Homegrown Page #5

RENEE:

Just wanted to get you talking. I

think I have your number, Will

Nasy... See you tomorrow.

She walks away before he can react.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Crowded. The Boys stand by their lockers. Will passes.

ADAM:

What's up, p*ssy?

Will shoots Adam a glare. The Boys look away, pretending to

look at something else. Will rummages in his locker.

BOY 2

What’re you doing, f*ggot?

Will looks. Again, they avert their eyes --whistle.

Irritated, Will turns back to his locker -- grabs a book.

BOY 3

F*** you, freak!

Will hurries away, past a group of three TEACHERS, including

Ganthon and Theresa (Charlie’s customer from the market).

They can’t resist staring. We stay with the teachers:

TEACHER 1

Of all schools, they send that here.

THERESA:

Can’t wait til his dad gets out and

they both just get out of town.

TEACHER 1

How’s he doing in his classes?

GANTHON:

I don’t think anyone’s heard him

speak yet. His first essay was odd.

26.

THERESA:

He’s literate?

GANTHON:

Absolutely. The essay lacked

ambition and was formulaic. But...

with allegedly no previous

schooling, he cited several authors

that aren’t introduced until upper-

level college courses.

The other Teachers raise their eyebrows.

GANTHON:

I don’t know what they were doing

up there in the woods, but the kid

has been educated.

EXT. CAHILL HOME - MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

The neighborhood is silent.

Will plants shrubs in the yard. He digs quickly, efficiently

-then carefully fills in the dirt -- moves on to the next.

INT. CAHILL HOME - PRE-DAWN - THE NEXT MORNING

Will knocks on the Cahills’ bedroom door. Stirring from

within. A groggy Mrs. Cahill opens the door in a robe.

MRS. CAHILL

Everything okay?

WILL:

Yes. I’m ready to leave for the

prison.

MRS. CAHILL

Honey. The gardeners. I told you.

WILL:

The shrubs have been planted.

Mrs. Cahill purses her lips, still half asleep, confused.

INT. MRS. CAHILL’S CAR - MOVING - MORNING

Mrs. Cahill drives. Will gazes out the window.

MRS. CAHILL

Is he expecting you?

27.

WILL:

Yes.

MRS. CAHILL

You sure miss him a lot, don’t you?

WILL:

I’m fine.

MRS. CAHILL

I know you’re going through a lot.

Maybe you’re not comfortable yet,

but I’m always here to talk. Okay?

She looks at Will. He continues to look out the window, but

his intense gaze slightly softens.

INT. PRISON VISITATION ROOM - DAY

Large, open room. PRISONERS mingle with VISITORS at tables.

Will waits eagerly. Charlie approaches in an inmate jumpsuit.

WILL:

Hello, Father.

Charlie scans around: the coast is clear, but he still speaks

in a near-whisper.

CHARLIE:

How’s the property?

Will’s emotion is stifled by Charlie’s stoicism.

WILL:

The shed is secure. The cabin is

untouched.

CHARLIE:

You must be discrete with your

letters. I don’t know who reads

them before they reach me.

(off Will’s nod)

Is anyone suspicious of you?

WILL:

I rarely speak. I do just enough to

pass the assignments in school. I’m

invisible.

CHARLIE:

Stay strong. Be patient. This is

only a temporary setback.

28.

Charlie motions to a Guard, who approaches and leads him

away. Will watches him go, longing for more interaction.

INT. PRISON WAITING ROOM - DAY - MOMENTS LATER

Mrs. Cahill looks up from her book, surprised to see Will.

MRS. CAHILL

Was he not available yet?

WILL:

He was. We spoke. We may go now.

MRS. CAHILL

That’s it? After the long drive?

Will nods. Mrs. Cahill stands, facing Will, yearning to hug

him. Will turns abruptly -- exits. She follows.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL - ESTABLISHING - DAY

The trees are barren. Hints of winter.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL GYM - DAY

16 STUDENTS - including Will, Adam, Adam’s friends, and the

Popular Girls - do jumping jacks. Most sport gym clothes, but

Will wears his usual outdoor attire.

An apathetic PE COACH (30) observes, paying extra attention

to the Girls’ bouncing physiques.

Coach blows his whistle, and the students stop exercising.

PE COACH:

Alright, everybody’s favorite time

of year... Fitness tests.

LATER:

The Students stand in queues behind PULL UP STATIONS. The

first group grasps the pull up bars.

PE COACH:

Partners, be sure to count

accurately... Good luck breaking

your own record, Adam.

Adam is in the first group. Coach whistles, and the pull ups

begin. Most struggle, achieving only a few reps. Coach

records their results on his iPad.

29.

Adam cranks out fast reps, only going halfway down. The class

counts his reps aloud, cheering him on. The Girls swoon.

CLASS:

19-20-21-22... 23... 24.

Adam strains for a 25th, red-faced, but fails -- drops from

the bar, breathing heavily. The Boys high five him. Coach

smiles, impressed.

LATER:

Will at the pull up bar. Adam watches, arms crossed and smug.

Coach whistles.

Will does one rep then lowers to a resting position. Adam

sneers, thinking Will is struggling... Then Will churns out

another full pull up - from resting position all the way up.

And another. And another.

MOMENTS LATER:

The class looks on, surprised. Will’s ‘partner,’ a NERDY

GIRL, counts aloud. Adam snarls. Coach’s mouth hangs agape.

NERDY GIRL:

17... 18... 19...

Will continues, showing no sign of fatigue.

NERDY GIRL:

20... 21... 22... 23...

After the 23rd rep, Will drops from the bar, barely breathing

above normal. Nerdy Girl offers him a high five: denied. Will

nonchalantly walks away.

INT. LOCKER ROOM - LATER

Will stands alone. Adam and the other Boys change clothes.

Will removes his shirt, exposing his ripped physique. The

other Boys pretend not to stare, but the kid is shredded.

ADAM (O.S.)

He’s actually heard of a shower

after all? F***ing freak...

Will turns. The others gasp as they notice his back: scarred

and bruised from years of intense training and rugged living.

30.

Will turns on a sink: OFF THE WATER STREAMING, we...

FLASHBACK - EXT. CABIN - DAY

Water flows from the RAINWATER TANK. Will rinses dirty

clothes, then hangs them on a clothes line.

Charlie creeps up -- cups his hands and emits a noise,

similar to a bird call... An alert.

Will’s ears perk up. He drops everything --sprints past the

shed -- runs into the woods. He runs powerfully. Damn fast.

Charlie watches from his hiding place.

EXT. WOODS - MOMENTS LATER

Will ascends a tree, climbing with force and speed, arrives

quickly at the top. From a high branch - where we saw him

reading before - he has a clear view of the property.

Will hears the bird call alert again -- sees Charlie below.

Charlie quickly climbs up -- joins Will at the top.

They look out over the property and the breathtaking

mountains beyond.

WILL:

All seems secure.

CHARLIE:

The shed?

WILL:

Locked.

CHARLIE:

You didn’t check behind you before

climbing. Someone could’ve followed.

You’d be stuck - finished.

Will closes his eyes -- nods, disappointed in himself.

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