The Monster Squad Page #2

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6.

INT. THE FEELINGS ROOM

A small classroom, done up in muted blues and browns.

Construction-paper letters spell out hokey words of

inspiration, scattered between motivational posters from the

late 1980's. One reads "WRAP YOUR ARMS AROUND THE WORLD."

Another reads "SHAME AND FEELINGS ARE NOT THE SAME THING."

Mr. Combs sits atop a stool at the front of the room,

speaking.

MR. COMBS

... all you hear from your peers,

your parents... particularly your

fathers, right? They say that it's

not cool to express how you feel,

that emotions aren't something to

be proud of. They say, "curl it up,

man. Don't resent me."

Liam slumps over at a desk, glassy-eyed.

MR. COMBS

Liam, you try to express yourself

artistically... and what do you get

told? That it's not "normal"

behavior. And it makes you want to

lash out. And I say... that's

valid.

Two seats to Liam's left is D'JUAN HOUSTON, age FIFTEEN, a

sharp-looking African-American kid. He taps his pencil, also

bored stiff.

MR. COMBS

D'Juan, you might have some

resentment towards your brother for

making the professional choices

that he has...

7.

but even if he's turned his back on

his hometown to go live it up and

play ball for Eastern, and made

life here twice as hard for you as

a result, then... we just take a

deep breath, and say... let it be.

MR. COMBS(cont'd)

D'JUAN

Borcoult started up with that

"Benedict Houston" bullshit again,

Mr. Combs. With all due respect to

you doing your job... someone comes

at me with that, ten times outta

ten, someone's getting rawed in the

face.

MR. COMBS

Then at least we've got something

to work with, right? And David...

Chud...

To D'Juan's left is a third boy: moon-faced and stocky,

hunched over his desk. David "Chud" Carruthers, age fourteen.

MR. COMBS

... you've got a lot of issues to

deal with. Which could be a good

thing.

Mr. Combs rises from his stool, pacing about the front of the

room as he speaks.

MR. COMBS

Just to say it... I do cherish the

time that we spend in here

together. That's me being honest.

But the world's a big concept.

Bigger than me, or you, or this

room... and sometimes it's easy to

lose sight of that fact.

8.

But if you keep your eyes down on

the negative, the dark and heavy

things... boys, you're going to

MR. COMBS(cont'd)

miss out on a lot of beauty.

Dramatically, Combs DRAGS on the cord for the blinds, jerking

them upward. The view through the windows is as follows: half-

bare trees, the toxic smoke-column from the bay, and an OLD

WOMAN scolding her dog as it squats over the school's front

lawn. Combs lets the blinds drop, just as sharply.

MR. COMBS

Anyways... okay. Life is what

happens when you're making plans

for-

The classroom's door BANGS INWARD, suddenly. In walks COACH

STEELE, a severe-looking ex-jock in his early fifties, a sh*t-

licking grin on his face. His fist is cinched around the

collar of the army jacket worn by DEACON MEANS, sixteen, with

stringy black hair and a charmingly burned-out demeanor.

MR. COMBS

Coach Steele.

COACH STEELE:

Mr. Combs. Dropping off your trash.

Found this one hiding behind the

cafeteria, snaking a smoke...

Steele shoves Deacon forward. The teenager seats himself as

far away from the others as possible, dropping into a slouch

and tugging up the hood of his sweatshirt.

DEACON:

Oh, I wasn't hiding.

COACH STEELE:

Shut up, Means.

9.

MR. COMBS

Okay. Thank you, Coach... though

I'm not really sure that words like

"trash" are-

COACH STEELE:

Mr. Combs. That's the only PG-rated

word that comes to mind when

discussing your regulars.

Steele chuckles to himself, backing up to the door.

COACH STEELE:

Oh, and Means? Next time I catch

you on the slide, you better hope

Combs is close enough to hear you

hollering. Dig?

DEACON:

(sarcastically)

Dig it, badger.

Steele slams the door behind him, sending papers scattering

from Combs' desk. Combs wearily goes about picking them up.

MR. COMBS

Now, see? That could be an

excellent example of what happens

to feelings when they go

unexpressed, and get pent up.

.

DEACON:

Or when an employer doesn't do

background checks.

MR. COMBS

Deacon. Please. As we were

discussing... expressing ourselves.

I have a little video here...

Audible GROANS, as Mr. Combs produces a battered old VHS

sleeve and tape.

10.

MR. COMBS

Yes, yes, it's a little 'cheesy'

and a little 'eighties,' but the

message... I think... is pretty

timeless. It's called "An Inquiry

of the Spirit," and it's about

twenty minutes long.

Combs fiddles with an A/V TOWER at the front of the room,

inserting the tape and flipping on the television.

MR. COMBS

I think you can handle it. I'll be

back in a bit.

Wobbly synth music chirps up as the movie starts: a blurry,

aged graphic with the film's title. As the boys settle into

their slumps and sour expressions, the HOST appears: bad

hair, bad moustache, bad lycra workout suit, seated cross-

legged in a cheap set that's styled to look like a Japanese

garden. The text beneath him reads "DAVE YOUNG - EMOTIONAL

CARTOGRAPHER."

DAVE YOUNG:

Emotions... the unspoken language

of the universe. Whether it's

plants, animals, or the invisible

chakras of life on this planet...

D'Juan turns in his seat, facing Deacon, who has been

grinning at the back of his head the whole time.

D'JUAN

You need help with something?

DEACON:

I'm just curious. Jocks usually

have a bye on winding up in here.

CHUD:

Ex-jock.

11.

The boys shift their attention to Chud, as he also turns

towards Deacon.

CHUD:

He got suspended from the

basketball team last week.

DEACON:

(amused)

Oh, my. By Coach Steele? Tsk.

D'JUAN

Yeah. I missed the part where you

explain why you give a sh*t?

DEACON:

Well... I don't, see. But it's that

kind of reckless show of free will

that moves a guy from one rung of

the social ladder to the next one

down... one day, you're doing pick

and rolls and copping feels off

cheerleaders, and the next thing

you know...

Deacon gestures at the screen, where David Young is engaging

in a series of exaggerated BREATHING EXERCISES; panting and

stretching from the lotus position.

DEACON:

You're one of Combs kids.

D'JUAN

Difference being that I'm in here

for standing up for myself, not

because the principal thinks I'm

gonna burn the school down.

DEACON:

It starts slow.

12.

D'JUAN

Wisdoms from a guy who got held

back two years and lives in a

junkyard? You should make your own

video, Means.

DEACON:

(mock-gasp)

He knows my name!

Chud has been fishing around in his backpack during the

exchange. He pulls out a DVD case and holds it up.

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