EXT. FREEWAY - CONTINUOUS
The MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 is parked IN the breakdown lane, itsHAZARD LIGHTS BLINKING. Cars ZOOM past in the rain.
INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS
Carolyn sits behind the wheel, holding her GLOCK 19, listening to a MOTIVATIONAL TAPE on the STEREO. Her PURSE lies open on the passenger seat.
TAPE VOICE...only by taking full responsibility for your problems - and their solutions - will you break free from the constant cycle of victimhood. Remember: you are only a victim if you choose to be.
INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS
The COLONEL and LESTER, as before
COLONELYour wife is with another man and you don't care.
LESTERNope. Our marriage is just for show. It's a commercial, proving how normal we are, when we are anything but.
He grins... and So does the Colonel. LESTER realizes theColonel is shivering.
LESTER (cont'd)Dude. You're shaking.
He places his hand on the Colonel's shoulder. The Colonel closes his eyes.
LESTER (cont'd)We really should get you out of these clothes.
COLONEL(a whisper)Yes...
He opens his eyes and looks at LESTER, his face Suddenlyfilled an anguished vulnerability we wouldn't have thought possible from him. His eyes are brimming with tears. Lester leans in, concerned.
LESTERIt's okay.
COLONEL(hoarse)I...
LESTER(softly)Just tell me what you need.
The Colonel reaches up and places his hand on Lester's cheek... and then kisses him. Lester is momentarily stunned, and then he pushes the Colonel away. The Colonel's face crumples in shame.
LESTER (cont'd)Whoa. You got the wrong idea, pal. I do not go there.
The COLONEL stares at the floor, blinking, and then He turnsand runs out the open garage door into the rainy night.
INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS
Carolyn is at the wheel, as before. she Suddenly switchesoff the MOTIVATIONAL TAPE on the STEREO, her face resolute.
CAROLYNI refuse to be a victim.
She puts the Gun IN her PURSE, and pulls out into traffic.
INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS
LESTER enters, still clad ONLY IN sweatpants, and opens therefrigerator and grabs a BEER. Suddenly we HEAR the opening strains of Etta James singing "AT LAST." Lester opens his beer and starts toward the family room.
INT. BURNER HOUSE - FAMILY ROOM - CONTINUOUS
His POV: as we move slowly around a corner, ANGELA comes intoview, standing at the STEREO, holding a CD case. She looks up at us. She's been crying; her face is a little puffy, and her hair mussed. She regards us apprehensively... then puts on a slightly defiant smile.
ANGELAI hope you don't mind if I play the stereo...
LESTER leans against the wall and takes a swig OF his beer.
LESTERNot at all.
They stand there in silence; the atmosphere is charged.
ANGELAJane and I had a fight. (after a beat)It was about you.
She's trying to be seductive as she says this, but she's pretty bad at it. Lester raises his eyebrows.
ANGELA (cont'd)She's mad at me because I said I think you're sexy.
LESTER grins. He is sexy.
ANGELA (cont'd)And she doesn't want anything to happen between us.
LESTERI'm not that interested in what she wants.
He takes ANOTHER swig OF beer, then moves toward her.
LESTER (cont'd)What you want, however... I wouldn't mind hearing about.
ANGELAI...
He reaches her, and takes the CD Case from her hands.
LESTER(offering his beer)Would you like a sip?
ANGELASure...
He holds the bottle UP to her mouth, and she drinks clumsily.
LESTERSo... are you going to tell me? What you want?
ANGELAI don't know.
LESTERYou don't know?
His face is very close to hers. She's unnerved - this is happening too fast...
ANGELAWhat do you want?
LESTERAre you kidding? I want you. (his voice husky)I've wanted you ever since I saw you.
He holds the beer UP to her lips again. she sips, and Thistime some dribbles down her chin. Lester gently wipes her chin with his fingertip, then licks the beer off it.
LESTER (cont'd)You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
ANGELAYou don't think I'm ordinary?
LESTERYou couldn't be ordinary if you tried.
ANGELAThank you.
ANGELA takes a deep breath just before LESTER leans IN tokiss her cheek, her forehead, her eyelids, her neck...
ANGELA (cont'd)(far away)I don't think there's anything worse than being ordinary...
And He kisses her on the lips.
INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS
Carolyn drives, her face resolute.
CAROLYNI refuse to be a victim.I refuse to be a victim.I refuse to be a victim...
INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FAMILY ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Angela lays back on the couch as Lester moves in over her, unbuttoning her blouse'. She seems disconnected from what's happening - not fighting it, but not really taking part in it either. Lester pulls her blouse open, exposing her breasts. He kisses her neck and starts working his way down...
INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE' S ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Ricky and Jane, fully clothed, lie curled up on Jane's bed.
JANEAre you scared?
RICKYI don't get scared.
JANEMy parents will try to find me.
RICKYMine won't. And I always figured I'd have to wait until I was twenty-one.(then)We could go further than New York. Chicago, L.A., Europe even.
JANEI've always wanted to go to Spain.
RICKYLet's do it. We're not living for anybody but ourselves. Not any more.
JANE smiles contentedly. RICKY strokes her hair.
JANEYou really think we could have a normal life somewhere?
RICKYYeah. We're totally free.
INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - FAMILY ROOM - CONTINUOUS
We're CLOSE on Lester and Angela, in profile, his face above hers. Her eyes are shut. Lester looks down at her, grinning, unable to believe he's actually about to do what he's dreamed of so many times... and then Angela opens her eyes and looks up at him.
ANGELAThis is my first time.
Lester LAUGHS.
LESTERYou're kidding.
ANGELA(a whisper)I'm sorry.
A beat. LESTER looks down at her, his grin fading.
His POV: ANGELA lies beneath us, Embarrassed and vulnerable.This is not the mythically carnal creature of Lester's fantasies; this is a nervous child.
ANGELA (cont'd)I still want to do it... I just thought I should tell you... you know, in case you wondered why I wasn't... better...
LESTER(compassionate)Aw honey.
He smiles and brushes a lock OF hair from her forehead. aftera moment, she smiles back, shyly. He lingers above her, drinking in this vision of her... oh, man... and then he sighs and moves off of her. She looks bewildered.
ANGELAWhat's wrong?
LESTER gathers her clothes form the floor and hands them toher. Angela is stunned.
ANGELA (cont'd)I thought you said I was beautiful.
LESTERYou are beautiful.
LESTER grabs a blanket from the BACK OF the couch and drapesit around her shoulders, covering her nakedness.
LESTER (cont'd)You're so beautiful... and I would be a very lucky man, but...
He smiles and shakes his head. Humiliated, she starts to cry.
ANGELAI feel so stupid...
LESTERDon't...
He hugs her, letting her put her head on his shoulder, stroking her hair and rocking her gently.
ANGELAI'm sorry.
LESTER takes her By the shoulders and looks at her, serious.
LESTERYou have nothing to be sorry about.
But she keeps crying. LESTER hugs her again. we HEAR a loudCLAP of THUNDER outside.
LESTER (cont'd) It's okay... everything's okay...
EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - the same TIME
The MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 pulls onto ROBIN Hood Trail.
INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS
CLOSE on Carolyn's eyes, reflected in the REAR-VIEW MIRROR.
CAROLYNI refuse to be a victim...
IN the mirror, we see her turn her head.
Her POV: We're driving in SLOW MOTION past the Burnham house... the RED DOOR, illuminated by the craftsman-style PORCH LIGHT, stands out, even in the pouring rain.
EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - CONTINUOUS
CLOSE on ANGELA, eating a turkey sandwich.
ANGELA(mouth full)Wow. I was starving...
She's seated at the snack bar in the kitchen, once again fully dressed. From the TV in the next room, we can hear a sitcom's CANNED LAUGHTER.
LESTER, IN his sweatpants and a T-shirt, puts a jar OFmayonnaise back in the refrigerator, then crosses to the sink to rinse off a knife.
LESTERWant me to make you another one?
ANGELANo, no, no. I'm fine.
He turns to her and cocks an eyebrow.
LESTER(concerned)Really?
ANGELAYes. Stop asking me that.
LESTEROkay, just checking.
He turns off the faucet and joins her at the snack bar.Angela reaches for the beer and takes a swig, then passes it to Lester. He takes it but doesn't drink.
ANGELAI mean, yeah, I'm still a little weirded but...(sincerely)...but feel better. Thanks.
A long beat, as LESTER studies her, then:
LESTERHow's Jane?
ANGELAWhat do you mean?
LESTERI mean, how's her life? Is she happy? Is she miserable? I'd like to know, and she'd die before she'd ever tell me about it.
ANGELA shifts uncomfortably. does she tell him about JANEand Ricky? Finally:
ANGELAShe's...she's really happy. She thinks she's in love.
ANGELA rolls her eyes at how silly This is. LESTER justsmiles.
LESTER(quietly)Good for her.
An awkward beat.
ANGELAHow are you?
LESTER seems somewhat taken aback By This question.
LESTER(laughs)It's been a long time since anybody asked me that. I'm...(thinks about it) I'm great.
They just sit there, Smiling at each other, then:
ANGELA(suddenly)I have to go to the bathroom.
She jumps UP and crosses off. LESTER watches her go, thenrubs his face, suddenly tired.
LESTERI'm great...
Something at the edge OF the snack bar Suddenly catches hiseye, and he reaches for...
CLOSE on a framed PHOTOGRAPH as he picks it up: It's the same one we saw earlier of him, Carolyn, and a much-younger Jane, taken several years ago at an amusement park. It's startling how happy they look.
CLOSE on Lester as he studies the picture - he's spellbound, just as the Colonel was when looking at the photo of himself and the other young serviceman. We suddenly become aware of the SOUND of water DRIPPING. Pulled out of his reverie, Lester glances up at:
WATER DRIPPING slowly from the KITCHEN faucet.
ANGLE ON Lester, in profile. He puts the photograph down, props his elbows on the snack bar, clasps his hands together and rests his chin on them, thinking. This almost gives him the appearance of praying, and he suddenly appears older, more mature... and then he smiles: the deep, satisfied smile of a man who just now understands the punch line of a joke he heard long ago...
After a beat, the barrel OF a Gun rises UP behind his head.
ANGLE on an arrangement OF fresh-cut ROSES IN a vase on theopposite counter, deep crimson against the WHITE TILE WALL. From the TV in the next room, we still hear CANNED LAUGHTER. Then a GUNSHOT suddenly rings out, ECHOING unnaturally. Instantly, the tile is sprayed with BLOOD, the same deep crimson as the roses. The CANNED LAUGHTER continues, and then the SOUND FADES as everything starts to BRIGHTEN, and the SCREEN GOES WHITE.
We HEAR a RUSH OF WIND.
FADE IN:
EXT. sky - DAY
We're FLYING, above a snowy white blanket of clouds. Lester comes into view below us, FLYING Superman-style. He's wearing the same old-fashioned PAJAMAS and plaid flannel ROBE he wore in his dream at the beginning.
LESTER (V.O.)They say your entire life flashes in front of your eyes when you die.
INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
We're looking down at Ricky and Jane, curled up on Jane's bed, the night of Lester's murder. We HEAR a GUNSHOT from downstairs. Ricky and Jane look at each other, alarmed.
LESTER (V.O.)
It's not really your entire life...
INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - POWDER ROOM - NIGHT
ANGELA stands IN front OF the mirror, brushing her hair. weHEAR the GUNSHOT again. Angela freezes, frightened.
LESTERIt's just the moments that stood out...
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Alan Ball