1.
INT. KITCHEN - AFTERNOON
TADENA, 45, is standing at the kitchen sink, rinsing dishes and loading them into the open dishwasher. Rays of sunlight illuminate the room in golden lines. STORM, 20, walks in and stops behind TADENA, who glances at them over her shoulder.
Storm: Mom?
Tadena: Yeah?
Storm: Can I ask you about something?
Tadena: What?
Storm: Have you been calling me a bad influence?
Tadena: …Where did you hear that?
Storm: Chris told me. He said you called me a bad influence earlier today. I want to know why.
Tadena: A——, don’t worry about it.
Storm: Mom, please. Just tell me why you’d say something like that.
Tadena: Just forget it.
Storm: No. I want to know why you’d tell Chris that I’m a bad influence.
Tadena: A——, it was a joke! Okay? What, I’m not allowed to joke about anything anymore?
Storm: …You think it’s funny?
Tadena: God, you’re so sensitive.
Storm: I’m just a little upset—
Tadena: A——, go away. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.
2.
INT. CAR - NIGHT
TADENA is driving home. STORM sits in the seat next to her, while CHRIS, 14, is seated directly behind her. Pop music plays softly from the radio. CHRIS squirms awkwardly in his seat. STORM is slouching, a hand pressed against their tired face. TADENA is fuming, her hands tight on the steering wheel.
Tadena: Don’t say that! Don’t you ever say that again!
Chris: What? That I don’t believe in god?
Tadena: I told you, don’t say that!
Storm: It’s his belief. What, he can’t express his own beliefs?
Tadena: Stay out of this, okay? You’re not helping.
Chris: What’s wrong with not believing in god?
Tadena: It’s just… I don’t think it’s a good thing.
Chris: A lot of people don’t believe in god.
Tadena: Chris, just be quiet, okay?
3.
INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING
STORM is sitting on a couch by the window, wrapped in a blanket, staring out at the darkening sky with misty eyes. They blink, but the traces of tears yet to be shed refuse to vanish. TADENA walks in, holding her phone and smiling. She sits down next to STORM and holds the phone up to their face.
Tadena: Hey, A——, watch this video, okay? It’s funny.
Storm: Mom, I’m not really in the mood right now.
Tadena: Just watch.
Storm: Not right now. Please. I just want to be left alone.
Tadena: Jeez, A——. You’re so rude. Do you talk to your friends like that, too?
4.
INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
STORM and TADENA are moving around the granite island, STORM following closely behind as TADENA tries to walk away. TADENA appears heavy with annoyance and tiredness, while STORM is tightly wound. Not far away, CHRIS sits at the dining table, watching the two of them with vague sadness.
Tadena: I don’t want to talk about this right now.
Storm: Mom, please. If we don’t talk about this now, when will we ever talk about it?
Tadena: A——, why are you always looking to fight? Just go away. Leave me alone.
Chris: Mom, can’t you talk to—
Tadena: Chris, be quiet. Stay out of this.
Storm: I just want an answer. One single answer. If you’ll give me that, I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the night.
Tadena: What do you care? You never listen to me anyway.
Storm: But I do! I do listen, and I’m trying my best to understand. Just, please, Mom, can’t we just talk this out? Just once?
Tadena: A——, you talk too much. Go away.
5.
INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING
TADENA is sitting on the couch and watching the Today show, a mug of steaming coffee in her hands. LOURIM, 52, sits at his computer desk eating a bowl of cereal and checking his dispatched calls for that day. STORM walks upstairs from their bedroom, wearing a wrinkled t-shirt and sweatpants. Their hair floats around their head in an untamed mess.
Storm: Good morning.
Tadena: Oh my God, your hair! It’s so messy!
Storm: I just woke up.
Tadena: Did you brush it?
Storm: No. I just woke up.
Tadena: You should brush it.
Storm: I never brush my hair. You know that.
Tadena: Why not?
Storm: Because it, like, separates the curls. I end up looking like I’ve got a big black cloud around my head.
Tadena: So?
Storm: So, I’d rather just let it fall naturally than poof it up.
Tadena: Better to look poofy than homeless.
Storm: Wow, really?
Tadena: What?
Storm: Never mind. It’s my hair, and I’ll do what I want with it.
Tadena: Excuse me?
Storm: What?
Tadena: Whose house do you live in? Who’s paying for your college?
Lourim: Honey, don’t say that.
Tadena: Why not?
Lourim: You say stuff like that to him, one day he’s gonna move out and you’ll be sitting here wondering why he never talks to you anymore.
6.
INT. KITCHEN - AFTERNOON
Tadena is standing at the kitchen sink, rinsing dishes and loading them into the open dishwasher. STORM walks in and stops behind TADENA, who glances at them over her shoulder.
Storm: Mom?
Tadena: What?
Storm: …Never mind.