Claire Handleman

Bloody Hell

Walking through town, Claire approaches Emily, who is working at The Brew. Introducing herself, Claire comments that she’s had Emily’s picture staring up at her from her desk, “I’m the contestant coordinator of the Glass Slipper Collective”. When Emily asks if everything was okay with her application, Claire tells her, “actually no”, and that Emily a parent signature. Claire listens as Emily says that she must have missed that, before she mentions that her mom is visiting her dad at his base. As Emily questions if her mom can fax her permission, Claire tells her sure, “no problem”. Emily asks what a piece of paper in the application folder is, and Claire explains that it’s the events calendar, “meet and greet, pancake breakfast, orientation”. Saying that each contestant is also assigned a fairy godmother to help them walk through it, “it’s our version of a den mother. We keep you girls very busy”, Claire listens as Emily says that she had no idea it was such a time commitment. Claire asks if that’s going to be a problem, to which Emily tells her no, not at all. Listening as Emily says that her boss is out of town for the day, but when he gets back she’ll talk with him about swapping some shifts, Claire tells Emily to tell her boss that she’s a very promising contestant, “I only wish you’d started sooner. You couldn’t collective a couple of glass slippers by now”.

Walking into the dance room at Rosewood High, Claire calls out to Emily who in turn greets her. Explaining that she stopped by Emily’s work and they told her Emily was rehearsing here, Claire listens as Emily says she’s working on her routine for the competition. Emily then asks if everything is okay, and that her mom said she sent over…, but cutting Emily off, Claire says that she got Emily’s mom’s signature, “but that isn’t why I’m here”. Claire asks if Emily read the entire application when she filled it out, and when Emily says that she did, excluding the permission part, Claire explains that the application form explicitly mentions that “all contestants must be of good moral character”. Emily comments that she’s not following, to which Claire says that Emily should have at least mentioned it to her, “you must have known you would make the board apprehensive by you participating as a contestant. More than apprehensive”. Emily asks if Claire is forcing her to drop out, but Claire says that they can’t force her to do anything, “only encourage you”. Emily then questions that Claire doesn’t want her in the competition because of who she dates, and when Talia asks if Claire is serious, a confused Claire says that this is about Emily’s close connection to the Alison DiLaurentis case. Claire goes on to add that the board is concerned that if Emily participates their sponsors will drop out to avoid any negative association.

Out the front of Rosewood High, Claire is speaking with two women. As Claire goes to her in her car, Talia approaches her, but Claire says that she really has to get going. Listening as Talia says that Emily just wanted her to know that she understands the board’s decision, Claire mentions that she’s sorry it had to come down to this, to which Emily says that she is as well. Talia then says that they’re just concerned that if anyone found out that the board wanted Emily to drop out because of a friendship she has, and when Claire mentions that “that friend is on trial for murder”, Talia mentions that in this country you’re innocent until proven guilty, unless the pageant judges know better the ones on the supreme court. Asking if Talia is threatening her, Claire listens as Talia says that she’s encouraging her, and perhaps the pageant sponsors could make a donation to Emily’s education. Getting in her car, Claire drives off.