ASC Pt. III

I tried to write something from scratch, but it just wouldn't come out right so I edited something old to make this... if you have the time, tell me what you think. Is it funny? Interesting? It's about two people who have spent like an hour together and their first initial meeting is winding down... I want it kind of light, but with some deeper things being said as well, but very natural and not over dramatic... anyways... here it is.

*


EXT. SCHOOL GROUNDS - NIGHT
Jonas and Anna are walking home from 7-11 each with a slurpee in hand. Anna is carrying her “groceries” comprised of candy and soda.

ANNA
(Laughs)
You’re kidding me.

JONAS
Honest to god. I skipped my own prom to go to an autograph signing.

ANNA
You are officially spaz of the year. What was is it, a Star Trek convention? Please don’t tell me you’re a sci-fi dork.

JONAS
No, you won’t find any science fiction paraphernalia in my apartment, aside from maybe an odd picture of agent Dana Scully.

ANNA
Who did you go see?

JONAS
The Nature Boy.

ANNA
Buddy Landel?

JONAS
You cannot be serious.

ANNA
I’m just joshing you. Everyone knows Ric Flair is the Nature Boy.

JONAS
I was afraid I’d have to end our newly found friendship.

ANNA
I know Ric Flair, you don’t have own light sabre, we’ll be fine.

JONAS
As long as that’s straight. Sometimes I regret not going to prom though.

ANNA
It’s not a big deal. I didn’t go to mine either.

JONAS
Really?

ANNA
Is it really that shocking?

JONAS
Kind of. You’re really pretty.

ANNA
(Embarrassed)
Thanks.

JONAS
I mean it seems like you’d have guys lining up at your locker just to walk you to class let alone take you to the prom.

ANNA
I did. Like five million guys asked me to prom. I just didn’t want to go.

JONAS
Why? Everyone goes to prom.

ANNA
You didn’t.

JONAS
Well I’m spaz of the year.

ANNA
That’s true. But I just didn’t want to go. There’s something so sleazy about prom.

JONAS
How is that?

ANNA
It’s just been so romanticized. Like why are girls obligated to put out? Just because a guy spends a few hundred bucks? It’s like teenage prostitution when you think about it.

JONAS
I don’t think it’s the money that makes girls put out. I think it’s the combination of alcohol and cheesy rock ballads.

ANNA
Totally.

JONAS
It’s like a wedding night without the consequences and responsibility.

ANNA
I think that’s an overstatement. Marriage would involve at least a little bit of emotion. I just sort of viewed prom like closing time. You’re at the bar for four years and all of a sudden it’s closing time and if you leave alone you’re just a big loser.

JONAS
Or spaz.

ANNA
Totally. That’s why I didn’t go to prom. I didn’t want to go with someone that was going to date rape me because I didn’t want to sleep with him for renting a limo and buying me a corsage. That and I just broke up with my boyfriend of two years.

JONAS
I’m guessing that it didn’t end so well.

ANNA
Anything that ends, ends badly.

JONAS
Do you wanna talk about it?

ANNA
There isn’t much to talk about. It’s your typical teenage love story. Boy meets girl. Girl falls for boy. Boy cheats on girl. Girl kicks boy in the balls.

JONAS
Girl moves to Toronto and gets slurpee with Asian guy.

ANNA
See, your typical love story...

A beat.

JONAS
You know I could help you with those bags.

ANNA
It’s okay.

JONAS
Are you sure?

ANNA
The only person you can really rely on is yourself... Which is why I masturbate so much.

Jonas laughs.

ANNA (CONT’D)
Why didn’t you go to prom?

JONAS
Autograph signing.

ANNA
I’m sure there’s a deeper reason than that.

JONAS
I’d like to say it was some sociological thing or that someone broke my heart, but the truth is I didn’t have anyone to go with.

ANNA
Aww. You seem nice. You’re cute enough and you don’t come off as a serial killer.

JONAS
Thanks, I guess. I was going to go with my friend Monica, but I wanted to go with someone I was in love with and I kind of felt like a pitty date to her. And the autograph signing kind of sealed the deal for me not wanting to go.

ANNA
Aww. That’s cute. Extremely unrealistic but cute. No one falls in love anymore.

JONAS
Yea, I know.

ANNA
Do you really know or are you just saying that so I don’t reign down on your hapless romanticism.

JONAS
A little bit of both, but I know what you mean. The only people who I know have been in a long term relationship are my parents and I really don’t think they’re remotely in love. You wanna hear something that will kill any gleam of hope in romance that you might have.

ANNA
You know I do.

JONAS
My father farts in front of my mother.

ANNA
Eww.

JONAS
Like all the time. He’ll be laying around in his underwear watching the news while my mother is reading a magazine or something and he’ll just cut one.

ANNA
God. No, offense but no wonder you seem so warped.

JONAS
But you know what weirdest part of it all is?

ANNA
What?

JONAS
My mother doesn’t even react at this point. She just sits there, doesn’t respond to the sound or the smell and just sits there. They seem more like roommates bound by contract than two people who love each other at this point.

ANNA
I’m sorry, but I’m glad I’m not Asian. Asian parents just seem so cold. Especially yours. They come off as complete assholes the way you explain them farting in front of each other and the little amount of self-esteem you seem to have.

JONAS
I have a self-esteem problem... But not a very good one. Are you close with your family?

ANNA
Well, my mother, she’s dead.
(Laughs)
So we don’t talk much anymore.

JONAS
I’m soory.

ANNA
It’s not like you killed her. Or did you? Actually, I know you didn’t because she did it herself.

Awkward pause.

JONAS
I didn’t mean to open up any wounds.

ANNA
No, it’s okay.

JONAS
How about your dad?.

ANNA
(Laughs)
No, nothing that extravagant. He just ran out on me, my sister, and my suicidal mother when I was six.

JONAS
(Sarcastic)
Great, Jonas. Any family pets run over repeatedly by 18 wheelers as a child?

ANNA
It’s really not a big deal. I haven’t seen him in 12 years so I’m over it.

JONAS
So I’m guessing you and your father aren’t close.

ANNA
Actually, we are. When my mom died he called me and my sister and extended the olive branch. We talk every three or four months.

JONAS
You call that close?

ANNA
Yea. It’s like when we talk we actually have stuff to talk about. I bet when you lived with your parents you hardly ever said a word to your flatulent father.

JONAS
Aside from “I hate you, die, Jecho, die,” no, not really.

ANNA
Totally. So when me and my dad talk we just catch up and talk about everything.

JONAS
That sounds pretty nice.

ANNA
It actually is.

They stand in front of the dorm.

ANNA (CONT’D)
This is me.

JONAS
Oh. Nice.

ANNA
Blech. Don’t lie. The dorms suck.

JONAS
I live off campus.

ANNA
Lucky you. I share a room with a nymphomaniac.

JONAS
Interesting. Will I get to meet her sometime?

ANNA
How about no. She fucks a different guy every night and I would rather not know who she’s on top of. I’ve even put up a sheet down the middle of the room and bought headphones to tune her out.

JONAS
Nice.

An awkward pause.

JONAS
Even though all we did was talk and get slurpees, this has been the best night I’ve had since school started.

ANNA
Yea, me too. Slurpees rule the world.

JONAS
(Disappointed)
Thank-you.

ANNA
Geez. Loosen up.

Anna messes his hair.

ANNA (CONT’D)
I’m going to have messing you up.

JONAS
As long as you keep me away from crack and square dancing then we’ll be fine.0

Anna laughs.

JONAS
Can I walk you up?

ANNA
Some guy is probably jack hammering away on my roommate so I don’t think it would be a good idea.

JONAS
Oh. Okay.

Jonas looks at Anna and she looks back. He wants to kiss her but is too scared to.

JONAS
I guess I should go then.

Jonas takes a step with his hands in his pockets.

ANNA
Wait. You didn’t give me your name.

JONAS
Oh. My names is Jonas.

He extends his hand.

ANNA
Anna.

They shake. They let go.

ANNA
Well, good night.

JONAS
Good-bye.

ANNA
(angry)
Don’t say that.

JONAS
What?

ANNA
Good-bye. It’s so depressing and final.

JONAS
What do you want me to say?

ANNA
I don’t know. Something else.

JONAS
Umm... Help control the pet population, have your pets spayed or nutered?

ANNA
How about later?

JONAS
That works too. Later.

ANNA
Good night.

Jonas walks away as Anna watches him from the door.