LAYLA'S AUDITION READING

LAYLA

INT. LAYLA'S KITCHEN

You have just joined Roxanne's boyfriend at your kitchen table. Your life-long best friend, Roxanne has lost her daughter (Isabelle - 14) to a brutal rape/torture/murder. Your daughter (Tamara - 5) spent all her time with the older girl and saw the whole thing, barely escaping herself.

Roxanne was overprotective and never let the girls go anywhere by themselves. You on the other hand, had confidence in your own community and encouraged Roxanne to lighten up. When Isabelle was abducted you swore to your best friend you would find her daughter alive. You found her mangled and dismembered lifeless body in a garbage can.
Roxanne has been completely elusive to Luke.

LAYLA: I don't know what to do, Tamara screams more than she sleeps.

LUKE: If it hadn't of been for Isabelle--

LAYLA: Don't even think a day goes by I don't cringe... Thinking Isabelle might still be here... If she hadn't had a tag-along everywhere she went.

LUKE: That's not what I was going to say... I'm doing absolutely everything I can think of and everything I say is wrong. help me Lay, I'm losing her.

LAYLA: That's the trouble Luke, you never really had her to begin with. I don't know that any man ever really will. Keith wasn't a BAD guy, just too young and stupid to face the responsibilities of raising a child... I've known Roxanne since grade school. She had to be resilient and depend on herself for a lot of things most kids take for granted. Notice there wasn't one Kilcooley at her graduation? Aunt Ruth was the only one who took any real interest in Roxanne, but then she died of lung cancer when Roxanne was fourteen. She's always reserved that little piece of herself that requires a woman to fall in love with a man. She doesn't NEED anyone.

LUKE: No kidding.

LAYLA: Come on! She's living every mother's worst nightmare. Sure we loved Izzy, we doted on her every word and smile, it hurts like hell she's gone. Now magnify that loss by flesh and blood, band aids and periods, by first words and first steps. But it's worse for Roxanne because she swore she would be the better mom, she wasn't going to make the same mistakes her family made. Roxanne has lost her every reason for living and breathing.