HONEY # 12

...continuing on from HONEY # 11

260 EXT. COURT. DAY

HONEY, DANIEL, HELEN and JASPER walk towards the entrance to  the
court – outside of which awaits a media scrum. HELEN leans close to
HONEY.

HELEN (sotto voce)
Lie, deny, say nothing! Whatever you do, don’t tell them the truth, OK? Promise.

261 INT. COURT. DAY

COURTNEY is in the witness box.

PROSECUTOR
Miss Simpson, you told the arresting officers…

To one side of COURTNEY, in the dock, sits HONEY.

PROSECUTOR
…that Miss Thomas, also known as Honey Williams, was in the car with
you that night.

DANIEL, HELEN, JASPER and REBECCA are in the court room.

COURTNEY
Yes.

PROSECUTOR
But in your signed statement you claim that she was not with you.

COURTNEY
Yes.

PROSECUTOR
And you will be aware that Simon Tremblow… Simmo… also insists that
Miss Thomas was not in the car that night.

COURTNEY (nods)
Honey…I knew Catherine wanted to be locked up and…

PROSECUTOR
You thought she’d appreciate you… dobbing her in?

LATER

A YOUTH WORKER is in the witness box.

YOUTH WORKER
I told her it wasn’t a holiday camp.

The JUDGE sighs, looks at the PROSECUTOR.

JUDGE
Do you wish to call any more witnesses?

PROSECUTOR
No, your Honour.

HONEY
What about me?

JUDGE
Is there something you’d like to tell the court?

HONEY looks to DANIEL and HELEN. HELEN shakes her head. HONEY looks at
the JUDGE, nods.

A LITTLE LATER

HONEY has her hand resting on a bible.

JUDGE
You do understand the importance of telling the truth, Miss Thomas?

HONEY
The truth shall set you free, eh!

The JUDGE looks over the top of his spectacles at HONEY.

HONEY
So help me God.

PROSECUTOR
Can you tell the court anything about the events leading up to and
surrounding the attempted armed robbery of the chemist?

HONEY
Yes, it was my idea. I got Simmo to write the note. He didn’t want to
do it. Nor did Courtney.

JUDGE
Miss Thomas, one of your ‘friends’ described you as a ‘pathological
liar’, isn’t that correct?

HONEY
Yes, but, this time I’m not lying.

JUDGE
Isn’t that what a ‘pathological liar’ would say if she was hoping to
get herself locked up?

HONEY
Maybe, but I don’t want to be locked up anymore. But I also want to
tell the truth and…

JUDGE
Miss Thomas, I suggest that it would be in your own best interests, in
this instance, to say no more…

HONEY
But…

262 INT. DANIEL AND HELEN’S HOME. DINING ROOM. NIGHT

DANIEL, glass of champagne in hand, proposes a toast.

DANIEL
 “The truth shall set you free.”

HELEN, JASPER, HONEY and JASMIN – seated around the dining table
(first course completed) – laugh, raise their glasses.

EVERYONE
“The truth shall set you free.”

JASMIN has Honey’s journal open in front of her.

HONEY
When I lie everyone believes me! When I tell the truth the Judge
thinks I’m lying.

HELEN stands, collects dishes as JASMIN turns a page and bursts out
laughing. CLOSE ON:

A caricature of Daniel.

JASMIN holds it up for all to see. Everyone laughs.

263 INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT

HELEN places a jug, desert plates, spoons and forks on a tray, glances
back into the Dining Room where she sees:

JASMIN turning a page of Honey’s journal, reacting with shock to what
she reads there. JASMIN looks up, tries to catch DANIEL’S attention
with her eyes.

HELEN freezes, thinks for a moment, composes herself, picks up the
tray, walks back into the Dining Room, places the tray on the table as
JASMIN hands the journal back to HONEY.

264 INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT

HELEN empties her glass of wine, lights the chafing dish with a long
match. Her eyes are on Honey’s journal. With the happiest smile she
can muster:

HELEN
Can I get a copy of the caricature of Daniel?

HELEN holds out her hand.

HONEY
Of course!

HONEY hands her the journal, smiles at DANIEL. HELEN  flips pages,
arrives at the caricature, keeps flipping until she finds the page she
is interested in. JASMIN turns pale. DANIEL wonders what is going on.
Suddenly, the tension at the table is palpable. HELEN reads, her face
hardening into a mask.

HELEN
Anyone else have any secrets they’d like to share tonight? Daniel? Jasmin?

A look of horror crosses JASMIN’S face.

HELEN
Lying is not an option tonight, Jasmin. “The truth shall set you free.”

JASPER turns to HONEY angrily.

JASPER
You wrote it in your diary? Duh!

DANIEL
Wrote what?

HELEN
Jasmin is just about to tell us, aren’t you, Jasmin?

HELEN glares at DANIEL.

HELEN
Or maybe you’d would like to share yours and Jasmin’s little secret
with us…darling!?

DANIEL
There is no secret.

HELEN
Fucking Jasmin’s not a secret! Excuse me! Am I the only one who doesn’t know it?

DANIEL
We did not…

HELEN cuts DANIEL off, turns on JASMIN angrily.

HELEN
I thought you were my friend!

JASMIN
We didn’t fuck, Helen. We didn’t make love. We didn’t…

HELEN
Kiss? Yes? No?

DANIEL and JASMIN’S silence speaks volumes.

HELEN
Get the fuck out of my house. Both of you.

JAPSER
Mum…!

DANIEL
Yes, we kissed.

HELEN
With your eyes open?

DANIEL and JASMIN exchange glances.

HELEN
Go!

HELEN throws a plate at DANIEL. It hits the wall, shatters.

JASPER
Mum, stop it…

HELEN  holds her hands up to quieten JASPER. DANIEL walks up to HELEN
in hopes of placating her. She steps back from him.

HELEN
Just go.

JASPER
Mum, don’t do this…

HELEN
Oh, it’s me doing this, is it Jasper!? If you want to take your
father’s side, fine! I don’t give a fuck!

JASPER
But…

DANIEL signals to JASPER to stop. JASPER bursts into tears and runs
out the front door. HONEY looks on, distressed, moves to pick up
pieces of broken plate. HELEN stares into space; seems not to notice
JASMIN or HONEY.

A LITTLE LATER

HELEN pours herself half a tumbler of Brandy, takes a gulp, looks
through the front door to where HONEY sits on the front step talking
on her mobile phone. She turns to JASMIN.

HELEN
Why are you still here?

JASMIN
I want to tell you something.

HELEN
I don’t want to hear it.

JASMIN
I’m not going to lie to you, promise.

HELEN
I want you to lie to me! The truth is too hard…

JASMIN walks up to HELEN, takes her by the hand, leads her to the
white ‘leather’ couch.

JASMIN
Daniel and me…

HELEN covers her ears. JASMIN uncovers them.

265 INT. DANIEL’S STUDIO. DAY

DANIEL sits in front of his computer. He has been using photoshop to
‘touch up’ the photo of Jasmin, but has turned and now faces JASMIN,
sits beside him. They are listening to Tim Buckely’s ‘Sweet
Surrender’. This is a flashback.

TIM BUCKLY (sings)
“Sweet surrender, surrender. If we could just surrender”

JASMIN
I wish, I wish, I wish…

DANIEL
What?

JASMIN
That I could surrender.

DANIEL
Surrender what?

JASMIN
My heart, my soul…to the man I love.

DANIEL
Who’s the lucky man?

JASMIN
I’m still waiting! He’s running a bit late. (DANIEL LAUGHS) And you?

DANIEL
She arrived just in time.

JASMIN smiles, looks at DANIEL for a long moment.

JASMIN
Have you? Surrendered?

DANIEL hesitates for a moment, then shakes his head.

JASMIN
And Helen?

DANIEL shakes his head. JASMIN looks at him quizzically.

DANIEL
We’re both a bit scared.

JASMIN
Of?

DANIEL looks into JASMIN’S eyes for a long moment.

DANIEL
Saying ‘yes’, I guess. For better, for worse…bla, bla bla…

JASMIN nods, smiles, looks away, becomes shy, vulnerable, looks back
at DANIEL. DANIEL’S and JASMIN’S kiss starts tentatively but soon
becomes passionate. They both keep their eyes open – each with one eye
just millimeters from one eye of the other.

JASMIN
Helen is a lucky girl.

DANIEL
Daniel is a lucky boy.

JASMIN smiles, nods.

266 INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT

HELEN looks at JASMIN for a long moment.

HELEN
Why is it so difficult to say ‘yes’?

JASMIN shakes her head.

JASMIN
I wish I knew!

HONEY (voice off)
Because…

HELEN and JASMIN become aware of HONEY standing behind them.

HONEY
…you open your heart so wide when you say ‘yes’…your heart breaks when
all you get back is… ‘no’.

HELEN
Why does Daniel talk to you about his heart, to both of you…and not to me?

HONEY
Why do you talk with me about things you don’t talk to Daniel about?

HELEN looks at HONEY in shock – the relevance of what she is saying
sinking in slowly. The sound of a car horn breaks the silence. HONEY
picks up her backpack.

HONEY moves forward, kisses HELEN on the cheek, hands her a small
parcel wrapped in colourful paper.

HONEY
Just a little…something…

HELEN, still in something of a daze, looks at the parcel.

HONEY
Thank you for everything. See ya Jasmin.

JASMIN
Take care of yourself, Honey. Don’t be a stranger.

HONEY nods, glances at HELEN briefly, walks out the door. HELEN and
JASMIN look at each other. HELEN looks at the present in her hands.
Only now does it register for her that Honey has gone. She leaps to
her feet, rushes to the front door to see John’s blue car driving off
up the street.

267 EXT. STREET OUTSIDE DANIEL AND HELEN’S HOUSE

A taxi pulls up. JASMIN opens the door, turns back to HELEN, standing
beside her.

JASMIN
You going to be okay?

HELEN
Is okay enough?

JASMIN wraps her arms around HELEN, hugs her.

268 INT. JOHN’S CAR. NIGHT

JOHN drives. HONEY, in the passenger seat, stares out the front
window, tears in her eyes. JOHN, registers HONEY’S mood, takes a vial
of pills out of his pocket, tosses them to HONEY. She catches them,
looks at the vial, unscrews the cap.




...to be continued...