SCRIPT !!

     I wrote a script based on my outline for my short film. I did this mainly just so my actors have something to work with, so it is far more about what the characters are physically doing and what they are thinking, in order to help them act.

Here it is!

1      HOME LIFE - NIGHT

Slow fade in.

Low tracking forward showing MOM on the couch. Room is dark, tv is loudly playing sound. MOM's face is illuminated by the flashing lights of the tv screen.

Close ups on: on broken bottle on the floor, empty bottles tipped over, Mom looking at the tv with a empty stare (excluding eyes). Behind her, the door opens, LUCAS in off screen. LUCAS , setting his backpack on the floor. Mom sees, but turns back to the screen.

                MOTHER

        (Slurred words, clear that she has been drinking.)

    Heeey honey. How was school?

LUCAS knows his mother is drunk, and doesn't care to know why he is getting home from school at 9p.m. He spends most of his time at the skate park, bike riding anywhere he wants, anything to distract himself enough to forget what time it is. He only returns once it's too dark and the bugs became bothersome, and his mother never questions his late return.

LUCAS looks down and turns away.

                LUCAS

        (words slurred, wanting to finish the shallow conversation as soon as he can)

    S'fine.

MOM takes another sip out of the bottle in her hand. Then briefly turns back to LUCAS.

                MOTHER

    Well alright then.

LUCAS opens a small pizza box, finds it empty. He eyes over his shoulder to where his MOTHER is, but changes his mind, settling for a granola bar instead and walking out towards his room.

2     THE FIRST NOTE - LUCAS' BEDROOM                            

LUCAS walks in eating the granola bar. He harshly sits down at his desk, opening his computer to do homework. Something catches his attention out of the corner of his eye.

He sees a blue sticky note with black writing on it. Instantly recognizing it, his eyebrows slightly furrow, confused. LUCAS picks up the note, recognizing it as a note his brother NIC wrote to him 2 years ago.

It reads : Good luck on your algebra test, remember everything we practiced - NIC

He stares at it for a second, confused, frozen in a memory, but then he quickly shuts it into his desk drawer. Out of sight, out of mind. He turns back to his computer before taking another look at the drawer, then rids the thought out of his mind. Turns back to his computer

3     MORE NOTES - SCHOOL CAFETERIA

LUCAS makes his way into the school cafeteria. He has headphones on, his hood is up, isolating himself from others. He makes himself as unapproachable as he can. LUCAS gets his drink out of the vending machine, lunchbox in hand, and makes his way to his usual lunch spot.

He leans against the wall and drags himself to sit down on the floor. He opens his lunchbox, and it caught off guard when he finds more notes inside. The first couple are similar to the previous one, same hand writing. As he reads them, the music playing from his headphones begins to fade, and a buzzing/static white noise begins is heard.

.It reads : You're gonna aice your English exam! - NIC

.The second : You're the coolest little brother, love you - NIC

.The third : Remember when we got locked out of the house lol - NIC

LUCAS is confused how these notes got in his lunchbox in the first place, but then his heart stops as he sees the next two.

.I believe in you, you'll do great - NIC

.Hi Lucas! Good luck in bio You got this! - NIC

The other notes were in the same blue paper, in his brother's handwriting. These notes were in a different handwriting, different paper; they were new. LUCAS feels confused, conflicted, lost, afraid. He's spent so much time trying to push these memories out of his mind, and now this sudden reminder, confrontation, gives him many questions with no answers: Who's giving these old notes to him? Is this a sick prank? Who wrote these knew ones? That's not NIC's handwriting, he knows NIC's handwriting. Why now? Why did it have to be NIC?

Cut to black. School Bell.

4      MORE AND MORE AND MORE NOTES - BACK HOME, DAY

LUCAS walks through the front door, rubbing his face, feeling even more exhausted. Walking into the living room, his face shifts to a shocked expression. He sees MOTHER asleep on the couch, pen in hand, dried tears on her face. A note, just like the new ones he found in his lunchbox is in her hand. And all over the couch, floor, coffee table.

As he scans over them, NIC's name gets bigger and messier, a framed picture of NIC lays there as well. Until there is one that he stops on, with just his name softly written, taking up the whole sticky note. LUCAS stumbles backwards, overwhelmed, he starts having memories of his brother flood back.

FLASH back to boy running to his room

FLASH his brother playfully tickling him to the floor FLASH he falls back against the door FLASH brother, Mom, and boy laughing and talking during a movie CUT him watching and looking up to his brother playing soccer, his mom with him, happy and pointing out the brother CUT family game night, LUCAS wins

                MOTHER, NIC

    Woaaahhh! (speaking over eachother)

                NIC

    How the actual hell?

                MOTHER

    You're getting better and better by the day

                NIC

    Okay he's gotta he cheating, come on

                MOTHER

    Nic...

                

CUT the boy crying and hugging his mom, her comforting him but looking off CUT the boy knocking on the moms door asking for her CUT mom drunk, cussing out the boy for doing the dishes wrong FAST CUTS

Black out.

Ear ringing noises, with vague shouts

                MOTHER

    Lucus! Lucas can you hear me?

Opens with an over the shoulder the mom shaking him yelling his name with genuine concern.

                MOTHER

    Oh my god, are you okay? What hurts? Honey say something!

He looks her, tears on his face, we see the mother’s whole face for the first time, she looks down and sees him clutching the notes. She looks at him with a frozen expression, feeling caught and vulnerable, ashamed for letting him see her writing these notes. He rises and wraps his arms around her.

                LUCAS

    Mom...I miss him..

    I miss Nic so much.

                MOTHER

        (Her face softens and she hugs him back)

    Me too, honey. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.

Two shot of the two on the floor, hugging. Camera slowly zooms out and then fades to black.