EXT. HIGH SCHOOL - DAY

Sommer, a 16 year old female with long brown hair parted in the middle, wearing a mini-skirt, a long sleeve sweater and brown leather moccasins, walks slowly to a three story building on campus, carrying a spiral notebook and a math textbook close to her chest. Students walk rapidly past her, behind her and in front of her. No one takes notice of her. It’s as if she isn’t there at all.

She stops at the bottom of the outside stairway and waits, holding on to the handrail with one hand and her books with the other. A buzzer sounds and students pick up the pace, hurrying to their classes. Sommer stands at the stairwell entry. The expression on her face is one of hopelessness and despair.

A second buzzer sounds. The campus is empty except for Sommer and another student. Clair, an 18 year old female with long red hair held back in with a hair band, is a student worker for the school office. She has been sent to deliver a memo to a teacher on the third floor of the building where Sommer is standing, still holding on to the handrail and to her books.

CLAIR
Why aren’t you in class?

Clair touches Sommer on the shoulder to get her to make eye contact as she speaks.

SOMMER
I can’t go up those stairs.

Sommer looks at Clair as she begins to speak, then looks up to the third story landing.

CLAIR
Why not?

Clair intuitively picks up on Sommer’s despair and rests her hand on Sommer’s shoulder.

SOMMER
(whispers)
I might jump when I get to the top.

Sommer visibly relaxes under Clair’s hand, still staring at the third story landing, longing to be there, but fearful of what she will do if she goes up to it.

CLAIR
Then don’t go up there.

Clair shakes Sommer’s shoulder in an effort to get her to look her in the eye.

SOMMER
(still whispering)
Okay.

Sommer lowers her gaze from the third story landing to meet Clair’s gaze. Relief shows on her face as the decision is taken out of her hands.

CLAIR
Wait for me here, okay? I have to run this up to Mr. Forester’s classroom, but I’ll be right back. Okay?

Clair maintains eye contact with Sommer.

SOMMER
(nods and whispers)
Okay.

CLAIR
Okay?

Clair speaks a little more forcefully, not sure if she should leave Sommer.

SOMMER
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I’ll be okay.

Sommer slowly loosens her grip on the handrail, turns and lowers herself to the second step, setting her books down on the step and smoothing her mini-skirt to her buttocks as she sits. She crosses her arms and leans her elbows on her knees, which are pressed tightly together. She rests her chin on her hands and stares off into the distance.

CLAIR
Wait for me.

She waits for an almost imperceptible nod. When she sees it, she turns and races up the stairs to deliver the memo to Mr. Forester.

SOMMER
(sighs audibly)

INT. LIVING ROOM OF SOMMER’S HOUSE - DAY

Sommer is standing, barefoot, in the middle of the hardwood floor. She wears an orange T-shirt and skin tight blue jeans. She is clenching her hands together, fingers interlaced, arms stiff. She looks at herself in the mirror on the wall opposite her and concentrates on keeping her face impassive. She refuses to flinch at the blows she sees coming in the mirror’s reflection.

Her father, black hair cut in a severe crew cut, wears a white T-shirt and blue jeans. His face is twisted into an angry sneer. His red color signals his blood pressure is up. He swings a Sam Brown belt from above his head to Sommer’s back and buttocks.

DAD
Cull!

He continues to swing the Sam Brown in a rhythmic frenzy, face contorting into a hateful mask.

DAD (CONT’D)
You’re nothing but a cull!

He waits for Sommer to show some emotion, something that will signal that she has learned her lesson.

SOMMER
(breathes rhythmically)

Sommer stares into her own eyes in the mirror, concentrating on showing no emotion. It is the only control she has over the situation and she knows it makes her father furious.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL - DAY

Clair runs down the last flight of stairs and stops in front of Sommer. She is flushed and looks relieved to see that Sommer waited for her.

CLAIR
Are you ready?

SOMMER
(slowly)
Oh. Yeah.

Sommer slowly pulls out of her own thoughts and attends to Clair.

CLAIR
Why don’t you just walk with me this morning?

SOMMER
Okay. That’ll be okay.

Sommer stands up, smooths her mini-skirt, and picks up her spiral notebook and her math textbook. She turns to face Clair, relief flooding her facial expression.

SOMMER (CONT’D)
(voice breaking with emotion)
Thank you. Thank you.

CLAIR
You’d do the same for me.

Clair turns to walk briskly toward the school office. Sommer walks with her matching her cadence.

INT. SCHOOL OFFICE WAITING ROOM - DAY

Sommer sits in a metal chair with a padded seat. She holds her books on her lap as she waits for Clair to come out of an office.
Phones ring and are answered by school staff. Sounds include typewriters tapping out work, mimeo machines turning out copies, bustle of office workers performing their daily duties.

A door opens and Clair walks out flanked by Mrs. Bellock, a school counselor. Mrs. Bellock is dressed in a white blouse and a dark blue suit jacket and matching skirt with a hem that lands right in the middle of her knee caps. She wears a concerned look as she waits in the doorway of her office.

Clair walks up to Sommer and stands for a moment before speaking.

CLAIR
I had to tell someone what you told me.

Clair fidgets and chews on a fingernail. She is nervous about Sommer’s reaction.

SOMMER
It’s okay.

Sommer looks down at her moccasins. She studies them for a moment, then looks back up at Clair, offering her hand. Clair takes it.

SOMMER (CONT’D)
It’s alright. Thank you.