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Fanfiction
Episode No. 20 - Leaves Of Change
written by Christine Senger
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About this story
Published: 1997 | Size: 24 KB (4625 words) | Language: english | Rating: PG-13Average: 4.0/5 4.0/5 (23 votes)
based on stories and characters created by Winnie Holzman
THE CHASE’S LIVING ROOM-late that night
Angela sitting on couch mesmerized by the Brady Bunch. She appears to be watching it, but not completely.
Angela(VO): Sometimes I find myself sitting and watching T.V. just because I want that life. Like on the Brady Bunch. Everyone watches it because it’s comforting, and you know in the end everything will be okay. In the end of the show you know that things will work out fine. Kind of, like, the exact opposite of...life.
She looks outside. It appears to be getting darker. Danielle and Patty enter the room. Patty, looking desperate to get away from her youngest daughter, sits on the couch next to Angela with an exasperated sigh.
Danielle: Mom, please!
Patty: Danielle, how many times must we go through this, NO LIPSTICK.
Angela: Could you possibly carry on this conversation somewhere else?
Danielle: Sandy Sherman’s mom let her wear lipstick in, like, the third grade.
Patty: I am NOT Sandy Sherman’s mother, and I don’t approve of you wearing lipstick until your old enough to handle...(voice fades eyes begin to wander around the room) responsibilities.
Angela: Mom, I was here first technically.
Danielle: What kind of responsibilities?
Patty: Like....(struggles with the thought of what words to choke on next) umm...
Angela: Don’t you like even care that..
Patty: Yes, honey, I ca--
Danielle: (finally understands) You mean sex.
Room falls silent. Patty looks around for a reason to leave, Angela is already on her way out the door.
CHASE’S FRONT PORCH-same night
Angela is sitting on the curb looking across the street at Brian Krackow’s house. She is, apparently, deep in thought. The camera gets a close shot of Angela’s face, then swirls around and we see a flashback of the Krackow’s house years ago. We see two young kids playing in the yard(a.k.a.-Brian and Angela).
Young Brian is throwing leaves at young Angela. Both children are hysterical with laughter.
The laughter fades out as the camera shows the Krackow house in present day and shifts, slowly, back to Angela.
Angela(VO): I‘ve known Brian Krackow my whole life. I’ve seen him every day since I was, like, two. Or maybe I didn’t. See him. I think only now, am I truly ever seeing him. (She looks down at the *letter* before holding it to her heart.) When your obsessed with someone they become your world. And you just don’t let anyone else in to it. The *truly* sad thing about me is that even though I know for a fact that Brian wrote the letter, I still go on pretending that Jordan did.
Brian walks hastily out of his house while struggling to put on his coat. He continues walking and looks up to see Angela.
Brian: Hi.
Angela:(hurrying to her feet, brushes herself off) Hey. (Small smile)
Brian: Why are you here?
Angela: You mean at my house..or...(voice fades off not knowing what exactly to say to him)
Brian:(looking directly at the ground, his foot playing with the dirt beneath him) I just didn’t expect to see you, like, yet.
Long pause. Both are now entranced by the ground. Each desperately trying to find something to say to the other. Angela fidgets with her hands and the letter in them makes a crinkly noise. Brian notices the letter.
Brian:(looking horrified) Oh God. You still um..,(takes deep breath, looks at Angela trying to avoid eye contact) I mean, you still have that?
Angela:(softly touches his shoulder) Brian--
Brian:(moves away jerkily) No, it’s fine. Keep the letter or whatever, I have to, like, go somewhere or something. ( he walks quickly down the street.)
Angela, confused, hesitates for a brief moment before running to catch up to him. Brian turns around and sees her gaining on him. He quickens his step, not looking back.
CHASE’S HOUSE-same time, Patty & Graham’s room.
We see Patty making the bed to perfection, Graham is in the bathroom. There is water running in the background.
Patty:(looking confused) You did what now?(looks back down, continuing to tuck in the left side of the periwinkle comforter, that is spread generously across the bed).
Water stops running. Graham appears from the bathroom with toothbrush still sticking half-way out of his mouth.
Graham:(takes toothbrush out) I lent it to Hallie.
Patty:(slowly) Hallie.
Graham: Lowinthal. Right.( Puts toothbrush back in his mouth, but then quickly removes it.) That’s not a problem is it?(looks questionable)
Patty: (now fluffing the pillows, puts on the usual fake smile) No. I just don’t see why Hallie needed my CD so bad that you couldn’t even ask me.
Graham:(quickly) Well I didn’t know it was such a big deal Patty.
Patty: (looking at pillows) Well, it isn’t but--
Graham: I mean, I bought you the thing, you listened to it once...(exhales loudly, brief silence) I’m sorry.(looks around room exasperated)
Patty: Graham, its fine. I... shouldn’t have said anything. Do whatever with the CD.
Graham:(unsure) Really?
Patty:(turns around and looks at him, fake smile is back) Oh, Graham, don’t be silly! If you needed it that’s fine. And if you need anything else for the restaurant, you can always ask.
Graham:(smiles) Thanks Patty.(starts towards bathroom) Oh but the CD wasn’t for the restaurant.
Patty: (confused look, stops fluffing pillows) Really....um,(still confused) well then what was it for?
Graham:(pokes head out of bathroom) Hallie wanted to borrow it, I told her it would be no trouble.
Patty:(looks very annoyed) Oh.....good.(starts fluffing the pillows again, this time with much anger expressed)
OUTSIDE
Brian:(harshly) Just leave Angela. You don’t understand. (Still walking at a fast pace)
Angela:(softly) I think I do. Brian, when I was with Jordan--
Brian:(painfully blinking back tears) Please! Are you trying to make me puke? Because your off to like a really good start.
Angela: (biting her lip) Okay *forget* him. Brian, tell me how you feel towards me, and be honest, like, for once.
Brian continues walking, expressionless, trying to ignore Angela. Angela is anxiously waiting and staring at Brian. Angela realizes he won’t say anything. She stops walking, abruptly, and stands still. Brian turns. He starts walking back toward her and stops when his is directly in front of her.
Angela tucks hair behind her ear, and looks at him, head tilted.
Brian:(looking directly at her) So guess for a while I’ve, like, cared about you, or whatever. And that letter was my way of, like, expressing it through, um,(pause) Jordan.
Angela:(looks searchingly at Brian) Why couldn’t you tell me this through *you*?
Brian:(looks at ground for a minute, smiles, then looks up at Angela) Because... I, like, knew that you were waiting to here it from... *him* and I think you deserve to be, like, happy, or something, I mean it did do that in someway because if you look at it right....(babbles on)
Angela(VO): All my life I’ve felt connected to people in small and simple ways. But right then, I felt something, indescribable, for Brian. He continued to talk. I knew the point of what he was saying. And he knew every word like it was his own. Like he had said it to someone in a dream. At that moment I wish I could have said it back.
Angela looks at him for a minute, lip quivering, before embracing him in a small hug. Brian lets out a sigh and we can see a single tear roll down his cheek. The cameras spin slowly to Angela. She has a satisfied smile on her face and her eyes are tightly shut.
Angela(VO): I felt safe there in his arms. Different then with Jordan. Maybe even... a little happier.
The cameras zoom out slowly and they fade into darkness.
BUS STOP-next morning
Brian is waiting for the bus. He sees Angela approaching him, looks nervous for a minute and then gives a fake smile. Angela, smiles too, but her smile is real.
Angela:(hair tuck) So, are you gonna sell tickets for Our Town?
Brian:(presses lips together in a little scrunch) Um, I said I would but I’m, like, having second thoughts, or whatever. Why are you?
Angela: (head tilt) Yeah Katimski, like practically forced me. (Short silence) Um...if you want we could sell the tickets together?
Brian:(swallows hard) Well...um okay. But would you, like want to do that?... I mean with uh, me?
Angela:(radiant smile) Yes, of course(hair tuck).
Long silence. Brian and Angela look down at (their favorite spots, lately,) the ground. Brian breaks the silence.
Brian:(nervous, voice shaking) So Angela, are we like..., I mean, know that its all out in the open..., I mean we’re....(voice trails off)
Angela:( looking into his eyes, speaks softly) Yes. (Smiles) Friends.
They are both staring deep into the others eyes, and smiling. For a moment Brian looks as if he might faint from happiness, and Angela briefly looks at Brian as if she noticed something about him she didn’t notice before. Their gaze is interrupted when the bus pulls up. And the two climb, silently, aboard.
HALLWAY-same day
We see Rayanne walking towards Angela’s locker, where Angela is showing something to Brian, and they are laughing hysterically.
Angela:(to Brian) Where did you find this??(continues laughing)
Brian:(in between laughter) It was in my parents old china cabinet, I was cleaning it out--
Rayanne:(smiles sweetly) Hey Angelika! What are you and Urkel lookin’ at?
Brian looks insulted, Angela notices.
Angela:(to Brian) ignore her. (To Rayanne) Nothing just this old picture of us when we were five.
Rayanne:( fixing lip gloss, then throws it back into her bag. Looks interested) Really?
How very Kodak. (Grabs picture, examines it)
Angela: Rayanne!
Rickie approaches smiling. Rayanne, still looking at the picture, bursts out laughing.
Rickie: Hey, what’s so funny?
Angela: Its like, this picture of me and Brian when we were little. (Grabs picture back, Rayanne is still hysterical)
Rayanne:(stops laughing ) you were playing..(bursts out laughing again) Sorry, sorry.(stops laughing) you were playing in a pile of leaves? At age five? Like, just how bored were you? And Rickie, look!(she point to the picture) *Brian* still had his Afro!
Brian:(annoyed) We were *five*.
Rickie: I don’t see what the big deal is about playing in the leaves.
Angela:(hair tuck) Exactly. I mean it was just something.... I mean ...
Brian:(finishing) We were just.....
Angela and Brian: Having fun. (Look at each other, both a little embarrassed)
Rickie:(to Rayanne) You mean to tell me that your whole life, even when you were little, you never did stuff like that?
Rayanne:(digging through her purse) Nope.
Angela: So what did you like *do* as a child?
Rayanne: (thinks for a minute) Watched Sesame Street religiously.(sticks lollypop into her mouth)
Everyone looks at Rayanne.
Rayanne:(notices these looks) What? Oh now don’t get all like concerned or anything because I haven’t had my turn to *play in the leaves*!(smiles) Later! (walks off)
THE INFAMOUS RESTAURANT
Graham walks in and looks around for Hallie. She is nowhere to be found. He breathes a sigh of relief and starts to sit down. The door is swung open. Hallie appears with several things in her hands.
Graham:(jumping to his feet) Hallie!(runs to give her a hand)
Hallie: Hey. (They set the things down) I know, I know, I’m late, so sue me. (She looks around for a minute) So lie to me and tell me you read my idea’s for the menu.
Graham: Well I did start reading them...(Hallie looks excited) until I fell asleep. (Hallie frowns deeply, Graham bursts in quickly) although, what I did read was really.... good.
Hallie:(groans) Men are unbelievable. You give them something to read that can effect their future and they fall asleep.
Graham:(matter-of-fact)For your information, I was up half of last week trying to decide if I should even be doing this or not.
Hallie: Oh and I suppose if I had handed you the sports page you *wouldn’t* have stayed up?(giggles) It’s okay, really. (Walks over to the fountain)So I’m having this guy come over to put a finish on the floor at two--
Graham: (smiling a little)"This guy" meaning man off the streets?
Hallie:(more giggles) I wish! I could probably get it done a lot cheaper! His name is Bob, he works at Floor Coverings and Associates, and.....(turns and looks around fountain) he’s gonna make this place the greatest dance floor in Pittsburgh.
Graham: (looks around)Then we’re really gonna do this....
Hallie looks at him and gives a smirk.
KATIMSKI’S CLASS
Mr. Katimski has his back to the camera and is writing something on the board. We see the word SELECTED POEMS written and underlined twice. Mr. Katimski turns around and looks at the class.
Katimski: Selected Poetry. How many of you read poetry in your....... spare time. huh?(silence in the classroom) Oh gee whiz, people, I’m not stupid!(giggles can be heard in classroom)Now I know that you do.
Brian is staring at Angela. Angela is busy staring at the far left of the room where(you guessed it) Jordan Catalano is sitting. Jordan is staring at the writing „I’m in hell" that has been engraved on his desk. Katimski looks around the room, and his gaze falls on Angela.
Katimski: Angela.
Angela sits up abruptly at the mention of her name.
Angela(VO): What’s incredibly creepy is, the fact that teachers call your name out in the middle of class, and suddenly you feel....abnormal. Like someone just put a big clown hat on the top of your head. And you want to get the hat off, so you end up saying something really stupid. Because you like know that everyone is, like, watching you.
Katimski: Angela? Please read the poem on page seventeen of your poetry book.
Angela looks over at Brian, who looks at her sympathetically.
Angela:(hair tuck) Um.. I don’t have mine. I was absent, I guess, when you gave them out...
Katimski:(remembers suddenly) Oh yes, yes say no more. Gee whiz. (Thinks for a minute) Brian would *you* read the poem on page seventeen please.
Brian looks around the room. Embarrassed or sad, we can’t tell.
Katimski:(looks up) You weren’t absent too were you?
Brian: Um... no... its just, I mean, I’d rather not read this poem.
Katimski:(frustrated) Oh gee whiz Brian, why not. Is something wrong?
Brian: (sadly) No. (Pause) I just... don’t like poetry all that much.
Katimski:(senses something is wrong) Alright....(looks around the room) Sharon!*Please* read the poem by Max Eastman on page seventeen.
THE CHASE HOUSE-kitchen
Graham is busy cooking and preparing things over the stove. Patty walks in still wearing her navy coat. Puts briefcase down and comes up behind Graham.
Patty: I knew you’d have something cooking by the time I got back. (Graham jumps, Patty leans over the dish to get a clear smell of the chicken catchatori that Graham has cooked. She inhales deeply)mmm....(exhales) sweety you’ve out done yourself once again.
Graham:(shocked and somewhat annoyed) What are you doing here I thought you were going to be working late at the shop?
Patty:(smiling) So did I, but for some reason, they just hired this... I don’t know, sort-of an intern person.(she takes off her jacket and sets it on a nearby chair) Anyway, he is so great!(smiles genuinely)and I just feel so comfortable around him. This just takes a ton of pressure right off my shoulders.(notices Graham’s uncomfortable look) What?
Graham:(flabbergasted) No...um nothing.(silence for several moments) *He*?
Patty:(catching on) Yes, he. Are you okay with that?
Graham:(his face scrunches up) Honestly?....Not really.
Patty: Graham this is silly. What is wrong with this? Just because I work with Todd, doesn’t mean--
Graham:(suspiciously)Todd?
Patty:(agitated, looks around room) This really bothers you?
Graham:(very directly) Yes, Patty it does.(long pause) So what are you going to do?
Patty walks across the kitchen until she is directly across from Graham. She lovingly puts her arm on his sleeve. There is a long silence.
Patty:(harshly)Absolutely Nothing. (She turns to leave the room, Graham reaches for her arm and she pulls away)
Graham:(pleadingly)Patty...
Patty:(turns around furiously)You honestly think that is fair don’t you? That is I, who is under immense pressure, fire my new assistant because he happens to be male?(Now yelling)
Graham:Patty I never--
Patty: Meanwhile, you are doing just fine with *your* co-worker who happens to be female!
Graham:(disturbed, suddenly)This has nothing to do with Hallie.
Patty:(angrily) Maybe it does.
She walks quickly out of the room leaving a sullen-looking Graham, and a plate full of Chicken catchatori behind her.
JORDAN’S CAR-after school
Jordan and Angela are sitting in his car parked in front of Angela’s house. Rain is beating down furiously on the hood. They are both staring straight ahead and silence has taken over.
Angela(VO): What is truly amazing, is how you can fall in love with someone so easy, And it takes, like, eternity to fall out of love with them.(she looks at Jordan, and watches him softly close his eyes) But when it happens,(hair tuck), its almost...unavoidable.
Jordan:(finally looks at her)So....
Angela:(looks at him)So.....
Jordan: Look,(long pause) About that letter...um, you know which one right?(Angela nods) well uh--
Angela:(interrupting)Jordan, stop okay. I know all about the letter. And I don’t even want to go into it because its so....complicated.
Jordan:(gripping the steering wheel) So who told you ‘bout the letter?
Angela:(hair tuck)Brian did.
Jordan:(shocked) Krackow?
Angela:(close to tears) yeah.
Jordan: oh.
Angela:(sadly) The thing is, I have all these feelings for different people. I mean some people I , like, love. And others I just... you know... like. But things have gotten so complicated now.(pause) I guess I just need some time to, like, figure out how I feel about certain people in my life.
(Long silence)
Jordan:(nervously) So... are we like together or not?
(Camera fades out)
CHASE HOUSE-living room
Angela walks in to see Patty sitting on the couch staring at the television. The television set is not on. Angela looks at her mother worried. Patty doesn’t seem to notice Angela is even home.
Angela: (sitting down beside her mother) Hi.
Patty: (still looking at a back screen) Oh hi honey. Did Jordan drop you off?
Angela:(quietly) yeah. (Pause) Do you want me to turn on the T.V.?
Patty:(distracted) What? Oh um..no thanks sweetheart.
Angela looks at her mother for another minute, before walking out the front door.
The rain is still falling. Angela sits on her porch staring at the Krackow house and sees the light on in Brian’s room. She stares at it before shutting her eyes, not wanting to look at the world as it is. Thirty minutes later, a door is shut across the street. It’s dark now and the street light is turned on. It’s only mildly drizzling.
Angela hears the sound of the door shuting and her eyes open. Brian stands on his porch and she stands on hers. They both stare at one another.
Brian (VO): Down the dripping pathway dancing through the rain,
Brown eyes of beauty, laugh to me again.
(Visual:Angela slowly steps off her porch and out into the rain)
Eyes full of starlight, moist over fire,
Full of young wonder, touch my desire.
(Brian walks off his porch into the rain, still looking at Angela)
O like a brown bird, like a bird’s flight,
Run through the rain drops lithely and light.
(Visual: Patty looking at a picture of her and Graham on their wedding day, slowly she begins to cry)
Body like a gypsy, like a wild queen,
Slim brown dress to slip through the green--
(Visual: Rayanne is sitting outside drinking out of a flask. She looks down picks up a beautiful leaf that flew on to her foot. She looks at it and gives a little smile.)
The little leaves hold you as soft as a child,
The little path loves you, the path that runs wild.
(Visual:Graham sitting in a chair in the restaurant. Hallie bursts in, he doesn’t look up at her)
Who would not love you, seeing you move,
Warm-eyed and beautiful through the green grove?
(Visual: Angela is standing in the street. Brian smiles at her before approaching. She reaches out for his hand and he gives it.)
Let the rain kiss you, trickle through your hair,
Laugh if my fingers mingle with it there,
(Visual: Brian and Angela are saying good-night. They stare at each other. Then Angela leans forwards and gives Brian a kiss on his cheek, before entering her house.)
Laugh if my cheek too is misty and drips--
Wetness is tender--laugh on my lips
(Visual:Brian entering his room, sits on bed and smiles. Angela in her room, she is looking at something and smiling. Then we see her post the picture of her and Brian *playing in the leaves* on her wall. She looks at it again before turning away. Satisfied.)
The happy sweet laughter of love without pain,
Young love, the strong love, burning in the rain.
THE END
AUTHOR’S NOTE- the poem „RAINY SONG" was written by Max Eastman.
To be continued.........
Next story
Episode No. 21 - Adjustments by Christine SengerPublished: 1997 | Size: 57 KB (11087 words) | Language:
english | Rating: PG-13Average: 3.7/5 3.7/5 (15 votes)
Read this story now: Episode No. 21 - Adjustments
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- Einah26 gave this story a 5.0/5 5.0/5 rating and commented on 28 Apr 2008:The ending of this chapter is perfection. The pacing, the poem, everything is just perfect! Nice work.
- Pffft! gave this story a 1.0/5 1.0/5 rating and commented on 03 Apr 2014:Ugh? Needs work.
