Int. RAY'S GREEN HILLS GROCERY STORE - night
Jake, sans apron, is heading out the back door.
Milford
You're not gonna close tonight.
Jake, holding a bottle of Jack Daniel's, stuffs it into his back pocket.
JAKE
No.
Milford
It's hard to get job in this town, man.
Jake leans on the door.
JAKE
Yeah. Yeah. I'll be back later.
Milford
I got your back.
JAKE
You don't have to.
Milford
I got nothin' else goin' on.
Jake opens the door and heads out into the night.
Ext. Boogie's Bar - night
Jake's Delta 88 roars around the corner, skidding and screeches to a stop in the gravel parking lot.
Jake takes a last swig out of a pint of whisky. Throws the bottle into the back seat and gets out of the car. He walks into the bar.
EXT. Anna'S PLACE - night
They both stand by the driver side of Anna's car. Anna leans on the car door. Tapping her ring on the door from time to time.
Her apartment building is in the background. The building is a two story, condo style series of buildings. One of those places owned by a big company that can be found near colleges.
Tim puts his arms around her.
TIM
I don't wanna go.
Anna
So don't.
He leans his forehead gently against hers.
Tim opens his mouth to speak. She puts a finger over his lips.
Tim fights back tears.
Int. BOOGIE'S BAR - niGHT
Jake sits in the middle of the bar, people to each side.
The bartender, an older woman, cigarette permanently pasted on her lips leans towards Jake. She is graphically over weight.
Bartender
Look, you gonna order something or what?
JAKE
I've been trying to order a DRINK around here for twenty minutes.
BARTENDER
Whatta ya want?
JAKE
You've been in the back eating a sandwich or something?
The bartender walks away.
Jake
C'mon!
The bartender comes storming back.
BARTENDER
You got two seconds to order something or shut up.
JAKE
Gimme a Jack and Coke.
The Bartender nods.
JAKE
They used to have a good looking bartender in this joint, whatever happened to her?
The bartender looks over to the large redneck looking fellow, PAUL, sitting on the bar stool next to Jake.
Although Jake is a fairly big man compared to the average person, next to Paul, Jake looks like a child.
Paul grabs Jake's shirt.
Paul
Let's go.
Jake
I'm not going anywhere, 'til I get my drink.
Paul pushes Jake off his stool.
JAKE
Watch it, red neck!
Paul
Man, just turn around and leave. We don't want a problem.
JAKE
Problem. I got a problem. I want my drink, cowboy.
He tries to walk past Paul towards the bar. Paul grabs him.
Jake tries to remove Paul's hands from him. He is unsuccessful, so Jake punches at Paul. He misses.
Paul pushes Jake over a table. Knocking over some ashTreys and glasses, cutting Jake's forehead.
Paul kicks Jake a few times.
Ext. BOOGIE'S BAR - night
Jake crawls out of the bar and into the parking lot.
The Bartender runs over to him and throws his credit card onto his head.
BARTENDER
I don't wanna see you in here again!
JAKE
Sure thing, tubby.
Jake laughs.
The Bartender kicks him in the groin. Jake lets loose a combination of laugh/yelp in pain.
INT. rAY'S GREEN HILLS GROCERY STORE - nIGHT
The store is closed and dark, excluding a few safety lights.
Jake is visible from the outside, unlocking the front glass door. Blood is still pouring onto his face from the wound on his forehead .
He heads to store room and roots around in there for a moment.
He emerges with two gallon cans of green paint and a mop. He carries the stuff down to middle of the cereal aisle.
His mood is serene. His face is calm, his fingers tremble slightly.
He opens the paint can with car keys.
Picking up the can he starts tossing the paint around the aisle in ever direction.
After exhausting that can of paint he picks up the mop, dips it in a puddle of paint and walks to the next aisle.
He uses the mop to knock off all the items off the shelves. One after the other, like dominoes, the products fall to floor. Many are in glass containers. They crash to floor, breaking. He goes up and down the aisle bringing all the items to the floor.
He then gets the other can of green paint and walks over to the front store windows.
He opens the paint can and dips the mop into the can. He writes "Robinson is a dick" in green paint, sloppily on the window.
Quickly he begins to knock more products off the shelves. He heads to the liquor section. He proceeds to take liquor bottles off the shelves and smash them.
He then knocks most of the other bottles off the shelves in the mass action.
He picks up a case of liquor and carries it to the front of the store and throws it as hard as he can towards the glass. The case bounces off the glass.
Jake looks perplexed. He spots a [large metal object] and with great effort picks it up and tosses towards the glass, busting the glass with a great flourish.
A great smile erupts on Jake's face.
The store's burglar alarm goes off.
JAKE
Uh, oh.
Jake quickly exits the building, locking the door behind him.
EXT. raY'S GREEN HILLS GROCERY STORE - niGHT
Jake gets in his car and speeds off, very fast jumping a curb and smashing into the street, tires squealing.
Int. Anna'S PLACE - nIGHT
Anna and Tim lie in bed. Anna, the sheet only reaching her waist, stares at the ceiling. Tim turns toward her and begins to snuggle up against her. Anna seems oblivious. She taps her left hand on the bed.
TIM
What's up?
She glares at him for saying something so stupid.
He kisses her on the nose.
Anna
You've got to get out of here.
TIM
Why?
She just looks at him.
TIM
He's coming home? When?
She just looks at him.
TIM
Now?
(beat)
OK.
Naked he gathers his clothes.
TIM
Can I get a ride home?
Anna
I've got to be...
Tim interrupts.
TIM
Be here when he gets home. Right. I'll call a cab.
Anna
Sorry.
After pulling up his pants, he leans towards her and kisses her.
TIM
It's OK.
They look into each other's eyes.
Anna
Please, go.
Tim nods.
Ext. City parkway - night
Jake's car going about a hundred miles an hour speeds down a hill towards a bend in the road. He drives down the city parkway. The parkway is a wooded greenbelt roadway that snakes through the center of the city. It is late at night, no other cars or people are anywhere to be seen. Along the parkway are residential houses usually several hundred yards from the street.
He tries to take the turn at way to high a speed and the car flies into the woods crashing, flipping on its side, and smashing into several trees. The rear of the car is completely demolished. Jake lies motionless in the driver's seat.
EXT. Jake'S PLACE - nIGHT
A taxi cab pulls up to Jake's place and lets off Tim at the curb. He walks around the house to the apartment door. There is a quickness and lightness to Tim's step that wasn't present before. He bops up the stairs to the door and hits the doorbell.
He waits for a minute. No Jake. Tim looks back towards the driveway. Jake's car is missing.
TIM
Shit.
Tim bends over and checks under the floor mat. No key.
Tim sighs. Consigned to his fate, he sits down on the small porch. He rolls up his sleeve, removes his belt, and ties it off on his arm. Seeing a vein, he pulls his works out from his jacket pocket. He shoots up.
After getting high, he looks up at the clear starry sky.
Ext. cITY PARKWAY - nIGHT
Jake crawls slowly out of the car. His face is bleeding in several places now. He grabs at his left shoulder. He can't move his left arm.
He walks slowly around the car. The underbrush crackling beneath him. He gets to the back of the car and sees the trunk is completely bashed in. The trunk door is open. Tim's golf clubs, still inside are mostly bent beyond repair.
JAKE
Oh, man.
He pulls the metal driver golf club out of the wreckage and looks it over, shaking his head.
From afar, a door to a nearby house is heard opening.
Bystander (O.S.)
Call an ambulance! Call an ambulance!
JAKE
Oh, man.
He falls to his butt, holding the club. Sitting against the destroyed trunk. After a few moments an ambulance siren is heard.
Jake starts to laugh. He continues to laugh harder and harder, holding the club up like he's going to swing at a golf ball.
Red ambulance lights are reflected on Jake's face as he laughs.
Ext. JAKE'S PLACE - mORNING
Morning rises over Jake's apartment building. Tim is asleep on the hood of a car in the driveway.
A sudden bang on the hood shocks Tim back to life. Gay Eric stands next to the car.
GAY ERIC
Hey!
The light seems to be blinding to Tim.
tIM
Huh?
GAY ERIC
You're on my car.
TIM
Shit. Sorry.
He, carefully as he can, crawls off the car.
GAY ERIC
If there's a dent, you're fixing it.
TIM
OK, OK.
Gay Eric takes a rag out the car and begins to lovingly rub the area where Tim had laid.
Tim looks around.
TIM
You seen Jake?
Eric looks at him rather impatiently. Eric stands behind the open front car door.
GAY ERIC
His car's not here.
TIM
Look, I, uh...
Eric closes the car door.
GAY ERIC
I'll let you in, just this once.
Eric walks towards Jake's door.
Tim
Thanks. Thank you, man.
GAY ERIC
Clean yourself up, you look like a junkie.
Tim looks at Eric quizzically.
Eric leans towards him and winces.
GAY ERIC
You stink.
TIM
Oh, right. Sorry, dude.
Eric opens the door and holds his nose while Tim walks past him.
ExT. Jake'S PLACE - day
Tim sits on the front porch. He smokes a cigarette.
Jake walks into the yard from up the block. Jake sees Tim on the porch and yells at him from a distance. His Face is black and blue with several scars stitched up. He wears a sling around his left arm.
JAKE
So you're a porch monkey, now!
Tim steps towards the edge of the porch.
TIM
What the hell happened?
Jake approaches the porch and stands beside it.
JAKE
What a night.
Tim takes a long drag on the cigarette.
Jake finally gets into Tim's focus.
TIM
Jesus Christ. What the fuck happened to you?
JAKE
You should see the other guy.
TIM
You get into a fight?
JAKE
You know...I don't really wanna talk about this now.
Tim walks towards Jake and sits down on the side of the porch, his legs draped over the edge. He tries to top Jake with his escapades.
TIM
Look, I woke up on top of Gay Eric's car.
JAKE
I might have you beat.
TIM
I really don't see how.
JAKE
For starters, I woke up in jail.
TIM
You win. How'd you get out?
JAKE
Bailed myself out.
TIM
I love credit cards.
JAKE
Look, I'll tell you all the gory details after I get a little nap.
Tim shakes head.
TIM
Ah, c'mon. Where'd they put your car?
Jake walks towards his apartment door.
Tim yells in his direction.
TIM
Hey, where are my clubs?
The front door shuts.
Tim
Jake?
Tim nervously lights up another cigarette.
Through an open window upstairs, Jake can be heard.
JAKE (O.C.)
Hey, those are my smokes!
Tim laughs.
TIM
It's gonna be some birthday.
Int. Doctor's office - day
A middle-aged man, DAD, sits in a hospital robe on that cushy table that all doctor's offices have in them. Although it is not apparent at this moment, the man is Jake's father. The man, an Insurance Adjustor by trade waits impatiently. He nervously bangs his feet against the tin bottom of the table. He appears to badly need a cigarette.
Eventually a Vietnamese woman doctor, Dr. Phong, walks in. She is an older woman, over forty, with large glasses. She has a very strong Vietnamese accent making her English difficult to understand. She carries his chart on a clipboard in her hand.
Dr. Phong
Hello. How you doing?
Dad
Uh. OK.
She looks at his chart.
Dr. PHONG
Yes. You still having trouble picking up things.
Dad
Huh?
Dr. PHONG
Trouble with the arms?
Dad
Yeah. Yeah, I have.
Dr. PHONG
I have the results from you tests here.
Jake's Dad nods.
Dr. PHONG
Would you like your wife present.
Dad
My wife?
Dr. PHONG
Would you like her to be here to hear the results?
Dad
No.
Dr. PHONG
The symptoms you are having, stumbling and falling, loss of muscle control and strength in hands and arms. They are signs, and we told you the possibilities.
The Doctor looks at him to see if he is understanding.
Dad
Yeah.
Dr. PHONG
The tests show you have disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Dad
Look, I don't know what you just said.
Dr. PHONG
It's commonly known as Lou Gherig's Disease. I've got the permission from the HMO to send you to a specialist. He works in Kansas City. It's a long drive, but he's very good.
Dad
Whoah, whoah, whoah. Lou Gherig's Disease?
The doctor nods her head.
He turns white as a sheet, his arms shake slightly. He says nothing, staring right through the Doctor.
Dr. PHONG
Mister?
He doesn't respond. The Doctor puts down the chart and her arms around his right arm and lays her head on his shoulder. The two adults remain silent, unmoving.
Ext. downtown body shop - day
Jake stands next to his demolished car. His Dad, an Insurance Adjustor, stands next to Jake. His Dad has a lit cigarette permanently attached to his lip. At least it seems that way.
Dad
You really fucked this one up, son.
JAKE
C'mon, Dad.
Dad
Well...
Dad looks over the car.
Dad
Well, it's totaled. The money's going to me. You find some other way to pay your court fine.
Taller than Jake he leans over him and grabs him by the shirt.
Dad
Don't come around our house anymore.
JAKE
Fine. Whatever.
He pushes Jake away.
Dad
Get out of here.
Jake tries to get around the Adjustor, but he blocks his path.
Dad
I'll fix it for you, Jakey. But this is the last fucking time.
Jake looks at him with disgust.
The Adjustor reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of keys.
Dad
Take the wagon for now.
JAKE
I don't know if I'm up for it.
Dad
You're gonna need a job, so you need wheels.
He puts the keys into the hand of Jake's bad arm.
Jake winces.
Dad
This is it. I'm done with you. The title's inside, I signed it over to you. You want insurance, that's your business.
JAKE
I can't take it.
The Adjustor grabs Jake's bad arm.
JAKE
Ow!
Dad
Do what I tell you. One time.
He pushes Jake towards the street.
Jake waves behind him. He walks a few more steps and puts his hand on the side mirror of a beat up station wagon. He caresses it for a moment. Instead of screaming or bashing something, he sighs deeply.
JAKE
(to himself)
Whatever, man.
He gets into the car and gingerly drives off, one-handed.
Ext. RiVER BANK - dusk
Jake and Tim sit near a rail road bridge that spans across the river near downtown. They share a twelve pack of beer.
JAKE
You got that joint?
Tim pulls out a marijuana cigarette out a half-full cigarette pack and tosses it to Jake.
TIM
You know, marijuana is a gateway drug.
Jake lights the joint very carefully.
JAKE
Anna's married, you know.
TIM
I'm aware.
JAKE
Just sayin'.
TIM
You know, I don't wanna talk about this.
JAKE
Whatever.
Jake takes a large gulp of beer.
TIM
So how many drinks did you have at Boogie's?
JAKE
I don't recall.
TIM
You don't remember?
JAKE
I don't remember anything.
TIM
You're not going back to the grocery store, are you?
JAKE
Oh, hell no.
Tim nods his head and downs the rest of his beer.
He looks in the twelve pack box for another beer. The box is empty.
TIM
That's it.
Jake nods.
JAKE
Happy birthday.
He takes a long drag on his joint.
Jake leans towards Tim and offers up the joint to Tim.
TIM
No, no thanks. I'm goin' to Anna's.
JAKE
You walkin'.
TIM
It ain't far.
Ext. doWNTOWN ST. JOSEPH - nIGHT
Tim walks by himself through the downtown streets. Tim appears to be the only person outside. Most of the buildings are either closed or abandoned. Every so often a car driving down an adjacent street can be heard. A curious chill is in the air. Tim buttons his jacket.
Cop car lights reflect off the streets. A quick siren goes off.
A police car pulls up beside him and stops. The POLICE OFFICER rolls his window down.
Police officer
Where you headed, son?
Tim rolls his eyes.
PoLICE OFFICER (CONT'D)
You giving me lip, boy?
TIM
Just walking home.
PoLICE OFFICER
Where's that?
TIM
Uh, Jules and..
PoLICE OFFICER
You don't know where you live?
TIM
No, I mean, yeah. I'm staying with my girlfriend.
The police radio gets the officer's attention.
PoLICE OFFICER
Don't move!
(to radio)
Forty-seven, over.
Garbled distorted police jingo is heard over the radio.
PoLICE OFFICER (CONT'D)
(into radio)
Ten-four.
(to Tim)
You get straight home. I don't wanna see you again tonight.
Tim smiles and nods.
The Policeman roars off in his car.
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