to call her, though.
(CONTINUED)
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Nadia picks up the portable phone from the coffee table. Will kisses Nadia. While lip-locked, Will takes the phone from Nadia and drops it on the couch. INT. NADIA’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT The lights are all off as Riley enters the house. It’s late. Riley fears that Nadia is sitting on the couch in the darkness, and snaps on the light. Nothing there, except a bunch of clutter and mess. She looks around the room, then runs to check the rest of the house. RILEY (O.S.) Nadia? Hello? Nadia, are you here?… Nadia, where are you? She returns and checks the answering machine. No messages. Riley is in total disbelief that Nadia isn’t there to make sure Riley meets curfew. She flops down on the couch, still in shock. INT. WILL’S BEDROOM – DAY Will lies in bed, lounging. Nadia is running around the room, looking for her left shoe. NADIA Where the hell did it go? (beat) I shouldn’t have slept here last night. Nadia looks under the bed. WILL What are you doing for dinner tonight? Nadia crosses the room to look in the closet. NADIA I should have dinner with my sister. We haven’t talked in a while. Nadia rummages in the closet.
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WILL You’d rather have Kraft Dinner with your sister than join me at Chez Michel, say around 7:00? Nadia looks under Will’s side of the bed. NADIA Will, I need to spend time with my sister. How many times do I have to tell you that? (beat) Found it! Nadia extracts her shoe from under the bed and stands up to put it on. WILL It would be nice if you spent time with me. Nadia glares at Will. NADIA Will, I’m not getting into this again. I’ll talk to you later. Nadia leaves the room. Will is not pleased. He sighs, frustrated, and punches a pillow. INT. NADIA’S KITCHEN – DAY The kitchen is a disaster. Dirty dishes are piled up in the sink, on the couch, and on the table. Old newspapers inhabit more than one corner. Moldy bread sits on the counter, surrounded by mysterious stains. Riley enters, wearing sweats and rubber gloves, and carrying a bucketful of cleaning supplies. She sighs, annoyed, and begins to clean. INT. NADIA’S KITCHEN – NIGHT The kitchen is now spotless. Nadia sits at the table, which is set for dinner. Riley sets a plate down in front of her, then sits down to her own dinner.
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NADIA You did a great job on the kitchen. Thank you. It never usually gets that bad. We’ve both been really busy lately. Riley nods as she chews. Nadia takes in a mouthful of food. NADIA (CONT'D) This is really good. Where did you learn to cook like this? Riley looks up at her sister. Nadia looks genuinely interested. RILEY Grandma taught me the basics, I taught myself the rest. It’s not like it’s hard or anything. NADIA (laughs) I can’t even boil water! RILEY (laughs) Well, I don’t have a clue about business. The sisters laugh together, each happy to be sharing the moment. The moment is interrupted by the telephone. NADIA I guess we’re even then. Excuse me. (gets up, answers phone) Hello? Hi! I’m having dinner right now, actually. Riley rolls her eyes and continues eating. NADIA (CONT'D) Will, I’m kind of busy… No. No, I’m not going to do that… I don’t think so. No… Fine. I’ll be there in a bit.
(CONTINUED)
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CONTINUED: (2)
Riley picks up her sister’s plate and starts to scrape it back into the serving dish, before Nadia is off the phone. NADIA (CONT'D) Slight change of plans, sis. I have to go help Will with his books. I’ll see you later, OK. (beat) It really was a great dinner. Nadia picks up her keys and her bag, then leaves. Frustrated, Riley clears the table and throws the plates in the sink. INT. NADIA’S LIVING ROOM – DAY It’s morning. Riley of cold cereal. The Riley’s feet are on Nadia enters in the
sits on the couch alone, eating a bowlful TV is tuned to the Today show, and the coffee table. The room is tense. clothes she wore the night before.
NADIA Good morning Riley doesn’t respond and continues eating and watching TV. NADIA (CONT'D) Hello? Earth to Riley! Riley turns up the volume on the TV and continues to ignore her sister. NADIA (CONT'D) You know, I hate it when people eat in front of the television. Riley finishes her bowl of cereal and slurps the remaining milk out of the bowl. She drops the bowl back on the table, turns off the TV and leaves the house. Nadia sits down on the couch and puts her head in her hands. Moments later, the door opens. Nadia perks up, hoping it’s Riley, coming back to talk. Instead, it’s Will. NADIA (CONT'D) Oh, it’s just you.
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Will joins Nadia on the couch. WILL Just me. Gee, thanks. Nadia I thought you were Riley. WILL (CONT'D) God forbid that ever happens! Nadia gets to her feet. NADIA Look, Will, I don’t have time for you to come in here and badmouth my sister. I have a meeting in Boston today. WILL Hey, I just came by to say hello. NADIA You’ve just said it. Now, I have to go get ready. Please leave. And next time, refrain from insulting Riley. Nadia ushers Will to the front porch, then closes the front door and locks it. Will sits down, his ego bruised, and his anger growing. He stews. INT. CALDER TOURS’ FRONT OFFICE – DAY Riley is sitting at the desk, organizing the next day’s tours. WILL (O.S.) Riley! Will enters the front office, with the invoices. He sets them down on the desk. RILEY What?
(CONTINUED)
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WILL What have you done to these invoices? You’ve completely skipped the guide fee on all of them, and the sales tax on half of them! You can’t do anything right, can you? Riley gets to her feet and tries to get into Will’s face. RILEY Excuse me? Maybe you should try training your employees so that I know about the damn guide fee. And you told me not to put the tax on the ones without the tax! Don’t expect me to know everything about this place. WILL Don’t jump down my throat about my misgivings. The only reason you have this job is because your sister begged me to give it to you. You are nowhere near good enough to do this job. Riley glares at Will. RILEY You know what, Will? You can just take my job and shove it. Riley picks up her things, and heads out the door, purposefully knocking the invoices on the floor. INT. CALDER TOURS’ WORKSHOP – DAY Will enters. He wants to hit something. Sam is there. SAM You really never told her about the guide fee. WILL I did so. Everyone knows about the guide fee.
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SAM You told her nothing about this job. Just ordered her around like an indentured servant. I think you’re damn lucky she didn’t walk out on you earlier. WILL Stay out of this, Sam. It’s none of your business. SAM I just think you could have been a lot easier on her all summer, not just today. Sam leaves the room. Will is still angry. INT. NADIA’S LIVING ROOM – DAY Nadia paces the room. Riley enters. NADIA I can’t believe you quit. You just left Will to twist in the wind. RILEY Hi, sis, nice to see you, too. Yes, I’ll listen to the problems you’re having with the asshole I call my boyfriend. Let’s sit down and have some tea. NADIA Don’t give me that, Riley. Not one bit. I know exactly what happened. Do you know how long it took me to get Will to give you that job? RILEY Oh, don’t do me any favors, Nadia. I didn’t ask you to get me a job. And I certainly didn’t ask you to get me one where my boss is Hitler!
(CONTINUED)
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NADIA Why don’t you grow up? Will was extremely courteous in giving you that job, and you spent the entire summer slacking off. RILEY There’s no point in even pursuing this anymore. You don’t believe anything I say anyway. Riley makes a motion to leave. NADIA You don’t have to leave. I have to go help Will. Someone here has to be an adult, and I guess it has to be me. Nadia pulls on a jacket and leaves, slamming the door behind her. EXT. NADIA’S DECK
- DUSK
Riley sits in a deck chair, curled up in a ball. Defeated and alone, she cries and watches the waves roll in and out. She sits alone for a few moments, then gets an idea. She sits up straight and a small smile starts on her face. Finally, she gets out of the chair and goes back inside. CUT TO: INT. RILEY’S BEDROOM – DAY Riley packs hurriedly. She tosses clothes into an open suitcase, rummages through drawers and her closet. When the case is full, she closes it and starts out of the room. On the way out, a photograph of the sisters in happy times catches her eye. She stops and picks it up, then thinks better of the idea and tosses it back on the bed. INT. WILL’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT Nadia and Will enter with take-out. They’ve finished taking care of the day’s business, and need to try and unwind.
(CONTINUED)
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NADIA I can’t believe we got all of that finished today! WILL Me either. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep my head above water now that I’ve been deserted by your flaky sister. Nadia rolls her eyes and ignores the comment. She sits on the couch and starts to open one of the take-out bags. Sam enters the house. NADIA Hey Sam, want to join us for some Chinese? SAM No, thanks. I’m not very hungry. (beat) Nadia, how’s Riley doing? She was really upset. Will, seated, is looking through another bag of food. WILL There’s so little upstairs that she’s probably forgotten all about this afternoon. NADIA I can’t believe you just said that! WILL It was just a joke, Nadia. NADIA I don’t care if it’s just a joke. You’ve been making cracks like this all day. Cut it out. Sensing an argument, Sam starts out of the house.
(CONTINUED)
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CONTINUED: (2)
SAM I’ll see you guys later. EXT. NORTH AVENUE – NIGHT Carrying her suitcase, Riley walks briskly up the street. Sam rounds a corner and sees her. SAM Riley! Hey, Riley! Riley turns, sees Sam, then continues walking. Sam runs to catch up with her. RILEY What do you want, Sam? Sam tries to slow Riley down. SAM Hey, wait up. What are you doing? RILEY I’m taking a walk. Yourself? SAM Me too. It’s a nice night. (beat) Most people don’t take a suitcase when they go for a walk. Riley stops and looks pointedly at Sam. RILEY If you must know, Sam, I’m going to the airport, and going home. I’ve got friends there that will put me up. Anything’s better than having to deal with Will and my sister. Sam looks at Riley. He can see that she’s trying not to cry, but that she won’t be talked out of this.
(CONTINUED)
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SAM Do you mind if I walk with you? RILEY It’s a free country. Sam and Riley continue on in somber silence. INT. WILL’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT Nadia and Will argue. NADIA You really had me snowed, Will. The entire summer, you’ve been bitching about how bad a worker my sister is, and all you’ve been doing is making her life hell. WILL I didn’t make her life hell. She needed to be pushed so she would do some work. Your sister’s a slacker, just like all the other people her age. NADIA Will, how old are you? You sound like an old fart, blaming teenagers for everything. You’ve changed. I don’t even know you anymore. The phone rings. Will picks it up, then hands it to Nadia. NADIA (CONT'D) Hello? Nadia just nods her head for a moment, then hangs up the phone. NADIA (CONT'D) I have to get out of here. I have to talk to my sister.
(CONTINUED)
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WILL You know me. I’m still the same person. Don’t leave on me. We’re not finished talking. Nadia gets up. NADIA We’re finished talking Will. I’ve been treating my sister like shit all summer. I have to go try and make things right. This could be my only chance. Will grabs Nadia’s hand, trying desperately to get her to stay. WILL Nadia, don’t go. Nadia pulls her hand out of Will’s grasp. NADIA Will, I have to go. Nadia exits. INT. AIRPORT – NIGHT Riley and Sam stand near the gate, facing each other. SAM I can’t believe you’re leaving. RILEY I have to. This isn’t the place for me. SAM But it could be, Riley. Just give it a chance. RILEY I did give it a chance, Sam. It didn’t work out.
(CONTINUED)
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RILEY(CONT'D) (beat) But we’ll keep in touch. ANNOUNCER (O.S.) Flight 402 to Boston now boarding at gate 1. RILEY That’s me. I should get going.
Riley picks up her suitcase, then stands up straight. SAM I’m going to miss you Riley. Sam kisses Riley briefly, then leaves. Riley stands alone for a moment, watching Sam go. She then carries her suitcase into the bathroom. Moments later, Nadia arrives. She looks around the gate, and doesn’t see her sister. Defeated, Nadia sits down and buries her face in her hands. While Nadia isn’t looking, Riley comes out of the bathroom. RILEY Nadia? What are you doing here? Nadia looks up to see her sister standing in front of her. Nadia jumps to her feet and hugs Riley. NADIA What do you think I’m doing here? I came to stop you! Riley breaks the hug. RILEY Nadia, I have to leave. This island isn’t my home. I don’t know where my home is anymore. NADIA That’s my fault. I could have tried harder to make this place feel like your home. I’m sorry.
(CONTINUED)
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CONTINUED: (2)
ANNOUNCER This is the final boarding call for flight 402 to Boston, at gate 1. RILEY I have to go. Riley picks up her suitcase. Nadia grabs the handle at the same time. NADIA I can’t let you go. We need to solve our problems, not run away from them. RILEY You sound like an after-school special. NADIA But it’s true. (beat) Let’s go home. Riley stiffens for a moment, then relents. Nadia takes her sister’s suitcase, and they leave the airport. INT. NADIA’S KITCHEN – NIGHT Riley and Nadia sit at the table, eating cookies and drinking tea. RILEY If I’m going to be staying here permanently, we have to set some ground rules. Nadia looks at her sister. She takes a sip of tea and nibbles a cookie. NADIA OK, shoot. I’ve got a few ideas of my own. Riley and Nadia start to work out the rules. We don’t hear their speaking, but watch them working together.
30.
EXT. WILL’S FRONT PORCH – NIGHT Snow falls softly as Nadia and Riley walk up the path to Will’s house. Each girl is carrying a bunch of brightly wrapped packages. They laugh as Riley almost falls on an icy patch of sidewalk, and finally make it to the doorway. Nadia rings the doorbell, and both sisters wait for the door to be opened. Will opens the door and takes a few packages from each girl before letting them in. Everyone is happy. INT. WILL’S DINING ROOM – NIGHT Sam, Riley, and Nadia sit at the table, waiting for Will to enter with the turkey. He enters, carrying the bird, and begins to carve it. RILEY You should really start with the legs and wings. Nadia and Sam exchange worried looks, then look to Will, who is glaring at Riley. RILEY (CONT'D) What? It was just a suggestion. Sam and Nadia shake their heads in disbelief, and Riley and Will share a smile. Nadia and Sam see the smiles, and begin to smile, too. FADE OUT. THE END