Felicity s01e02 Episode Script

* Ooh de la * Dear Sally Okay, listen, you're not gonna believe this.
First of all, New York's the best.
Thank God I decided to stay here.
At first, it was sort of scary, even walking down the sidewalk.
It was like being one snowflake in a crazy blizzard.
* Thinking so much * - But then it occurred to me * My crowded head became sore * everyone's one snowflake.
I know my parents are probably freaking out - now that they're back in California.
- * Fell back into the place * - So just to reassure them - * I was before * that New York isn't swallowing their daughter whole, I've called them a few times, - * Reasons long enough to not let it show * - leaving, like, 10-minute messages on their machine.
- * I follow through this once * - Here's the thing you won't believe - - I was feeling totally okay about the whole Ben thing.
It was just a stupid crush.
- * And I think I've got it all figured out * - It didn't work out and that's all, over, next.
I thought things might be weird between me and Julie, you know, because of what happened, but I talked to her about it.
And it turns out, she's totally over Ben, too, - * I'll wait the day * - so we were both over Ben.
Hey.
Hey.
I'll call you later.
Yeah.
So you're staying? Yeah.
I, uh, decided to sweat it out for a little bit.
What? Nothing.
Nothing.
I just can't figure you out.
It sort of threw me when he said that.
And at the time, you know, I didn't know what to make of it.
Okay, finally, the thing you're not going to believe - * We went down to the edge of the water * - I was at work study, filing housing documents, - * You were afraid to go in * - and Mrs.
Jessup came up to me.
It seems someone called the admissions office - - * You said there might be sharks out there * - a young man.
- * In the ocean * - He wanted to know if it was possible to - * And I said I'm only going for a swim * - access students' college application essays Mine.
- * I was swimming around * - Mrs.
Jessup told him no, - * In a circle * - and he hung up without leaving his name.
* I wasn't always in view * - Then Mrs.
Jessup congratulated me on having an admirer.
* You said we might get into red flag danger * * And I am alone when I'm not with you * Hold on! I'm just finishing a really bad sentence.
Oh.
Hey.
I did the floor calendar.
Great.
This is, uh, it's perfect.
You didn't call the admissions office today, did you? For what? To ask for my essay.
I - I don't understand.
Uh, nothing.
Why - why would I call the admissions office? No, you wouldn't.
- Just forget about it.
- No, wait, hold on.
You gotta tell me.
You're obligated to explain.
Can I - come in? - Yeah.
I find it really easy to talk to you.
Yeah, I-I feel the same way.
But the other day, when I asked you, you know, that question, and you said, "yes," it just - it makes it harder to talk to you.
Yeah, look, I have to clear something up.
When I said that I had feelings for you Yeah, that was the question.
I know.
I get feelings for people all the time.
I'm a sensitive guy.
Okay.
- Yeah, I get crushes on everyone.
- You do? - Yeah.
Oh, okay.
You know, don't, uh, don't blow this out of proportion, because it was it was mostly just this weird you know, I'm the R.
A.
, which I've never been before, and - and you're the new freshman.
And it was more like an almost power trip kind of thing.
I mean, of course I have feelings for you.
I like you.
But it's all just natural and - and unromantic as hell.
Am I blushing? Sort of.
Well, so - so here's the thing - Well, you know how I read Ben's college application essay.
Okay.
This is about Ben.
All right.
- Oh, this is too weird, way too weird.
- No.
No, wait a minute.
It's okay.
I - I just think that maybe Ben is uncomfortable, you know, that I read his application essay behind his back, and he didn't get to read mine.
I think he might have called the admissions office to try to get it.
- Your essay, which you don't want him to see? - No way.
I mean, mostly because it's about him.
Yeah.
Your your college application essay's about Ben? So I can't, you know, show him my essay, right? I mean, that would be humiliating.
Yeah, I think your instincts are right.
I don't think you can let Ben see that essay.
Okay.
I think I'm going to.
Wait.
You were just asking my advice.
No, I-I was using you as a bouncing board.
Bouncing board? This was helpful, though.
I'm not going to hand it to him.
That might embarrass him.
I'm going to mail it.
No, wait.
Okay.
I think you're making a mistake here.
And remember, this is coming from someone who doesn't even slightly have a crush on you.
I'm still sending Ben my essay.
All right.
Look, so, don't come back unless you're gonna listen to me.
- Thank you, Noel.
- I mean it.
Here's my new theory - no matter what, you can never be ashamed of the truth, never.
Anyway, I hope that you're happy and that you're finding a life in Santa Fe.
I miss you, Sally.
Talk back soon, okay? Love, Felicity.
What are you doing here? What is this? Come in.
Close the door.
We're here because we're trying to understand why you're so adamant about New York.
You said you went back home.
- You lied to me? - We didn't lie.
I asked you if the flight was bumpy, and you said All your mother said was we were fine.
- What did you tell them? - I suggested they talk to their daughter.
We need to understand where this big switch came from.
Nancy even asked me if you were on drugs.
You honestly think I - I'm on drugs? We honestly don't know what to think.
But you could imagine that - that I'm here because of drugs? Did we do something wrong? Are you angry with us? Because we can't get answers anywhere.
Not from you, not from the admissions office, not from your counselor.
What do you mean? I mean we want to know where this need to be in Manhattan all of a sudden comes from.
You said ad-admissions office.
I tried to get a copy of your application essay.
Oh, God.
But they refused to give it to me.
No.
Oh, no.
Oh! I can't believe this.
Damn it! She was never like this before.
Hold on.
Larry, what's up? I'm sort of having some problems with, uh, Lewis.
- Okay.
What is it? - He keeps talking in his sleep and, uh, pretty loud.
- Yeah.
That - that is annoying.
- That's not even it.
See, uh, it's the subject matter.
Oh.
Uh, well, what's he talking about? Buying knives and, uh, killing his roommate, which is a problem.
Okay.
I'll, uh, I'll talk to Lewis.
- Would you talk to him? - I'll handle it.
I've got it covered.
Thanks.
Yeah.
Felicity: Hi.
This is kind of a strange request, but I'm curious if you could tell me if a letter I sent to a friend of mine has arrived.
His name is Ben Covington.
And it's, um, kind of a cream envelope, letter-sized.
Um, there's no return address on it.
Please.
I'm not supposed to do that.
Do what? Give information vis-a-vis other students, okay? This is important.
I sent him an invitation, and I just need to know that he got it.
Um, but I just don't know which box is his.
It's Covington, Ben.
It's a cream-colored envelope.
Please.
What? Is there any way you could give me back that envelope? Give it to you? Uh, okay.
Um no.
Sir I need you to give me that envelope.
Giving you that envelope would constitute a federal offense.
I won't tell anyone.
Which might be fine for you, however, I have a conscience.
What is that supposed to mean? Ben: Hey.
How you doing? Oh.
Hey.
You all right? Yeah? You seem a little bit No, I'm - I'm good.
I'm, uh, just still trying to, uh, get all my classes.
Yeah.
I haven't really signed up for any of mine either.
Really? You know, you got to, uh, get those electives pretty soon.
- Oh.
- Man: Oh, sorry, bro.
- You all right? - I'm all right, I'm all right.
It's all right.
I got it.
Oh.
Okay.
Well, I'll let you You know, I was thinking, um, I think it's really good that you're staying.
So you have no intention of buying any knives? No.
Or killing your roommate? * Yes * No.
I gotta be honest with you here, Lewis.
I wish you were a little more convincing.
Um, I want to finish this conversation later.
Come in.
Hey.
Hey.
So, guess what? It wasn't Ben who was asking about my essay.
It was my dad.
Okay.
But you didn't send it to Ben yet, did you? Oh, that's great.
And now, years from now, Ben will look back on college and remember Felicity Porter as that obsessive girl with frizzy hair who not only followed him across country, but then just began randomly sending him information about herself as if he'd ever asked for any.
Well, if you can live with that, then you're okay.
And on top of everything, my parents are meeting with me and my counselor.
It's gonna be this horrible mediation attempt.
Well, that's why I'm here.
I actually have a theory about this.
I think you should invite your parents to come see the dorm, introduce them to your R.
A.
, who will make them feel really secure.
You know, let them get to know the place.
Otherwise, where you live is always gonna be a mystery, and they'll never be okay with any of this.
Do you really think that's the best thing to do? Yeah, I do.
I mean, I-I'm just your R.
A.
, but I really appreciate you not saying, "I told you so" about sending Ben the essay.
You're welcome.
Although, that is all I'm thinking.
- I know.
- Okay.
And, Mark, when you talk to her, I want you to make it sound as good as it can.
Okay? Oh.
Can you hang on a second? Hello? Felicity.
Um, uh, let me get rid of this call.
- Felicity.
- Sweetie, I know we said this before.
We didn't mean to surprise you like that.
No, I know.
It's okay.
But I-I was thinking, maybe tomorrow, before we go meet with Papaleo, maybe you guys would want to come by the dorm, you know, um, and see where I'm living now.
- We'd love that.
- Just tell us when.
Okay.
Um, well, I'll see you guys tomorrow then.
Bye.
Well, they're coming.
I can't wait.
What? To meet the people that made you.
Oh.
Meghan.
E- excuse me.
Meghan? Feel free to say no to this, obviously, but, um, my parents are coming by tomorrow, and they're a little prepossessed to hate this place.
So, anyway, I was curious if you wouldn't mind and don't take this personally um, just for tomorrow, maybe putting away a few of your skulls? No.
No? Really? She's got a point.
This is nice.
Don't you think? It's not - it's not usually this loud.
That beer smell doesn't bother you? - I don't think that's beer.
- It's beer.
I think that's actually the shampoo they use on the rugs.
This is me.
So, this is it.
Who Meghan.
Oh, she's a total freak.
She's seriously weird, but we get along great.
Um Mom and Dad, this is Meghan.
You think I'm weird? You're the one who wears Hush Puppies.
She seems, uh It's just that difficult period, you know, where you're getting to know everyone.
It just takes a while.
You got a nice view.
You should clean the window.
Yeah.
I will.
So, what do you think now that you've seen it? It's a lot bigger than I expected.
I know.
Can you believe how much I lucked out? I mean, most people have these closet-size rooms.
Come in! Hey, uh, when do the overbearing parents get here? You - you can't possibly know how - how I feel having said that.
This is Noel.
He's the, um resident advisor on the floor.
And - and these are my, uh - You work here? My parents.
L- I-I'm a sophomore student as well as Felicity's, uh I'm so horrifyingly apologetic for that that transgression.
- It's okay.
- No.
No.
It's really not.
You should know those were my words and not Felicity's.
That was you know, that was my interpretation of - Noel, drop it.
This is a pretty bad impression, I admit.
Larry: Noel! - Noel? - Uh, what? L- I'm in here.
Look.
Look at this.
You told me that Lewis doesn't want to kill me.
That's - that's what he told me, Larry.
Well, he's taken the first step.
Well, I'll - I'm gonna - I'll talk to him.
- Yeah, I think you'd better.
- Okay.
What's that? I don't know.
It's - it's just a fire alarm.
They happen all the time.
You'll see.
It almost never means that there's an actual blaze.
Although, we should evacuate, uh, in - in an orderly fashion.
- Look, I'm really sorry about my earlier comment.
- Let it go.
The politics between parents and their kids it's complicated.
You know, the same thing with me and my folks.
So I'm not going to presume that we can, um, solve anything here.
I'm just trying to give you all a safe place to hear each other out.
You said yesterday you were looking for answers, so why don't you start off by asking some questions? Well, it's very simple.
We never insisted.
We never laid down an ultimatum.
But since I can remember, you wanted to go to Stanford.
You were gonna be a doctor.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, you have to be in New York.
You're not even sure if you're gonna be pre-med anymore.
And I guess my question is that if you were sitting where we are would you understand what your daughter was up to? There was a guy from high school who I sort of had feelings for.
And he was going to a college in New York.
You came here for a boy? Well, initially.
You're gonna scrap Stanford University because of a crush? Papaleo: I don't think this young man is the reason Felicity has chosen to stay.
Look.
Yeah, I-I came here because of Ben, but I'm staying because of me.
Were we being too controlling? No.
Well, then, what was it? You know how we go out to dinner on Tuesdays? It's our thing just the two of us.
We've done it forever, and I love that.
But I was eating dinner the other night in the cafeteria.
I was - I was eating a hamburger.
And - and it occurred to me that it was a Tuesday.
And suddenly This is just gonna sound stupid, um No, say it.
Well, suddenly it was the best hamburger, you know? Not - not because I wasn't with you, but because I was here, on my own, you know? You're feeling the rush of independence.
That's - that's wonderful.
But you don't have to move all the way to New York to have a burger on your own terms.
I don't know what it is.
I just think, for some reason, being here is important.
You know, I agree.
I think it is important.
In fact, I think it's so important, I don't see why you're so interested in coming home for Thanksgiving.
What do you mean? I think that if your decision is to stay in New York, - you should stay in New York.
- Barbara? I didn't know Tuesdays were such a problem for you.
I didn't say they were a problem.
I wouldn't have wasted all that time if I'd had known how embarrassed it made you.
I've never been embarrassed.
And I never meant to be overbearing.
I think all Felicity is saying is that she's finally - I understand what she's saying.
I'm - I'm gonna go back to the hotel.
You can stay if you like.
Barbara.
Barbara.
Will you sit down, please? She's just Excuse me.
So, you got the guitar.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What is it, a Martin? Um, no.
Uh, it's got the same wood, though.
Yeah.
I couldn't really afford the real thing.
So, how's it been going? I haven't, uh, haven't really seen you around.
Yeah, I've just been trying to figure out my schedule like everyone.
Yeah, when you're not playing guitar.
So are you - are you avoiding me or? A little.
Yeah? Yeah.
What is that? Is that, is that because of what happened with Felicity, or is it because of me? It's not you.
It's not Felicity either.
I gotta go.
- You gotta go? - Yeah, I'll see you around, okay? Yeah, but that doesn't mean I never get to hear you play, though.
Oh, I'm sure you'll be unlucky enough to hear that.
* It's just a simple line * * I can still hear it * * All of the time * * If I can just hold on tonight * * I know that nothing * * Nothing survives * * I think I'm turned around * * I'm looking up * - What are you doing? * Not looking down * - I just had that meeting with my parents.
* Standing still * * Watching you run * * Watching you fall * * Fall into me * I've never seen my mom like that.
* And I make it something worth while* How'd you leave it? My dad said we're supposed to have dinner tonight, try again.
* Then I make it something worthwhile* - She was just so angry at me.
* I am displaced * - * I am displaced * - When I told them why I came here God, you should have seen her face.
- * And she's my friend * - It was like I stabbed her in the heart.
* Of all friends * * She's still here * - * Everyone's gone * - They just feel rejected.
- * She doesn't have to say a thing * - What do you mean? Your parents just never expected you to break off on your own.
And they're freaking out because they feel like you're rejecting all of their plans.
Yeah.
I sort of have the reverse problem.
My parents have always expected me to break off on my own So they work overtime to keep me happy.
What do you mean, your parents always knew you'd leave? * I am displaced * It's complicated.
* I am displaced * It's not that complicated.
They're my adoptive parents.
I mean, I love them, so you don't have to feel sorry for me.
No, I don't.
* It's just a simple line * - They're great.
They're my mom and my dad.
* I can still hear it * * All of the time * Oh, I always make such a big deal out of this.
It's really nothing.
What? * I know that nothing, nothing survives * * Nothing survives * Well, what they don't know, what I haven't told anyone * I think I'm turned around * is that I found out my birth mom's name last year, - and she lives in New York.
* And when I'm standing still * Is - I mean, that's not why you came here? * Watching you fall * * Fall into me * They would be really hurt if they found out.
I won't say anything.
I know.
God.
I feel all grown up.
Me too.
Felicity? Yeah? Is there anyone else in there? I mean, besides you? Woman: Yeah! I just wanted to apologize again for what I did.
You were just being honest.
Maybe, but I swear to God, it was one of the dumbest things I've ever done.
So, did they say anything about me? It's all yours.
Thanks.
So, they hated me, right? Your parents.
They didn't hate you.
But they didn't say that.
I think in their minds, you were just one more piece of straw in this whole miserable haystack.
Do I look okay? Dr.
Porter Uh, Noel.
I remember.
I just, uh wanted to say once again that I'm I'm really regretful.
You're the resident advisor.
Yes, sir.
Is she okay here? I think, um I think that she's, uh, you know, like like a chick.
A chick? Yeah oh a a baby chicken.
I was I was gonna use a metaphor.
No, don't use metaphors.
Just tell me - is she all right? Yeah.
Yes.
I think she is.
I know this probably doesn't mean anything, but l'm - I'm looking out for her.
And if it - if it ever gets difficult, I'll do whatever I can, uh, to make it better.
That knife thing work out okay? Oh, yeah.
Um, yeah, that's under control.
It'll be fine.
Good.
Thanks.
Sure.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Where's Mom? Uh, she wasn't feeling well.
You ready? Yeah.
I don't want to keep having the same discussion every time I see you.
I know.
I'm really trying to understand.
I don't want you here.
I want you at Stanford.
But what the hell am I doing fighting you on this? It's your life not mine.
Hard as it is for someone like me to swallow.
Okay, I'm gonna make one last attempt here.
Are you sure you want to stay in New York? I think so.
Okay.
Well, then, I think we should talk about how you're gonna do that.
I mean practically.
If you'd attended Stanford, I was prepared to pay your tuition which I'm still prepared to do.
What? But I-I want to be fair.
If you'd stayed at home, room and board wouldn't have been an additional expense, so I think you should be responsible for that.
You think that's fair? Dad, you don't have to do that.
- I mean, this is my decision.
- I know.
I didn't get to where I am in life not to send my one daughter through college.
Dad It's important to me.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
I remember thunderstorms when I was little.
I'd be lying in my bed, just terrified.
No, I can still make it in today.
They're picking us up here pretty soon.
My mom would come in.
She'd crawl into my bed, stroke my hair, and tell me that it was going to be okay.
She helped me fall asleep when I was scared.
It's silly, but I guess I expected she'd always do that.
I just don't understand it - why she's so hurt that I'm here.
She was the one who always understood me.
But I guess this is how it happens Growing up.
This must just be what it feels like.
Excuse me, do you know Felicity Porter? Yeah.
You've never had a student who felt you know, guilty just about growing up, have you? I thought you were going home.
Come here.
I met your father when I was very young, which is why I had that reaction.
When you said you'd followed a boy to college, it sounded so familiar.
I mean I had you when I was 20 years old, which I wouldn't trade for anything.
But All those visions I had for my life, all the dreams you think might possibly one day materialize, they all started disappearing one by one.
Of course, none of which is your fault.
You know I didn't mean those things I said.
I lived for those Tuesday dinners with you.
I liked them, too.
But I think they were a little too important for me.
Here's the thing - I don't know what it's going to be like now without you at home not just for me alone.
What do you mean? I'm a little terrified.
But more than anything I'm proud of my brave daughter who I can't wait to see on Thanksgiving.
Hey.
Hi.
How's it going? It's good.
It's good.
I, uh I got that - I got your essay that you sent me.
And you wrote about me.
Yeah, yeah, I did.
I'm gonna let you kids No, stay.
This is Ben.
This is my mom.
Hi.
Very nice to meet you.
Yeah, it's nice to meet you.
So l'll see ya.
Yeah.
I'll - I'll see ya.
Okay.
He's cute.
Yeah.
* Move me * * Don't try * * Let the music * * Reach me tonight * * Push me over * * Into something new * * I've been riding all day on a bus * * Just to listen to you * * I love, I love, I love, I love the look * * In your trespassed eyes * * I love, I love, I love, I love the way * * You can make me cry * * Without a sound * * Without a sound * * Without a sound *