INT. BEDROOM–DAY

Duncan gazes down at a semi-slumbering Shayla. CLOSE ON: his face. He turns to leave.

                        SHAYLA
              Please, don’t go.

He stops.

                        SHAYLA
              Where is everybody?

                        DUNCAN
              Outside. Wondering why you’re
              taking Carl’s death so hard
              when nothing gets to you.

She smiles.

                        SHAYLA
              Are you sure we’re still talking
              about me?

He gives a soft laugh and joins her on the bed.

                        DUNCAN
              Move your feet.

                        SHAYLA
              You treat everyone who’s
              dying this way?

                        DUNCAN
              No Shayla, just you.

He winks.

                        SHAYLA
              Ahh, pity flirting. Be
              careful, I could get used
              to that.

                        DUNCAN
              I think you know me well
              enough by now, I don’t
              pity anyone.

                        SHAYLA
              No, I guess not. Why are
              you back here.

                        DUNCAN
              Because I’ve got some secrets
              of my own.

                        SHAYLA
              I thought Jason was the man
              for that particular job.

                        DUNCAN
              Not these secrets. Jason was
              a neighbor who I met up with.
              No one likes to be alone. Not
              even a bastard like me.

                        SHAYLA
              I don’t know, I just envisioned
              you and Jason sitting by the fire
              eating bon-bons and swapping stories.

He laughs, shaking his head.

                        DUNCAN
              Bon-bons? How about hot dogs?

                        SHAYLA
              Too homo-erotic.
He laughs again.

                        DUNCAN
              What do you care?

                        SHAYLA
              Hey, a dying girl has to
              have her fantasies.

Duncan looks down, then pow, back up at her.

                        DUNCAN
              Be careful what you ask for,
              Shayla.

She smiles and leans into him.

                        SHAYLA
              Bring it on bastard. Even
              if you are just getting your
              kicks I ain’t got nothing
              to lose.

He grasps her chin and kisses her roughly. She responds, he lays her back to the bed. After a few moments they stop. He gazes down at her and brushes her hair away from her face.

                        DUNCAN
              Did it go anything like that?
              Your fantasy?

                        SHAYLA
              Anything with you is a fantasy,
              Duncan.

                        DUNCAN
              Can you keep this a secret? Or
              are you going to squeal about
              it with your friend?

                        SHAYLA
              Bethany knows everything. Well,
              almost everything.

He grins down at her.
                        DUNCAN
              Tell her.

She laughs.

                        SHAYLA
              It’s nice to know I have
              your permission.

Grinning mischievously.

                        DUNCAN
              It is, isn’t it.

He begins to tickle her. She begins to fight him, roaring with laughter.

                        SHAYLA
              Stop it. Stop.

She continues to struggle. He smiles even broader. For the first time, the smile goes to his eyes.

EXT. CAMPSITE–DAY

Bethany and Ally are returning from their walk. Rose greets them with a smile.

                        ROSE
              How was the water?

                        BETHANY
              Beautiful. Carl would’ve
              loved it.

                        ROSE
              Did you go for a dip?

                        BETHANY
              Now do you think we’d go
              go without you?

Rose smiles.

                        ROSE
              No, I guess you wouldn’t.

                        BETHANY
              Where’s Shayla?

                        JASON
              Inside, reading.

                        ALLY
              Yeah, right.

Elbowing her sister hard, Bethany clears her throat.

                        BETHANY
              Is she okay?

                        JASON
              Duncan seems to think so.

Jason walks passed Bethany with a bundle of sticks and a package of hot dogs and heads for the fire.

                        BETHANY
              And Duncan wouldn’t lie.

                        JASON
              Would Shayla?

Bethany hesitates, then turns to Ally.

                        BETHANY
              I know you don’t like her,
              but I need to talk to Jason.

                        ALLY
              And that involves me how?

Jason holds up lunch.

                        ALLY
              Just give me the dogs.

Bethany smiles and gives her sister a hug and a kiss.

                        ALLY
              Just go talk to him and
              get it over with.

Jason and Bethany go and sit on the deck while Rose and Ally begin to prepare dinner.

                        JASON
              What do you want to know?

                        BETHANY
              I want to know what Shayla’s
              keeping from me.

                        JASON
              What makes you think I know
              anymore than you do?

                        BETHANY
              You keep Duncan’s secrets.

                        JASON
              And you think your friend
              is keeping something from
              you and sharing it with
              him?

                        BETHANY
              You’d know better than me.

                        JASON
              Angel, men aren’t the same
               as women. Duncan and me, we
              don’t sit around quilting
              and swapping stories.

Bethany collapses back in her chair.

                        BETHANY
              She...I...I can tell her
              everything. But she’s
              telling me nothing.

                        JASON
              I don’t know what she’s
              been telling you, but I
              think Duncan is definitely
              interested in her.

                        BETHANY
              She keeps stuff like that
              to herself. In the past
              she’s been rejected and
              it’s been harsh. But it’s
              more than that.

                        JASON
              You’re something else.

                        BETHANY
              You flatter me.

                        JASON
              I’d forgotten what a woman’s
              touch could do to a man.

                        BETHANY
              Now you’re just being a shit.

                        JASON
              Angel...

The door opens and out stumbles a flushed and smiling Shayla. She and Bethany share devilish grins.

                        JASON
              That secret you’re so worried
              about. I think you have your
              answer.

                        BETHANY
              Me and Shayla. We don’t have
              secrets. Do we?

Shayla grins and winks. Duncan comes out, his hardened exterior firmly in place.

                        BETHANY
              This I gotta hear.

Bethany jumps up and grabs Shayla by the hand and drags her around the corner.

                        JASON
              Whatever you did to that woman
              thank God.

                        DUNCAN
              Why’s that?

                        JASON
              Bethany is pressing me for
              answers I don’t have.

                        DUNCAN
              As long as she leaves me alone
              we’re good.

                        JASON
              So she’s right. You know something.

Duncan says nothing as the silence is pierced with peals and squeal of laughter. A smile twinkles in Duncan’s eyes.

                        JASON
              So I was right too. You’ve
              got designs on her.

                        DUNCAN
              You keep that to yourself.

                        JASON
              That one doesn’t like it.

Referring to Ally.

                        DUNCAN
              That one is treading on thin
              ice.

                        JASON
              You really don’t like her.

                        DUNCAN
              I don’t like the way she
              treats us or the others.

                        JASON
              She’s young.

                        DUNCAN
              It’s been five years.

                        JASON
              As long as Bethany and Shayla
              are here, guess where Miss Hot
              to Trot will be?

                        DUNCAN
              I guess that’s just something I’ll
              have to figure a way around.

Jason looks at Duncan suspiciously, then back in the direction of the laughter.

                        JASON
              You know, if you break Shayla’s
              heart, I’ll have to break your
              face.

Duncan startles.

                        JASON
              Bethany’s my friend.

                        DUNCAN
              So.

                        JASON
              For the first time in a long
              time I feel like I have something
              worth sheltering from the world.

Duncan covers his heart.

                        DUNCAN
              I thought we had something special.

                        JASON
              You know what I mean. And as for
              us, we both have our pasts.
              Maybe these women can change
              that.

Duncan gazes off into the distance and walks back inside.

EXT. FRONT DOOR–DAY

Bethany grabs Shayla by the arms and shakes her. Both women are smiling and laughing wildly.

                        BETHANY
              He kissed you. He really, on
              all that’s holy, kissed you.

                        SHAYLA
              Oh yeah. And let me tell ya’
              never in my wildest dreams did
              I ever think I’d ever be kissed
              like that.

                        BETHANY
              It was that good, huh?

                        SHAYLA
              And then some.

                        BETHANY
              Lucky bitch.

                        SHAYLA
              Me? What about what you
              told me earlier?

                        BETHANY
              Well, he did call me Angel
              before you came out.

                        SHAYLA
              And to think, all we had
              to do was wait for the end
              of the world for our ships
              to come in.

                        BETHANY
              I guess. Too bad we never got
              to go to a film festival with
              our movie.

                        SHAYLA
              Oh it sucked anyway.

                        BETHANY
              Listen to you. You loved
              that movie.

                        SHAYLA
              I loved MAKING that movie.
              Not WATCHING it.

                        BETHANY
              Hey, making it was your big
              idea anyway. And the casting
              disaster was your fault.

                        SHAYLA
              Yeah, Maria is someone I
              could live forever and never
              see again and be perfectly at peace with it.

                        BETHANY
              You and me both.

                        SHAYLA
              Suppose we were jealous?

                        BETHANY
                      (laughing)
              Maybe. But who cares now?
              The men we’re playing around
              with now dwarf the loser
              we were mooning over.

                        SHAYLA
              Suppose they’re just desperate?

                        BETHANY
              Aren’t we?

                        SHAYLA
              I guess. But you know, I
              really like Duncan.

                        BETHANY
              I know. I just wish my
              head wasn’t fucking with me.
              Ally is smaller, and prettier.

                        SHAYLA
              I’m telling you attitude
              can make or break you.

                        BETHANY
              Maybe.

                        SHAYLA
              No maybe. Definitely. Besides,
              what have you got to lose?

                        BETHANY
              Humiliation? Mortification?

                        SHAYLA
                      (laughing)
              Write an anonymous letter.

                        BETHANY
              Even worse. What if he thinks
              it’s from Ally?

                        SHAYLA
              I’ll write the letter for you.

                        BETHANY
              Thanks, but no thanks. If he
              really wants me he’ll come to
              me.

                        SHAYLA
              You know, we don’t know what’s
              going to happen to us. If there
              were ever a time to take a chance
              it’s now.

                        BETHANY
              I can’t.

                        SHAYLA
              Why the hell not?

                        BETHANY
              Ally likes him.

Holding Bethany by the arms.

                        SHAYLA
              You have lived your life
              for her. Take a chance.

                        BETHANY
              I swore I wouldn’t.

                        SHAYLA
              Well I didn’t.

Bethany smiles.

                        SHAYLA
              I’m going to make it happen.

Both women walk back towards the fire.

EXT. CAMPSITE–DUSK

Duncan sits away from the group, watching them all, watching Shayla.

Rose smiles at Shayla and blows her nose.

                        ROSE
              I’ve never seen him like
              this.

                        SHAYLA
              Who like what?

                        ROSE
              That what. Duncan’s a hard
              man to know. Lord knows I
              tried hard enough when I found
              this place.

                        SHAYLA
              You had a thing for Duncan?

                        ROSE
              Honey, if you’re a woman and
              you’ve got blood running through
              you’re veins then Duncan is
              about as alpha as they come.

                        SHAYLA
              He’s such an ass to you though.

                        ROSE
              He’s an ass to everyone, honey.
              Everyone but you. You, he flirts
              with and watches over.

                        SHAYLA
              Well, until he tells me he’s
              interested, I’m not assuming
              anything.

                        BETHANY
              Don’t be so modest.

                        SHAYLA
              Bethany...

                        BETHANY
              Oh don’t worry.

Ally curls up next to Bethany.

                        ALLY
              I wish mom was here. I wish
              Danni was here. They’d know
              what to do. We wouldn’t be
              sitting around waiting to die.

                        SHAYLA
              Ally, you have a sister that’s
              with you. Who’s alive. Who
              would do anything for you. Be
              grateful.

Ally rolls her eyes and curls closer to Bethany still. Shayla gets up quickly.

                        SHAYLA
              I’m going to sleep inside
              tonight.

                        ALLY
              You do that.

                        BETHANY
              Please, you two.

                        SHAYLA
              Talk to that one.

She walks off into the darkness.

JASON
comes outside and joins Bethany by the fire.

EXT. BACKSIDE TRAILER–DUSK

Shayla cries softly, unaware Duncan has snuck up on her.

                        DUNCAN
              You can’t be serious. That
               little twit?

She holds up an envelope. Duncan takes it, opens it, and reads it.

                        DUNCAN
              It’s a fraud. We don’t get
              mail. And even if we did how
              would her family know to send
              it here? How long have you
              been sitting on this?

                        SHAYLA
              Long enough that she’s going
              to be angry.

                        DUNCAN
              An hour, a day...

                        SHAYLA
              My nose was already bleeding
              when I got this.

Duncan sits down with her.

                        DUNCAN
              I can make this vanish.

                        SHAYLA
              I have to tell her. If I
              don’t she’ll never forgive
              me.

                        DUNCAN
              You’re human.

                        SHAYLA
              This is her family. I’ve
              deliberately kept her from
              them.

                        DUNCAN
              In my lifetime I’ve learned
              that things aren’t always so
              black and white.

                        SHAYLA
              You’re right, but that’s not
              how Bethany is going to see
              it.

                        DUNCAN
              And Ally?

                        SHAYLA
              Ally is everyone’s cross to
              bear.

Duncan looks over the letter and tucks it back into the envelope.

                        DUNCAN
              I’ll take the heat.

                        SHAYLA
              Why would you do that?

He caresses her cheek with his finger. She looks down.

                        DUNCAN
              I like you, Shayla McDounghe.
              You’re worth it.

                        SHAYLA
              You’re sweet, but I have to
              face this on my own.

                        DUNCAN
              What happens when she wants
              to pull up stakes?

They gaze at one another. Soundless tears fall down her cheeks.

                        DUNCAN
              You’re welcome to stay here.

                        SHAYLA
              I don’t want to go. I
              can’t lose what I’ve regained.

                        DUNCAN
              Then don’t go.

                        SHAYLA
              If I don’t go, what have
              I got?

                        DUNCAN
              You’ve got me.

Cupping her cheek he smiles tenderly.

                        DUNCAN
              I’ll take the heat.

Glancing down, Shayla nods her head yes. Duncan pulls her into an embrace and holds her close.

EXT. CAMPSITE–LATER

Rose and Ally have gone inside, leaving Jason and Bethany alone.

                        JASON
              I guess we know what Duncan
              and your friend are up to.

Bethany laughs.

                        BETHANY
              We should be so lucky.

                        JASON
              What do you mean?

                        BETHANY
              The end of the world. One of them has a thing
              for the other.

                        JASON
              Rose and Carl found it too.

                        BETHANY
              And I’m sure Ally will.

                        JASON
              I wouldn’t be so sure about
              that.

Staring into the fire.

                        BETHANY
              I never thought me or Shayla
              would pick up someone after
              the bombs. And now. Well, now...

Jason turns her face to his.

                        JASON
              Now what?

Bethany stammers.

                        BETHANY
              Now...now...

                        JASON
              I’ve been wanting to do
              this all day.

He caresses her face, brushing the hair from her face.

                        BETHANY
              What about Ally?

                        JASON
              What about her?

                        BETHANY
              She wants you.

                        JASON
              It’s you that I want Bethany.
              Not some child.

                        BETHANY
              When you put it that way...

They kiss. Sweetly, gently, tenderly. Their lips part, their foreheads rest against one another.

                        JASON
              Bethany, there’s something
              I need to tell you.

                        BETHANY
              Right now I don’t care.

                        JASON
              You might. I’ve gotten word
              my brother and his family might
              be alive.

Pulling back Bethany is still somewhat dazed.

                        BETHANY
              When did you get that information?

                        JASON
              When the mail ran. You had
              mail too. Didn’t you get it?

                        BETHANY
              No. When do we ever get mail?
              Mail is like a miracle around
              here.

                        JASON
              Yeah, well, I’m thinking
              about blowing this pop stand.
              Duncan’s a good man, but
              he’s a hard man to live with.
              A lot like your friend and
              sister.

                        BETHANY
              Watch your tongue.

                        JASON
              Watch it do what?

                        BETHANY
              I used to have a problem
              with boys like you.

                        JASON
              What’s so bad about boys
              like me that you’d have a
              a problem with me.

                        BETHANY
              Hot, sexy, good looking, good
              hearted.  But oh so oh so bad.
              Boys like you get girls like me
              into serious trouble.

                        JASON
              Oh...but I got my miracle mail.
              Where’s yours?

                        BETHANY
              Now you’re just being a shit.        

                        JASON
              On all that’s holy, I’m telling
              the truth.

                        BETHANY
              Well, on all that’s holy, I haven’t
              got one piece of mail since, well,
              since my dad died.

He gazes at her.

                        JASON
              Sorry. Sorry I brought it up.

                        BETHANY
              Don’t be. I have Shayla, I have
              Ally. Maybe even you and Rose.
              That can be enough.

                        JASON
              What about for Ally?

                        BETHANY
              It has to be.

                        JASON
              You ever think about the other
              people in your family.

                        BETHANY
              Who? Mom and Erin? Them, alive?

                        JASON
              Don’t you have hope anymore?

                        BETHANY
              I lost hope a long time ago.

                        JASON
              What would it take to bring
              back the hope in your eyes
              that was there when you first
              arrived here.

                        BETHANY
              You.

A tender touching from his hand to her cheek turns her around to face him.

                        JASON
              Maybe I’m not such a bad boy
              after all.

They are inches away from kissing...the door slams shut Ally comes running out. They jump apart.

                        ALLY
              Where is she?

                        BETHANY
              What are you going on about?

                        ALLY
              Rose said we got mail two
              weeks ago.

                        BETHANY
              That’s what Jason told me.

                        ALLY
              So it’s one of them.

Duncan and Shayla round the corner. Ally charges them, but with one look, Duncan stops her cold.

                        ALLY
              It’s her isn’t it?

                        DUNCAN
              You’d do well to back off
              and back up.

                        ALLY
              Give us the mail. I always
              knew you were trying to
              keep Bethany away from us.

                        DUNCAN
              It wasn’t Shayla.

                        ALLY
              Yeah, right.

                        SHAYLA
              It wasn’t me, Bethany.

Bethany stands up and looks from Shayla to her sister and back again.

                        DUNCAN
              It’s your miracle mail.

Shayla looks away first. Ally swipes the envelope from Duncan’s hand. She reads it.

                        ALLY
              They’re alive Bethany!
              They’re alive and waiting
              for us.

Bethany takes the letter from Ally’s hands. Tears come to her eyes. She stands face to face with Shayla.

                        BETHANY
              Why?

Shayla says nothing, tears running down her cheeks.

                        BETHANY
              For him? A man? A man you’ve
              known six months?

Shayla still refuses to speak.

                        DUNCAN
              She’s protecting me.

Bethany turns her wrath on him.

                        BETHANY
              I don’t believe it. I think
              you’re protecting each other.
              And for the life of me I can’t
              figure out why. Because Shayla
              you swore to me no guy would
              ever come between us. And you,
              you Duncan, you strike me as
              the me, myself, and I type.
              So tell me, Shayla, tell me
              now, why did you keep this from
              me?

Shayla’s eyes roll backwards and she collapses. Duncan catches her.

                        DUNCAN
              Jason, help me get her inside.
              Bethany, she’s dying. She won’t
              be able to make the trip and she
              doesn’t want to die alone. And you
              Ally, she doesn’t hate you. She
              just wants to die in peace.

Jason comes to Duncan’s aid and they carry Shayla in.

INT. BEDROOM–LATER

Duncan hovers in the background, his gaze on Shayla. While Bethany sits at her side, holding her hand.

When her eyes open, Shayla looks up into Bethany’s face then quickly searches out Duncan’s.

                        BETHANY
              Look at me, you hear me? Look
              at me.

Shayla closes her eyes, then gazes back up at Bethany.

                        SHAYLA
              Bethany...

                        BETHANY
              How long have we known each
              other? Fifteen years?

                        SHAYLA
              I just...

                        BETHANY
              You just what? You’re dying.
              How long do you plan on keeping
              that from me?

                        SHAYLA
              I don’t know, as long as
              I could?

Holding up the mail.

                        BETHANY
              And this?

                        SHAYLA
              I didn’t want to make you
              choose.

                        BETHANY
              So you chose for me?

                        SHAYLA
              Go. I’m sorry I did it. Who
              gets mail anymore, really?
              Consider it your miracle.
              Maybe Jason got some good
              news too. You could go
              together. Lord knows one of
              us deserves to be happy.

                        BETHANY
              You’re my best friend. What
              makes you think I could ever
              leave you behind?

                        SHAYLA
              I’m dying. I have food, shelter,
              and hey, I’ve even got the
              attention of a sexy man. If
              your mom and Erin are alive
              you need to know. I’m on
              borrowed time.

                        BETHANY
              We promised each other we’d
              be in it until the end.

                        SHAYLA
              For me this is the end. Besides
              there’s real hope for you. I
              saw Jason kiss you. You two
              could have a real future together.

                        BETHANY
              No...

                        SHAYLA
              C’mon. Think of it this way,
              Ally will be doing cartwheels
              at the idea of not having to
              deal with me. And that’s one
              hunk of a man you’ll have to
              complete the picture with.

Tears well up in Bethany’s eyes.

                        BETHANY
              Not without you.

Her voice cracking.

                        BETHANY
              You are my family.

Both women begin to cry. Shayla comforts Bethany as best she can.

                        SHAYLA
              You’re my family too, just
              remember that.

Both women dissolve into tears. Duncan gazes at them and leaves them alone.

INT. LIVINGROOM–NIGHT

Duncan sits on the edge of the couch, smoking a cigarette. Rose gazes at him from the kitchen.

                        ROSE
              You want her to stay.

                        DUNCAN
              I don’t believe I was saying
              anything.

                        ROSE
              You’ve been sitting here not
              saying anything for hours.

                        DUNCAN
              Why don’t you go grieve by
              yourself?

Rose takes a deep breath and sits in front of him. He takes a drag off the cigarette and blows it in her face.

                        ROSE
              You may be a bastard, but
              Carl was right about what
              he saw going on around here.

                        DUNCAN
              Why don’t you go play mommy
              to Ally and the others?

                        ROSE
              You don’t scare me.

                        DUNCAN
              Really? If you knew what was
              good for you, you’d be terrified.

                        ROSE
              You respected Carl.

                        DUNCAN
              And?

                        ROSE
              He knew you didn’t have
              a stone heart.

                        DUNCAN
              You sure of that?

Rose swipes the cigarette out of his hand, a look of rage comes over him. She stumbles backwards.

                       ROSE
              Fight for her. No one's fought
              for her in a long time.

                        DUNCAN
              And you know this how?

                        ROSE
              In the way she fights
              for Bethany. In the way
              she tolerates Ally’s
              jealousy.

                        DUNCAN
              And she told you all this.

                        ROSE
              She didn’t have to. It’s
              easy to tell when a woman’s
              in love.

                        DUNCAN
              Really? Carl and you are not
              me and Shayla.

                        ROSE
                     (sighing)
              No, what you’ve got is much
              different.

                        DUNCAN
              I’m no knight Rose. And
              that’s what she needs.

                        ROSE
              So you do care.

                        DUNCAN
              What I do doesn’t matter.
              She’s gonna die. And she’s
              not gonna leave her friend’s
              side.
                        ROSE
              Not unless you give her a
              reason to stay.

                        DUNCAN
              I’ve told you once, Rose, I’m
              not Lancelot.

                        ROSE
              A time will come when she can’t
              travel. What will she do then?
              There’s no telling how good that
              information in the mail is. The
              clock is ticking for the both of
              them.

                        DUNCAN
              And I’m the only one who can do
              anything about it?

                        ROSE
              Jason is heading out soon. I
              watched him kiss Bethany. She’ll
              go with him.

Duncan hangs his head and holds out his hand.

                        DUNCAN
              Give me my cigarette back.

He takes a drag and lets it stream out in a line of smoke.

                        DUNCAN
              What are you going to do?

                       ROSE
              I have no where else to go.
              But I'm willing to be Bethany
              isn't going anywhere. Someone
              will have to look after Ally.

                        DUNCAN
              Where’s Jason?

                        ROSE
              Outside.

                        DUNCAN
              Get him.

Duncan puts out his cigarette and walks back into the bedroom. Rose watches him and heads outside.