NAILED: The Truth Hurts Page 2
He leaves the room.
Lilly stands still, examining herself in the mirror and letting her thoughts flood with criticisms of her physical appearance, and the overwhelming bludgeoning of self-loathing is enough to bring her to tears and hate herself that much more.
LILLY
He’s not fooling anyone.
(pause)
The problem isn’t him.
It’s me. I’m ugly.
III
“EX-LOVERS”
THAT SAME THURSDAY NIGHT AT ROSEANNA’S TRAILER:
Roseanna, a pretty young woman in her mid-twenties with deep red hair and freckles, sits on the front steps leading up to her single wide trailer home. She wears jeans and a white T-shirt, and the land she looks upon was once what she called home with another man. It’s in the country, away from suburbia and the city, and it’s quiet. She only hears bugs singing out in the starlit night, but they’re only a small comfort for the rest of her silence.
In the distance there are headlights approaching the trailer. They come closer until Trey’s beat up truck comes to a stop in front of the home.
Roseanna stands and folds her arms, waiting, a twinge of anger coming over her just to think about him coming back again…
INSIDE TREY’S TRUCK:
Trey, a good looking man who is older than Roseanna, in his early thirties, takes the keys out of the ignition and stares forward at the trailer with a sense of dread.
He turns around and looks in the backseat.
There in a car seat is his baby girl, Marie, his beautiful daughter. She sleeps peacefully.
Trey smiles. Marie is the only thing in his life that makes him happy.
OUTSIDE ROSEANNA’S TRAILER:
Trey steps out of the truck. He leans back in to undo Marie from her car seat.
Roseanna steps down from the front steps and approaches them, her arms still folded in a stand-off manner. It is obvious she doesn’t want to speak with Trey.
Trey reemerges from the car, holding Marie in his arms, who remains fast asleep.
ROSEANNA
Did she have fun?
TREY
Of course she did.
It was Chuck E Cheese.
He laughs a little, trying to get Roseanna to at least smile for him, but she doesn’t.
Trey drops the laughing and hands Marie to her. He leans back into the car and retrieves the diaper bag and Marie’s little pink backpack.
TREY
I can carry these in.
Roseanna silently, stoically turns and leads the way as they walk into the trailer.
INSIDE ROSEANNA’S TRAILER:
It is a small, cramped space – not much, but it’s all Roseanna and Trey could afford when they were together.
Roseanna lays Marie down in a crib next to her bed in the back of the trailer.
Trey sets the diaper bag and backpack on one of two foldable chairs next to a small, foldable table near the other end of the trailer.
Roseanna returns slowly, looking down and waiting for him to leave.
TREY
How are you?
Roseanna does not answer at first. She takes the diaper bag and backpack and places them neatly in the corner of the trailer.
TREY
Are you ever gonna talk to me again?
ROSEANNA
We don’t have anything to talk about.
TREY
Ugh - Roseanna…
ROSEANNA
(mockingly)
Ugh - Trey…
TREY
I think we have a lot to talk about.
Roseanna faces him.
ROSEANNA
Well - start talking.
Trey takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.
TREY
I’m so sorry.
ROSEANNA
We’ve been over this part already.
He approaches Roseanna with an expression of genuine apology on his face, a tired look, one he’s worn countless times before in attempts to gain her forgiveness.
TREY
What can I do? What can I do to make
you happy again?
(pause)
To make you trust me again?
Roseanna looks down.
ROSEANNA
Just leave it alone, Trey.
That’s all I want you to do.
Trey shakes his head and looks away from her for a moment. When he tries to touch Roseanna she backs away.
TREY
I still wanna be with you, Roseanna.
We were so good together.
She laughs.
ROSEANNA
Yeah, and I bet you and Caitlyn were good
together, too.
He holds his head and sighs heavily. There’s really nothing more he can say.
ROSEANNA
Look, Trey, we’ve got Marie.
(looks at the sleeping baby)
And that’s good enough for me.
I don’t need anything else from you.
TREY
But –
ROSEANNA
Please go.
Trey nods and takes a last, longing look at Roseanna, who seems about to cry. He walks out of the trailer.
Roseanna breaks down and cries a few moments after he leaves, quietly so he won’t hear her.
LATER AT MOTEL 9:
On this Thursday night, there are no bodies or crime scenes yet, but the motel looks just as shitty as any other night.
Trey’s truck pulls into the parking lot of the dump of a motel and stops.
Trey steps out of the car, carrying a six pack of beer as he trudges to his motel room.
INSIDE TREY’S MOTEL ROOM:
Trey sets the beer on the nightstand next to a clock-radio.
He turns on the clock-radio and switches through channels until he finds a rock station. He turns up the volume, and the music blasts through the room, drowning out any possibility of him thinking.
He opens a beer and chugs.
He pulls a cigarette out from a pack in his pocket and lights it.
He lies on the bed and gulps down the entire can of beer, then drops it on the floor. He takes more drags from the cigarette, quick drags at first – then slow.
TREY
She’s right.
(pause)
There’s nothing left to say.
BLACK SCREEN.
IV
“SAM AND THE DYING MARRIAGE”
THE NEXT DAY AT RICHARD’S AND BETTY’S HOUSE – FRIDAY MORNING:
UPSTAIRS IN SAM’S BEDROOM:
Sam stands in front of his bedroom mirror. He is a teenage boy, wearing khaki pants and a polo shirt, dressed nicely because of a strict upbringing from his father. His hair is made just as neatly, and as he stands in front of the mirror his shoulders are slumped and his body slouches. He’s not a proud young man. He’s shy, insecure, and most days he hates himself.
But today, Sam has promised himself something; that he will be brave enough to say something… something to his overbearing father and equally polished, well-behaved mother.
SAM
Today is the day.
He takes a deep breath.
SAM
Gonna tell ‘em.
He grabs his backpack off his bed and leaves.
IN THE KITCHEN DOWNSTAIRS:
It is a beautiful kitchen, one that belongs to the money loaded couple of Richard and Betty. The walls are white and for the most part bare of any decoration or family photos, much like the walls of the rest of the house.
It’s quiet downstairs, but it’s always quiet in this upper middle-class household. Hardly any of the three speak to one another unless out of necessity.
Betty, Sam’s Mother, is pouring herself coffee. She’s a pretty woman, conservatively dressed and well-mannered. She wears expensive jewelry that she has bought herself. Her husband and Sam’s father, Richard, has bought her jewelry in the past, but most of it is tucked away in her closet and forgotten about.
Richard sits at the table reading the newspaper. On the cover is a picture of two men kissing.
Richard is dressed like Sam, in a collared shirt and slacks, very upper-class.
Sam approaches from around the corner, hesitantly and nervously…
Before they see Sam…
RICHARD
(looking at the newspaper)
Good God. Disgusting.
Sam hears this and freezes. He gulps nervously.
Betty turns and sees Sam.
BETTY
Morning.
Richard turns around to look at him, but then he turns back to the paper.
SAM
Morning, Mom.
Betty sips her coffee and whips out her cell phone to scroll through her email.
They are all quiet. Sam is the only one actually looking up.
SAM
I’m uh – I’m staying at Dan’s tonight.
Dan doesn’t exist. He’s Sam’s excuse for when Sam would rather spend all night wandering through the local graveyard than staying at home with his parents.
BETTY
That’s fine. Are you coming
home after school?
SAM
No. I’ll probably just head straight there.
BETTY
Okay, well I guess we’ll see you tomorrow.
She looks up and smiles politely, like what she and Sam share is a business relationship.
Sam forces himself to smile back.
SAM
Bye Dad.
Richard does not look up from his newspaper.
RICHARD
Goodbye, Son.
Betty returns her attention to her phone.
Sam looks back and forth between the two of them. This was it, the moment he had built himself up for, and it had taken nearly a year to build up the courage to admit and stop hating himself for it.
SAM
There’s this guy at my school.
(pause)
He uh - just came out,
said he was gay.
Richard does not turn around.
RICHARD
Well I feel sorry for that fag’s father.
The man must be ashamed.
Sam is jolted by the comment.
SAM
Dad, it’s not the end of the world.
RICHARD
I think it is.
All this openly gay crap.
Sam looks to Betty, who is too busy by her phone to pay attention.
RICHARD(cont’d)
America isn’t moving forward.
It’s giving up.
(pause)
I’m sure the father of that boy you’re
talking about, the one at school, if he has any morals
I’m sure he’d rather have a son
with cancer than a gay son.
(pause)
I know I would.
Betty looks up from her phone.
SAM
I – I guess.
BETTY
I’m sorry, honey, what did you say?
SAM
Nothing. Nothing.
I’ll uh – I’ll see you guys later.
He leaves quickly.
Richard and Betty remain fixated on their distractions.
The kitchen phone rings.
RICHARD
Will you get that?
Betty doesn’t hear him.
Richard groans and walks to the phone on the counter. He answers.
RICHARD
Hello?
(pause)
R.J. Smith?
BETTY
Oh that’s for me!
Panicking, she hurries to him and takes the phone.
BETTY
Hello? Yes this is she.
(pause)
Yes, yes…
She sees Richard glaring at her.
BETTY
(to the phone)
Can I call you back?
This is a bad time.
She hangs up.
RICHARD
R.J. Smith? The divorce firm?
She looks fearfully at him.
BETTY
We need to talk.
LATER THAT MORNING IN A HIGHSCHOOL CLASSROOM:
Sam sits in his desk near the middle of the room. The students are quiet, bored…
The teacher is at the front, but her voice is just making sounds, and that’s all Sam hears: sounds that won’t distract him from the failure he was that morning before his parents.
Sam’s head slowly turns and he stares at another male student, a good looking athletic guy sitting a few desks in front of him.
A female student, sitting next to the Male Student, drops her pencil.
The Male Student picks up her pencil for her and smiles flirtatiously.
Sam’s mouth is hanging open as he gawks at the student.
TEACHER
Sam?
Sam is startled back into reality.
SAM
I’m sorry. What?
TEACHER
Are you with us, Sam?
The Male Student turns around and mocks him.
MALE STUDENT
Yeah Sam. Are you with us?
Sam turns red. He can’t take his eyes off the Male Student.
SAM
Uh no. I mean yes!
I uh – I’m here.
He looks away.
Other students laugh.
IN THE SCHOOL HALLWAY:
Students pour out into the hall while the bell finishes ringing.
Sam emerges from the classroom. He sees the Male Student in the hall talking with others.
The Male Student sees him, laughs, and then turns away. He is saying something to the others.
The Male Student mouths the word, and Sam hears him faintly say…
MALE STUDENT
Fag.
Sam turns and hurries down the hall.
IN THE BOY’S BATHROOM:
Sam bursts through the door and throws his backpack down. He leans against the sink and looks at himself in the mirror, disgusted with his own reflection.
Next to the mirror is a motivational poster showing a sad high school boy and words above the boy that read: “IT WILL GET BETTER.”
Sam looks back at his reflection in disgrace and rage.
He screams and punches the mirror. The mirror cracks, and his knuckles bleed.
BACK IN RICHARD’S AND BETTY’S HOUSE IN THE KITCHEN DOWNSTAIRS:
Betty stands still, afraid and almost trembling. She’s so shaken that she has to put her coffee cup down on the counter. Richard stands in front of her, glaring at her as she hangs up the phone.
SILENCE.
RICHARD
You - you want a divorce?
BETTY
Richard I-
He holds up his hand to stop her from speaking.
RICHARD
I don’t need to hear it.
He sits down at the kitchen table.
BETTY
We need to talk about this.
RICHARD
Why? I have nothing to say to you.
(pause)
Let’s get divorced.
Change your name!
Go back to Betty Miller!
BETTY
Please stop yelling.
RICHARD
Shut up!
SILENCE.
Betty stands still, but she’s not shocked by his outburst. He’s a loud, mean man when life does not happen as he wishes it to.
RICHARD
You’re joking. This is a joke.
BETTTY
Richard… we’ve talked about separating.
RICHARD
And we decided that isn’t going to
happen.
(pause)
Damn it, Betty! What happened to you?
Betty hangs her head.
RICHARD
What are people at church going to say?
She laughs softly.
BETTY
<
br /> People at church… who cares.
RICHARD
Yes! People at church!
Or don’t you care anymore?
What would my father say?
BETTY
I’m betting the great preacher