Chapter 1 1

The Last Smile

INT. WILSON APARTMENT – LOS ANGELES – EVENING

The sun sets over South Central L.A., pouring gold through the thin curtains of a modest apartment. Inside, the kitchen is alive.

ALYSSA WILSON, 16, dances barefoot across the floor, holding a wooden spoon like a microphone, music thumping in the background.

ALYSSA

(grinning)

Y'all are the most boring twins I know. Ever heard of having fun?

Her older siblings-SKYLER and SHAWN WILSON, both 17-watch from the couch. Twins by birth, opposites by nature.

Skyler's got a wild edge, piercings, and eyes that don't back down.

Shawn wears glasses, always calm, always calculating.

SKYLER

(teasing)

Pretty rich coming from someone who still watches cartoons every morning.

ALYSSA

(fake gasp)

That's vintage! You just don't get it.

Laughter bursts through the room. That rare kind of warmth that makes everything feel safe.

CUT TO:

EXT. SOUTH CENTRAL STREET – NIGHT

Alyssa walks alone. Hoodie up. Earbuds in. The streetlights flicker as she texts Skyler:

ALYSSA: "On my way. Don't burn dinner lol."

Across the street, a BLACK SEDAN crawls along the curb. A window rolls down slightly.

CUT TO:

INT. POLICE STATION – THE NEXT MORNING

Skyler and Shawn sit in a cold room. Pale. Shattered. A DETECTIVE with tired eyes flips a notepad but avoids eye contact.

DETECTIVE

We're looking into a few possible suspects... but there's not much evidence yet.

SKYLER

(voice shaking)

She was raped. Beaten. And left like she was nothing.

SHAWN

(staring hard)

You're saying there's nothing you can do?

DETECTIVE

We're doing what we can, kids.

Skyler nearly lunges across the table, but Shawn grabs her wrist-gentle but firm.

CUT TO:

INT. SHAWN'S BEDROOM – NIGHT

A laptop glows in the dark. Street maps. News articles. Gang symbols. Mugshots. A whiteboard full of connections.

Shawn adds another name to the board.

Skyler enters quietly.

SKYLER

(softly)

You ready?

SHAWN

They thought we'd sit back. Let them get away with it.

He looks up. Their eyes lock.

SHAWN (CONT'D)

They messed with the wrong twins.

FADE OUT.