Act 4, SCENE 1 INT: MOTEL – LATE NIGHT
MAYOR:
This isn’t going to be easy for me. You know this.
MAYOR is sitting on the edge of the motel bed. SARAH sneaks up behind him and buries his face in her hair.
SARAH:
I know it’s not. I’m here for you whenever you need me.
SARAH pulls him down on the bed. She straddles and grind on top of him, until he pushes her off.
MAYOR:
All I’ve done today was talk and answer questions.
SARAH:
We don’t need to talk.
MAYOR:
No. It’s fine. It’s my job.
SARAH:
Just tell me what you need.
MAYOR:
Time. A lot of it. I can’t stay long. My wife and I are attending a vigil tonight for the victims of that explosion in the Bricks. I got to show them I’m not just building things with my name on it. I’m building a future.
SARAH:
I know.
MAYOR:
Do you? You know this thing between us has to go.
SARAH:
I can’t do that to Junior. He needs you.
MAYOR:
Junior?
SARAH:
That’s a cute name if it’s a boy.
MAYOR (disgust):
God.
MAYOR tries to shrug her off.
SARAH:
Let the world have the fake you, but don’t take this away from us. I know the real you. You can hide all you want, but not from me.
SARAH teases him, but he fights her weakly.
SARAH:
I know what you like. How you like it. How fast, slow. I know when you’re happy, and you aren’t happy right now.
MAYOR gets frustrated.
MAYOR:
You don’t think I know that?
SARAH:
Then fix it. Stay with me.
MAYOR:
I can’t just stay with you. People’ll ask questions and that will lead them to you. Everything I have will be gone. Everything I made, gone. You’ll be gone.
SARAH:
Maybe you don’t have to worry about that. I’ll stay quiet. Just take care of me.
MAYOR:
And here comes the dollar signs. I knew this was about money. Why can’t you just get rid of it?
SARAH:
This isn’t about money. This is about us. You don’t want this baby to die. You need her.
MAYOR:
Now it’s a her?
SARAH:
And I need you. George, you’ve done so much for me, and I don’t want you to go away. I’m a part of the greatest man alive.
She pulls his hand to her stomach.
SARAH:
Junior deserves a father like you, and I will make sure she knows it every day. All that you do for this city, and they just accuse you of failing. You were perfect until your wife got sick.
MAYOR:
I just fell off the wagon, but I love my wife, and I love my children.
SARAH:
And I know you love me. I’ll never get sick. The baby and I will never accuse you of failing. You go on and do what you do best. Take care of things. Take care of people. Have fun and know you can come back to me anytime. You won’t let Junior and me go. Will you? She might even have my hair. Maybe your nose.
MAYOR chuckles softly.
MAYOR:
A toddler died with his mother in that fire. I won’t be the cause of more death tonight.
SARAH squeals.
MAYOR:
You need to go somewhere else though. Maybe a lot nicer than this shit, but you have to stay quiet. No cellphone. In fact delete everything about me on anything electronic. Bank statements. Photos. We have to do this right. You have to go off the grid. De-activate all your snapface twit whatever.
SARAH is nodding her head obligingly. She’s already taking out her cellphone.
MAYOR starts packing her stuff.
MAYOR:
This just might work actually.
ACT 4, SCENE 2 EXT: MOTEL – CONT’D
Outside the motel room, the door opens, and MAYOR and SARAH walk out the room with bags and walk right into OMAR.
OMAR:
So what are we doing?
SARAH:
I’m getting the hell outta this dump.
MAYOR:
Omar, you got to get her out of here. Send her home to get the rest of her stuff and take her far away from here.
OMAR:
Where?
SARAH:
Oh my god, there’s nice hotels in Uptown. Nice salons and bars.
MAYOR:
Anywhere but bars and salons. Remember you’re keeping quiet. Just don’t let the press find her.
OMAR:
Gotcha.
SARAH kisses MAYOR goodbye and runs off to the car below. In a sidebar conversation:
MAYOR:
We’re doing the right thing.
OMAR:
It’s getting late, George.
MAYOR:
I’ll sleep better tonight I think.
OMAR:
The Vigil will start soon. I’ll drop you off.
MAYOR:
Relax, Omar. I’ve been in tougher situations. This’ll work. Thank you.
OMAR:
You’re definitely going to be late, Sir.
MAYOR:
I’m serious. Thank you. I knew I saw something in you. You’re not like the rest of them. You’re just like me.
OMAR:
Thank you sir.
MAYOR:
You’ll be mayor one day. I’ll make sure of it.
OMAR:
I’m just happy to see things change.
MAYOR:
You’re changing me already.
OMAR tries not to smile.
ACT 4, SCENE 3 EXT: ASTRO CITY – NIGHT
LEIGH gets off the bus with a smile on her face. As she texts on her phone, she passes by the Bricks in the distance. She sees the lights of the news trucks and camera crews. She keeps walking down the street until she reaches J-COOL’S VARIETY. She walks in.
ACT 4, SCENE 4 INT: J-COOL’S – CONT’D
A bell rings above the door.
JOSE looks away from the television screen and beams at the sight of LEIGH.
JOSE:
<Hello beautiful angel>
LEIGH:
<Hi Papi. How’s your night going?>
JOSE:
<Better now that I see you. I’m sorry about your friend.>
LEIGH:
<Thank you, but it’s all fixed now.>
JOSE:
<How? What happened?>
LEIGH:
<They caught the monster that did it>
JOSE:
<I didn’t hear about it on the news, but it’s making you happy. You’re glowing.>
LEIGH:
<Thank you. Do you have something to clean my hands?>
As JOSE grabs wipes, the BELL RINGS above the door.
ACT 4, SCENE 5, EXT: THE HEIGHTS: SAME NIGHT
OS a BUS hisses.
As it pulls away, it reveals JAMAL standing in front of the glowing and glittering HEIGHTS. He starts walking, until he gets a text: 30 MISSED CALLS LOCO.
JAMAL is scared, but he keeps walking quickly through the HEIGHTS, getting lost in some pedestrian traffic.
ACT 4, SCENE 6, INT: J-COOL’S – CONT’D
BELL RINGS and SOMEONE enters straight into the store and right down the aisle.
JOSE:
<Do you mind watching the register? I need the bathroom.>
LEIGH doesn’t mind at all. She steps behind the register.
JOSE:
<Don’t take anything or I’ll tell your mother.>
LEIGH:
<Sister is not my mother.>
JOSE:
<Of course, I know that. I’m talking about your real mother.>
LEIGH (horrified):
<Que?>
As JOSE walks behind the store to the bathroom with a smile, BELL RINGS and SOMEONE ELSE enter the store. This PERSON glances over at her and barely smiles. LEIGH is put off by that.
A quick scope of the store and LEIGH finds that the FIRST PERSON to walk into the store is standing in the snack food aisle, but quickly glances away from her. He isn’t doing a good job browsing shelves. He picks up things and drops them on the floor.
LEIGH:
Excuse you? Are you gonna pick those up?
As the SECOND PERSON walks to the drinks section, he is still looking at LEIGH. He doesn’t even open the refrigerator.
LEIGH is getting nervous.
OS SCREEN BELL RINGS.
ACT 4, SCENE 7, EXT: THE HEIGHTS – CONT’D.
JAMAL is wandering around unsure where to go and trying not to draw attention to himself, he pulls a hoodie over his head. He phone rings. It’s Loco, but he sends it straight to voicemail.
ACT 4, SCENE 8, INT: J-COOL’S – CONT’D
A THIRD PERSON enters the store, but waits at the door.
LEIGH notices that all PEOPLE in the store are staring at her.
The THIRD PERSON steps aside and let’s LOCO walk into the store talking on the phone.
LEIGH gasps!
LOCO
Voicemail again? What’s that about, bro? I’m at the register in J-COOL’S and guess who I see? You might know her. Call me back.
LOCO hangs up the phone.
LOCO:
Leigh, can I get a pack of gum?
LEIGH is speechless.
LOCO:
Gum. Chicleta. Any kind. I don’t care. By the way, you’ve seen Jay around? I can’t find him.
LEIGH:
Get away from me.
LOCO (menacing):
I just want my gum. That’s all.
LEIGH is crying. The MEN in the store are all young, members of the Crips, and staring at her.
LEIGH:
Jose!
LOCO:
Matter fact. Never mind. Gum is bad for me. Very bad. You should stay away from gum too.
LOCO laughs as the CRIPS tear up the store. ONE opens up the drink fridge and drops a rack to the floor. ANOTHER grabs a bunch of snacks and throws them everywhere. ANOTHER throws a stack of blank lottery slips over LOCO’S shoulder at LEIGH.
They all run out laughing.
JOSE comes running out the bathroom barely able to keep his pants up.
LEIGH is on the ground behind the register in tears and showered in lotto slips.
END OF ACT 4