Carole A. Parker

INT. SUBURBAN HOME - BASEMENT - PRESENT DAY - NIGHT Some cheesy 80’s hair metal ballad plays on an I-pod stereo. If I Close My Eyes Forever, indeed. Your classic wood-panelled rec room. Now a science lab STUFFED with a maze of equipment. Seated at a workbench is FRANKIE STEIN (17). ‘Nerd’ would be compliment. Think Michael Cera divided by Jessie Eisenberg. He’s wearing thick gloves, sleeves and a big apron. Frankie looks at a dead RAT lying on the table, recent roadkill. Thinking. He nods -Leans over, starts attaching a series of electrical cables connected to suction cups on the rat’s head, chest, arms and legs. Nods. Turns to a laptop. Starts PUNCHING in data. The monitor shows a series of graphs that read HEART, LUNG and BRAIN. Each reads zero percent below them. Frankie smiles grimly. FRANKIE Rat-tastic. He picks up a syringe. SQUIRTS it. Looks at the rat -FRANKIE (CONT’D) You’re going to feel a small pinch. And INJECTS it. Frankie then turns to a TRANSFORMER that the cables are attached to. He starts flipping a series of switches. We hear a HUMMING sound. A needle on the transformer starts moving from left to right. It approaches the red zone -Frankie FLIPS DOWN a metal bar, and the rat gets ZAPPED with electricity. BUZZZ. The graphs all JUMP to ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. The rat BOLTS UP in the air. LEAPS onto Frankie and BITES his arm. FRANKIE (CONT’D) SHIT -He GRABS a coffee mug off the table and WHACKS him in the head with it. The rat goes FLYING into the air and lands on the floor. Starts SCURRYING around, SMASHING into stuff. FRANKIE (CONT'D) (looks at his arm) Kevlar. The gift that keeps protecting. He watches the rat RACE around the room. Then realizes. (CONTINUED) 2. CONTINUED: FRANKIE (CONT’D) I didn’t close the DOOR -It goes to the stairs, starts FLYING up to the first floor. He CHASES after it. INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT Total suburbia brought to you by the color beige, dimly lit by the light coming from the various appliances. The rat RACES through the kitchen, followed by Frankie. The rat BANGS around the room, looking for an escape. Frankie THROWS OPEN the door to the back yard, and the rodent FLIES OUT. He SLAMS the door. Exhales. Shakes his head. FRANKIE Talk about a rat-race. FEMALE VOICE (O.C.) Is everything okay, honey? The lights FLIP ON. Frankie’s mother JULIE (40’s) stands there in her bathrobe. Once a great beauty, now a bit washedout-looking. But still appealing, even fresh-scrubbed. JULIE I heard the door slam. Everything okay? FRANKIE (nods) I was coming in from the back yard. The wind blew the door shut. JULIE What were you doing in the backyard so late at night? FRANKIE Uh -- I was -JULIE Never mind. One of your experiments, right? FRANKIE Uh, yeah. JULIE Have a seat, boy genius. I’ll fix you a glass of warm milk. FRANKIE Could I, uh -- get a beer? 3. EXT. FRANKIE’S HOUSE - DAY Frankie walks out the door. Starts walking over to his car, a decrepit, old Volkswagon bus. FEMALE VOICE (O.C.) Hey, Frankie -He turns and look, sees -VITA HECK (17), his next-door neighbor. Your classic tomboy. Hair in a ponytail. Glasses. Baggy clothes. Not the stuff of teenage dreams. But kinda cute if you squint your eyes. FRANKIE Hey, Vita. What’s up? VITA Finally fixed the motherboard. Got twohundred screaming gigs of POWER. FRANKIE (distracted) That’s -- great. He opens the car door. Gets in. Starts the engine. Vita walks over to the car. VITA A bunch of us are gonna play Dungeons and Dragons tonight. Can I pencil you in as a wizard? FRANKIE I haven’t played that since we were kids -VITA I know. I just thought -FRANKIE You ask me every week. And what do I always say? VITA Uh, no -- ? FRANKIE Don’t get me wrong. I really appreciate the invite. No hard feelings? VITA Okay -He nods. Puts the car in gear and drives away. She watches the car sadly as it goes down the street. Sighs. (CONTINUED) 4. CONTINUED: VITA (CONT’D) I’ve loved you all these years, Frankie Stein -- and you don’t even know I exist. EXT. SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL - DAY Out of a John Hughes movie. Old and stately. Manicured lawn. Manicured kids from good homes. The joint’s abuzz with dozens of STUDENTS on their way to class. Frankie walks with his friend JOSH BOHNER (17), small and intense. Makes Pee Wee Herman look macho. JOSH You mean it WORKED? FRANKIE Yeah. Then the little fucker ran away. JOSH Do you realize what this MEANS? FRANKIE That I’m a genius? JOSH (sees something) Uh-oh. Here come the archetypes -A trio of CHEERLEADERS walk by. Two scoops of blonde times three. They glide by the boys. Bathed in golden sunlight. Frankie sighs. Stares at -SHAYLA PETRIE (17), the head cheerleader. She sees Frankie staring. Whispers to her friends. They ERUPT in laughter. FRANKIE Shayla Petrie -JOSH I can’t believe you have the hots for her. She just LAUGHED at you. FRANKIE I don’t care. She’s perfect -JOSH Hello? Reality check? She’s WAY out of your league. FRANKIE (watches her go) I don’t care -- (CONTINUED) 5. CONTINUED: JOSH (tugs on his sleeve) C’mon, we’re gonna be late for chem lab. They start walking inside. FRANKIE I would KILL to be with her. JOSH Careful what you wish for -HIDING BEHIND A NEARBY TREE We see Vita, watching them. She shakes her head sadly. VITA Shayla Petrie? She’s the biggest slut in SCHOOL -INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY Plain and ordinary, but comfy. Homey. We hear SQUEALING and BANGING from behind a closed door. Vita’s mother PEGGY (40) talks on the phone. Looks freaked out. PEGGY Nobody’s come yet. Can they hurry it up? It’s making such an awful racket -DISPATCHER (O.C.) (electronic) You don’t need to call nine-one-one more than once, Ma’am. An officer should be there any minute. The doorbell RINGS. PEGGY That must them. Thanks, bye -She hangs up, rushes out of the room to the -FRONT DOOR Where she opens it. A UNIFORMED OFFICER walks in. Young. Decent-looking. Trying very hard not to smile. UNIFORMED OFFICER Mrs. Heck? PEGGY Please. Call me Peggy. (CONTINUED) 6. CONTINUED: UNIFORMED OFFICER Peggy. (nods) Officer Beverage. You reported a wild, rabid rat invasion? Meet CHET BEVERAGE (30’s), small town peace officer. A bit paunchy from living the good life. Great with getting cats out of trees. Never fired his weapon. On purpose, that is. PEGGY Yes, I did. Thank god you’re here. Come with me. I’ll show you. INT. SUBURBAN HOME - KITCHEN - DAY Peggy and Chet stand in front of the door to the basement. The rat SQUEALS and BANGS against the door. PEGGY I opened the back door to take out the garbage, and it ran in here like a little devil and went down to the basement. CHET Why didn’t you call an exterminator? PEGGY Because it was, uh -(eyes wide) Already dead. EXT. SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL - DAY School’s out. Students leave the building like a stream of ants. Laughing and shouting as they walk. EXT. SCHOOL PARKING LOT - DAY Frankie and Josh walk towards Frankie’s car. JOSH But that’s CRAZY. You can’t do that. I’ve seen the movie. It DOESN’T end well. FRANKIE Well, that’s because he used body parts from several people -- but what about reanimating a whole person? MALE VOICE (O.C.) Hey, LOOK. THERE they are. Don’t ask, don’t SMELL -- (CONTINUED) 7. CONTINUED: Reveal WILLIS GRUBB (18), big and massive -- and Shayla’s boyfriend, with his cohort KIRK KIRK, JR. (18), even bigger. Jocks Gone Wild. Staring at them. Fists clenched. KIRK And where are you two love birds off to? WILLIS Wait -- don’t tell me. They’re gonna Eat, Pray, Fuck. They both BURST into laughter. High-five each other. FRANKIE I don’t know what the hell Shayla sees in you, you fat fuck. You don’t DESERVE her. JOSH (whispers) Frankie -Willis’ face turns red. WILLIS I’m gonna fucking KILL you -Frankie KICKS him in the balls. Willis keels over in pain. WILLIS (CONT'D) OW -KIRK You little SHIT -Josh WHIPS OUT pepper spray and SHOOTS it in Kirk’s eyes. KIRK (CONT'D) (wiping them) My EYES, my EYES -FRANKIE Let’s GO -- JOSH RUN -- And they take TAKE OFF. EXT. FRANKIE’S VOLKSWAGON BUS - CONTINUOUS Frankie and Josh pile into Frankie’s van. SLAM the doors. JOSH I can’t believe you fucking DID that. FRANKIE Neither can I. 8. INT. FRANKIE’S VOLKSWAGON BUS - CONTINUOUS Frankie JAMS the car into gear. Josh turns around and looks out the back window. Sees something. JOSH Wait. Don’t go. Hold on a sec -FRANKIE Are you fucking crazy? He starts pulling out of his parking space. JOSH WAIT. It’s Shayla -FRANKIE What? Frankie turns around. Looks. EXT. SCHOOL PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS Willis SLAPS Shayla. GRABS her. SHOVES her into his pickup truck. SLAMS the door. PEELS RUBBER out of the parking lot. IN FRANKIE’S CAR He looks at Josh. Open-mouthed. FRANKIE The rumors are TRUE. He DOES hit her. Frankie HITS THE GAS and drives toward the exit. JOSH What are you DOING? FRANKIE What does it look like? I’m gonna FOLLOW them -EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - DAY Frankie’s car follows Willis’ truck down the street. INT. FRANKIE’S VOLKSWAGON BUS - CONTINUOUS Josh looks at Frankie. JOSH You’re fucking crazy. What are you gonna do when you catch up with them? FRANKIE Rescue her. 9. EXT. THE CAMELOT MOTEL - DUSK A seedy, shitty adult motel on the outskirts of town near a park. Frankie’s VW bus is parked at the opposite side of the gravel parking lot far away from Willis’ truck. JOSH I’m cold, I’m hungry, and I gotta take a piss. FRANKIE You can go if you want to. JOSH I’m not gonna WALK home. It’s too FAR. FRANKIE Relax. They’re not gonna be much longer. They both have to go home for dinner. On cue, a motel door OPENS. Shayla and Willis walk out. Dishevelled, with that ‘just had sex’ look. And a bit tipsy. They look around, make sure they’re not being seen. Willis holds a bottle of Jack Daniels. Takes a long swallow. They both get in the truck. It starts driving away. IN FRANKIE’S VAN He starts the engine. FRANKIE (CONT’D) Okay, here we go -IN WILLIS’ TRUCK Shayla grips her stomach. Turns green -SHAYLA Stop the car. I’m gonna get -And PROJECTILE VOMITS all over the dashboard. WILLIS Fucking BITCH. Look what you did to my TRUCK. (reaches over, YANKS her door open) Get OUT. SHAYLA But, but -Willis SHOVES her out of the seat. She FLIES OUT the door. IN THE VAN (CONTINUED) 10. CONTINUED: Frankie and Josh see Shayla HIT the pavement. And Willis’ truck ROAR away. Shayla stands up. Shakes a fist. SCREAMS. SHAYLA (CONT’D) You fucking ASSHOLE. ON THE STREET A DRUNK DRIVER comes CAREENING around a corner. Now that it’s getting darker, he doesn’t see Shayla -- and CLIPS her with his front fender. She FLIES into the air like a rag doll -And HITS the pavement, THWUMP. FRANKIE’S VW BUS SCREECHES to a halt beside her motionless body. Frankie and Josh jump out. Walk over. Frankie gets down on his knees. Takes her pulse. Shakes his head sadly. FRANKIE She’s -- dead. JOSH Shit. We better call the cops -FRANKIE The COPS? Are you fucking KIDDING me? JOSH What else could we -(realizes) Oh, no. No WAY. FRANKIE Way. It worked on the rat. Now I want to try it on her. JOSH This is SICK, Frankie. You just want to be with her. No WAY am I getting involved in this. We could go to jail for a LONG time. FRANKIE So we don’t get caught. Now help me put her in the back of the van. (off his silence) C’mon, don’t you want me to go down in medical history? JOSH (sighs) I’ll take the feet. You grab her arms --