Laura: What am I doing here and how did I get  here?

Hey my name is Laura and I’m 13 years old. My grades aren’t that great and I don’t really like, or pay attention to, anything. My mom’s always working and my dad left us when I was 6. I don’t have many friends or go to school much for that matter.

Jewel: I’m Jewel, Laura’s best friend. She's a really nice kid just she's been through a lot. Like her mom is never home and the teachers are always are picking on her. Everybody thinks she doesn’t know anything or she’s stupid or she doesn't apply herself. I just think she doesn't believe in herself. I just wish everybody believed in her as much as I do.

Ghost: Now I’m an interesting being. I’m not really a being. I’m kind of  a ghost……Now don’t run away. I’m not a mean ghost. I’m just a ghost who wants to help. Everybody thinks ghosts are so mean, but not me. No. Not this ghost. I’m actually special, believe it or not. Just don’t be afraid. I’m looking out for Laura.

Mom: Laura, again?!

Laura: What, Mom?

Mom: The house is a mess.

Laura: Well, I was hungry.

Mom: So you had to make the house a mess?

Jewel: Well, you were not home. In fact, you’re never home.

Laura: Jewel, how did you get in here?

Jewel: Oh, I was waiting outside and I was waiting to make a perfect entrance, and I did, WOO HOO! Is this what success feels like?

Mom: Jewel, please go.

Jewel: I’m just trying to help.

Laura: Jewel, I really like what your trying to do, but it’s alright. I can handle this myself. It’s okay. You don’t have to do this.

Laura’s mom takes a step back.

Mom: Laura, when you take out a salad, you put it back in the fridge. You don’t throw it on the floor.

Laura: It was under a cake. It was really hard to get to.

Jewel: I would of just eaten the cake.

Mom: Jewel, you’re awesome. I know how protective you are of Laura, but this is just a bad time for you to be here.

Laura: Well, at least she’s here.

Mom: Whats that supposed to mean?

Laura: Its just that sometimes I don’t think you love me.

Mom: You’re being ridiculous.

Jewel: I should go…..

Laura: Am I, Mom?

Mom: I have a meeting.  We will discuss this later.

The mom leaves.

Laura: I am so done.

Jewel: Done? Did you get attacked by flying monkeys?

Laura: What?

Jewel: Monkeys are so cute.

Laura: Jewel, really?

Jewel: Um well, except for flying monkeys.

Laura laughs.

Jewel: Do you need cheering up?

Laura: Sure

Jewel: Okay, let’s sing Madonna.

“Life is a mystery. . .”

Laura: Jewel, I know your trying to help, but first work on your singing.

Jewel: Oh you think thats bad. “Let it Go. Let it Go, and I’ll rise with the break of dawn”.

Laura: Or “Lean On Me. . .”

Jewel: You’re so political.

Laura: UMMMMM

Mom walks in. Laura, why didn’t you clean up.

Laura: I tried but…..

Mom: Well try harder.

There is a knock on the door.

Laura: James, what are we doing here?

James: I had to tell you something.

Mom: Wait, who is this?

Laura: Well…….

James: I’m her ex-boyfriend.

Laura: Wait, what? Ex?

James: Yes, that’s what I came here to tell you. We’re over.

Laura: You could have told me in private.

James: Well, I tried.

He leaves and slams the door.

Mom: Wait, why didn’t you tell me?

Laura: You are never home.

Mom: Laura, I am a very busy women.

Laura: Right. I’m going for a bike ride.

Ghost: Charlie, this is my shot. I have to go find her.

Narrator: Laura feels the wind on her neck as she bike rides her way in to the moonlight. 

Laura: I feel like I can’t breathe. If I can’t even keep a relationship that lasts more than a week, then what am I good for. My mom hates me. My dad left me. Everyone hates me. It sucks. I mean what is my real talent anyway?

Narrator: Laura has been peddling for a while when she sees paradise: a beautiful wide waterfall standing in front of her very eyes. One jump and all the humiliation and frustration would be gone. She flexes her legs in a diving pose position, ready to jump. A loud voice sings her way. She turns and faints.

Tiny Ghost: Dad, are we going to get in trouble for this?

(Bigger) Ghost: No, Charlie we are saving my sweet daughter’s life.

Laura wakes up and groans.

Laura: Where am I?

She was laying on something fluffy cozy and white. She sits up and then looks to her right and left. She is sitting on fluffy white things. She looks up to a pale blue sunset.

Laura: Oh My God. Am I sitting on clouds? Am I in the sky? Ahhhhhhhhhh.

Ghost: Yes, you are.

Laura: Who is there?

A ghosty figure appears  through the clouds.

Laura: OMG, Who are you?

Ghost: Laura, I have been watching you grow up. I am so proud of you.

Laura: Look ,creepy ghost, get out of here.

Ghost: Wait Laura, you just need to know something about me.

Laura: Fine.

Ghost: Laura, I am your dad.

Laura: No. No Way.

Ghost: Laura, you have to believe me.

Laura: Fine, say you are. Why did you leave us?

Ghost: I did not want to leave you.

Laura: Then why did you? I was 6. You were my hero. I looked up to you.

Ghost: Thats why I did what I did.

Laura: Did what, leave?

Ghost: I was dying.

Laura: What?

Ghost: I was left alone with you. I started shaking. Laura, I was having a seizure.

Laura: I don’t believe you.

They both have tears in their eyes.

Ghost: You were right upstairs. I didn’t want you to see me die. I got outside and fell to my knees. Then I blacked out and now I’m here.

Laura: They never found your body though.

Ghost: Who can explain the past? Only the future.

Laura starts crying. Her dad has tears in his eyes.

Ghost: Oh and Laura, there’s kind of something I need to tell you.

A tiny ghosty image appears.

Laura: What is that?

Ghost: This is Charlie. He’s your brother?

Laura: Brother?

Charlie: Yes.

Ghost: Remember right after I died when you thought I left?

Laura: Yes.

Ghost: Remember when Charlie was born and when he got to about 2, he died?

Laura: Oh my Gosh. You’re not saying what I think you are. Are you?

Ghost looks at her very blankly.

Laura: Oh, oh my Gosh.

She falls to her knees on the white white cloud and starts to cry. Charlie walks up to Laura.

Charlie: Don’t cry, Laura.

Laura grabs Charlie and hugs him.

While they are hugging, Laura’s dad/the ghost has fire in his eyes and his lips curve to worry as an image has fallen within him.

Mom: Is Laura right? Have I been gone for too long? Am I a bad mom? I mean, is Laura right? I can’t even think. My blood is flowing extra hard in my veins right now. My heart pumping like a drum right now. 

Narrator: She comes up to the gorgeous, wide ,clear waterfall.

Mom: One jump and all the humiliation and frustration will be gone.

Narrator: She hears a voice and turns. She faints.

A few moments later, she opens her puffy eyes and sees the sky. She sits up and looks down to see a cloud. She hears a voice.

Laura: Hey, Mom.

Mom: Laura! Laura, are you okay?

Laura: Yeah, Mom I’m fine. I have to show you some people I met, though.

She snaps her fingers and these ghosty objects appear.

Ghost: Hello, Sally.

Mom: Jim, is that you?

Ghost: Yes, this is me, he says with tears in his eyes.

The mom starts balling.

Mom: Why did you leave me? Why did you leave us?

Ghost: I didn’t.

Mom: But you did.

Ghost: Sally, you don’t get it.

Mom: I do though. Why didn’t you love me?

Ghost: Why do you think I’m dressed like this, Sally. I was dying right in front of Laura.

Mom: You were dying?

Ghost: Yes, why would I ever want to leave you? I love you and Laura and Charlie.

Mom: Charlie? Like my baby Charlie?

Laura snaps her fingers again and another ghosty, but smaller, image appears.

Mom: OMG, Charlie?

Charle: I’ve missed you, Mommy.

Laura: You don’t know her, little stinker. You were 2.

Mom: Laura.

Laura: What? Now that I know we are siblings, I am going to treat him like one.

The mom and Charlie hug each other for minutes. Then, she stands up and looks at Laura, eye to eye, not even blinking. Then Laura starts crying, as she murmurs.

Laura: I love you mommy.

Mom: Oh Laura, I love you too!!

They hug it out. Then the mom and dad hug and then Charlie and Laura hug. Then something catches Laura’s eye. Her mom was smiling.

Narrator: Laura hadn’t see her mom smile in forever. Ever since her dad left or now that she’s learned, died.

A little while later, Laura sits up in her bed, wiping her eyes.

Laura: OHHHHHHH! She decides she’s hungry so she goes downstairs to fetch some food. Her mom comes downstairs.

Laura: I had the weirdest dream.

Mom: I did too.

Then they feel these forces of wind that push them out right onto their lawn. The wind lifts their heads up, so that they looking straight in to the clouds. The clouds separate and these two images appear looking down at them, waving. The mom and Laura turn to each other.

Mom and Laura together: It wasn’t a dream, was it?