…following on
from # 3 SHIPS IN THE NIGHT…
19 INT CAB. FAST FOOD OUTLET. NIGHT
MATT drives
into the parking lot of a late night fast food outlet - Mc Donalds, KFC,
Burgher King or some such.
20 EXT. FAST FOOD OUTLET. NIGHT
MATT pulls up
in the parking lot, gets out, looks towards the entrance - around which young
MEN and WOMEN eat hamburgers etc. Tracy's mobile rings. He takes it out, looks
at the screen: unknown caller. It is Serena. She laughs.
SERENA'S VOICE
So who's a
cradle snatcher, then?
MATT grimaces,
glances at his watch.
MATT
Shit! Sorry.
There's been…
MATT and SERENA
talk over the top of each other.
SERENA'S VOICE
Sounds like
she's about 13!
MATT
She called
you…!?
SERENA'S VOICE
No, I called
you…stupid enough to believe…
MATT
Sorry, I should
have called and…
SERENA'S VOICE
… that 45
minutes might actually mean 45 minutes and…
MATT
…if you'll just
calm down for a sec.
There is an
incoming call on Tracy's mobile.
SERENA'S VOICE
Okay, I'm calm.
Totally calm. Explain! How's your hand? Were you in a fight?
MATT looks at
the screen: mum
MATT
Serena,
sweetheart, just gotta put you on hold for a moment and…
SERENA'S VOICE
Don't
'sweetheart' me, Matt. I'm…
MATT
I'm putting you
on hold, okay?
SERENA'S VOICE
(A BEAT) Okay.
MATT presses
the appropriate key. Tracy's mother's voice is heard - angry and worried at the
one time.
MERILY'S VOICE
Darling, have
you any idea what time it is?
MATT
Hi Merily, this
is not…
MERILY'S VOICE
Who is
this?
MATT
My name's Matt,
Merily. I'm a taxi driver…
MERILY'S VOICE
How do you know
my name's Merily?
A taxi pulls up
close to the entrance to the fast food outlet.
MATT
Tracy told me.
MERILY'S VOICE
Who's Tracy?
MATT
Your daughter.
BLUE gets out
of the taxi.
MERILY'S VOICE
Tracy! My
daughter's name's Britney.
BLUE walks
quickly in through the entrance to the fast food outlet.
MERILY'S VOICE
Did she tell
you it was Tracy?
MATT tries to
remember where he has seen BLUE before.
MERILY'S VOICE
Hello, hello,
have you got Brit with you?
MATT
She's OK,
Merily. She left her mobile in my cab and I'm meeting her in five minutes to
give it back to her. Then I'll drive her home, okay?
MERILY'S VOICE
But…
MATT
I've got
another call on hold Merily, so…I'll call you right back in…?
MERILY'S VOICE
No, I want you
to…
MATT presses
'call waiting', cuts her off.
MATT
Serena, you
there…
Silence. MATT
tries, without success, to access 'call waiting'. Tracy's distinctive mobile
ring is heard: unknown caller: MATT presses the appropriate icon.
TRACY'S VOICE
Hey, Matt…I'm
running a bit late. Something came up. Sorry for schitzing out on you like
that. Like a cut snake, ay! It's just…something happened yesterday that grossed
me out big time… (A BEAT) I guess you don't really want to know about it, ay?
MATT
I just want to
get my mobile back and go home…
TRACY'S VOICE
Serena's really
pissed off, ay?
MATT
Yes, and she's
going to be more pissed off if I don't get to her place soon.
TRACY'S VOICE
It's not what
you think, I don't think.
MATT
What's not?
TRACY'S VOICE
What Serena's
pissed off about.
MATT
I need to get
Juliet's phone number from you. Now.
TRACY
Did you hear
what I just said?
MATT
Yes, but…just
give me Juliet's phone number will you?
TRACY'S VOICE
No worries,
I'll just put you on hold. Hang on a tick. 'Big Brute.'
Tracy's
laughter is heard. MATT, embarrassed, shakes his head.
MATT
She told you
that!?
TRACY'S VOICE
Yeah, but she
didn't tell me if the 'big' part of it refers to your size…or your…rooster ?
MATT
Juliet's phone
number!
TRACY'S VOICE
Hey, Juliet's
cool and…You didn't tell me you were captain of the Roosters…Hang on.
TRACY has put
MATT on hold. He is trying to make sense of what Tracy has just said. She comes
back online.
TRACY'S VOICE
It's none of my
business, Matt, but you really should know your own daughter's phone number.
You got a pen?
As he takes a
ball point pen from his pocket:
MATT
Hang on, Tracy,
how do you know Juliet is 'cool'?
TRACY'S VOICE
I just talked
to her on the phone. And she sent me that photo of you. Hey, you were good
looking when you were young.
MATT
Photo? What
photo? What did you talk about?
TRACY'S VOICE
Just girl
stuff. Hey, and Serena's a real character too, ay? A woman with balls. The
number is…
MATT
What did you
and Serena…?
TRACY'S VOICE
You want Jules'
number or what? Big Brute?
MATT
Okay, fire
away.
MATT readies
the pen to write it on the back of his hand.
MATT
Incidentally,
your mother called.
TRACY'S VOICE
My mother
called you?
MATT
No, she called
you…Worried. You should call her and let her know you're OK.
TRACY'S VOICE
You didn't talk
to her, did you? What did you talk about?
MATT
Just parent
stuff.(A BEAT) Britney!?
There is a long
moment of silence.
MATT
Tracy…Britney…(A
BEAT) Hello…
TRACY'S VOICE
She is such a
bitch. I am going to call her. Fuck her!
TRACY hangs up.
MATT is left standing, pen in hand, hovering above his wrist. He presses the
appropriate icon on the mobile, hears his own voice:
MATT'S VOICE
Matt's voice
here. Not to be mistaken for…
He hangs up,
makes another call, gets Serena's message bank.
SERENA'S VOICE
'Serena here,
but I'm not here, but if you leave…'
MATT terminates
the call. His attention is caught by BLUE emerging from fast food outlet, hamburger
in hand. MATT remembers where he has seen Blue before. He looks at the screen
of Tracy's mobile. He is not sure how to navigate the menu but eventually finds
what he is looking for. Onscreen:
BLUE, his hands
joined to conceal his genitals. The frozen image comes to life.
BLUE
Babe!
He opens his
arms wide, revealing a codpiece in the shape of an elephant's head - replete
with big ears and a trunk!
BLUE
Love you heaps!
BLUE grins,
begins to recite:
BLUE
Now I have you
And you have me
Our troubles
all
Are gone you
see.
MATT looks from
the mobile screen to BLUE, 20 feet away, eating his hamburger. MATT looks back
at the mobile screen:
BLUE
Love it was
from the start
we'll be
together
Till death we
part.
BLUE grins
again.
BLUE
Love you, babe.
MATT is in the
process of joining the dots when he notices GBH's purple 'pimped out' car, seen
in the opening sequence, pulling off the main road, into the fast food outlet.
MATT looks back
to where BLUE was standing at the entrance but he is no longer there. He looks
around, sees BLUE hiding behind a hedge, peering furtively at:
The purple
sedan pulling up outside the fast food restaurant entrance. GBH gets out of the
car, scans the interior through the windows) and the parking lot looking for
someone.
MATT shakes his
head, can't help but smile. He punches numbers into his mobile. Serena answers.
SERENA'S VOICE
I wonder who is
calling at this hour?
MATT
Sorry, I don't
know what happened there. You know me and mobiles.
SERENA'S VOICE
Oh, ‘the
Brute!’
MATT
You told Tracy?
SERENA'S VOICE
I was pissed
off! It slipped out.
MATT looks back
at BLUE, whose hand is now cupped over the mouthpiece of his mobile phone,
talking urgently and with his eyes on GBH. BLUE hangs up, disappears from view.
MATT
I'll be there
in twenty, OK?
SERENA'S VOICE
Yeah, right!
Tracy's mobile
announces an incoming calls.
MATT
Thirty, max.
Promise.
SERENA'S VOICE
That'll be your
13 year old. (A BEAT) If I had a dollar
for every time…
MATT
Hey, I don't
have much choice here…
SERENA'S VOICE
No, you've
chosen not to have any choice.
MATT
Hey, I'm not
one of your clients…
SERENA'S VOICE
What are you,
Matt?
MATT
This is not the
best time to have this conversation?
SERENA'S VOICE
No, of course
not! See you when I see you. Christmas maybe!
Serena hangs
up. MATT takes the new call. TRACY in a panic:
TRACY'S VOICE
Matt, can you
give Blue a ride?
MATT
Who's Blue? The
guy with red hair!?
TRACY'S VOICE
Yeah. It's
kinda urgent…
MATT
No. Tracy,
fuck! I just want my phone back.
TRACY'S VOICE
He's gunna get
the shit beaten out of him…
MATT 's
patience has totally run out.
MATT
Not my problem,
Tracy. I need Juliet's phone number. Now, Tracy!
MATT hears a
low whistle and then a loud whisper.
BLUE (OFF SCREEN)
Hey Matt…
MATT looks
around. BLUE is crouched by the passenger door of his cab, beckoning him.
MATT
What the…!
BLUE opens the
door from a crouching position and slides into the passenger seat, his head
down, out of view. MATT forgets about Tracy, lowers the mobile.
TRACY'S VOICE
Matt? Matt!
MATT moves fast
to his cab, opens the passenger door.
MATT
Out!
BLUE, 17, his
face covered with freckles, tries to smile.
BLUE
I'm Blue.
Tracy's Blue. She said…
MATT
Don't give a fuck
whose Blue you are! Out!
BLUE
Bro!
MATT
I'm not your
fucking bro, Blue! Out! Get the fuck out of my cab! Now!
BLUE gets out
reluctantly. MATT walks around to the driver's side, opens the door, drops into
the seat, slams the door behind him - drawing the attention of GBH and his TWO
MATES.
21 INT. CAB. 'GLUTTONS'. NIGHT
Through the
cracked windscreen MATT sees GBH (talking on his mobile) and his TWO MATES up
by the entrance. They have spotted BLUE and are heading towards him. MATT turns
the ignition on, engages the gears, looks from BLUE, frozen in terror, to GBG
and his TWO MATES approaching. He mutters under his breath:
MATT
Run, ya silly
fucker!
GBG and his TWO
MATES are just ten meters away when MATT leans over, opens the passenger door
and shouts at BLUE.
MATT
Get in.
BLUE leaps in.
MATT activates the locks. GBH and his TWO MATES are in front of the cab now,
blocking MATT'S escape. Standoff!
MATT looks in
the rear vision mirror. No escape route behind!
GBH gives
instructions to his TWO MATES. They move to the passenger door, try to open it.
No luck.
GBH, mobile
hand, gestures to MATT that if he unlocks the door, gives up BLUE, GBH will get
out of the way; let him drive off.
MATT shakes his
head calmly. GBH snarls at MATT, raises his fist aggressively. MATT puts a lot
of effort into not responding but the temptation is too great. He eventually
flips a bird at GBH, who then recognizes MATT and flies into a rage.
GBH (SCREAMS)
You're dead
motherfucker!
The TWO MATES
at Blue's window try to force the door open. BLUE is scared shitless.
MATT revs the
engine, gestures to GBH his intention to drive forward; that GBH should get out
of the way.
GBH
You slimy
fucking thieving weasel piece of shit cunt…
With the clutch
pressed down, MATT revs the engine; shouts:
MATT
If you don't
get out of the fucking way…
MATT indicates
with his fingers: 5-4-3
MATT
Five, four,
three…
MATT releases
the clutch, jolts forward a few feet, bumps GBH backwards. GBH’s anger ramps up
further. He hurls his mobile at MATT. It explodes into fragments as it bounces
off the window. GBH is apoplectic now.
GBH's TWO MATES
join him in front of the taxi.
MATT finishes
his finger countdown: 2-1, shakes his head (“I warned you!”), puts his foot on
the accelerator, drives fast backwards about five meters, shifts gears, drives
straight at them.
GBH and his TWO
MATES leap out of the way.
22 EXT. ROAD ADJACENT TO FAST FOOD OUTLET. NIGHT
MATT drives
fast out of the fast food outlet, swings onto the main road.
23 INT. TAXI. CITY STREET. NIGHT
MATT drives
fast - the purple sedan a couple of hundred meters behind him. There is a curve
in the road. The purple car disappears from Matt's rear vision mirror. He sees
a driveway, switches the car lights off.
24 INT DRIVEWAY. SUBURBAN HOME. NIGHT
MATT swings
into the driveway, tires screeching; stops. Lights at the front of the house
turn on.
MATT
Shit!
MATT'S eyes are
focused on the rear vision mirror. Nothing. More nothing and then…the purple
car drives past the driveway. BLUE, in a state of shock, breathes a sigh of
relief - his face breaking into a smile.
BLUE
That was
fucking awesome!
MATT ignores
BLUE, tries to calm his breathing - his left hand on his racing heart. BLUE
notices MATT'S bleeding knuckles and is about to say something when MATT holds
his hand up to shut BLUE up.
A MAN IN
PAJAMAS opens the front door with a cricket bat in one hand and his mobile
phone to his ear in the other.
MATT
Shit!
MATT switches
his lights on, backs fast out of the driveway. The mobile phone in his pocket
rings. He ignores it.
25 INT. TAXI. CITY STREET. NIGHT
Back on the
main road MATT turns in the opposite direction to the one taken by the purple
car, drives off fast. The mobile phone stops ringing.
BLUE
Thanks man!
MATT shakes his
head, looks at his watch.
BLUE
It's just a bit
of a…
MATT holds his
had up: 'shut up!'
BLUE
…a
misunderstanding.
MATT
Shut the fuck
up, Blue, and get out.
MATT pulls over
to the side of the road, puts his foot on the brake, skids in the gravel. He
calms his breathing, regains his composure, leans over BLUE, opens the
passenger door - speaks politely - passive/aggressive!
MATT
Now. Please
Blue. Thank you.
BLUE looks at
him in shock, opens the door, starts to get out. Tracy's phone rings.
BLUE
Thanks bro, I
really appreciate it.
MATT answers
Tracy's mobile as BLUE walks off.
TRACY'S VOICE
You got Blue?
MATT
He's safe…
TRACY'S VOICE
Thanks, can you…
MATT
Tracy, I need
my phone. And Juliet's number. Now. Please!
TRACY'S VOICE
Okay, hang
on…can ya put the dumb prick on? Gotta tell him something.
MATT shakes his
head, sighs, calls out:
MATT
Blue!
BLUE turns.
MATT points to the phone. BLUE runs back to the car, takes the mobile from MATT
through the driver's window.
BLUE
Hey, babe!
You're right. Matt is awesome. If it hadn't been for him…
MATT leans
close to the phone, speaks loudly.
MATT
Juliet's phone
number, Tracy. Please!
TRACY'S VOICE
Don't get ya
knickers in a twist, Tubba.
MATT
Tubba!
TRACY'S VOICE
I googled you,
Matt Patterson. I know everything about you now. Hey, I sent that cool photo of
you to Blue. Get him…
MATT
Photo…!?
BLUE
He's dropped me
off. I'm cool now…
TRACY'S VOICE
Where?
BLUE
Um...
TRACY'S VOICE
Blue, I need to
talk to you in private.
BLUE nods,
walks a little further up the road. MATT watches him as he listens to Tracy. He
runs his fingers through his hair, inspects the crack in the windscreen. It
seems to have stabilized.
After a good
deal of nodding, BLUE smiles, walks back to the cab, hands the mobile to MATT.
TRACY'S VOICE
Matt, if ya
want ya phone back, take Blue home and...
MATT
No. I don't
care about my phone. You can keep my phone. Just give me Juliet's phone number.
TRACY'S VOICE
You take Blue
home and I'll give it to you.
MATT
Don't try and
blackmail me, Britney.
TRACY'S VOICE
I'm not trying
to blackmail you, Tubba. I am blackmailing you. Now here's the plan…
….to be
continued…
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