The Ice Storm Page #13

PAUL:

Check it out. Not for the faint of

heart.

FRANCIS:

Pharmaceutical! You are a god.

PAUL (CONT'D)

(picking up beer, trying

to hurry before Libbets

returns)

One for you and one for me.

He hands a pill to Francis, then pretends to pop one into his

mouth and takes a swig of his beer. As Francis downs his own,

Paul pockets his unswallowed pill.

LIBBETS:

(in the doorway)

No candy for me?

FRANCIS:

Groovy.

(to Paul)

Young master of the revels, a treat

for our hostess?

PAUL:

Well, uh, I don't, it's really --

LIBBETS:

What is it?

FRANCIS:

Come on Paulie, share the wealth.

You copped 'em from her mom's stash

anyway.

LIBBETS:

Let's see!

PAUL:

(hand in pocket)

Libbets, you really shouldn't mix

and match, you know with the beer.

I'll put 'em back.

Libbets reaches into his pocket and pulls out the bottle.

LIBBETS:

Oh far out, Paulie. Hey look, these

expired like five months ago. You

think they're better aged?

She opens up the bottle and takes one out.

PAUL:

Maybe you should have just a half.

LIBBETS:

Thanks for the advice dad.

She takes the pill.

Paul looks on, thwarted.

INT. HALFORD'S. NIGHT

Ben is back at the bar, pouring another tall one. Mark Boland

sidles up next to him.

BOLAND:

Benjie, feeling no pain.

BEN:

As the Indian saying goes, pain is

merely an opinion.

BOLAND:

(nodding across the room)

Hey -- check it out. Maria Conrad's

brought her son.

(walking off)

I wish some of the gang had brought

their daughters!

Ben feels a wave of distaste at the joke.

He looks across the room as Maria and her son Neil (stringy

hair, acne, tie-dyed turtleneck, patched jeans) are engaging

Janey and Philip Edwards in conversation.

INT. LIBBETS' APARTMENT. NIGHT

Paul, Francis, and Libbets sit on the floor, listening to the

music blasting at full strength.

Libbets and Francis are obviously on the verge of

unconsciousness. Paul regards them with a look of

apprehension on his face.

INT. HALFORD'S. NIGHT

Neil has now cornered Janey.

NEIL:

As Werner says, there is nothing to

get. That's It. When you get that

there's nothing to get. That's the

training, when you ask yourself,

the question, "What is is?"

JANEY:

Wait, this is the training, where

they don't let you go to the

bathroom?

NEIL:

That was the hardest part. But I

did it. And you get into some far

out sh*t.

INT. LIBBETS' APARTMENT. NIGHT

Libbets puts a blanket over a sleeping Francis, who's crashed

out on the floor in a corner. Francis alternates between

snores and various mumbled delirious ravings.

FRANCIS:

The foot... the foot... toeclipper

man...

Paul is sitting on the couch, and Libbets comes back and sits

at his feet, facing up to him.

PAUL:

I guess he's just real exhausted

from, you know, tests and stuff.

Libbets is herself somewhat in dreamland.

LIBBETS:

Yeah.

PAUL:

You know Libbets, I really feel,

you know, like a real connection to

you --

LIBBETS:

Yeah but you don't even know me

really.

PAUL:

Sure I do, you know, like your

aura. That you give off.

LIBBETS:

My what?

PAUL:

It's like very positive, and I feel

a real special feeling, because you

really --

LIBBETS:

And I have a special feeling too,

because I do. It's special.

PAUL:

You do? I'm glad. Because I feel

for you --

LIBBETS:

And I have a feeling for you too,

because you're just like -- I feel

for you like you're -- you're just

like --

PAUL AND LIBBETS

(simultaneously)

-- like a brother.

PAUL:

Yeah, you're not alone with that

line.

LIBBETS:

I do.

PAUL:

Right. Cool. So, how about we take

a bath together?

LIBBETS:

(consciousness fading

fast)

Hah hah you're funny. A bath. Like

a brother and sister. Oh man, I'm

so wasted.

Her head bobs and weaves, her eyes close, and suddenly her

head falls forward with a whoosh toward the couch -- smack

dab between Paul's legs.

She begins to snore instantly, her open mouth nuzzling into

his crotch.

Paul doesn't move, doesn't even breathe. Then, slowly, he

leans his back into the couch, without shifting the rest of

his body.

He looks as though he has simultaneously won the lottery and

received a lobotomy.

INT. HALFORD'S. NIGHT

The crowd's a bit thinner than before.

As Dot Halford begins calling out for everyone's attention, a

few couples make their last-minute way to the door.

DOT:

OK everyone. We have a little

business to attend to now. So

everyone who'd like to stay, please

gather in the living room.

She scoops up the bowl and places it on a high end table

which has been put in the middle of the room.

BEN:

(walking up to Elena)

Ready to go?

ELENA:

We're not going anywhere.

Elena waves at Janey Williams, who is standing across the

living room.

Janey looks back without expression.

INT. LIBBETS' APARTMENT. NIGHT

Libbets and Paul in the same position whence last we saw

them.

Paul delicately leans to one side of the couch and picks up a

phone. He dials a number.

INTERCUT:

INT. HOOD LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

The phone rings. Wendy picks it up.

WENDY:

Hood residence.

PAUL:

(whispering)

Charles, what time is it?

WENDY:

Is this Charles?

PAUL:

What time is it?

WENDY:

Um, ten-o-five. Why? Where are you?

PAUL:

I'm, uh, in the midst of a moral

dilemma. And I was wondering,

because I know you're a very moral

person, and --

WENDY:

And?

PAUL:

Sh*t. I can't really talk about it.

I guess I better get to the train.

WENDY:

Right.

PAUL:

What are you doing at home on a

Friday night?

WENDY:

I have plans.

Paul hangs up the phone and looks down at Libbets.

Libbets' Allman Brothers tape has run out. The machine makes

a repeated clicking sound as the take up real continues to

circle. The only other sound is the noise of the wind and

rain lashing against the apartment's windows.

EXT. HOOD HOUSE. NIGHT

Wendy emerges from the house and gets on her bike, but the

ice makes it too slippery. The storm is now in full swing.

She gets off and walks.

EXT. STREET. NIGHT

Wendy walks, barely keeping her balance in the wind.

INT. HALFORD'S NIGHT

All the couples are now gathered for the key selection

process, men on one side of the room, women on the other. The

storm can be heard outside.

DOT:

Well, what shall the order be,

alphabetical? In order of

appearance?

PIERCE SAWYER:

Golf handicap! Lowest handicap does

the honors.

Nervous laughter.

DOT:

Golf handicap? Ladies, isn't it up

to you?

MARIA CONRAD:

Oh I'll go first, damn it. Let's

just line up and get it over with.

Maria chooses Stephen Earle. Hands the keys to him. A

smattering of applause as she takes his arm and they leave.

MARIE EARLE:

Good luck!

Neil watches his mother's exit.

JUMP CUT TO:

A few more couplings.

JUMP CUT TO:

Helen Worthington approaches the bowl. Helen Worthington has

the size and shape of a sumo wrestler.

There is a nervous shifting of weight on the male side of the

room.

Helen delicately reaches into the bowl. Her hands emerge with

a key chain.

George Clair steps forward, obviously depressed, as a

collective sigh of relief goes up from behind him. Ben looks

on, momentarily triumphant.

Elena smiles to herself.

JUMP CUT TO:

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