4: Tom's Fear

Tom, Andrew, Michael, Marie, Kyle and Sarah all continue to help Darcy after school by paining a mural for the school and hanging up posters. Andrew and Kyle get to the root of Tom's fear as they go.

Lakeside High: Room A203

Andrew, Michael and Marie already arrive in English class to discuss Tom’s behavior before class.

Marie: Tom didn’t come back to class after lunch?

Michael W.: Not until class was over. He was even excused from the quiz the rest of the class took.

Andrew: That’s pretty odd.

Michael W.: I know. How fair is it when one student gets to skip a quiz but the rest of the class isn’t?

Marie: He was taking about Tom skipping the second half of 4th period. Are you sure he was ok after hearing Mark’s speech?

Andrew: He looked pale, worried, and was shaking nervously.

Michael W.: But he said he was ok.

Marie: You idiots, those are signs that he wasn’t ok.

Michael W.: Ohhh 

Marie(annoyed): Yeah oh. When he comes in let’s try to find out what’s going on.

Michael W.: Yeah, why was he able to skip the quiz …

Andrew and Marie(shout): WILL YOU DROP THE STUPID QUIZ ALREADY!?!

Tom walks into the classroom.

Andrew: He’s here.

Marie: Ok don’t come on too strong. Let’s start out small and work up.

Tom joins Andrew, Michael and Marie.

Tom: Hey Marie, Andy, Mike. What’s up?

Andrew: Not much.

Michael W.: Hey why did you skip the second half of 4th period?

Andrew and Marie: (shocked)

Tom: Instructor Vigon thought I wasn’t feeling too well. So he sent me to the nurse’s office. After sitting there for a while I felt better.

Michael W.: That explains why you’re so happy now. You looked all pale and nervous.

Andrew and Marie: (shocked)

Tom: I know I felt bad before but now I really feel good.

The bell rings. Instructor Smith comes into the classroom.

Instructor Smith: Ok class, take your seats.

Marie: Ok after school were staying to help Tom.

Michael W.: Seriously? Cause I had some …

Marie(snaps): We’re staying!

Michael W.: Ok I’m staying.

Instructor Smith: Andrew, Michael, Marie take your seats.

Lakeside High: Cafeteria

Tom joins Darcy in the cafeteria.

Tom: Hi Darcy.

Darcy: Tom, I thought you would have gone home.

Tom: I said I’d stay and help. So I came.

Darcy: Thanks. Now all four of us can work together.

Tom: Four?

Kyle Princeton and Sarah Walker enter the cafeteria and join Tom and Darcy.

Kyle: Sorry were late.

Tom: Kyle and Sarah, what are you doing here?

Kyle: I could ask the same thing, but were here to help Darcy.

Tom: Same here. Well me and …

Andrew, Michael and Marie enter the cafeteria.

Michael W.(shout): Hey, sorry were late.

Tom: Andy, Mike and Marie offered to help as well.

Andrew, Marie and Michael join Tom, Darcy, Kyle and Sarah.

Michael W.: Hey Kyle and Sarah are here as well.

Marie(mad): What is she doing here?

Sarah(mad): That’s none of your business. Why don’t you just go home.

Kyle: Hey calm down you two.

Michael W.: Yeah. We’re all here for the same reason.

Andrew(shy): Well this won’t go smoothly.

Darcy: So it seems everybody knows each other. If we split up we’ll be finished sooner.

Tom: What exactly are we doing anyway?

Michael W.: And what’s in the boxes?

Darcy grabs one of the two boxes and opens it.

Darcy: This box is full of regular campaign stuff. Posters and buttons.

Darcy grabs the second box and opens it.

Darcy: This box is full of painting supplies. Thankfully nothing broke when I fell this morning.

Michael W.: Wait, what does painting got to do with campaigning?

Darcy: Nothing. I volunteered to paint a mural on the second floor and I could use help with that. So three of us can hang posters while four of us paint.

Marie: Kyle, Tom and I will go hang posters and you guys can …

Sarah(mad): Oh no, Kyle, Tom and I will hang posters while the rest of you can …

Marie and Sarah argue back and forth until Darcy interrupts.

Darcy(shout): ENOUGH! Tom, Kyle and Andy will hang posters while Marie, Sarah, Michael and I will paint. Majority rule, how many people are ok with that?

Tom, Andrew, Michael and Kyle: I

Darcy: 5 to 2, ok people let’s go.

Kyle grabs the first box and heads into the hallway with Tom and Andrew.

Lakeside High: Second Floor Mural

Michael, Darcy, Marie and Sarah stand before the unpainted mural.

Michael W.: What the heck is that exactly?

Darcy: You can’t tell? It’s the school mascot. Cadoc Cheetah

Sarah: Well whoever did this is terrible.

Darcy: Um Sarah, I drew this.

Marie: If we carefully cover this in paint it won’t look so bad.

Darcy: That kinda hurt Marie.

Michael W.: So why don’t we better outline it with black paint then work inwards.

Marie & Sarah: Agreed.

Darcy: Hey?! Why isn’t anyone listening to me?

Lakeside High: Hallways First Floor

As Tom and Andrew are hanging posters on the walls, Andrew begins to ask Tom questions.

Andrew: So Tom, about what happened earlier.

Tom: Come on Andy not you too.

Kyle: What happened?

Tom: Nothing worth mentioning.

Andrew: It’s about what happened last week.

Kyle: Oh right the fight.

Tom begins to shake nervously.

Kyle: Hey Tom are you ok?

Tom(nervous): N-N-N-Never b-b-b-better

Andrew: Are you afraid of something?

Tom: O-Of c-course n-not. L-Lets j-just f-finish h-hanging t-these p-posters.

Kyle: If you’re afraid of what happened you can tell us. Trying to burry it won’t help.

Tom(sad): Whenever I begin to even think about it, I just become nervous and freeze up. And then as if I was reliving that moment, I could feel every vital blow I received from Gavin. I can feel my heartbeat fast and it becomes difficult for me to breathe.

Finished with the first floor, Tom, Andrew and Kyle advance to the second floor. Andrew notices Tom crying from the corner of his left eye.

Lakeside High: Hallways Second Floor

Andrew: “He has been hurting this much on the inside?”

Tom(sad/sobbing): I just hate when it is mentioned. But you can’t stop what people say. (crying) So when Mark brought it up in front of everybody in 2nd lunch… I… I…

Kyle: It’s understandable why you don’t want to talk about it now. The best thing I can say for you to do is try to accept it. And if anyone brings it up, try to ignore it.

Lakeside High: Second Floor Mural

Darcy: Great we’re almost finished. All we need to do is paint the nose and whiskers.

Both Marie and Sarah start off to grab the paint brush at the same time without noticing each other.

Marie: I

Sarah: Will

Marie: Paint

Sarah: The 

Marie & Sarah: Rest

Both Marie and Sarah grab the brush at the same time.

Sarah: Let go

Marie: No you let go. I’ll finish the mural.

Sarah: Like hell I would let that happen. You would just ruin it.

Marie and Sarah pull on the paint brush back and forth.

Michael W.: Just when we were about to finish.

Darcy: Hey stop or someone will …

Sarah: Fine have it.

Sarah lets go of the brush. Marie pulls back on the brush causing the paint bucket to tip over. Black paint ends up all over Marie.

Michael W.: To be honest, I thought that only happened in cartoons.

Sarah(laughing): Ha-ha-ha! Look whose still in kindergarten playing with paint.

Marie(mad): Why you.

Marie grabs a bucket of gold paint and throws it at Sarah. Sarah ducks and the paint flies over Sarah and heads for the door. The door opens and Andrew enters the room. The paint ends up hitting Andrew covering him in gold paint.

Andrew: Why?

Michael W.: Oh s**t, I never saw that coming.

Tom and Kyle enter the room.

Tom: Andy what happened?

Kyle: Yeah, how did that paint end up all over you?

Andrew: I don’t know.

Everybody laughs. They eventually finish painting the mural and head back to the cafeteria. Everybody but Andrew’s ride arrives.

Lakeside High: Cafeteria

Darcy: Thanks everyone for your help.

Michael W.: No problem.

Kyle: Just call if you need anymore help.

Marie(whisper to Andrew): Did you find out what was wrong with Tom?

Andrew(whisper to Marie): Nope nothing.

Marie(whisper to Andrew): What? Seriously nothing?

Andrew(whisper to Marie): I guess he was really ok.

Everybody leaves.

Tom: It was fun. I’m going now. Seya.

Andrew: Tom can I walk with you?

Tom: Are you sure? Your mom could be here at any minute.

Andrew: Yeah

Los Angeles: Lakeside

Tom and Andrew talk as they head for Tom’s house.

Tom: Say Andy, I’m sorry for what happened back there.

Andrew: Huh?

Tom: I kinda just dropped everything I was feeling on you and Kyle. Sorry about that.

Andrew: It’s ok.

Tom: And can you not tell anyone about that?

Andrew: (evil smile)

Tom: Andy

Andrew: Don’t worry I won’t.

Tom(smiles): I kinda don’t believe that.

Both Tom and Andrew laugh. Andrew’s mother pulls up.

Tom: Well your rides here.

Andrew: If you need anyone to tell your problems you can tell me.

Tom: Ok Seya.

Andrew: See ya.

Andrew’s mother drives off. The week flies by and on Friday everyone votes for who they want in the Student Council.

Lakeside High: Room A203

Intercom: And now for the students in the student council. For treasurer we have Shirley Goldstein, for secretary we have Amanda Grant, for President we have Ryan Sheppard and finally for vice president we have Darcy Hill.

Tom(excited): Darcy did it!

Michael W.(mocking): What’s this? Cheering for your girlfriend?

Tom(angry): She’s not my girlfriend.

Andrew: (smiles)

Michael W. and Marie(mocking): Yeah whatever you say.

Everybody laughs.