By
Steven Grogan
1
EXT CAMERON’S HOUSE NIGHT
The camera is soaring in over treetops toward a
gigantic mansion-style house. There is a two-car garage to the right, and we
can see a swimming pool in the backyard off to the left. A long chain of cars
stretches the entire length of the block in front of the house. On the second
floor balcony we see several PARTY-GOERS.
Some of these are couples making out, others are groups of male and female
friends, Every single one has plastic cups filled with beer. Camera pans down to the front door. Two
lines have formed in front of the entrance. As Randall’s voice-over begins we
slowly zoom in on the line.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) I do
remember a time when things weren’t so bad, when life was…well, livable. (pauses) Ah, who am I kidding?
It was always bad. Let me rephrase
that. I remember a time when things were tolerable. (pauses) This house you see
right now was the residence of a young man named Cameron Diel. He was the only
kid in my entire school that anyone would actually consider rich, but he wasn’t
the typical stuck-up brat. Every summer Cameron’s parents went away to Rio for
two weeks, and for the first week and a half Cameron threw the biggest party of
the summer. It was eleven days of partying and then three days of cleaning up.
As an incentive to get more people to help clean up Cameron offered to put each
helper’s name on a list. Come next summer, whoever was on that list got in for
free, and Cameron always kept his word.
By now we have reached the front door. Two big JOCKS stand on either side of the door.
Randall and his friend JOSH are a
few feet away from the entrance. Each time a new pair of people reach the
majestic portal, Jock 1 asks for (and promptly receives) five dollars.
JOSH: I’m fuckin’ pumped, man.
This party is gonna kick ass.
RANDALL: Parties usually do kick ass, Josh. That’s what they’re
supposed to do. That’s why they are called parties
in the first place.
JOSH: Dammit, man, why do you
always have to ruin my excitement? You know, I’ll tell you right now that that’s why you never get laid. You drag
everyone down. Maybe if you were more positive…
RANDALL: Hey, I’m celibate by
choice, thank you very much.
JOSH: (sarcastically) Oh, okay. I see. Hey, I believe you, man.
RANDALL: Just shut up and get your
money ready.
JOSH: (as they
reach the door) I’m one step ahead of you, buddy.
The money is requested of them and they hand it
over. It takes Jock 2 a moment to make change for Josh. Randall steps inside the
doorway and waits there. We can already see the immense crowd milling about
just beyond our protagonist. Loud techno music, complete with a bass knob that
must be cranked to eleven, is pounding away. After Josh receives his money the
two waste no time in plunging into the thick of the party. Camera moves forward.
Randall and Josh walk through the crowd, exchanging several greetings as they move along. The variety of activity going on around them isn’t too diverse; people are either dancing, drinking, smoking (weed or cigarettes), talking or making out. As we follow the two young men through this gathering , Randall narrates once again.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) You
might wonder who this character is that keeps harassing me. His name is Josh Freely
and, sad as it makes me to say it, he was my best friend at the time. You might
find it hard to believe, but when he wasn’t in his irritating mode Josh was the
coolest person you could ever meet. He was the kind of bastard who could make
you laugh at your mom’s funeral.
Randall, Josh and several other people are waiting in line with plastic cups.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) But
that summer, 1993…I think that was when I first realized just how far downhill
the world had gone. (pauses) I was only seventeen, and I already felt like
there was no hope for humankind.
4 INT BATHROOM
Randall and Josh are in the doorway. CAMERON and his girlfriend LIZ stand by the bathtub, which is
filled up by two kegs and countless bags of ice. People in line walk over to
the couple two at a time to put their cups to good use.
CAMERON:
(handing a cup to MALE GUEST) There you go, pal. Enjoy the party. And remember,
anyone who helps clean up gets in free next year.
MALE GUEST: Thanks, Cameron. (to Liz)
See you later, Liz.
LIZ: (handing
a cup to ANOTHER GUEST) Yeah, see you around. Hey, if you see Tammy tell her I need to talk to
her.
MALE GUEST: (as he turns to leave)
Okay, will do…but in this crowd I doubt I’ll run into her. Later!
Male Guest leaves the bathroom, followed by the
guest Liz was helping. As Randall heads over to Liz, Josh rudely pushes past
him to hand his cup over to the blond-haired blue-eyed cheer-leading beauty.
Randall stares at Josh, completely amazed at his behavior.
CAMERON: Hey, guys! Glad you could
make it. (looks at Randall) Randall, you gonna get a drink or did you pay the
five bucks just for shits and giggles?
RANDALL: Oh…right, sorry about that.
(steps over to the tub) Fill her up, Cameron.
JOSH: So how are you, Liz?
LIZ: Doing great, Josh. How
about you?
JOSH: Not bad at all. (pauses)
Hey, I can’t believe you weren’t homecoming queen last year.
LIZ: Yeah, well…I guess I didn’t
sleep around enough.
JOSH: (laughs) You think that
really is what decides it?
LIZ: (smirks) You’d be amazed. So sad that some girls do that
just to be a goddamn homecoming queen.
JOSH: Yeah, I guess I never
thought about that. I mean, if it were something major like an Academy award I
could understand it, but just to be homecoming queen? (pauses) Oh well. Just
thought I’d let you know I voted for
you.
LIZ: (smiling) Why, thank you, Josh. I
appreciate that. (hands him his cup) There you go. Sorry if I didn’t do too
good there. I always give too much head. (blushes) I mean I…uh…(laughs).
JOSH: (laughs) No worries, no
worries. I know what you mean. And by the way, there is no such thing as too
much head. Hell, I don’t think I get enough!
Randall shoots Josh another shocked glance. He isn’t
even aware that Cameron is handing his cup back.
CAMERON: Randall, man, wake up!
(laughs) Sheesh, are you sure you didn’t drink or toke up before you got here?
RANDALL: No, not at all. (takes the
cup) I just got a lot on my mind, that’s all. Hey, thanks for the beer.
CAMERON: No problem. And hey,
whatever you got on your mind…don’t dwell on it. This is a party. It’s time to
have fun for a change, okay?
Randall looks Cameron right in the eye. At first the
host is smiling, but Randall’s intense gaze melts the grin away.
Randall comes out of the bathroom and slowly walks
away, sipping his beer. A few feet from the top of the stairs, he comes to a
stop.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) How
could Cameron do that? Just stand there and let Josh talk so perverted to Liz?
(pauses) Was Cameron extremely confident that Liz couldn’t be won away, or was
it that he just didn’t care? (pauses) I don’t know about other people, but with
me…confident or not, I’d never let a guy talk to my girlfriend that way. Such
blatant disrespect shouldn’t be tolerated.
Josh is standing off to the side while Liz and Cameron fill more cups. She looks around between party-goers.
LIZ: Say, where did your buddy
go?
JOSH: (looks
around, shrugs) Who knows? I’m not worried. I’ll meet up with him sooner or later.
Besides, it’s not like he can’t be entertained without me. (sips his beer) So
anyway, do you get a break from this?
Randall is standing by the fireplace, studying all
the action around him and nursing his beer. Some of the teenagers are sitting
in a circle nearby. They are passing around a joint. One of them offers it to
Randall, but he declines. SCOTT
walks over and pats Randall on the shoulder.
SCOTT: What’s going on, Randall?
How you been?
RANDALL: Hey, Scott. I’m doing all
right. How about you?
SCOTT: Not too bad. Hey, I got
something for you. (pulls a cassette tape out of his pocket: Smashing Pumpkins,
GISH) This is a pretty cool album, man. Thanks for letting me hear it. I
mean, you know me. I’m a total radio and MTV kid so I like Siamese Dream
better, but Gish is good too.
RANDALL: Oh, I hear you. (puts the
tape in his pocket) It took a while for Gish to grow on me too, after
hearing Dream first. But after hearing these two albums, I gotta say I
think the Pumpkins are probably one of the best band to come out of this
decade.
KID NEARBY: You’re nuts, man. They
suck! Nirvana totally kicks ass over the friggin’ Pumpkins!
RANDALL: (irritated) First of all, I
didn’t say the Pumpkins were the
best, I said one of. And even if I do think they are the best, it’s my
fucking opinion and I’m entitled to it.
KID NEARBY: Well, then your opinion
sucks.
Someone calls out to the belligerent youth
immediately after this insult; he heads off to greet whoever called out to him.
Randall moves to pursue the instigator, but Scott holds him back.
SCOTT: Hey, man, it’s really not
worth it. (looks around once Randall relaxes) But listen, I gotta go look for
some people. You take it easy, all right? I’ll see you later.
RANDALL: Yeah, okay. (Scott heads
off, Randall swigs his beer) Easy my ass.
Scenes of Randall wandering around the party
aimlessly. We see people playing drinking games, skinny-dipping in the pool,
pissing in the garden, puking on the lawn and in bushes. We also see scenes of
Josh and Liz talking and laughing.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) I
don’t want anyone who hears my story to get the wrong impression about me. I
don’t want you to think I was always sitting alone in the back of the class or
reading books in the stairwell like Christian Slater in Pump Up the Volume.
(pauses) No, as you can see by how many people talked to me at this party I had
several friends and acquaintances. I wasn’t the most popular kid in school, but
I was well-known. I wasn’t alone, I was lonely. (pauses) My main problem was I
couldn’t find any real connection with my peers. I mean, how was I supposed to
identify with people like our school’s quarterback, Phil Fox?
We see PHIL
at the same time Randall mentions him. He is surrounded by a diverse crowd:
hippies, cheerleaders, punks, etc. Phil is holding two pitchers of beer,
downing one in a matter of seconds then moving right on to the next. Everyone
applauds. Randall stands slightly to the left of the crowd, stone-faced and
absorbed in his own little world. Phil notices him. He hands the empty pitcher
off to someone then walks over to Randall.
PHIL: Randy! Shouldn’t you be
getting drunk or laid…or both? That’s what everyone else is doing.
RANDALL: Dammit, Phil. First of all,
don’t call me Randy. And second, there’s more to life than being drunk and
getting laid.
PHIL: Really? That’s what you
honestly fuckin’ think? You gotta be crazy. Beer and sex are the kinda things
that make life worth living.
RANDALL: Well, there are other
things beyond those two.
PHIL: Like what? Come on, gimme
examples.
RANDALL: (growing frustrated)
Like…like poetry and music…movies, philosophy, paintings…
PHIL: (pats Randall’s shoulder)
Randy, you’re a cool kid. I like you ‘cos you’re funny, but…my God, you can be
a fucking idiot sometimes.
RANDALL: Oh yeah? And why’s that,
Phil? Because I get pleasure out of things that you don’t understand?
PHIL: (slightly angered) Now hold
on a second. Are you trying to say I’m a dumb jock? You trying to stereotype me
here? Just because I don’t like reading poetry and feeling sorry for myself
doesn’t mean I’m a moron.
RANDALL: Phil, I didn’t mean it like
that. I’m sorry. I’ve just been having a rough night. This party hasn’t exactly
been fun for me.
PHIL: Well why the hell not,
buddy? A party should always be fun for…(trails off) Hey, isn’t that your buddy
Josh over there?
Randall looks in the same direction as Phil. Josh is
standing on the patio with Liz. They are both very drunk. Liz is in hysterics.
Josh caresses her cheek, runs a hand through her hair.
RANDALL: Oh my God, this is unreal.
PHIL: You better get him away
from her before Cameron finds out.
RANDALL: You’re not kidding. He’ll
be leaving this party in a goddamn bodybag. (heads off) Later, Phil. Sorry
about the misunderstanding.
PHIL: That’s all right. It
happens. We’re still pals.
RANDALL: Glad to hear it. See you
later.
As Randall runs, the camera’s focus switches to the
patio. Liz has put a hand on Josh’s shoulder.
LIZ: Lemme tell you, Josh, if
I’d had any idea that you were so damn funny, we would have hung out a hell of
a lot more before tonight. You’re so damn funny!
JOSH: And sweet. Don’t forget
that.
LIZ: (smiling) How can I? (pauses) Where
have you been all my young life?
RANDALL: (loud) Josh, there you are!
I’ve been looking all over for you! (grabs him by the arm) Listen, we have to
talk.
JOSH: (getting dragged off) Hey,
no…wait a sec, dammit! Liz, can I get your…
RANDALL: (tugging again) Nope, no
time for that.
Randall drags Josh over to a somewhat secluded spot. A couple walks by. Once they are gone Randall ruthlessly shakes Josh.
JOSH: Hey, what the fuck is your
problem?
RANDALL: You’re one to talk,
asshole! What were you doing back there?
JOSH: Just macking it up, man.
The whole point of this party is to score, you fucking idiot! If you wanna mope
and slink around in the shadows then go right ahead! That’s your problem, but don’t make it mine.
And if you ever fuck up my game like that again I’m gonna haul off and smack
you. I don’t want to mope around like you. Moping is your hobby, not mine.
RANDALL: Oh, yeah, I mope all right
but not because I like it. I’ve been programmed my whole damn life to mope by
people like you.
JOSH: And what the fuck does that
mean?
RANDALL: It means I’m sad because I
was about to watch you get yourself killed. You were on that patio trying to
screw Cameron’s girlfriend! Do you understand what that means? Think about it!
And use the bigger head to think this time!
JOSH: (coming back to reality)
All right, so maybe I was outta line…
RANDALL: Damn right you were! And
let me tell you something, maybe you think it isn’t so bad because you didn’t
get very far, but Cameron won’t see it that way. And you should consider
yourself the luckiest bastard in the universe if it doesn’t get back to him.
Now come on, let’s get back to the party and try to find a single girl for you to nail.
Randall and Josh are walking around, scoping out the
women and greeting people here and there. Suddenly Randall stops dead in his
tracks when he sees GWEN talking to
some friends not too far away. Gwen is not your average Goth chick; this manner
of dress actually accentuates her beauty. Raven-black hair contrasts starkly
against her pale skin. The lack of pigmentation doesn’t make her look sick or
like a vampire; instead Gwen resembles a precious porcelain doll. Standing out
above any other feature are her startling blue eyes. Her outfit is completely
black and rather baggy, but we get the hint of a great figure moving beneath
the clothes.
JOSH: Hey, man, who are you
checking out?
RANDALL: (nodding) Gwen. That Goth
chick straight ahead.
JOSH: (looking her over) Wow,
she’s pretty nice, dude. Isn’t that the one you’ve been fawning over since
Christmas?
RANDALL: Thanksgiving. I met her at
another party. We talked for only five minutes or so, but let me tell you those
were the most enjoyable five minutes of my friggin’ life.
JOSH: What party did you meet her
at? Who threw it?
RANDALL: I can’t remember. It wasn’t
at anyone’s house. You know those fields across the street from my house? (Josh
nods) That’s where it was.
JOSH: An outdoor party in
November? That’s nuts. (pauses) But where the hell was I? I don’t remember
being there.
RANDALL: (laughs) Then you must have
had a great time.
JOSH: (chuckles) You fucker!
Listen to me: if you like this chick so much you should go talk to her.
RANDALL: I’m too nervous. Look at
all the people around her.
JOSH: What you need, sir, is more
beer. Then you won’t care who’s around.
RANDALL: Beer is not the answer for everything, you
imbecile. If I drank every time I couldn’t find the nerve to do something, I’d
be an alcoholic by now.
JOSH: (thinking) All right, then.
What if I go there with you? Like for moral support. Think that would help any?
RANDALL: Yeah. Actually I think it’d
help a lot. Thanks.
JOSH: No problem, sir. You can
thank me later. Now get moving.
They slowly make their way toward Gwen. The pace of
their approach is due more to Randall’s reluctance than anything else; it can’t
be blamed on the crowd because that has thinned out a bit. Gwen spots Randall
and makes eye contact with him. He gives a weak grin, then abruptly turns
around.
JOSH: Hey, hey…where are you
going?
RANDALL: (in a breathless whisper)
Going away. I…I can’t do this. What the hell was I thinking?
JOSH: Well you have no choice
now. She already saw you coming. Look, she’s smiling and waving. (Randall looks
to see Josh isn’t lying) Look, this is the moment of truth now. Do you really
want to let that pretty lady down?
RANDALL: You’re right. Dammit, I
can’t believe I’m admitting to it but you are actually right. (turns back to
Gwen, makes his way over to her) Hi there, Gwen. Do you remember me?
GWEN: Yeah ,we met around
Thanksgiving last year. You’re…Randall Gibson, right?
RANDALL:
(V.O.) Wow,
she even knew my last name. That was even more than I knew about her. (speaks) Yeah , that’s right. And this
is my friend Josh.
JOSH: How’s it going, Gwen?
GWEN: I’m doing good.
GOTH GUY: Okay, Gwen, I’d better get
going.
GWEN: All right. (hugs him) See
you around.
RANDALL: (as Goth Guy leaves) So what
have you been up to since I saw you?
GWEN: Not much. I went to see
Type-O Negative at Saratoga Winners about a month ago.
RANDALL: Oh, that’s cool. Was the
show any…
JOSH: (barging in) Those guys fuckin’
rock! Don’t they sing that song that goes, “Lovin’ you is like lovin’ the
dead.”
GWEN: (smiles) That’s Type-O all
right. That’s so cool that you know them!
RANDALL: So anyway, was the show
good?
GWEN: Are you kidding? They
always put on a good show.
RANDALL: Cool. At least you didn’t
waste your…
JOSH: Hey, did you see Stabbing
Westward when they were at Winners?
GWEN: No, I had to work that
night.
JOSH: Really? Where do you work?
GWEN: At the Cumberland Farms on
Pawling Ave.
JOSH: (patting Randall on the
back) No wonder she looks so familiar! (to Gwen) I’ve seen you in there before.
We both have, actually. You remember seeing her, man?
RANDALL: (irritated) Yes, Josh, how
could I forget?
JOSH: Yeah ,we saw you the night
that my brother got beer for us and this dude here puked all over himself.
(laughs) And he didn’t even realize it! Then he went into Hanaford’s to buy
something.
RANDALL: (getting red in the face)
Josh, come here a moment. There’s something I forget to tell you.
JOSH: What? You can just tell me
here.
RANDALL: It’s kinda personal. Could
you just…
JOSH: Come on, man. This chick’s
cool. She won’t care.
RANDALL: (angry edge in his voice)
Well I do care, all right?
JOSH: (sighs) All right, let’s go
talk. Be right back, Gwen.
GWEN: Sure. I’ll wait right here.
The two walk away. Josh stops, but Randall pushes
him further away from Gwen.
JOSH: Hey, take it easy!
RANDALL: No, how about you take it easy? You asshole! What the
fuck are you doing? You convince me to go up and talk to her, and now you’re running the conversation!
JOSH: Okay, so you want me to
just stand there like a statue or something? That would be a little unfriendly.
RANDALL: Yeah, well you know
everything about being unfriendly. (pauses) You know what, I just realized what
you’re up to. Yeah, you may think I’m dumb or something but I know your game.
You persuaded me to start talking to Gwen because you were too chickenshit to break the ice yourself!
JOSH: Oh, come on, man. Why are
you getting so upset? It’s not like you were gonna get some anyway.
RANDALL: You don’t get it, fuckface.
There’s more to life than sex. I actually like
this girl. And if you were a real friend, you’d quit interrupting me so I can
maybe get somewhere with her.
JOSH: All right, buddy. I’m
sorry.
RANDALL: Oh yeah? Well here’s
another thing, pal. If you tell her any more embarrassing stories about me,
you’ll be sorrier than you ever dreamed you could be. I don’t care if it ruins
my chances with her. I’ll kick your ass all over this house if you fuck this up
for me.
Randall starts back over to Gwen. Josh slowly
follows.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) If
only I had known what was going to happen next, I would have said to myself,
“Well, there’s plenty of fish in the sea…might as well kick the shit out of
this so-called friend and then move on.”
GWEN: (as they get back to her)
Hey, Josh, you wanna go for a walk with me?
JOSH: Sure! Where to?
GWEN: I don’t know. I hadn’t
thought that far. Anywhere will do.
JOSH: Hey, sounds like a plan to
me.
GWEN: Cool. (as they head off) See
you later, Randy.
Randall stands there in complete disbelief. People
push their way past him rudely; he takes no notice. After the shock wears off
he looks into his cup and realizes it is empty.
Randall is running up as fast as he can, dodging people who are either headed downstairs or just standing there.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) My
warning to Josh had come too late. The damage had already been done. Gwen
wasn’t meant to be with me.
Randall runs in, his cup extended to Cameron.
RANDALL: Hey, man, fill me back up.
CAMERON: Randall, my friend! Never
thought I’d see the day.
RANDALL: Just pour, please. I got a
lot of catching up to do.
CAMERON: All right, all right! Keep
your shirt on.
RANDALL: (V.O.) I should have warned Josh
before we got over to Gwen, but then again how was I to know he’d do something
like that? He was supposed to be my friend.
Randall immediately sets about pounding his beer.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) The
fucker had cornered me. By mentioning embarrassing stories, he put himself in a
win-win situation. If I didn’t defend myself, the girl would think Josh’s
stories were true; otherwise I would have protested against them. But on the
other hand, if I did defend myself
then I looked scary to the girl not only because of my reaction but because of
the way josh played down what happened. (imitating Josh) Come on, man. What’s
wrong? This chick’s cool, she doesn’t care. (pauses) Asshole.
Randall is obviously drunk now. He stumbles across the room.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) The
only option I had left was to get wasted to the point where my inhibitions
disappeared. Then I’d be able to approach anyone. Now that Josh was gone, I
could at least get some meaningless sex out of the night.
Several scenes of Randall talking to various girls.
Apparently there are no takers. One girl seems inclined to go with him, but
then she leans forward and vomits. He narrowly avoids the barrage. Later on,
even a fat girl standing all alone in a corner turns him down.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) I
hadn’t realized how much damage Josh had done.
Randall is walking out. In a fit of rage he kicks the first car he gets near, leaving a very noticeable dent in the door.
RANDALL:
(V.O.)
There was no way to change the shitty course the night was taking. Everyone had
either paired up or wasn’t interested in me.
It is a beat-up old Chevrolet Celebrity station
wagon. Randall’s frustration grows as the car refuses to turn over.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) All
I could do was go home and sleep it off. I just had to hope my anger would have
vanished by morning. But one thing was for sure: (car finally turns over;
Randall drives off) that was it for Josh and I. He’d proven to me once and for
all that he wasn’t much of a friend. In fact, I would be better off calling him
my enemy. (pauses) I’m sure everyone has known someone like that. You all must
know the old cliché: with friends like that…
Randall stumbles in and collapses on his bed, kicking off his shoes as he passes out. For a moment he stares up vacantly at the ceiling, then drifts off.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) At
least the alcohol would knock me out fast. That was the only good thing about
Cameron’s party that year.
Randall is walking down the hall. He sees Josh up ahead with Gwen. They are talking and laughing. Randall hangs back to watch. Josh turns to leave, but Gwen spins him back around and kisses him good bye.
RANDALL:
(V.O.)
Summer went by. I figured maybe things between Gwen and Josh had been
dissolved. It still bugged me that Josh had most likely fucked her more than
once, but hey…what was done was done. (pauses) Little did I know, Josh and Gwen
weren’t done.
Lisa sits on the couch, drinking and watching television. She lights up a cigarette just as the phone starts to ring. All she does is look at it.
LISA: Randall, answer the fucking
phone!
He is playing guitar on his bed. After hearing his mom yell, Randall sets the instrument down and goes to the phone on his desk
RANDALL: Hello?
JOSH: (V.O.) Hey, man, what’s up?
(pauses) Randall?
RANDALL: You’ve got some fucking
nerve calling me. Why don’t you call your new girlfriend? You know, the one who
probably could have been mine if you hadn’t fucked the whole thing up for me.
Just call her up and forget I exist.
JOSH: (V.O.) No way, man! We’ve been
friends for too long just to throw it away over one chick. Besides, who ever
said she was my girlfriend? I just like that I can more or less get laid any
time I dial her number.
RANDALL: (all choked up) You…you’re
with her…just because you want to fuck her? (pauses)You don’t even care about
her for anything else.
JOSH: (V.O.) Yeah, well…in my opinion
there isn’t much to be interested in except for how wild she is in bed.
RANDALL: (through gritted teeth)
Josh, I’m going to tell you this just once, so listen up. You better pray you
never cross my path ever again because so help me God I’ll rip your balls off
right on the spot.
He slams the phone down.
Randall, naked from the waist up, is practicing on a wooden dummy. The force with which he hits it is terrifying.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) I
had never known such rage before. If anyone new had met me that day, they would
have no desire to talk to me again. The anger was visibly burning me up. Hell,
it was my anger and even I was getting scared. There was no other
choice. I had to see Sifu right away.
Randall is driving along, listening to the Smashing Pumpkins. Up ahead the traffic light is turning yellow. He applies the brakes and comes to a stop just as the light turns red.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) I’d
felt so shitty the night before, but a I sat there at the light my spirits
started to rise. Even if Sifu didn’t have an immediate answer on how I could
best control my anger, he’d at least point me toward a solution.
Some maniac is speeding down the road, easily doing
seventy in a 30 mph zone. He is approaching the same intersection at which
Randall sits. DRIVER looks at his
watch, then up ahead. The light starts turning yellow.
DRIVER: No way, dammit. I gotta
make this appointment.
The light turns green for Randall. He still waits a second before accelerating.
Randall moves forward, not realizing impatient Driver on the side street is still screaming toward him. Then he is made all too aware of it when Driver flies off the side street and slams into the tail end of Randall’s car. The collision sends Randall spinning 180 degrees before finally coming to a stop.
Breathless, shaken and scared, Randall looks himself over.
Randall slowly climbs out of his vehicle. Instead of looking at his car, he runs over to the other to help Driver out.
RANDALL: Mister, are you all right?
DRIVER: (shrugging away from his
touch) Yeah, I’m fuckin’ fine! Get your damn hands off me!
RANDALL: (taken aback) Hey, I’m only
trying to help.
DRIVER: (points at his car) You call
that help? Oh, man, you are gonna pay
for this, you little bastard.
RANDALL: (utter disbelief) What! You’re the one who ran the red light,
mister. There’s no way in hell that this could be called my fault.
DRIVER: It is your fault! You should have been paying attention to the fact
that I was speeding toward you.
RANDALL: Well, I was paying attention
to the fact that you had the red
light and were driving way over 30 miles an hour.
DRIVER: (looks around, then gets in
Randall’s face) Well, you got any witnesses to prove that? (pauses) Didn’t
think so. See you in court, punk.
We see the rage build in Randall’s face as Driver
turns away. He spins the antagonist back around and punches him in the nose.
The blow knocks Driver on his ass. Blood flows from his nostrils. Randall
kneels down and wipes some crimson on to his fingers, then goes over to the
other vehicle. He leans in and wipes the fluid on Driver’s steering wheel. All
while Randall does this, Driver curses up a storm.
DRIVER: You fuckin’ punk! You broke
my nose!
RANDALL: (calmly) No, sir…the
accident is what broke your nose. You really should remember to wear your
seatbelt.
DRIVER: What are you talking about?
You just hit me!
RANDALL: (looks around, gets in
Driver’s face) You got any witnesses for that? (pauses) Didn’t think so. See
you in court, asshole.
Lisa paces, smoking and chugging vodka right from the bottle. Randall comes in.
LISA: (yelling) What the fuck
happened?
RANDALL: Nothing! Some asshole ran
into me, that’s all!
LISA: That’s all! Isn’t that
enough? Who do you think is gonna pay the outrageous lawyer fees, huh? Me! And
I bet it wasn’t even that guy’s fault! I bet you weren’t paying attention, as
usual…lost in daydreams about your stupid guitar!
Randall holds back from saying something. He turns
around and heads back out of the house. Lisa takes on more swig and hurls the
bottle at the door.
Randall is pacing, rubbing his eyes. LAWYER sits behind his desk, flipping
through a thick legal book.
RANDALL: So, this ridiculous case is
really going to go to jury trial?
LAWYER: Most likely. Your word
against the defendants, no witnesses. We definitely have to get you prepared
for it.
RANDALL: How much will this cost me?
LAWYER: Well, jury trial is $1,000
per day, plus what you have to pay for today’s services.
RANDALL: And what about the day of
the initial hearing?
LAWYER: (sighs) Well, don’t worry
about it for now. (closes book, gets up) I’ll work with you on it. (comes
around to Randall) Really, I’m on your side.
RANDALL: Thanks. At least someone
is.
30
INT CLASSROOM AFTERNOON
Randall sits off in a corner with some FRIENDS. They are all talking and
laughing it up. Despite all the joy around him, Randall isn’t smiling; he isn’t
even paying attention to his friends. Instead Randall just sits back in his
chair, staring blankly out the window.
Randall is walking down a path.
RANDALL:
(V.O.)
During this time I withdrew from everyone. My so-called friend had stolen away
a girl I liked just to fuck her. Now my car was totaled, and I was looking at a damn hefty legal fee…three grand at least.
We see Randall in the distance. He is approaching a
solitary headstone at the top of a hill. At this point we can’t read the stone.
When Randall stops, camera pans over
to reveal the name: David Gibson, 1947-1989.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) Dad
hadn’t been a millionaire, but when he died he did leave us a good bit of
money, (pauses) but I knew there was no way in hell mom would let me use it for
the lawyer’s fees. She needed it for boozing.
Randall quietly opens the door and slips in.
34
INT KITCHEN
The debris of a failed dinner lies strewn about the floor, the counters, the table. Randall surveys the scene and shakes his head.
Lisa is passed out on the couch. The television is still on, flickering the images of a game show across her still form. Randall creeps up to the couch and leans over to look at his mom. He studies her intensely, biting his lip (which is trembling). A tear nearly comes to his eye.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) I
remember a time when things weren’t like this between my mom and I. After dad
died, though, it all went downhill. (pauses) My family was the only real
foundation my life had. My friends sure as hell were no source for support.
(pauses) My world was falling apart right under my feet.
Randall walks up to his bedroom door. There is a note on it, written in his mom’s drunken hand: “Randy, Tina and Eric called for you. They were at Tina’s house. I am so sorry about earlier, sweetheart. Love, mom.”
RANDALL:
(V.O.)
Another apology. Oh, she really did mean she was sorry. (pauses) Until the next
violent outburst, that is.
Randall is sitting at his desk. He picks up his phone and dials a number, narrating while he does so.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) Tina
and Eric were a couple I’d help fix up. Tina had been my friend years before I
met Eric, but I knew they’d be good for each other. (pauses) I never depended
on them for much, which is probably why they never let me down. (pauses) They
tried returning the favor, tried fixing me up with people they knew, but their
matchmaking skills were terrible. Whenever they declared they found my
soulmate, they always set it up as a double-date, and I think the reason for
that was because I had a car and it was an easy way to get me to pick them up.
They knew how lonely I was. It was so simple to sucker me into driving them all
over creation. (pauses) When I look back now, I cringe at how gullible I was.
TINA’S DAD:
(V.O)
Hello?
RANDALL:
(V.O.) When
I heard that voice, I decided my gullible days had to come to an end. (over the
phone) Hi, may I speak with Tina please?
TINA’S DAD: Sure, hold a second.
RANDALL: Hey, Tina, you called me
earlier?
TINA: Hey, Randy, how’s it going?
RANDALL: Ah, not so good. My car got
wrecked, and I…
TINA: (cutting him off) So me and
Eric were wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight. My brothers said they’re
gonna get some beer and rent out a hotel room. You up for some partying?
RANDALL: (sighs) Tina, you know, it
sounds great but the guy who hit my car…
TINA: (shocked) What? You got in a
car accident?
RANDALL: (slowly) Wow, Tina, you
amaze me. That was one of the first things I said to you! My car got wrecked.
TINA: Well, I didn’t remember.
RANDALL: (angry) Don’t remember?
That was two minutes ago! Listen, the guy who hit me is trying to say it was my
fault. There were no witnesses so it’s gonna go to jury trial, and that might
run me $1,000 per day.
TINA: So…what are you trying to
say?
RANDALL: (throws his hands up in
frustration) Do I have to spell it out for you? I can’t afford to run an hour
out to Castleton, another half hour to wherever we go, and then another two
hours to get us all home! If it were my car I wouldn’t care, but I’d be driving
my mom’s car tonight. If I bring it back with an empty gas tank, she’ll be
pissed.
TINA: Well, Eric and I can give
you gas money.
RANDALL: Oh yeah, right. How stupid
do you think I am? You guys never
give me money, and you said you would lots of times.
TINA: No, Randy, I mean it this
time. We don’t want you to just sit around moping about the trial. You need to
get out. (pauses) Don’t worry. You won’t get in trouble. We’ll help you out
with gas.
RANDALL: (hesitantly) You realize
I’ll need enough to fill the tank back up?
TINA: I know. We have enough,
trust me.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) What
a wimp I am. (to Tina) All right, I’ll be there soon.
Randall quietly enters. He spots Lisa’s car keys on the end table. They jingle as he picks them up. Lisa shifts in her sleep, then settles. Now Randall leaves through the backdoor.
Randall looks at the fuel gauge; it is on “F.” Then
he starts the car up and backs out of the driveway. DISSOLVE TO:
Fuel gauge is now at the three quarter mark. Randall
stops outside a white two story house sitting on a hill. He gets out and runs
up to the front door. Camera follows.
Randall rings the bell. Almost immediately TINA and ERIC come out.
TINA: Hi. My brother and his
friends are already in a motel room.
RANDALL: What about the alcohol?
They got that too?
TINA: No, he said he was gonna
wait until everyone got there to see what everyone wanted.
RANDALL: (heading toward the car)
All right then. Let’s get going.
Once again we DISSOLVE
TO the fuel gauge, which is now between three-quarters and one-half.
Randall’s car pulls up. He and his two passengers get up.
TINA: They’re in room thirty-two.
Loud music is playing, laughter and cigarette smoke
floating in the air as the party rambles on. Most of the people in the room are
male. There is a knock at the door. Tina’s brother NICK (who has an oafish build) walks over to it.
NICK: Guys, be quiet for a sec.
Turn the music down. (music goes down) Okay. (cracks open the door) Who is it?
TINA: It’s us, Nick. Let us in.
He opens the door. Cheers abound when everyone
recognizes who it is. The only other girl at the party, NICOLE (thin, tan, sexy), runs over to hug Tina. Randall is clearly
attracted to Nicole but holds back from any actions or comments.
NICK: You must be Randall. (holds
out his hand) I’m Tina’s brother Nick.
RANDALL: (shakes his hand) Nice to
meet you.
NICK: Same here. (to others) All
right, everybody! (shuts the door) Now that we’re all here, let’s decide what
to get.
The room is flooded by noisy debate: people want
beer, people want hard liquor, others aren’t picky. Money is pooled together as
the choices are narrowed down. During all the commotion, Randall takes a seat
near the stereo. While he idly flips the dial, Nicole approaches him.
NICOLE: (flashing a seductive
smile) Hi, what’s your name?
RANDALL: I’m Randall, and you are…
NICOLE: Nicole. Nice to meet you.
(shakes his hand) So how did you get invited?
RANDALL: Oh, I know Tina.
NICOLE: Really? That’s cool. How
long have you known her?
RANDALL: Probably three or four
years now.
NICOLE: That’s odd. I’ve known her
for just as long, and she never mentioned you before.
RANDALL: (laughs) Well, that doesn’t
surprise me.
NICOLE: (laughs, obviously
inebriated) Say, can I sit on your lap?
RANDALL: (looks around) Uh…don’t you
have a boyfriend?
NICOLE: (shakes her head) Nope, no
boyfriend for me. (pauses) Well, not at the moment anyway.
RANDALL: I see. Well, in that case
make yourself at home.
As she sits down Nick walks over. He is tallying up
the funds.
NICK: Hey, Randall, I need to ask
you a favor. Can we use your car to go get the alcohol? Mine has barely enough
gas to get me home and then to work tomorrow.
RANDALL: Uh, I’m kind of busy here,
Nick.
NICK: I know, but it won’t take
long. We know what we’re getting, and the liquor store is only five miles up
the road.
RANDALL: (sighs; to Nicole) You wanna
go for the ride?
NICOLE: Nah, I think I’ll stay
here. They’re gonna be rolling another joint soon.
RANDALL: Okay. Well, needless to say
I won’t be long.
NICOLE: (touching his face) Good.
You hurry back to Nikky, okay?
RANDALL: (laughs) You better believe
I will.
Randall is crouched down in the front seat so as not
to be seen. He keeps looking at his watch impatiently. Finally Nick gets back
in the car.
RANDALL: (as he starts up) What the
hell took so long, man?
NICK: Look, don’t start bitching,
okay? The employee didn’t think my I.D. was real, so I had to wait until the
manager came up to check it out.
RANDALL: (backing out) And where was
the manager?
NICK: He was in the office
talking to his wife long-distance. (pauses) Sorry, man, I didn’t do it on
purpose.
Nick and Randall come back in. Our protagonist isn’t
100% shocked when he finds Nicole making out with another guy. The other guests
swarm to the booze. Passage of time is shown via a dissolve.
Nicole moves from one guy to the next, making out with all except Randall who sits off on his own, ignored by all.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) Yes,
I could have gotten drunk or high. I could have let euphoria black out my
memory and gone with the flow of the others, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to let the anger build. All night I kept holding
and holding it in. There were so many times I wanted to cut loose, but I had
tremendous self-control. I had to save it all for Tina and Eric when the party
was over.
Most of the people are passed out. Tina and Eric lay on one of the beds falling asleep. Randall is slumped over in a corner. Slowly he comes around and looks at his watch. It says it is now 4:13 A.M.
RANDALL: Oh fuck! (leaps to his feet)
I gotta have that fuckin’ car back by six! (runs over to the bed) Hey, you two,
wake up. (they do not stir; he shakes them) Get up or I’m leaving you here!
TINA: (groggy) Go ahead. My
brother can take us home.
RANDALL: All right, but you still
have to give me some gas money.
TINA: Some..some what?
RANDALL: (after a stunned pause) Uh,
some gas money? That was the deal, remember? Don’t even think about stiffing me
for the money.
TINA: (slowly sits up) Settle
down, Randall. We’ll give you some money. (shakes Eric) Eric, we need to give
Randall his gas money.
Eric doesn’t move. Tina roots through his pockets
and then her own. Once she has handed the money over to Randall, she flops back
on the bed. Randall counts the money; he has four dollars in his hand.
RANDALL: Four bucks? You call this
enough to fill my fucking gas tank!
TINA: Randall, what are you
getting so pissed about?
RANDALL: You know why I’m pissed! I
told you what the deal was when I came out here to pick you assholes up in East
Bumblefuck, and you broke your promise again!
ERIC: Hey, Randall, could you
keep it down, man? We’re trying to sleep.
RANDALL: (grabbing the scrawny youth
by the shirt) Listen, you dumb fuck, I don’t give a shit what you’re trying to
do! You fucked me for the last time!
Frustrated beyond belief, Randall throws Eric down
on the bed. Tina leaps at him, but Randall executes a simple sidestep. Tina’s
momentum keeps her moving forward, and she falls flat on her face. Nick is
starting to come around. When he sees his sister on the floor and the rage in
Randall’s face, he immediately launches into action. He lands a punch or two
before Randall gives him a quick strike to the throat. As Nick stumbles away
gasping, Randall runs out of the room.
Randall is fumbling with the keys as he runs over to the car. He quickly hops in and takes off. Nick comes out of the room just in time to be covered in a plume of dust. He stands there watching Randall drive off.
Randall looks at the measly four dollars in his hand, then looks at the fuel gauge. It is hovering just below the one-quarter mark. His face is flushed red with anger.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) And
that was how my last encounter with Tina and Eric ended, with my pent-up anger
still trapped inside me, bucking and kicking like a race horse trying to get
out of its stall.
Randall is already parked. He gets out of the car
and slowly walks into his house.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) It
was my fault, though, for not knowing any better. Tin and Eric wouldn’t be in
any trouble if my mom’s gas tank wasn’t full, so why should they care? Plus
they had a long history of letting me down. (pauses) In the end, I had no one
to blame but myself.
Sifu is watching Randall go through a form. It’s not hard to see Randall’s mind is elsewhere. He seems to be just going through the motion.
SIFU: Stop right there. (Randall
holds still) Look at me. (The pupil does as he is told) Where is your mind
today, Randall?
RANDALL: (puzzled) Why do you ask that,
Sifu?
SIFU: Because I can tell you are
distracted.
RANDALL: Sifu, I told you already.
I’ve been having so many problems lately I don’t even know where to start
looking for answers.
SIFU: (shakes his head) Randall,
you cannot master wing chun with just your body. (points at Randall’s head)
Victory begins here. You must devote 110% of yourself to what you are doing.
Leave your problems outside. They do not exist in this training hall. All that
matters here is wing chun.
RANDALL: Leaving my problems behind
isn’t as easy as you might think.
SIFU: Do you think I’ve never
known strife? Do you think I have gone my entire life without seeing one bit of
pain? I didn’t come of age in the 1990s, Randall. I grew up when the only
Chinese person this country knew was Charlie Chan. I grew up in the darkest
hours of ignorance, but I survived. You must learn to push your problems aside.
You have idea how to solve them now, so don’t worry yourself anymore. The more
desperate you get to find an answer, the more it will avoid you. Answers come
when they are ready. Do you understand?
RANDALL: Yes, sifu, I believe I do.
SIFU: Maybe we should call it a
day, Randall. Come back tomorrow after you’ve thought about what I just said.
RANDALL: (bows) Yes, Sifu.
SIFU: And Randall, one more
thing. Don’t be ashamed because you don’t know all the answers to your
problems. There is no reason to feel down on yourself just because you are
confused. It happens to everyone.
RANDALL: Yes, Sifu. (bows again)
Thank you.
Randall sits on the front steps, staring off into
space. Every now and then another student (or pair of students) walks by; some
say hello to him, but he barely mutters a reply. In the background we see THREE GIRLS come out of the school. One
of them is TARA, a preppy-looking,
pretty young lady. She sees Randall and comes to a stop. Her friends light up
cigarettes.
GIRL 1: So what’s the plan? Are we
going to the mall tonight?
GIRL 2: Depends if Tara can get her
mom’s car. (pauses) Hello? Earth to Tara!
TARA: Is that Randall Gibson over
there?
GIRL 1: (looking) Yeah. (takes a
drag) He’s a bit weird, isn’t he?
TARA: I don’t think so.
GIRL 2: Well, anyway…Tara, are you
going to get your mom’s car tonight?
TARA: (embarrassed) I don’t know.
I kind of forgot to ask her this morning. (friends express disappointment)
Well, I’m sorry!
GIRL 2: Tara, you’re hopeless.
TARA: (defensive) What’s that
supposed to mean?
GIRL 1: (to Girl 2) She must be
really head over heels with Randall. (to Tara) What she means is you’re always
forgetful when you like a guy!
TARA: (whiny) Look, you two, I
said I was sorry. I’ll ask my mom when I get home and then I’ll call you, all
right? You don’t have to resort to picking on me.
GIRL 1: We were only teasing you,
silly. (drags) Okay, so just call us when you know what’s up.
GIRL 2: Yeah, give us a ring.
(pitches her cigarette) We gotta get going, though. Talk to you later.
TARA: (as they walk off) Yeah,
see you later.
Our focus returns to Randall again while Tara
lingers in the background, trying to decide if she should approach him or not.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) I
didn’t know what to do. Hold the anger in? No, that wasn’t a good idea. Find
someone who might listen and vent my feelings to them? (laughs) Impossible. In
this day and age of “me, me, me” no one wants to listen to anyone anymore. Nobody has the time to be a shoulder to cry on.
(pauses) No one has time to care.
TARA: (approaching, sits down
beside him) Hi. Our name’s Randall, isn’t it?
RANDALL:
(V.O.; looking at her) Or…is it possible? Could I be wrong about humankind? (to Tara) Yeah,
that’s me. And you are?
TARA: Tara Wilkins. You’re in my
history class.
RANDALL: (laughs) Oh, right! That’s
the class I call “nap time.” I mean, I don’t know how anyone can stay awake in
there. Mr. Salzone’s voice just drones on and on and on.
TARA: (laughs) I know what you
mean. (pauses) So what are you doing now?
RANDALL: Just thinking about things.
(seeing she doesn’t understand) I’ve been having a rough time lately. A lot of
problems. You know the deal, I’m sure.
TARA: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.
Do you want to talk about them?
RANDALL: (shakes his head) No, no
way. You seem like you’re normally a bright and cheery person. I wouldn’t want
to bring you down.
TARA: No, really…I want to listen. (touches his arm)
Honestly.
Randall looks from her hand up to her face. He sees
a lovely smile and sympathetic eyes.
Randall and Tara are walking along and talking.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) I
couldn’t help but open up after looking into those eyes. I told her about
everything…my dad, my mom, even about the recent bullshit going on with my car
accident and my so-called friends. (They stop at a corner) She didn’t seem to
mind at all. She even asked questions and gave her insights as to why people
acted the way they did. (pauses) And on top of her warm, caring nature, it
didn’t hurt that I also thought she was cute as hell.
TARA: Well, it’s too bad those
people have been assholes to you. (pauses, smiles) You’re so wonderful. You
don’t deserve treatment like that.
RANDALL: Thanks. (pauses) Well, I
really enjoyed walking with you.
TARA: (fishing around in her bag)
Same here. (takes out pen and paper, scribbles something down) Here, take this.
RANDALL: What is it? (looks at it)
Your number?
TARA: (laughs) Can’t put one by
you, can I? (Randall laughs) Give me a call tomorrow. I’ve got to get home now.
RANDALL: All right. See you around.
She walks away. He watches her go.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) I
want you people to remember this scene. I want you to remember that she approached me. She insisted that she
didn’t mind hearing me complain, that she offered me her shoulder to cry on. Tara insisted, not me.
Dissolve to:
Randall sits down at his desk. He picks up the phone
and dials Tara’s number.
TARA: (V.O.) Hello?
RANDALL: Hi, may I speak with Tara
please?
TARA: (V.O.) This is her.
RANDALL: Hey, it’s Randall. How are
you?
TARA: (V.O.) Hey there! I’m all right.
How about you? Hey, how come you weren’t in history today?
RANDALL: It was my first very
expensive day in court.
TARA: (V.O.) You don’t sound too
thrilled. Guess it didn’t go well, huh?
RANDALL: No. If today is anything to
go by, it doesn’t seem this case will be over too quickly. And that really
sucks because, as you may or may not remember, the lawyer told me each day in
court is $1,000.
We see different scenes of Randall and Tara talking on the phone, walking around downtown, sitting at a street corner café. The assembly of these different locations serves to map the course of their relationship over the next few weeks. As it goes on, Tara’s mood visibly changes. She doesn’t seem to be as interested in Randall’s company anymore.
RANDALL:
(V.O.)
Things started out so great. Up until that point in my life, I’d never had a
girlfriend. Tara was the closest I’d come to one. (pauses) I don’t know when
she changed her mind about me, but a couple weeks after we first met I noticed
a difference. When we were together, she made less and less physical contact.
There was one point when we used to walk around hand in hand all day, but
suddenly she was making excuses to avoid touching me. And on the phone things
changed too, If I didn’t talk, there was dead silence. She would never start
the conversation. The only time she spoke was in response to me, and even then
she seemed to give the shortest answers possible.
He is calling Tara again, but this time he doesn’t
look half as excited as he used to. (NOTE:
During this conversation we actually switch back and forth between Randall’s
and Tara’s rooms for each line of dialogue unless a voice-over is indicated.)
RANDALL:
(V.O.)
Then, one day Tara wouldn’t even talk to me in history class. She just handed
me a note that said. “Call me tonight at seven.” (pauses) So that is exactly
what I did.
TARA: Hello?
RANDALL:
(V.O.) May
I speak with Tara please?
TARA: This is her.
RANDALL: Hey, it’s Randall. So
what’s up?
TARA: (V.O.) Oh, not too much. Just
working on my history essay.
RANDALL: Well, you don’t sound too
thrilled to be hearing from me. (silence) In fact, you haven’t sounded thrilled
in weeks. (pauses) What was that note in history all about?
TARA: (V.O.) Randall, I don’t know how
to say this. (sighs) I don’t want to talk to you anymore.
RANDALL: (laughs) This is a joke,
right? (pauses) You’ve got to be kidding me. This can’t be true. Tell me you’re
not serious.
TARA: (V.O.) No, Randall, I’m not joking
at all. I’m dead serious.
RANDALL: But why? I don’t
understand. We’ve been getting along so great!
TARA: I know, but it’s just
that…(trails off)
RANDALL:
(V.O.) Just
what? (pauses) Come on, I deserve to know what’s up since this does involve me.
TARA: Well, when you tell me
about your problems and all that…when you complain and whine…it really drags me
down.
RANDALL: (almost too stunned to
speak) Well I’ll be a son of a bitch!
Let me remind you, you are the one
who came up to me! You’re the one who said you didn’t mind,
that you wanted to listen when I
said, “No, it might drag you down.”
TARA: (V.O.) I know, Randall, and I’m
sorry.
RANDALL: I don’t want to hear
“sorry.” I want to hear why you didn’t tell me it bothered you sooner. The only
reason I kept going is because I thought you still wanted to listen. If it
bothered you, you should have told me. I would have stopped. Hell, I still can
change my ways now that I know it bugs you.
TARA: Randall, it’s too late for
that. You’re right, it’s my fault for not being honest and telling you this
sooner.
RANDALL: (VO.) You’re damn right it’s your
fault! If I do something that bugs you, you have to tell me so I can stop. It’s not like I’m an asshole who keeps on
doing things to irritate people. So now that I know what the problem is, why
can’t I try to resolve it? Why do we have to stop talking? We can get beyond
this.
TARA: Look, I just don’t think I
can do that.
RANDALL: And why the hell not?
TARA: Because I don’t trust that
you can change, okay? (sniffles back some tears) Look, don’t sit next to me in
history, and don’t talk to me anymore. I’m sorry, Randall, but I’ve got to do
what’s right for both of us.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) Hold
on, now! I don’t think it’s ri…
She hangs up on him. Randall holds the phone away
from his face and looks at it in disbelief, mouth agape. Dissolve to:
Randall sits alone in the corner staring out a
window. Tara comes in and, without even looking his way once, sits down at the
head of the class.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) How
could she act so cold like that? How could she go from liking me so much to the
ultimate slap in the face of acting like I never existed?
He sits on the bed with his guitar, alternating between playing chords and singing and pausing to write down the lyrics (which he is apparently making up as he goes along). We don’t hear his singing because of the narration.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) If
nothing else, all this bullshit was proving to be great fodder for some rocking
tunes, but I wanted more than good music from bad experiences. I wanted to find
a way to avoid these kinds of tragedies. (pauses) I just wanted to be treated
decent for a change.
Randall is switching between three tasks now: eating his lunch, playing chords, and writing down the music.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) My
inspiration spread like wildfire. Suddenly I had to bring my guitar everywhere
I went. One moment away from my instrument caused a panic attack because I
feared there would be some rockin’ monumental riff that would enter my head but
would disappear before I could get to my instrument and play it out.
Randall sits alone in a corner, eating and playing guitar.
RANDALL:
(V.O.) At
the time I didn’t even realize how I felt. I mean, it’s true I was sitting
around writing songs about miserable situations in my life, but when I look back
at this time now, I can honestly say I was happy. And I’m not really sure how
to explain it, but I think that maybe this creative explosion kept me
constantly absorbed in my own little world and I wasn’t aware of anything going
on around me. (pauses) Yes, escape from reality. I guess it’s what helped me
rebound so nicely from Tara. Even though my songs were about the misery caused
by her and everyone else, I still felt good. Dwelling on my problems through
songwriting was different than bitching about them to someone. For some reason,
analyzing my problems with music was more therapeutic.
At a nearby table several girls have taken notice of
Randall playing. One of them, an “alternative” girl named MELODY, stares at him longingly.
TRACY: Melody, would you quit
drooling? I’m trying to eat here.
MELODY: (standing up) Shut up,
Tracy.
She walks over to Randall and stands in front of him. He is so absorbed in his playing that she goes unnoticed for what seems to be an eternity. In fact Randall doesn’t see her until he pauses to write down some lyrics.
RANDALL: (surprised) Oh, hi! Have
you been standing there long?
MELODY: (smiling) Just a couple
seconds.
RANDALL: I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to
ignore you.
MELODY: That’s all right. I came
over to hear you play. Are you in a band?
RANDALL: No. I don’t have too many
songs written, so I was going to start looking for bandmates after I got about
twenty songs under my belt. And I mean twenty good, solid, perfect songs, not
fifteen good and five mediocre.
MELODY: You should really get one
going. My last boyfriend played guitar. He was in a band for seven years, but I
think you sound better than him. It’d be a shame if no one ever heard you play.
RANDALL: (modestly) Oh, come on.
I’ve been playing for only three years. How could I be better?
MELODY: I don’t know, it’s just the
way you sound. Some people are just more gifted than others.
RANDALL: That’s true. I guess I just never thought of myself as
too good.
They continue with small chitchat as we dissolve to:
The coffee house is set up for an open mic night. A young man sits onstage reading a poem. Randall (with his acoustic guitar) sits off to the side with Melody. We can see his hands trembling. Melody notices too; she reaches out to hold him steady.
