Pray For a Man in the Middle

 

FADE IN:

INT: GRACIE’S CAR – LATE MORNING

 

We see GRACIE (17) on her phone.

 

(NOTE: Every 4-period ellipse signifies a pause as she waits for the person on the other end of the conversation to respond.)

 

GRACIE

(excitedly greeting)

Hey Sara, what’s up?.... Oh, do you want me to call back.... Alright, I just need a list for tonight.... Yea.... Do you remember Mike Kurtzman?.... Yea, well he works at the liquor store now. So I’m pretty sure I can get it from him.... The perv’s always been kind of into me. Even after he graduated he would call me up sometimes.... Yea, really creepy- so I don’t know maybe if I flash him....

      (laughing)

Yea, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

      (laughing)

Yea.... D’you know he tried to f**k my sister?.... Yea, so his interest in me is even that much creepier. Like he’s trying to f**k her through proxy or something.... I think it was on a ski trip.... Like three years ago, when she was a senior.... I don’t know, they ended up alone together somehow, and he was like:

      (changes her voice to sound like a guy)

“Y’know Lisowski, you’re lookin’ real pretty tonight.”....

      (normal)

I know! Right? What a f****n’ creeper. Like if he said that to me, I’d be palming the f****n’ pepper-spray....

      (laughing)

Oh that’s the funniest part. She knew what he was trying to do, right, so she blue-balled him. She was like: “He almost f*****g cried.” Oh man, so funny.... No, I was too young. I probably didn’t even know what a handjob was, let alone that. She told me at the end of last year.... At the graduation.... Yea, she saw me talking to him, and she was like “Stay away from that guy.” Like I already needed to be told that.

(>>>)

 

GRACIE (CONT)

 (a beat)

So, anyway, I need that list of what to get for tonight.... Uh-huh- knew that. How much of that should I get?.... Ok. Anything else.... Well I think Sam’s bringing something, and Annie Thomson.... Yea, apparently they’re too good to drink beer-

      (under her breath)

stuck up JAPs.... Oh f**k no, hardly ever. I once heard Beth Isanuk say that beer was “the working man’s alcohol”.... No she definitely wasn’t kidding. I don’t think that chick knows how to kid.... Alright, so I’ll just get all that and- what?.... Yea, don’t worry about that.... Yea, I’m sure I will.... It’s Mike Kurtzman.

(a beat; hopeful)

Hey, maybe if I blow him he’ll give it to me for free...

      (laughing)

I’ll take a hit for the team....

      (laughing)

Alright. I’ll talk to you later.... Yea. Bye-bye.

 

She closes her phone and throws it down to the passenger seat.

 

FADE OUT.

Author's Note

(>>>) This means there's a page break in the middle of the line.