Happiness Page #2

TRISH:

Oh, Timmy! Look who's here!

TIMMY:

(aiming a laser at JOY)

Die, Aunt Joy! Die!

TRISH:

Timmy!

She tries to go after him, but he has already run off.

JOY:

Oh, leave him alone, Trish.

He's just going through a phase.

TRISH:

Oh, I know, but�

JOY:

(trying to make light)

It's okay. I'm strong enough.

JOY suddenly bursts into tears.

TRISH:

Oh, Joy, Joy. What's the matter?

JOY:

I don't know what it is,

but I feel there's so much

hostility directed at me.

TRISH:

Did another guy dump you?

JOY:

No! I�oh, I feel horrible.

TRISH:

Aww. Timmy didn't mean it.

JOY:

I'm sorry. I-I'm just overworked.

TRISH:

It's okay. Because now maybe

you'll listen to me.

JOY:

What?

A weighty pause.

TRISH:

You've got to eat red meat.

JOY:

Oh, Trish�

TRISH:

Oh, I knew that's how you'd react,

but it's true. I've been watching you

and, well� My doctor says just

once a month�

JOY:

I know�

TRISH:

Really. It's the best thing for

the skin. It'll clear it all up.

JOY:

What's wrong with my skin?

TRISH:

It's fine now, but in another

few years� Please, Joy.

I'm speaking for your own good.

JOY:

Oh, I know. Thanks.

A tender moment:
TRISH and JOY hold hands.

JOY:

I'm so happy.

TRISH:

Are you really?

JOY:

Being around you and the kids�

TRISH:

Oh� And I'm so happy you're happy.

'Cause all this time I've been

thinking you were so miserable.

JOY:

Oh, Trish! That's too funny,

when I couldn't be happier.

TRISH:

It's just, what with your

music career never really�

JOY:

My career's fine!

TRISH:

Oh, I know, it will be!

I just know it! And then you'll

move out of Mom and Dad's�

JOY:

Real soon!

TRISH:

And you'll meet Mr. Right!

JOY:

Oh, I will. Already I feel

I'm off to a fresh start!

TRISH:

That's right. Just because

you've hit 30, doesn't mean you

can't be fresh anymore.

JOY:

That's right.

Pause.

TRISH:

You know, Joy, I've never told you

this before, but now that we're

older, and I feel so bonded to you,

well�the truth is � oh, I know this

sounds horrible, but I feel I have to

be fully open with you, get beyond

all the old barriers, sibling nonsense �

well, the truth is I always thought

you would never amount to much. That

you'd end up alone, without a career

or anything. Really, it's what we all

thought. Mom, Dad, Helen�everyone�

I'd always prayed we'd all be wrong,

but you had always seemed to�doomed

to failure. But now I see, it's not true.

There is a glimmer of hope for you

after all. Oh, I know I'm repeating

myself, but, oh�

(tears well up)

I'm so happy for you�

13.EXT. PARK - DAY.13.

It is sunny and warm. Couples straight and gay walk hand in

hand, families picnic, beautiful people sunbathe.

BILL observes the pleasant tranquillity from atop a hill.

Suddenly he pulls out a machine gun and starts shooting at

everyone.

Bloodshed everywhere. Then silence.

VOICE:

And how is this different?

14.INT. PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE - DAY.14.

BILL sits opposed his PSYCHIATRIST, to whom the VOICE

belongs.

BILL:

I don't kill myself at the end.

PSYCHIATRIST:

Do you see this as something positive?

BILL:

Gee, I don't know.

PSYCHIATRIST:

How do you feel at the end?

BILL:

Much better. I wake up happy.

Feeling good. But then I get very

depressed because I'm living in reality.

PSYCHIATRIST:

And you wouldn't kill people

in real life.

BILL:

No. I don't think so.

PSYCHIATRIST:

You don't sound so certain.

BILL:

I'm thinking about my patients.

PSYCHIATRIST:

What about them?

BILL:

My patients are ugly. Their problems

are trite. Each one thinks he is

unique. On a professional level they

bore me. On a personal level I have

no sympathy. They deserve what they get.

PSYCHIATRIST:

And what about your family?

BILL:

Trish is good to me.

PSYCHIATRIST:

But still no sex?

BILL:

No. But she's not too interested,

either. So really there's no problem

there, when you think about it,

on a certain level.

15.EXT. CAR - DAY.15.

BILL is driving along.

16.EXT. PARK - DAY.16.

Reminiscent of BILL'S dream: schoolchildren are playing,

teachers supervising. A laborer is eating lunch with a

co-worker. A little boy is sitting alone in the shade of a

tree.

BILL pulls up to the side of the field and observes from his

parking space.

He gets back in his car.

17.INT. BILL'S CAR - DAY.17.

BILL is at the wheel again, a little tense.

18.EXT. MINI-MALL - DAY.18.

BILL pulls into the lot. He walks into the 7-11.

19.INT. 7-11 - DAY.19.

BILL picks up a Boy's Life, pays for it.

20.EXT. MINI-MALL - DAY.20.

BILL gets into the back seat of his car and sets to

masturbating.

SHOPPERS walk by with shopping carts, little children,

oblivious to the activity inside Bill's car.

Finally, BILL gets out of his car, tucks in his shirt,

tosses the scrunched-up magazine into a dumpster, returns to

his car and pulls out.

21.INT. BILL'S KITCHEN - EVENING.21.

BILL comes home as Trish finishes preparing the dinner

table. He gives her a peck on the cheek. Their kids are

eating in the adjacent TV Room.

TRISH:

So how was work today, Hon?

BILL:

Oh, fine.

KOOKI sniffs BILL'S pants, excited.

TRISH:

Kooki, no!

BILL:

Down, Kooki!

KOOKI calms down somewhat.

BILLY ENTERS, opens the refrigerator, pours himself a soda.

He looks dejected.

BILL:

Hey, Billy! What's going on?

BILLY:

Nothing.

TRISH:

He's

(making quotation marks

with her fingers)

"depressed."

BILL:

Is something the matter?

BILLY:

I don't wanna talk about it.

And he leaves for the TV room again.

TRISH:

Ignore him. He's just doing it for

attention. He thinks you'll be

impressed. As if. So anyway�

Joy came by today.

BILL:

How's she doing?

TRISH:

Oh, God, I dunno, and frankly�

I'm concerned. I mean, she's not

like me. She doesn't "have it all."

She pretends to be happy, but

I can see right through her:

she's miserable.

BILL:

Why do you think that is?

TRISH:

To be frank, I think she's lazy.

She's not a go-getter, like me or

Helen. And she's so picky. I gave

Damien Ross her phone number, for

what it's worth, and Joy sounded

interested, naturally, but�I dunno.

I'm afraid to have to say it, but

truly it's what I believe: she'll

always be alone.

BILL:

We're all alone.

TRISH:

Oh, Bill. Sometimes I wonder how any

of your patients can talk to you.

BILL:

Sometimes I wonder if they'll ever

stop. I should tape some for you.

TRISH:

Would you? Would you really?

So that I could listen, too?

BILL:

No.

TRISH:

You're such a tease.

You know I wouldn't tell anyone.

BILL:

I know. 'Cause you're so secretive.

TRISH:

Well, maybe not as secretive as you.

BILL:

What secret would you like me to

tell you?

IRISH puts her arms around BILL.

TRISH:

(whispers coyly)

Like how come no matter how much

you treat me like sh*t,

I can't help loving you even more?

22.INT. BILL'S BEDROOM - LATER.22.

While TRISH puts CHLOE and TIMMY to bed, BILLY comes and

sits beside BILL on his bed.

BILLY:

Dad?

BILL:

Yes, Billy?

BILLY:

What does come mean?

BILL:

Come?

BILLY:

You know�

BILL:

Well, you know how sometimes your

penis gets erect�well, sometimes

it gets so excited that a sticky

milky substance shoots out.

BILLY:

�Dickwad?

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