She helps Carl inside.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (breathless)
                                I'll just be here a minute.  Patrick's meeting
                                me.  Then we'll get lost.  I won't get you in-
                                volved, don't worry.

Janie takes Carl into the bathroom.

23A INT. BATHROOM -- DAY 23A

Janie takes alcohol, cotton and gauze out of the medicine cabinet.  Carl sits down on the toilet.

                                                                 JANIE
                                I'm not worried.  I knew you were a doing a job.
                                What was it?

                                                                 CARL
                                A heist.  We got the money -- I don't know how
                                much, not a quarter of a million, but twenty-five
                                or thirty thousand, anyway -- but a lot went wrong.
                                Three guys are probably dead.  I didn't kill 'em, but
                                it was my plan, so I may as well have.

Janie starts to work on his bloody wound.  The alcohol stings.  Carl gasps, shutting his eyes.

                                                                 CARL
                                I think I might pass out.

                                                                 JANIE
                                Put your head between your legs.

Carl does as he's told.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (head down)
                                Buzz was my friend.  He was my cellmate for
                                four years.  He has a wife and kids.  Now he's
                                dead, or wounded and on his way back to prison,
                                like I could be real soon.

Janie strokes the back of Carl's head.  He slowly sits up.

                                                                 JANIE
                                What are you gonna do now?

                                                                 CARL
                                I guess me and Patrick'll take off somewhere.
                                Try to get lost.  We'll probably have to leave the
                                country.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (shakes her head)
                                Jesus, Carl. I don't see you for twenty years, and
                                when you show back up you're Public Enemy
                                Number One.

Carl stands unsteadily, stepping out of the bathroom.  Janie follows.

23B INT. JANIE'S LIVING ROOM -- DAY 23B

Carl and Janie step back into the living room.

                                                                 CARL
                                Shit!
                                                           (looks away)
                                If Patrick had just gotten the type of safe down
                                we'd have made it.  One simple piece of infor-
                                mation.

                                                                 JANIE
                                It sounds like Patrick screwed this thing up.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (sighs)
                                He did.  He's turned into a total fuckin' bone-
                                head.

                                                                 JANIE
                                I got news for you, he always was a bonehead.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (sighs)
                                Back in high school everything went our way:
                                sports, girls, drugs, everything.  Me and Patrick
                                we'd walk up the halls and we were kings of the
                                universe . . .
                                                           (sighs again)
                                . . . Then high school ended.  Not only weren't we
                                the kings of the universe, we were too damn stupid
                                to hold jobs.

                                                                 JANIE
                                But why are you still friends with him?

                                                                 CARL
                                Hey!  You gotta trust somebody, right?
                                                           (Janie just looks at him)
                                He owed me . . . And I couldn't think of who else.
                                                           (Janie keeps looking at him)
                                Stupid, huh?

                                                                 JANIE
                                Now look where you are.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (looks around)
                                I'm here with you.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (flatly)
                                Not for long, though.  Patrick'll be here any second,
                                then you'll leave and I'll never see you again.  And
                                that's just how it goes.

Carl look down at his wound, then notices a book on the bed.  As he reaches over and picks it up his eyes widen.

                                                                 CARL
                                Hey, this is our high school yearbook, isn't it?

                                                                 JANIE
                                Yeah.  After I saw you this afternoon I took it
                                out.  It was eighteen years ago.  We were kids.
                                                           (Carl opens the book.
                                                           Janie smiles)
                                I was cute, then.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (shrugs)
                                Actually, I was gonna look at my picture, but
                                now that you mention it . . .

Carl turns to Janie's picture: she's a little girl with pigtails.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (grins)
                                Oh, you are cute.
                                                           (looks up)
                                You still are.  You haven't changed.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (blushing)
                                Oh, get out.

Janie takes a step back from Carl.

                                                                 JANIE
                                You really don't remember what happened in
                                high school, do you?

                                                                 CARL
                                What?  I won Most Popular Guy two years running,
                                I remember that.

Janie can't believe it, shaking her head.

                                                                 JANIE
                                I mean, between us.
                                                           (Carl shrugs)
                                Unbelievable!
                                                           (sighs)
                                We'd been going out for about a week and
                                you said you'd take me to the prom.  Then we
                                had sex in a car at a party.  At school on Monday
                                you acted like you never met me before, and
                                you never talked to me again . . . let alone take
                                me to the prom.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (eyes widen)
                                I do remember now.  It was in the car next to
                                Cass Lake, right?
                                                           (Janie nods)
                                You went totally psycho.  I've never seen anything
                                like it.  You turned into a monster.

                                                                 JANIE
                                You weren't wearing a condom and you came!

                                                                 CARL
                                You shouldn't have let me go that far, most girls
                                then didn't.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (shrugs)
                                Didn't they?

                                                                 CARL
                                No.

                                                                 JANIE
                                But I really liked you, Carl.  A lot.

                                                                 CARL
                                I liked you, too, Janie, but you shouldn't have
                                yelled at me like that.  It scared me.

                                                                 JANIE
                                But what if I got pregnant?

                                                                 CARL
                                But you didn't.

                                                                 JANIE
                                That's hindsight.  Besides, I never heard from
                                you again, pregnant or not.  You just forgot me.

                                                                 CARL
                                No.  I did try to contact you one more time.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (confused)
                                When?

                                                                 CARL
                                You worked in the bookstore.  I snuck in and signed
                                your yearbook when you weren't looking.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (surprised)
                                You did?

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (nods)
                                Uh-huh.

He picks it up and goes to the very back, where all of the inscriptions are.  Carl looks for a second, then points.  There, among the many various-colored ink signatures, written in small letters, is: "Janie, I'm really sorry.  C."  Janie looks closer, then turns to Carl.

                                                                 JANIE
                                I never saw it.

                                                                 CARL
                                I had a feeling that might be the case.  It's pretty
                                small.

Janie looks at Carl, amazed.

                                                                 JANIE
                                Oh, Carl.

Carl look back with the light of an idea dawning in his eyes.  Carl takes hold of Janie's hand.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (seriously)
                                Janie?  I don't know how to say this.  I mean, it'll
                                probably sound insane, but . . . You wanna come
                                with me?

                                                                 JANIE
                                Where?

                                                                 CARL
                                I don't know where.  Mexico, maybe.  Australia.
                                Anywhere we want, I guess.  We've got a lot of
                                money.

                                                                 JANIE
                                I don't care about money, Carl, I never have.
                                Money doesn't buy happiness.

                                                                 CARL
                                No, but it can amuse you while you're waiting.
                                And we'll have a lot of it.  What'dya say?

                                                                 JANIE
                                Go?  With you?

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (nods)
                                Uh-huh.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (dead serious)
                                What do you mean exactly?

                                                                 CARL
                                I mean, me and you, the both of us, go somewhere,
                                together.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (skeptical)
                                I don't know . . .

                                                                 CARL
                                Janie, look, I know it's a total mess right now,
                                but in a week, lyin' on a beach somewhere, it
                                might be all okay.  Pina Coladas with little umbrellas,
                                suntan lotion, sand in our shoes --

                                                                 JANIE
                                -- Oh, Carl, this is crazy.

                                                                 CARL
                                I know it's crazy, but we might be good together,
                                Janie.

                                                                 JANIE
                                I always thought so.
                                                           (she looks Carl in
                                                           the eyes)
                                What happens on Monday morning when the
                                money's gone?  Are you gonna forget who I am
                                again?

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (grins)
                                No, I won't . . . Not as long as you don't start
                                yellin' at me again.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (shakes her head)
                                But what're our chances?

                                                                 CARL
                                If I walk out that door without you, the chances
                                a sure-fire zero.  How could you pass up a deal
                                like this?  Come on.

                                                                 JANIE
                                I don't know, Carl.  I need some time to think
                                about it.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (shakes his head)
                                Sorry, I'm fresh outta time.

                                                                 JANIE
                                But what about what I've been doing for the
                                past ten years?  What about that?

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (snorts)
                                Look.  Shit happened in prison that I'll never talk
                                about.  But who cares?  That's history.  It only matters
                                what happens now.  I think me and you could be good.
                                So, come on, what'dya say?

Janie looks him right in the eyes.

                                                                 JANIE
                                You're serious?

Carl nods.  Just then they hear a car drive up quickly outside.  They both look out the window and see a turquoise Grand Am pull up.  Patrick hastily gets out of the car.  Carl looks at Janie.

                                                                 CARL
                                Damn right I am.  What'dya say?

There is a knock at the door.  Janie opens it and it's Patrick.  Janie asks Carl again:

                                                                 JANIE
                                You're really serious?  You want me to come?

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (smiles)
                                Yeah, I do.

Patrick looks from Janie to Carl.

                                                                 PATRICK
                                What's goin' on here?

                                                                 CARL
                                I asked her to come with us.

Patrick grabs Carl's shoulder and pulls him toward the door.

                                                                 PATRICK
                                Come here a sec, I wanna talk to you.

Carl looks back at Janie, waving his finger.

                                                                 CARL
                                I'll be back in a minute.  Don't go away.

                                                                 JANIE
                                Okay.  I won't.

24 EXT. JANIE'S BUILDING -- DAY 24

Patrick leads Carl out of Janie's apartment, down the stairs and out beside the turquoise Grand Am.

                                                                 PATRICK
                                What's up?

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (points upstairs)
                                I'm takin' Janie along.

Patrick sighs, shaking his head.  He looks around and opens the driver's door.

                                                                 PATRICK
                                Get in.

Carl opens the passenger door and gets in the car.

25 INT. GRAND AM - DAY 25

Patrick looks at Carl with a deadly serious expression.

                                                                 PATRICK
                                She ain't comin' with us, Carl.  She'll just fuck
                                us up.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (seriously)
                                No, she's comin.

                                                                 PATRICK
                                                           (more serious)
                                No, she ain't!  Carl, you're my best friend.  We're
                                the "dynamic'-duo."  Together we can pull off all
                                kinds of shit, like we just did.  But two's company
                                and three's a crowd.  Get it?

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (offended)
                                Hey!  Don't stick your nose into my love life!

Patrick grabs the sides of his head like it might explode.

                                                                 PATRICK
                                Your love life?  Carl, I just shot a guy.  Another
                                guy had a fuckin' heart attack, and Buzz got shot.
                                This deal fucked up pretty bad.

                                                                 CARL
                                Whose fault is that?

                                                                 PATRICK
                                What'dya mean?  We got the money.

                                                                 CARL
                                Yeah, we did.  But you killed a guy.  And Buzz
                                is dead.

                                                                 PATRICK
                                Maybe.

                                                                 CARL
                                Probably.

                                                                 PATRICK
                                Whatever!  We gotta get outta here!  Just me and
                                you!  Not her!  See, I got the money stashed.

Carl shakes his head.

                                                                 CARL
                                No, see, I told her --

Patrick takes Carl by the shoulders, roughly.

                                                                 PATRICK
                                -- Fuck her!  She's just whore, man!  Wherever we go
                                we got more than enough money to get all the whores
                                we'll ever want.  Carl, baby.  You need me.  I got the
                                money.  So now we're gonna go get it and get the fuck
                                outta town.  Now!  And Janie ain't comin!

Carl looks at the floor -- he sees a ten dollar bill and picks it up; it's covered with blood.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (thinks hard)
                                Yeah, well . . .

                                                                 PATRICK
                                                           (nods)
                                "Yeah, well . . ." nothin'!  In a month, you still
                                want to see her, send for her.  But she ain't comin'
                                now!  No way!  Trust me, this is the way it's gotta
                                be!

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (considers)
                                Hmmmm . . . ?

Carl looks at the bloody ten dollar bill, then turns looking back toward Janie's apartment.  Our view recedes from Carl and Patrick in the car, goes back to Janie's building, up the steps, and returns to . . .

26 INT. JANIE'S APARTMENT -- DAY 26

Janie is just standing there, not knowing which way to turn or what to do.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (to herself)
                                This is ridiculous.  I can't just pick up and go
                                to Austria, or wherever . . . Can I?
                                                           (looks around; shrugs)
                                Why not?  What's stopping me?

Finally, she reaches under the bed and retrieves a small suitcase.  She opens the bag on the bed and goes about packing: two blouses, four pair of panties, three t-shirts, four pairs of socks, and a new bathing suit.  Before you know it she's packed.  Janie stands there for a second, then grins and goes back into the closet.  She steps out a moment later holding a leather letter jacket.  Janie smiles as she tries to on -- it's too big.

Just then there is the sound of a car peeling away, Janie glances out the window and sees the turquoise Grand Am drive off.  Janie looks confused as she walks over to the door, looks outside and doesn't see the car or Carl.

                                                                 JANIE
                                Carl?

There's no answer.  Janie steps out of her apartment.

27 EXT. JANIE'S APARTMENT BUILDING -- DAY 27

Janie goes down the steps and looks around -- there's no one there.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (tentatively)
                                Carl?
                                                           (no answer)
                                Carl?

Still no answer.  Very slowly she turns and heads back up the stairs and into her apartment, still wearing the over- sized, old letter jacket.

28 INT. JANIE'S APARTMENT -- DAY 28

There sits her packed suitcase.  Janie shakes her head sadly.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (to herself)
                                Idiot.

She takes off the jacket, tosses it on the bed, then very methodically proceeds to unpack her suitcase: blouses back on hangers, blue jeans, panties, and t-shirts back in their drawers.  The suitcase goes back under the bed.  Janie sits down on the bed, looks at the jacket, drops her head and quietly begins to cry.

Suddenly, Janie's door flies open and there stands Carl, breathless.  Janie looks at him in dumbfounded astonishment.

                                                                 CARL
                                There were some cops out there so I had Patrick
                                drop me around the block.

Janie is shaken up..

                                                                 JANIE
                                You're here.

                                                                 CARL
                                Sure I'm here, I said I'd be back in a minute.
                                Didn't you think I was comin' back?

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (shakes her head)
                                I-I didn't know.  It didn't look like it.

Carl steps over and takes her hand.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (seriously)
                                Janie.  If I say I'm comin' back for you, I'm
                                comin' back for you.  Okay?

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (smiles)
                                Okay.

                                                                 CARL
                                So, guess what?

                                                                 JANIE
                                What?

                                                                 CARL
                                Remember all that money I said I had?
                                                           (she nods)
                                Well I don't have it anymore.

                                                                 JANIE
                                How come?

                                                                 CARL
                                Patrick's taking it all.  I told him to fuck off and
                                take the money with him.

Janie looks truly shocked.

                                                                 JANIE
                                Why did you do that?

                                                                 CARL
                                'Cause he's a bonehead!  So let him have that money
                                -- it's blood money; it's dirty.  We're gonna start clean.

                                                                 JANIE
                                                           (amazed)
                                We're gonna start clean?

                                                                 CARL
                                Right.  Me and you.  So, now you've got a three-
                                time loser, just outta jail, who pulled a heist and got
                                no money and is on the run.  Now you wanna come?

Janie nods without a moment's hesitation.

                                                                 JANIE
                                Yeah, now I really do.

Carl takes hold of her around the waist, pulls her to him and they kiss.  It's a good, long, warm kiss.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (smiles)
                                Don't ya wanna pack something?

Janie looks around, then sighs and shakes her head.

                                                                 JANIE
                                Nah.  I've got everything I need.

                                                                 CARL
                                                           (smiles)
                                Cool.  Me, too.

Carl takes Janie's hand and they leave the apartment, shutting the door.

Our view goes to the bed where the discarded letter jacket sits in a ball.

THE END

Copyright © 1996 Josh Becker, All Rights Reserved