Election Page #13

JIM:

Pop quiz, everybody

The class groans.

JIM (CONT'D)

No whining. If you've done your

reading, this is an easy one.

JIM peels off a stack of papers for each row

JIM (VO)

I'd have exactly forty-eight minutes to

make all the arrangements.

JIM glances at the clock: 2:08

JIM:

If you finish early, just sit quietly

and check your work. I'll be right

back.

POOF -- he's gone I

EXT. MILLARD HIGHDAY

TRACK WITH JIM as he SPRINTS toward the parking lot, fumbling for his

keys.

EXT. WALGREEN'S -- DAY

JIM exits with a bouquet of flowers and a plastic bag.

EXT. SAFARI MOTEL -- DAY

Jim's car speeds into the driveway and parks

INT. SAFARI MOTEL ROOM -- DAY

JIM opens the door, sets his things down, and gets to work.

THE SINK --

JIM dumps a bucketful of ICE and wedges in a bottle of cheap

CHAMPAGNE.

THE BEDSIDE TABLE -

JIM props up his flowers in the ice bucket and puts a small box of

Russell Stover's CANDY next to it. He unwraps the motel's plastic

cups and places them just so. Perfect.

JIM'S BOOK OF POETRY -- open to that special poem. He marks it with a

carnation.

UNDER THE BED --

Jim's face appears as he kneels down and slides the book into place,

ready for that perfect moment.

THE BATHROOM -

Where JIM is NAKED now, squatting in the bathtub, frantically washing

his undercarriage. He checks his watch.

EXT:
SAFARI MOTEL ROOMDAY

JIM shuts the door and with jaunty confidence slips the key into his

pocket.

EXT. SAFARI MOTELDAY

Jim's car speeds toward the street.

EXT. MILLARD HIGH PARKING LOT -- DAY

JIM gets out of his car and races back toward the school.

INT. MILLARD HALLWAYDAY

JIM skids around a corner.

INT. JIM'S CLASSROOM DAY

With feigned coolness, he saunters into class just as the BELL RINGS.

JIM:

Okay, everybody, pass them forward.

Stephanie, put down your pen.

The class begins to rise.

JIM (CONT'D)

I'll see you all on Wednesday. And

don't forget to vote tomorrow.

FROM BEHIND - Jim's back has a large vulva-shaped patch of SWEAT

EXT. MILLARD HIGH PARKING LOT -- DAY

JIM hurries back to his car, weaving his way through students

EXT. SHERRY'S HOUSE -- DAY

JIM pulls to a stop in Sherry's driveway.

INT. JIM'S CAR

JIM checks his watch: 3:24 turns into 3:25

Bingo

EXT. SHERRY ' S HOUSEDAY

JIM'S FINGER on the doorbell. DING-DONG.

JIM waits, rings again. Ho answer. He knocks. No one. He tries the

door. Locked. Maybe she's out back. He walks around the house to --

EXT. SHERRY'S BACKYARDCONTINUOUS

It's a lovely little backyard. Springtime flowers bloom. Bees buzz

among the peonies.

JIM opens the gate, approaches the back door, and knocks.

JIM:

Sherry I

He rears back and aims his yell toward the second floor.

JIM (CONT'D)

Sherry I It's Jim!

No response. He tries the door. It's locked. JIM cranes his neck for a

last look at the house. As he starts to leave, he calls out one final

time, not really expecting a response.

JIM:

Sherry

Suddenly A WASP STINGS him above his right EYE

JIM (CONT'D)

Oww! F***! Jesus f***!

Cursing and holding his head, JIM stumbles out the gate

INT. SAFARI MOTEL LOBBY - DAY

Through the glass windows, we see Jim's car pull into the lot and

park. JIM enters the lobby. His eye is puffy and red.

A MOTEL EMPLOYEE watches TV behind the counter

JIM:

By any chance, has a woman shown up in

the last half-hour or so? Maybe she was

looking for me.

EMPLOYEE:

Nobody's come in here looking for

anybody. Just you.

JIM:

Are you sure?

EMPLOYEE:

(indicating Jim's

eye)

You okay?

INT. SAFARI MOTEL ROOMDAY

THE TELEPHONE - as JIM punches in Sherry's number.

JIM holds the phone against his ear and the champagne bottle against

his eye.

JIM:

Sherry, it's me. Are you there? Pick

up. Okay, it's 4:32. I came by at 3:25

like we said and waited, but you weren't

there. Anyway, I hope you're okay --

I'm worried about you. So now I'm just

at the... at the place we talked about.

Suite 219. So I'm here. Everything's

all set. You can just come over. Can't

wait. Okay. Bye.

EXT. SAFARI MOTELDAY

TIME LAPSE - as the sky darkens, the motel's NEON SIGN turns on.

JIM now descends the motel stairway carrying his Walgreen's sack. He

puts the key into the drop box and gets in his car.

INT. METZLER KITCHEN -- NIGHT

Dick Metzier and his wife JO are at the breakfast table Tammy sits

across from them, her eyes lowered.

DICK METZIER:

I don't get it. What you have against

your mother and me, against your brother

Paul, is completely beyond me. And your

mother is extremely upset, she's at the

end of her rope. Your behavior gets

crazier and crazier and wilder and

wilder, and who knows what the hell else

you're doing out there that we don't

even know about?

TAMMY:

Dad, I

DICK:

(jabbing his

finger)

Don't you smartass me! Don't you dare

smartass me! You just shut your mouth I

(taking a breath)

Now your mother and I have had a long talk with Halt Hendricks --- we

just got off the phone with him at home. You know, he doesn't want you

back at Millard. He's fed up with you. Fed up! And I don't blame

him!

JO:

Dick... Dick,..

DICK:

What?

JO:

(calmly)

Tammy, now we've come to a decision.

He just think it would be best --

DICK:

You're going to Catholic school next

year. You're going to Sacred Heart.

Maybe they'll straighten you out!

ANGLE FROM UNDER THE TABLE - Her head low. Tammy SMILES to herself

EXT. JIM'S HOUSENIGHT

JIM'S car pulls into the driveway.

INT. JIM AND DIANE'S KITCHEN NIGHT

JIM enters the back door and sets his satchel down in the usual place.

He opens the refrigerator, grabs a beer. As he closes the door,

something catches his eye. He reaches inside and throws a plastic

container away. Rooting around noisily, he finds other things to

dispose of. Suddenly --

A BABY CRY stops him cold.

JIM stiffens, his good eye widening as the horrible truth sinks in.

He carefully closes the refrigerator and tiptoes toward the living

room.

INT. LIVING ROOM -- CONTINUOUS

Jim's face slowly appears around the corner, bad eye first. Finally,

he's able to see --

SHERRY AND DIANE

together on the living room sofa, staring at him. Their eyes are red

from crying. Little Darryl squirms in Sherry's lap.

Caught, JIM emerges from his hiding place. No one speaks. Finally, he

looks down, sucks in air, blows it out again, nods a little.

JIM:

(very softly)

Okay

He turns to leave, and nobody stops him.

EXT. JIM'S HOME -- NIGHT

JIM wanders out the front door and stands in his driveway, bewildered

and alone. The camera slowly CRANES UP, eventually looking down on

him from a great height.

JIM (VO)

As I walked out of my home that

evening, unsure if I'd ever return, my

entire life in question, I somehow

discovered within myself a place of

perfect peace. Oddly, in my solitude I

felt more than ever a sense of communion

with every human being - past, present

and future. Because no matter what we

tell ourselves, no matter what illusions

of friendship and family we create, each

of us is always and forever profoundly

alone.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes