Helping Him Help Her

SCENE opens on a Sshot of Jenny, an 18-year-old girl, as she leans up against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, while her parents get ready to leave for the day. As they weave around her collecting their things, her father reiterates the house rules: no friends over, no boys over, just a quiet day alone. They will be back before midnight. Jenny rolls her eyes and reminds them that she's eighteen, fully capable of being left on her own. Her mother hugs her and tells her that she can always call her older brother if she needs something. Jenny rolls her eyes again and mutters 'step-brother' under her breath. The parents say goodbye and Jenny watches them leave, a fake smile on her face. As soon as she hears the door close, her smile turns into a smirk and she struts over to the fridge. She leans in and starts pulling out various food items including a cucumber, a bag of carrots, and a pickle jar. She picks each one up and studies them before settling on a carrot. Biting her lip, she collects the rest of the food and walks back to her bedroom, closing the door. Gary, Jenny's older step-brother, sips a drink with his buddy at a local bar when his phone starts blowing up. It's Jenny calling. At first, Gary ignores her but when she calls repeatedly, he excuses himself and answers the phone. She is hysterical, begging her brother to come to the family house because of an emergency. Gary tries to calm her down and understand what's happening, but the sister is in such a panic that he...