Act ONe, Scene One
Interior: Ashley's bathroom.
(Ashley sits on the toilet, pants around her ankles. She holds pregnancy test in front of her, opens box, throws carton on ground, reads over directions, tosses the aside, and sticks stick underneath herself. She sighs.)
Cut to: Ashley sitting on bathtub, fully dressed, holding stick, staring at it.
Fade out.
Interior: Funeral Home
(Laura and her mother and sisters are in a long procession line in the foyer of the building. Mourners, friends, family, are walking by and giving their condolences.)
MRS.MURPHY
Laura, who is that young man in blue jeans and blazer?
LAURA
Where?
MRS. MURPHY
Over there. No, don't stare. How could wear that to your father's--
LAURA
Oh, Jacob!
MRS. MURPHY
Jacob?
LAURA
Remember, Jacob Wellington from my class?
MRS. MURPHY
Oh, I guess so. But how could he wear such things?
(Laura leaves procession line and heads over to Jacob.)
LAURA
Hey, Jacob?
JACOB
Yeah? Laura? Laura! I'm sorry for your loss.
LAURA
Yeah, yeah, thanks.
JACOB
How are you?
LAURA
Considering current events, not so bad. Yourself?
JACOB
Doing all right. Living in the city, working. Living the dream, I guess. What about you?
LAURA
Up north, in Oregon, still.
JACOB
Awesome. Oregon is beautiful.
LAURA
Yeah, it is.
(Their eyes meet.)
JACOB
So, you remember that time outside of town, on the outlook? We got really drunk on cheap wine you stole from your dad's liquor cabinet--
LAURA
And sang Depeche Mode songs at the top of our lungs to see if it could reach across the entire valley?
JACOB
Yeah. That time.
LAURA
Good times!
JACOB
We should hang out...while you are here...I mean, I would really like that.
LAURA
Yeah, me too, actually.
JACOB
What are you doing now?
LAURA
Eh, family stuff, all night...
(She looks over at her family.)
Wide: Laura's sisters and Mother, Mrs. Murphy, now in a circle, gossiping, fighting
On second thought, want to get out of here?
JACOB
I'd love that. The outlook?
LAURA
I'm sure there is still some cheap wine left over from my da...I'll just get my purse.
JACOB
Okay, I'll be here.
Cut to: Laura and Jacob sitting on the Trunk of Jacob's car, over-looking the city below, the radio plays in the car behind them, sipping out of a wine bottle. It is late afternoon, about 5:00, sun is just about to set.
LAURA
So, what are you doing in the city?
JACOB
Web design mostly, for, you know, CBS.
LAURA
CBS? Oh my god, Jacob, you hit the big time!
JACOB
Its nothing really. Thanks.
LAURA
Wow, my lil buddy, Jacob working for CBS!
JACOB
Eh? Lil buddy?
LAURA
Yeah.
(They both laugh.)
JACOB
So, what about you?
LAURA
Eh? Still trying to sort that out, actually. Working in my friends' shop, yay!
JACOB
Well, as long as you are happy!
(Their eyes meet.)
LAURA
Yeah, thank you. I am, for the most part.
JACOB
For the most part?
LAURA
Well considering current events...
JACOB
Current events?
LAURA
My dad just died, for one.
JACOB
Yeah. Huh. Ed Murphy. Gone. I remember him coaching us in little league, he was always such hard ass with me.
LAURA
Well, you should have seen him helping me with my math homework!
JACOB
Yeah?
LAURA
It was...brutal, that's all I will say. You know what I keep thinking about, though, how he'll never get to walk me down the aisle, I mean, not sure if I will ever do that, but he always said how much he looked forward to that. Its strange after everything that happened in my relationship with my father, how strained it was at times, I recall that about him.
JACOB
Huh. Yeah, that's rough.
(He hands her the bottle of wine.)
So, you seeing anyone now?
LAURA
What?
JACOB
Well, you mentioned the aisle walking and not sure if you would ever do that...oh never mind, sorry, none of my business.
LAURA
No, its fine, its fine. Um, well, I just got out of a pretty fucked up relationship actually, so---
JACOB
Oh, gotcha. Its just that, we were always friends and--
LAURA
Best friends! You were my best friend in high school!
JACOB
Yeah, best friends. And, I just always wondered what it would be like...
LAURA
It?
JACOB
Yeah, you know, it. Didn't you ever wonder that?
LAURA
I don't know, um...
(Personal Jesus starts playing in the background.)
Depeche Mode! Ready?
Laura and Jacob
(singing with radio)
Reach out and touch faith Your own personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who cares Your own personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who's there Feeling unknown And you're all alone Flesh and bone By the telephone Lift up the receiver I'll make you a believer Take second best Put me to the test Things on your chest You need to confess
I will deliver You know I'm a forgiver Reach out and touch faith Reach out and touch faith Your own personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who cares Your own personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who's there
Feeling unknown And you're all alone Flesh and bone By the telephone Lift up the receiver I'll make you a believer
I will deliver You know I'm a forgiver Reach out and touch faith Your own personal Jesus Reach out and touch faith Reach out and touch faith Reach out and touch faith Reach out reach out Reach out and touch faith Reach out and touch faith.
(They both laugh. Laura shivers.)
JACOB
Cold?
LAURA
Not really. Just thinking about...hey, I should probably get back...I'm sorry.
JACOB
Its all right.
Cut to: Interior: Jacob's car, Laura in passenger seat.
(Laura is rummaging through her purse.)
LAURA
Shit, I can't find my phone.
Cutaway: Same time of day, Ashley sits in a park, on a bench. There are children playing on a playground, mothers with babies, Ashley watches all of it.
Enter Nate.
NATE
Ashley? You said you wanted to meet me?
ASHLEY
Yeah, uh, sit down, Nate.
(Nate sits on the end of the bench.)
NATE
So?
ASHLEY
Well, um, I've got some news.
CUTAWAY: Jacob's car
JACOB
You remember the last place you had it?
LAURA
God, I don't know, maybe. The funeral home? I don't know. God, I hate it when I do this.
JACOB
Yeah, me too. You want to go find it?
LAURA
Some adventure!
JACOB
Yeah, but it still is.
CUTAWAY: The park bench, with Ashley and Nate. They watch the children playing on the playground. Ashley sighs.
ASHLEY
So, I've been kind of sick lately.
NATE
Yeah, I'm sorry to hear that.
ASHLEY
Yeah, kind of random, so...so I bought a pregnancy test.
NATE
Um, yeah...?
ASHLEY
Yeah and yeah.
CUTAWAY: Children playing on playground, Mothers lifting babies up, pushing them in strollers, fathers swinging their children around
Cut to: Nate's face, in shock
NATE
So, um, now what?
ASHLEY
Ha! Well, I'm going to Planned Parenthood for an official test, just to be sure, it could have been a, what do they call it, a false pregnancy or whatever. Hopefully.
NATE
Yeah, hopefully.
ASHLEY
Huh? Oh, never mind.
NATE
For what its worth, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...
ASHLEY
Its okay, Nate. It wasn't planned or anything, you didn't mean, I didn't mean...
NATE
For this to happen. Any of this. Listen if you need anything, anything at all, I'm here.
ASHLEY
Thanks, Nate. That's sweet of you.
CUTAWAY: Exterior of Funeral home
(Laura comes running out of the building, crosses to Jacob's car. She gets in.)
Interior: Jacob's car.
JACOB
So, any luck?
LAURA
No, not there. Crap, this sucks so hard.
JACOB
Where else were you?
LAURA
Um, we stopped at the Safeway for flowers and stuff.
JACOB
Right then. Let's go.
Cutaway: Interior Safeway, check out counter.
LAURA
Hi, did anyone bring it a lost phone? I think I left mine here.
CHECKERGIRL
Um, yeah, no, I don't think so.
JACOB
You don't think so or they didn't?
CHECKERGIRL
Um, yeah, no.
LAURA
Um, yeah, thanks.
Cutaway: Interior: Jacob's car
JACOB
So, what now?
LAURA
I don't know.
(Laura looks over at Jacob.)
I always wondered too.
JACOB
About?
LAURA
What it would be like.
JACOB
Yeah?
(He leans into her, she leans into him.)
LAURA
Yeah, I did.
(They look at each other, then slowly move in, and kiss. Laura's cell-phone rings somewhere in the car, its the bells.)
(Laura pulls away.)
LAURA
My phone!
JACOB
It was in the car the whole time?
LAURA
Yeah, sorry. We have to find it. I have to find it. Its really important.
(Laura's looking all over the car, under the seat, she finds it, answers before it stops ringing.)
Hello?
CUTAWAY: Nate's Granny unit
NATE
Hey, Laura.
LAURA
Hi.
CUTAWAY: Jacob's car.
NATE
I just...wanted to see how things are doing there...things are kind of weird here, I mean, um, I wanted to hear your voice, is all.
LAURA
Ah. I'm doing all right. Its good to hear your voice too, Nate.
Cutaway: Nate's Granny Unit.
NATE
I can't wait to see you.
Cutaway: Jacob's car.
LAURA
Yeah, me too. But, I can't really talk right now though.
NATE
In a few days?
LAURA
I'll call you soon.
Cutaway: Nate's Granny unit.
NATE
Okay, talk then, Laura. Bye.
Laura
Bye.
Cutaway: jacob's car, Laura smiling to herself.
JACOB
So, drive you home?
LAURA
Yeah, yes please, could you.
(Jacob starts the car, after awhile of driving he speaks.)
JACOB
So, whose Nate?
No comments:
Post a Comment