(pt 9)

[continued:]

[Squibs, Rob and Beth Austin sit in Squibs's living room joined by two other men: a tall young man of medium build and classicly handsome features named KYLE and another man, fit and with a larger frame, named VICTOR. They sit facing each other in stools and chairs in a semi-circle around the couch. There is a long awkward silence. Finally the phone rings to break quiet and Rob picks it up almost immediately.]

ROB: Where are you?

[David is driving, phone to his ear.]

DAVID: How'd you know it was me?
ROB: Where. Are you.
DAVID: I'm passing by the Dunkin Donuts now. I'll be there in a couple minutes.
ROB: You know we're all sitting here staring at each other, waiting on you.
DAVID: Who's there right now?
ROB: Everyone. Me and Squibs. Vicks and Kyle. Beth has been here for almost forty-five minutes now.
DAVID: Oh really? Didn't we say 11?
ROB: 10.
DAVID: Are you sure?
ROB: Everyone else got here by 10.
DAVID: Because I could have sworn --
SQUIBS: [whispering] Where is he?
ROB: [mouths "Close" to Squibs; then speaks aloud to David] 10, dude. We said 10.
DAVID: 11. Well, I'm almost there so I'll see you momentarily. [As David goes through a green light, sounds from the crosswalk signals pierce the air to aid the visually-impaired in crossing the street.]
ROB: Wait, are those the chirps from the crosswalks? Are you still downtown?
DAVID: Well, yeah, but I'm almost --
ROB: Come on, man!
DAVID: It's not that big a WHOA!

[David swerves then quickly corrects himself, the sound of a car horn blaring from a growing distance.]

DAVID: I almost just got into a car accident.
ROB: That's great.
DAVID: And it wouldn't have even been a cool one. It was one that was easily preventable. That was lame. I'm going to get off the phone.
ROB: Get here faster. [hangs up the phone; to everyone else] He'll be here shortly. Sorry for the wait.
KYLE: [after another awkward pause] So your name is Beth?
BETH: Yeah, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name the first time.
KYLE: Oh, Kyle. Kyle Wedge.
BETH: [to herself] Kyle. Kyle Wedge. [then to him] Nice to meet you.
KYLE: You, too. Have you ever done anything like this before?
BETH: No, not really. I mean I've done plays at school and things like that but never a movie. Have you?
KYLE: I've worked with these guys before on some smaller things.
BETH: Oh. Okay. And you're playing --
KYLE: I'm playing not the fiancee.
BETH: Oh. So I guess you and I are about to get a lot closer then, right?
KYLE: [laughs] Yeah, I guess so.
VICTOR: I'm Victor by the way.
BETH: I know.
ROB: All right we're going to start up without David. Sorry to keep you guys waiting. So, what you have in your hand is a vast majority of the script. We're still working on some details with the ending.
SQUIBS: [to Rob] Do you really hate the idea of her being married the whole time?
ROB: It's too much. We can talk about it later. Let's do a table read. You know, minus the table.

[Everyone laughs lightly and readies their scripts. Rob starts to flip through.]

ROB: Did you all have a chance to go through at least some of it? [everyone makes some signal of affirmation] What'd you guys think?
KYLE: It's certainly different.
ROB: Than our other stuff? I know. We thought we'd try to make something people actually liked for once.
VICTOR: So, pretty much, the fiancee is not really in most of it.
ROB: He's here and there. We've got some web cam sequences where you're talking to Beth from overseas. You're around in the beginning and you'll probably be present a lot more in the end, depending on what ending we decide on.
SQUIBS: Possibly even married the whole time.
ROB: Not that. [turns to Beth] Okay, Beth: what did you think?
BETH: I thought it was good. I read the sex scenes. I thought they were really hot.
ROB: Yeah, David wrote those. They really have to be perfect.
BETH: [to Kyle] Oh, so no pressure or anything, right?
KYLE: Right?
ROB: We know we picked the right people for this so we're not worried. The real question is are you comfortable with them?
KYLE: Me? I'm great.
ROB: Not you, goofus.
BETH: I'm fine with them. They seem tasteful and, like I said, really hot.
ROB: Great. Good. That's really good. Okay, you guys want to get started reading?
KYLE: Is there a place you want us to pick up from?
ROB: Um, yeah. Let's start early on. There are a couple scenes I want to see -- if they work or not. Let's go to page twenty: the first time Beth goes to Kyle's house. I want to see how this scene juxtaposes with the proposal scene later.
KYLE: Okay. Should I just start with "Here it is?"
ROB: Yeah, sounds great.
KYLE: All right.

[Kyle gives Beth a small nod and she nods back. Their voices transform into performance type: louder, clearer, more articulate and with emotion.]

KYLE: Well, here it is.
BETH: Wow, it's huge.
KYLE: Yeah, I got a little scared the first time I walked in here.
BETH: It's also ... you can tell a bunch of guys live here.
KYLE: Yeah, I just have no idea what to do with the space. I can't decide on anything.
BETH: Just needs a woman's touch is all.
KYLE: Something like that. So -- do you want the tour?
BETH: Sure.
KYLE: I mean, you can basically see everything already. Up these stairs is the kitchen and my roommate's bedroom. The living room is down here and the bathroom is right over there. My other roommate's bedroom is right here and up those stairs is my bedroom.
BETH: Can I take a look?
KYLE: Um, yeah, sure, of course.
ROB: They go upstairs. Kyle doesn't even have a door and two of his walls are actually large pieces of plywood nailed to a 2x4 frame so they can stand freely on the floor. Otherwise the room is neatly kept with a queen-sized bed, a computer desk and modern furniture.
BETH: Do you not have walls?
KYLE: This is actually just supposed to be like lofted extra space or something. Someday I hope I'll have walls.
BETH: What do you do for privacy?
KYLE: Oh, I don't mind really. It's not like I have anthing to hide.
BETH: Oh really?
KYLE: Yeah, it's pretty much a one-man show up here.
ROB: There is a small pause after Kyle's self-deprecating joke. He puts his hand on his stomach.
KYLE: Are you hungry? I'm starving.
BETH: Well, I --
ROB: Oh, am I keeping you from something? Sorry about tha--
BETH: Oh, no no. I just, you know, have this boyfriend that's supposed to be coming into town this weekend and I should be getting home and clean or something, I guess.
KYLE: Oh, I didn't know you had a boyfriend.
BETH: Yeah, well, I think I might be breaking up with him soon.
KYLE: Oh, really? That's too bad.
BETH: I guess that depends on how you look at it.

[Rob and Squibs laugh to themselves. The two break character as Rob interrupts them.]

ROB: Great. That was really cool. I think we just need to make sure that she's being flirty and he is kind of clumsily catching on. This guy really isn't all that smooth and doesn't totally realize that she's hitting on him.
BETH: Even though she came up to his bedroom and is talking about breaking up with her boyfriend?
ROB: Do you think that he should catch on?
BETH: I don't know. Is he that dumb?
ROB: We're going to say yes.
KYLE: He's not a stupid guy though.
ROB: No, just, you know, oblivious to this kind of thing.
KYLE: Okay cool.
ROB: All right, let's move on to the proposal scene. Rainy in the park on Valentine's Day.
BETH: So cheesy.
ROB: That's the point. He's romantic but in a very conventional way.
SQUIBS: He's just like a guy's guy and he's doing what he thinks he's supposed to do. Valentine's Day equals romantic.
ROB: Right. So, Vicks, if you want to pick it up as they're walking along the park path.
VICTOR: Yeah, all right.

[Victor clears his throat and straightens his back, slightly poking his chest out. David comes in sometime during their dialogue.]

VICTOR: Well, at least it's stopped raining for a little bit.
BETH: Yeah. You know we could have just stayed at home. We didn't have to go out for a walk today.
VICTOR: I really wanted to get out into the open for a bit.
BETH: You don't think they'll have open space at the base?
VICTOR: Not like this. Not with you.
BETH: Aww.
VICTOR: I'm going to miss you, Beth. I'm going to worry about you all the time.
BETH: You're going to worry about me? I should be worried about you. You're the one travelling to a foreign country.
VICTOR: I know, but, you're going to be here all alone. I'm always going to be wondering what you're doing.
BETH: That's sweet.
ROB: Victor stops and looks onto one of the hills.
VICTOR: Hey, isn't that the spot you like so much?
BETH: Yeah, my little tree.
VICTOR: You want to go up there?
BETH: It's a little muddy I think.
VICTOR: No, come on. It'll be fun. You can get a little dirty.
ROB: Victor all but pulls Beth behind him as he races into the muddy grass and up the hill to the tree. At some point, Beth lets go of his hand as she tries to tread lightly through the wet grass and muck as to not splash herself with wet dirt. She meets Victor up there, who suddenly looks nervous.
BETH: What's going on?
VICTOR: You know that I love you, right?
BETH: Yeah?
VICTOR: And me being shipped off is not my decision.
BETH: You did join the Army.
VICTOR: But, you know --
BETH: I know, I know.
VICTOR: I want to spend all my time with you, all the time. And, hopefully, you'll want to make a life with me.
BETH: Vick, what's --?
VICTOR: Beth --
ROB: He falls to one knee with a squish.
VICTOR: -- will you marry me?
BETH: Oh, Vick.
VICTOR: It doesn't have to be right now. Although if you wanted it to be right now I think we could do it in the next couple of weeks before I leave. But we can wait for me to come back or you can come out and live with me or I don't know. I just want to be with you.
ROB: Beth looks down at the work shirt she's wearing, sporting the logo of the company at which she works with her new friend Kyle. She hesitates for a moment before looking back into his eyes. She's never been able to say no to him.
BETH: Yes, Vick. Of course I'll marry you.

[David hits Squibs on the arms.]

SQUIBS: What?
DAVID: You snuck in that line about being able to get married before he ships out.
SQUIBS: So sue me. I think it's a good idea.
DAVID: It's not going to happen. It's ridiculous. Who does that?
SQUIBS: People do it.
ROB: What'd you guys think of those scenes? Do you think they work well together? Does one seem far-fetched because of the other?
BETH: I think it's fine. I mean, when they're talking on the phone earlier you can tell that Victor has this power of her. So, like, even if she didn't want to get married she probably would because she can't say no.
ROB: Good, good. Okay. Well, I know that you have to get to work by 11:30 Vicks so I guess we'll just do a couple more scenes and then wrap it up for today. I think we should all thank Mr Ten O'Clock here for showing up.
DAVID: 11. Sorry for getting here after you guys. It sounds great. I think we're only going to do one more of these before we start shooting next week so if there are any scenes you guys have questions with or anything, let's try to work them out before we start rolling.
SQUIBS: But, real quick, by a show of hands, who thinks the idea of her getting married and being married the whole time is an awesome plot twist.
DAVID: No one, Squibs. No one. Just stop it. You're embarrassing yourself.
ROB: All right, let's go to the first web cam scene.

[continued]