Animal Kingdom Page #13

Pope is staring blankly at Darren.

POPE:

I told you to get that car.

Darren looks at Pope incredulous.

DARREN:

What are you talking about?

POPE:

I told you to get that car.

DARREN:

What are you talking about? No youfuckin didn't. You never mentioned the

car to me once.

EZRA:

I don't want to hear any of this. Youjust gotta start worrying about whathe's doing.

DARREN:

He knows how to handle himself.

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 75.

CONTINUED:

EZRA:

Yeah, that’s good, mate. Does he knowhow to handle police? Totallydifferent kettle of fish.

DARREN:

What are we supposed to do?

EZRA:

I’d be keeping an eagle eye on him. Ican tell you that much. Where is henow?

104 INT. HALL / CODY HOUSE - EVENING 104

J stands behind the lounge door in the hall, listening.

DARREN (O.S.)

In his room, with his girlfriend.

EZRA (O.S.)

Is he? What's she doing here? Is hetalking to her?

DARREN (O.S.)

How should I know?

EZRA (O.S.)

I can't help you with the how part,

mate. You should just be thinkingabout this stuff.

DARREN (O.S.)

Why's he my responsibility now?

J scampers quietly down the hall to his room.

105 INT. J’S BEDROOM / CODY HOUSE - EVENING 105

J enters and pushes the door shut. Nicky's on the bed, talkingto a friend on her phone. J sits on the bed and watches her.

NICKY:

OK, call me back.

Nicky hangs up. She smiles at J. He smiles back. Nicky's phonerings. She lets it ring a few times, then answers.

There's a LIGHT KNOCK at the door. Darren sticks his head in.

DARREN:

Hey.

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 76.

106 INT. HALL / CODY HOUSE - EVENING 106

J and Darren in the hall, speaking furtively.

J:

You know I’m not telling themanything.

DARREN:

The cops are serious about this thingand they’re onto you like a rash andif you stick close by, everyone’llkeep calm. You know?

J:

What am I supposed to do?

DARREN:

How should I know? F***. Go sit in

your room and do some colouring in.

The bedroom door opens. Nicky holds her phone out for J.

NICKY:

Danielle wants to tell you something.

J:

Can you give us a minute here?

NICKY:

What’s going on?

J:

Don’t be a f***in sticky beak.

J forces her back into the room.

NICKY:

Danielle wants to talk to you.

J:

I'll talk to her in a minute.

J shuts the door. Darren leads J further down the hall.

DARREN:

Maybe you don’t wanna hear this, Idunno, but I'd think pretty hard aboutgiving her the sack. I don’t know whatyou have or haven’t told her...

J:

I haven’t told her anything.

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 77.

CONTINUED:

DARREN:

Life’ll be easier if she’s cut loose.

Believe me. Especially for you. Imean, get her outta here. She

shouldn't be hanging round here right

now.

J:

This’s got nothing to do with me.

DARREN:

Mate, everything's got to do witheveryone... You know?

For the first time, J can see that Darren is scared.

DARREN:

You understand it?

107 INT. BOWLING ALLEY - NIGHT 107

J and Nicky at a table. J's on edge. Nicky is quietlydistressed. Silence, then

J:

Maybe it’s only for a while. I justneed some space and that.

NICKY:

For what?

J:

For all the things I gotta do.

NICKY:

Like what?

J:

There's a bunch of things.

NICKY:

Like what?

J:

Some work things.

NICKY:

Like what?

J:

Business arrangements.

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 78.

CONTINUED:

NICKY:

You're just making sh*t up.

A PASTY GUY taps J’s shoulder. J turns. The guy crouches.

PASTY GUY:

Mate, do you know where Craig is?

J:

He's not here.

PASTY GUY:

You sure? Have you seen him?

J:

He's not here.

PASTY GUY:

Do you know if he's coming later? Hesaid he was gonna meet me here.

J:

He's not here. He's not coming.

PASTY GUY:

Can you help me out?

Nicky throws her drink over the guy, staring at him defiantly.

The guy stands, drenched, then moves on Nicky.

PASTY GUY:

You little slut.

J stands and confronts the guy.

J:

Don't be f***ing around in here.

PASTY GUY:

I'm all f***in soggy now.

J:

What'd I just say to you?

PASTY GUY:

Look at my f***in pants.

J:

What'd I just say to you?

J gets a sudden look at the fear his power-by-associationinstils in others. The guy backs away, contrite. J watches him a

second, then turns back to Nicky who is now crying.

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 79.

CONTINUED:
(2)

J:

Please don’t cry.

NICKY:

Do you love me?

J looks around the bar. Nicky’s lip trembles.

NICKY:

Do you love me?

J:

Yeah.

NICKY:

Why?

J:

You’re nice.

Tears run down her cheek. She stares at him, eyes flooding. Jwants her to calm down. People are watching.

J:

Please stop crying.

Nicky cries, angry.

J:

Please. Just stop crying.

J’s shoulder is tapped again. He turns. It's Leckie. Jimmediately scans the room.

J:

What the f***?

LECKIE:

We need to talk.

J:

No we don’t.

LECKIE:

(to Nicky)

Are you alright?

J:

She's fine.

NICKY:

Am I, fuckwit?

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 80.

CONTINUED:
(3)

Nicky gets up.

J:

Where are you going?

Nicky ignores him. Leckie watches her walk away.

J:

Just go away. Please.

LECKIE:

We can talk here or outside.

J looks around the bar, suddenly suspicious of everyone.

J:

There’s nothing to talk about.

LECKIE:

Ok then, I’m arresting you.

J:

What for?

Eyes in the bar train on the commotion.

LECKIE:

You’re seventeen and you're drinking,

that's good enough for me.

J:

(incredulous)

Gimme a f***in break.

LECKIE:

You want me to make a scene?

J doesn't want a scene. He stands. Leckie leads him to the door.

Eyes track them closely.

108 EXT. ZANONI HOTEL - NIGHT 108

Leckie leads J across the street to a car. Norris is behind the

wheel.

109 INT. ZANONI HOTEL / BATHROOM - NIGHT 109

Nicky stares at herself in the mirror, her face red, crumpledand detached. She applies lipstick, drunk and sloppy.

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 81.

110 INT. HALL / CODY HOUSE - NIGHT 110

An insistent BANGING at the front door. Pope walks the hall andopens it. Nicky is there, composed but upset.

NICKY:

Is J here?

POPE:

(pauses, thinks fast)

He’s gone to the shops. He’ll be backin a tick. Come in.

Pope steps aside, lets Nicky enter and closes the door.

111 INT. LOUNGE / CODY HOUSE - NIGHT 111

Darren is smoking a bong. He's surprised and discomfited byNicky’s arrival. She’s drunk, ineptly flirtatious.

NICKY:

Did he say how long he’d be?

POPE:

Not long. Where you been tonight?

NICKY:

Down at the Zanoni.

POPE:

Yeah? What's going on down there?

NICKY:

Nothing much really.

POPE:

Was anyone you know down there? Who'dyou talk to?

NICKY:

Nobody's there that I know.

Pope studies her momentarily.

POPE:

You want a drink?

NICKY:

Thanks. Yeah.

Nicky sits. Darren exhales bong smoke, wary. Pope exits to thekitchen, leaving Nicky with Darren. Awkward silence. Darren hasa bad feeling about her being here.

(CONTINUED)

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