Cliff House: Out of the Mouths of Babes

Monday, June 28, 1993

SCENE: A little later that same July 3rd afternoon in Springfield. Billy and Vanessa's wedding is being held at the country club.

BILL and MICHELLE have slipped off to the country club patio/pool area for a talk. ROGER eavesdrops on part of their conversation.

MICHELLE: I’ve never been here when no one was in the pool.

BILL [not sarcastically, more as if he can’t focus]: Well, you wanna go in?

MICHELLE [ruefully]: What did you want to show me?

BILL: Well, I’d better not.

MICHELLE: We came all this way.

BILL: Well, it’s just this magazine I found in the changing room.

MICHELLE: What about it?

BILL [fidgeting]: It shows everything—well, maybe not everything, but a lot.

MICHELLE: Here in the country club?

BILL [suddenly embarrassed]: Maybe the janitor left it here.

MICHELLE: Or the lifeguard. He looks like he’d do that. Why did you want to show me?

BILL: I always show you stuff.

MICHELLE [walking away]: Bill, you’re disgusting. Let’s get back to the chapel.

BILL: I just feel bad.

MICHELLE: You should!

BILL: Not about that. Because my mom and dad are getting back together again—and, because I have what you want and you can’t.

MICHELLE looks at BILL now, with understanding, respect, and affection in her eyes. She moves a little closer to him, half-circling by him, actually, pausing to collect her thoughts. MICHELLE looks into the pool as she speaks.

MICHELLE: I want you to be . . . happy. I don’t want people not wanting things because I can’t have them. Sometimes, I think it would have been better if my mom had never gotten married.

BILL: Why?

MICHELLE: That it would have been better for me and my father. When you try and think of what would have been better, it’s hard.

BILL: You think your father will marry Ms. Lindsey?

Neither of the children sees ROGER step up behind them. MICHELLE casts petals from a flower into the pool.

MICHELLE: Holly’s more my friend than his.

BILL: Well, they used to be married, right?

MICHELLE [without worry over the matter]: So did a lot of people.

ROGER smiles, and cuts in.

ROGER: Hello, Michelle. Why so dressed up?

MICHELLE: Oh, Bill’s mom and dad are getting married across the golf course.

BILL: Yeah, and you’re not invited.

ROGER: Well, you be sure to give your mom and dad my best, now don’t you?

BILL [turns to MICHELLE]: I think we should get going.

BILL walks away, and MICHELLE follows, but only after saying, “Bye, Mr. Thorpe,” and hearing his “Goodbye, Michelle,” in return.

ROGER smiles to himself as the scene fades.

As ROGER comes around a corner to the part of the patio where the tables are set up, he sees DAVIS talking to ROBERT.

DAVIS: Here he is. Mind if I join you?

ROGER [not pleased]: We’ll need two menus after all, Robert.

ROGER and DAVIS sit down at a table.

DAVIS: Can I order anything I want? . . . [Opens a menu and looks over it] This will be the first decent meal I’ve had since I was paroled.

ROGER: Well, there’s always take-out, Jon.

DAVIS hides his face behind the menu, and asks, “Is he coming this way?”

ROGER: Who?

DAVIS: Your kid.

ROGER turns and looks, but HART passes them by without noticing them.

ROGER: Look, I know what you want. You’ll just have to wait to get it until I have it to give you. Just sit tight.

DAVIS: How? Where? Not that you care, I know. But my wife divorced me before the first year of my sentence was up. She got the house, naturally. I don’t have a place to hang my hat. I’ve been disbarred. I can’t earn a living. This tight I cannot sit.

ROGER: I’m sure I can come up with a couple of thousand to tide you over.

DAVIS: That’s not what you promised. That won’t even cover my hotel bill.

ROGER: This isn’t a good time to press me, Jon.

DAVIS: You know, I called for you and the heiress-millionairess told me you’d be here. What did she mean by “indefinitely”?

ROGER: That times are tough all over.

DAVIS: You still have Spaulding.

ROGER: No, she has Spaulding. I may not even have a job. My goodwill is the only thing I can offer you right now. Treasure it, Jon. Let it be your most prized possession, because, bottom line, I don’t have to do a thing for you. You can’t hurt me.

DAVIS: Oh, no?

ROGER: Careful. See, that’s the kind of talk that can land you right back in jail.

DAVIS: Don’t worry. That won’t happen. You sleep on it. You know, I seem to do my best thinking ... when I sleep alone.

DAVIS throws down his napkin and leaves ROGER contemplating the conversation.

After the wedding, MICHELLE decides that she wants to spend the evening with HOLLY, rather than go home with ED.

ED: It’s like I’m only going to the hospital for an hour; it’s not an all-night shift.

HOLLY: C’mon Ed, she might as well.

ED [to Michelle]: Okay, you can stay at Holly’s.

MICHELLE [hugging ED]: Thank you!

HOLLY smiles as she watches them.

ED: Didn’t you have that shawl?

MICHELLE: I told you I wouldn’t need it. It’s in the cloakroom. I’ll get it.

As MICHELLE walks away, HOLLY pats her on the shoulder.

ED [to HOLLY]: She’s really gonna miss you when you start working full time.

HOLLY: Oh, you two are going to be fine.

ED: This vacation you’re taking her on makes her so happy.

ED is suddenly aware of ROGER’S presence. ROGER stands several yards away from them, with his eyes on HOLLY. He raises his brandy glass at ED. ED turns back to HOLLY.

ED [quietly amazed]: What is with him lately?

HOLLY glances at ROGER. She tries to shrug off the question. ROGER looks slowly away, as though he’s just admiring the stars, but his eyes come back to HOLLY.

ED: No, c’mon, I mean, you and him?

HOLLY: Me? Nothing. Well, I was sympathetic about the trouble he’s going through with Hart, and he might have mistaken it for something else.

At this moment, MICHELLE passes ROGER on her way back from the cloakroom.

ROGER: Michelle?

MICHELLE: Oh, Hi Mr. Thorpe. I’m sorry Bill was rude to you before.

ROGER: Oh, that’s very nice of you. Don’t give it a second thought. Listen, I hear that you and your dad and Holly are off on some kind of vacation together?

MICHELLE: Oh, no. Not my dad, just Holly and me.

ROGER: Oh, boy. You two are gonna have a ball. Where are you going exactly?

The scene fades as DAVIS stands in the shadows, eavesdropping on them.

Next Episode:
Michelle's Locket: Lost and Found