EXT. OUTSIDE PRICEMART - NIGHT (PRESENT)

               Reed takes off his name tag as he approaches his car. He
               pulls out his cell-phone and checks for text messages. The
               first one to hit him is from Emily. 

               "You were supposed to take me out this morning."



               INT. EMILY'S TOWNHOUSE - LIVING ROOM (PRESENT)

               There is a knock at the front door. Emily sits in pajamas
               using a laptop computer. There is another knock. Emily rolls
               her eyes and gets up.

               She looks through the peep hole and sees Reed. Instead of
               opening the door she just speaks through it.

                                   EMILY
                         It's late, Reed. I need to do some
                         homework.

                                   REED (O.S.)
                         We should talk. I'm sorry, I
                         overslept. 

                                   EMILY
                         You've been distracted for a few
                         days now. I'm used to people losing
                         interest, Reed. I notice these
                         things.

                                   REED (O.S.)
                         Can you just open up the door?

                                   EMILY
                         Okay.

               Emily opens the door halfway, not giving Reed room to enter.
               Reed is barely seen through this small space.

                                   REED
                         I want this to work.

                                   EMILY
                         I did too.

                                   REED
                         I've had a rough few months.

                                   EMILY
                         I have too.

                                   REED
                         Can I at least come in?

                                   EMILY
                         I don't think that's a good idea,
                         babe.

                                   REED
                             (Angered)
                         Why are you so afraid of human
                         contact?

                                   EMILY
                             (Insulted)
                         You've been giving me half truths
                         for too long, maybe? Is it in you
                         to tell someone a story of
                         substance? Or is everything just a
                         clever anecdote?
                             (Beat)
                         I know you wanted to keep up your
                         reputation of fucking in and out of
                         every relationship of your life,
                         I'm just not in to participating.

                                   REED
                         What did I lie about?

                                   EMILY
                         Lydia.
                             (Shakes her head)
                         We work in the same store, Reed.
                         How long did you think it would
                         take me to find out that she
                         crushed you?

                                   REED
                             (Annoyed)
                         How is that lying?

                                   EMILY
                         It isn't, but it's a lack of
                         backstory. Like everything else
                         behind you.
                         You're so afraid of confronting
                         your past... what does that say
                         about future prospects? 
                             (Beat)
                         Like us.

               Reed steps back.

                                   REED
                         Okay. I'll go.

               Emily looks as if she feels guilty as Reed turns and walks
               away. She slams her door shut. She puts her head in her
               hands. Once she raises her head back up, noticeable tears
               fall from her eyes.



               INT. LYDIA'S APARTMENT - LYDIA'S BEDROOM (PAST)

               Reed lies in Lydia's bed waiting for her to finish up in the
               shower. He looks to the wall to his right and sees pictures
               of SKYLER, Lydia's ex-boyfriend. 

               Lydia enters the room with a towel covering her. She sends a
               text message on her phone, giggles, and leaves the room.

               Reed notices the cell phone was left behind. A hair dryer is
               being blasted at full power in the bathroom.

               Reed jumps in to action and leaps at the phone, quickly
               scrolling to the text messages. There is an anger and
               jealously in Reed's face as he reads this message.

               "Can't wate 2 c u again." The message is from Skyler. Lydia
               enters the room and catches Reed off-guard.  The hint of an
               explosion coming from Lydia is in the air.

               Reed flips the phone shut and hands it to Lydia.

                                   LYDIA
                         Find anything?

                                   REED
                         Just messages from the guy you said
                         you were done with.

                                   LYDIA
                         Yeah.
                             (Beat)
                         Well, he's visiting.

               Reed sighs and shakes his head.

                                   REED
                         What am I here for then?

                                   LYDIA
                         I don't know what that means, Reed.

                                   REED
                         Is that your way of saying you
                         don't want to see me anymore?

                                   LYDIA
                         No, Reed. You invaded my privacy
                         after I trusted you. You don't get
                         to lecture me.

                                   REED
                         And Skyler?

                                   LYDIA
                         What of him?

                                   REED
                         I'm guessing I should be
                         threatened.

                                   LYDIA
                         No. You shouldn't. I know him too
                         well to make that mistake again.

               Reed stands up.

                                   REED
                         I know what you mean.

               Reed attempts to walk past Lydia. She stops him and gives him
               a kiss on the neck. Reed leaves.

               The sound of a phone number being dialed and ringing is
               heard. Lydia takes a seat on the ground and continues
               texting.

                                   BLUE (V.O.)
                         Blue's Recreational Center, this is
                         Blue, what can I help you with?

                                   REED (V.O.) 
                         Blue.

                                   BLUE (V.O.)
                         Yes?

                                   REED (V.O.)
                         I have a problem.

                                   BLUE (V.O.)
                         Which is?

                                   REED (V.O.)
                         I need to be hammered right now.

                                   BLUE (V.O.)
                         I'll be over in five minutes.



               INT. REED'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM (PAST)

               A huge cloud of smoke hovers over Blue, Reed, and Norm.

               There are two recliners and a three person couch in the room
               but for whatever reason they are all piled on to the couch
               and passing around a glass pipe.

               Norm looks particularly out of his element, trying to avoid
               the smoke by blowing it away as it comes towards him.

               Reed holds the pipe in his hand and turns to Norm.

                                   NORM
                         No, I know what you're getting at.

                                   REED
                         It's been like three years.

                                   NORM
                         No!

               Norm moves to one of the recliners.

                                   REED
                         You're doing this, Norm. Because we
                         do not have endless time together
                         to experiment.
                             (Nods)
                         All we have is tonight. Here. Now.

                                   BLUE
                         You'll be way cooler if you do it.

                                   NORM
                             (Exhales loudly)
                         If I smoke, then what?

                                   BLUE
                         We hit the town.

                                   REED
                             (Excited)
                         Like old times.

               Norm mulls over the question for a moment.

                                   NORM
                         Just like old times, huh?
                             (Beat)
                         Do you remember what I was like
                         three years ago?

               Reed smiles. Blue seems lost in the conversation.

                                   BLUE
                         Oh shit, son.



               INT. VIBES DANCE CLUB - BAR - LATER (PAST)

               Reed, Blue, and Norm make their way through a crowd of
               drunken white people dancing on their endless walk to the bar
               area. Norm gets hit in the face with a blonde's big, flowing
               locks and looses his footing.

               All three sit at the bar.

                                   BLUE
                             (Lost)
                         Why are we here?

               Norm can be heard off screen laughing hysterically at a drunk
               woman dancing alone against a pole.

                                   REED
                         We'll figure it out.

                                   BLUE
                         Let's get trashed.

               Reed high fives Blue.

                                   REED
                         Yes.

               Reed and Blue's first drinks arrive. 

               A time lapse occurs and it is seen that the empty drinks have
               been multiplied by seven. Reed is now arguing with a Puerto
               Rican bartender.

               Blue and Norm escort Reed away from the bar.



               INT. THE RUSTY NAIL - BAR AREA - LATER ON (PAST)

               Reed has calmed himself and now drinks a beer at this new bar
               with 4 more empties to his name. Blue laughs as a sad chubby
               man sings "Creep" by way of karaoke. Just as he finishes up
               Norm is nowhere to be found.

                                   NORM
                             (Belligerent)
                         That sucked!

               The chubby man tackles Norm. 

                                   BLUE
                         Who the hell is this guy? He's
                         awesome!

                                   REED
                             (Slurring)
                         I whole arted feed a need.

                                   BLUE
                         Excuse me?

               Reed shakes his head and slaps himself around a bit.

                                   REED
                             (Smirking with confidence)
                         I wholeheartedly agree.

               Blue pats Reed on the back.

                                   BLUE
                         Good work.

                                   REED
                         I need to visit the resting room.

               Reed almost falls as he gets off the stool. He gathers
               himself and wobbles towards the bathroom.



               INT. THE RUSTY NAIL - BATHROOM (PAST)

               All stalls urinals are either broken or not working so Reed
               begins attempting to open stalls. The first one is locked,
               with two sets of feet inside.

               Reed enters the next stall and begins urinating.

                                   FEMALE VOICE (O.S.)
                         Okay! No! This is too disgusting!

               The stall next to Reed opens and a woman exits the bathroom.
               Reed finishes up and exits the stall.

               As Reed washes his hands the other set of feet exit the
               stall. It's Keith. Reed doesn't notice him until he's
               standing next to Reed washing his hands.

                                   REED
                         What the - ?

                                   KEITH
                             (Embarrassed)
                         I'm not proud of myself, Reed.

                                   REED
                         You have a wife, Keith!

                                   KEITH
                             (Shrugs)
                         I'm a sex fiend, man. What else can
                         I say?

                                   REED
                             (Disgusted)
                         A fiend for dirty bathroom sex?

                                   KEITH
                         Wherever I can get it.

               Reed leaves the bathroom in a rush.



               INT. THE RUSTY NAIL - BAR AREA (PAST)

               Reed signals to Blue that it is time to leave. Keith enters
               the bar just after this happens, which perplexes Blue. Norm
               follows.



               EXT. CITY STREET - DAY (PAST)

               Every member of the group puts their hands over their eyes as
               they leave the bar and the sun beats down on them. They all
               look rather strange in the sunlight, like vampires ready to
               disintegrate.

                                   REED
                             (To Blue)
                         We can't continue this until I see
                         my psychic.

                                   BLUE
                             (Quizzical)
                         Your what?

                                   NORM
                         I'm driving!

                                   REED
                             (Yelling in a very
                              parental tone)
                         No!

               Norm kicks a soda can on the sidewalk and walks towards the
               car.



               INT. JERMAINE THE MAJESTIC'S PSYCHIC EMPORIUM (PAST)

               Reed enters alone. Jermaine is lying on the ground staring at
               the colorful ceiling. He is caught off guard and appears
               quite nervous. He jumps to his feet and looks around with a
               sense of incredible paranoia.

                                   JERMAINE
                         What the hell, man?

                                   REED
                         You want my story?

                                   JERMAINE
                         Well, yeah...

                                   REED
                         Here you go.
                             (Beat)
                         I go through a shitty relationship,
                         I lose my job, I move back home. I
                         attempt suicide. Ever since I
                         jumped from a cliff somewhere near
                         fucking Gold Hill -

                                   JERMAINE
                         Gold Hill?

                                   REED
                         Yes, Gold Hill. Listen, I wake up
                         in the past. I go to sleep, wake up
                         in the present.

                                   JERMAINE
                         Why aren't you doing something
                         relevant here? Like changing
                         things?

                                   REED
                         Because I can't remember national
                         disasters. Names, dates. I can't
                         remember lottery numbers. I know
                         things are going to happen but have
                         no capacity to change them.
                             (Beat)
                         And when I do...

               Reed is exhausted.

                                   REED (CONT'D)
                         It all seems to go to shit. So what
                         now?

                                   JERMAINE
                         Then you are simply re-living a bad
                         situation. Something holy or unholy
                         is trying to teach you something.

                                   REED
                         Teach me what? I'm done with this
                         lesson. I get it. Suicide, not an
                         answer. 
                             (Waves his hands in the
                              air)
                         Pardon me! Please!

               Jermaine slowly steps back from Reed.

                                   JERMAINE
                         Weird.

                                   REED
                             (Annoyed)
                         What's wrong with you now?

                                   JERMAINE
                         I may have taken some psychedelics. 
                             (Jermaine stares at his
                              hand for a moment)
                         And they may be turning on me.

                                   REED
                             (Frustrated)
                         Perfect.

                                   JERMAINE
                         What's her name?

                                   REED
                         Which one?

                                   JERMAINE
                         There's two?

                                   REED
                         Yes.

                                   JERMAINE
                         Pick one.
                             (Beat)
                         The one that didn't crush you?

                                   REED
                         It isn't that easy.

                                   JERMAINE
                         Making a choice is the easiest
                         thing in the world to do. Following
                         through is harder.

                                   REED
                         I'm sorry for bothering you.

               Reed turns to quickly to leave and trips on a chair. He
               doesn't pick up the chair, which seems to bother Jermaine
               quite a bit even after Reed is gone. Jermaine picks up the
               chair and places it perfectly where it was before. He lies
               back down.



               EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT (PAST)

               Norm is vomiting outside a local bar as Blue falls out the
               front door. Reed soon follows with an incredible sense of
               anger in his eyes.

                                   REED
                             (Mumbling)
                         I - I don't even - I don't even
                         care, man.

                                   BLUE
                             (Slurring)
                         Let's break something.

               Norm appears to stop vomiting just to cheer the idea on. 

                                   REED
                         What did - who do we -
                             (Reed looks around)
                         What do we break?

               MONTAGE:

               "Fool's Life" by Dr. Dog plays during the montage.



               EXT. CITY STREET - CONTINUOUS - LATE NIGHT (PAST)

               Reed and Blue burst on the scene of a phone booth and begin
               to attempt pushing it over. As success in the endeavor looks
               more and more ridiculous Reed gives up.

               He reaches forward at the phone and strips it from the booth.
               Blue and Reed high five with passion.

               At a small street that is slanted upward we see Norm roaming
               from car to car, looking checking for unlocked doors. Norm
               finds one and jumps in the air pointing at it until Blue
               jumps in.

               Rather than attempting theft, Blue merely decides to put down
               the parking brake and send it careening in to the car parked
               behind it. The two run off laughing hysterically.

               There is movement from inside the car that was hit. KEITH
               peeks his head out and looks to his left and to his right.
               Confused and inebriated he lies back down.

               Outside a closed stereo store Blue is seen tossing a plastic
               garbage can at a big glass window. Each time he tosses the
               can he runs in the other direction, expecting broken glass
               and an alarm. Unfortunately he gets neither.

                                   BLUE
                             (Angrily)
                         This is stupid! 

                                   NORM
                         I have fireworks!



               EXT. WOODED AREA - LATE NIGHT (PAST)

               Reed, Blue, and Norm stand in a small clearing with sparklers
               lit. Surrounding them we see around twenty fireworks that
               have been previously lit.



               INT. INSIDE REED'S CAR - EARLY MORNING (PAST)

               As Reed drives the crew back in to town we notice that no one
               else is awake. There is blood on Blue's shirt, Reed's
               knuckles are cut, and Norm has a busted lip



               EXT. COUNTRY ROAD

               Reed's car passes by and we see a large dent on the side of
               it and a broken headlight to go long with it.

               END MONTAGE.



               INT. PRICEMART - STOCK ROOM (PRESENT)

               Reed walks by Keith, who tries his best to avoid eye contact
               with Reed.

                                   REED
                             (As he passes by)
                         Sinner.



               INT. LYDIA'S APARTMENT - LYDIA'S BEDROOM - DAY (PAST)

               Light, old country music plays from a bedside radio as Reed
               sits next to Lydia on her bed. There is a noticeable distance
               between the two.

                                   LYDIA
                         What are you thinking about?

                                   REED
                         I'm sorry. 

                                   LYDIA
                         I am too. 
                             (Beat)
                         You should know about these things.

                                   REED
                         But have you declared us to be
                         dating yet or am I in the same
                         situation I've always been in?

                                   LYDIA
                             (Sighs)
                         I was in a really long thing
                         before. He burned me, Reed. I just
                         want to have some fun.

                                   REED
                         Then why are you letting him visit?

                                   LYDIA
                         We're the same people, Skyler and
                         I.
                         He's the type that occupies my
                         world.
                             (Beat)
                         You deserve better than that.

               Reed softly touches Lydia's face.

                                   REED
                         I'm not giving up on you yet. Even
                         if you are.

               Reed stands.

                                   LYDIA
                         Where are you going?

                                   REED
                         Should I be here?

                                   LYDIA
                             (Smiles)
                         You're invited.

                                   REED
                         I'll keep that in mind.



               INT. LAUNDRY MAT - NIGHT (PRESENT)

               In an empty laundry mat Reed divides his time between reading
               music magazines, listening to music, and looking out the
               window every so often in hopes a certain faces shows.

               Just as he begins to bow out and close his eyes, Emily
               weasels her way quietly to within a foot of Reed's face. She
               takes off his headphones.

               Reed doesn't jump but rather smirks in embarrassment.

                                   EMILY
                         You should probably switch over
                         your clothes.

                                   REED
                         I'll consider it.

               Emily takes a seat next to Reed. There is a noticeable
               distance between the two.

                                   EMILY
                         I overreacted.

                                   REED
                             (Indifferent)
                         Maybe.

                                   EMILY
                         My cat died.
                             (Beat)
                         This is stupid.

               Emily lets out a heavy hearted chuckle. Reed does his best to
               console her.

                                   REED
                         No, it's not.

                                   EMILY
                         I don't normally date. I just...
                         I've been through a few things.
                             (Beat)
                         My last little going steady
                         experiment ended in distrust and me
                         being alone and staring at a cell
                         phone for hours on end. 

                                   REED
                         These things happen.

                                   EMILY 
                         The thing is, I see something in
                         you. I don't know what it is yet.

                                   REED
                         Same here.

                                   EMILY
                             (Sarcastically)
                         In me or you?

                                   REED
                             (Pointing at Emily)
                         You.

                                   EMILY
                         Good to hear.

                                   REED
                         I just don't know what's going on
                         in my life anymore. I have some
                         stuff to figure out.

                                   EMILY
                         Well, you figure that stuff out.

                                   REED
                         I will.

                                   EMILY
                         Call me the second your master plan
                         comes to fruition. We'll drink wine
                         and celebrate.

                                   REED
                             (Discouraged)
                         I'm hoping that's how it ends.

                                   EMILY
                             (Runs her hand through
                              Reed's hair)
                         Let's just hope it ends the right
                         way. 
                             (Beat)
                         I can be content with us both being
                         happy.

                                   REED
                         I like the sound of that.
                             (Beat)
                         You still want that truth?

                                   EMILY
                         No, you don't have to -

                                   REED
                         You can be the first to hear this.
                             (Staring in to Emily's
                              eyes)
                         I want you to be.

                                   EMILY
                             (Weakly)
                         Okay.

                                   REED
                         My mentor for the last 20 or so
                         years of my life. My...
                             (Choked up)
                         My possible father, my constant
                         friend, my only real need in this
                         world.
                             (Reed lets out a defeated
                              laugh)
                         He was an emotional cripple.

               Noticeable tears form in Reed's eyes.

                                   REED (CONT'D)
                         And he swallowed about thirty
                         sleeping pills not long ago.
                             (Beat)
                         I'm not religious. I have no great
                         aspirations. I'm twenty-one years
                         old and all I have is a list of
                         failures.

               Emily wipes away the single tear that drops from Reed's eye.

                                   EMILY 
                         No matter how far wrong you've
                         gone, you can always turn around.
                             (Beat)
                         That looked difficult.

                                   REED
                             (Smiles)
                         It's a first.

                                   EMILY
                         There's a first time for
                         everything.
                             (Looks around)
                         Now.
                             (Beat)
                         Let's finish that laundry.

               "Piazza, New York Catcher" by Belle & Sebastian plays.

               Emily gets up, holding Reed's hand. She guides him to the
               washer. Reed stares outside the window, lost in his own body.
               She leans in and kisses him on the cheek.