At Sean's house, Ellie and Sean are sleeping on the couch
Ellie: Sean! Sean!
Sean: (looks at the time) Oh! Wow.
Ellie: Double wow. I'm late! Home by eleven does not mean AM. Did you turn the ringer off? I need a cab, I need $10 to pay for a cab.
Sean: The ringers on, nobody's called.
Ellie: My mom probably lost your number or fell asleep watching the same lame movie we did.
Sean: Snuggling up with a few empty bottles...
Ellie: I'm not talking about this.
Sean: You know you're welcome here.
Ellie: Let's see if I'm even allowed back.
Sean: I meant to stay...yeah as in to move in. At Ashley's locker
Ellie: What you just forgot to put any on?
Ashley: Left mine at my mom's, didn't want to use my dad's sport scent or his boyfriend's mountain race.
Ellie: Men's deodorant gives me a rash.
Ashley: Yeah well you know what else gives me a rash is that my dad's bringing his boyfriend to the open house today.
Ellie: Imagine the rash I got when Sean asked me to move in...this morning.
Ashley: What?
Ellie: Move in. Co-habituate. Live in sin.
Ashley: You can't!
Ellie: My mom isn't doing so well. It's pretty bad.
Ashley: And how's Sean?
(Ellie smiles and nods.)
Ashley: Was it good enough to risk giving your mom a heart attack?
In the foyer at school
Manny: Hey Spinner! (Spinner doesn't say anything) Boy it's nice to see you too Manny, have a good day!
(Manny keeps walking then turns around.)
Manny: Hey, you wanna earn some major points by helping with Paige's spirit squad carwash?
Spinner: Paige sort of owes me the major points these days.
Manny: Okay so why not earn major points with me then? Paige is off sick with the flu.
Spinner: Yeah I know.
Manny: So I'm in charge and honestly I need help. We need to earn a lot of money to get those new uniforms.
Spinner: So you think it would help if I wash cars in my wet t-shirt?
Manny: No I want you to play! With your band, you idiot! No, you guys would attract so much attention.
Spinner: Yeah but the Squash isn't my band. You'd have to ask-
Manny: Craig. Yeah that'd be just a bit awkward...
(Manny gets down on her knees (her usual position).)
Manny: Please please please! With ketchup and gravy and big hugs on top?!
Spinner: Gravy? I'll see what I can do.
Manny: Okay thanks. Oh and get Craig to bring his camera ok?
Spinner: Kay!
In the auto shop room
Sean: Why not!?
Ellie: My dad's got six months of service.
Sean: So that's six months of homework. That's six months of dinner.
Ellie: He's in the middle east Sean! If the call came in he was hurt or worse my mom would...
Sean: She'd what? She'd crack open the third bottle for the evening?
Ellie: We can dinners okay? Maybe watch some crappy TV but after that...
Sean: Let me make it simple. Move in...with someone who loves you.
Ellie: I'm sorry. She needs me.
Sean: It's finished. Nobody cares about auto shop anyways. In the school during the Open House
Mr. Armstrong: No, Emma's doing pretty well. Polynomials can be a bit of a struggle.
Spike: Me and math?! Mortal enemies.
Emma: You balance your own books at the salon. Don't believe her.
Mrs. Nash: Ellie must love your class. All her classes! She spends almost every night at her boyfriend's doing homework.
Mr. Simpson: Well uh Media Immersion is a very intense course. The course is centered on-
Mrs. Nash: Media? Computers? I get it. Tell me, do you assign every project in pairs?
Mr. Simpson: Well no...in fact most of the work is-
Mrs. Nash: Thought so. Thanks very much Mr. Stanton.
Mr. Simpson: It's Simpson.
Mrs. Nash: (laughing) Like the cartoon! That's priceless. In the hall
Ashley: Ellie hey!
Ellie: Mom, you remember Ashley!
Ashley: Mrs. Nash this is my father Robert and his partner.
Christopher: Hi I'm Christopher.
Mrs. Nash: Partners huh? Do you run a business together or is it pairs figure skating?
Mr. Kerwin: We're life partners actually.
Mrs. Nash: Oh I know. Must be nice having a man around. My husband's off fighting for his country.
Mr. Kerwin: That must be difficult for you and Ellie.
Mrs. Nash: Oh you have no idea! Or do they let you people in the military now? You re-decorate the enemy into surrendering! (Laughing)
Ellie: Mom. You're tired. We should go.
Mrs. Nash: Bye!
Mrs. Nash: Oh wait, isn't that your boyfriend?
Ellie: It's okay. I'll call him later.
Mrs. Nash: Sean isn't it? I was hoping to see you.
Sean: It's nice to see you too Mrs. Nash.
Mrs. Nash: Your parents...they're not here to see this fine automotive display?
Sean: Um. I'm alone. I live alone.
Mrs. Nash: Not lately.
Ellie: Mom!
Mrs. Nash: Midnight study sessions, dawn tutorials. Sometimes I can't remember what Ellie looks like!
Ellie: Mom let's go.
Sean: Look, I care about her okay?
Mrs. Nash: Not okay!
(Grabs Ellie's arm and they walk away.)
In Craig's garage
Craig: 1, 2, 3, 4!
(The band starts playing.)
Craig: Woah! Woah! Woah! You're coming in way too early.
Spinner: Dude how are we supposed to get better if all we do is rehearse?! I mean we should play another gig.
Craig: We will! When we're smoking hot!
Jimmy: In the twenty-third century! (Craig hits Jimmy)
Spinner: Exactly. We need to play smaller gigs to stoke us up to smoking hot.
Ashley: Spinner has a point!
Spinner: Who asked you?!? What? I mean...yeah...what she said. Sorry.
Craig: Alright well I guess we could put a little more pressure on ourselves.
Spinner: Yes! That's why I booked us for the school spirit squad carwash this weekend.
Marco: What? Woah Spin. We're not ready!
Spinner: Dude it's a carwash. We're not opening for Kid Elrick at the Dome.
Craig: Alright. We'll take it to a vote. All for the gig?
(Spinner, Craig, Ashley raise their hands.)
Spinner: All against?
(Marco, Jimmy raise their hands.)
Spinner: Okay well three to two! Manny will be stoked!
Craig & Ashley: Manny?!
Jimmy: Speaking of smoking hot!
In Ellie's house, the smoke alarm is going off and Ellie runs to the kitchen
Ellie: Mom! Mom get up! Get up! Mom get up!
(Ellie runs over to the stove and tries to turn it off and burns her hand on the pot and makes the fire even worse.)
Ellie: Mom! Get up!
(Ellie drags her mom out of the house.)
At the hospital
Mrs. Nash: I must have taken in a life supply of smoke tonight. I'm not proud right now Ellie. I almost burnt the place down. Don't make this any worse for me.
Ellie: I'm exhausted. I have to sleep.
Mrs. Nash: Fine. There's a fold out at Elaine's.
Ellie: Elaine's? She lives in Fergis! Why do I have to go there?! I hate her!
Mrs. Nash: Because I'm still your mother and I said so!
Ellie: Okay. But what if I stay over at Ashley's instead...in the city!
Mrs. Nash: Well I wouldn't have to drive you into school everyday.
Ellie: Exactly what I was thinking. But it's up to you! Whatever you want.
Mrs. Nash: Well if it's alright with Ashley's mother it's alright with me...at least until our place is ready!
Ellie: I'll go call Ashley right now! At Sean's, Sean opens the front door and Ellie is standing there
Ellie: Yesterday you might have mentioned the words 'move in'... Ellie and Sean walking into Sean's house
Ellie: Home sweet home.
Sean: Closest thing to being at your place.
Sean: Looks like my CD collection just doubled.
(Sean picks up Ellie's CD case and opens it. It has all of her cutting supplies in it.)
Ellie: I was thinking we need a pet. A dog or a parrot or a...
Sean: I thought you stopped cutting!
Ellie: I did! I just didn't want to leave it there...I wouldn't lie to you about this.
Sean: I cleared a drawer.
Ellie: You did?
Sean: Yeah and some space in the closet and in the medicine cabinet just above the sink.
Ellie: Listen. There's something we should-
Sean: I know. And it's fine. I'll just sleep on the couch.
Ellie: You have a bed.
Sean: You just had a fire, so for now I'll just sleep on the couch okay?
(They hold hands.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
At the carwash
(Spinner sprays Hazel with the hose.)
Hazel: I said stop it!
Spinner: What? It wasn't me! New girl. (Points to the new girl Darcy)
Darcy: New girl? I prefer Darcy!
Spinner: Oh. Okay... Darcy! (Sprays her)
Manny: Hey Craig. Thanks for doing this. It's really great.
Craig: Anytime Manny.
Ashley: Check 1, 2. We have Craig Manning in the house!
(Craig leaves Manny and goes over to Ashley.)
Spinner: Any more bitter and she'd be a lemon!
(Hazel throws a sponge at Spinner and he goes to grab it.)
Spinner: You think that's funny?!
Manny: No, no!
(Spinner and Manny splash around and push each other jokingly while Craig watches.)
In the school
Marco: But you're alright, right? I mean after breathing in all that smoke.
Ellie: I don't have black lung Marco.
Marco: And your mom? How's she doing?
Ellie: I only have a few mom free days left. If it's okay I'd rather keep it that way.
Marco: I'm more interested in you anyway. So okay. First shower at your boyfriends. Were you naked?
Ellie: Yeah and alone!
Marco: What? Disappointing, but still party worthy!
Ellie: Me showering is party worthy?
Marco: No but, you being happy is. Plus you're young, cute, clean and black lung free!
Ellie: And you're sure Mama Del Rossi will let us have a party?
Marco: No but I know Papa Sean will! Back at the carwash, the band is playing
Craig: That sucked.
Ashley: Keep smiling. No one noticed.
(Rick drives up in a car.)
Hazel: What are you doing here?
Rick: Um helping out my fellow students!
Jimmy: What's your problem psycho?!
Rick: My mother wants the car washed.
Jimmy: Okay well unless you want a wash, I'd bounce!
(Rick drives off while Jimmy sprays the back of his car.)
Manny: Hey! I never knew what a great drummer you were before.
Spinner: I guess it's kind of hard who's me behind the lead singer sometimes.
Manny: Not today. Congratulations. Thanks for coming out!
(Manny hugs Spinner and puts her snow cone on Spinner's back.)
Spinner: That's how you repay me?!
(They start running around laughing and grabbing at each other.)
Manny: I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
(Craig takes a picture of Manny and Spinner looking really close.)
At Sean's house, having a party
Ashley: Always with the banners Marco.
Ellie: Perks of a printer's son.
(Marco is taking a bite of guacamole and spits it out and grabs a drink.)
Marco: What is this?!
Ellie: It's guacamole! Sean made it for me. It's my favorite. He's sweet.
Marco: This was rancid!
Jay: Nice little house warming.
Sean: Whatever. She'll go back in a few days. Maybe this time her mom will burn down the whole place.
Alex: Now that would be a house warming.
Jay: So it's actually a bon voyage, see you later, thanks for all the s*x party.
(Ellie overhears and walks away.)
Sean: Ellie! He shouldn't have said that.
Ellie: I don't care that he did. I just don't want to go back to her.
Sean: Then you don't have to okay? You can stay here.
(Ellie's mom walks in.)
Mrs. Nash: What is this?
Ellie: Mom?
Mrs. Nash: Housewarming...I went to Ashley's and her mom told me you haven't been staying there. You've been staying here the whole time haven't you? Haven't you?
(Ellie nods.)
Mrs. Nash: The cab's waiting. Let's go. Let's go now. Let's go NOW!
Sean: Mrs. Nash it's better if Ellie stays here.
(Mrs. Nash slaps Sean.)
Mrs. Nash: You don't come near me and don't come near my daughter!
(Mrs. Nash grabs Ellie and walks away with her.)
At Ellie's house in the kitchen all burnt
Mrs. Nash: This was a blessing. A blessing! Old furniture, grimy paint... We can start from scratch. What do you think? How about a periwinkle blue in here?
Ellie: Mom you slapped my boyfriend.
Mrs. Nash: Ellie that boy's no good for you. I know you think it will be hard, that you love him. I know what's best.
(Ellie keeps pulling at the elastic on her wrist.)
Mrs. Nash: Eleanor, stop doing that!
(Ellie opens the CD case and all her cutting materials fall out.)
Ellie: Pick one mom! Knife! Razor!
Mrs. Nash: What are you doing? What is this?
Ellie: What's best for me, mom?! Because if I stay here I'm gonna do it again. You're making me do it again!
Mrs. Nash: Ellie...
Ellie: This is what it costs! Your drinking made me cut myself!
Mrs. Nash: No baby! Oh my god. You need to understand...
Ellie: No you have to understand... why I can't keep living with you.
Mrs. Nash: No! Oh my god. (Starts crying and sobbing)
At the Dot
Spinner: Hey.
Manny: Hey.
Spinner: Are you ready to order?
Manny: Um no, actually I'm not eating. I'm just waiting for someone.
Spinner: Okay. Who?
Manny: Paige.
Spinner: Right. Um look I have lots of tables to...
Manny: Yeah the excitement from yesterday must have gotten to my head or something.
Spinner: Yeah I know the feeling. I wouldn't want you or Paige to think that-
(Paige walks over.)
Spinner: Paige!
Paige: Two people I've literally been dying to see. But now I've risen to thank Manuela Santos, my guardian angel. $800 and our new uniform dream is a reality.
Manny: It's no big deal.
Paige: Oh and I heard you guys rocked baby.
Spinner: I did it all for you.
At Sean's house
Ellie: She dropped me off.
Sean: She drove?
Ellie: Sober. Honest. Hopefully will be for the next two months. She's going to rehab and I'm here to stay. If I want to. Do you still want me to?
Sean: Yeah! Uh what is that?
Ellie: Hold on, hold on!
(Ellie puts the cage she'd been holding down and picks up a ferret.)
Sean: It's a weasel!
Ellie: It's a ferret. I saw him at the pet store and...
Sean: Shouldn't we have talked about this first?
Ellie: A home isn't a home without a pet!
Plan: A: her mother's drinking; Q: What causes Ellie to choose between staying at home or moving in with Sean? A: home; Q: What does Ellie want to stay in when her mother's drinking gets worse? A: the school's car wash; Q: What is Manny put in charge of when Paige is sick? A: Paige's boyfriend; Q: What is Spinner? Summary: When her mother's drinking grows worse, Ellie has to choose between staying at home or moving in with Sean. Meanwhile, with Paige sick, Manny is put in charge of the school's car wash and grows closer to Paige's boyfriend, Spinner.