EPISODE 2: THE MEANT TO BE?
*: A High School Classroom**
*The classroom is buzzing with chatter as students finish their lunch break. Danielle, a tomboyish girl with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, walks over to the far side of the room. Sitting at the desk by the window is Roy, a shy, nerdy guy with glasses perched on his nose, scribbling something into his notebook. Danielle hesitates for a moment, then walks up to him, looking determined.*
**Danielle:** (awkwardly clearing her throat) "Uh... Roy, right?"
*Roy looks up, startled. No one really talks to him, especially not girls like Danielle—confident, athletic, and always surrounded by friends.*
**Roy:** (adjusting his glasses) "Uh... y-yeah. That's me."
**Danielle:** (scratching the back of her head, avoiding eye contact) "So, I hear you're good with words and all that... fancy language stuff?"
**Roy:** (blushing slightly) "I guess... I mean, I like reading and writing, if that's what you mean."
*Danielle shifts her weight from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable.*
**Danielle:** "Cool. Listen, I need help with something. There's this, uh... letter I need to write. But I kinda... suck at that stuff."
**Roy:** (surprised) "A letter? What kind of letter?"
**Danielle:** (shrugs, trying to play it off) "Just... a letter. To someone. You know, words and things that make sense."
*Roy raises an eyebrow, curious but not wanting to pry.*
**Roy:** "Sure, I can help. Do you have anything written down already, or are we starting from scratch?"
**Danielle:** (grimacing) "Yeah, no. I tried, but it turned out like a disaster. I mean, who even knows how to say this stuff? Can you make it sound... I don't know, good?"
**Roy:** (smiling slightly) "Okay, I'll need a little more info. Who's it for? And what exactly are you trying to say?"
*Danielle tenses up at the question, her cheeks reddening a bit. She glances around the room before leaning in closer, speaking in a low voice.*
**Danielle:** "It's for this guy. I, uh... kinda like him. But I don't want to sound like an idiot, you know?"
*Roy's eyes widen in surprise, his heart sinking a little. He quickly hides his disappointment behind a polite smile.*
**Roy:** "Oh, I see. Got it. You want it to be... heartfelt?"
**Danielle:** (rolling her eyes) "Yeah, sure. Heartfelt. But not too sappy. I'm not into that mushy stuff. Just, like... honest, but cool. You get what I mean?"
**Roy:** (nodding, trying to stay focused) "I think so. Let's start with how you feel about him. What do you like about this guy?"
*Danielle hesitates, fidgeting with the strap of her backpack, before finally answering.*
**Danielle:** "He's... different. Not like the other guys. He's smart, and, uh... kinda quiet. But in a good way. Makes me think more, you know?"
*Roy feels a strange pang in his chest but pushes through it, continuing to scribble notes.*
**Roy:** "Okay, got it. So maybe something like, 'I admire how thoughtful you are, and how you make me see things differently...'?"
*Danielle looks over his shoulder at the words he's writing, her eyes widening a little.*
**Danielle:** "Whoa, that sounds... really good. Like, better than I expected."
*Roy smiles awkwardly, a flush of pride washing over him.*
**Roy:** "Thanks. We can keep going and tweak it until it feels just right."
*Danielle grins, clearly relieved. She leans against the desk, her body language loosening up as they continue working together.*
**Danielle:** (teasing) "Maybe I should keep you around to write all my stuff. You're, like, my secret weapon now."
*Roy chuckles, trying to hide how flustered he feels.*
**Roy:** "I'll take that as a compliment."
*As they continue working on the letter, Danielle occasionally throws in some sarcastic remarks, and Roy, to his surprise, starts throwing them back. Before they know it, the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch break. Danielle grabs her backpack, looking at the rough draft Roy helped her with.*
**Danielle:** "Thanks, Roy. Seriously. I owe you one."
**Roy:** (smiling) "Anytime."
*Danielle starts walking toward the door, but before she leaves, she turns back and gives him a quick, lopsided grin.*
**Danielle:** "And, hey... maybe you're not so bad after all."
*Roy watches her go, feeling both elated and a little bittersweet, the faintest smile playing on his lips.*
**Roy:** (muttering to himself) "Yeah... maybe."
*He closes his notebook, a strange sense of hope lingering in the air
**The Classroom – Math Discussion**
The scene opens in a lively high school classroom. The math teacher, Mr. Williams, is passionately scribbling equations on the board, his voice filling the room with energy.
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**Mr. Williams:**
"All right, class, today we're diving into algebraic expressions and solving for variables. Let's start by simplifying these equations."
He writes a complex equation on the board:
*2x + 3y - 5 = 7x - 2y + 8.*
The students groan quietly, but one boy, **Roy**, sits up straight, already jotting down notes in perfect, methodical handwriting. With his glasses perched on his nose and his focused expression, he's the picture of a smart, nerdy student.
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**Roy's Passion for Math**
As Mr. Williams continues with the detailed explanation of variables, Roy is completely absorbed. His hand shoots up.
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**Roy:**
"Actually, Mr. Williams, shouldn't we isolate the variables by first subtracting 2y from both sides? That way, we'll be left with a cleaner equation to solve for x."
Mr. Williams beams at Roy, clearly impressed.
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**Mr. Williams:**
"Excellent point, Roy! Exactly. This will simplify the equation to 5x + 5y = 8. Well done!"
Roy blushes a little as the teacher praises him, but from across the room, a boy named **Jake**, Danielle's crush, rolls his eyes and snickers. Jake is the typical confident, popular guy who seems to coast by on charm rather than brains.
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**Danielle's Dilemma**
Danielle, a pretty tomboyish girl sitting near the back, shifts in her seat. Her thoughts aren't on algebra; instead, she's watching Jake's reaction to Roy. Jake leans over to his friends and mutters just loud enough for Roy to hear.
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**Jake:** (mocking)
"Wow, Roy, you're like a walking calculator. Can you do taxes too? Or do you just solve math problems for fun?"
Jake and his friends laugh, and Danielle finds herself frowning.
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**Danielle's Inner Monologue:**
*Is this really the guy I've been crushing on?*
She glances over at Roy, who's clearly uncomfortable but trying to ignore the taunts. A pang of worry tugs at her, surprising her. She barely knows Roy—they'd only had one conversation recently, and that was because she asked him to help her write a letter to Jake. Danielle isn't good with words, and Roy had offered to help.
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**Danielle Questions Her Feelings**
Danielle starts to feel uneasy. She's liked Jake for a while, but the way he's acting now makes her question it. She leans back in her chair, eyes flicking between Jake and Roy.
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**Danielle's Inner Monologue:**
*Why does this bother me so much? I should be defending Roy. We've only talked a few times, but he didn't deserve that.*
Roy continues solving equations quietly while the class moves forward, but Danielle's attention is divided. She tries to focus on the board, but her thoughts keep drifting back to Roy's kind smile when he helped her write the letter.
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**The Flashback – The Letter**
The scene flashes back to a few days earlier, in the library. Danielle had asked Roy for help writing a letter to confess her feelings to Jake. They sat together in the quiet space, Danielle leaning in close to Roy, her tough exterior softened as she confessed how hard it was for her to express herself.
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**Danielle:**
"I'm not good at this language stuff, Roy. I just need help saying what I feel. I keep trying, but I just sound stupid."
Roy had smiled gently, pushing his glasses up.
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**Roy:**
"It's not stupid at all. You just need to be honest. I can help you put it into words."
The flashback ends with Danielle smiling a little, remembering how patient and sweet Roy had been. Now, sitting in the classroom, she wonders why that moment feels more important than the letter itself.
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**Jake's Taunt Continues**
Back in the present, Jake leans over again, this time aiming his next comment at Roy.
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**Jake:**
"Hey, Roy, maybe you can tutor me in math. I bet you get straight A's in everything except… I dunno, real life."
The other guys snicker, but Danielle's chest tightens with annoyance.
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**Danielle's Inner Monologue:**
*That's enough.*
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**Danielle Stands Up**
Without thinking, Danielle stands up. The sudden movement draws everyone's attention, including Roy's, who glances at her, confused.
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**Danielle:** (with unexpected fierceness)
"Hey, Jake, cut it out. What's your problem? Just because Roy's smarter than you doesn't give you the right to be a jerk."
The room goes silent for a beat, and Jake looks taken aback.
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**Jake:**
"Whoa, calm down, Dani. I was just joking."
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**Danielle:** (firmly)
"Well, it's not funny."
She sits back down, heart racing, wondering where that sudden burst of courage came from. She steals a glance at Roy, who's staring at her in awe.
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**Roy's Gratitude**
After class, Roy catches up to Danielle in the hallway. He adjusts his backpack nervously, pushing his glasses up again.
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**Roy:** (softly)
"Hey, thanks for standing up for me back there. You didn't have to do that."
Danielle shrugs, trying to play it cool, though she feels warmth rising in her cheeks.
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**Danielle:**
"Yeah, well… someone had to. Jake's an idiot."
Roy smiles, a bit more relaxed now.
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**Roy:**
"I guess that means I owe you. If you ever need help with algebra… or another letter."
Danielle laughs, her tomboyish exterior cracking slightly as she grins.
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**Danielle:**
"Maybe. But next time, you're going to teach me how to write it myself."
As they walk down the hallway together, the tension between them starts to shift into something more light-hearted, a connection quietly growing between the smart, nerdy boy and the tomboyish girl who's beginning to realize there might be more to like than just appearances.
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**The Hospital Visit**
The scene opens with Roy walking through the sterile, quiet halls of the hospital, the distant beeping of machines creating a soft background noise. He clutches his backpack tightly, as if it's the only thing grounding him in the moment. The walls are lined with medical posters, and the faint smell of antiseptic fills the air.
He stops in front of a door marked with his mother's name and takes a deep breath before stepping inside.
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**Roy's Storytelling **
Roy's mother lies peacefully in the hospital bed, hooked up to machines that monitor her vitals. Her face is calm, eyes closed, as if she's simply sleeping, but her condition is more dire than that—she's been in a coma for months. Roy approaches her bed, pulling up a chair next to her, and sits down, placing his backpack on the floor.
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**Roy:**
"Hey, Mom… I'm back. I just finished school for the day."
He pulls out his math notebook and sets it on the bedside table, as if showing her the work he's been doing.
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**Roy:**
"You won't believe it. We were talking about algebra today, and, well… I had to correct Mr. Williams. Yeah, can you believe it? I think he was proud of me."
He chuckles softly, his tone light and conversational, though deep down, he knows she can't hear him. But he talks to her anyway, every day, as if she's just resting and could wake up at any moment.
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**Roy:**
"Oh, and you remember that girl I told you about? Danielle? She actually stood up for me today. You wouldn't believe it! She totally shut down Jake—he's the popular guy in class, but she wasn't having it. I think… I think she's starting to see things differently."
He smiles a little, as if telling his mom about his day brings him closer to her. The mood in the room is warm, filled with the hope that she's somehow listening, even though the machines beep on in rhythm, unchanged.
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**The Flashback – Roy's Reckless Past**
Suddenly, the scene shifts into a flashback. The colors are more vibrant, showing a younger, rougher version of Roy. He's in his early teens, and his face is hard, full of defiance. He's standing outside a school building, fists clenched as he glares at a group of boys.
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**Young Roy:**
"You wanna go? Come on, I'm not afraid of you!"
Roy lunges forward, and the scene erupts into chaos as punches are thrown. He's reckless, wild, the anger in his heart fueling his actions. This was who he used to be—a boy who didn't care about school or the consequences of his actions, a boy who thought fighting was the only way to prove his worth.
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**The Hospitalization – Roy's Wake-Up Call**
The flashback shifts to the moment that changed everything. Roy's mother is shown being rushed into a hospital room, doctors and nurses surrounding her. Young Roy stands helplessly by the door, his face pale with fear and regret. His mother's accident had been a wake-up call, the moment when everything in his life came crashing down.
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**Roy's Inner Monologue:**
*It was my fault. If I hadn't been such a mess, maybe she wouldn't have been so worried… maybe she wouldn't be here.*
He remembers the nights when he would sneak into the hospital room, much like he does now, and cry beside her bed, unable to forgive himself.
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**His Mother's Wish**
The flashback continues, showing a conversation between Roy and his mother before her hospitalization. They're sitting at the kitchen table, and his mother is smiling at him, even though he's angry, frustrated with school and everything around him.
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**Roy's Mom:**
"Roy, I just want you to finish school. I know it's tough, but you're so smart. You have so much potential. Promise me… promise me you'll stay focused and finish."
Her voice is soft, full of love, and though Roy had shrugged it off at the time, those words echo in his mind now, every time he walks into her hospital room.
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**Young Roy:** (grumbling)
"Yeah, whatever, Mom. I'll do it."
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**The Transformation – Becoming the "Nerd"**
The flashback shifts again, this time to Roy sitting in a classroom, much like the one he's in now. Only this time, his face is serious, determined. He's buried in his books, focused on his studies. Other students whisper and snicker behind his back, calling him a "nerd," but he ignores them.
Roy's transformation wasn't easy. He had to let go of his reckless past and focus on something bigger—his mother's wish for him to succeed. And though others mocked him, he found a new kind of strength in his studies, one that helped him cope with the pain of his mother's condition.
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**Back to the Present **
The flashback fades, and Roy is back in the hospital room, sitting beside his mother once again. His smile falters as he looks at her peaceful face, remembering how much she sacrificed for him, and how her accident changed the course of his life.
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**Roy:** (softly)
"I'm doing it, Mom. I'm finishing school. Just like you wanted."
He reaches out, gently taking her hand. His voice cracks slightly as he continues, the weight of the years spent without her fully awake pressing on his heart.
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**Roy:**
"I wish… I wish you could see it. See how much I've changed. I'm not that kid anymore. I just… I hope I'm making you proud."
The room is quiet, save for the rhythmic beeping of the machines. Roy blinks back the sadness that threatens to overwhelm him, determined not to break in front of her.
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**Roy:** (forcing a small smile)
"And don't worry about me. I'm still the nerd you wanted me to be."
The mood in the room is heavy with emotion, but Roy keeps telling her about his day, just as he does every visit, clinging to the hope that somehow, she's listening, and that one day, she'll wake up to see the person he's become.
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**Roy's Nightmare – The Past Unfolds**
The scene shifts to Roy asleep in a dimly lit room. The soft glow of moonlight filters through the blinds, casting shadows on the walls. Roy's face is tense, his eyebrows furrowed as he tosses and turns in bed, caught in the grips of a nightmare.
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**Nightmare Scene 1: The Departure of His Father**
The nightmare begins with Roy as a young boy, standing in the living room of their old house. His mother, younger and vibrant, is standing in the doorway, her face etched with sadness. Across the room, Roy's father, with a suitcase in hand, looks stern and unbothered as he turns to leave.
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**Roy's Father:** (coldly)
"I'm sorry, but this isn't working anymore. I'm leaving."
Roy, in the dream, stands frozen in shock, his small fists clenched in anger. His mother tries to hold back tears, but they spill down her cheeks, her heart breaking in front of them both. As his father walks out the door, shutting it behind him, the room fills with silence—an empty, painful silence that young Roy doesn't know how to fill.
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**Young Roy:** (shouting, angry)
"Dad! Come back! Don't leave us!"
His father doesn't turn around, the sound of his footsteps fading into the distance. The front door slams, and in the dream, Roy's rage boils over. He grabs anything within reach and throws it to the ground, knocking over a chair, breaking a lamp. His mother steps forward to calm him, but Roy is blinded by his anger.
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**Young Roy:** (furiously)
"I hate you! I hate both of you!"
His mother's face is a mixture of pain and sadness as she reaches for him, but Roy shrugs her off. His anger, fueled by his father's abandonment, spills out uncontrollably, and he doesn't realize the hurt he's causing her.
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**Nightmare Scene 2: The Reckless Anger**
The nightmare shifts, and now teenage Roy is shown in various scenes, recklessly fighting with other boys. The blows are fierce, full of pent-up frustration that has no outlet. The world around him is chaotic, full of physical confrontations that leave him bruised and bloodied, but the fights don't fill the void inside him. Instead, they deepen the wounds.
In the distance, his mother watches, worry etched on her face, though Roy ignores her concern.
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**Roy's Inner Monologue (in the dream):**
*I was so angry. I couldn't see what I was doing to her… what I was doing to myself.*
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**Nightmare Scene 3: The Argument Before the Hospitalization**
The nightmare shifts again, now to the last argument before Roy's mother was hospitalized. They're in the kitchen, tension simmering between them. Roy, angry and frustrated with life, yells at his mother, his words laced with venom.
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**Teenage Roy:** (shouting)
"You don't understand anything! You're always on my back, nagging me about school and everything! Maybe if you weren't so weak, Dad wouldn't have left!"
His mother freezes at his words, hurt flashing across her face. The room seems to go cold as his words hang in the air, cutting deeper than any fight he'd been in.
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**Roy's Mother:** (softly)
"Roy… I just want the best for you."
But Roy's blinded by his anger, and in the dream, he watches his past self storm out of the house, slamming the door behind him. He never knew that would be the last real conversation they'd have before she collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.
The guilt in the dream weighs heavy on his chest as the nightmare presses on. His mother's face, pained and fragile, flickers through the scene, her soft voice repeating those final words: "I just want the best for you."
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**The Collapse**
The nightmare intensifies as the scene shifts to Roy arriving at the hospital, seeing his mother unconscious on the hospital bed. The doctor's words about her coma echo in the background, distorted and muffled, as the weight of his previous argument crashes down on him.
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**Roy's Inner Monologue (in the dream):**