Period "." by Carly Heath Carly Heath4161 Leon Dr.Clayton, Ca 94517PHONE: 925-672-6655 "." FADE IN: INT. HIGH SCHOOL - GIRL'S BATHROOM - STALL - DAY OLIVE, an average 14-year-old girl, hovers over the toilet looking at her underwear that is pulled down around her knees. In the crotch of the underwear is a blood-stain. OLIVE Shit! Fucking nasty son of a Bitch!! She slams her fist against the toilet paper dispenser in anger. TEELA (O.C) Olive, what's wrong? OLIVE Um...uh...nothing, I just remembered that I have a test in Honor's Chem. TEELA (O.C) Oh. Hey, can I borrow a tampon? OLIVE Uh...sorry I don't have-- TEELA (O.C) --Well do you have a pad? I'm kinda in a situation here. OLIVE I haven't--- GIRL'S VOICE (O.C) Here! I got a pad, who needs it? TEELA (O.C) Over here, the far stall. GIRL'S VOICE (O.C) Catch. Olive looks up to see a pad flying over head. It doesn't quite make it, and lands in Olive's stall. Olive picks it up, and give's it to Teela's hand -- sticking out under the stall-divider. TEELA (O.C) So, Olive, you haven't gotten your period yet? OLIVE No. Olive quickly rolls up a wad of toilet paper and sticks it in the crotch of her underwear, before pulling up her jeans and leaving the stall. TEELA, older-looking than Olive, emerges from her stall. TEELA You're lucky. I got mine when I was 10. I felt like such a freak. I can't wait till menopause. EXT. BASKETBALL COURTS - LATE AFTERNOON Olive and Teela are in the same PE class. With a few other BOYS and GIRLS they shoot some hoops. OLIVE Over here! I�m open. The GUY WITH THE BALL glances over at Olive. His eyes widen and he looks away. SOME OTHER TEAM MEMBERS glance at Olive and see it . . . the front of OLIVE�S white shorts have a huge bloodstain. Oblivious. Olive waves her hands. OLIVE What the fuck?! I�m right under the hoop. Guy With The Ball dribbles around in circles, unsure of what to do. The other team snags it from him. Olive runs up to him. OLIVE Vince, I was wide open! Guy with the ball/Vince looks to the ground, around, anywhere but at Olive. At last Teela saves Vince and Olive. TEELA Olive, I think you need to go to the bathroom. Olive looks down. EXT. BUS STOP - LATER Olive stands at the bus stop with a sweater tied around her waste. Her eyes dart around nervously. INT. OLIVE'S HOUSE - BATHROOM - LATER Olive puts a bloody pair of underwear and shorts under the sink, turns on the faucet, and pours on some soap. INT. LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Olive crosses the living room. Olive�s MOTHER sits on the couch watching TV. ON TV A News report about a recent trial. REPORTER Earlier today, Judge Hubbard was forced to throw out the case against Doctor Eugene Warner. Doctor Warner was charged with sexually assaulting nearly a dozen female patients. Footage of people upset with the news. FAT WOMAN (hysterical sobbing) This is an outrage! I know what that man did to me! He should be locked up. I don�t think I�ll ever feel safe going to a gynecologist again. BACK TO SCENE Olive�s Mother smirks at the TV. MOTHER (at the TV) Oh you liked it and you know it. ON TV REPORTER Due to lack of evidence, Dr. Warner will keep his medical license and continue practicing at his clinic. ACNE-SCARRED WOMAN I�m so mad, I�m so mad I don�t even know what to say. BACK TO SCENE Olive, from the kitchen, joins her Mom in heckling the TV. OLIVE She�s just mad that she has to pay a gynecologist to touch her the right way. Mom and Daughter share in their warped sense of humor. INT. OLIVE�S HOUSE - DEN - NIGHT Olive flips through the yellow pages looking up hospitals. She finds a number, picks up the phone and dials. OLIVE Hello. I was wondering if I could get an estimate on the cost of a hysterectomy. . .no, no it�s for me. . .can you just tell me a number?..Okay, is it more than $5,000?. . .More than $7,000? Am I hot or cold? Hello? Hello? Olive, hangs up the phone and then starts to redial. MOTHER (OC) What are you doing? Olive turns to see her Mother standing in the doorway. OLIVE Mom. I got my period today. It�s a pain in the ass. I don�t ever plan on having kids, I want a hysterectomy. Mother thinks for a moment. MOTHER Hysterectomies are expensive, Olive. Now, I can either pay for your college, or your operation, I can�t pay for both. OLIVE Don�t worry Mom, I�ll raise the money myself. MOTHER Well, as long as I don�t have to pay for it. . .Goodnight Olive. OLIVE �night Mom. EXT. LEMONADE STAND - DAY Olive and Teela sell lemonade on a street corner. Not much business. An ELDERLY COUPLE approach. ELDERLY MAN What you kids raising money for? A trip to Disney Land? A new pony? TEELA No. Hysterectomy. ELDERLY WOMAN Oh. . .helping your Mother pay for medical bills? OLIVE No. It's for me. ELDERLY WOMAN Oh Deary, don't tell me you have the cancer. OLIVER Cancer? Hell no. I just got my period. It's a pain in the ass. I figure, lets gut those useless, annoying organs and be done with it. The Elderly Couple give them a strange look and shuffle away. TEELA Don't you want lemonade? Senior discount! MOTHER (O.C.) Oh Gawd. Not a lemonade stand. Olive sees her Mother approaching. MOTHER (CON'T) It's like apple pie, golden retrievers and Tom Hanks. It's so damn wholesome I could puke. OLIVE We haven't gotten much profits. MOTHER You wanna make money? Eggs. TEELA Eggs? But the Vegan-sector of the population is drastically rising at an exponential-- MOTHER --Not chicken eggs. Human eggs. Hundreds of women every year find that they do not have the ability to bear children. While most would-be Mothers find joy in adopting an underprivileged child and giving that child a loving home. Other women want to experience the miracle of ripping something the size of a watermelon out of a hole barely larger than the opening in a coke bottle. So, these women buy eggs from young folks like your selves for tens of thousands of dollars and implant them into their uteruses. Then, like a chia-pet, watch 'em grow. INT. OLIVE'S HOUSE - DEN - DAY Olive and Teela sit at a computer looking at a web site called "Eggs-r-us". OLIVE Okay, its asking us for our SAT scores. TEELA Is that a test or something? I think I missed school that day. OLIVE I'll put "not applicable". TEELA Height? You're about 5-feet. Olive types that in. TEELA Cup size? OLIVE Does "training bra" count as a cup-size? Olive types some more. TEELA Hair color? OLIVE I guess, mousy-brown. Okay, click submit. A new page appears on the computer screen: ESTIMATED EGG VALUE: $4.95 OLIVE $4.95? Man, they're only paying the big-bucks to the smart and beautiful people. TEELA We could rob a bank. OLIVE Nah. No matter how noble the cause, a bank robbery always ends with the two heroes dying in a bloody-climatic shootout. . .actually, that kinda sounds like fun. TEELA My Mom would probably get mad. OLIVE We could get a job. They both look at each other. TOGETHER No! EXT. STREET - DAY Olive and Teela walk down the street looking dejected. A VAN with tinted windows and TWO SHADY-LOOKING MEN pulls up along side Olive and Teela. SHADY LOOKING MAN I'm looking for my lost kitty. She likes the sound of little girls' voices. Will you help me find her? OLIVE What kind of compensation are we talking about? OTHER SHADY MAN Get in the van and we'll talk about it. Olive and Teela look at each other. TOGETHER (slyly) Score! Olive and Teela climb into the van. EXT. WAREHOUSE - DUSK The Van pulls up to an abandoned-looking warehouse. INT. WAREHOUSE - DUSK The two men escort Olive and Teela into the building. OLIVE I don't think your kitty is in here. When they arrive at the lighted area of the building they see MANY OTHER CHILDREN all looking scared and confused. And then they see. . . DATELINE NBC's LEA THOMPSON and a camera crew. LEA THOMPSON Excuse me, children, didn't your parents ever tell you not to get into cars with strangers? OLIVE Um. . .probably. . . TEELA . . .but you see, we were out raising money-- OLIVE --yes, that's right. TEELA --we were fundraising and we thought the men in the van were going to donate money for our cause. LEA THOMPSON And what is the cause you are raising money for. OLIVE My hyster-- TEELA (silencing Olive) Yes! Her History education. You see, my dear friend Olive wants to be a Historian. But since her Father died in the. . .uh. . . Teela glances around to see that all the folks on the camera crew are wearing American Flags on their T-shirts. TEELA (CON'T) --Since he died in the World Trade Center attacks, they have sadly had to use all of her college fund to pay for his funeral. Olive wipes away an invisible tear. The NBC camera crew simultaneously puts there hands over their hearts and gasps. LEA THOMPSON What a tragedy!. . .No. What an AMERICAN tragedy. . .and yet so endearing. . .a child's struggle. Yes! We will do another story! Forget this trite "Children getting into car's with strangers" story. We'll do a different story. . .nay, a special. We'll inform America about these two girls who were affected by the September 11th Tragedy! TEELA Hey! I never said I was affected by it. LEA THOMPSON Shut up kid, just go with it. INT. OLIVE'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - WEEKS LATER (DAY) Olive, Olive's Mother, and Teela sit on the floor with a pile of letters, envelopes, and donations (personal checks). MOTHER Well, it looks like you've raised enough money for at least three hysterectomies. Shall I make an appointment with the gynecologist for your pelvic exam? OLIVE Gynecologist? Pelvic exam?! Why do I need one of those? MOTHER Honey, they have to look at you "down there" so they can prepare for your surgery. OLIVE Ewww. . .well, if it means I'll never have to get a period again, then I guess its worth it. EXT. THE OFFICE OF EUGENE WARNER OB/GYN - DAY Olive and her Mother exit the car in front of the building. OLIVE Wait a minute! This is the rapist doctor. You're taking me to a rapist? MOTHER Oh please! Don't tell me that you believe everything you see on the news. OLIVE No. . .of course not, it's just. . .aren't there any other gynecologists? MOTHER I'm afraid they're all out of town at the gynecologist convention. For some reason, Dr. Warner wasn't invited. Mother escorts her daughter into the building. She has a sly smile on her face, while Olive grimaces. OLIVE (closing her eyes) It's worth it. . .its worth it. . . INT. WAITING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Olive and her Mother are sitting in the waiting room. Olive's eyes dart around nervously. She crosses her legs. The MEDICAL ASSISTANT enters the waiting area and smiles at Olive. Time to go. INT. CLINIC - MOMENTS LATER Olive follows the Medical Assistant down the long walk to the examination room. INT. EXAMINATION ROOM - MOMENTS LATER Olive sits on the little bed-thing, with the paper on it. She swings her legs nervously. Then. . . . . .The door opens. . . DR. EUGENE WARNER, a 200-pound beast of a man looking every bit villainish enters the examination room and snarls: WARNER Olive? Olive gulps in response. WARNER (CON'T) (looking through the papers) You must be the youngest patient I've had in quite some time. Olive shifts around uncomfortably. Warner hands her the paper, patient gown. WARNER (CON'T) Take off your clothes and put this on. I'll be right back in five minutes. Warner leaves. Olive looks at the paper gown, then at the door. She crosses and uncrosses her legs uncomfortable. She looks at the window. Olive looks earnestly at the window. APPROACHING FOOTSTEPS. Olive dives for the window, opens it and dashes out into the parking lot. EXT. PARKING LOT - THAT MOMENT Olive's Mother is already in the car with the engine started. Olive jumps into the passenger seat. OLIVE Mom, I think I want to wait until I'm old enough to make my own Doctor's appointments before I get a hysterectomy. Olive's Mom nods and they drive away. FADE OUT.
Copyright © 2001 Carly Heath |