HONEY # 11

...continuing on from HONEY # 10

238 INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT

HELEN and JASMIN look into each other’s eyes.

JASMIN
What do you see?

HELEN is scared, excited and confused at the same time.

JASMIN
I don’t want a stranger peering into my soul. He can put his cock
inside me but I don’t him to catch even a glimpse of my soul.

HELEN nods - her face just inches JASMIN’S still.

HELEN
And I guess you don’t really want to be looking into the soul of a
perfect stranger!?

JASMIN shakes her head almost imperceptibly. HELEN and JASMIN look
into each others eyes for a long moment.

JASMIN
Or looking into the soul of someone you love…and finding a stranger.

239 INT. ‘LOFT’. DANIEL’S STUDIO. NIGHT

HONEY looks at her shoulder - the fear in her eyes dissipating as she
nods her agreement with whatever the (unseen) Goblin on her shoulder
is saying to her.

240 INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT

HELEN pours Crème de Menthe into two small goblets as JASMIN rolls
another joint.

JASMIN
No tall, dark stranger sweeping you…(off your feet)?

HELEN (smiles)
Only in my dreams.

JASMIN
Is that enough?

HELEN (laughs)
How much is enough? How much is too much? Fucked if I know, Jasmin.

JASMIN
And Daniel?

HELEN
A young model once. Only once… that I know of…I think(A BEAT) just once…

241 INT. STUDIO. NIGHT

DANIEL lies in the dark on a fold out couch bed – eyes wide open,
unable to sleep.

HONEY (voice off)
Daniel.

DANIEL turns his head, sees HONEY standing at the bottom of the stairs
to the ‘loft’, clutching her blue teddy bear.

HONEY
I’m scared.

DANIEL watches HONEY as she walks up to his bed, sits on it.

DANIEL
The Green Goblin?

HONEY looks at her shoulder, nods.

 HONEY
He’s a real chatterbox. Can’t shut him up.

DANIEL
Is he talking to you now?

HONEY
No, because you’re here. (a beat) And jealous, I think.

DANIEL (SMILES)
What’s he talk about?

HONEY
How its all my fault.

DANIEL
What? (A BEAT) What’s your fault?

HONEY shrugs, is reluctant to talk about it.

DANIEL
Maybe this is one secret you should tell someone.

HONEY
What happened to my mother. How if it hadn’t been for me…

DANIEL
If it hadn’t been for you, what?

HONEY
If it hadn’t been for me she’d be dead and…singing with the angels.

DANIEL
I don’t understand.

HONEY looks at DANIEL. Tears stream down her face. She looks at her
shoulder. DANIEL leans close to HONEY’S shoulder.

DANIEL
Fuck off.

HONEY bursts out laughing, looks at her shoulder.

DANIEL
Did he fuck off?

HONEY
No, but you should see his face. He’s pissed!

HONEY leans close into her shoulder.

HONEY
I would really appreciate it Mr. Chatterbox if you just kept your
thoughts to yourself, okay?

HONEY turns to DANIEL, smiles, becomes vulnerable.

HONEY
Do you think you could ever love me the way you love Jasper?

DANIEL
I don’t know. Maybe.

HONEY (smiles)
Maybe is enough.

242 EXT. FRONT DOOR.NIGHT

JASMIN holds ABIGAIL in her arms – her sleeping head nestled into
JASMIN’S shoulder. HELEN kisses JASMIN on the cheek.

HELEN
Thanks.

243 INT. STUDIO. NIGHT

HONEY sits on the edge of DANIEL’S bed, lighting a cigarette.

HONEY
My mum never kissed me or cuddled me or hugged me. Only time she ever
touched me was when she hit me. Sometimes I’d deliberately get her
angry so she’d hit me…

DANIEL (nods)
I guess feeling pain is better than feeling nothing.

HONEY
Is that why you burnt your fingers?

DANIEL (laughs)
Ever though of becoming a therapist when you grow up?

HONEY (laughs)
You could be my first patient.

DANIEL smiles. HONEY holds her cigarette out to him. He shakes his head.

HONEY
You’re good at resisting temptation?

DANIEL nods. HONEY looks at him for a long moment then lies beside
DANIEL, propped up on one elbow.

DANIEL
Honey!

HONEY
Did Rebecca tell you I’d probably try to seduce you?

DANIEL
What she said was ‘Girls like Honey who have been sexually abused…’

HONEY
I’m not a girl like Honey. I’m just Honey!

DANIEL
Maybe I do need a puff…

He reaches for her cigarette. HONEY shakes her head. DANIEL smiles.
HONEY smiles, puts her head on his chest.

HONEY
Tell me a story.

DANIEL (smiles)
‘Honey and the Octopus’.

HONEY frowns playfully.

HONEY
I’m no sure I want to hear this story!

DANIEL
I read something in your journal…
something like…“I want to dive in deep but I’m afraid I’ll drown…”?

HONEY nods.

244 INT. DANIEL AND HELEN’S BEDROOM. NIGHT

HELEN sit on the bed, her old violin resting on her lap, reading
through some sheet music, humming to herself.

INT. STUDIO. NIGHT
HONEY lies alongside DANIEL, reading from her journal.

HONEY
“I want him to dive into my soul too but what if he finds, deep down,
monsters he doesn’t like. Monsters he can’t learn to love, the me that
I can’t even learn to love?”

DANIEL
Your monsters don’t scare me.

HONEY (laughs)
You are so funny! (A BEAT) You didn’t read the next sentence, did you?
 (READING) “She went on to say, ‘I’m afraid of what I’ll see if I look
too deeply into my own eyes. I’m not sure I want anyone else to see
what’s there. Who’s there. Maybe there’s no-one there. Or maybe no-one
I’d want to meet on a dark night.”

DANIEL
She? Who said that? (A BEAT) Helen?

245 INT. KITCHEN. DAY

JASPER, in her pajamas, eats breakfast. A ‘beep’ on her mobile: a text
message. She looks at the screen: HONEY:

luv u

JASPER smiles, starts to write a reply as HELEN, on the other side of
the kitchen, punches a number into her mobile: DANIEL

246 INT. DANIEL’S STUDIO. DAY

In the foreground Daniel’s mobile, vibrates by his computer. In the
background, DANIEL is asleep on the fold-out bed.

HONEY, fully dressed, sits on the edge of the bed reading a text
message on her mobile, smiles. She walks to pick up the vibrating
mobile, sees on the table the magazine:

ART NOW with the photo of herself being and the text ART OR EXPLOITATION?

The smile disappears from her face.

A LITTLE LATER

HONEY emerges from the bathroom – dressed, drying her hair. DANIEL has
his hands filled with the sheets from his bed and Honey’s blue teddy
bear. HONEY is nervous, tentative.

HONEY
Does this come out in Western Australia?

DANIEL (nods)
Yes, but don’t worry about it. It’s…
HONEY
I need to tell you something. About me. (A BEAT) Maybe you should sit down!

DANIEL (grins)
You’re actually a boy?

HONEY smiles, shakes her head, is about to continue when the door
opens. HELEN stands there in the doorway – mouth open. She takes in
scenario:  DANIEL with teddy bear, HONEY drying her hair - walks back
out the door, slamming it behind her.

247 INT. FACTORY FOYER. DAY

HELEN runs through the foyer. DANIEL chases her.

DANIEL
Helen, please…

JASPER runs from the front door towards HELEN.

JASPER
The police!

HELEN stops. DANIEL slows. They look to the front entrance, see: TWO
POLICEMEN and one POLICEWOMAN stand in the doorway.

HONEY runs up behind DANIEL, sees the police; stops. HELEN, DANIEL and
JASPER all turn to look at HONEY - asking, with their eyes, “What’s
going on?”

HONEY
Last night, I was with…

POLICEWOMAN
We know where you were you last night?

HELEN
Honey, you don’t have to say anything.

248 INT. POLICE STATION. DAY

DANIEL signs bail forms and counts money out on the counter. REBECCA
stands by HONEY closeby. HELEN, lips pursed, arms crossed, on the
other side of the room, is furious.

249 EXT. POLICE STATION. DAY

As HONEY, DANIEL, HELEN and REBECCA walk from the police station:

REBECCA
You know what ‘armed robbery’ would get you if you were an adult? Ten
years! There would be no bail!

JASPER, standing by the family SUV, looks on from a distance as
REBECCA berates HONEY.

250 INT. CAR. DAY

HELEN drives - DANIEL in the driver’s seat, HONEY is in the back seat,
alongside JASPER.

HELEN
I want the truth. No bullshit.

HONEY nods. JASPER takes HONEY’S hand, holds it tight.

HELEN
Did you fuck Daniel?

HONEY shakes her head. HELEN looks at DANIEL for confirmation. DANIEL
shakes his head. JASPER’S eyes dart hither and thither as she
registers the complicated interpersonal dynamics.

HONEY
Daniel’s like my dad.

HELEN
Jesus, Honey! He’s not your dad.



251 INT. CAR/EXT. DANIEL AND HELEN’S HOUSE. DAY

As they pull up outside Daniel and Helen’s house, HONEY sees the 4WD
with Channel 9 written on the side pulling up across the road. She
speaks fast - to DANIEL.

HONEY
You know you said there was nothing I could say that would shock you.

HONEY casts a quick look at JASPER. Both DANIEL and HELEN notice.
JASPER turns bright red. A FILM CREW is out of the car now and making
their way towards them.

HONEY
Well there is something…

HONEY is cut off by a REPORTER’S shouted question:

REPORTER
Mr. Pearson, how long have you known Honeysuckle Williams’ true identity?

DANIEL opens the car door, places his hand over the CAMERAMAN’S lens,
pushes past him. DANIEL turns to HONEY – out of the car now, along
with HELEN and JASPER.

DANIEL
What’s he talking about?

HONEY turns white, looks briefly at JASPER, who turns her head away.
HELEN observes this interchange.

HELEN
Jasper, do you know…?

HONEY
I made her promise not to tell.

DANIEL
Not tell what?

HONEY
My name’s Catherine. And I’m not 16. I’m 20.

252 INT. DINING ROOM. EVENING

DANIEL, HELEN, HONEY and JASPER  watch the TV. Onscreen:

REPORTER (off screen)
What do you think of your husband bailing out a criminal with a record
as long as your arm?

HELEN, on TV, looks from DANIEL to HONEY - too shocked to reply.

DANIEL, HELEN, HONEY and JASPER  watch the TV with levels of shock
appropriate to their character.

NEWS READER
One of Catherine’s friends from Perth was not surprised when she heard
that Miss Jones had been passing herself off as a 16 year old.

A TEENAGE GIRL appears onscreen.

TEENAGE GIRL
Me and Katy was in detention together heaps. She’s got a record as
long as my *****ing arm. The Queen of Con they called her in
Nyandi.One of those liars, what do you call them? Path…something.

INTERVIEWER
Pathological liar?

JASPER sees something through the window, walks over to it, turns back
to the others:

JASPER
The police…

253 EXT. FRONT DOOR. DAY

DANIEL appears in the doorway. The same TWO POLICEMEN and POLICEWOMAN
as before are standing there. Behind them, in the street, is a small
contingent of JOURNALISTS, CAMERAMEN, etc.

POLICEMAN
Sorry, mate, but we’ve got a new warrant…in her proper name.

DANIEL nods, looks back to HELEN, arms folded, shaking her head in a
mixture of shock and disapproval. JASPER moves to HONEY and hugs her.
HONEY turns to HELEN – contrite.

HONEY
I’m sorry Helen.

HELEN nods but won’t look at HONEY. HONEY walks to the door. The
POLICEWOMAN moves to take HONEY’S arm. DANIEL gestures to her that it
is not necessary. He takes HONEY’S hand.

JASPER, at the front door watches DANIEL and HONEY walk       towards
the waiting media, ignoring the questions shouted at them.

254 INT. HOSPITAL WARD. DAY

A young girl’s hand takes wilting red roses from a vase.

JASPER, wilted flowers in her hand, looks at GRANT, dozing in the bed
beside her; tubes in his nose; his body connected to various
life-support devises.

DANIEL, alongside HONEY, hands a new bunch of red roses to JASPER. As
she places them in the vase, GRANT opens his eyes.

GRANT
Hello Jasper.

JASPER
Hi.

JASPER leans over, kisses him on the cheek.

GRANT
Beautiful as ever.

GRANT looks at the roses, smiles, looks at DANIEL, then HONEY.

GRANT
Daniel…Honey…

GRANT looks at HONEY for along moment, holds out his hand, beckons
her. She walks up, takes his hand.

GRANT
Daniel’s told me about you and your angels. (A BEAT) Don’t be in too
much of a hurry to meet them.

CLOSE ON HONEY.
GRANT (voice over)
The angels will wait. They’ve got all the time in the world.

255 INT. YOUNG HONEY’S BEDROOM

CLOSE ON YOUNG HONEY looking out the window:

Her MOTHER, a can of petrol in her hands, splashes it around the shed.

YOUNG HONEY looks on from the window, puzzled, as her mother:

…sits in the middle of the shed, visible through the window, picks up
the can of petrol, pours the remainder of it over her head, sits for a
moment, takes out a packet of matches.

YOUNG HONEY, aware now of what her mother is about to set herself
alight, screams.

YOUNG HONEY
No!

HONEY’S MOTHER, a lit match in her fingers, looks up towards YOUNG
HONEY. There is madness in her eyes.

HONEY turns, runs from the room.

256 INT. STAIRS. NIGHT

HONEY runs downstairs.

257 EXT. YARD.NIGHT

YOUNG HONEY runs across the yard towards the shed - her MOTHER visible
through a window staring at the lit match, mesmerized.

YOUNG HONEY
No, mummy.

258 INT. SHED. NIGHT

HONEY’S MOTHER looks up from the burning match to where YOUNG HONEY
stands in the doorway, staring at her as though she does not recognize
her. She looks back at the lit match in her hands, moves it slowly
towards her body.

YOUNG HONEY throws herself at her mother’s arm, knocking the lit match
from her hand. Almost immediately petrol soaked furniture catches
light and quick as a flash the fire spreads. YOUNG HONEY grabs hold of
her MOTHER, drags her to the door and outside. HONEY’S MOTHER screams.

HONEY’S MOTHER
No, No, no…I want to go and stay with the angels.

HONEY’S MOTHER wrestles with YOUNG HONEY – trying to free herself, run
back into the fire. YOUNG HONEY grabs hold of two fist fulls of her
mother’s hair and won’t let go. HONEY’S MOTHER’S screaming carries
over to:

259 INT. GRANNY FLAT. NIGHT

HONEY, her face pale, sweating profusely, lies with her head in
HELEN’S lap, crying. HELEN strokes her hair, fights back the tears in
her own eyes.

HONEY
She’s never forgiven me.

HELEN
You saved her life. That was the right thing to do.

HONEY
But she wanted to go and be with the angels.

HELEN
But she’s…

HONEY
Mad…Madder than me. Much. I just want to look after her, but she won’t let me.

HELEN
Maybe she doesn’t want to fuck your life up. Be a burden.

HONEY
That’s a beautiful lie, Helen but…lies have caused me nothing but
trouble and they reckon the truth sets you free, ay?

HELEN
I’m not sure it does, Honey.

HONEY
Then what does?

HELEN shakes her head.

HELEN
Fucked if I know. Love maybe…

HONEY (smiles)
Love maybe…

HELEN
Where’s your mother now?

HONEY
A boarding house in Perth. Most of the time. Sometimes, when she
forgets her medication, she winds up in ward 5 for a few days. (A
BEAT) That’s where she met John. He’s mad too, but he took care of me…


...to be continued