Our World, Part 1

Scene one—Nicole’s modeling agency Top o’ the World—early morning

Sally: Good morning, Nicole!

Nicole: Oh hi, Sally. (she sets down a clipboard on her desk and searches through some loose papers)

Sally: You don’t sound happy. What’s up?

Nicole: (pauses with a slight smile) You know me too well! (sets down the paper in her hand) It’s just, I never knew how much work it was to run an agency like this. Don’t get me wrong—I love this place. And I promised myself I’d keep this place going—you know, in memory of my mom.

Sally: She’d be really proud of you, Nicole.

Nicole: (smiles and looks at her watch) Are we ready for our photo shoot in ten minutes?

Sally: (looks around the studio) Well, the backgrounds are…and Colleen is. But, um…(hesitating)

Nicole: Just tell me. What happened?

Sally: (quickly) We don’t have any photographers!

Nicole: (in disbelief) What? No…photographers? Well, we need photographers—to take the pictures.

Sally: I know. And Nicky and Kris are suppose to be here. But I haven’t been able to get a hold of either of them all morning.

Nicole: We need those photos—that we were suppose to take in less than ten minutes—to Vogue magazine by 3 pm sharp this afternoon.

Sally: Do we have any other photographers here?

Nicole: No. Cameron and Danny are both away on vacation. Do you think we’d have time to hire another photographer?

Sally: …Not in five minutes.

Sally and Nicole both look at each other for a moment, neither one knowing what to do.

Colleen: (coming out of her dressing room) Excuse me, are you ready for me yet?

Sally: (to Nicole; hesitantly) Do you…know how to take pictures?

Scene two—Vogue magazine

Shari: Heather, I need the draft of your article by this afternoon.

Heather: (walks over to her desk) Got it! (her telephone rings and she picks it up) Vogue magazine—this is Heather.

There is silence at the end of the line.

Heather: Hello?

A woman places a file on Heather’s desk.

Woman: You have a meeting with Mr. Smith in twenty minutes in conference room C, Ms.

Heather: (picks up the file and nods) Thanks, Jody. (back to the phone) Hello? Is anyone there?

Voice: Heather? (pause) It’s Julie.

Heather: Julie, hi. Look, I can’t—

Julie: --I need to talk to you.

Heather: Jule, you know I can’t talk when I’m at work. I’ve got a meeting in twenty minutes and I still have to—

Julie: (interrupts her) Please. It’s really important, Sis.

Heather: (exhales) Okay. Okay. We’ll meet and—and I don’t know, I’ll cancel my meeting. This had better be good.

Scene three—Passions studio parking lot

Derek had just came out of the tall building and is heading out into the parking lot to his car.

Guy: (comes hurrying outside) Derek! Wait! Don’t go! We need you here! You’re a great writer!

Derek: (turns around) Sorry, Sam! Find somebody else! You can find anyone to write what you’re looking for. First of all, the title stinks. I mean what kind of a name is ‘Passions?’ And the theme song? Come on, Sam, you’ve got to be asking for trouble.

Sam: (shouts) But there’s no one else who will agree to be head writer!

Derek turns back around and begins walking in the opposite direction to his car. He raises his hand and waves behind him.

Scene four—Beachport General Hospital

Maria walks into the hospital and goes into her office, just down the hall from the South Entrance. Her daughter, Katia, is laying on the big, black couch in her office.

Maria: Katia—(turns on the lights)—what are you doing here? Aren’t you suppose to be at school?

Katia is holding a brown envelope in her hand. She jumps up from the couch and hands her mom the large envelope.

Katia: (ecstatically) This is what! Read it!

Maria opens the envelope and pulls out the paper inside.

Maria: (reading aloud) Dear Ms. Katia McGinnis—this is a response from your audition you did last week for the role of Adrienne on All My Children. We are happy to inform you that you have been called back to audition once more. Date October 15^th, 6 am, ABC Studios, NY. Congratulations and we wish you well. Executive Producer, Kurt Bennett, ABC.

Katia: (excited) Isn’t this great? This is what I’ve been waiting for since the beginning of my acting career… six months ago!

Maria and Katia both laugh

Maria: I’m so happy for you, darling! (gives her daughter a hug)

Katia: …But?

Maria: Honestly, I love you and you’re a great actress—I just don’t want you to get your hopes up and then…

Katia: And then what? Not get the part? I’ll be fine. I can handle rejection. I’ll just try harder next time!

Maria: (smiles and hands her daughter back the envelope) Guess what?

Katia: We’re both going to go out and get a large, delicious cappuccino and celebrate my upcoming stardom? That kinda what?

Maria: That does sound good…but I have a patient in fifteen minutes and you have to get to school.

Scene five—Our World Caf�

Anne opens the door and walks into the caf�. She is carrying her guitar case in one hand and a purple binder in the other.

Linda: (from behind the counter) Hi Anne!

Anne: Hey! This place looks great. (looks around the vacant restaurant)

Linda: Well, it will look even better when there’s customers. And if I don’t burn all the cookies next time.

Anne: Oh, come on, Linda. I love your cooking. (thinks for a moment) Remember that time Amanda and I came over to your house—we had that fried chicken? It was delicious!

Linda looks at her.

Anne: (frowns) Right. Your husband made those. Well, you see that’s not my point. My point is—you’ll be a great chef at this place.

Linda: And that’s why I called you over here. I was wondering if you’d like to sing here in the evenings. You know, help you get some exposure.

Anne: Yeah, I’d totally love it!

Amanda walks into the caf�.

Amanda: Hey guys! Are we open yet?

Linda: (looks at her watch) In a half an hour. At 9:30. (hears something burning from the kitchen) I’ve gotta run! You two help yourself to whatever you want! (runs back into the kitchen)

Scene six—Beachport High

Lauren walks up the steps to the front entrance of Beachport High School.

Voice: (behind her) Lauren! Lauren, wait up!

Lauren turns around and sees her friend.

Lauren: Hey Steph!

Steph: Did you finish your English project last night?

Lauren: No. Emily ruined it and Colleen’s been at work forever the last few days.

Steph: (looks around) By the way—where is Emily?

Lauren: Oh, she’s not coming to school today.

Steph: She’s not…Oh.

Lauren: Yeah, you see Colleen has a photo shoot today and she decided she’d stay home and party. My luck, she’ll burn the house down.

Scene seven—Emily at home

Emily walks into Colleen’s bedroom. She kneels down and picks up a shoe box from under her sister’s bed. She sets it down on the bed and opens the lid. Emily picks out some particular letters and papers. And then a photo.

Emily: (talking to herself) Colleen…you will pay for what you’ve done to me.

She puts the box back under the bed and walks out of Colleen’s bedroom, the papers in her hands.

Scene seven—Patti(M) and Amber’s home

PattiM: (yells upstairs to her daughter) Amber, are you going to school?!

Amber: Mom, I told you, I’m not talking to you!

PattiM: (walks into Amber’s room) Sweetheart, I said I was sorry.

Amber: Sorry? Yeah, right, you hated Steve.

PattiM: (sits down on the side of the bed) Look, Amber, I—

Amber: (stands up; interrupts) No, no—I don’t even wanna hear it. I think it’s best if I just not live here anymore…I can’t stand you, even though you think you’re doing the right thing. You know, maybe I should go see aunt Sally. (grabs a knapsack) I—I can’t stay here.

Amber runs down the stairs and slams the door behind her.

Scene eight—Becca and Patti’s apartment

Becca is searching frantically through her room

Becca: (yelling to Patti in the living room) Patti! Have you seen my sneakers?!

Patti: (comes and stands in the doorway) No, I haven’t.

Becca: I’m teaching today. And I’m meeting PattiM for lunch, and—

Patti: (seeing the look on her face) What?

Becca: I promised I’d call Linda—I—I had to bring some stuff down to the restaurant this morning…(frustrated) Ugh!

Scene nine—Sydney’s apartment

Sydney: (picks up the phone) Hello? Hey…hey—Katia slow down. What is it?

Katia: Syd, I’ve got good news.

Scene ten—Nicky’s

Nicky is flipping through a fashion magazine. She has a dream about becoming a famous model one day. Then she comes out of her daytime. And looks at her watch. It’s 9:30, she was suppose to be at Nicole’s agency by eight.

Nicky: (jumps up and sets down her magazine) Oh my God! Nicole is going to kill me!

Scene eleven—

Kris: My name is Kris Connors and I work with Top O’ the World Modeling Agency. Yes, I’m here to apply for your job that was advertised.

FADE OUT