Season 1, Episode 11

A blinding white light blurs everything.

SHIRO (O.S.): Xena. Xena. Xena.

FADE TO

INT. MAYLA’S ROOM – DAY

POV The ceiling comes into focus.

Xena wakes up in her bed. She rolls over to see Shiro standing next to her bed.

SHIRO: You okay? I think this is the latest you slept.

Xena crawls out of bed. Shiro grabs Xena and takes her down to the ground.

SHIRO: There we go.

Xena yawns and heads out the room.

INT. TULSEN FLAT – DAY

Pancake breakfast. Mayla places a new stack on the table.

NI: Oh YEAH. More on the way.

Ni lunges for the pancakes. Mayla pulls the stack out of Ni’s reaches.

NI: Ah! Why did you take them? Those are the best pancakes around and we only get them once in our life!

MAYLA: I’m saving some for Xena. Last time, you ate all of them in one sitting.

NI: BUT THERE SOooooo GOOD.

Xena & Shiro walk into the flat.

CALIF: Morning, Daddy.

SHIRO: Morning.

Shiro grabs his bag.

MAYLA: Are you leaving already?

SHIRO: I have a client coming in early who takes about 5 hours to get done.

MI: Ew. What kind of hair requires that long?

KOBAI: Possibly one even wilder than yours, which is a testimony in and of itself.

SHIRO: Alright, what’s everyone doing today?

MAYLA: Study session with Michael.

KOBAI: Debate club trip.

NI (spunky): Soccer practice.

CALIF: Art show at the museum.

MI: Napping in a museum.

Xena sits down with a plate of pancakes.

Shiro heads out.

SHIRO: I’ll be back later.

CALIF: Bye.

MAYLA: Have a nice day.

Shiro leaves.

MI: On second thought, I should try napping outside the museum.

KOBAI: Excellent idea. Maybe a pigeon will mistake you for a statue.

Xena enjoys her pancakes and watches her sisters talk.

MI (O.S.): You just asked for a pigeon to poop on me, didn’t you?

KOBAI (O.S.): You didn’t need to say it out loud.

MAYLA (O.S.): Can we please not bring in bird poop? It’s a pain to get out.

NI (O.S.): Maybe it will mistake your hair for a nest.

KOBAI (O.S.): The majority of birds build their own nest, pigeons included.

CALIF (O.S.): What kinds of birds don’t build their own nest?

KOBAI (O.S.): Mainly parasitic birds that raid other bird’s nest for their own.

CALIF (O.S.): What’s a “parasitic?”

KOBAI (O.S.): Mi on an empty stomach.

Mayla looks at a clock.

MAYLA: Aw, I’m going to be late.

MI: Late, (looks at clock) It’s only-

CALIF (looks at clock): Aw! The museum opens in 15 minutes.

Calif jumps from her seat.

MI: We don’t have to be there exactly-

Calif grabs Mi & rushes out the door. Mayla scrabbles to put her dishes up.

NI (jumps up): Practice is in 30 minutes. I need to hurry.

Ni rushes to grab her gym bag. Mayla grabs her bag & a picnic basket. Kobai closes her book and stands.

KOBAI: My meeting isn’t until 10, but punctuality is a major factor in getting the best spots in debate tournaments.

Kobai grabs her beret off her chair and walks towards the front door. Mayla dashes for the door. Ni bounds for the door. Mayla, Kobai, & Ni leave. Door closes.

Xena is at the table in an empty room. She has finished her breakfast. She gets up from the table, takes her dishes, and puts them in the sink.

Xena takes Mi, Ni, Calif, & Kobai’s dishes to the sink.

Xena opens the pantry, pulls out a stepping stool, & places the stool in front of the sink

Xena washes the dishes in the sink.

Xena places the cleaned dishes back in the cabinets.

Xena goes to the couch & turns on the television.

EXT. PARK – DAY

An open park with a few trees scattered throughout.

Michael waits with a blanket laid out. DAVID, Michael’s younger brother about 8 years old, plays with a kite.

Mayla runs up to Michael.

MAYLA: Sorry I’m late.

MICHAEL: It’s okay. We haven’t been here long anyways.

Mayla sees David. David looks over at Mayla & Michael and waves to Mayla. Mayla waves back.

MAYLA: Is David the reason we’re meeting here?

David starts to run with the kite.

MICHAEL: Yeah, I’m on babysitting duty right now. You probably know why from Ni.

MAYLA: Your dad working as well?

MICHAEL: Yep. (Michael & Mayla sit) It’s not a bad place study, right?

MAYLA: It’s not bad. The weather nice. Not even a breeze. I brought something to eat.

MICHAEL: You didn’t have to.

MAYLA: I don’t mind. I actually quite enjoy cooking.

MICHAEL: How about you drop out already & be a housewife? You fit the role too well.

MAYLA: Maybe I should. Though, that’s what I get for being the oldest one in the house. And my Dad is not a cook.

MICHAEL: Wow. Straight to it. Shall we get started?

Mayla & Michael get out their textbooks.

EXT. HAIR SALON – DAY

A tuff of hair is caught in the doors.

INT. HAIR SALON – DAY

Shiro is handling one of his more interesting clients: MRS. CALIMINE – an 80-year-old woman who holds the world record for “Longest Hair” at 86 ft, 3 in, for 26 years and believes she is Rapunzel. A PSYCHIARTRIC NURSE takes care of her.

Shiro carefully grooms her hair.

MRS. CALIMINE: How much longer will it be?

SHIRO: Mrs. Calimine, this will go by a lot quicker if your hair wasn’t this long.

MRS. CALIMINE: Who is this “Calimine?” I am Rapunzel, and I shall never let my hair go until my prince has come for me?

SHIRO: Mrs. Calimine, your husband died five years ago.

MRS. CALIMINE: He is coming! Do not lie to me.

NURSE: Sorry you have to do this every time.

SHIRO (picks up a comb): I have many difficult regulars. This one just takes the longest.

MRS. CALIMINE: ARE THOSE SCISSORS?

SHIRO (holding up the comb): No, Mrs. Calimine, this is a comb. Now hold still.

Shiro continues his job.

On the side, Peter, Maki, & Cassandra wait for Shiro to finish. Maki is on her phone.

PETER: Need some help, Shiro?

SHIRO: You could get her hair out of the door?

Peter gets up and heads for the door.

MAKI: You know, why are we even here? The place has to be on lockdown each time she comes.

CASSANDRA: Me & Peter come to help Shiro. You just want to get paid.

MAKI: Yeah, that’s true.

INT. TULSEN FLAT – DAY

STILL SHOT Xena watches a soap opera on television.

WOMAN ON TV (O.S.): Tell me, is Rosemary’s baby yours?

MAN ON TV (O.S.): Lilian, you know I love you.

WOMAN ON TV (O.S.): Tell me, Doug! Just tell me, Doug!

Music from the soap opera plays.

MAN ON TV (O.S.): I always loved you.

Woman on TV cries. Ending music plays.

Xena sneezes.

INT. ARRATO MIDDLE, DEABTE ROOM – DAY

A classroom with two podiums placed at the front. Kobai reads in the empty room.

Harold enters.

HAROLD: I see you have arrived far ahead of our agreed time.

KOBAI: “Time is but an illusion to those who utilize it wisely.”

HAROLD: A proverb of yours.

Kobai closes her book.

KOBAI: For you to not recognize such a simple quote, (to Harold) Brings mockery to the whole team.

Harold heads over to the podium.

HAROLD: You can help me set up.

Kobai puts her book down and gets up.

INT. MUSEUM – DAY

A special art exhibit is on display.

Calif is enthralled by all the art on display. She gazed onto each painting, transfixed by the delicate brush work artist have spent many hours creating.

EXT. MUSEUM – DAY

Mi sleep on a bench.

A pigeon lands in her hair. The pigeon tries to fly away but is stuck in Mi’s hair.

Smoke rises from underneath the pigeon. Mi sneers at the pigeon.

INT. SHELL’S ROOM – DAY

Xena sits on Shell’s bed.

XENA: Do you think Doug is Rosemary’s baby’s dad? I hope not. I feel bad for Lilian. The two of them are supposed to be engaged. (pause) But how can Rosemary have Doug’s baby? (pause) They said something similar in an earlier episode, but I still don’t get it. (pause) Do you know how?

Xena waits for Shell’s answer.

EXT. SOCCER FIELD – DAY

Ni kicks a ball around her with her knees & feet. She looks over to see Morgan applying lipstick.

Ni sets off a little spark.

Morgan feels a shock from her hand. She flinches causing her lipstick to run up her face. Morgan looks in her mirror and freaks out.

Ni continues her practice with a bigger grin on her face.

INT. TULSEN FLAT – DAY

Xena walks into the living room & sneezes. She looks around. The room hasn’t been dusted in a while.

EXT. PARK – DAY

Mayla, Michael, & David have lunch.

DAVID: This is great. You made all this yourself?

MAYLA: Except the snacks. I didn’t have enough to bake with, so I grab something from the store.

MICHAEL: It’s fine either way. Maybe you should be a chef.

Mayla thinks about it.

MAYLA: A chef? That sounds interesting…

Mayla considers it further.

Michael pulls out another textbook. Mayla opens her bag & becomes flustered.

MICHAEL: Forget your book? You can borrow mine.

MAYLA: I left my homework in my book.

MICHAEL: How far did you get?

MAYLA: Halfway…

MICHAEL (stands up): Let’s go get it.

MAYLA: Are you sure?

MICHAEL: Your house isn’t too far away & David can watch our stuff. Right, David?

DAVID: Leave it to me.

MAYLA (stands up): Okay.

Michael & Mayla leave the picnic area.

INT. TULSEN FLAT – DAY

The flat looks cleaner.

Xena vacuums the place.

EXT. TULSEN FLAT – DAY

Michael & Mayla head up to Mayla’s place. Mayla reaches the door of her place.

MAYLA: You can wait out here. I know where it is.

Mayla puts her keys into the lock.

MICHAEL: Are you sure? I can help you look if it’s not where you think it is.

MAYLA (unlocking door): No, it’s okay.

MICHAEL: I’ve been inside. I know what look for.

Mayla pulls her keys out.

Michael reaches for the doorknob. Mayla tries to stop him.

MICHAEL (beat): Mayla, what are you doing?

Mayla tries to hold Michael back.

MAYLA: The place is a mess. I haven’t dusted yet-

MICHAEL: I don’t care. I live deep in the Praires.

MAYLA: I take great pride in my cleanliness.

MICHAEL: And I won’t mind-

The door opens. Mayla & Michael fall in.

INT. TULSEN FLAT – DAY

Xena sees the door opening. Michael falls on top of Mayla.

Xena’s eye open wide as she fixes her gaze on Michael. For a brief second, Xena feels as though Michael is staring right at her. The second feels like hours as the mysterious figure to Xena pins Mayla to the ground.

Xena feels frozen, almost frozen with fear at the sight of a stranger barging in and harassing Mayla, her eyes stuck in that moment.

Michael falls on top of Mayla.

MICHAEL: What was that for-

Michael sees the running, unattended vacuum.

MICHAEL (beat): Did you forget to turn off-

MAYLA: AH!

Mayla spots her textbook on the edge of the table.

MAYLA (CONT’D): There it is.

Michael gets off Mayla. Mayla grabs her textbook.

MICHAEL: Okay, but why is your vacuum-

MAYLA: Uh, Michael, can you go on ahead without me? I need to check on something.

MICHAEL: I don’t mind waiting-

Mayla shoves Michael out of the flat.

MAYLA: This is something very personal that a boy shouldn’t see.

EXT. TULSEN FLAT – DAY

MAYLA (CONT’D): Here.

Mayla shoves her textbook onto Michael.

MAYLA (CONT’D): Go on ahead. I’ll catch up.

MICHAEL: Mayla-

Mayla slams the door in Michael’s face.

Michael has never seen Mayla act like this.

INT. TULSEN FLAT – DAY

Mayla hurries to the back.

INT. MAYLA’S ROOM – DAY

Mayla barges into her room. She scours the room with her eyes getting more concerned with each sweep.

Mayla checks behind the door. Nothing there.

Mayla checks the closet.

On the floor of the closet, a petrified Xena is curled up in a ball. Her eyes are wide open and seem to be fixed on something.

Mayla gets down in the closet.

MAYLA: Xena. (places hands on Xena) Xena! (no response) XENA! (fading) XENA!

FADE TO

FLASHBACK - EXT. PLAYGROUND – DAY

A lively park with kids playing all over the place. A playground set, a sandbox, some monkey bars, and a slide dot the place.

A 4-year-old Xena stands next to Shiro. She looks at the sight of the lively playground with wonder.

SHIRO: Looks fun, doesn’t it?

Xena looks up at Shiro.

SHIRO (kneels down): I’ll be close by. You go have fun.

Xena looks at Shiro and slowly turns to the playground.

Xena cautiously approaches. Shiro watches Xena with a worried look on his face.

Xena approaches a group playing in a sandbox.

The kids in the sandbox see an unknown creature approaching them. Xena comes up to the sandbox & the kids in it flee.

Xena sees the toys in the box. She picks up a toy shovel and looks at it, wondering what they were doing.

A rock hits Xena in the head and she drops the shovel.

A few of the older boys stand in front of the younger ones with rocks in their hands. They see Xena as a wild animal that wondered onto the playground.

Xena sees everyone staring at her detached from the group tension.

Xena takes a step. The younger children panic.

One of the boys throws a rock. The rock hits Xena in the shoulder.

The rest of the boys get in & fire slews of rocks at Xena.

Rocks pelt all across the defenseless Xena. She cowers into a ball. She has no idea what is going on.

A kick to the head lunges Xena onto the ground.

The boys continue to kick Xena.

Xena does not understand the attack. She breaks silently into tears as the boys beat Xena up.

The kicking rages on. The world around Xena becomes darker and scarier.

The boys kicking Xena turn into little devils as the sneer at Xena’s pitiful state. Xena’s eye shutter at the world around her.

SHIRO (V.O.) (fading in): Xena. Xena. Xena!

END FLASHBACK, FADE TO

INT. MAYLA’S ROOM – DAY

Shiro looks over Xena with a serious expression on his face. Mayla stands off to the side.

SHIRO: Xena. Xena. (to Mayla): How long has she been like this?

MAYLA (O.S.): An hour, maybe two.

Xena slowly calms down. Tears run all over her.

SHIRO (to Xena): Xena. Are you okay? Xena.

Xena looks up at Shiro.

XENA: Pa… pa…

SHIRO: It’s okay. It’s okay. Everything’s fine. It’s just me & Mayla. No one else is here.

Xena looks at her father with a sense of comfort that burst into a storm of crying. She flings herself onto Shiro. Shiro tries to comfort Xena as she cries herself out. Mayla stands close by, watching, helpless to her younger sister.

INT. TULSEN FLAT – EVENING

Shiro sits in the living room, remembering the day Xena’s fear began, wondering how good of a father he is.

A blissful Calif, a cheerful Ni, Kobai, & Mi holding a chicken wing walk into the apartment.

MI: I don’t know how anyone can smile for this long.

NI: I could tell you how, but you need to be able smile to understand.

KOBAI (sees Shiro): Dad, is everything okay?

Shiro sees the girls. The room is silent. Calif’s smile drops.

SHIRO: Xena had an attack today.

The girls seem concerned.

NI: Wha- How did it happened?

SHIRO: Michael came with Mayla to get something. Xena was in here.

Concern falls over the girls. A bucket falls out of Mi’s hair.

Mi picks up the bucket and checks the floor.

Mi takes the bucket to the trash can. She proceeds to the closet and grabs a mop.

KOBAI: How bad was it?

SHIRO: It didn’t take long to snap her out it… but she came out of it pretty bad. She’s asleep right now.

Kobai & Ni look towards the hallway worried about Xena.

CALIF: Where’s Mayla?

EXT. PARK – EVENING

Michael & David roll up the blanket.

MAYLA (O.S.): Michael!

Mayla runs up to Michael out of breath. Michael looks at Mayla catching her breath.

David picks up his kite.

MICHAEL: David, go on & wait for me at the entrance.

David leaves the park.

MAYLA (catching her breath): Sorry… I took… so long…

Mayla catches her breath.

Michael picks up the blanket.

MAYLA: Michael?

MICHAEL: It’s getting late. I need to get David home.

MAYLA: Are you mad?

MICHAEL: You’ve been acting weird all afternoon.

Mayla feels uncomfortable.

MICHAEL (CONT’D): If there’s something you don’t want me to see, okay, but you could have just said- I don’t know, something, instead of locking me out & slamming the door. I mean, why-

MAYLA: It’s my sister. The first time she went out of the house, she was bullied, beaten all over… She hasn’t really left the house in years. She afraid of other people. It must sound weird coming from a house of seven girls… She’s scared- terrified, of new people. I’m sorry I acted like I did, but I knew she was home and I-… I was just wanted to protect her. I wanted to be a good big sister. That’s all I wanted to do…

The wind blows around them. Mayla & Michael barely move.

Michael looks away from Mayla.

MICHAEL: I’m sorry. I didn’t know.

In the distance, David tries to catch a squirrel climbing the fence at the edge of the park.

MICHAEL: I guess we both have to be better older siblings. It’s hard, isn’t it? But, your dad’s there. He’s not just someone watching you.

Mayla sees the lively David joyfully having fun.

MICHAEL: Do you want to do anything next week?

Mayla gets caught off guard.

MICHAEL (CONT’D): I want to make up for what I did… and how I acted.

Mayla is glad that nothing bad is between her & Michael.

MAYLA: You don’t have to.

MICHAEL: I “want” to. It doesn’t feel right to leave it as it is. Is there anything you want to do?

Mayla feels like thinks are getting better.

MAYLA: I’ll tell you when I think of something.

Michael smiles.

EXT. TULSEN FLAT – NIGHT

A lonesome Shiro stares off into the night sky.

INT. MAYLA’S ROOM – NIGHT

A worn-out Xena lies in her bed, almost dead from today.

EXT. TULSEN FLAT – DAY

Shiro stares up at the sky.

Inside, Mayla sees Shiro and heads outside.

Mayla stands next to Shiro and gazes up at the sky with him. Everything is quiet.

SHIRO: Do you remember that day?

MAYLA: How could I forget it? I don’t think any of us could. (pause) Dad-

SHIRO: It’s not your fault. And it’s especially not Michael’s. I just worry… that the same thing will happen again, to Xena, to Kobai, to all of you. Sometimes a wake up to nightmares like that, wondering if what I saw was a dream… or real. (slumps over) I’m not going to sleep well night. I should probably call in tomorrow.

MAYLA: You’re not a terrible Dad.

SHIRO: I appreciate you girls telling me. But it’s moments like this… and the first time… that I wonder sometimes.

Shiro & Mayla continue to watch the stars.

FLASHBACK - INT. TULSEN FLAT – DAY

A beaten-up & emotionally scarred 4-year-old Xena is clutched in the arms of a worried Shiro. She is covered in bandages, some covered in her tears as she cries out the painful experience.

Shiro thinks of what has happened as this is the first time he has really worried about his girls and what the world will see them as…

FADE OUT