Short Term 12 Page #14

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JESSICA:

What?

GRACE:

Get ready for this.

MASON:

Okay, just in time. I’m gonna startat the beginning, okay. So, threeyears ago, right, we have this girlhere named, Liza Green, she’s 17,

older than everybody else in theunit at the time, and I don't meanthis in a pervy way or anything,

but she’s real pretty.

Mason looks to Grace for assurance.

GRACE:

She was gorgeous.

MASON:

All the guys on the unit want herbut she won’t give any of 'em thetime of day ‘cause she was busy,

she was always studying.

GRACE:

She was very smart.

MASON:

Really smart. So, two weeks beforeshe turns 18 and leaves, we getthis new intake. This 15-year-oldguy, he’s really tough, reallyquiet, but he’s cool, he’s justkind of like kicking back andchecking out the scene. And I

swear I didn't hear him say a wordthe whole first week he was here.

But then one day, we’re doing acommunity meeting, and we ask forannouncements, and this guy raiseshis hand. And he looks directly atLiza Green and he says, "I know

you don't know me and I just gothere, but I just wanna say thatI've been watching you and I thinkyou're the most interesting thingabout this place. And I'm reallysad I'm not going to get to knowyou before you leave. I justwanted to tell you that."

Mason motions to Grace to confirm his quote.

NATE:

What a pimp. What did she say?

MASON:

Nothing. Nothing, it got so

f***ing awkward I couldn't stand

it, and then she left and never

talked to him, and the kids teased

him for like a year about it.

NATE:

Ah, that blows.

MASON:

Nah, he didn't give a sh*t. Didn't

even phase him. Like he knew

something everybody else didn't.

NATE:

Who was this guy?

MASON:

That was Marcus.

JESSICA:

What! I never heard this story.

GRACE:

Oh, wait. It gets so much better.

MASON:

Yeah, yeah. So check this out.

Grace and I are getting coffee at

Ronnie's this morning, and we walk

in, and who do we see sittin' there

alone at a table, Marcus.

JESSICA:

How's he doing?

MASON:

He looks great.

GRACE:

He’s so good.

MASON:

Button-up shirt, he was sipping on

a cappuccino.

NATE:

Marcus drinks cappuccinos?

GRACE:

Apparently now he does.

Grace nods.

MASON:

So we’re talking to him and we’re

catching up and he’s telling us

about his new job at the aquarium

and how much he takes home in tips

and how he's gonna start applying

for classes next semester and it’s

weird ‘cause I’m like, I have not

heard Marcus talk this much ever

since I met him. Like what is the

deal? Is he excited to see us? Is

he nervous about something? And

that’s when I notice there’s

another cappuccino on the table and

an empty chair next to him.

They're all glued to Mason's every word.

MASON (CONT’D)

And then, just like in the f***ing

movies, the bathroom door flings

open and out walks Liza Green!

Everyone is smiling to the point of tears.

NATE:

They were on a date?

GRACE:

It was like their 5th one.

MASON:

Yeah, and as soon as she sits down,

dude just goes beat red, soembarrassed.

GRACE:

(to Jessica)

It was so cute.

MASON:

It was so f***ing cute I almostpissed my pants.

GRACE:

Oh Jess, they look so happy

together.

MASON:

So happy. And there she is-

BOOM! The door from the unit flies open and Sammy comesrunning out in his underwear, holding his big American flagover his head, screaming at the top of his lungs.

SAMMY:

YOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!

GRACE:

Here we go.

Grace takes off after him. Mason, Jessica, and Nate try tokeep up.

Grace leads, hair blowing as she runs, gaining speed withevery step.

As she does, the sound of the wind grows louder, rushing pasther ears, slowly drowning out all other sounds until all shecan hear is the wind against her face.

FADE TO BLACK:

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