Walking the Halls

Jack:
[has Casey against the car, his body in front of hers and his arms blocking escape; breathing from chasing after her, looking around for anyone around] You're fired.

Casey Benson:
[breathless, bitter] I already quit.

Jack:
I know where you live. I know where your father works, and if you tell anybody what I do, I will kill both of your parents, and then I'm gonna kill you. And if you think I can't pull this off, think again. I'm a cop. I know exactly how to get away with murder. [he leans in as if he might kiss her, looks around, has a slight grin on his face, slaps on her upper arm twice and saunters away, leaving her whimpering and finally looking after him]

Max:
[Casey walks quickly into the hotel and knocks and Max's door] Hey. [she emotionally embraces him] Everything alright?

Casey Benson:
No.

Max:
[Casey retracts from the hug and walks into the room] Well, I um, I wasn't really expecting you. I... [Casey sees a familiar fancy purse and sees shoes and a rumpled bed and Taylor chuckles]

Taylor:
[chuckles and emerges holding an alcoholic drink] Oh, hey Casey. [shrugs a little] Gonna join us?

Max:
[softly] Hey, I thought you and I were gonna get together tonight. [disappointed and hurt, Casey throws in the towel and simply walks out, throwing her hands up in defeat. Max looks after her and quickly looks to a beautiful yet numb-looking lingerie-clad Taylor distracted on the sofa]

Holly Benson:
[Casey unemotionally walks the streets after exiting the hotel. She finally phones her mother. The line rings] Casey.

Casey Benson:
[softly, voice slightly breaking] Mom.

Holly Benson:
Honey! Honey, what's the matter? What is going on?

Casey Benson:
[weeping] I need you to come pick me up.

Holly Benson:
Okay, okay. Where are you? [cut to a shot of their home at nighttime] So, how many girls are involved in this?

Casey Benson:
[in casual clothes, hair up, resting head on her hand] I can't say, really. A few.

Holly Benson:
[concerned, determined] I mean, are they all from your school?

Casey Benson:
Mom, I told you, I can't talk about it. [turns to her mom]

Holly Benson:
Here. [hands her a cloth ice pack for her cheek] This pimp, wh-where did you meet this pimp?

Casey Benson:
Mom, stop. All I can say is that they're dangerous, and if I say anything...

Holly Benson:
Honey, we can't let them get away with this. They're gonna do it to - to another girl. Somebody has to stand up to them.

Casey Benson:
Mom, they'll kill me, okay? So just drop it.

Holly Benson:
Honey, if they've threatened you, then we're going to the police.

Casey Benson:
My God, no, no. Definitely *not* the police. Promise me you will not call the cops.

Holly Benson:
[passionately, yet gently] Why?

Casey Benson:
[thinks for a few moments] I don't want to tell them what I did. I don't want to tell them I'm a prostitute.

Holly Benson:
[takes her face] Honey, they deceived you. They pulled you into something you didn't want to do.

Casey Benson:
[shakes head, not looking into Holly's eyes] Not really. I chose it. I... chose to take the money. [more confident sounding] No one made me do it. I'm not who you think I am, Mom. I'm not who *I* thought I was.

Holly Benson:
Oh, baby, you are. You are still the same little girl that I loved from the moment you were born. [nods, whispers] We all make bad choices. I've made some bad choices. This doesn't define you.

Casey Benson:
[emotionally, shaking head] I'm sorry.

Holly Benson:
No, I'm so sorry. [they embrace] Oh, baby. Honey, I ove you more than anything in the whole world! [Casey continues weeping and they retract from the embrace]

Casey Benson:
Let's just move. Let's just get out of L.A. I don't want to live here anymore.

Holly Benson:
[caresses her head and cheek] We're gonna get through this. [whispers] I promise you. [grasps Casey's head and kisses her forehead]

Holly Benson:
[shot of the school as kids walk in the scene; voiceover of Holly talking] I'd like to take my daughter out of this school, and I was told that I'd need to request a transfer.

Principal Jenkins:
I'm disappointed to hear this; Casey's one of our best students.

Holly Benson:
[nods slightly] I know.

Principal Jenkins:
[suspicious] Is there something wrong?

Holly Benson:
Is this conversation confidential?

Principal Jenkins:
Absolutely.

Holly Benson:
[licks lips slightly] Casey's afraid to come back here. Apparently, there are some people - some students - that are involved in something... illegal.

Principal Jenkins:
Ms. Benson, i that's the case, I have a right to know what it is.

Holly Benson:
I don't know if it's happening on this campus, but I have reason to believe that some of the students are engaged in sexual activity for money.

Principal Jenkins:
[gasps] Casey told you this?

Holly Benson:
She didn't give me any names, and she did not give me any details, and she made it very clear that she wants to keep her name out of it. But, yes. Yeah, she told me.

Principal Jenkins:
[sighs] With your permission, I'd like to do one thing - [scene cuts to Jack finding out from them Casey blabbed about the escort service]

Jack:
[faked sincerity] This is certainly unwelcome news. Prostitution is becoming more and more of a problem in our local schools. [they begin walking] Grenada Hills just busted a 16-year-old boy pimping out his 15-year-old girlfriend. [crosses his arms]

Principal Jenkins:
We're talking nice schools. These kids come from good homes.

Jack:
The girls don't think they're doing anything wrong, or, at least in a lot of these cases, that's what they claim. It's a real tragedy. [eye contact with Holly]

Principal Jenkins:
Well, we're gonna put a stop to it before it takes hold on this campus.

Jack:
Absolutely. And don't worry, Mrs. Benson. I'll respect your daughter's privacy. We'll get to the bottom of this.

Holly Benson:
Thank you.

Jack:
Of course.

Principal Jenkins:
Thank you, Officer McConnelly. [she leads Holly off-screen to walk with her and Jack, arms crossed, looks at them and the expression on his face changes slightly]

Jack:
[shot of house and voiceover of Jack panicked] Principal Jenkins is not gonna let this thing go until Casey names names, all right?

Amber:
She won't, Jack. *I* know her, okay? She's not gonna...

Jack:
Wait! You don't know anything, all right?

Amber:
[sullen] Right. [Jack takes out his gun and starts polishing it] What are you-what are you gonna do?

Jack:
I got this from a black market gun dealer last year when I stopped him for a 505. Forensics will trace it back to him. [Amber turns in distress]

Amber:
[aghast] We can't just kill her, Jack!

Jack:
Oh, we can't?

Amber:
No!

Jack:
[yells] You know what happens if she talks, Amber? Kylie and Taylor, they're gonna get away with a slap on the wrist. You and me - they're gonna send us away to jail for a long time. Do you wanna go to jail?

Amber:
No.

Jack:
[yells louder] Do you?

Amber:
No!

Jack:
[Comes over and roughly takes her face in his hands] I need you to be really strong right now. Can you do that? [she nods in his hands] I need you to do everything that I say, down to the letter. Okay?

Amber:
[falling to Jack's charm] Okay. [he gives her a long kiss on her forehead and embraces her]

Holly Benson:
[camera lowering down on city as Holly talks] So, how would you feel about transferring to Van Westerly?

Casey Benson:
Oh, my God, not that place. Jeremy's girlfriend. Ugh!

Holly Benson:
[stirring food] Well, that's what the district recommended. [Casey becomes suspicious]

Casey Benson:
The district? Who did you talk to?

Holly Benson:
Well, I spoke with Principal Jenkins.

Casey Benson:
[slightly panicked] Oh my God, Mom, you talked to her? What did you tell her? Please tell me you didn't mention anything!

Holly Benson:
Casey, honey, she asked me a lot of questions and I gave her very vague answers, [Casey sighs in distress] and I also told her that you weren't interested in discussing any of the details.

Casey Benson:
Mom!

Holly Benson:
I had to give her a reason.

Casey Benson:
Did anybody see you?

Holly Benson:
What do you mean?

Casey Benson:
I mean, was anybody there besides Ms. Jenkins? [doorbell rings]

Holly Benson:
I'll get that.

Casey Benson:
[on edge] No. I got it. [she walks to the door while her mom relaxes, and Amber is bouncing in the window] Amber?

Amber:
Casey, I need to talk to you about something!

Casey Benson:
About what?

Amber:
[panicked] I need your help!

Casey Benson:
Why?

Amber:
It's Jack. Something happened, and he went crazy! Come on, Casey, open up; I'm scared! Before somebody sees me out here!

Holly Benson:
Casey, who is it? [now at the door]

Casey Benson:
[looks to her mom] Um, it's my friend, Amber.

Holly Benson:
Okay. [Amber is let in] Hi, is everything okay?

Amber:
No, no, it's not. [Jack makes his way in after Amber and c*cks the gun and Amber closes the door]

Holly Benson:
Go, honey, run! [Jack's plan commences with Amber as an accomplice]