EXT. GLORY ROAD - TWILIGHT

EVA fiercely pumps the petals of her bike. She is swerving and has tears falling down her face.

EVA
(Mumbling to herself and sobbing)
I can't do this anymore. What if she never gets better. I can never go back there again.

She continues riding and crying. A car comes down the road, but she doesn't seem to notice. It comes up behind her just as she swerves in its way. It hits the back wheel of her bike. It throws her forward. EVA flips over the handle bars and lands on the side of the road. She is not injured except for a few scrapes. The car screeches to a stop. EVA tries to stop her tears as she sits up. A boy, FINN, jumps out. He runs to EVA.

FINN
(Voice shaking from adrenaline and fear)
Are you okay? Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. I really didn't see you there. Here, let me help you.

FINN leans down to help EVA off the ground. But she swats his hand away. She quickly wipes her tears from her face, but he notices them. She stands, shakily, with her knee and elbow bleeding from scraps. She tosses her hair over her shoulder. And takes a deep breath.

EVA
(Voice shaking slightly)
I'm fine. I don't need your help. I was fine until you had to go and hit me with your car.

FINN
I'm really sorry. Truly. Please, let me make it up to you. Here, I have something to bandage up your cuts.

He starts back to his car, but stops at the sound of her voice.

EVA
Don't bother. I'm fine. It's just some scraps. I need to go anyway.

She starts walking toward her bike, but then she notices its crushed tire. She picks it up and throws it back down, frustrated. Her tears start again, uncontrollably this time. FINN, warily, walks toward her.

FINN
(Hesitatingly)
Hey, it's going to be okay. Here, I can give you a ride. It's the least I can do. Please don't cry. I never know want to do when girls cry.

Despite herself, she laughs softly. But, then, starts to cry harder.

EVA
(Sniffling her tears)
I'm okay, really, it's not that long of a walk. And I have a lot on my mind anyway.

FINN
Well, it is a beautiful night. I think I'll walk with you.

EVA
(Her head snaps toward him)
No! No, no. I'll be fine on my own.

FINN
No, really, it's fine. I can't let you walk by yourself this late. And you never know, maybe I can help.

EVA
(Bristling)
I don't need help from you. What could you know about what I'm going through?

FINN
(Shrugging)
You never know. Stranger things have happen. Wait here.

FINN looks her in the eyes. Then nods to himself, satisfied she will stay. He runs back and pulls his car to the side of the road. He throws the messed up bike in the back. Reluctantly, EVA waits for him. She doesn't want to be alone tonight. When he comes back, they start walking down the dark road in silence.

FINN
What's your name?

EVA
(Hesitating)
Eva.

FINN
That's a pretty name. Mine's Finn. Not so pretty.

EVA
(Laughing softly)
I like it. It suits you.

FINN
(Smiling)
Well, thank you. I always did love to swim. I don't so much anymore.

His smile slowly fades, lost in a memory.

EVA
(Interrupting his thoughts)
Why is that?

FINN
(Starts out of his memories)
What?

EVA
Why? Why did you quit swimming if you loved it?

FINN looks down, avoiding eye contact.

FINN
It lost its appeal. Along with everything else.

He smiles sadly while she looks at him, confused.

FINN
I might understand you more than you think. So what do you say, sob story for sob story?

EVA
(Biting her lip, pauses, thinking)
I th-think that might just be what I need..... But how do I start?

FINN
(Softly)
Tell me how you feel. Then everything else will just come to you.

EVA
(Again pauses)
Lost, sad, confused, hurting. Mad. Pissed. Infuriated...

FINN
(Urging)
At what?

EVA
(Getting madder by the second)
At this whole damn world. My whole world fell to tatters last month. And the rest of the world just kept spinning. No one even lifted a finger to help me hold up the world as it came crashing down around me. My brother wasn't there, my friends deserted me, and my mother drowns her pain in drugs and alcohol. And my father. It's all his fault-

She cuts herself off from yelling, tears running down her face again and sobbing uncontrollably. FINN looks at her, unblinkingly.

FINN
(Softly)
Keep going. Let it out. If you keep the anger bottled up, eventually everything else, every good moment, will be overshadowed by hate.

He looks at her with a serious expression, waiting.

EVA
(After a few moments)
He died.

She starts to sob again, but quickly stops and wipes her eyes. She stops and stares FINN right in the eyes.

EVA
He was driving home exactly a month ago. He stopped to pick me up a present. He always did love to bring me little gifts. He always told me I was his greatest gift. No one else every made me feel that special.

She breaks off and takes a deep breath.

EVA
A stupid bird flew in front of his car and he hit it. He swerved into another car. It killed him. It killed him. And in that instant, my life was changed forever.

She stops for a second, shocked, like she couldn't believe she was telling FINN all this. But then she continues, trusting him with her deepest secrets.

EVA
(Bitterly)
Everyone, of course, was sympathetic. They understood. They were here for me. Blah. Blah. Blah. All a load of crap. No one got it. No one was ever really there when I needed them. No one. My brother, Alex, came in town. But he left the day after the funeral, to get back to his wife and kids. His other family. He abandoned me with my mother. Whose only solution was to drink herself to death. Just so she wasn't left with just me in her life. She started beating me about a week ago. Blaming me again and again for his death. And in a way she's right. It was both his fault and mine. He didn't need to buy me anything that night. It's my fault he went to get that damn present. His decision cost him his life and tore apart mine. Now I will forever live with that guilt because of him. Why, why did he have to die? Why did he have to freaking stop? If only-- no. There are too many what ifs. But in the end it's all the same. He's gone and he left me alone, hurting and crying and missing him. With no where to go and with no one who will ever love me like he did.

FINN had stayed quiet this entire time. Listening patiently as she yells, screams, and cries. He leans over, takes her hand, and pulls her along. He looks her in the eye.

FINN
I'm sorry. I know you have heard it a thousand times. But it's the truth. No one should ever go through that. No one should ever feel alone. But it seems to happen too often nowadays. But Eva, never ever feel like your dad left you. From the sound of it, he would of brought you little gifts until the end of his life. And he did. It just ended earlier than he imagined. Don't let hate ever get in the way of love.

EVA
(Smiling at him sadly like she wanted to believe him but couldn't)
So what's your story? Since you seem to know so much.

FINN
Story? What makes you think I have a story?

EVA
Your eyes. They're the reason I decided to trust you. The reason I knew you would understand. That you actually cared. They have the same haunted look in them that I see everyday in the mirror. Except less angry. It's just plain despair. Like you will never be happy again.

FINN
Well, I wouldn't say never.

EVA
Go on then. I just told you my story.

FINN
(Turning to look her in the eyes)
But not the whole thing.

EVA
(Blushing and not meeting his eyes)
I don't trust you fully yet.

FINN
(Signing)
Okay, okay.

He kicks a rock as they continue walking down the never-ending road. They can see the beach up ahead.

FINN
Death is such a horrific thing. As you go through life, it always hangs over your head. But, for years, I welcomed it. I hated my life. It just wasn't fair. No matter how good you are. No matter how much you give up for others. In some eyes, you are still useless and meaningless. You have no purpose and no feelings.

For the first time, his face gets angry, but his anger fades to a deflated look as he continues.

FINN
I was at school. It was my seventh birthday. My teacher gave me a red balloon to celebrate. It was my first, ever birthday present. Can you believe that? Seven years of life celebrated through one little, red balloon.

He laughs bitterly, but one tear falls from his eyes. EVA squeezes his hand, urging him to go on.

FINN
I walked home from school in the burning, hot sun. It was four miles away. My balloon ended up popping from the heat halfway home. I didn't cry. By then, I learned never to rely on anyone or anything for happiness. I made it home, hours later. I called my mom's name. Then my dad's. No answer. I figured they were out somewhere like they always are. I went to sleep that night, wishing myself a happy birthday. But my parents weren't there in the morning or the next or the next. It was sad, really, how long it took for me to realize they were never coming back. It took even longer for others to notice. Then came foster care. Just a bunch of kids with dead or horrible parents. I should of been able to find people to understand, but I just couldn't. I couldn't rely on anyone for my own happiness. I didn't want to bring anyone into my life, just to have them leave me in the end.

FINN starts crying harder now and EVA starts tearing up with him. She stays quiet and let's him go on.

FINN
(Sniffling)
It was an awful life to be living. To have no friends. To have no one to talk to. After years, I couldn't do it any longer. So I changed. I started looking at life from a different perspective. I stopped blaming the world for my problems. I stopped blaming myself. I stopped isolating myself. And I finally started living. And let me tell you. It was the best decision of my life.

He smiles, a real, genuine smile, at her. EVA, slowly, smiled back. They, finally, had reached the beach. They walked out and sat right next to the water.

FINN
My parents left me. They chose to leave me. Chose. Eva, your dad never wanted to leave you. He didn't know he would die that night. He loved you. Never forget that. It's more than a lot of people ever had.

EVA
I'm sorry.

FINN
(Smiling)
It's okay. Really. It's my parents loss anyway. They never learned to love. I just want you to realize that I do understand. More than most people. How angry you can get or how sad. How blaming everything and everyone is the best way to smother the pain. But it will always be there. Moving on is the best way. Living is the solution.

EVA puts her feet in the ocean water. FINN stares at her. His smile fades away. EVA avoids his eyes.

FINN
Eva. I know.

EVA
(Whips around and stares him straight in the eyes with teary eyes)
I know you do. And I also know what you meant when you said you wanted to die.

She turns around and glances back at the dark road.

EVA
Glory Road. That's where it happened. That's where he swerved and hit the other freaking car. I went there, tonight, looking for answers.

EVA looks back at FINN, tiredly.

EVA
You're right. I tried to kill myself tonight. When I saw your car, I thought it was finally my way out. That life was presenting me an option to end all my pain. It was finally giving me a choice. To swerve or not to swerve. I chose death, thinking it would be an easy way out. But it didn't happen. At first, I was angry. Why couldn't I make my own decisions? Why couldn't I chose my own death? But then I saw you jump out the car, with your red hair and a concerned, panicked look in your eyes. And I thought, maybe someone does actually care. Maybe someone does actually understand.

She looks at FINN and smiles in gratitude.

EVA
I asked for all the answers. Who knew that the answer that I've been waiting for, was driving the same car I wanted to die under. I went out looking for answers tonight. And I found them. In the most unexpected way possible. Thank you for that. You saved my life. In more ways than one.

FINN
(Shrugging)
I think you would of found a way to save yourself in the end. All I did was listen.

He smiles and she leans over and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

EVA
Thank you.

They sit there as the sun rises over the ocean. They never let go of each others hands. Content with living.