Short Term 12

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EXT. GROUP HOME, COTTAGE -- MORNING

Standing in a circle is MASON, late-20s, a hug-able bear witha good heart and sense of humor. JESSICA, 20s with aclipboard, quiet, confident and looks like she could kicksome ass, and NATE, 20s, skinny and nervous as hell.

MASON:

Yeah, I mean, day one’s always alittle tough. It’s like, you know,

no matter how the training goes,

there’s always room for somethingthat’s just totally unpredictable.

(realizing)

Oh, I’ve got a pretty good storyfor you if you’re ready for it.

NATE:

Ok.

JESSICA:

Hey, what’s up?

NATE:

Hey.

MASON:

Did you guys meet?

NATE:

No. Nate.

JESSICA:

Hi.

NATE:

Hey.

JESSICA:

Jessica.

NATE:

...Jessica.

MASON:

Okay, listen up, so, this was like,

my first week on the job, and I'm

at gate duty.

NATE:

What's that?

Grace hops off her bike and walks it up to a small groupstanding outside of the building.

Grace jumps in. Mason sees her for the first time.

GRACE:

If a kid wants to leave, legally,

we can’t stop them. So we putsomeone at the gate to try to talkthem out of it.

MASON:

Whoa. You got here quick.

GRACE:

Yes I did. Good morning.

JESSICA:

Hi.

MASON:

Nate, this is Grace, she’s your newboss.

GRACE:

Oh.

NATE:

Hey.

GRACE:

Hi. Nice to meet you.

NATE:

Nice to meet you.

She shakes Nate's hand.

GRACE:

I would lose the tie if I were you.

And if you’re listening to a storyof Mason’s, understand that there’svery little reality in it.

MASON:

Hey, don't piss in the water beforewe put our toes in.

Jessica hands Grace a clipboard of the night's report.

JESSICA:

(to Grace)

Night shift was pretty mellow.

She goes through it as Mason entertains.

MASON:

Okay, so, Grace, my wonderful newboss at the time. She leaves me at

my gate duty for like 3 hourswithout a bathroom break, and I'mdying, because I ate the tacos thatthey serve here, and she failed totell me that they're a knownlaxative. So, this kid, 16 yearsold, this big f***ing intimidatingdude, he’s like a foot taller thanme, he walks up, and he justcruises out the gate. It’s mysecond day, so I don’t know whatthe hell is going on, but Grace?

She’s standing right there and shejust let’s it happen.

GRACE:

(interrupting)

Whatever, what I saw was Mason justsitting there, and Wesley smilingat me from the opposite side of thegate, because he knows that wecan't touch him.

NATE:

Why not?

GRACE:

Once they’re a foot outside thegate we can't touch 'em.

MASON:

So Grace tells me to follow him, soI do. For hours, just walking, 8feet behind him. Eventually, hegets on this bus, so, I get on thebus too. And at this point, Ican't think of anything butwhatever the hell these tacos are

doing to my bowels, so I make up mymind, f*** this, I got to get offat the next stop or I'm going tolose it in my shorts right in frontof all these people. And exactlyas I make this decision, Wesleyleans his big-ass head over to mefrom across the aisle and he saysreally calm, "I'm getting off atthe next stop, and if you do too,

I'm going to rip your f***ing ballsoff and feed 'em to you."

NATE:

Holy sh*t.

GRACE:

Remember what I said.

MASON:

(to Grace)

Hey now, this part is true, I was

there.

GRACE:

Really? Are you sure?

MASON:

Yeah.

(to Nate)

So, bus stops. He gets off. I

wait a second, I go over to the

door, but he’s just standing there

on the sidewalk like 10 feet away,

staring at me, waiting. What can I

do? I have no other choice. So, I

step off the bus, and the second

that my feet touch the ground, it

is like a knot in my a**hole

unties, and the fiesta in my

stomach just comes pouring down my

legs.

Jessica, Nate and Grace can’t help buy laugh.

MASON (CONT’D)

So I’m just standing there, sh*t

gushing down my thighs, I ruin my

f***in’ favorite Nike’s, and

Wesley’s just there, doubled over,

losing it. I mean, he’s f***in’

laughing so hard -

BOOM! The door from the unit flies open and Sammy comesrunning out in his underwear, swinging his doll around.

SAMMY:

Wooooohooooo!!!!

He takes off into the yard. Grace immediately takes offafter him. Mason follows right behind.

MASON:

Here we go Nate!

NATE:

Wait, what?

GRACE:

Come on, Nate!

Nate looks to Jessica, real nervous.

JESSICA:

Go!

Nate runs after them.

Grace and Mason begin to gain on Sammy.

GRACE:

Sammy!

Sammy fakes them out a couple of times, making them work forit.

Grace finally gets close enough to grab him. Sammy hoots,

like he's having a blast.

Mason grabs his arm.

SAMMY:

Let me go you f***ing perverts!

Nate catches up.

GRACE:

Nate, grab his feet please.

Nate nervously follows directions, grabbing the boy's feet.

Together, Mason and Nate force him to sit down on the grass.

Sammy SCREAMS!

MASON:

We're just going to sit down hereon the grass until you de-escalate.

SAMMY:

De-escalate my a**hole you duckfuckers!

The three sit down in the grass as Mason smiles to himself.

MASON:

I'm not quite sure what you mean bythat.

Grace holds Sammy's feet.

GRACE:

You know the drill Sammy, just letit pass.

Sammy keeps struggling, but quickly realizes he can't doanything.

MASON:

You alright buddy?

Sammy breathes heavily.

MASON (CONT’D)

You got pretty far that time, Ithink it’s a new record.

The three sit until things calm down.

And when it's finally calm, Mason continues like nothinghappened.

MASON (CONT’D)

So anyway, after all that, he endsup coming back with me, but onlybecause he’s so excited to tell

everyone on our unit that I poopedmy pants. And he does. He tells

everyone, somehow it even got backto my mom. You heard that story,

right Sammy?

Sammy catches his breath...he shakes his head "no", then nods"yes", then no again.

JESSICA:

How you guys doing over there!

Jessica watches them from the door.

MASON:

Fantastic!

GRACE:

How ya feeling Sammy? You got itall out?

Sammy looks exhausted.

GRACE (CONT’D)

You wanna go take a nap?

Sammy nods.

GRACE (CONT’D)

Alright. Let’s get you up.

(to Nate)

Alright, i’ll see you back at theoffice.

Nate nods nervously as she walks off.

MASON:

Welcome to Short Term 12, man.

Mason stands Sammy up.

NATE:

Alright.

CREDIT SEQUENCE INTRODUCING THE GROUP HOME

INT. COOL DOWN ROOM -- MORNING

A static shot of the "Cool Down Room," a toy punching bagbobbing in the center.

INT. GIRL'S ROOM 1 -- MORNING

A large girl, lies in bed, feet on the wall, head hanging off

the side, looking at the world upside down, filing her nailswith a non-metal file.

INT. GIRL'S BATHROOM -- MORNING

A girl sits on the toilet (fully clothed) with wet hairwrapped in a towel, applying Nair to her legs.

INT. GIRL'S ROOM 2 -- MORNING

One girl braids another girl's hair.

INT. MARCUS' ROOM -- MORNING

MARCUS, 17, an intimidating quiet presence, sits on his bed

reading a science book. He pinches some worms into afishbowl and watches his pet fighting fish gobble them up.

INT. LUIS' ROOM -- MORNING

LUIS, 15, sleeps in bed with a pillow between his legs,

drooling on his sheets. Family photos cover his wall.

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