Love and Basketball Page #17

Monica is too hurt, too scared to tell him the truth.

MONICA:

It doesn't matter, alright. Just leave

it alone.

QUINCY:

Find.

Monica turns, crosses to her house. She stumbles on her

heels, kicks them off in frustration, and exits inside.

Quincy walks back to his curb.

ANGLE ON:

Camille watches from the kitchen window

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. WRIGHT HOUSE - PATIO - DUSK

Lena sits next to Camille. Her one year old son, L.P., sits

on the ground at her feet. Monica sits quietly nearby,

watching.

CAMILLE:

So you're still breast-feeding?

LENA:

The doctor said it was okay. Anyway, I'm

still trying to lose some of this baby

fat.

She quickly looks over at Monica.

LENA (cont'd)

Shut up.

Monica gives her a small smile. Camille looks down at L.P.

CAMILLE:

You might want to put a jacket on him,

it's getting cold.

LENA:

He's fine.

CAMILLE:

(warning)

Okay.

Lena sighs, rolls her eyes. She picks up her son.

LENA:

Come on, L.P. Grandma says it's too

cold.

She exits inside. Camille makes a face.

CAMILLE:

God. "Grandma."

Monica smiles. And then silence. There is still so much

distance between them, so many misunderstanding. Camille

stares at her daughter. And then...

CAMILLE (cont'd)

You know, I'd probably be a lot more

"prissy" in the situation than you'd

like, but the thing I always admired that

drove me crazy, was the fight you had in

you.

MONICA:

What are you talking about?

CAMILLE:

When I said Quincy could do better, I was

thinking about you.

Monica stares at her mom. Camille stands and leaves.

INT. WRIGHT HOUSE - MONICA'S ROOM - NIGHT

Monica lies in her bed, staring up at the ceiling, unable to

sleep. Her mind races with thoughts of her past, her

choices, her future...

Suddenly, she climbs out of bed. She wears a tank-top and

pajama bottoms. She crosses to her window, pulls it open and

climbs out.

EXT. WRIGHT AND MCCALL HOUSES - CONTINUOUS

Monica drops down. She moves to Quincy's window and knocks

quietly. Beat, then Quincy appears. Bare-chested and in a

pair of shorts. He looks at her, then pulls open the window.

QUINCY:

(half-asleep)

What's going on?

MONICA:

We need to talk.

Quincy just looks at her.

MONICA (cont'd)

Please.

QUINCY:

Hold on.

Quincy disappears for a moment, then returns, pulling on a T-

shirt. He climbs out of his window, drops to the ground.

Quincy looks at her.

MONICA:

You asked me what was missing.

QUINCY:

What?

MONICA:

From basketball.

QUINCY:

you woke me up to tell me that?

MONICA:

It's not fun for me anymore because

you're missing.

Quincy stares at her.

MONICA (cont'd)

What I'm trying to say is --

QUINCY:

I heard enough.

MONICA:

What I'm trying to say is, I've loved you

since I was eleven and the sh*t won't go

away.

QUINCY:

We haven't talked since college and now

you wait two weeks before my wedding to

say something like this?

MONICA:

I know, I probably should have said it

two weeks ago.

Quincy doesn't even crack a smile. In fact, he glares.

QUINCY:

You haven't changed. You still think the

sun rises and sets on your ass. Well,

guess what, it doesn't.

MONICA:

Then why are you so upset?

QUINCY:

Because you don't pull this on someone

who's about to get married.

MONICA:

Better late than never, right?

QUINCY:

Wrong.

Quincy starts back toward the window.

MONICA:

I'll play you.

QUINCY:

What?

MONICA:

One game. One-on-one.

QUINCY:

For what?

MONICA:

Your heart.

Quincy looks at her in disbelief, then laughs at the

absurdity.

QUINCY:

You're out of your mind.

MONICA:

So you're gonna b*tch up?

QUINCY:

What's that supposed to be, psychology?

MONICA:

I know why you broke up with me in

college. And not that what you did

wasn't messed up, but what I did was,

too. So if you forgive me, I'll forgive

you.

QUINCY:

Monica, after that stuff with my dad, I

couldn't trust anybody, okay. I mean, I

was lost. So you are forgiven. But that

was five years ago. I moved on.

Monica moves past him, reaches through his window. She drops

back down, holding his basketball.

MONICA:

Prove it.

She throws him the ball.

QUINCY:

What will this prove?

MONICA:

You once said the reason I beat you was

because you wanted me to.

QUINCY:

So?

MONICA:

So, if I win it's because deep down you

know you're about to make the biggest

mistake of your life, and deep down your

want me to stop you.

QUINCY:

And what happens when you lose?

MONICA:

If I lose, I'll buy you a wedding

present.

Quincy stares at her.

EXT. MCCALL HOUSE - DRIVEWAY - SHORT TIME LATER

Monica stands opposite Quincy. Both are suited up in

basketball gear.

They stare at each other, ready to go to war. Monica tosses

him the ball.

MONICA:

Check.

Quincy tosses the ball back. Monica drives. Quincy's knee

is maybe at sixty percent and he can't keep up. She scores

easily.

She walks to the top of the driveway, tosses him the ball.

MONICA (cont'd)

One, zip. Check.

Quincy rubs his scarred knee, then passes it back.

The game continues. Monica owns the first five points easily

by exploiting Quincy's injury.

Monica drives for another lay-up. Quincy suddenly lets go of

his fear, leaps and swats her shot.

He grabs the rebound and lays it up. He nods intensely, as

he grabs the ball and walks back to the top of the key.

QUINCY:

One, five. Check.

The game continues and now Quincy has the upper-hand, using

his size and strength. He scores seven straight points.

The score stays close. It is a sexually-charged battle of

wills -- Quincy pulls off his sweat-soaked shirt. Their

bodies collide as they wrestle for the ball. Monica yanks

off her jersey in frustration. Her ass bumps into his hips

as she backs him in. Her hands slide across his chest as she

guards him...

Finally, the score hits nine, nine. Monica slowly walks to

the top of the key.

MONICA:

Nine, up. Point.

She tosses Quincy the ball.

MONICA (cont'd)

Check.

Quincy tosses the ball back, drops low on defense. Monica

fakes an outside shot and Quincy bites. Monica drives around

him. SHE HAS A WIDE-OPEN LAY-UP. SHE PUTS IT UP..AND IT

ROLLS OFF THE RIM. Monica can't believe it.

Quincy grabs the loose ball and clears it. He stares at

Monica as he dribbles in front of her. She stares back.

He breaks for the basket. Monica stays with him. He goes

up. Monica jumps, desperately tries to block his shot.

Quincy dunks on her, knocking her to the ground. He lets go

of the rim, and tumbles to the ground also. GAME OVER.

Silence. Quincy stares at her. Monica looks back. Then:

QUINCY:

(pointed)

All's fair in love and basketball, right?

Monica struggles to fight back her tears as she picks herself up.

She slowly walks back toward her house. And then:

QUINCY (cont'd)

Hey.

Monica slowly stops, turns.

QUINCY (cont'd)

Double or nothing.

Monica stares at him, wonders if she heard right. Quincy

limps to his feet, picks up the ball and holds it out to her.

Monica slowly walks back to him. They stare at each other.

No more egos, no more bullshit. Just love.

In the moonlight, on the blacktop, they kiss...

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