Senior Year

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INT. RUBY SUE’S ROOM - MORNING

Three outfits laid out on a bed: shoulder pads, bright

colors, crazy patterns. All very 90s.

RUBY SUE CONWAY (17) twirls her hair as she ponders which one

to wear. Flawless skin, perfect body, piercing eyes - she’s

every boy’s dream.

RUBY SUE:

(to herself)

First Day. Senior year. Most

important decision of your life.

MOM CONWAY (O.S.)

Ruby Sue! Breakfast is ready!

RUBY SUE:

I heard you the first time! What

the f***!?

She cranks up the volume on her radio - Third Eye Blind’s

Semi-charmed life drowns out her mother’s retort.

ON SCREEN CHYRON: 1997

She reaches for the most dated outfit of the three.

EXT. RUBY SUE’S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

A red convertible screeches to a halt. Ruby’s best friend

BRIE and her boyfriend CAM are chilling in the back seat.

Behind the wheel, Ruby’s boyfriend: BLAINE BARNES (17), star

quarterback. Square jaw, chin dimple, Top Gun attitude. He

rocks sideburns like a young Luke Perry.

Ruby Sue hops over the door and gets busy making out with

Blaine right away. He floors it, mid face suck.

BRIE AND CAM:

Woooo! Seniors!

Brie and Cam raise their arms in victory. The car speeds away

as Third Eye Blind plays us out.

INT. HARDING HIGH - HALLWAY - MORNING

A locker door slams. Reveal: Ruby Sue and Brie.

RUBY SUE:

This is our year, Brie.

2.

BRIE:

Totally. So fresh.

As they stroll down the hallway...

RUBY SUE:

It’s just like we dreamed it. Me as

prom queen. You as my friend.

Nothing’s gonna get in our way.

They turn the corner and see...

The new girl, TIFFANY BAXTER (17): big hair, big breasts,

prom queen dreams and she’s talking to Blaine. Her

flirtatious, over the top laughter finds its way to...

RUBY SUE (CONT’D)

What. The. Slut!?

BRIE:

Remember Tiffany Baxter from cheer

camp? She moved into our district.

No big.

RUBY SUE:

No big?! Seriously? They look

pretty f***ing big to me.

BRIE:

Yeah, her tits grew like two full

cup sizes, but whatever. Big tits

are like... so last year. Guys like

eyebrows now.

RUBY SUE:

Yeah? When’s the last time a guy

tried to feel up your eyebrows?

Leaving Brie without an answer, she marches toward Tiffany.

BRIE:

Don’t even sweat it, Ruby.

RUBY SUE:

I’m not even sweating it! As if...

(abruptly)

Hey Blaine!

TIFFANY:

Hey, Ruby Sue!

Pretending that she just now notices Tiffany...

3.

RUBY SUE:

Oh hi. Who are you?

TIFFANY:

Really? Cheer camp. Every summer

for the last five years...

RUBY SUE:

Rachel?

TIFFANY:

Tiffany.

RUBY SUE:

But you look like a Rachel. You

should think about that. Names are

important.

(off Tiffany’s look)

Can you excuse me for a second

while I talk to my boyfriend?

She positions herself between Tiffany and Blaine.

RUBY SUE (CONT’D)

We need to talk about what we’re

wearing to prom this year! Have you

thought about it?

BLAINE:

It’s the first day of school, Ruby.

He looks past Ruby, making eye contact with Tiffany.

BLAINE (CONT’D)

I mean... a lot can happen between

now and then.

RUBY SUE:

I know! I’m just saying. I want us

to look good in our crowns.

BLAINE:

Seriously, Ruby? Is that all you

think about?

The bell rings. As the hallway clears...

BLAINE (CONT’D)

I gotta go to history or math or

something.

RUBY SUE:

You’re starting quarterback, you

don’t have to go to class!

4.

Ruby Sue, left alone in the hallway, checks her look in the

reflection of a trophy case.

Push through the reflection, revealing: photos of prom kings

and queens from years gone by.

INT. HARDING HIGH - CHEMISTRY CLASS

Students funnel into class. SETH NOVACELIK (17) stares at

Ruby Sue from across the room. Black t-shirt, black jeans,

very metal. His best attempt at not being awkward.

He puts his books down next to his best friend, ODIE (17).

ODIE:

Seth, what are you doing?

SETH:

I’m sitting next to my best friend.

What are you doing?

Odie physically lifts Seth out of the chair.

ODIE:

I cracked the code. I know how he

picks the lab partners. I can pair

us up with the girls of our dreams.

Odie looks over at the CHEMISTRY TEACHER (50s).

ODIE (CONT’D)

He does it the same way every

class. Total number of kids, divide

it by 2, then we count off. Ones

pair with threes, twos pair with

fours. Is any of this making sense?

We see what Seth sees: little numbers appear over each

student’s head as he does the math.

SETH:

So my partner would be...

Seth’s number matches up with a FAT KID picking his nose.

SETH (CONT’D)

Oh Jesus God, no. Not Glenn.

Seth looks over at Ruby Sue.

ODIE (O.S)

Unlimited spank material with an

outside shot at hand joes.

5.

The number above Ruby Sue’s head sparkles. The same number

hovers over an empty seat on the other side of the room. A

KID ON CRUTCHES inches his towards the open seat.

ODIE (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Thank me later.

ON SETH:

Sprinting for the seat. He goes airborne. The kid on crutches

positions himself to sit down. Seth lowers his shoulder and

takes the kid out. Blind-sided, the kid hits the floor. Seth

sits down, composing himself.

KID ON CRUTCHES:

(making a scene)

Are you serious, Novacelik!? That

was my seat.

SETH:

(under his breath)

Just take it easy, man. Hold on.

He goes in his pocket and hands the kid some bills.

KID ON CRUTCHES:

Two dollars!

CHEMISTRY TEACHER

Is there a problem here, fellas?

SETH KID ON CRUTCHES

Nope. This prick took my seat!

Ruby Sue looks back at them, making accusatory eye contact at

Seth. He quickly averts his gaze.

CHEMISTRY TEACHER (CONT’D)

We’re gonna be switching seats in a

minute to pair up for lab partners

so it really doesn’t matter where

you sit right now.

Seth looks back at Odie. Odie winks at him, knowingly.

The chemistry teacher walks back up front. The kid jabs Seth

in the ribs with the knob of his crutch.

KID ON CRUTCHES:

F*** you, Novacelik. F***ing creep.

Seth takes the shot and cringes. We fade out as the teacher

starts his count.

6.

INT. CHEMISTRY CLASS - LATER

Seth, now sharing a desk with Ruby Sue spots Odie at a desk

with Brie. The plan worked. They silently celebrate, flashing

heavy metal horns to each other.

They stop as soon as the girls look up. Once the boys put

their heads down, the girls make gag faces at each other.

SETH:

Some of these assignments might

require us to meet up outside of

class. So you’ll have to pick me

up. Still working on the license.

RUBY SUE:

Look, I don’t know what kind of

scam you and your weirdo friend

pulled back there to get partner’d

with me and Brie... but it tells me

you’re pretty smart.

SETH:

Guilty.

RUBY SUE:

This chemistry stuff probably comes

really easy for you doesn’t it?

SETH:

I mean, yeah. I don’t drink or

smoke or go to parties or anything

like that so my brain is like, you

know, laser focused.

RUBY SUE:

You’re really amazing like a little

bit. I’m terrible at science.

She touches his arm. A jizz rocket shoots down his spine.

RUBY SUE (CONT'D)

Get me an A in this class and I’m

gonna owe you a lot of favors.

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