ROSWELL: WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN - "Don't Tell Mama" - ACT III - 06/20/02

ACT III


  25 INT. CRASHDOWN CAFÉ - DAY

It's the middle of the afternoon, so there are only a few customers. Jeff and Nancy are behind the counter; they look up when the front door opens. Diane Evans comes in, sees them, smiles and heads for the counter. Nancy and Jeff also smile at her approach.

NANCY
Diane! I'm so glad you could drop by.

DIANE
Your phone call suggesting we discuss Max and Liz came at an opportune time.
(smiling)
Max started working on me last night, and again this morning, on Liz's many fine qualities.

JEFF
Talk about coincidences! This morning, Liz was trying to convince us that Max is responsible, caring, compassionate, smart ...
(to Nancy)
What am I forgetting?

NANCY
Kind, thoughtful ... I'm not sure of the rest.
(to Diane)
Liz made a list.

Diane laughs lightly.

DIANE
They definitely seem to be on the same wave length.
(beat)
Max made a valid point, though. We don't really know Liz, and you don't know Max. Maybe we should make an effort to get to know them better, before imposing an--
(she smiles as she says the next part)
edict, as Max calls it, that they can't see one another.

Jeff and Nancy smile at Max's choice of words as well. Jeff thinks about it and nods.

JEFF
I think that has possibilities. Liz was telling me the same thing. She said that if I got to know Max, I would realize that I can trust him, and trust him with her.
(beat)
Why don't we move to a booth, to get comfortable, and talk about this some more. Would you like some coffee?

DIANE
I'd love some.

As they all move over to the last booth in the back, the camera cuts to the pass-through window to the kitchen, where we see Michael is very interested in their conversation.

Cut to:

  26 INT. WEST ROSWELL HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY

School has let out, so the corridors are almost empty. Max is walking down one, alone. Maria rounds a corner and sees him up ahead. She calls out.

MARIA
Max!

Max stops and turns. He smiles when he sees Maria and waits for her to catch up.

MARIA (cont'd)
Hi.

MAX
Hi.

MARIA
Heading to the lab to work on our project?

MAX
Uh huh.
(teasing)
I thought it might be a good idea since we all agreed to meet there in ...

(looks at his watch)

MAX (cont'd)
Five minutes.

MARIA
(feeling a little foolish, but trying to cover)
Right! Mind if I join you?

MAX
No. Why would I mind?

They start walking.

MARIA
Um ... well ... I thought maybe you might want to be alone. I don't know, just thought I'd ask, being polite and all ...

MAX
(looks at her funny)
Are you OK? Is something on your mind?

MARIA
I'm that transparent, huh?

MAX
Yeah.

MARIA
It was the babbling and inane questions that gave me away, right?

MAX
(smiling)
Kinda.

MARIA
OK, I'll get right to the point. What's wrong with Michael? I know you followed him after he split so suddenly at lunch. What did he tell you? Is it me? Did I do something wrong? What? What is it?

MAX
(sorry that he opened this can of worms)
Oh ... um ... nothing's wrong. What makes you think something's wrong?

Maria gives him a "give me a break" look.

MAX (cont'd)
OK, he did act a little strange. But really, nothing's wrong. He just ... it's just ...

Torn, not knowing what to do or say, Max sighs heavily, then stops. Maria stops and turns to look at him. He puts his hands on her upper arms and looks her in the eye.

MAX (cont'd)
I can't betray a confidence, but I assure you, everything is OK. You haven't done anything wrong. You just need to be patient. OK?

MARIA
(nods and sighs)
OK, I guess I can try, although patience isn't really one of my virtues.
(beat)
Sorry about the babbling.

They continue walking towards the lab room. Max puts his arm around her shoulder and gives it a little squeeze.

MAX
Don't worry about it. You had every right to babble. Michael can have that effect on people sometimes.

They both exchange a knowing smile, as they continue walking.

Cut to:

  27 INT. CRASHDOWN BACK BOOTH - A FEW MOMENTS LATER

Jeff, Nancy, and Diane are still seated in the booth. Jeff looks up when the front door opens. Amy enters carrying a box. Jeff smiles and motions to her to come join them. She smiles and heads towards the back booth. In the background we see that Kyle and his friend Tommy have entered behind her and head for the counter. Jen goes over to take their order. Michael notices the new arrivals and ducks out of the way when he sees Amy. We will periodically see him in the background trying to eavesdrop on the parents' conversation, keep an eye on Kyle and stay out of Amy's sight, all at the same time.

NANCY
(to Amy, indicating box)
Are these the alien-head picks?

AMY
Yes, two gross, just like you ordered.

JEFF
Great, they came just in time. We were running low.

Amy hands him the box.

JEFF (cont'd)
Why don't you join us. Have you met Diane Evans?

Amy sits next to Diane.

AMY
No, I don't believe I have.

NANCY
(making the introductions)
Diane, this is Amy DeLuca, Maria's mom. Maria is one of Liz's best friends. Amy, this is Diane Evans, Max's mom.

AMY
(smiling)
Max, huh?

DIANE
You know my son?

AMY
I know of him. Liz is very fond of him.
(extending her hand)
I'm very pleased to meet you.

DIANE
(smiling; taking her hand)
Likewise.

Cut to:

  28 INT. WEST ROSWELL HIGH SCHOOL LAB ROOM - SAME

Max and Maria step into the room. Alex and Liz are already there, as are Mr. Seligman, who is busy correcting papers (there is an apple sitting conspicuously on the corner of his desk), and a few other students working on their projects. Alex rushes up to Maria.

ALEX
(to Maria)
Do you have the rock samples?

MARIA
Can I put my stuff down first?

She goes to the lab table and places her backpack on it. She starts going through her pack but doesn't find the samples immediately.

MAX
(worried)
You did remember to bring them, right? We can't do the experiment without them.

MARIA
Relax! After all the trouble these rocks caused me, I was damn sure I brought them with me.

She finds them and pulls them out of her pack.

ALEX
Well, if you hadn't waited until this morning to get them ...

Maria gives him a look like she doesn't want to hear it.

LIZ
Alex is right, you know. It would cause you fewer problems if you planned ahead, instead of waiting until the last minute.

MARIA
Et tu, Liz?

Maria looks at Max, who nods in agreement with Liz and Alex.

MARIA (cont'd)
Great! It's not bad enough that I'm gonna get it from my mother, I'm gonna get it from you, too. How did I end up with best friends who are so a--
(smiling as she corrects herself)
plan-oriented? I bet you all had your contributions to the project a week in advance, right?

LIZ
(smiling, teasing)
What can I say? We plan ahead; and if you had "planned ahead", then your mother wouldn't have discovered you at Michael's this morning.
(seriously)
Why did you keep it a secret from your mom, that Michael has his own place?

Cut to:

  29 INT. CRASHDOWN CAFÉ - CONTINUOUS

Jeff, Nancy, Diane, and Amy are sitting in the booth near the back of the Café. Jen is pouring them coffee.

NANCY
Thanks, Jen.

Jen smiles, then goes to refill another customer's cup, taking the box of alien-head picks with her.

NANCY
(curious)
So, Amy, did you find Maria?

DIANE
(concerned)
Was she missing?

AMY
(to Diane)
No, wayward.
(to Nancy)
Unfortunately, I did find her ... at Michael's.

NANCY
(wincing)
Oooh. What was her excuse?

AMY
I don't know yet. We never got to discuss it. Her schedule is so tight today, that I won't see her till this evening.
(beat)
It might be just as well. It gave me a chance to calm down.

Amy pauses to sip her coffee.

AMY
(cont'd)
I've also had a chance to reflect on how I feel about it. Although I'm nervous about what Maria might tell me she did while she was there, I realize that Maria not telling me about Michael's apartment, is what bothers me the most. Why didn't she think she could tell me the truth?

DIANE
(with a touch of sadness)
They think we can't handle the truth, that we will overreact.

Cut to:

  30 INT. WEST ROSWELL HIGH SCHOOL LAB ROOM - SAME

MARIA
(shrugs)
I don't know. I guess I just figured she would overreact and wouldn't understand that nothing was happening. You remember how she overreacted when she discovered Michael slept over in my bed, and that was totally innocent.

LIZ
Yeah, they think all we ever think about is sex!

Cut to:

  31 INT. CRASHDOWN CAFÉ - CONTINUOUS

DIANE
I think I need to catch up here. What is Maria's connection to Michael?

NANCY
Maria is Michael's girlfriend and she never told Amy that he has his own apartment now.

DIANE
Ohhhh!

AMY
My feelings exactly! You remember what it's like as a teen. All you can think about is being with that special person in your life. Wishing you didn't have to go to separate homes each night; wondering what it would be like if you lived together. Now Maria has a prime opportunity to find out!

Cut to:

  32 INT. WEST ROSWELL HIGH SCHOOL LAB ROOM - SAME

MARIA
It's not like I like keeping secrets from my mom, but sometimes it's just easier...
(she glances at Max)
Especially now.

ALEX
You've got that right. I used to tell my mom and dad everything, but now...

LIZ
(to Max, keeping her voice low, so as not to be overheard by the uninitiated in the room; the others follow her example)
It must have been very hard for you, growing up and not being able to open up to your parents.

Max flashes back to Isabel's comments about their mother (From "The Toy House": "She was asking all these questions about you. She said you had secrets.")

MAX
Yeah, it was. And even though it's become a habit now, it's still hard. Sometimes I think I'd give anything to be able to tell them the truth, but I just can't take that risk; not only to my own safety, and Michael and Isabel's, but my mom and dad's as well. Unfortunately, the more you know, the more at risk you become.
(beat)
I'm ... I'm sorry that I've put you all at risk ... I'm sorry I've made you lie to your parents.

Cut to:

  33 INT. CRASHDOWN CAFÉ - CONTINUOUS

AMY
What disturbs me the most are all the secrets lately. Maria used to tell me everything, I used to be the one she told her secrets to, but now ...
(heavy sigh)
now I'm the one she keeps her secrets from.

NANCY
Don't feel bad; you're not alone. Jeff and I know for a fact that Liz is keeping secrets from us, but what can we do, short of reading their diaries?

AMY
We definitely don't want to take it to that extreme--that's such an invasion of privacy.

JEFF
I agree, but what if that's what it takes to protect them?

Cut to Michael, eavesdropping. He's disturbed by the turn of the conversation.

Cut to:

  34 INT. WEST ROSWELL HIGH SCHOOL LAB ROOM - SAME

There's a chorus of "no"s, "that's nonsense", etc. from Liz, Maria and Alex.

ALEX
Hey, man, really ... you have nothing to apologize for. None of what's happened, or what we've had to do, is your fault.
(beat)
And we will continue to stand by you because we want to, because we are your friends, not because of ...
(he looks at Liz)
any sense of obligation.

Liz nods in fervent agreement. Alex turns back to Max, puts his hand on his shoulder and looks him in the eye.

ALEX (cont'd)
Your secret is safe with us, no matter the risk. You got that?

There are nods of agreement from Liz and Maria. Max is truly touched by their display of friendship.

MAX
(smiling)
Yeah. Thanks.

Cut to:

  35 INT. CRASHDOWN CAFÉ - CONTINUOUS

DIANE
We can't expect them to tell us everything that happens to them.

The others look surprised.

DIANE (cont'd)
Do we tell them everything about ourselves?

JEFF
We're the adults.

DIANE
In less than two years they'll be adults. Think about it; do you plan on suddenly revealing all your deep, dark secrets to your kids on their 18th birthdays?

Nancy starts laughing. The others look at her, curious.

NANCY
(to Jeff)
If you do, let me know. I'd love a front row seat for that!

Knowing looks pass between Nancy and Jeff. Jeff chuckles and shakes his head.

JEFF
No, I think I'll pass.

DIANE
(smiling)
I take it you weren't exactly an angel, growing up?

NANCY
You take it right!
(looks at Jeff with teasing affection)
Which is why he sometimes assumes the worst where Liz and Max are concerned. I keep reminding him that he turned out to be responsible and level-headed, and so will they.

Cut to:

  36 INT. CRASHDOWN - PASS-THROUGH WINDOW - CONTINUOUS

Michael is still eavesdropping on the conversation and watching Kyle.

Cut to:

  37 INT. CRASHDOWN STOREROOM - SAME

Jen is in the storeroom, which is on the other side of the kitchen wall, putting away the alien- head picks. She accidentally knocks over a ladder, which hits the wall--the same wall that the kitchen grill is on.

Cut to:

  38 INT. CRASHDOWN - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

Michael turns at the sound, in time to see the items on the shelf over the grill bounce once from the vibration. Luckily they all remain on the shelf, except for one--an open box of baking soda-- which is about to fall onto the burgers on the grill. He's not close enough to catch the box, but he steps forward, hand outstretched, in a vain attempt to do so. He is stunned when the box is deflected by a slight burst of energy, and its contents end up on the floor instead of the grill. Michael's mouth drops open and he just stares at the mess on the floor for a beat, then at his hand, then back at the baking soda. Realization hits and he quickly spins around to see if anyone observed his actions through the pass-through window; in particular--Kyle. No one, including Kyle and Tommy who are engrossed in their conversation, seems to have been paying any attention. Michael breathes a sigh of relief, but he's still a little shaken by the episode as he goes to clean up the mess in the kitchen. The camera cuts back to Kyle, who is looking at the now vacant pass-through window, with an enigmatic look on his face.

Cut to commercial.

END OF ACT III


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Original contents copyright (C) 2002 by Roswell: What Might Have Been