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BUDS
By
Josh Becker
&
Paul Harris
EXT. WOODED COURT - DAY
TITLE SEQUENCE:
A blacktop road runs through a densely
wooded area. The sun beams through the leaves of the trees, dappling
the ground with shimmering spots of light. A blue Honda CRX comes
driving up the road toward us, goes around a cul-de-sac and parks at
the far side of the court.
Sitting in the driver's seat with the window open is JAY BENNETT,
a handsome, square-jawed man of thirty-four with short, dark hair and
a mustache. He takes a pack of generic, Best Buy, 100mm cigarettes
out of his shirt pocket, shakes one out, breaks off the filter, lights
up and starts to cough. Jay hocks a big loogy out the window.
Jay sits there for a second in contemplative silence, his smoke rising
into the clear air. Finally, Jay turns and looks all around: right,
left, front, back -- nothing.
INT. JAY'S CAR - DAY
Jay shrugs, reaches into his pocket and removes a bag of weed and a
pack of Zig-zag rolling papers. Jay pulls out a restaurant change
tray from beside his seat, sets it on his lap, takes a fat bud out of
the bag and drops it on the tray.
Jay begins the rolling process. He breaks the bud up and tosses
the stem into the ashtray. He pulls a rolling paper out of the
pack, puts an extra fold in it, sets the paper between the index and
middle fingers of his left hand, scoops up the weed with the flap of
the Zig-zag pack and dumps it into the paper. With both thumbs
he rolls the bottom of the paper upward, brings the gummed edge to his
tongue, licks it, gives it one more roll and twists the ends.
He holds up the completed, symmetrical, well-rolled joint and admires
his handiwork.
Jay looks all around one more time, then lights the joint and takes
a big hit. He blows out the smoke slowly and smiles contentedly.
END TITLE SEQUENCE:
Out of nowhere, PETE HERMAN, a thirty-two year old fellow with
shoulder-length dark hair, a Van Dyke beard and mustache and round glasses,
pops up at Jay's window and says . . .
PETE
Boo!
Jay jumps in his seat and screams.
JAY
(gasps)
Good
God! Don't do that!
PETE
(laughing)
Sucker.
Pete goes around to the passenger door and gets in. Jay hands
Pete the joint and he takes a hit.
JAY
Someday
I'm gonna have a heart attack and die,
then
you'll be sorry.
PETE
It'll
be revenge for all the times you've beat me up.
JAY
(confused)
When
did I ever beat you up?
PETE
When
we were kids you used to always beat me up.
You
were a bully.
JAY
I
was not a bully and I never beat you up.
PETE
Yes,
you did.
JAY
No,
I didn't. I may have pushed you around a little
bit,
which you undoubtedly deserved, but that's it.
PETE
Do
you remember for a fact not beating me up?
JAY
(hesitates)
Well
. . . Not for a fact. But I just wasn't like that.
CUT
TO:
INT. JAY'S CAR (WINTER) - NIGHT
It's now night and winter. Huge flakes of snow are drifting down
from the sky. Pete and Jay sit in their same positions, still
smoking a joint, but now they wear winter coats and hats. The
car windows are completely steamed up.
PETE
(philosophically)
The
memory is not so clear to the one who does the
beating
as to the one who is beaten.
JAY
Who
are you? Charlie Chan? Come on already.
You're
such a little weasel. I push you once when
you
were ten and you haven't stopped bitching about
it
for twenty-five years. Isn't there some sort of
statute
of limitations? Seven years? Fourteen years?
PETE
I
just want you to own up to it, that's all.
JAY
Why?
PETE
For
the sake of truth.
JAY
Get
outta town. What do you care about the truth?
People
ask you what you do and you tell 'em you're a
comic
book artist. How many drawings you sold to
comic
books?
PETE
That's
not the point.
JAY
It's
not? What is?
PETE
The
point is that I draw comics. I don't have to sell
'em
to make it real.
JAY
On
what planet? Sunev?
CUT
TO:
EXT. JAY'S CAR (AUTUMN) - DAY
Pete and Jay are in the their same positions
in the car, both wearing windbreakers. Dead leaves cover the ground
and blow past the car.
PETE
Sunev.
That's Venus backward. I saw that Stooges.
That's
the one where they eat clamshells and wash
them
down with battery acid.
They both take another hit and go silent for a moment. Both of
them look like they're thinking about something. Pete looks down
at the roach in his hand; it's out.
PETE
And
another thing . . . Women don't have a sense of
humor.
JAY
I'll
second that, they sure can't tell jokes.
PETE
Or
remember them.
JAY
That's
for sure. But we men are expected to
be
amusing and charming on dates. Tell jokes,
be
funny.
PETE
I
can't stand women that need to be amused.
JAY
But
if I want to get laid, I have to transform
into
someone else. It's creepy. Luckily,
alcohol
does help.
PETE
And
it's like that whole thing about how when
women
say "no" when they really mean "yes,"
except
when they don't.
JAY
Right.
(thinks)
Uh
. . . What were we talking just about?
CUT
TO:
INT. JAY'S CAR (SUMMER) - DAY
Pete and Jay, same positions as always, now in t-shirts. The trees
out the windows are now thick with leaves.
PETE
When?
JAY
Before
this.
PETE
Women.
JAY
No,
before that.
PETE
(laughs)
How
am I supposed to know?
(remembering)
Oh,
did you get my shit?
JAY
Yeah.
Jay reaches into his pocket, takes out a baggy of marijuana and hands
it to Pete.
PETE
How
much was it?
JAY
Uh
. . . It was seventy-five.
Pete takes the bag and hands Jay the money.
PETE
Isn't
that more than it was before? I've only got
sixty-five.
JAY
Yeah,
it's gone up. You already owe me five,
so
that's fifteen bucks you owe me?
PETE
Sorry.
I'll get it to you next week.
Jay hands Pete the change tray and rolling papers.
JAY
That's
O.K. Here, impress me with your weed.
So,
you going to Kaye's party Sunday afternoon?
PETE
Can't.
I'm working. How 'bout you?
Pete starts to roll one up. He clearly doesn't know how to roll
and tears the paper.
JAY
Yeah.
Sure. I'll go after the Piston game. Can't
be
enough parties as far as I'm concerned. When
you
get to be this age and still single, you gotta
have
a mechanism for meeting the bodacious babes.
Parties
are it.
PETE
(snaps
his fingers)
Oh,
shit!
JAY
(surprised)
What?
PETE
I
bet Jennifer Moore's gonna be there.
JAY
Who?
PETE
Jennifer
Moore. You've met her.
Pete now has a little rolling machine in his lap. He turns it,
pops out the joint and it falls apart -- he forgot to lick the paper.
Pete frowns.
JAY
I
have?
PETE
Yeah.
At Kaye's last party. I think you'd met her
before
that, too.
JAY
I
did?
PETE
Don't
you remember? At Kaye's party I was talking
to
her and I introduced you. You gotta remember
'cause
she's a 100% bona fide knockout. Dark hair,
beautiful
eyes, perfect body, great tits, terrific smile.
Jay doesn't remember anything.
JAY
Sure.
Of course I do.
Pete hands Jay a loaded pipe.
PETE
Just
thinking about her is making me pop a woody.
JAY
All
two inches of it?
PETE
It
may be small, but it's insatiable.
(disappointed)
I'm
really pissed I can't be there, I'd love to get
something
going with her. If I could just get a
woman
like her, my life would be all right. I
tried
calling and her line was disconnected. I
called
the new one from the recording and it was
some
weird foreign guy. Damn!
JAY
Call
in sick.
PETE
I
can't, I'm filling in for someone else. Crap!
JAY
(guffaws)
Shit
detail at the gas station. You know, Pete,
may
well be the least ambitious person I've ever
met.
PETE
That
may be, but I have ambitions to go out with
Jennifer
Moore, so do me a favor, will you? If
you
see her, hands off, O.K.? I'm gonna track
her
down.
JAY
Fine,
whatever. But I'm gonna go to this party and
I'm
gonna have a great time. See, I used to have a
bad
time at parties, but luckily, now I'm older and
more
mature and I know how to comport myself
public-wise
. . .
EXT. KAYE'S YARD - DAY
A backyard barbecue party is going on. People are eating chicken,
burgers and hot dogs on paper plates, drinking beer, laughing and having
a fine old time.
Our view starts to move back and we realize that we're seeing the backyard
through a window. As we continue pulling back we find ourselves
in . . .
INT. KAYE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY
. . . Kaye's living room where we see Jay sitting in an easy chair looking
forlorn and depressed, a beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other.
The living room is deserted except for one other person, a good-looking
blonde, GINA, who looks more unhappy than Jay, and scowls at
the floor.
Jay looks over his shoulder, out the window, at the party outside.
He turns back, looks at Gina and smiles. Gina glances back at
Jay and sneers. Jay gives her an "excuse me" look and
takes a big slug of beer.
Suddenly, a really great looking girl comes walking through the front
door. Long black hair, black leather jacket, black leather skirt,
black stockings, high heels and radiating a sense of wildness; a drunken
abandon.
She steps into the living room and scans the premises. She and
Gina look right at each other, but
neither says a word. They just stare. Gina finally looks
away, continuing to scowl.
The wild, dark-haired girl turns her gaze on Jay who is looking right
at her. She has a mole on her cheek. They stare into each
other's eyes, daring one another to look away. Slowly, they both
begin to smile. Jay finally blinks, but doesn't look away.
She steps forward until she is looming over Jay and she's only 5' 2".
She swings one of her feet over his legs and is now standing directly
over him, all the while holding his smiling gaze. She slowly lowers
herself onto his lap. She is JENNIFER MOORE.
JENNIFER
Remember
me?
JAY
(grinning)
Sure.
Jen leans closer to his face, smirking.
JENNIFER
From
where?
Jay considers this for a moment.
JAY
(improvising)
Marseille,
during the war. You wore blue, the
Germans
wore gray.
She smiles and leans even closer. Their noses are touching.
JENNIFER
You
have no idea, do you?
JAY
(straining)
Burton
Elementary School?
She moves her face slightly back and forth, indicating "no."
JAY
(shrugs)
Who
cares?
He kisses her. It's a first-rate, lengthy kiss, too. Their
lips separate, but their faces remain together.
JENNIFER
You
still don't know who I am?
JAY
Would
the kiss have reminded me?
JENNIFER
No.
JAY
(shrugs
again)
It's
the Alzheimer's, I forget sometimes.
Jen shakes her head in amazement.
JENNIFER
We
met at Bill's house.
JAY
Bill?
JENNIFER
Bertelli.
Jay doesn't remember her and he can't hide it.
JAY
Oh,
Bill Bertelli's. Sure. Now I remember you.
JENNIFER
(amazed)
No
you don't. You're lying.
JAY
Well,
I remember Bill. 'Course I've known him
for
most of my life.
JENNIFER
We
met again right here at Kaye's last party.
JAY
Really?
JENNIFER
My
God, I always thought I left more of an im-
pression
than this.
JAY
My
short-term memory is shot.
JENNIFER
This
was a year ago.
JAY
My
long-term's not so great, either.
JENNIFER
Well,
we have met. I don't want you thinking I
always
walk up to strange men at parties and sit
on
their laps.
JAY
Just
starting tonight, huh?
JENNIFER
Why
don't we go out.
JAY
Let's
go.
JENNIFER
Another
night. I've got something I've got to do now.
(she
glances over at
Gina,
then back)
This
week.
Jen takes Jay's pen out of his pocket, uncaps it, takes hold of Jay's
wrist and writes her number on his hand. "555-3738."
Jay looks at his hand.
JENNIFER
Now
don't wash your hand.
JAY
It's
O.K., I never do.
Jen puts the pen back into Jay's pocket.
JENNIFER
Call
me.
JAY
I
will. Nice meeting you.
JENNIFER
We've
already met.
JAY
I
meant, again.
Jen stands up.
JENNIFER
'Bye.
Jen turns and walks right out of the party, teetering on her high heels.
Jay takes a deep breath, sighs and smiles happily. He looks up
at Gina, who is still scowling, looking directly at him.
JAY
(grinning)
How
about you, beautiful? What are you doing
tonight?
GINA
(finally
smiles and points)
Your
pen's leaking.
Jay glances down and sees a black spot of ink on his shirt under his
pocket. He pulls out his pen and the cap is on the wrong side.
JAY
Oh,
shit!
Gina wears a self-satisfied smirk.
Jay tries wiping the ink spot with a napkin, but it's really no use.
A thought hits Jay.
JAY
(to
himself)
I
didn't get her name.
DISSOLVE:
EXT. WOODED STREET - DAY
It's a beautiful summer day: sunshine, blue sky and singing birds.
Pete and Jay are taking a walk. Jay is smoking a cigarette.
JAY
Man
oh man, smell that fresh air.
Jay takes a hit of his cigarette, starts to cough and hocks a goober.
Pete points.
PETE
Oh,
look. Part of your lungs.
JAY
(waves
his hand)
I
got more.
PETE
So,
how was Kaye's party?
JAY
It
was pretty good.
PETE
You
have a nice time?
JAY
Yeah,
great.
PETE
See
anyone interesting?
JAY
Yeah,
this really terrific babe just came up, sat
down
on my lap and asked me out.
PETE
No
shit? You gonna call her?
JAY
Sure.
I mean, I guess so.
PETE
You
see Jennifer Moore there?
JAY
(pause)
Who?
PETE
Jennifer
Moore. Don't you remember, I told you
about
her.
JAY
I
remember you telling me, but I don't know who
she
is.
PETE
I
introduced you to her.
JAY
I
know you said you did, I just don't remember it
happening.
PETE
Man,
you must have a brain tumor or something,
you
can't remember anything. Black hair, really
cute,
about five-two?
Jay remembers her.
JAY
A
little mole on her cheek?
PETE
(lights
up)
Yeah,
that's her..
Now Jay realizes he's stepped into it.
JAY
Uh
. . . An earring in her nose and a tattoo of a
flower
on her shoulder?
PETE
(smile
fades)
No,
that's not her.
JAY
Oh,
I guess I didn't see her. What's the big deal
here,
anyway?
PETE
Her
phone's disconnected. I can't get in touch
with
her. I'm just interested in how she's doing
and
where she's living. I called Kaye this morning
and
she said she didn't see her either. I guess she
wasn't
there.
JAY
I
guess not.
PETE
That's
too bad.
JAY
Yeah,
it is.
Jay looks away.
INT. JAY'S KITCHEN - DAY
Jay sits at the kitchen table drinking coffee, smoking a cigarette,
reading Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, and taking notes.
Jay suddenly shuts the book and looks at his hand, which is streaked
with grease and filthy, the smeared phone number still visible.
He grins, picks up the phone and dials. Jay coughs and composes
himself. There is a pause, then Jen answers.
JENNIFER
(O.S.)
Hello?
JAY
Hi.
Jennifer?
JENNIFER
Yes.
Who is this?
JAY
It's
Jay. From the party.
JENNIFER
Oh,
yeah. Sure. How are you?
JAY
Great.
You?
JENNIFER
Great.
What's up?
JAY
Not
much. Wanna go out tonight?
JENNIFER
Tonight?
Sure, what time?
JAY
Eight
o'clock?
JENNIFER
O.K.
JAY
Great.
What's your address?
Jay grabs a pen, can't find paper and writes on his grimy hand.
JENNIFER
2636
Virginia.
(there's
a voice in the B.G.)
What?
Hold on.
(Jen
speaks to someone else)
No,
it's not long distance. I'll be off in a minute.
(into
phone)
Hi,
I'm back.
JAY
So,
I'll see you at eight, then, Jenny --
JENNIFER
--
I don't like to be called Jenny.
JAY
(frowns)
Sorry.
Is Jen O.K.?
JENNIFER
Fine.
JAY
All
right, Jen, see you at eight.
JEN
I
don't mean to be bitchy, I just don't like Jenny.
JAY
That's
O.K. Not a problem.
JEN
I'll
see ya. Thanks for calling.
JAY
My
pleasure. 'Bye.
He hangs up. The second the receiver is back down the phone rings.
Jay answers and it's Pete.
JAY
Hello?
PETE
(O.S.)
Hi.
We still on for the movie tonight?
JAY
(hesitates)
.
. . Uh, I can't make it tonight. My Gramma
just
called and she's not feeling real well, so I'm
gonna
go see her. How about Tuesday?
PETE
Tuesday's
cool. I'll see ya then. Hope your
Gramma
feels better.
JAY
Thanks.
See ya.
Jay hangs up looking tortured and a guilty. He thinks about it
for a second, then waves his hand.
JAY
Ah
. . . fuck it. What am I gonna wear?
Jay exits the kitchen.
INT. JAY'S GARAGE - NIGHT
Jay steps out the door into the garage wearing tight black jeans, black
cowboy boots, a long sleeve shirt, a black and white, herringbone sport
coat and a thin black tie. He pulls his pants up, his jacket down,
unzips his fly, reaches in and pulls his shirttails tight.
Jay gets in his car, puts in the key, turns it and gets a click and
nothing else. His face drops.
JAY
Oh
no.
Jay tries it a few more times and still gets nothing but clicks.
JAY
Shit!
He gets out of the car and opens the hood. He starts to putter
around in the engine, then looks down and sees that not only does he
have grease all over his hands, he's got it on his sleeves.
JAY
Oh,
Goddamnit anyway!
Pissed, but moving on, Jay goes back into the engine.
JAY
Ah
ha, there it is.
He reaches deeper in, then suddenly the engine starts and there is the
-- ZZZING!! -- of something caught in the fan. Jay jerks his hand
out and does a James Brown spin on one foot.
JAY
Son
of a fucking bitch!!!
He looks down at his hand and sees his finger gushing blood.
JAY
Oh,
great! Fantastic!
Jay slams the hood closed, goes to take
a step and his coat tail is caught.
Jay gets in the car and wraps his finger in an old napkin.
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