Take a moment and say a quick prayer for Robin Antin.
Fueled by the infectious beats of G.R.L’s "Show Me What You Got," the soundtrack breathed rhythm and soul into every dazzling moment.
Set against the vibrant pulse of the fashion district, this series bursts alive as a love letter to youthful spirit and unapologetic individuality. Bold energy collides with the raw textures of the city, creating a tapestry where creativity takes center stage. Every frame crackles with life, blending fearless personal style with the electric rhythm of urban streets. Shot entirely on iPhone by Mitchell Royel, these photos serve as a dedication to the Westfield Mall kids worldwide—those unapologetically carving out their corner of the world.
by Mitchell Royel: Aliens in America 3 is a mockumentary-style short film set within Reliquary, a fictional luxury resale boutique, where personalities clash, ambition consumes, and the mundane becomes deeply absurd. The story revolves around Angelica Vargas, the fiercely meticulous manager with a diploma collection as carefully curated as the store’s designer racks. With an unrelenting eye for detail and a fixation on maintaining the perfection of Reliquary’s visual presentation, she rules the workplace with the precision of a museum curator — but not without leaving a trail of suppressed staff and strained relationships in her wake.
Amid the chaos of high-end consignment, Courtney Beaumont, a warm and enigmatic Southern transplant with no retail experience but a deep understanding of zoological patterns, steps into the fold. Her unconventional approach to merchandising — inspired by nature, habitats, and peacocks — begins to revolutionize the store’s sales, much to Angelica's simmering animosity. Courtney turns neglected racks of "graveyard" inventory into thriving, photogenic displays that customers flock to, all while disarming her coworkers with her charm and easy adaptability. Despite her lack of traditional qualifications, Courtney becomes an unexpected bright spot in Reliquary.
Meanwhile, Angelica’s personal life mirrors the rigidity of her professional one. Her long-term boyfriend, Mateo Cruz, a gentle and patient fitness trainer, begins to grow weary of their lopsided dynamic. His quiet, romantic gestures, like bringing her pupusas or hydrangeas, are repeatedly brushed off as Angelica prioritizes her lofty illusions of status over sincerity. When his feelings of neglect reach a breaking point, a touching connection blossoms unexpectedly between Mateo and Courtney, tied together by late-night conversations about bowerbirds and the universal need to be seen and understood.
Simultaneously, a subplot involving consignment theft bubbles under the surface. Angelica’s lofty credentials begin to crumble when her colleagues find evidence that she has been stealing high-value consignment items, forging authenticity papers, and selling them on the side. Her elaborate façade unravels in a climactic scene as she is confronted during one of Reliquary’s trunk show events by none other than the shop’s unassuming but shrewd owner, Margot Finch, and the police. Angelica is arrested, leaving the store in upheaval.
The aftermath sees Courtney stepping in as the new manager, bringing her natural warmth and creativity to transform Reliquary into a thriving haven of artistic curation. Mateo and Courtney’s relationship grows deeper as they find solace and appreciation for each other’s values and quirks. Meanwhile, Angelica’s fate leads her to a less glamorous but ironically fitting role as an instructor in Advanced Mannequin Posture, teaching others the rigid formality that defined her.
The film’s comedic tone is sharpened by self-aware moments, dry humor, and a workplace dynamic that feels both familiar and delightfully eccentric. With deliberate touches of visual gags (a boom mic haphazardly dropping into frame, for instance) and winking nods to the absurdity of ambition, Aliens in America 3 artfully balances wit with heartfelt reflections on identity, visibility, and connection. By its conclusion, the audience is left wondering if the elusive chance of being truly seen — whether in love, life, or retail — is entirely meteorological or just one smart display away.
ALIENS IN AMERICA 3
A Mockumentary Short Film
Runtime: Approx. 20 minutes
A prayer for Lauren Bennett — thought of every single day. May she be held in light, wrapped in grace, and reminded always that she is loved beyond measure. We carry her with us in every room we walk into, every song we hear, every moment that asks us to be brave. Amen.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
ANGELICA VARGAS (late 20s, Latina). Store manager of Reliquary. Graduate of the Hampton Fashion Merchandising Institute, Southampton campus. She owns a ruler for hanger spacing and keeps it holstered.
MATEO CRUZ (25, Hispanic). Angelica's boyfriend. Handsome, very buff, very patient. He brings lunch nobody eats.
COURTNEY BEAUMONT (late 20s). A Southern belle from Savannah, Georgia, with a degree in Zoology. She has no retail experience. She has a lot of opinions about peacocks.
YESENIA MORALES (30s, Latina). Lead cashier. She has survived four managers and has no plans to grow emotionally attached to a fifth.
DANI ORTIZ (22, Latina). Stock associate. Eager, online, always holding a steamer.
LUPE HERRERA (40s, Latina). Tailor and consignment intake specialist. She notices everything and says half of it.
MARGOT FINCH (60s). Owner of Reliquary. Silver bob, reading glasses on a chain.
DOLORES VANCE (70s). A wealthy consignor. Pearls.
OFFICER PAEZ and OFFICER LINDQVIST. Police.
VALERIA (mid-20s, Latina). Effortlessly stylish. She appears at the end.
The DOC CREW is heard but rarely seen. A boom mic dips into frame at bad moments.
COLD OPEN
INT. RELIQUARY LUXURY RESALE – BACK OFFICE – MORNING
A cramped office. The walls are crowded with framed diplomas, far more than any wall needs. Two of them hang crooked, then get straightened. ANGELICA sits for her talking head in a structured blazer, a vintage Dior scarf, and the posture of a woman who has never slouched on purpose.
ANGELICA
(to camera)
People see a thrift store. I see a museum where the art is for sale and the visitors don't know how to behave.
She gestures at the wall behind her.
ANGELICA (CONT'D)That one is the Hampton Fashion Merchandising Institute, Southampton campus. Honors. And that one is a certificate in Advanced Mannequin Posture.
(beat)
It was a weekend intensive. It changed my life.
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – CONTINUOUS
The store is gorgeous chaos in the style of Jetrag: racks of designer resale, a wall of vintage denim, a glass case of Hermès scarves, a neon sign that reads "WORN ONCE, LOVED TWICE." ANGELICA walks a rack with a small metal ruler and measures the gap between hangers.
ANGELICA
Two fingers. Always two fingers.
She measures. It's two and a quarter. She stares at the rack as if it has betrayed her family.
ANGELICA (CONT'D)
(calling out)
Dani.
DANI (O.S.)
(panicked)
I know!
SMASH CUT TO:
TITLE CARD: ALIENS IN AMERICA 3
ACT ONE
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – MORNING (PRE-OPEN)
The staff stands in a line like a sad military unit: YESENIA, DANI, and LUPE. ANGELICA paces in front of them with a clipboard.
ANGELICA
Morning walk. Who knows what today's color story is?
Silence. DANI raises a hand halfway.
DANI
Beige?
ANGELICA
"Oat." It's oat, Dani. Beige is what happens when people give up.
YESENIA
(to camera, flat)
It's beige.
ANGELICA
Lupe, consignment intake?
LUPE
Twelve pieces from Mrs. Vance came in yesterday. Chanel jacket, two Hermès scarves, a Bottega bag, the—
ANGELICA
(cutting her off)
I'll handle Mrs. Vance's pieces personally. High-value items need a trained eye.
LUPE glances at the camera, then back at ANGELICA.
LUPE
Okay.
INT. RELIQUARY – BREAK ROOM – TALKING HEAD
YESENIA sits with a vending machine Takis bag.
YESENIA
I've had four managers here. One cried every day. One quit to become a DJ. One moved to Portugal. Nobody knows why.
(beat)
Angelica's the first one who laminated the bathroom schedule.
She holds up a laminated bathroom schedule. It's color-coded.
YESENIA (CONT'D)
I'm "Oat."
EXT. RELIQUARY – FRONT ENTRANCE – NOON
MATEO stands outside the door holding two takeout bags from a Salvadoran spot. He's built like a refrigerator that does yoga. He wears a fitted tee and a hopeful expression.
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – CONTINUOUS
MATEO enters. ANGELICA is on the phone, steaming a coat, and pointing at DANI all at once.
MATEO
Hey, babe. I brought pupusas. Revueltas, your favorite.
ANGELICA holds up one finger without looking at him.
ANGELICA
(into phone)
No, I said bias-cut. Bias.
MATEO waits. And waits.
TIME CUT: MATEO is now sitting on a velvet ottoman by the fitting rooms. The pupusas are on his lap. A CUSTOMER hands him a pair of jeans, assuming he works there.
CUSTOMER
Do these come in a 28?
MATEO
(gently)
I'm... a boyfriend.
The CUSTOMER takes the jeans back, embarrassed.
INT. RELIQUARY – LOADING DOCK – TALKING HEAD
MATEO sits on a milk crate, still holding the pupusa bag.
MATEO
We've been together three years. She's amazing. She's driven. She knows the difference between "cream" and "ivory" from across the street.
(beat)
Last month I got a promotion at the gym. Head trainer. I told her at dinner. She said, "That's great, can you hold this lint roller."
(longer beat)
I held it. For the whole dinner.
He looks down at the bag.
MATEO (CONT'D)
These are cold now.
INT. RELIQUARY – BACK OFFICE – AFTERNOON
ANGELICA sits behind her desk. Across from her sits COURTNEY BEAUMONT in a gingham sundress, a cardigan, and pearl earrings. She radiates Sunday brunch and sweet tea. She holds a résumé printed on lavender paper.
ANGELICA
(reading)
Zoology.
COURTNEY
Yes, ma'am. University of Georgia. Go Dawgs.
ANGELICA
And your retail experience is...
COURTNEY
Well, I worked at a wildlife rehabilitation center for three summers. I bottle-fed a baby opossum named Reba.
Silence. ANGELICA blinks.
ANGELICA
That's not retail.
COURTNEY
No, ma'am. But Reba was very particular about her presentation.
INT. RELIQUARY – BACK OFFICE – TALKING HEAD
ANGELICA
We needed a body for the weekend shifts. Margot, the owner, said "hire someone warm." So I hired someone warm.
(beat)
She's like a scented candle that talks.
INT. RELIQUARY – STOCKROOM – TALKING HEAD
COURTNEY sits on a step stool and beams.
COURTNEY
I moved out here because my fiancé and I broke up. Well, he wasn't my fiancé. He was my lab partner. But in my heart we were engaged.
(beat)
Anyway, I needed a fresh start, and Los Angeles seemed like a great place for a woman to reinvent herself and not get recognized by anybody from church.
ACT TWO
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – DAY (COURTNEY'S FIRST SHIFT)
ANGELICA walks COURTNEY through the floor with an iPad.
ANGELICA
This is the planogram. Everything goes where the planogram says. Color, then category, then designer, then size. Never touch the front wall without my approval.
COURTNEY
Can I ask why the shoes are next to the sunglasses?
ANGELICA
Because accessories live together. It's foundational merchandising theory. I studied it for four years.
COURTNEY
Huh. 'Cause in nature, nobody looks at a bird's feet first.
ANGELICA
(pause)
We're not in nature.
COURTNEY
(looking around at the store)
Oh, honey. We are so in nature.
ANGELICA walks away. COURTNEY looks at the camera with a polite smile that hides a great deal.
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – LATER
ANGELICA has stepped out. COURTNEY stands in front of a dead corner of the store: a sad rack of faded designer knits that nobody touches.
DANI
That's the graveyard. Nothing on that rack has sold since, like, March.
COURTNEY
Well, that's 'cause it's camouflaged. All those mushroom colors together? That's how a deer hides from a hunter. Nobody's gonna find anything in there.
COURTNEY begins pulling pieces. She pairs a moss-green sweater with a rust silk skirt, then adds a gold belt.
COURTNEY (CONT'D)
In the wild, you want one showstopper per habitat. Everything else supports it. Like a peacock. He doesn't put all his feathers out at once. He builds to it.
DANI is filming on her phone now. So is the doc crew.
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – TIME-LAPSE
Quick cuts: COURTNEY reorganizes the corner into what she calls "The Watering Hole." She puts a vintage tufted bench in the middle, arranges knits by texture like layers of bark and moss, and drapes a single crimson Valentino coat on a dress form like a cardinal in snow.
CUT TO: Three CUSTOMERS clustered at the display, touching everything.
CUSTOMER #2
Is this new?
COURTNEY
No, ma'am. It's just finally being seen.
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – TALKING HEAD
COURTNEY sits on the tufted bench, now the heart of the display.
COURTNEY
Shoppers are just herd animals with credit cards. One woman picks something up, and the other ones get nervous they're missing out. That's the same reason gazelles all drink at once.
(beat)
Also, you never put the mirror where they can see themselves before they're invested. That's predator behavior. Let 'em fall in love first.
INT. RELIQUARY – REGISTER – END OF DAY
YESENIA prints the daily report. She reads it, reads it again, and looks at the camera.
YESENIA
The graveyard rack did eleven hundred dollars.
(beat)
It's never done eleven dollars.
INT. RELIQUARY – BACK OFFICE – NEXT MORNING
ANGELICA stares at the sales report on her laptop. Her jaw is tight.
ANGELICA
(to camera, too casual)
It's a fluke. Statistically, a stopped clock is right twice a day. That's just math.
(beat)
I took retail analytics at Hampton.
(beat)
She took opossum.
INT. RELIQUARY – BREAK ROOM – WEEKLY MEETING
The staff sits around a folding table. ANGELICA stands next to a whiteboard with a sales chart drawn on it. One bar is much taller than the others.
ANGELICA
Great week. Our knitwear category is up three hundred percent, thanks to some strategic restructuring of underperforming inventory.
DANI
Courtney did that.
ANGELICA
Under my planogram.
LUPE
She threw out the planogram.
ANGELICA
(smiling with every tooth she owns)
She interpreted the planogram.
COURTNEY raises her hand, sweetly.
COURTNEY
I'm just happy the sweaters found their forever homes.
A long, awkward silence. The camera slowly pushes in on ANGELICA's face. Her eye twitches once.
EXT. RELIQUARY – LOADING DOCK – AFTERNOON
MATEO sits on the loading dock with a gym bag, scrolling his phone. COURTNEY comes out carrying a box of hangers and stops.
COURTNEY
Oh! You're Angelica's boyfriend. Mateo, right?
MATEO
Yeah. She said she'd be out in five.
COURTNEY
When'd she say that?
MATEO
(checking phone)
Fifty-one minutes ago.
COURTNEY sits next to him. She pulls a small thermos from her bag and pours him a cup.
COURTNEY
Sweet tea. My mama would never forgive me if I let a man sit thirsty.
MATEO
(taking it)
Thanks.
(sips; his eyes go wide)
That's a lot of sugar.
COURTNEY
That's how you know somebody loves you.
They sit. A comfortable silence.
MATEO
Angelica says you studied animals.
COURTNEY
Zoology. My favorite's the bowerbird. The male builds this whole beautiful structure, decorates it with blue things he finds. Bottle caps, berries, flowers. Spends weeks on it. Just to get noticed.
MATEO
Does it work?
COURTNEY
Sometimes. Sometimes the female walks right past and doesn't even look.
MATEO stares into his sweet tea.
MATEO
(quietly)
That's a sad bird.
COURTNEY
Oh, no, sugar. He's not sad. He just hasn't met the right one yet.
The camera lingers on MATEO. He glances at the camera, then quickly away.
INT. RELIQUARY – LOADING DOCK – TALKING HEAD
MATEO
I looked up bowerbirds when I got home.
(beat)
I watched forty minutes of bowerbird videos.
(beat)
I didn't tell Angelica. She doesn't really ask what I do.
ACT THREE
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – NIGHT (AFTER CLOSE)
The store is dim. The doc crew is packing up. The camera, still rolling on a tripod, catches ANGELICA alone near the front wall, which is now a stunning COURTNEY display: a "Birds of Paradise" collection of jewel-toned vintage silks.
ANGELICA looks around, then calmly begins pulling the pieces off the wall. She stuffs them into a bin labeled "DAMAGED."
CREW MEMBER (O.S.)
(whispering)
Are we still rolling?
ANGELICA freezes. She turns toward the camera slowly.
ANGELICA
(bright)
Quality control!
She holds up a perfect silk blouse.
ANGELICA (CONT'D)
See this? Pilling.
The camera zooms in on the blouse. There's no pilling. The blouse is flawless.
ANGELICA (CONT'D)
Microscopic pilling. You need training to see it.
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – NEXT MORNING
COURTNEY stares at the empty front wall. Her hand is on her chest.
COURTNEY
Well, bless its heart.
YESENIA
(walking past)
Damaged bin.
COURTNEY
All of 'em?
YESENIA
Microscopic pilling.
COURTNEY pulls the pieces back out of the bin, smooths them, and gets to work. She hums "Jolene."
INT. RELIQUARY – STOCKROOM – TALKING HEAD
COURTNEY
Back home, we had a raccoon that kept knocking over our trash cans every night. Daddy wanted to trap it. Mama said, "Just build a better lid."
(beat)
So I'm building a better lid.
(beat)
Angelica's the raccoon. In case that wasn't clear.
INT. RELIQUARY – ALTERATIONS STATION – DAY
LUPE sits at a sewing machine, hemming trousers. She speaks to camera without looking up.
LUPE
I log every consignment piece that comes in. Photo, tag, signature. It's my system. I've used it for nine years.
(beat)
Mrs. Vance's Chanel jacket came in on Tuesday. On Thursday, it was gone. The log says "lost in transit."
(beat)
Transit to where? It's twenty feet from my table to the rack.
She finally looks up at the camera.
LUPE (CONT'D)
Something is walking out of here. And it's not the customers.
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – DAY
DANI is on her phone, scrolling a resale app. She stops. Squints. Zooms.
DANI
Yesenia. Come here.
YESENIA leans over. DANI shows her the screen: an account called @HamptonsHeiressCloset. The listing is a Chanel bouclé jacket. Same trim. Same tiny repair stitch on the cuff.
DANI (CONT'D)
That's Mrs. Vance's jacket. Lupe did that stitch. Look at the background.
They zoom in. Behind the jacket in the photo hangs a framed certificate: "ADVANCED MANNEQUIN POSTURE."
Long silence. YESENIA and DANI look at each other. Then, together, they look at the camera.
YESENIA
(to camera)
I didn't say anything.
(beat)
I'm saying it now.
ACT FOUR
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – EVENING (THE TRUNK SHOW)
The store has been transformed for the "Reliquary Rendezvous," a seasonal trunk show. There's champagne, a DJ playing bossa nova remixes, and string lights. Well-dressed CUSTOMERS mingle. MARGOT FINCH, the owner, drifts through in a cape.
Most of the room has gathered around COURTNEY's newly rebuilt "Birds of Paradise" wall. People are taking photos. Someone says, "This is very Gucci 2016." Someone else says, "This is very bird."
ANGELICA takes the microphone from the DJ.
ANGELICAGood evening, Reliquary family. Thank you for supporting curated, elevated resale. As a graduate of the Hampton Fashion Merchandising Institute—
YESENIA
(under her breath)
Here we go.
ANGELICA
—I've always believed presentation is everything.
MATEO steps forward in a suit he clearly bought for tonight. He's holding a bouquet of blue hydrangeas and a small handwritten card. He's nervous.
MATEO
Babe, can I say something real quick? I wrote something—
ANGELICA keeps her smile and keeps the mic.
ANGELICA
Everyone, this is my boyfriend, Mateo. He's our... ambient décor this evening.
Some uncomfortable laughter.
ANGELICA (CONT'D)
Honestly, he's basically a mannequin with a gym membership. Great proportions. Doesn't say much. Very easy to dress.
More laughter. Then less. Then none.
MATEO's smile fades. He lowers the flowers. The card in his hand trembles a little.
The DJ, sensing danger, turns the bossa nova down. Then off.
An agonizing silence. The camera holds on MATEO for far too long. A CUSTOMER coughs. Someone's champagne glass clinks against a jewelry case.
MATEO
(quietly)
These are for you. They're blue. Because...
He doesn't finish. He sets the hydrangeas down on a display table and walks out through the back.
ANGELICA turns to the crowd as if nothing happened.
ANGELICA
And now, a moment for the Valentino.
COURTNEY looks at the flowers. Then at the back door. She sets down her champagne and follows him.
EXT. RELIQUARY – LOADING DOCK – CONTINUOUS
MATEO sits on the dock edge in his suit, loosening his tie. COURTNEY sits down next to him and holds out her thermos.
MATEO
(small laugh)
You brought sweet tea to a champagne party?
COURTNEY
I bring sweet tea to funerals. It's a versatile beverage.
They sit. He hands her the card. She reads it silently. Her face softens.
COURTNEY (CONT'D)
This is real nice, Mateo.
MATEO
It's three years of me building the bower, you know? Blue stuff everywhere. And she keeps walking past it.
COURTNEY
(gently)
Then maybe it's not your bower that's the problem.
He looks at her. A long beat. The boom mic dips into the frame. Both of them look up at it. It slowly rises back out.
INT. RELIQUARY – STOCKROOM – TALKING HEAD
COURTNEY is flustered and fanning herself with a price tag.
COURTNEY
Nothing happened. We talked about birds. Mostly hummingbirds. Did y'all know a hummingbird's heart beats over a thousand times a minute?
(beat)
Mine was doing that. That's not a confession. That's a fact about hummingbirds.
INT. RELIQUARY – BACK OFFICE – NEXT DAY
ANGELICA types furiously on her laptop. MATEO stands in the doorway, calm.
MATEO
Hey. I think we should break up.
ANGELICA
(not looking up)
Mm-hmm. Can you close the door on your way out? The AC.
MATEO waits. ANGELICA keeps typing.
MATEO
Angelica. I'm breaking up with you.
ANGELICA
(still typing)
I heard you. I'm in the middle of something.
MATEO nods slowly. He closes the door gently on his way out.
ANGELICA keeps typing for five full seconds. Then she stops. She stares at the door.
ANGELICA (CONT'D)
(to camera)
Did he just...
(beat)
He'll be back. They always come back to quality.
ACT FIVE
INT. RELIQUARY – BACK OFFICE – NIGHT
The store is closed. ANGELICA believes the doc crew has left. Their tripod camera, forgotten in the corner, is still rolling.
ANGELICA pulls a Hermès scarf and a Bottega Veneta bag, both tagged "VANCE – CONSIGNMENT," from a locked cabinet. She lays them on a backdrop, snaps photos, and uploads them to @HamptonsHeiressCloset.
Then she opens a document template: "CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY." She types in the bag's details and signs it with a flourish: "Angelica Vargas, Certified Luxury Authenticator, Hampton Fashion Merchandising Institute."
She prints it. The printer jams. She smacks it. It prints.
ANGELICA
(to herself)
Elevated.
Behind her, the tripod camera's red light blinks.
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – NEXT MORNING
DOLORES VANCE enters in pearls and a camel coat. LUPE greets her at the counter.
DOLORES
I've come to check on my Chanel jacket. My granddaughter says it's on the internet.
LUPE
(very calm)
Let me get the manager.
ANGELICA glides over.
ANGELICA
Mrs. Vance! What a gift. Your jacket was unfortunately lost in transit—
DOLORES
Transit. From where to where?
ANGELICA
...Logistics are very complex.
The front door chimes. MARGOT FINCH enters holding a laptop. She is followed by OFFICER PAEZ and OFFICER LINDQVIST.
The store goes silent. A CUSTOMER quietly puts down a belt and leaves.
MARGOT
Angelica. The documentary crew was kind enough to share some footage with me.
She turns the laptop around. On screen, ANGELICA is uploading the Bottega bag, signing a fake certificate, and smacking a printer.
ANGELICA
That's... staged. That's reenactment footage. For the documentary.
MARGOT
I also called the Hampton Fashion Merchandising Institute.
ANGELICA's face drains.
MARGOT (CONT'D)
It's a four-week summer workshop. Held above a candle shop in Southampton. They don't grant degrees. They don't certify authenticators.
(beat)
They were very nice. The candles are lovely.
DANI
(whispering to YESENIA)
Oh, she's done done.
ANGELICA
I did earn my credentials. The Hampton degree — that part's real.
MARGOT
I know. That's why this is so disappointing.
OFFICER PAEZ steps forward.
OFFICER PAEZ
Ma'am, we have a report of stolen consignment property and forged authentication documents. We need you to come with us.
ANGELICA looks at the staff. YESENIA eats a Taki. LUPE threads a needle. COURTNEY stands frozen by the Birds of Paradise wall.
ANGELICA
(to COURTNEY)
You. You did this.
COURTNEY
No, ma'am. I just built a better lid.
ANGELICA
(confused)
What does that mean?
OFFICER LINDQVIST gently cuffs her. As they walk her toward the door, ANGELICA passes a rack. She stops. She stares.
ANGELICA (CONT'D)
(to DANI, urgent)
Two fingers. That rack's at three.
DANI
(quietly)
Okay.
ANGELICA is led out. The door chimes. Silence.
DOLORES VANCE turns to LUPE.
DOLORES
Do you have that jacket in a size six?
INT. RELIQUARY – BREAK ROOM – TALKING HEAD
YESENIA
Manager number five.
(beat)
She didn't move to Portugal. But I'd say she went somewhere.
ACT SIX
MONTAGE – "THREE MONTHS LATER"
Soft acoustic music plays.
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR: MARGOT pins a "STORE MANAGER" badge on COURTNEY. COURTNEY cries. DANI cries. LUPE pretends to have something in her eye.
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR: COURTNEY rebuilds the entire store into "habitats": The Savanna (linen and safari jackets), The Rainforest (bold prints), The Tundra (cashmere and whites). Sales charts climb.
EXT. GRIFFITH PARK – DAY: COURTNEY and MATEO hike. She points at a hawk. He watches her instead of the hawk.
INT. MATEO'S APARTMENT – NIGHT: MATEO has built a small shelf of blue objects. He shows it to COURTNEY. She bursts out laughing, then kisses him.
INT. RELIQUARY – LOADING DOCK – DAY: COURTNEY and MATEO share sweet tea on the dock. Same spot. Different energy.
INT. JEWELRY STORE – DAY – TALKING HEAD
MATEO sits in front of a jewelry case, holding a small velvet ring box.
MATEO
Six months together. I know it's fast. But when you know, you know.
(beat)
She asks me how my day was. Every day. And she listens to the answer.
(beat)
I didn't know that was supposed to be normal.
He opens the box. It's a beautiful vintage ring with a small blue sapphire.
MATEO (CONT'D)
It's blue. She'll get it.
INT. RELIQUARY – STOCKROOM – TALKING HEAD
COURTNEY sits on her step stool, now wearing a blazer and a manager's lanyard.
COURTNEY
I think he's gonna propose. He's been real weird about my ring size. He asked me if I knew how big a hummingbird's ankle was.
(beat)
I said, "Mateo, that's not a ring size."
(beat)
But I said yes. To the ankle question. I don't know what I agreed to.
FINAL SCENE
INT. RELIQUARY – SALES FLOOR – DAY – "SIX MONTHS LATER"
The store is thriving. It's busy and gorgeous. COURTNEY stands on a ladder, fussing with a dramatic hanging display of vintage feathered capes. She has a phone pinned between her ear and shoulder and a clipboard in her hand.
COURTNEY
(into phone)
No, I said ostrich, not emu. Emu's a whole different texture story.
The door chimes. MATEO walks in wearing a nice button-down and holding a bouquet of blue hydrangeas. He pats his pocket, where the ring box is.
MATEO
Hey, babe. I made a reservation for tonight. Seven o'clock, that place with the—
COURTNEY holds up one finger without looking down.
COURTNEY
(into phone)
Hold on, sugar.
(to MATEO, sweetly, still not looking)
One sec, babe. Can you hold this mannequin arm?
She hands him a mannequin arm over her shoulder. He takes it. He stands there with the flowers in one hand and the mannequin arm in the other.
The camera slowly pushes in on MATEO's face.
The door chimes again. VALERIA walks in. She's mid-20s, Latina, and effortlessly chic in a thrifted '90s slip dress and an oversized blazer. She approaches the register, where YESENIA is ringing up a customer.
VALERIA
Hi! Are you guys hiring? I'd love to grab an application.
YESENIA
Retail experience?
VALERIA
(laughing)
Honestly? None. I have a degree in astrophysics. But I've always thought a store is kind of like a galaxy. Everything orbits something.
YESENIA freezes. Very slowly, she looks at the camera.
VALERIA glances to her left and notices MATEO, standing there with blue hydrangeas and a mannequin arm. She smiles at him.
VALERIA (CONT'D)
Love the flowers.
MATEO looks at the flowers. Then at VALERIA. Then up at COURTNEY on the ladder, still on the phone and still not looking down.
He looks back at VALERIA.
MATEO
(softly)
They're blue.
VALERIA
I noticed.
A long, loaded silence. The boom mic dips into the frame. Everyone looks at it. It rises out.
YESENIA pulls an application from under the counter and slides it across with one finger.
YESENIA
(to camera)
Manager number six.
(beat)
Give it a year.
COURTNEY (O.S.)
(from the ladder, cheerful)
Babe? I need the other arm too!
MATEO doesn't move. He's still looking at VALERIA.
SMASH CUT TO BLACK.
TITLE CARD: Angelica Vargas was sentenced to community service and restitution. She now teaches a weekend intensive in Advanced Mannequin Posture. It is fully booked.
TITLE CARD: Mrs. Vance's Chanel jacket was returned. She consigned it again the following week.
TITLE CARD: Reliquary is hiring.
FADE OUT.