Monday, January 7, 2008

6. Fair - Eric








FADE IN:

INT. BEDROOM-CLOUDY DAY

Scott is sitting on his bed talking to Chris. The curtains ruffle as gusts of warm wind blow through. Chris is dressed in a powder blue shirt, smoking a cigarette while he listens to Scott. A lamp is glowing a soft green in the corner. A GUN is lying on the desk.

SCOTT
To be honest, I’m not even really sure why I started using. I think the dope was my substitute for God. Even though I left him it’s like I still wanted to reach onto some kind of divinity. When the dope ran out I started drinking. The dope felt kind of the same to be absolutely honest. I did feel like I was near God. But no amount of drinking can fool you into thinking it’s divine.

Scott grimaces and holds his side. Chris chuckles.

SCOTT
Now every time I drink, my body hurts,
and I get a fever for a couple of days.
It’s not a hangover. It’s something worse.

CHRIS
Yeah, that can’t be good. Hungover is usually the worst I’ve seen people get,
unless your liver is finally trying to tell you to leave it the hell alone.

Scott stands up and walks to the window. He looks outside. The sprinkles outside are already melting the blizzard from yesterday.

SCOTT
Wow, it’s warm out for winter. It must be like 60 degrees.
Anyway, man. I think this whole thing started as my way of making life fair.

CHRIS
Huh?

SCOTT
What I mean is I screwed a lot of things up in my life.
Some things were my fault, some things weren’t. College.
I wanted the happy feelings, the dopamine, of what I would get if I had done
what I should have and found a good job,
where I would be doing useful things, helping people.
So, yeah, the drugs were just a way of balancing everything out.
It’s been my way of cheating to get what
I’ve already worked so hard for, what everyone else has.

Chris nods, and lights up another cigarette.


CHRIS
This is going to sound very unorthodox to you,
being a psych major, but I think the key here is
you pretty much have to forget everything that happened.
I mean, you need a clean slate.
You have to pretend like the last thirty years of your life never happened,
so to speak. Otherwise, you’ll be regretting every job you have.
And as you already know the drugs are making it more unfair.


SCOTT
I’ve always learned that we have to delve into the past.
If we analyze it, we can figure out why we are, who we are today.


CHRIS
Unless you happen to be who you are today
because you keep delving into the past. I say leave it alone.
Make new goals. You’ll always be comparing yourself to what
you wanted to be ten years ago. You can’t do that. You can’t. You’ll go nuts.


SCOTT
Man, really looks like I hate myself doesn’t it?
Not working. Drinking. Lashing out.


Chris nods.

CHRIS
And don’t take this the wrong way dude, but no body loves you.
What I mean is no one can love you like you love yourself.
Why don’t you make your life fair again?

Tears roll down Scott’s face. CHRIS and SCOTT embrace as a knock on the door is heard.
A 50-something lady with pink curlers in her hair is carrying a tray of food.

MOM
Scott, who were you talking to?
I’ve heard you talking for the last five minutes. What are you doing?

SCOTT
Making life fair, I guess.

FADE TO BLACK

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