FADE IN:

INT. CROSS CREEK – DAY – CONTINUATION

Rusty and Hawk sit on the sofa playing with Colin when Reva comes in the room with a pot of coffee.

Hawk: My has he grown! He just keeps getting bigger and bigger by the second. Must be that Shayne gene in em’. You know Rusty and Reva, all three of you were big babies too.

Reva: (jokingly) I beg to differ. I was small and petit.

Hawk: Oh whatever, sister.

They all share a laugh.

Rusty: So where did Jeffrey go?

Reva: Who cares. I don’t.

Hawk: Uh oh. What now?

Reva: Nothing.

Hawk: Nothing my behind. Reva, now you tell your daddy what is botherin’ you. Ya’ hear me now.

Reva: Pa ain’t nothin’ wrong.

Hawk: You lying, Reva.

Reva: Daddy!

Hawk: Well fine. I won’t ask you anymore.

Reva: Good. Let’s drop it. We have better things to talk about beside Jeffrey.

Rusty: Like you getting your old job back at Lewis Construction?

Reva: (pouring coffee in their mugs) How did you know about that? Did Joshua call you and tell you?

Rusty: No, Billy did.

Reva: That ole loud mouth. I wanted to share the news with you all.

Hawk: Who cares? I wanna know why you and Jeffrey are going at it and I wanna know now!

Reva & Rusty: Pa!

Hawk: Oh don’t you two think you are going to gang up on me. Not gonna work. Back then, yes. But now, no.

Rusty: Pa, she said to drop it. (sips his coffee) Take the hint.

Hawk: Well that is thing…I don’t take the hint. When I wanna know something, I get to the bottom of it and Reva – you should understand that all the meddling you do.

Reva: (taken aback) Me? Meddlesome.

Hawk: Yes you.

Reva: You’re not going to drop this until I tell you, won’t you?

Hawk: Nope. (slides forward in his seat) Now get to talkin’ sister.

Rusty: Dad, please. If Reva doesn’t want to tell you about Jeffrey trying to help Olivia toss Marah out the funeral then oh well…

Reva: How did you know that!

Hawk: (overlapping) What!

Rusty: Oops…

Reva: How did you know that? Joshua? Billy? Cassie?

Rusty: No, Frank.

Reva: Uggh!! Can’t people in this town keep their mouth shut for once.

Hawk: Forget that, sister. I can’t believe that O’Neill tried to have Marah tossed out the church – I should’ve tossed him out on his keister when he was here -- (coming the realization) and why didn’t you say anything till now, Rusty boy?

Rusty: Dad, it was none of your business.

Hawk: Like hell it wasn’t. How about when you have kids and they get in trouble – then you tell me it’s not your business.

INT. SPRINGFIELD U – DAY - NEWSROOM

Trista approaches a door that reads “THE COUGAR TELEGRAPH.” She opens the door to enter inside the school newspaper office where her fellow peers work about on the paper.

James stands at the helm of the room overlooking everything and quickly notices Trista sliding into the room.

James: You’re late, Tucker.

Trista: By a minute!

James: And a lot can happen in a minute. Now you whined about me letting you get onto the staff and you can’t even do a single thing such as showing up on time?

Trista: Someone is being very melodramatic…

James: Call it what you want but I want our school to lead other schools in the state when it comes to the news. Apparently you don’t have the same drive.

Trista: I do.

James: Then why are you late?

Trista: I had to help a friend?

James: Who? Rocky? That boy—

Trista: Oh shut up. It wasn’t Rocky. It was Kevin.

James: Kevin? Kevin Marler?

Trista: Yes, Kevin Marler. You know the guy who happens to be your cousin.

James: I know that. But what is wrong with Kevin?

Trista: He wouldn’t tell me.

James: Then there was probably no problem. See if you had that initiative to figure out what is wrong with your friends and aim that at the paper—

Trista: Oh shut up, James.

Trista walks away from James to her station where she flicks on her computer.

James: You know you are going to pay for this.

Trista: You running your mouth and barking out orders is punishment enough.

James: That is not what I am talking about.

James reaches over and grabs a big mail sack and tosses it on Trista’s desk. Trista’s jaw drop because she knows that James is about to do.

Trista: YOU’RE DEMOTING ME TO THE ADVICE COLUMN?!

James: As editor of this paper it is my duty to demote anyone that gets out of line and done not pull their slack – so yes if that answers your question. I am demoting you. Have funny, Trista – or should I say Abby?

James walks off laughing but Trista is not going to stand for this. She chases after him.

Trista: Why? Why are you doing this to me? I should tell Daisy!

James: Tell her. Not like she’s going to change my opinion on this. You’re doing the advice column and that is it. Deal with it.

Trista slams her fists on the table.

Trista: No! Oh no! I’m one of the best damn reporters on the staff. Better than you might I add.

James: Oh really?

Trista: Really! We all know you only got appointed to the position because you’re granddad sits on the school board. Everyone knows that a SENIOR should be editor. Not a freshman.

James: My granddad had nothing to do with me getting this position.

Trista: Oh please. You can fool Daisy with that drivel you spit out but not me. Not Trista Tucker!

James: Get to work.

James sits at his desk.

Trista: Fine. I’ll do the damn advice column, James, just to show you that I am not only a better writer than you but versatile as well.

James: Good. Then do it.

Trista storms off. Scott, James’ friend and fellow journalist advances toward him.

Scott: Here you go.

Scott hands James his article. James snatches it.

James: She has the nerve—did you hear her allegations? My granddad helped me get on this paper. Get real?

Scott: James…

James: What?

Scott: Now we have been friends since we went to Lincoln Prep together and I have been nothing but honest with you, right?

James: Where are you going with this?

Scott: I think you like her.

James: (buried in the article) Who?

Scott: Trista.

James shoots a menacingly look at Scott.

James: Are you on crack?

Scott: No…Just calling things the way I see it.

James hands Scott back his article. Scott walks away leaving James, uncomfortable.

James: Me? Like Tucker?

James looks over in Tirsta’s direction. Trista, not noticing James watching her, pours the bag of mail on her station. The mass of mail causes her to moan.

James: …Nah.

James looks back at Trista and forms a smile on his face. A loving smile.