Ultiminio Vega

A Well Rounded Individual By Ultiminio Vega -- FADE IN: EXT. BROOKLYN COLLEGE CAMPUS - DAY Masses of noisy STUDENTS go toward their various destinations. EXT. STUDENT DORMS - DAY The street is crowded with several cars as STUDENTS get their belongings into their new homes. INT. STUDENT DORMS - CONTINUOUS Carrying a couple bags, JASMIN (17) waves to her PARENTS from the entrance, then lets the door close. She is dressed typically and draws excessive attention from other new STUDENTS as she makes her way to -JASMIN’S DORM ROOM She inches into the half-open door of her room. Her room mate’s bed is covered with bags and clothes. A computer desk is also full of her room mate’s things. Jasmin puts her things down and relaxes looking around. After a moment, she begins to put up her belongings. LATER Jasmin’s side of the room is now well organized. She reaches into a mostly empty bag and pulls out a framed picture. Her smile becomes saddened. JASMIN I wish you two could see me now. You’d be proud, I think. She struggles to contain her tears, and she shuts her door completely. JASMIN You were the best friends I ever had. You didn’t deserve... She WEEPS. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 2. JASMIN It’s my fault I lost you. She hangs the picture on a wall. INSERT - PICTURE TICKLE-ME-ELMO and OSCAR THE GROUCH each have an arm around Jasmin as they laugh toward the camera. BACK TO SCENE Sitting down on her bed, Jasmin CRIES into her hands and shutters when BECCA (17) enters. She is dressed provocatively and puts down a bag when she sees Jasmin. BECCA What’s wrong? She sits next to Jasmin and puts an arm around her. JASMIN I’m sorry. I’m Jasmin. BECCA Why are you crying? Jasmin CRIES even harder -JASMIN I lost my best friends. BECCA Oh, I get it; because you left for school. Well my name is Becca and I bet we’re going to great friends. JASMIN You really think so? BECCA Yeah, I do. I just bought some chicken. Wanna help me eat it? JASMIN Okay. She wipes her tears as Becca gets her bag of fired chicken. Jasmin happily gets a piece of chicken and eats. 3. INT. JASMIN’S DORM ROOM - DAY On the floor, next to her bed, Jasmin’s cellphone silently sounds her alarm as it vibrates ten minutes pass 9am. She is curled up in bed surrounded by pillows. Becca’s bed is unkept and empty. A sliver of sunlight moves on Jasmin’s pillow and makes its way onto her face. She GROWNS then nearly falls out of bed searching for her phone. JASMIN Oh my gosh. She rushes out of bed in her pajamas and quickly throws on normal cloths, grabs her backpack, and leaves the room. EXT. BROOKLYN COLLEGE CAMPUS - DAY Jasmin flashes her ID at the GUARD at the front gate and runs pass other students. INT. INGERSOLL HALL - DAY Out of breath, Jasmin wearily steps out the stairwell that has a sign next it displaying "5th floor". PHYSICS OFFICE Jasmin enters. Behind a desk, looking busy, EDDY (19) glances at the clock. EDDY Are you Jasmin? She stumbles but holds herself up. JASMIN Yeah, sorry -EDDY You’re two minutes late. JASMIN I’m really sorry -From behind a closed office door -- (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 4. DOCTOR TOCKMAN (O.S.) Is that Jasmin?! EDDY Yes Doctor Tockman! DOCTOR TOCKMAN (O.S.) Send her in! Eddy opens the office door for Jasmin. DOCTOR TOCKMAN’S OFFICE Light pours into the room from a window behind DOCTOR TOCKMAN. He studies a modified I-tablet as Jasmin timidly enters the office. He motions toward a chair. She sits. DOCTOR TOCKMAN Would you say you’re a responsible person? JASMIN Yes, I’m sorry -DOCTOR TOCKMAN The Student Assistant position you applied for requires you to be on time every time. Jasmin squirms around on the seat. DOCTOR TOCKMAN (CONT’D) Can I trust you’ll take the job seriously. She bites her nails. JASMIN Yes, I’m totally serious about this job, and I’m really smart -Silencing her with a wave, he takes a good look at Jasmin. DOCTOR TOCKMAN Alright, you have the job. Eddy! Eddy opens the door. DOCTOR TOCKMAN Take her to Post Station. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 5. EDDY Yes sir. She follows Eddy and Doctor Tockman studies his modified I-tablet. INT. POST STATION - DAY Eddy and Jasmin step out of a stair case with a sign next to it that reads "6th floor". JASMIN How is there a sixth floor in this building? She looks around confused. EDDY This is a really easy job. Most professors say you can’t do school work while doing the job, but Doctor Tockman doesn’t care. They turn a corner and at the end of the hall sits STACIE (22) mature, and dressed in a business suit. EDDY That’s Stacie. She’ll tell you about the job. Do everything she says and don’t do anything she says not to do. Stacie sees them coming and stands. STACIE Hello. EDDY Stacie, Jasmin. You can take it from here. STACIE Thanks. Eddy leaves. STACIE Doctor Tockman stressed punctuality? (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 6. JASMIN Yeah, I got the picture. STACIE Good. If you’re lucky you’ll do like me and get to keep this Student Assistant job for your entire college career. JASMIN You’re a senior? STACIE Yes. The job sound easy, but it’s really up to you. Behind Stacie’s tiny desk is a closed door. LATER Messing with her cellphone, Jasmin sits at the tiny desk in front of the door. STACIE (V.O.) All you have to do is, don’t let anyone, anyone, open this door. LATER Wearing different clothes, Jasmin watches funny cat videos on YouTube. STACIE (V.O.) Under no circumstances are you to open the door. LATER Wearing different clothes, Jasmin makes a duck-face as she takes a selfie. STACIE (V.O.) No matter what you see or hear or smell; you do not open this door. Is this clear to you? JASMIN (V.O.) Yes. 7. LATER Wearing different clothes, Jasmin plays hopscotch using the floor tiles. JASMIN (V.O.) What’s in the room? STACIE (V.O.) I don’t want to know, and you shouldn’t either. After playing hopscotch, Jasmin leans against a wall. She finds it dusty. Wiping the wall with her hand, she gathers a chunk of dust then rubs her hands clean. LATER Jasmin falls asleep at the desk. From under the door, a light breeze blows dust and then inhales it under the door. Jasmin almost falls off the desk and wakes up. JASMIN It’s twelve o’clock? Isn’t there a... Oh, whatever. She gathers her things and speed-walks out of there. INT. POST STATION - DAY Stacie puts on her backpack and smiles as she passes Jasmin arriving. STACIE Right on time. Doing good Jasmin. Jasmin gets settled at the desk in front of the door then takes an English study packet out of her backpack and reads. DOOR (O.S.) (whispering) Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Jasmin slowly realizes from where the voice emanates. She cautiously moves away from the door. She goes a few steps away and enters a unisex restroom. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 8. Moments later, Jasmin exits the restroom and takes her seat in front of the door which is now slightly opened. As she reads, the door opens without a sound, but Jasmin senses something and turns. She quickly closes the door making sure no one approaches from down the hall. JASMIN It’s not even locked? She looks down the hall again making sure no one is coming. JASMIN It’s not even locked. The hall is empty. Jasmin opens the door finding nothing but darkness inside. She pokes her head in the darkened room. JASMIN Weird. The hall is still empty. Jasmin leans into the dark room holding her cellphone flashlight over her head. The door closes bumping Jasmin into the -DARK ROOM Total and complete darkness surrounds Jasmin. JASMIN Where’s the door?.. DISEMBODIED VOICE (O.S.) (jumbled screaming) You lie, you fake, how could you do this, you’ll never bring back yesterday, wait, hate, wait, hate. JASMIN Oh no... She HEAVES vomit. 9. RESTROOM STALL Lights flicker on. Jasmin vomits into a toilet. She steps out of the stall and washes up at a sink. JASMIN What happened? She looks around and exits the restroom. INT. WESTQUAD BUILDING - DAY - CONTINUOUS Jasmin exits the restrooms and goes toward the stairs. JASMIN Westquad? How did... Oh shoot! She rushes down the stairs and out of the building. EXT. BROOKLYN COLLEGE CAMPUS - DAY - CONTINUOUS Racing across campus, Jasmin makes her way to Ingersoll Hall. INT. INGERSOLL HALL - DAY - CONTINUOUS She runs up stairs to the sixth floor and rushes to -POST STATION As she turns the corner, Jasmin sees herself leaning into the dark room. The door closes bumping her into the room. Jasmin is stunned. She timidly takes her seat. Jasmin reflects on the situation and looks at the closed door. She opens the door and steps inside closing the door behind her. DARK ROOM There is total darkness. JUMBLED SCREAMING. JASMIN Here it comes. She HEAVES vomit. 10. RESTROOM STALL Lights flicker on. Jasmin vomits into a toilet. She rushes out of the stall and runs out of the restroom. INT. WESTQUAD BUILDING - DAY - CONTINUOUS Jasmin runs down the stairs and out of the building. EXT. BROOKLYN COLLEGE CAMPUS - DAY - CONTINUOUS She races across campus and enters Ingersoll Hall. INT. INGERSOLL HALL - DAY - CONTINUOUS She runs up stairs to the sixth floor and rushes to -POST STATION Before she turns the corner, she uses her cellphone to peer around and sees herself sitting. Jasmin, at the desk, turns to look at the door then enters closing the door. Jasmin causally strolls to the tiny desk in front of the door. JASMIN I went back in time. She goes to the door and opens it. Jasmin from the future races around the corner pushing present Jasmin into the room. The door closes behind them. INT. POST STATION - DAY - CONTINUOUS Jasmin reads an English study packet, then frantically gets her backpack and pukes in it. DOOR (O.S.) (whispering) Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. JASMIN Aw, man. She looks up from her backpack perplexed. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 11. JASMIN I came back to the start of my shift. She turns to the door. JASMIN The time retraced is exponential. She paces in front of the door. JASMIN If I’m right, I can go in again and I’ll retrace -She does a calculation on her phone. JASMIN About ten hours. She puts her phone on the desk and steps into the door. The door closes behind her. INT. JASMIN’S DORM ROOM - DAY Awakening under a pile of pillows, Jasmin falls out of bed and pukes into a waste basket. Becca sleeps and shifts around. Jasmin gets her phone which reads "6:27am. October 11, 2017". Jasmin drops her phone and LAUGHS. Becca shutters awake. INT. POST STATION - DAY Stacie puts on her backpack and smiles as she passes Jasmin arriving. STACIE Right on time. Doing good Jasmin. Jasmin gets settled at the desk in front of the door then takes out a notebook from her backpack. She writes an equation and uses her phone to calculate numbers. JASMIN Two-hundred and seventy one days. She looks at the door and opens it. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 12. DOOR Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Future Jasmin #1 runs toward Present Jasmin who is about to enter the dark room. FUTURE JASMIN #1 Wait, not yet. PRESENT JASMIN What are -Future Jasmin #2 runs toward them. PRESENT JASMIN What the, hey! Future Jasmin #2 shoves the other two Jasmins into the room. The door closes behind them. INT. REHEARSAL SPACE - DAY It is a small room decorated with rock star posters. A few music instruments are around. Jasmin poses for a picture with OSCAR (17) who looks like Oscar the Grouch, and EMILIO (17) who looks like Tickle Me Elmo. The photo is taken and Jasmin pukes into a pale. OSCAR Damn it Jasmin, pull yourself together. We’re trying to keep up an image. Emilio LAUGHS as he checks on Jasmin. EMILIO What’s wrong? Are you okay? JASMIN Oh man. Oscar gives Jasmin a soda. OSCAR Come on kid, walk it off. She drinks soda and walks with Oscar a couple steps. JASMIN Oh my gosh! What’s today?! (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 13. EMILIO It’s Tuesday. We practice on Tuesdays, remember? JASMIN What’s the date? OSCAR I don’t know. What’s on your phone? She looks at her cellphone. JASMIN I did it! She LAUGHS. Oscar and Emilio give each other worried looks. LATER Oscar and Emilio sit as Jasmin paces in front of them. OSCAR You gone completely sideways, Jaz. The future? The friggin future? Give me a break -JASMIN I’m telling you the truth. You two go on tour without me and our friendship falls apart -EMILIO If this is true, who wins the election tomorrow? Jasmin gives them a look. EXT. PARK - DAY Oscar and Emilio walk with Jasmin. JASMIN Hardly hear anything from you after the first month. By the time school starts, we don’t talk at all. EMILIO So you want us not to go on tour? Do we do bad or get hurt or something? (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 14. JASMIN Well, no -OSCAR So why do you think we’re supposed to go with you to college? Maybe you’re supposed to come with us. Jasmin sits on a bench. JASMIN But Oscar, you’re so smart in math. You always help me so much. Emilio sits with her. JASMIN (CONT’D) And Emilio, you can get an Art degree. I -Oscar paces. OSCAR Alright, Future-Jasmin, here’s something you might not have thought about. He address the sky. OSCAR (CONT’D) Maybe we don’t want to be toggles in the corporate machine. EMILIO We have something right now, Jaz. I feel the music we play. We’re actually good. We might not always have that. OSCAR Elmo’s right. What if institutionalized learning saps the creativity out of us? EMILIO Yeah, that’s what Pink Floyd taught us. Jasmin takes a moment to gather her thoughts. JASMIN Pink Floyd? Are you listening to yourselves? You two need to grow (MORE) (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 15. JASMIN (cont’d) up. You think things get easier as you get older? She paces in front of them until they sit. JASMIN (CONT’D) Well they don’t. You have to compete for the best jobs, and if you’re left behind, well you better be comfortable with shit jobs. PEOPLE walking by take notice of Jasmin’s tirade. JASMIN (CONT’D) And forget about getting a self-respecting woman. Yeah, girls right now are into you, but you think that’s going to last forever? Oscar and Emilio look embarrassed. JASMIN (CONT’D) Think about the future, guys. Trust me. I’ve been there. The three of them trade looks. EXT. BROOKLYN COLLEGE - STUDENT DORMS - DAY The street is crowded with several cars as STUDENTS get their belongings into their new homes. Jasmin waves goodbye to her parents as they drive away. She continues to wave at the PARENTS of Oscar and Emilo as they drive away. Oscar, Emilio, and Jasmin enter the dorms. INT. PHYSICS OFFICE - DAY Jasmin enters wearing business attire. Behind a desk, looking busy, Eddy glances at the clock. It reads "9:25am". His desk telephone rings and he answers. EDDY (telephone) Yes sir... Certainly. He hangs up. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 16. EDDY Hello Jasmin, Doctor Tockman will see you now. He opens the door for her and she enters -DOCTOR TOCKMAN’S OFFICE The room is dimly lit. Jasmin steps into the office. Doctor Tockman’s modified I-tablet displays a spectral analysis of Jasmin. She shakes his free hand. DOCTOR TOCKMAN Good to meet you. (beat) again -JASMIN Good to meet you too, Doctor Tockman. I-tablet displays readings: Subversion Level - 163, Orderliness Adjunct - 397, Licentious Conjecture - 263, Austere Factor - 719, Formidine Bridge Incursions - 6. DOCTOR TOCKMAN Have a seat, young lady. Tell me a little about yourself. Where do you see yourself in five years? Jasmin confidently situates herself and takes a deep breath to respond. INT. RITZY CAFE - DAY (SUPER: "Four years later") Emilio, Oscar, and Jasmin finish eating while conducting themselves in a reserved manner. WAITRESS (30s) drops in and picks up their plates. WAITRESS How was your lunch? EMILIO Acceptable, thank you. WAITRESS Good, good. Are we having dessert today? Emilio and Oscar look to Jasmin. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 17. JASMIN Why not. We are celebrating. WAITRESS Hey, that’s nice. Congratulations. Can I ask what’s the occasion. Jasmin gives Oscar a glance. OSCAR (smiling) You wouldn’t understand. Waitress maintains her smile. WAITRESS Alright, I’ll be back to get your order if that’s okay. Oscar slight nods. Waitress nods, and leaves. After she is gone, Emilio, Oscar, and Jasmin PFFT. EXT. RITZY CAFE - DAY Jasmin, Oscar, and Emilio exit the cafe and pass a BUSKER playing music. Without looking, Emilio tosses a few coins into Busker’s hat. BUSKER Thanks man -EMILIO I got it at Banana Republic. Only two-fifty. OSCAR That’s a steal. JASMIN Take it from me, Elmo, it looks great on you. They pass COP #1 directing BYSTANDERS as COP #2 beats a PERSON on the sidewalk. COP #1 Move along. Nothing to see here. Move along. Nothing to see here... Cop #2 wails on the Person who is unconscious -- (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 18. COP #2 Stop resisting! Stop resisting! Stop resisting! Stop resisting! Jasmin, Oscar, and Emilio hardly pay attention to the commotion. JASMIN Fall fashions will be out soon -Looking like she just crawled out of a collapsed building, JEZEBEL (18), who resembles Jasmin, runs up to her. JEZEBEL Mom! Jasmin! JASMIN Who are -JEZEBEL I’m your daughter. I’ve come to warn you. Oscar and Emilio try to avoid eye contact with PEOPLE passing by. OSCAR How embarrassing. EMILIO We’ll talk later, Jaz -Jasmin tries to walk around Jezebel. JEZEBEL No wait, you have to listen. She forces Jasmin to stop. JEZEBEL (CONT’D) I went through the door. Jasmin tries to get away, but Jezebel force her to sit. JASMIN I have to be somewhere -JEZEBEL Shut up. I’m sorry Mom, but you have to listen. She gets right in front of Jazmin, but she keeps trying to turn away from Jezebel. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 19. JEZEBEL (CONT’D) You people can’t have this individualistic, conceited culture anymore. Jezebel shifts around trying to get Jazmin to see her. JEZEBEL (CONT’D) When it all goes down, it’s going to be nightmare. Are you listening? She shakes Jazmin, but she refuses to look at Jezebel until she glares at her daughter. JASMIN (sobbing) I always take what I can! Jasmin stares into the camera. FADE OUT.