Production Code: 217

Air Date: 08 Aug 2003

Episode Title: Running Through The Night

Summary: Abby’s been with her foster family for a while now, and she loves them. Her sister’s feelings, however, aren’t quite as positive. What will Abby do when she’s forced to choose – her new, perfect family or her old, not-so-perfect sister?

[Abby’s NEW House…]

(The Pratts are sitting around the dinner table with Abby and Lizby)

Nina: So, does everyone like the food?

Abby: Yeah, Nina, it’s great. Thanks!

Morgan: Can we have ice cream?

Nina: Not till dessert, sweetie.

Charlie: By the way – Dad, can I have fifty bucks?

Robbie: I just gave you money last week!

Charlie: Yeah, but this is for a field trip. You have to give me it. Wouldn’t want to cripple my education, now would you?

Abby: How do you cripple an education?

Robbie: What sort of field trip?

Charlie: Spanish.

Nina: Fifty bucks for a trip to Spain? Pretty cheap!

Charlie: You wish. We’re going to some Spanish restaurant then a concert.

Nina: That sounds fun.

Morgan: Can I go?! I want to learn Spanish!!

Robbie: Once you master English, Morg.

Nina: Wait, Lizby, aren’t you in Spanish? Don’t you want to go on the trip? It sounds like a good time, and you get to miss school, which is always good.

Lizby: No.

Robbie: It wouldn’t be any trouble –

Lizby: No.

Nina: You sure?

Lizby: Yes.

Charlie: Of course she wouldn’t want to go. It involves people. She doesn’t like people.

Lizby: Shut up, you little –

Charlie: Oh, what? What are you gonna call me in front of the eight-year-old?

Morgan: Eight and a half, Charlie!

Nina: Charlie! Lizby!

Robbie: Come on! Don’t be petty!

Charlie: She started it!

Lizby: No, you did, you bas-

Charlie: You’re the one who moved in here randomly! You’re the one who no one likes!

Nina: Charlie!

(Lizby jumps up and runs upstairs. You can hear her door slam. Abby’s cheeks go red and it’s silent for a moment.)

Robbie: Charles Matthew Pratt – I cannot believe you just did that!

Charlie: I don’t like her, Dad! She’s such a – a – a fun-sucker! Why’d we have to adopt her? Couldn’t we have just left her at the orphanage and kept Abby?

(Abby’s jaw tightens)

Charlie: (to Abby) I mean, you’re cool – but your sister? Not so much.

Nina: She’s adjusting, Charlie. She’s just been ripped out of everything she knew! Give her time!

Charlie: Abby adjusted!

Robbie: Maybe it was easier for Abby!

Charlie: (Mutters) Or maybe Lizby is just a bitch.

Nina and Robbie: Charlie!

[Scene Ends]

[The Pratts’ House…]

(Abby walks into her room and Lizby is lying on her bed, face in pillow.)

Abby: Hey. (sits down on bed)

Lizby: (muffled, because of the pillow) Dai kate bet tear!

Abby: In English?

Lizby: (sits up, face is tearstained) I hate it here!

Abby: I can tell.

Lizby: I mean, don’t you? The Pratts ARE such prats – Nina’s a bitch, Robbie’s pissy, Charlie’s a bastard, and that little one’s obnoxious.

Abby: Actually – I – I sort of like it here. A little.

Lizby: What?

Abby: Robbie and Nina are actually nice, Charlie and Morgan, too –

Lizby: How can you say that?

Abby: Why do you hate them so much?

Lizby: I already told you –

Abby: It’s not because of that; you’ve hated them since we got here. They’re a crap load better than mom and grandma combined, they’ve been nothing short of amazing, I just don’t see how –

Lizby: You know what, Abby? You have no idea. Just shut up.

Abby: W-what?

Lizby: Don’t talk to me.

(Lizby lies back down and pulls the covers up. Abby, looking shocked, sits on her own bed.)

[Scene Ends…]

[At School…]

(Abby is talking to Mrs. Suave)

Mrs. Suave: So you’re happy there? Things are going well?

Abby: Yeah – well – mostly. I mean, I love it.

Mrs. Suave: Then what’s the problem?

Abby: It’s my sister. She hates it. I don’t know what to do.

Mrs. Suave: It’s probably harder for your sister to feel comfortable in her new surroundings, being older and more set in her ways. And the period of adjustment after such a big change can be a long and tumultuous time for many teenagers.

Abby: I still don’t get why it’s harder for her to get used to it, when I’m fine. I mean, we’re sisters, after all.

Mrs. Suave: How long had you and Lizby lived with your grandmother?

Abby: About a year.

Mrs. Suave: And your mother before that?

Abby: Four years, I think.

Mrs. Suave: So that’s five years of Lizby being the mom, of Lizby taking care of the both of you. And – suddenly – she’s back to being a teenager again, back to being the kid. It’s hard to give up that much responsibility up so quickly.

Abby: Oh – I guess.

Mrs. Suave: Give her time, Abby. She’ll come around.

Abby: I hope so.

[Scene Ends…]

[At The Pratts’…]

(Abby’s sitting on the couch with Morgan, watching TV. Charlie is sitting at a table in the background, doing homework, when Nina walks in.)

Nina: Dad’ll be home in around ten minutes, kids, so start getting ready for dinner.

Charlie: (standing up) Anything to avoid my math homework!

Morgan: But Mom, my show –

Nina: Morgan!

Morgan: Fine. I’ll go wash my hands.

Nina: Abby, dear, could you go get your sister?

Abby: Sure, Nina.

[Cut to Abby walking into her room]

Abby: Lizby? Dinner’s almost ready, so you should start heading down –

(The room is empty.)

Abby: Lizby? Hello? (to self) If she stayed late again, I’m going to kill her –

(There’s a note on Lizby’s pillow. Abby picks it up and reads it, her mouth open. She runs to their closet – most of Lizby’s clothes are gone.)

[CUT TO: Abby running into her dining room, where the family is sitting down at the table.]

Abby: It’s Lizby! She’s gone!

[End of Scene]

[The Pratt’s House]

(The whole family is in the living room. The three kids are sitting on the couch while Nina and Robbie talk to a policeman.)

Abby: (to Charlie) It’s all your fault, you know.

Charlie: What?

Abby: You were mean to her.

Charlie: She was mean to me!

Abby: You’re right. It’s my fault.

Charlie: No, it’s not. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s Lizby’s fault.

Abby: No!

Charlie: She’s the one who ran away.

Morgan: Where did she go?

Charlie: That’s what they’re trying to find out.

Abby: That’s what I’m going to find out.

(Abby gets up and walks over to Nina and Robbie.)

Policeman: So you recently adopted her?

Nina: We haven’t adopted, yet. She and her sister Abby are foster children. Their mother suffers from a drug addiction and their grandmother is unable to care for them.

Policeman: How was she dealing with this change?

Robbie: Poorly. She was finding it difficult.

Policeman: Does Lizby have any good friends who she would go to, ask for help?

(Abby, near tears, pushes through her parents to talk to the policeman.)

Abby: Where’s my sister?

Policeman: We don’t know at the moment, but we have officers searching for her right now –

Abby: WHERE IS MY SISTER?

Nina: (pulls Abby close) We’ll find her, dear, don’t worry, she’ll be fine.

(Abby bursts into tears and hugs Nina.)

[Abby’s Room…]

(Abby is in bed, but she’s still wide awake. She’s staring at Lizby’s empty bed, crying, when there’s a knock on her window. Abby jumps. She reaches for a weapon and grabs her field hockey stick. She advances slowly towards her window, ready to pounce, when she realizes the face in her window is Lizby. Shocked, she opens the window.)

Abby: Lizby! You’re okay!

Lizby: Yeah, of course! I told you that I would be in the letter! Here, help me in.

(Lizby tosses her bag onto the floor and clambers inside with Abby’s help.)

Abby: Where did you go?

Lizby: I went out with some friends, had lunch, visited Mom –

Abby: R-really? How is she doing?

Lizby: (sighs) Still a druggie. I could tell. She has her own apartment, though.

Abby: Did she mention me?

Lizby: Asked how you were. I told her fine.

Abby: Everyone was really worried, you know.

Lizby: (snorts) I’m sure.

Abby: No, really. There were policemen at our house and everything.

Lizby: I doubt they really care.

Abby: Of course they do! You’ll find out for real once we go tell them you’re back!

(She gets up to leave, but Lizby stops her.)

Lizby: I’m not back, Abby.

Abby: What do you mean? Of course you are!

Lizby: I just came back to see you. I’m leaving right after.

Abby: What? No! You can’t! Where would you go?

Lizby: A friend of mine is at university and offered me a place in their apartment. I’ll stay with them till I get on my feet.

Abby: But what about me? Nina and Robbie? School?

Lizby: I’ll still go to school, of course. Screw Nina and Robbie. And I’ll still see you all the time. That’s why I’m here – this is my new address. Visit me whenever.

Abby: Why can’t you just stay here?

Lizby: This isn’t home, Abby! This is some random family that took pity on us!

Abby: So some random friend’s crap apartment is? You haven’t even stayed here long enough to make it home!

Lizby: Yeah, well, I’m not planning on it. (chucks bag out window) I mean what I said, though, Abby. I still want you in my life. Just not them. So visit me soon, okay?

(She hugs her sister and jumps back out the window. Abby just stands there, staring at the paper.)

[End of Scene]

[At School…]

(Abby is in the MI lab, sitting between JT and Emma)

Abby: So then she disappeared into the night.

Emma: Is your new family really that bad?

Abby: No, that’s the thing. They’re awesome. Lizby just doesn’t see that.

JT: So what are you going to do?

Abby: I don’t know. Should I just keep my mouth shut?

JT: Lizby did ask you to. And I’m sure she’ll come around. Life in some dingy apartment can’t be all that fun.

Emma: But they’re Lizby’s parents! They have a right to know where their daughter is! Abby should definitely tell.

JT: They’re not really her parents, though. If Lizby doesn’t want to be there, she shouldn’t have to be.

Emma: She’s only 16! She doesn’t get to decide where she lives!

JT: But if she –

(Abby sighs as her friends fight. She picks up her bag and goes to leave.)

Abby: Thanks for the help, guys. I’m going to go find Lizby.

[CUT TO: Lizby at her locker. Abby walks up to her.]

Abby: Hey, Lizby!

Lizby: Oh, hey Abs!

Abby: I wanted to talk.

Lizby: Yeah, me too.

Abby: Really?

Lizby: I was thinking, if you don’t like it at Nina’s, either, we could maybe save up and get our own place! With child welfare, I’m sure we’d do fine –

Abby: No, not about that. I like it at the Pratts’. I’m not leaving.

Lizby: Fine. Stay with those –

Abby: Why don’t you like it there?

Lizby: What?

Abby: The Pratts have done nothing but welcome us, feed us, do everything they can for us. And you returned their help by running away!

Lizby: That’s not where we belong, Abby. Neither of us.

Abby: (getting frustrated) So where do we belong, huh? With mom, watching as she takes hit after hit of cocaine? With grandma, who couldn’t remember which was Lizby and which was Abby? On our own, working three jobs each and failing out of school? The Pratts’ is a good place for us, Lizby, and if you can’t see that – you’re not the person I thought you were.

(Abby storms off. Lizby looks guilty.)

[At the Pratts’…]

(The entire family is eating dinner, sans Lizby. Abby is fingering her sister’s new address under the table, debating whether to reveal Lizby’s whereabouts or not.)

Robbie: So there aren’t any updates, but the search is going on 24/7 throughout Toronto, so they’re sure to find her soon.

Morgan: That’s good. Our table is sort of empty without her.

(Gestures towards empty seat next to Abby)

Charlie: Yeah. I sort of miss her bitchyness. A little.

Nina: We all miss her.

Abby: Actually, I think I might know where to find her –

(She’s interrupted by Lizby, who opens the door and walks in, looking tired but happy. She sits down at the table, acting as if nothing is wrong.)

Nina: Oh, thank god!

Morgan: You’re home!

Lizby: Hey, guys! What’s up? Sorry I’m late, I was at the library – killer chem project – child abuse, I tell you. What’s for dinner? Pasta! Yes! I love pasta! What kind of sauce?

(The family stares at her, flabbergasted.)

Nina: Um, Lizby – I hate to burst your bubble, as seeing you in a good mood makes me happier than I’ve been in a long time, but… Where were you?

Lizby: Oh, yeah. That.

Robbie: Why’d you run away?

Lizby: I didn’t run away, so to speak. More like I –

Charlie: You disappeared and left a cryptic note on your pillow. That’s running away.

Lizby: I guess.

(pause)

Charlie: So… Why’d you do it?

Lizby: (sighs) I was at a friend’s house. Not on the streets doing coke or anything stupid like that.

Robbie: We’re glad, sweetie.

Lizby: And I did it because – well, because, I hated it here. I was too hung up on the past – on Mom, on Grandma – and I thought that if I accepted you guys as a family, I’d be insulting their memory.

Nina: Honey, that’s not true!

Lizby: I know that now. Abby talked me into coming back.

(Abby smiles)

Lizby: And listen, I’m so sorry I did it – I was desperate and stupid. I learned my lesson.

Nina: So you’re here to stay?

Lizby: If you still want me.

Robbie: Of course we still want you!

Lizby: Even you? (looks at Charlie)

Charlie: (sighs) Yeah. Even me.

Lizby: Good.

(Lizby reaches under the table to grab Abby’s hand. The two sisters smile.)

((freezes))