101. Audience Choice - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. SCREENING ROOM - EVENING


• DAVE sits in his chair, twitching.


• He fidgets with his filmmaker name tag hanging around his neck.


• He looks up, and sees the opening sequence of a film start playing on the big screen.


• He stands up, excusing himself, and slips to the back of the room and out the door.


• INT. LOBBY - EVENING


• He blinks in the bright lights of the lobby.


• ERIC, a white-haired man, approaches him and smiles.


• ERIC
• Hey Dave, your film playing?


• DAVE
• Couldn't take it.


• ERIC
• I used to do that too. You do know it's the best thing playing tonight?


• DAVE
• Thanks, I appreciate that.


• ERIC
• The truth.


• DAVE
• I can't deal with seeing it. But, I'm glad you liked it.


• ERIC
• They're going to love it.


• DAVE
• You know, I'm scared of...them. They'll love it, and I'll keep hearing about how they love it...and my head is going to swell, I'll become this arrogant, oh, I don't know.


• ERIC
• I won't let that happen.


• DAVE
• Oh, thanks.


• ERIC
• Sometimes you need to hear them. See that this little thing you did has touched them. This is your weekend, wear those laurels, but on Monday, move on.


• Dave nods.


• DAVE
• It's almost at the end, I can hear it.


• The music goes soft, then swells.


• The audience cheers, the sound muffled by the thick doors.


• Eric motions.


• ERIC
• Come on, let's get you those laurels.


• Dave takes a deep breath, then nods.


• Eric pulls open the door, and they enter the room the cheers swelling.


• FADE TO BLACK.