C8 Miriam has a rival

STREETS - DAY

Monica follows her path, she has already turned a block, she is in the back street. She keeps walking looking up, some passersby notice. Ahead, Monica already feeling crazy and almost giving up. Until she stops walking and does a victorious smile.

In Monica's view, it reveals a tangle of spliced wires, obviously irregular. She looks from the top of the pole, going down to a certain house, and sees ‘number 33’. Monica smiles, triumphant, she found the irregularity. When she turns to go to the police station...

...Monica bumps into Fábio, only in shorts and sneakers, running. Fail.

"Why don't you look where/", she notices him, "Fábio?"

A pseudo-charming Fábio smiles at her: "What is it? Ah, you never noticed me without a shirt, right?"

Monica is indifferent, "Dude, shirtless man is just my dad. And he's better than you."

"Come on! Age reaches everyone, Little Monica. And that's why I don't want to waste mine. You, not that you need it, but you could also take a walk with me..."

Monica advances in Fábio, she just threatens to slap.

"Just now your hysterical girlfriend complained that you called me. Did you write my number on your head?"

Fábio jokes ironically, "Your number is easy to record."

"And which one of Fábia is it?"

"She doesn't have a phone."

"That cocky blonde...? How does she communicate with her parents?"

"Using the good-old Post Office."

Monica nods negatively. And in doing so, she sees Célio walking with the posters and glue. Fábio also looks at the same angle and sees him.

"Oh, my God! Look what the other is doing!"

Célio reacts by hearing his name and goes to them.

"You have something to say, do it to my face!"

Fábio scoffs: "With this behavior, you could only be a pamphleteer."

"It is a job like any other, and in my current situation, better than nothing. I cannot be an executive in a Multinational company with only 19."

"Yes, my dear, but I prefer to start being a boy from that Multinational and go up the steps little by little than to stay in these jobs that have no ascension. I’m going, Monica, and think about what I told you!"

Fábio runs away.

Célio questions: "What did he say to you?"

"For me to take a walk with him. Right after the jealous donkey accuses me of giving him the phone, when in fact he got on the list."

"She's very dumb."

Monica is supportive, "And don't mind what he said, Cé. If this little job was what made our snack yesterday, then you are to be congratulated. You are going far!"

Monica walks away. Célio is confident and grateful.

"I know I'm going far, Monica. But, I want to go with you."

MALTHUS SNACK BAR

Annie breaks out with a crying face. Aurélio is always solicitous, he leaves the counter and approaches her.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute... What is this bad face, princess?"

"Don't pay any attention, Seu Aurélio. Do you still have ice cream?"

"I'm waiting to arrive. Come on, let's sit down. Today we're going to talk."

Aurélio chooses a table, pulls out a chair. Annie sits down. Then he does the same, face to face, human and supportive, big daddy.

"Tell me your problems."

"Seu Aurélio, first of all, I want you to know that I like it here and I like what you have to offer."

"Thank you very much, Annie. But, what about that face?"

"You have seen how upset Jonas is."

"Unjustifiable, there's room for everyone."

"I told Monica and she reacted like a beast to Jonas... She said she was going to teach him a lesson. But, yesterday I showed up first and made amends with Jonas. So I asked Monica not to get involved anymore."

"And Monica got involved..."

Annie is about to cry, "She gave a slap so big that it is marked so far on the poor guy!"

Exchange of gazes between Aurélio and Annie, both got very shocked by the situation.

"Annie, Monica is your best friend, but... That way she gets a mess."

"I still haven't had the chance or the courage to say that to her."

"Do you want me to talk to her?"

Annie smiles weakly, "Thank you, Aurélio... but, no. Leave this cucumber with us. You have this wonderful cafeteria to take care of."

Aurélio smiles: "It's just a diner, folks!"

Annie regains some of her moods.

POLICE STATION

Carlos is at his computer, typing and talking with Monica, already seated and conversation already started.

Carlos asks for confirmation: "So you looked up and saw the wiring completely changed."

"'Modified' is not much, chief! A hideous mess, that doesn't let me understand how it didn't explode."

"Do you know that it sometimes explodes? In slums, it tends to set shacks on fire."

"I don't want to be a classist, but we are not in one of them. Here the people have a certain purchasing power; so, who would be interested in a forbidden power connection?"

"There is always someone who is not so easy on the money, and sometimes a house and a big car disguise", he types more, "Number 33?"

"Yes. Mine is 30 on the back street, the one on the Carina is 32... Do you understand? It was in a sequence of houses that the messed connection affected; the houses on the other side of the street did not have a blackout."

Carlos gets up, goes to a bookcase or shelf, and searches until he finds a map of the neighborhood. He goes back to Monica and unwinds on her street.

"We are still organizing, but we intend to paste this map on one of the walls. Look here, I am not an Escelsa employee, but I think we can understand how it works."

Monica points the directions with her finger, "I live here, and the house is on this street, on the same block as mine. My neighbors and other houses just on this side have also been without power, even here."

Carlos approaches his view. Monica's finger is at number 08.

Carlos is thoughtful, "You know, yesterday came a shy little girl named Carina Sousa/"

Monica reacts suddenly: "Ah, one of my neighbors!"

Carlos smiles at the cut. "And she said that she and others were suspicious of those who live in No. 12."

"Ah... Ricardo Oliveira..."

"Do you know this guy?"

"We had a little party between neighbors and let's say he didn't behave very well."

"He has a look of a vodka fan."

Monica laughs. In the background, once again, Sandra enters and is impressed by the scene.

She gets frowning and starts thinking: "But, is it possible? Is everyone flirting in the face of the officer? Now it's Monica, she came to thank him for being saved on Monday. Ridiculous! Even more ridiculous is Miriam to have some hopes."

Carlos this time sees Sandra standing at the entrance. He interrupts his laughter.

"Have you been attended yet, miss?"

Monica turns around and sees her too, "Sandra! What a small world."

Sandra replies wryly: "Small neighborhood."

"No way, look at the size of that map!"

Sandra approaches, "Chief, since yesterday I made a complaint, but it seems that it didn’t give results. There are gathering kids in a group near my house and they just sit idly practically all day. Nobody knows what they really want; if they are watching us for then steal."

"Miss, you will have to gather more neighbors to complain to Seu Tito. We are unable to do something of this magnitude. I managed to arrest one who assaulted your friend, but a gang... I hope not, but as soon as possible we will look."

"I hope there won't be a tragedy before. May my boyfriend won't cry leaning over my coffin. Excuse me."

Sandra stomps away. Monica is thoughtful.

"How strange... Kids attacking in daylight... Suspicious groups..."

"Calm down, Monica. Count on me while I'm within reach. Our neighborhood is not going to become a strip of Gaza."

Monica smiles, comforted by the officer.

CASSIO'S LIVING ROOM

Cassio tries to contain an agitated Miriam. Coffee on the coffee table, but nobody wants to drink. Conversation started.

"Miriam, I don't know how you heard that."

"It doesn't matter. It matters to find out if it’s true!"

"How do we do it? Do we ask the chief directly? We will be arrested for contempt."

"We need to know if Carina was at the police station /"

The door unexpectedly opens and Sandra is already entering, "Oops, sorry! Did I interrupt anything?"

"No way, Sandra, what is this? 'Did I interrupted something', as if we were cheating on you!"

Sandra with the same sulky face, sits on another couch, slowly. Cassio notices.

"It's clean. Serve yourself to coffee."

Sandra pours herself, "What's going on, then?"

Miriam grabs her arm and Sandra spills a little of coffee.

"Watch out, girl...!"

Miriam pleas: "Sandra, my friend... I need you to confirm this story! Was Carlos talking to Carina at the police station yesterday?"

Sandra makes suspense and a debauched face. She looks at Cássio, he looks like "see what you're gonna say!"

"Well, dear... Talking, they were really talking. But, I was answered by another police officer and I complained about these kids who are probing us."

"Brats probing? I thought they were just hanging out."

"In a serious neighborhood like this, this is unacceptable."

Cassio rolls his eyes, "I already got that you voted for Seu Tito."

Miriam insists: "What do you mean, they were talking like?"

"Ah, Miriam, I don’t know... They were laughing, I found us very distracted... But, it should be just a joke on Carlos's part."

Miriam reacts more and more desperately, "And since when did the officer have the luxury of telling jokes on duty? Carina went there to do what?!"

"She, I don't know; now Monica went there today to talk about a supposed power outage that only occurred on her block."

"Monica?!" Miriam screams with wide eyes.

"Yes. I think Chief Roldão must have a great sense of humor because when I came in, wasn't it that the two of them were laughing too?"

"But, this is absurd!!"

Miriam immediately stands, looks glassy, trembles, she looks like 'Carrie'. Cassio was very frightened, his coffee is already cold. Nobody notices Sandra, crossing her legs, a devilish smile, imagining the circus catching fire.

MONICA’S LIVING ROOM

Monica and Carina talk happily about yesterday at the stationery store.

"You have to go and see, girl. Cor-de-Rosa stationery, they have everything. You don't have to leave the neighborhood anymore."

"Yeah, I need to buy more A4 sheets for my second book. Despite yesterday's drop, I managed to get a good introduction."

"I'm crazy to read..."

"I lend you a manuscript/"

"No, are you crazy? I want to go to the bookstore and buy, brand new, smell the sheets and have your autograph."

Monica got moved, "Own, dear!..."

The two do not notice Annie arriving in the background, somber, "How are the friends doing?"

Monica and Carina turn around in fright.

"Oh, Annie, lately who has been coming from behind is the odious Fábia. Get closer, do you want a cup of coffee?"

Annie is still standing, "Yeah, I'll take it. I'm still hungry because I went to my boyfriend's bakery and he didn't even want to serve me."

Monica and Carina are surprised by the harshness of Annie's words. She was unusual.

Monica risks: "Annie, I imagine you guys talked about/"

Annie interrupts her: "Did you go where you weren't called and attack my boyfriend?!"

Carina is amazed; Monica is trapped; Annie is outraged...