NINE
morning

Shirley whips the blinds open.

Lauren (half asleep)- AH! I'm blind! It's too bright! (she squints and sees Shirley) Awe, Shirl, will ya close the blinds.

Shirley- No, it's a beautiful day out!

Lauren pulls the blanket up over her head.

Shirley goes over to Kristin and starts shaking her.

Kristin (groggily)- Awe, I don't wanna go to school... Huh? Shirl, can't ya let the alarm clock wake me up? (she pulls the pillow out from under her head and puts it over her face)

Shirley- No one wants to wake up. (she notices the empty cot) Lauren?

Lauren (from under the blanket)- Whadya want?

Shirley- Where's Lenny?

Lauren- I don't know... Lemme go back to sleep, huh.

Shirley- Fine with me. (she leaves)

Kristin takes the pillow off of her face and sits up.

Kristin- Lauren?

Lauren sits up under the blanket.

Lauren- What?

Kristin- Where did Lenny go?

Lauren- Probably next door... I dunno, he didn't say.

Kristin- Oh. Well, I' goin' back to sleep. I won't bug you anymore.

Lauren (flopping back down)- See that you don't.

TEN
lobby, a few minutes later

Shirley is sitting in one of the chairs, waiting for Carmine. She notices Squiggy wandering around and turns away, hoping he won't notice her. He does and goes over.

Squiggy- Hiya, Shirl.

Shirley (trying to force a smile)- Hi, Squig. is Carmine comin'?

Squiggy- How should I know? He was snorin' when I left five minutes ago.

Shirley (standing up)- Looks like I'll hafta go get him. (she leaves, going in the direction of the elevator)

Lenny comes out of the gift shop and goes over to Squiggy.

Lenny- Hey, Squig.

Squiggy- Where'd you come from?

Lenny- The gift shop. I wanted to see if I could find a license plate with my name on it. (he pulls the plate out of his pocket) I finall found one!

Squiggy- Just once, I'd like to see one wit' 'Squiggy' on it...

Lenny (digging in his pocket)- I foud... (pulls the plate out) ...one-a them, too. (he gives it to Squiggy)

{Btw, that plate actually did have 'Squiggy' on it... the shop also had names like 'Bort'... go figure}

ELEVEN
7th floor, about 20 minutes later

Kristin is in the bathroom, brushing her teeth. Lauren is out on the balcony.

Lauren- Whatta beautiful view out here! Kristin, ya gotta come out here and take a look.

O.S. Kristin- Be there in a sec.

Kristin comes out of the bathroom and there's a knock at the door. She opens it.

Squiggy (coming in)- I hate bein' here! I can't barge in on nobody! (he sits on the end of the first bed)

Lauren (mockingly)- Awe...

Kristin (sits next to Squiggy)- Wanna walk around the hotel?

Squiggy- Okay.

They get up and leave.

Lauren- Doesn't take much for Squig to change his mind... geez.

Lenny comes as far as the sliding door.

Lenny- How can ya be out there? I thought ya didn't like heights.

Lauren- I don't... but balconies are usually pretty solid. (she looks at him) Come out here.

Lenny- No, I'm fine right here.

Lauren- In that case, would ya mind getting me my camera. It's on top-a the TV.

Lenny- Sure. (he goes over, gets the camera, and goes back to the sliding door) Got it.

Lauren (turns around; taking the camera)- Thanks. (she turns back around and starts taking pictures of the city) Wow! You can see our apartment building from here (she clicks some more pictures)

TWELVE
30 minutes later

Lauren is still out on the balcony.

Lauren- I wonder if Laverne would be able to see me out here from her pop's apartment. (she turns and goes in the room; she sees Lenny flopped on what was Shirley's bed, staring at the ceiing) Shirl's gonna kill ya, you know.

Lenny- Ha ha ha... What're ya doin'? (he sits up)

Lauren (dialing)- I'm gonna call Laverne and ask her if she can see me out on the balcony.

Lenny- You really have nothin' better to do...

Lauren (waiting for Laverne to pick up)- Talkin' about yourself, huh? (to the phone) Hi, Vernie. I was wonderin' if you've got a good view of the hotel from your pop's apartment? You do?! Could ya take a picture of me out on the balcony? That's be great... Wait, I'm not gonna hang up yet. (to Lenny) Don't touch the poe!

Lenny- Now, why would I do that...

Lauren goes out on the balcony and stands there for a minute.

Lauren- Has she gotten the picture yet?

Lenny- What!?

Lauren (turns around and goes inside)- What's the matter

Lenny (hangs up the phone)- Laverne said the hotel's on fire... then the phone went dead.

Lauren- Making up excuses for hanging it up, huh?

Lenny- It's not an excuse! She said she could see it from our floor!

Lauren (beginning to freak out)- What!? (she runs to the door) This can't be happening! (she opens the door, looks down the hall, and starts screaming)

Lenny (now behind her, looking out)- Ain't that the direction the stairs are in?

Lauren- Yes! Why do ya think I screamed!?

Lenny (puts his hand over her mouth)- Shush! Now, com'on, there's gotta be another way...

Lauren starts trying to get away - she's nearly jumping up and down.

Lenny- Will you stop it!? C'mon, we'll go to the right, away from the fire. Maybe we'll find another set of stairs. (he uncovers her mouth and starts pulling her down the hall)

THIRTEEN
outside

Shirley, Carmine, Kristin, and Squiggy are sitting as close to the hotel as the firemen would let them - actually, Shlrley jumps up every time someone comes out.

Kristin- I hope they're not still in there!

Laverne comes running over.

Laverne- I can't believe this!

Shirley- Laverne! How'd you know what was goin' on?

Laverne- Lauren had called me to ask if I'd take a picture of her out on the balcony. I got my camera and went to the window and saw the fire. She left the phone with Lenny... I don't know exactly when the phone got cut off. I called the fire department immediately after... This is awful!

FOURTEEN
somewhere inside the hotel, in the stairwell

{Btw, smoke rises, so they're crawling on the stairs}

Lauren- If I slide down another set of stairs...

Lenny- Oh, com'on... besides, ya only landed on me once.

Lauren (makes a face)- I won't say it... Are we anywhere near the ground floor yet?

Lenny- I dunno... they had to put the floor numbers over the doors.

Lauren- Well, the smoke up there ain't helpin' much of anything, either!

FIFTEEN
outside

About half of the hotel is completely charred.

Shirley- Where are they?!

Squiggy- I hope they're okay.

Everyone looks at him.

Squiggy- What?

Kristin- It's been nearly an hour! They shoulda been out by now...

Laverne- I thought I just saw som'en fly out of one of the second story windows. (she goes over to the barrier) Hey! Excuse me! What is that?!

Fireman (comes over)- Just a jacket, here. (he gives it to her)

Laverne goes back over to the group.

Carmine- What is it?

Laverne opens it up. It's Lenny's jacket.

Laverne- What the...? I can't tell if this is a good sign or...

Shirley- Forget the "or"!

More sirens are heard.

Fireman- Wait, we got two more comin'...!

SIXTEEN
Frank's apartment, 30 minutes later

Shirley is pacing around (for no reason) and breathing into a paper bag. Laverne, Carmine, Kristin, and Squiggy are sitting at the table. Lauren and Lenny are sitting back-to-back on the couch {they're holding each other up}.

Laverne- Shirl, will you stop pacing like that?! Everything's fine now!

Shirley- I know... but what if...

Lauren- Shirl.

Shirley- I'm sorry. Of all the rotten things...

Squiggy- Those two're a magnet for that stuff!

Lauren- I'd throw a pillow at him, but I can't seem to move my arm... (she looks at it) Len, get off my arm! (nothing) Len? (he snores) Sounds like I'm not gonna get my arm back.

Kristin- I wonder how that fire got started.

Carmine- I wonder why there wasn't any fire alarm. It's a good thing Lauren had called Laverne.

Laverne- I'm glad I was able to tell them.

Lauren- Uh, we're not gone over here. Ya don't hafta talk like we're dead... although, I'm gettin' leaned on by some dead weight here... Someone wanna pull me out, please?

THE END :)~