11

FADE IN:

INTERIOR: COLLEGE DORM–NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

MAYLEE, ALDEN, COLLIN, MARISA, ZINA “ZiZi” BROWN and other girls in their dorm are dancing, laughing, and goofing around as they wind down from a week of intense studies.

MAYLEE (V.O.)

College truly was the best time of our lives. Everyday was exciting. We made new friends and new foes. We shared new experiences with total strangers. And we inevitably gained that dreaded freshmen fifteen. But the absolute best part…dorm parties. For us, dorm parties were a weekend rite of passage, a way of warming up before a night out at a fraternity party. And while the dress code was come as you are, the mission was always…let yourself go.

CLOSE ON GABRIELLE “GABBY” NIXON, a classic beauty in her early 20s.

MAYLEE (V.O.)

GABBY was a celebrity on campus. She had won every beauty pageant in Virginia since the age of six. She was training for the Miss America pageant in a couple of months, so she really couldn’t let go, instead she watched us have fun.

GABBY drinks a wine cooler. The girls gets increasingly more animated and they start a soul train line. ZIZI comes out of their room and stands next to GABBY.

ZIZI
Gabs, you have a phone call.

GABBY
If it’s Cameron, I’m not here.

THE GIRLS
Hey! Ho! Hey! Ho!

ZIZI
(dancing in place…sort of)
Too late. He heard the music. He knows we’re partying.

ALDEN overhears ZIZI when she walks over to grab a wine cooler from the ice chest.

ALDEN
(teasing)
Uh-Oh. Some one’s in trouble.

GABBY
Please…

GABBY walks into the room and closes the door.

ALDEN
She can’t have any fun without his permission.

MAYLEE (V.O.)

Alden was right. As beautiful as Gabby was, she was very insecure. She and Cameron were high school sweethearts trying desperately to keep their love alive on a campus full of temptation. Of course Cameron was allowed to experiment, Gabby wasn’t.

COLLIN leaves MAYLEE and MARISA dancing and joins ALDEN’s and ZIZI’s conversation.

COLLIN
Alright, what’s the summit meeting about?

ZIZI
Alden is teasing Gabby about dictator Cameron.

COLLIN
You guys shouldn’t say that. He loves her.

ALDEN
You’re just saying that because you’ve been hot for him since day one.

COLLIN
Not true. I’m sayin’ it because Gabby loves him.
They have a history together and there is something special about that.
He IS fine, though, I ain’t gonna lie!

ZIZI
Tell me about it. Poetry in motion.

END OF FLASHBACK

INTERIOR: HOTEL SUITE–YEARS LATER (FLASHBACK)

The door opens to reveal a suite filled with pre-wedding madness–there are gowns hanging on clothing racks, beautiful floral arrangements scattered about the room, a table full of delicious finger foods, candles lit everywhere and a team of hairstylist and make up artists prepping the wedding party, MAYLEE, COLLIN and MARISA included. ZIZI strides into the room confidently.

MAYLEE (V.O.)
We hadn’t seen ZiZi since graduation day, so there was
a thickness in the air awaiting her arrival.

ZIZI
So, THIS is what an NFL contract buys you? It smells incredible in here!

MAYLEE and MARISA squeal with delight and walk over to hug ZIZI. On the other side of the suite, COLLIN is having her hair curled while playing scrabble on her Nintendo. She pretends not to notice ZIZI’s arrival.

MARISA
You’re gorgeous!

MAYLEE
Hey, love. How are you?

ZIZI
I’m good. Really good. Wow. This room is incredible.

MAYLEE
I know, right. Corey spared no expense for Alden
and she could not be happier.

MARISA
Can you believe Alden is the first to get married?

ZIZI
I couldn’t believe it when I read about it on the Internet.
When I got the invitation, I knew that I had to come.
I couldn’t miss this.

MAYLEE
(hugging ZIZI again)
It’s been way too long. We’ve missed you

MARISA
So, how is life in the ATL?

ZIZI looks passed MARISA to COLLIN who still ignores them all.

ZIZI
Hot. All the damn time. And it feels like college all over again because everyone who didn’t stay in D.C. or move to New York, moved to Atlanta and I have to dress up just to go to the grocery store.

MARISA
(whispering)
Why don’t you go over and say hello?

ZIZI shakes her head NO. MAYLEE and MARISA look disappointed.

ZIZI
She’s a stranger to me.

The WEDDING PLANNER bursts into the room and walks up to MAYLEE, MARISA, and ZIZI.

WEDDING PLANNER
Ladies, how are we doing? Have you checked your dresses and accessories? Do we need any last minute fittings?

MAYLEE
No, everything’s fine. I’m just waiting my turn for hair and make-up.

MARISA
The same for me. Is it possible to see Alden?

WEDDING PLANNER
No. She has requested that you all see her for the first time
walking down the aisle. She wants to surprise you guys.
(turning toward ZIZI)
I’m sorry. Have we met?

ZIZI extends her hand to the WEDDING PLANNER.

ZIZI
I’m Zina Brown. A once very close friend of the girls.

INTERIOR: CHURCH –EVENING

MAYLEE, COLLIN, and MARISA are lining up with the rest of the WEDDING PARTY. The CHOIR starts to sing. COREY and CAMERON and the other groomsmen take their positions at the altar alongside the MINISTER. The doors of the sanctuary open and the processional begins. One by one the wedding party enters the sanctuary.

CLOSE ON ZIZI sitting in a large crowd of wedding guests.

MAYLEE (V.O.)

Alden’s and Corey’s wedding would be the last time either of us saw or spoke to ZiZi. She walked into our hotel suite that day with an air of confidence, but it was all an act thanks to one semester of high school drama class. ZiZi felt like an outsider at a stranger’s wedding, and while she was always closest to Collin, after their falling out, the two never spoke again. The rest of us didn’t mind because our friendship circle was less crowded and Collin had more time for us.

As the wedding processional continues, CLOSE ON GABBY staring straight ahead determined not to make eye contact with any of her old college buddies.

MAYLEE (V.O.)

Gabby was at the wedding because Cameron was the best man and of course he insisted that Gabby be there for him. Gabby still couldn’t think for herself.

COLLIN almost trips when she sees GABBY and completely ignores CAMERON when she passes near him at the altar.

The doors of the sanctuary open again revealing ALDEN in a custom couture wedding gown. The crowd audibly gasps when they see her. She slowly begins her walk down the aisle on the arm of her FATHER. When MAYLEE, COLLIN, and MARISA see her, they start to cry. CLOSE ON COREY who is grinning from ear to ear.

MAYLEE (V.O.)

We believed that Alden’s and Corey’s marriage would last forever because Alden loved Corey just as much as she loved his NFL contract. And for years they were on top of the world and Alden had no problem batting back the hoochie mamas. Sadly, Corey’s happiness was based mostly on his career success, so when the cheering stopped, it was over. Their marriage didn’t survive the seven year itch.

END OF FLASHBACK

INTERIOR: ALDEN’S and COREY’S HOME–NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

ALDEN walks in their front door and up the stairs, she pushes the bedroom doors open and finds COREY and a YOUNG WOMAN having sex. COREY is startled when he sees ALDEN and throws the YOUNG WOMAN to the side and sits up in bed. ALDEN smiles at COREY, walks toward her closet, and starts packing her clothes.

MAYLEE (V.O.)

Alden found out about Corey’s two-timing ways when she walked in on him scratching his seven year itch with a 25-year old cheerleader. Never one to be overly emotional about anything, but always fashionable, Alden packed up her Louis Vuitton luggage and left Corey scratching his head…

INTERIOR: ALDEN’S and COREY’s KITCHEN–MOMENTS LATER

ALDEN opens the refrigerator and grabs a bottle of champagne and stuffs it into her handbag.

MAYLEE (V.O.)
….but not before grabbing a bottle of Cristal from the frig…..

INTERIOR: FOUR SEASONS HOTEL–MINUTES LATER

ALDEN hands her credit card to a FRONT DESK CLERK. She takes the room key and walks toward the elevator, pushes a button and walks inside.

MAYLEE (V.O.)
…and checking into the most expensive suite available at the Four Seasons. Alden felt betrayed, and she was hurt, but she never cried over what Corey had done to her.
Not even once.

CLOSE ON ALDEN’S STOIC FACE as the elevator doors close.

END OF FLASHBACK

FADE OUT

Disclosure: Magnolia Girls™ is a work of fiction written by Yolanda, editor of Zavvi Rodaine.com. Any similarities to past or present events or people living or dead is purely coincidental. Magnolia Girls™ may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used without prior written permission of Yolanda, editor of Zavvi Rodaine.com.

Illustration used with kind permission of Cecilia Carlstedt
All written content © 2011 Zavvi Rodaine.com

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