Phone Booth Page #4

STU:

And I'm supposed to believe that?

VOICE:

I've put a great deal of

preparation into this -- prior to

actually saying hello. Now do you

want to dial 832-7165 -- or should

I?

The sound of the actual number being spoken shocks him even

more than the earlier mention of his name.

STU:

What are you going to tell her?

VOICE:

You'll do the talking.

STU:

What am I supposed to say?

VOICE:

Try telling her the truth.

STU:

Look, I don't want to hurt Kelly.

She's always there for me. It's

just my nature to have a little

'strange' on the side. It doesn't

mean sh*t.

VOICE:

But you still find it necessary?

STU:

Kind of like having a beautiful

home. With everything you ever

dreamed of. But you still need

that vacation now and then. Some

nice hotel room with a great view.

Maybe a pool. Only you wouldn't

want to spend more than a few days

in any hotel. Eventually, you want

to go back to your home and all

your stuff. You're real glad to

check out.

VOICE:

Kelly is home and Mavis is a hotel?

I'm sure they'll both appreciate

that explanation.

STU:

You're ruining my f***ing life, you

sonofabitch.

VOICE:

Didn't I warn you about calling me

names? It makes me vindictive.

STU:

What else can you do to me?

VOICE:

We haven't even begun.

STU:

She's not home. She went out.

VOICE:

I'll bet she's back. Now hold the

cellular up where I can see it --

so I can be certain you don't

misdial on me.

(pause)

A little higher and to your left.

Now I have it in perfect view.

Dial slowly.

More violent rapping on the glass from the persistent black

lady outside.

FELICIA:

If you got you a cell phone, how

come you taking up the whole

f***ing booth! This here's an

emergency!

STU:

There's another booth on the next

block.

FELICIA:

It's busted. Every damn phone on

Eighth Avenue is busted but this

one.

STU:

Well, I'm not through! Go in a

restaurant or someplace, but get

away from me!

FELICIA:

I'm gonna pull you out of that

booth and snatch you ballheaded!

She tries to pull open the sliding door to the booth but Stu

jams it shut, right on her hand.

FELICIA:

You assaulted my person.

STU:

Let me hear from your lawyer!

FELICIA:

You're hear alright. I'm coming

back. And your ass better not be

around.

She stalks off obviously in search of assistance.

VOICE:

Good work, Stu. Now let me see you

dial. Tuck the receiver under your

chin and dial your remote.

STU:

I'm doing it.

He punches in the digits. The phone rings -- and rings.

STU:

I told you she was out.

VOICE:

Let it ring.

Then a girl's voice is heard.

KELLY'S VOICE

Shepard residence.

VOICE:

Hold it close to the receiver so I

can hear.

KELLY'S VOICE

Hello?

STU:

Honey, it's me.

KELLY'S VOICE

What's taking you so long? I

thought we were having some lunch

at Mario's?

STU:

Change of plan. We're not eating

in that dump any more.

KELLY'S VOICE

How come?

STU:

The Health Department gave them a

'C' rating -- that's how come.

Here I'm trying to put the place on

the map and he fucks it all up with

a major roach problem.

KELLY'S VOICE

That's disgusting. Okay, I'll fix

us a sandwich. Where are you now?

STU:

Just in a phone booth.

KELLY'S VOICE

How come? The caller ID says

you're on your cellular.

STU:

Oh yeah, I am.

KELLY'S VOICE

But you're also in some phone

booth?

VOICE:

Explain that one, Stu.

STU:

I only stepped in because the

traffic was so loud outside.

KELLY'S VOICE

Well just hurry on back.

VOICE:

Tell her you can't.

STU:

Not for a few minutes.

KELLY'S VOICE

Are you sure you're alone? I hear

somebody in the background.

STU:

The guy in the next booth. He's

got a bad connection and he's

hollering his fool head off.

VOICE:

You've got an answer for

everything.

STU:

I love you, baby.

KELLY'S VOICE

Do you?

STU:

You know that.

KELLY'S VOICE

Stu -- who was that man?

STU:

What man?

KELLY'S VOICE

Some person who phoned fifteen

minutes ago -- just after you went

out.

STU:

I don't understand...

KELLY'S VOICE

This total stranger rang up and

told me to wait by the phone --

because you'd be calling me in a

few minutes -- from a booth. And I

said what would he be doing in any

phone booth?

STU:

And what did this guy say?

KELLY'S VOICE

He said you'd be making phone

calls. What else?

STU:

Making calls is part of my

business.

KELLY'S VOICE

To whom?

STU:

Clients. People. Planting items

like I do.

KELLY'S VOICE

Women?

STU:

Once in a while one of them could

be a woman. I just called

"Elaine's" and talked to her to see

who was in there last night.

KELLY'S VOICE

You know exactly what I mean.

STU:

You're not going to start that sh*t

again?

KELLY'S VOICE

I just feel something is wrong.

STU:

What could be wrong?

KELLY'S VOICE

The way you sound. You don't sound

like yourself.

STU:

Yeah? Who do I sound like?

KELLY'S VOICE

Someone who's scared. There's fear

in your voice like I've never heard

before.

VOICE:

See, Stu? Kelly agrees with me.

KELLY'S VOICE

I want you to come back home. Now!

STU:

I told you. In a while.

KELLY'S VOICE

No. I want you here now. In case

he calls back, I don't want to

answer again.

STU:

Why should he call back?

KELLY'S VOICE

I feel like he's going to.

STU:

You're the one that sounds

frightened. And of nobody.

KELLY'S VOICE

He's not a nobody. He knows about

us.

STU:

You're not telling me all he said.

What are you holding back?

KELLY'S VOICE

I can't discuss it on the phone.

Just get over here!

CLICK! She hangs up.

STU:

(into pay phone)

Why did you do that to her? She

never did you any harm.

VOICE:

How would you know? Everybody does

harm to somebody. And then they

try their best to forget it.

STU:

Maybe me -- but not her. Whatever

I've done, there's no reason to

take it out on her.

VOICE:

Suppose that's the only way I can

get to you? You claim you love

her.

STU:

Yeah, I do.

VOICE:

You don't even love yourself.

STU:

But Kelly... I would never hurt.

VOICE:

Still you have to uphold your

status as an honorary a**hole.

STU:

Listen, I've treated all my women

decent. I never laid a hand on any

of them, even when provoked. And I

always let them down easy.

(beat)

I'm not ready to let Kelly go.

Maybe I never will be.

VOICE:

What if she dumps you first?

What's the odds she's already taken

up with somebody? One day soon

you'll come home and find her gone

along with the CD player and the

VCR.

STU:

I'm not gonna let you mind-f*** me

all day! That's it. This call is

ended.

VOICE:

Not until I say it is.

STU:

What happens if I hang up?

VOICE:

You don't really want to find out.

STU:

I'm dying to hear this!!! What the

f*** can you do about it -- up in

your f***ing high window with your

goddam binoculars?

VOICE:

I never indicated I had binoculars.

I said I had a highly magnified

telescopic image of you that

brought you up so close I could see

where you nicked yourself under the

chin shaving this morning.

STU:

Oh -- while you're at it, have a

look up my ass.

VOICE:

I may very well do that, Stu. In

the meantime, think about what kind

of device has a telescopic sight

mounted on it.

STU:

What? You mean... like a rifle?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes