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INT – JOHN’S FORD FIESTA – NIGHT

 

TITLE: 122nd AVENUE.  Thursday, August 24, 2000.  12:55AM

 

JOHN and JEFF are heading to 7-11 for Slurpees.  

 

JEFF

So who do you need?

 

JOHN

Just Ben Greive then I have the whole set.

 

JEFF

Well we just passed 7-11.

 

JOHN

No, no, we need to go to the one on Division.  That’s the only one I haven’t tried yet.  

 

JEFF

We’re driving all the way to Division just to get a Slurpee?

 

JOHN

Yep.  So you’ll let me have your coin?

 

JEFF

Sure, whatever.

JOHN

Do you even like Slurpees?  I thought you hated ice?

 

JEFF

It’s different.  The ice in Slurpees doesn’t water the sweetness down.

 

JOHN

Yeah but you want it cold don’t you? 

 

JEFF shakes his head.

 

JEFF

You don’t get it, but that’s okay.

 

JEFF (V.O)

I don’t see how John has enough money to hunt the bottom of cups for baseball coins when he owes me twenty bucks, but that’s John for ya.

 

JEFF looks out at the passing telephone poles.  Band concert posters plaster all over them.  

 

JEFF (CONT’D)

Why don’t they just start making telephone poles out of corkboard to make it easier?  And when everyone gets a cell phone and the poles are gone, where will these bands put their flyers?  

 

There’s no music on the stereo, simply the SPUTTER of the Fiesta’s engine.  

 

JOHN focuses on his driving and doesn’t seem to hear JEFF.

 

According to the Oil Can Henry decal on his windshield, John’s last oil change was September ’98.

 

JOHN breaks the silence:

 

JOHN

Just think how many girls we could fuck if they only liked us.

JEFF

(laughing)

Yep, if they only liked us!

 

JOHN is surprisingly miffed.

 

JOHN

Well your problem is that you won’t even give girls a chance to like you!

 

JEFF

(still laughing)

What do you mean?

 

JOHN

Take that waitress for instance, have you even asked her out yet?

 

JEFF

Well I can’t exactly take Evette out on a date.  I don’t have a car.

 

JOHN

You can use mine.

 

JEFF (V.O)

There must be a catch.

 

JEFF (CONT’D)

You’d let me?

 

JOHN

For twenty bucks.

 

JEFF

What?

 

JEFF (V.O.) (CONT’D)

I knew there’d be some sort of catch.

 

JOHN

For the twenty bucks you loaned me.  I don’t know when I’m going to be able to pay you back and you sure as hell don’t know when you’re going to buy a car.

JEFF

Hey I have to make sure Evette even wants to go out with me first.

 

JOHN spins the wheel and makes a U-turn.

 

JOHN

Well, let’s find out.  Ben Greive will have to wait!  

 

The FIESTA’S WHEELS SQUEAL as JOHN zeroes in on Pancake Hut.  

 

INT – PANCAKE HUT TABLE SIXTEEN – NIGHT

 

TITLE:  Thursday, August 24, 12:55AM

 

JOHN and JEFF are seated at table sixteen.

 

Shania Twain’s ‘If You Want to Touch Her, Ask’ is playing overhead.

 

JOHN

So when she comes over here to take our order, just ask her to a movie or something.

 

JEFF

What’s playing that a girl would like?

 

JOHN

‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.’

 

JEFF

What the hell is that?

 

JOHN

It’s a beautifully filmed ancient martial-arts love story set in Qing China.

 

JEFF

I was thinking of something more like that John Cusack movie that Lisa-Ann went to.  It’s adapted from a Nick Hornby book.  The characters even work at a record store.

JOHN

No, that’d be stupid.

 

JEFF

Well it’s playing at the Bagdad Theater for two bucks. 

 

JOHN crinkles his nose and scowls

 

JEFF (CONT’D)

Every woman loves John Cusack.

 

JOHN

Exactly my point, you don’t want her hot for John Cusack all night do you?

 

JEFF

Well I have more in common with Mr. Cusack than I do some karate chopper.

 

JOHN

It’s not karate.  Karate is hard, fast and brawny. The Kung-fu in ‘Crouching Tiger’ is soft and flowing.  It emanates an ethereal sense of power, speed and grace.

 

JEFF

Where did you read that from?

 

JOHN

Well it sure as hell wasn’t in a Nick Hornsby book!  Who is he anyway?  Is he related to the Hall-of-Fame second baseman Rogers Hornsby?

 

JEFF

No… and he’s not related to Bruce Hornsby either!

 

EVETTE arrives and sets down JEFF’S Coke with no ice.

 

JEFF

You remembered the no ice again and you haven’t even taken our orders yet!

 

The straw falls from the glass onto the table.

 

‘Ice Ice Baby’ plays.

 

EVETTE

Well you are pretty predictable.  So what’ll it be?

 

JOHN

I’ll just have a Coke—you can put as much ice in it as you want.

 

JEFF points to the straw.

 

JEFF

This is good for me, I might order something to eat later.

 

EVETTE

Okay then.

 

EVETTE grabs the menus and walks away.

 

JEFF

What do you think she meant by me being too predictable?

 

JOHN

Jeff, she means you’re not spontaneous enough.  Girls love spontaneity!  I wouldn’t be surprised if John Cusack someday did a movie called Spontaneity.

 

JEFF

Well, I’m more into ‘serendipity’ than spontaneity. 

 

JOHN

That’d be a stupid name for a movie

 

JEFF

Stupider than ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’?

 

JOHN

Sometimes stupid works.

 

EVETTE returns with JOHN’S Coke.

 

JOHN’S STRAW points to the ceiling.

EVETTE

What do you mean by stupid work?

 

JEFF

Oh, we were just talking about that new movie, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.’

 

EVETTE

I’ve been wanting to see that!

 

JEFF

It’s ‘wanted,’ not ‘been wanting.’

 

EVETTE

Maybe I was just trying to keep you on your toes!

 

JEFF (V.O.)

Why do I always snack on my feet when she’s around?  Okay, I have enough courage.  Here goes…  

 

JEFF (CONT’D)

Hey, maybe we could go?

 

EVETTE

Yeah, what night do you guys have off?

 

JEFF

Uh, well I have Fridays, Sundays and Mondays off.

 

EVETTE

That’s a cool schedule! 

 

JEFF

Well I work four ten-hour days at Power.

 

EVETTE

I could go Sunday night with you guys.

 

JEFF

(nodding affirmatively)

Cool!

 

JOHN

Well that’s football, but I can miss the preseason games.

 

JEFF scowls at JOHN as his affirming nod quickly evolves into a headshake.

 

EVETTE

The movies always start in the seven o’clock hour, so let’s meet here at six-thirty, okay?

 

JOHN

Okay then!