What My Cousin Did
The scene softly transitions to the inside of a moving vehicle - the landscape rushing by through the rear window, partially obscured by a young woman of 18, her forehead pensively resting against the glass. Her gaze is vacant, seemingly lost in the distance. For a moment, there is only silence.
Gradually, the muted and low-pitched sound of her parents conversing in the front seat fades in, their words indiscernible. After a few beats, the mother's voice rises, presumably calling the young woman's name, but it's too garbled to discern - it prompts the girl to rouse from her trance and sit upright. The mother repeats herself, her voice now clear.
'Rebecca, for heaven's sake, can you make an effort to pay attention when others are speaking?' The adolescent, Rebecca, rubs her eyes with her sleeve, appearing somewhat dazed. 'Sorry, Mom, what were you saying?' The mother shakes her head and makes a side remark to the father steering the vehicle before reiterating her point to her daughter - she was mentioning how pleasant it will be to reunite with the mother's relatives, Harold and Diane, whom Rebecca hasn't seen since her high school graduation two years prior. Rebecca shrugs, expressing, in a half-hearted manner, that it should be nice.
'And Todd too,' the mother mentions casually, unaware that this statement prompts a pained expression from Rebecca, 'I can't fathom why you two halted your friendship after school, you used to be so tight-knit. Do you recall the occasion when. ?' The mother carries on with her tale, oblivious, but Rebecca has disengaged. She reclines in her seat, leans her head back, and shrouds her face with her arms.
She releases a measured sigh, lengthy but hushed, and her mother's voice begins to warp again. CUT TO TITLE PLATE Approaching a grand house, Rebecca's parents (Karen and Bill) are warmly welcomed by Harold and Diane, a married pair roughly their age. With gusto, they exchange greetings and engage in genial banter as they near the house.
They discuss the house's condition, the weather, the bottle Karen and Bill brought, and so forth. Beyond the chatting quartet, we see Rebecca appearing more slowly, standing a bit apart from the group at the top of the stairs, her head dropped and nervously holding her upper arm with her other hand. It takes several moments for the group to notice her standing there, but when they do, her parents chide her for her reclusiveness, while Harold and Diane greet her warmly, encouraging her to come forward for a hug.
Rebecca seems timid but appreciative of the affection. Harold and Diane engage her in the typical family chatter - how old is she now? ('Just turned 18 two months ago,' her mother proudly announces, 'they mature so quickly!'), how's college, teasing her about whether she has a boyfriend yet, and so on. They mention their own son, Todd, is single too but they believe he just hasn't found the right girl yet because he's an old soul at only 19, very sensitive, etc.
The mention of Todd causes Rebecca's improving mood to falter. though she tries to disguise it. Eventually, the conversation wears on her and she excused herself to the restroom, claiming she's not feeling well. Harold and Diane express some worry, but she reassures them she should be alright soon, so they instruct her to join them on the patio once she's feeling better, Todd's already there waiting for everyone.
Rebecca exits and once she's out of sight, Harold and Diane express their concerns to Karen and Bill, but in hushed tones, they respond that Rebecca often gets like that and they've learned to tolerate it. CUT to a guest bedroom within the house, where Rebecca sneaks in and gently shuts the door behind her. She appears distressed, and spends a moment attempting to regain her composure.
She's taken aback when she hears a knock on the door shortly after. 'Who is it?' she inquires timidly. The door opens and a mild-looking guy steps in, her second cousin Todd.
'Uh, it's me,' Todd says apologetically, 'is everything alright? My parents said you were ill in the restroom, I came to check if you needed some medicine, but you weren't there. ' Rebecca looks upset and irritated at his presence. 'I'm fine, Todd,' she says sharply.
'I'll come down soon, I just needed some privacy. ' Todd looks wounded and puzzled. That's what she said the summer after graduation, that she needed some space from him, and then she stopped spending time with him, stopped planning activities with him, even stopped texting him.
What's happening with her? She scoffs - it's not like they were.
Gradually, the muted and low-pitched sound of her parents conversing in the front seat fades in, their words indiscernible. After a few beats, the mother's voice rises, presumably calling the young woman's name, but it's too garbled to discern - it prompts the girl to rouse from her trance and sit upright. The mother repeats herself, her voice now clear.
'Rebecca, for heaven's sake, can you make an effort to pay attention when others are speaking?' The adolescent, Rebecca, rubs her eyes with her sleeve, appearing somewhat dazed. 'Sorry, Mom, what were you saying?' The mother shakes her head and makes a side remark to the father steering the vehicle before reiterating her point to her daughter - she was mentioning how pleasant it will be to reunite with the mother's relatives, Harold and Diane, whom Rebecca hasn't seen since her high school graduation two years prior. Rebecca shrugs, expressing, in a half-hearted manner, that it should be nice.
'And Todd too,' the mother mentions casually, unaware that this statement prompts a pained expression from Rebecca, 'I can't fathom why you two halted your friendship after school, you used to be so tight-knit. Do you recall the occasion when. ?' The mother carries on with her tale, oblivious, but Rebecca has disengaged. She reclines in her seat, leans her head back, and shrouds her face with her arms.
She releases a measured sigh, lengthy but hushed, and her mother's voice begins to warp again. CUT TO TITLE PLATE Approaching a grand house, Rebecca's parents (Karen and Bill) are warmly welcomed by Harold and Diane, a married pair roughly their age. With gusto, they exchange greetings and engage in genial banter as they near the house.
They discuss the house's condition, the weather, the bottle Karen and Bill brought, and so forth. Beyond the chatting quartet, we see Rebecca appearing more slowly, standing a bit apart from the group at the top of the stairs, her head dropped and nervously holding her upper arm with her other hand. It takes several moments for the group to notice her standing there, but when they do, her parents chide her for her reclusiveness, while Harold and Diane greet her warmly, encouraging her to come forward for a hug.
Rebecca seems timid but appreciative of the affection. Harold and Diane engage her in the typical family chatter - how old is she now? ('Just turned 18 two months ago,' her mother proudly announces, 'they mature so quickly!'), how's college, teasing her about whether she has a boyfriend yet, and so on. They mention their own son, Todd, is single too but they believe he just hasn't found the right girl yet because he's an old soul at only 19, very sensitive, etc.
The mention of Todd causes Rebecca's improving mood to falter. though she tries to disguise it. Eventually, the conversation wears on her and she excused herself to the restroom, claiming she's not feeling well. Harold and Diane express some worry, but she reassures them she should be alright soon, so they instruct her to join them on the patio once she's feeling better, Todd's already there waiting for everyone.
Rebecca exits and once she's out of sight, Harold and Diane express their concerns to Karen and Bill, but in hushed tones, they respond that Rebecca often gets like that and they've learned to tolerate it. CUT to a guest bedroom within the house, where Rebecca sneaks in and gently shuts the door behind her. She appears distressed, and spends a moment attempting to regain her composure.
She's taken aback when she hears a knock on the door shortly after. 'Who is it?' she inquires timidly. The door opens and a mild-looking guy steps in, her second cousin Todd.
'Uh, it's me,' Todd says apologetically, 'is everything alright? My parents said you were ill in the restroom, I came to check if you needed some medicine, but you weren't there. ' Rebecca looks upset and irritated at his presence. 'I'm fine, Todd,' she says sharply.
'I'll come down soon, I just needed some privacy. ' Todd looks wounded and puzzled. That's what she said the summer after graduation, that she needed some space from him, and then she stopped spending time with him, stopped planning activities with him, even stopped texting him.
What's happening with her? She scoffs - it's not like they were.
Actors:
