Mistress America Page #4

---

She pads into the kitchen.

BROOKE:

(to Tracy)

Can you start the coffee, please?

TRACY:

(looking at the coffeemaker)

I don’t know how...

BROOKE:

(a little sharply)

Yes, you do. Don’t be incompetent.

If you spent two seconds with acoffee maker you’d figure it out.

You just aren’t trying hard enough.

Brooke retreats into the hall, still talking to herboyfriend.

TRACY:

Um, where are you going.

BROOKE:

DUH COMMUNAL BATHROOM DO YOU WANT

TO WATCH?

(to the phone)

Are you still there?

TRACY:

Sorry. Are you... mad at me?

BROOKE (O.S.)

NO!

CUT TO:
Tracy and Brooke drink coffee at her table/desk.

BROOKE:

We have four investors including

me. I’m what you call a principalinvestor. Stavros is putting in myshare - but I insisted that it be

my assets on the line because Iwant him to know I have skin in the

game. I’ll pay him back of courseonce we start making a profit.

24.

TRACY:

We never went to restaurants

growing up - it wasn’t part of ourlives.

BROOKE:

(immediately offended)

That’s a shitty thing to say to me.

TRACY:

I didn’t mean - I know people willcome to yours.

(trying to contextualize)

It’s so weird to think that everyrestaurant I see is the result of

some person going “I think I wantto start a restaurant.”

BROOKE:

That’s not weird. That’s

everything.

Tracy starts to write something down in a notebook. Brooke

is curious:

BROOKE:

What are you doing?

TRACY:

I’m actually... it’s embarrassing.

BROOKE:

What?

TRACY:

I’m writing down what I said.

BROOKE:

You are noting yourself?

TRACY:

Yeah... I guess so.

BROOKE:

I’ve noticed something about myselfthat would make a good character ina story.

TRACY:

Oh yeah?

25.

BROOKE:

But I’m going to save it in case Iwant to use it in something Iwrite.

EXT. TIMES SQUARE. MORNING

The commercial streets have that peculiar weekend morningvibe. Tracy is in her outfit from the night before. Brooke

is in full workout clothes.

BROOKE:

High five, sister. That was an

AMAZING night.

TRACY:

Yeah, it was...

(blurts it out)

The best of my life.

BROOKE:

(looking at her phone)

I gotta go.

Brooke abruptly hugs her and leaves. Tracy watches her gofor one second and then also turns to go. She’s disappointedbut she doesn’t know why.

INT. TRACY’S DORM ROOM. MORNING

Tracy enters and goes right to her computer.

Tracy is typing very quickly, still in her jacket, her bagstill on her shoulder.

She hesitates, trying to remember something.

TRACY:

What did she...say?

Talking while she types.

TRACY:

Right! “He’s one of those peoplethat I hate except I’m in love withhim.”

RUTH:

(still sleeping)

Shut up please.

CUT TO:
Brooke Cardinas being typed into a Google search.

26.

TRACY (V.O.)

Meadow DeRiggi lived exactly how ayoung woman should live who wantsto spend her youth well.

CUT TO:
Brooke’s Twitter page.

Random photos of Brooke.

TRACY (V.O.)

She did everything and nothing andspent time like I always mean to -

purposefully.

CLOSE on Tracy’s short story.

CLOSE on a Society page photo.

CLOSE on Brooke’s Soul Cycle Teacher bio.

EXT./INT. PIZZA PARLOR. NIGHT

Tracy tries to go to the secret bar, can’t get in.

TRACY (V.O.)

Her beauty was that rare kind thatmade you want to look more likeyourself not like her.

EXT./INT. MUSIC CLUB. NIGHT

Tracy gets in, but it’s not a good band and there aren’t alot of people there.

TRACY (V.O.)

She sang with the band and kneweveryone and didn't owe anyoneanything and couldn't pay up evenif she did.

EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET. NIGHT

Tracy sees a blonde in red pants. She brightens. As she

gets closer, it’s not Brooke.

TRACY (V.O.)

Being around Meadow was like beingin New York City - it made you wantto find life, not hide from it.

TRACY:

(embarrassed)

Sorry.

27.

WOMAN IN RED PANTS

That’s OK.

INT. COLLEGE LIBRARY. DAY

Tony and Nicolette and Tracy sit at a study table.

TONY:

Where were you last night, did youget my texts?

NICOLETTE:

You text her? You texted her?

TONY:

About work.

TRACY:

I went to check out this downtown

band at this downtown bar.

Two freshmen girls approach.

GIRL #1

Do you guys know how long you’llneed this table?

TRACY:

A long time, dude.

GIRL #2

(sighs)

Fine.

They leave.

TONY:

Who were you with?

TRACY:

Myself.

NICOLETTE:

(to Tony)

When you said you were checking thescores, were you texting her? Are

you sexting?

TRACY:

It’s a place my sister showed me.

TONY:

You don’t have a sister.

28.

TRACY:

I do. Or I will. When my mom getsmarried at Thanksgiving.

NICOLETTE:

Why don’t you just text her apicture of your balls.

TONY:

Nicolette!

Tracy smooths over some stapled pages from her bag. We see

the title:
Mistress America.

TONY:

What’s that?

TRACY:

It’s a new story I wrote. I’m

going to resubmit to the LitSociety.

TONY:

Wait, you wrote another onealready? You printed it on onionskin?

TRACY:

You can read it if you want. Here-

She hands him a copy - he looks at it.

TONY:

(to Nicolette)

Tracy writes about fighter pilots.

TRACY:

I’m past that stuff now. This one

is more autobiographicaldocumentary.

TONY:

OK. I’d totally give you notes.

TRACY:

No, I don’t want notes -- but Ithought about it and I actually do

have notes for you.

TONY:

Oh...sure.

29.

TRACY:

You write like you are imitatingsomeone who is free and wild and it

is so WEIRD because you aren’t atall and it made me uncomfortable

and I think it would make EVERYONE

uncomfortable. And also, stoptrying to be funny because youaren’t funny so it just adds to theawkwardness. And it could be 30%

shorter, easy.

TONY:

(unsure)

OK. Thanks.

Tracy gets up and leaves. Passes the freshmen girls.

TRACY:

It’s open, b*tches. They don’tneed it anymore.

INT. SOME HALLWAY. DAY

Tracy returns to the door with Mobius on the glass. The same

guy in a sweater vest is whittling a piece of wood. He blows

on it as he whittles. Tracy places her story in theSubmissions box. She hurries away.

INT. SOUL CYCLE STUDIO. DAY

Brooke is in the front of the classroom, on a bike with aheadphone and a bandana.

Tracy enters, wearing jeans and a button down. Brooke

smiles.

BROOKE:

(too loudly)

Hey Baby Tracy!

Brooke indicates a bike with a nod of her head. Tracy shakesher head emphatically: No. Brooke nods, Yes.

CUT TO:
Tracy is on a bike sweating an uncomfortable amount.

BROOKE:

(to her cycling class)

HOW YOU DO ANYTHING IS HOW YOU DO

EVERYTHING AM I RIGHT?!

(and now in a low voice)

I know not enough people have toldyou that you’re amazing. I know

that that’s true.

30.

Everyone loves her, she’s sort of great as a cyclinginstructor.

INT. CYCLING STUDIO. AFTERWARDS

Tracy is really sweaty, still.

BROOKE:

You did great!

TRACY:

I feel like I just went swimming inmy clothes.

BROOKE:

I’m glad you came.

TRACY:

You are?!

BROOKE:

Sh*t, I have to shower and change,

I’m late for an appointment.

Rate this script:3.0 / 2 votes