PROM LIFE
A WHITE PERSIAN CAT
Her face scrunched up in a cross between refinement and panic as a shower of water soaks her fur.
An elderly woman's voice coos.
WOMAN O.S.
Maisy...you're going to be
beautiful now.
A young man's hands towel the cat dry.
INT. PET AND ANIMAL SUPPLY STORE
Cluttered, massive, selling everything from saddles to cat toys.
At a grooming table in the back, KEVIN NAIR, eighteen, lanky, attractive, impatiently tosses the towel aside. He reaches for a blow dryer, mutters.
KEVIN
Least she looks like a cat.
Instead of a great big hairy
prarie dog...
The cat sits stoic, as Kevin turns on the dryer and MRS. FALLOR, the cat's ancient owner, prattles.
MRS. FALLOR
My Maisy's a special cat. Not
only has she been consistently
best of show, she's magical, did you
know that?
Kevin can't hear her over the dryer, and clearly doesn't care.
KEVIN
Uh huh.
Behind Kevin, LAURIE LAKE, also eighteen, plain and serious, to the top of a rickety extension ladder, balanced against shelves filled with bags of feed. She reaches for a sack balanced on the top shelf, but she's still one shelf short. She looks down at Kevin.
LAURIE
Hey...'scuse me...you there...
Kevin casts a side long glance at Laurie, gestures at the dryer, he can't hear. Mrs. Fallor babbles to herself.
MRS. FALLOR
You make a wish when you pet
my Maisy and it'll come true...
You have to really want what
you wish for though.
Kevin turns the dryer off and starts combing Maisy, as fast as he can.
MRS. FALLOR
...Deep down, or it won't work.
Kevin shrugs, he doesn't know what she's talking about.
KEVIN
Right.
Gingerly Laurie scrambles on the nearest shelf, pulls herself up, grabs the sack.
She wriggles back on the ladder, starts down, but the top of the extension...
Collapses with a snap, and traps one foot between the rungs. She tugs her foot - she's stuck.
LAURIE
Hey...Kevin, is it?
Kevin whistles as he combs, doesn't look up.
KEVIN
I'm busy here...
MRS. FALLOR
Kevin, you have a real gift for untangling.
KEVIN
I put that on my college application.
Musta been what got me accepted.
Burdened with the sack, no place to set it down, Laurie tugs her foot harder, rocking the ladder and the shelves.
She rips her foot free, but her shoe remains behind as -
The ladder and shelves shake alarmingly.
Laurie tumbles over backwards onto the floor, lands with a thud, smack on her bottom.
LAURIE
Ow!
Kevin turns at last.
Bags of feed tumble off the swaying shelves on top of her. Her shoe drops on her head. Laurie covers her face with her hands.
The ladder crashes to the ground on top of the bags of feed on top of Laurie. She manages a strangled -
LAURIE
Help...
Annoyed, Kevin sets his comb aside. Mrs. Fallor watches open mouthed, Maisy impassive.
Kevin lifts the ladder, tosses the feed bags off Laurie, and pulls her up. He surveys the sacks of feed lying all over the floor.
KEVIN
You just made quite a mess, new girl.
LAURIE
My name's Laurie. And my foot got stuck...
KEVIN
Yeah, life's tough, but it's
tougher when you're being stupid.
LAURIE
I was trying to get your help.
KEVIN
You know, I'm off in fifteen
minutes. And I'm heading for the
prom tonight. I don't have time to
do your work for you. Pick
this stuff up.
He turns back to Mrs. Fallor, and Maisy.
KEVIN
Maisy's all ready.
MRS. FALLOR
You forgot her blue bow!
Laurie struggles to lift several bags of feed at once.
Kevin hastily cuts a length of ribbon from a roll, ties a bow around Maisy's neck with a flourish.
Kevin clears off the table; Mrs. Fallor lifts the cat in her arms for a kiss.
Laurie plops the feed bags on a shelf. She brushes against Mrs. Fallor as she reaches for another bag.
MRS. FALLOR
Be careful, honey. You almost bumped Maisy.
Laurie offers a quick smile. A little out of breath, she stops to stroke Maisy.
LAURIE
She's so pretty. I'm sorry. I
didn't mean to be so clumsy.
KEVIN
Guess it just comes natural.
Laurie throws Kevin a scathing glance.
LAURIE
You know what? I wish you'd get...get....
Steamed, she's at a loss for words. She's also hampered by Mrs. Fallor's presence.
LAURIE
Fuh...st...stuck some time
yourself, you jerk. Goin' to the
prom, huh? I bet that'll be special.
Kevin shrugs. Laurie turns back to the feed sacks. Mrs. Fallor puts her hand to her mouth.
MRS. FALLOR
Oh dear. I hope she didn't really mean that.