Luca 2: The Complete Script

Scene 12 - That Didn't Work

General Theme:

Phantom Tail

(Outside on the treehouse, Luca is just sitting silently and thinking over things, while Alberto is probably trying to not get a headache from the previous scene.)

Luca: (Drumming his hands on his legs) So... That... didn't go the way you thought it would, did it...?

Alberto: (Sarcastic laugh) Oh, it didn't just go the complete opposite of how I thought it would. It was a disaster! (Puts his head in his hands)

Luca: It always... could have been... worse...

Alberto: (Genuine small smile) That's true.

Luca: (Looking over at him) But if we didn't teach her how to be a sea monster at all... we're back to where we started. We didn't do anything, we... just made it worse.

Alberto: Maybe teaching a human to be a sea monster is harder than teaching a sea monster to be a human. We're so used to being sea monsters that we didn't realize.

Luca: So what do we do?

Alberto: ...I don't know. One moment she's a human, and the next she's a sea monster, and now... none of us can stop thinking about it.

(As he's been talking, it briefly cuts to Giulia inside her bedroom, listening through the closed window, with his voice a bit muffled. She lowers her gaze for a moment before concentrating and looking more determined.)

Alberto: (Lowering his voice just in case, glancing back at the window) Especially her.

Luca: (About to respond)

(It's at this moment that Giulia comes through her bedroom window and plops down in between them cheerfully.)

Giulia: Hey, guys! How's it going?

Luca: (Lil jump, stuttering) Um— Hey, Alberto-! I was just talking to Giulia— I mean, Alberto—... because you're Giulia—

(There's dead awkward silence as Giulia and Alberto stare at him in confusion.)

Alberto: ...Ohhkay then.

Giulia: So you're... doing pretty good? (Sitting cross-legged and rocking her feet back and forth)

Luca: Y-yeah, we're fine! (Short pause) ...How about you? You seem a lot more... like you!

Giulia: (Shrug) Of course I do!

Luca: (Confused, brief double-take) R-really?

Alberto: We thought that-

Giulia: Why wouldn't I be like this?

(Luca and Alberto both exchange a very confused look.)

Luca: I-it's just... ever since you became a sea monster, you've kinda...

Giulia: (Momentarily frozen) O-oh, that...? Don't worry about it, you two. I'm fine.

Alberto: (Suspicious) You're... fine. Even with fins, and a tail, and scales, and... all that every time you get wet?

Giulia: (Quick glance over her shoulder to where her tail would sprout from, and for a second the faintest image of it appears before it clears out) Mhm!

Alberto: But-

Luca: (Stomach growls, immediately embarrassed) Sorry...

Giulia: (Nudging him) See, we're probably all hungry. (Reaching into her back pocket) We've got leftover money from your books that we could use to get a snack.

Luca: (Almost instantly forgetting about the situation) Yeah!

(Giulia takes his wrist and they both go down to the gate. When she's already out, Luca looks back up at Alberto, who's still in the treehouse.)

Luca: You coming?

Alberto: Yeah. One second. (Looking out over the sea with a frown before following)