Pilot/Transcript

== GILBERT RESIDENCE ==
[Morning. Birds chirp. Sun shines down on a big family home. A veranda wraps around the front. All charm. No sense of last night's horror.]
Louise: [voiceover] Dear diary, I have a strange feeling that something bad is going to happen today...I don't know why I wrote that.
[LOUISE GILBERT, 17, faces herself in the mirror. A silent assessment. Fresh-faced, perfect features.]
Louise: [voiceover] It's been three months, two weeks and two days since I've written anything down. It's been one hundred and seven days since I've smiled or spoken really. I feel empty and hollow inside, as though I'm existing in the world but not truly living. But I got by, day by day, minute by minute and I did it the only way I knew how. I put on my mask, my façade of normality and played my part in the act I called my life.
[Louise is now sitting on her window seat writing in her journal.]
Louise: [voiceover] Everyday I pretend I don't feel as though I could crumble to the floor every time I see a picture of my parents or someone mentions their names. It's been three months, two weeks and two days since my parents died. I still don't understand how that could happen. There were four people in that car when it went over wickery bridge; two lived and two died. How does that happen? How could Elena and I survive but not our parents? It wasn't even possible. The water pressure had blocked the doors; no human could have gotten out of that car. The doctors couldn't explain why or how both of us survived. It was a true miracle, they said. But there nothing I can do to change what happened because believe me, I would if I could. I have to go on. I have been this giant ball of grieve and sadness all this time but today, journal, today will be different. It has to be.
[As she writes, the CAMERA moves around her room. Taking inventory of her life. Items of an over-achiever; awards, certificates, ribbons, etc.]
Louise: [voiceover] Today I'm going to smile. Today, when someone asks me that dreaded 'How are you?' question, I'm going to smile and reply 'I'm fine. Thanks for asking'. I'm going to be bright and peppy Louise. The Louise that people expect me to be. I am going to be that Louise that people expect to see on the first day of school. Today, I'm going to be the Louise that my brother and sister know. This year I will start fresh, be someone knew. No more being sad.
[Snapshots and framed photos. Friends in funny, happy poses, reflecting the life of a popular and well-adjusted girl. These are personal photos -- they mean something. Her parents, sister, brother -- obligatory family photo. Linger on it for a beat. There’s a story there.]
Louise: [voiceover] Well I can pretend not to be right? You and I will know the truth and I'm okay with that. It's the only way I'll be able to survive.
[Louise is standing in front of the mirror once again.]
Louise: Okay, Louise, smile. [She fake smiles. She looks at the photo of her parents and her smile drops. She sighs.] Now you have to do that about nine hundred times today.
[She puts her school bag over her shoulder and grabs her jacket. Unaware to her, there's a crow perched on her window sill.]
[In the kitchen]
[The morning news is muted on a small TV in the background. Photos of Darren and Brooke flash ON SCREEN. MISSING COUPLE.]
[JENNA SOMMERS (29) is sitting at the island eating cereal. Grad school smart. A little scattered in a brainy way. A thinker in sweats. Which works for her. It's sexy.]
Jenna: Happy first day of school.
Louise: Thanks.
[Louise grabs an apple and sits across from Jenna. She takes a bite before spitting it out and tossing it in the garbage can.]
Jenna: Toast. I can make toast. [She opens the fridge door. Studies its contents. Jenna is not domestic. She never will be.]
[ELENA (17) walks into the kitchen. Fresh face, similar features to her sister. Goes straight for the coffee pot. Pours a cup. Elena drinks it black.]
Elena: It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna.
[Jenna nods, of course.]
[JEREMY (15) enters the kitchen. Cool, look; has an original take on grundge punk, nothing extreme. Tinkers with the nail polish and eye-liner, but won't commit. A bit of a mess. Outcast cute.]
Jeremy: Is there coffee? [He takes the mug from Elena's hand.]
Jenna: Your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared. Lunch money? [She pulls out her wallet and takes out money. Hands 'em out. Louise and Elena declines. Jeremy takes it. Louise and Elena exchanges looks.] Anything else? A new two pencil? What am I missing? [She's trying to get it right.]
Louise: Don't you have a big presentation today?
Jenna: I'm meeting with my thesis advisor at- [Checks her watch, realising.] Now. Crap.
Louise: Then go. We'll be fine.
[Jenna disappears in a flash. Elena turns to Jeremy.]
Elena: You okay?
Jeremy: Don't start.
[Jeremy exists through the back door. Uninterested and annoyed. Elena sighs.]
Louise: Elena, he'll be fine. He just needs some time.
Elena: He's had time, Lou. All summer.
Louise: If you push too hard then he'll just push right back.
[Elena hugs Louise.]
Elena: We'll be okay, today, won't we? It's only one day, then everything will be back to normal - as if nothing ever happened.
Louise: Of course we will. [She stiffens.] I just can't shake off the feeling that something bad is going to happen though.
Elena: That's probably nerves.
== BONNIE'S CAR ==
[A small Virginia town. Quaint, picturesque. A place you'd like to raise a family. Southern in its hospitality, northern in its attitude. A Prius makes it way past Main Street. Mom and Pop. A couple restaurants. A hardware store. A church. Louise in back seat, Elena rides beside BONNIE (17). Light, bubbly, and adorable. A loyal friend with a big heart. She's in a chatty Cathy mode.]
Bonnie: So Grams is telling me I'm psychic. Our ancestors were from Salem, witches and all that, I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it, and I'm like, put this woman in a home already! [Bonnie and Louise laughs.] But then I started thinking, I predicted Obama and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands. [She glances over at Elena who is staring out the window, not listening. She’s in another world.] Elena! Back in the car.
[Elena JUMPS when she hears Bonnie YELL her name. She quickly snaps out of her daze.]
Elena: I did it again, didn't I? I-I'm sorry, Bonnie. You were telling me that...
Louise: That she's psychic now.
Elena: Right. Okay, then predict something, [She looks at Louise.] About us.
Bonnie: I see...
[SUDDENLY, SOMETHING FLIES INTO THE WINDSHIELD. Bonnie JERKS the steering wheel. The car goes SKIDDING. She SLAMS ON THE BRAKES.]
Bonnie: What was that?! Oh, my god! [Bonnie's eyes flickers between the twins.] Are you guys okay?
[Elena sits frozen in the front seat.]
Louise: It's fine, Bon. [She holds Elena's hand.]
Elena: Yeah, we're okay.
Bonnie: It was like a bird or something. It came out of nowhere.
Elena: Really, it's fine, Bonnie. We can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of our lives. [She shakes it off. Determined not to let it cloud her day. Bonnie gets it. Appreciates it.]
Bonnie: I predict this year is going to be kick ass. [Louise smiles.] And I predict all the sad and dark times are over and you two. [She points at Louise and Elena.] will be beyond happy.
[Louise and Elena both smile. Touched by what Bonnie said.]
Louise: That's all good. Just one thing. If you're psychic, how come you didn't predict the bird?
[Bonnie grins. HITS the gas and they take off. Bonnie's Prius takes off down the road. The CAMERA PANS to a telephone pole. Where an ominous BLACK CROW sits, perched at the top. Deadly still.]
== MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL ==
[Bonnie, Louise and Elena move down the hall, observing the students and making remarks.]
Bonnie: Major lack of male real estate. Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beech. She looks like a hot - can I say 'tranny mess'?
Elena: No, that's over.
[They stop at some lockers and Elena leans against it.]
Bonnie: Ahh, find a man, coin a phrase. It's been a busy year.
[They spot Matt (17) staring coldly at Elena across the hall. Everybody's All-American. Handsome jock. Even-tempered, gentle eyes. Elena smiles. Friendly. He ignores her, grabbing some books from his locker and takes off.]
Elena: [Frowns.] He hates me.
Bonnie: That's not hate. That's 'you dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it, but secretly I'm listening to Air Supply's greatest hits.
[CAROLINE FORBES (17) approaches. Extremely pretty in a manufactured way. Hair, make-up, wardrobe, she's done to death. Bit of a queen bee persona. She sees Louise and Elena and immediately goes to them, embracing them, holding them tight.]
Caroline: Elena, Louise. Oh, my god. How are you? Oh, it's so good to see you. [She turns to Bonnie.] How are they? Are they good?
Elena: Caroline, we're right here. And we're fine, thank you.
Category:Episode Transcripts
Category:Season One