Hometown Sky by Ben Sack
bensackwrites@gmail.com 978-729-0425
FADE IN: INT. JESSE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY All we see of JESSE, 19, are his puffy red eyes, sniffling nose, and thin lips, chapped from hours of heavy breathing. His shaggy hair blows gently to the right. The world rotates slowly - Jesse lies sideways on the plush carpet. His head rests on the central A.C. vent, letting the cool air wash over him. The house is large and well furnished, but poorly decorated. Jesse's mother clearly shops at HomeGoods. A flowery decal above the doorway reads EVERY DAY IS AN ADVENTURE. The landline RINGS in the kitchen. A BEEP. SOPHIE (O.S.) (voicemail) Hey kiddo, uhhh...just wanted to let you know your father and I landed safe. Don't forget to water the plants and take the mail in, and you should really consider giving your grandmother a call, she'd love to hear from you. GERALD (O.S.) (voicemail) Hey Jesse! SOPHIE (O.S.) Your father says hi. Okay talk to you later. A long BEEP. Jesse sits up. He sways slightly, his head is swimming. He bites his cheek, pounds his fist on the floor, and trudges upstairs. INT. JESSE'S ROOM - DAY Jesse SNIFFLES as he looks out the window at his neighborhood. Same old houses, Same old trees. The summer heat wobbles off the concrete.
2. He exhales audibly, as if he had been holding his breath a long time. He takes his CELL PHONE from his pocket and makes a call. As the phone RINGS he paces around his bedroom. Its walls are a museum of Jesse - childish drawings of fat stick figures juxtaposed with framed, skilled illustrations. C'mon Luke.
JESSE
The call goes to voicemail. Jesse hangs up and walks out the door. INT. GARAGE - DAY The electric door creaks open. Jesse climbs onto his BICYCLE, a blue mountain bike that's too small for him, and has too many gears for his terrain. He puts his earbuds in. AMBIENT FOLK MUSIC plays over... EXT. STREETS - VARIOUS - DAY Jesse pedals through the suburb... ...past miles of shopping plazas and their never-ending parking lots... ...past cookie-cutter houses with perfectly edged lawns... ...past his old high school fields, where kids are playing soccer... ...under the power lines next to the water tower... EXT. LUKE'S HOUSE - DAY Jesse screeches to a halt in front of a red house in a culde-sac. It's not as large as Jesse's place, but it looks like home. bees buzz around the well-tended garden. A RED CAMRY is parked out front. He dismounts and yanks out his earbuds. The music stops. He stuffs them in the pocket of his shorts. He stomps toward the house. Then, a LOUD CRUNCH.
3. Under Jesse's shoe lies the body of small brown FINCH. It has been crushed to death. Jesse lifts his fist to his mouth and swallows a sob. EXT. LUKE'S HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER Jesse rings the DOORBELL. LUKE (O.S.) (in Spanish) I'll get it! LUKE, 19, taller and darker than Jesse, opens the door. Hey.
LUKE (CONT'D)
Luke notices his friend's anxious demeanor. LUKE What happened? EXT. LUKE'S GARDEN - DAY Luke lays the finch to rest in a small hole in the soil next to some flowers. He wipes the dirt from his hands and stands with his friend. A group of FINCHES land near the grave and stare up at Jesse. They know.
JESSE
LUKE They just came to pay their respects. A finch lands on Luke's shoulder. Luke hardly notices, like this happens every day. LUKE (CONT'D) (to the bird) Would you like to say a few words? It CHIRPS. JESSE We have to go.
4. The bird flies off. Go where? Anywhere.
LUKE JESSE
LUKE Dude, the finches will forget. They don't have the cognitive ability to remember. JESSE No, I mean. I just... He tries to find the right words. JESSE (CONT'D) Let's get lost. Get on our bikes and go one direction until we don't recognize anything. LUKE We can't get lost around here, you know that. Jesse looks at Luke, pleading. Luke can see something is very wrong. Okay. Sure.
LUKE (CONT'D)
INT. LUKE'S HOUSE - FRONT ROOM - DAY Luke and Jesse enter. Through the doorway we see MARIA, 21, Luke's sister, sitting at the kitchen counter, staring at her phone. LUKE (to Jesse) Grab a couple waters from the fridge. Luke runs upstairs. Mama!
LUKE (CONT'D)
Jesse steels himself and enters the kitchen.
5. INT. LUKE'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY Maria glances at Jesse. JESSE
Hey.
MARIA
Hey. Jesse sniffs the air.
JESSE What's cookin? Casserole.
MARIA
Jesse waits for more information. None comes. The fridge BUZZES and CLANKS as Jesse opens the door. He collects the WATER BOTTLES and closes it as fast as possible. Luke and his MOTHER argue in Spanish upstairs. The ceiling rattles - the sound of someone putting their foot down. There is palpable tension between Jesse and Maria. Jesse leans on the counter and forces a smile. Maria just looks at her phone. Luke enters with a drawstring bag on his shoulders. LUKE I need to be back tonight because I have to wait for the fridge guy tomorrow. JESSE You've only been home a week and you already have to wait for maintenance guys?
Yup.
LUKE (exasperated)
JESSE What's the window? LUKE Ten to Ten. Let's go!
6. They exit to the garage. See ya.
MARIA
Jesse glances at Maria and closes the door behind him. EXT. LUKE'S NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY Luke and Jesse bike down the tree-lined street. There is very little traffic. A shirtless man waters his lawn. Some children shoot basketballs at a six-foot hoop. Luke's bike is brand new - metal pedals, a storage rack, neon-painted shocks. JESSE How's it ride? Great.
LUKE
He does some maneuvers. LUKE (CONT'D) Anything's better than my last one. JESSE At least this one doesn't have plastic stuck in the gears. Luke imitates a rapid CLICKING NOISE. They laugh. JESSE (CONT'D) What is it, eighteen speed? Twenty-one.
LUKE
JESSE That's just excessive. LUKE Maybe one day I'll take her to an actual mountain. Jesse's bike grinds as he changes gears. The chain SNAPS into place. LUKE (CONT'D) Did you fill your tires?
7. JESSE No, I forgot. LUKE Shit. We'll have to find a gas station. Did you bring quarters? JESSE I can get change. A CAR comes up from behind. Luke pulls in close to Jesse on the side of the road. LUKE There was a meteor shower last night. JESSE Oh! You should have told me. LUKE Doesn't matter. It was too cloudy. I even snuck out and went to the soccer field at like midnight. No use. Typical. What is?
JESSE LUKE
JESSE That we wouldn't get to see the meteor shower. EXT. ACCESS ROAD - DAY They bike past the water treatment plant and the electric company. GEESE flutter in a small pond. LUKE You couldn't breathe? JESSE I was having like...a panic attack? I guess? I don't know what the definition of a panic attack is. LUKE That sounds like one, yeah. JESSE I just feel stuck, you know?
8.
Trust me.
LUKE
JESSE I wanted to have an adventure. LUKE Well, it'd be easier if we could finally get our licenses... JESSE Even then! I mean...Okay. Tell me the absolute, definite, most adventurous thing you could possibly do today. LUKE Do I have a car in this scenario? Sure. Um.
JESSE LUKE
(thinks) Six Flags. JESSE An amusement park. I thought the same thing. LUKE Six flags is still fun. Have you been on Superman? JESSE It's a goddamn manufactured adventure! It's not real! I hear you.
LUKE
JESSE One hundred percent fabricated. LUKE Damn straight. For a moment there is only the whirring of their wheels.
9. EXT. ICE CREAM STAND - DAY Luke and Jesse round the corner. Lines of middle schoolers protrude from the outdoor establishment. LUKE (half-joking) Want a dinosaur crunch? JESSE I promised myself I'd never go back. (beat) Jesus, look how tiny they are. LUKE When I was in elementary school the middle schoolers looked like giants. JESSE That's the way it goes. LUKE I swear the eighth grade guys had beards. JESSE Walter Pietro had a mustache in the eighth grade. LUKE What did we call him? JESSE Walrus Pietro. Luke laughs. LUKE We weren't very creative. EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY Luke and Jesse have stopped for a water break. JESSE ...I mean, it's a really small program, so in a lot of ways it's like a big fish small pond thing, but living with two thousand artists, you know, the egos...it's a lot of big fish.
10. LUKE A lot of big, tattooed fish who really need you to know about the time they took shrooms and listened to Kid A all the way through. Jesse squirts water in Luke's face. Luke chuckles. LUKE (CONT'D) My school's a small city. It takes an hour to walk to class. They drink liberally. JESSE You get to come home a lot, though. That's nice. I guess. Or not.
LUKE JESSE
LUKE I mean I'm not gonna think it's nice when I'm fifty-five and I've lived in Massachusetts my whole life. Luke kicks some pebbles. How's Steph?
LUKE (CONT'D)
JESSE She's good. (beat) She's working at camp, she only gets like, two days off the whole summer. LUKE Did you see her at all during the year? JESSE Like a few times. About as often as ever. I flew down in October, and she came up in April...and Thanksgiving and Christmas. LUKE That's rough.
11. JESSE It's whatever. Jesse swishes water through his teeth. LUKE I think it's really cool, like that you guys decided to stay together. Jesse swallows uncomfortably. JESSE Thanks man. It means a lot. Most people don't see it that way. My friends at school all think I should break up with her. LUKE Way I see it, If you've got a girl, keep her. You're luckier than you think. No doubt.
JESSE
He slams his water bottle back into its holster. Okay!
JESSE (CONT'D)
They speed off. EXT. SIDE STREET - DAY They ride through a rural part of town. The houses here don't have next-door neighbors. The trees lean into the street, forming walls of green. LUKE So basically, the universe is probably like three billion times bigger than we think it is. So when you're asking like, do aliens exist...it's a stupid question. JESSE It's the...it's the most important question in the history of the world. It's a stupid question? Yes.
LUKE
12. JESSE Well if they existed, we would have found them by now, that's probabilityLUKE -No, man, probability literally says that any kind of life you can possibly imagine, probably exists. JESSE A creature that has blood on the outside and skin on the inside. LUKE Out there somewhere. Chances are. JESSE A race of condom people with dildos for bones. Probably.
LUKE
JESSE A planet of mothers who understand their children. Luke rolls his eyes. Jesse grins. Jesse squints at something in the distance. What's that? What? There.
JESSE (CONT'D) LUKE JESSE
A figure by the side of the road comes into focus. It's ROAD KILL. They brake as they approach, flick out their kickstands, and examine the creature. It's a mangled mess of blood, guts, and fur, about four feet long. Jesse grimaces. What is it?
JESSE (CONT'D)
13. LUKE I don't know. Poor thing. Something glimmers underneath the carcass. Luke reaches down. JESSE Don't touch it! Jesse bends over and dry heaves. You okay?
LUKE
JESSE You know I have a weak stomach. Luke yanks on the glimmering object. It's a DOG'S TAGS, no collar. Jesus.
JESSE (CONT'D)
Luke reads the tag. LUKE This used to be Otis. Otis? Yeah.
JESSE LUKE
JESSE That's a stupid name for a dog. (beat) Is there a phone number? LUKE No. Thank god. I can barely call the dentist. Flies buzz around the carcass. JESSE Otis doesn't look like he was hit by a car. LUKE Maybe it was El Chupacabra.
14. Jesse gets back on his bike. Luke tosses the collar onto the body for the next guy. JESSE I watched the MonsterQuest about that last night. They pedal off. LUKE Did they find it? JESSE They never find it. LUKE And yet we still watch. EXT. HILL - DAY Luke and Jesse are posted at the top of the very long, steep hill. Each has their PHONE out, and headphones. LUKE One, two, three, go. Luke presses play. Jesse waves his hand. JESSE Shit. Are we going on three or on go? Go on go. Okay.
LUKE JESSE
LUKE One, two, three, go. Both boys hit play. Their FAVORITE SONG, an alternative dance anthem, croaks from the speakers, slightly out of sync. JESSE Wait, I think you're ahead. LUKE No, you're ahead. Listen.
JESSE
15. The verse gets repeated through the tinny phone speakers on a one second delay, like an echo. Each boy rapidly taps the play/pause button until they are perfectly in sync. That's it!
LUKE
Jesse plugs his earbuds into his phone, Luke uses large designer headphones. The song takes over the scene. They set off down the hill, swerving in and out of each other's paths like alpine skiers. Jesse's hair blows in the wind. Luke sits up and sticks his arms to the side. He adjusts his hands like flaps on an airplane. They're going very fast now. They smile. There's a sharp curve ahead. Straight on, there's a sandy patch and a guard rail, beyond that a small cliff. The boys prepare for a sudden stop. Luke squeezes his brakes and skids gracefully to a halt... But Jesse loses control of his rear wheel, swerves, and bails, launching himself into the sand. His earbuds rip out of his ears, the song cuts out. He grinds to a halt on his knees and rolls over. Luke pitches his bike against the guard rail and runs back to help. You alright?
LUKE (CONT'D)
Jesse sits up. He clutches his leg. I think so.
JESSE
Jesse's knee is a slightly skinned. It's bleeding, but only a little. LUKE You should have filled your tires. Luke pulls him to his feet. Jesse wipes the sand from his shorts. Panic washes over his face.
16.
What? My phone.
LUKE (CONT'D) JESSE
They both look around frantically. Fuck. Fuck. Dude.
JESSE (CONT'D) LUKE
Luke peers over the precipice. Jesse walks up behind him. There's the phone, earbuds still attached, twenty feet down. It's shattered. EXT. BOTTOM OF CLIFF - DAY Jesse finishes the climb down, jumps from the last rock with a THUD. Luke follows. Jesse picks up his phone. Totaled. They're standing on a rocky beach adjacent to a small pond. Luke puts his hand on Jesse's shoulder. LUKE I'm so sorry. JESSE I was gonna get a new one. LUKE Old boy was in the sunset of its years. JESSE I've been due for an upgrade. Jesse yanks out the earbuds and stuffs them in his pocket. JESSE (CONT'D) Only one thing to do. He suddenly slams the phone against a sharp rock and kicks it repeatedly, in a rage. Bits of glass and electronics fly everywhere. Luke is used to this kind of behavior.
17. JESSE (CONT'D) You want a go? Luke shrugs, "why not." He picks up the device and whips it against the cliff. It splits in two and lands by his feet. LUKE It's kind of thrilling. JESSE Sort of a relief. Jesse holds the two pieces in his hand. He offers one to Luke. Want half? Thank you.
JESSE (CONT'D) LUKE
Jesse pitches his half into the pond. SPLASH. Luke tosses his like a stone. He gets a couple skips out of it. LUKE (CONT'D) Did you take your SD card out? Jesse buries his face in his hands. EXT. GAS STATION/CONVENIENCE STORE - DAY They pull up to the air unit, off to the side of the pumps. LUKE I'll stay here with the bikes. Jesse dismounts. Brb. Dude.
JESSE LUKE
Jesse realizes what he just said. JESSE Sorry. I was in 2009 for a minute. See what this town does to me? LUKE Go get your change.
18. Jesse smiles and heads into the... INT. CONVENIENCE STORE - CONTINUOUS The bell above the door DINGS. Jesse passes the stacks of snack food and magazines, all glimmering in the fluorescent light. He approaches the CASHIER, 45, a wrinkled woman with a smoker's voice. He puts a five on the counter. JESSE Could I just have some change for the air pump? CASHIER Can't make change. You gotta buy something. JESSE I'm buying air. She looks at him funny. CASHIER Can't open the register unless you buy something. JESSE Fine, give me a dollar scratch ticket. The Cashier points to the rolls of scratch tickets behind her. Which one? Any one.
CASHIER JESSE
She picks one from the bottom of the column and puts it on the counter. It's Christmas themed. CASHIER Can I see some ID? Jesse looks at her like "are you serious?" He reluctantly takes the paper LEARNER'S PERMIT out of his wallet, unfolds it, and hands it over.
19. The Cashier examines it. CASHIER (CONT'D) Can't take this. JESSE Yes you can. It's state issued. He points to an official seal in the top corner. The Cashier skeptically hands it back to Jesse. She scans the barcode on the ticket, takes the cash, and hands him some ones and some quarters. EXT. GAS STATION/CONVENIENCE STORE - DAY Luke is still sitting on his bike. Jesse walks out of the store. LUKE What took you so long? JESSE Can you believe they ID'd me for a scratch ticket? LUKE I mean, you're nineteen. JESSE But don't I look older? Jesse rubs his sapling facial hair. LUKE Not really. Did you win? Jesse takes the quarters from his pocket and hands all but one to Luke. Luke puts some in the machine. The air pump RATTLES. Jesse scratches his ticket. Luke fills the tires. I won! How much?
JESSE LUKE
JESSE Twenty! I got two mistletoes.
20. LUKE It's a Christmas miracle! Jesse puts the scratch ticket in his wallet. JESSE Can we stop for coffee? EXT. STARBUCKS PLAZA - DAY The Starbucks is the last shop at the end of a long strip mall, next to a Chinese restaurant. Luke and Jesse park their bikes on the sidewalk. INT. STARBUCKS - DAY No one in line, no one behind the counter. A few businesspeople work on laptops at the tables. Jesse stands at the register. Luke looks at the menu. JESSE What are you doing? What?
LUKE
JESSE Don't look at the menu. Why?
LUKE
JESSE It's not gonna tell you anything. Do you want something? No.
LUKE
A gorgeous BARISTA, 23, steps out from the back, tying her apron. She looks up and catches Luke's eye. He can't help but stare. JESSE (O.S.) Yeah, I'll have a tall, iced, caramel macchiato...
21. Luke stares at her blue eyes, like marbles floating in the ocean. JESSE (O.S.) (CONT'D) Just half a pump of caramel... Luke stares at her curly brown hair, bouncing in the soft wind of the ventilation system. JESSE (O.S.) (CONT'D) and half a pump of hazelnut... Luke stares at her plump red lips. She smiles. JESSE (CONT'D) Skim Milk. No whip cream. The Barista notices Luke. He looks up at the menu, just to avert his gaze. And for you?
BARISTA
LUKE I'll...uh...I'll just have a....hot tea... Plain? Yeah.
BARISTA LUKE
BARISTA Nice and simple. She marks Luke's cup. Jesse shoots him a funny look. JESSE Uh, we're gonna be paying separately. Jesse pays with a rewards card. Luke takes some loose change from his wallet. BARISTA (to Luke) Don't worry about it. She smiles. He smiles back, a big goofy one.
22. INT. STARBUCKS - LATER Luke and Jesse sit at a table, waiting for their drinks. JESSE Why didn't you order iced tea? LUKE You're supposed to drink hot drinks in the summer. What?
JESSE
LUKE It brings your internal body temperature closer to equilibrium with the external temperature. Really?
JESSE
LUKE That's why Indian people drink hot tea. Jesse commits this new information to memory. Hm.
JESSE
Luke glances over his shoulder at the Barista, who is busy preparing their orders. Be careful. With what?
JESSE (CONT'D) LUKE
JESSE When you're lonely you tend to fall in love with everyone that's a little nice to you. LUKE You know something about being lonely? JESSE I'm just saying. Crushes are dangerous.
23. LUKE Should I be paying you? For this sage-like wisdom? JESSE It's on me. Free trial of advice from Jesse. Forty-nine dollar value. The Barista places a cup on the counter. Luke!
BARISTA
Luke jumps a little when she says his name. Jesse giggles. EXT. STARBUCKS PLAZA - DAY Jesse chugs his macchiato as he exits. He throws the empty cup in the trash can by the front door. Luke pulls some dead leaves from his bike wheels and sips his tea. A DELIVERY GUY rushes out of the Chinese restaurant carrying a large brown paper bag. A FORTUNE COOKIE falls from a hole in the bag. The delivery guy gets in his SEDAN and speeds off. Huh.
LUKE
Jesse picks up the cookie and unwraps it. He cracks it open and removes the little slip of paper. Here.
JESSE
He hands the cookie to Luke. Luke takes it and eats it. CRUNCH. JESSE (CONT'D) I still can't believe you like those things. LUKE (mouth full) Pretty good. Vanilla. He washes it down with some tea. Well?
LUKE (CONT'D)
24. JESSE "Birds are messengers from heaven." LUKE Now that's the kind of advice I'd pay good money for. Jesse lets the fortune fly from his hand. It flutters in the wind and lands gently on the concrete. EXT. BRIDGE OVER THE HIGHWAY - DAY The boys ride on the sidewalk of the overpass. Traffic buzzes by intermittently. Plastic cups stuck into the chain link fence read, backwards: KAITLYN, PROM? LUKE I think that if airplanes hadn't been invented yet, I would have come up with them. Seriously?
JESSE
LUKE It's so intuitive. JESSE Maybe for you. LUKE Have you ever stuck your hand out a car window? Yeah.
JESSE
LUKE That's lift. It's not hard. JESSE Yeah but the airplane and the car came around the same time. No one was going more than like twenty miles an hour back in the day. LUKE You could do it on a horse. JESSE A horse you need to hold on to with both hands.
25.
Do you?
LUKE
JESSE I would assume so. EXT. ANOTHER TOWN'S HIGH SCHOOL - DAY Traffic everywhere. Luke and Jesse ride carefully between the lines of cars stopped in the street and the cars parked illegally on the sidewalk. Huge parking lots on either side are completely full. LUKE What's going on here? They spot some teenagers in graduation gowns and caps vaping e-cigarettes next to a pickup truck. Dude.
JESSE
Herds of extended FAMILIES flock toward a football stadium. A MUFFLED VOICE blasts from the P.A. system. Shit.
LUKE
EXT. HILL BEHIND THE STADIUM - DAY Jesse and Luke sit on the grass, their bicycles stand behind them. From this secluded spot, they can't see into the stadium, but they can hear it loud and clear. PRINCIPAL (O.S.) And now, your class president, Anna O'Reilly! APPLAUSE erupts from the stands. JESSE This oughta be good. ANNA (O.S.) Thank you Principal Thomas. As I look out over this crowd of faces who I've gotten to know so well these past four years...
26. JESSE And who you'll forget within a month. ANNA (O.S.) ...I'm overcome with memories of all the good times we shared. Like when a certain someone pulled the fire alarm at the fall dance... LAUGHTER. LUKE That's a felony. ANNA (O.S.) Or when Eddie Peterson scored the winning touchdown in the Thanksgiving game. CHEERS. JESSE Ten bucks says Eddie Peterson is an asshole. ANNA As we prepare to ways, whether it military, or the
(O.S.) go our separate be to college, the workforce...
There is silence for a moment. Then what sounds like a SOB. Oh my god.
JESSE
LUKE You're kidding. ANNA (O.S.) (crying) I'm sorry. I'm just, this school has meant so much to me... Luke and Jesse hold back giggles. ANNA (O.S.) (CONT'D) I told myself I wouldn't cry. Anna sighs into the microphone, shaking out the tears. LUKE Is she serious?
27. ANNA (O.S.) We all have such bright futures... (sniffling) But the friendships we made here...in these halls... Luke and Jesse laugh harder. ANNA (O.S.) (CONT'D) Those...those are what I will cherish forever. Luke and Jesse fall back on the grass, cracking up. ANNA (O.S.) (CONT'D) (blubbering) I love each and every one of you so much... EXT. UPPER-CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT Dusk. Luke and Jesse ride slowly, close together. Jesse looks around at the big houses, which glow on the tops of hills, behind circular driveways. Some of them have columns. Luke looks at the woods, which are very dark. LUKE Kinda spooky. Luke. What?
JESSE LUKE
JESSE I don't recognize this place! LUKE You're very excited for someone who's lost in the dark. Luke swats at a mosquito. LUKE (CONT'D) Pull over, I brought bug spray. They get off their bikes. Luke grabs the BUG SPRAY from his bag.
28. Jesse spreads his arms and legs and lets Luke spray him. LUKE (CONT'D) Now the face. Jesse scrunches his features. Luke sprays. Jesse COUGHS and spits. Do me.
LUKE (CONT'D)
They switch roles. JESSE Hey, you're gonna hate me... What?
LUKE
JESSE I kind of have to pee. Luke stares at him. What?
JESSE (CONT'D)
LUKE I didn't have to go until you said something. Oops.
JESSE
Jesse chops one hand on the open palm of the other, like an executive at a meeting. JESSE (CONT'D) Okay. Step one, focus. Step two, make a plan. LUKE We go in the woods. JESSE Step three, make a better plan. LUKE That's the perfect plan. JESSE There are snakes in there, dude. It's one thing during the day, but-
29. LUKE -There are no poisonous snakes in this area, trust me. JESSE It doesn't matter if they're poisonous. Luke rolls his eyes. JESSE I'm knocking on somebody's door. LUKE You are so much more likely to get killed knocking on a stranger's door than pissing in the woods. JESSE I'll take my chances. LUKE I'll take mine. JESSE Meet back here in ten. Ten?
LUKE
JESSE I might have to shit. EXT. FANCY HOME - NIGHT Jesse approaches an enormous brick house. London-style lamp posts burn in front. He rings the doorbell. A thick CHIME echoes from within. The door opens. MINDY, 46, stands with a cloth napkin tucked into her blouse. Behind her is an opulent entryway, all granite and modern art. JESSE Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt your dinner. Mindy calls up the grand staircase. MINDY Sarah! One of your friends is here!
30.
No, no-
What?
JESSE
SARAH (O.S.) (yelling)
EXT. CREEPY WOODS - NIGHT Luke steps carefully, each footfall CRUNCHING a layer of dead leaves. The woods look pale in the moonlight, and a thin mist covers the ground. Luke shines the FLASHLIGHT from his phone. Eerie shadows dance behind the trees. INT/EXT. FANCY HOME - NIGHT GEORGE, 60, enters the foyer, wiping his mouth. GEORGE Who is it, dear? I'm-
JESSE
GEORGE -You're letting the mosquitoes in. MINDY It's just one of Sarah's friends. GEORGE You're letting out the A.C. MINDY Please, come in. Jesse steps through the doorway. Sarah!
MINDY (CONT'D)
JESSE Sorry, I'm notGEORGE We don't need any magazines.
31. EXT. CREEPY WOODS - NIGHT Luke finds a suitable spot. He shoves the phone in his pocket so the light shines dead ahead, unzips his fly, and releases. The STREAM sounds like thunder as it lands on the dead leaves. Luke reels it in, afraid of being heard. RUSTLING breaks up the ensuing silence, startling Luke. INT. FANCY HOME - NIGHT Jesse scratches his crotch and squeezes his thighs together. SARAH, 13, a girl stumbling toward the finish line of puberty, appears at the top of the stairs. Jesse!
SARAH
Jesse looks up at Sarah. He doesn't recognize her. SARAH Dad, It's okay. Mindy smiles at Jesse. George gives him the evil eye as he steps hesitantly upstairs. EXT. CREEPY WOODS - NIGHT Luke freezes, waiting for the sound to return. He swings his pelvis around, shining light on the surrounding area. Nothing except shadows. Satisfied that it was just the wind, he lets loose again. Then, over the sound of the urine, hears a LOW GROWL. He resolves to keep going, peeing frantically, aiming his stream and the flashlight all over, looking for the beast. INT. FANCY HOME - SARAH'S ROOM - NIGHT Sarah leads Jesse into the the pink-painted bedroom. The walls are covered in boy band posters and magazine cut-outs. JESSE Sorry, do we know each other? Sarah looks at him like he's stupid.
32.
No?
SARAH
JESSE How did you know my name? SARAH Idk. You looked like a Jesse. Jesse is too bewildered to question it. He notices a PHOTOGRAPH on the vanity. It's of a dog house and a mid-sized Labrador. Painted letters on the dog house spell OTIS. Sarah peers over his shoulder. SARAH (CONT'D) He's been missing over a week. Oh.
JESSE
He sweats. JESSE (CONT'D) I hope you find him. SARAH Can I ask you a question? JESSE Look, I just want to use the bathroom. SARAH Why didn't you go in the woods? Jesse rolls his eyes. EXT. CREEPY WOODS - NIGHT Luke zips his fly and makes a break for the street. He runs head-first into a low-hanging branch and falls. Everything goes dark. The GROWLING gets louder. INT. FANCY HOME - SARAH'S ROOM - NIGHT Sarah sits on her bed and bounces slightly.
33. SARAH If you answer one question I'll let you go to the bathroom. Jesse feels a little uncomfortable being extorted like this. Fine.
JESSE
SARAH Okay so there's this guy at church named Nathaniel and I think he likes me but like, How can I tell? He sat next to me at youth group on Sunday and he accidentally put his hand on my leg but what if it wasn't an accident, you know? JESSE What is this, Yahoo answers? EXT. CREEPY WOODS - NIGHT Luke shakes off confusion. He brings his hand to his chest. It's dripping wet. He shines his light on it - it looks like dog slobber. He hurries to his feet and runs. INT. FANCY HOME - SARAH'S ROOM - NIGHT Jesse is sitting on Sarah's bed. They look like they're having a heart to heart. JESSE Every guy is shy at your age. I'm sure Nathaniel would be super relieved if you just told him how you feel. SARAH You think so? Definitely.
JESSE
Sarah smiles. SARAH Down the hall, to the left.
34. Jesse walks to the doorway. Hey Jesse?
SARAH (CONT'D)
He turns around. Thanks.
SARAH (CONT'D)
Jesse smiles without teeth and shrugs his shoulders like "no problem." EXT. UPPER-CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT Jesse approaches the bikes, where Luke is waiting anxiously. JESSE You're never gonna believe thisLUKE -Please tell me that family keeps a dog out here. JESSE ...Not anymore. Jesse sees the scrape on Luke's forehead. JESSE (CONT'D) What happened? LUKE Something licked me! Jesse thinks about this. JESSE ...Licked your... My hand!
LUKE
JESSE I told you not to go in the woods. Whatever.
LUKE
35. JESSE Let's go. (beat) What time is it? Luke checks his phone. LUKE Eight fifteen. Hold on I have to call my mom... No!
JESSE
Luke glares at his friend. What?
LUKE
JESSE If you call home they'll make you come back. LUKE We're not going back? JESSE No! We just made it out! LUKE Dude. It's late. I'm injured. I smell like piss and dog spit. How much longer is this gonna take? JESSE An adventure doesn't end just 'cause it's late. LUKE Jesse. Give it up. This is as close to an adventure as we're gonna get. Jesse broods. LUKE (CONT'D) We saw some cool stuff, right? We saw that dead dog? We had a good time. I'm calling my mom, she'll pick us up in the van.
36. JESSE You wanna end up like Otis? Dead by the side of the road? Probably never did anything with his life. LUKE If there's one thing that's gonna turn you into road kill, dude, it's biking with no reflector vest in the middle of the night. Luke dials and brings the phone to his ear. It RINGS. Jesse snatches it, hops on his bike, and pedals away. LUKE (CONT'D) What the hell! Luke jumps on his bike and chases Jesse under the streetlights. LUKE (CONT'D) I only have two percent battery! Someone answers the call. LUKE'S MOM (O.S.) (in Spanish, angry) Luke, where are you? Jesse panics, hangs up, nearly drops the phone. He scrolls through the phone as he bikes. He puts the flashlight on STROBE. He plays LOUD TECHNO MUSIC. LUKE Stop! I'm serious! Jesse slips the phone in his pocket, flashing and booming. He leans into his handlebars like a racer. Luke pedals harder, he's gaining on Jesse. Jesse takes a side street. Luke pursues. Luke pulls up on Jesse's rear wheel. He leans in, reaches for the back of Jesse's seat. Jesse makes a final push, Luke ends up grabbing Jesse's rear tire. The rubber burns his palm, he snaps his hand back. Ah!
LUKE (CONT'D)
37. Finally Jesse coasts to a stop. He sits back, heaving, out of breath. The light and the music cease. Luke rides up beside him. JESSE You didn't bring your portable charger, right? LUKE No, I didn't. Jesse smiles. Luke looks the other way. Luke.
JESSE
Luke gives him the cold shoulder. JESSE (CONT'D) I'm sorry about your hand. LUKE My mom's gonna kill me. JESSE I'll take the heat. LUKE And I suppose the fridge guy will just let himself in. JESSE Screw the fridge guy! You can't let your family keep you on the short leash. Jesse gets back on his bike. JESSE (CONT'D) I'm sorry. Come on. Jesse rides. Luke follows. They're quiet for a moment. LUKE You got a plan? JESSE How well do you know me?
38. EXT. FARMLAND - NIGHT Luke pedals silently. A few yards behind him, Jesse is panting and losing ground. They ride beside miles of open fields, no civilization in sight. In the dark, the edges of the road might as well be the edges of the abyss. Dude.
JESSE
LUKE Just put it in a lower gear. JESSE (out of breath) I can't go on like this. Jesse stops and leans against his bike. Luke brakes, dismounts, and approaches him. He looks like he might yell...but he stops himself. LUKE (gently) Okay. Step one, focus. Jesse cracks a smile. JESSE Step two, make a plan. They think. JESSE (CONT'D) What do you got? LUKE We camp out here for the night. Start a fire. But-
JESSE
LUKE -Snakes are afraid of fire. JESSE You're just saying that. Luke shakes his head.
39.
Nope.
LUKE
JESSE What if we, like, start a forest fire. Accidentally. LUKE Look, I know you never did boy scouts, but it is possible to have a fire without lighting up the whole town. Jesse looks around. JESSE What town is this, anyway? LUKE Haven't seen a sign in a while. JESSE I wasn't really looking. Luke pushes his bike away from the road toward a small dirt hill. LUKE We'll rest til sunrise. Then we can head back. Jesse catches his breath. He pushes his bike up the hill. EXT. CAMPSITE - NIGHT The boys sit next to a respectable, well-built pile of wood and tinder. Luke flicks a FLINT AND STEEL at it, illuminating their faces in the intermittent SPARKS. Nothing catches. JESSE You could have brought a lighter. LUKE Somehow this seemed more appropriate for an adventure. JESSE It's times like these I wish I smoked cigarettes. Luke scrapes faster now, frustrated.
40.
Aghh!
LUKE
Jesse stands up, goes to Luke's bag. LUKE (CONT'D) I can do it, just give me a minute. Jesse fishes the bug spray from the bag, approaches the pile, and sprays. LUKE (CONT'D) What are you doing? Jesse coats the wood liberally. He sticks out his hand to Luke like "give it here." Luke hands him the flint and steel. Jesse flicks it once, shooting a flurry of sparks toward the pile. It erupts in a bright blue flame. Jesse raises his eyebrows, proud. Luke stretches and lies on his back. LUKE (CONT'D) Send my condolences to the o-zone layer. EXT. CAMPSITE - LATER The boys lie by the fire, staring at the sky. It's overcast, but a few stars peek through. Luke points up. LUKE That's the big dipper. Where.
JESSE
LUKE Well, you can only see the handle. Jesse sits up. JESSE Know any ghost stories? LUKE Just that one with the hook guy...and the one with the clown statue.
41.
Classics.
JESSE
Luke sits up and prods the fire with a long stick. It's going strong. LUKE Do you remember any? JESSE Well, there's one. From camp, a long time ago. LUKE I wanna hear! JESSE I don't remember all the details. LUKE Just tell me. Jesse's features dance in the light from the fire. He wipes some sweat from his forehead. JESSE So there was this guy, a teenager, and he ran away from home. Where?
LUKE
JESSE Near a swamp somewhere. Louisiana. Sure.
LUKE
JESSE So he runs away, and it's the middle of the night, and he can't see where he's going, and he accidentally falls into the swamp. He struggles in the muck, and then finally manages to crawl out, and he smells like a turd, you know? Swamp smell. Exactly.
LUKE JESSE
42. Jesse swallows spit. JESSE (CONT'D) So then he sees, in the distance, like a small orb, floating above the swamp. LUKE A, uh...will-o-the wisp! Jesse snaps his fingers. JESSE That's what they're called! LUKE They're actually caused by gases emitted from the water. JESSE Well the guy knew that, too, so he wasn't so scared. He thought they were bad luck still, but knew they weren't supernatural or anything. Right.
LUKE
JESSE So...uh...right. Okay. He leaves the swamp, finds the road, he's trying to hitchhike. Doesn't see a car for hours. Hasn't had anything to eat either. (beat) Speaking of which... LUKE I brought granola bars! My hero.
JESSE
Luke grabs the GRANOLA BARS from his bag. He opens one. JESSE (CONT'D) So all of a sudden... Luke hands him the bar. JESSE (CONT'D) Oh, thank you. So all of a sudden, he sees headlights coming over the hill.
43. Jesse takes a bite and chews. JESSE (CONT'D) This is the best granola bar I've ever had. Luke has already devoured his. His face reads ecstasy, his mouth is full. LUKE (chewing) Tell me about it. JESSE Okay, so, he sees the headlights, and he thinks 'oh thank god,' and he sticks out his thumb. But he realizes he can't hear the car. LUKE Could be an electric car. JESSE This was like, before electric cars. LUKE They've been around longer than you think. The first one was actually invented beforeJESSE -can I finish the story? LUKE Sorry. Go on. JESSE Then the headlights start to jiggle. They aren't a uniform distance apart, you know? They start to move all around. So he thinks, maybe it's two motorcycles, and maybe he has mud in his ears. And the lights get closer. Luke leans in, he's getting into it. JESSE (CONT'D) (slowly, histrionic) And he realizes that he's been staring at these lights for like, at least half an hour. He snaps out of it, and notices it's suddenly very bright.
44. JESSE (CONT'D) He looks around, and there are hundreds of little floating lights, all around him, in a circle, slowly and silently closing in. Luke looks genuinely scared. Shit.
LUKE
JESSE And he doesn't know what to do. Just stands there. Then one of the lights comes up to him, and just...touches him lightly on the shoulder. And it burns. It's the worst pain he's ever felt. But for some reason, when he opens his mouth, he can't scream. Dude.
LUKE
JESSE So he swats at it, like a fly, but it hurts when he hits it. And the other lights get closer, and closerLuke stands up. Dude!
LUKE
Cresting the hill is a pair of HEADLIGHTS. LUKE (CONT'D) Do you hear anything? JESSE (nervous) Could be an electric car. The lights get closer. Do we run?
LUKE
JESSE Don't be ridiculous. Closer still. Jesse stands up. He grabs Luke's arm.
45. JESSE (CONT'D) (reminding himself) It's just a story. The lights turn and point straight at them. They're blinding. Luke and Jesse shield their eyes. Suddenly, the lights disappear. In the glow of the fire, we can see this is a SMALL PICKUP TRUCK. A figure gets out of the driver's seat and approaches them. He steps into the light. Luke squints at his face.
Tuck?
LUKE (shocked)
TUCK, 20, is a close friend, a lovable, bearded loser. TUCK The fuck are you guys doing out here? INT. TUCK'S TRUCK - NIGHT Jesse sits in the back of the small cabin, looking through the rear window at their bikes, which wobble in the truck bed. TUCK I'm on my way to pick up. JESSE This far away? TUCK He's my college dealer. Figure I'd rather drive a few towns over than buy from Walter Pietro. LUKE Does he still have his mustache? TUCK I don't think he ever learned to shave. They laugh. Luke remembers something. LUKE Do you have a phone?
46. TUCK Sorry bro. My guy is kind of paranoid. Doesn't let me bring it. If you guys have yours you should stick em between the seats or something. Luke glances at Jesse. LUKE They're both dead. JESSE Is that why you're buying weed at three A.M.? 'Cause he's paranoid? TUCK He doesn't operate in daylight. Still lives in his parents' house. Runs his thing out the barn. JESSE Will it be cool if we come along? TUCK I'll vouch. He and I are tight. You guys want in? LUKE I have like, three dollars in cash. JESSE Do you think he would take a scratch ticket? TUCK Nah he doesn't trust government shit. I got you guys. EXT. TUCK'S TRUCK - LATER The headlights turn off as the truck climbs a hill toward an old, slightly dilapidated BARN. INT. TUCK'S TRUCK - SAME Tuck pulls the key out of the ignition. TUCK You guys are lucky I drive a hybrid, if the engine made noise I would have had to park down the street.
47. EXT. MEYERS' BARN - NIGHT Tuck and Luke climb out. Tuck has to fold down the seat to release Jesse from the back. They take care not to slam the doors. Jesse looks at the barn. It's three stories high, and its menacing facade is blank except for a small window at the top, the large door, and a smaller door hidden in the bottom corner. A FARM HOUSE is dark and dormant about a hundred yards from the barn. LUKE Kinda spooky. TUCK At least it's not new. What?
JESSE
TUCK Something really unsettling about a new barn, you know? Luke nods like "you're not wrong." He looks over at Jesse. Jesse's hands are shaking. He shoves them in his pockets. Tuck approaches the small door and KNOCKS gently. It opens, just a crack. A green eye comes out of the dark, followed by a plump, white face. TUCK (CONT'D) Meyers, you old ghost, it's me. MEYERS, 22, closes the door, undoes several chains, and opens it again. He's fat, and is missing teeth. Looks like a redneck, talks like a hippie. MEYERS Told you to come alone. TUCK Couldn't help it, found some friends of mine roughing it by the side of the road. They had a fire and everything.
48. Meyers eyes Luke and Jesse. He sees how dirty they are. Luke waves an awkward little wave. MEYERS Living the pioneer lifestyle. I can appreciate. He gestures for them to come inside. Please.
MEYERS (CONT'D)
INT. MEYERS' BARN - NIGHT An electric light casts a yellow glow across the hay-covered floor of the barn. The space above the lamp is shrouded in darkness. Medieval-looking farm equipment hangs on every wall. A couple of bridge tables stand in the center, some old LUGGAGE rests on top of them. MEYERS Welcome to my HQ. TUCK It's like your apartment, but cleaner. Less straw on the floor. MEYERS I like everywhere I live to feel like home. He approaches Luke and extends his hand. MEYERS (CONT'D) So. Who are you? Luke.
LUKE
They slap hands and bump fists. Meyers moves on to Jesse. He sticks out his hand TUCK That's Jesse. We've known each other since kindergarten. Meyers and Jesse slap hands. MEYERS You look like a Jesse.
49. JESSE I get that a lot. Meyers claps. MEYERS So, gentlemen, I hope I didn't scare you with all the security. Gotta keep my secret life a secret, you know? TUCK We know how it is, didn't scare us a bit. Luke winks at Jesse. Meyers approaches one of the suitcases and opens it. He invites his guests to take a look. Inside are vacuum sealed BAGS OF WEED, slotted like Tetris blocks. MEYERS Medical, straight from my brother in Cal-ih-forn-eye-aye. He points to the bags one by one. MEYERS (CONT'D) White gold, black widow, sour diesel, mango circus, blue dream, northern lights, god's gift. (to Tuck) I trust you want to buy in bulk. TUCK An O if you can swing it. Meyers puts a hand on Tuck's shoulder. MEYERS My friend. An O is the minimum. Tuck smiles. Luke talks quietly to Jesse as Tuck smells the product. LUKE This is excellent service. JESSE The selection!
50. LUKE When I buy I usually have the choice between weed that looks like dirt and weed that looks like vomit. JESSE My guy just shoves a bag in your back pocket in the dining hall, and you leave the cash under your tray. They chuckle. INT. MEYERS' BARN - LATER Tuck carries the marijuana in his elbow like a newborn. Meyers walks him to the door with an arm over his shoulder. Luke and Jesse walk alongside. TUCK Oh, can I bum a couple papers? Meyers slips a pack of rolling papers from his wallet. MEYERS Take it, it's almost empty. And if you're looking to light up tonight, there's a great spot. Just go straight up the hill, left at the lighthouse, and follow the stream through the woods for like a hundred yards. Can't miss it. TUCK You're the best, man. Tuck extends his hand for a final fist bump. Meyers doesn't reciprocate. Tuck looks up. Meyers is frozen. He motions for the others to freeze, too. MEYERS (whispering) Did you hear that? There is a slight SCRATCHING NOISE coming from above. MEYERS (CONT'D) Whoever you are, know that I am armed and I am dangerous!
51.
Armed?
JESSE
TUCK Hey man, it's probably just a rat or something... Shh!
MEYERS
The SCRATCHING grows louder. Meyers becomes enraged. He stomps toward the lamp. MEYERS (CONT'D) Fuck the DEA! Meyers grabs the light and tilts it toward the ceiling. In the loft, twenty OWLS stare down with huge, glowing eyes. One of them SHRIEKS. They swoop down in a frenzy. The beating of their wings sounds like a hundred dryers with sneakers inside. Luke and Tuck cover their heads. Meyers takes refuge under a bridge table. He pulls a HUNTING KNIFE from his sock and swings wildly. Run, boys!
MEYERS (CONT'D)
Tuck scrambles for the door. LUKE They're just barn owls. Totally harmless. An owl swoops down and grabs Luke's hair in its talons, pulling it toward the ceiling. Luke SCREAMS, swats at it, and runs after Tuck. Wait up!
LUKE (CONT'D)
Luke and Tuck fight through a flurry of owls just to find the door. Tuck kicks it open. This way!
TUCK
LUKE Where's Jesse?
52. Luke squints into the chaos. Jesse stumbles around, dizzy, paralyzed by fear. Luke runs back into the center of the barn, grabs Jesse's arm, and drags him to the door. EXT. MEYERS' BARN - NIGHT Jesse and Luke run through. The owls swarm out of the barn like bats from a cave, forcing the boys to the ground. Jesse and Luke stand up and make a run for the truck. Tuck peeks inside the barn. TUCK You alright, Meyers? The lights come on in the farm house. A dog BARKS. MEYERS My parents! Get out of here, quick! You got it.
TUCK
Tuck climbs into his truck. Jesse and Luke are already in their seats. All three are scratched up. LUKE (out of breath) Jesus Christ, Jesse. Jesse cracks a smile, then laughs. In a moment, they're all cracking up. Tuck puts the truck in gear and drives. EXT. HILLS AND FIELDS - DAY It's getting lighter. The truck climbs a steep hill. INT. TUCK'S TRUCK - DAY Jesse presses his cheek against the cool glass of the window. He blinks a long, tired blink, and stares at the slowly breaking dawn.
53. In front of him, but in another world, Tuck and Luke gesture and joke. Tuck skillfully rolls a JOINT while he drives. PROG ROCK leaks quietly from the stereo. A black and white LIGHTHOUSE, about forty feet tall, appears in a clearing by the side of the road. Jesse stares at it a while. Its beacon burns dimly in the pre-dawn light. Jesse rubs his eyes. LUKE There's the lighthouse. JESSE There's no water around here, is there? TUCK Don't think so. They take a left. Jesse watches the lighthouse fade into the fog. EXT. WOODS BY THE STREAM - DAY The truck pulls to a stop on a dirt patch. EXT. WOODS BY THE STREAM - LATER A stream rambles into the forest. The three boys walk along it silently, single file. Tuck lights the joint in his mouth and inhales. He passes it to Jesse. Jesse puffs and passes it to Luke. Luke takes a drag then runs up to the front of the line. He passes it to Tuck. In the wet morning air, Jesse can't tell if he's blowing smoke, or if it's just the condensation on his breath. EXT. SMOKE SPOT - DAY Jesse is the last to emerge from the woods. Luke and Tuck are frozen, staring ahead. They stand on a grassy precipice, overlooking fifty miles of forests, rivers, and lakes. Not a town in sight. The sun peeks over the horizon, making long shadows of the trees, bathing the landscape in pink and violet.
54. LUKE What is this place? Tuck offers Jesse the joint. He takes a big drag. JESSE (thrilled) I have no idea. EXT. SMOKE SPOT - LATER The three boys sit on the cliff, dangling their legs over the edge. The sun shines higher in the sky. Tuck is busy rolling another joint. Luke giggles. Jesse gestures emphatically as he speaks. JESSE It's like this, man... Luke laughs harder. JESSE (CONT'D) No! Listen. Listen to what I'm about to say. The whole English language is a lie. Luke cracks up. Tuck laughs too. JESSE (CONT'D) I'm serious! I got a splinter in my foot the other day. A big one. He holds his fingers out, about a centimeter apart. JESSE (CONT'D) And I thought - you know what I thought? Looking at this piece of wood sticking out of my foot? TUCK "I should have worn shoes." JESSE I thought "Well That's a pain in the ass." Luke and Tuck laugh. Tuck brings the completed joint to his mouth and lights it, burning almost half on his first drag. He passes it to Luke.
55. LUKE Okay, but that doesn't make the whole thing a lie. It's just an expression. JESSE It's all just an expression! Tuck chuckles, letting out a cloud of smoke. JESSE (CONT'D) Nothing we say is real. It's all invented. TUCK So what you just said wasn't real either, right? Why am I supposed to believe you? Luke passes the joint to Jesse. He takes a puff. JESSE That's exactly the problem. You can't fix a broken system from the inside. We need to move beyond the spoken word. Tuck stands up, stretches, and sits behind Jesse. He rubs Jesse's shoulders. Jesse closes his eyes - it feels nice. Luke is still laughing. TUCK Communicate only through touch. JESSE Exactly- Oh, right there. I'm very tense. TUCK Yeah, you are. Tuck slaps Jesse's shoulders. He stands. TUCK (CONT'D) Well boys, it's been fun, but unfortunately I have a shift starting in about... He frames the sun with his hands, plotting its location in the sky. TUCK (CONT'D) Half an hour.
56. He approaches Luke, they slap hands and bump fists. LUKE (remembering) Our bikes. Luke tries to stand up. Tuck gently pushes him back down. TUCK I got it, I got it. Au revoir, comrades. Later dude.
JESSE
Tuck exits into the woods. Jesse admires the landscape for a long moment. JESSE It's something, isn't it? LUKE Should we have gotten a ride home with Tuck? Probably.
JESSE
Luke doesn't say anything. Jesse looks over at him. He's zoned out. You okay?
JESSE
Luke snaps out of it. LUKE Oh, yeah. Just a little worried. And hungry. JESSE Worried about what? Jesse scoots closer to Luke. LUKE My parents... JESSE Shit. We'll find a phone soon, you can call.
57. LUKE (biting) Oh, you're gonna let me call this time? Jesse is surprised by his sudden anger. I'm sorry.
JESSE
Luke picks at the grass like he was benched at youth soccer. Luke.
JESSE (CONT'D)
LUKE My mom is gonna think I ran away. JESSE Why would she think that? Luke clenches his teeth. LUKE My family is moving at the end of the summer. Silence. JESSE Why didn't you tell me? LUKE I didn't want to...you have your own problems. Shit, dude.
JESSE
LUKE My dad got a job in Ohio. JESSE What are you gonna do? LUKE I don't know. My mom wants me to transfer to a state school out there, so I'll be closer to home. JESSE That's not fair! They can't take you away from-
58. JESSE (CONT'D) (beat) from all your friends at school. Luke swallows. LUKE Yeah, well that's the other thing. I don't...I don't really have any friends at school. Jesse is genuinely surprised. What?
JESSE
LUKE My dorm is half steroid-shooting aspiring frat bros who love to tell stories about getting drunk in class, and half MOBA-playing overgrown children who don't know how to clip their own fingernails. JESSE There's got to be somebody... LUKE It's been kind of a rough year. Jesse puts his hand on Luke's shoulder. JESSE We all have hard times. Luke is close to tears. He stares at Jesse, incredulous. LUKE God. You don't know how lucky you are. You have a girlfriend, you, you have friends, you get to go to college in New York City, you get to see shit. Not to mention you're doing something you actually like. JESSE You don't like... Jesse searches for the words. LUKE See? You can't even remember my major!
59. JESSE Computer something! LUKE Operations and information management. Right.
JESSE
LUKE It's okay. Nobody remembers. JESSE Why are you studying it if you don't like it? LUKE It's an investment in my future. JESSE That's such bullshit. LUKE Says the art student. Jesse doesn't know what to say. They sit there silently for a long moment. Luke wipes his eyes. LUKE (CONT'D) I'm sorry, dude. None of this is your fault. Silence. JESSE Hey, at least if you move to Ohio, you won't have lived in Massachusetts your whole life. Luke laughs a single, throaty laugh. LUKE Yeah. But I kind of hoped when I left it would be an improvement. JESSE Ohio is nice. LUKE Ohio is like...diet Massachusetts.
60. (beat) I'm hungry. Me too.
LUKE (CONT'D)
JESSE
Jesse stands. He walks to the trees. Some red berries grow on a bush. He picks one. JESSE (CONT'D) Which color berries are you allowed to eat? Jesse brings the berry to his mouth. He's salivating. He places it on his tongue. LUKE None of them. Jesse spits it out. JESSE There's gotta be a McDonald's around. Luke struggles to his feet. He rubs his stomach. LUKE I just wish we didn't have to ride all over looking for it. You tired?
JESSE
LUKE Past tired. I'm probably gonna start hallucinating. A loud CAWING echoes around them. The boys look into the sky. A huge WHITE BIRD, wings six feet across, with a violet neck and red belly, circles above them. JESSE What is that? LUKE I don't know. JESSE I thought you knew all the birds that lived around here.
61. The bird lands gracefully before them and grooms itself. It's like a cross between a goose and an eagle. I do.
LUKE
It looks at Luke and Jesse and CAWS. They stare back. It calls to them again. JESSE I think it's trying to tell us something. The bird SHRIEKS and takes off, flying back over the woods. Luke and Jesse glance at each other and run after it. EXT. WOODS BY THE STREAM - DAY Luke runs through the forest, pointing at the silhouette of the bird above the trees. Jesse follows. JESSE What is with birds today? LUKE Birds are messengers from heaven. They emerge from the wooded area and arrive at their bikes. Tuck set them up nicely. They hop on. Jesse struggles for a second with his kickstand. Finally, he gets it. He looks up. JESSE Where'd it go? Luke speeds off. This way!
LUKE
EXT. HILLS AND FIELDS - DAY The boys tear onto the road. The great wings of the bird cast a huge shadow on the pavement. They pedal excitedly, pushing hard.
62. EXT. MEADOW - DAY The road cuts through a meadow brimming with yellow flowers. Luke and Jesse ride downhill with the wind at their backs, and are keeping up nicely with the animal. The road ends in a T intersection a hundred yards ahead. Beyond, there is a thickly wooded area. Luke locks his sights on the bird. It flies straight on, over the forest. Shit!
LUKE
Luke pedals faster, eyeing a small break in the guard rail. He turns to face Jesse. Ready? Let's do it.
LUKE (CONT'D) JESSE
The bird has disappeared behind the trees. Without losing speed, Luke rides through the guard rail and into the... EXT. THICK FOREST - DAY Luke bikes quickly and carefully over rocks and dirt and piles of leaves, narrowly avoiding trees and fallen branches. Jesse barely manages to keep up, struggling to follow the path laid out by his friend. LUKE (yelling) You okay? JESSE (yelling) Finally using my mountain bike for its intended purpose...whoa! Jesse launches himself off a small knoll, over a stream, gripping a tree branch with one arm and holding onto his bike with the other.
63. He spins around, but manages to stick the landing and keep going. Nice!
LUKE
JESSE Where's our friend? A CAW from ahead. Come on!
LUKE
EXT. RETAIL STREET - DAY Luke bursts through the threshold of the forest and onto a newly paved two-way street. He skids to a stop, nearly flying over his handlebars. Jesse crashes out of the woods, almost collides with Luke. They look around. Before them, as far as the eye can see, are fast food restaurants, department stores, strip malls. Huge signs shoot high into the air. It's all strangely clean, sterile, perfect. This is the sort of familiar place that most would say lacks character, lacks spirit... But to these boys, right now, it is paradise. They ride, but they hardly have to pedal on the perfectly smooth road. They coast past Burger King, Sonic, KFC, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks. They pass Kohls, Staples, Wal-Mart, Home Depot. They pass a miniature golf course overrun with fake dinosaurs. They pass a "bistro" with a fake Eiffel Tower in the parking lot. They pass the Shanghai City restaurant, the facade of which resembles a Shaolin temple. JESSE It's a suburban Shangri-La.
64. Golden arches climb over the horizon. Luke.
JESSE (CONT'D)
EXT. MCDONALD'S - DAY They race into the parking lot. It's a new construction franchise, all brick and chrome. INT. MCDONALD'S - DAY Jesse and Luke stare at the gleaming interior. It resembles the lobby of a high-end hotel. A fireplace roars in the center. Jesse and Luke both look down at their crusty clothes and dirt-stained skin. They stand in total contrast with the ritzy interior. Luke looks through a window AQUARIUM, his face obscured by the glass, water, and droves of TROPICAL FISH. The only thing betraying the true nature of the place is a booth of three CONSTRUCTION WORKERS chowing down. Luke approaches the counter. The cashier's name tag reads LIZZIE. She's 18, an adorable mess of freckles and red hair. LUKE I'll have two quarter pounders with cheeseLIZZIE -It's breakfast. She points at the menu above her. Luke looks at it like it were written in Greek. Luke nods for Jesse to come over. LUKE It's breakfast. What?
JESSE
LUKE They haven't started serving lunch yet.
65. JESSE Since when does McDonald's do breakfast? LIZZIE Since always. JESSE What time is it? LIZZIE Eight-thirty. Jesse and Luke exchange an amazed look. JESSE It's like there's a whole world we didn't know about because we never wake up early. Luke looks at Lizzie. LUKE What do you recommend? LIZZIE Are you serious? What?
LUKE
LIZZIE It's McDonald's. Jesse has been examining the menu. He nudges Luke. JESSE Egg McMuffin. I've heard of that. Is it good?
LUKE
Jesse shrugs. LUKE (CONT'D) (to Lizzie) How's your Egg McMuffin? LIZZIE I hear they're delicious. LUKE We'll take...
66. He checks with Jesse. LUKE (CONT'D) Half a dozen? Jesse nods like "sounds about right." Lizzie plunks away at the register. Jesse notices a TATTOO on her wrist. LIZZIE Six Egg McMuffins, any coffee today? JESSE (shocked) You have coffee? INT. MCDONALD'S - LATER Jesse and Luke sit in a booth, devouring their Egg McMuffins, satisfied looks on their faces. Jesse finishes a cup of coffee, places it next to two other empties. They don't seem to hear the construction workers chatting a few booths away... JIMMY My cousin Linda, her yorkie went missing over the weekend too. SLIM Probably a mountain lion. IVAN I haven't heard my neighbor's lab barking in a few days. He's usually up early chasing the mailman. JIMMY Could be a bear. SLIM It's not the season. Probably a mountain lion. Luke finishes his last sandwich and BELCHES. Jesse puts his down half-finished.
67. JESSE How come you have to go to school close to home but Maria gets to go to New York? LUKE I don't know. She's the talented one. Our mom says it would be a shame to limit her. JESSE But they can limit you? Luke shrugs. JESSE (CONT'D) She's the favorite. Maybe.
LUKE
JESSE How come she can't wait for the fridge guy? LUKE She's always got plans. With who? Some guy.
JESSE LUKE
JESSE The same guy or different guys? LUKE Different guys. (beat) I don't want to talk about this anymore, okay? Fine.
JESSE
Luke looks at Lizzie, who plays with her hair, waiting for customers. JESSE (CONT'D) The cashier is really cute. Luke smiles.
68. LUKE Don't worry, I won't fall in love with her. JESSE You should get her number. LUKE She's probably like, sixteen. JESSE She's at least eighteen. LUKE How do you know? JESSE She has a Porcelain Palm Trees tattoo on her wrist. What's that?
LUKE
JESSE It's a punk band from the eighties. LUKE You can get a tattoo at sixteen with parental consent. JESSE Yeah, but no parent would consent to Porcelain Palm Trees. Plus, it means she has good taste. Luke looks at Jesse's half-finished McMuffin. LUKE You gonna finish that? All you.
JESSE
Luke takes a bite and chews. JESSE (CONT'D) You should ask for her number. I'll go with you. LUKE You don't understand, dude. It's not that easy for me.
69. JESSE It's not easy for me either! LUKE You've been with Steph for like, four years. So what?
JESSE
LUKE So that means you haven't asked a girl out in four years. TouchĂŠ.
JESSE
LUKE Besides, if you were working at McDonald's at eight AM, would you want some guy asking you out? JESSE Yes. I would definitely want that. Luke rolls his eyes. JESSE (CONT'D) Besides, you're not some guy. Jesse pinches his cheek. JESSE (CONT'D) (Jewish grandma voice) Look at this shayna punum! Luke laughs, then sees something out the window. His face goes white. He swats Jesse's hand away. Shit! What?
LUKE JESSE
Jesse looks outside. A RED CAMRY pulls into the parking lot next to their bikes. Maria steps out of the driver's seat. She looks pissed.
70. EXT. MCDONALD'S - DAY Luke rushes out the door. Jesse follows but hangs back a bit. Maria stands with her arms crossed, leaning against her car. MARIA I would beat your ass, but Mom told me to bring you back alive, so she could do it herself! LUKE How'd you find us? MARIA I ran into Tuck. He was too stoned to lie. I've been calling you all night. JESSE His phone's dead. Luke glares at Jesse. MARIA Mom thought you'd been kidnapped! And she had to call in sick to wait for the fridge guy. LUKE Screw the fridge guy! Maria can't believe what she's hearing. MARIA What is your problem? She grabs Luke's arm. He yanks it away. Jesse watches, doesn't want to interfere. LUKE Stop! Okay? You're not in charge of me anymore! MARIA Mom made me in charge, so I'm in charge! Get in the car. She grabs at him again. JESSE Leave him alone. Jesus.
71. MARIA Stay out of this, Jesse. LUKE Just go home. Tell mom I'll come back when I want to. MARIA When did you get so irresponsible? LUKE Oh I'm irresponsible? MARIA Uhh, yeah, I would call running away from home irresponsible. JESSE He didn't run away. Maria shoots Jesse a scathing look. She opens the back door of the Camry. Get in. No.
MARIA LUKE
MARIA You're such an asshole. LUKE At least I'm not a fucking slut! Luke regrets it immediately. Maria's jaw drops. She redirects her anger at Jesse. MARIA You told him? Luke is confused. Jesse looks to the sky like "here we go." LUKE Told me what? Maria covers her mouth. Shame washes over her. Luke looks at Jesse. LUKE (CONT'D) (to Jesse) Told me what?
72. Jesse and Maria exchange glances. Neither wants to speak up. Jesse.
LUKE (CONT'D)
JESSE We ran into each other at a party... MARIA It was nothing... Luke SCREAMS. LUKE What the fuck! Jesse approaches Luke, puts a hand on his shoulder. Luke shoves him. Hard. LUKE (CONT'D) One girl wasn't enough for you? You had toHe struggles with these words. LUKE (CONT'D) -fuck my sister! JESSE We didn't haveLuke-Stop.
MARIA LUKE
Luke looks at Maria, then at Jesse. He storms back into the restaurant. Jesse and Maria share an extended silence. JESSE A-plus work back there. Fuck you.
MARIA
INT. MCDONALD'S - DAY Luke stands in the entryway, fuming. He tries to calm himself. He shakes his head and looks around.
73. LUKE (to himself) Step one. Focus. He sees Lizzie resting her head on her hands, bored. EXT. MCDONALD'S - DAY Jesse and Maria lean against the car. Maria picks at her nails. JESSE Should I go in there? MARIA Just let him cool off. Jesse taps his foot nervously. MARIA (CONT'D) Have you told your girlfriend? Yeah.
JESSE
MARIA So did you guys like, break up? JESSE She forgave me, actually. MARIA That's good I guess. Jesse squints in the sunlight. What?
MARIA (CONT'D)
Jesse takes a long look at Maria. JESSE I kind of hoped she wouldn't. INT. MCDONALD'S - DAY Luke approaches Lizzie. Hi, I uh...
LUKE
74. She looks up. He admires her red hair, her lips, the makeup on her eyes. LUKE (CONT'D) Those McMuffins were really good. LIZZIE Can I get you something else? Luke stares at the menu. LUKE Uh, yeah, I'll have... He looks out the window at Jesse and Maria. He swallows. LUKE (CONT'D) I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out with me some time. Lizzie smiles, surprised. She makes sure her co-workers aren't looking. LIZZIE Let me give you my number. A brilliant mixture of confidence and relief washes over Luke. EXT. MCDONALD'S - DAY Luke exits the restaurant, calm, and with a fresh spring in his step. Jesse and Maria both rush to apologize. Luke-Save it.
MARIA LUKE
MARIA I was going to tell you. JESSE It was a mistake. It's okay.
LUKE
Luke looks at the car, and at the bikes.
75. LUKE (CONT'D) Let's just...I don't want to leave my bike here. You go home and tell mom I'm safe. We'll ride back. Jesse smiles. Maria contemplates it. Okay.
MARIA
She gives him an unexpected hug, then gets back in the driver's seat. MARIA (CONT'D) But come straight home. Jesse leans in. JESSE Tell your mom it was all my fault. Maria smiles at him. MARIA I was planning on it. She slams the door shut, starts the car, and drives away. Jesse waits until she's out of sight. JESSE She didn't want me to tell you. LUKE I understand. We didn't-
JESSE
Luke shoves a POST-IT at Jesse. He takes it, looks down at the phone number. Is this...? Mhm.
JESSE (CONT'D) LUKE
Jesse's face lights up, full of pride. He takes Luke by the shoulders and shakes him, laughing. Luke tries to stay reserved. Finally he smiles a big, genuine smile.
76. LUKE (CONT'D) How long am I supposed to wait before I call? JESSE Just. Just enjoy this. Luke walks to his bike. He scrapes some dirt from the tires. LUKE So that's it then? Back home? Jesse takes a deep breath and looks around, waiting for another sign, another direction. But it's just a sunny day. JESSE I guess. Back home. EXT. RETAIL STREET - DAY They retrace their steps, biking past the Shanghai City, the Eiffel Tower, the dinosaurs. LUKE Is there anything else I don't know? JESSE About me and Maria? About you.
LUKE
Jesse thinks about it. JESSE At school, everyone calls me Jess. LUKE You're kidding. Nope.
JESSE
LUKE Did you ask them to? JESSE It just sort of happened. Jess.
LUKE
77. JESSE It's weird when you say it. LUKE Is it weird, Jess? Please stop. Okay Jess.
JESSE LUKE
EXT. MEADOW - DAY They bike past the yellow flowers. LUKE I would have figured it out! JESSE You have to put yourself in their shoes, man. I am!
LUKE
JESSE Before the telescope was invented, the stars just looked like little holes in a sheet, no one could have known. LUKE I could have guessed. JESSE You don't just "guess" the nature of the cosmos. LUKE It's just logic. JESSE Yeah but you would have been taught we were at the center of it all. LUKE That doesn't make any sense!
78. JESSE Not now, it doesn't. You wouldn't have had the advantage of a modern education. LUKE I would have figured it out. EXT. FARMLAND - DAY Jesse and Luke have stopped in front of a NEW BARN, sided with gleaming red and white vinyl. They both look disgusted. Jesse looks like he might vomit. JESSE Tuck was right. LUKE I like...I don't know why I'm having such a visceral reaction to it. JESSE Something about it, man. LUKE We should go. Definitely.
JESSE
They can't stop staring. Luke shudders. EXT. BRIDGE OVER THE HIGHWAY - DAY They lean against the chain link fence overlooking the interstate, next to the plastic cups, which now read something like: KA T YN, PRO ? Jesse drinks some water. LUKE Can I ask you something? Shoot.
JESSE
LUKE You think you're gonna make it?
79. JESSE What do you mean? LUKE As an artist. Jesse has to think about this one. He spits over the bridge onto the highway. JESSE Yeah, I think so. LUKE How do you know? A car ZOOMS by. JESSE Because if I didn't I'd have no chance. Why? LUKE Just wondering. (beat) I think so too. EXT. SIDE STREET - DAY They're in the rural part of town, near where they saw Otis. Is he there?
LUKE
They round the corner and stop. There's a dark red spot on the concrete, but no dog. JESSE Someone must have cleaned it up. LUKE Poor Otis. Reduced to just a stain on the pavement. JESSE At least he has a legacy. They continue biking, faster than usual. JESSE (CONT'D) Do your legs hurt?
80.
Not really.
LUKE
JESSE It's weird. Me neither. LUKE We must have gotten stronger. EXT. LUKE'S NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT Luke and Jesse sit on their bikes, side by side, in the middle of the road. The sun sets behind Luke's house, looking the same as it's always looked. The red Camry is parked in the driveway. Hey I, um...
JESSE
Luke is still staring at his house. JESSE (CONT'D) Thanks for coming with me. LUKE That's what friends are for, huh? JESSE I really appreciate it. No problem. Luke.
LUKE JESSE
Luke looks at his friend. JESSE (CONT'D) I really appreciate it. A smile creeps across Luke's dirty face. LUKE I know you do. Jesse wipes the hair from his eyes. JESSE So I guess I'll see you later.
81. LUKE (joking) Oh, you don't want to come in? JESSE I think I'll pass. Luke chuckles. He bikes toward his house. Jesse turns his bike around and heads the other direction. Both boys look over their shoulder as the distance between them widens. CAW! Jesse looks to the sky. A great white bird with a violet neck and red belly flies over him. It's headed toward Luke's house. Luke!
JESSE (CONT'D)
Luke looks up. It flies over his house, over the woods in his backyard. He turns to Jesse. Come on!
LUKE
Jesse pedals as hard as he can. He catches up to Luke. They ride over the grass of his yard to the edge of the woods and ditch their bikes, transforming their momentum into a run. Maria stands on the back porch. MARIA (yelling) Where are you going? EXT. LUKE'S BACK WOODS - NIGHT Luke and Jesse run through the thickly planted trees, CRUNCHING through the dead leaves. CAW! They run, faster, faster than they knew they could. The last of the daylight streams in vertical planes in front of them, flashing on their faces as they sprint.
82. CAW! The woods gradually become grassier, and eventually the trees fall away to marshland. Still, Luke and Jesse run on. Jesse puts his hands on his knees and catches his breath. Luke looks around frantically. JESSE I don't remember your woods going back this far. LUKE We should have come out the other side by now. CAW! They tear across the marsh. A THICKET of bushes and small trees lies ahead. CAW! The great bird launches from the thicket, straight into the sky. It flaps its wings, flying higher and higher, until it disappears in the darkness. Luke looks back at Jesse. They slowly approach the thicket. Jesse steps on something strange. He bends down and picks it up. It's a red leather COLLAR. The word OTIS is embroidered in the side. Luke.
JESSE
Luke examines the collar. They hear a HISSING noise. STEAM seeps out of the bushes, colored by a soft blue glow. Neither boy says anything. With every step the thicket seems to glow brighter. Luke grabs some dead branches and pulls them aside. Jesse peers into the bushes. A METEORITE, four feet across, glowing blue and sparkling like a geode, is embedded in the ground. Is that?
JESSE (CONT'D)
83. Luke examines the meteorite up close. He looks at Jesse like "that's exactly what it is." Luke is so happy he could cry. Jesse smiles an open mouthed, adrenaline induced smile. Luke laughs a joyous laugh. A GROWL shakes them from their moment. They shoot up, frantically looking for the source. The growling gets louder. Jesse and Luke stand back to back. Jesse puts his guard up. Luke squints into the darkness. Something leaps at them. THUD. Jesse spins around. Luke has disappeared. The beast ROARS. Luke!
JESSE (CONT'D)
Silhouetted against the glow of the meteorite is a large, hairless ANIMAL. Maybe a dog, maybe a bear, maybe something else entirely. Jesse freezes. He nearly faints. The beast lunges at him. For a moment he can see its gnarled, bloody fangs, and long, dripping, snake-like tongue... Then THUD. He sees nothing at all. He opens his eyes. From the ground, through the grass, Jesse watches Luke throw rocks at the creature, luring it away. The beast jumps at Luke. Jesse's vision shakes. He shuts his eyes. Everything sounds like it's underwater. We see nothing but darkness. Jesse!
LUKE
Jesse shivers, clutches his stomach, cries.
Jesse!
LUKE (CONT'D) (farther away)
84. Jesse stands up, sways back and forth. He clutches his head with both hands, tugs at his hair. He looks straight on - determined. He hears GROWLING. Jesse sprints toward the beast, picks up a large ROCK. The dark figure of the animal circles him. He tracks it. It pounces at Jesse. He rolls one shoulder out of the way. The beast flies through the air, lands on its back. Jesse takes a step forward. Lifts the rock high above his head... And SLAMS it down. He drops to one knee, feels around on the ground. There's no body. In an instant the beast is on top of him again, scratching, slobbering. Jesse fights it, pushes it. His right arm is pinned by a huge claw. He bashes his head into the creature's nose, sending it back just enough to free his arm... And punches it in the jaw. SMACK. The beast jumps back. Jesse scrambles to his feet. He finds his rock. The animal shakes his head like a dog shaking off water. Jesse kicks it full force in the side. It falls over. He raises the rock again and sends it hurdling toward the beast. A WHIMPER. Silence. JESSE That's for Otis. Jesse listens. Crickets CHIRP. Frogs CROAK. Mosquitoes BUZZ. Then there's something different - a SPLASH.
85. Jesse sprints toward the source of the noise. A SPLASH with every step. He's wading into something muddy and deep. He see's something - a twinkle. A little light. Maybe just a trick of the eye. He dives toward it. For a long moment there is just quiet and darkness. Jesse emerges from the water and trudges ashore. He's carrying something heavy... He drops Luke in the grass. Both of them are coated in a thick mud. Jesse wipes it away from Luke's face. Jesse shakes Luke's shoulders. Come on!
JESSE (CONT'D)
Luke rolls over and VOMITS. He falls back and opens his eyes. Luke takes a deep breath, remembers where he is. He grabs Jesse's arm. Where's the-
LUKE
JESSE -Dead. I killed it. Luke takes a deep, relieved breath. LUKE You smell like shit. Jesse laughs. He lays down next to Luke. LUKE (CONT'D) What was that thing. JESSE I don't know. The stars have come out. It's a clear summer night. Jesse points up. JESSE (CONT'D) There's the big dipper.
86.
Dude. What?
LUKE JESSE
LUKE That's the little dipper. Damn.
JESSE
EXT. LUKE'S HOUSE - DAY SUPER: TWO MONTHS LATER A beat-up OLD BMW RATTLES as it parks in front of the garden. Luke and Jesse's FAVORITE SONG blasts from the stereo. Jesse cuts the engine and climbs out of the driver's seat, jingling the keys in his hand. A group of finches flies away, CHIRPING angrily. Luke is in his garage, packing tools into a cardboard box. LUKE How's it feel? JESSE Like freedom on four wheels. One of Jesse's HUBCAPS bounces down the street. How many? Goddammit.
LUKE JESSE
Jesse runs after it. INT. LUKE'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY Jesse opens the refrigerator. It BUZZES and CLANKS. JESSE This still isn't fixed?
87. Luke laughs. Jesse pulls out two cans of SODA and hands one to his friend. Luke opens it and takes a gulp.
Mm!
LUKE (remembering, mouth full)
Luke picks up an already-opened letter and hands it to Jesse. Jesse looks at him funny. He takes the paper out of the envelope and reads it. His face lights up. JESSE Environmental Science? LUKE Easy to remember, at least. JESSE It's perfect for you. Luke shrugs like "I know." JESSE (CONT'D) I have a feeling diet Massachusetts will treat you just fine. INT. LUKE'S HOUSE - MARIA'S ROOM - DAY Jesse knocks on the open door. Maria sorts photographs into boxes. She looks up. Hey.
MARIA
JESSE Can I come in? MARIA If you can find somewhere to sit. Her room is covered in junk and clothes. Jesse kicks some of it out of the way and sits on the carpet, leans against the bed.
88. JESSE You wanna hear something funny? Sure.
MARIA
JESSE Steph called me last week from camp. Maria perks up. JESSE (CONT'D) She said she cheated on me with some guy named Augustus to, quote, make it even. Maria leans against her bureau. Jesse.
MARIA
She frowns. MARIA (CONT'D) This isn't healthy. JESSE I know. That's why I ended it. Maria is surprised. Wow.
MARIA
(beat) Because of Augustus? Jesse shrugs. You okay?
MARIA (CONT'D)
He takes a deep breath. JESSE I'll be alright. INT. LUKE'S HOUSE - LUKE'S ROOM - DAY Jesse enters. Luke has made much more progress than his sister. The only thing left unpacked is the meteorite, which takes up an entire bedside table.
89. LUKE Come here, help me lift it. Jesse stands opposite his friend, and together they struggle to lift the massive blue rock into a wooden crate. LUKE (CONT'D) Okay, down...down... They bend their knees. JESSE I'm slipping. LUKE Don't quit on me! Can't do it.
JESSE
LUKE Just a little more...down... Jesse is red in the face Nope.
JESSE
Jesse drops his end. It only falls a few inches but SHAKES the whole house when it hits the bottom of the crate. They stare at it. Last chance.
LUKE
JESSE For the hundredth time, dude, you can keep it. LUKE Okay, but it belongs to both of us. I'm just like its-Babysitter. Caretaker. Right.
JESSE LUKE JESSE
90. Luke looks at Jesse. So. So?
LUKE JESSE
He smiles. JESSE (CONT'D) Wanna go for a ride? CUT TO BLACK THE END