Christmas in California

Written by: Juana


Story Summary: Felicity has agreed to spend Christmas in Palo Alto as Ben’s girlfriend. Noel becomes frustrated when he calls to talk to Felicity and Mrs. Porter refers to Felicity and Ben as if they were a couple and not just friends. In his frustrated state of mind Noel gains access to Felicity’s room at Kelvin and gains more knowledge of Felicity’s past three week activities then he really wanted to know.

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me...they belong to the brilliant writers and creators of the hit WB show.


INT.-FELICITY’S PARENTS LIVINGROOM

FELICITY: (into tape recorder ) Sally….this has been the most wonderful three weeks of my life. Christmas vacation with Ben has been…well….perfect. I dread heading back to the real world….away from this fantasy that Ben and I have created. I feel so……distant from Noel now…and it’s not just the miles…it’s more.

DOORBELL RINGS. FELICITY’S MOM USHERS BEN INTO THE LIVING ROOM.

MRS. PORTER: Will you be staying for dinner Benjamin?

BEN: Um…I’m not sure yet.

FELICITY: (turns off tape recorder) Of course you’ll be staying.

BEN: Well I guess that’s a yes then.

MRS. PORTER: Good I’ll set an extra plate for you.

MRS. PORTER EXITS THE ROOM. BEN WALKS UP AND GIVES FELICITY A HUG AND A KISS..

BEN: How are you?

FELICITY: Good…I missed you.

BEN: Yeah I missed you too. Do you think after dinner we could go somewhere and talk?

FELICITY: Are you sure talking is what you have in mind?

BEN: Actually I do have something for you…but it’s not what your dirty little mind is thinking.

FELICITY: Really? You have a present for me?

BEN: Something like that.

CUT TO INT. KELVIN HALL

NOEL WALKS OUT OF ELEVATOR INTO ELENA.

NOEL: Whoa! Sorry about that.

ELENA: It’s okay…actually I think it was my fault.

NOEL: Okay…Elena what are you doing back a week early?

ELENA: I’m just not very good at the family thing…if you know what I mean.

NOEL: I see…is there anything I can do?

ELENA: Not really. What are you doing back so early?

NOEL: RA stuff. They always ask us to come back before the other students.

ELENA: Does Felicity know?

NOEL: No. I was going to call her tomorrow and let her know though.

CUT TO EXT.-PALO ALTO

FELICITY AND BEN ARE SITTING IN THE PARK ON SWINGS.

FELICITY: What are we doing here Ben?

BEN: This is the park I use to come to when I just wanted to think.

FELICITY: Oh…what did you want to think about?

BEN: Nothing. I just wanted to…I don’t know…share it with you.

FELICITY SMILES.

FELICITY: (voice over to Sally)  I have been learning so much more about Ben on this trip…things I think he has never shared with anyone…special secrets and …..well it makes me feel special.

FELICITY: Thank you Ben….for sharing this with me.

BEN: There’s more….I have something for you.

FELICITY: What?

BEN: (takes a box out of his pocket) It was my grandmothers….(opens box. Inside is a beautiful silver ring with an emerald stone.)

FELICITY: I’ve never seen anything like it…it’s…..beautiful.

BEN: It was given to her by my grandfather…when they were dating. You see she was seeing this other guy and he liked her…so he put this ring in her suitcase when she was packing to go see this other guy…. He put a note inside the box telling her how much he cared for her.

FELICITY: Oh and that’s how they got together?

BEN: Not exactly…she tried to give it back to him…but he wouldn’t take it. He told her he knew they had a long road ahead of them but he was willing to wait….and when she was ready all she needed to do was put the ring on and find him.

FELICITY: Ben that’s so romantic…..but why are telling me this?

BEN: Because I want you to have it.

FELICITY: (shocked) What?…Ben I can’t.

BEN: Just hear me out Felicity….I’m not asking you to wear it….because I know you're not ready for that. I want you to take it and keep it until you're ready…and then like my grandmother I want you to put it on and find me.

FELICITY: How long did your grandmother wait till she put it on?

BEN: Two years…but my grandfather waited…true to his word.

FELICITY: Ben…I can’t ask you to wait…that’s not fair.

BEN: You're not asking me to….so don’t worry.

FELICITY: Are you sure this is what you want Ben?

BEN: Yes…Felicity I keep thinking about the days ticking away what little time we have left together. I want to make sure I’ve told you and shown you everything I can before that happens.

CUT TO INT.-FELICITY’S PARENTS HOUSE.

PHONE IS RINGING. MRS. PORTER PICKS IT UP.

MRS. PORTER: Hello Porter Residence.

NOEL: Yeah…Hi. Is Felicity there?

MRS. PORTER: No. I’m sorry she’s not. May I take a message?

NOEL: Could you just tell her Noel called, and I’ll call her back tomorrow?

MRS. PORTER: I’ll tell her but I’m actually not expecting her back till late and they are planning on heading up to the mountains bright and early for their camping trip.

NOEL: They? They who?

MRS. PORTER: Felicity and Benjamin.

NOEL: I’m sorry. That wouldn’t happen to be Ben Covington…would it?

MRS. PORTER: Why yes. Do you know him?

NOEL: Actually yes…we go to the same school.

MRS. PORTER: He’s such a nice young man. Anyway they will be gone till after the New Years…so I will try to get the message to them before they leave.

NOEL: You know what…don’t bother. I’ll just see them when they get back to school.

MRS. PORTER: Oh…all right. Well you have a happy new year Noel.

NOEL: You too Mrs. Porter.

NEXT DAY: PALO ALTO STATE CAMPGROUNDS.

FELICITY AND BEN ARE WALKING IN THE WOODS. BEN IS HOLDING FELICITY’S HAND.

FELICITY: What are you thinking?

BEN: (stops walking and pulls Felicity into his arms) I was just thinking about how I don’t want to waste a minute of our time left together.

FELICITY: Well this camping trip was certainly a good idea.

BEN: You think so? I would have been just as happy if it was just you and me.

FELICITY: No…I really like your friends.

BEN: Yeah…they like you too.

FELICITY: Even Tiffany?

BEN: Okay…well maybe not Tiffany…but really Tiff doesn’t like too many people.

FELICITY: Don’t you mean any females?

BEN: Are you jealous?

FELICITY: No…of course not…we’ll okay maybe a little…but Ben every chance she gets she practically throws herself at you.

BEN: Yeah…she’s never been one to really take no for an answer.

FELICITY: Were the two of you close?

BEN: Close? It depends on what you mean by close.

FELICITY: Did you two….share things?

BEN: You mean like I share things with you? Or are you talking the physical sense….because Felicity I have never been as close to anyone as I am to you.

FELICITY HUGS BEN AND KISSES HIM.

FELICITY: We should probably get back…before the other’s send out a search team for us.

FELICITY: (voice over to Sally) Sally, Ben invited me on a camping trip with him and his friends for the new year. It’s like this tradition that they have been doing for the past four years. I told him yes…of course. But I have to wonder what Noel would think if he knew.

CUT TO KELVIN HALL.

NOEL IS TRYING TO GET INTO FELICITY’S ROOM. MEGAN WALKS UP.

MEGAN: Um…excuse me…but what the hell are you doing?

NOEL: (turns around) Oh…um this. Well Felicity called me and asked me if….if….if I could send out her latest tape to Sally. She forgot to before she left….and it has some sort of New Years greeting on it.

MEGAN: So…it was important enough to break the door down?

NOEL: No…I was just going to see if I could maybe pop the lock or something.

MEGAN: Well MacGuyer I have a better idea…let’s use my key.

MEGAN OPENS DOOR WITH HER KEY AND THEY BOTH ENTER THE ROOM.

MEGAN: I just came back to get something…Don't forget to lock up when you leave!

MEGAN WALKS OUT OF THE ROOM AND NOEL PROCEEDS TO LOOK  AROUND THE ROOM. HE SPIES FELICITY'S TAPE RECORDER ON DRESSER AND PICKS IT UP. ELENA WALKS BY AND SEES FELICITY’S DOOR OPEN.

ELENA: (looking in) Noel? What are you doing?

NOEL: (guilty looking) Nothing…I just….I just…God Elena I can’t take this anymore. I was snooping okay?

ELENA: Snooping…. For what exactly?

NOEL: I don’t know. Something….anything that will tell me what’s going on in Felicity’s mind right now.

ELENA: So your going through her personal things?

NOEL: Yes….I’m a terrible person…okay?

ELENA: Okay….but let me just go on the record here as saying that this is a bad idea Noel.

NOEL: I know that…don’t you think I know that. I’m just not….patient.

NOEL STARTS TO REWIND TAPE IN FELICITY’S RECORDER. ELENA WALKS OVER AND TAKES IT FROM HIM.

NOEL: Give that back.

ELENA: No…Noel you can’t invade someone’s privacy like this. I’m going to put this back where you found it and were going to lock the door and leave the room.

ELENA WALKS RECORDER BACK OVER TO DRESSER AND SETS IT DOWN. NOEL STARTS TO WALK OUT WITH ELENA PUT INSTEAD SHUTS DOOR BEHIND HER AND LOCKS IT. ELENA IS POUNDING ON DOOR.

ELENA: Noel….open up. Don’t do this. Noel….Noel. Fine do it but don’t say I didn’t warn you when this all blows up in your face.

ELENA WALKS AWAY DISGUSTED.

NOEL IS STANDING AT DRESSER HOLDING RECORDER IN HIS HAND. HE PRESSES PLAY AND WE HEAR FELICITY’S VOICE COME ON.

FELICITY: (voice over to Sally) Things with Noel are good. He’s really a sweetheart….I can’t believe how things changed between us so quickly. Now if I could just figure out what’s bothering him…well things would be perfect.

NOEL SMILES AND CONTINUES LISTENING.

FELICITY: (voice over to Sally) Sally….just when I start to feel that Noel and I can be close…he puts up this wall and as he builds them….well Ben allows me to break his down. I get this awful feeling that Noel is hiding something from me….am I just being paranoid? Probably…but talking to Noel is so hard now it’s  like trying to solve a crossword puzzle….you need facts to figure it out.

NOEL STARTS TO GET A CONCERNED LOOK ON HIS FACE BUT CONTINUES TO LISTEN.

FELICITY: (Voice over to Sally) Sally something pretty huge happened today….I got stuck in a elevator at Kelvin Hall. I know what your thinking….people get stuck in elevators all the time…right? But Sal….I got stuck in the elevator with Ben. At first it was awkward…but then it just became this really special time together. We talked about Thanksgiving and what happened between us…which if Noel ever found out….well it just wouldn’t be pretty. Noel…my god Sal…He just keeps getting further and further away…and I can’t figure out how to pull him back. Maybe if he would talk to me….but that’s not happening…Anyway about Ben….Oh Sally I have to go someone is at my door. Bye I love you.

NOEL TURNS OFF TAPE RECORDER WITH SAD LOOK ON HIS FACE…THEN TURNS IT BACK ON.

FELICITY: (voice over to Sally) Sally….I am driving myself bonkers. After the elevator incident which I just remembered you don’t know about….Well here it is in summary for you. Ben and I played a game of truth…that’s truth or dare….without the dares. Anyway I asked Ben who his first true love was and he said ME. I was stunned…then there was some kissing…which we quickly realized was a mistake. But the conversation just continued along those lines and Sally after all was said and done….I agreed to date Ben…without Noel’s knowledge. I can’t believe I did…but it was just out there before I knew it. You told me to follow my heart….and Sally….that was my heart speaking…I just know it…or felt it….Am I a total loser?

NOEL DROPS TAPE RECORDER ON THE BED AND SITS BACK AGAINST WALL WITH HIS HANDS OVER HIS FACE….JUST LISTENING.

FELICITY: (voice over to Sally) Sally…as is the norm lately. I’m in the middle of an emotional mess. I am dating both Ben and Noel. I know bad call Felicity…but Sally in my own pathetic way…..I care about them both.

FELICITY: (voice over to Sally) Sally…we’ll this is the final entry for this tape…so before I forget Happy New Year. Now on to my confusion….After three weeks of seeing Ben…practically every night….Noel thinks I’ve set up a cot in the library. I started out telling him I was helping Ben….but he just got so upset over the amount of time I was spending with Ben that I started lying about where I was going….anyway Ben and I almost got caught…not just by one person but two…First Noel came over to Ben’s and then Lyssa showed up unannounced and I had to hide in Ben’s closet….horrible experience….don’t ask.  Being almost caught really opened my eyes. I told Ben it was over…..I just didn’t want to hurt Noel anymore. Well that lasted all of two minutes. Ben pleaded with me not to give us up….with out really seeing what being together….with no fear of being caught would be like. Sally….I agreed. I don’t know why…but it’s Christmas in Palo Alto for me and Ben….as a couple. I don’t know if this is going to change anything or not….we’ll see.  I don’t think this would be happening if I just felt closer to Noel…but Sally he’s really struggling with something right now…it’s eating him up and he can’t or won’t talk to me about it…..I am so confused…..How did I get in this position? All I ever wanted was to be with Ben…..but then I met Noel….and now I want them both…..Auugggh.

NOEL CONTINUES TO SIT ON BED…HE IS VISIBLY UPSET. THERE IS A KNOCK AT THE DOOR. NOEL SLOWLY GETS UP AND ANSWERS IT. ELENA IS STANDING AT THE DOOR.

ELENA: You listened to the tape didn’t you?

NOEL WALKS BACK OVER AND SITS DOWN ON FELICITY’S BED. ELENA COMES OVER AND SITS BESIDE HIM. ELENA PICKS UP TAPE RECORDER AND SHUTS IT OFF.

ELENA: Do you want to talk about it?

NOEL: No…

NOEL STARTS TO CRY. ELENA REACHES OVER AND PULL HIM INTO HER ARMS AND COMFORTS HIM AS HE CONTINUES TO WEEP.

ELENA: It’s going to be okay…


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