Cafe-Girl: A Tru Story

ACT THREE, SCENE ONE

Exterior: Parking lot of Tru and Willow's apartment complex, night.

Ambulance, police cars with flashing lights.  Tru is in gurney being wheeled out by EMTs to ambulance.  Tru's parents stand talking to another EMT, muffled voices.  Willow sits off to the side by himself, on a curb, watching the events unfolding.

PAN: Slowly closer and closer onto Willow's face

Flashback: earlier that day with Shaggy at the coffee shop.

WILLOW

Why does everyone keep saying that?

SHAGGY

What?

WILLOW

To be careful?

SHAGGY

What? She hasn't told you yet---

WILLOW

About?

(Shaggy sits at a table, stares straight ahead.)

SHAGGY

She tell you about Matthew?

WILLOW

A bit.

SHAGGY

They got together, eventually.  They were really happy together, for awhile.  We had this friend back then, don't know what happened to him...he just sort of vanished, he was always a little off...anyway, James, that was his name, started hanging out with Deborah a lot...

WILLOW

Deborah? Oh, right, Tru--

SHAGGY

Tru?

WILLOW

She calls herself that because--

SHAGGY

Okay, then, Tru.  But she'll always be Deborah to me.  The Honey Bee.

WILLOW

Honey bee?

SHAGGY

We looked up our names once, online. Hers meant Honey Bee and that was hers.  Always running around, busy busy bringing the sweetness...I guess that's what James liked about her, he could forget....stuff when she was around.  Yeah, that's we all liked about her...she sorta hypnotized you, you know?

WILLOW

Um, yeah, I can see that.

SHAGGY

Huh.  Anyway, so James and Deborah were getting closer and one day Matt stopped by James house to buy an 8th and...well, he walked in on her and James...

WILLOW

No shit?

SHAGGY

Kissing, just kissing, but still--

WILLOW

What the hell?

SHAGGY

She was different back then, easily seduced, I guess.

WILLOW

Tell me about it.

SHAGGY

She broke it off immediately with James, and tried to patch things up with Matt but it was too late, not meant to be.

WILLOW

So, why bring this up to me now? What's it got to do with me and Tru now, today?

SHAGGY

I'm trying to explain why she is the way she is now, today.

WILLOW

But, why you?

SHAGGY

I...I don't know...but who else will? No one else is around that...remembers...that can even...anyway, Matt wouldn't talk to her anymore so she stopped coming around for awhile....until....one day...

WILLOW

One day?

SHAGGY

There was a fire one night, at the cafe.  That's why its not around anymore.  Matt was called in earlier that night to check on something, after hours and...

WILLOW

And?

SHAGGY

It happened so fast...no one got their in time.  No one.

WILLOW

What are you saying?

SHAGGY

It wasn't anyone's fault...it just happened, is all...it just happened.

Fade out and Into:

Willow sitting on curb, watching the ambulance pull away, lights and siren blaring.  He stares straight ahead.

Black out.

The Lonely

Cafe-Girl: A Tru Story

Act Two, Scene Six

Interior: Long dark hallway towards Willow and Tru's apartment.

Willow enters hurriedly and crosses towards door.  He starts to unlock, but door swings open.

WILLOW

Tru?

No answer.

Tru?  You home?

Sound of running water from the bathroom is heard, then the thud of a body falling to the ground.

Tru?!?!

Willow hurries towards bathroom.  He hesitates at the closed door, knocks.

You...okay?

There is no answer.  He cautiously turns the door handle, finding it unlocked, the door swings open.

Wide: Tru collapsed in bathroom, her arm hanging over bathtub edge, blood dripping down her arm.  She is barely cautious.  Shower water is on and the shower curtain is open, water spills out all over the floor, the bathroom.  she is naked and barely conscious.

Willow rushes towards Tru.  He crouches down near her, grabs her arm, tries to stop the blood with his hand.

WILLOW

Tru? Tru? Can you hear me?

Tru groans slightly.  Willow pulls cellphone from his pocket, fumbles nervously, and finally dials 911.

OPERATOR

911 What is your emergency?

WILLOW

My room-mate...I just came home and found her...she cut herself...she's barely awake...

OPERATOR

Okay, sir, we're getting someone there right away.  Can I just have your name and information?

Fade out.

Fade into:

Willow grabs a towel and wraps it around Tru's body.  He then cradles her in his arms.

WILLOW

Its going to be okay, Tru.  It's going to be okay.  It's not your fault.  It was never your fault.  Never.  It's going to be okay.

Fade out.

Distance

Cafe Girl: A Tru Story

Act Two, Scene Five

Interior: Tru's bedroom

(Tru stares at herself in the mirror)

Flashback: Tru kissing Matthew, Tru running down a street, sound of an explosion, flash of fire lighting up Tru's face, Tru kissing Matthew, flash of fire lighting up Tru's face.

Fade into:

Interior: Tru's bathroom

(Tru sits cross-legged in bathtub, knife sits on edge of tub slowly she rolls up her sleeve, cautiously picks up knife, and brings blade to her arm, slowly, meticulously begins to cut.  She winces, blood starts to spill out, she presses harder, blood drips down onto tub floor.)

CLOSE UP: Cut on Tru's arm

Pan: Down tru's arm to blood dripping on tub floor.

Off camera: Sound of Door opening and closing

WILLOW

Hey, Tru, you home?

(Tru looks around frantically, searching for something to cover arm, she gets up, pulls sleeve down, stashes knife under sink, quickly turns on bath and lets blood run down drain, she bites back tears.)

(Willow is heard coming down hallway.)

TRU

Just starting a bath!

WILLOW

You gonna be long?

TRU

Um...you need the bathroom or something?

WILLOW

Um, I can wait.

TRU

Okay, thanks.

Fade into:

Tru in shower, wearing only pentagram necklace, water running over her.  Arm wound is still bleeding slowly.

CLOSE UP: Blood and water running down drain.

Fade out.

Somewhere Only We Know

Set Life

Good morning.

Time to start another long day of "In Her Blood"

Yesterday shot one of my favorite scenes, very intense, emotional, yet felt motivated by it. A good way to fall back into Maureen's story. Wanted to keep shooting it, not because it wasn't good enough but because it felt so good, so real, so fulfilling...

Can't wait to begin today. Love this character, her story, her family (for what its worth), and the entire cast & crew. Loving Eugene. Strongly considering making the move. Praying, seeking guidance on that.

Cafe-Girl: A Tru Story

Act Two, Scene Four

The Coffee Shop, same day, late afternoon.

The coffee shop is closed, Willow works alone, closing up.  The chairs are on the tables, he's busy vacuuming.  The door opens.

WILLOW

Um, we're closed!!!!

(Shaggy enters.)

SHAGGY

Uh, sorry.

(Willow shuts off vaccuum cleaner.)

WILLOW

Hey there, um---

SHAGGY

Call me Shaggy.

WILLOW

Oh, right.  Um?

SHAGGY

You're closed, I can see that.  I was hoping to see Deborah?

WILLOW

Deborah? Oh, Tru, that's right.  Um, she left already.

SHAGGY

Oh, yeah?

WILLOW

Yeah, I can take a message or---

SHAGGY

How is she...doing? We've all been...worried.

WILLOW

Worried?

SHAGGY

Yeah.  So, you know where she might be?

WILLOW

Um, yeah, she'll be here tomorrow morning and...

SHAGGY

And?

WILLOW

We live together so--

SHAGGY

Oh? You live together?

WILLOW

Well, not like that.  Well, at least not--

SHAGGY

Yet?

WILLOW

Well--

SHAGGY

Careful.

WILLOW

Everyone keeps saying that.

Fade into:

Tru's bedroom, same day.

Tru sits on her bed, laptop before her.  She stares blankly at the screen.

Pov: Tru, computer screen open to writing software, page is blank, cursor flashes, Camera zooms in closer to cursor flashing, flashing, flashing, boom, boom, boom

CLOSE UP: Tru's face, tired, overwhelmed

Wide: Tru gets up and crosses over to her dresser

Tru stares into her mirror.  She opens a drawer and starts rummaging through, pulls out a small cardboard box, sets it before her on dresser counter.  She looks back at herself in the mirror, then slowly opens the box, and slowly pulls out pentagram necklace, she lets it fall gently into her other hand, stares at it, and then looks up into the mirror.

Fade into:

Flashback:

Tru leans against a tree, Matthew stands across from her, leaning against another tree. They are in a woodsy area.  Matthew holds a joint in one hand and a lighter in the other. He lights the joint, lights it, brings it to his lips, a pentagram necklace falls out of his shirt and hangs around his neck.  He hands joint to Tru, who takes it, her hand brushes against his as she does so.  He smiles at her, sweetly and sort of seductively.  She takes the joint with one hand and with the other reaches up and fingers the necklace.

MATTHEW

An old friend gave me that.

TRU

Yeah?

MATTHEW

Yeah, an ex.

TRU

Oh? Oh, an ex.

MATTHEW

Yeah, we're still friends, just friends.

TRU

Just friends.

MATTHEW

Yeah, I'm interested in someone else now.

TRU

Yeah?

MATTHEW

She's this really nice girl, just started coming to the cafe, makes me laugh, I like it when she comes in.

TRU

Yeah, she likes coming in, well, I mean, I imagine she does.

(Matthew takes Tru's hand from the necklace, holds it.  He pulls her close to him, he looks over her face, she smiles up at him.  He leans in close, they hug for a long time.  Then slowly turn their faces towards each other.)

Fade out.

Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop

Cafe-Girl: A Tru Story

Act Two Scene Three

Interior: Cafe, The next morning

(Tru and Willow are workind behind the counter.  Willow is training Tru on the espresso machine.)

WILLOW

You've done this before, so it shouldn't be hard to pick it up again.

TRU

Done it before....

WILLOW

Yeah at the cafe with Matthew?

TRU

Matt.

WILLOW

Yeah, the Coffee Boy, right?

TRU

Right.  Him.

WILLow

Does that make me the coffee boy too?

TRU

Coffee Boy Too? Coffee Boy Two? Coffee Boy Two point O.

WILLOW

Coffee Boy Take Two.  Better this time around.

TRU

I hope so.

WILLOW

What's that?

(The door chimes that it has opened. Denise,A woman in her early thirties, approaches the counter.)

Can I help you?

DENISE

Yeah, a cup of coffee to...oh, hello Deborah.

TRU

Its Tru. I go by Tru now.

DENISE

Is that right? How come?

TRU

Because...its a long story.

DENISE

Isn't it though?

WILLOW

Here's your coffee, to go, right?

DENISE

Yeah. That's right.  I don't want to stay.

WILLOW

That'll be 2.15 please.

DENISE

Here's 3 dollars, keep the change.  And best of luck to you.

WILLow

Thanks!

DENISE

You'll need it.

(Denise takes her coffee and exits coffee shop.)

WILLOW

Well, that's kinda weird.  What the hell do you think that was all about?

(Tru is silent.)

I mean, I'll take the luck but, um, why?

TRU

She...was Matt's sister.

WILLOW

Oh, um, all right.  So?

TRU

So?

WILLOW

So, why do you go by Tru and not---

TRU

Deborah.

WILLOW

Yeah, that's a pretty name.  You know what it means?

TRU

Yeah I do, actually.  We all looked our names up once.

WILLOW

We?

TRU

At the old coffee shop--

Flashback: A younger Tru, no dreadlocks, sits at a patio table with Matthew, James, Shaggy, Thomas, and Ray. Its a very small patio, basically the front entrance of the cafe itself, with one table surrounded by a stairway, a wheelchair ramp.  The gang sits either at the table (seats two) or sits on the railings.We get the feeling that its been a week or two since Tru and Matthew's first meeting.

TRU

So, Matt?

MATTHEW

Yeah?

TRU

What are you up to?

MATTHEW

I'm working.

TRU

Hardly.

MATTHEW

Do you see customers coming in?

TRU

Yeah, that's not really a good thing, is it?

MATTHEW

Depends.  I mean, I'm getting paid right now and I'm just sitting here, right?

TRU

Yeah.

THOMAS
So, Debi, you got plans tonight?

TRU

Debi? I prefer Deborah, but to answer your question

(She looks at Matthew.)

I don't know yet.

THOMAS

Because there is this bible study tonight and...

TRU

Um...

MATTHEW

I think we were going to hang out tonight, weren't we, Deborah?

TRU

Oh, yeah, that's right. We were.

JAMES

Bible study? I used to do that, when I was a kid.  My mom would drag me to her church.

THOMAS

That right?

JAMES

Yeah, she was Methodist.

TRU

Was?

JAMES

She passed.  Last year.

TRU

I'm sorry. Really I am.

JAMES

Its fine.  She's in a better place, truly.  Anyway, she had this name meaning thing in the back of her Bible.  Used to look through it.

TRU

What's your name mean?

JAMES

I don't know, I forgot.

THOMAS

I think I got that in my Bible.

(He pulls his Bible out of his bag, opens it, flips to the back.)

Yeah, here it is.

JAMES

Okay, what does James mean?

THOMAS

(reading)

James Boy's name meaning, origin, and popularity. ... A classic boys' name derived from the Hebrew name Jacob. It means "supplanter," one who follows.  Heel grabber.

JAMES

Heel grabber?

THOMAS

Yeah, Jacob and Esau?

JAMES

Oh, right.  Jacob have I loved.  James have I loved.

TRU

Someone's full of himself.

JAMES

Past tense: James have I loved.

TRU

Past tense?

MATTHEW

Okay, anyways, do me now.

TRU

Do you now?

THOMAS

"gift of YAHWEH", or gift of God.

MATTHEW

Nice, I'm a gift.

TRU

I like it. So, what about Deborah?

THOMAS

The name Deborah is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Deborah is: Bee.  Also, says the meaning is simply, "She Knows."

TRU

I'm a bee that knows.

SHAGGY

Knows what?

TRU

I don't know.

SHAGGY

So, what about me?

RAY

Yeah and me.

THOMAS

There isn't a Shaggy. But, Thomas...means twin.  So, like is there another version of me roaming around here?

RAY

I sincerely hope not.

THOMAS

Very funny.  Your name isn't in here either, by the way.

RAY

Yeah?

THOMAS

Oh, wait, there it is.

RAY

Really?

THOMAS

Yeah.  It says, "king of the lawn gnomes", also "smelly, drunk hippie".  Huh? So accurate.

fade into: Present Day.

WILLOW

Huh? So, why did you change your name anyway?

TRU

Change it? Its still there, I just go by Tru.

WILLOW

Okay, but why?

TRU

Eh.  You ever see Hamlet?

WILLOW

Yeah, awhile back.  Why?

TRU

Matt and I found this cheesy version on TV once.  We started quoting lines from it to each other.  I remember one he used to quote to me all the time, I can still hear him clearly saying it in my...heart...

Flashback: Matthew standing in front of Tru.

MATTHEW

To Thine Ownself Be True.

Fade into: Present day.

WILLOW

Huh.  Guess that makes sense.

TRU

Yeah.  So I try to live by that.  My name is just a reflection of that, I guess.

(Tru picks up dish rag and starts wiping down tables around cafe.)

Its slow today.  Not good for business.

WILLOW

Just like---

TRU

Yeah.

WILLOW

Wait a minute, you said "was"...Was his sister.

Fade out.

Life In A Coffee Shop

Cafe-Girl: A Tru Story

Act Two, Scene Two

Interior: Tru's bedroom, later that night.

(Tru is asleep in her bed.)

Pan: to CLose-up on Tru's sleeping face.

Dream Sequence: Tru is running down an alley way, which becomes longer and longer.  She's frantically trying to reach the end which disappears further and further into the horizon.  She's panting, sweating.  Ahead of her suddenly an explosion, a fire burning brighter and brighter and brighter. Close-up on Tru's face, fire reflected on it. Tru screams.

(Willow is shaking Tru awake.  She sits up, turns on the bedside light, Willow sits on the corner of her bed.)

WILLOW

You okay? You were screaming in your sleep?

TRU

Just a...nightmare, is all.

WILLOW

Sounds pretty terrifying.  You want to talk about it?

TRU

Eh, no. Not really.  I just need to get back to sleep, busy day tomorrow, first day at the cafe.

CLOSE UP:Tru's face

Pov: Willow

WILLOW

You'll do fine.  Tons of cafe-experience, right? Eh?

(Tru is silent.)

Well, I'll let you get back to sleep.  But if you need to...talk...just let me know, all right?

TRU

Yeah, sure, sure, whatever.

(Willow walks to the door, turns and looks at Tru.)

POV: Tru

WILLOW

There was something you were saying in your dream, over and over.

TRU

Yeah?

WILLOW

I couldn't make it out at first, but I think it was...I'm sorry.

Fade out.

Say Something (I'm Giving Up On You)