Screenplay

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“The Party”

By

Harriet Millard

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City, ST ZIP Code

Phone

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FAde In:

EXT. Two South London City Streets – EARLY EVENIng, Early WINTER

Front door shutting, we cut to a shot of headphones being plugged in and shoes) begin to walk onto the city street- classic rock style music plays. The camera dollies behind DUFFY, a teen boy with shaggy brown hair and a baggy 90s grunge style jumper and loose blue jeans. He walks inside the gates of a front garden, he rings the doorbell and a blurred person lets him in.

INT. LUCA’S HOUSE / CORRIDOR – EARLY EVENING

We follow DUFFY as he is ushered down the stairs to the basement by Luca’s mum.

INT. LUCA’S BASEMENT

We enter the basement, a cosy converted cellar- fairy lights are strung everywhere, posters hang from the walls. We see the back of a tall boy of DUFFY’s age, blurred in the background, ZAYN is playing GTA on a beanbag, HUGO is sat at a table with cards strewn out on it, the boy  turns and we see that it is LUCA, who greets DUFFY with a beaming smile.

LUCA

DICKHEADDDDDD!

ZAYN

WOOOO!

ZAYN and LUCA greet DUFFY enthusiastically. HUGO, turns around, he wears a full roadman getup: Black Nike Puffer Jacket, Supreme boxers peeking out of his baggy grey Nike jogging bottoms, a baseball cap, colourful Air Jordans and a fanny pack. He gives DUFFY a humorously quizzical look and tuts in acknowledgement

HUGO

            Who are you den?

The boys get acquainted with eachother as Luca introduces them.

LUCA

You want a drink, Duffy?

DUFFY

Go on then.

ZAYN hands DUFFY a mysterious, murky looking drink, looks like a concoction of juices. DUFFY sniffs it and grimaces

DUFFY

What’s in this?

 

ZAYN

Dunno. Hugo brought it. I think it’s like juice and vodka with some liquor that he nicked from the drinks cabinet.

DUFFY shrugs and drinks some, he hands it to ZAYN. ZAYN goes to drink it but freezes

ZAYN

Wait, Hugues- does this have Sodium Benzoate in it?

HUGO

Rah! You mad? Mumzie only buys freshly squeezed OJ isn it. Yeh, and den I mixed in some innocent smoovie that I nicked from Tesco.

 LUCA

Mate. You’ll be fine- you’ve got your EpiPen, just drink it.

ZAYN nervously begins to chug the drink

DUFFY

Zayn, that’s enough!! Chill.

Zayn begins to choke.

                  HUGO

                Fucks sake man.

 The doorbell rings

                    LUCA

          ( patting Zayn on the back, Shouts.) Katie can you get that? KATIE!

                    DUFFY

           I’ll get it.

Duffy goes up the stairs and opens the front door, There he sees  MAYA, BEA and LOTTIE. Dramatic cheesy romance shot- She slowly turns around, close ups of her black nails and hair. Shots of DUFFY looking as if he’s falling in love with her. We hear faint voices over the music, it stops, MAYA is clicking in his face, BEA is giggling.

                    MAYA

            HELLO? Can we come in please, Bea needs some water.

                    DUFFY

            OH! Yeah, course.

They all go down the stairs. LUCA greets them, they all greet eachother, ZAYN is dry heaving. BEA trips over something as she walks and sinks by ZAYN on the sofa.

                   LOTTIE

           Sorry about her, went a bit too hard at Maya’s. She’ll be fine.

                   DUFFY

            I don’t think we’ve met, I’m Duffy.

                   LOTTIE

           Lottie. Nice t-shirt.

DUFFY SMILES

                   LUCA

         Shouts from downstairs Right. Lets go, we’re gonna be late.

EXT. COMMON - NIGHT

They go to leave. Cut to the group walking in the middle of a park at night. BEA is sprawled on HUGO, she’s laughing loudly, with a strange bottle in her hand, LUCA has his arm around MAYA. DUFFY and LOTTIE walk together, Duffy is tipsy, he has a newfound confidence. ZAYN has the bottle from before- but it’s now half empty, he is visibly drunk.

ZAYN

How much further, the bag is really heavy.

MAYA

Why don’t we start drinking them? To take the weight off?

ZAYN stops and hands out the drinks

                        DUFFY

       So… You like Radiohead?

LOTTIE

Yeah.

DUFFY

Cause I love them, what’s your favorite song by them?

LOTTIE

Ah that’s a hard one.... Hm. Maybe that one Just?

                       DUFFY

 You know what… I’m so relieved you said that. People usually say Creep or something mainstream, like … how can you call yourself a fan if you’ve only listened to like three of their songs.

                         LOTTIE

LAUGHS Hey, they’re popular for a reason.

A pregnant pause lingers in the air for a moment as he looks into her eyes.

                         DUFFY

 I bet you would never go for a guy like me.

                            LOTTIE

             What’s that supposed to mean?

                            DUFFY

Don’t, you don’t have to say anything – you’re not interested I get it.

                            LOTTIE

I-

                            DUFFY

  Why does this always happen to me? He mutters insults to himself

                            LOTTIE

           A tone of frustration. Hey, we literally just met.

        DUFFY looks at her in shock he starts to well up with tears. There is a lingering awkward silence.

       MAYA? Can I have a drink please?

Maya turns around. She looks at Lottie quizzically.

                       MAYA

Mate. your hand.

                       LOTTIE looks at MAYA desperately

Oh! okay I’ll give you a refill.

                      HUGO (Shouts)

                    PEAK. REJECTED!!!!

                      ZAYN

     Stop talking like that. you live in Chelsea.

                         HUGO

                 Like What?

                ZAYN

You know what I mean. We all know you live in Chelsea.

                HUGO (freezes and shrugs Bea off, making firm eyecontact with ZAYN, who stands his ground)

Zayn suck yourself you little dusty yute! You wanna go??

   Hugo charges at Zayn, the boys begin to fight,

                        BEA

           Cries. HUGO! Stop it! You’re better than this.

She gets between the two and hugs HUGO, her head on his chest facing down, LUCA pulls ZAYN away, the others watch in amazement. Suddenly, BEA throws up on Hugo’s shoes. Everyone stares at HUGO, anticipating his next move.

                       MAYA

                 Oh my god. His Nike's

                      HUGO

                MY NIKE'S! (He yells out in anguish)

Everything is totally quiet, BEA groans on the floor, LOTTIE runs to pick her up.

HUGO looks deathly, he shakes violently as he takes a very expensive phone out of his pocket. He calls his mum. His voice suddenly goes posh.

                     HUGO

 Mummy. Please send a cab to pick me up.

                           LUCA

    Hugo, come here mate. We can clean them when we get there

HUGO storms off.

                   DUFFY

     This is going well, isn’t it?

                LOTTIE

     Me and Bea are going. She’s not in a good way-

                    MAYA

      That’s fine. Anyone else?

MAYA Looks around, there’s only ZAYN, LUCA and DUFFY left- They look like they’ve given up.

     Right. We’re almost there.

The rest of the gang starts walking. DUFFY catches up and walks alongside ZAYN.

                 DUFFY

    You know what’ll bring the energy back up?

He takes out a bag of crisps.

               DUFFY

smiles and offers the bag to ZAYN. Crisp?

ZAYN grins and grabs a frantic handful of crisps, the packet is passed around. The two walk on. Suddenly, he begins to choke. Everyone notices.

DUFFY grabs the packet and looks at the ingredients. a lingering shot from behind the packet pans up to his eyes. He looks panicked.

           DUFFY

 Oh, for god’s sake.

   END.

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