Love of Her Life (8 page)

BARTENDER

Maybe life is. 

INT.  HARMONIA'S CABIN G319 - DAY

Harmonia lies in bed with an iPod plugged into her ears. 

She sings along. 

HARMONIA

When you were young and on your own,

how did it feel to be alone.  I was

always thinking of games that I was

playing, trying to make the best of

my time. 

HARMONIA'S MEMORY:

INT.  LIVE MUSIC/DANCE CLUB - 1990'S

A young Harmonia slow dances with a young MAN.  A live local BAND performs.  She watches the rhythm guitarist sing: 

MUSICIAN

(singing)

But only love can break your heart. 

Try to be sure right from the start. 

Yes, only love can break your heart. 

What if your world should fall apart?

EXT.  LIVE MUSIC/DANCE CLUB - NIGHT

Harmonia and the Musician sit in the front seat of an old Beetle, parked. 

MUSICIAN

Put more on. 

Harmonia, smiling, takes lip gloss out of her purse.  She rubs some onto her lips.  He kisses her. 

INT.  MUSICIAN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Young Harmonia moves down on the Musician, both naked.  He stops her and pulls her up beside him. 

MUSICIAN

I can't do this. 

HARMONIA

Why?

INT.  ARTISAN'S MARKET TOY STORE - DAY

Young Harmonia browses toys that a boy would love. 

HARMONIA (V.  O.  )

(singing)

I have a friend I've never seen.  He

hides his head inside a dream. 

INT.  ARTISAN'S MARKET - DAY

Young Harmonia walks out of a toy store, empty-handed. 

Artists display their work as individual vendors in an open area.  She walks by a display of trees sculpted with driftwood.  She slows and stares at one. 

There's a nest in it.  Two birds made of black shells are perched in the limbs.  One bird looks out, the other feeds the babies in the nest. 

She smiles at the sculptor. 

YOUNG HARMONIA

They're beautiful. 

The artist smiles, hopeful. 

YOUNG HARMONIA

I'm shopping for toys.  Sorry. 

She walks away. 

She turns around and goes back to the driftwood tree with the nest. 

YOUNG HARMONIA

No.  This is perfect. 

The artist wraps his work with care and sets it in a box cushioned with crumpled brown paper. 

INT.  MUSICIAN'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY

Harmonia sets the box in front of a door.  She writes on it and leaves. 

INT.  MUSICIAN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

The Musician sits in his bed, staring.  On the dresser is the driftwood tree. 

INT.  ORGANIC CAFE - DAY

Young Harmonia and the Musician sit across from each other, with half-eaten sandwiches on their plates.  He smiles at her. 

MUSICIAN

Thank you.  That was amazing.  How

did you know?

YOUNG HARMONIA

I just did. 

He studies her.  His expression turns cold. 

MUSICIAN

Even if I was ready, you wouldn't be

the one. 

EXT.  INTERSTATE HIGHWAY - DAY

Young Harmonia drives the old Beetle, tears in her eyes. 

The radio plays the Neil Young song. 

RADIO:  "Someone should call him and see if he can come out. 

Try to lose the down that he's found. 

But only love can break your heart--"

END HARMONIA'S MEMORY

BACK TO HARMONIA'S CABIN G319 - CONT'D

Harmonia lies with the iPod blaring in her ears, placid expression. 

HARMONIA

(sings loudly, off-key)

Try to be sure right from the start. 

There's a knock at the door. 

HARMONIA (CONT'D)

I have a friend I've never seen.  He

hides his head inside a dream. 

A louder knock gets her attention.  She jumps up and opens the door.  It's Mike.  She sighs and flops on the bed, leaving the door open.  Mike steps in. 

HARMONIA

I'm so messed up, I don't care

anymore. 

Mike sits at the foot of the bed. 

MIKE

What do you mean?

She crosses her arms over her face. 

HARMONIA

I don't know. 

MIKE

What happened?

HARMONIA

Nothing.  Everything.  I don't know

what's real anymore. 

Mike fidgets. 

HARMONIA

Can you hold me?  Nothing else, do

you know how to do that?

Mike lays next to her and wraps her in his arms.  She stares at the ceiling. 

She sniffs. 

MIKE

Don't cry, baby girl. 

She bursts into tears. 

MIKE

It's all right. 

She buries her face in his shirt and blubbers. 

HARMONIA

It's not all right.  I can't keep a

promise to myself, to anyone. 

MIKE

Come on, now, you've kept some

promises. 

HARMONIA

Sure.  The easy ones.  When I feel

like it.  I'm full of it.  I don't

blame him for testing me. 

MIKE

Why do you think he's testing you?

HARMONIA

I know he is.  There's no other

logical explanation.  And I'm failing. 

MIKE

How are you failing?

HARMONIA

I'm failing, that's all. 

MIKE

What did you do that's so bad? 

HARMONIA

I promised myself something simple,

and I can't even do that.  I'm not

trustworthy. 

MIKE

What did you promise?

Harmonia pushes away and sits with her back to him. 

HARMONIA

I can't.  I don't want to tell you. 

You'll tell him. 

MIKE

I won't!

HARMONIA

Of course you will.  You're buddies. 

MIKE

Listen, Harmonia, he sent me because

he really believed you and I might

be better for each other. 

HARMONIA

He's wrong. 

MIKE

You haven't given me a chance. 

HARMONIA

I don't want to get to know you,

Mike.  I wanted to get to know the

real Orion, in the flesh. 

MIKE

I know the real Orion in the flesh. 

You're going to be disappointed. 

HARMONIA

You don't know me. 

She walks out.  Mike follows her. 

EXT.  DELTA QUEEN DECK

Harmonia leans on the rail outside her cabin.  Mike stands near.  They stare at the passing scenery. 

MIKE

I know that the Orion you fell in

love with is a fantasy. 

HARMONIA

I know that.  That was the whole

point of this trip.  To get real. 

MIKE

What does that mean anyway?  Was

Simon what's real?  Wasn't Paula

real, too?

Harmonia laughs. 

HARMONIA

I liked Paula. 

MIKE

Maybe Paula was more real than Randy

and Simon put together. 

HARMONIA

I don't know about that.  She

applauded almost anything. 

MIKE

She respected courage.  If you ask

me, Orion is a coward. 

HARMONIA

We're all cowards. 

MIKE

You're really stuck on him.  I don't

get it.  All you know is what he's

told you. 

HARMONIA

I know everything I need to know

about the real Ri.  He's human.  I'm

human.  And we've had a very special

communion for a year. 

MIKE

What if I told you--

HARMONIA

--Stop.  I don't want to hear it

from you. 

Mike studies her, baffled, there's no way in. 

HARMONIA

Orion and I have three out of the

four loves.  Philia.  Storge.  Agape. 

She looks into his face and sees he has no idea. 

HARMONIA

I am not interested in starting over

with you or Eric or anyone else. 

The only thing missing between Orion

and me is Eros. 

INT.  ENGINE ROOM - DAY

Mike, the Bartender and the Captain, watch the paddle. 

MIKE

You've got to put her out of her

misery. 

CAPTAIN

Listen to him. 

The Bartender considers their advice. 

BARTENDER

Okay, here's the plan. 

EXT.  DELTA QUEEN SUN DECK - NIGHT

Harmonia, in the new dress, sits alone in a crowd.  She gazes at the dark woods as the boat rolls along. 

HARMONIA