<< INSIDE - CENTREVILLE HALL - LOBBY -- EVENING >>

Erika, Adele's uniform on and bookbag hung on her shoulder, hurries past the lobby front desk toward the front door. 

Just as she reaches the front door, Taneisha comes running up behind her from the stairwell, calling out to Erika and looking very upset. She's wearing a headscarf and looks slightly physically aged; wrinkled and tired.  

Erika stops and turns around with a concerned look.  

TANEISHA 

“Erika! Erika! I don't know what's happening to my hair, but look!”

She takes off the scarf discretely and her hair is noticeably graying in large wild streaks. Erika balks in shock. 

ERIKA 

“What happened?!”

TANEISHA 

“I don't know, there's no history of early graying in my family... but I look like someone's Grandma! And I, I haven't been feeling well lately, and I don't know what I must've put in it, but you have to help me, you have to fix it. I'm going back to Texas for winter break, and I can't go home like this!”

Taneisha looks ready to cry. 

ERIKA 

“Ok, ok, Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I don't know what could be going on. Look, I have work tonight, but if you come by at like ten, after my shift I can fix it. We can dye it.”

Taneisha exhales with relief. 

TANEISHA 

“Thank you Erika. I need this fixed soon. 'Cause I can't go 'round lookin' like this.”

Taneisha shakes her head sadly and puts the scarf back on. 

ERIKA 

“No, no, I promise. I can fix it.”

Taneisha looks mildly reassured.  

TANEISHA 

“Ok, I'll be back at ten.”

She walks off quickly back up the stairs, leaving Erika staring after her in disbelief.  

<< INSIDE - ADELE'S RESTAURANT - DINING FLOOR -- NIGHT >>

Erika bustles around the restaurant serving several tables as well as a table full of Brigid and her sorority sisters.

Brigid and all her sisters except Lele are being purposefully obnoxious.

Erika scurries back and forth at their every whim. 

SERIES OF SHOTS

-- Erika serves several plates of food to Brigid and her sorority sisters, which fill up the entire large table.

-- Erika passes out several drinks to a table of well-to-do looking older men and women as Brigid calls to her loudly from the other side of the room "Excuse me?!".

-- Brigid shoves a plate of food into Erika's hands saying "This is cold!"

-- A sorority sister with a smug smirk dangles a half full glass of water in front of Erika -- "I need a refill."

-- A sorority sister with a nasty grimace coughs and gags dramatically -- "This is too spicy, do you want to kill me?!" She shoves the plate into Erika's arms, almost spilling it.

END SERIES OF SHOTS - LATER

Erika smiles tightly as she walks over to Brigid and the sorority at the back of the restaurant.                      

The girls laugh and talk loudly. 

Erika pulls a stack of receipts from her apron.

ERIKA

“Ok. So I separated out all of your orders.”

She strains to smile kindly as she hands each girl their receipt individually.

ERIKA

“Just sign the second copy for the three credit cards. Thank you for dining at Adele's.”

Erika quickly turns and walks away.

BRIGID

“Oh wait…”

Erika turns back to face the table clenching on a smile. Brigid waves a receipt around in time with her phony arrogant tone.

BRIGID

“Jemma and I shared the toasted ravioli. Can you split that on our bills?”

Brigid looks at Erika with mock questioning. Another sister chimes in.

SORORITY SISTER 1

“Yeah, and we all had the crab dip, so you're gonna have to split that out on all of our bills.”

All the girls drop their receipts menacingly in a pile on the table.

Erika sighs and blinks painfully, then gathers up the receipts one by one.

Lele looks at Erika sympathetically.

LELE

“Brigid, doesn't the movie start in like twenty minutes? We're going to be late.”

Brigid checks the time on her cell phone and cuts her eyes.

BRIGID

“I guess we'll just have to take these messed up receipts.”

The girls take their receipts, three girls sign quickly. They gather up their jackets and purses in a huff and walk toward the door with Lele trailing behind.

Halfway to the front of the restaurant, Lele stops.

LELE

“I forgot my purse.”

She runs back to the table where Erika picks up 2 pennies with a tear in the corner of her eyes.

Lele leans over into the booth in front of Erika and picks up her purse with her back towards the front door. Glancing over her shoulder, she hands some money to Erika out of view of the other girls.

Erika looks up at her with surprise and gratitude. 

Lele whispers.

LELE

“Here girl.”

ERIKA

“Oh, oh thanks, Lele. You really didn't have to-”

Erika goes to put the money in her pocket when she looks down and realizes how much it is.                       

It's a $50 bill.

ERIKA

“This is too much.”

Erika looks at Lele, eyes wide with disbelief. Lele glances over her shoulder. The other girls aren't looking, busy flirting with the male host.

LELE

“Naw, don't worry about it. I knew she'd pull some stupid ish like that.”

Lele leans in close to Erika.

LELE

“So I just stole it from her purse. We don't all have rich daddies like Brigid.”

Lele smiles and raises her eyebrows mischievously.                      

Erika laughs a small laugh as Lele walks away to join the group.

SERIES OF SHOTS

-- In the kitchen -- Staff are washing dishes and putting their equipment away as the Adele's wait staff slowly clocks out.

-- Erika swipes her badge, throws on her bookbag, and speed walks out the door. Some co-workers say goodbye to her but she doesn't turn around.

-- North Campus -- Erika flies by the buildings on her normal bike route with dangerous speed.

-- Centreville Hall -- Erika rides down the hill to a screeching halt at the building entrance. She locks up her bike quickly at the bike rack and runs inside.

-- Kelly and Erika's dorm room -- Erika quickly enters her room, drops her bag on the floor and looks at her watch, which reads "9:47".  She exhales.

END SERIES OF SHOTS

She sits on the bed, takes off her shoes, leaving her socks on, and stretches out for a bit. Absent-mindedly, she looks over at The Chair.