"Around the Fire" > The Funeral

Priest speaks: It's been a long, long time...

The priest speaks in a foreign language. Simon's father looks down at young Simon, Simon grabs his hand and tries to pull him away from this sad scene. But his father refuses and Simon runs over to the green bench and sits.

Cut to: Simon and his mother together laughing. Back to: Funeral.

Simon's father (Matt) places the white rose that he was holding onto the casket, walks over to the priest and shakes his hand saying, "Thank you." He walks over to Simon who is sitting on the bench and sits down next to him.

Matt: Hey, I got a lucky key.

He takes the key out of his pocket and starts writing something on the bench.

Matt: Hey, I got an H.

Simon takes the keys.

This woman, named Lauren comes over and yells to Simon's dad.

Lauren: Matt?

Matt walks over to her. Lauren is middle aged woman with dirty blond hair with small curls.

Lauren: Matt, I'm so sorry. She was such a wonderful woman.

Matt: Thank you. It's uh...she was...

Suddenly, Simon runs off.

Matt (calling): Simon!...Simon!

Cut to: Simon's house before everything with rehab happened. On how he got to rehab (13 years later after the funeral scene)

Simon comes home one night, late, with a police officer by his side into the house.

Lauren (walking down the steps): Simon. What happened?

Policeman: Is this your son?

Simon: Stepson...

Lauren: Simon, you all right?

Simon: ...yeah.

Lauren calls upstairs, to her now, husband Matt.

Lauren: Matt!

Matt walks down holding a cell phone talking to a guy on the phone about a business deal.

Matt: Look hun, this deals already set. No room outta this.

Matt sees Simon and the police officer.

Matt (on the phone): The uh, I'll call you back.

He gets off the phone, looking shocked.

Matt: What's going on here?

Policeman: Your son was caught shoplifting at Patrick and Company.

Lauren: What? Simon?

Simon: It was an accident. I didn't realize what I was doing.

Matt: All right, well there must be some kind of mistake here.

Policeman: What mistake?

Lauren: Well what was he alleged to of stolen?

The policeman pulls out a pen.

Policeman: This.

Matt (shocked, even more): A pen?

Simon: It's not what happened. What happened was in...the salesperson automatically thought that I was—

Matt (interrupts): Well, well uh okay officer, uh...Where do we go from here?

Policeman shows a piece of paper.

Policeman: Sign right there and I'll release him to your custody. Matt: Okay.

Matt doesn't have a pen to sign with so the policeman takes out the stolen pen.

Policeman: I guess you could use this.

Matt takes the pen and signs it.

Matt (hands it back to police officer): Here you go.

Lauren: Thank you very much officer.

Matt: Yeah, okay, officer uh. Thank you for everything.

Policeman: Uh-huh.

Matt: Sorry for all the trouble.

Policeman: Good night sir.

Matt: Yeah, you have a good night too.

Matt shuts the door.

Matt smiles, while Lauren has this look on her face as like "Why doesn't he punish Simon for what he did? Why is he letting this go?"

Simon goes to walk upstairs, but Lauren puts her arm on his shoulder to stop him.

Lauren: Simon...we'll talk about this later.

Simon pulls away from her arm and continues to walk up the stairs. He walks into his room and goes to sit on the couch (?) and takes a look out the window.

Cut to: Lauren and Matt getting ready for the party, they're looking in the mirror. Matt's doing his tie.

Lauren (walking next to Matt): Jesus Christ.

Matt looks around, being sarcastic: Where?

Lauren: Matt.

Matt: Oh, come on, don't get so excited. I'm sure it was an accident, couldn't have been intentional.

Cut to: Simon in his room still looking out the window.

Cut to: A fight with Matt and real mother.

Matt (screaming): I thought you loved me!

RM: I'm sorry!

Matt: NO! NO!

RM: Ahh!

Matt: No stay there. No! It's too late!

RM: What about Simon?!

Matt (pushing her out the door): I'll take care of Simon. Get out!

Matt closes the door. Matt looks at young Simon who is sitting on the steps.

Cut to: Older Simon, present day, staring out the window.

Cut to: Lauren and Matt in bathroom looking in mirror.

Matt: I mean come on, school is gonna help. They'll be able to stay on top of him a lot better than we will here. And I'll talk to him. I promise. I'll talk to him...in the car. And you, you look great.

Matt slaps Laurens butt.

Back 12.31.2007.