Lulu in Honolulu (13 page)

CUT!! More than anything, I'd want my best of all Hawaiian friends to be at my parents' party with me. She's an amazing dancer and watching her would, for sure, have all the people working on
Seas
the
Day
forget their hard work and enjoy something beautiful. BUT if there's anyone who understands wanting to get a minute (or two) with your mom, it's me, Lulu! So, the show will have to go on without Noelani. OK, back to: ACTION!!

EXT. SHORELINE, BELLOWS BEACH—CONTINUOUS

TIGHT SHOT on Watson as he lies asleep on Lulu's boogie board.

The warm midday sun, the smell of french fry grease, and his full belly lull the pug into a deep snooze.

WIDE SHOT of Ohana kids splashing along the shore, boogie boarding, or body surfing in the ocean.

CLOSE-UP again on Watson. Waves move closer and closer to the foam board and then begin to lap the front edge. Soon, the warm Pacific Ocean surf pulls the boogie board with the sleepy pug on it out to sea!!

CUT TO: Lulu and Noelani deep in conversation about how hard it can be to get your mother to notice you're alive. Lulu sticks her hand into her I USED TO BE A PLASTIC BAG tote and pulls out a two
li
hing
mui
lollipops.

LULU

(holding both out to Noelani)

Whale or heart? Even Watson is hooked on them. He and I share lick for lick.

NOELANI

Sharing is caring.

Lulu glances around her.

LULU

Where's Watson?!!

Noelani springs up.

NOELANI

He probably dragged himself back to the picnic tables to hunt for fries.

LULU

No. I dragged him down here on my boogie board. He was so stuffed from lunch, there's no way he would've waddled off.

Noelani puts her hand over her brow to keep the sun from her eyes and scans the beach.

LULU

(cups her hands around her mouth)

WATSON!!!

Most of her voice is carried away by the strong winds blowing off the ocean.

Lulu instinctively runs toward the rolling surf. Noelani bolts after her.

LULU

(to Noelani)

He hates the WATER!

NOELANI

I know.

LULU

And doesn't even like fish. Well, except for extra-cheesy Goldfish crackers.

NOELANI

I know. I've seen him eat a whole bag of those.

LULU

And he doesn't know how to swim.

NOELANI

I know.

LULU

And I didn't put his dog floaties on!!

NOELANI

I know. You always slide them on his legs in case he gets too close to the ocean.

By the time they reach the wet, squishy sand, several Ohana kids stand together pointing out to sea. Lulu staggers toward them.

LIAM

Hey, man. I think that's Watson out there!

Lulu, panting from her run across the sand, SPLASHES into the crash of the breaking waves. She swims quickly toward Watson. Liam and Noelani swim after her.

CLOSE-UP on Watson, who peels open his eyes and quickly closes them. He decides to play dead and not move. Even twitching his stubby tail could cause the board to wiggle.

CUT BACK TO: Lulu. She is exhausted and gulps for breath, though she swallows more salt water than air. Noelani and Liam try to reach Lulu, but she's too far ahead.

SPLISH, SPLOSH, SPLISH, SPLOSH.

Lulu turns at the sound and sees two HEADS. Arms circle above the choppy ocean surface and disappear back under it, again and again like pinwheels spinning in the wind. Heads and arms move fast despite the rise and fall of the swells.

As the swimmers get closer, one head pops out. It's close enough for Lulu to see.

UNCLE AKAMU

Just FLOAT. Relax.

He does a fast breaststroke over to her.

He's up to Lulu in two strokes. His left arm, like a steel cable, wraps her from behind and holds her head up.

UNCLE AKAMU

(his voice is calm)

Aloha
. Now. I'm gonna let go of you for one second because I'm gonna take off my shirt. Got it?

Lulu nods and sputters out salty water at the same time.

UNCLE AKAMU

(voice is playful)

Now I know you're wondering, why is Uncle taking off his beautiful T-shirt here in the ocean? It's already soaking wet and Auntie's gonna kill him if it's ruined.

Lulu nods again.

UNCLE AKAMU

Well, I'm gonna pull it off and you're gonna grab it. OK? I'm gonna hold the other side and I'm gonna tow you in.

Lulu splashes her right hand. She wants Akamu's attention.

LULU

Wahh…

(spits out water)

…t-son.

UNCLE AKAMU

(smiling)

He's in good hands. He's being rescued by a United States Marine.

Lulu tries to turn around to look at Uncle Akamu, but he's taken the moment to pull his sopping-wet shirt over his head. Within seconds, he hands one end to Lulu and begins towing her toward shore.

ANGLE: BEACH

Lulu and Uncle Akamu reach the shore. Lulu crawls through the mushy sand to Auntie Moana, who lifts her up and wraps her in a towel. Noelani and all the Ohana kids form a huddle around her.

KAPONO

Hurry! Get Lulu some of her mango salsa and taro chips to revive her.

He exaggerates a goofy run and wails like a siren.

All giggle a bit nervously, but it releases some of the fear.

KENNA

She needs one of her famous coconut shakes.

NOELANI

Actually, someone go to Lulu's backpack and get her a
li hing
mui
lollipop.

Maleko halts his right hand that had been tapping beats on his left forearm and sprints up to Lulu's bag.

LULU

(croaking)

Watson. You guys?! I lost my puggie.

Suddenly, a VOICE booms above the kids' heads.

VOICE

No, ma'am. You haven't.

The huddle around Lulu parts to reveal a tall, muscular MAN with short, brown stubble on his head and a waterlogged pug tossed over his broad, strong right shoulder.

COLONEL ADAMS

At your service, ma'am. Colonel Ben Adams! I believe this sack of pug-tatoes belongs to you.

The kids laugh. Auntie Moana and Uncle Akamu smile. Lulu gathers her reserve energy and gallops toward Colonel Adams. He slides the pug off his shoulder and into Lulu's arms.

LULU

(tears run down her cheeks)

Oh, Colonel, I don't know what to, I mean…right now it's hard to know if I'm crying or just leaking salt water.

Colonel Adams laughs.

COLONEL ADAMS

That's good. I like that. What's your name?

LULU

Lulu, sir.

COLONEL ADAMS

Lulu? Didn't I meet you at Lieutenant Colonel Nui's house?

NOELANI

(trying to be heard and disappear at the same time)

Aloha
, Colonel.
Mahalo
for helping my friend.

COLONEL ADAMS

(warm friendly voice)

Noelani, any friend of yours is a friend of mine. And, hey, I think your mom's going to be calling you this weekend.

NOELANI

(too embarrassed to speak, whispers)

Mahalo
.

LULU

Colonel, ummm, sir! How can I thank you?!

COLONEL ADAMS

Well, you could let me keep this.

He pulls something out of the waistband of his board shorts. It's Lulu's ALOHA cap.

COLONEL ADAMS

Top of my head was getting scorched out here. My wife will kill me if I come home with my noggin sunburned. She always tells me to cover it up.

LULU

My hat!

Colonel Adams puts the ALOHA baseball cap on.

COLONEL ADAMS

What do you guys think?

Even though it looks hysterical to see the tall, muscle-y man wearing the red-and-white cap with the rainbow heart for the
O
in ALOHA, everyone tells him that he looks great. No one's messing with this Marine!

LULU

It might look better on you than it did on me!

Colonel Adams tips his head in respect to Akamu and begins to walk away. He quickly stops and turns back.

COLONEL ADAMS

Lulu! Give that dog of yours swimming lessons! That's an order!

Colonel Adams salutes the Ohana Camp gang and heads toward his blanket on the sand.

EXT. HARRISON HOUSE GROUNDS AND
LANAI
—ONE HOUR LATER

Cables and thick black cords lie around the ground like sleeping snakes. Ladders rest along the
lanai
railing. Boxes of colored floodlights, strings of tiny white lights, and black electrical tape are piled onto the outdoor dining table.

Alexis, in a red string bikini top and red-and-white floral-print shorts that button just below her tiny waist and end at the tippy top of her tanned legs, gives instructions from the edge of the
lanai
.

A soggy, exhausted Lulu staggers onto the
lanai
. She holds Watson, who's wrapped in a fleece blanket. Scraps of
huli-huli
chicken stick around his mouth. Clearly, he's been given an extra meal to help him over his near-death experience.

LULU

Lex, I'm finally home.

Alexis doesn't turn. She continues pointing and yelling.

LULU

(louder)

Lex! I made it.

Alexis spins around and looks at Lulu.

ALEXIS

Wow, Lu. You OK? You look like you just survived a shipwreck.

Alexis sits down next to Lulu on a chaise. She loops her long, thin arm around Lulu's waist and squeezes her little sister. Alexis's silver bangles cut into Lulu's clammy skin.

ALEXIS

(stares at Lulu for a moment)

Whatever happened must have been serious because you're not wearing that disgusting, grungy ALOHA cap.

LULU

(speaks super fast)

Well, that would be because I gave it to Colonel Adams, who saved Watson from a watery death.

ALEXIS

Hmmm. You think I can make a sequel that ends differently?

The sisters laugh.

LULU

(serious again)

He found my hat churning around in the waves that crashed on me and almost dunked me to my doom.

ALEXIS

(violet eyes sparkle)

So in my sequel, the hero gets a box of ALOHA caps if he leaves the dog in the ocean.

Lulu mock punches her sister in the shoulder.

ALEXIS

Glad you're here. I need your help deciding where all the colored lights should go in the trees.

LULU

Glad you're asking me about lights 'cause I've wanted to tell you that the lights should be solar.

A UPS MAN wheels out a dolly stacked with two huge cardboard boxes. The boxes bounce and slide every time the dolly bumps over the cords. Alexis leaps up on her very tall red Miu Miu shoes. Lulu follows.

LULU

What are these?

Alexis teeters forward on her heels and hovers over the UPS Man, who's lifting off the boxes.

The UPS Man cuts open a box. Alexis reaches in and yanks out a handful of leis with animal prints.

ALEXIS

Aren't these the grooviest party accessories?!

LULU

Plastic leis?!

ALEXIS

Not plastic. Polyester.

Lulu peers inside the box.

LULU

My head's fuzzy from just almost drowning in the Pacific Ocean, but let me get this straight. You ordered fake leis from China for a party in Hawaii, the state known worldwide for real flower leis and lei making?

CRASH! THUD! CLONK!!

For a second, there's no noise. Lulu and Alexis dash to the edge of the
lanai
and look over the railing. They see a wide, heavyset man on the ground, tangled in sticks and leaves. He's the ELECTRICIAN.

ELECTRICIAN

I'm cool. Just grabbed a branch that couldn't hold my girlish figure. Haa haaa!

The Electrician gets to his feet. He must weigh about two hundred pounds. He begins to climb up the ladder.

LULU

(calling down to him)

WAIT!

(to Alexis)

Why do all the lights have to be in the trees?

The Electrician thuds up the stairs and clonks across the
lanai
. Twigs stick out of his hair, and leaves and flowers cling to his shirt.

ELECTRICIAN

(to Alexis)

Look, miss, I wanna get these lights hung.

LULU

Isn't there any way all these lights can hang on something else? Ya know, instead of trees?

ALEXIS

(nodding toward Lulu)

My sandy, damp little sis here is one of America's biggest tree huggers. She—

ELECTRICIAN

Yeah. Well, there're overhead rigs and C-stands. Ya know, like they use for lighting movie sets.

LULU and ALEXIS

Perfect.

ELECTRICIAN

Well, hanging that way is way more money.

LULU

(to Electrician)

What if you used solar lights? How much would that cost?