Kapono tosses a shredded napkin in his sisterâs face.
KAPONO
KAAAAPOW!!
Lulu guzzles pineapple Waialua soda.
LULU
Alexis hasnât told me yet when everyone should come, and I havenât seen my parents at home in days, so I canât ask them.
AUNTIE MOANA
Lulu, just let us all know when we should come and when we should leave. We know this is an important party for your mother and fatherâs work.
KENNA
Kapono and I have been practicing our song every night. Our mom says our voices are blending perfectly.
KAPONO
But since weâre singing at your house, we canât sing at a YMCA talent show.
Lulu puts down her soda.
LULU
Why not?
KENNA and KAPONO
Itâs the same night.
Lulu frowns.
AUNTIE MOANA
Thatâs OK. There will be other competitions. Uncle Akamu and Caridyn turned down performing at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel luau that night.
UNCLE AKAMU
Thereâll always be another luau !
MALEKO
Yeah! And the Jack Johnson concert.
LIAM
(to Maleko)
Youâre not using your Jack Johnson tickets?
MALEKO
Why? You want them?
LIAM
(chewing fries)
No. Iâm going to Luluâs with everyone.
(swallows and lowers his voice)
I actually canceled a date with Khloe.
Maleko stops drumming and looks at his friend.
LIAM
And, man, can she yell loud!
Liam picks up a fry and tosses it at Maleko. It misses and lands on Noelaniâs plate. Lulu plucks it off and eats it.
LULU
Noe, you havenât touched your food.
NOELANI
(in a whisper)
Iâm way too petrified to dance hula at your parentsâ big party.
LULU
Sure you can. Youâre the best hula-er in America.
NOELANI
Maybe I can hula, but Iâm not brave. I have no koa , remember? When you guys started talking about a stage and all, I thought I would faint.
French fries fly past Lulu and Noelani. Liam and Maleko started a fry food fight. Most land on the ground near Watson, who had been sunning himself but quickly morphs into a furry vacuum.
KAPONO
(panting like heâs a dog)
Look at that fat little pug!
Watsonâs T-shirt that says âTHE BOSSâ seems to stretch tighter by the fry.
Auntie Moana walks over.
AUNTIE MOANA
Finish up and letâs go down to the beach before the wind whips up and the clouds come in. Itâs gonna be overcast soon.
Lulu and Noelani dump their trash and head toward the ocean. Watson, too full to waddle himself, rides on Luluâs boogie board while she tugs him along.
EXT. BELLOWS BEACH, NEAR THE SHORELINEâFIVE MINUTES LATER
Lulu sits under her orange beach umbrella. She pulls her ALOHA cap brim down so low on her face she can barely see. Sheâs yanked the sleeves of her SPF 50 shirt over her wrists. If a ray of sun hits her skin, it would be a miracle. Noelani lies on a thin, faded blue-and-white-striped beach towel. Her eyes are closed. Her warm, brown skin welcomes the sunshine.
NOELANI
I practice every night. I actually hula with my eyes closed and think of the story Iâm telling with my hands. But every time I open my eyes, everything about me freezes.
LULU
(worried)
Are you saying that youâre not going to come?
NOELANI
(opens her eyes and looks at Lulu)
Lu, my momâs supposed to Skype me from her ship Saturday night. Itâs been set up through her central command.
Lulu looks at Noelani, confused.
NOELANI
Central command is like the highest level of her bosses who approve that stuff.
LULU
What stuff?
NOELANI
Like talking to your daughter and when you get to come home and see her.
Lulu puts her sandy, sweaty hand on her friendâs shoulder.
LULU
Geez peas! When you talk to your mom Saturday, tell her to come home soon, so I can meet her before summer ends âcause I need to tell her how sweet and fantabulous her daughter is!
CUT!! More than anything, Iâd want my best of all Hawaiian friends to be at my parentsâ party with me. Sheâs an amazing dancer and watching her would, for sure, have
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