EXT. LANG’S HOUSE-NIGHT-ESTABLISHING Hundreds of trees surround a fashionably designed mansion that sits at the top of a long, cement driveway. INT. LANG’S BEDROOM-MIDNIGHT SHEILA LANG, 30, and husband BEN, 34, are asleep peacefully in bed. Suddenly her eyes fling open. SHEILA Ben. Ben, wake up. BEN (mumbling) Yeah. I’ll take it. SHEILA Ben! Ben! BEN What? What? SHEILA I think it’s time. BEN What time is it? SHEILA It’s that time. We gotta go. She scoots out of bed. BEN That time? SHEILA My water broke. BEN Oh it’s that time? Oh crap. He jumps out of bed and runs towards the door. BEN I’ll go get the stuff ready. SHEILA Ben. BEN Yeah? SHEILA Go get dressed. She points to the closet. BEN Right. Yeah. Good idea. Good idea. She creeps out holding her belly. INT. HOSPITAL-LABOR AND DELIVERY LOBBY Ben races Sheila in on a wheelchair, and over to the NURSE #1 at the counter. Sheila has a contraction. BEN Her water broke! Can you fix it? Her I mean. I mean can you, can we uh…? NURSE #1 Come with me. INT. DELIVERY ROOM-EARLY MORNING Sheila’s legs press against the stirrups, while the DOCTOR coaches her. Ben holds her hand and tries to catch a glimpse of the baby. DOCTOR Come on now, one more push Sheila. BEN You’re doing fine baby. SHEILA This is not fine. Shiiittt! DOCTOR Here we go. That a girl. Here he comes, mom. The baby cries. BEN Oh my god. Look at that. The doctor holds the baby up for Sheila to see, then immediately rushes him over to the counter. SHEILA He’s beautiful. Where’s he taking him? NURSE #1 He’s just checking the baby out to make sure he’s ok. DOCTOR Nurse, come here. (quietly) I’m gonna need some supplies, to secure this baby’s head. I think he may have a spinal injury. NURSE #1 Alright, I’ll be right back. DOCTOR Hurry. She runs out. SHEILA What’s happening!? The baby screams as the Doctor holds his head steady. DOCTOR Try and stay calm Sheila. The Nurse runs back in with supplies and NURSES #2 and #3. They fix the baby to a board. BEN Nurse, what’s happening? Nurse #1 walks over to Ben and Sheila. NURSE #1 We might have some complications. SHEILA What? What are you talking… NURSE #1 Mam, I need you to stay calm. The baby is breathing fine. The Doctor is just taking precautionary measures. NURSE #2 Alright, he’s ready. DOCTOR Ok, let’s get him upstairs. Nurse #2 and #3 lift the baby and take him away. SHEILA Doctor, where are you taking him? DOCTOR Your baby is breathing fine and his vitals seem to be good but he’s not moving his arms or legs. Has he been kicking these last few months? SHEILA Yes. DOCTOR Well it’s possible that he may have acquired a spinal injury during labor. I can’t tell you anything beyond that right now because we don’t know. SHEILA What does that mean? Is he gonna need surgery or something? BEN Is he paralyzed or what? DOCTOR We’re going to run some tests and try to find out what’s going on but right now I really can’t say. Just hang in there and I’ll get back to you as soon as we find out anything. I promise. Sheila clutches Ben as the Doctor exits. INT. HOSPITAL-LABOR AND DELIVERY LOBBY The Doctor is standing at the counter, looking over some documents. NURSE #1 Do you need me to check her I.V.? DOCTOR No, I’ll do it. I have to give them an update anyways. NURSE #1 Oh, ok. The doctor sighs. INT. DELIVERY ROOM SHEILA They said he wasn’t moving his arms or legs. What if it’s something they can’t fix Ben? BEN Listen baby I know how you feel but I don’t know… The Doctor walks in and shuts the door behind him. BEN Doc, what’s going on? SHEILA Did you find out what’s wrong with my boy? The doctor sits down next to the bed and opens a manila folder. DOCTOR Yes, we did. Your son has a deformed spinal disc in his neck. And what it is is an abnormal flange on the inside of his spinal column. We think that the pressure of labor and his positioning was causing the flange to pinch the spinal cord; and that’s what’s causing the prolonged immobility. SHEILA How long will that last? DOCTOR We don’t know the extent of damage to his spinal cord so we really have no way of knowing, but I think you guys should prepare yourselves that this might be permanent. Sheila buries her face in Ben’s chest and cries. Ben takes a deep breathe and holds back his grief. BEN Isn’t there some kind of surgery that can fix this? DOCTOR There is a procedure for repairing abnormal discs, but your son is in no immediate danger and he’s much too young right now for a procedure of that magnitude. Plus if the spinal chord is damaged there’s no surgery that can fix that. So that’s really not an option right now. Ben squeezes Sheila. BEN Jesus. DOCTOR Now look, besides the obvious, your son is a tremendously healthy young boy. He’s just going to need constant looking after. We’re going to need to keep him here for a couple weeks so we can keep an eye on his back and make sure there’s no further damage happening to it. Meanwhile I’m going to give you guys some pamphlets and the number of a specialist that deals with disabled kids. He’s really good and he’ll help you with things you haven’t thought of, or might not think of. This way you’ll be prepared to take the baby home in couple weeks. I’m really sorry I don’t have better news for you. The Doctor sits silently, and lets the news sink in. DOCTOR Now whenever you guys feel up to it, you can walk up to the F wing and see your boy. You won’t be able to hold him yet, but at least you’ll be able to see and touch him, alright. Ben nods as Sheila blankly stares at the wall. INT. F WING HALL Ben helps Sheila limp down the hall. INT. BABY LANG’S ROOM Ben and Sheila walk in. Several pads with protruding wires are attached to the baby’s body. SHEILA Oh, my baby. Sheila puts her hand to her mouth. BEN His eyes are open. They stare at him for a minute. BEN (whispers) Little Jake. Sheila looks at Ben and smiles. SHEILA I love it. BEN Yeah? SHEILA Yeah. Ben smiles back. EXT. UNIVERSITY-MID DAY SUPERIMPOSE: 20 YEARS LATER JAKE LANG is rolling down the sidewalk in his wheelchair, operating it with his custom mouth joystick. His scrawny arms and legs are motionless in the custom cradles attached to his chair. He approaches three LADIES sitting on the grass. LADY #1 Hi Jake. LADY #2 Hey Jake. Jake responsively bounces his eyebrows as he passes. LADY #2 (sexy) The things I could do to him if he… LADY #3 What like push him around? They give Lady #3 a dirty look. LADY #1 Don’t be a bitch. LADY #2 How does he pass any classes if he can’t write? LADY #1 He doesn’t just pass them he aces them. I heard he has oral exams, so I guess he just listens to the lectures and studies at home. LADY #2 That’s crazy. Jakes rolls up to his buddy DEL, 20. DEL What’s up man? JAKE Nothing, I’m about to take off. DEL So are you going to the arena tomorrow? JAKE Yeah, “Gravedigger” is going to be there. Plus, I talked to John and he said if they have time, they’re gonna let me take my baby out there. DEL Bullshit! Jake laughs. JAKE I’m serious. DEL While they’re still out there? JAKE Yup. DEL Oh my god, you lucky bastard. JAKE I’m taking her down there tonight just in case. DEL Let me come with you. JAKE Alright. We’ll stop by about five thirty or six. Their friend JESSICA, 22, walks up. JESSICA Hey guys. DEL Guess what. Jakes gonna get to take his truck out there tomorrow. She looks at Jake. JESSICA Really? JAKE Maybe. JESSICA That’s awesome Jake. Just be careful, ok? JAKE I will. DEL That’s so cool. JESSICA Well we gotta get to our last class of the semester. DEL Thank God. I’ll see ya later man. JAKE Later. JESSICA Bye Jake. I’ll see you tomorrow. JAKE Alright. Jake mouths his joystick and rolls down the sidewalk. EXT. UNIVERSITY PARKING LOT Jake rolls up to a van with a mechanical lift on the side. His Mexican driver PETE, 35, lowers the platform. PETE Hey buddy. JAKE Hey. We’re gonna stop by and pick up Del on the way tonight, alright? PETE For cheezle, my neezle. Jake rolls onto the platform and laughs. JAKE You’re a dork. PETE Jake, all the ladies want this. JAKE Ok, “Pedro”. PETE Don’t call me that. Jake laughs as Pete slams the door. INT. JOHN’S GARAGE-LATE EVENING JOHN, 45, tinkers on a truck in his industrial size garage. The garage door opens and Jake drives in a slightly smaller version of a monster truck, with the word “Nasty” across the side of it. Del and Pete follow him in on foot. John smiles. JOHN Bout fuckin time. The motor stops. John walks under the truck and pulls a lever. Jake slowly drops down through the floorboard on a mechanical lift. John removes his helmet. JOHN How’s she runnin? JAKE Good. She’s ready. JOHN Bitchin. John swivels Jakes mouth joystick up to his head. Jake rolls out from under the truck. JOHN Hey Del, Pete. DEL What’s up John? PETE Hi. JOHN Boy I sure hope we get to see “Nasty” up next t’ them monsters. John pats Jake on the leg. JOHN You know they comin back through here in nine month’s right. JAKE Oh yeah? JOHN Hell yeah. Aft’ that I’ll have enough money to finish Johnster over there. John points to his unfinished truck. Jake Laughs. JAKE That’s cool. I still think you should try another name though. JOHN (searching for a thought) Yeah, I was thinking maybe uh… John is silent with his finger hanging from his chin. Jake wants to help him spit it out, but waits. Pete and Del look at each other, and then to John, as they wait for his thought. JOHN …“Jack” or “Chuck”. Yeah. Whatcha think? JAKE Those are good, but how about something other than guys names. John thinks. JOHN What? Like girls names? JAKE No like other than peoples’ names. JOHN Oh. Yeah, I’ll have to think about that. JAKE You do that buddy. DEL Hey John, you mind if I sit in your truck? JOHN Get y’ ass in there boy! Coarse I don’t mind. Jake, Pete and Del laugh as he heads for the truck. DEL Thanks John. JOHN You betcha. Just don’t go taking off now, ya hear. DEL I won’t. JOHN Well, alright then. Jake grins at John. JAKE Hey, you mind if I take my baby for a spin out there? JOHN I figured you ask that. Go ahead. Just stay on the flat land. Can’t have you messin' up all them jumps before the big day tomorrow. JAKE I will. JOHN Ok, well the gates open. Jake rolls onto the lift. John lowers his joystick and puts his helmet back on. EXT. ARENA-DARK John walks up to a breaker panel, opens it and flips a switch. Flood lights blast through the arena. Jake rolls “Nasty” through the gate and romps around the arena. John and Pete walk to the gate to watch. JOHN Do his parents know? PETE They know. JOHN They pissed? PETE A little bit, but they can’t really tell him to not do it, you know. JOHN I know. PETE He’ll be ok. JOHN Yeah. Del walks up and watches with them for a minute. Jake drives up to the gate. JAKE Pete, can I talk to you for a minute up here? PETE Of coarse sir. Jake pulls up about twenty yards as Pete walks over to meet him. DEL So John, when are you going to let me drive one of these bad boys? JOHN Well Del, it costs a lot of money to get into this bidnis, and ya ain’t insured, so unless yo daddy hits the lotto any time soon, I can’t take the chance. I’m sorry. DEL That sucks. Del looks at Jakes remarkable machine, and sighs. Pete gets to the truck. PETE What is it sir? JAKE We need to go. PETE Everything ok sir? JAKE (nods to his crotch) I stink. PETE Understood. I’ll go get Del and meet you in the garage. JAKE Alright, Thanks. Jake drives to the garage as Pete walks over to Del. PETE Del, we’re going to leave now. DEL Is everything alright? PETE Yes. DEL Why are we leaving so soon? PETE I don’t ask questions. I just do. DEL Ok. I’ll see you later John. PETE Bye John. JOHN See you guys tomorrow. PETE Alright. EXT. JOHN’S GARAGE Del leans on the van as Jake and Pete come from the garage. DEL Hey, why we leaving so soon? JAKE I still have an hour of arguing with my parents about tomorrow’s dangerous, life threatening event, before I can go to bed. If we don’t leave now, I’ll never get to sleep. DEL Oh. Cool. Del looks back and shouts to John as he walks towards the garage. DEL Hey John, can I come down to the pit tomorrow to see the trucks? John points his finger at Del with one hand, and holds his thumb up with the other. DEL Thanks John. Hell yeah. Del gets in the van, and slams the door shut. INT. LANGS LIVING ROOM Sheila and Ben sit on the couch. They hear the front door slam shut. PETE We’re home. Sheila gets up to meet them coming in. SHEILA Jake, I need to talk to you. JAKE I’ve got shit on me mom. What? SHEILA Don’t talk like that. When you’re done, come out here and talk to me. JAKE (cynically) Yes mother. SHEILA Pete when you guys are done, we’re going to need a little time alone with Jake. PETE Yes Mam. Pete and Jake go into the other room. SHEILA I’m going to call John. BEN For what? SHEILA To tell him to disable something on Jakes truck so he can’t race tomorrow. BEN First of all, it’s not a race truck. The thing only goes thirty miles an hour. Second of all, I don’t think going behind his back is going to stop him from doing this. SHEILA I’m his mother. It’s my job to protect him from getting hurt. BEN It’s my job too Sheila, but he’s twenty years old for god sake. He hasn’t had one problem since the surgery. I think he’ll be alright. SHEILA I don’t want him driving that thing with those other trucks. BEN Well I’m sorry; I think that’s his decision. SHEILA Damn it Ben, I need you to support me on this. BEN Baby, he needs to be able to do things. Now while I agree that it’s not the safest thing to do, at least he’s doing something he loves. Do you really want to take that away from him? Sheila quietly looks at Ben. SHEILA Alright, fine. But if he gets hurt Ben… BEN He’ll be fine. Sheila crosses her arms and walks out. Jake rolls into the living room. JAKE What, no lecture? BEN Stop it. I talked to your mother. JAKE Thanks. BEN You know, she’s really worried about you Jake. JAKE She’s always worried. BEN Yeah well, Ben stands up. BEN So am I. Ben walks out. Jake sits silently by himself. EXT. ARENA-LATE MORNING Jake, John and Del are in the pit with “Nasty”. The trucks are screaming in the arena. DEL I can’t believe your going out there. It’s badass. JOHN Now remember, don’t go crazy out there, ya hear. Takin a chance on you. JAKE I know John. JOHN Alright then. JAKE So how did Suzy get you to let her run the microphone? They hear SUZY’S voice in the stadium. SUZY (O.S.) And that’s all he wrote folks. “Gravedigger”! JOHN You. JAKE Oh, sorry. JOHN S’ alright buddy. You just make me proud out there ya hear? JAKE Yes sir. JOHN Alright, it’s almost time, so why don’t you get up there and get’r ready. JAKE Del can you put my neck roll and helmet on for me? DEL I got you. Del puts his neck roll and helmet on. DEL You cool? JAKE Yeah. Thanks. DEL Yup. “BIGFOOT” launches off a ramp and onto a line of junked cars, then dismounts and drives over next to the other trucks. Jake fires up “NASTY” and starts revving the engine. SUZY (O.S) Ladies and Gentlemen: I am proud to Present, a local truck romper who has, literally, been on wheels his entire life. Let’s give a big welcome for Jake Lang, and his beautiful machine “NASTY”. The stadium applauds. John circles his hand in the air giving Jake the signal to go. Jake plunges into the stadium. Ben and Sheila sit in the bleachers and cheer with the crowd. BEN Tell me he’s not loving this. SHEILA I know. I know. Jake comes around for his first jump. SHEILA He’s not going to jump that, is he? BEN I don’t know. Jake speeds strait towards the jump. Sheila grabs Bens arm. SHEILA Oh my god, Oh my god. Sheila covers her eyes as Jake hits the jump. Ben’s mouth is wide open, and his eyes are fixed. Del is at the bottom of the bleachers with Jessica. DEL Hell yeah! JESSICA Go Jake! Jake lands with minimal bouncing and continues. BEN Look, look. Ben nudges Sheila and she uncovers her eyes. SHEILA Thank God. Jake comes around for the next, even bigger, jump. SHEILA Oh God. Sheila waves her arms back and forth, and foolishly tries to get Jakes attention. SHEILA Jake, no, no, no! BEN Oh my… Jake launches off the jump. DEL Holy shit! John takes his hat off and squeezes it. JOHN Oh boy. SHEILA Shit! Shit! Shit! Jake lands, bounces two times and starts tipping to the side. His wheels turn to the right and the two airborne wheels slam back to the ground. The crowd sighs in relief. SUZY Now that was a close call. BEN No shit. Sheila touches her forehead and sighs. SHEILA Damn it Jake. Jake pulls in front of the bleachers, and turns the engine off as John runs to the truck. The lift lowers Jake. John takes his helmet off and swivels up his mouth piece. JOHN You alright? JAKE Hell yeah. Did you see that? JOHN Sure did. You about to hear some noise. He rolls out from under the truck. The stadium roars. Everyone is out of their seats yelling. GARY and CECIL, two of the truck drivers, talk in the pit as Jake rolls his wheelchair up to them. GARY So it was like a hundred G’s for the front end. CECIL Jesus. Who fabricated it? GARY This guy Jerry, in Idaho, did it. He’s pretty damn genius when it comes to that shit though. It was well worth it. Cecil notices Jake listening in. John and Del stand next to him. CECIL Well, well, well. What do we have here? The king of the crowd has arrived. GARY Hey, how the hell do you drive that truck? JAKE (laughs) I have a custom helmet. John steps up and shows Gary the joystick inside. JOHN It radio transmits to the truck. GARY Holy crap. JOHN You like that shit, huh? Cecil leans over to see it. CECIL That’s cool man. They continue talking. INT. JOHN’S GARAGE-EVENING John, Del and Jake talk as a DR. ROLLINS knocks and walks in. DR. ROLLINS Jake Lang? JAKE Yeah, I’m Jake. DR. ROLLINS Hi, I’m Dr. Rollins. I was contacted by your doctor; Dr. Phelps. He said you might be interested in a procedure I do. JAKE And what procedure is that? DR. ROLLINS Well, I’d rather explain it to you over a cup of coffee, if that’s alright. I’ll buy. Jake thinks for a second. JAKE Alright. JOHN Nonsense. I can fix you a cup a joe in two minutes. John grabs a fold-up chair and sets it at a dusty table. JOHN Now you get cozy while me and Del go make some coffee. Jake looks at Dr. Rollins, and waits for his response. DR. ROLLINS (caught of guard) Well, uh, ok. John and Del walk out. Jake rolls over to the table. JAKE Alright, let’s hear it. DR. ROLLINS Ok, first and foremost I need to tell you that I can’t promise you anything. Second, try not to be pessimistic if hear something you don’t like. If you have questions, I’ll answer them. Now your doctor told me that there didn’t seem to be any damage to your spinal cord besides the mobility problem. JAKE Yeah that’s Right. DR. ROLLINS Ok. Well I’ve treated two patients with similar mobility problems, and brought life back to their limbs. JAKE What do you mean by similar mobility problems? DR. ROLLINS Well theirs were on a lesser scale than yours. One couldn’t move his right arm and the other couldn’t move his legs. JAKE And you made him walk again? DR. ROLLINS Yes Jake grins. JAKE Well, what’s this procedure? DR. ROLLINS The procedure is a sort of a shock treatment. Jakes grin dies down. JAKE What like shock therapy? DR. ROLLINS No, there’s a difference. Shock therapy is geared towards the psyche, where as this is more of a functionality procedure. Your brain’s not recognizing that you have arms and legs. With this shock treatment, we send very small electronic spurts through your limbs to get your brain to notice them. Once noticed, the brain usually takes responsibility. INT. JOHNS KITCHEN DEL What do you think that’s all about? JOHN I dunno boy, I tell you. Must be something big. DEL Why? JOHN There’s a doctor in my garage. Never had no doctor in my garage. DEL (sarcastically) Oh my god John, you’re not serious? JOHN I swear on my mammas grave. Del laughs. INT. JOHNS GARAGE JAKE Does it hurt? DR. ROLLINS It’s fairly unpleasant; but as of right now you can’t feel anything right? JAKE Right. DR. ROLLINS Ok, well that’s kind of the trick. When it does start getting painful, that’s when the treatments working; so you kind of hope for that during the process. JAKE It sounds interesting. DR. ROLLINS Now hold on for a second. This procedure doesn’t go without risks. For example your heart could stop during treatment and we’d have to try and revive you. Or your brain could have a bad reaction to the electricity; you could die. Um, the other risks are fairly mild: Temporary relapses, possible skin rashes, things like that. But obviously we’re mainly concerned with cardiac arrest and death. JAKE Well, how high would you say the risk is? DR. ROLLINS It’s hard to say Jake. I’ve had two patients and they both got through it fine, but you can’t really assess risk off of two patients, you know. JAKE Yeah. DR. ROLLINS So listen, I’ll give you my card. Talk it over with your parents and give me a call if you want to give it a shot, ok. He sets a card on the table. JAKE OK. DR. ROLLINS Alright, I’ll look forward to hearing from you. Dr. Rollins gets up and starts to walk out. JAKE Hey Doc. The Doctor turns around. JAKE So there’s a chance I could walk? DR. ROLLINS It’s definitely a possibility Jake. He grins as John and Del come back in with the coffee. JOHN Leaving already? I got your coffee right here. DR.ROLLINS Oh I’m sorry. I’m going to have to pass on that coffee. I hope you didn’t go through too much trouble. JOHN Naw. You shittin me? I needed some myself anyways. DR. ROLLINS Oh good then. Good day to you. JOHN You too sir. The doctor leaves. DEL What was that all about? JOHN Now Del, don’t go pryin. John sits in the chair and takes a drink of coffee. JOHN So what he say? Del gives John a cold look. JAKE He’s gonna try and get me to walk. They’re all silent. INT. LANGS LIVINGROOM-NIGHT Ben sits on the couch as Sheila paces back and forth. SHEILA Six months is a long time Jake. JAKE I have to learn how to walk. That takes time. Six months is high hoping. SHEILA What, it might take longer. JAKE Well not there. They’ll only keep me six months. But hopefully I’ll be walking by then. BEN I think it’s a good idea. SHEILA We’ll be allowed to visit whenever we want right? JAKE I’m sure you will. SHEILA And this is what you really want? JAKE Yes, it is. BEN So, how much does this procedure cost? JAKE I was thinking maybe you could talk to him about that. His card’s on the table. So I’ll see you tomorrow then. BEN (Sarcastically) Thanks. Jake rolls out. EXT. JESSICAS FRONT YARD-NIGHT Del pulls up and honks. Jessica runs out and gets in his car. INT. DELS CAR Del drives as Jessica repeatedly taps a sealed envelope against her hand. JESSICA Do you think if this works, that he’ll change? DEL I hope not. JESSICA Me too. EXT. LANGS HOUSE-NIGHT Jake, Ben, Sheila, John, Pete, and Dr. Rollins talk in front of the house as Del and Jessica pull up. They hop out and walk over to the group. PETE You know Jake; if this works I’m going to make you drive me around all day. They all laugh. JAKE Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, now. PETE Sorry. JAKE Alright, well I’m off. JOHN Good luck to ya buddy. JAKE Thanks. SHEILA Dad and I’ll be by tomorrow. JAKE Ok. He looks at Del. DEL (Sarcastically) I’ll try to find time in my schedule to come visit you. JAKE Thanks. Jessica steps in front of him with the envelope in both hands. JESSICA I got you a card. She leans down and sets it next to his thigh. Then she gently grabs his face and kisses his lips. JESSICA Good luck. She walks back to Del’s car. Jake develops a smile as he watches her walk away. Sheila looks at Ben and smiles. Del scratches his head as he looks up and grins. Pete smiles as John chuckles and hits his arm. DR ROLLINS We should get going now Jake. JAKE Ok. Dr. Rollins rolls him onto the lift and gets him in the van. DR. ROLLINS We’ll see you soon. BEN See you tomorrow Doctor. Jake watches them wave goodbye as the van pulls away. EXT. REHABILITATION CENTER-NIGHT-ESTABLISHING Crickets are squeaking in the brush surrounding the dim lit facility, as Jake lays in bed looking out his window. INT. REHABILITATION CENTER, JAKES ROOM Dr. Rollins walks in. DR. ROLLINS You have everything you need? JAKE Can you do one more thing before you go? DR. ROLLINS Sure. JAKE Can you hold that card in my chair up for me so I can read it? DR. ROLLINS Yeah. He grabs the card, opens it and holds it up for Jake. JESSICA (V.O.) Hey Jake, I thought of you when I saw this card and figured you’d prefer it over a pink, stuffed, teddy bear. Ha Ha. It’s hard to believe we’ve known each other our whole lives huh? I still remember the first time you ran over my foot. It hurt like hell. Anyways I just wanted to let you know that I’m proud of you, whether or not this thing works. You know, you’ve accomplished more than any person I’ve ever known; and all from a wheelchair. You turned adversity into advantage. I mean half of my good grades are because of you. You’re the inspiration in everyone’s life around you Jake. Never forget that. I’ll always be here for you. Love Jessica. P.S. Good Luck. MONTAGE 1) Jakes arms and legs spasm in their restraints, as electricity jolts through them. 2) The sun sets outside Jakes window as he sleeps. 3) Jake lies in bed and eats a piece of bacon from Sheila’s hand. MONTAGE (CONT’D) 4) The Doctor turns a dial on the machine, lets Jake spasm for a moment, and then turns it back. Sheila sees Jakes relief as he catches his breathe. 5) Sheila holds Jakes hand while he sleeps. Jakes index finger twitches. 6) Sheila pulls Dr. Rollins in the room and points at Jakes foot. He wiggles his big toe. They smile. 7) Jake lies on a table as a nurse repeatedly folds his legs towards his chest, one after the other. 8) Jake strains to hold his arm up as a nurse slowly lowers it. 9) Jake sits in a chair with his lips tightly pressed together as he extends his leg. 10) Jake repeatedly pulls a lat bar to his chest as he watches the ten pound weight slide up and down. 11) Jake holds himself up on parallel bars and slowly walks to the end. Sheila, Ben and Dr. Rollins laugh and clap. Sheila hugs Jake. 12) Jake smiles as he pulls his sheets to his neck and closes his eyes. INT. REHABILITATION CENTER-JAKES ROOM Sheila sits on the edge of Jakes bed. SHEILA So when are they going to interview you. JAKE Next Wednesday, but it won’t air for like two months. SHEILA Really, why’s that? JAKE I guess it’s just their busy season or something. SHEILA Oh. Well Jessica is throwing you a party at her house Saturday, after you get out. JAKE Ok. SHEILA Alright, I’m going to leave now. We won’t see you until Saturday. Your Dad’s insisting I go to Vegas with him before you get back. JAKE That’s a good idea. Try to have fun while your there, and find some hot machines for when I get out. That’s on my “to-do” list. SHEILA Alright, I love you. JAKE Love you too. See you Saturday. SHEILA Ok. Bye. Sheila leaves. INT. JESSICAS HOUSE-NIGHT Many people are mingling amongst Jessica’s enormous living room. Jessica stands by the punch bowl in an elegant white dress as her mother, MINDY, walks up to her. MINDY When is he supposed to show up? JESSICA I’m not sure, hopefully soon. Jake walks in with his parents, Pete and a cane. He’s wearing a nice suit and tie. Mindy notices him, taps Jessica and points. Everybody starts clapping. Jessica smiles as she claps. Jake smiles back at her. Ben looks at Sheila and smiles. Del smiles and raises his glass. Jake nods his head to him. The clapping dies down. JAKE I’d bow, but I’d probably fall down, so… Everyone laughs. JAKE Thanks. Thank you. Various people shake Jakes hand as he walks in. Del brings him a drink. DEL It’s a little strong. JAKE Thanks. How have you been? DEL Listen to you. “How have I been?” How the hell have you been? JAKE I’ve been good. DEL Good. Good. Well listen, I’ll let you get to Jessica. She’s been dying to talk to you all day. Plus I gotta make my way over to Miss thang over there. Del nods towards a hot woman in a mini skirt across the way. DEL So I’ll catch up with you in a little bit. JAKE Alright. Hey. Thanks for being here. Del smiles, nods and then walks away. Jake turns around and looks for Jessica. He spots her through the crowd. JESSICA You look stunning. JAKE No, you look stunning. JESSICA I know. JAKE Oh you do huh. JESSICA Yup. They laugh. She grabs his drink and puts her arm around his. JESSICA Walk with me. They walk. JESSICA I would have come today, but I didn’t want you talking me out of having this party for you. JAKE (Sarcastically) And miss all this attention. Are you kidding me? JESSICA See what I mean. Jake laughs. JAKE So, why didn’t you come to see me? JESSICA I just didn’t want to see you like that. JAKE Like what? JESSICA I don’t know. I’m sorry. JAKE It’s ok. I loved your card. JESSICA Good. JAKE But you know what I loved more? JESSICA What? JAKE That kiss, six months ago, before I went in. JESSICA Oh yeah. JAKE Yeah. I don’t know why though. JESSICA Why what? JAKE Why you did it? JESSICA Well… I didn’t want you to think I was shallow. I’ve always loved who you are but I never saw a future. Then this thing came along, so I… I guess it just made me feel better having kissed you before you got out of the chair and not just after. I guess I’m shallow after all, huh. JAKE Wait a minute, after? Jessica smiles and looks around. JESSICA Come with me. She pulls him into an empty room and closes the French doors behind them. She walks up and stands face to face with him. JESSICA You know, now that you’re out of that chair, your going to have a lot of first experiences. She unzips the back of her dress half way and exposes her chest. Jake stares, speechless. JESSICA I wanted this to be one of them. She grabs his left hand, puts it to her breast and starts kissing him. They continue for a moment before Jake pulls away and grabs his crotch. Jessica looks down. JESSICA That’s normal Jake. He looks at her and then collapses as a drunken man walks in. DRUNKEN MAN What’s in here? He sees Jessica half nude. She throws her arms over her chest. JESSICA Get the hell out of here. DRUNKEN MAN This is a really good party. He walks out. Jessica puts her dress back on and kneels down to Jake. JESSICA Are you alright? JAKE Ya, this happens every now and then. Doc says it will pass. She helps him up. JAKE So, have you ever floored anybody else with those things? JESSICA No, that was a first for me too. JAKE Oh, ok. JESSICA We better get back to the party. JAKE Yeah that’s probably a good idea. They sneak back out into the party. INT. JAKES BATHROOM-NIGHT Jake gently runs a disposable razor down his finger. Sheila pops her head in. SHEILA Hey cutie. Jake cuts his finger. JAKE Oww. Damn it. SHEILA What are you doing? She grabs a towel for him. SHEILA You know, you don’t have to touch everything. JAKE Yeah, yeah I know. She holds the towel on his finger for a second and then grabs a band-aid from the medicine cabinet. SHEILA So I think Jessica likes the new you, huh. JAKE Leave it alone mom. SHEILA What, a mother doesn’t have the right to hear about her son’s love life. JAKE I don’t have a love life mother. SHEILA I’m just saying I see something there. JAKE Yeah, well stop looking. SHEILA You are going to take your cane tomorrow right? JAKE Yes, yes. I’ll take it. SHEILA Good. Thank you. JAKE Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to use the toilet and wipe my own ass, alright. SHEILA You better watch that mouth young man. Sheila walks out and closes the door. EXT. LANGS HOUSE-MORNING Jessica honks her car horn. Jake walks down the sidewalk towards the convertible. Sheila comes out after him. SHEILA Jake. He turns around. SHEILA You forgot something. Jake rolls his eyes as she hands him his cane. JAKE Thank you. Bye. SHEILA Bye sweetie. You drive careful Jessica. JESSICA I will Mrs. Lang. SHEILA Ok, you guys have fun. Jake gets in and they drive away. INT. JESSICAS CAR JAKE So, where are we going? JESSICA It’s a surprise. JAKE I think you’ve given me enough surprises lately. JESSICA Yeah, yeah shut up. Jake laughs as they take off. JAKE Seriously though, thanks for getting me out of there. JESSICA Anytime. Jake puts his arm outside the car and lets his hand swim through the wind. A big gust throws it back, and then he brings it up and tries again. Jessica laughs. JAKE Ever since that commercial a few years back, I’ve wanted to do this. JESSICA Oh that car commercial? JAKE Yeah. It was always small things I wished I could do. JESSICA Well, then I think you’ll have fun today. JAKE Why, where are we going? JESSICA You’re gonna have to wait. JAKE Come on, give me hint. JESSICA Nope. JAKE You suck. JESSICA You wish. She sticks her tongue out and they both laugh. EXT. THE BEACH-LATE MORNING Jessica parks the car with the ocean strait ahead. JAKE You do know that I can’t swim right? JESSICA Yes. Now come on, let’s go. I brought some swim trunks for you. JAKE I don’t know about this? JESSICA Oh come on. I promise I won’t let you drown. JAKE Alright. They go into a nearby bathroom to change. Jake comes out in his trunks to meet Jessica in her suit. JAKE Oh my god, you’re hot. She steps forward and kisses him. JESSICA Now let’s go. They get down to the waters edge and Jake stops. Jessica continues in about ten feet and turns around. JESSICA Come on. JAKE I don’t know. JESSICA You want to kiss me don’t you? JAKE What do you think? JESSICA Well come get it. Jake steps in. JAKE It’s fricken cold! JESSICA Come on. It’ll be well worth it, I promise. Jake makes his way over and puts his arms around her. JAKE Pay up. She grabs his head and they make out for a minute. She slowly pulls her lips away. JESSICA How was that for a first installment? JAKE That was excellent. What kind of a contract are we looking at here? JESSICA I was thinking something long term. Jake smiles. JESSICA But I better get the warranty huh? They laugh. Jessica kisses him again. Jessica backs away, splashes water all over him, and runs up on the sand. While chasing after her, he trips and falls face down in the sand. Jessica comes back to help. JESSICA Are you alright? JAKE Yeah, can you help me up? As she helps him up, he drops sand in her hair. She pushes him back down, climbs on top, and pins his arms with her legs. JESSICA What now punk. JAKE I don’t know, I kind of like this. She wipes sand off his face, scoots down and starts kissing him. INT. LANGS LIVING ROOM-NIGHT Ben and Sheila are watching TV as Jake walks in. SHEILA So how was it? Jake smiles JAKE Good. BEN Where’d you guys go? JAKE The beach. SHEILA The beach? JAKE Don’t worry mom, I didn’t drown. SHEILA Ha ha, very funny. So what was it like? JAKE It was cool. We didn’t go in the water all that much. SHEILA So what’d you do? Jake grins. JAKE Nothing much. SHEILA Oh, ok. Don’t forget you have to register for your classes, tomorrow. It’s the last day. JAKE I know. I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m going to bed. BEN Goodnight. SHEILA Goodnight. Jake leaves. INT. REGISTRATION OFFICE-MORNING Jake holds a packet of papers as he waits in line to register. A girl stares at him as she walks by. He watches her walk out as the LADY at the counter calls him. LADY Excuse me Sir. Can I help you sir? Jake finally hears her. JAKE Oh yeah. Sorry. EXT. UNIVERSITY-PARKING LOT Jake walks out to Jessica’s car. Del is in the back seat. Jake hops in the front. JAKE Hey, do you guys want to go to the fair with me tonight. DEL You’ve never been on the rides have you? JAKE Nope. They would never let me on. DEL This is going to be fun. Jessica chuckles. JESSICA Let’s do it. EXT. FAIR GROUNDS-EVENING Jake, Jessica and Del walk through the front gate. JESSICA Ok, the first thing we have to do is get a funnel cake. JAKE Alright. DEL Yeah. That sounds good right now. They walk away from the stand with their funnel cakes. DEL So what do you want to ride first? JAKE I don’t know. You pick. JESSICA I want to go on the Dragon swing. Jake waits for Del’s response. DEL That’s a good one to start out on. They get into their seats and Jessica intertwines her arm with Jakes. She kisses his cheek and Del shakes his head. DEL Jesus, come on you guys. Del jokingly intertwines his arm with Jakes and kisses his cheek. They all laugh as the ride starts. The swing builds momentum. Jake smiles as he looks around. The swing reaches its peak. The three of them look strait down, with the sky behind them, and begin to fall. Jessica’s hair flies in Jakes face and he pulls it away. She notices, pulls it back and then holds it in a pony tail. The swing reaches its peak again. They look strait up, with the ground behind them, before they fall into another swoop. Jake laughs as they swing. The ride continues swinging back and forth. The three of them step off the ride. DEL Well, what did you think? JAKE It was cool. It felt like trapeze artists swinging from my intestines. JESSICA You ok? JAKE Yeah, I’m fine. What’s next? DEL Alright I’m picking this one. JESSICA What? DEL The Scrambler baby. JESSICA I’ll watch on this one. JAKE Has anyone ever died on any of these rides? DEL I think someone died on the Zipper once. Del points to the zipper and Jake looks. DEL We’ll go on that one next. JAKE Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that one. I can see someone dying in there. DEL Please Jake. Do you honestly think they’d still have it running if it we’re dangerous? JESSICA It does look kind of rickety. DEL You won’t go on it either? I swear to… Del Puts his hands in his crotch and pretends they’re a talking vagina. DEL (Talking for his hands) I don’t want to go on the ride. I’m scared. Give me a kiss. Jake and Jessica laugh. JESSICA I’ll tell you what. If Jake goes on it, I’ll go on it. JAKE What, you don’t think I’ll go on it? JESSICA Nope. JAKE Fine, that’s next. DEL That a boy. I’m so proud of you. Del ruffles his hair around. Jake pushes his hand away. JAKE Get off me. JESSICA You guys are so sweet to each other. They get to the Scrambler. Jessica smacks Jakes butt as Del and him get on the ride. Jake smiles at Jessica as the ride starts. Jake and Del laugh in their cart as the ride twirls around faster and faster. They see Jessica’s blurred figure as they fly by. The Scrambler continues to spin them around. The carts scream by in a haze of lights. Jake and Del laugh as they thrust forward and into another spin. Jessica laughs and smiles as she watches Jake enjoy his carnival experience. INT. LANGS KITCHEN-MORNING Jake is standing, looking out the window and drinking coffee as Sheila walks in. SHEILA Pete said he’ll be ready in five minutes. JAKE OK. SHEILA Aren’t your mid-terms coming up? JAKE Yeah. SHEILA Are you ready for them? Jake shrugs his shoulders. JAKE I guess. SHEILA What’s the matter? JAKE Nothing, why? SHEILA I don’t know. You seem down. JAKE I’m fine. Jakes turns to put his mug down and spills coffee on his hand. JAKE Ah hot! The mug drops to the ground and breaks. SHEILA Are you ok? JAKE Yeah. He grabs a kitchen towel and wipes his hand off. SHEILA Do you need some ice? JAKE No, I’m alright. SHEILA Ok, well I’ll clean this up. Pete’s probably already waiting for you. JAKE I can do it, mom. SHEILA I don’t want you to be late for school. I’ll do it. Jake takes a deep breathe to vent his frustration. JAKE Alright. Sorry. SHEILA It’s ok. I’ll see you later. JAKE Bye. He leaves as Sheila cleans up his mess. INT. ENGLISH CLASS Jake taps his pencil on his paper and looks around as his classmates silently write. The teacher is sitting at his desk reading a newspaper. He folds it down to scan the classroom. He Notices Jake, and purposely clears his throat. Jake looks at the teacher and then down to his paper. He positions and then repositions his pencil to get a good grip. He slowly and sloppily starts writing. JAKE (Writes) An underlying thematic element of modern… The teacher folds up his paper and stands up. TEACHER Alright folks, that’s it for today. Remember your second draft is due next Friday; no exceptions. See you tomorrow. Jake walks out with the class. INT. JAKES ROOM Jake sits on a bean bag chair, and squeezes a hacky sac as Del walks in. JAKE Hey. DEL What are you doing? JAKE Nothing, what’s up? Del sits on his bed. DEL I was gonna see if you wanted to go over to John’s for a while. JAKE Alright. Jake grabs his shoes and puts them on. DEL What are you doing for the chemistry project? JAKE I’m gonna turn in my project from last year. DEL Are you serious? JAKE Yeah. Why not? DEL Man I don’t know what to do mine on. Jake stands up. JAKE You’ll think of something. Just use that witty intellect of yours. Jake knocks on his head. DEL Yes, because I’m so profoundly brilliant. JAKE Come on let’s go. INT. JOHN’S GARAGE-EVENING Jake and Del walk in and turn on the lights. DEL Where’s John at? JAKE He’s probably in there making babies. DEL That’s just the image I needed in my head, thanks. Jake laughs. They walk over and lean on a truck. DEL So you and Jessica are quite the item now, huh? JAKE If you say so. I think you need to hook up with someone soon. People are gonna start calling you clandestine chap lover. DEL Eat me bitch. It’s not my fault women don’t appreciate quality. JAKE See, that’s the problem right there. You’re confusing dexterity with commitment. DEL In what world does commitment mean quality? JAKE In a woman’s world. DEL What are you, a feminist now? You can’t just group them all together like that. And besides, you’re misunderstanding me. I don’t hate commitment. I just think you should test the waters before you jump in and I haven’t found the right girl. JAKE Well you let me know when you find the perfect plunge and we’ll go on a double date. DEL You’re such a… John jumps out and scares them. JOHN RRAAAAAA! JAKE Jesus John. DEL What the… JOHN Did I scare you? JAKE No DEL Not me. JOHN Ya, I did. Whatcha all talking about? DEL Jake here thinks I’m afraid of commitment because I don’t keep a girlfriend for very long. JOHN I always thought you was gay. Jake laughs and points to John. JAKE You see? Del shakes his head. DEL You’re both crazy, completely crazy. John laughs. INT. CHEMISTRY CLASS Jake and Del each pour fluid from one beaker to another. Jake slowly, but legibly, writes “No reaction due to missing catalyst” on his paper. JAKE You should hook up with that Samantha chick in your history class. DEL (Sarcastically) I would, but I couldn’t bear to break her heart if it didn’t work out, you know. JAKE Seriously. DEL Seriously? She’s not really my type. JAKE Why? Del pauses for a second. DEL Her boobs. There, I said it. Her boobs are too small. The girl sitting in front of them hears and turns around. DEL Not you Sara, your fine. Trust me. She glares at him and turns back around. Jake lowers his head and quietly laughs. Professor JENKINS walks up to their table. JENKINS How are we doing over here? DEL Oh, we’re fine sir. JENKINS I’m looking forward to seeing your project this year Mr. Lang. Your project last year was excellent. JAKE Oh, you saw that did you, thanks. JENKINS You’re very welcome. He walks away. DEL That sucks dude. INT. LANGS LIVING ROOM Jake walks in as Ben sits on the couch. JAKE Hey. BEN Hey. I got your grades off the internet today. JAKE Oh yeah? Jake walks into the kitchen. BEN Yeah, would you like to explain? JAKE (O.S.) Not really dad. BEN Damn it Jake. INT. LANGS KITCHEN Ben walks in as Jake pours a glass of juice. BEN We need to talk about this. I mean the only class you’re doing well in is chemistry. JAKE It’s only mid-term. I can catch up in all those classes. BEN Are you behind or what? JAKE No. BEN Well what is it then? Are you missing class? Are you not doing your assignments? What? Jake silently stares out the window. BEN Just tell me what the problem is and we’ll figure out how to fix it. JAKE There’s no problem. I don’t need you to tell me how to fix it. Jake walks out. Ben looks at the paper, tosses it on the counter and walks out discouraged. INT. LANGS LIVINGROOM-NIGHT Ben is sitting on the couch, drinking rum and coke as Sheila comes home from shopping. SHEILA Hey baby, I got you something. She looks at his glass. SHEILA Are you drinking? BEN Yes I am. SHEILA Why? BEN Ah, it’s been a rough day. Ben hands her Jakes grades and she looks them over. SHEILA What did he have to say about it? BEN Nothing, really. SHEILA Well we’ll just see about that. She starts to walk out. BEN He’s not here. SHEILA Its ten o clock, where is he? BEN I don’t know, he didn’t tell me. SHEILA Hand me the phone. Ben grabs the cordless, stands up and hands it to her. BEN Tell me the details tomorrow. I’m going to bed. Sheila starts dialing. SHEILA Good night. EXT. ARENA-NIGHT Jake sits alone and drinks beer, on the bleachers of the unlit stadium. John walks into the stadium and sees him. He climbs up and sits by him. JOHN That the first time you ever drank? JAKE No, I’ve had a few drinks before, but never got drunk. Tonight I’m gonna get drunk. JOHN You know your ma just gave me a ring on the telephone. JAKE Sorry about that. JOHN Oh it don’t bother me none. JAKE You want a beer? JOHN Thought you’d never ask. John grabs a beer, twists the cap off and knocks it to Jakes beer. JOHN Here’s to you buddy. JAKE Thanks. They sit silent for a moment. JOHN So how you likin them legs? JAKE I like em. JOHN That’s good. John takes a drink. JOHN You only twenty years old, how’d ya get this booze? JAKE I’m not at liberty to say. John stares at him dumbfounded and then smiles. JOHN What a patriot. Jake looks at him and laughs. JOHN Not at liberty to say. You’re funny boy. JAKE No, you’re funny. They laugh. INT. LANGS LIVINGROOM Jake walks in and sees Sheila asleep on the couch, with the phone in her hand. He sneaks up to his room. Sheila wakes up and goes upstairs to see if he’s home. INT. JAKES ROOM Jake is passed out in bed. His door opens and Sheila pops her head in. SHEILA (Quietly) Jake. Jake doesn’t respond so she closes the door. EXT. UNIVERSITY-AFTERNOON Jake stands in the grass as Del walks up to him. DEL Hey, chemistry is about to start. JAKE Ah, I’m not gonna go today. I’m gonna see if Jessica wants to go do something. Do you want to come? DEL No. I can’t afford to miss this class. Don’t you think it’s hard enough as it is? Jake sees Jessica walking over. JAKE Alright I’ll see you later then. DEL Alright. Bye. Del walks away, and shakes his head. Jessica walks up and kisses Jake. JAKE Let’s go miniature golfing. JESSICA I can’t, I have class. JAKE It’s your last class right? JESSICA Yeah. JAKE Well you can miss one class. It’s not gonna kill you. JESSICA Jake, we have mid-terms coming up. JAKE Come on. It’ll be fun. She puts her hand on his face. JESSICA Alright, fine. Let’s go. JAKE Thank you. EXT. MINIATURE GOLF COURSE Jake and Jessica walk to their first hole. JAKE I don’t see why we can’t play eighteen. JESSICA Because the ass woopen that you get from this first nine is going to mess you up. You’ll need time to recover. JAKE Are you willing to make a wager on that? JESSICA Name the stakes. JAKE Alright let me think. Jake thinks for a second. Then he looks up and down her body and raises his eyebrows. JAKE Hmmm. Jessica sees him staring. She laughs. JESSICA Yeah right. JAKE Wow, your confidence level just shot to the ground. JESSICA Alright, hot shot. That’s fine, but here’s my stakes. If I win, you have to wash my car four weekends in a row, in front of my house… JAKE Fine. JESSICA Ah, ah, ah. In a woman’s, butt-floss bikini. JAKE No. No way. JESSICA Come on big boy. You wanted the big stakes. Here they are. Jake thinks for a second. JAKE Alright, let’s do it. JESSICA You’re sure? JAKE Yeah. Are you? JESSICA Yup, and it starts this weekend alright? JAKE It sounds good to me. We could start tonight for all I care. JESSICA We’ll wait for the weekend. Your butt will look sexier in the afternoon when the suns shining. JAKE We’ll see. JESSICA Ya, we’ll see your butt. JAKE Alright. Let’s get on with it. Ladies first. She laughs and sets her ball up for the first hole. She looks back at Jake and smiles. JESSICA Last chance to back out. JAKE Proceed. She putts. The ball travels down the strait path and stops a foot from the hole. JESSICA You’re up. Jakes sets his ball and swings. His ball speeds past the hole, bounces off the back curb and travels back half way to him. Jessica laughs. JAKE I just need to get the feel for it. JESSICA Hey, no explanation needed. You just work your magic. Jessica hits her ball in the hole. Jake putts three more times before his drops. Jessica marks his score on the card. JESSICA Let’s hope you can adjust quickly, huh. Jake sneers at her and she laughs. DISSOLVE TO: Jake scratches his head as he looks at his final obstacle. Jessica’s ball is near the hole. JESSICA Ok Jake, now this is the last hole, so make it count. Jake sets his ball down and looks at the pivoting door. He gets his stance and putts. The ball flies through the door and pops out by the hole. JESSICA Damn it, your ball’s in my way. Jake smiles with satisfaction. Jessica putts twice to get her ball in. Jake hits his in with one shot. JAKE Alright, tally them up. JESSICA Ok, let’s see. She starts counting up the scores. JESSICA Ok, I have eighty two. She continues counting JESSICA And you have… Ninety one! I win. You’re wearing a butt-floss. She laughs JESSICA Oh that must suck. JAKE No way, let me see. She hands him the card and they start walking back. JESSICA Count them yourself. So, what time are you going to show up Saturday? JAKE You’re not going to hold me to this are you? JESSICA Absolutely. JAKE Come on. JESSICA Come on nothing. Would you have held me to my end of the deal? I think so. JAKE I would have let you out of it. JESSICA That’s not what your eyes were saying earlier. JAKE I can’t help it, you’re gorgeous. She stops and turns to Jake. JESSICA You’re so sweet. She kisses him and they continue to walk. JAKE So I don’t have to do it right? JESSICA Wrong. Jake sighs as she laughs. INT. LANGS LIVINGROOM-EVENING Ben and Sheila sit on the couch. BEN Well he’s not going to like it, that’s for sure. SHEILA Well too bad! BEN Hey, I’m not the bad guy here. SHEILA I know. I’m just angry. Jake walks in the front door. BEN Come here Jake. Jake walks in and plops on the sofa. BEN So this is what your mother and I have decided. We’re going to talk to your teachers next week to see where you’re standing. And starting next week, you’re grounded until your grades are up. JAKE I’m twenty years old and you’re going to ground me? SHEILA If that’s what it takes, yes. Apparently we need to do something. JAKE My grades aren’t even that bad. BEN Don’t give me that crap. Your grades have NEVER been this low. JAKE Exactly, so why don’t you cut me some slack? BEN We have been cutting you some slack. We’re not used to you just up and going whenever you damn well please. BEN (CONT’D) You don’t even tell us where you’re going half the time. What are we suppose to do? JAKE Stop worrying and be happy for me. BEN We are happy that you’re able to experience new things, but you’ve got to take them in moderation; especially when it comes to your future. JAKE Listen to yourself, “My future.” Its one bad report and they’re not even the final grades. SHEILA Well, we think it’s funny that your grades are dropping at this point in your life. It doesn’t really seem like a coincidence Jake. Jake has no response. BEN Anyways that’s what we’re going to do, so don’t say we didn’t warn you. JAKE Are we done? BEN Yeah, we’re done. JAKE Can I go over to Del’s house before I’m grounded? Ben looks at Sheila, and waits for her to respond. She thinks for a moment. SHEILA Be home by ten. JAKE Alright, fine. BEN And you can stop with the attitude. Jake leaves. INT. DELS ROOM-NIGHT Jake walks in with a brown paper bag. DEL What are you doing here? JAKE I had to get out of the house. Do you want a beer? Jake sits on a chair. DEL You know we have school tomorrow right? JAKE Jesus. DEL Alright fine, I’ll have one, but then I’ve got to study. Jake hands him a beer. DEL So why’d you have to get out of the house? JAKE My parents won’t stop nagging about my fricken grades. DEL Well, did you listen to what they had to say? JAKE What are you going to lecture me if I didn’t? DEL (half-jokingly) Someone has to get through to your ass. JAKE Yeah yeah. DEL Seriously though, man. JAKE What are you talking about? DEL The same thing your parents are probably talking about. JAKE Alright, you know what, I’m just gonna leave. Jake stands up to leave. DEL Just sit the hell down and hear me out. Jake sees that he’s serious. DEL Please. Jake sits back down. DEL Alright. Del thinks for a second and takes a drink of beer. DEL You’re a dumb ass. Jake rolls his eyes. JAKE What? DEL You really are. You’re an idiot. JAKE And why is that? DEL I don’t know, let’s see, you’re letting your grades slip, like your parents said. You’re gone fuckin off all the time, ditching class. JAKE What is it with you people? Stop worrying about me screwing up my future because of one lousy grade report. DEL Screw your future, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about how that used to be you. You got the good grades. You were always on top. You loved being on top and you loved being you. I used to be able to count on you for that. JAKE And what, you can’t count on me now? DEL Jake I’ve almost been begging you for a month now to help me on this damn chemistry project, and I bet if you were still in that chair, you’d jump at the chance to help me out. Not literally of course. JAKE If you need help, why don’t you just come out and say it. DEL Because I don’t want it to be a chore for you to help out your buddy. DEL (CONT’D) That’s bullshit. JAKE Why are you so pissed off at me? DEL You really want to know. JAKE Yeah. DEL Because, I used to envy you, Jake; everything about you… (Pause) …and now I don’t. Jake grabs his bag and stands up. JAKE Well I’m sorry; I think you were envying something that wasn’t that great to begin with. Jake walks to the door and opens it. DEL Don’t be so sure. Jake shakes his head and walks out. INT. JESSICAS ROOM Jessica is lying on her bed with a book as Jake knocks. JESSICA Come in. Jake walks in. She gets up, throws her arms around him and kisses him. She pulls away. JESSICA What are you drinking? JAKE Beer, beer, beer. JESSICA Yeah you stink. JAKE Why, thank you. Jessica lies back down on her bed. JAKE What are you doing? JESSICA I’m studying, something you should be doing. JAKE Oh my God, if I hear that one more time tonight my head is going to explode. JESSICA I’m studying, something you should be doing. JAKE Wow, that was mean. Jessica laughs. JAKE Go for a walk with me. JESSICA Nope. I have to study. JAKE Come on. JESSICA Jake, I already told you, I have to study for my mid-terms. JAKE I’ll take them for you. JESSICA Not even you could pass my mid-terms without studying. JAKE Bla bla bla. Come on let’s go for a walk. JESSICA (Firmly) No. JAKE Ok, you don’t have to tell me twice. I’ll see ya when I see ya. JESSICA You’re belligerent. JAKE Thank you, Jesseeca. Bye bye. She shakes her head as Jake leaves. INT. PETES ROOM Pete sits in his bed watching TV. The phone rings. PETE Hello? Oh, hello Jessica. No I’m watching TV. Oh he is? Yes of course. No we wouldn’t want that. No problem, thanks for calling. Bye. EXT. ROAD-NIGHT Jake stumbles along the side of the road as a van passes and pulls over in front of him. Pete hops out. PETE Jake, is that you? JAKE Pete, is that you? Jake falls down. Pete starts to help him up. JAKE I think I’m going to throw up. Pete lowers him back down to the ground. PETE These are my nice shoes Jake. Jake mumbles something. PETE Did you eat the worm? Jake pukes. PETE Your mother would kick your ass if she saw you like this. Jake catches his breathe. JAKE That’s why we have to keep it a secret Pete. PETE Well we can try. JAKE Ok, let’s try. Pete helps Jake into the van and drives away. INT. VAN-NIGHT Jake opens his eyes and looks out the front windshield. Pete walks out of a convenient store with a Styrofoam cup. He gets in. JAKE What’s that? PETE It’s a remedy we used to use in Mexico. It will make you feel much better. Pete pours a mysterious powder into the cup and stirs it around. PETE Here, drink it all. Jake takes a sip. JAKE This tastes like shit. PETE Yes, it does, but it works. Jake finishes the drink. PETE You should start feeling better in about a half hour. JAKE Oh, shit, what time is it? Pete looks at his watch. PETE It’s nine fifty. JAKE Crap, I don’t have a half hour; I have to be home in ten minutes. Jake’s head bobs back and forth as he looks at Pete. PETE Well, it’s your call buddy. Jake is silent for a minute. JAKE Take me home. PETE Ok. INT. LANGS LIVINGROOM-NIGHT Jake walks in. Ben is on the couch. JAKE I’m home dad. BEN Alright. JAKE Goodnight. BEN Goodnight Jake. Ben raises his head and listens as Jake stumbles up the stairs. INT. JAKE’S ROOM-MORNING Sheila comes in. SHEILA Jake! Wake up. Jake half opens his eyes. JAKE Huh? SHEILA Are you really sick, or are you just skipping school? His eyes close back up. SHEILA Jake. Jake. His eyes remain closed. Ben walks up and stands in the door jam as Sheila walks out. SHEILA He’s out. Ben closes the door. EXT. UNIVERSITY Del walks up to Jessica. DEL Hey. Have you seen Jake today? JESSICA No. I don’t think he’s showing up today. He had a long night last night. DEL He had too much to drink, huh? JESSICA Oh yeah. DEL I think I pissed him off something good last night. JESSICA Yeah I might have too. But he’ll get over it. DEL Yeah, I guess so. JESSICA I’ve gotta go, I’ll see you later. DEL Bye. INT. JAKE’S ROOM-AFTERNOON Jake lies awake in bed, and stares at the ceiling as Ben walks in. BEN Rough night, last night? JAKE Yeah. BEN You’re mom told me she heard you throwing up in the bathroom this morning. Jake moans. JAKE Don’t remind me. BEN Sorry. So are you feeling any better? JAKE Yeah, I’ll be alright. BEN Good. Well I have to go back to work. If you need anything, give me a call on my cell. JAKE Alright thanks. BEN I’ll see you later. JAKE Ok. Ben leaves. Jake grins peacefully and looks out his window. INT. JAKE’S ROOM-NIGHT Jake wakes up as Sheila walks in with the cordless. SHEILA Del’s on the phone. She hands it to him. JAKE Thanks. (Into the phone) Hello? Sheila leaves. DEL (O.S.) Hey. JAKE Hey, what’s up? DEL Nothing I just wanted to call and see how you were doing. Jessica said you had quite a night last night. JAKE Yeah, I did. I was pretty fuckin sick there Charlie. DEL I bet. You feeling better though? JAKE Yeah, I’m alright. DEL Cool. Anyways, uh, sorry about last night. I didn’t intend to be a dick, it just sort of happened that way. JAKE That’s ok; I was kind of a dick myself. DEL Alright, cool. So, are you going to school tomorrow? JAKE Yeah, I’ll be there. DEL Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow then. JAKE Ok. Bye. EXT. LANGS HOUSE-MORNING Jake walks down the sidewalk and gets into the van. Pete hands him a cup of coffee. JAKE Thanks. PETE No problem. JAKE And thanks for the other night. PETE No problem. JAKE So do you charge my parents extra for that kind of shit? Pete laughs as they head off to school. PETE No, your parents don’t owe me a thing, and neither do you. JAKE I disagree with you there. PETE You know before I came to America, I only had one friend. No family, just Guiermo. He was the only person I knew. We worked in a shop together fixing cars. Well, one day he walked out of the garage to have a smoke and some men drove by and shot him. He died right there in front of me. JAKE Are you serious? PETE Yes, that’s when I decided to come to America, for a chance at a good life. You guys are my family and I never would have had the things I have now if it weren’t for your parents. JAKE That’s a sad story Pete. PETE Yeah, it’s pretty sad, but at least it has a good ending, ya? JAKE You know what would be a better ending. PETE What? JAKE If you were to get a girlfriend. Pete shakes his head. PETE You know I took some pretty interesting pictures of you the other night when you were passed out in the van. They laugh. JAKE Is that right? PETE So you better be nice to me. Jake laughs. JAKE You know you’re the only person that’s not pissed off or disappointed with me right now. Everybody else liked me better when I was in my chair. PETE It’ll pass. You just need to fine tune a few things. Everybody will worship you again. JAKE Yeah. Jake silently looks out the window for a minute. JAKE Do you think I’ve changed? PETE Yes you have changed. You can walk now. JAKE That’s not what I mean. PETE I know. JAKE Well, seriously. PETE Seriously? I knew from the moment I heard about that shock treatment, that you would change. That opened like a thousand doors for you. In that chair your options were limited, but now you have so many. JAKE See, why can’t my parents look at it like that? PETE Because, you’re not choosing any. They don’t see the direction or dedication they saw before. JAKE Well maybe I want to change directions. PETE So stop your bitching and do it already. They look at each other and smile. JAKE Kiss my ass. Pete laughs. JAKE Pedro. PETE You better stop calling me that. Jake laughs. PETE So Jessica tells me you’re washing her car this weekend? JAKE Oh crap. I forgot. PETE Why, what’s wrong? JAKE Nothing. Jake stares at Pete. Pete starts grinning. JAKE Did she tell you? Pete laughs. PETE I’m bringing my camera. JAKE Bullshit! They laugh. EXT. UNIVERSITY Jake walks towards Jessica. JAKE So you told Pete I was washing your car huh? Jessica walks backwards as she laughs. JESSICA It slipped out. Jake slowly pursues her. JAKE Slipped out? JESSICA I didn’t tell that many people I swear. Jake stops. JAKE What do you mean that many people? Who’d you tell? Del walks up. DEL Hey Jake, do you think you could wash my car this weekend? JAKE That’s it. Del laughs as Jake chases Jessica. Jake catches her and holds her from behind. JAKE Who else did you tell? JESSICA Nobody. JAKE Don’t lie. JESSICA I’m not, I swear. Jake releases her. JAKE You’re a punk. Jessica pulls him to her. JESSICA Oh come on baby, I’m sorry. JAKE No you’re not. She pauses. JESSICA You’re right, I’m not. JAKE You see. JESSICA Oh come on. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. JAKE How? Jessica thinks for a second. JESSICA I’ll give you the massage of lifetime. Jake thinks for a second. JAKE I don’t know. That was pretty bad what you did. JESSICA I know and I’ll take that into consideration. JAKE Massage of a lifetime huh? JESSICA You’ll love it. Trust me. JAKE Ok, it better be good. JESSICA It will be. They kiss. JESSICA I’ll see you later. JAKE Bye. She walks ten feet away and then turns back around. JESSICA Hey Jake. JAKE Yeah? JESSICA You’re still washing my car this weekend. She smiles and walks away as Jake shakes his head. DEL That’s some funny shit. JAKE You’re done talking. They walk. DEL So are you going out drinking again tonight? JAKE I don’t even want to talk about drinking. Del laughs JAKE Plus I figured, tomorrow morning we could come to the lab and get started on our project. DEL Jake I don’t need your… JAKE Look, I really want you to help me on this. Besides if you don’t and it turns out the way I’m hoping, you’re going to end up envying me all over again. Del scowls at him JAKE Seriously though, I have a good idea. Are you sure you don’t want to help? DEL You’re still a dumb ass. JAKE Ya, I know. So I’ll stop by tomorrow morning at around seven. DEL Tomorrow’s Saturday. JAKE Yeah, but we have a lot of work to do. DEL Alright. JAKE See you later. Jake walks into his class room. Del stands at the door for a moment, smiles, and walks away. INT. LANGS LIVING ROOM-EVENING Ben is sitting on the couch reading a newspaper while Sheila is relaxing her feet on his lap. Jake comes in. JAKE Hey dad. BEN What? JAKE Can I use those brake pads in the garage? BEN For what? JAKE Del and I are going to the lab tomorrow and we need some for our project. BEN I suppose. What’s your project on? JAKE I’m not exactly sure yet, but it might be something big. BEN Yeah, that’s fine. JAKE Cool, thanks. Jake walks out and then walks back in. JAKE Oh yeah, sorry for being a dick lately. BEN It’s ok, Jake. Sheila and Ben look at each other and smile. INT. CHEMISTRY LAB Jake holds a beaker under a tube and turns the ball valve above, allowing a drop of blue liquid to fall into the beaker. He looks at Del. DEL Well? JAKE It worked. DEL Ok, so what does that mean? JAKE By combining them before the carbon’s introduced, we speed up the process, which is going to make the mold harden quicker leaving a higher density, finer material. DEL But won’t that wear quicker. JAKE No if it’s denser then it’s going to be harder, right? DEL I don’t know. Are you sure? Jake thinks for a second. JAKE I don’t know. Let’s test it. DEL Where? JAKE John’s got that hot ass furnace in his garage. DEL What about a mold. JAKE We’ll find something. And he’s got extra rotors everywhere. We can rig a couple up; one for the old brakes and one for the blue. He points at the beaker. DEL Alright, let’s do it. INT. JOHNS GARAGE Del’s and Jake’s chemistry system is set up on a table. DEL Thanks for letting us use this shit John. JOHN It’s not a problem. Just don’t burn down my garage. JAKE We won’t John. John nods JAKE So do you have anything that we can use for a mold? John looks around and thinks for a second. JOHN Ah, yeah, this’ll work. He grabs a thick piece of sheet metal. JOHN You just gotta fold it and weld it. DEL Yeah, that’ll work. JAKE A genius in his own world. JOHN Oh quit it, you gon make me blush. Jake grabs the sheet metal. MONTAGE 1) Jake outlines the folding pattern on the sheet metal with a strait edge and scratch awl. MONTAGE (CONT’D) 2) Del grabs the metal shears and starts cutting the outline. 3) Jake slides the sheet into a slot on a folding table and Del pulls the handle, folding the edges up one after the other. 4) Del holds two of the sides together as he sets it in the spot welder. Jake presses the handle down and sparks fly everywhere. 5) Jake puts their newly formed box into a vice and clamps it down. 6) Del squeezes a striker twice, lights a torch and begins to weld the seams. 7) A drop of melting metal falls on his boot and he looks down. He hands the torch to Jake, grabs a rag and steps away. 8) Jake laughs as Del shakes his head and wipes his boot. Jake swivels his welding mask down and finishes welding the seams. 9) Del puts thick heat-protective gloves on and grabs an iron ladle out of the furnace. 10) Jake pours their blue concoction into the box as Del pours liquid from the ladle into it. Jake mixes it up. 11) Jake, Del and John eat hotdogs and talk. 12) Jake grabs a brake pad from the box he got from his dad. They attach it to one of the two rotors they have mounted on machines. 13) Jake turns their box over, sets it on an anvil, and bangs on the back of it with a hammer. 14) He lifts the box up to see their homemade brake pad on the anvil. Del picks it up, looks at it, and hands it to Jake. MONTAGE (CONT’D) 15) John hands a pump handle to Del. A gauge and tubing are attached. Del nods as John points to the twenty five marking and explains. 16) Jake chisels the new pad to resemble the old and then drills holes through it. 17) Del attaches the pump handle’s tubing to the brake cylinder on one rotor and then does the other. 18) Jake gives Del their new pad and smiles. Del tightens the last bolt. DEL That’s it. JAKE Alright, let’s do it. They pump the handles up to the twenty five marks. Jake grabs a stop watch. John and Del, each stand at a machine, and wait for Jakes signal. JAKE Alright, ready? DEL Yeah. JOHN Yup. JAKE Ok. Three, two, one, go. They flip the switches and the machines spin the rotors. JAKE Ok, every five minutes we’ll take a picture of each of the pads and label them. DEL Alright, just tell me when. JAKE You know, if this works, we’re going to make some money off of it. Del looks at John and then at Jake. DEL This is going to work. JAKE We’ll see. Jake smiles and looks at the stop watch. The stop watch reads one minute and counting. DISSOLVE TO: The stop watch reads three hours and fifty nine minutes and counting. JAKE Alright, get ready. DEL I’m ready. Del holds the camera ready. JAKE Now. Del takes the shot. JAKE Ok, shut em off. They look at the brake pads. JAKE This is bad ass. DEL We need to patent this quick. JAKE Yeah we do. They all stare at the pads with vacant expressions. INT. UNIVERSITY AUDITORIUM-EVENING Jake holds up two brake pads. One is thicker than the other. JAKE So as you can see, the result is a stronger brake pad with over twice the life of a normal brake pad. The attentive crowd standing by, applauds. A woman REPORTER #1 in a suit, talks into a microphone. WOMAN Jake. Jake, obviously you’ve created somewhat of a breakthrough here. How does it feel to know that you’ll be able to market this product for possibly millions of dollars? Jake looks at Del. JAKE I don’t know, what do you think? DEL What can I say? It takes your breathe away. Camera’s go off as a male REPORTER #2 behind the woman, steps up with his microphone. MAN Jake, is it true that you were recently a quadriplegic. Jake glances to Del and back to the man. JAKE Uh, yes. Up until a couple months ago I was a quadriplegic my whole life. MAN And who would you attribute all your success to? JAKE Wow, I don’t know if I’d use the word success. MAN Well I think most people would agree with me when I say your recent triumphs have been very successful. Some might say epic. JAKE I wouldn’t say that at all. Del leans over to the mic. DEL Jake’s always been destined to succeed, it was just a matter of time. JAKE Well there you go. My partner seems to have a grasp on things. Don’t you Del? Del laughs with the crowd. JAKE Alright, well, we appreciate you coming out but we’re gonna get out of here now. Professor thanks again. JENKINS You’re welcome. Good job you guys. JAKE Thanks. DEL Thanks. They leave. EXT. UNIVERSITY AUDITORIUM Jake and Del walk out the auditorium doors and over to Pete and Jessica. JAKE So tell me something, did you write that or what? DEL What? JAKE “What can I say? It takes your breathe away.” DEL Shut the hell up. That shit was smooth. Jake laughs. JAKE Yeah, so smooth it’ll probably be bold print in tomorrow’s paper. DEL Don’t be afraid of a little publicity Jake. Jessica gives Jake a kiss and hug. PETE Look at you two celebrities. DEL Shut up Pete. JAKE I have to go home. I promised my mom details. DEL So let’s go. JESSICA Why didn’t they come? JAKE I told them not to. JESSICA Why? JAKE I don’t know. I didn’t want all those reporters asking them stupid questions and making them uncomfortable. JESSICA No, you just didn’t want them talking about you instead of your product. JAKE Yeah, that too. DEL Yeah but he didn’t get out of that one. JAKE You know one of those reporters called me epic. Can you believe that? JESSICA Really? JAKE Well, pretty much anyways. They all get into the van and leave. INT. LANGS LIVING ROOM Sheila looks out the window as the van pulls up. She opens the front door for them. SHEILA Well, how’d it go? DEL It was awesome MRS. Lang. They made Jake look like a hero. JAKE No they didn’t. DEL They did. SHEILA Well what did they say? They all migrate into the living room. JAKE They liked it. They asked us how we felt about possibly making millions of dollars. SHEILA And what did you say? JAKE I didn’t really say anything but Del had a clever response. DEL Would you shut up? Ben walks in. BEN What did you say Del? DEL I don’t really remember exactly, sir. JAKE It was something like “What can I say, it takes your breathe away.” Del smirks as they laugh. JESSICA You know you’re never going to hear the end of that right? DEL Yeah, I know. JAKE I told him they’ll probably print it in the paper tomorrow. BEN There’s no such thing as bad publicity, right Del? DEL My sentiments exactly, sir. PETE That’s right. BEN How about we celebrate with a drink? JAKE I’ll take a rum and coke. DEL Yeah I’ll take one. Ben walks to the bar and starts mixing drinks. SHEILA Come on Jessica. I have some wine in the kitchen. JESSICA Ok. She gives Jake a kiss and leaves with Sheila. Ben hands Jake, Del and Pete a glass and picks up his. PETE Thank you DEL Thanks. BEN Here's to you guys and your possible millions. JAKE Oh you heard? BEN Yeah, I was in the kitchen eating a bologna sandwich. They clink their glasses and drink. They continue to talk and laugh. EXT. INDUSTRIAL BUILDING, REAR-AFTERNOON SUPERIMPOSE: 1 YEAR LATER Pete pulls the van up to the back door. Jessica is sitting in the passenger seat. JESSICA Why are we using the back door? PETE Jake said the front door is locked. I think it’s broken or something. Jessica gives Pete a strange look as he grabs his cell phone. JESSICA Really? PETE That’s what Jake said. JESSICA Oh, ok. Are you coming? PETE Yeah I’ll meet you in there in a minute. I have to make a call real quick. JESSICA Ok. Jessica gets out and walks to the door. She Sees a single rose pedal on the ground, picks it up and curiously looks around. She looks back at Pete before opening the door and walking in. Pete talks on his phone. PETE She just walked in. Ok, Jake Ok Bye. INT. INDUSTRIAL BUILDING Rose pedals are covering the floor in front of Jessica, making a path through the stacked, inventory shelves. She follows them until she reaches an incredible display of bouquets that surrounds a small pillow. The pillow holds a small box. She kneels down, picks up the box and opens it to find there’s nothing in it. JAKE (O.S.) Looking for something? Jake comes around the corner holding a ring out in front of him. Jessica stands up as he walks towards her. They stand face to face and smile as she holds out her hand. JAKE You haven’t said yes yet. JESSICA Yes to what? You haven’t asked me anything. Jake pauses for a moment, and stares at her before he drops to his knee. JAKE Jessica, will you marry me? Her smile grows bigger. JESSICA I’d love to. He stands up and she leans in and kisses him. She pulls away and sticks her hand out again. Jake laughs as he slips the ring on her finger. She looks at the ring and then at Jake. JESSICA I love you. She kisses him again. JAKE You guys can come out now. Jake’s and Jessica’s families walk out of the darkness, along with Del and Pete. Jessica laughs. JESSICA All of you knew? They laugh and congratulate them. They hug Jessica and shake Jakes hand. DEL Hey, I don’t want to take away from this special moment but I have something to show you out front. Everybody follows Del. On their way out, Del stops and looks at a picture hanging on the wall. It’s of Jake, in a G-string, washing Jessica’s car. DEL I love that picture. JAKE Yeah, well kiss my ass. Jake points at the picture and they continue outside. EXT. INDUSTRIAL BUILDING, FRONT Everybody walks out the front door and stands under the “Jake and Del’s Impervious Brakes” sign on the building. They look up at Del’s monster truck. JAKE You finally finished it. DEL Ya, it’s badass huh? JAKE Hell yeah. Everybody walks around, and looks at the phenomenal machine. Jessica stands next to Jake and hugs him. JESSICA Boys and their toys.