29. Farewells - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. CHINESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT


• The interior of the restaurant is dim, with several flickering bulbs attempting to illuminate the tables.


• CHRIS and DAVID sit at a table by the window.


• Rain dribbles down the glass, obscuring the view and heightening the restaurant’s claustrophobic settings.


• DAVID
• So you’re really doing it?


• CHRIS
• Yeah...I really, really am.


• DAVID
• Are you scared?


• CHRIS smiles at him.


• DAVID
• Yeah, of course you are.


• CHRIS
• But this is what I need to do.


• DAVID
• And what makes you so sure about that?


• CHRIS
• Come on, don’t you agree?


• DAVID
• Well...


• CHRIS
• I’m leaving next week...it’s time for a clean break.


• DAVID
• Let’s go then.


• EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT


• David looks nervously around while Chris rummages in his trunk.


• CHRIS
• Stop standing around...help me...you came up with this idea.


• DAVID
• Well, I didn’t think you’d...


• CHRIS
• Well, I did, so help.


• David walks to the trunk, shivering in the cold night air, and together they remove a gas can, a large metal pan, a lighter, and a shoebox.


• David places the pan on the wet pavement and pours gasoline into.


• Chris slowly opens the shoebox, peers in, then hands it to David.


• Chris takes the lighter and holds it over the pan.


• DAVID
• Just do it.


• Chris lights the gasoline and it licks up into the air, he jumps back.


• David silently hands the box back to him.


• Chris pulls out a letter, and looks at it.


• DAVID
• Oh, hurry up!


• Chris ignores him, reading one of the letters, and touching the name at the bottom.


• DAVID
• Well thank goodness you’re moving on.


• Chris throws the first letter into the blue flames, and then another, and another.


• He comes to the last one, and holds it for a long time, then slowly tosses it into the last of the flames.


• He watches it burn, then turns away slowly.


• DAVID
• Think you can say goodbye now?


• CHRIS
• Yeah...finally feel ready to leave.


• DAVID
• Good.


• He puts a hand on Chris’ shoulder and they stand still, waiting as the pan cools.


• FADE TO BLACK.