FATHER
Shut up!
 
MOTHER.
Asshole!
 
FATHER
Shut up!
 
MOTHER
(triumphantly)
Motherfucker!!
 
The Father lunges, drags Prince along
the floor, WHACKS! the Mother in the
face.  She topples in a heap to the bed.
He's over her now, breathing fire,
flailing about savagely--
 
FATHER
Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
 
PRINCE
(desperately)
Dad!
 
He lunges, drop KICKS his Father with
everything he's got!  His Father SMASHES
backwards against the wall, slides to
his buttocks on the floor.  He sits
there dully, exhausted...spent.
 
Prince crawls up along the side of the
bed.  His Mother buries her head in the
pillow, choking back sobs--
 
MOTHER
I'm just trapped here...
 
His Father's eyes well with tears.  He
leans close to her, speaks softly--
 
FATHER
You always got a roof
overhead...
 
MOTHER
You don't let me have any
fun...
 
His Father sighs wearily, pulls himself
to his feet.  He moves to the door--
 
FATHER
I could make you happy.  Just
believe in me...
 
MOTHER
You never...
 
FATHER
I would die for you.
 
He leaves the room, closes the door
behind him.
 
PRINCE stares at  the door a moment,
tears welling in his eyes.  His Mother
is motionless, whimpering softly.  A
scent of liquor permeates the air.
 
He moves toward her, reaches out
tentatively...
 
Suddenly she jumps up, starts pacing
franticaily--
 
MOTHER
It's nice here.  It's a nice
house.  Nothing wrong.
(a beat)
It's a good family.  Believe
me, I know.  Nothing wrong
here.
(a beat)
Your father is okay.  He's a
good man.  You could learn
somthing.
 
She catches a glimpse of herself in the
mirror, stops--
 
MOTHER
My, my!  Don't you think I
have a good figure?  Your
Father did.
 
She sits in front of the mirror, studies
her face, her eyes...her breasts--
 
MOTHER
I was beautiful when your Dad
met me.  I was out-a-sight!
 
She giggles, starts applying makeup--
 
MOTHER
I looked just like a movie
star.  The minute he saw me
singing, I knew just what he
wanted.
 
She fixes him with a conspiratorial
look, whispers--
 
MOTHER
He wanted to get into my
panties.
 
She makes funny, "jazzy" eyes at him,
then stops suddenly, staring.  His face,
mouth, eyes...a sudden stirring in her
loins.  Her lips part, she moistens them
unconsciously...
 
She turns from the mirror and stares at
him -- his look connects with her groin.
She rises suddenly, walks slowly toward
the bed, sits facing him--
 
MOTHER
You look so pretty.  Just like
me, honey.  You coulda been a
girl.
 
She outlines the mole on his cheek with
a makeup pencil, then draws one on
herself.  She takes her earring off, and
puts it on his ear.  They are face to
face -- identical--
 
MOTHER
So pretty...
 
She looks at him drunkenly.  He tries to
hold it in, but can't.  A tear, hot and
hard as a bullet flows down his cheek.
She puts her index finger in front of
his face, moves it back and forth
hypnotically.   Suddenly she pulls her
hand away, stretches it to the ceiling
like an escaping bird.  He swallows,
tries to smile -- she leans close --
 
MOTHER
(secretly)
I have to go now, see some
friends.  Don't tell your
father, okay?
 
She gets up, leaves the room--
 
MOTHER
Bye, skipper...bye.
 
(71) EXT. PRINCE'S HOUSE -- NIGHT (LATER)
 
Vanity climbs over a fence, moves
through some bushes, emerges along side
Prince's house.  She has an excited,
ravenous look on her face.  She hurries
to the casement window, climbs into the
basement.
 
(72) INT. PRINCE'S BEDROObt -- NIGHT
 
She drops down into the basement, turns
excitedly, leaps into Prince's arms--
 
VANITY
I missed you!  Missed you!
Missed you!
 
She hugs him tight, showers him with
kisses, topples them both to the bed.
Laughing, hugging, kissing -- fast and
furious.  Suddenly she jumps up like a
panther, fluffs her hair wildly in the
mirror, fixes him with a wanton look.
His eyes devour her--
 
PRINCE
Come here.  Where were you?
 
She moistens her lips, walks
lasciviously toward the bed, sits facing
him.  She laughs suddenly, pushes him
back...and they're at each other again -
- faces two inches apart;  touching,
whispering, kissing, hands searching --
shutting out the rocm, shutting out the
world...
 
She jumps up suddenly.  She can't be
contained!  She practically levitates--
 
VANITY
I have a big surprise for you.
 
She rushes to the coal chute, climbs
halfway through.  Prince, puzzled,
cracks up watching her ass and legs
dangling.  She drops back into the room,
holding a large PACKAGE.  His eyes
widen.  She struts to the bed, lays it
down majestically before him--
 
VANITY
(sings)
Da...da..!
 
PRINCE
What is it?
 
VANITY
Open it.
 
He starts peeling the tape off, careful
not to rip the paper.  Vanity's bursting
with excitement though, and demolishes
it in a flash!  He laughs, opens the lid
-- stares in shock--
 
PRINCE
Oh, no...
(happy)
Oh, no!
 
He pulls out a gleaming new GUITAR, and
we immediately recognize it as the one
they saw in the window. He's deliriously
happy, and speechless--
 
PRINCE
How'd you do it?
 
She shouts with delight, attacks him
again, pushing the guitar aside.  Fast,
furious kisses and he responds in kind.
They're twisted in a heap on the bed.
After a moment they come up for air,
stare at each other playfully. Something
flashes across his mind--
 
PRINCE
Here...
 
Her eyes widen.  He takes off his
Mother's earring, fastens it to her ear.
Eyes dancing, she jumps up, studies it
closely, in the mirror--
 
VANITY
I love it!
 
She twists around, kneels beside him,
showers him with bites and kisses.
Suddenly she stops--
 
VANITY
I'm going to join Morris'
group.
 
His face  drops, shocked--
 
PRINCE
What?
 
She backs away from  him, stands,
strikes a defensive stance--
 
VANITY
I'm going to join Morris'
group.
 
He LUNGES savagely before he knows it!
His hand lashes out, SMASHES her in the
face.  She falls back, CRASHES into the
mirror.  She slips dully to the floor,
tries desperately to brace herself on a
chair--
 
He's horrified--
 
PRINCE
I'm sorry!  Oh, baby, I'm
sorry! Are you alright?
 
He helps her up, she turns away from him-
-
VANITY
Just...leave me alone.
 
His heart staggers in his chest--
 
PRINCE
Please...it's just...
(a beat)
I don't want you around this
at all.  I just don't want you
in my life this way.  You
don't have to prove anything
to me or anybody else.
(a beat)
Vanity...?  Don't I make you
happy?  Don.t you like the way
we are?
(another thought)
Do you know Morris?  Do you
know what he's about? He
doesn't care about you.
 
She  twists viciously--
 
VANITY
Jealous..?!
 
She rushes into the antechamber, climbs
through the coal chute, disappears into
the night.
 
DISSOLVE TO:
 
(73) INT. CLUB -- MORNING
 
Matt, Bobby and Mark are JAMMING
onstage.  Prince emerges from behind the
curtains.  He looks drawn.and haggard,
his face unshaven.  The Guys spot him,
and the MUSIC trickles to a stop.
Tension fills the room in an instant.
Mark glances at his watch, fixes Prince
with a disgusted look.
 
Prince climbs the steps to the stage,
cuts across it--
 
PRINCE
Where's Lisa and Wendy?
 
BOBBY
They haven't shown up yet.
 
PRINCE
They call?
 
The Guys shrug, look away.  Prince
simmers a moment, straps on his guitar -
- immediately gets ear-splitting
FEEDBACK.  He stomps on the floor pedals
angrily.  Just then Chick comes up to
the stage--
 
CHICK
Prince.  Billy Sparks wants to
see you.
 
PRINCE
Tell him I'm rehearsing.
 
CHICK
Uh, uh -- now.
 
(74) INT. STAIRWAY AND CLUB -- DAY
 
as Billy cuts down the stairs quickly.
Prince, walking to meet him, pulls
himself up short--
 
BILLY
What do you want?<