((SYNOPSIS))

Grayondale High loses their idol. Kyle Fish loses his friend. Alison Silva loses her life.
When Alison Silva moves to Grayondale, she quickly becomes the nicest, prettiest, most popular girl at school. And not only does she move in next door to Kyle, but she actually talks to him. But when her body is found in the woods of their neighborhood, everyone looks for someone to blame. That someone is Kyle Fish.
On top of the grief he feels for losing his new friend, every day at school becomes a war zone--with all lines of fire directed at Kyle.
Struggling with P.T.S.D. from Alison’s murder, Kyle wants only to put her killer behind bars. But when the deadly truth is finally uncovered will it be his salvation or his downfall?

EXT. KYLE FISH’S HOUSE  DAY

Flashback. Kyle sits on the front steps of his house watching a moving van pull in the driveway next door. A minivan follows and a girl his age pops out to help carry in the boxes.

ALISON SILVA
     (waving at Kyle,
then walking over
to him)
   Hi, I’m Alison.

KYLE FISH
   Hi.

ALISON SILVA
     (laughing)
   What’s your name?

KYLE FISH
   Sorry. It’s Kyle. My name is Kyle.

ALISON SILVA
     (smiling)
   Nice to meet you, Kyle. You go to
Grayondale, right?

KYLE FISH
Yeah, I do.

ALISON SILVA
   Okay, good. I’ll see you tomorrow
then. Look for me!

Alison winks and walks back to the moving van in her driveway to help unload.

INT. JOAN FREEMAN: THERAPIST’S OFFICE  DAY

Present. Kyle and Joan sit in chairs facing each other.

JOAN FREEMAN
     (looking down at
      Kyle’s file)
   So, Kyle, it says here that you’re
    from Grayondale. If you don’t mind
   me asking, why’d you come so far for
   a therapy session? We have offices
   much closer to Grayondale than here.

KYLE FISH
   I wanted to talk to someone who didn’t
   already know my story, if that makes
   sense.
JOAN FREEMAN
   Sure. Why don’t you tell me your story,
   then?

KYLE FISH
   My friend Alison died.

JOAN FREEMAN
   I’m very sorry to hear that. If you’re
   troubled by depression, I can help you
   work through it-

KYLE FISH
   NO! JUST LISTEN!

Kyle breaks down; Joan is clearly startled.

JOAN FREEMAN
   Okay, Kyle. Tell me what’s on your mind.

KYLE FISH
   Alison was murdered. She was murdered. Her
   body was found in the woods by our houses.
   Everyone’s saying I did it. But how could
   I? She was my only real friend. Anyways,
   one day she didn’t show up to walk home
   from school with me like we usually do.
   She was the only one who ever took the
   time to get to know me. She was so much
   more than people thought. She wasn’t just
   popular; she was everyone’s friend. She
   wasn’t just beautiful on the outside; she
   was beautiful on the inside, too. I was
   the only one who saw it all. And now I’ll
   never see her again.

Tears come to Kyle’s eyes. He brings his hands to his face in despair.

JOAN FREEMAN
   Who thinks you killed her?

KYLE FISH
   All her boyfriends; her followers. She
   had a lot of both. I was never a fan
   favorite in the first place.

Kyle lets out a mirthless laugh.

JOAN FREEMAN
   But you didn’t kill her. The police will
   find who did.

KYLE FISH
   The thing is, I understand; they
   think I did it. They’re wrong, but
   whoever did doesn’t deserve their
   own life.

Kyle’s tears are dried now; he becomes grimly serious.

JOAN FREEMAN
   Can you answer some questions for me?

KYLE FISH
   Yeah.

JOAN FREEMAN
   Have you had any trouble sleeping?

KYLE FISH
   A little. I dream about it sometimes.
   Her, I mean. I dream about her.

JOAN FREEMAN
   Tell me why you came here today, Kyle.

KYLE FISH
   I just want it all to be over.

Joan Freeman studies Kyle’s face for a moment, then scribbling some notes down on his file.

JOAN FREEMAN
   You know what I think? I think you
   might be experiencing Post-Traumatic
   Stress Disorder. P.T.S.D. It’s very
   common in people who have lost someone
   close to them. I’ll schedule you in for
   some regular sessions with me.

KYLE FISH
   No. No, I don’t need that. I’m fine,
really-
  
JOAN FREEMAN
   Kyle, you’re not fine.

Kyle looks down at his feet and then back at Joan in self-doubt.

EXT. KYLE FISH’S HOUSE  DAY
Flashback. Kyle sits on his front porch with headphones over his ears. Alison sees him and walks over.

ALISON SILVA
   Kyle!

Alison taps Kyle on the shoulder and gasps as he turns around, revealing massive bruises on his face.

KYLE FISH
     (touches his face)
   Oh, it’s really not that bad.

ALISON SILVA
   Is this why you weren’t at school
   yesterday? Who did this to you? Was
   it Ryan?

KYLE FISH
   No, it wasn’t Ryan.

ALISON SILVA
   Then who was it?

KYLE FISH
   Seriously, it’s not that big of a
   deal-

ALISON SILVA
     (takes Kyle’s face
      in her hands)
   Kyle. Who did this?
  
KYLE FISH
   My mom. My mom did it. But the
   divorce has been really hard on her-

ALISON SILVA
   Stop making excuses for her Kyle!
   You have to tell someone!

Kyle looks down at the ground in shame; there is a moment of silence between them.

KYLE FISH
   I know. You’re right. I guess I’m
   not really making excuses for her,
   anyways. They’re more for me, you
   know?

ALISON SILVA
   Yeah, I know.

Alison sits down next to Kyle on his porch. Kyle looks at her.

KYLE FISH
   Can I tell you something?

ALISON SILVA
   Of course.

KYLE FISH
   A few years ago, before you moved
here, there was this guy arrested for
for the murder of four women. His name
was Eddie Walker. He was my dad.

Alison looks away in surprise.

ALISON SILVA
   Wow.

KYLE FISH
   My mom obviously divorced him and I took
her name. But I’ll never be Kyle Fish to
them; I’ll always be Kyle Walker. And God,
I hate him for it. Not only did he take the
lives of those four women, he took mine.
No one looks at me the same anymore.

Alison sits in thought for a moment, then shifts herself so she is facing Kyle.

ALISON SILVA
   You’re not your dad. You’re you. You’re
   Kyle Fish. And I know Kyle Fish; he’s a
   good guy. And anyone who doesn’t see
   that can suck it.

Alison laughs and nudges him, trying to lighten the mood. Kyle smiles.

KYLE FISH
   I’ve never told anyone that. I mean
people already knew, but you’re the
only person I’ve actually told.

ALISON SILVA
(growing serious)
   Thank you.

INT. GRAYONDALE POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM  DAY
Present. Kyle sits in an uncomfortable chair with a bright light shining on his face. The interrogator stands over him, pacing the room with a file in his hands.

INTERROGATOR
   So, Kyle, you went to Grayondale with
   Alison, correct?

KYLE FISH
   Yes.

INTERROGATOR
   You two were friends?

KYLE FISH
   Yes.

INTERROGATOR
   I understand you and Alison walk
   home together from school. Why didn’t
   you walk home with her the night she
   was killed?

KYLE FISH
   She didn’t meet me where we usually met.
   I waited for her, but she didn’t come.
So, I walked home alone.

INTERROGATOR
   That didn’t worry you?

KYLE FISH
   It did. But she’s tough. I knew she
could handle herself. Or I thought she
could, anyways.

Kyle looks at his feet.

INTERROGATOR
   Were you romantically involved with
   Alison in any way?

KYLE FISH
(pausing)
   No.

INTERROGATOR
   Why the pause?

KYLE FISH
   We were just friends. Really good
friends. Look. I know what they’re
saying about me. I know everyone thinks
I did it. But I didn’t do it. You want
the truth? I loved her. She never knew
it, but I did. I would never hurt her.

INTERROGATOR
   Loving someone isn’t romantic involvement
   to you?

KYLE FISH
   Like I said, she never knew it. It was
kind of a one-way thing, I guess. It seemed
she had a new boyfriend every day; I
could never keep up.

INTERROGATOR
   So many that it made you jealous?

KYLE FISH
   I loved Alison Paige Silva. I would
   never have done anything to hurt her.

INTERROGATOR
     (pausing, studying
      Kyle’s face and
      then continuing)
   You haven’t visited your father in prison.

KYLE FISH
   Can you blame me?

INTERROGATOR
   Were you close with your father before
   he murdered those four women?

KYLE FISH
   No.

INTERROGATOR
   Alright, Mr. Walker, you’re free to
   leave.

KYLE FISH
   I don’t know if that’s a tactic to the
interrogation or if that file in your
hand is old and hasn’t been updated in
a while. But it’s Fish. My name is Kyle
Fish. And I’m not my dad.

INTERROGATOR
   Who are you trying to convince?

Kyle turns and leaves.

EXT. GRAYONDALE HIGH SCHOOL  DAY
Flashback. School just got out. Alison Silva and Kyle Fish are walking home together. The sun beats down on them; birds chirp from above.

ALISON SILVA
   Ryan didn’t bother you again, today,
   did he?

KYLE FISH
   No.

ALISON SILVA
   Good. I told him not to. God, he can
   be such a jerk sometimes! You don’t
   deserve any of it, Kyle.

KYLE FISH
   Remind me why you ever dated him, again?

ALISON SILVA
     (laughing)
   Shut up!

KYLE FISH
   Okay, okay. I just think you deserve so
   much better.

Alison stops walking and hugs Kyle. She pulls back and looks into his eyes.
ALISON SILVA
   God, I wish all guys were like you. I’m
   so lucky I found you. You’re like the
   best friend I could ever have hoped for
   moving here.

Kyle nods, grimacing at the word, ‘friend.’ They continue walking.

INT. GRAYONDALE HIGH SCHOOL  DAY
Present. Kyle arrives at his locker with the word, ‘killer,’ spray painted on it in red paint. Ryan pushes him from behind. A group of jocks follow him.

RYAN EVANS
   Hey, guys! Something smells fishy over
here!

KYLE FISH
   That’s original.

RYAN EVANS
   What’d you say, killer? Sorry, Ali isn’t
   here to protect you anymore.

KYLE FISH
   You know, you never deserved her.

Ryan throws a punch at Kyle, sending him back into the lockers. Ryan’s jock-groupies cheer him on while numerous students gather to watch. A nearby teacher intervenes and holds Ryan back.

RYAN EVANS
   You don’t deserve to live for what
   you did.

EXT. GRAYONDALE HIGH SCHOOL  DAY
Flashback to the day before Alison was murdered. Kyle and Alison are walking home from school.

ALISON SILVA
     (glancing at Kyle
      from the corner
      of her eye)
   Ryan came over last night.

KYLE FISH
   Oh, yeah?

ALISON SILVA
   Yeah, he just told me how sorry he was
   and we talked for a while. We’re
   getting back together.

KYLE FISH
     (pausing)
   Oh.

ALISON SILVA
   I know what you think of him and-

KYLE FISH
   What I think of him? What I think
   is you deserve a hell of a lot
   better than him. No, I know that.

ALISON SILVA
   I forgive him, Kyle. Everyone makes
mistakes. He’s changed from the jerk
of a guy he was before. And I really
believe that this could work. I just
thought you could forgive him, too. At
least for me.

KYLE FISH
   Well, I can’t, Ali. People can’t change.

ALISON SILVA
   Wow. I thought you were different.

KYLE FISH
   I thought you were, too.

They walk the rest of the way home in silence.

EXT. KYLE FISH’S HOUSE  NIGHT

Present. Kyle sits on his front porch with his headphones on. A fleet of police cars suddenly speed down his street to stop in front of Kyle’s house. Kyle pulls his headphones off.

KYLE FISH
   What’s going on?

POLICEMAN
     (pointing a gun
      at Kyle’s head)
   Put your hands up!

Kyle puts his hands up. The police officer approaches Kyle and slaps handcuffs on his wrists.

KYLE FISH
   What’s going on?

POLICEMAN
   You are being placed under arrest for
   the murder of Alison Silva.

KYLE FISH
What? No you have the wrong guy-

POLICEMAN
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used
against you in the court of law. You have
the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you. Do you
understand?

Kyle nods reluctantly as he is shoved into the police car.

INT. GRAYONDALE POLICE: INTERROGATION ROOM  NIGHT
Kyle sits in the same uncomfortable chair with the same bright light shining on his face. The interrogation officer stands over him.

KYLE FISH
   You’re wasting time. I didn’t kill her.
   If you arrest me, the real murderer will
   still be out there!

INTERROGATOR
   We already found our real murderer.

KYLE FISH
   You’re wrong-

INTERROGATOR
   We found the knife that was used to kill
   Alison Silva. You threw it as far as you
   could back into the woods didn’t you? I’ll
   admit- you have a good arm.

KYLE FISH
   I didn’t kill Alison! I’m telling the truth!
   I’m being framed. I loved her. I would never
   have done anything to hurt her.

INTERROGATOR
   Who are you trying to convince, Mr. Walker?
    Excuse me, Mr.Fish. You’re fingerprints are
all over the knife. Give it up.

KYLE FISH
   But that’s impossible-

INTERROGATOR
   No. No, it’s not. You did it. You murdered
   Alison Silva.

KYLE FISH
   No. No. NO!

Kyle yanks his chained hands in anger and rumbles in his chair. Guards take him away to his cell. Looking down at his hands, everything comes back to him. He remembers what really happened to Alison.

EXT. GRAYONDALE HIGH SCHOOL  DAY
Flashback to the day Alison was killed. Kyle is waiting for Alison to meet him. She arrives.

KYLE FISH
   I didn’t think you’d want to walk home
   with me after yesterday.

ALISON SILVA
   Well, there’s only one short way to get
    back to our houses. I wasn’t about to walk
   seven miles just to avoid you.

KYLE FISH
I’m sorry. You were right. I should have
supported you.

ALISON SILVA
   Yeah, you should’ve.

KYLE FISH
   I just thought you should- I wanted to tell
   you-

ALISON SILVA
   What, Kyle?

KYLE FISH
   I’m in love with you, Ali.

They stop at the edge of the woods.

ALISON SILVA
   What?

KYLE FISH
   I’m in love with you, Alison Silva.
   I have been ever since I met you.

ALISON SILVA
   Kyle, you know I love you. Just not like
   that. I thought we were friends?

KYLE FISH
(pausing)
I hate that word. Friends.

ALISON SILVA
   I’m so sorry, Kyle-

KYLE FISH
   Ryan doesn’t deserve you, Ali? Don’t you
   see? I deserve you! Me! It’s always been
   me!

ALISON SILVA
   Kyle, you’re starting to freak me out.
   Let’s just keep walking.

KYLE FISH
   No.

Kyle grabs Alison’s arm forcefully and stifles her scream with a hand over her mouth. He pulls a knife out of his back pocket.

INT. GRAYONDALE POLICE: HOLDING CELL NIGHT

KYLE FISH
   Guards! Take me back to the room! I
   need to confess, please!

The guards let Kyle out of his cell and escort him back to the interrogation room where the interrogation officer is waiting for him.

INTERROGATOR
   I’ve been informed you need to, “confess?”

KYLE FISH
   I remember everything.

INTERROGATOR
   What do you remember?

KYLE FISH
   I did it. I killed her.

A tear escapes Kyle’s eye. The interrogator nods and looks down at his hands.

INTERROGATOR
   I know.
KYLE FISH
   I don’t need a trial. I don’t want one.
   I’m guilty. I killed Alison Silva.