Luca 2: The Complete Script

Scene 9 - Hide It

General Theme:

The Bottom of the Ocean

(We jump-cut to the Marcovaldo kitchen.)

Giulia: What?

(The table is fully laid out for supper, and Giulia's said this while being frozen above her plate of pasta, fork in hand.)

Alberto: We weren't getting anywhere with that person. She barely listened to us.

Luca: (Quietly) We really tried... It just—

Giulia: (Sigh, picking at her pasta) I know, I know... It's out of our control. I'm not mad, but... what am I supposed to do...?

Luca: I... We... don't know. We're really sorry, Giulia, we've done everything we can.

Giulia: No, guys, it's fine, I'll... (Rocking her fork back and forth as she thinks) Avoid the water! (Such a nervous grin)

Alberto: Avoid the water?

Giulia: (Getting up to collect their plates) Mhm! I'll avoid water! (Sounding nervously confident about it)

Luca: But that's... how're you supposed to wash your hands?

Giulia: We have hand sanitizer!

Alberto: What are you gonna drink?

Giulia: If I'm really careful, I won't spill it!

Luca: B-but what if it rains?

Giulia: Don't be silly, I can bring an umbrella!

Alberto: And showering?

Giulia: I... can use towels and... lotion, and stuff!

Alberto: But what about your dad?

(The beat drops and Giulia goes completely silent as she puts the plates down on the counter with a dull thud.)

Luca: He's a fisherman... and-

Giulia: (Small sniffle, wiping at one of her eyes) I know. I... I'll do what you guys did. And just... hide it.

Luca: (Gentle) That's... not gonna work. You know how it turned out when we did.

(The camera is now positioned so that Giulia's in the foreground and Luca and Alberto are in the background.)

Alberto: I'm sure your dad wouldn't be mad if you told him... He understands sea monsters now. It's not like before, you know? (Little laugh)

Giulia: (Small sigh, shoulders drooping) But I don't. I wasn't a sea monster back then, and... I don't... know how to be one now. (Going by the door) I'm sorry. Buonanotte, guys...

(The door closes behind her with a squeak and a click, leaving the boys sitting silently at the table.)

(On the other side of the door, Giulia lets out a slow breath as it closes and holds the doorknob for a second before going off to her room. It cuts to her right outside her bedroom door, and as she opens it, Machiavelli purrs as he rubs himself against her legs.)

Giulia: (Soft smile, bending down to pet his head) Hey, Machiavelli...

Machiavelli: (Staying there for a minute before going further into her bedroom and hopping up onto the table where her record player is, and she follows him)

Giulia: What, do you want me to play something? (Eye roll) It's too late for that.

(As he's soaking up more pets, Machiavelli accidentally knocks over a water glass that has been in front of him on the table, spilling its contents all over her hand.)

Giulia: (Skidding backwards, absolute panic) WAIT... No... Nonono dry off dry off dry off please...

(As she's panicking, Machiavelli has been staring in shock at her. She finally manages to brush her hand against her leg and return it to "normal," and she lets out a sigh of relief as she sits on her bed.)

Giulia: They're right, Machiavelli... (Looking up at the ceiling) I can't avoid it.

(Machiavelli softens and hops up onto her bed to sit beside her and offer silent comfort.)

(We cut back to the boys sitting at the table, lost in complete silence, before Alberto finally breaks it.)

Alberto: (Reluctantly) We have to do it.

Luca: (Looking over at him) Do... what?

Alberto: Take that creepy person's advice and teach her how to be a sea monster. We both know there's no way she can avoid the water for even a day.

Luca: Wait- How the herring do you trust that person-?

Alberto: Luca, what choice do we have? She's a sea monster who's trying to get away from water.

Luca: (Gently upset, sitting up taller in his chair) So you really think that person's not just setting us up?

Alberto: Look, I- (Small breath) If she really wanted to set us up, she wouldn't have given that warning to Giulia. Besides, what else are we supposed to do?

(A short beat of silence.)

Luca: Yeah, I get it... (Looking down) It's just not fair. That she has to be stuck as a sea monster and we can't fix it.

Alberto: (Putting one hand on his shoulder) Hey, sometimes that's just the way things work. The three of us are Underdogs; we'll figure it out.

Luca: (Looking back up with a little smile) You're right.

(This fades into us overlooking the treehouse. Alberto has already fallen asleep, while Luca is sitting up looking out over the sea. After a moment, he closes his eyes and enters a daydream.)

(When he opens his eyes in the daydream, he's standing on a horizontal-facing star, like the ones from the Telescope. As he looks around, there's thousands of similar stars on different mismatched levels, and all of them are hovering in this midnight-indigo "background." He then notices Alberto and Giulia coming to him, jumping from one star to the other.)

Alberto: (As they pass by him) C'mon, Luca!

Giulia: (Turning around to face them, laughing) Can't catch me!

(Luca gives a little smile and follows after them as they each go from one star to star, with the stars bouncing under their feet as they do so. After a minute, Luca accidentally slips as he's going to another star and almost falls off, but Giulia grabs his arm and pulls him up.)

Giulia: Gotcha!

Luca: Thanks-!

(He looks down over her shoulder and sees that, slightly below the end of the regular stars is a moving stream of the anchovy stars, which are also floating above a "background" of the same color as the stars. Luca and Alberto's eyes light up when they see them and they jump right in, and once they go into the level with the anchovies, an invisible "water" source makes them change to sea monster form. They swim around for a moment, dipping under the anchovies and darting around them, before looking up at Giulia expectantly.)

Alberto: You coming, Giulia?

Luca: It's really cool down here. You should try it!

Giulia: (Really hesitant, holding back) I... But I can't-!

Alberto: Of course you can; you're a sea monster!

Giulia: That- I-I- I'll fall!

Luca: No, you won't! We didn't fall. And we can always catch you!

Giulia: But... I'm scared.

(The word "scared" echoes for a moment as Luca opens his eyes from the daydream. He's a bit nervous for a second before looking more confident.)

Luca: (Quietly) No. That's not gonna happen. We'll be there for her. When we teach her how to do it, everything'll be okay.