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Getting to Know You 3
By AlanGrant5
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Written by Devin Da Graca
CUT TO:
INT. – CAR DEALERSHIP – MORNING
RICK is seated at his desk, biting his nails worriedly. He pushes a button on his phone.
PHONE
The time is 9:05 AM.
RICK
(sighing)
Damn it Jim.
RICK dials his sons cell phone number for a fifth time, visibly impatient. LYLE walks across the service floor, back to his desk, recognizing RICK’S frantic movements.
LYLE
(smiling)
Someone finally decide to shit
on your windshield of life?
RICK
(annoyed)
Yeah, my son. He was supposed
to call me, but… you know how it
goes.
RICK reaches his son’s voice mail and hangs up.
LYLE
(taking a seat at his desk)
Mmmhm, you know Rick, I wasn’t
gonna tell you how to raise your
kid or nothin’, but since you
decided to tell me how I should
be eatin’ my sunflower seeds, well,
shit, I might as well give you
a few pointers on dealin’ with
your kid.
RICK looks at LYLE as if he has no interest in hearing anything he has to say.
RICK
And what’s that Lyle?
LYLE
(sensing hostility)
Now this is just from one father
to the next. I’ve got four boys
of my own, you know that, two of
them are already out of the house,
so I don’t want to seem like I’m
an expert on the matter; just got
a few more years under my belt than
you.
RICK picks up the phone again and starts dialing.
LYLE
How old’s your boy?
RICK
(holding the phone to the other side of his face)
Lyle, you know how old Jim is.
LYLE looks at RICK as if he hadn’t received the answer he was looking for.
RICK
Eighteen. He’s eighteen.
LYLE
Mmhm, and how long has he had
his license for?
RICK
(hangs up again)
Four months.
LYLE
Really? That’s all, feels like
it’s been years. You wanna know
why?
RICK
No, Lyle, why?
LYLE
Because every damn morning that
boy calls you to let you know he’s
made it to school safely. And every
once and while, it slips his mind
that he has to call you. Everytime
that happens, you flip out, like
you are right now, and think the
worst has happened.
RICK
I’m not flipping out.
LYLE
Yeah? What call are you on
right now?
RICK
(looking at the phone with a sideways glance)
What? I don’t know, maybe the third…
RICK hangs up the phone and looks to LYLE.
RICK
Okay, are we talking completed calls,
where the voice mail picks up, or are
we talking about incomplete calls,
where you wait a few rings and then hang up?
LYLE laughs at RICK.
RICK
Look, it’s just a mutual agreement
we made. I’m not asking for much,
just a simple phone call.
LYLE
If it’s not much then why are you
getting all worked up about it?
RICK
Because… there are some crazy
people out there Lyle, you know
that. We tow in wrecked cars all
the time-
LYLE
Rick, listen, you’re son’s eighteen years old and growing. You’ve got
this kid on a tight leash-
RICK
A tight leash? I do not have
him on a-
LYLE
Rick, you live ten minutes away from his school and you want him to phone in every morning so that he can tell you that his ten minute driving experience
was a safe one.
RICK
Yeah? So, what’s wrong with that?
LYLE
(chuckling)
Nothing, nothing’s wrong with that.
But I tell ya what is wrong; yelling
at the kid for not doing it.
RICK
Yelling? I haven’t yelled at him.
LYLE
Yeah, cuz you haven’t gotten a
hold of him yet.
RICK
Well… yeah, listen, it’s just
like any other rule; like taking
out the trash. If he doesn’t do it,
I’m gonna get on his case for it.
LYLE
Okay, okay, do what you like, but let me just say this: Jim’s eighteen years old, he’s had his license for four months, and right now he’s sitting in class, doing the education thing.
RICK
But how do I know that if he doesn’t call?
LYLE
Trust. When you’re kid turns eighteen something amazing happens to them: they think they can do anything without parental intervention.
RICK
Exactly, can’t-
LYLE
But, sometimes you’ve gotta let them believe that cuz that’s what growing up is all about, learning how to care for yourself, be responsible for yourself. It’s what we spend our entire lives trying to teach them before we boot them out of the nest. Sometimes, you’ve got to endure watching them fall before you can see them fly.
LYLE gets up out of his chair.
LYLE
(continued)
Worrying about your kid is normal. Showing your kid that you’re worried about him all the time; you’re asking for trouble.
LYLE walks over to RICK’S desk.
LYLE
Lengthen up that leash you’ve
got on him.
RICK
What’s up with the leash, why
does it have to be a leash, I don’t treat him like a dog.
LYLE
No, treat him like a bird. Every
bird needs a sufficient amount of
space to fly.
LYLE pats RICK on the shoulder and begins walking away. RICK stares at his desk in contemplation.
RICK
You know, that’s the third bird metaphor you’ve used today?
LYLE
(back turned, walking away)
Just a little advice, take it or
leave it.
RICK
Bird shit, nests, flying birds-
LYLE raises his arm as he walks away and flips RICK off with his right hand.
RICK
Would you look at that, another bird!
LYLE
(laughing)
Yeah, I’ve got another one for ya.
LYLE raises his left hand and flips RICK off yet again.
RICK
(turning back to face his desk)
Too many birds, too many birds.
RICK picks up the phone once more and begins dialing.
CUT TO:
INT. – HIGH SCHOOL OFFICE – MORNING
JIM approaches the front desk to greet MRS. HANNAH, an office clerk.
MRS. HANNAH
Uh oh, late again?
JIM
(sarcastically)
Surprise!
MRS. HANNAH
(giggling)
You have a note this time? Or did
you just wake up late.
JIM
Woke up late.
MRS. HANNAH nods her head and begins to fill out a re-admittance slip. She glances at the clock and documents the time, while JIM stands, smiling uncomfortably.
MRS. HANNAH
(handing JIM the note)
Okay, there you go, all set.
JIM
Thanks.
JIM turns away from the desk and heads to the door.
MRS. HANNAH
Oh, Jim, I almost forgot.
JIM turns around and heads back for the desk.
MRS. HANNAH
Your dad called, said to call him
back right away.
MRS. HANNAH hands JIM a pink slip; a message marked urgent. JIM reads over it briefly and realizes his fault; he’d forgotten to call RICK.
MRS. HANNAH
Use the office phone, right behind you.
JIM
Thanks.
JIM walks over to the phone and dials his father’s number. He stands and waits for RICK to pick up.
RICK
(friendly)
Tom Henson Cadillac, Rick speaking, how
may I help you?
JIM
Yeah, it’s me.
RICK
(quietly hostile)
Oh, yeah, uhuh, and where the hell have
you been? You were supposed to call me.
Although RICK tries his best to stay quiet, those working in the HIGH SCHOOL OFFICE can overhear the angry father. They casually glance at JIM, while shuffling papers, pretending as if they are unable to hear anything.
JIM
(sighs impatiently)
Yeah dad, I know, I just forgot.
RICK
Just forgot? How do you just forget?
You call everyday, it’s a daily thing
Jim, it’s a-
JIM
(looking around, as if checking to see if the coast is clear)
Yeah, exactly, I call so friggin’ much
that sometimes it becomes a little hard
for me to distinguish when I have or
haven’t called.
RICK
Don’t get smart with me. We have a deal
and you had me sittin’ here, won-
(beat, RICK collects himself)
Okay, you know what, we’ll talk about
this later. We’re visiting Grandpa tonight, it’s his birthday, so that’s it. That’s the plan.
JIM
I’ve got detention after school, so I’ll just meet you at-
RICK
(irritated)
You got a detention?
JIM
Yeah, for being late, it’s stupid.
RICK
(sarcastically)
Anything else you wanna lay on me now? You blow up the car? Get a girl pregnant?
JIM
(the level of his voice elevating)
What the? No, sorry dad, but if you’d like for me to make you a grandfather, I’m gonna need another nine months.
MRS. HANNAH raises her eyebrows in peculiarity and looks at other office employees. All of them are listening in on the conversation by this point.
RICK
You know that wouldn’t surprise me; you forget everything else, why not forget
using a condom.
JIM
What? You’re retarded, you always blow
things out of proportion.
RICK
I am not blowing anything out of proportion. One thing leads to another; you forget one little thing, you forget one big thing.
JIM
Okay, okay, dad, I get it.
RICK
After detention, you head straight over to Grandpa’s, okay?
JIM
Okay.
RICK
You hear me?
JIM
(impatient)
OKAY!
RICK
I get off at six o’clock today, so
I should be there by 6:30 or 7. I’ll
see you later.
JIM
Fine.
JIM hangs up the phone.
MRS. HANNAH
Jim, everything okay?
JIM
(smiling, embarrassed)
Everything’s fine.
JIM walks out of the office and gently closes the door. He closes his eyes, for a moments meditation, and begins walking down an empty hall. JIM hangs a right and makes his way down a few flights of stairs.
JIM
(mimicking his father)
Don’t forget to call, I told you
to call me, oh my God, you didn’t
call, you made me pee on myself
because you didn’t call-
An eighteen-year-old girl, brunette and pretty, observes JIM as he talks to himself while heading towards her direction. She smiles at the sight. Her name is LANA and JIM is unsuspecting of her.
LANA
(as JIM passes her)
Your imaginary friend have a name?
JIM stops and looks back up at LANA. He looks around before speaking, realizes that he’s been caught talking to himself and blushes.
JIM
I didn’t realize I was-
LANA laughs with JIM paused with embarrassment, yet again. JIM finds himself giggling too.
JIM
Do I know you? You go here?
LANA pauses her laughter and looks at JIM strangely. She looks around, then back at JIM.
LANA
Yeah… that’s why I’m here, because I
go here.
JIM feels stupid.
JIM
Yeah, that was a dumb question.
LANA smiles, takes a few steps down, and extends her hand to JIM’S.
LANA
Not really, I’m Lana, just transferred
here from Stanton High.
JIM and LANA shake hands.
JIM
Oh, cool. I’m Jim.
LANA
(shaking hands)
I was in the van you cut off this morning.
JIM
(releasing his hand from LANA’S)
You were in the… THE VAN! Oh, the van.
I’m so sorry about that, I had no-
LANA
(smiling once again)
Don’t be, you practically cast a demon
out of my mom this morning. I found it
fairly amusing.
JIM
(laughing)
A demon huh?
LANA
Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve heard
her yell, ‘holy shit’ to someone other than my dad.
JIM
(chuckling)
Holy shit huh? Your mom did seem a tid-bit religious.
LANA
Oh, very, to the point where she has to add ‘holy’ to ‘shit’ before she says it.
JIM laughs and so does LANA.
LANA
(ditching an awkward silence)
I have to go finish up some registration
stuff though… see ya around school?
JIM
(smiling)
Yeah, for sure.
LANA
(returning the smile)
Awesome, nice meeting you.
LANA continues her walk up the stairs, while JIM remains standing on one of the steps. JIM watches LANA go up the stairs, a bit love struck.
JIM
It was nice running into you… and your
van!
LANA looks back down at JIM and laughs.
LANA
Hopefully you won’t be running into me with your car.
JIM makes his way down the stairs.
JIM
(giggling)
No, no more cars, just body-to-body run-ins.
JIM stops, his back turned to LANA, and replays what he just said to himself in his mind. LANA looks down at JIM with peculiarity and smiles it off, making her way into the HIGH SCHOOL OFFICE.
JIM
(to himself)
Body-to-body run-ins? What the hell is wrong with you? Such an idiot.
JIM walks back to his classroom, embarrassed for the third time today.
Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think, opinions are appreciated :)
2/2/2005 7:03:11 AM
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