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Lan let the Games Begin (Part 3)
By Aragorn
EXT. APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM - EVENING
The door to Jeff's room opens and Jeff walks out, putting on his faded jean jacket while Curtis is sitting in front of the T.V., drinking from a flask, his black jacket already on.
JEFF Where's Len?
CURTIS He's putting the computers in the car.
JEFF Shouldn't we be helping him?
CURTIS Yeah, I told him I'd be right down.
JEFF Ok, so he just left then?
CURTIS Nah man, I told him that fifteen minutes ago.
Jeff and Curtis snicker. Suddenly the phone rings. Jeff looks back at the receiver on the wall, but the phone is not on it. It continues to ring as Jeff rushes through the apartment, looking for it. He searches on the counters, by the T.V., around the couch, and in the porch.
JEFF Curtis, do you know where the phone is?
CURTIS
(shrugging) Nah.
Jeff continues to search, following the source of the ringing right into Curtis' room.
INT. APARTMENT – CURTIS’ ROOM - EVENING
The room is so messy and piled with so much garbage, that the hurricane that hit New Orleans couldn't have done more damage. Jeff finds the cordless phone on Curtis' unmade bed. Just as he picks it up to talk, the answering machine cuts in.
LEN
(recording) Hi, you've reached the home of Len Pothier, Curtis Coates, and Jeffrey Long...
JEFF
(recording) Jeff! Only my mom calls me Jeffrey, and only when she's mad.
LEN
(recording) Will you shut up and let me talk?
JEFF
(recording) Jeff! The name’s Jeff!
LEN
(recording) Fine, and Jeff Long.
JEFF
(recording) Thank you.
LEN
(recording; sighing) We're not around right now, but leave a message and we'll get back to you later.
BEEP.
INT. APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM - EVENING
Curtis hears Jeff's voice and the following conversation projected throughout the entire apartment due to the answering machine being on.
JEFF
(v.o.) Hello?
GIRL
(v.o.) Hey.
Curtis smiles and puts the TV on mute as he turns around to stare at the answering machine. He sips some more from his flask.
INT. APARTMENT – CURTIS' ROOM - EVENING
Jeff paces back and forth as he talks on the phone.
JEFF
(nervous) Danielle, heeey.
DANIELLE
(v.o.) What's up?
JEFF Not too much.
DANIELLE
(v.o.) Good, cause I need to tell you something.
(pause) I'm still in love with you.
INT. APARTMENT – MAIN ROOM - EVENING
Curtis tries not to laugh as he reaches his hand into a nearby bowl and pulls out a handful of stale popcorn.
INT. APARTMENT – CURTIS' ROOM – EVENING
Jeff goes as silent as his eyes are wide at the moment.
DANIELLE
(v.o.) And I know that if we just move in together, we can make it work this time. I've been looking at apartments for us the last couple days, and I think there's this really good one down on Torbay Road and...
Jeff is visibly shaking in fear, sweat forming on his head. He cuts her off.
JEFF Um, actually, heh, that's very sweet of you and all, but, um, I'm going away for a while.
DANIELLE
(v.o.; sad) Ohhh, where to?
Jeff thinks for a second and then blurts out;
JEFF Africa!
DANIELLE
(v.o.; not buying it) Africa?
JEFF
(making it up as he goes along) Yes...Yes, Africa. You see, me and my friends...Len and Curtis...and Mark...we're all going for a couple months.
DANIELLE
(v.o.; back to being sad) Oh, I'll miss you, my little Jeffy-Weffy.
(Jeff cringes) When are you leaving? I hope I can see you before you leave.
JEFF
(without pause) Tonight.
DANIELLE
(v.o.) So I can't see you before you leave? Oh, now I'm sad.
JEFF Yeah, so I've gotta go pack and stuff, so take care, and I'll see you when I get back...In two months.... No, wait, three... Sorry, yeah, three months... Actually I think we're planning on staying there until around Halloween...But I'll call you when I get back. Bye!
And with that, Jeff hangs up before Danielle can say anything else.
JEFF
(to himself) What a psycho...
He quickly throws the phone back down on the bed, as if he just touched acid, and a cold shiver travels up his spine. Turning, he leaves the room.
INT. APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM - EVENING
Curtis is smiling at Jeff when he enters. Before anyone can say anything, Len walks in from the hall, out of breath.
LEN Curtis, you asshole. You were supposed to be helping.
CURTIS Sorry, something came up.
LEN
Like what? Another bank robbery?
Curtis looks back at Jeff, a huge smile on his face.
CURTIS Jeff is going to Africa.
LEN What!?
JEFF Curtis, you asshole.
(turns to Len) Long story. Short version – Not going to Africa. Unless you run into my ex, Danielle. Then you and Curtis are also gone to Africa.
LEN But if I run into her, won't she know I'm not gone?
JEFF Then don't run into her! God, talk about lack of common sense.
Len shakes his head.
LEN Anyway...let's get going. The party starts soon.
Jeff is the first to leave. After he walks out the door, Len turns to Curtis.
LEN
Answering Machine picked up first again?
CURTIS Yep.
LEN So the entire thing is still on the machine?
CURTIS
(laughing)
Yep.
LEN Sweet. Remind me to tape it off later.
Curtis and Len chuckle as they too, leave.
EXT. PARTY HALL – EVENING
‘Stayin’ Alive’ by the Bee Gees plays as Len’s car pulls into the parking lot and stops in front of the steps leading up into the long narrow building. There are a scattered few other cars in the parking lot, but not many.
LEN Anybody know what time it is?
JEFF AND CURTIS Tool Time!
Len turns and glares at both of them.
LEN
You two really need to stop doing that.
CURTIS It’s 7:06.
LEN Good. We’ve got plenty of time to set up before the party starts. Come on, we’ll scope out the inside and then come back out for our gear.
The three open their doors, step out, close their doors, and head up the steps of the building.
INT. PARTY HALL - EVENING
The song continues to play as they enter into a giant room; the entire building is just one gigantic empty room. Although currently there are dozens and dozens of long tables set up, so far there are only four other computers being set up on them by four other people. The music slowly fades out during the scene.
MARK
(o.s.) Guys! You made it!
They turn and see Mark approaching them, cheerful.
MARK
Tickets, please.
Len and Jeff hand Mark their tickets, but Curtis is having trouble finding his.
LEN What was the point of buying tickets anyway, if its only people you know that are gonna be here?
MARK Well someone needs to pay to rent out this place.
Curtis is still searching for his. He checks his pockets on his jacket, his inside pockets in his jacket, and his jeans pockets, all with no luck.
CURTIS Just a minute, I know I have it here some place. I didn’t waste 10 bucks on a ticket just to loose it.
The others are waiting impatiently for him, Mark sighing heavily, frustrated. Finally Curtis finds it crumpled up in his back pants pocket.
CURTIS
Here ya go, Sparky.
Mark looks at it, disgustingly, as not only is it crumpled up but it also has some gum stuck to it.
JEFF Hey Mark, Where’d you find this place?
MARK My dad often rents it out for business meetings and gatherings and things like that.
LEN So where can we set up?
MARK Wherever you guys want. That’s my computer over there. I just finished building it last week, Intel Pentium Extreme, I've got it running at 3.8 right now but I'm waiting on my liquid cooling to arrive. Four 74 gigabyte Raptor drives at 10,00 rpm each, set up in a RAID 0 array, 4 gigs of PC26400 ram and a Radeon X1900 with 512MB GDDR3.
Mark points to his computer across the room, which currently sits by itself. Len remains unimpressed while Curtis and Jeff are staring off into space not understanding a word that was said.
LEN Alright thanks.
Mark walks away to look after some other things.
LEN
So guys, we’re gonna set up over there.
Len points across the room in the direct opposite direction from Mark’s computer.
INT. PARTY HALL – LATER - EVENING
A couple dozen people occupy the room now, and Len, Jeff, and Curtis are finishing setting up. Len of course, is doing most of the work, even with Jeff and Curtis’ computers.
JEFF Hey, there’s Karson, Dane, and Robbie from work. I had no idea that they knew Mark.
KARSON GAUTHIER, A shorter, rounder kid with glasses, ROBBIE SIDHU, a short brown kid, and DANE LUCAS, a tall blonde-haired kid, walk over to Jeff.
JEFF
Hey, what are you guys doing here?
Karsen points across the room to Mark.
KARSEN That guy invited us.
JEFF Where do you know Mark from?
DANE My dad is in business with his dad so we've met a couple times and one day started talking about computers and it just went from there.
JEFF I went to school with him.
(looks around; to Robbie) Your sister not here tonight?
ROBBIE Nah, Sonum’s got Lacrosse to coach tonight.
Len leans over.
LEN Another 14 year old you’re in love with?
JEFF
(defensively) No! No, I’m not in love with her. And she’s not 14. She’s 18...I think...Maybe 17, but definitely older then 15...I’m pretty sure.
KARSON Well we’ve gotta go finish setting up. Good luck.
Just as they leave, Dane turns back with a smile on his face.
DANE Bye Heffrey.
Jeff rolls his eyes.
LEN What was that about?
JEFF This girl at work misspelled my name on MSN, and apparently I’m the one that’s made fun of for it, even though she’s the one that can’t spell.
Len chuckles and Mark walks back over. When he reaches them, he eyes Len’s computer with a glare that could kill.
MARK
So Len, that’s your weapon of choice? It looks like it should be processing garbage.
LEN Don't you think you should consider what you say, given your own computer? Besides I prefer buying a quality product instead of just buying the common logo.
MARK
Your right, I didn't mean to say it should be processing garbage... what I really meant was it should be processed as garbage.
Len gets a look in his eye that tells everyone to stand back while he kicks Mark's ass. Mark realizes how much danger he has put his life in.
MARK Plus Intel is so much more than a logo...
LEN I'm sorry, your right, that logo stands for years of price gouging, over-heating, under performing products, outright lies, and oh so much more.
MARK Ya well... Intel is still better... Besides, we will have a perfect opportunity to prove who has the better equipment tonight.
LEN See now I hate Intel as much as the next AMD fan but that’s no reason to blame your crappy gaming skills on them. Besides, my Duron 1.3 will hold its own, you just watch your temperature gage as it rises.
Jeff looks over at the canteen and eyes the beautiful cashier behind the counter. He decides this is a good time as any to interrupt Mark and Len.
JEFF Hey Mark, who’s the hot chick you got dealing out the energy drinks? I’d love to deal something out to her, if ya know what I mean.
Mark turns on Jeff with even more disdain then he had just given Len.
MARK
(growling) My sister.
Jeff nervously chuckles.
JEFF Well at least she’s older then 18, in my defense.
MARK
(still angry) She’s 16.
JEFF Really?
(squints eyes) I swear, she looks over 18.
CURTIS Well I’m going to go get something to drink.
JEFF Me too.
Curtis and Jeff start to head towards the bar, but Mark stops Jeff by grabbing his arm.
MARK Actually Jeff, I’ll get you one, My treat... for being such a nice guy to me in high school.
Jeff leans into Len, whispering.
JEFF I was?
Len shrugs.
MARK In the meantime though, I want you to go look and see how full the parking lot is and tell me.
JEFF Ok, done deal.
Jeff takes off. Mark turns back to Len.
MARK
Keep him away from my sister.
LEN What’s in it for me?
MARK An extra day off from work, with pay?
LEN Deal. I want it in writing though.
MARK What!? You don’t trust me?
LEN No.
MARK
(disappointed) I’ll have it for you in a minute.
Just as Mark turns to go get Jeff his drink, he hears his name get shouted out and turns around, seeing two people enter the building. One is very short with long blonde hair and the other is average size, skinny, and wears glasses.
MARK
Chad! Marcel! I'm so glad you guys could make it!
Marcel, the glasses-wearing one, laughs very dorkily.
MARCEL We're going to pwn these newbs...
CHAD What game's first? I need to know so I know which of my three computers I'm going to set up first. Each one’s performance is personally set-up to be the best it can possibly be, with each separate game. I’m such a CPU Badass. Hey Marcel, I should get a custom badge that says that. ‘Chad Hardcastle: CPU Badass’
Marcel laughs.
MARCEL
Dude, you so should. That would be so awesome. It could be like a cop badge!
Mark looks back and forth between the two of them, slightly scared.
MARK ...I was thinking maybe Raceway Madness 2: Top Stakes Special Edition...
MARCEL Sweet! I roxors at that game!
Len, standing nearby as he tries to set up the computers, overhears this convo and rolls his eyes embarrassingly.
CHAD
Dude, shut up. Talking like that doesn't make you k-o-o-l.
MARCEL Oh, sorry. You're so right.
CHAD Come on, let's go get the computers.
Chad, followed by Marcel, leaves the building again and as soon as they do, Jeff walks back in.
JEFF There are six cars out there, and another three just pulled up.
MARK Alright, thanks Jeff.
Jeff looks at Mark's hands.
JEFF
So where's my drink, dude?
MARK Shit. Sorry, I got sidetracked.
JEFF No worries, I'll just get it myself and get it put on your tab.
MARK No! No, just go back to Len and help him set up. I'll get it for you.
JEFF Alright, thanks man. You're pretty cool. I don't give a shit what Len and Curtis always say.
As Jeff walks away, Mark turns and sighs with relief. But that's when he sees Curtis leaning over the counter of the canteen and something he says causes Mark's sister to laugh. Mark's face goes beat red with anger.
9/28/2007 1:02:57 AM
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