Chapter 13 PART 13

EXT. HALE METHODIST CHURCH - THE NEXT DAY Peggy and Cindy arrive for the rehearsal. They leave Cindys dog in Peggys car and walk to the church. CINDY Tell me, why does Maggie need another wedding rehearsal and two days before the wedding? She's already done this. PEGGY Bob is making her visualize the ceremony. CUT TO: INT. HALE METHODIST CHURCH - NIGHT They are in the church proper now. Peggy waits in a pew as Bob leads Maggie and Ike up the back steps of the church. BOB (to Maggie) Okay, were ready. Want me to have Ike leave now? Maggie turns on Ike with "cheerful" hostility.

MAGGIE No. No -- Actually, lets make Ike the pastor. IKE Id rather not. MAGGIE (sarcastically) Come on, it'll give you a great view. It's perfect. (seeing Peggy) Hey. Maggie smiles at Bob. Ike sighs and goes with it. Bob pulls Ike to the head of the aisle and places him. Peggy follows Maggie into the foyer to get ready. Cindy sits with Ted at the organ. BOB Team effort, Pastor Ike... Cindy, ready? (after no response) Cindy, come on. Cindy leaves to join the girls in the foyer. INT. CHURCH FOYER - THAT MOMENT Once in the privacy of the foyer, Peggy and Maggie talk.

PEGGY He's going to be the pastor? MAGGIE Yep. I want him to be front and center and to watch everything. PEGGY What happened at the luau? MAGGIE (flustered) ... I dont even want to talk about the luau. (then seeing a hanging rope) What's this? PEGGY Its for the bell. Cindy joins them. CINDY Bobs in a hurry. PEGGY Don't be nervous, Maggie. Let us visualize. Remember what Bob said? "Be the ball." CINDY "Sink the putt." PEGGY "Make the shot." CINDY "Nothing but net." PEGGY "Never say die."

Maggie puts her hands up. MAGGIE Go! Peggy and Cindy exit. Maggie pulls the bell rope and sways back and forth as she rings the bell. INT. CHAPEL - THAT MOMENT It is Maggies turn to enter. They all turn expectantly. Too much time passes. Ted plays the organ, then stops. Maggie swings back and forth in the foyer doorway. BOB Honey, are you okay? Maggie stops ringing the bell and pulls herself together. She walks into the aisle looking a little shaky. She takes a few Tremulous steps slowly with her eyes closed, peeking occasionally with one eye. IKE (taking off his jacket)

At this pace, it could be an evening wedding. BOB Hold it! Hold it! I think were taking this too fast. He begins to pace. BOB (contd) We need to limber you up a little. Youre tensing. (thinks a moment; to Ike, moving him to grooms spot) You stand here and be me so she knows how far shell have to go. (then to Maggie) Im going to walk with you. Bob goes to Maggie and walks behind her. BOB (contd) Visualize! Visualize! Its game time. ANGLE ON: Maggie walking. BOB (contd) You are the football. You are spiraling through the air towards the hands of the groom.

She proceeds down the aisle. Bob behind her. MAGGIE (eyes down) Yes, Im spiraling through the air. ANGLE ON: Maggie raises her eyes and sees Ike in front of her as groom. Ike and Maggie lock gazes. If they had to, they couldn't look away. All the things unspoken are now communicated -- the love, the longing. MAGGIE (contd) I streak towards the goal line. Maggies pace quickens. MAGGIE (contd) And I land on the goal line. ANGLE ON: Bob beams to see Maggies eager arrival at Ikes side. He switches off the music and proceeds like a proud coach to be the pastor.

BOB Okay, Im the pastor. Dearly beloved, blah, blah, blah. So on and so forth. Ra ta ta ta. Yabada dabada. pronounce you man and wife. Kiss the bride, badum dum. (then moving toward Ted) We have the crescendo that leads to us right back down the aisle and out the... Ike kisses Maggie. It is a world class, Olympic kiss. It is a kiss that changes everything and can never be taken back. It is a kiss you only get once in your life. NEW ANGLE: Bobs smile dies. Cindys mouth drops open as the kiss goes on and on. Peggy loses control and screams. BOB (contd) Maggie!!!!?

Like a bucket of water thrown on two dogs, Ike and Maggie are startled out of their kiss. They pull apart and smile at each other. ANGLE ON: Bob. BOB (contd) (furious) If you were imagining me, you did great. (to Ike) What the hell were you doing? IKE (eyes on Maggie) Im sorry, Bob. She kissed me back. MAGGIE (dazed but happy) I kissed him back. BOB Yeah, I caught that. Want to tell me how long this has been going on? Maggie looks at Ike, wondrous, confused. MAGGIE About a minute...? IKE A little longer for me. MAGGIE Really? BOB What do you expect me to say to this?

IKE How about -- "I hope you'll be very happy together"? Bob hauls back and punches Ike in the face. Ike drops. BOB I hope you'll be very happy together. Bob storms down the aisle and out of the church. MAGGIE (to Peggy) Take care of him. Maggie leaves. CUT TO: EXT. CHURCH - THAT MOMENT Bob is halfway down the walk. Maggie appears at the church door and calls after him. MAGGIE Bob, Im sorry! (half to herself) At least I backed out before the wedding. That's progress! He keeps marching. Now Peggy appears next to Maggie. Maggie calls again.

MAGGIE (contd) Some woman is going to make you a lot happier than i ever could... The words are barely out of her mouth when Cindy comes out of the door, racing after Bob at a full sprint. MAGGIE (contd) See? PEGGY Well, Maggie -- in the words of Mrs. Pressman: "Holy moly". Call me later. Peggy goes to her car. Cindy joins her as Bob speeds off in his car. Now Ike takes Peggys place next to Maggie. Maggie turns to face Ike. They are both beet red, stammering and unable to look at each other, trying to act normal. MAGGIE Okay. So... what, uh... What just

happened? Just now? Just then? In there? IKE I dont know. I, uh -- I frankly dont even want to talk about it. MAGGIE Me, either. Ike GRABS Maggie and BOOM -- they are all over each other, Kissing frantically, tongues, hands, hair, elbow, you name it. Blathering fools. IKE (blathering) I love you. I love you. MAGGIE (blathering) I love you, too. They come up for air. IKE Wait. We have to talk. We have to do some talking now. Pull up a railing. Maggie sits on the railing, then Ike backs up and sits on the opposite railing. IKE (contd) You have to go down an aisle and say "I do". You have to get married. MAGGIE To who? Are you asking me? IKE Me? Ike backs up to opposite railing and sits facing Maggie. MAGGIE Yes, you! IKE (thinks) Well, you do have the dress. MAGGIE And the church. IKE And the wedding date. Theres the two of us. (beat) So, you think... maybe... You have to go down the aisle with somebody you love and who love you back. MAGGIE Im okay with that. IKE So am I. MAGGIE So, well... They both nod and sit there smiling, sort of. The organist, Ted, closes the church door. TED Good night. Ike pulls his tape recorder out of his pocket and quietly speaks into it. IKE Im getting married. WIDE SHOT: They smile at each other and remain sitting. Then, silence. CUT TO