Part 39 (1/2)

DENNIS speaks with the utter finality only a big brother can manage. 'Wanna talk about it some more and see how much pain I can inflict on your scrawny body, Jeff?'' his face says.

JEFF.

Could we at least tape it?

CONNIE.

We're taping CNN for Mom. She said she might be on the phone with Aunt Lois for quite awhile.

JEFF.

How can you tape CNN, for G.o.d's sake? It never stops!

DENNIS.

That's what she likes about it.

CONNIE.

And don't say G.o.d's sake, Jeffie - you're not old enough to talk about G.o.d except in church.

JEFF.

Then don't call me Jeffie.

CONNIE.

Jeffie, Jeffie, Jeffie.

JEFF gets up, walks to the window, and looks out into the dark. He's really upset. DENNIS and CONNIE, in the grand tradition of older brothers and sisters, are delighted to see it.

DENNIS.

Poor Jeffie.

CONNIE.

I think he's gonna commit suicide.

JEFF (turns to them) It was his first book! Don't you guys even care?

CONNIE.

Rent it down at the Video Stop tomorrow, if you want to see it so bad.

JEFF.

They don't rent R-rated pictures to little kids and you know it!

CONNIE (DREAMILY).

Shut up, it's Vanna! I love Vanna!

JEFF.

Dennis - DENNIS.

Go ask Dad to tape it on the VCR in his office and quit being such a totally annoying little booger.

JEFF crosses the room, poking his tongue out at Vanna White as he goes. THE CAMERA FOLLOWS as he goes into the kitchen.

KATIE.

. . . so when he asked me if Polly had tested strep positive, I had to remind him she's away at prep school . . . and G.o.d, Lois, I miss her . . .

JEFF is just pa.s.sing through, on his way to the stairs.

KATIE.

Will you kids please be quiet?

JEFF (glum) They'll be quiet. Now.

He goes up the stairs, a little dejected. KATIE looks after him for a moment, loving and worried.

KATIE.

They're squabbling again. Polly used to keep them in line, but now that she's away at school . . . I don't know . . . maybe sending her to Bolton wasn't such a hot idea. Sometimes when she calls home she sounds so unhappy . . .

INT. BELA LUGOSI AS DRACULA, CU.

Drac's standing at the door of his Transylvanian castle. Someone has pasted a comic-balloon coming out of his mouth which reads: 'Listen! My children of the night! What music they make!' The poster is on a door but we only see this as JEFF opens it and goes into his father's study.

INT. A PHOTOGRAPH OF KATIE, CU.

THE CAMERA HOLDS, THEN PANS SLOWLY RIGHT. We pa.s.s another photo, this one of POLLY, the daughter away at school. She's a lovely girl of sixteen or so. Past POLLY is DENNIS.. . then CONNIE . . . then JEFF.

THE CAMERA CONTINUES TO PAN AND ALSO WIDENS OUT SO WE can see BILL WEIDERMAN, a man of about forty-four. He looks tired. He's peering into the word-processor on his desk, but his mental crystal ball must be taking the night off, because the screen is blank. On the walls we see framed book-covers. All of them are spooky. One of the t.i.tles is Ghost Kiss.

JEFF comes up quietly behind his dad. The carpet m.u.f.fles his feet. BILL sighs and shuts off the word-cruncher. A moment later JEFF claps his hands on his father's shoulders.

JEFF.

BOOGA-BOOGA!.

BILL.

Hi, Jeffie. He turns in his chair to look at his son, who is disappointed.

JEFF.