Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Nate & Laura & How They Met



ACT ONE, SCENE THREE

Exterior: College Dormitory Apartments, parking lot.

(Kiyah pulls into parking lot, stops car.  Ashley gets out.  She waves and says bye.  The car pulls away and Ashley watches it drive away before turning and heading into her apartment building.)

Fade Into:

Interior: Kiyah's living room

(Kiyah, Samantha, and Laura enter.)

KIYAH

(heading directly into her bedroom)

Laura, I can't even.

(She slams the door behind her.)

LAURA

What? Kiyah, don't be like that.  Just say it.

KIYAH

(coming out of her room, standing in the doorway)

How dare you? I asked you if you liked him and you said it was nothing, twenty minutes of nothing...Don't say it, Samantha! Why didn't you just tell me the truth, Laura?

LAURA

I didn't know...I didn't want...I don't want...

KIYAH

Don't want? But you kissed him!

LAURA

He kissed me!

KIYAH

Oh for the love of...why does everything good happen to everyone else?

LAURA

Don't say that, Kiyah.  Just don't.

KIYAH

So, he kissed you and now what, you guys are--

LAURA

Nothing...wait, I don't know...I just--

KIYAH

Nothing?

LAURA

(collapsing onto sofa)

I just don't know, okay? I mean, look what we just did today, with Lucy.  I'm just gun-shy, all right? Look, I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you but I honestly didn't want to...see it for myself.

KIYAH

Right. Whatever.

LAURA

Look, I am starting at the shop in the morning, for Lucy, so I think I just need a nice hot shower and then just to not think for awhile.  I need some time...to myself.  I don't want...

KIYAH

Don't want?

LAURA

Love.  I guess, I am....

SAMANTHA

Running?

LAURA

Yeah. That.

Fade into: Nate, in his room.

(Nate holds a piece of paper with "Laura's cell 541.226.5886" scribbled across it in one hand and his phone in the other. He stares for along time at the paper, as if willing himself to call or text her. His phone rings, the caller id reads "Jessica", he hesitates and then silences the phone. He puts it down on the table.)

Fade out.

Act one, Scene Four

Exterior: Street

(Laura is in jogging clothes, running and listening to music.)

Fade into: Ashley, waking up in her dorm room bed

She sits up, groggy eyed, then suddenly runs to bathroom.

CUTAWAY: Ashley bending over toilet, vomiting.

CUTAWAY:Laura running down the street, headphones in.

Cutaway: Nate and doodle leaving his granny unit

Nate walks Doodle down the street, sees Laura ahead of him on the other side of the street.  He watches her from afar, hesitating.

Cutaway: Laura in foreground, Nate in background with doodle.

Fade into: Lucy and Kiyah's boutique

(Laura and Kiyah are at work together, silently working, after a few beats, Kiyah speaks.)

KIYAH

Hey, Laura?

LAURA

Yeah?

KIYAH

Look, I've been thinking.  I mean, I am sorry that I was so harsh with you yesterday...I guess after everything that happened with Lucy and you and Samantha...and even with my ex...I get kind of testy.  I just...

LAURA

It's okay.  You've been awesome for all of us.  We've been through a lot, and its like what they always say--

KIYAH

What do they always say?

LAURA

I'll tell you...'Guys come and go, but friends are forever'.  So, let's not let little ol' Nate the Manny come between us.  So not worth it.

(Laura freezes with the memory of that last phrase from yesterday. Kiyah doesn't see it.)

KIYAH

Yeah, I just want to know, when its going to happen for me.  You know, love, life, everything.  I am almost thirty and I don't even know what I am doing with my life.  I mean, I got the shop but its really all Lucy, I'm just her glorified assistant.

LAURA

You are so more than that.

KIYAH

Well, yeah, but not legally.  I never finished my degree, so it is what it is.

LAURA

Maybe you should.

KIYAH

Should?

Laura

Finish your degree?

KIYAH

Yeah, been thinking about it, actually.

LAURA

Yeah, I need to figure out myself too, what I want and who I am...without.

KIYAH

Without?

LAURA

Without...a guy, without anything.  Just me.  Just Laura.

KIYAH

Yeah, like who is Kiyah without.  Who is Kiyah? Kiyah is?

LAURA

So its settled then? Boys on the side, friends forever?

KIYAH

Friends forever!

(They fist bump and then hug.  The door bell opens to signify that someone has entered.)

(Nate approaches the counter.)

(Laura and Kiyah's faces fall.)

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