Birthday Girl Part 1

Lighting Flashes
　
A car is driving erratically through the bridge in a nasty strom. Inside the car, a MAN in his early 40's, looking on to a birthday present. He tries to seek out the window through the heavy rain. The present suddenly slips under the passanger seat. When the man tries to gets it, the car swirves, crashing at the side of the bridge, deep into the water(in slow motion)
FADE OUT
FADE IN
A close up on a woman's burning ciggarette.....
ANGELA, a woman in her late 30's with bottle blond hair and cat green eyes, is waiting for her husband to get home. She sists at the dining table with her daughter, CASSIE, who's about to turn 12 years old. She has dark blond and seems to have her mother's eyes but mixes in with blue like her father's. She sits there in worry.
　
　

ANGELA

He should be here by now.

　

She has a bottle in her hand and takes a swig.
　

CASSIE(tries to smile)

It's okay, Mom. Just as long as we're here together...that's all I could wish for.

　

Angela smiles warmly. She playfully pinches Cassie on the cheek.
　

ANGELA

You'll always be my special little girl.

　

There's a knock on the door.

ANGELA

This better be him.

　

　

Angela opens the door. Two police officers are standing there. Angela has a concerned look on her face.
　

ANGELA

Yes?

Cassie peeks behind the door.
　

POLICE OFFICER #1

We're sorry to inform....(fades away)

　
From Cassie's POV, Angela breaks down and begins sobbing incoherently.
　

　

ANGELA(sobs)

No! No! No! No! No!......

　

Cassie walks up to her mother, softly rubbing her back.
　
　

CASSIE

What's wrong, mom?

　
Angela turns around. Her tearstricken face filled with ruined mascara. She hugs Cassie and begins to whisper in her ear. Tears starts running in Cassie's eyes. She lets out an emotionally-filled scream.
　
CREDITS ROLL IN
　
INT. SCHOOL- CAFETERIA
CASSIE, now a stoic 17 year old is staring blankly across the cafeteria room thoughtfully, barely eating her food.
From the table across from her sits,
KATRINA(18), JANESSA(17), COREY(18) and COLIN(18). KATRINA has similar features as Cassie except her eyes are hazel. She strikes death glares at her while Cassie has her mind elsewhere. She walks up to her table, along with her posse. Katrina slams her hand on the table, agressively. Her eyes are intense.

　

KATRINA

What are you staring at?

　

CASSIE

I don't know. Just staring.

　

KATRINA

Don't try and fool me. I don't know what goes inside that head of yours but from my sense, you were staring directly at me for some odd reason.

　

CASSIE

Oh, is this because I almost fucked your boyfriend?

　

　
Katrina narrows her eyes.
　

KATRINA(Angrily)

You do anything to spit that up in my face.

　

Katrina gets close at Cassie face.
　

KATRINA

You listen here. You are nothing but a patheic peice of shit. And I advise you to go fuck off.

　
Katrina slides Cassie's food tray to the floor. She walks off, giving her an evil stare. While the rest of the group give her pitying looks. Colin gives her an exaggerated puck on the lips.
Cassie knells down on the splattered floor and cleans it up.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL-OUTSIDE-SIDEWALK
The cloud is heavy with light rain. Just a few blocks from the school, Cassie is standing on the sidewalk, wearing her gray hoddie over her head. She looks up at the overcast sky then looks down and pulls out something in her pocket. It's a switchblade. She flings it open, admiring it, feeling the tip of the blade. She looks at the carving at the end: PROPERTY OF JAKE MCMILLAN

　

FEMALE VOICE

What are doing?

　

Cassie snaps out of her reverie and bring her attention to DANIELLE(17), a cute girl with an all-american look, holds an umbrella in her hand. She looks at Cassie, quizzically but with a smile on her face.

DANIELLE(surprised)

Is that a knife?

CASSIE

It used to be my Dad's.

Danielle winces, expressing sympathy in her eyes.

DANIELLE

So, what are you doing, today?

CASSIE

I gotta go visit my mom at the hospital. I haven't seen her two weeks.

DANIELLE

Yeah. I know how that is.....

Cassie

Well, it's time for me to go

DANIELLE

Wait, Cassie. About today at lunch...I know you and Katrina don't really...(beat) mesh well together....

CASSIE

I know what you're gonna say. It's not my fault that girl holds grudges against people.

DANIELLE

If you would just even stuff out with her, maybe things won't be so erupt between you two.

CASSIE

I Think it's beyond what me and Eric did to her.

DANIELLE

Cassie...Her and Eric aren't together anymore.

CASSIE

Because of me I know.

Danielle walks up to Cassie and takes her hand, affectionately.

DANIELLE

Cassie....

The two girls hug, having a little moment together.

CASSIE

I'll be seeing you

DANIELLE

You call me and tell me how things are going, okay?

CASSIE

I will

Cassie goes down the street as the rain goes from light to heavy.
CUT TO:
　
INT. CASSIE'S HOUSE- BEDROOM
Cassie sits on the bed, staring at a book. It's a well-known novel, Jane Eyre, one of Cassie's favorites. She holds the book in her chest in reminisce.
*FLASHBACK*
INT. Unknown Bridge
On a stormy, rainy night. Three cars are gathered up at a broken-down bridge. Two policemen hook a chain to a battered up car that is floating atop of a deep watery mess.
CUT TO:
The policemen go inside the soggy insides of the car. The flashlight on a man's pale dead body(maggots, leeches all over him, bugs crawling out of his mouth). One policeman pulls out a soggy red present. He rips it out to reveal a copy of Jane Eyre.
FLASH CUT:
BACK TO PRESENT-CASSIE'S HOUSE- BEDROOM
Cassie blinks. Tears are rolling down her eyes. There's a heavy knock on the door, snapping Cassie out of the memory.
A slim, middle-aged woman appears at the door. She is known as Cassie's aunt, KATHY.

KATHY

Sweety, it's time to go see your mother.

CUT TO:
INT. CLEARBROOK PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL
Cassie and Kathy follow a doctor through the flourescent-lit hallways, to an isolated lounge room with a few mental paients play recreational activites. Cassie holds a wrap of flowers and walks up to a lone woman, sadly staring at the window. The woman turns around, giving Cassie a sad smile. It is soon come into notion the woman is Cassie's Mom, ANGELA.

CASSIE(holding back emotion)

Hey mom.(lays the flowers on Angela's lap) It's Cassie. We haven't seen each other for a long time, haven't we?

DOCTOR(talking to Kathy)

She still tramuatized by the year-long effect from the guilt she'd been having since the accident.

KATHY

Will she have any progress?

DOCTOR

I'm not sure but a little more of psychoanalyzing will help cope with her memory.

Cassie holds her mother's hand tightly, tears coming down her eyes.

CASSIE

You'll get out, mom. I promise you. You'll get out.

Andrea squeezes her hand back, her eyes watering with despair.