The Box

**The Box** is the first episode of the Season 1 of *Freeridge*, premiering on Netflix February 2, 2023.

## Summary

*Gloria and Ines put their sibling rivalry aside to make quick cash from a yard sale and end up with a strange item that may be cursed.*

## Plot

At Freeridge, Gloria and her sister Inés are fighting in front of a big crowd. The bigger girl spits on the smaller one. They are called by the principal, who tells them they are fighting too much. Gloria says that the reason why they fought is because the other said she has herpes. Their uncle walks in and tells the principal that he would get his nieces in order.

Their uncle tells Gloria and Ines that he would not be saving them anymore. Gloria tells her sister that she should start taking care of herself. Her sister simply tells her that she wants green enchiladas for dinner.

At the supermarket, Gloria complains to her friends for not having her back against her sister, not wanting her reputation to be damaged. Her friend tells her that he does not like that both him and Demi are being associated with her sister. Demi tells Gloria that she needs to break free from her sister. Gloria agrees and says that she also needs to pay her uncle Toño 1,000 dollars.

At home, Gloria tells Ines that she is thinking of changing silverware for money so that they could pay their uncle. Ines tells her that she already sold what she was looking for, saying that things would work out. Gloria tells her that things work out because of her efforts. Their father walks in, asking what they are hurt and wondering what they were looking for. He finds a cloth which he says he bought on his third date for their mother, also saying that he invited a friend to his birthday dinner.

Gloria tells Ines that they forgot about their father's birthday, saying that she should get their father a gift while she sells stuff in order to settle their debt.

Gloria tells her friends that she would be icing her sister at school, which excites them until Ines shows up asking what they would be celebrating. Cam tells her to tell Ines to go, but Andre, who he wants to break up with shows up, so Gloria tells him to go first. In the end neither one does anything.

Cam tells Demi that he has never been more attracted to her, but she says that he has a boyfriend and he is only distracting himself. He admits that it does sound like him to do that and Demi says that she does not want the friend group to suffer after a bad breakup. He says that he has always liked her, but he never told her because she would wreck him.

At home, Gloria tells Ines that she is icing her and does not want her to hang out with her friends, but Ines says that she does not have friends of her own. Gloria slams the door in her face and calls Demi and Cam, telling them what she had done.

The next day, Demi and Cam are annoyed that Ines is still around them, but Gloria says that she needs to use her sister, so she has her folding clothes. A neighbor shows up, complaining that she is having her yard sale on the same day that he was having a yard sale. Gloria sells him an album and the neighbor's wife gets mad, telling Gloria to go. However, when she sees that she is a good seller, Gloria offers to sell her things as well for 50% of the sales. Cam gets a box, which he says will make Andre break up with him because it is a terrible gift.

A woman walks in, saying that she is looking for a monogramed box. She offers 200 dollars for it, so she walks over to Cam in order to get it back. She tells him that she needs to give it to the woman, who is no longer there.

Gloria looks through the box, saying there was nothing important in there. Asking Ines what she got for their father, she is told that Ines now has a new top, which her dad would like. Cam grabs the box and says he needs to leave. As Demi prepares to leave as well, the woman offers 500 dollars, adding another hundred. Gloria tells her that she does not have the box, but Gloria's uncle closes the door and tells her niece to not sell, saying he would take care of the negotiating. However, when he opens the door, the woman is gone.

Demi is worried that they are now cursed since they had touched the box. Gloria does not believe in curses, but Demi says that they need to and investigate where the box is from, which worries Ines, but Gloria refuses to move because it is her father's birthday. When their father walks in, he coldly greets Demi as she leaves.

At dinner, their father holds hands with Lucía, who he says is his friend. This bothers Ines and Gloria, so they stop doing it. Furious, Ines notices that Lucía is wearing their mother's scarf, and she starts texting rude things about her with her sister. Ines and Gloria are being rude as their uncle Tonio heads downstairs and greets everyone. When their father opens the gift they got him, he gets cut by the knife.

At home, Demi wonders if she is overreacting and draws a card, seeing that she is screwed. Cam walks into her room and wonders what is going on, saying that the box is cursed because Andre had loved it. They hold each others' hands as Demi tells him to go get the box back.

Ines and Gloria talk a little before going to bed saying that maybe it is good that their father found someone. Ines mentions that there is no curse as they wonder why their father had given his new girlfriend the scarf. Gloria says that if there really is a curse, there would have to be a cause. She says that their mom did not deserve to die and that bad things just happen before going to bed.

Demi says that they need to move before Gloria's dad gets his girlfriend pregnant. Cam is happy that Andre had not reached out to him in over 16 hours, but Demi says that that is probably because he is dead. Ines sits down with them, breaking one of Demi's rocks. Andre reaches the group and greets them, his face looks very different, however.

Gloria tells Demi, Ines and Cam that he must have used a new product, but he had told them that he had not done anything our of the ordinary. They reach the woman who sold them the box, asking where the woman who wanted to buy the box was. The woman tells them that the person who wanted to buy the box is dead.

Gloria says that obviously she was mistaken, and the person who wanted to buy the box was not who she thought she was. Demi tells them that they saw her clearly as the same person and Cam also believes there is a curse because of Andre's face. Gloria asks Ines to back her up, but Ines cannot back Gloria up. Gloria complains saying that the curse had started when she had to take care of Ines, wanting to leave. However, Demi tells her that they need to stick together in order to break the black magic, so Gloria tells them to call her when it is life or death.

At home, Gloria reads a book as her uncle Tonio sits next to her. He asks where Ines and his money are at, but she does not answer. As the phone rings, Tonio says that an unknown number is calling. When he hangs up, he says that he was called by a warranty person. Gloria tells him that they would get him his money, but he tells her not to worry about it.

Gloria walks into Ines' room, saying that they need to break into their uncle's laptop since he is in the shower. Gloria says that something is going on, which she noticed when he told her they do not owe him anymore. When they log into his computer, they find out that he has lymphoma cancer. He apologizes, saying that their father has cancer, which they found out after his birthday.

Gloria realizes that she had said "life or death" and thinks that they caused his father's cancer. Ines tells Gloria that their father considers her to be the favorite because she has everything figured out. They apologize to one another, and Ines tells her that she really likes her and would be giving her the space she deserves.

Gloria tells Demi and Cam that they need Ines in order to fight the curse because she is brave and could help them out if they need to sacrifice. Gloria tells them that they need to reverse the curse and save her father.

Outside, the woman looks into their house.

## Cast

* Keyla Monterroso Mejia - Gloria
* Bryana Salaz - Ines
* Tenzing Norgay Trainor - Cameron
* Ciara Riley Wilson - Demi
* Zaire Adams - Andre
* Melissa Bidgoli - HS Student
* Peggy Blow - Marisol Martinez
* Paula Garcés - Geny Martinez
* Eric Neil Gutierrez - Ruben Martinez
* Cyndee Rivera - Lucia
* Jean Paul San Pedro - Javier
* Shurud Shanto - Store Customer
* Michael Solomon - Rusty
* J.R. Villarreal - Tio Tonio
* Hannah Brennan - Student (uncredited)