11. Fluorescent - Leslie

FADE IN:

INT. APARTMENT KITCHEN - EVENING
TYLER skillfully maneuvers in the narrow kitchen, chopping onions and then spinning around to toss minced garlic sizzling in olive oil on the stove behind him.

The room is lit by a small Asian lamp.

Tyler bumps his head on a cabinet.

AMANDA (O.S.)
You should just turn on the overheads.

TYLER
I’d rather bump my head on that frickin’ cabinet a thousand times before I turn on those hideous fluorescents. I’d like to...

AMANDA (O.S.)
Yeah, yeah. You’d like to kill whoever invented those stupid lights.

TYLER
Well I would. Those lights will drive me to suicide one of these days.

AMANDA (O.S.)
Ah, stop whining and just finish supper.

Tyler tosses the onions into the pan and browns them.

He pulls a casserole dish wrapped in foil out of the oven and a salad bowl from the refrigerator.

He tosses the sauted mixture from the pan onto the salad, and it makes sizzling sounds as heat meets moisture.

TYLER
Soup's on!

Amanda squeezes into the kitchen, she is taller than Tyler by more than a few inches and has long braids flowing down her back.

She plucks a stray braid and tosses it behind her shoulder with a practiced motion.

AMANDA
There is no soup.

AMANDA AND TYLER
It's an expression.

AMANDA
I know, I know.

She grabs a plate from the cabinet and grabs a handful of random silverware from the drawer.

She surveys her booty and then selects a large spoon.

Amanda unceremoniously peels the foil from the casserole dish revealing steaming pesto lasagna.

She dissects the layers and deposits a large section onto her plate.

TYLER
Salad.

AMANDA
Fine.

She grabs a fistful of leaves and garlic, tosses it onto her plate, and grabs a fork.

She turns, and leaves the kitchen.

Tyler carefully covers the lasagna, pulls a bar stool to the counter and helps himself to a bowl of salad.

As he is chewing, he hears a sharp click, and turns his head slightly.

The sound of a gun explodes through the tiny apartment and Tyler flinches, but doesn’t jump.

There is no surprise on his face.

He squeezes eyes shut for a moment, fighting, then gives up.

He buries his head in his shoulder and cries softly, pieces of spinach and spittle sticking to his cheek.

He wipes his mouth, regains composure, and then begins to clean the kitchen.

FADE TO BLACK.