Round We Go
INT. SCHOOL CAFETERIA - DAY
JANE (14) sits at a long cafeteria table. All the other seats are taken, except for one beside them, which they’ve reserved with their bag. The rest of the table is friendly with one another, and are all discussing someone’s birthday party.
SOFIA (15) arrives at the table, holding a tray. Jane moves her bag so that she can sit down.
SOFIA
I got something for you.
She settles down in her seat and pulls out of her bag a small box. She hands it over. Jane hesitates a bit but takes the box. She opens it and finds inside a small keychain of the ‘Cinamoroll’ character. Jane smiles.
JANE
Thank you.
SOFIA
Do you like it?
Jane puts it down and reaches out, embracing Sofia.
JANE
It’s great, thank you.
Jane picks up her backpack from the floor and puts the keychain on the zipper, alongside another one Sofia has given her. They are the exact same.
SOFIA
Oh. I didn’t realize I’d already given you one.
JANE
Doesn’t matter. This way I have a spare.
SOFIA
Right. I’ll get you a plushy next time.
JANE
You don’t have to.
(joking)
Not until the 14th.
SOFIA
Why what’s on the 14th?
Jane raises an eyebrow. She ignore the question.
JANE
How was your weekend?
SOFIA
Oh come on. You can’t just not tell me.
JANE
Come on, catch me up. You know we don’t have that much time left right?
SOFIA
I’m going to Japan for vacation. I’m not dying.
JANE
You’ll be hours ahead. You might as well be. How will we talk?
SOFIA
I’ll keep in touch.
JANE
WIll you?
SOFIA
I will.
JANE
Alright. How’s Curio?
Sofia shifts excitedly in her seat. She searches for her phone inside her bag.
SOFIA
He’s doing amazing.
She pulls onto the screen pictures of a black cat.
SOFIA (CONT.)
What do you think?
Jane smiles at the photo.
JANE
He looks fat.
SOFIA
A bit. My mom says we’re spoiling him, but I think that’s fair. Did I tell you how I found him?
JANE
You did.
Sofia stops, her smile falters a little then she puts down her phone. She is embarrassed.
SOFIA
Oh, sorry.
JANE
What for?
SOFIA
Repeating myself.
JANE
That’s fine. I repeat myself often as well. It’s hard to keep track of what you tell everyone.
SOFIA
Yeah, but I do it all the time. Do tell me if I’m repeating myself. Otherwise, I’ll be like a broken record.
JANE
Shouldn’t you see a doctor?
SOFIA
I don’t think my memory is that bad. I remember the things that matter. The big things. I just get distracted with everything else.
JANE
Like my birthday? You remember my birthday right?
SOFIA
Of course. December 26th.
Jane looks somewhat disappointed but hides it. She looks down at the keychain.
JANE
When did it start?
SOFIA
When did what start?
JANE
The forgetting.
SOFIA
Oh, I’ve always been that way. It’s not that bad, you know. Just conversations with people. I remember everything else.
Jane smiles.
JANE
I still think you should go to a doctor.
INT. JANE’S BEDROOM - DAY
Jane walks into her bedroom and drops her backpack on the ground. The keychains hitting the floor startle her. She looks at them and then to the merchandise cluttering the walls and floors. All of the same character.
She kneels down by the keychains and takes a keychain from her bag, leaving the other one there. She sets it down in a small box full of keychains. There are several copies of the same one.
INT. SCHOOL CAFETERIA- DAY
Jane arrives at the school cafeteria late. She walks past the table she usually sits at and sees Sofia there, talking to Lisa. Sofia seems apologetic. Jane walks up to them.
LISA
Hey, did you ask your parents?
Jane looks down at Sofia. She hesitates then simply looks at Lisa in confusion.
JANE
About?
LISA
Not you too. My Christmas party.
JANE
You’re having a party?
LISA
December 13th. Please write it down. Both of you in your calendars. Please? I would love it if you both could be there.
JANE
I’ll write it down. Won’t forget.
LISA
Confirm with me tomorrow? Please. I need to know about catering.
JANE
Sure.
SOFIA
I will.
Lisa nods and walks away.
SOFIA (CONT.)
Are you getting lunch?
JANE
In a bit. Hey, what are you doing on December 14th?
SOFIA
Nothing, why?
JANE
Well. You know my birthday’s on the 26th, right?
Sofia nods. Jane looks at her nervously, waiting for Sofia to remember the plans they’d already had.
JANE (CONT.)
And we get out of school on the 19th.
SOFIA
Yeah?
JANE
And you’ll be in Japan from the 21st?
SOFIA
Do you want anything from there, by the way?
Jane gives up on having Sofia remember and accepts that Sofia has forgotten of the plans they’d already made.
JANE
Yes, but I’ll tell you later. Point is. Do you want to maybe come over to mine on the fourteenth? Since you won’t be here for my birthday.
SOFIA
I don’t know if my mother will let me. She doesn’t usually let me go out two days in a row.
JANE
(doubtful)
I know. But, are you sure?
SOFIA
I can ask, but I can’t promise.
JANE
But you’ll ask? You’ll remember to ask?
SOFIA
I will.
JANE
When you do, can you send me a text?
Sofia laughs.
SOFIA
Sure sure. Can you remind me to ask my mom?
Jane nods.
EXT. JANE’S HOUSE - DAY
Jane’s walking towards her home after leaving the bus. As she does, she receives a text message.
She reaches into her pocket for the phone. She pulls it out. On the screen it reads ‘From Sofia: My mother said yes to the fourteenth’. Jane smiles and continues on her walk back home.
INT. SCHOOL CAFETERIA - DAY
Jane is in her place and Sofia soon joins her.
JANE
Do you have anything on December thirteenth?
SOFIA
A birthday party. And on the fourteenth it’s your fake birthday.
JANE
You remembered. Did you write it down?
SOFIA
No. I’m telling you. I remember the big things, which reminds me. I’ve got you something.
She picks up her backpack and takes out a small plushie of ‘Cinamonroll’. Jane smiles and takes it.
JANE
It’s not even my birthday.
SOFIA
Yeah, but I couldn’t wait. Do you like it?
JANE
I do. Thank you.
She puts the plushie on her lap.
INT. JANE’S HOUSE - DAY
Intertitle: Dec 14th.
Jane is looking at her phone, waiting for Sofia to call her. She looks at the door often and sits on the staircase, waiting. Her sister, MAYA (20), stops in front of her.
MAYA
Aren’t you going to call her?
JANE
What for?
MAYA
See if she’ll show up. Mom’s going to wonder why she’s not here when she gets back.
JANE
She probably forgot.
MAYA
As well as her mother?
JANE
Maybe it’s genetic.
MAYA
Come on. We should at least eat the cake.
Maya takes two plates out of the cupboard and Jane gets a knife.
MAYA (CONT.)
Do you want me to sing ‘Happy birthday’ to you?
Jane looks down at the cake her mother bought. She shakes her head. Maya takes the knife away and looks around the kitchen until she finds a couple of candles and matches.
JANE
Maya, I said-
MAYA
So what if your only friend forgot?
JANE
I have friends.
Maya ignores her and puts the candles in the cakes and lights them.
MAYA
You’re at least making a wish.
She pushes the cake towards Jane.
MAYA (CONT.)
And nothing stupid like ‘I wish my friend wasn’t so forgetful’.
JANE
Very funny.
Jane looks over the cake and simply blows out the candles.
JANE
Happy?
MAYA
You didn’t make a wish. So, no.
She pulls out the candles and cuts a slice from the cake.
MAYA (CONT.)
If it bothers you so much, you should tell her.
She pulls out the piece and sets it on the plate.
JANE
What’s the point?
MAYA
Not being alone on your birthday?
JANE
It’s not my birthday.
(beat)
I saw her yesterday. She remembered Lisa’s stupid thing. She told me she was coming today. I asked her twice. When her dad came to pick her up, I nearly reminded him as well.
MAYA
Why didn’t you?
JANE
I didn’t want to run.
MAYA
You shouldn’t have to chase her all the time.
JANE
It’s not her fault. She forgets.
Jane lifts a hand and wipes tears streaming down her cheeks.
JANE
She’s my friend.
Her sister sighs.
JANE (CONT.)
(Insistent)
She is.
MAYA
A friend who can’t remember that you asked her over for your birthday.
JANE
She gets me gifts.
MAYA
Of a thing you don’t even like.
JANE
But she gets me something. Okay? She looks at them and thinks of me, so she gets them. Besides, they’re cute, okay?
MAYA
But do you like them?
JANE
How can I not?
Her sister thinks it over then sighs.
MAYA
Come on. It’s your fake birthday. You get to pick the movie today.
INT. SCHOOL CAFETERIA - DAY
Jane is walking across the lunch line with a tray in hand. She gets served pasta and a very cardboard looking pizza. As she reaches the end of the line she sees the ice cream.
JANE
Can I have one scoop of chocolate please?
The lunch lady hands her one. She pays for her food at the end and walks to the usual cafeteria table. She sets her tray down and her bag. There are no keychains hanging from it.
She sits down and after a few minutes Sofia joins her.
SOFIA
Oh, you got ice cream today?
JANE
Yeah.
SOFIA
Isn’t that like three dollars?
JANE
One fifty.
SOFIA
Can I have a bit?
Jane nods and hands the ice cream over.
JANE
How was your weekend?
SOFIA
Good. Went to watch West Side Story with my family.
JANE
How was it?
SOFIA
Alright, I liked the songs. What about you? How was your weekend?
Jane hesitates for a second. Then she looks at her tray.
JANE
Good. My sister’s home from college so... I just spent some time with her.
She looks up.
JANE (CONT.)
How’s Curio?
Sofia shifts in her seat, excited. She reaches for her phone and pulls out a picture of her cat lying on the ground.
JANE (CONT.)
How cute.
SOFIA
Isn’t he?
She swipes her phone, to a different image where the cat looks rather big.
SOFIA (CONT.)
He’s a bit fat, isn’t he? But it’s only fair.
She looks up from her phone.
SOFIA (CONT.)
Did I tell you how I found him?
JANE
No. How did you?