The school bell rings, and student Emma (Eden West) stands by the lockers, greeted by her stepdad (Isiah Maxwell): “Been waiting long?”. “Not too long'”, she replies, kissing him on the cheek. “I’m at work, baby”, he complains. “Everyone knows I’m your stepdaughter”, she says. “”That’s the problem”, he replies. “I’m not doing anything wrong”, she insists. “That won’t stop people from gossiping. Come on”, he says, He’s a teacher and leads her into his classroom.
She sits on his desk by the blackboard, her boot up on a student desk. “Now what you want to sit like that?”, he reacts. “I’ve had a long day”, she says. “It doesn’t look proper -good girls don’t sit like that”, he points out. “No one can see me”, she states. “I can see you”, he responds. “So you think I’m a bad girl?”, she asks. “Don’t put words in my mouth”, stepdad declares. “I don’t mind if you do”, she says suggestively. “Emma, stop!”, he demands.
“If you can’t relax around family, then who can you relax around?”, she says. “In my family…”, he begins, but she interrupts: “You’re my family now -me and my mom”. “All I was going to say was in my family when I was growing up we were always expected to look our best”, he says. “So you think you’re better than us?”, she chides. “I didn’t say that either”, he responds. “But you implied it”, she insists, getting up and moving closer to him. Crossing her arms, she demands: “Don’t talk to me like that again, okay, daddy?”.
He shakes his head, saying: “I’m sorry, I had a rough day. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you”. “Difficult students?”, she mocks. “You know I can’t talk about that”, he contends. “You’re no fun”, Emma says. “College doesn’t keep you busy?”, he asks. “No, it’s boring -everything’s boring”, she says. “One day you’re gonna look back at your early twenties and think that it’s the best time of your life”, stepdad contends. She walks over and looks over his shoulder as he starts working on his papers.
“Can you give me some space?”, he requests. “I’m just interested in what you’re doing”, she says. “It’s not that very interesting”, he notes. She sits back on his desk and says: “It’s interesting to me”. “Your mom expects us home by six”, he notes. “So we have an hour, almost two”, she states. “I don’t know why you always show up so early, don’t you have some studying to do?”, stepdad asks. “I’m done studying”, she replies. “What about friends? Don’t you want to spend time with people your own age?”, he inquires. “No. Can’t I just get to know my stepfather better?”, she counters. “I guess not”, he says in exasperation.
Moving her head back and forth, Emma announces: “I have a crick in my neck”. “I can refer you to someone down at the Student Center”, he notes. “Can you take a look for me, daddy?”, she requests. “I don’t think that’s a good idea”, he replies. “Why not?”. “Because we’re at school and it’s not appropriate”, he contends. “So, for ethics”, she wonders. “Ethically, yes”, he insists. “Come on, just a quick look. And if you think I need a second opinion, I’ll go to the Student Center”, she offers.
Stepdad gets up and places his hands under her head, checking her out. “Do you like my perfume?”, Emma asks. “Uh, hum”. “Sorry, I don’t want to distract you”, she notes. “Does this still hurt?”, he asks. “Not anymore”. “I can still refer someone to you, if you like”, he says, lightly stroking her thigh. “If they’re as cute as you are”, she flirts with him. “Emma, why are you acting like this? What would your mother think?”, he asks.
“She would think that you’re trying to take advantage of her daughter”, she replies. “Why are you doing this?”, he reiterates. “You don’t feel that?”, she asks. “Feel what?”. “That energy, that fire between us”, she says. “Emma”, he says wearily. “I know, I know, you’re a good guy who wouldn’t want to do anything to tear our family apart”, she mocks. “If anyone ever implies what you’re suggesting, my life is over”, he says seriously. “They wouldn’t know”, she insists. “They’ll know”. “How?”, she asks. “It’s more than that. It would be wrong”, he states.
“So you’re saying you want to, but it would be wrong?”, Emma agues. “I’m not saying that”. “I think you are”, she says. “I’m not”, he insists. “So you don’t want this, and you don’t think about me?”, she concludes, as she starts to slip off her top. “Stop!”, he says, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her top back up.”Sorry, I don’t want to make you mad”, she says. “It’s too late”, he declares. “I just thought you felt the same. Please don’t be mad”, she pleads.
“Well, life isn’t your playground, Emma. You can’t just play around with people’s feelings”, stepdad maintains. “I didn’t say that I was”, she counters. “Then it’s like nothing happened”, he states. “Nothing did happen”, she says. “Right, of course, nothing happened”, he agrees. “Maybe I should wait in the car”, she says, getting up from his desk. “You don’t have to, we can leave together in a few minutes”, he suggests. “I’m embarrassed”, Emma says. “Don’t be”, he says. “I just thought you felt the same”, she claims. “It’s not that I don’t”, stepdad says. “You do?”, she asks.
He gets up and grasps her shoulders, saying: “You’re beautiful Emma. When I married your mother last month, she was beautiful, almost too good to be true. I was so happy, then. Then I looked at you -she was nothing compared to you. You know how mad that made me feel? I had accepted to be your father, but what I was feeling wasn’t exactly fatherly”.
“I just wanted you to notice me”, she avers. “Well, I do”, he answers. Emma hugs him tightly and stepdad reciprocates. He whispers: “So soft. This isn’t just a game to you, is it Emma? You can’t tell anyone”. “I won’t”, she responds. “This could ruin me -us”, he says. “I just want you to be happy, daddy”, she says. “Nothing will make me happier than having you”, he responds. “Just tell me what to do”, Emma requests.
He takes her hands and kisses them.”Is this what you want?”, stepdad asks, feeling under her top. “I want you. Look at me, look at me please”, she orders. “This is funny -just a few minutes ago I was pulling down your shirt”, he says. “I thought you hated me”, she says. “I could never hate you”, daddy says, kissing her on the lips. There’s a loud knock on the door, which is repeated. They ignore it
