90 INT. DANIEL’S STUDIO. NIGHT
DANIEL sits at a table – photos of Honey spread out before him. He
looks at the photo in his shaky hands:
Honey, her arms held out towards him: a plea for help.
91 INT. DANIEL AND HELEN’S BEDROOM. NIGHT.
HELEN and JASPER lie facing each other in bed. JASPER’S mind is
working overtime.
JASPER
If you had just one wish, one wish in the whole wide world, what would it be?
HELEN
That you’d stop asking me so many questions. (JASPER LAUGHS) Live
happily ever after!
JASPER
But even if you live happily ever after, you still die like grandma and…
HELEN holds a finger to her lips.
HELEN
Shhhh!
HELEN reaches out. JASPER snuggles close
JASPER
I don’t want to die.
HELEN
No one wants to die.
JASPER
That’s not true.
HELEN breaks eye contact with JASPER.
92 EXT. ROAD. PRE-DAWN
DANIEL drives his Harley fast along a dirt road in the bush. Very
fast. Too fast. A look in his eyes. He is tempting fate.
93 EXT. BASE OF CLIFF. DAWN
DANIEL parks his Harley at foot of cliff, unstraps the blue duffle bag
on the back, reaches inside, feels around for his climbing shoes,
chalk. They are not there.
DANIEL
Fuck!
DANIEL moves to get back on his motor bike, stops, thinks for a
moment, starts to take off his riding boots.
94 EXT. CLIFF FACE. SUNRISE
DANIEL, his face up against the cliff face releases one hand from a
small edge of jutting rock, reaches up, his hand searching for
something to grab hold of.
DANIEL is climbing solo in bare feet. His Harley can be seen at the
base of the cliff - 30 feet below.
95 EXT. TOP OF CLIFF. DAY
DANIEL sits, his legs hanging over the edge of the cliff. He plays
nervously with the cigarette in his hands, puts it in his mouth, picks
up a box of matches, lights a match, watches the flame, lets the match
burn right up to his fingers. He does not flinch as the flames burn
him. The match burns itself out. DANIEL looks at his white burned
fingers.
96 INT. DANIEL AND HELEN’S BEDROOM. DAY
HELEN hums Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” to herself as she finishes making
the bed, walks to a storage closet, opens the door, takes out the
photo that fell to the floor the day before – the glass shattered -
carries it to the bed, rests it there, sits beside it, looks at it.
CLOSE ON:
DANIEL, HELEN and JASPER smiling at the camera – like an advertisement
for a happy family. A recent photo.
HELEN’S attention turns to the framed photo beside her bed:
Helen, aged around 12, laughing happily along with her mother.
HELEN basks in her memories for a long moment then walks back to the
wardrobe, lifts a battered old red suitcase from a shelf. Her
attention is caught by a plastic bag hidden behind the red suitcase.
She places the suitcase on the ground, takes the plastic bag from the
shelf, opens it, reacts with anger.
97 INT. JUVENILE DETENTION CENTRE. DAY
DANIEL and REBECCA (Welfare Officer, early 30’s) walk down a corridor.
DANIEL carries a large leather portfolio, crash helmet and his camera
case slung around his shoulder.
REBECCA
Step-dad wants to bail her but…Catch 22…she can’t get bail if she
doesn’t tell us her name. And she can’t sign your contract unless she
tells you her name, so…
REBECCA smiles, looks at DANIEL. He nods.
HONEY (voice off)
Give it to me! Fuck you, Melissa.
As DANIEL and REBECCA turn the corner they see:
HONEY, kicking and screaming, held by TWO YOUTH WORKERS to prevent her
attacking a YOUTH WORKER (MELISSA) who holds her journal. DANIEL and
REBECCA stop a little distance away.
MELISSA
You going to behave yourself?
HONEY turns to REBECCA.
HONEY
Tell her to give it to me.
MELISSA addresses REBECCA.
MELISSA
She won’t do what she’s told.
HONEY
I don’t have to obey your fucking rules. I shouldn’t even be here.
REBECCA nods to MELISSA: “Give her journal back to her.” MELISSA
thrusts the journal into HONEY’S hands aggressively.
MELISSA (sotto voce)
Slut…
HONEY glares at the MELISSA, stuffs her journal into her track suit
pants, picks up a chair, throws it through a large window. Glass flies
everywhere.
The YOUTH WORKERS jump on HONEY. REBECCA joins them. HONEY puts up
quite a fight but is quickly subdued. Only now does she really
register DANIEL – staring at her. The beginnings of a smile appear on
her face.
HONEY
The photographer.
98 EXT. JUVENILE DETENTION CENTRE RECREATION AREA. DAY
HONEY, clutches her journal, sitting alongside REBECCA. DANIEL sits
next to REBECCA. In the background boys and girls (aged 12 – 16) are
engaged in various leisure activities.
HONEY
I don’t want that slut to know my secrets.
HONEY looks past REBECCA at DANIEL.
HONEY
Or anyone else…
DANIEL
Well, you can relax, ‘someone’ because I definitely don’t want to know
your secrets.
HONEY
No-one can hurt you if they don’t know who you are.
REBECCA pats HONEY affectionately on the knee.
REBECCA
Yes, but no-one can love you either if they don’t know who you are.
HONEY
You love me, Bec, and you don’t know who I am.
REBECCA (smiles)
They should name a hurricane after you. ‘Hurricane…’someone’’…
HONEY smiles, puts her arm around REBECCA, rests her head on her
shoulder, but keeps her eyes on DANIEL.
HONEY
Love is what hurts the most, eh?
REBECCA
But you can’t live without love.
HONEY
I’m not going to live without it.
HONEY looks at the crash helmet in DANIEL’S lap – against which he
raps his fingers.
HONEY
Bit old to be riding a motor bike, aren’t you?
REBECCA
I’m going to leave you two to it.
REBECCA tries to stand. HONEY holds onto her.
HONEY
Like men with comb-overs driving sports cars…
REBECCA disentangles herself from HONEY, stands.
REBECCA
No more chairs through windows, OK? Staff’ll go on strike.
HONEY
Good.
HONEY holds her hand out to DANIEL.
HONEY
Show me.
DANIEL opens his portfolio, takes out the photo, hands it to HONEY.
She looks at it for a long moment. REBECCA walks off.
HONEY
Who is this girl?
DANIEL watches HONEY, fascinated, as she looks at the photo.
HONEY
It’s not me.
HONEY looks at DANIEL. He raises his eyebrows questioningly.
HONEY
I guess it’s a little bit of me.
DANIEL
Which bit?
HONEY
You got a cigarette?
DANIEL
Don’t smoke.
HONEY looks at DANIEL’S nicotine-stained fingers.
HONEY
Liar.
HONEY takes DANIEL’S right hand, looks at it.
DANIEL
I quit.
HONEY
How many times?
DANIEL (smiles)
A few.
HONEY touches DANIEL’S white blistered fingers.
HONEY
How’d you burn your fingers?
DANIEL
Accident.
HONEY points to the sticking plaster on DANIEL’S arm.
HONEY
And this?
DANIEL
Accident. Motor bike.
HONEY
Show me your arms.
DANIEL holds his arms out, palms upwards - more scars.
DANIEL
Rock climbing, motor bike…
HONEY
We’ve got something in common, eh?
HONEY holds out her arms, palms held upwards. Her arms, from wrist to
elbow, are covered in hundreds of scars.
HONEY
Both accident prone.
DANIEL
Except mine aren’t self-inflicted.
HONEY
Whatever you say Mr Photographer. (A BEAT) So, you’re gunna pay me to use this!
DANIEL nods, hands HONEY an envelope. She opens it, takes out some
$100 bills. HONEY smiles, smells the notes.
DANIEL
But we’re going to need a name.
DANIEL takes a folded contract out of his pocket.
DANIEL
‘Someone’ won’t be enough.
HONEY
I can be whoever you want me to be.
DANIEL
But can you be whoever you want to be?
HONEY (laughs)
I try, but fuck it’s hard. First figuring out who you want to be and
then figuring out what you have to do to be that person. (A BEAT) Or
are you just born how you are and you just have to live with that?
DANIEL
Ah, big question…
HONEY
And the big answer?
DANIEL smiles, shakes his head.
HONEY
You’re the grown up here, you’re supposed to have the answers, ay?
DANIEL laughs. HONEY looks directly into his eyes, making him feel a
little uncomfortable.
HONEY
And how about you, Mr. Photographer? Are you who you really want to be?
DANIEL (grins)
‘I try but fuck it’s hard.’
HONEY
Two things in common, eh?
HONEY nods, smiles shyly as she looks at DANIEL.
DANIEL
Which bit is you?
HONEY
The angelic bit. Angelic bit…ch. Angelic bitch.
DANIEL (smiles)
That you? An angelic bitch?
HONEY
I don’t know, Daniel. She’s a mystery to me this girl.
HONEY looks at DANIEL, head tilted a little to one side. There is a
moment of real intimacy here that DANIEL shies away from by returning
his attention to the photo.
HONEY
And the man who took the photo?
HONEY looks directly at DANIEL. He laughs, shakes his head, looks at his watch.
DANIEL
He’s running very late and…
DANIEL waves the contract in the air. HONEY takes it, looks at it,
positions her pen as if to sign it.
HONEY
If he comes to visit me tomorrow she’ll tell him her name and sign his contract.
DANIEL (laughs)
He’s busy tomorrow.
HONEY
The next time he’s not busy. And she’ll make him a little list of
things for him to bring.
DANIEL smiles, shakes his head.
HONEY
Deal?
DANIEL
Deal. DANIEL holds out his hand. HONEY shakes it. Laughs happily.
99 INT. REBECCA’S OFFICE. DAY
REBECCA stands at the window of her office, looking out to:
DANIEL and HONEY on the other side of the Recreation yard.
JOHN (voice off)
But I’m her father!
REBECCA turns, faces JOHN, seated closeby.
REBECCA
I don’t set the bail conditions Mr.Williams.
JOHN, indignant, hands a folded document to REBECCA, looks at the window at:
HONEY and DANIEL in the recreation area. HONEY is writing in her journal.
100 EXT. JUVENILE DETENTION CENTRE RECREATION AREA. DAY
HONEY finishes compiling a list, tears the page from her journal and
hands it to DANIEL. He looks at it, laughs.
HONEY tries to hand him the envelope with the $100 bills in it. DANIEL
shakes his head, pushes the envelope away.
HONEY
What if I just bail myself out and…run away?
DANIEL
I don’t think you will do that.
Tears well in HONEY’S eyes as she looks directly into DANIEL’S eyes.
He breaks eye contact, taps his watch.
HONEY
But you’re going to run away, ay?
DANIEL nods awkwardly.
...to be continued...
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