The Dark Pearl Chronicles 1.1: Battle of the Half-Brothers (7 page)

OTHERS: Yes!

KARA: Great. Positions, everyone.

(Cole walks up to Austin. Josh stays at a respective distance away, watching cautiously. Kara and Pete get over on the other aisle and wait for a signal from Josh.)

AUSTIN: Go away, nerd.

COLE: What? No garbage cans?

AUSTIN: Don't push your luck, kid. I'm giving you the opportunity to leave.

COLE: Wait. What?

AUSTIN: Did I stutter?

COLE: Why would you give me an opportunity to leave?

AUSTIN: Why wouldn't I? I don't want to be seen talking to you.

COLE: You think it's any better on this side?

AUSTIN: Watch it, punk. Now that I know you have powers to defend yourself I have every right to backhand you across the store.

COLE: Touché. I apologize for that.

AUSTIN: Good. Now go away.

COLE: I'm afraid I can't, Austin.

AUSTIN: And why is that?

COLE: Because I need to know where Zack is.

AUSTIN (looks at Cole disgustedly): Why should I know? Am I your brother's keeper?

COLE: Those were the words of the very first murderer. Well, almost.

AUSTIN: Okay, that's it. Now you've ticked me off. (Reaches for his belt)

(Josh sees Austin reach for his belt and shoots a "thumbs-up" at Kara and Pete. The two push the shelf over on top of Cole and Austin.)

AUSTIN: What the heck!?

(Austin uses his strength to lift the shelf back up and pushes it back the other way toward Kara and Pete. The two run out of opposite sides to dodge the fall.)

KARA: Get out of here before someone comes!

COLE: Wait! Where's the Pearl?

AUSTIN: What?

COLE: The Pearl! It's gone! It's not in the pile of groceries! Kara, your plan failed!

(They all scatter to look for the Pearl. Austin immediately runs to the clothes section.)

(Kara is searching down the toy aisle when he finds himself face-to-face with a dark figure with the Dark Pearl.)

KARA (disgusted): Oh. You found it.

(The figure doesn't answer, and Kara is immediately sucked into the Pearl.)

(Back at the mess.)

JOSH: We have to find it!

PETE: I'm afraid hope is lost here, boys. Alas, where did Kara go?

COLE: I'm not sure.

PETE: Well, I suppose we go look for him.

COLE: We can't split up here. Austin is still here, remember?

PETE: Indeed. We must search together.

JOSH: Or you could just use your tracking thing.

PETE: Excellent idea. (He pulls out his phone and goes to the app.)

COLE: Anything?

PETE: Boys, I'm afraid we have a problem. (The two look over at his phone as it displays "LOCATION UNKNOWN")

(Over at the electronics. Austin meets up with Derek, who is looking at the newest video games.)

DEREK: What's up, bro? Hey did you hear that loud noise from the groceries? I think a shelf fell over.

AUSTIN: I'm afraid I was involved in that, which is why we need to get out of here.

DEREK: Oh great. We're going to have the police after us now.

AUSTIN: Not if we get out of here, let's go!

(The two go running from the store.)

DEREK: Wait what about the chips?

AUSTIN: Forget the chips! Let's go!

(Pete, Cole, and Josh are standing in the middle of the mess as Pete is writing the manager a check.)

PETE: Thank you so much, sir, for cooperating and not calling the authorities.

MANAGER: No, thank you, Mister Walsh, for being so kind as to pay for this mess.

PETE: Well, I was responsible. (Rips the check from the book and hands it to the manager. The manager looks at the check, smiles, and walks away.)

JOSH (to Pete): You're just like my brother Derek. You just throw money at problems.

PETE: Well, I'm not sure how to take that.

JOSH: I didn't mean that offensive, Pete. I was just saying you pay your way out of predicaments.

PETE: Well, I get monthly checks from the government for my ideas, so I mean I'm pretty well-known and can do that.

COLE: Wait. What kind of ideas?

PETE: I can proudly say I have designed 85 percent of the government's gadgets.

COLE: Oh, wow. That is impressive.

JOSH: Well, Derek just blows money from our inheritance from our parents.

PETE: What about your part of the inheritance?

JOSH: Austin and I didn't get any part of it. Well, Austin wasn't my mom's child in the first place, but anyways our parents thought of our jewels as our inheritance so they gave Derek all the money and possessions.

PETE: Ah, I see.

JOSH: Yeah. And they had so much money paid to them for their "duties" that they had enough for Derek to live as extravagantly as he wanted for the rest of his life. That's why he doesn't have a job, and more than likely the reason he's so irresponsible.

COLE: Wow. That must be a lot of money.

JOSH: Definitely. Luckily his girlfriend Brooklyn doesn't let that get to her head, even though she does want him to buy her a ring.

COLE: An engagement ring, I presume?

JOSH: Yes.

PETE: My condolences for interrupting, but do you happen to know Brooklyn's last name?

JOSH: Yes, it's Word.

PETE: Brooklyn Word, eh?

JOSH: Yes, do you know her or something?

(Pete encounters a flashback of his high school days. A young Pete is standing in the hall staring sadly at a poster displaying "Washington High Prom: Don't Miss It!" He sees a very beautiful girl walking down the hallway and approaches her.)

YOUNG PETE: Brooklyn, I need to ask you something.

YOUNG BROOKLYN: Well, please hurry. Derek is walking over here.

YOUNG TIFFANY: Oh, here he comes! He's so dreamy!

(Young Derek shoves Pete over and he falls against the locker and hits the floor.)

YOUNG DEREK: Hey Tiffany, you're going to prom with me, alright?

YOUNG TIFFANY (excitedly): Oh my goodness, Brooklyn, did you hear that?

(Pete tries to speak up but Derek kicks him in the chest.)

YOUNG DEREK: Shut up, nerd!

YOUNG BROOKLYN: So, Derek, I kind of wanted to go to prom with you.

YOUNG DEREK: No problem, baby. You can both go with me.

BOTH GIRLS: Yay!

VOICE: Pete. Pete. Pete! Can you hear me? 

(Pete starts to come back.)

COLE: Pete! There you are! Are you okay?

PETE: Yes, I'm fine.

JOSH: So, did you say you knew Brooklyn? 

PETE: Oh, no. I was just thinking of someone else.

(The three walk off.)

(Back at Derek's. Derek and Austin walk in the door.)

DEREK: That was close.

(Brooklyn walks up.)

BROOKLYN: Are you okay? You both sound like you ran a marathon.

AUSTIN: We feel like it, too.

BROOKLYN: Why would you do that? I thought you two were going shopping. You know, for jewelry.

DEREK: Well, let's just say Austin had a little run-in before we got there.

BROOKLYN: Oh no. I'm sorry.

AUSTIN: I think someone's just upset that she didn't get her ring.

BROOKLYN: Actually no, I'm not. I know Derek loves me, ring or not.

AUSTIN: Okay, it's getting a little too mushy for me in here.

BROOKLYN: I'm sorry, Austin. So who was your run-in with-was it Shawn?

DEREK: Worse. It was Josh and his friends again.

BROOKLYN: Oh, no. Did you get ganged up on, Austin?

AUSTIN: Please. You say that as if you don't know who I am.

BROOKLYN: I'm confused.

DEREK: Austin, maybe you shouldn't say so much. (Gestures his own collar)

AUSTIN (checking to make sure his necklace is still under his shirt): All I'm saying is that I can hold my own against Josh and his "gang". Remember, I'm the only bad boy in this town.

BROOKLYN: I remember when Derek used to say the same thing.

AUSTIN: Did he get beat up?

DEREK: Ha! As if! I've never lost a fight!

BROOKLYN: No, he met someone who loved him and quit being such a bad boy. (Blows a kiss at Derek)

DEREK: This is true. I used to be a player too. (To Brooklyn) Remember when I tried to take you and that other girl to that same prom?

BROOKLYN: I do. I even told you I'd go with you.

AUSTIN: What happened?

BROOKLYN: Well, I've told you before I don't like girls who share their boyfriends, and I realized that I was doing that myself, so I broke up with Derek.

AUSTIN: Wow! Really?

DEREK: She did. It was then that I realized what I was missing and quit being a player. You just wait, Austin. It'll happen to you too.

AUSTIN: I doubt that.

DEREK: Okay, well maybe not then, if you're so sure.

(Back at Pete's.)

PETE: Okay, so we've got to implement a plan.

JOSH: To be honest, it sounds like all hope is lost.

COLE: You can't say that, Josh. It's been proven that a discouraged person will lose almost every battle they get into. You must have confidence.