Saturday, May 20, 2017

Cafe-Girl: A Tru Story



Act One, Scene Six

Interior: Downtown Clothing Boutique

(Tru runs into the store, her boss, Sandy, is behind the counter, folding clothes.)

SANDY

Deborah.  Nice of you to show up.

TRU

Yeah, look, sorry I'm late, I over---

SANDY

Uh huh.  What is it this time? You over-slept?  Traffic?  Family emergency?

TRU

Um...

SANDY

This is the fifth time you've been late this month

TRU

I'm sorry...

SANDY

I think we need to find a resolution for this.

TRU

Yeah?

SANDY

I think we need to go separate ways.

TRU

Are you firing me or breaking up with me?

SANDY

Smart mouth, that's good, Deborah, real good.

TRU

Okay, well, final pay?

SANDY

Its cut next week.  We'll mail it to you.

TRU

Fine, fine, well, you can't fire me, because I quit.

SANDY

I just fired you, first.  So---

TRU

Fine!

(Tru walks out of store in a huff.)

Exterior: Street outside boutique

(Tru walks angrily down the street, fighting back tears.)

Fade into:

Interior: Willow's cafe

(Willow is behind the counter, working. A few customers at tables.  Enter Miles. He heads to the counter, Willow is busy baking to notice him, he doesn't recognize him at first.)

WILLOW

Oh, sorry, I didn't see you there.  Can I help you?

(Miles stares at him for a long time.)

MILES

You don't recognize me, do you?

WILLOW

Should I?

MILES

I saw you guys together last night.

havingWILLOW

Wait? What the hell? Who are you?

MILES

Miles.

WILLOW

Miles?

MILES

Tru's, um, ex.

WILLOW

Tru? Miles? Oh? Oh.

MILES

Yeah, so you're her next...well, just be careful.

WILLOW

Um, all right.  Whatever.

MILES

She's got issues, is all.  Look, I'm not a bad guy, I mean, I'm not the only one that was in the wrong--

WILLOW

Right.  Because having relationship issues is the same thing as cheating on your partner in their bed.  Right.  Gotcha.

MILES

Look. Just be careful.  She seems cool, even fun.  But, she's gotta past.

WILLOW

Don't we all?

MILES

You do? Right.  You haven't had that much life to have a past.

WILLOW

Gee, thanks.  Thanks for my early morning patronizing session.  I didn't know I was due.

Miles

Huh.

WILLOW

Look, order or leave.

MILES

Really? Is that how its gonna be?

WILLOW

I don't have to serve you, but its kind of my job so...up to you. Order or leave.

MILES

I'm going, I'm gone.  But, don't say I didn't warn you.

(Miles exits store.)

WILLOW

Well, then.

(Willow goes back to his task before Miles entered. A few minutes pass in silence, customers busy at computers, reading.)

(Enter Shaggy.)

(Shaggy looks around cafe, surveys the whole store, the whole effect.  He sighs deeply.  Shaggy approaches counter.)

SHAGGY

Excuse me?

(Willow looks up, approaches the counter.)

WILLOW

Hi. How can I help you?

SHAGGY

Yeah, um, nice place you got here.

WILLOW

Thanks.  We just opened about a month ago.

SHAGGY

It reminds me of...um, well, a place I used to know awhile back.  Um, so, cup of coffee? To go please.

WILLOW

All right.  What size?

SHAGGY

Medium.

WILLOW

That'll be 2.15.

SHAGGY

Here. Keep the change.

(Shaggy hands some cash to Willow.)

WILLOW

Thanks.

(Willow places a cup on the counter before him.)

SHAGGY

I just moved back into town from...what's your name?

WILLOW

Will.  You?

SHAGGY

Ben.  But everyone always called me Shaggy.

WILLOW

Well, welcome back.

SHAGGY

Thanks.  They said I looked like Shaggy from Scooby Doo.

WILLOW

Yeah, you do.

SHAGGY

Ha.  Thanks.  Well, I'll see you, I'll be back.

WILLOW

Okay.

(Shaggy hesitates for a few minutes, he crosses over to the coffee pots, fills his cup, then turns back to Willow.)

SHAGGY

Actually, I'm wondering if you could help me...if you might know some people...they might have come in here, most likely because its kind of like....anyway, you might have seen them, I'm kinda sorta looking for them.

(Willow laughs at the "kinda sorta" phrase.  Then stops.)

WILLOW

Um, maybe.  What are their names?

SHAGGY

Um, well, there's James, he's kinda sorta dark,tall,always wears black, um, Thomas...kinda sorta average-ish, there's the hippie Ray...

WILLOW

My uncle is a Ray and a hippie.

SHAGGY

Seriously? That could be him.

WILLOW

Could be.

SHAGGY

Wait, you're not Willow, are you? You can't be.

WILLOW

The very same.

SHAGGY

God damn, you're all grown up.

WILLOW

It happens.

SHAGGY

Uh, sorry.  So, what's Ray up to?

WILLOW

Um, up at some hippie commune, yeah. He's on facebook, I guess. I'm not.

SHAGGY

I'll look him up.  Thanks.

(Shaggy starts to leave, then stops at the door, turns back.)

Actually, there is someone else.  I can't forget her.  Deborah is her name....sound familiar?

WILLOW

Maybe.  I just met someone with...that name...yesterday she came in here.

SHAGGY

Huh? Well, I'll be.  I guess I'll be seeing her then, maybe.  I'll be back.

WILLOW

All right.

SHAGGY

If you see her, tell her...say hi from Shaggy.  Nice to see you again, kid.

WILLOW

Yeah, okay.  Bye.

(Shaggy exits.)

Fade into:

Interior: Cafe, the end of the day.

(Willow is wiping down tables,one or two customers remain in cafe.)

(Enter Tru.)

WILLOW

Oh, hey, Tru.  How are you?

TRU

Um, shitty.

WILLOW

Um, I'm sorry.  What's up?

TRU

Lost my mother fucking job today.

WILLOW

Shit, I'm sorry.

TRU

Are you? It was crap anyway, but what the fuck am I gonna do now?

WILLOW

You know we are looking here.

TRU

Really? Because I've been looking all day.  Well, most of the day, just spent the last couple hours, hiking in the park, trying to clear my head.

WILLOW

Did it work?

TRU

Kinda sorta, not really.

WILLOW

Sorry to hear that.

TRU

So, you're hiring?

WILLOW

Yeah.  You ever work in a cafe?

(Tru hesitates, she gulps.)

TRU

Yeah. A long time ago, but yeah.  And, I've had some deli work, restaurant work after that.

WILLOW

Well, I'll get you an app and put in a good work with the boss. Hank is his name.

TRU

All right.  Thanks a lot, Will.  That means a lot to me.

WILLOW

No problem.  It will be cool to work with you.

TRU

Ah, you are sweet.  You know I was thinking...like, I'm gonna need a room-mate since Miles moved out---

WILLow

Oh, I met him today.

TRU

Really? What the fuck? Where?

WILLOW

I've been here all day, so where else?

TRU

He came here.  Lame. I'm sorry.  What did he want?

WILLOW

Not much.  Just the usual ex shit.

TRU

I'm sorry.

WILLOW

No worries.  So what's up?

TRU

Yeah, I'm in need of a room-mate and you don't like where you are at so?

WILLOW

You asking me to live with you?

TRU

Um, yeah.  I mean, you got some paperwork to go through with the landlord but shouldn't be an issue.  You seem chill.  It'd be fun.

WILLOW

All right then.  Oh by the way, a guy came in today that you might know?

TRU

Yeah?

WILLOW

Yeah, um, uh, Shaggy?

Close up: Tru's face, terrified.

Fade out.


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