Why Do We Even Bother?

This is my first attempt at a screenplay, and it's just the first bit - I'll add to it if it's okay.

 

EXT. AMERICAN SCHOOLYARD - MIDDAY

[Pan of school, babble of conversations becomes clearer and slowly focuses in on one conversation.

TAYLOR V.O.

So the chick’s like, well, well, maybe you should just shut up! and I’m like, dude! That is the lamest comeback I’ve ever heard.

[Laughter]

Slowly begin to focus in on one group of kids. They are clearly skaters, all boys except for Taylor. They are hanging by the back fence of the school, and occasionally one of them throws a longing glance behind them to where a Skate Park is just visible.

TAYLOR: straight brown hair, wearing black three quarter pants and a dark green T-shirt. She is sitting on her skateboard.

 EVAN: dirty blond, long hair, wearing scrappy faded jeans and an embellished T-shirt.

EVAN

Totally dogging last period, dudes.

JOSH

Hell, yeah. Double Chemistry, I don’t f*****g think so!

TAYLOR

You guys coming to the mall, this arvo?

ALL GUYS [EVAN, JOSH, JASON]

Sure, yeah, whatever

[Nodding]

A bell rings and the school collectively goes to get their stuff.

[Fade to blackness, then the sound of someone on a skate ramp]

JASON V.O.

Smooth dude. She sure can do it.

[Fade in on Skate Park earlier seen from school]

 Taylor is skating with Evan as the rest of the guys watch.

Taylor and Evan do something fancy.

JOSH

That’s f*****g insane. How is that even possible?

[Laughing from Evan and Taylor]

TAYLOR

Evan, your board sucks!

EVAN

Hey, don’t diss my board, I didn’t make you ride it.

TAYLOR

Hey, don’t diss my board, whatever!

Taylor and Evan go sit down and watch Josh and Jason.

Taylor looks around at where their stuff is.

TAYLOR

Evan! What’d you do with my iPod?

Evan watches intently as the guys try to mimic his and Taylor’s trick. They fail and Josh crashes to the ground, while Jason just manages to stick a landing on his feet.

[Evan snickers]

EVAN

Wow, that was dodgy.

TAYLOR kicks him.

EVAN [CONT.]

What, Taylor?

TAYLOR

My iPod! What did you do with it, man? If you left it at school…

EVAN

Mouths ‘f**k’.

TAYLOR

Evan!

Taylor shoves Evan off the rail he’s sitting on as she jumps the fence and marches back to the school to get her iPod.

She jumps the school fence, just finds it and turns to go back, but stops.

In the distance, we see an unmistakable Policeman striding from his car to where the boys are.

[Taylor groans]

TAYLOR

Not again! Dude, this is cheap.

She jumps over the fence again and sprints to where the guys are. She gets there just as the Policeman goes back to his car to get details.

EVAN

Taylor! What the hell’re you doing? Get out of here you f*****g dipshit!

They have an inaudible argument as the Policeman returns.

POLICEMAN

Oh, and we have another one. I recall seeing you somewhere before as well. Okay...

He pops up a pen and opens his notebook.

Evan shakes his head at Taylor.

POLICEMAN

Okay, names?

TAYLOR

Taylor.

POLICEMAN

Surname?

TAYLOR

Ryan.

Policeman looks hard at her.

POLICEMAN

Look, you better hope you’re telling the truth.

TAYLOR

Dude, why doesn’t anyone ever believe my name? This is so stupid.

She takes on an exasperated stance.

Evan glares at her.

Taylor catches his eye

TAYLOR

Mouths ‘I’m screwed.’

[Fade out]

INT. KITCHEN

Taylor walks in casually, drops her skateboard and schoolbag by the door and goes to the fridge.

 TAYLOR’S MUM, BETH V.O.

Taylor?

TAYLOR

Who else?

Beth walks into the kitchen.

BETH: short brown hair, dressed casually, carrying an armful of towels.

BETH

Taylor, don’t be smart, five people live in this house.

She puts the towels on the table.

Taylor rummages through the fridge.

TAYLOR

Yeah, but only one of them gets home this early.

BETH

Kick the attitude, okay?

TAYLOR

What attitude?

She slams the fridge door and starts to head out of the room.

BETH

Taylor…

Taylor stops and glares at her.

TAYLOR

What now?

Beth looks stern.

BETH

You know exactly what now. That is the third time this week.

TAYLOR [MUTTERING]

That you know about.

BETH

What?

TAYLOR

Nothing.

BETH

I’ll just be blunt with you, Taylor, okay?

Taylor glares at her.

BETH [CONT.]

Your friends are a bad influence. I hardly feel like I know you anymore. All you ever seem to do revolves around them, and they’re leading you astray. You used to be such a nice kid, and now you’re just an attitudinal, foul-mouthed brat.

Taylor’s expression does not change.

BETH [CONT.]

See? Even now you don’t react to anything! You just don’t care anymore! About anything!

TAYLOR

I care about a lot of things. Just because you don’t think they’re worth caring about –

BETH

You’re moving schools.

TAYLOR’s expression gets even more rebellious.

TAYLOR

What?

BETH

You’re moving schools. You’re not going back to that school. You can start again. A fresh beginning would do you good.

TAYLOR

Oh, yeah? Make me.

BETH

Oh, trust me, I will. You’re already enrolled at a new school.

Taylor looks horrified. Clearly she hadn’t believed Beth.

TAYLOR

You can’t do this. (Louder) You can’t take away my f*****g life!

BETH

Language. You don’t have much of a life, Taylor. Skating. Is that really the best you can do?

TAYLOR

You don’t understand at all. You think that somehow my friends have turned me into someone else. But that’s wrong. I’m the one that’s changed, I made these friends, and this is what I want to do! This is who the f**k I am! Why is it okay for Bryce and Blake to act so damn stupid? Mum, this is me. This is who I want to be.

BETH

Then that’s even worse. I’ve given you very lenient boundaries, Taylor, and this is what you decide to do? I’ve tried, Taylor, and with your father away so often, it’s not easy. I tried to be nice. Well from now on, that’s changing. New school, new rules.

Taylor looks furious.

Beth moves to stand directly in front of her.

You are not to leave the house until Monday morning, when I will drive you to the gates of your new school. You are to stay there all day, and I will pick you up as soon as the bell goes in the same place I drop you off. You are not taking your cell to school, and I will pack your bag if necessary. No skateboard to school. I’m confiscating it.

TAYLOR

No!

BETH

Taylor, be quiet. No seeing friends out of school without me there, same goes for weekends. I’ve given you chances, Taylor, and you obviously haven’t learned from your mistakes.

TAYLOR

What about my friends? Evan, Josh, Jason...you can’t just take them away from me.

BETH

Yes I can.

Taylor turns around and walks out of the kitchen, into her room and slams the door. She grabs her phone from her bag and dials a number. Her hands are shaking.

TAYLOR [WHISPERING]

Evan? Yeah, it’s me.

Picture cuts to Evan, who is walking up a street.

EVAN

Whoa, what’s happened dude? Are you crying?

TAYLOR

[From other end of phone line] Not yet.

EVAN

What’s wrong?

Picture goes back to Taylor, who is sitting on her bed leaning against the wall with her eyes shut.

TAYLOR

I just got a massive lecture from my mum, and the crux of it...I’m moving schools.

Picture goes back to Evan, who has just stopped.

EVAN

What the f**k? That is uncool. Just for ditching class?

TAYLOR

Basically. And also for being friends with you guys. I’m not allowed to see you ever again. I’m under twenty-four hour surveillance. I don’t know what to do.

EVAN [SIGHS]

Taylor, neither do I. I’ve been kicked out of the house. At least for now.

Picture goes back to Taylor. She opens her eyes.

TAYLOR

What? That’s...I don’t know, that’s just...

EVAN

I know. [Pause] What school’re you going to?

TAYLOR

I don’t even know. [Pause] I’d say come over, but mum has an axe in the garage. I dunno who’d be first on the menu.

Fade out.

Author's Note

yeah i know i dunno really how to lay it out and stuff, and no it's not finished, so yeah...

Reviews

[deeps]

Whoa! Awesome stuff here
Amazing imagery
Language fits well with what you have written.
I usually don't read things with cuss words, sometimes it helps with what you are writing about.
This is wonderful, I enjoyaed your characters. very well written.