I'm doing a independent film with my flat-mate and need some people to look over the script and reccomend any changes they can, because we start filming on Tuesday.
It's Neo-noir.
"Gravity"
(Darkness. A voice cuts through the darkness, but it’s faint.)
VOICE: Avery. Avery! AVERY!
(An eye opens.)
VO AVERY: It smells like weed in here... He must have been smoking. It’s strong. Not too long ago. What time is it?
(Flips phone)
VO AVERY: I need a job.
(Shot from inside fridge, looking at AVERY)
VO AVERY: I have Jello and eggs. I’m going with eggs.
(Avery prepares the eggs, sits down on the sofa, turns on the tv. Turns it off, steps into hallway, steals neighbors newspaper, goes back to apartment. Sits down on sofa, reads and eats eggs.)
VO AVERY: Where is he? He still in his room?
(Shot of the door opening from inside the bedroom. See AVERY standing in the doorway. He frowns and opens his phone)
AVERY: Hello, police? I think my room-mate is dead.
(Darkness)
VO AVERY: It’s going to be a long day.
(TITLE: Gravity)
(The next shot is AVERY talking to a thin man in the apartment, recounting what happened next)
AVERY: The police came, looked around the room, called a wagon, and took the body. Asked me a few questions about the bong setup, said they’d be back for that.
JUSTIN: They come back yet?
AVERY: No.
JUSTIN: Why don’t you hide it?
AVERY: Because they’re the police. If they need it, they’ll take it.
JUSTIN: I guess.
(AVERY gets up and walks over to the room. The police tape is down)
VO AVERY: Justin is twitchy. He hates the police. One of the downsides to being a small time dealer, I guess.
(AVERY walks into the room, looking around. There’s an industrial baggy on the floor, and the GRAVITY BONG setup is still on the stool. AVERY walks over and looks at it; the water level is very low.)
(There’s a FLASH: The body is on the floor. AVERY is stepping around it, looking. He frowns. JUSTIN is behind him.)
JUSTIN: What?
AVERY: (sighing) Nothing.
JUSTIN: You sure, man? I could give you something to take the edge off.
AVERY: I’m fine.
JUSTIN: I’m going to get out of here before the police show up.
AVERY: Alright. I’ll give you a call, when I need a hand.
JUSTIN: See ya.
AVERY nods.
(Shot from INSIDE THE FRIDGE, of AVERY)
VO AVERY: I’ve got Jello. No more eggs.
(Shot of AVERY eating out of a large tub of jello on the sofa. He picks up his phone, and dials a friend.)
AVERY: Hey, man. I need a favor.
(A shot of AVERY in the room, talking to an officer. The officer is off-screen.)
OFFICER: And that’s all?
AVERY: Yeah. I just got up, man.
OFFICER: Thank you for your time. We’re going to get the body out of here.
AVERY: What happened to him?
OFFICER: It looks like he had some kind of asthma attack.
AVERY: You sure?
OFFICER: Until we get an autopsy, no.
(CUT TO, AVERY in a new room with a young man in a lab-coat. He’s holding a folder)
MATT: Yeah, a few strings.
AVERY: What do they say?
MATT: Well... I’m going to put this in laymen’s terms for you. When you drown, your lungs close themselves off so they won’t be filled with water. Same thing when you breathe in fire, same thing that happens with an asthma attack.
AVERY: So he had an asthma attack?
MATT: Well, he died of suffocation. Whatever happened, air just stopped going to his lungs.
AVERY: Matt, you’re telling me that this man, who has smoked marijuana religiously over the last four years just developed a bad case of asthma? That was the end of him?
MATT: It’s not impossible.
AVERY: Damn.
MATT: I don’t think you’re asking the right question, though.
AVERY: What should I be asking?
MATT: Not if it’s possible for him to develop an allergic reaction to marijuana... How likely is it?
AVERY: Well, how likely is it?
MATT: Un.
AVERY: Yeah. Can I get a copy of the autopsy report?
MATT: Sure. Take this one; I’m dropping out anyway.
AVERY: Thanks. I owe you one.
(A shot of AVERY walking down the street, the autopsy report open. He’s going over it. Someone running by snatches it and runs away)
AVERY: ****. Someone stop that guy!
(Out of nowhere, a man runs around the corner and tackles the theif. He delivers one punch, takes the report and walks back)
AVERY: Thanks, man.
JORGE: No problem. Is this some kind of important legal document?
AVERY: It’s an autopsy report.
JORGE: Oh, man, that’s bad news. Why did that guy want it?
AVERY: I have no idea. Maybe he thought it was an important legal document.
JORGE: Man, are you some kind of police officer or something, walking around with your autopsy report just waving around and ****? What are you doing with that?
AVERY: Honestly, I have no idea... You wanna get some pie?
(Shot from INSIDE THE FRIDGE)
VO AVERY: I’m running out of Jello.
(Shot of him eating it on the sofa. He picks up his phone.)
AVERY: I gotta get rid of some of his ****.
(Shot of JUSTIN and AVERY walking down the street, JUSTIN is carrying a computer monitor and AVERY is carrying the CPU. They’re walking to a van)
JUSTIN: You sure I can have all this ****? It’s some expensive stuff.
AVERY: I’m not going to be doing anything with it.
JUSTIN drops the monitor accidentally; it breaks open. A few baggies of weed, coke and pills spill out. JUSTIN and AVERY stare at the pills.
JUSTIN: Did the monitor even work?
AVERY: I have no clue.
(POV: Drugs on the ground, looking up at the two men)
JUSTIN: So, you want it?
AVERY: You know I don’t do that ****.
JUSTIN: I can have it?
AVERY: What the hell am I going to do with it? Put it on the coffee table and stare at it?
JUSTIN: I guess not. Man, this stuff must be worth at least three thousand bucks. Was he going to start selling?
AVERY: Hell if I know. If he was, he never told me about it.
JUSTIN: That’s insane.
AVERY: Yeah, just turn around and sell it. Or smoke it, or snort it. I don’t care. I just don’t want it.
JUSTIN: Yeah.
(JUSTIN bends down and picks the baggies up, stuffing them into his pockets. AVERY hands him the computer, nods, and turns around to walk away.)
(Shot from INSIDE THE FRIDGE.)
VO AVERY: I need to go to the store.
(Shot of AVERY eating the jello on the sofa. He reaches to pick up the phone when it starts to ring.)
AVERY: Hello? Who is this?
VO AVERY: Anonymous tipping. It’s so lovely. Someone wanted to tell me they thought the death of my roommate was a big suspicious. There’s a game down on the campus that he used to play at; someone sitting at the table heard he was about to start dealing, maybe took it a little personally. I’m going to go have a word with them.
(AVERY is standing outside of the poker room. Smoke is pouring out from under the door; a faint conversation can be heard from inside.)
MANUEL: Yeah, mang, I hear she had to have some like, muff corrective surgery or something. How crazy is that, mang?
(The camera goes through the door to MANUEL, who is holding a cigarette in one hand, cards in another. He’s in a button-up white shirt with a tie on, at a table with a few other goons. They all laugh.)
VO AVERY: That’s Manuel Smalls. He’s not really hispanic; everything he learned about the culture, he learned from Scarface. He’s also one of the biggest dealers on campus. Word on the street says that he also has a thing for high-school girls, although that isn’t confirmed.
MANUEL: That’s why I love high-school girls, mang!
VO AVERY: Savory, he ain’t. He might have pulled something underhanded to cut out some of the competition. Spiking some **** he sold to my room-mate might have been his bag. I just need some answers.
(AVERY walks through the door and throws a stack of cash on the table)
AVERY: Hey, boys, I’m here to play for Tim. You all know him, tall, lanky, brown hair, used to play here, dead?
(The room quiets)
MANUEL: Mang, I feel absolutley horrible about what happened to him. That’s gotta be rough, you know. I lost one of my most steady customers, mang.
AVERY: I bet. What’s the game?
MANUEL: No limit Texas Hold Em’.
AVERY: Doesn’t anybody these days play a ****ing game of five card draw?
MANUEL: I know, right? Yeah, we let you play tonight, mang, on account of Tim, but next time, you gotta call in advance or no dice, you got it?
AVERY: No problem. I just plan on robbing you all blind, and never coming back.
(They all laugh. AVERY pulls his chair out. A montage of people folding, collecting chips, etc etc, while AVERY voices over)
VO AVERY: Manuel has some bad tells. He holds his cards if they’re good, flips them twice if he has pocket anythings. Easy to read, but I’m not here for the money. I just need to get the goons out of the room so I can have a heart to heart with him. He’s a poser; you ask him five years ago what Texas Hold Em’ is, he would have said page seventy eight of the Kama Sutra.
(It’s down to AVERY and MANUEL. All other players have left the room; AVERY is severly short stack.)
VO AVERY: I’m down by a lot right now; Normally, making a comeback wouldn’t be too hard, but like I said, I’m not here for money. I’m playing for answers, and I have an ace up my sleeve.
AVERY: Well, looks like I’m going to go all in.
(AVERY grabs his chips and throws them in MANUEL’S face. He flinches backwards, and AVERY grabs his tie, slamming his head against the table three times before moving up ahead of him. He puts him in a choke-hold)
AVERY: Well, Manuel, I don’t mean to be rude, but I have a few questions.
MANUEL: YOU COULD JUST ASK, MANG!
AVERY: Something tells me you would have been less than honest. Now... Did you sell the batch Tim was smoking when he died?
MANUEL: I HAVE NO IDEA!
(AVERY slams his head against the table)
AVERY: It’s just a yes or no question.
MANUEL: You think I keep track of **** like that?
AVERY: Do you?
(He slams his head against the table again)
MANUEL: YEAH! I sold him the batch! Now let me go, before I **** you up big-time, mang!
AVERY: I’ve got a followup.
(The GOONS rush in from the other room, as AVERY stands, holding MANUEL out in front of him. He makes his way to the door.)
AVERY: I need to ask you in private.
(AVERY NODS and winks at the goons, and backs out of the room with MANUEL. He goes to the elevator, and steps in with MANUEL. He hits the button for the lobby floor, and as soon as the doors close, he hits the emergency stop button. The GOONS are seen rushing down the stairs.)
AVERY: What did you put in it?
MANUEL: What? Nothing!
AVERY: Don’t lie to me, Manuel, I don’t like it when people (Throws him against the door) lie to me.
MANUEL: I DID NOTHING TO IT!
AVERY: Are you sure you didn’t put something in it? Maybe knock out some competition?
MANUEL: What the **** are you talking about? Competition?
AVERY: Tim was starting to deal. You knock him off because he was going to step on your toes, big man?
MANUEL: Hell no! I had no idea he was starting up! I would have sent my goons out to rough him up, I wouldn’t have ****ing killed him! Choo idiot, I don’t need that kind of heat!
VO AVERY: Dammit, he was telling the truth. I let a little vengeance get in the way of logic. I feel like a tool.
AVERY hits the button in the elevator, and it moves. AVERY hits the button for the next floor, stepping out and shoving MANUEL back in the elevator.
VO AVERY: His goons’ll catch him at the bottom. He’s probably going to send out some squad after me.
(The SQUAD reaches the door and finds it open.)
GOON: You, check the bedroom. Check the loft...
(The goon steps inside. Inside is a trey-table with the Jello bowl on it. The bowl is empty. The apartment is empty.)
VO AVERY: So I’m going to be laying low for a little while.
(Inside JUSTIN’S apartment. There’s a knock at the door. AVERY is standing there with a gym-bag over his arm.)
AVERY: I need a place to stay. I might have ruffled a few feathers.
JUSTIN: With who?
AVERY: Manuel.
JUSTIN: ****. Is he dead?
AVERY: No. Just pissed.
(Shot from inside the fridge. There are jello packs inside. AVERY grabs one, and a spoon)
JUSTIN: I have to run out and make some deliveries. I’ll be back in a few hours, alright? Don’t answer the door if anyone comes to it. You can get on the computer, play some games if you get bored. The library is just down the block, if you get really bored.
(AVERY is eating the jello)
AVERY: Alright. Thanks.
(Cut to AVERY sitting down at the computer, pulling up his e-mail. There’s a message there from TIM, dated a day before his death.)
VO AVERY: So, an e-mail from my dead room-mate dated a day before he died. It’s like an onion; it’s got layers. And the closer I get to the middle, the more it smells.
“Avery,
Man, I have no idea when I’m going to see you again, but I’ve got a way to make some mad money. It’s going to be pretty nice, I think, but I might need to disappear for a little while, while things shape up. So if I’m not at the apartment, I’m going to be over at Justin’s apartment, laying low. I gotta get some contacts, stay away from people that don’t want me dealing.
I’ve got a guy coming to pick up some coke in a few days; it’s stashed in the Game-box, if I’m not back. Just make sure he gets his **** or else he’ll probably murder my ass.
Tim.”
I’m a fan of irony.
(There’s a knock at the door of the apartment)
VOICE: Hey, open up! We know you’re in there?
VO AVERY: Who the hell?
AVERY: Who is it?
VOICE: Grammy num-nums, just open the door, mang!
VO AVERY: ****. It’s Manuel. He must have had someone follow me.
(AVERY checks out the window. There’s a few people waiting down on the street. AVERY sighs and opens the door. Before he can say a word, AVERY punches straight out and clips MANUEL in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Two guys rush up the stairs. AVERY slams the door on one of the guys, knocking him out. He waits behind the door, as the other guy runs through. AVERY grabs him from behind, forces him to the ground, and punches him in the back of the head.)
(CUT TO: The window sliding open, MANUEL’S BODY half out. AVERY is maneuvering it, calling off the goons outside)
AVERY: Hey, guys, we got Avery, go home... Mang.
(The guys shrug and set off)
(AVERY is walking down the hall of his apartment)
VO AVERY: Well, I have to follow the only lead I’ve got at the moment. The only piece I can see. I need to get the bag of coke.
(Enters the apartment carefully; it’s neat, it’s empty. He walks into the living room and pulls out a video game system)
VO AVERY: A graduation present from my folks.
(He removes the back and finds a gallon baggie half full of coke)
VO AVERY: Jesus. He wasn’t kidding.
(The sound of the shower curtain being drawn gets AVERY’S attention. He walks into the kitchen and sets a pot of water on to boil, stepping into the bathroom. He watches for a second, seeing a pair of hands try and smooth the shower curtain against the wall.
AVERY: Well, looks like no one is in the bathroom...
(AVERY gets the pot of water and walks into the bathroom, throwing it over the top and throwing a punch to the center of the curtain. A man cries out and falls. AVERY throws the curtain open)
AVERY: Jorge! Jesus Christ, what are you doing here?
JORGE: Man, I was just looking for you!
AVERY: How do you know where the hell I live?
JORGE: I’m trying to be a detective, see? I took a page of the autopsy report when we were getting pie. I was just checking up on you, you know?
AVERY: You scared the **** out of me.
JORGE: Didn’t mean to. I was snooping around and a found something under your roommates mattress. It’s his phone. Look at it; it says he has four new voice-mail messages! He was popular, wasn’t he?
AVERY: I guess. He was a drug dealer.
JORGE: Do you know how to get his password?
AVERY: No.
JORGE: Guess who does?
AVERY: ... Wanna get some pie?
(CUT TO Justin walking into his apartment, all the lights are off. He’s carrying a grocery bag, and flips the light, revealing AVERY. JUSTIN drops the bag)
AVERY: Little jumpy, aren’t you?
JUSTIN: I didn’t expect for you to still-
AVERY: Be alive?
JUSTIN: Be here.
AVERY: Justin, what the **** are you doing?
JUSTIN: What are you talking about?
AVERY: Let’s have a seat.
(They sit at the kitchen table.)
AVERY: First of all, I applaud you. You’re clever.
JUSTIN: Thank you?
AVERY: No, no. Let me talk.
(AVERY pulls out the cell phone.)
AVERY: Let me put this on speaker phone.
(AVERY presses a button and it cuts to a flashback of JUSTIN on the phone)
JUSTIN: Yo, Tim, listen up, man. I found something mad crazy. You know how you put ice in your G-B, man, and it feels good? I just got some ****ing dry ice- you put enough of that **** in there it’ll rock your ****ing face off. Stop by my place and pick some up.
(Cut back to AVERY at the table, holding a baggy like the one in TIM’S apartment that AVERY found in JUSTIN’S)
JUSTIN: So what? What does that even mean?
AVERY: It’s funny, I talked to a med student. He told me that when the lungs are in danger of burning, they shut themselves off. Looks like an asthma attack, unless you really know what you’re looking for... I know you’re clever, Justin. I mean, you know that too much dry ice would make the smoke so cold it would **** up his lungs.
(While AVERY is talking about the med student, footage of the conversation without sound can be put in)
JUSTIN: That doesn’t prove a ****ing thing.
AVERY: I don’t really need to. I was just trying to figure out why the water level in the GB was so low... The water literally boiled out after Tim died, it was so cold. Something the police would never think to look for. So, for that, I applaud you.
(CUT TO JUSTIN making another phone call, in flashback)
AVERY: Another point: The anonymous call. That was from you, too. You wanted me to go after Manuel, take out some competition for you. Only problem is, I don’t kill people. I have a feeling, though, if I hadn’t taken care of Manuel after you ratted me out here, he would have done me in.
JUSTIN: You can’t ****ing prove a thing!
AVERY: I don’t need to.
(AVERY pulls out the large bag of coke)
AVERY: This was Tim’s first score. He was going to sell this to some guy; I don’t know who he is. I didn’t ask, you know. Tim was dead. But this guy, from the e-mail... He would kill if it was withheld from him. The pick-up point was my apartment, but I left a note telling him where to pick it up.
(CUT TO: A large shadow being cast over the stool in the apartment with a note that has on the front “For Buyer”)
AVERY: So, he’s going to be here soon.
(AVERY pulls a knife out)
JUSTIN: You going to kill me? You self righteous prick, you preach about not killing Manuel and you’re going to kill me? It was a good thing I killed Tim; I would have pissed on his body if I could have... Who the hell tries to start dealing when there are at least three small time and Manuel dealing right around the corner? He would be stepping on my toes most of all, that asshole...
(AVERY cuts the bottom of the bag of coke, spilling it all over the table)
JUSTIN: What the **** are you doing?! That’s going to take me -
AVERY: At least ten minutes to clean up.
(SIRENS can be heard approaching)
AVERY: But I don’t really think you have that much time, Justin.
(AVERY stands, and watches JUSTIN try to clean up the coke on the table. The sirens approach, and on the way down the stairs, AVERY passes a very angry looking strung out man)
(Slo-Mo as Avery leaves the apartment building and walks onto the street. Voice over)
VO AVERY: I’ve got a small time drug dealer on my ass for ****ing him up, and I’ve set up the only other contact I know. I’m going to spend the night in a strange wanna-be detectives house, and book in the morning. I don’t think at this point, anyone will care if they see me again. It’s my plan to hitch back to my house in Virginia, maybe pay a visit to some family I haven’t seen in long enough. This city is just too big, and who am I? I’m just Avery Cunningham.
BLACKOUT.
(The credits begin to roll when...)
JORGE: Avery. Avery! AVERY!
(JORGE is running after AVERY down the street)
JORGE: You staying with me tonight?
AVERY: Yeah.
JORGE: Good deal, man. We’re going to stay up all night, man, talk about detective ****. In the morning, I’m gonna make some pancakes, it’s going to be so fly...
(AVERY sighs, and the screen goes black again)
VO AVERY: I really need to get out of here.
THE END.
It's Neo-noir.
"Gravity"
(Darkness. A voice cuts through the darkness, but it’s faint.)
VOICE: Avery. Avery! AVERY!
(An eye opens.)
VO AVERY: It smells like weed in here... He must have been smoking. It’s strong. Not too long ago. What time is it?
(Flips phone)
VO AVERY: I need a job.
(Shot from inside fridge, looking at AVERY)
VO AVERY: I have Jello and eggs. I’m going with eggs.
(Avery prepares the eggs, sits down on the sofa, turns on the tv. Turns it off, steps into hallway, steals neighbors newspaper, goes back to apartment. Sits down on sofa, reads and eats eggs.)
VO AVERY: Where is he? He still in his room?
(Shot of the door opening from inside the bedroom. See AVERY standing in the doorway. He frowns and opens his phone)
AVERY: Hello, police? I think my room-mate is dead.
(Darkness)
VO AVERY: It’s going to be a long day.
(TITLE: Gravity)
(The next shot is AVERY talking to a thin man in the apartment, recounting what happened next)
AVERY: The police came, looked around the room, called a wagon, and took the body. Asked me a few questions about the bong setup, said they’d be back for that.
JUSTIN: They come back yet?
AVERY: No.
JUSTIN: Why don’t you hide it?
AVERY: Because they’re the police. If they need it, they’ll take it.
JUSTIN: I guess.
(AVERY gets up and walks over to the room. The police tape is down)
VO AVERY: Justin is twitchy. He hates the police. One of the downsides to being a small time dealer, I guess.
(AVERY walks into the room, looking around. There’s an industrial baggy on the floor, and the GRAVITY BONG setup is still on the stool. AVERY walks over and looks at it; the water level is very low.)
(There’s a FLASH: The body is on the floor. AVERY is stepping around it, looking. He frowns. JUSTIN is behind him.)
JUSTIN: What?
AVERY: (sighing) Nothing.
JUSTIN: You sure, man? I could give you something to take the edge off.
AVERY: I’m fine.
JUSTIN: I’m going to get out of here before the police show up.
AVERY: Alright. I’ll give you a call, when I need a hand.
JUSTIN: See ya.
AVERY nods.
(Shot from INSIDE THE FRIDGE, of AVERY)
VO AVERY: I’ve got Jello. No more eggs.
(Shot of AVERY eating out of a large tub of jello on the sofa. He picks up his phone, and dials a friend.)
AVERY: Hey, man. I need a favor.
(A shot of AVERY in the room, talking to an officer. The officer is off-screen.)
OFFICER: And that’s all?
AVERY: Yeah. I just got up, man.
OFFICER: Thank you for your time. We’re going to get the body out of here.
AVERY: What happened to him?
OFFICER: It looks like he had some kind of asthma attack.
AVERY: You sure?
OFFICER: Until we get an autopsy, no.
(CUT TO, AVERY in a new room with a young man in a lab-coat. He’s holding a folder)
MATT: Yeah, a few strings.
AVERY: What do they say?
MATT: Well... I’m going to put this in laymen’s terms for you. When you drown, your lungs close themselves off so they won’t be filled with water. Same thing when you breathe in fire, same thing that happens with an asthma attack.
AVERY: So he had an asthma attack?
MATT: Well, he died of suffocation. Whatever happened, air just stopped going to his lungs.
AVERY: Matt, you’re telling me that this man, who has smoked marijuana religiously over the last four years just developed a bad case of asthma? That was the end of him?
MATT: It’s not impossible.
AVERY: Damn.
MATT: I don’t think you’re asking the right question, though.
AVERY: What should I be asking?
MATT: Not if it’s possible for him to develop an allergic reaction to marijuana... How likely is it?
AVERY: Well, how likely is it?
MATT: Un.
AVERY: Yeah. Can I get a copy of the autopsy report?
MATT: Sure. Take this one; I’m dropping out anyway.
AVERY: Thanks. I owe you one.
(A shot of AVERY walking down the street, the autopsy report open. He’s going over it. Someone running by snatches it and runs away)
AVERY: ****. Someone stop that guy!
(Out of nowhere, a man runs around the corner and tackles the theif. He delivers one punch, takes the report and walks back)
AVERY: Thanks, man.
JORGE: No problem. Is this some kind of important legal document?
AVERY: It’s an autopsy report.
JORGE: Oh, man, that’s bad news. Why did that guy want it?
AVERY: I have no idea. Maybe he thought it was an important legal document.
JORGE: Man, are you some kind of police officer or something, walking around with your autopsy report just waving around and ****? What are you doing with that?
AVERY: Honestly, I have no idea... You wanna get some pie?
(Shot from INSIDE THE FRIDGE)
VO AVERY: I’m running out of Jello.
(Shot of him eating it on the sofa. He picks up his phone.)
AVERY: I gotta get rid of some of his ****.
(Shot of JUSTIN and AVERY walking down the street, JUSTIN is carrying a computer monitor and AVERY is carrying the CPU. They’re walking to a van)
JUSTIN: You sure I can have all this ****? It’s some expensive stuff.
AVERY: I’m not going to be doing anything with it.
JUSTIN drops the monitor accidentally; it breaks open. A few baggies of weed, coke and pills spill out. JUSTIN and AVERY stare at the pills.
JUSTIN: Did the monitor even work?
AVERY: I have no clue.
(POV: Drugs on the ground, looking up at the two men)
JUSTIN: So, you want it?
AVERY: You know I don’t do that ****.
JUSTIN: I can have it?
AVERY: What the hell am I going to do with it? Put it on the coffee table and stare at it?
JUSTIN: I guess not. Man, this stuff must be worth at least three thousand bucks. Was he going to start selling?
AVERY: Hell if I know. If he was, he never told me about it.
JUSTIN: That’s insane.
AVERY: Yeah, just turn around and sell it. Or smoke it, or snort it. I don’t care. I just don’t want it.
JUSTIN: Yeah.
(JUSTIN bends down and picks the baggies up, stuffing them into his pockets. AVERY hands him the computer, nods, and turns around to walk away.)
(Shot from INSIDE THE FRIDGE.)
VO AVERY: I need to go to the store.
(Shot of AVERY eating the jello on the sofa. He reaches to pick up the phone when it starts to ring.)
AVERY: Hello? Who is this?
VO AVERY: Anonymous tipping. It’s so lovely. Someone wanted to tell me they thought the death of my roommate was a big suspicious. There’s a game down on the campus that he used to play at; someone sitting at the table heard he was about to start dealing, maybe took it a little personally. I’m going to go have a word with them.
(AVERY is standing outside of the poker room. Smoke is pouring out from under the door; a faint conversation can be heard from inside.)
MANUEL: Yeah, mang, I hear she had to have some like, muff corrective surgery or something. How crazy is that, mang?
(The camera goes through the door to MANUEL, who is holding a cigarette in one hand, cards in another. He’s in a button-up white shirt with a tie on, at a table with a few other goons. They all laugh.)
VO AVERY: That’s Manuel Smalls. He’s not really hispanic; everything he learned about the culture, he learned from Scarface. He’s also one of the biggest dealers on campus. Word on the street says that he also has a thing for high-school girls, although that isn’t confirmed.
MANUEL: That’s why I love high-school girls, mang!
VO AVERY: Savory, he ain’t. He might have pulled something underhanded to cut out some of the competition. Spiking some **** he sold to my room-mate might have been his bag. I just need some answers.
(AVERY walks through the door and throws a stack of cash on the table)
AVERY: Hey, boys, I’m here to play for Tim. You all know him, tall, lanky, brown hair, used to play here, dead?
(The room quiets)
MANUEL: Mang, I feel absolutley horrible about what happened to him. That’s gotta be rough, you know. I lost one of my most steady customers, mang.
AVERY: I bet. What’s the game?
MANUEL: No limit Texas Hold Em’.
AVERY: Doesn’t anybody these days play a ****ing game of five card draw?
MANUEL: I know, right? Yeah, we let you play tonight, mang, on account of Tim, but next time, you gotta call in advance or no dice, you got it?
AVERY: No problem. I just plan on robbing you all blind, and never coming back.
(They all laugh. AVERY pulls his chair out. A montage of people folding, collecting chips, etc etc, while AVERY voices over)
VO AVERY: Manuel has some bad tells. He holds his cards if they’re good, flips them twice if he has pocket anythings. Easy to read, but I’m not here for the money. I just need to get the goons out of the room so I can have a heart to heart with him. He’s a poser; you ask him five years ago what Texas Hold Em’ is, he would have said page seventy eight of the Kama Sutra.
(It’s down to AVERY and MANUEL. All other players have left the room; AVERY is severly short stack.)
VO AVERY: I’m down by a lot right now; Normally, making a comeback wouldn’t be too hard, but like I said, I’m not here for money. I’m playing for answers, and I have an ace up my sleeve.
AVERY: Well, looks like I’m going to go all in.
(AVERY grabs his chips and throws them in MANUEL’S face. He flinches backwards, and AVERY grabs his tie, slamming his head against the table three times before moving up ahead of him. He puts him in a choke-hold)
AVERY: Well, Manuel, I don’t mean to be rude, but I have a few questions.
MANUEL: YOU COULD JUST ASK, MANG!
AVERY: Something tells me you would have been less than honest. Now... Did you sell the batch Tim was smoking when he died?
MANUEL: I HAVE NO IDEA!
(AVERY slams his head against the table)
AVERY: It’s just a yes or no question.
MANUEL: You think I keep track of **** like that?
AVERY: Do you?
(He slams his head against the table again)
MANUEL: YEAH! I sold him the batch! Now let me go, before I **** you up big-time, mang!
AVERY: I’ve got a followup.
(The GOONS rush in from the other room, as AVERY stands, holding MANUEL out in front of him. He makes his way to the door.)
AVERY: I need to ask you in private.
(AVERY NODS and winks at the goons, and backs out of the room with MANUEL. He goes to the elevator, and steps in with MANUEL. He hits the button for the lobby floor, and as soon as the doors close, he hits the emergency stop button. The GOONS are seen rushing down the stairs.)
AVERY: What did you put in it?
MANUEL: What? Nothing!
AVERY: Don’t lie to me, Manuel, I don’t like it when people (Throws him against the door) lie to me.
MANUEL: I DID NOTHING TO IT!
AVERY: Are you sure you didn’t put something in it? Maybe knock out some competition?
MANUEL: What the **** are you talking about? Competition?
AVERY: Tim was starting to deal. You knock him off because he was going to step on your toes, big man?
MANUEL: Hell no! I had no idea he was starting up! I would have sent my goons out to rough him up, I wouldn’t have ****ing killed him! Choo idiot, I don’t need that kind of heat!
VO AVERY: Dammit, he was telling the truth. I let a little vengeance get in the way of logic. I feel like a tool.
AVERY hits the button in the elevator, and it moves. AVERY hits the button for the next floor, stepping out and shoving MANUEL back in the elevator.
VO AVERY: His goons’ll catch him at the bottom. He’s probably going to send out some squad after me.
(The SQUAD reaches the door and finds it open.)
GOON: You, check the bedroom. Check the loft...
(The goon steps inside. Inside is a trey-table with the Jello bowl on it. The bowl is empty. The apartment is empty.)
VO AVERY: So I’m going to be laying low for a little while.
(Inside JUSTIN’S apartment. There’s a knock at the door. AVERY is standing there with a gym-bag over his arm.)
AVERY: I need a place to stay. I might have ruffled a few feathers.
JUSTIN: With who?
AVERY: Manuel.
JUSTIN: ****. Is he dead?
AVERY: No. Just pissed.
(Shot from inside the fridge. There are jello packs inside. AVERY grabs one, and a spoon)
JUSTIN: I have to run out and make some deliveries. I’ll be back in a few hours, alright? Don’t answer the door if anyone comes to it. You can get on the computer, play some games if you get bored. The library is just down the block, if you get really bored.
(AVERY is eating the jello)
AVERY: Alright. Thanks.
(Cut to AVERY sitting down at the computer, pulling up his e-mail. There’s a message there from TIM, dated a day before his death.)
VO AVERY: So, an e-mail from my dead room-mate dated a day before he died. It’s like an onion; it’s got layers. And the closer I get to the middle, the more it smells.
“Avery,
Man, I have no idea when I’m going to see you again, but I’ve got a way to make some mad money. It’s going to be pretty nice, I think, but I might need to disappear for a little while, while things shape up. So if I’m not at the apartment, I’m going to be over at Justin’s apartment, laying low. I gotta get some contacts, stay away from people that don’t want me dealing.
I’ve got a guy coming to pick up some coke in a few days; it’s stashed in the Game-box, if I’m not back. Just make sure he gets his **** or else he’ll probably murder my ass.
Tim.”
I’m a fan of irony.
(There’s a knock at the door of the apartment)
VOICE: Hey, open up! We know you’re in there?
VO AVERY: Who the hell?
AVERY: Who is it?
VOICE: Grammy num-nums, just open the door, mang!
VO AVERY: ****. It’s Manuel. He must have had someone follow me.
(AVERY checks out the window. There’s a few people waiting down on the street. AVERY sighs and opens the door. Before he can say a word, AVERY punches straight out and clips MANUEL in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. Two guys rush up the stairs. AVERY slams the door on one of the guys, knocking him out. He waits behind the door, as the other guy runs through. AVERY grabs him from behind, forces him to the ground, and punches him in the back of the head.)
(CUT TO: The window sliding open, MANUEL’S BODY half out. AVERY is maneuvering it, calling off the goons outside)
AVERY: Hey, guys, we got Avery, go home... Mang.
(The guys shrug and set off)
(AVERY is walking down the hall of his apartment)
VO AVERY: Well, I have to follow the only lead I’ve got at the moment. The only piece I can see. I need to get the bag of coke.
(Enters the apartment carefully; it’s neat, it’s empty. He walks into the living room and pulls out a video game system)
VO AVERY: A graduation present from my folks.
(He removes the back and finds a gallon baggie half full of coke)
VO AVERY: Jesus. He wasn’t kidding.
(The sound of the shower curtain being drawn gets AVERY’S attention. He walks into the kitchen and sets a pot of water on to boil, stepping into the bathroom. He watches for a second, seeing a pair of hands try and smooth the shower curtain against the wall.
AVERY: Well, looks like no one is in the bathroom...
(AVERY gets the pot of water and walks into the bathroom, throwing it over the top and throwing a punch to the center of the curtain. A man cries out and falls. AVERY throws the curtain open)
AVERY: Jorge! Jesus Christ, what are you doing here?
JORGE: Man, I was just looking for you!
AVERY: How do you know where the hell I live?
JORGE: I’m trying to be a detective, see? I took a page of the autopsy report when we were getting pie. I was just checking up on you, you know?
AVERY: You scared the **** out of me.
JORGE: Didn’t mean to. I was snooping around and a found something under your roommates mattress. It’s his phone. Look at it; it says he has four new voice-mail messages! He was popular, wasn’t he?
AVERY: I guess. He was a drug dealer.
JORGE: Do you know how to get his password?
AVERY: No.
JORGE: Guess who does?
AVERY: ... Wanna get some pie?
(CUT TO Justin walking into his apartment, all the lights are off. He’s carrying a grocery bag, and flips the light, revealing AVERY. JUSTIN drops the bag)
AVERY: Little jumpy, aren’t you?
JUSTIN: I didn’t expect for you to still-
AVERY: Be alive?
JUSTIN: Be here.
AVERY: Justin, what the **** are you doing?
JUSTIN: What are you talking about?
AVERY: Let’s have a seat.
(They sit at the kitchen table.)
AVERY: First of all, I applaud you. You’re clever.
JUSTIN: Thank you?
AVERY: No, no. Let me talk.
(AVERY pulls out the cell phone.)
AVERY: Let me put this on speaker phone.
(AVERY presses a button and it cuts to a flashback of JUSTIN on the phone)
JUSTIN: Yo, Tim, listen up, man. I found something mad crazy. You know how you put ice in your G-B, man, and it feels good? I just got some ****ing dry ice- you put enough of that **** in there it’ll rock your ****ing face off. Stop by my place and pick some up.
(Cut back to AVERY at the table, holding a baggy like the one in TIM’S apartment that AVERY found in JUSTIN’S)
JUSTIN: So what? What does that even mean?
AVERY: It’s funny, I talked to a med student. He told me that when the lungs are in danger of burning, they shut themselves off. Looks like an asthma attack, unless you really know what you’re looking for... I know you’re clever, Justin. I mean, you know that too much dry ice would make the smoke so cold it would **** up his lungs.
(While AVERY is talking about the med student, footage of the conversation without sound can be put in)
JUSTIN: That doesn’t prove a ****ing thing.
AVERY: I don’t really need to. I was just trying to figure out why the water level in the GB was so low... The water literally boiled out after Tim died, it was so cold. Something the police would never think to look for. So, for that, I applaud you.
(CUT TO JUSTIN making another phone call, in flashback)
AVERY: Another point: The anonymous call. That was from you, too. You wanted me to go after Manuel, take out some competition for you. Only problem is, I don’t kill people. I have a feeling, though, if I hadn’t taken care of Manuel after you ratted me out here, he would have done me in.
JUSTIN: You can’t ****ing prove a thing!
AVERY: I don’t need to.
(AVERY pulls out the large bag of coke)
AVERY: This was Tim’s first score. He was going to sell this to some guy; I don’t know who he is. I didn’t ask, you know. Tim was dead. But this guy, from the e-mail... He would kill if it was withheld from him. The pick-up point was my apartment, but I left a note telling him where to pick it up.
(CUT TO: A large shadow being cast over the stool in the apartment with a note that has on the front “For Buyer”)
AVERY: So, he’s going to be here soon.
(AVERY pulls a knife out)
JUSTIN: You going to kill me? You self righteous prick, you preach about not killing Manuel and you’re going to kill me? It was a good thing I killed Tim; I would have pissed on his body if I could have... Who the hell tries to start dealing when there are at least three small time and Manuel dealing right around the corner? He would be stepping on my toes most of all, that asshole...
(AVERY cuts the bottom of the bag of coke, spilling it all over the table)
JUSTIN: What the **** are you doing?! That’s going to take me -
AVERY: At least ten minutes to clean up.
(SIRENS can be heard approaching)
AVERY: But I don’t really think you have that much time, Justin.
(AVERY stands, and watches JUSTIN try to clean up the coke on the table. The sirens approach, and on the way down the stairs, AVERY passes a very angry looking strung out man)
(Slo-Mo as Avery leaves the apartment building and walks onto the street. Voice over)
VO AVERY: I’ve got a small time drug dealer on my ass for ****ing him up, and I’ve set up the only other contact I know. I’m going to spend the night in a strange wanna-be detectives house, and book in the morning. I don’t think at this point, anyone will care if they see me again. It’s my plan to hitch back to my house in Virginia, maybe pay a visit to some family I haven’t seen in long enough. This city is just too big, and who am I? I’m just Avery Cunningham.
BLACKOUT.
(The credits begin to roll when...)
JORGE: Avery. Avery! AVERY!
(JORGE is running after AVERY down the street)
JORGE: You staying with me tonight?
AVERY: Yeah.
JORGE: Good deal, man. We’re going to stay up all night, man, talk about detective ****. In the morning, I’m gonna make some pancakes, it’s going to be so fly...
(AVERY sighs, and the screen goes black again)
VO AVERY: I really need to get out of here.
THE END.
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