Day'n'Nite

INT. THE HOUSE - EVENING

LOUISE - Lou to her friends - is short, slim, brunette, and cute, 19 or 20. She walks through the front door, large PURSE on one shoulder, the day's MAIL in her other hand. She plops her cargo on the plywood BAR in the entryway and sorts the envelopes. HILLEL - Lou's age, stocky, with red hair and a smile that makes him look like a kid - bounds down the stairs into view.

Hillel
Hey Lou!

Lou
Sup, Hill?

Hillel picks up envelopes one at a time.

HILLEL
What's this?

LOU
Looks like my U-bill. Damn. I hope my financial aid came through.

HILLEL
The university system, man. It'll take you down. Education should be free. This?

LOU
That's... an invitation to Grace's 20th.

HILLEL
It's addressed to you and John. You married now?

LOU
(looking toward her bedroom)
Not yet. Whadda you want?

HILLEL
Rent money. Aha!

He holds up an envelope marked BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHY.

HILLEL
Paycheck!

Lou snatches it.

LOU
I'll cash it and get your money to you tomorrow.

A CLAMOR of boys cascades down the stairs, cutting Hillel off. KYLE - tall, dark and almost handsome - leads blue-haired, pierced SETH and heavyset, bespectacled ANDY down the stairs.

KYLE
Yo, Lou! We're headed out for the keg. You in?

Lou rummages in her purse, digs out her wallet, rifles past receipts and condoms, and eventually produces $20. Kyle snags it on his way past her, out the door.

KYLE
Excellent! Later, kid.

HILLEL
So he gets his money and I don't?

LOU
He's cuter. And he'll turn a profit.

Lou grabs her mail and John's, then exits.

INT. LOU AND JOHN'S ROOM - NIGHT

JOHN - 20, with unkempt hair and a scruffy beard - hunches toward a tiny TV.

LOU
Honey, I'm home.

John grunts into his Halo headset.

LOU
Eat yet?

His elbow jerks, indicating a dirty plate on the floor. As she walks over to pick it up, he spits chew into a designated water bottle, then hands the bottle to her. She grabs the plate and bottle and kisses him on the forehead.

INT. THE HOUSE - NIGHT

The kegger has taken the house by storm. Kyle stands behind the plywood bar, opposite some DRUNK GIRLS with bad dye jobs and too much makeup.

KYLE
Can I get you ladies another round?

One girl pulls a ten out of her Coach bag and slaps it on the counter.

GIRL
Jaeger bombs!

In the adjacent living room, Hillel is perched on a stool next to the KEG. Andy plays DJ in a corner, swigging from a concealed bottle. A HIPSTER COUPLE sidle up to Hillel.

hipster boy
Two cups.

HILLEL
(under his breath)
Please.

HIPSTER BOY
What?

HILLEL
Ten bucks.

From a wad of cash in his pocket, Hillel makes change for the hipster's twenty and hands him two plastic cups.

In the kitchen down the hall, more drunk girls try too hard to be attractive while playing beer pong. Behind them is the door to Lou's room.

INT. LOU AND JOHN'S ROOM - NIGHT

John sits in a circle on the rug with two other dudes and a quiet, fidgety girl - GRACE. John finishes packing a bowl of weed, sticks it in the BONG, and flicks the lighter. As he hits, Grace knocks over a glass of water.

GRACE
Sorry! Sorry!

JOHN
(through smoke)
Watch the Xbox!

The bong goes around the circle. When it goes around to Grace, she drops the lighter.

GRACE
Dammit.

Suddenly, the music and chatter from the other rooms cease. Everyone looks up, puzzled, then jumps when Lou bursts through the door.

JOHN
Sup?

LOU
Cops.

Grace peeks out the window.

JOHN
Where?

LOU
The stoplight outside.

She reaches to turn out the light.

JOHN
Don't!

Lou freezes.

JOHN
You want them to know there's a party going on? Right now it could just be Hill and Kyle hanging in the living room.

Lou's face is tense. John hands her the bong and lighter.

JOHN
Here. Chill out.

GRACE
They just drove through the intersection.

Lou hits, then pauses, unsure where the bong goes next.

GRACE
My turn!

JOHN
Don't let her light! She'll burn the house down.

Lou exhales, picks up the lighter, and holds it for Grace.

INT. THE HOUSE - MORNING

Empty disposable shot glasses litter the bar; average-size cups cover every table and linger in every corner. SOMEONE is passed out on the couch in the living room. The keg, once in a bucket of ice, is now in a bucket of water.

INT. LOU AND JOHN'S ROOM - MORNING

Pot paraphernalia litters the floor. Lou stirs in bed and reaches for John, who isn't there. She throws on an oversized sweatshirt and some slippers, then exits.

INT. THE HOUSE - MORNING

Hillel walks in from the front porch.

HILLEL
Morning!

LOU
Morning. Seen John?

HILLEL
Everyone's out on the porch. I've been giving handouts.

He hands her fifty bucks.

HILLEL
Your share from last night.

Lou whistles.

LOU
Sweet! I'm gonna put this away. I'll be right out though.

HILLEL
I won't. Paper due tomorrow.

LOU
Good luck!

He heads up the stairs, three at a time.

INT. LOU AND JOHN'S ROOM - MORNING

Lou grabs her wallet to put the money in, then frowns. She rifles through her wallet, checks her purse. No condoms. She peers into the garbage can, and sees all several used ones on top. A big grin lights up her face.

EXT. THE PORCH - MORNING

John, Kyle, and Seth sit in a circle of lawn chairs. John smokes a cigarette, Seth reads a newspaper. Kyle strums his guitar, pausing periodically for sips of coffee.

LOU
Good night everybody?

SETH
We had at least fifty people here. Hill said we sold about that many cups.

KYLE
Made a fuckin killing off shots. Fuckin drunk-ass hos.

LOU
How much'd you charge?

KYLE
Two bucks a shot.

Kyle interrupts his song to whistle in amazement. Even John sits up and pays attention.

JOHN
Damn man.

KYLE
They probably went through seven or eight rounds. Times six of them times two bucks a shot... that's... that's a shit ton of money.

As they debate exactly how much, Andy slips onto the porch.

ANDY
Which one of you assholes scratched the shit out of my car?

Silence. Everybody looks around. Only Kyle avoids eye contact.

SETH
Probably some drunk douchebag last night.

ANDY
They got Lou's car too.

JOHN
Lou's car is a piece of shit.

LOU
Hey! At least it's blue.

SETH
So what happens now?

ANDY
I'm calling the cops. I can't pay to fix this shit.

LOU
(almost inaudibly)
Cops?

BEGIN DAYMARE

INT. THE HOUSE - DAY

A troupe of cops - including a photographer and a drug dog - gather around the keg. The photographer takes a picture.

COP (VOICEOVER)
Can I see some ID?

Lou's driver's license, followed by John's, Hillel's, Andy's, Seth's, Kyle's. None of them is 21 or older.

The dog howls and runs toward the kitchen.

INT. LOU AND JOHN'S ROOM - DAY

The photographer snaps photos of the bong, baggies, pipes, rolling papers. A cop makes notes.

LOU
John...

JOHN
We'll work it out, babe.

LOU
Yeah, you will. Your parents'll pay your tuition.

He squeezes her hand.

INT. COURTROOM - DAY

Lou shivers in the defendant's chair. The JUDGE swings a gavel.

INT. LOU AND JOHN'S ROOM - DAY

Lou sits on the bed, chewing her fingernail, on the phone with her BOSS.

LOU
Yes, ma'am.

BOSS
And you understand we have an image to maintain.

LOU
It was just a misunderstanding!

BOSS
Well if I misunderstand, you can bet Management does, too. I'm sorry, Louise.

LOU
But-

BOSS
I'm sorry. You'll get a final check from us sometime in the next week. Goodbye.

For a moment, Lou can't move at all. Then she hurls her phone at the wall and sobs into her pillow.

INT. LOU AND JOHN'S ROOM - NIGHT

Lou huddles on the rug in her oversized sweatshirt, talking on the phone.

LOU
...I need to stay with you for a few weeks, get back on my feet.

MOM
Can't do it, girl.

LOU
But Mom-

MOM
No buts about it.

LOU
But you said you were okay with it!

MOM
I said I didn't give a shit as long as you didn't get caught, 'sides I got enough mouths to feed already. Maybe your dealer has an extra bed.

LOU
Mom!

But she's hung up. Dumbfounded, Lou hugs a pillow. She hears the cop's voice, the judge, her boss, her mother, one on top of the other, blending together. She covers her ears, squeezes her eyes shut, and starts to scream-

DAYMARE ENDS

EXT. THE PORCH - MORNING

JOHN
What the fuck, Lou.

Lou's eyes open and meet John's. His eyes are wide. His hand is on her shoulder.

JOHN
You okay?

LOU
Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine.

She takes a deep breath, blinks hard, and clears her throat.

LOU
Shouldn't we clean up before the fuzz get here?

JOHN
You don't call the cops when an accident happens on private property. Kyle's dad's in car insurance. He knows.

LOU
But how do we find whoever did it?

JOHN
Kyle said it was his fault, like, two seconds ago. Where've you been?

Lou heaves a sigh that's too big for her and slumps back into her chair.

LOU
Kyle fucked up my car?

JOHN
A little. You can hardly tell.
He was backing out of the driveway drunk, the bastard.

LOU
So no cops?

JOHN
No cops.

She looks into his eyes.

LOU
We got any weed left?

JOHN
Someone left a bag.

She shoots him a mischievous grin.

LOU
Dibs!

JOHN
(smiling)
Babe?

LOU
Yeah.

He kisses her.

JOHN

I love you.