#seasonfourblocks

[theofficialblocks]

season four scene

Joey and Nate are at a party. Chris and Ashleigh are spending the night alone together. Nate and Joey walk into the party, and it's super noisy.

Joey: (flustered) Nate...

Nate: (grabs two beers, hands one to Joey) Yeah?

Joey: (looks around the room. Everybody seems happy and wild. Joey looks very out of place) Nothing...

Nate: (nods, understanding) You got this, Joe. (he lowers his voice) I'm selling tonight. I'll meet up with you later. 

Joey: (nods. Nate slips away. He drinks deeply. After he finishes, he finds another one. And then another. He sits down, beer in hand, and looks at everyone. He sees a girl from behind who has curly red hair. He drinks more quickly. Six beers in, Nate returns)

Nate: (drunk and high) Joey! What's happening! (he falls into the chair next to Joey)

Joey: (still drinking, tears his eyes away from the red-haired girl) Nothing.

Nate: (slurs) Come on, Joe, we're here to have fun.

Joey: (shrugs, watches Nate pull out a bag of coke) I thought you were selling tonight?

Nate: (pauses in setting up some lines on the side table between them) Was I? (he thinks for a moment before shrugging) I'll save some. (Joey turns back to the red-haired girl, who finally turns so that he can see her face. She looks nothing like Gabrielle. Joey looks away and drinks some more, before turning back to Nate, who is now snorting a line)

Joey: (drinking the last of his beer, quietly) I want some.

Nate: (totally gone, missed what Joey said) Dude, this shit is so great, I don't know if I want to sell it. Fuck.

Joey: (again, louder) I want some.

Nate: (surprised, but not completely unwilling) You do?

Joey: (nods, gets closer to the table) Yeah.

Nate: (half-kidding, a little wary) You got fifty bucks?

Joey: (pulling out his wallet) Yeah. I'll pay you for it.

Nate: (completely convinced) Are you serious? Joey, I love you. (takes the money, sets up four lines) Get ready to fucking fly. (They both do two lines)

Joey: (gets up, breathes in deeply) Wow. (he smiles for the first time in a long time) Wow...

Nate: (making sure that he gets every bit of coke.) Fuck it, I'm using it all. (dumps the rest of the powder out of the bag and sets it up. Joey sits back down, and waits for his next line) 

[theofficialblocks]

the kiss.

Ashleigh walks into Nate's house. His mom is watching TV, sitting on the couch, and smoking out of a bong. Ashleigh tries to walk by her as quickly as possible, but she can't be avoided.

Daphne Ryan: Just you?

Ashleigh: Um, yeah.

Daphne: Go in there and show him a good time. (she laughs loudly) He's been a douche lately. 

Ashleigh: (she looks disgusted) Right.

She makes her way through the mess that is the Ryan house, and knocks on Nate's door before entering. On the bed is Nate. He is doing a line of coke, and there is an open bottle of whiskey next to him. There is a lit blunt on his bedside table.

Ashleigh: (starts toward him immediately) Nate...

Nate: (finishes the line of coke before looking up at her. He smiles) Ashleigh!

Ashleigh: (she looks scared) What are you doing?

Nate: Knitting. (he laughs at his own joke) What does it look like I'm doing, silly? (his words are slurred; he starts to cut another line)

Ashleigh: (she tries to find a place on the bed that's clean. She fails. She gingerly sits on the edge of the bed) Nate, how much have you done?

Nate: (shrugging) A bit. (he smiles) want some?

Ashleigh: (freaked out) No, thanks. (she picks up the whiskey) You drink all of this too?

Nate: Yeah. (he does the next line, and then looks at her) I'm a bit fucked up.

Ashleigh: No kidding. (She puts the whiskey on the floor.) Nate, what made you do all this?

Nate: (he looks confused) What do you mean? 

Ashleigh: This is too much.

Nate: This is what I always do.

Ashleigh: Well, it stops now. (she tries to take the cocaine away)

Nate: No! Why? (getting upset) I like it.

Ashleigh: Nate, this is insane.

Nate: (he laughs to himself) Insane...that's me, isn't it?

Ashleigh: Nate, no. What you're doing to yourself is insane.

Nate: (throwing his arms up, saying it loudly) I'm insane! (quieter) I'm insane. (to Ashleigh) I'm insane.

Ashleigh: (taking his hand) No. You're not.

Nate: (looks at her, squeezing her hand) I did a lot.

Ashleigh: I know you did.

Nate: (getting teary) Why? Why? (he reaches for the whiskey)

Ashleigh: No! (she takes his other hand) Nate, this has to stop.

Nate: (looks at her again) I can't. (he starts shaking his head) I can't, I can't.

Ashleigh: (trying to calm him down) Yes, you can. I promise you can.

Nate: (looking at her like he's noticed her for the first time) You quit drugs with me. In high school. You did that for me.

Ashleigh: (nodding) Yeah, I did. I'll do it again.

Nate: You...care about me.

Ashleigh: Of course I do.

Nate: (pointing at the door) Mom doesn't! (laughs) Dad doesn't! Daddy...he's gone. (laughs again) And he took me with him, you know?(he bites his lip.) Amy's gone! (he laughs) I loved her...She's gone. Poof! (laughs and looks like he's about to cry) Gabrielle's gone. I knew it too. Ashleigh, I knew it. (he points to himself to emphasize this) Everybody leaves. Nobody stays. The girls, my girls, they leave. (he's talking to himself at this point) And then I'm alone again. (looks at Ashleigh, pleading for an answer) Why am I alone?

Ashleigh: (she's tearing up) You're not alone, Nate.

Nate: (looks at her in wonder) No. You're always there for me.

Ashleigh: And Chris and Joey are too.

Nate: (shakes his head. He squeezes her hands before letting go with one and using it to tuck her hair behind her ear. Ashleigh looks at him, wondering what happens next) It's...it's not the same. You're the only one who...who quit with me...you're the only one who...who...(he bites his lip again) I've never had a girl...friend before.

Ashleigh looks at him, heartbroken.

Their heads are very close together. Nate's hand that is in her hair moves to stroke her face. Impulsively, he leans in and kisses her. She kisses back for a few second before wrenching herself away and jumping up. She looks petrified. 

Ashleigh: (shaking her head, tears in her eyes) Nate...

Nate looks up at her, tears in his eyes too.

Ashleigh runs away, knocking the whiskey over in her hurry.

The door slams and Nate is on the bed, alone. His face shows that he has realized what he's just done.

end scene.

[theofficialblocks]

Amy visits Nate

Nate is lying on his bed in the rehab center. he is listless, and he stares at the ceiling with wide, empty eyes. His arms have scratches on them, and a few are red with blood. Occasionally, he shivers.

There is a knock on the door, but he doesn't acknowledge it. The door opens, and he still doesn't look. Finally, a quiet voice says "Hey." and he turns around. It's Amy.

He jumps up, and he looks severely confused. He ruffles his hair and just looks at her, his mouth slightly open. Amy gives him a small smile. "It's me." she says, unnecessarily. He still stares. 

She puts her bag down and walks over to him, and gestures at the bed. He nods, and sits. She sits too, but not too close to him. There is about a foot between them. They look at each other. Nate is expressionless. He's still shaky, and shivers involuntarily. Amy's smile wavers, but she tries not to let it show. She doesn't want him to see her cry. She looks down, but sees his arms, and she looks away, biting her lip. After a moment, she faces him again.

Amy: I'm still at school. I'm still majoring in art, but I've decided to minor in music business, you know, because the art thing might not work out. 

Nate is still silent.

Amy: I made a lot of friends there. And I have a place up there now, so I don't come home a whole lot. This place... (she shrugs and makes a face) it's not my favorite place. It only felt like home when... (she breaks off and looks away from him for a second)

Nate nods.

Amy: (softly) You look tired. (she reaches out and strokes his hair. He closes his eyes at her touch. Her expression is soft, but then she takes her hand away. He opens his eyes. They look at each other again. Suddenly, she jumps up.) I brought you something! I forgot. (She goes over to her bag and pulls something out of it.) It's for you.

(There is a painting of Nate. He looks happy, and he has a cocky expression on his face. Nate takes it from her and looks)

Amy: (shrugging) It's not my best work. I did it from memory.

Nate looks up at her again. They look at each other some more.

Amy: (trying to keep the conversation going, as one-sided as it is) I got a job!

Nate keeps looking. He is cradling the painting.

Amy: it's at this community center for kids. I'm the assistant art teacher there. It's great. And I've been really into sculpting lately. That (she nods at the painting) is the only painting I've done in awhile. (There is a long pause) Missi called me this morning.

Nate looks down at the bed. He shivers again, and scratches at his arms. He realizes he's doing it and stops.

Amy: She told me about what happened with Joey.

Nate looks up at her and then immediately looks back down again. He's ashamed.

Amy: And um, what happened with Ashleigh.

Nate's eyes snap back onto hers.

Amy: Chris is pretty mad, huh?

Nate nods. 

Amy: Nate...please talk to me.

Nate looks at her.

Nate: (barely above a whisper) I just don't know what to do.

Amy: You're doing everything you can do.

Nate: (laughs humorlessly) Yeah, Wasting away in here. Great help I am.

Amy: You're helping yourself.

Nate: (standing up, throwing the painting away from him. It lands face up and grins at him. Looks from painting to Amy and back again) Helping WHAT? I'm nothing.(sticks out fingers as he counts off) Burnt out, deadbeat, (emphasis) JUNKIE. Yeah. What a great fucking person I am.

Amy: (still sitting) You are. I don't care about any of that. You are a good person.

Nate: (shouting at the painting ) No! I'm a fucking piece of shit. I crawl around looking for drugs...(shaking his head, starting to cry) I can't live without them, Amy. I can't live without them. (he kneels down and starts to cry in her lap. She strokes his hair and holds him.)

Amy: You can live without the drugs, Nate. Without the alcohol. All of it.

Nate: It's not just the drugs. (gulping for breath, still crying. He looks up at her) I can't live without the Blocks.

Amy: Nate, they'll forgive you. They love you... (she sighs and looks down at him.) And I love you.

Nate cries some more and she hugs him the best she can. Eventually, he gets up on the bed. She holds him.

Nate: (sleepily, eyes still closed) I love you too. (She smiles down at him)

He falls asleep. When her hour is up, she reluctantly gets to her feet.

Amy: (whispering) Nate? Nate, I have to go now. I have classes tomorrow.

Nate is sound asleep. He looks peaceful.

Amy sighs, and gets up gingerly. She kisses his forehead, and walks to the door. She opens it, but before she exits, she looks back at him. He is smiling in his sleep. 

Amy: (whispering to herself) You're so much better than this.

She leaves.

end scene.

[theofficialblocks]

Joey: Do you ever get the feeling that love can't end happily? Chris: (look right at him, as if he's looking right through him) Joey, love doesn't ever end at all.

[theofficialblocks]

season four overview:

Joey is very depressed after Gabrielle's death and starts getting into harder drugs, following in Nate's footsteps. They do cocaine together quite often. Nate is getting very addicted and it is starting to take a toll on his every day life. Chris is still caring for his dying mother, and Ashleigh decided to go to the community college in town in order to be there for all three of the boys, instead of studying abroad like she intended. Ashleigh is frustrated and feels very trapped. She is sad about Chris's mother, as she was often there for her more than her own mother. One day, Nate is out of his mind and is close to passing out when Ashleigh enters his room. He can barely recognize her. Ashleigh asks him what he's done, and he says he can't remember, but there is coke in the room. She knows he's fucked out of his mind, and she begs him to stop. She tells him that his best friends need him. He can't stop and starts to cry and tell her that he has nothing. She gets angry and tells him that he has her and Joey and Chris. Nate sobs more and he says that he can't feel love anymore and that he's always fucked up and Amy was the girl that he ever felt anything for and he can't imagine feeling that way again and she just left him for better things and Ashleigh says that it's okay. He looks at her and says "You're the only one who has always been there for me."  Ashleigh brings up Chris and Joey again and he points out that she is the only one who quits drugs to help him. He eventually tries to kiss her, but she gasps and backs away, leaving the room. Nate realizes what he's done and only cries more, realizing he's turned his most loyal friend against him. He makes his way to Joey's house to talk to him about it, and finds him there lighting up meth. Nate asks him what he's doing and Joey says that he has a new connection if Nate wants the good shit. Nate looks at him and he realizes that his dangerous path has lead another down that road. He takes the pipe and the meth from Joey and he walks out without a word. He can barely breathe and goes to the bathroom and looks at himself, breathing hard. He hates what he sees and he takes the bag and he goes out the door and to the bridge where Gabrielle died and he throws the bag and the pipe over. And then he empties his pockets of coke bags and weed and he talks to the sky, saying "How can I save him if I can't even save myself?" and then he goes to check into rehab. Meanwhile, Ashleigh has told Chris what Nate did, and Chris is screaming and so angry and he is going over to Nate's house to kill him. He walks there and bangs on the door with Ashleigh at his heels and Missi answers the door with a dejected look on her face. When Chris asks where her "fucking brother" is, Missi looks at him in surprise. She tells them that he has checked himself into rehab. Chris falls silent and walks away, with Ashleigh trailing behind him. From that point onward, Chris is paranoid and jealous and freaks out when Ashleigh goes out and he even punches his wall once or twice. Ashleigh begs him to see reason and try to forgive Nate and Chris takes it as she likes him in a romantic way and becomes even angrier. Ashleigh is angry too and the relationship starts a downward spiral. She informs him of all the other places she could've been and how much she loves him and all that she's given him. Later, Missi is at a party when she is hanging out with a guy she does not know very well. They are in a discussion about sports when he makes a pass at her. Missi informs him politely that she doesn't go that way, and the guy gets weird. He doesn't want to talk to her anymore, but she takes it in a stride. Later, however, when she is leaving the party, he appears, having drank quite a bit. He pulls her away from the party and brutally rapes her, claiming to be "fucking the gay out of her." Missi later walks home alone in the middle of the night. Soon after, she is alone in her room and Joey comes in, looking for Nate's things. He sees Missi's bruises and demands to know what happened. Eventually she gives in and tells him. Joey wants to go tell Nate immediately, or tell the police, but Missi refuses. He holds her and they share a quick kiss before realizing that it is not how things should be. Joey leaves in a turmoil, caught up in Gabrielle and drugs and Missi. Ashleigh and Chris are still in a bad place because Ashleigh talks about how they should go and visit Nate. Chris refuses, and demands that Ashleigh not see him either. Eventually, Joey goes to visit him alone. Nate is happy to see him, but Joey is averting his eyes and not acting like himself. Nate demands to know what has happened, and eventually Joey admits that Missi was raped and that he kissed her. Nate punches him in a blind fury, and screams at him for not being there for her, and Joey can tell that Nate is more angry at himself for not being a better brother. Joey shakes his head at Nate and leaves. He goes to see Chris and Ashleigh, and it comes out that Nate has left Joey a black eye. Chris is even more angry and threatens to kill him, but Joey and Ashleigh talk him down. When Nate is released from rehab, Ashleigh and Joey go to meet him. Nate hugs them both amid a thousand wordless apologies. He notices that Chris is not there, and it makes him sad. Later, Nate goes to Chris's house and asks to see him. Chris sees him walk in, and they look at each other. Chris is already angry, having found out that his mother is most likely going to die. He sees Nate standing there and he punches him and he can't stop. He is screaming at him about friendship and loyalty and love and he is so upset and Nate just lays there and takes it because he believes he deserves it and then Chris just starts crying and Nate cries and they hug and everything is forgiven. 

[theofficialblocks]

The bravest thing I've ever done is try to die.

Joey Rossi

[theofficialblocks]

Joey: Missi...you...God, you have to tell someone.

Missi: (jumping up, yelling) NO. I won't, I can't....I can't....please don't make me.

Joey: (calming, pleading, sitting down on her bed with her) Okay, okay. It's okay. It's gonna be okay. I promise you. We're gonna fix this.

Missi: (hysterical) It can't be fixed...I...it...it happened. It happened and I can't stop thinking about it. I can't stop. I wasn't supposed to...I...Oh God, Joey. (She falls into Joey's chest, crying)

Joey: Missi, we should tell someone. Nate! Missi, you know he needs to know.

Missi: No! He's finally getting better. He's getting help...this would ruin everything. It'd ruin him....I won't let that happen. It's already...it's already ruined me.

Joey: No. (looking her straight in the eye) You're not ruined. You didn't do anything wrong. You're fine. He's the one. The one who did this. He has to pay. I'll find him. I swear to God I'll find him.

Missi: (putting her hand on his cheek) Joey... (they stare at each other for a long moment before they start to kiss, slow at first, and then more passionately, before she breaks the kiss, and they look at each other) I'm gay, Joey.

Joey: I know. And I'm in love with an angel.

Missi: I know. So why do I love you?

Joey: (Looks at her with passion, before looking away, speaking softly) I don't think you do. I think you just need to feel in control right now.

Missi: (looking at him fiercely) No! I know I love you. I wish I could be with you. But I don't think I'm in love with you. (she sighs, and leans into his chest again) We're fucked up. They fucked us up.

Joey: Yeah...I guess she...they did.

Missi: Hold me. Please?

Joey: Forever. (She sits in his lap and she lays her head on his shoulder, and he lays his head on top of hers.)

[theofficialblocks]

the naming

Ashleigh and Chris are cuddled on the bed. Joey is sitting in Chris's desk chair, staring out the window.

Ashleigh: So what are we gonna name our kids, Chris?

Chris: Hmmm....I dunno. What do you like?

Ashleigh: (giggling, kissing him on the nose) For a boy, Christopher. And for a girl, Christine!

Chris: (making an awful face) No way! How about Elliot? Or Kimberly?

Ashleigh: (making a worse face) Elliot?!

Chris: (laughing at her expression) Maybe not Elliot. (They share a kiss)

Ashleigh: (glancing at Joey, still smiling) What about you, Joe?

Joey: (finally turns to face Ashleigh and Chris. His expression is neutral) Gabrielle.

Ashleigh face turns somber. Chris squeezes her hand, but looks at Joey. Everyone is silent.