EXT. RESTAURANT PATIO--DAY
AUSTRALOPITHECUS BOISEI and HOMO SAPIENS sit at a table together. Boisei holds a cup of soda. Sapiens has a slice of cake in front of him.
H. SAPIENS
So.
A. BOISEI
So.
A beat.
H. SAPIENS
Known Afarensis long?
A. BOISEI
Pretty long, yeah.
H. SAPIENS
Ah.
A. BOISEI
Yeah.
A beat.
A. BOISEI (CONT’D)
You?
H. SAPIENS
Hmm? Oh. No, not too long, no.
A. BOISEI
Gotcha.
A beat.
A. BOISEI (CONT’D)
So what’s up?
H. SAPIENS
A lot, really. Y’know. The World.
A. BOISEI
I know how that can be, yeah. Hahaha.
H. SAPIENS
Hahaha.
A beat.
H. SAPIENS (CONT’D)
I like your, ah, saggital crest?
A. BOISEI
Oh yeah? Hey, yeah. Thanks. Makes it hard to wear a catcher’s mask, of course.
H. SAPIENS
Oh, you play?
A. BOISEI
No, but I was saying that it was...ahh...no. I don’t play.
H. SAPIENS
Ah, gotcha.
A. BOISEI
How’s gracility treating ya?
H. SAPIENS
Pretty well, pretty well. Though I’m not exactly hunting and gathering.
A. BOISEI
Hah, hey, different strokes, right? Different time.
H. SAPIENS
Not like it used to be.
A. BOISEI
No it’s certainly not.
H. SAPIENS
Yeah.
A beat.
H. SAPIENS (CONT’D)
I hear East Africa’s gorgeous this time’ve year.
A. BOISEI
It’s...it’s okay. You kinda get tired of it after a while. But, ah, no, you’d like it. You’d like it.
H. SAPIENS
“Nice place but I wouldn’t wanna fossilize there.”
A. BOISEI
Why not?
H. SAPIENS
Oh, ah, no, I was saying, like the cliche, like as if you were saying it.
A. BOISEI
I didn’t say it.
H. SAPIENS
Yeah, but it, ah. Yeah. You didn’t.
A. BOISEI
Just because you study our mandibles doesn’t mean you can use them.
H. SAPIENS
I didn’t mean to say--
A. BOISEI
Drop it.
H. SAPIENS
Please, I--
A. BOISEI
Drop it. It’s not worth it.
H. SAPIENS
Alright, I’m sorry. Only I feel--
A. BOISEI
I know how you feel. Drop it.
A beat.
Sapiens offers his plate.
H. SAPIENS
Layer cake?
Boisei shakes his head.
A. BOISEI
Bad memories.
H. SAPIENS
Forgot. Sorry.
A. BOISEI
It’s okay.
FADE OUT.