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ROSWELL: WHAT
MIGHT HAVE BEEN - "Don't Tell Mama" - ACT IV - 06/20/02
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ACT IV
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39 |
INT. WEST ROSWELL HIGH SCHOOL LAB
ROOM - DUSK
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The other students have left the room. Max, Liz, Maria and Alex are packing up their things,
having finished their project.
SELIGMAN
Are you about done?
LIZ
Yeah, we just need a few minutes to put things away.
SELIGMAN
Well, I think I can trust you not to blow anything up if I leave now, so I'm going to take off.
He picks up his things, including the apple.
SELIGMAN (cont'd)
(to all)
Goodnight!
ALL
Goodnight!
The kids continue packing things away.
MARIA
This really turned out well. I bet we even get an A on the project.
(beat as she ponders this)
Imagine, me, getting an A in science! Maybe I should tell my mom that as soon as I get home, so she'll think twice about killing me. Anyway, it was fun working with
you guys; we make a great team.
LIZ
(looking at Max fondly)
Yeah, this was fun.
MARIA
OK, OK, get back to packing, girl. We don't want to be late for our shift.
They finish putting everything away. Alex and Maria get their jackets on first and head out the
door, Maria calling behind her.
MARIA
Liz, are you coming?
Liz has finished putting on her jacket and is picking up her backpack.
LIZ
I'm coming, I'm coming!
She starts to head for the exit. Max is still at the lab table, putting on his corduroy jacket. He
absentmindedly puts his hands in his pockets.
MAX
(surprised and irritated)
Damn!
Liz stops in her tracks and turns towards Max.
LIZ
What!? What's wrong.
MAX
There's a hole in my pocket!
LIZ
(visibly relaxes and approaches him)
Was there anything in your pocket? Did you lose anything?
MAX
I'm not sure. I haven't worn this jacket for several days.
He sighs heavily and seems crestfallen. He doesn't make any move to leave.
LIZ
(concerned)
Max, are you OK? Is there something else? I mean, you seem to be overreacting...
She places her thumb and index finger a pinch apart for emphasis.
LIZ (cont'd)
... just a touch. It's just a hole.
MAX
(looks at her longingly)
It's not the hole in my pocket that has me down ... it's the hole in my life. I'm just ...it's just ... it's just so hard to not be with you.
He raises his arm as if he's about to reach out and touch her hair, then lowers it as he
continues.
MAX (cont'd)
To not run my fingers through your hair. To not put my arms around you, and hold you so close that I can feel your heart beating against my chest, as if we were one. To not--
Liz gently places her fingers on his lips, to halt his lament.
LIZ
(lowering her hand)
You mustn't torture yourself, or us, by dwelling on what we can't do. We need to remain positive and focus on what we can do--like convincing our parents how wrong they
are.
(beat)
I thought you were hopeful that your parents would give in and let us see each other.
MAX
I was--am. I just wish there was a way to be together, in the meantime, without breaking our promises to our parents. At the time they were so upset ... agreeing to stay apart
seemed the best thing to do. I just assumed, once they cooled down, they would change their
minds.
LIZ
Yeah, me too.
MAX
But it's taking longer than I thought it would. And ... It's just when I see you, it hits me even more how much I miss you. It's like before, when I thought we could never be together,
only now it's worse because now I truly know what I'm missing.
LIZ
I know. It's hard for me too, but you must remain optimistic; I'm sure we'll be together soon.
Maria sticks her head in the classroom.
MARIA
Liz, get a move on or we'll be late for our shift.
Max and Liz look at each other. Liz flexes her muscles and mouths to Max "Be strong". He
rewards her with a smile and they all exit the classroom.
Cut to:
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40 |
INT. ROSWELL SHERIFF'S DEPT - SAME
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Deputy Blackwood is behind the front counter. A good-looking man with brown hair, in his mid
to late twenties, dressed in a deputy's uniform, is there with him, collecting files. Sheriff Valenti
enters and approaches the counter. The younger deputy leaves for the file room with the files under
his arm.
VALENTI
(looking in the direction of the file room, but to Owen)
How's our new deputy doing?
OWEN
(glances in the direction of the file room, then back at Valenti)
He asks too many questions.
Valenti smiles, knowing how much that would bother his taciturn friend. Then a look of concern
crosses his face.
Cut to:
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41 |
INT. CRASHDOWN CAFÉ - KITCHEN - 15
MINUTES LATER
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Michael, is sweeping the kitchen floor when he notices the clock on the wall--5:45.
MICHAEL
(gratefully)
Finally, time for dinner.
Michael puts the broom aside and gets out the ingredients to make himself a double-decker
cheeseburger. He throws a couple of patties on the grill. While he waits for them to cook, he notices
the empty baking soda box on the top of the trash, in the trash can. He stares at it, deep in thought,
then inconspicuously checks the pass-through window. Kyle and Tommy are gone, as are the rest
of the customers. He glances towards the kitchen exit, to make sure there is no one nearby to
observe him. When he is sure, he looks around the kitchen for an appropriate object; he focuses on
a spoon lying on a table in the kitchen. He takes another quick look around then steps toward the
spoon, with his arm outstretched, as if trying to grab it; nothing happens.
Cut to the camera's POV from the kitchen doorway, which Michael's back is to, as Michael
repeats the motion two more times. Each time nothing happens.
JEFF (OS)
What are you doing?
Michael jumps a mile, totally wigged out that he was seen; for a split second he thought Jeff
knew he had caught him in the act of attempting to use his powers. By the time he turns to look at
Jeff he realizes his mistake and the expression in his eyes changes from fright to embarrassment.
The camera switches to Michael's POV and we see Jeff standing in the kitchen doorway, whose
expression changes from puzzled to slightly amused.
JEFF (cont'd)
Relax, Michael. I don't have a problem with you practicing your ... Tai Chi, or whatever it's called.
He gestures towards the grill.
JEFF (cont'd)
(smiling wryly)
Just don't let the burgers burn, while you get ... mellow.
Michael relaxes and tries to act casual.
MICHAEL
Sure thing, Mr. Parker.
Jeff is about to leave when he notices the shelf above the grill.
JEFF
There's suppose to be a box of baking soda on that shelf ...
Michael tenses.
JEFF (cont'd)
... in case of a grease fire.
(beat)
Be sure to get one from the storeroom and put it on the shelf.
MICHAEL
(appeasingly)
Will do, Mr. Parker. Right away.
Jeff gives Michael a long look, then smiles and leaves the doorway, chuckling and shaking his
head. Michael goes over to the grill to flip his burger patties. Jeff heads up the stairs to the
apartment on the second floor. As we hear the apartment door close, the back door opens. Maria
and Liz come through the back door, a few minutes before their dinner shift begins. Michael sees
them and signals for them to come into the kitchen. He is obviously agitated.
MARIA
(as she enters the kitchen)
What? You missed me so much you can't even wait for me to take my jacket off?
MICHAEL
Huh? No. This has nothing to do with that. This is important.
MARIA
(disappointed)
Oh.
LIZ
(concerned)
What's important? What's happened?
MICHAEL
(lowering his voice, so as not to be overheard)
It's your parents.
LIZ
(panicking)
What!? What happened? Are they all right? Are they hurt?
MICHAEL
Huh? No, they're fine! Will you two stop jumping to conclusions. And keep your voices down!
LIZ
(lowering her voice)
Sorry! Will you just tell us what's so important?
MICHAEL
Both of your parents and Mrs. Evans all met here today.
LIZ
All of them? Together?
MICHAEL
Yeah.
LIZ
Why?
MICHAEL
I don't know but they were talking about knowing what goes on in your lives and reading your diaries.
LIZ
No! My mom would never do that.
MICHAEL
I know what I heard. The important thing is to make sure they can't get to
them.
(to Liz)
Where are you keeping yours? It better be somewhere safe.
LIZ
(deadpan)
I don't think even you could find it.
Michael turns his head to hide a tiny smile, then turns back again.
MICHAEL
Good.
(to Maria)
What about you?
MARIA
I have no idea where my diary is; I haven't written in it in ages.
MICHAEL
Well, you better find it before your mother does.
MARIA
Chill out, Michael. There's nothing in it that you have anything to worry about. The only thing my mom would discover is how I felt about Doug Sohn.
(beat)
On second thought, maybe I should make sure it's safely hidden.
MICHAEL
Doug who? Who is this Doug person?
MARIA
(surprised)
Do I detect a note of jealousy?
MICHAEL
(lying)
No. I'm just curious. He obviously doesn't go to West Roswell, or I'd know him.
MARIA
(sarcastic)
Right, because you go to school so often, you know everyone there.
She waits a beat, while she enjoys the discomfort he's having at dealing with his new-found
jealousy.
MARIA (cont'd)
Relax, Michael, I met Doug in middle school--8th grade. He goes to Goddard now.
Michael still seems tense.
MARIA (cont'd)
I haven't seen him since.
Michael visibly relaxes, then walks over to the table to begin preparing his burger--opening the
buns, adding lettuce, tomato, pickles, Tobasco sauce, etc.
LIZ
We have a little bit of news too.
MICHAEL
What?
LIZ
Alex and Isabel saw Larry interviewing people across from the park today.
Michael stops preparing his burger and looks up.
MICHAEL
What? About Hubble?
LIZ
We don't know. They only talked to one person that Larry interviewed and the questions he asked him were pretty generic--about life in Roswell. He told him he was doing a story
on living in Roswell. It could be harmless. He could have moved on to other things.
MICHAEL
Do you really believe that?
LIZ
I want to. But we're gonna quiz Jen tomorrow during the breakfast shift, just to be sure.
Michael goes to the grill with his prepared buns, takes the patties off and places them on the
bun, double decker style.
LIZ (cont'd)
So how's your first day going?
Michael is about to take a bite of his burger when he hears the front door open. He looks
through the pass-through window as a noisy crowd of customers enters the Crashdown. He puts
down the burger.
MICHAEL
(sarcastically)
What can I say--it's my dream job.
Liz turns to see the crowd fill several booths.
LIZ
(to Maria)
We better hurry up and get changed.
Liz heads for her locker in the back room.
MARIA
Yeah, I'll be right there.
(to Michael)
Did my mother seem upset? Do you think it's safe for me to go home tonight?
MICHAEL
(nonplused)
How should I know?
MARIA
(exasperated)
You were here! You were obviously eavesdropping!
MICHAEL
(defensively)
Well, if I didn't then we wouldn't have know about the diaries--
MARIA
(interrupting, frustrated)
I'm not accusing you ... I just ...
(sigh)
Did you overhear her say anything about us?
MICHAEL
Oh.
(beat)
I didn't hear everything that was said ... I was sort of trying to stay out of her line of sight.
MARIA
Why?
Michael gives her a "you've got to be kidding" look.
MARIA (cont'd)
Oh, right.
(beat)
But could you tell what kind of mood she was in?
MICHAEL
I don't really know your mother, so I don't know her moods.
(thinks for a beat)
I can tell you she didn't seem as mad as when she found me in your bed that time.
MARIA
(defeated)
I guess that's better than nothing.
Maria heads for her locker.
Cut to:
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42 |
INT. DE LUCA KITCHEN - NIGHT
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Maria is sitting at the kitchen table; Amy is pacing back and forth in the kitchen. She is
obviously agitated, but trying to speak calmly.
AMY
Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was for me to learn from someone, other than my daughter, that the boy that my daughter is dating has his own apartment, with
NO supervision? Did you not think that this was news; that I wouldn't be interested in what my
daughter's boyfriend was doing with his life?
MARIA
(sheepishly)
Um ... sorry ... I guess it just ... slipped my mind?
AMY
Maria, why didn't you tell me? When did we reach the point where you no longer feel you can be candid with me?
MARIA
(she's pained that she hurt her mother, but unrepentant about her actions)
I'm sorry. It's just that, I was afraid you would overreact, like you did when you found Michael sleeping in my bed.
(slowly, and looking down, because it's painful for her to even think the
following)
And ...I was afraid you ... I was afraid you would tell me ... I couldn't see him anymore.
Maria looks back up, with tears in her eyes.
AMY
I wouldn't exactly say I "overreacted" in that situation.
MARIA
But you assumed the worst, and nothing happened. Just like nothing is happening now, but I know you think there is.
AMY
I have every right to assume that something is happening. First you keep the fact that Michael has his own place--and that you are seeing him there--from me; then I get up this
morning to find you already gone and your bed made. When I call Michael's, he tells me you're in
the shower, and you tell me you're not dressed yet! What am I supposed to think?
(beat)
Tell me the truth. Did you spend the night? Are you two sleeping together?
MARIA
NO! Of course not.
Amy releases a breath she didn't even realize she was holding.
MARIA (cont'd)
(rushing)
I needed to go to the rock quarry to get some specimens for our science project. I had to go before school this morning because we needed them this afternoon, which meant I had to
get up at the crack of dawn. I didn't want to go alone, so I convinced Michael to go with me, and I
didn't want to take a shower until I finished, so I just did it at Michael's. His apartment is closer to
school, so it saved time. It was all totally innocent--nothing happened!
(beat)
I'm not going to do anything I'm not ready for. Why don't you trust me to make the right decisions?
AMY
I do trust you. I just feel that you are putting yourself into a situation where you may lose control and act out of instinct rather than logic. The sensible thing to do would be to
avoid situations where your basic instincts will be making your decisions for you. Can I trust you to
do the sensible thing?
MARIA
I thought I was.
AMY
No, the sensible thing would be to NOT see each other at his apartment.
MARIA
Mom! I told you nothing's happening.
AMY
And we're going to keep it that way, Maria.
MARIA
Where else are we gonna go?
AMY
You can come here.
MARIA
Here? Oh right, we're gonna feel real comfortable ma--kissing on the couch, with you in the next room.
AMY
That's the whole point. That way it won't go beyond "kissing".
MARIA
(hopeful)
So ... I can still see him?
AMY
Yes.
Maria's eyes light up with pleasure and she gives Amy a big smile.
AMY (cont'd)
You're just not going to see him at his apartment.
The light in Maria's eyes dims slightly and her smile turns to a pout.
(pause)
AMY (cont'd)
I want you to invite Michael over for dinner tomorrow.
Maria's eyes widen and her mouth drops open.
MARIA
Michael? Here? For dinner? I don't think that's such a good idea.
AMY
I think it's a very good idea. I think it's high time I got to know Michael better, and that he gets to know me better. I think he needs to know how I expect him to behave around
you.
Maria rolls her eyes.
MARIA
(under her breath)
Oh God, Michael is gonna hate this!
Cut to:
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43 |
INT. ROSWELL SHERIFF'S DEPT - SAME
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Sheriff Valenti is walking past the file room. The door is closed but Valenti notices a stream of
light coming out from underneath, and pauses. He looks at his watch with a puzzled expression on
his face, as if wondering why someone would be in there at this hour. He opens the door.
Cut to:
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44 |
INT. ROSWELL SHERIFF'S DEPT FILE ROOM -
CONTINUOUS
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The new deputy is looking through a file while standing by an open file drawer. He is slightly
startled when the door opens suddenly. He looks up and smiles when he sees Valenti standing in
the doorway.
NEW DEPUTY
Evening, Sheriff.
The deputy casually closes the file he was perusing and places it back in the middle of the file
drawer.
VALENTI
You're working late.
NEW DEPUTY
Just trying to catch up on old cases. You never know when a clue from an old case can help you with a new one.
VALENTI
I'm impressed with your dedication ...
(beat, then with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion)
but I didn't realize you were working on a case right now.
NEW DEPUTY
I'm not. I'm just preparing for the future.
VALENTI
(raising an eyebrow)
Now I'm really impressed. That's a lot of information to remember, for a future case.
NEW DEPUTY
Not for me. I have a photographic memory.
The deputy notices the time on the clock on the wall--9:30--and closes the drawer he was looking through.
NEW DEPUTY (cont'd)
Guess that's enough for today. Goodnight, Sheriff.
He heads for the exit, passing Valenti as he leaves.
VALENTI
Goodnight.
Valenti watches him for a beat, until he is sure he is gone, then steps into the file room. He
heads for the file cabinets and opens the drawer the deputy was looking in. He flips through the
files in the middle of the drawer, trying to determine which one the deputy was perusing. There is a
file folder sticking up slightly as if it was hastily replaced. Valenti puts his hand on the folder to look
at the label, which reads "Frazier Woods Sighting". He seems puzzled, but relieved that this is the
folder the deputy was reading. He's about to close the drawer when he notices what else is in the
cabinet--a few files further is a file marked "Hubble, Everett". Valenti puts his hand on the file. A
look of concern crosses his face. He pauses, then pulls the file out of the drawer, closes the
drawer, and exits the file room with the Hubble file tucked under his arm. Kyle almost runs into him
in the hallway. Valenti holds the file protectively.
VALENTI
Kyle! What are you doing here?
KYLE
(hesitantly)
I ... there's ... There's something I need to talk to you about.
VALENTI
I was just about to leave for home. It wasn't something that could wait till I got there?
KYLE
No ... I think it's better if I talk to you about it here.
VALENTI
(concerned)
OK. Let's go back to my office.
The camera follows Valenti and Kyle as they walk back and into his office, then close the door.
The camera zooms in on the closed door.
To be continued ...
END OF ACT IV
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Original contents copyright (C) 2002 by
Roswell: What Might Have Been