03x13 - The Wind That Blew My Heart Away

[bunniefuu]

FADE IN:

LUCAS: (v.o) Previously on One Tree Hill.

[INT. TREE HILL HIGH – CORRIDOR – DAY]

(Haley catches up with Nathan who has just entered the school.)

HALEY: Nathan?

(He looks at her.)

HALEY: Did you pay Chris to help me with my music?

CUT TO:

[INT. ELLIE’S HOUSE – CLOSET – DAY]

(Peyton is standing next to Ellie’s collection of music.)

PEYTON: If you are gonna help me with… Haley’s record-

CUT TO:

[INT. SAWYER RESIDENCE – FRONT DOOR – DAY]

(Ellie stands at Peyton’s doorstep, smiling.)

PEYTON: (v.o) -well, you could,…-

CUT TO:

[INT. ELLIE’S HOUSE – CLOSET – DAY]

PEYTON: -maybe move into the house with me.

CUT TO:

[INT. KAREN’S CAFÉ – DINING AREA – DAY]

(Karen and Keith are kneeling, trying to clean up her mess.)

KEITH: You’re even prettier than I remembered.

(sh*t of Karen smiling.)

CUT TO:

[EXT. ROE RESIDENCE – FRONT PORCH – EVENING]

(Karen and Keith are standing on the porch, kissing.)

COP1: Keith Scott?

(Keith looks at the cavalry.)

COP1: (pointing and approaching) Put your hands behind your head.

(Keith complies.)

COP1: You’re under arrest for the-

(Karen glares at Dan who’s standing there, watching happily.)

COP1: -attempted m*rder of Dan Scott.

(Zoom in on Dan’s sadistic face as he grins and nods.)

CUT TO:

[INT. NEW BRUNSWICK COUNTY JAIL – ROOM – DAY]

(Dan and the detective stand in a room where they can watch Keith through the window.)

DETECTIVE: The arrest was a favour (pause) but without anything solid, I can’t hold him.

CUT TO:

[EXT. TREE HILL HIGH – BENCHES – DAY]

(Haley stands over Nathan.)

HALEY: Two thousand, seven hundred and ninety-eight miles. That’s how far apart our dream schools are.

CUT TO:

[INT. THE GYM – EVENING]

(Nathan and Haley are talking after the game.)

NATHAN: If I tell you not to go to Stanford, I’m telling you not to follow your dreams. If I tell you to go, I’m saying I don’t wanna be with you.

CUT TO:

[INT. TREE HILL HIGH – CORRIDOR – DAY]

(Rachel has pulled Mouth away from the waiting area for the guidance counselor.)

RACHEL: I need your help.

(She pulls Mouth away.)

CUT TO:

[INT. DAVIS SCOTT APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM – EVENING]

(Brooke is standing at a mannequin, making another dress as she addresses Mouth.)

BROOKE: She’s using you!

MOUTH: (shrugs) How?

BROOKE: I know that if she’s being nice to you, it is for a reason and not a good one.

(Mouth looks at her, hurt.)

CUT TO:

[INT. KAREN’S CAFÉ – DINING AREA – DAY]

(Ellie has confronted Lucas at the café.)

ELLIE: I have cancer.

CUT TO:

[INT. SAWYER RESIDENCE – PEYTON’S BEDROOM – DAY]

(Ellie and Peyton are lying across Peyton’s bed on their stomachs.)

PEYTON: I want you to be here when the album comes out.

ELLIE: (touches her head) I will be here, Peyton.

CUT TO:

[INT. ROE RESIDENCE – LUCAS’ BEDROOM – DAY]

(Brooke picks up Lucas’ stuff which she has accidentally dropped whilst talking to him.)

BROOKE: (v.o) It’s OK that you’re into Peyton.

(Brooke looks through Lucas’ collection of things he got from Peyton, and what he wrote to Peyton, when they were together.)

BROOKE: (v.o) I found the things in your closet.

CUT TO:

[INT. DAVIS SCOTT APARTMENT – BROOKE AND HALEY’S BEDROOM – EVENING]

(Brooke and Lucas are sitting on the floor, at the foot of her bed.)

LUCAS: I hurt you pretty bad.

(Brooke smiles tightly and nods.)

CUT TO:

[EXT. TREE HILL – MAILBOX – DAY]

(Lucas stands at the mailbox.)

LUCAS: (v.o) I’m not gonna do it again.

(Lucas looks down at the letter he has written for Brooke. He grins and posts it.)

FADE TO BLACK:

END OF PREVIOUSLY ON:

OPENING CREDITS ROLL:

FADE IN:

[EXT. TREE HILL – STREETS – EVENING]

(There’s a close-up of the wet ground. The lamppost is seen reflected in it. It’s raining. The sh*t cuts to the sky where lightening streaks across. A car drives past fast. Lightening lights the sky in another part of Tree Hill.)

FADE TO:

[INT. DAVIS SCOTT APARTMENT – FRONT DOOR – EVENING]

(Lucas rushes into the apartment, soaked.)

LUCAS: It’s crazy outside(!)

(He groans and shakes his head.)

LUCAS: You got a towel?

(Brooke bounces into the sh*t, wearing a pink and red apron.)

BROOKE: Uh, do you have my next letter?

(She holds her hands out expectantly with a smile. He takes it out but holds it out of reach. He waits.)

BROOKE: (pointing) Linen closet.

(He touches her face and she grabs the letter, moving off-screen, to the couch. Lucas makes his way to the closet.)

LUCAS: Well, I hope I don’t disappoint you – I know I set the bar (grabs the towel) pretty high… with the first two.

BROOKE: Shush! I’m reading here.

(Lucas dries himself as Brooke reads silently.)

BROOKE: (fondly after reading a bit) Awww, Lucas(!)

(She reads some more and raises and eyebrow.)

BROOKE: (grinning at him) Naughty.

(He laughs. She reads the end and her smile fades.)

LUCAS: Is it OK? (unzips his jacket)

(The fire alarm sounds and stops her from having to reply. Lucas turns to see where the sound is coming from. He looks at the oven which is smoking.)

LUCAS: (groans as he runs to it.) Hold that thought!

(Brooke gapes wordlessly as Lucas opens the door and grabs the oven gloves. Brooke turns back to the letter, annoyed.)

CUT TO:

[INT. SAWYER RESIDENCE – PEYTON’S BEDROOM – DAY]

(Peyton runs into her room, drenched.)

PEYTON: (grinning) You better not have finished all the hot chocolate(!)

(She stops and looks as Ellie stands at Peyton’s bathroom mirror, wiping her eyes. Peyton looks away, suddenly worried. Ellie turns away from the mirror and walks back into Peyton’s bedroom.)

(Peyton is standing at the bed which is holding Ellie’s loaded suitcase.)

PEYTON: (confused) What’s going on?

ELLIE: (looks at her with red eyes) … It’s time. Record’s done; (nods) I gotta go.

PEYTON: (looks away for a b*at) It’s late, Ellie. There’s a storm, you know? What’re you rushing off to? (smiles tightly)

ELLIE: (struggles to find the words) There’s just some things that I can’t do here. (nods again)

PEYTON: So this is goodbye?

ELLIE: (smiles sadly and shrugs) For now.

(They look at each other until Peyton can’t take it anymore and looks away.)

FADE TO:

[INT. GATINA RESIDENCE – RACHEL’S BEDROOM – EVENING]

(Rachel is lying on her stomach on the bed, listening to ‘The State’ by Limbeck, on her phone. A message pops up saying that Bevin’s calling. She doesn’t answer it.)

MOUTH: Hello?

(Rachel’s gaze jumps to the doorway. Mouth walks into view.)

MOUTH: Hello?

(Rachel takes her earphones off.)

RACHEL: (grinning) You braved the storm for me?

(Mouth groans and looks down.)

MOUTH: I braved the storm for you and (holds up the DVD he has) ‘Say Anything’.

(Rachel grins and sets her phone aside.)

MOUTH: Uh, your parents don’t mind you having a boy in your room?

RACHEL: Under three boys is fine. Under three beers too.

(She gets off her bad and walks to her fridge.)

RACHEL: Although, I tend to beak both those rules from time to time.

(Mouth smiles. She opens the fridge and takes out beer.)

RACHEL: Want one?

MOUTH: No, thanks. I don’t really drink. (pause) Much. (laughs)

RACHEL: Suit yourself. (holds out a can of Sunkist)

MOUTH: Yeah.

(She walks over and hands it to him.)

MOUTH: Thanks.

(He takes his phone out, turns around so they are both in the sh*t, and takes a picture. She turns her head and sees what he’s doing.)

RACHEL: What’re you doing?

(He looks at her, completely embarrassed.)

MOUTH: Sorry, I… I just wanna be able to prove I was really here.

(She smiles and listens.)

MOUTH: You know, like,… in your bedroom. (laughs at himself)

(Rachel laughs too.)

RACHEL: You’re so cute. (beckons him forward) Come on.

(He walks to her)

RACHEL: Let’s make it a good one.

(They lean back on the bed and Mouth takes the picture.)

FADE TO:

[INT, KAREN’S CAFÉ – DINING AREA – EVENING]

(A blue bowl sits in the middle of the floor, catching the water that’s leaking from the roof. Keith picks it up and looks up at the incessantly dripping ceiling. Karen rushes over with another bowl.)

KEITH: This is so bad.

KAREN: Yeah, (takes the bowl from Keith) I never shoulda let Lucas and Haley build that golf course on the rooftop.

(She walks away with the bowl.)

KAREN: Oh, speaking of, (looks back) I got a hold of Lucas – he’s having dinner at Brooke’s! (speaks loudly in order to be heard) So I told him to stay put until the worst of the storm passes. (laughing) Even if it’s not until morning.

(She tips the water down the sink. Keith walks into the kitchen, grinning)

KEITH: You told Lucas to spend the night with Brooke? You’re like… every teenage boy’s dream mom.

(She sighs and smiles as she walks to him.)

KAREN: It’s not like that.

KEITH: Oh, yes it is. (pause) Single guy; single girl; (pause) lots’a history.

KAREN: Nothing’s gonna happen.

KEITH: We’ll see about that.

(They kiss.)

FADE TO:

[EXT. SCOTT RESIDENCE (EST) – EVENING]

(Haley runs across the front of the house, her umbrella up. She’s not wearing a coat. She stops at the front door and knocks rapidly on it before banging.)

CUT TO:

[INT. SCOTT RESIDENCE – FRONT DOOR – EVENING]

(Nathan opens the door.)

NATHAN: Haley, what’re you doing here? Aren’t the roads all closed? It’s, like, martial law, or something.

(Haley wipes her face.)

HALEY: I know, I know, but I had to talk to you. I decided to go to Duke!

(She grins and waits for him expectantly. Thunder strikes again.)

NATHAN: Whoa, OK, why do you come inside?

HALEY: (enters) OK.

(He shuts the door.)

CUT TO:

[INT. SCOTT RESIDENCE – LIVING ROOM – EVENING]

(Nathan and Haley can be seen at the front door, through the doorway of the living room.)

HALEY: OK, (they walk to the living room) so I’ve been doing some research and (takes her scarf off) Duke has an amazing basketball programme. I mean, their coach, this guy, uh,… Coach Ker-Kretazuski is like, a legend(!)

(Nathan looks at her, grinning.)

NATHAN: Coach Krzyzewski?

HALEY: (confused) Kersha-yeah, what?

NATHAN: People call him Coach K.

HALEY: (nods and stands) And so should you. I mean, you should have this opportunity. (sighs) Duke’s a really great school and I think I could be really happy there. Especially if I was with you.

NATHAN: Well, you can’t go to Duke, Hales. (smiles) And I don’t want you to.

(He moves aside as Haley stands there, too hurt to move.)

HALEY: Y-… (nods hard) you don’t want me to. Right.

(Nathan turns the TV off and she finally turns to him.)

HALEY: (hurt) Right, what was I thinking? Because you told me that you love me after (stomps to her jacket) that basketball game and, silly me, I just thought that feeling would last for longer than, I don’t know, one night!

(Nathan grins at her as she shoves her arms into her jacket.)

HALEY: But, then again, I forgot; you’re the guy who loves to rip the rug out from underneath me, just when I feel like we’re getting some sort of stable ground(!)

(She picks up her scarf and stomps back to the door.)

NATHAN: Haley.

HALEY: (turns back) And then you freak out after we have sex for the first time in god knows how long! And, by the way, I know exactly how long it was and, frankly, I’m still pissed off at you about that whole birth control thing(!)

(Nathan refrains from saying anything. He just smiles widely.)

HALEY: (puzzled) What?

NATHAN: Haley, you can’t go to Duke… because I’m going to Stanford.

(The last lightening shorts out the electrics and the lights go out.)

HALEY: (after a few beats) Good sign or bad?

(The lightening continues to light up the sky.)

CUT TO:

[EXT. TREE HILL (EST) – EVENING]

(Lightening rushes across the sky again.)

CUT TO:

[INT. GATINA RESIDENCE – RACHEL’S BEDROOM – EVENING]

(Mouth is leaning at Rachel frozen. He has obviously stopped in the process of trying to kiss her.)

RACHEL: Mouth(!)

(She holds her phone up and the light from it lights up his face.)

RACHEL: Did you just try to kiss me?

MOUTH: … Sorta.

RACHEL: (moves the phone back so it lights up her own face too) Wow, (laughs) ballsy. So, is that why they call you Mouth?

MOUTH: No, but,… you’re the one who invited me over to watch a movie. (pointedly) In your bedroom. (pause) Then you offer me a beer and turn out the lights.

RACHEL: (b*at) It’s a blackout, Mouth.

MOUTH: Oh. (sighs) Sorry.

(Rachel laughs and Mouth collapses onto her bed, defeatedly.)

MOUTH: Oh, don’t laugh. (covers his face with his hands)

(She laughs again.)

CUT TO:

[INT. DAVIS SCOTT APARTMENT – KITCHEN – EVENING]

(Brooke is frantically rummaging through the drawers. Lucas puts his hands on her waist and leans over her from behind.)

LUCAS: Don’t cry, it’s just a blackout.

BROOKE: (annoyed) I am not crying, I am looking for a flashlight!

(Lucas walks to the windows and looks out.)

BROOKE: God, this has gotta be the worst nightmare! Where is my Powerpuff Girls nightlight when I need it.

LUCAS: (turns back) We should probably call Peyton.

(Brooke pauses in her rummaging. Lucas shrugs.)

LUCAS: I mean, I’m not sure if Ellie’s around, and if the lights are out everywhere, I’m kinda worried about her being alone.

BROOKE: (to herself audibly) Yeah, (bends down and open the cupboard under the sink) I’m sure you are.

(Brooke finds the flashlight.)

BROOKE: Oh(!)

(She takes it out from the cupboard and turns it on.)

BROOKE: Finally.

(She taps it lightly against her palm, stands up straight and whacks Lucas with it.)

LUCAS: Ow.

(It goes out. She glares at him.)

LUCAS: (pissed) What the hell’d you hit me for?

BROOKE: (whispers viciously in his ear) Because you’re an ass(!)

(She walks past him. He looks over his shoulder at her.)

FADE TO:

[EXT. COUNCIL OFFICES – WINDOW – EVENING]

(Dan stands at the window, looking out at the downpour. An assistant comes up behind him.)

ASSISTANT: Mr Mayor, I have contacted the department of power,… but it’s gonna take at least a couple of hours to fix.

(Dan hasn’t moved. He continues to look out of the window.)

DAN: And the entire city is dark?

ASSISTANT: Yes, sir.

DAN: (coldly) Perfect.

FADE TO BLACK:

COMMERCIAL SET:

FADE IN:

[INT. SAWYER RESIDENCE – PEYTON’S BEDROOM – EVENING]

(sh*t of the window as the rain continues.)

ELLIE: (o.s) Wow, a blackout!

(She strikes a match and holds it up.)

ELLIE: (standing by the window) Looks like you got some pull with the woman upstairs.

(Peyton laughs and looks at the ceiling. Ellie lights another candle with the match.)

ELLIE: I guess you really don’t (shakes the match out) want me to leave, huh?

PEYTON: I told you.

(Peyton smiles at her as Ellie carries the lit candle to the other side of the room.)

ELLIE: Well, assuming the lights don’t pop back on in a minute or two,… (lights another candle with the one she’s holding) are you in any way prepared to deal with this?

PEYTON: Oh, (gets off the bed) totally.

(She rushes past Ellie.)

PEYTON: Hold on.

(She climbs to the top shelf of her closet.)

PEYTON: My dad got me this for my thirteenth birthday. (pulls things off the shelf) Right about the time he stopped knowing what a girl would want.

(She pulls out a huge torch and climbs down.)

PEYTON: Just been waiting for an excuse to use it.

(She flicks a switch and it doesn’t come on. She smacks it and nothing happens.)

ELLIE: And when was the last time you changed the batteries?

(Peyton pauses a b*at, grinning.)

PEYTON: … When I was thirteen.

(Ellie smiles and shakes her head. She looks up as thunder rumbles again.)

ELLIE: OK. I’ll stay. But just this last night. (smiles)

(Peyton smiles back but it disappears when thunder cracks again. She laughs and Ellie looks back at the ceiling.)

FADE TO:

[EXT. SCOTT RESIDENCE (EST) – BACK DOOR – EVENING]

CUT TO:

[INT. SCOTT RESIDENCE – KITCHEN – EVENING]

(Nathan stands at the open cupboard.)

NATHAN: Alright, we got Dip-n-Dots, no G.

(Haley is standing at the counter, grinning as she squirts out syrup.)

NATHAN: Snack-pack puddin’, no G. And my personal favourite, (pulls out a plastic tub) Cap’ain Crunch, no T.

(Haley laughs. Nathan shuts the cupboard door and walks to her with the lamp.)

NATHAN: Basically, foods missing consonants.

(She laughs again. He puts the tub on the table and sits down.)

HALEY: You know, I used to love snarfing down Cap’ain Crunch; watching Saturday morning cartoons when I was a kid.

NATHAN: What, was that, like, a year ago?

(She laughs and licks her finger.)

HALEY: How can I be so young… and feel so old. It’s like I-I never thought that I would have this many big questions on my plate (grabs a spoon) by now.

NATHAN: Maybe this blackout is a sign.

(She looks up at him.)

NATHAN: How that we need to deal with everything; the future and all the decisions we have to make.

HALEY: Do we have to? (laughs)

NATHAN: No, but, until the lights come back on, it’s just you, me and the darkness, Hales.

HALEY: Hmm. Sounds kinda nice. (smiles pointedly at him)

(He grabs his own spoon and turns to his food.)

CUT TO:

[INT. KEITH’S APARTMENT – WINDOW – EVENING]

(There’s a close-up of the panes of glass as Dan breaks them with a torch. He breaks every bit of glass off before entering the apartment. He shines his torch around at the messy apartment.)

DAN: (to himself) Keith, wow… I’ve gotta get the name of your decorator.

CUT TO:

[INT. GATINA RESIDENCE – RACHEL’S BEDROOM – EVENING]

(Rachel strikes a match and lights the candles that are on her chest of drawers. Mouth is sitting on the end of her bed.)

MOUTH: I’m so sorry, Rachel. I-I… I mean about kissing you. I just… I thought maybe you’d invited me over here to… well… I’m just sorry.

(Rachel grins.)

RACHEL: Stop apologising, Mouth.

MOUTH: Sure, sorry. (looks down)

(Rachel shakes the match out.)

RACHEL: Just take a breath. (turns back to face him)

MOUTH: (does) I don’t really have a lot of experience when it comes to girls and bedrooms. (pause) Or… girls at all, really.

RACHEL: What about… Erica Marsh?

MOUTH: (quickly) Exactly. Look how well that turned out.

(He scoffs and shakes his head.)

RACHEL: OK, (climbs back onto her bed) you have got to be more confident, Mouth. More sure of yourself.

(Mouth turns to her.)

RACHEL: Like, um,… yeah, I tried to kiss you,… what’re you gonna do about it?

MOUTH: (not getting it) Really?

RACHEL: (shakes her head) And not so nice.

(Mouth looks away disappointedly. She smiles.)

RACHEL: You tell a girl she’s nothing; (pause) she’ll come running. You gotta pick out a little flaw and then blow it out of proportion.

MOUTH: (shakes his head) I don’t know.

RACHEL: (pats him) Come on, come on. Give it a sh*t; lay it on me. (squints at him) Say something… really mean.

MOUTH: Well,… your neck looks… kind of… long.

(Rachel frowns at him.)

MOUTH: (quickly and earnestly) But pretty, really pretty.

(Rachel sighs. Mouth does too.)

MOUTH: I don’t wanna be mean to you, Rachel. Or any girl. It’s stupid.

RACHEL: Are you calling me stupid?

MOUTH: No, I just think-

(She puts a finger to his lips to shut him up and it works.)

RACHEL: (grinning) Coz if you are, (pause) you are getting sexier by the minute.

(She moves her fingers away and Mouth is too speechless to say anything.)

FADE TO:

[INT. DAVIS SCOTT APARTMENT – KITCHEN – EVENING]

(Brooke is at the counter, doing nothing. The front door is open and Lucas enters, once again drenched. He shuts the door.)

BROOKE: (glaring with her back turned) Well?

LUCAS: (walks to her) Well, I’d start a fire but all the wood’s soaked, I’d… turn on a flashlight but, you know, since it’s broken, coz you lost your mind and clobbered me with it, (shakes his head and drops his arms defeatedly) I mean, what got into you, anyway?

(She sits down next to her. They face each other.)

BROOKE: (astounded) What got into me?

(pause)

LUCAS: Yeah, I’m sorry your dinner got ruined.

(Brooke scoffs harshly.)

BROOKE: Right, (nods) the dinner I was making for you with my stupid apron (tosses fruit) and my stupid pie!

(She puts her hands to her face.)

LUCAS: (standing) OK, I’ll start a fire. I just have to find something else to burn.

BROOKE: Great, (picks up his letter) why don’t you start with this?

LUCAS: (nods) You want me to burn my letter?

BROOKE: (coldly) You really are clueless, aren’t you?

LUCAS: Look, I put a lot of heart into that letter.

BROOKE: OK, read it, (opens it up) just… just skip to the last line. (shoves it at him) Go ahead.

(Lucas takes it and reads it.)

LUCAS: (laughs) What’s wrong with the last line: ‘you’re mine forever’. (drops the letter onto the counter) It sounds pretty damn good to me.

BROOKE: Yeah, it sounds great. It sounded even better when I read it the first time, last spring, (stands) in another letter you wrote – to Peyton!

(She snatches her coat off the back of her chair and stomps to the front door. Lucas looks down.)

FADE TO BLACK:

COMMERCIAL SET:

FADE IN:

[EXT. TREE HILL – STREETS – EVENING]

(Bird’s-eye view of Brooke fighting her way through the storm as she rushes down the street. Lucas is pursuing her.)

LUCAS: STOP! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

BROOKE: (continues) RIDICULOUS? I FOUND THAT LETTER IN YOUR SAD-BOX TO PEYTON, WHATEVER, IN YOUR CLOSET! DEAR PEYTON, BLAH BLAH BLAH, YOU’RE MINE FOREVER, LOVE LUCAS!

LUCAS: I DON’T EVEN REMEMBER WRITING THAT!

BROOKE: (faces him and walks backwards) WELL YOU DID! LOOKS LIKE FOREVER JUST GOT A LOT SHORTER!

LUCAS: BROOKE, (takes hold of her arm) I AM SORRY!

(She shakes his arm off.)

LUCAS: IT WAS A MISTAKE!

BROOKE: (stops and faces him) WHICH TIME; WHEN YOU WROTE IT TO ME OR PEYTON?!

LUCAS: YOU KNOW, YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WAS SNOOPING THROUGH MY CLOSET!

BROOKE: (frustrated) SO NOT THE POINT!

LUCAS: (holds her arms) LOOK, I KNOW YOU FEEL VULNERABLE ABOUT WHAT YOU WROTE TO ME IN YOUR LETTERS-

(She shakes him off roughly again.)

BROOKE: (angry) THAT IS NOT WHY I’M UPSET RIGHT NOW! AND FYI, I AM NOT YOUR RECYCLING BIN!

(She stomps away again.)

LUCAS: (yelling even louder) NO, YOU’RE PSYCHOTIC!

(He waits a b*at before running after her.)

FADE TO:

[INT. SAWYER RESIDENCE – PEYTON’S BEDROOM – EVENING]

(Peyton’s on her bed, looking at one of her records. Ellie smiles and pulls one out from Peyton’s collection.)

ELLIE: Ha, this is a great album. It’s good to know that kids still listen to Led Zeplin.

(She walks to Peyton.)

PEYTON: Well,… this kid does.

ELLIE: Ten years gone, it’s one of the saddest songs ever.

PEYTON: Yeah, but in like,… an awesome way.

ELLIE: (smiles) What’s your saddest song ever?

PEYTON: (pause) (smiles) Celebration,… Kool and the g*ng.

(Ellie has her arms folded and absorbs for a b*at.)

ELLIE: Celebration?

PEYTON: (nods) It was playing in the hospital when my mom d*ed.

(Ellie nods understandingly.)

ELLIE: I’m sorry, Peyton.

PEYTON: (shrugs her off and shakes her head) No, it’s,… (laughs) anyway, um,… happier song would be,… Happy Birthday. I’m partial to any song that ends with cake. What about you?

ELLIE: (smiles fondly) Hmmm,… Here Comes a Regular. (pause) The Replacements.

PEYTON: Huh(!) (pause) Not exactly an up-tempo number.

ELLIE: Yeah, but there’s a great story behind it(!)

(Peyton’s eyebrows rise as she waits.)

ELLIE: Right before graduation, I went with some friends to this big outdoor music festival in Winston-Salem. (pause) It was in the middle of a field called The Meadow.

(Peyton smiles and listens.)

ELLIE: (walks to the window) Night comes,… this terrible thunderstorm rolls in. (looks out of the window) Thunder, lightening.

(She looks sharply at Peyton.)

ELLIE: None of the bands could play. (laughing) Thirty thousand people, mud up to our knees… waiting it out. (pause) Praying for the storm to break. (shakes her head) But it never did. (looks at Peyton) Power’s lost,… there’s nothing but the sound of the rain. (pause) Then, out of the blackness,… Paul Westerberg steps into center stage with an acoustic guitar.

(Peyton looks down and grins.)

ELLIE: And plays ‘Here Comes a Regular’. Thirty thousand people fall silent to hear that one… acoustic guitar. (pause) And the one voice that accompanied it.

(Peyton shakes her head as she pictures it. Ellie sighs as she remembers.)

ELLIE: (laughs) It was transcendent… standing there,… in the darkness, listening to that song with my best friends. (pause) I think that was the moment in my life where I felt most alive.

PEYTON: (shakes her head) That’s amazing. I would k*ll to have seen Westerberg in his prime.

ELLIE: Well, he finished in typical fashion; (pause) the song ended,… he smiled, he threw up.

(Peyton laughs.)

ELLIE: And then fell off the stage.

(Peyton laughs louder.)

FADE TO:

[INT. SCOTT RESIDENCE – KITCHEN – EVENING]

(Haley and Nathan are sitting at the counter. She drinks from her bowl and Nathan looks at her.)

HALEY: (b*at) What, yes, I had a second bowl, I was hungry! (smile widely and laughs)

NATHAN: (shakes his head) No, it’s not that. I was just remembering.

HALEY: Remembering what?

NATHAN: Your hair.

(Her smile doesn’t waver but she’s still confused.)

NATHAN: You wore it that way the first day you tutored me.

HALEY: (turns to him) You remember how I wore my hair the first day I tutored you?

NATHAN: Of course.

HALEY: What else do you remember?

NATHAN: I remember the ugly-ass poncho that you wore.

HALEY: (exasperated) Oh my god, yes, you’ve made you feelings for that particular item of clothing very clear! (laughs)

(He laughs and she smacks him lightly on the arm.)

HALEY: Come on, tell me really.

(She puts her legs across his lap.)

NATHAN: Well, um,… (looks at her legs) let’s see; these jeans-

HALEY: Um-hm.

NATHAN: You wore them the day we fell asleep in the park together. And, uh, these shoes, you wore these the day we got stuck at the DMV for five hours- (laughs)

HALEY: Oh, god(!)

NATHAN: -while we waited for your new licence with my last name on it.

(She smiles up at him.)

HALEY: What about my shirt?

NATHAN: (smiles faintly) You wore that shirt one morning when you sat in the living room, and you were playing that Beatles song on your guitar. (pause) The sun just framed your face so perfectly.

HALEY: (pause) Blackbird. (smiles) That was the name of the Beatles song I played.

(Nathan smiles and shrugs.)

NATHAN: I remember more than you think.

(Haley smiles happily.)

FADE TO:

[INT. KAREN’S CAFÉ – KITCHEN – EVENING]

(Karen walks in, holding a lantern high and looking at a frame she is holding.)

KAREN: I can’t believe I didn’t notice this(!)

(She walks to Keith who is standing at the counter.)

KAREN: This is the first dollar I ever earned in this café. (sadly) And now it’s ruined.

KEITH: (shrugs) Well, it’s just a dollar.

(She looks at him.)

KAREN: (smiling) Don’t you remember who gave it to me?

KEITH: Of course I do. (walks around) I bought the first cup of coffee on the morning you opened.

KAREN: (smiling) I had Lucas on one hip… a tray on the other. (laughs and looks up at him) My parents though I was crazy. As did the rest of the town. (pause) Except for you.

(They look at each other for a b*at.)

KAREN: I’ll never forget what you said.

KEITH: (thinks and remembers) Anyone who thinks this is more than you can handle… is less than the kinda person you need in your life.

KAREN: (impressed) I can’t believe you remembered that.

KEITH: Oh, please, I stayed up all the night before trying to figure out what I was gonna say. (pause) How bout a kiss instead of a coffee?

(She nods and they kiss.)

FADE TO:

[INT. KEITH’S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM – EVENING]

(Dan is walking around with his torch, looking at everything. He walks over something and hears glass break. Stooping, he picks up a framed picture of himself and Keith as children. He shakes the broken glass out of the frame and brings it closer so that he can look at it.)

YOUNG DAN: (v.o) Keith, Keith,-

FLASHBACK TO:

[INT. OLDER SCOTT RESIDENCE – DAN’S BEDROOM – EVENING]

(Dan, as a child, is sitting up in bed, terrified of the storm and yelling for his brother.)

YOUNG DAN: -Keith! Keith! Keeeeith!

(Keith walks to the doorway.)

YOUNG KEITH: Danny, shush!

(Keith climbs onto Dan’s bed.)

YOUNG KEITH: It’s just a storm, Danny. It’ll pass over soon.

YOUNG DAN: I’m scared.

(Keith thinks before reaching over and taking hold of the picture on Dan’s bedside table.)

YOUNG KEITH: (gives it to him) Here. Hold on to this.

(Dan takes it.)

YOUNG KEITH: This way, I’ll always be with you. It’ll keep you safe. I promise.

(Keith messes up Dan’s hair.)

YOUNG KEITH: (getting off the bed) Now go to sleep.

(Dan holds onto the picture and gets back into bed.)

END OF FLASHBACK:

FADE TO:

[INT. KEITH’S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM – EVENING]

(Dan is still holding that same photo in its now broken frame. He takes the picture away and sees a key taped behind it, to the back of the frame. He pulls the key out and drops what remains of the frame.)

FADE TO:

[EXT. TREE HILL – STREETS – EVENING]

(Lucas is still pursuing Brooke who is adamant to get as far away from him as possible.)

LUCAS: Brooke, I’m sorry I said that. You’re not psychotic. I mean, a little disturbed, maybe.

(She stops and turns to him.)

BROOKE: You think this is funny?!

LUCAS: Know what I think? Is I think you’re trying to sabotage us. Find any reason you can end it. So that you don’t have to worry about getting hurt again.

BROOKE: But the same words, Lucas? The exact same words?!

LUCAS: (shakes his head) I never sent that letter to Peyton.

BROOKE: And I never sent my letters to you either but they still meant something(!) (pause) Just tell me, why me this time. Why not Peyton?

LUCAS: I can’t say anything bad about Peyton. She’s my friend, and she’s your best friend!

BROOKE: That’s OK, you can say bad things about her.

LUCAS: (shakes his head) Oh, Brooke.

(He looks back at her, still shaking his head.)

LUCAS: The truth is, I care about Peyton.

BROOKE: Then what is the difference?

LUCAS: The difference… the difference is I love you, Brooke.

(Her anger ebbs away.)

LUCAS: I wanna be with you, not Peyton.

BROOKE: (sadly) But why? I need to know why.

LUCAS: Because you… kink your eyebrow when you’re trying to be cute; because you quote Keimoo, even though I’ve never actually seen you read!

(She smiles slightly.)

LUCAS: And because… you miss your parents but you’ll never ever admit that. And because… I’ve given exactly two of these embarrassing speeches in my entire life… and they’ve both been with you.

(She doesn’t answer.)

LUCAS: I mean that’s… gotta mean something, right?

(Brooke doesn’t say anything but she’s softening.)

LUCAS: And because we’re both… gonna get pneumonia… (looks at her directly) but if you need to hear why I love you,… I can go on all night.

BROOKE: (finally showing she’s cold and nodding) You did pretty good.

(She steps up to him and kisses him.)

FADE TO BLACK:

COMMERCIAL SET:

FADE IN:

[INT. GATINA RESIDENCE – RACHEL’S BEDROOM – EVENING]

(Mouth is at Rachel’s table, playing with a candle.)

MOUTH: Hey, Rachel, can I ask you a question?

(He turns around to look at her. She’s on the other side of her room.)

MOUTH: I get all that stuff about being confident, but… I’m still trying to figure out why you invited me over here in the first place.

RACHEL: I thought we were gonna watch a movie.

MOUTH: Well, I know but… our friendship; why me?

(Rachel gets onto her bed and grins.)

RACHEL: Are you kidding me? You are more honest and comfortable about who you are then most of the other guys in school.

MOUTH: Is it that? (pause) Or is it because you thought it would make Brooke jealous?

RACHEL: (smiles to herself and looks down) No offence, Mouth, but… I don’t need you to make Brooke jealous.

MOUTH: (grinning) Great, I don’t even get that.

(Rachel looks away sadly.)

MOUTH: There’s something kinda cool about feeling like the pawn between two hot girls.

RACHEL: (smiles) Look, um,… let me help you; give you the benefit of my expertise. I can teach you how to become one of the guys the elite girls drool over.

MOUTH: By being mean to them?

RACHEL: (shrugs) Sometimes.

(He sighs and looks away for a b*at.)

MOUTH: But I’m not that guy, Rachel. (pause) And I don’t wanna be. So, maybe the elite girls just aren’t for me, then. But, one of these days, I’m gonna meet a girl who really loves me. (pause) And maybe she won’t be what you call hot but I’ll think she’s beautiful (she smiles) and I’ll tell her so. I won’t be mean to her because I won’t have to play games with her… I’ll just be the guy that she can always count on and… that’ll be enough.

(Rachel smiles a little more.)

MOUTH: And she’ll be… elite to me.

FADE TO:

[INT. SAWYER RESIDENCE – PEYTON’S BEDROOM – EVENING]

(Peyton and Ellie are on Peyton’s bed, just sitting there.)

ELLIE: You OK?

PEYTON: (shakes her head dismally) Not really. What’re we doing? You know, you’ve been here three weeks, Ellie, and all we’ve talked about is music and… the CD and business. But it’s not just a business arrangement, is it?

ELLIE: (smiles just as sadly) Of course not.

(Peyton struggles for a few seconds before standing up straighter and looking at Ellie. She’s close to tears.)

PEYTON: I need you to talk to me about you cancer(!)

(Ellie looks away and sighs. She looks back at Peyton and smiles.)

ELLIE: It’s OK.

PEYTON: (crying) No! No, it’s not OK! (pause) How can you just act like nothing’s wrong? Aren’t you afraid? Because I’m afraid for you.

(Ellie sits up and turns to her.)

ELLIE: Don’t be afraid, Peyton.

(Peyton sighs and looks down, shaking her head.)

ELLIE: Every song has a CODA; a final movement. Whether it fades out or crashes away. Every song ends, but is that any reason not to enjoy the music?

PEYTON: (sobbing) It doesn’t mean I can’t want it to not end.

ELLIE: (smiles and touches Peyton’s face) Look at you. You’ve had more life changing events in the… first seventeen years of your life than I’d wish on anyone. You’ve got the surviving part down.

(Peyton sighs and looks away again. Ellie forces her to look at her.)

ELLIE: I want you to focus more on the living.

PEYTON: (breathes deeply) Sometimes, surviving’s about all the living I can handle.

ELLIE: I don’t buy that for one second. (pause) And if you keep this up – hiding in your art, and your sadness,… you’re really gonna miss out. Because the truth is,… there is nothing to be afraid of. (pause) It’s just life.

(Peyton sighs again. Ellie takes hold of her arm.)

ELLIE: Come on.

(Peyton looks at her, puzzled.)

ELLIE: (laughs) Come on.

PEYTON: Where are we going?

ELLIE: We are going in to life.

FADE TO:

[EXT. SCOTT RESIDENCE (EST) – BACK DOOR – EVENING]

CUT TO:

[INT. SCOTT RESIDENCE – LIVING ROOM – EVENING]

(Nathan is lying on the floor in the living room and Haley has her head on his stomach.)

HALEY: (smiling) I really like that you’re telling me all these stories about… how much you remember. (laughs) It’s kinda scary though, and now I have to be like, super cute, twenty-four, seven or I could be imbedded in you memory for all of eternity.

(Nathan laughs)

HALEY: But, I have to say… I kinda feel like we’re cheating; we’re not even really talking about other big issues.

NATHAN: (groans) Oh, I was this (holds a finger and thumb a centimetre apart) close to getting away with it, wasn’t I?

(She slaps him playfully and laughs.)

HALEY: I don’t wanna ruin our evening. I just don’t wanna miss an opportunity to, like, actually work things out.

NATHAN: Well, how do you know a fun night together isn’t exactly what we need to work things out? Or, maybe a few fun nights, all in a row, no trouble in-between.

HALEY: Yeah, bu-um-

NATHAN: I know. It’s not in your nature.

(She laughs again.)

HALEY: It’s not really, and I’m sorry. I just,… I can’t help it, I have so many questions.

(She sits up and lies on her stomach. Nathan shifts around to face her.)

HALEY: (sighs) OK, (pause) why did you call Chris?

NATHAN: I told you, I asked Chris to come back and help you with your music because you love it. I mean, it’s a huge part of who you are.

HALEY: I know, but,… Nathan,… Chris? There are a million other people you could’ve called. Why open that door again?

(Nathan sighs and doesn’t speak for a few seconds.)

NATHAN: Look, I called Chris because I screwed up… and I wanted to try and fix it. (pause) Going to High Flyers made me realise how wrong I was to make you choose between me and the tour. I mean, wh-… what is this, the nineteen fifties?

(Haley laughs to herself.)

NATHAN: It didn’t have to be either or, you know?

HALEY: (soberly) But it was, wasn’t it? (pause) I mean, if I didn’t ask you to come with me. (pause) Nathan,… (sighs) when I look back on the tour, I’m… I’m not, like, proud of it coz I know that you weren’t proud of me.

(Nathan frowns as he digests her words.)

NATHAN: Is that what you think? (pause) That I wasn’t proud of you?

(Her silence is enough of an assent.)

NATHAN: Let me show you something. (gets up) It’s in my car.

(Haley sits up hurriedly.)

HALEY: Nathan, it’s crazy out there!

(She grabs her jacket and follows him.)

CUT TO:

[EXT. SCOTT RESIDENCE – FRONT DOOR – EVENING]

(The front door opens and Nathan runs out. He’s not wearing a coat or a jacket. He runs to the car and opens the door which isn’t locked. Haley walks out of the front door.)

HALEY: (yelling over the rain) Nathan, what’re you doing!

(She runs down the steps after him. Nathan pulls a box out of the back seat. The lid flies off in the heavy winds. She tries to catch it but it sails past her. Clippings fly out of the box and Nathan tries to grab them. Haley helps him.)

HALEY: What is that?

(She runs to the car and picks up more. She opens it out and reads the title: ‘News From the Road’ and the subheading: ‘Haley James Scott: A Breath of Fresh Air’. She looks up at him in wonder. He has kept every article he could find about her and the tour.)

NATHAN: I was hurt, Haley,… but I was still proud of you. (pause) Every day.

(She kisses him.)

NATHAN: (pulling away) Wait, wait, it’s all getting ruined.

HALEY: No, you don’t need all that stuff. You’ve got me.

(She laughs and they kiss again. He lifts her up and she laughs. He lowers her onto the bonnet of the car and continues to kiss her.)

FADE TO:

[INT. KAREN’S CAFÉ – COUNTER – EVENING]

(Karen and Keith are standing behind the counter, kissing.)

FADE TO:

[INT. DAVIS SCOTT APARTMENT – BROOKE AND HALEY’S BEDROOM – EVENING]

(Brooke and Lucas are under the covers, making out.)

FADE TO:

[EXT. SCOTT RESIDENCE – DRIVEWAY – EVENING]

(Nathan and Haley are still on the car, kissing.)

FADE TO:

[EXT. TREE HILL – PEYTON’S CAR – EVENING]

(Peyton and Ellie are sitting in Peyton’s car, laughing. Ellie is driving.)

PEYTON: THIS IS CRAZY!

ELLIE: This is alive!

(Peyton laughs and they continue to drive with the top down on her convertible.)

FADE TO BLACK:

COMMERCIAL SET:

FADE IN:

[INT. GATINA RESIDENCE – RACHEL’S ROOM – EVENING]

(Rachel sits next to Mouth on the chair.)

RACHEL: You really surprised me, Mouth. (nods) That speech was pretty impressive.

MOUTH: … Just being honest. (pause) The last part would’ve worked better as an exit-line but… I’ve watched enough hurricane coverage on CNN to know: you’re supposed to stay put until you get the all-clear.

RACHEL: (nods) Then, I guess we’re stuck with each other. (turns to him more) And I’m pretty much all talked out. You got anything else to say?

MOUTH: Not really.

RACHEL: Well,… we could kiss.

(Mouth laughs. She looks at him seriously.)

MOUTH: Stop. (shakes his head)

RACHEL: I’m serious. It’d pass the time. Whaddaya say?

MOUTH: (b*at) (leans closer) We could do that.

(Rachel leans in a lot closer to him. Mouth pulls away and shakes his head.)

MOUTH: But I’m not going to.

(She freezes for a moment or two.)

RACHEL: Good. (pulls back) You’re learning. (smiles) Play hard-to-get.

MOUTH: (gets up) No, it’s not that. It’s just,… (turns to her) It’s easier in the dark. (pause) … But pretty soon, the lights are gonna come back on and… we’ll go back to being who we really are. Right?

(Rachel avoids his eyes.)

MOUTH: I mean, kissing might be… I don’t know, whatever, to you… but to me, it’ll mean something. And I’ll wake up tomorrow, wanting to do it again… and again, and… pretty much all the time. (pause) Somehow, I don’t think you’ll feel the same.

(Rachel still doesn’t say anything. Mouth sits on her bed, facing her.)

MOUTH: On the day that changes, (pause) on the day you wake up and have to call me; (smiles) then I’ll kiss you.

(The lights spark and come back on.)

MOUTH: Guess that’s my queue.

(He stands up and reaches for his coat.)

RACHEL: (miserably) Mouth, wait.

MOUTH: It’s cool. I’ll see you later.

(He looks back once as he walks out of the door.)

FADE TO:

[INT. KAREN’S CAFÉ – DINING AREA – EVENING]

(The candles are the only things visible in the completely dark café. The lights come back on and Karen is found on the couch with Keith. Their clothes are littered all over the floor.)

KAREN: Oh! (puts a hand to her eyes)

KEITH: Mmm.

KAREN: Uh, you know that lemon meringue was tomorrow’s featured dessert? (laughs)

KEITH: Hmm, well, not anymore.

(She smiles up at him and he kisses the top of her head. She turns and faces him.)

KAREN: I love you, Keith.

(He kisses her.)

FADE TO:

[INT. COUNCIL BUILDING – MAYOR’S OFFICE – EVENING]

(Dan is on the computer assessing files from the ‘public records’ in ‘The City of Tree Hill Municipal Database’. He types in ‘Keith Scott’ into the search box. He looks at the result and finds that Keith has a safety deposit box. He grins.)

DAN: Gotcha.

(The lightening continues to flash outside.)

FAD TO:

[INT. SAWYER RESIDENCE – PEYTON’S BEDROOM – EVENING]

(Peyton walks out of the bathroom in a robe while towel-drying her hair. Ellie walks out of Peyton’s bathroom in her own bathrobe and holding a hairbrush.)

ELLIE: So, if you catch a cold,…

(Peyton sits and looks back at Ellie.)

ELLIE: you can tell your father it’s all on me.

(Peyton laughs as Ellie stops behind her. She brushes Peyton’s hair.)

PEYTON: It’ll be worth it. Tonight was amazing.

(Ellie nods.)

PEYTON: Thank you.

(They are silent for a moment. Peyton turns her head fully around and wipes the corner of her eye with her fingers. Ellie looks at her.)

ELLIE: Are you OK?

PEYTON: (sighs sadly) Yeah.

(She doesn’t sound very convincing.)

PEYTON: Yeah. (tearfully) This is nice.

(Ellie smiles and nods.)

ELLIE: Yeah. (pause) It is.

PEYTON: You know, um,… I was thinking about… the stuff you said about living life and… jumping at opportunity; not being afraid.

(Ellie finishes brushing Peyton’s hair and moves around.)

ELLIE: Yeah?

PEYTON: And… (Ellie sits) there was this guy – there… there is this guy. A guy that… I loved. (laughs) And… I let him go and now I’m starting to think that was a big mistake. (nods) But it’s too late.

ELLIE: No. (smiles and shakes her head) It’s never too late, Peyton. That’s the one thing I learned from meeting you.

(Peyton leans on Ellie, resting her head on her shoulder. Ellie rubs Peyton’s arm and sighs. Peyton cries.)

ELLIE: I’m so sorry I missed those seventeen years. (pause) But I wouldn’t give back these three weeks for the world.

PEYTON: (sighs and whispers) Yeah, me either.

ELLIE: (shrugs) And the Peyton that I’ve come to know,… deserves to get whatever she wants.

(Peyton sighs again.)

ELLIE: She deserves to be happy – as an artist;… as a friend;… as a daughter;… (looks at her out of the corner of her eye) as my daughter.

PEYTON: (smiles drowsily) I heard that.

(Ellie laughs and touches Peyton’s head. A tear rolls down Peyton’s cheek. They sit there, holding each other.)

FADE TO:

[INT. SCOTT RESIDENCE – NATHAN’S BEDROOM – DAY]

(Haley and Nathan are in bed. Haley is lying on her back, an arm over her head and eyes open. She’s thinking. Nathan shows all pretences of sleep.)

NATHAN: (smiles) Stop it.

(His eyes are closed and he isn’t even facing her.)

HALEY: (turns her head to him) What?

NATHAN: Whatever you were worrying about. Just stop.

HALEY: (impressed) How do you know I’m worried? You didn’t even open your eyes.

NATHAN: (smiles) You think I need to see you with my eyes to know what’s going on with you? What’s on your mind?

(Haley looks straight up and sighs.)

HALEY: I was just… wondering if maybe I should go home.

(Now Nathan does turn his head and look at her.)

NATHAN: And why would you do that?

HALEY: Coz I don’t wanna wake up and have you not be here again.

NATHAN: I’ll be here.

(She turns her head to him.)

NATHAN: (smiles) I’m not going anywhere.

(She cracks a small smile.)

NATHAN: Come here.

(He holds his arms up and Haley moves in to lie on his chest. They sigh and he kisses the top of her head.)

FADE TO BLACK:

COMMERCIAL SET:

FADE IN:

[INT. SAWYER RESIDENCE – PEYTON’S BEDROOM – DAY]

(Close-up of Peyton who is lying on her bed, asleep. She opens her eyes as she hears a zip being pulled. Realising what the sound means, she doesn’t turn around. Finally doing so, she sees Ellie hoisting a bag onto her shoulder.)

PEYTON: (smiling bravely) Every great song ends sometime, right?

(Peyton pushes the covers off and gets out of bed. Ellie stands there and smiles.)

ELLIE: Call me when you get the CD.

(Peyton moves and sits on the edge of her bed, nodding and looking down sadly.)

ELLIE: I’ll come see ya. We can listen to it together.

PEYTON: (tearfully) Sure.

ELLIE: You know, I came back here to make sure you had a good life.

(Peyton sighs and looks down.)

ELLIE: And you made sure I had a great one.

(Peyton looks at her for a b*at before standing and hugging her whilst crying.)

PEYTON: I don’t want you to go(!)

ELLIE: (looks forward and sighs) Oh, sweetie, (tears in her eyes) those words are gonna break my heart.

(They hug hard. Ellie smiles and rubs Peyton’s back. They let go and Ellie holds Peyton’s head lightly.)

ELLIE: We will see each other again some day.

(Peyton nods.)

ELLIE: (smiling) I promise.

(Peyton nods again and Ellie kisses her on top of her head. They hold hands before Ellie finally backs out of the room.)

FADE TO:

[INT. SCOTT RESIDENCE – NATHAN’S BEDROOM – DAY]

(Haley is asleep in Nathan’s bed. The camera zooms out as she jerks and wakes up. She’s alone in it. She puts a hand on the pillow beside her before looking out over the foot of the bed. Nathan’s standing there with a makeshift washing line. He has hung up all of the articles featuring her, to dry… using clothes pegs. He shakes one of the articles.)

(Haley watches him and smiles affectionately.)

HALEY: Nathan-

NATHAN: Haley, I told you – the tour was a really big part of your life. (smiles)

(He walks under it and back to her.)

NATHAN: You deserve to have something to remember it by.

(She smiles.)

NATHAN: Besides, all the bad memories.

(She groans, rushes across the bed and hugs him.)

HALEY: Thank you.

(The let go.)

HALEY: What’re we gonna do about college? (sighs)

NATHAN: We’ll apply to both. (pause) Then we’ll just wait and see.

(Haley smiles as she considers. He tucks an errant hair behind her ear.)

FADE TO:

[EXT. TREE HILL HIGH – CEMENT QUAD – DAY]

(Students walk across the quad.)

CUT TO:

[INT. TREE HILL HIGH – CORRIDOR – DAY]

(Mouth walks into the school and Rachel runs to catch up with him.)

RACHEL: (grinning) Hey, you!

(He looks back, sees her and smiles. They walk together.)

RACHEL: I haven’t seen you in a couple of days.

MOUTH: Yeah, I know, it’s been crazy. How’ve you been?

RACHEL: (nods distractedly) Uh, I just wanna make sure that… (he opens his locker door) things are cool. You know, after what happened at my house.

(He puts his things into his locker and gets other things out.)

MOUTH: Listen, girls are always trying to kiss me – sometimes cheerleaders, mostly models. It happens.

(Rachel smiles as Mouth locks his locker.)

MOUTH: It’s no big deal, I don’t blame you. (smiles) In fact, um,… I got an hour to k*ll later on so if you want…

RACHEL: (embarrassed) Stop it(!)

MOUTH: You know, I’ve been thinking about what you said;… about being mean to girls and… (she nods) I want you to know… those sweatpants really make your butt look big.

RACHEL: Mouth! (touches the sweatpants self-consciously)

MOUTH: (laughing as they walk together) I’m sorry. I thought I’d give it a sh*t but who am I kidding? Your butt looks great. I mean, not that I noticed. (shakes his head) Sorry.

RACHEL: Hey, rule number one; never apologise. Come on, I thought we talked about that.

MOUTH: You’re right, I’m sorry.

(Rachel looks back and sees Brooke watching her with her eyes narrowed. Mouth laughs with Rachel, not having noticed Brooke. Rachel puts her hand on his shoulder and they walk off-screen. Brooke scoffs, shakes her head, and continues to walk.)

FADE TO:

[INT. ELLIE’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – DAY]

(Close-up of candles and the record player. Ellie, looking distinctly unwell, plays ‘Here Comes a Regular’ on it. She grabs onto the doorframe for support and puts a hand to her head. She looks at the frame, exhausted.)

(The sh*t fades out to a long-sh*t of her as she repeatedly struggles against it.)

(Fade to a close-up of her pale face as she struggles to breathe.)

FADE TO:

[INT. MANUFACTURING STUDIO – DAY]

(A machine works as it copies many CDs of the Friends With Benefit album.)

FADE TO:

[INT. ELLIE’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – EVENING]

(Ellie, now in a bathrobe, lowers herself to the floor and leans against her records as she listens to her song. The sh*t pans past her.)

FADE TO:

[INT. MANUFACTURING STUDIO – DAY]

(The finished albums move across the conveyor one by one. They are picked up by workers and boxed.)

FADE TO:

[INT. ELLIE’S HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – DAY]

(Ellie looks at a picture in her hand and smiles. It’s a picture of herself and Peyton, taken the day Peyton was born. She smiles weakly and slips it back into the pocket she got it from. She takes a deep breath and lies down, haphazardly, on her bed.)

(A white candle which flickers out.)

FADE TO:

[INT. SAWYER RESIDENCE – DINING ROOM – DAY]

(Peyton is holding all of her mail. She sifts through it before putting it aside and putting the box she’s holding on the table. She rips the tape off and opens the box. She smiles as she takes out one of her albums, flips it over and reads the back.)

FADE TO:

[INT. PEYTON’S CAR – THE ROAD – DAY]

(Peyton is smiling widely as she drives. She looks into the back seat where the box of CDs is sitting, along with her bag.)

(She smiles more and continues to drive.)

FADE TO:

[INT. ELLIE’S HOUSE – HALLWAY – DAY]

(Peyton knocks from the other side of the front door before peering in to the house. The door’s unlocked and she opens it.)

PEYTON: Ellie?! (shuts the door) Hey, I got the CDs! (pause) They look awesome.

(She waits uncertainly before turning her head at the scratching she can hear.)

(Close-up of the record as it continues to go around. The song finished a long time ago.)

PEYTON: (uncertainly) Ellie?

(She walks into the room, dread on her face.)

(Ellie’s hand is visible as Peyton steps into the room and sees her mother lying on the bed. Peyton looks as if she’s about to throw up.)

(The box falls to the floor and the CDs scatter.)

(The sh*t cuts back to her face as she cries. She puts her hands to her mouth as she sobs hard before slowly collapsing to the floor, a hand to her face. She breaks down and mouths ‘Ellie’.)

FADE TO WHITE:

FADE IN:

[INT. TREE HILL HIGH – CORRIDOR – DAY]

(Brooke and Lucas walk down the corridor together. Peyton moves across the sh*t, to her locker. She turns the combination on the lock. Brooke lets go of Lucas’ hand and walks to Peyton.)

(Brooke touches Peyton lightly. Peyton turns to her and cries as she hugs her best friend hard. Brooke reaches back and calls to Lucas. He walks over. Peyton sees him and smiles desolately. They both hug Peyton.)

FADE TO:

[INT. TREE HILL HIGH – TUTOR CENTER – DAY]

(Haley and Nathan are sitting together at a table, working. They are filling out their application forms to college. Haley puts a cross on ‘married’ when asked for her marital status. Nathan does the same when asked for his.)

(They look at each other and smile.)

FADE TO:

[INT. BANK – SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX ROOM – DAY]

(Dan is led into the room by a member of staff. She inserts his key into the lock of his own safety deposit box.)

DAN: (moving forward) This is kinda personal, do you mind?

STAFF: (understanding) Oh, um,… of course. My apologies. Just let me know when you’re finished, Mr Mayor.

(She walks out. Dan waits until he’s sure she’s gone before pulling the key out and setting it on the table. He walks across the room to the other wall where there are more boxes.)

(He takes out Keith’s key and opens the door. He looks inside and pulls out the box. Setting it on the table, he lifts the lid and pulls out his ledger.)

FLASHBACK TO:

[INT. DAN SCOTT MOTORS – DAN’S OFFICE CEILING – DAY]

(The sh*t is in black and white as Lucas lifts one of the ceiling tiles of Dan’s office and looks into the space between ceiling and roof. He searches through a bag full of money and pulls out Dan’s ledger filled with all of the money Dan has illegally taken off the top of his earnings.)

END OF FLASHBACK:

FLASH TO:

[INT. BANK – SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX ROOM – DAY]

(Dan opens the ledger and flips through it. It’s the same one. He grins at what he’s found.)

FADE TO:

[EXT. TREE HILL – THE ROAD – DAY]

(Peyton’s car zooms past as she drives to Winston-Salem.)

FADE TO:

[EXT. WINSTON-SALEM – THE MEADOW – DAY]

(Peyton stops her car on the meadow and gets out. She’s holding an urn full of Ellie’s ashes. She looks around before picking a spot. She takes the lid off and put it into her pocket. Tipping it sideways, Peyton watches the ashes fly out.)

PEYTON: ( pause) (tearfully) Say hi to my mom,… (quietly) mom.

(Peyton bends and sets the urn down in front of her before sitting down herself. She puts a hand to her head, defeatedly.)

(The sh*t pans up to the blue, cloudy sky.)

END