SCENE 1: BROOKE MAKES HER DECISION
EXT. LUXURY HOUSE — FRONT GARDEN — AFTERNOON
The afternoon sun shines over a beautiful garden. A gentle breeze moves through the trees as Brooke walks along the stone pathway, holding her phone tightly in her hand.
Her expression is serious. She has been thinking about Maria and Isaiah for a long time, and she has finally decided that she cannot keep her feelings to herself.
Brooke stops near the garden entrance when she spots Maria standing beside a flowerbed, checking something on her phone. Brooke takes a deep breath and walks toward her.
BROOKE:Maria, we need to talk.
Maria looks up and notices the seriousness on Brooke’s face.
MARIA:What do you want, Brooke?
BROOKE:I want you to stay away from Isaiah.
MARIA:Excuse me? Who are you to tell me what to do?
BROOKE:Isaiah is my boyfriend, Maria. I don’t understand why you keep getting involved in our relationship.
MARIA:Isaiah can make his own decisions. You can’t control who he talks to or who he spends time with.
BROOKE:I’m not trying to control him. I’m asking you to respect my relationship with him.
MARIA:Then you should talk to Isaiah instead of coming here and blaming me.
Brooke looks away for a moment, struggling to control her frustration. She had expected Maria to listen, but Maria’s attitude only makes the situation more difficult.
BROOKE:I came here because I wanted to settle this peacefully. Please don’t make things worse.
MARIA:I’m not afraid of you, Brooke. You can’t come here and order me around.
BROOKE:I’m giving you a chance to understand what I’m saying. Please don’t mistake my patience for weakness.
Maria stares at her without responding. For several seconds, neither girl speaks. The tension between them grows.
SCENE 2: THE ARGUMENT ESCALATES
EXT. LUXURY HOUSE — GARDEN PATHWAY — CONTINUOUS
Maria puts her phone inside her handbag and takes a step toward Brooke.
MARIA:You need to stop acting like Isaiah belongs to you.
BROOKE:That’s not what I’m saying! I’m telling you that I love him, and I don’t want someone interfering in our relationship.
MARIA:Then maybe your relationship isn’t as strong as you think it is.
Brooke freezes. Maria’s words hurt her more than she expected. She tries to hide her emotions, but the disappointment is clear on her face.
BROOKE:Why are you doing this to me?
MARIA:I’m not doing anything to you. You’re the one who came here looking for an argument.
BROOKE:Because you refuse to listen!
MARIA:I’m done with this conversation.
Brooke reaches toward Maria’s arm, hoping to make her stop and listen. Maria immediately pulls away.
MARIA:Don’t touch me!
BROOKE:Then stop walking away every time I try to talk to you!
MARIA:You don’t get to tell me what to do!
BROOKE:And you don’t get to disrespect me!
Their voices echo across the garden. A gardener working near the house glances toward them before quietly moving away.
MARIA:You think being Isaiah’s girlfriend makes you special? It doesn’t give you the right to threaten me.
BROOKE:I never threatened you! I simply asked you to stay away from my boyfriend.
MARIA:And I told you that I won’t listen to you!
BROOKE:You’re making this impossible!
MARIA:No, Brooke. You’re making it impossible because you can’t accept that other people have their own lives.
Brooke’s eyes fill with tears of anger and hurt. She wipes her face quickly, refusing to let Maria see how deeply the argument is affecting her.
BROOKE:I tried to be respectful, Maria. I really did.
MARIA:Then you should have stayed away from me.
BROOKE:You know what? I’m tired of being the only person trying to keep the peace.
MARIA:That’s your problem, not mine.
The words push Brooke past her limit. She moves toward Maria, and the two girls begin pushing against each other as their argument turns into a physical fight. Neither girl is willing to back down. Their handbags fall onto the garden pathway, and their raised voices attract attention from inside the house.
SCENE 3: LARRY WITNESSES THE FIGHT
EXT. LUXURY HOUSE — GARDEN ENTRANCE — MOMENTS LATER
Larry steps out of the house, holding a set of car keys. He is about to walk toward the driveway when he hears angry shouting coming from the garden. He stops immediately.
LARRY:What’s going on out here?
Larry turns toward the sound and sees Brooke and Maria fighting near the flowerbed. His expression changes instantly.
LARRY:Brooke!
He drops his keys onto a nearby table and rushes toward the girls. Brooke is too angry to notice him approaching, while Maria continues arguing with her.
MARIA:Get away from me!
BROOKE:You started this!
MARIA:You came here to threaten me!
BROOKE:That’s a lie!
Larry reaches them and quickly moves between the two girls. He extends his arms to create distance, guiding Brooke backward while telling Maria to step away.
LARRY:Enough! Both of you, stop right now!
His powerful voice cuts through the argument. Brooke steps back, breathing heavily. Maria also moves away, adjusting her clothes and glaring at Brooke.
LARRY:What on earth is wrong with you two? Have you both completely lost your minds?
BROOKE:Dad, she wouldn’t listen to me!
MARIA:That’s not true! She came here and started threatening me!
BROOKE:I did not threaten you! I asked you to stay away from Isaiah!
LARRY:Stop talking over each other! I can’t understand anything when both of you are shouting!
For a moment, the garden falls silent. Larry turns toward Brooke. His anger softens slightly when he notices the tears in her eyes.
LARRY:Brooke, are you okay?
BROOKE:I’m fine, Dad.
LARRY:Then tell me what happened. Slowly.
BROOKE:I came here to talk to her about Isaiah. I told her that he’s my boyfriend and asked her to respect our relationship. But she insulted me, Dad. She wouldn’t listen to anything I said.
MARIA:That’s not the whole story!
LARRY:Then you’ll have your chance to explain. But nobody is going to start another fight.
SCENE 4: A FATHER’S ANGER
EXT. LUXURY HOUSE — GARDEN — CONTINUOUS
Larry looks at Maria with a stern expression. He is furious that his daughter has become involved in a physical confrontation, and he is struggling to control his temper.
LARRY:Maria, why couldn’t you two settle this with a conversation?
MARIA:Ask your daughter! She came here telling me who I can and cannot talk to.
BROOKE:Because you keep interfering with my relationship!
MARIA:I have every right to speak to Isaiah!
BROOKE:Then stop making everything so complicated!
LARRY:Brooke, let her finish.
Brooke falls silent, although her expression shows that she disagrees. Larry looks back at Maria.
LARRY:Listen carefully. Whatever problems you have with my daughter, you do not have to solve them by fighting.
MARIA:I wasn’t the only one fighting!
LARRY:And that is why I’m telling both of you to stop!
MARIA:You weren’t here when she started shouting at me. You only saw what happened at the end.
Larry pauses. He realizes that he witnessed only the final moments of the argument. Nevertheless, seeing his daughter in a fight has left him deeply upset.
LARRY:You’re right about one thing. I didn’t see how this started. But I saw enough to know that this situation has gone too far.
BROOKE:Dad, you’re my father. You know I wouldn’t do this without a reason.
LARRY:I know you’re upset, Brooke. But being upset doesn’t mean you should get into a fight.
BROOKE:So you’re blaming me too?
LARRY:I’m telling you that I love you, and I don’t want to see you get hurt because of an argument about a boy.
BROOKE:You don’t understand how I feel.
LARRY:Maybe I don’t understand everything you’re feeling. But I do understand that this cannot continue.
Maria watches the exchange quietly. Larry turns back toward her, still visibly angry.
LARRY:And you, Maria, need to understand that insulting each other and provoking another fight isn’t going to solve anything.
MARIA:I didn’t come here looking for trouble.
LARRY:Then walk away when a conversation becomes an argument. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.
Maria looks away, frustrated by his words. Larry’s anger rises again as he remembers seeing the girls fighting. He steps forward, speaking sharply.
LARRY:I’m extremely disappointed in both of you!
Maria instinctively takes a step back. For a brief moment, Larry’s temper threatens to get the better of him. He clenches his hands and looks ready to lash out at Maria.
Brooke notices his expression and quickly moves closer to him.
BROOKE:Dad, please!
Larry looks at his daughter. Her trembling voice makes him stop and take a breath. He realizes that losing his temper will only make an already painful situation worse. He steps back instead of striking Maria.
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