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For Johnny
By Topher Rhives
INT. BOYS BATHROOM - SCHOOL
Darkness.
We see nothing. Only a blank screen. A solitary word is
uttered. Clear, simple, and direct.
PAUL (V.O.)
Faggot.
They shimmer on. A lone teen. JOHN (18) Sloppily dressed,
matted hair, and a considerable hefty build sits in a stall.
PAUL (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Spic, wop, kyke, nigger, kraut.
(beat)
What do they all mean? The hurt,
anger, and violence that's thrown
into them? What's the bigger picture?
His gaze slumps down. In his hand rest a magnum. It lays
heavy on his lap.
PAUL (V.O.) (CONT'D)
I'm gonna let you in on a little
secret. There is none.
(beat)
It's dicks being dicks. Doesn't
matter the reason. Racism,
homophobia, xenophobia, it all amounts
to one thing - being a dick.
He takes the gone and with it makes traces the holy trinity.
JOHN
In the name of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy spirit.
(beat)
Fuck that shit.
He cocks the magnum. Tears stream down his face. He turns
the gun on himself.
He looks up towards the ceiling as though praying to God.
His digital watch strikes - 12:01
JOHN (CONT'D)
I'm sorry.
He squeezes his eyes shut. Embracing for impact. He pulls
the trigger as we...
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2.
SLAM CUT TO:
INT. PAUL'S BEDROOM - MORNING
PAUL (18) A rather well maintained young man who lays sprawled
on his bed.
By his side lays a newspaper with a boldface headline that
reads: High School Tragedy.
His eyes explode open.
PAUL (V.O.)
You can always trust you're best
friend, right?
Paul sits up slowly. No point in keeping time today.
MONTAGE:
Paul brushing his teeth.
Putting the final touches on his outfit.
Placing a couple magnums into his backpack.
Pouring a generous bowl of a generic brand cereal.
INT. PAUL'S KITCHEN - MORNING
PAUL (V.O.)
I'd always wished I would of given
John's eulogy. Instead he got
reverend who-gives-a-shit to throw
some bullshit around about how he's
apparently a misguided youth.
(beat)
Mourn him now, turn him into a
statistic later.
Paul, his mother, father sit solemnly shoveling food into
their mouths. No one says anything. They only eat.
They eat not to enjoy but to survive. Finally, Paul's father
breaks the silence.
FATHER
How's John's family holding in there?
He looks to the others. Nothing.
Paul shoots him a nasty glance.
PAUL
They're not.
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3.
The rest of the meal is eaten in silence.
CUT TO:
EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - MORNING
Paul kicks a empty coke can down the sidewalk. A cigarette
hangs loosely between his fingers.
Sporadically he takes a few puffs of it.
PAUL (V.O.)
The Green Mile.
(beat)
That last mile until salvation. The
longest mile a man will ever walk.
A car passes him. Beat up and filled with teens it speeds
past. They shout something but it's lost to the wind.
He looks up. A large high school comes into view.
Kids climb the grassy knoll, buses park, and the day readies
to begin.
Paul whispers something under his breath.
PAUL (CONT'D)
For Johnny.
CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL - DAY
People linger in the halls. Moving at a slow, motionless
pace.
Books are crammed into lockers. Shoes shuffle on the dank
linoleum floor. Same old, same old.
Paul moves through this sea of teens, the waves of bodies
crash against the walls and spill out into the classrooms.
In his hands he holds a pile of textbooks. Resting on top
is a Polaroid snapshot of John.
A guy bumps past him. His books spill out onto the floor.
GUY
Move it, man.
Paul says nothing. He glares at the kid then bends downs to
pick up his books.
He reaches to grab them when another hand covers his own.
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4.
He pulls back, confused at first. He slowly looks up into a
delicate face. A teenage Helen of Troy. SOPHIA (17)
She looks at him, sympathetic, and perplexed by this withdrawn
boy.
She smiles. Her gaze then falls onto the photo of John.
PAUL
I'm not a fag.
She looks up at him. A tad disgusted at the comment.
Paul quickly realizes his mistake.
PAUL (CONT'D)
I mean I'm not gay.
SOPHIA
I know.
Paul takes a breath.
PAUL
Would you talk to me if I were?
SOPHIA
Doesn't make a difference to me.
She begins to continue when Paul cuts her short.
PAUL
I wouldn't.
She brushes back her auburn hair.
SOPHIA
Really, why's that?
PAUL
Look around, no one likes a fag. No
one like anyone to tell the truth.
SOPHIA
I like people.
PAUL
Bullshit. You tolerate people. *
(beat)
John liked people, he was the only
one who actually did. And guess
what. No one like John.
SOPHIA
Who's John?
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5.
He looks at her. Perplexed how she might not know the kid
whose name has been plastered over every newspaper in the
county.
He makes an impromptu gun with his finger, points his to his
head and pantomimes shooting it.
PAUL
Boy's bathroom. Last week.
Sophia says nothing.
SOPHIA
I'm sorry.
PAUL
Feeling guilty, eh?
She shoves his books towards him. They slide across the
floor.
She stands up and begins to walk away.
SOPHIA
I knew him.
She leaves Paul sitting there.
PAUL
Wait, I didn't catch your name.
He looks up. Too late she's gone. Leaving him a lone fish
in an empty sea.
The bell rings.
CUT TO:
INT. LIBRARY - DAY
The room is sparsely filled with students milling about. A
few sit at the tables scattered throughout the room.
In the far corner Paul sits. His backpack clung tightly
near his side.
Five minutes left. Paul waits eagerly for the clock to
strike.
Four minutes, three minutes, two minutes...
Sophia, the girl from early walks in.
PAUL
Oh no, oh god no.
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6.
He knows he cannot back down. She smiles when she sees him
and begins to move closer.
Go away he thinks. He only manages to smile back.
Zero hour. Sophia sits next to him.
PAUL (CONT'D)
Hey.
SOPHIA
Hey.
PAUL
Do you believe in fate?
SOPHIA
God, you mean.
Paul shakes his head.
PAUL
No, not an imaginary friend, but
fate. Destiny.
SOPHIA
I believe we can choose.
PAUL
Can we now?
He unzips his backpack and pulls out a glock. She gasp.
Shocked by the sight of it.
SOPHIA
Oh shit, that's not real is it?
He takes aim on a student.
PAUL
Want to find out?
SOPHIA
Don't, god, please, don't.
He sets it down. She shutters in her seat.
PAUL
Scared?
No reply. He draws up the gun again.
PAUL (CONT'D)
I said are you scared.
She whimpers.
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7.
PAUL (CONT'D)
I said are you fucking scared!
He fires a shot into the ceiling. The people in the library
turn towards him.
He sits back down.
PAUL (CONT'D)
We all have to die sometime.
Sophia burst out into tears. Could this be her last final
hour?
A few students run towards the door. He fires. Three
definitive shots.
Paul swings his backpack on to his back and jumps up onto
the table.
PAUL (CONT'D)
Alright, everyone whose in here get
to the center table.
(beat)
You don't and I blow your fucking
brains out.
Seven students nervously move towards the large oak table.
Some cannot keep their gaze of the three bodies that lay
collapsed in a pile of blood by the exit.
Paul whips up a newspaper from the front desk.
PAUL (CONT'D)
You all knew John, didn't you?
No one answers.
PAUL (CONT'D)
Didn't you?
A guy looks up.
NED
Yes.
Paul walks over to the table. A couple huddles together.
He snatches up the girlfriend.
PAUL
Good, good. Alright, this is a test.
A game of fate. A game of trust.
He hands a gun to the boyfriend. Then turns his own gun on
the guys girlfriend.
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8.
PAUL (CONT'D)
Do you trust God?
The boyfriend holds the gun in his hand. It's cold and heavy.
He takes aim on Paul.
PAUL (CONT'D)
There's one bullet in there.
(beat)
Want to risk it?
He turns the aim away.
PAUL (CONT'D)
I didn't think so.
(beat)
Everyone put your heads down.
He motions for the boyfriend to pick up the gun.
PAUL (CONT'D)
I want you to find the bullet.
The boyfriend doesn't move.
PAUL (CONT'D)
Do it or I blow your head off.
He slowly gets up. He points the gun on another student. A
mousy frazzled hair girl. CLICK. No bullet.
PAUL (CONT'D)
The average glock holds six shots.
He moves to the next person, Sophia. CLICK. No bullet.
Third person. A jock. ClICK. No bullet.
Fourth and fifth. ClICK. No bullet. Paul throws the
girlfriend down into the next chair.
PAUL (CONT'D)
Sixth bullet my friend.
BOYFRIEND
I can't.
Paul clicks back the hammer.
PAUL
Can't you?
She looks up at him. Tears stream down her face. She mouths
out the words "I love you".
He turns the gun on himself. CLICK. No bullet.
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9.
He falls to his knees the gun clatters on the floor.
PAUL (CONT'D)
You loose.
He pulls back the trigger. BAM! A single shot to the head.
The girlfriend falls to the floor. Dead.
The boyfriend takes aim on Paul. CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.
It's empty.
PAUL (CONT'D)
No bullet.
He rushes over to the girlfriends body. He chokes back tears
as he holds her close. Gently kissing her hand and cradling
her head in his arms.
BOYFRIEND
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
He makes a move to lunge towards Paul. Paul clicks back
the hammer of his gun and the Boyfriend stops in his tracks.
He stands in shock near his girlfriend.
PAUL
Now you know loss.
In the background a siren is heard from outside.
PAUL (CONT'D)
11th hour, I guess.
He hands Sophia the gun.
PAUL (CONT'D)
Bring me to my salvation.
SOPHIA
But.
He looks at her. Intent. A young man, scared.
PAUL
Do it.
SOPHIA
What about forgiveness, do you want
to die in sin?
PAUL
The bullet is my rosary.
SOPHIA
I don't even know you're name.
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10.
PAUL
It'll say on my grave.
She pulls back the trigger. Outside the room, Police rush
in, arms drawn - readied.
SOPHIA
Don't you at least want to know mine?
Paul nods.
SOPHIA (CONT'D)
It's Sophia.
A brief pause.
PAUL
For Johnny
Sophia tightens her hand on the trigger. She turns her head
and pulls back the trigger.
The shot rings out as the police kick open the door.
Paul slumps down onto the floor - dead. The police, having
just come in open fire.
Sophia falls back.
POV SOFIA ON THE FLOOR - HER SIGHT IS FAILING.
The screen fades to black as we hear the officers tending to
the other teens.
OFFICER
Everything will be alright.
Everything will be just fine.
FADE TO BLACK:
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