Elle Page #7

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MICHELLE:

You don’t have to spare my feelings.

RICHARD:

I’m not... Why would I? Why would Ieven have to justify anything?

35.

MICHELLE:

You don’t.

RICHARD:

Ok. So, I’m not.

Michelle wrings out the rag.

MICHELLE:

Is she a student?

RICHARD:

A grad student.

MICHELLE:

I guess it was inevitable.

RICHARD:

She’s not my student. She’s a

teaching assistant in a VirginiaWoolf seminar. The Critical Studies

department, a different department.

MICHELLE:

But she read your book, didn’t she?

RICHARD:

Yes, she has. And she did tell me

how deeply it affected her and Idid melt inside. OK? It all went

down just like you’re picturing it.

MICHELLE:

It is a little amusing, actually-

the way I picture it.

RICHARD:

This jealously is insane...

MICHELLE:

I’m just concerned. Richard, this iswhat I’ve dreaded. I never worried

about the ones with big tits. Theones who read Virginia Woolf willchew you up and spit you out.

RICHARD:

Michelle, you’re the dangerous one.

He gestures to his eyes. Michelle smiles, despite herself.

36.

49 EXT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- NIGHT 49

Michelle sends a still-partially blinded Richard home in aTAXI. As soon as he’s gone, she makes a bee-line for H.l.ne’s

car, opening it via the broken window. Searching it like itwas a crime scene filled with potential clues, Michelle isincreasingly disheartened to find a young woman’s things,

including a graded Final Exam. But what really twists theknife is when Michelle finds the girl’s bejewelled Iphoneunder the seat. The screen-shot is a “selfie” taken by a

pretty young woman. In it, Richard is nuzzling with her. Theylook like a real couple. Unself-consciously in love.

Michelle methodically puts everything back the way she foundit, keeping her emotions in check as best she can.

50 INT. MICHELLE’S OFFICE -- DAY 50

Phone to her ear, Michelle watches Kevin and another techie

wrestle a 7-foot-tall DEMON through the studio door.

MICHELLE (INTO PHONE)

Did you know about her?

51 INTERCUT - INT. VINCENT APARTMENT/MICHELLE’S OFFICE -- DAY 51

Vincent lays on the couch, eating Fritos and watching TV -

with Josie in the b.g. moving boxes around.

VINCENT (INTO PHONE)

I told you, I met her.

MICHELLE (INTO PHONE)

You didn’t think to mention it?

VINCENT (INTO PHONE)

I don't know. I...

(as Josie lifts heavy box)

Don't lift that. I'll move those.

JOSIE:

When?

MICHELLE:

Can you focus for me a second?

What’s she like?

VINCENT:

She’s okay. She teaches Yoga...

Bikram Yoga I think..

37.

MICHELLE:

Where?

Michelle turns to her computer and googles “Bikram Yoga”.

Josie approches Vincent, puts her hands on the ottoman.

JOSIE:

Take your feet off, please.

VINCENT:

Why?

JOSIE:

I told Eric he could have it.

MICH.LE

Eric? Who is this ‘Eric’..?

VINCENT:

(to Mich.le)

At the centre du Marais

(to Josie)

He doesn’t need it right this

second, does he?

Michelle types ‘centre du Marais’ as she does, a new EMAILappears on her screen. Mildly annoyed, she clicks on it.

Instantly, an attachment opens, like a virus: an animated gifshowing a photo-shopped likeness of herself being anallytaken by the tentacled Lovecraftian creature from the video

game we glimpsed before.

MICH.LE

(. Vincent)

I’ll talk to you later.

VINCENT (OFF)

(to Josie)

Where are you going now?

(to Mich.le)

Ok, bye.

But Mich.le has already hung up. Michelle becomes even moredisturbed as she sees the “cc” list. Dozens of names.

She hasn’t even finished scrolling through them when Annabursts in, closing the door behind her.

ANNA:

You’ve seen it?

MICHELLE:

Everybody in the office got this?

38.

ANNA:

I don’t know.

Michelle gets up and peeks out through the blinds at thefront of her office. She sees all the employees huddledaround their computers in groups of two, three or more. Somecover their mouths in shock. Many are laughing. When theylook over at Michelle’s office and see her peering out, theyreact like kids who’ve been busted. She closes her blinds.

MICHELLE:

This isn’t the first thing he’s

sent me.

ANNA:

Who? ...You think this was sent bythe man who attacked you?

MICHELLE:

Yes.

ANNA:

Michelle, do you think it’spossible... the person who attackedyou... I mean, it looks like thatemail came from an internal source.

MICHELLE:

Maybe it did.

ANNA:

You have to go to the police. Now.

Yesterday.

MICHELLE:

No police. I’ve had a lifetime’sworth of police. They don’t help.

They do anything but help.

ANNA:

This is different, Michelle. You’re

the victim...

MICHELLE:

I was the victim then!

ANNA:

I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean...

MICHELLE:

I’ve worked too hard to put thatall behind me. I’ve built this

life... I’m not going to bringpolice into it...

(MORE)

39.

MICHELLE (CONT'D)

police, reporters. Bloggers. I will

not allow this cretin to bring that

tidal wave of sh*t back into my

life.

ANNA:

But there’s a psychotic out there.

MICHELLE:

I have experience dealing with

psychotics. I’m a pro.

She smiles. Anna sees Michelle’s point there.

52 INT. AV OFFICES - TECH ROOM -- DAY 52

Kevin uncomfortably watches the pornographic animation with

Michelle herself standing over him. Meanwhile, shedistractedly looks at her Iphone.

KEVIN:

It’s not necessarily an “inside

job.” When our server was hacked in

June, somebody ripped the Cthulu

template off our main frame. So

these images are floating around

out there.

MICHELLE:

But that still requires my secret

admirer to be someone highly tech

savvy... a former employee, maybe?

Kevin shrugs. Michelle hmms. We see what she’s distractedlylooking at on her Iphone: the Bikram Yoga web site. Head-

shots of the instructors. The cheery face of her nemesis,

H.l.ne Zacharian.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

One more question.

(shows him phone)

Do you think she’s pretty?

53 INT. A YOGA STUDIO -- DAY 53

Michelle’s immediately uncomfortable in the coat she’swearing. It’s a “hot” yoga session. Elderly bodies, masses ofwrinkles covered with sweat. Against that, H.l.ne, a youthful

contortionist, looks like an erotic earth goddess.

Michelle waits, sweltering, until the class has broken up abdthe old people are rolling up their mats.

40.

Then she puts on the biggest smile she can muster and crossesthe room to H.l.ne, extending her arm for a handshake in an

aggressive way that almost seems like an attack.

MICHELLE:

H.l.ne?

H.L.NE

Yes.

Smiling uncertainly, she takes Michelle’s hand.

MICHELLE:

I’m Richard’s ex. Michelle.

H.L.NE

Oh, oh, oh... nice to meet you.

MICHELLE:

Hope it’s ok barging in on you likethis. I just wanted to apologize toyou. Face to face...

H.L.NE

For what?

MICHELLE:

Your car window. I feel terrible...

H.L.NE

No, no- please. Richard explainedit to me.

MICHELLE:

Really? What was his explanation?

H.L.NE

(a beat, confused)

It was an accident.

MICHELLE:

It was. It was an accident...

Anyway, it was a great excuse tofinally meet you.

Michelle gins up her bubbly friendliness again. H.l.ne seems

to pick up on the effort, making her a little uncomfortable.

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