New Year's Eve

Not your ordinary party chit-chat

Blackness: There is an unseen commotion, a scuffle. Shortly thereafter, we hear a scream of a man. It fades out.

EXT. BALCONY - NIGHT
A posh uptown apartment. A party is in progress, indicated by crowd noise coming from inside and blinking lights reflecting off of a disco ball.

WILL WILLIAMSON, 28, dressed in a suit with a white shirt and tie, talks with SARAH JOHNSON, 25 in a dress and a paper cone hat that says “happy new year 2008”. We cut in their mid-conversation.

SARAH
Is this a test? Are you testing me right now?

WILL
No, no I’m not.

SARAH
I have to  admit that this is more interesting conversation than your run-of-the-mill party chit-chat.

WILL
It could be, I guess.

SARAH
Are you this direct with strangers in general?

WILL
I’m not good at small talk.

They smile at each other nervously.

SARAH
Neither am I.

Uncomfortable silence.

WILL
So...

Will looks up at the sky.

SARAH
No no. We should keep going. I’d like to continue this.

WILL
(doubtful)
Really?

Sarah nods her head.

WILL (CONT’D)
(curious)
Really?

SARAH
I think people are good deep inside. They are trying to be good at least. I mean...

WILL
They might have good intentions, but intentions don’t make the world go round. For instance-

Will takes off his jacket and puts it on Sarah’s shoulders. She winces.

WILL (CONT’D)
Just like you said. You went to school to be a social worker. You must’ve thought about it before you decided. I bet you wanted to do something good for other people.

SARAH
Now you are trying to piss me off.

WILL
Like I said. I’m not good at small talk.

SARAH
So what, you think I’m a fool to have good intentions, that people are evil and I’m wasting my time?

WILL
I guess what I’m getting at is that, that you have to admit, people are capable of some of the evilest s**t. And I want you to admit that.

SARAH
Okay. But there are just as many-

WILL
Admit it.

SARAH
What?

WILL
Admit that WE are capable of-

SARAH
I just did.

WILL
Say it then.

SARAH
You know what your problem is?

WILL
You don’t mean it.

Silence.

SARAH
You must hate yourself. I pity you.

WILL
I do. Thanks.

A WOMAN peaks out the window from the crowd inside. She looks worried.

WOMAN
Have you seen Rocco? He is a good looking guy with a leather jacket...

Sarah and Will shake their heads.

WOMAN
Sorry to interrupt. Please go on.

The woman winks at them and goes away.

Will and Sarah look at each other. Will reaches for Sarah. She steps back until she reaches the guardrail.

SARAH
What?

WILL
Your hat.

Will adjusts her paper hat. Warm smile.

SARAH
You scared me a little.

Sarah notices a scratch on his left cheek.

SARAH
(Continued)
You are bleeding.

She touches her own cheek. Will checks his. Shrugs.

WILL
Just a scratch.

SARAH
(teasing)
From some boyish rabble rousing tonight?

WILL
You could say that.

They have a moment, looking in each other's eyes.

WILL
(Continued)
Give me your hand.

SARAH
Why?

He takes her hand and envelops it with his hands. Sarah lets him. Will caresses her hand for a while, then looks up.

WILL
Look at this...soft and warm...

Pause.

WILL
(Continued)
See, this is what I’m talking about.

SARAH
What?

WILL
The hands that never had to endure physical labor.

Sarah draws her hand back quickly.

SARAH
How do you figure that? What’s that got to do with anything? Just because I don’t have coal miner’s hands, I don’t have a right to help other people?

WILL
Have you ever-

SARAH
No. I never had to work hard in my life, Okay? I’m from the Hamptons. I admit it. Happy now? I’m not qualified to care for the less fortunate. So what? F**k you and your screwed up, holier-than-thou, working-class bullshit. What makes you so great? Why aren’t you with your f*****g fellow workers now? Why are you in this posh f*****g New Years party on the Upper West side?

WILL
It’s my job.

SARAH
How’s that? It’s your job?

There is a police siren approaching from a distance.

WILL
It’s time to go.

SARAH
Yeah, just walk away. Criticize everyone else and you can’t even justify yourself. You must be proud.

WILL
I’m not. Forget everything I said tonight. I’m glad to have met you.

Will walks out of the frame. Sarah, still steaming looks at Will’s direction then slowly looks out the balcony. The party crowd start counting down the seconds to the new year.

CROWD (O.S.)
Ten...Nine...Eight...Seven...Six...

There is a commotion and the police car arrives down below. She looks down. She can’t believe what she sees;

CROWD (CONT’D)
Five...Four...Three...

There is a body of a man wearing a black lather jacket lying in the puddle of blood on the concrete floor of a mezzanine level down below.

CROWD (CONT’D)
Two...One!

FADE OUT.
THE END

Reviews

[Crawford]

This is a good story, well constructed and well laid out. Keep up the good work.

[Celtic Cat]

*clap clap clap clap* Oooooh.... I was so hoping he was gonna push her self-righteous arse right off that balcony to meet the leather-clad dude. Excellent, excellent write!! Bravo!!!!

[Rhan F. Sydney]

Oooh, absolutely scintillating....I enjoyed this greatly..Thank you for your submission.