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MARQUETTE COVE HIGH SCHOOL
Leslie Hanley pulls into the parking lot at Marquette Cove High School, checking her hair in the rearview mirror before turning off the car's engine. She turns to her daughter, Akilah Moore, brighter and more vibrant than she's seen her in months. Leslie can't help but smile.
"Mom...you're doing it again," Akilah says, rolling her eyes.
"I'm sorry. It's just good to see you smiling again," Leslie insists.
"You mean as opposed to being forced into a shotgun marriage?"
Leslie sighs, climbing out of the car. "Yes, as opposed to that."
CHECK-IN TABLE
"I'm sorry, I'm not finding that name," Mrs. Hansen, the elderly woman behind the voting check-in table says, searching through the list of registered voters in Marquette Cove.
"Why don't you try her married name, Bale?"
Recognizing the voice, Jessica turns around to find Akilah standing behind her with Leslie in tow. Great. Just the two people she wanted to run into.
"Guess my plans to get here early, avoid the lines, avoid uncomfortable situations..." Jessica begins. "Like running into my ex-boss."
"I hope you've been well," Leslie says, excusing herself to check in at the table.
"Look, I'm sorry my mom fired you," Akilah says. "But I want to talk to you about Alec —"
"I don't want to hear anything about him," Jessica snaps. "And maybe you could learn to mind your own business?"
"He was a big help out in South Africa."
"What? On your vacation where mob boss killed a bunch of people? I don't even want to know how you all got mixed up in that. I don't care. All I care about is moving on with my life and divorcing Alec."
"He was going through a lot," Akilah insists. "All the stuff with his dad —"
"Hi, I'm here to check in, my name is Farrah Louis."
Jessica and Akilah turn toward the table, spotting Farrah as she takes her voting ballot. She notices the two girls staring at her and uncomfortably lowers her head as she moves to a voting booth.
"Whatever happened to Alec didn't force him to do that," Jessica says, glaring at Farrah.
POLLING BOOTH
Alec Bale pencils in the line on his voting ballot for John McCain, then lowers his pencil. After staring at his ballot for a few moments, he takes a deep breath and starts to leave, but he quickly turns around and erases the line for McCain.
"No, Robert is going to vote for that old bastard," Alec says, quickly scribbling in a line for Barack Obama.
Finally done with his vote, Alec prepares to leave but then...has another change of heart.
"Vince is gonna vote for Obama," Alec mutters.
He erases his line and tears up his ballot, leaving it lying on the floor. As he storms out of the booth, he bumps into Leslie, nearly barreling her over.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hanley," Alec says, picking up her fallen ballot. "I didn't mean to..."
His voice trails off when he sees Akilah, Jessica, and Farrah standing near the same table. He rushes out of the building, even amidst the sound of someone calling out his name.
He stops outside near his car, hyperventilating as he leans against the door, staring up at the high school entrance. Facing his past head-on was definitely not on Alec's priority list for the day.
SCHOOL ENTRANCE
"Alec!" Darren Reynolds says, attempting to catch his cousin as he rushes out of the building.
Darren turns back inside, adjusting his sunglasses to shield his eyes from anyone he might run into. He's hardly in the mood for being in the public after the one two punch of unemployment and learning about his sister's death.
But for such a historical vote...he has to soldier on and —
"Move it fag."
Darren spins around to see Matt Holden and Ariel Hanley striding into the building. They both stop in front of Darren, outstretching hands to his respective shoulders and smiling.
"We're really sorry," Ariel says, smiling but obscuring her true expression with her own pair of shades.
"Thanks guys," Darren says. "Sara was really..."
"She meant sorry Osama is gonna lose the election," Matt says, smirking. "But yeah, sorry bout Sara too. Seeing her body was harsh."
Matt heads off toward the gym so he can check in for voting, while Ariel waits behind for a moment.
"Don't mind him, he's high right now," Ariel says. "But still, I was sorry to hear about your sister."
Darren furrows his brow. "Thanks?"
POLLING BOOTH
Felicia Bale marks a pencil line across for Obama and slides her ballot into the machine before her. Smiling, she turns and exits the poll at the same time that her brother Michael Hanley exits.
"I'm not going to even ask who you voted for," Michael says. "I realize I'm on an island here."
"An island you've tried swaying Vince over to, I've heard," Felicia remarks.
"I haven't been pushy," Michael insists.
"Oh no, of course not..." Felicia stops when she sees Darren entering the gym, then her eyes turn to her ex-husband, Robert Bale, at the check-in table.
She grimaces at the sight of him in gym clothes and an unshaven beard, probably reeking of alcohol as well. It hurts her as someone who once loved Robert and as someone in AA, to see Robert's life spiraling out of control.
But knowing what he did to their son...allegedly, but still...it disgusts her.
"I should go see Darren, see how he's doing," Felicia says.
"Go ahead," Michael says, nodding.
As Felicia joins Darren near the entrance, Michael moves toward Robert, resting his hand on his shoulder. He immediately removes it once he feels the sweat on Robert's back.
"If I weren't positive you were voting the right way, I'd tell you to go home and take a long shower."
"Get the hell away from me, Michael," Robert snaps. "I need to go and talk to my nephew about..."
"Maybe you should stay away from him," Michael suggests.
"You take away my job, and now you want to keep my family away from me too?"
Michael smiles. "I think you're doing just fine by yourself."
PARKING LOT
Aaron Maddock tosses a cigarette onto the pavement as he climbs out of his car. He slams the door shut and stares up at the high school, immediately thinking of the last time he was there. He'd had sex with Blake Thomas in the gym where he was now heading to vote.
"Here to rock the vote, Aaron?"
Aaron notices his colleague and friend, Simon Holden, approaching him arm-in-arm with Rebecca Li. Aaron's smile quickly turns to a scowl upon the sight of Rebecca, the woman who'd surely attempted to swindle him out of money by pretending to be a woman of influence.
"Simon," Aaron says. "I didn't know you'd recently bought a dog."
"I haven't?" Simon says, confused.
"Then why is this bitch with you?"
"I would think you'd be more supportive of the woman who's helping you get custody of Alexis Lopez," Simon says. "Against my better judgment, but still."
"Custody?"
"She explained that you believe Alexis is Melissa's daughter?"
"No one is supposed to know that yet," Aaron insists.
Simon nods. "Of course not. She swore me to secrecy. I just don't know why you couldn't tell me the truth, Aaron. I thought we were friends."
"Yes, Aaron," Rebecca says, forcing a smile. "I'm a firm believer in the truth."
"That's awfully funny considering you're —"
"I am helping you, remember?"
Before Aaron can respond, he sees Blake heading toward the school out of the corner of his eye. He also sees his new boyfriend, Eric Hanley, holding his hand. Disgusted, Aaron brushes past Simon and Rebecca and climbs into his car.
"I'll vote later," Aaron mutters.
Julia Mitchell pushes open Vincent Moore's bedroom door to find him lying on his bed, listening to music with his iPhone. She angrily storms over to him and yanks out his headphones. "Are you kidding me?"
"Hey!" Vince cries, sitting up and sliding back from Julia's reach. "What's that all about?"
"You're not voting! Riley told me you haven't left the house!" Julia says. "What is wrong with you? Don't you know how important this election is?"
"Yeah, everyone keeps telling me," Vince says. "My mom keeps reminding me how great it is that my first election is being able to vote for an African-American. And Michael keeps guilting me with the fact that he won't be able to afford as many of the extravagant things we have if I don't vote for McCain."
Julia sighs and plops down on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry, Vince. But you need to ignore all of that."
Vince smiles. "I know."
"Then go and vote, idiot."
"I already did. I voted early, as soon as we got back from South Africa."
"Oh...well then, who did you vote for?"
Vince watches Julia's eager face and prepares to either excite her or let her down with his political decision. He takes a deep breath, and then, "Don't tell my mom or Michael this, but I voted for —"
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