Chasing Sleep Page #4

---

ED:

It's nice. Kindness. Very refreshing.

SADIE:

I brought you some soup.

ED:

I better get some clothes on. Make yourself at home.

SADIE:

OK.

INT. BEDROOM

Ed gets dressed. As he does, he notices a pile of Eve's clothes on the floor. He picks them up and puts them in the closet, on top of a pile of Eve's dirty laundry.

INT. LIVING ROOM

When Ed comes out, Sadie has put the soup in a bowl and set a place at the table.

SADIE:

I put it in a bowl for you. I hope you don't mind.

ED:

Thank you.

Ed sits down and tastes the soup.

ED:

It's good.

SADIE:

I got it at my favorite place. You don't mind me hanging out for a little while, do you?

ED:

No. I could use the company. Like I said, I haven't been feeling very well.

Sadie notices the pile of papers on Ed's desk.

SADIE:

Oh, you graded our papers.

ED:

Some of them.

SADIE:

Can I look?

ED:

Sure.

Sadie looks through the papers. She finds hers marked with a C minus.

SADIE:

Oh.

ED:

What is it?

SADIE:

I just...I guess I though this one was better.

ED:

Let me see.

Ed looks over the paper for a second. He takes a pen and crosses out the C and changes it to an A.

ED:

I was in a bad mood when I graded these.

SADIE:

Don't change it if it's not good.

ED:

It's just a grade.

SADIE:

Please don't. No. Don't. Please.

Sadie takes the paper away from him.

ED:

Sorry. I didn't mean to.

SADIE:

It's just. I don't think you're doing me any favors by letting me off easy. I mean, I'm hear to learn. It means a lot to me to do well in your class. You're the best teacher I've had since I came to the University.

ED:

How long has that been?

SADIE:

Well, I'm still a freshman, but I've met a lot of teachers and I'm very discerning. Before I took your class I went to the library and looked up your work.

ED:

You're kidding.

SADIE:

No. I read all your poems, or all they had. The ones in the New Yorker and in Poetry Magazine, and two short stories.

ED:

What did you think?

SADIE:

I loved them; the poems especially. I mean, they're dark, but they're so...true. Really. I really got into them. I photocopied one and put it on my wall. I hope you don't mind.

ED:

Which one?

SADIE:

"The Passion of my Youth". It is so intense. "Her eyes blew gently, purposefully by my ears, echoing gentle pulses of bliss which bounced and fired like a chill on my whole being, leaving just a trace to fuel my longing."

ED:

My wife like that poem.

SADIE:

You're married.

ED:

Yes.

SADIE:

Where's your wife?

ED:

She's at her mother's. She's gone for a while.

SADIE:

Oh.

There is an awkward silence.

SADIE:

May I use the bathroom?

ED:

Sure. Go ahead.

Sadie takes her purse and goes into the bathroom. Ed finishes his soup. The phone rings and he picks it up.

ED:

Hello.

GEORGE:

Is this Ed?

ED:

Yes.

GEORGE:

This is George Simian.

ED:

Yes.

GEORGE:

Where's Eve?

ED:

Why do you want to talk to Eve?

GEORGE:

What have you done?

ED:

Excuse me?

GEORGE:

You've done something. I know you have.

ED:

What are you talking about?

GEORGE:

The police found her car near my house. They think I have something to do with her disappearance.

ED:

Maybe it's because you were f***ing her.

GEORGE:

You son of a b*tch. What did you do? If you hurt her, I swear, I'm going to kill you.

ED:

Look, she disappeared. I haven't seen her. Why do you think I called the police?

GEORGE:

I'll kill you. I'll kill you, you bastard. I swear.

Ed hangs up. He is shaky, but also strangely exhilarated. He turns off the ringer on the phone and turns down the volume on the answering machine.

INT. KITCHEN

He brings the rest of the soup to the sink, scrapes it into the garbage disposal, and flicks the switch. When the food has gone down, he starts to wash the dishes. He stops and looks back to the bathroom.

INT. HALLWAY

Ed walks over to the bathroom door.

ED:

Sadie?

There is no answer. He knocks on the door.

ED:

Sadie? Is everything alright?

There is still no answer.

ED:

I'm coming in. OK?

INT. BATHROOM

Ed opens the door. Sadie is lying on the floor, passed out. Her pants are around her knees, as if she passed out while standing up from the toilet.

Her nose is bleeding, like she might have hit it on the way down. It has bled on her sweater.

The air from the open door wakes her up, but she is in a heavy daze.

ED:

Are you alright? My God. What happened?

Ed comes over to her and lifts her head. She stares at him strangely.

ED:

Can you stand? Do you understand me? I'll help you to the bedroom.

Sadie notices her pants are down.

SADIE:

Oh.

ED:

I'll wait outside.

INT. HALLWAY

Ed waits outside and, a second later, Sadie comes out, still reeling, clutching her purse. She leans on Ed, who leads her into the bedroom.

INT. BEDROOM

Sadie lies down on the bed.

ED:

You want some water.

SADIE:

Yes, please.

Ed goes into the -

INT. KITCHEN

He takes a glass from the cupboard and fills it up. He stops, having noticed something on the glass. He holds the glass up to the light.

Eve's lipstick is clearly marked on the rim.

He puts that glass down and fills another.

INT. BEDROOM

When he comes back, he finds Sadie digging through her purse. She pulls out an asthma inhaler and takes a couple of big hits.

Then she sits on the bed and drinks a little water.

SADIE:

I'm so embarrassed.

ED:

No, don't be.

SADIE:

God, my nose.

ED:

Does it hurt?

SADIE:

No, but the blood.

ED:

Maybe you hit it when you fell.

SADIE:

It was so weird. I heard someone's voice, a woman's voice. Like a scream. And then it was like all my blood left my body.

ED:

Sometimes you can hear the neighbors.

SADIE:

It was like it echoed around the bathroom. Maybe I imagined it. I've been taking these caffeine pills to stay awake.

ED:

Just relax.

SADIE:

I should go.

ED:

I can't let you leave like this.

SADIE:

I didn't mean to be such a burden. I'm such a loser. I am so sorry about this.

It seems that her nose has stopped bleeding, but her sweater has a surprising amount of blood on it.

ED:

I'll get you a towel.

Ed leaves and then comes back with a wet towel.

He starts to wipe the blood off her nose.

SADIE:

I feel better now. Thank you.

ED:

Do you want me to drive you home?

SADIE:

I'll be OK.

ED:

Maybe you want me to call your roommate.

SADIE:

My roommate moved out. She hated me. She said I was immature, do you believe that?

ED:

Your friends, then.

SADIE:

I don't have any friends. I don't know what it is. People don't like me here. I thought it would be a good idea to go to a school far away from home, but since I've been here, it's like, I spend all this time on my own. At my high school, my friends and I were so close. I just don't get along with people anymore. I don't know what it is.

ED:

You get along with me.

SADIE:

You're the first person I've met since I've been here that talks to me like a real person.

Ed walks over to the closet and takes out a sweater.

ED:

You can borrow this, if you want. It's my wife's.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes