|
By Savannah Haze Date: 2001 Jun 11 Comment on this Work [[2001.06.11.23.48.3258]] |
|
SCENE TWO (same day) (Sublime's "What I Got" plays on the jukebox) (As the scene begins we are shown the view of a diner from a back table. The diner is filled with smoke, laughter and music. For a moment WE assume the position of a customer. The camera is through our eyes. We take a last drink of our coffee, wipe our mouth and stand. We walk to the front and as we do we pass a booth at which sits our reunited couple. The camera leaves us and pans over to them. The music fades into background noise.) (She sits with her back to the wall, her legs in the seat. He sits across from her, leaning against the back of the booth slightly slouched. Their body language is evidence that they are very comfortable with each other for they seem very at ease. It is much later in the evening. As the camera pans in, Michael is speaking and Allie is leaning up on the table as if to hear him better. We only catch the last few words.) MICHAEL "...so I said, "screw it" and walked out." ALLIE (laughing and shaking her head) "I had no idea. So how did you get here?" (Michael opens his mouth and Allie realizes she is about to receive a smart ass reply) ALLIE "You know what I mean. Why are you here? And how did you end up at the book shop?" MICHAEL "Well, I'm actually here playing a gig." ALLIE (interrupting) "A show? Where?" MICHAEL "Will you let me finish?" ALLIE (grinning sheepishly) "Sorry." MICHAEL (laughs and reaches over and squeezes her hand) "It's okay. No, I'm here doing some work as a studio musician for some girl that's making a new album. Cass somebody." ALLIE "Elliot?" MICHAEL "No, thinner." ALLIE "Mikey..." MICHAEL: "Seriously, she sings that song about her dad who comes back..." ALLIE "Oh, oh Cass Donovan. Yeah, she played a set at the shop last year. Nice kid. Her music's not the most stimulating." MICHAEL "Yeah, not it's most definitely not my kind of music but it pays the bills." ALLIE "Yeah." (Pause, and look at each other. Both start to talk at once and then laugh.) MICHAEL (starting to get up) "Hey, I'm gonna go take a leak right quick." ALLIE "You always did have such a way with words." MICHAEL (smiles) "Be back in a minute." (Allie watches him walk away and lowers her head a little. The camera pans a full 360 and stops at the table where Allie and Michael are sitting. The diner is different and both look younger. Allie is laughing fairly hard. We have gone back to a time long before. It is a different diner and Michael and Allie are younger. ALLIE (catching her breath) "Oh my God. Michael, stop people are looking. MICHAEL (doing a mean Ross Perot impression; it's obviously EARLY nineties) "Can I finish? Stop what? Now that's just sad. I try to have a conversation with you and all you do is laugh." ALLIE (with her head down, between laughs) "Shh! They're going to make us leave." MICHAEL (stops and laughs with her. She raises her head, wiping little tears from her eyes. He brushes his hand across her cheek.) "You're beautiful when you laugh." (Allie, slightly embarrassed, looks away; her hand immediately covers her mouth. He pulls her hand away and holds it in his. They look in each other's eyes.) MICHAEL "I mean it." (Allie caresses his cheek with her hand and smiles.) ALLIE "I love you." (He smiles.) MICHAEL "I love you, too." (They lean forward across the table to kiss. Right before their lips can touch. . .) Michael's Voice; "Allie? Allie?" (Back to Allie's face and the present. She's staring ahead, glassy eyed. She is startled by Michael's voice. Sublime is back to playing.) MICHAEL "Are you okay? You look kind of sad." ALLIE (fumbling for her cigarettes) "Oh, um, sorry. I didn't hear you come up." MICHAEL (sitting down) "Whatcha thinking 'bout?" ALLIE (still fumbling) "Nothing really." MICHAEL "You're lying aren't you?" ALLIE (finally getting it lit) "No. Not really. Forget it, I'm fine." MICHAEL "C'mon. What's on your mind." ALLIE "I was just thinking about us. You know, when we were together." MICHAEL "Don't be too specific." (Allie gives him a "I don't need the attitude look") MICHAEL: "Sorry, slipped." ALLIE "Nothing really. Just thinking about when things were still good. In the beginning." MICHAEL (lightly, yet not in a joking manner) "Oh, before you ran me off?" ALLIE "Michael. . ." MICHAEL "Sorry. I'm just kidding with you." ALLIE "What happened to us? We were so perfect for each other." MICHAEL "You had a lot on you then." ALLIE "Things got worse when you left. I couldn't blame you though. I put you through so much, shit. I had everything I wanted in you and didn't know how to handle it. I just couldn't get out of the past." MICHAEL (taking her hand and in a very serious, low voice) "I've never gotten out of the past." (Allie squeezes his hand and they look into each other's eyes. A smile slowly creeps across his face) MICHAEL "Listen, babe. There's no reason to get into this again. That was a long time ago." ALLIE (still sad) "I know, but. . ." MICHAEL "No buts. We shouldn't be sitting here digging up the past. Now let's get out of here. Show me around this city of yours." (He begins to pull her out of the booth; she crushes her cigarette in the ashtray. He pulls her to him and puts his arms around her waist) MICHAEL "We have trees to climb, little old ladies to irritate, cows to tip... ALLIE "There are no cows." MICHAEL "Pigeons to feed rice to!" (They rub noses and laugh as if they have just shared a private joke. He drops his arms and takes her hand, leading her to the front of the diner. EXIT SCENE More? do i dare? -s.h. |