Mistress America Page #7

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A handsome African American answers. Nods hello.

BROOKE:

Hey, Kareem, can we use your fireescape?

EXT. FIRE ESCAPE. NIGHT

Brooke climbs up to her apartment window in bare-feet. Tracylooks up from below, holding Brooke’s shoes.

BROOKE:

Sh*t. I thought I left this window

open.

TRACY:

I might have closed it.

BROOKE:

Why?!

TRACY:

I didn’t want you to get robbed.

INT. KAREEM’S APARTMENT. NIGHT

Tracy and Kareem sit on a couch waiting. Outside on the fire

escape Brooke is yelling on her phone.

TRACY:

Stavros saw a picture of her

kissing a musician.

(pause)

Stavros is her boyfriend. He told

the super that Brooke was living ina commercial space. Is your placezoned commercial?

KAREEM:

Yeah.

46.

TRACY:

I hope he doesn’t rat on you.

They hear louder shouting from the fire escape. The window

opens. Brooke steps inside. Her make up is smeared. She’s

been crying.

BROOKE:

He’s pulling out of the restaurant.

INT. TRACY’S DORM ROOM. NIGHT

Tracy is on the bed, Brooke is on the floor in a makeshiftbed. Tracy’s roommate, Ruth, looks annoyed and impressed.

It’s dark.

TRACY:

I hope Stavros doesn’t rat outKareem.

BROOKE:

If I don’t have this money...mypartners will bail, they’re inbecause Stavros was in. And theycan go after my savings,

everything... Rich people willtake any excuse not to spend money -

you can just see it in their eyesthat they don’t really want toshare life with you.

TRACY:

Rich people always give out badHalloween candy.

BROOKE:

The contractors need 20 thousand on

Monday. And then there’s the keyfee, that’s fifty - and then thereare all these industrial

refrigerators coming for anotherfifteen... I need whatever that

equals by Monday. He was in for

200 thousand. Oh my f***ing god.

TRACY:

Isn’t there someone else you canask to invest?

BROOKE:

I already hit up every rich personI knew the first time around. This

was well thought through, Tracy.

47.

TRACY:

I don’t know, it’s such a goodinvestment. I’d put money in if Ihad it.

BROOKE:

(suspicious)

Do you secretly have money?

TRACY:

No. My mom never worked and Ithink my Dad was always kind of madat her for that... but my parentsdivorce was way easier than this.

BROOKE:

(viciously)

That’s because they stopped caringabout life just entirely, it’s notthe same thing. My Mom died sodon’t even f***ing start with meabout your pain.

Ruth pipes up:

RUTH:

My uncle died.

BROOKE:

Shut up, RUTH.

Brooke sits up.

BROOKE:

I need some answers.

TRACY:

(immediately)

I’m coming.

INT. WAITING AREA. NIGHT

Brooke and Tracy are waiting on a couch in an apartment.

BROOKE:

I’m going to be worse off now thanI was before I started trying toachieve stuff.

TRACY:

I know what it is to want things.

48.

BROOKE:

No, you don’t. You can’t reallyknow what it is to want thingsuntil you’re at least thirty. And

then with each passing year it getsmore because the want is bigger and

the possibility is less. Like how

each passing year of your lifefeels faster because it is a

smaller portion of your total life.

Like that but in reverse.

Everything becomes pure want.

PSYCHIC (O.S.)

OK, Brooke, I’m ready...

CUT TO:
Brooke sits in front of a man, 40’s, in his

apartment. Tracy is next to Brooke looking at a chart.

PSYCHIC:

Spirit says seek out an old friend.

BROOKE:

Who?

PSYCHIC:

Someone who hurt you.

BROOKE:

Just tell me exactly what to do.

PSYCHIC:

Spirit says something about fabric.

TRACY:

(suddenly)

It’s your friend - Mamie-Claire?

The fabric is the T-shirts!

Brooke shoots Tracy a look.

PSYCHIC:

And, I see flowers.

TRACY:

Hard looking flowers!

BROOKE:

Please, Tracy.

(to the psychic)

Mamie-Claire is my enemy.

49.

PSYCHIC:

Yes, Spirit says you haveunfinished business with this

woman.

BROOKE:

No, no, it’s finished. Tell Spiritit’s finished.

PSYCHIC:

What happened with Mamie-Claire?

TRACY:

She totally screwed Brooke over.

She married her fiance and stole

her idea.

BROOKE:

TRACY! Shut up.

(to the Psychic)

I never looked back.

PSYCHIC:

I am seeing this, yes. I am

seeing... trees...

TRACY:

You said she lives in Connecticut!

There are trees in Connecticut.

The Psychic looks at Brooke for affirmation.

BROOKE:

Well, to be fair, there are treespretty much everywhere.

TRACY:

You have to listen to Spirit!

Mamie-Claire can give you themoney! Hi-ho Greenwich!

BROOKE:

(to the Psychic)

Really? Can we get confirmation?

Is Spirit sure of this?

PSYCHIC:

The young one is right.

BROOKE:

(re:
Tracy)

She’s not that young. Ten...ten to

twelve years younger, we arecontemporaries, okay?

50.

PSYCHIC:

You must seek out Mamie-Claire.

BROOKE:

I’m so annoyed with Spirit.

PSYCHIC:

The path isn’t against you it’sjust the path.

BROOKE:

Right. I don’t want to be petty...

I just wasn’t brought up that way.

She’s my nemesis, but she does owe

me.

PSYCHIC:

This has been a heavy weight on

you. Sometimes you have to go backto go front.

BROOKE:

F*** this parade. I’m going toGreenwich.

TRACY:

We’re going.

BROOKE:

You ready for this, squirt? It’s

going to get ugly.

TRACY:

(smiling)

I’m ready.

BROOKE:

Great. How are we going to getthere?

INT. TONY’S CAR. DAY

Brooke sits in the back seat with Nicolette. Tracy looks ather phone and gives directions to Tony in the front.

TONY:

I really don’t like to leave

Manhattan.

TRACY:

(to Tony)

You’re going to want to take theMerrit Parkway.

51.

BROOKE:

I’ll bet Dylan is still in lovewith me. Marrying Mamie-Claire islike buying a cashmere sweater fromOld Navy.

Tony looks confused.

TRACY:

Even if he’s not, this is a greatinvestment. And don’t forget shestill owes you.

BROOKE:

It’s win win. Because I’m sure he

still loves me.

TONY:

(annoyed)

I’m not driving you to Connecticutto break up a marriage. I should

be in my room reading NichomacheanEthics.

BROOKE:

Calm down rich boy.

TONY:

I’m not rich.

BROOKE:

Yes you are you have a car.

TONY:

No, I’m not - my dad is a mechanic.

He and my uncle have a body shop.

I have this car because it was

something that he could give me.

BROOKE:

(to Tracy)

Sorry, I think I offended yourboyfriend.

NICOLETTE:

He’s not her boyfriend, he’s mine.`

BROOKE:

(to Nicolette)

Why are you here?

NICOLETTE:

Because Tracy made Tony drive you.

52.

BROOKE:

But why did you come?

NICOLETTE:

I... I had a bad experience withadultery before. My last boyfriendcommitted adultery while we weretogether and I just don’t like tolet my boyfriends get too far.

BROOKE:

ADULTERY? Why the f*** does itmatter? You are all eighteen!

Where is this old-person moralitycoming from? There is no

“cheating” when you’re eighteen.

You should all be touching eachother all the time.

CUT TO:
Tracy zones out.

TRACY:

Do you ever get that feeling whenyou are on a car trip that younever want to get where you’regoing. That you never want it toend.

Everyone is silent, thinking about it. Nicolette reaches out

to playfully touch Tony’s hair. Tony freaks.

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