INT. PALISADES HIGH - AUDITORIUM - NIGHT
The auditorium was packed. It smelled of floor wax, cheap perfume, and the collective anxiety of parents hoping their child didn't fail there act.
In the third row—prime viewing real estate—Mitchell and Cameron were guarding a block of empty seats with their coats.
"Can you believe it?" Cam hushed, leaning toward Mitchell with a scandalized expression. "The nerve. Haley, Alex, and Luke aren't here. We show up for every soccer game, every cello recital, every... whatever Luke does. And for Aman's big night? Crickets."
"Leave it, Cam," Mitchell whispered, checking his watch. "They're looking after Lily. It's fine."
"Oh, we know it's just Alex looking after Lily," Cam retorted, his eyebrows arching. "Who knows where Haley would be? Probably at a frat party ."
Smack.
Mitchell slapped Cam's arm. Hard.
"Cam!" Mitchell hissed.
"Ow!" Cam rubbed his bicep. "I am just speaking the truth! Just because she is your favorite . its—doesn't mean you can defend her poor attendance record."
"Shut up," Mitchell gritted out. "They're here."
Claire and Phil were shimmying down the aisle. Phil looked festive in a red tie. Claire looked hurried, which was her baseline state for school functions.
"Claire, I am telling you," Phil whispered loudly. "We should have brought the kids. It's Aman's first Christmas with us."
"Oh, it's okay," Claire waved him off. "He won't mind. He's... independent. "
They reached the row. Claire looked up and locked eyes with Cameron.
Cam didn't say a word. He just gave her The Look. The lips pursed, the eyes narrowed, the head tilted slightly to the left.
Claire froze.
"Nope," Claire said.
She immediately sidestepped, moving four seats away from Mitchell, leaving a gaping hole in the family lineup. She sat down next to a stranger.
"Claire!" Phil hissed, stranded in the aisle. "You can't do this! You can't leave me in the DMZ!"
"Hey, Phil," Mitchell waved awkwardly. "Come sit."
Phil looked at Claire (who was pretending to read a program). He looked at Cam (who was still radiating judgment). He looked at Mitchell (who looked tired).
"Yes!" Phil squeaked, sweat already forming on his brow. He sat down beside the two couples, looking like a hostage.
To Claire's right, the Pritchett delegation arrived.
Jay sat down heavily, groaning as his knees hit the plastic seat back in front of him. Gloria was glowing in a gold dress, and Manny was wearing a tuxedo .
"I don't know why I am here," Jay grumbled. "The game is on. The Bears are playing. Do you know how rare it is for the Bears to be playing on a Tuesday?"
"We are here to support family, Jay," Gloria scolded him, swatting his arm. "Stop complaining."
"Aman is going to perform ," Manny stated, adjusting his bow tie. "It is a culturally significant moment for our family, Jay. We have to be here. ."
"It's a high school gym, Manny," Jay retorted.
Claire leaned over to whisper to her father.
"Leave it, Dad," Claire muttered. "They have been present for every single one of our babies' performances. Even the bad ones. Remember Luke's magic show where he locked himself in the box and we had to call the fire department? They stayed. We have to be here."
Jay gruffed, leaning back and crossing his arms.
"Fine," Jay muttered. "But I am leaving two acts after. If I see a juggler, I'm out."
The lights dimmed. A hush fell over the crowd.
The principal walked onto the stage, said some words about "holiday spirit" that nobody listened to, and then gestured to the grand piano.
"Please welcome... Aman."
INT. STAGE - CONTINUOUS
Aman walked out from the wings. He looked sharp in a black suit—no tie, top button undone. He didn't look nervous.
He sat at the bench. He adjusted the height. He took a breath.
Internal Monologue: Okay. Muscle memory, don't fail me now.
He raised his hands.
He struck the first chord.
It wasn't a simple, halting high school rendition.
Carol of the Bells (Modern Piano Arrangement)
His fingers flew across the keys. The sound filled the cavernous gym, bouncing off the rafters.
INT. AUDIENCE - CONTINUOUS
The family's reaction was immediate.
Cameron gasped. His hand flew to his mouth. Tears instantly welled up in his eyes.
"I can't believe it, Mitch," Cam sobbed quietly. "He has my talent. Those are my hands! Metaphorically! I taught him to feel the keys!"
"Hmm, hmm," Mitchell nodded, actually impressed, ignoring Cam's narcissism. "He's really good."
Even Jay stopped checking his watch. He sat up straighter.
"Huh," Jay grunted. "Kid's got chops."
Phil was mesmerized. His mouth was slightly open. "It's like his fingers are dancing... and the piano is the floor."
Gloria narrowed her eyes. "Aye, it is good," she admitted, though she looked suspicious. "But Manny plays with more... pasion."
"What a song!" Manny whispered, clutching his program.
Claire just stared. She blinked. "Since when does he play like that? Did we know he could do that?"
On stage, Aman hit the final, thunderous chord. He held the sustain pedal for a dramatic second, letting the note ring out.
Then, he lifted his hands.
The auditorium erupted. It was the kind of applause usually reserved for the quarterback, not the piano player.
Aman stood up. He turned to the audience, found the cluster of his chaotic family in the third row, and gave them a small, wave.
They waved back frantically (except Jay, who gave a solid nod).
Aman walked off stage, but instead of going back to the dressing room, he sat on a bench in the wings, just visible to the audience, near the piano.
INT. STAGE - MOMENTS LATER
The MC returned. "And now... for a festive treat... The Jingle Belles!"
The curtain widened.
Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, Karen Smith, and Cady Heron walked out.
They were not wearing festive sweaters. They were wearing the iconic Mean Girls Christmas outfits—red latex skirts, Santa hats, and tops that were more "Vegas Showgirl" than "North Pole."
The audience reaction was a mix of gasps and silence.
"Oh my," Cam whispered.
"I'm staying," Jay announced immediately, uncrossing his arms and settling deep into his seat.
"Jay!" Gloria hissed.
"What? It's festive!" Jay defended himself.
The music started—the classic intro to Jingle Bell Rock.
The girls began the choreography. It was the thigh-slap. The shimmy. It was iconic.
Regina was center stage, commanding the room. Cady looked stiff but was keeping up. Karen was looking at absently at audience while dancing perfectly. Gretchen looked nervous.
Then, disaster struck.
Gretchen, in a moment of panic during a formation change, spun too wide. Her heel caught the wire of the portable speaker setup on the side of the stage.
CRUNCH.
She kicked the speaker face-down.
BZZZZT.
The music died instantly.
Silence.
The girls froze mid-shimmy.
Gretchen looked horrified, her hands flying to her mouth. Regina glared at her, sweat instantly breaking out on her forehead. Cady looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole. Karen just kept smiling, waiting for the beat to come back.
They stood there like deer stuck in headlights. The silence in the gym was deafening. A few people coughed.
Regina looked at the crowd. She looked at her friends. For the first time, the Queen Bee looked helpless. She opened her mouth to say something, to salvage it, but nothing came out.
INT. STAGE WINGS - CONTINUOUS
Aman watched from the bench. He saw the panic. He saw the humiliation about to happen.
He looked at the grand piano sitting five feet away.
Internal Monologue: I could let them crash. It would be funny. (He looks at Cady's terrified face. He looks at Karen.) Nah.
INT. STAGE - CONTINUOUS
A single piano note cut through the silence.
Plink.
Heads turned.
Aman was back at the piano. He didn't look at the girls. He just started playing.
He played the melody of Jingle Bell Rock. It wasn't the pop version; it was a jazzy, upbeat piano arrangement. He nodded his head to the beat, setting the tempo.
Dum-dum-dum-dum...
Regina looked at Aman. She looked at the girls. She snapped her fingers.
"Five, six, seven, eight!" Regina hissed .
The girls fell back in sync and start singing the lyrics.
Cady started singing. "Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock..."
They started dancing to the live piano.
Aman ramped it up, adding flourishes. He looked out at the crowd and nodded.
"Come on!" Aman shouted. "Help them out!"
Phil began to clap. Then Cam. Then the whole room.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The others joined in. The disaster had turned into a moment.
INT. AUDIENCE - CONTINUOUS
"This is a fairytale, Mitch," Cam whispered, tears streaming down his face again. "He saved them! He's a knight in a black suit!"
"It is beautiful," Phil sniffled, wiping his eyes with his tie. "I love Christmas."
Mitchell was biting his lip, trying not to cry, but failing. "It's very moving."
Claire looked around at the three weeping men.
"Oh, control yourselves," Claire rolled her eyes. "You sissies. It's just a song."
"Shut it, Claire!" Mitchell sobbed, pointing at the stage. "It's every high school geek's, guy dream and it's being fulfilled right in front of us!"
Jay was grinning. He wasn't crying, but he looked smug. He turned to the stranger next to him.
"That's my grandson," Jay said, pumping his fist. "The one on the keys. Saved the show."
Manny watched, eyes wide. "He is controlling the narrative," Manny whispered. "He is the puppet master."
INT. STAGE - CONTINUOUS
The song ended with a flourish. The girls struck their final pose.
The applause was deafening—louder than before.
The girls bowed, breathless and relieved. They waved to the crowd. Regina grabbed Gretchen's hand, forgiving her in the adrenaline of the moment. They started to file off stage.
But Karen didn't leave.
She stopped. She turned around.
The crowd went quiet, confused.
Karen walked over to the piano where Aman was closing the lid.
"Hey," Karen said.
Aman looked up. "Hey. Good save."
Karen didn't say anything. She just leaned over the piano bench, grabbed the lapels of his jacket, and planted a kiss on him.
The whole school—and his whole family—was watching.
INT. AUDIENCE - CONTINUOUS
The auditorium went wild. Wolf whistles echoed.
"YES!" Jay shouted, actually standing up for a second before sitting back down. "Attaboy!"
Cam gasped so hard he choked. "Oh my god! The Mouse! It's the Mouse girl! , i give her candy ."
Phil turned to Claire, eyes wide. "Claire! Did you see that? He's a player! Our Aman is a player!"
"I saw it, Phil," Claire said eye narrowing.
INT. STAGE - CONTINUOUS
Karen pulled back. She smiled, looking genuinely happy.
"Thank you, Aman," she said brightly. "For the gift. Of music."
Aman smiled, adjusting his jacket. He didn't blush. He just nodded.
"Anytime, Karen," Aman said. "Merry Christmas."
"Okay, I have to go," Karen said, pointing off-stage. "Regina is waiting. "
Karen turned and skipped off stage, leaving Aman sitting at the piano, the undisputed king of the night.