Lulu in Honolulu Read Free

stitched on.
    KHLOE
    (squealing with delight)
    We’re going to the very best-est dance school, Island School of Hula!
    CATE
    So we’re gonna be on the team that wins the hula-off.
    CAROLE
    And we’ll perform onstage at the Ala Moana Center all during the summer.
    (squeals excitedly)
    And we’ll win the prize money too.
    Lulu tugs her long-sleeved sun-protection shirt so that she’s covered all the way to her wrists.
    LULU
    I wish you guys weren’t leaving. Today I brought taro chips and my homemade mango salsa. I wanna share it with everyone.
    At the mention of salsa, the redheaded twin sister and brother, KENNA and KAPONO, perk up.
    KENNA
    Ohhh. Can I try if it’s not really spicy?
    KAPONO
    I want it to be extra spiced!
    LULU
    (to Kenna and Kapono)
    You’ll both have to try it and tell me what ya think.
    (to Khloe and the Cs)
    I spent lots of time making the salsa. You guys are gonna miss it.
    KHLOE
    Well, maybe instead of wasting time chopping up mangos, you should work on your hula.
    KHLOOOOOE, CAROLE, and CAAAATE cut through the warm beachy air.
    Carole and Cate scamper toward the parking lot. Khloe pauses to put her feet in her rose-colored flip-flops.
    NOELANI
    (softly so that she can barely be heard)
    Hey, good luck, Khloe. You’re a great dancer.
    KHLOE
    You too, Noelani.
    Khloe runs to catch up to Carole and Cate.
SCENE 3: GOTTA WIN ONE
    EXT. ON WAIMANALO BEACH—FIVE MINUTES LATER
    Waimanalo’s smooth sand bakes in the midday sun. Rough waves fling tropical-green and sapphire-blue water onto the shore, where it turns quickly to bubbly, white foam. The beach is quiet. Other than the Ohana Camp kids, there aren’t many others around.
    Lulu and Noelani sit next to each other on a straw mat. Lulu’s under an orange beach umbrella. She peels away big, damp leaves, the wrapping for what looks like a meatball, and takes a bite. Noelani studies a Hawaiian language workbook.
    Lulu waves the half-eaten ball in Noelani’s direction.
    LULU
    (with mouth full)
    Sure you don’t want any laulau ?
    NOELANI
    (looks up)
    OK.
    Lulu hands Noelani her piece. Suddenly Kapono pelts Noelani with a WET SAND BALL. It EXPLODES on her book.
    LULU and NOELANI
    Hey!
    LULU
    (to Noelani)
    Maybe Kapono could ruin my Hawaiian workbook. I’m terrible at learning Hawaiian. How can a language that only has twelve letters be soooooo complicated?
    NOELANI
    It’s not hard, especially for me, ’cause I grew up hearing it.
    LULU
    Maybe it’s hard ’cause of all those vowels.
    NOELANI
    (laughing)
    Hawaiian has the same vowels as English.
    LULU
    Then maybe only having seven consonants makes all those vowels too much for my mouth.
    Noelani rolls out from under the shade of the mat into the hot sunshine.
    NOELANI
    Here’s a good word for the day: koa .
    LULU
    Does it mean: give me more laulau ?
    NOELANI
    It means brave.
    LULU
    Cool. Did you just learn that?
    NOELANI
    I was just thinking about it, Lu. I really, really hoped we’d win the hula-off. Now, without Khloe and the Cs, there’s no way.
    LULU
    (puts her ALOHA cap on and sticks her head outside the umbrella)
    Noelani, you’re a super-looper, better hula dancer than all of them put together.
    NOELANI
    (softly, barely heard over the waves)
    I have no koa. I’m too scared to dance in front of anyone. And a huge crowd? That’s totally impossible.
    LULU
    So don’t worry about it. We’ll all just go to the hula-off for fun. I really hope my parents might come.
    NOELANI
    (stares at Lulu)
    I just thought, if we win, Ohana Camp could get the prize money.
    Kenna runs over to Lulu and Noelani. Tears stream down her face. A gaggle of boys, led by Kapono, follows behind her.
    KAPONO
    We didn’t do anything!
    KENNA
    (yelling in her loudest little-girl voice)
    YES, you did. I have sand in my hair and all over.
    The boys and Kenna scooch onto Lulu’s mat. They all try to explain what