<< INSIDE - CENTREVILLE HALL - GIRL'S BATHROOM -- NIGHT >>

The girl's bathroom is buzzing with girls going in and out excitedly. Showers are running, toilets are being flushed, and lots of laughter and talk echo throughout the halls.

Kelly, wearing a cute blue mini skirt and top, stands at the mirror applying pink lip gloss, next to another girl who is applying mascara. Someone is coughing in one of the stalls.

Erika comes out of a stall looking slightly ill, pale. She coughs a few small coughs then leans against the wall of sinks near Kelly.

ERIKA

“..So he was whining about me putting enough gas in it, knowing he gave it to me dang near empty.”

          She chuckles, which makes her cough a little.

ERIKA

“I only filled half the tank.”

          She looks at Kelly curiously.

ERIKA

“It's not even six, why are you dressed so early?”

KELLY

“I thought I would go early to help out. Just in case they need more people to set up.”

          Erika smiles slyly.

ERIKA

“Sure…”

          Erika starts to laugh, but it turns into a violent cough. Kelly looks over at Erika, who looks kind of pitiful, and a little green.

KELLY

“You still not feeling well, huh?”

          Erika shakes her head.

ERIKA

“I don't know... I was fine last night, and fine when I dropped off the car this morning. But when I got back here…”

          Kelly gives her a sympathetic look.

ERIKA

“I think I'll take some Airborne and see how I feel.”

          Kelly puts her gloss back into her small make-up bag and they head out of the bathroom.

<< INSIDE - KELLY AND ERIKA'S DORM ROOM >>

As the girls enter their room, they leave the door wide open to the commotion of the hallway. Kelly begins to rummage through the sweaters in her closet as Erika slumps tiredly down into The Chair coughing raspily.

KELLY

(slight sarcasm)

“Nice chair by the way. That's a serious antique.”

ERIKA

“Yeah... it's a little old, but it was the cheapest one. People wanted way too much for the new ones.”

          Erika coughs harder.

KELLY

“Ooh yeah, you must be coming down with something, you sound terrible.”

ERIKA

“I better not be. I don't want to miss the party…”

          She sits looking hunched over and weak.

KELLY

“Just go to bed. There'll be other all campus, every student group, and all the hot frat guys at UM parties...maybe…”

ERIKA

(Sarcasm)

“Thanks a lot.”

          Kelly laughs.

Taneisha comes to their door and leans into their room. Her head wrap, tee shirt, and shorts look worn, but neat.

TANEISHA

“Hey Erika, girl, you ready for me?”

          Erika smiles weakly, and tries to look energetic.

ERIKA

“Hey Taneisha, uh yeah. Have a seat.”

          Erika gets up and ushers Taneisha into The Chair. She starts to gather her hair tools.

TANEISHA

“Y'all wouldn't happen to have a shuttle schedule, would you?”

          Kelly turns around with two sweaters in her hands.

KELLY

“Oh yeah, sure.”

          Kelly puts the sweaters on the bed, sifts through the papers on her desk and hands Taneisha the schedule.

Taneisha reads the schedule and nervously thinks out loud.

TANEISHA

“I hate having a dorm in The Commons all the way past Susquehanna.”

(turning the schedule over)

“I need to figure out the last shuttle leaving south campus tonight. I still have chapters to read for my exam... my hair is a hot mess... I don't think I'm going to have time to fix my hair, get back to my dorm, study, and then make the last shuttle back over here. And I don't want to walk all the way over from South campus in the dark.”

          Taneisha shakes her head.

KELLY

“Maybe you won't have to walk alone since so many people are going?”

          Taneisha pauses considering this. Erika puts a towel around Taneisha's shoulders and speaks reassuringly.

ERIKA

“I'm a little tired, so I don't think I'm going to the party tonight, but I know I can get your hair fixed quick.”

KELLY

“Oh, and you know they have the shuttles on a late night schedule on Saturdays so you have 'til like one a.m. to come back.”

          Taneisha's face brightens up.

TANEISHA

“Oh, you're right! I can make it then. But Erika, you sure you can get my hair done fast?”

          Erika fishes a black smock out of one of the boxes on the floor and whips it over Taneisha gracefully.

ERIKA

“Of course, girl. You like to wear it flipped, right?”

TANEISHA

“Yeah, but I tried to trim it myself…”

          Erika takes the wrap off of Taneisha's hair. Her eyes widen at the mess of different lengths of the oddly highlighted tangled hair. She hesitates.

Kelly pauses from strapping on her dress shoes and looks astonished at Taneisha's hair. She gives Erika a sympathetic look of "yikes", then grabs a sweater and her purse and heads to the door.

KELLY

“Later guys.”

          She walks out muffling a chuckle.

TANEISHA

“Is it that bad?”

          Erika takes a deep breath and lies.

ERIKA

“No, no…”

          Erika stares at Taneisha's hair nervously.

ERIKA

“I just need to comb it into sections, and we'll be good to go, but…”

          She looks around at her boxes.

ERIKA

“If I could just remember where…”

          She goes over to a box near the dresser and begins to rummage through it.

Leaning over, she pulls out a clear container full of combs, but as she stands back up, she accidentally bumps into her dresser and the leather satchel falls off the dresser to the floor.

As the bag hits the floor, five small golden objects fall out.

ERIKA

“Shoot!”

          Erika scrambles around quickly and manages to get them all before they roll under Kelly's bed. She stands up and examines five small vintage looking tools, all seemingly made of solid gold.

Erika looks at the objects in awe as she places each one on the dresser.

A late 1950's style safety razor, a long thin curling iron with a wooden handle, a straightening comb (hot comb) with a similar wooden handle, a long pair of trimming scissors with an oddly curved hook grip on the finger loop, and a long comb with pointy teeth.

Erika runs her finger over the small flower symbol engraved on the side of the comb noticing the same engraving on all the tools.

TANEISHA

“Wow, those are nice! Where'd you get those?”

ERIKA

“They came with my salon chair.”

          A very focused look comes over Erika's face. She puts the bag down, holds the comb in her right hand and slowly combs through Taneisha's hair.

Erika's nervousness, and cough are gone as she takes the golden scissors in hand, and focusing in on the hair, she combs through the hair on the left, and by sections, trims the ends.

SERIES OF QUICK SHOTS

-- Erika begins to work faster as if by some unseen force. With lightning speed, she trims, and combs, with the golden tools.

-- She smoothes the hair with a flat iron.

-- She flips Taneisha's bangs up as she curls them with the curling iron.

-- She teases the hair with the pointy end of the long comb.

-- Erika's eyes are fixed and focused as she works.

<< LATER >>

Erika's body blocks Taneisha from view as she sprays Taneisha's hair all over with hold spray.

The golden tools and several hair products are now resting on the dresser.

As she moves behind Taneisha we see that she has given her a very stylish flipped bob, slightly reminiscent of the 1960's, but with a modern twist with asymmetrical bangs.

ERIKA

“Ok, take a look.”

          Erika hands her a small black mirror. Taneisha looks at her hair and smiles from ear to ear.

TANEISHA

“Oh girl! You did that in half the time it takes me and better. Wow... I look good!”

ERIKA

“You like it?”

TANEISHA

“Yes, I love it. Oh my gosh! Let me go upstairs and get my purse. I was studying with Rosie and left all my stuff in her room. I owe you for this one.”

          Taneisha takes off the smock and rests it on The Chair. She heads towards the door, then stops to take another look in the mounted wall mirror.

TANEISHA

“Dang girl, it's a shame you aren't going to the party tonight. You could pick up a lot of new clients doin' hair like this. I'll be right back.”

          Taneisha heads out the door. Erika's face brightens as she watches Taneisha walk out. There's a small settling creaking noise in The Chair. Erika doesn't notice. She looks like she's considering something.