Fast Times at Ridgemont High Page #9

In the film, another car comes barreling from the

left, running a stop sign and exploding into the

side of the two-drink goner. In the class, the

Driver's Training students are howling.

EXT. RIDGEMONT MALL - EARLY EVENING

The parking lot is full. Kids and shoppers stream

through the entrance in groups of all sizes.

INT. RIDGEMONT MALL

All three levels are teeming with kids.

ANGLE ON THE VIDEO PINBALL ARCADE

where we see Jeff Spicoli manning the Missile

Command machine. Spicoli wears a red bandana across

his forehead. A cigarette dangles from his mouth.

He is surrounded by a fleet of young surfers who

listen to him with reverence.

SPICOLI:

Be noble. Be aggressive. The thing

about Missile Command is to

decimate before you can be

decimated. Just like in real life.

The youngsters hang on every word of the sage

advice.

ANGLE ON A GANG OF SURF NAZIS

walking in formation.

ANGLE ON MIKE DAMONE AND MARK RATNER

walking the mall.

DAMONE:

Check it out, Rat. The Surf

Nazis... out for a Sunday stroll.

Damone and The Rat walk on. The Rat is barely

interested. He appears deep in thought.

THE RAT:

What do I say after she gets in the

car?

Damone, obviously in his element here at the mall,

stops to flash a winning smile at a well-built

older housewife.

DAMONE:

No problem, Rat. What you need is

my special Five Point Plan.

As he talks, Damone passes a Country Farms shop. He

plucks a free sample of cheese and sausage.

THE RAT:

Knock it off, Damone. I need real

help.

DAMONE:

What do you mean? Men have died

trying to obtain this information.

I will give it to you for free.

The Rat and Damone continue on.

THE RAT:

Okay. Tell me. What's the Five

Point Plan?

DAMONE:

All right. Pay attention.

The Rat nods, always the student, as they pass a

Wherehouse Record store. Damone stops right in

front of a seductively posed life-sized cardboard

stand-up of Debbie Harry, the alluring rock singer.

Damone begins his speech.

DAMONE (CONT'D)

First of all, Rat... never let on

how much you like a girl.

Damone turns to the cardboard cutout of Debbie

Harry to demonstrate.

DAMONE (CONT'D)

(disinterested)

Oh. Hi.

(turns back to The Rat) )

Two. Always call the shots.

He turns to Debbie Harry, who looks on with an

inviting cardboard smile.

DAMONE (CONT'D)

Kiss me.

(to The Rat)

Three. Act like wherever you are,

that's the place to be.

(to Debbie Harry;

debonair) )

Isn't this great?

(to The Rat)

Four. When ordering food, find out

what she wants and then order for

both of you... it's a classy move.

(to Debbie Harry; Cary

Grant)

And the lady will have...

(to The Rat)

Five. And this is most important.

When you get down to making out,

whenever possible, put on the first

side of Led Zeppelin IV.

(to Debbie Harry;

seductive)

Why don't you put this tape on? It

sounds great in the back of my

van... why don't we listen from

there?

ANGLE ON DEBBIE HARRY

with the same inviting smile.

DAMONE (CONT'D)

And that is how you talk to a girl,

Rat. Voila. You can't miss.

THE RAT:

I think I've got it. Once I get

going, I'll be okay. But... how do

I get started? I mean, I hardly

know her.

DAMONE:

You wuss. It's no problem. One

person says something to the other

and that's how it starts...

Standing there in the front of the Wherehouse, The

Rat nods his head and smiles. He's finally

beginning to understand, and we...

CUT TO:

EXT. THE RAT'S CAR - LATER THAT NIGHT

We see The Rat behind the wheel of a green Volvo.

Stacy sits beside him. They are driving the streets

of Ridgemont.

INT. THE RAT'S CAR

This is it. The Big Date. "Led Zeppelin IV" is on

the car stereo of his sister's van.

Finally...

STACY:

Thanks for coming to get me.

THE RAT:

Sure thing.

Silence.

EXT. THE RAT'S CAR

He rounds the corner of Luna Street, off the neon

fast-food stand that is Ridgemont Drive.

INT. THE RAT'S CAR

Yet another silence has fallen. Then, after a

time...

STACY:

This is a nice car.

THE RAT:

Yeah. It's my sister's.

Silence.

STACY:

Do you have Mrs. George for

English?

THE RAT:

Yeah. She is pretty good.

STACY:

Yeah. She is pretty good.

EXT. ATLANTIS RESTAURANT - NIGHT

They pull into the parking lot of a steak and

lobster house called The Atlantis.

THE RAT:

Joey at Cinema Four said this is a

pretty good restaurant.

STACY:

I've heard that, too.

The Rat finds a parking spot near the back of the

lot, grateful that the long silence is over. He

walks with Stacy to the front of The Atlantis.

INT. THE ATLANTIS - NIGHT

The Rat and Stacy are escorted by the host to a

nearby table. They are given large wooden menus.

THE RAT:

Do you know what you want?

STACY:

I think I'll have the Seafood Salad

Special.

THE RAT:

Excellent.

The Rat leans back in the booth. He is starting to

feel in control now. Then something hits him. The

panic sweeps across his face.

Slowly, The Rat reaches back to check his wallet.

It's gone.

STACY:

Are you all right?

THE RAT:

(weakly)

Oh yeah.

Cool. Cool was the name of the game. Stay cool.

THE RAT (CONT'D)

Do you mind if I excuse myself for

a moment?

STACY:

Not at all.

Just as The Rat is about to get up, the Waitress

approaches the table.

WAITRESS:

Are you ready to order here?

THE RAT:

Well... sure.

(settles back down)

She will have the Seafood Salad

Special. And I will have... the

same.

WAITRESS:

Anything to drink?

THE RAT:

Two Cokes.

WAITRESS:

Okay. Thanks.

The Rat gets back up again, looking paler by the

minute. He excuses himself and walks over to the

pay phone by the Atlantis toilets.

The Rat dials a number. Damone answers.

INT. DAMONE'S ROOM - NIGHT

He is sitting in a chair, leaning onto the back two

legs, watching television.

DAMONE:

Yo.

THE RAT (V.O.)

Damone. It's Mark.

DAMONE:

Mark. What happened to your date?

THE RAT:

It's happening right now. I'm here

at the Atlantis. Everything's fine

except... I left my wallet at home.

DAMONE:

Did you go home and get it?

THE RAT:

No. It's too late. The food is

coming and everything. Damone, I've

got to ask you this favor, and I'll

never ask you for anything again in

this lifetime or any other. Will

you please borrow your mom's car,

go by my house, get my wallet, and

meet me back here?

There is silence.

THE RAT (CONT'D)

Damone, are you there?

DAMONE:

(world-weary sigh)

I'm really pretty busy...

ANGLE ON DAMONE'S TELEVISION

as we see the flickering images of Leave It To

Beaver.

DAMONE (CONT'D)

You owe me for this one.

INT. ATLANTIS

The Rat hangs up, mildly relieved, and returns to

the table.

DISSOLVE:

TO:

INT. STACY AND THE RAT'S TABLE - AN HOUR LATER

The Rat and Stacy have finished the meal, and

desert.

ANGLE ON THE CHECK

as it sits in a little tray before The Rat.

The Waitress approaches the table. It is clear she

wants to make room for other customers and bigger

tips.

WAITRESS:

Are you sure there's nothing else I

can bring you?

THE RAT:

I'll have one more Coke... Do you

want another Coke, Stacy?

STACY:

(quizzical) )

Sure. I'll... have another Coke.

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