Love's Kind of Family (part 2)

INT. GAY BAR CALLED THE SIDE DOOR - NIGHT

Moira approaches Jenny, who’s got her computer in front of her, but is slumped back, staring up at the ceiling, which is not pretty.


MOIRA
Hey, everything alright over here?


Jenny sits up to face a beautiful... person. There’s a captivating mix of girlish and boyish charm, yet a confident, knowing air lingering in the smile, in the eyes. A fast mover, Moira goes to put a comforting hand on Jenny’s.


MOIRA
Jesus, is this blood?


JENNY
I cut–

(then quickly)
I scratched myself in the bathroom metal toilet paper holder an accident.


Moira hands Jenny a bunch of napkins; very matter-of-fact manner.


JENNY
Thanks. And I missed dinner.


Not missing a beat, Moira plops a bowl of pretzels down on the table. Jenny smiles.


JENNY
And I’m trying to write... something.


MOIRA
About?

JENNY
(this comes out as a sigh)
Me.


Ahh, this requires much more help. Moira turns to nearby table and, in one smooth movement, gathers together beer bottles of the surprised girls there and puts them down in front of Jenny.


MOIRA
Midnight oil.


They smile at each other.


MOIRA
Or a cheering squad.


Jenny can’t help but laugh out loud and relax.



EXT. SHANE AND CARMEN’S PLACE - NIGHT

The party’s going full force and more people are arriving.



INT. SHANE AND CARMEN’S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Carmen is DJ-ing. Shane is up on the platform with her, surveying the crowd. She waves at Alice and Dana. Dana doesn’t see Shane because she’s dancing like a wild woman.


SHANE
(to Carmen)
Look at Dana! She’s going at it like it’s the last party of her life!


Carmen laughs and tries waving to Dana, too. Alice waves back.


SHANE
Who are all these people?!


Carmen gives her an innocent smile.


CARMEN
All my ex-es. And one or two of yours.


A wicked smile now.


SHANE
Right. And?


CARMEN
Oh, the Planet’s regular morning coffee crowd.


SHANE
And?


CARMEN
The Planet’s night club regulars.


Shane waves her hand in a circle: go on.


CARMEN
And 9 of my cousins, 3 of Kit’s, Tina and Bette’s parenting group, Dana’s Davis Cup team, the winners of Alice’s radio contest...


Carmen keeps listing guests as Shane walks away – some alarm, mostly amusement. Shane spots Tina.


SHANE
Hey, you made it, mom. How’s your girls? Is Bette calling the cops?


Tina laughs, shakes her head.


TINA
Bette’s out cold. She’s been doing nighttime duty with Angelica this week.


SHANE
And Angelica?


TINA
Would you believe it? She’s out, too! One of them’s snoring.


Tina looks around.


TINA
I don’t know how, but it’s like Angelica knows the noise is of love and friendship and family. I guess she feels surrounded and safe with the sounds.


SHANE
(teasing)
T.


TINA
Okay, that’s just me. That’s what this ruckus means for me!


Tina laughs, hugs Shane, then weaves her way into the very middle of the mass.



EXT. SHANE AND CARMEN’S - NIGHT

Blue and red flashing lights.



INT. SHANE AND CARMEN’S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

No one notices the knocking until one of the cops comes to the window. He notices Dana gyrating and his eyes widen. Shane makes her way to the door. The male cop is a regular-looking guy with a bit of a pudge.
The female cop, on the other hand, is very
Mariska-Hargitay-from-Law-and-Order-SVU. On a good day.


SHANE
Officer?


Notices the male cop.


SHANE
Oh, uh, officers.


MALE COP
We have a noise complaint.


He pretends to read off his notepad.


MALE COP
“It’s those fuckin’ dykes again.”


Shane’s about to object to that, as well as the relatively early hour, when the cops smile at each other.


MALE COP
Hey, Slater. You see any dykes around here?


OFFICER SLATER
No, do you?


Male cop looks at her.


MALE COP
(playfully)
Well, maybe one–


Office Slater puts her hand on her hip– no, make that her gun.

OFFICER SLATER
Watch it, Johnson.


He puts his hands up in mock surrender; she grins.


OFFICER JOHNSON
(to Shane)
Just be sure to bring the level down in an hour or so, okay?


SHANE
Sure, will do. Thanks.


As they turn to leave, Carmen grabs Shane from behind, completely excited, exhilarated. She starts to pull Shane back into the party, but stops short when she spots the female officer.


CARMEN
Ai, I’d have let her handcuff me.


Now it’s Shane pulling Carmen back in.


SHANE
Get back in the house, woman! Where you belong!



INT. GAY BAR, THE SIDE DOOR - NIGHT

The beers have been returned to their owners. Moira and Jenny have been talking and there’s something about Moira that is disarming, in a comforting way.


MOIRA
Christ, what kind of therapist thinks your parents’ home could be a place to recover?


Then she grins and sweeps her arms around the bar.

MOIRA
Unless she meant to send you straight here.


Jenny giggles, but then,


JENNY
(seriously, almost darkly)
You know, my mom and I are related by blood and she and Warren are called a family because of some legal paperwork. They have a home. No, a so-called home. There’s nothing there. Nothing. It’s just a place of knives and razors.


Moira nods.


MOIRA
Literally and figuratively.


JENNY
(appreciatively)
Yeah. You know, I felt closer to this girl I knew in the hospital for 14 days. At first, you’d think we have nothing in common, but we could see inside each other; there was such a familiarity there. And I accepted who she is, without judgment, which turned out to be a step toward being okay with myself.


MOIRA
There’s something familiar for me, too, in what you’re saying. I’ve been able to uncover who I am, inside. What I used to look like on the outside wasn’t me. Now I wear the clothes that fit me; I mean they match who I am inside. But I still don’t belong in my own skin. I want out. To bring what’s inside out.

JENNY
We got... misplaced somehow.


MOIRA
Mis - placed.


JENNY
For many of us, the cutting’s about forcing some kind of feeling to the surface. I think it’s also about trying to release the real me that’s inside, the me that is raw, visible, bloody...


MOIRA
...human.


JENNY
(completely taken)
You... I’ve known you for, what, 3 hours? And again, I feel this reaching out and reaching back that I’ve never gotten from family.


Jenny smiles, closes her eyes.


JENNY
Wow. I’m beat. Amazed and grateful, but beat.


MOIRA
(dreamy in her weariness)
Mmm hmm.


Long silence. A searching, then finally:


JENNY
God, I’m gonna break my heart over you, but...


MOIRA
...you’re going...

JENNY
...home. To L.A. I have to.


Jenny breathes in deeply. Exhales a huge smile that we haven’t seen in a long time.


Moira is unsure of herself for the first time, but quickly recovers.


MOIRA
I know. Call me, please, before you leave and–


JENNY
when I’ve arrived.


MOIRA
(in gentle awe)
You already have.