Nikola Stojkovic

                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
          EXT. HIGH SCHOOL - DAY                                           
                                                                           
          FADE IN: Screeches, laughter, the loud passage of cars. We       
          open on a narrow high school wedged onto a narrower corner.      
          Chaos reigns as cars weave around each other and pedestrians     
          clog the paths, giving the impression that this faded brick      
          building is the hub of a bustling hive. Cars deposit teens       
          rubbing the sleep from their faces. Masses of kids swarm         
          towards the main double doors. Crossing guards halt              
          perpetually late commuters as the future generations             
          traverse the streets as fast as their spry legs will carry       
          them.                                                            
                                                                           
          Across the street sits a solitary vehicle, extraordinary in      
          the sense that it is simply sitting still in this urgent         
          slice of world. We track forward, inching closer towards it.     
          The cries, the hustle and bustle of the school fade. In the      
          driver’s side sits a MAN (30s). Disheveled and unkempt, his      
          eyes are nevertheless on fire. His gaze is fixed on the          
          teens walking to school, flitting from one to the next.          
                                                                           
          MAN’S POV: We pan from face to face, teenage girls               
          overwhelmingly the object of attention. We stop on a GIRL        
          (15) in a blue-gray jacket, red hair washing down it like        
          waves of fire.                                                   
                                                                           
          The man’s breath begins to coat the driver’s side window.        
          The window starts to steam over. He rolls it down for a          
          better view.                                                     
                                                                           
          A CROSSING GUARD notices the man peeking out the window. She     
          walks towards the car, picking up speed. The car roars to        
          life suddenly and barrels off down the street before she can     
          get near.                                                        
                                                                           
                                                                           
          INT. RUN-DOWN APARTMENT LIVING ROOM - EVENING                    
                                                                           
          A living space. Barely. A cramped living room houses a           
          deflated foldout couch, a tiny TV set sits on a cardboard        
          box. The Man sits in the middle of this cage, eating             
          Chinese. The cold light of the television illuminates him        
          though no sound comes out. Scenes from Half Nelson flash         
          on-screen. The floor is a veritable ocean of trash- soda         
          cans, beer bottles, crumpled up bits of foil, Chinese            
          carry-out cartons.                                               
                                                                           
          He pulls out his phone and opens up Facebook. He begins to       
          type: S. A. The search field flashes some suggestions.           
          Clearly he has typed this name many times before. He chooses     
          the first one: Sarah Holder. The Girl with red hair appears      
          on his screen, laughing. The picture is close-up, showing an     
          impressive row of white teeth. She looks very happy. He          
                                                                           
                                                           (CONTINUED)     
                                                                           

          CONTINUED:                                              2.       
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
          scrolls through her photos, lingering on her face, through       
          all its expressions. Serious, playful, joyous, laughing with     
          friends. He closes the app suddenly and dials a number. The      
          ring can be heard throughout the apartment. A click. He          
          takes a breath to speak, caught off guard, but a woman’s         
          voice comes over the machine. It’s muffled and                   
          unintelligible, but not live. A loud beep.                       
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Hi. I uh- this is...                                   
                                                                           
          The seconds tick away as he stands in silence. He ends the       
          call and stares down at the floor as if he has just now          
          noticed the filthy ecosystem he created. He goes to the          
          kitchen and returns with a garbage bag. He tosses the phone      
          aside and begins to clean.                                       
                                                                           
                                                                           
          EXT. PARK - DAY                                                  
                                                                           
          The Man sits on a park bench, he stares at a shop down the       
          street. The Girl steps out with a friend. He knew she was        
          there. They walk together for a bit and part ways on the         
          corner bus stop. The Girl stays as her friend walks off. He      
          slowly begins to move towards her.                               
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Excuse me...                                           
                                                                           
          No response. Her back is to him. He reaches out and touches      
          her shoulder. She turns suddenly and pulls her earphones         
          out.                                                             
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    What are you doing!?                                   
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Sorry I- I’m sorry.                                    
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    What?                                                  
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    I was wondering-                                       
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    I don’t have any money or anything.                    
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    No, I don’t need money. I was just                     
                    wondering... if you know when the                      
                    next bus is supposed to arrive?                        
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                           (CONTINUED)     
                                                                           

          CONTINUED:                                              3.       
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    Oh uh, let me check.                                   
                                                                           
          She taps on her phone.                                           
                                                                           
                              GIRL (CONT.)                                 
                    Umm, looks like it’s about ten                         
                    minutes away.                                          
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Got it, thanks. I’d check, but my                      
                    phone isn’t compatible with the                        
                    app. That’s a cool phone, what is                      
                    it?                                                    
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    This? Oh. It’s a Samsung Galaxy S6.                    
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Never heard of it. How much did it                     
                    cost?                                                  
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    I think it’s like 800 dollars, but                     
                    I’m on my mom and dad’s plan, so I                     
                    get a free upgrade every two years.                    
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Oh. Cool so, your mom and dad let                      
                    you pick what you want when you                        
                    upgrade? Must be nice not to have                      
                    to pay full price. Must be an                          
                    expensive plan.                                        
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    Well, dad works at the phone                           
                    company, and my mom is a lawyer.                       
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Lawyer huh, I knew a lawyer once. I                    
                    bet she works a lot. Long hours?                       
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    Yeah kind of. Just me and dad some                     
                    days until like nine.                                  
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Yeah. That’s good though, getting                      
                    that time together. Spending time.                     
                                                                           
          She eyes him strangely. He coughs.                               
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                           (CONTINUED)     
                                                                           

          CONTINUED:                                              4.       
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                              MAN (CONT.)                                  
                    Mine’s this old piece of junk. I’m                     
                    looking for a new one.                                 
                                                                           
          He fishes his phone out of his pocket and shows her.             
                                                                           
                              MAN (CONT.)                                  
                    Pretty crappy huh?                                     
                                                                           
          She examines it from a distance.                                 
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    Uh huh. That’s one of those old                        
                    LG’s.                                                  
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Yeah you’re right.                                     
                                                                           
          He continues holding it out to her, so she takes it. He          
          moves closer.                                                    
                                                                           
                              MAN (CONT.)                                  
                    You even have to slide it open and                     
                    hold the home key like this.                           
                                                                           
          The phone unlocks and the screen flashes the Facebook logo.      
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    Huh. Not old enough to not work                        
                    with Facebook.                                         
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    What?                                                  
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    Your app has...                                        
                                                                           
          She stops. Facebook finally opens back to the last page it       
          was on. Sarah Holder. Hers.                                      
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                         (Quickly)                                         
                    Oh yeah, but it never works right                      
                    most of the time. Here.                                
                                                                           
          He snatches the phone back, but she has already seen. He         
          pockets the phone hastily and looks at her. She backs away a     
          few paces.                                                       
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    So um, listen, I’m Jack and-                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                           (CONTINUED)     
                                                                           

          CONTINUED:                                              5.       
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    Yeah. Nice to meet you. Umm, I have                    
                    to go.                                                 
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Aren’t you waiting for the bus?                        
                                                                           
                              GIRL                                         
                    Yeah. No. I forgot something back                      
                    at work. Nice talking to you.                          
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Oh, where do you- umm one sec.                         
                                                                           
          He tries to continue, but she is already briskly moving away     
          from him, down the street. He follows her. She picks up her      
          pace and rounds the corner. He breaks into a jog.                
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                    Hey wait!                                              
                                                                           
          He rounds the corner, but she is gone.                           
                                                                           
                              MAN                                          
                         (To himself)                                      
                    You god damn idiot.                                    
                                                                           
          He stands alone on the sidewalk.                                 
                                                                           
                                                                           
          INT. RUN-DOWN APARTMENT LIVING ROOM - EVENING                    
                                                                           
          The Man sits on the foldout couch, head in his hands. His        
          phone beeps. It reads ’NEW VOICEMAIL - CINDY’.                   
                                                                           
          He presses play and listens on speaker. A woman’s voice.         
                                                                           
                              MESSAGE                                      
                    I told you not to call. Ever. Calls                    
                    in the middle of the night, and now                    
                    you’re leaving messages? Did you                       
                    even hear yourself? You couldn’t                       
                    even put a sentence together. I                        
                    can’t do this, I’m under so much                       
                    pressure as it is. I can’t deal                        
                    with you, especially not when                          
                    you’re high out of your mind. I                        
                    can’t be around that, and neither                      
                    can she. Don’t call again or I’ll                      
                    call the police.                                       
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                           (CONTINUED)     
                                                                           

          CONTINUED:                                              6.       
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
          He sits motionless. In a sudden rage, he flings the phone        
          across the room. He fishes into his shirt and rips a             
          makeshift necklace from his neck and slaps it on couch. It’s     
          an NA chip. One month sober.                                     
                                                                           
          He charges over to the door and slams it shut behind him. A      
          few previously unseen pictures rattle from the force. We         
          zoom in on them slowly. In them: A younger, cleaner, happier     
          version of the man. A woman smiling with him. In her arms, a     
          one-year-old child with fiery red hair.                          
                                                                           
          FADE OUT                                                         
                                                                           
          THE END.