By Savannah Haze
Date: 2001 Jul 16
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[[2001.07.16.15.59.29945]]

Reinventing Bob- Scene Ten

REINVENTING BOB- SCENE TEN

(Allie sits on the edge of the fountain.  She is reading Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" and smoking but looking up every few moments to see if Michael has arrived.  She is looking to her left when he speaks from behind her.)

MICHAEL  "If only every woman obeyed as well as you."

(Allie turns around to look at Michael who is grinning.)

ALLIE  "Don't push your luck.  I've been waiting for almost half an hour."

MICHAEL  "You know musicians are never on time for anything but a party .I think you'll be glad you waited, though."

(Allie stands and gathers her things.)

ALLIE  "Where we goin'?"

MICHAEL  "That's some nice English, teacher."

ALLIE "Leave me alone. Now where are we going?"

MICHAEL "Patience little grasshopper."

(Michael hails a cab and they get in.  He leans up and quietly tells the driver where to go.

ALLIE "Why all the secrecy?"

MICHAEL "It's more fun."

ALLIE  "You're in a cult, aren't you?  You're taking me to one of your underground meetings to sacrifice me, right?"

MICHAEL  "Yes, I am. But only after you perform sexual acts on a goat and drink your own urine."

ALLIE  "That's what happens when you play devil music."

MICHAEL "Thank you for that keen insight, Tipper."

ALLIE  "Screw you."

MICHAEL  "Not in the cab."

ALLIE "Whore"
MICHAEL "Slut."

(Allie shakes her head and grins.  We see the outside of the cab as it makes its way through the city. It stops and Michael pulls Allie out.

MICHAEL  "Okay, stand here while I pay."

(Michael pays the driver and thanks him. He turns back to Allie.)

MICHAEL  "Okay, ready?"

ALLIE  "You tell me."

MICHAEL  "Hold my hand and close your eyes."

ALLIE (whining) "Michael..."

MICHAEL  "Trust me.

ALLIE "I hate when you say that."

MICHAEL "Always works."

(Allie closes her eyes and he begins leading her down the street. They go through double doors and we follow them inside. We still do not see where they are.)

MICHAEL'S VOICE  "You can look now, babe."

(We see things through Allie's eyes as she opens them.  They are in a huge toy store. She looks at him and grins.)

ALLIE  "Michael, you remembered."

MICHAEL  "Have you been here before?"

ALLIE  "I've passed by a million times.  It's no fun without someone to go with."

(There are escalators to either side of Allie leading up to several more floors. The store seems to go for miles.  She can't even see the back wall of the floor she's on.  Everywhere she looks are toys.  Shelves and shelves of stuffed animals, puppets, dolls surround her.  There are plush rugs carpeting the floor.  Hanging from the walls are huge ceramic toy soldiers and teddy bears.  A small train runs around the floor and up to the ceiling on a track.  There is music playing in the background.  Allie still hasn't spoken.)

MICHAEL  "Surprise."

ALLIE  "But why all the secrecy?"

MICHAEL  "Just makes things interesting.  Well, that and I thought you might think I'm stupid."

(Allie slowly turns to him, a huge smile spreading across her face.  She jumps into his arms and gives him a huge kiss on the lips.)

ALLIE  "Are you going to play with me?"

(A devilish grin from Michael)

MICHAEL (mock irritability)  "Are you going to play with the toys... wait, the toys in this store, with me?"

(Michael looks disappointed and then smiles.)

MICHAEL  "Let's go."

(First measures of Sister Hazel's "All for You" play.  When the lyrics begin we see them on the escalator.  She keeps running up and then coming back down a few steps to him.  She is talking but we can't hear what is being said.  For the next few sequences, Allie and Michael run throughout the store. They play with remote control cars, video games, fight with toy light sabers; she digs through stuffed animals finding one and then throwing it away when she finds another over and over, Michael standing behind her trying to catch them all.  They try on costumes, play with various dancing toys and play hide and seek. They pull kids around them into the fun sometimes.  They are laughing and chasing each other around.  People watch them, some annoyed, most laughing.  After one of these chases, Michael catches her and swings her around as MUSIC ENDS. Allie has a big stuffed raccoon in her hands.)

MICHAEL  (slightly winded)  "Ready for a break?  I've got something else for you."

(Allie nods and takes his hand.  They begin to walk to the escalator when they pass by a section they either haven't played in or were too busy to notice.  Allie stops, absently pulling her hand from Michael's. She walks a few steps away from him.)

MICHAEL  "Where are you going, Al?"

(He stops as he notices what Allie is looking at.  It is a baby mobile decorated in angels and stars.  She lays her toy down and reaches out to hold one of the angels in her hand.)

ALLIE  "I bought one of these when I found out I was pregnant.  Seth told me I shouldn't assume it was going to be a girl.  But I just knew it was.  I was going to hang it over her bed."

(Michael puts his arms around her waist and looks at the mobile from over her shoulder, uncertain as to what he should say.)

ALLIE  "I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up.  Maybe I'm just not meant to have children.  It's probably for the best. I was really being selfish for trying.  Why would I want to bring a child into Seth and my relationship?"  

MICHAEL  "You'll have one someday, Allie."

ALLIE  "That's two, Michael. Two babies."

MICHAEL  (softly) "And both times it was for the best."

(Allie looks at Michael, hurt crossing her face.)

ALLIE "Do you ever think about what it would have been like if we hadn't lost the baby?"

MICHAEL  "I used to."

ALLIE "Not anymore?"

MICHAEL  "Allie, the only thing I've thought about in the past few years is how I lost you."

ALLIE  "But that could have kept us together."

MICHAEL "Allie, do you honestly think that us having a child would have helped things?  We couldn't have been more fucked up.  You were hurting; I was selfish.  We were in no way ready to raise a child."

ALLIE "You don't think I would have made a good mother?"

MICHAEL  (choosing his words carefully) "Not then, Allie.  You were a good person, but you weren't ready to be responsible for someone else's life."

ALLIE  (softly) "I wanted that baby."

MICHAEL  "You didn't seem to."

ALLIE "I was scared at first.  And I didn't want you to think it was intentional."

MICHAEL  "It wasn't was it?"


ALLIE  "No, no. But if I'd seemed excited, you would have thought it was.  I wanted that baby because I thought it would give me purpose and that it would love me unconditionally, and, well, and it would just be good."

MICHAEL  "That's not what you were going to say."

ALLIE (turning in Michael's arms to face him) "And I knew you were going to leave eventually and I wanted that baby so I would keep part of you with me.  I wanted part of you with me always."

MICHAEL  "Do you still wish that you hadn't lost it?  Even now?"

ALLIE  (sensing that Michael's question has a deeper purpose) "Yes, Michael, there are still times I wish I had had our child.  And after I lost the last one, it really brought back memories of the first baby.  And of you."

MICHAEL "You'll have a child and you'll be a wonderful mother."

ALLIE  (leaning her back against Michael again) "I hope so, Michael. I hope so.  (opening up more) I'm just so scared that I'm going to be an old, lonely woman someday and have no one to take care of me."

MICHAEL (smells of her hair and then pulls her closer)  "You'll have me."

ALLIE  "Do you think so?"

MICHAEL "If you'll have me, Allie."

ALLIE "And you'll take care of me?"

MICHAEL "The best I can."

ALLIE "Even when my boobs are saggy, and I have dentures."

MICHAEL "And even when I have to put diapers on you."

ALLIE  (with a slight smile, but serious) "I guess we'll see."

(Allie drops the angel and it swings into the other angels.  She wipes her hands across her eyes.)

ALLIE  "I can't be here anymore.  Let's go."

MICHAEL  "I still have your surprise."

ALLIE   "Then let's go."
(Allie picks up her raccoon and they begin to walk away from the display.  Allie stops and looks around.)

ALLIE  "Thank you for today."

MICHAEL  "I feel bad, though.  I didn't want to upset you."

ALLIE  "It's okay, really.  I've needed to say those things."

MICHAEL  "Are you sure that you're okay?"

ALLIE  "Michael, I'm not the emotional train wreck I used to be. I still get down but that's part of life.  I have to hurt sometimes to keep me grounded."

MICHAEL "Well, I hope my next surprise only makes you happy."

ALLIE "We'll see."

(They step onto the escalator and we lose sight of them as they go down. Michael hugs Allie; Allie hugs her raccoon. They are silent.)