The Homestead | Teen Ink

The Homestead

May 1, 2014
By AlexandraRasco SILVER, Covington, Louisiana
AlexandraRasco SILVER, Covington, Louisiana
6 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Characters
Tiffany
James
Elizabeth
David
Librarian
Friends of Tiffany
INT. KITCHEN KEEN HOME- DAY
A woman opens up a cardboard box accompanied by her husband.

TIFFANY
I never thought we'd see the last one!

JAMES
Ah coffee, I need this right about now.

TIFFANY picks up the coffee maker and plugs it in. James comes up behind Tiffany and gives her a gentle kiss.Tiffany hands him the empty boxes to bring to the attic.James walks out of the room to put away the empty boxes.

(O.S.) JAMES
Tiffany! Come see this!

Tiffany runs up to the attic and he helps her up.

TIFFANY
James! What's wrong!

JAMES
Look at all this old stuff. What is this?

He bends over to pick up a portrait of a woman, then drops it off to the side. An envelope slips out and catches their attention.

TIFFANY
It looks like some kind of note.

She opens it and begins to read.

TIFFANY
"Dear Anthony,
I hope you rot in hell.
Love, your dearest wife, Bella
P.S. He had it coming."

They stare at each other in distraught.

JAMES
Tough love..

TIFFANY
Wow! this is so interesting! I wonder what happened here..

JAMES
I'm not sure I want to find out to be honest.

They climb down out of the attic. Tiffany carries the letter and portrait down with her.

TIFFANY
I wonder if that's some kind of confession.

JAMES
I don't know, maybe she just hated her husband.

TIFFANY
I'll try to find more on it!

JAMES
Why are you so obsessed with this?

TIFFANY
I'm determined to find out exactly what happened at this house.

James rolls his eyes and walks away.


EXT. KEEN HOUSE-DAY
SCENE II
Tiffany and James walk out the front door and she sends him off to work handing him a paper bag lunch. She gives him a kiss on the cheek.

TIFFANY
Have a good day!

James climbs into his Honda and backs out of the drive.

INT. KEEN HOUSE-DAY

Tiffany walks back into the house and goes straight to the letter and portrait. She observes it for a while then grabs her things. She darts out the door and to her car.




INT. PUBLIC LIBRARY-DAY

TIFFANY
Can you help me with finding any kind of records on a Bella and Anthony who lived at 1389 Old Rochester Rd?

LIBRARIAN
Let's check the newspaper records.

They walk over to a computer in the back of the library. She sits at a desk and searches the names with the address. A page pops up with the keywords highlighted. The librarian stands up and TIFFANY takes her seat.

LIBRARIAN
Here you go, I'll leave you to read it. Just let me know when you're all done.

TIFFANY(enthusiastic)
Thanks so much!

TIFFANY scrolls through and finds the highlighted name "ANTHONY DIMARCI, deceased 13 April, 1954."

TIFFANY(V.O.)
That was it, no information on how, or why he died. Why did his wife hate him? And when did they get married

TIFFANY looks down at the time and it reads quarter past 4. She decides to call it a day and make dinner because James will be home soon.

INT. KEEN HOME-NIGT

Tiffany is scurrying around preparing dinner. James enters wearing a suite and looks exhausted

JAMES (agitated)
Where's dinner?

TIFFANY
I just put it on! It'll be ready in about 30 minutes.

JAMES
I didn't come home to wait on dinner. What have you been doing?

TIFFANY (sincere)
Look at all this stuff I found at the..

JAMES(interrupts)
Why are you so intrigued by this stupid letter.

TIFFANY (in a hushed voice)
Don't you think it'd be cool if we found something interesting about our house..

JAMES(blunt)
The whole thing seems pretty eerie to me..

James gets up and walks to the bedroom slamming the door behind him. Tiffany sits down at the table and sighs.

TIFFANY(V.O.)
What has gotten into him...


INT. KEEN HOUSE-DAY

Tiffany wakes up, looks at James sleeping for a moment and walks downstairs. She makes a pot of coffee and walks out the front door.

INT. TIFFANY'S FRIENDS HOUSE, ELIZABETH-DAY

TIFFANY and Elizabeth sit down at the island bar and drink lemonade. They are dressed in matching tennis uniforms.

ELIZABETH
You mean this temper just came out of nowhere?

TIFFANY
One day he just stopped being so compassionate. I'm worried, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

ELIZABETH
Maybe work is tough right now. You should try asking him about it or bring him lunch one day!

TIFFANY
I don't know maybe I'll try that. I'm sure we'll figure it out. What times the match again?

ELIZABETH
9:30, you ready?
They pick up their tennis rackets, bags and keys

TIFFANY
Yeah let's go. I've never been so ready for our girls night-out.

They walk out the front door.

INT DAKOTA'S RESTAURANT- NIGHT

Tiffany sits at a long table in ambiance of a steak restaurant laughing and drinking wine with 6 other woman.

TIFFANY(slurring her words)
You know I just can't wait to get home to my hard working husband. He's been so mean to me lately, but I know he doesn't mean a word of it.

ELIZABETH
That's right dear!

Camera goes out with continued chatter and laughter.

INT. KEEN HOUSE-DAY

TIFFANY
Baby! I'm so glad your home I made your favorite Mac and cheese and desert...well...

TIFFANY walks up behind him and wraps her hands around his waist.

JAMES
Well this is real sweet Tiff.

TIFFANY(playfully)
Now, I know works been tough, and you just need to relax a little.

JAMES
Tiff that's enough, let's just eat.

Tiffany shuts down and they sit in silence.

INT. ELIZABETHS HOME-DAY

Elizabeth gives her husband a kiss as he walks out the door.

(O.S.)DAVID
By honey! Don't miss me too much!

Elizabeth blushes and tries to hide it from Tiffany.

TIFFANY(choked up)
Liz, I'm just way too distraught that James and I's relationship will never reach the affectionate level as you and David.

ELIZABETH
Now don't say that. David and I have had plenty of tiffs, we just get passed them by communication!

TIFFANY(frustrated)
But you don't understand! I can't get through to him. I'm doing something wrong. I cook everyday. I clean. I surely give him attention, but all he does is deny me constantly. Do you think I'm not all he was hoping for? Do you think this marriage is just as doomed as my father said it would be?

ELIZABETH
Now that's not fair to you. Your father didn't like James because you were only 21 when you got hitched!

TIFFANY
I know, maybe I just need a hobby, a pass time of some sort.

ELIZABETH
Sure! Crafting, knitting, scrapbooking! Photography!

TIFFANY
You know I found this note a while back and it's somewhat of a mystery to me what it meant! I'll start back up on my research, that should keep my mind of things!

ELIZABETH
That's so perfect Tiff!!

INT. TIFFANYS CAR- NIGHT
TIFFANY(V.O.)
Okay so for dinner I'll make lasagna and I'll end the night with a massage..
She sees a white Mercedes pass the street ahead of her going way too fast for a side road.

INT. PUBLIC LIBRARY-DAY

TIFFANY sits at a computer googling and searching for any records of a Bella and Anthony living on Old Rochester Rd. She comes a cross a page that reads 'convicted...BELLA BURNS DEMARCI, FOR THR MURDER OF ANTHONY DEMARCI, further down in the article she reads how none of the story got leaked within Burns because Bella's father owned the town. After a while longer she pulls up their wedding announcement in the newspaper: 'February 29, 1954.' She pulls out the date he died: 'DEATH April 13, 1954'

TIFFANY(mumbles)
Was she a gold digger? Did she marry him for the money and then off him?
She couldn't have been, her father owned the whole town.

(V.O.) TIFFANY
I've almost solved my whole mystery story, next I have to solve my mystery at home. And why did Bella murder her husband?

EXT. OLD ROCHESTER RD.-DAY
TIFFANY sees a white little Mercedes pull off her road that she doesn't recognize.

INT. KEEN HOME-DAY

JAMES
Where've you been?

TIFFANY(suspicious)
I should ask you the same thing...

The room becomes silent and confusing.

TIFFANY
So I found the answer to my mystery.

JAMES
Well let's hear it..

TIFFANY (annoyed)
oh, so now you're interested?
Well Bella and Anthony lived in this home, and for some reason Bella didn't see Anthony as alive anymore. I can't seem to find why, but I can make an assumption.

JAMES(playfully)
ohh sounds like he had it coming...

He stands up, hugs her from behind and kisses her. The two laugh together for the first time in a while.

INT. ELIZABETHS HOME- DAY
TIFFANY and Elizabeth stand in the kitchen tying each others aprons.
TIFFANY
I don't know! He showed me the old James again, I hope this time he stays.

ELIZABETH
OH I know he will honey he's so true at heart and he loves you!

The two continue to watch food-network and bake with their new aprons.

INT. TIFFANY'S CAR-DAY

TIFFANY sings along to her and JAMES first song from their wedding, Kiss from a Rose, by Seal. She grows teary eyed and a smile peaks through. She glances in her rear view mirror.

TIFFANY (V.O.)
There it is that white Mercedes. Do we have new neighbors or am I going crazy.


INT. KEEN HOME-DAY
TIFFANY pulls up to the house and there's that little white Mercedes sitting in her driveway.
TIFFANY walks into the house knowing that her husband is not alone. She precedes to the pantry. In the back of it she unlocks a safe where a 50 caliber gun is concealed. As she walks up her stair case infuriated.

TIFFANY (V.O.)
I can't believe how the nauseating case I've grown so obsessed with has become my own reality.

She swings the bedroom door open to her husband accompanied by his mistress.
(screams)
The two in bed wrestle to cover themselves with the sheets.
The camera flashes to Tiffany's angry face and then off and on white light.
(shot guns)

TIFFANY walking down the stairs.

TIFFANY
he had it coming...



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