Inside people drinking dancing. Late forties music and fashions. Young lady having a

good time, suddenly her face shows shock. A man by the front door looks at her, shakes his

head, turns and leaves.

Sunday AM. Churchtime. Shot of well dressed people leaving their parked cars,

converging on a building. Laughing, good mood, gospel organ music gets louder.

Five pretty late-teenage girls sit together giggling, fidgeting. They are Pearl, Zenobia, Rozetta, Flo and Cindy. The girl seen the nite before is seated on the 'Mourner's Bench' with her head

bowed, looking sad. People whisper about how fast she is, hardheaded, etc.

Congregation ends song and stern looking Preacher starts to verbally tear apart the young girl on the bench, quoting scripture, using call/response, and animated gestures. Blame girl for taking up w/ the devil by going to the jazz club alone, underage , and drinking. Girl cries.

The five girls react differently to this. Pearl (conservative) thinks that punishment is good. Zenobia (rebel) thinks she would have gave them all the finger and walked out. Rozetta (smart) that if the preacher represented the God of love-he’d never chastise another person like that in public, Flo (emotional) is scared of what congregation would say of her, but wished she could go to a jazz club. Cindy (hero – mixture) feels sorry for the girls parents and prays she will never embarrass her beloved mother or Deacon father like that.

After church the girls walk through the hood and talk, gossip, and reveal their separate

identities. The hood is revealed to be a ethnic melting pot. Global village powered by a steel

plant. The girls work at the cafeteria after school on some days. All of their dads work there. The area is safe. We meet families, neighbors, boyfriends,etc

Monday Flo shows a letter she got in the mail from 'Cab Calloway' in response to a letter she had

written to him before. He will play Buffalo next Saterday nite and he wants to see her there and

take her out afterwards.

Flo knows that she might get worse punishment than the girl yesterday but it's worth it. She

finally talks her friends to go with her and prepare her for 'the meeting'.

They try to coordinate lies so they can get the night free. The lie is almost exposed, several times. They sell baked goods so they can get tickets and their hair done.

Flo has crew over, Cab Calloway is on TV. She plays the guy’s songs. Has fantasy (inacted) about how she thinks it will be. Draws straws to see who will arrange ride. Cindy is chosen. Must use someone out of the church circle. Asked Auntie who helps run a bar. We see the bar scene. Auntie tells her about life and men. Reluctant but agrees to help.

Flo, Zenobia and Cindy go across the bridge to buy special shoes. Get discriminated against, told to get back on their side of the tracks. Zenobia tells them off. Chased by white girls, luckily Pearl and her guy, James, pick them up.

The day comes, the girls tell their lies and go off. Comic scene at beauty parlor. They meet Auntie, she drives them. Warns them not to drink. Give them warning signs to watch in men and not to trust them. All are virgin.

Inside the club is super elegant. People in fine clothes, great music. Some guys check them out right away. James comes in. Saw them go to Aunties dressed up, followed them. They tell him the story. Say he can hang out but must be quiet about it.

The girls dance with the guys and do some jitterbug moves. They convince the girls to drink. Rozetta gets goofy, Zenobia gets loud and lewd, Cindy gets romantic, but remembers the words of Auntie.

Cab goes on stage, tears it up. During show he recognizes Flo and pulls her on stage. They perform a sort thing (song or skit). She waits backstage for the rest of the show. Tells crew she is going to his dressing room, excited. If he wants sex not sure she will give in. Will tell them if she leaves with him.

Zenobia goes to the car with her new boyfriend, ready to rock his world. Rozetta’s guy tries to get her superdrunk so she stops talking and giggling. Cindy really likes her guy. He is from NYC and very smooth. The big moment comes. Cindy and Rozetta agree to go out to their cars to make out. On the way out they see the deacon that busted the first girl. They hide around trying to not be seen by him. They get slick and try to duck out the side door. They come face to face with the stern preacher.

They damn near die. Instantly imagines them all on the mourner’s bench getting blasted and the reaction from her family. He lays into them verbally at the club. The boys flee but Cindy’s guy is genuine, offers to fight the preacher for her honor. Leaves but gives her is phone#. Preacher takes it from her after he is gone, rips it up. Rozetta barfs on him. He is about to slap her when Zenobia comes in. Starts cursing him out and daring him to hit her. Asks who the woman he is with is. Sure ain’t the preachers wife. Why sneak in the side door? Preacher also sees deacon sneak out the door. Preacher gets real nice then, asks her to be quiet, says he will forget this, he hurries out. Club laughs at him.

.

Cindy looks for the guy. He is gone. Left w/ Zenobia’s man, that’s why she came back. Tries to pick up the paper w/ ph#, its scattered. Zenobia brags about what a good lover she was and had homey hollering.

They listen to more jazz at the table as they try to sober up Rozetta. Just as they are ready to leave, Flo comes out, floating on air. She lost her virginity and Cab gave her a few really nice gifts to remember the night by. James drives them back to Aunties house just as she was going to pick them up. They joke about the night, pass out.

In church the next day, Preacher has sermon that reflects the fact that he wants them to keep their mouth shut about what happened last nite. Girls smile, realize they will never be the same.