Lulu in Honolulu (12 page)

Fiona and Linc are going to thank Mr. Sanyo.

LULU

THE boss of Sanyo Studios is going to be HERE?

ALEXIS

Yup. And he'll probably say a few words also.

(to Carpenter)

How about putting the stage by the pool? We can reflect some lights off the water.

LULU

Hey, is there any way my Ohana friends can come perform and Uncle Akamu and Caridyn can play music? I bet Mr. Sanyo and the
Seas the Day
people have never seen such amazing local talent.

ALEXIS

(sarcastic tone)

I'm sure they haven't!

CARPENTER

Hey, I know Akamu! We fish together. He's good! He can catch an octopus with his bare hands and kill it without causing it any pain by popping its head inside out.

Alexis shoves her sunglasses to the top of her head.

ALEXIS

Way, hyper gross. Not AT ALL the vibe we're going for here.

Sliding her perfectly blue polished toes into her Christian Louboutin blue-and-white striped canvas wedges, Alexis walks to the pool with the Carpenter.

Lulu follows.

LULU

Lex, my friends might like the fireworks show. I'm really thinking: how about we do this party together. Remember my birthday we did together?!

Alexis spins around and glares at Lulu.

ALEXIS

There's a difference between YOUR birthday and Fiona's cast and crew party. This is for Mom's work!

Lulu skulks back to the
lanai
and bounces down onto a springy chaise to think.

Suddenly, whimpering and moaning come from Watson. Lulu rolls onto the ground and pulls Watson close. Then she sees…!

LULU

(calls out)

Lex! Peles!! Hurry! I think Watson's eaten the sparklers!!

Lulu pulls away shreds of blue wrapper stuck with saliva around Watson's mouth.

Alexis and Pele 1 peer down at Lulu and Watson.

ALEXIS

(holding in a laugh)

See, he's into MY kind of party spirit.

PELE MAN 1

(snorting a loud laugh)

And next time that dog farts, he's gonna have flames coming from under his tail.

EXT. ALA MOANA CENTER—FRIDAY AFTERNOON

This is the largest mall in Hawaii and just about the world. Stores jam each of the giant four levels. Every floor opens to the sky. Birds fly through and sunlight streams in. Shoppers bustle from one crowded shop to another.

Alexis leads Lulu up to Level Three. She's here to shop for the
Seas
the
Day
party and nothing is going to slow her down.

LULU

How long do we have to be here? I want to catch Mom and Dad at home before they go out tonight and ask them how I can help with the party.

ALEXIS

There's nothing you need to talk to them about. Here's my list:

(plucks her iPhone from her tiny silver purse and reads from the screen)

Party favors. Matching Hawaiian shirts for the band and waiters. A party dress for
moi
—

Alexis SLAMS into Khloe. Her iPhone CLATTERS to the ground and SKITTERS to a stop as it heads UP an escalator.

KHLOE

(not recognizing Alexis)

Watch where you're going!

CATE

Yeah!

CAROLE

Text and walk often?

Khloe and the Cs snigger among themselves.

LULU

Aloha
, guys! Why are you dressed up for hula?

KHLOE

We're performing here.

Alexis recognizes Khloe and the Cs instantly.

ALEXIS

If you girls weren't sashaying around in hula skirts, maybe you'd watch where YOU were going.

LULU

Geez peas!

Lulu points to the escalator carrying Alexis's iPhone up. No one notices. Alexis continues arguing with Khloe.

Lulu chases the iPhone up the escalator. She ends up on the TOP floor. She stoops down to pick up the un-cracked phone.

“CALIFORNIA GIRLS” song plays from Alexis's phone. The name MAXWELL flashes on the screen along with a red heart.

LULU

(to herself)

That's a call I'm not gonna take.

EXT. ALA MOANA CENTER—FIVE MINUTES LATER

ALEXIS

Hand over the phone, Lu.

LULU

How about
mahalo
for rescuing it?

Lulu drops it in Alexis's outstretched hand.

ALEXIS

How about those girls can't be bigger weenies! They're doing a hula performance here this afternoon. If I have to see them shake around, I'll gag, so I've got to get my stuff done fast.

Alexis quickly clicks her Gucci slides down the corridor. Lulu jogs to catch her.

LULU

Ya know, Lex, my best Ohana friend, Noelani, hulas way better than they do.

Alexis stops and looks at Lulu. She props her sunglasses on the top of her head and stares at Lulu.

ALEXIS

I have exactly zero interest in judging “So You Think You Can Dance—the Hula Episode.”

CUT!! I am just about to have the MOST boring two hours of my life. Alexis drags me along to about a zillion stores and is too busy to notice if I'm still breathing. To spare you the loneliness of my sister time with Alexis, I'm going to write what's called a MONTAGE. I bet you've seen it tons of times in movies. It's when you get a quick shot of different things happening that express a similar idea. Here you go:

MONTAGE—ALEXIS AND LULU SHOP FOR THE PARTY

• Alexis buys 100 Hawaii print LeSportsac bags. Lulu sits near the store entrance reading.

• Alexis holds up two different Hawaiian shirts. Lulu points to one. Alexis buys twenty of the other.

• Alexis bursts out of a dressing room wearing a tropical-print miniskirt and black-fringed bikini top. Lulu slumps on the floor eating taro chips and salsa from her tote bag.

• Alexis and Lulu sit at a long table at a fancy restaurant. Small plates filled with tasting portions of different foods cover the table. Alexis points to dishes and the head of the restaurant writes it down. Lulu eats the food left on any plate that's in her reach.

BACK TO MALL

Lulu drags her feet. Both girls are heavy with shopping bags. Strains of hula music start to play.

ALEXIS

Step on it, Lulu. I could break out in hives if I catch as much as a glimpse of those ninnies dancing.

LULU

(plunking down shopping bags)

I shouldn't tell you this, but nothing would make Khloe and the Cs more mega-mad than if my Ohana pals came and performed at the
Seas the Day
party.

ALEXIS

(to herself)

Nothing would make me happier than putting those girls in their place.

(to Lulu)

OK, Lu. Deal. But I need a written list of what everyone's performing and doing. And the whole gang of you only has ten minutes, TOPS.

LULU

I promise! You won't be disappointed.

EXT. BELLOWS BEACH—THURSDAY AFTERNOON

Bellows Beach is peaceful and quiet. It's on military land, and the only way to use the beach during the week is to come with someone in the military or be in the military yourself. Since Uncle Akamu, his two brothers, and his father served in the United States Navy, Uncle Akamu can come to Bellows Beach anytime.

Gigantic ironwood trees grow close to the sand, so there's tons of shade. The Ohana Camp gang has the beach pretty much to themselves. They sit at picnic benches under the trees and finish plate lunches of
huli-huli
chicken (grilled BBQ chicken), macaroni salad, and french fries.

LIAM

Hey, Lulu, what time should I be at your house? I'm psyched 'cause my ukulele plucking is getting really good.

MALEKO

(drumming straws on the picnic table)

I wanna get there early to see where I'll be drumming.

LULU

There's gonna be a stage. Alexis has it set up so it's floating in the pool.

KENNA

What time do we come watch the fireworks?

KAPONO

(to his sister)

You're scared of fireworks!

Pretending to set off a firework, Kapono tosses a shredded napkin in his sister's face.

KAPONO

KAAAAPOW!!

Lulu guzzles pineapple Waialua soda.

LULU

Alexis hasn't told me yet when everyone should come, and I haven't seen my parents at home in days, so I can't ask them.

AUNTIE MOANA

Lulu, just let us all know when we should come and when we should leave. We know this is an important party for your mother and father's work.

KENNA

Kapono and I have been practicing our song every night. Our mom says our voices are blending perfectly.

KAPONO

But since we're singing at your house, we can't sing at a YMCA talent show.

Lulu puts down her soda.

LULU

Why not?

KENNA and KAPONO

It's the same night.

Lulu frowns.

AUNTIE MOANA

That's OK. There will be other competitions. Uncle Akamu and Caridyn turned down performing at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel
luau
that night.

UNCLE AKAMU

There'll always be another
luau
!

MALEKO

Yeah! And the Jack Johnson concert.

LIAM

(to Maleko)

You're not using your Jack Johnson tickets?

MALEKO

Why? You want them?

LIAM

(chewing fries)

No. I'm going to Lulu's with everyone.

(swallows and lowers his voice)

I actually canceled a date with Khloe.

Maleko stops drumming and looks at his friend.

LIAM

And, man, can she yell loud!

Liam picks up a fry and tosses it at Maleko. It misses and lands on Noelani's plate. Lulu plucks it off and eats it.

LULU

Noe, you haven't touched your food.

NOELANI

(in a whisper)

I'm way too petrified to dance hula at your parents' big party.

LULU

Sure you can. You're the best hula-er in America.

NOELANI

Maybe I can hula, but I'm not brave. I have no
koa
, remember? When you guys started talking about a stage and all, I thought I would faint.

French fries fly past Lulu and Noelani. Liam and Maleko started a fry food fight. Most land on the ground near Watson, who had been sunning himself but quickly morphs into a furry vacuum.

KAPONO

(panting like he's a dog)

Look at that fat little pug!

Watson's T-shirt that says “THE BOSS” seems to stretch tighter by the fry.

Auntie Moana walks over.

AUNTIE MOANA

Finish up and let's go down to the beach before the wind whips up and the clouds come in. It's gonna be overcast soon.

Lulu and Noelani dump their trash and head toward the ocean. Watson, too full to waddle himself, rides on Lulu's boogie board while she tugs him along.

EXT. BELLOWS BEACH, NEAR THE SHORELINE—FIVE MINUTES LATER

Lulu sits under her orange beach umbrella. She pulls her ALOHA cap brim down so low on her face she can barely see. She's yanked the sleeves of her SPF 50 shirt over her wrists. If a ray of sun hits her skin, it would be a miracle. Noelani lies on a thin, faded blue-and-white-striped beach towel. Her eyes are closed. Her warm, brown skin welcomes the sunshine.

NOELANI

I practice every night. I actually hula with my eyes closed and think of the story I'm telling with my hands. But every time I open my eyes, everything about me freezes.

LULU

(worried)

Are you saying that you're not going to come?

NOELANI

(opens her eyes and looks at Lulu)

Lu, my mom's supposed to Skype me from her ship Saturday night. It's been set up through her central command.

Lulu looks at Noelani, confused.

NOELANI

Central command is like the highest level of her bosses who approve that stuff.

LULU

What stuff?

NOELANI

Like talking to your daughter and when you get to come home and see her.

Lulu puts her sandy, sweaty hand on her friend's shoulder.

LULU

Geez peas! When you talk to your mom Saturday, tell her to come home soon, so I can meet her before summer ends 'cause I need to tell her how sweet and fantabulous her daughter is!