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INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - BASEMENT - MORNING
The maddening hum of an ALARM CLOCK!
PROFESSOR ALLEN awakes. He rises from the tattered orange
couch, hair disheveled, caked drool on the side of his mouth.
The basement is messy. Empty Chinese food boxes scattered on
the floor, clothes thrown about.
Professor Allen is your normal guy, but pretty much keeps to
himself. The only thing he cares about is being a teacher.
A DOOR SLAMS upstairs.
INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONT'D
Professor Allen pours himself a cup of coffee. He watches
from the window as his WIFE gets in her car and heads off to
work.
SERIES OF SHOTS
Professor Allen goes to the master bedroom to find the door
locked.
Professor Allen takes a shower, then gets dressed.
Professor Allen packs his personal belongings into his car.
He places a box in the trunk, then covers the top of the box
with a magazine.
BACK TO SCENE
The neighbor, EUGENE, sticks his head over the fence.
EUGENE
Yeah, neighbor.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
Good morning, Eugene.
EUGENE
Finally hittin' the road?
PROFESSOR ALLEN
Yep!
EUGENE
Join the club. Stay strong brother.
Remember, if you need anything...
Professor Allen climbs into his luxury car and checks his
watch.
INSERT - Time on the watch reads 9:00.
MATCH CUT TO:
INT. DORM ROOM - MORNING
The pulsing numbers on the alarm clock read, 9:00. NIA sticks
her head out from under the covers and presses the snooze
button.
EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS - MORNING
OSCAR, 21, jogs through the picturesque campus backdrop.
Oscar is tall and handsome. He is the star of the basketball
team and knows it.
INT. APARTMENT COMPLEX - MORNING
Oscar returns to his off-campus apartment. Inside the
bedroom, an ATHLETIC RED HEAD sleeps in bed.
OSCAR
Get up. It's 9:15.
RED HEAD GIRL
I don't care.
OSCAR
Come on, I have to make the bed.
RED HEAD GIRL
Oscar, you still never asked me for
my name.
OSCAR
At this point, does it really
matter?
INT. NIA'S DORM ROOM - MORNING
The alarm clock flashes 9:15. Nia sticks her hand out from
under the sheets and pulls the alarm plug out the socket.
Her roommate -- TAWNY -- enters the room, grabs her bookbag
and heads off to class.
EXT. APARTMENT COMPLEX - MORNING
Oscar gets in his jeep and heads off to class.
INT. CAMPUS BUILDING C - MORNING
Professor Allen hesitantly enters the teachers lounge. Some
of the PROFESSORS converge on him.
Professor Allen feels uncomfortable with all the unwanted
attention he has been receiving lately.
MALE PROFESSOR
How you feeling, Cliff?
PROFESSOR ALLEN
I'm fine.
FEMALE PROFESSOR
I can't believe she kicked you out
the house. She cheated on you!
PROFESSOR ALLEN
I don't want any problems. I'm
comfortable with it.
MALE PROFESSOR
Always the classy guy. Where are
you staying?
PROFESSOR ALLEN
I'm not sure yet. Holiday Inn I
guess.
FEMALE PROFESSOR
If you need anything, and I mean
anything, don't hesitate to call.
INT. CAMPUS - GYM - MORNING
Oscar approaches NATE -- 20, black -- whose shooting hoops on
the basketball court.
OSCAR
You know, I can help you with your
shot.
NATE
How much is that gonna set me back?
OSCAR
Free of charge.
NATE
Nothing is free of charge.
OSCAR
How much are you holding?
NATE
Shit man, you thinking 'bout
getting high 10 o'clock in the
morning?
OSCAR
What else am I supposed to think
about? The square root of this gym?
Some 16th century poet no one gives
2 shits about? As a drug dealer you
should be happy I'm asking.
NATE
I'm a business man not a drug
dealer. I conduct business.
(pause)
And I'm busted. Come by this
afternoon. I'll hook you up.
INT. LECTURE HALL
Professor Allen is emotional tired, but his day is just
starting. He looks over the empty chairs, anticipating the
arrival of his students.
He grabs a piece of paper from his bag and starts to write
the days notes on the black board.
INT. DORM ROOM - MORNING
Nia lurches forward. She checks the clock.
INSERT - ALARM CLOCK - The time reads 9:15.
Nia grabs her cell phone. The time on her cell reads, 10:11.
NIA
Fuck!
INT. DORM HALLWAY - CONT'D
Nia bursts out her dorm room dressed, and sprints down the
hallway, knocking over a girl standing by the soda machine.
EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS
Nia sprints across the grass field to the main lecture hall.
INT. LECTURE HALL - MORNING
The sound of CHALK against a black board ECHO'S throughout
the lecture hall. Professor Allen continues to scribbles
notes on the board.
Nia and Oscar sit next to each other. Oscar checks his
cellphone messages. Obviously bored, he leans into Nia.
OSCAR
Got anything on you?
NIA
I got some coke back in my room.
OSCAR
I can't fuck with that the day
before a game.
NIA
When has that ever stopped you
before?
(after a beat)
Have you noticed there is something
different about him.
OSCAR
Who?
Nia motions to Professor Allen.
OSCAR
He's getting a divorce. I heard
Coach talking about it. His wife
cheated on him.
NIA
Poor bastard. I hope this doesn't
fuck up my grade.
INT. OLD TOWN TAVERN - NIGHT
The after work crowd. PATRONS chug down beer and dispense
their war stories about how the boss never listens to their
ideas or how Jessica keeps stealing their stapler.
Seated at the bar, almost out of place, is the human predator
known as SCOTT.
Scott knows how to balance himself on the thin line of
popularity and loneliness.
He throws back a shot. He stares at the patrons in their work
attire. Nice suits. Silk tie's. Shinned shoes. He stares at
his future and hates it.
EXT. CAR - MOVING - NIGHT
Professor Allen relaxes in his plush, grey leather seats
listening to soothing jazz music.
He grabs his coffee mug at a red light and takes a sip. He
has totally lost himself in the moment as the light turns
green.
The car behind him slams on the horn, startling Professor
Allen, causing him to spill the coffee all over his sweater.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
Goddammit! Shit.
INT. OLD TOWN TAVERN - NIGHT
Professor Allen enters and heads for the bathroom. Through
all the commotion, Scott spots Professor Allen heading to the
bathroom. Scott perks up. Finally, something to do.
Scott downs his drink and orders another. Professor Allen
exits the bathroom and spots Scott at the bar. He knows this
seems out of place.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
Scott? What are you doing here?
SCOTT
What does it look like?
Scott pretends like he is drunk, unable to steady the beer
mug in his hand.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
How did you get here?
Scott notices the big wet stain on the professor shirt.
SCOTT
(re: shirt)
What happened?
PROFESSOR ALLEN
Scott, how did you get here?
SCOTT
(laughing)
I don't remember.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
Come on, I'll give you a ride back
to the dorm.
SCOTT
I'm fine.
Professor Allen doesn't want to overstep his boundaries so he
turns to leave.
This is not the outcome Scott sought. He thinks fast and
starts to cry, causing Professor Allen to stop in his tracks.
EXT. CAR - MOVING - CONT'D
Scott lights a cigarette as the car travels down the empty
road. He rubs his hand over the leather seat.
SCOTT
Nice.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
You missed class last week.
SCOTT
I had a fever, Professor.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
I know you don't want to hear this
now but, you have to do better,
Scott. Pay more attention in class.
You have extraordinary potential
but your mind tends to drift --
SCOTT
I heard your getting a divorce.
This catches Professor Allen off guard. He's definitely
uncomfortable talking about this with one of his students.
SCOTT (CONT'D)
Bang some hot freshman or
something?
PROFESSOR ALLEN
No.
(pause)
And for the record, she cheated on
me.
SCOTT
You can't trust'em, Professor.
Fuck'em and forget. No tie ups.
Scott sneezes.
SCOTT
You got a tissue?
PROFESSOR ALLEN
No.
SCOTT
Who doesn't keep tissue in their
car?
PROFESSOR ALLEN
I don't. Now, what dorm do you live
in?
SCOTT
Most people forget that they have
tissue --
Scott reaches for the glove compartment.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
No! Don't!
Professor Allen takes his eyes off the road for a split
second, causing the car to slip into oncoming traffic.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
Shit.
A truck barrels down on them. Professor Allen swerves to
avoid the truck and slams into a parked car.
FADE TO BLACK
EXT. ROADSIDE DITCH - NIGHT
Professor Allen and Scott come too. They both are a little
shaken. Professor Allen grabs his cellphone and dials 911.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
Yes, I just have been in a car
accident on Route 103 --
(to Scott)
She put me on hold.
(pause)
Yes! Yes, I'm still here!
(to Scott)
Are you alright?
SCOTT
Yeah.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
(into cellphone)
We're alright -- just hurry.
(to Scott)
They have a car in the vicinity.
Scott gets out of the car and looks over the twisted mess
which is the brown van they hit.
SCOTT
Holy shit.
Scott notices his still lit cigarette on the car floor. He
picks it up and takes a puff.
Scott's eyes move to the trunk, which is open. Something in
it has caught his eye -- the magazine covered box.
Scott removes the magazine to get a closer look at what's
underneath. His eyes widen at what he has found. A box full
of kiddie porn.
PROFESSOR ALLEN (O.S.)
What are you doing?
SCOTT
What the fuck is this?
Scott grabs the box out the trunk.
SCOTT
What kind of pervert are you?
PROFESSOR ALLEN
Give me the box, Scott. Please!
SCOTT
Holy fuckin' shit. This is why your
getting a divorce? Kiddie porn?
PROFESSOR ALLEN
My wife -- she, she caught me --
INT. PROFESSOR ALLEN'S HOME - BEDROOM - DAY
FLASHBACK
Professor Allen is sitting on the edge of his bed, slumped
over, watching one of the porno movies. His hands are down by
his lap jerking off.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
Oh, yeah... Yeah. That's good.
His WIFE burst into the room, catching Professor Allen in the
act.
BACK TO SCENE
EXT. ROADSIDE DITCH - CONT'D
PROFESSOR ALLEN
She caught me. Six years. But
because I forgot to lock the
bedroom door -- it's my fault. I'm
so fucking stupid. I was going to
get rid of it. I swear. I sinned,
Scott. I'm evil. My god damn life
is ruined because of this...
A light is shined in their face. The cop car pulls up.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
Please, Scott. Give it back to me.
Scott stands there with the box in his hand, a huge smile of
enjoyment on his face.
SCOTT
This is disgusting, Professor.
People like you need to be behind
bars.
The COPS exit the car.
PROFESSOR ALLEN
I'll give you anything you want.
Anything. Name your price.
SCOTT
(after a beat)
Okay. I want an A.
THE END
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