"Love and War"

(5 Page Script, Genre:  Humor/Romance)

“Love and War”

Page One

Panel 1.  High schooler SAM JENKINS almost strangles the rose in his hands as he holds it out in front of him, eyes wincing with anxiety and facing toward the floor.  He wears a typical t-shirt and blue jeans, and though he’s not particularly remarkable in appearance, there’s a handsomeness to him.  Bathroom stalls are behind him, though it should not be extraordinarily apparent Sam is in a high school bathroom quite yet.

1 SAM:
Amy Andrews, will you, um, go to prom with me?

Panel 2.  Reverse the angle to show that Sam is in front of the bathroom mirror, apparently trying to offer his reflection a rose.  His body is locked in the same awkward position.  Now it is pretty obvious we are in a bathroom.  There is a potted cactus roughly the height of a teenage girl in one corner of the room.  No dialogue.

Panel 3.  Sam’s eyes widen with surprise and his posture turns stiffly erect as he reacts to an unexpected response that comes from inside one of the closed stalls.  At the same time, we hear a flush from inside that stall.  The tail of the one-word word balloon should be pointing to the stall door.

2 OMAR:

Nope! 

3 SFX:

FLUSH
 

Panel 4.  The stall door opens to reveal OMAR BASTION, who is tall and muscular enough to resemble a young, black Hercules.  He points a thumb at himself with a big, toothy grin and his head cocked back, while his other hand has swung open the door.  His sleeveless white shirt literally outlines his physique even further, and he wears jeans held up by a belt with a fat gleaming buckle.  Maybe go with a worm’s eye view with this shot to best establish the physical and social enormity of the character. 

4 OMAR:

Amy would rather go with a winner, and his name is Omar Bastion!

Page Two 

Panel 1.  Sam makes way for Omar as Omar struts to the sink.  Sam slouches in dismay so much that you’d think he was trying to duck a cannonball. 

1 SAM:

You?  But you’re so popular that the cafeteria named a sandwich after you.

2 SAM (connected):

I wouldn’t think you’d even notice someone quiet like Amy.

Panel 2.  Omar smiles at himself in the mirror as he talks and washes his hands.

3 OMAR:

You crazy?  Eagle eyes like these don’t ever miss a fox like that.

4 OMAR (connected):

I mean, I haven’t actually asked her yet, but with you for competition, what’s the rush?

Panel 3.  Omar suddenly spazzes out, water flinging off his wet hands which have assumed unnatural, angular positions.  His eyes cross and his arms contort as he leans his head and neck in opposing directions.  This is his Sam impression.  Sam grimaces at the undesirable assessment.  The sink has been shut off.

5 OMAR:

Uh, Amy, uh, go to prom with me!  I’ve got no backbone, so we’ll get handicap parking!

Panel 4.  Omar turns his back to Sam as he walks toward the potted cactus in the corner.  He raises one condescending finger as he goes (to clarify, his forefinger, definitely not his middle finger).  Sam hunches forward, having become curious at what Omar’s doing.

6 SAM:

Was it that bad?

7 OMAR:

Worse!  You couldn’t smooth talk your mama for the TV remote with game that busted.

Panel 5.  Omar gestures toward the cactus as if he were showing off a super model or a brand new car.  Sam, now standing near Omar again, puts a hand to his chin.  Don’t forget that he still has his rose.

8 OMAR:
Say, what do you see right now?

9 SAM:

An illogically-placed cactus?

10 OMAR:

Wrong again.  I see a fine lady that I’m just crazy about.  Watch how a man works.

Page Three

Panel 1.  Omar treats this cactus like a fine lady.  He turns his head slightly to one side so he can grin to the cactus out of the corner of his eye.  His posture is perfect, chest out and shoulders back.

1 OMAR:
Hey, baby.  Pardon my staring, but there’re lots of women in this bathroom, and you’re the only one putting butterflies in my stomach.

Panel 2.  Sam leans almost too close forward to Omar, like an eager ecologist exploring a new ecosystem.  Omar’s eyes narrow as he gets tender with the cactus.  This is the softer side of Omar Bastion.

2 OMAR:My name’s Omar.  And if you’re free, I’d love to take you out tonight and find out firsthand why you’re giving me all those tickles.

Panel 3.  Omar looks down at Sam with a furrowed brow and a judgmental pout while still pointing a thumb at the cactus.  Sam’s curiosity has shifted back into a mix of worry and reflection.

3 OMAR:

You see?  Confidence and sincerity--that’s all it takes!  It’s what a woman deserves.

4 SAM (small text):

It’s what Amy deserves.

Panel 4.  Omar leans down so that he and Sam are face to face.  Omar glares at Sam with the disdain he would offer a drunken beggar on a street corner, lip sticking out.  Sam is wide-eyed again, soaking in the gravity of his current situation.

5 OMAR:

Exactly!  Which means you finally understand why you can’t have her--

6 OMAR (connected):

--It’s because you’ll never have the guts to be the guy she needs.

Panel 5.  Extreme close-up on Sam’s face.  His expression has turned to fearless determination.  When a man has this look in his eyes, you know he’s about to get down to business.  No dialogue.

Page Four

Panel 1.  We’re in the hallway outside the bathroom now.  Sam slams open the bathroom door, that same unyielding resolve coursing through his veins and painting his body language.

1 SFX (door slam):

BOOM

Panel 2.  Sam whips his head to one side to spot AMY ANDREWS at her locker down the hallway, swapping out books.  Amy has long dark hair and glasses, and her manner of dress is conservative but not lacking style.  She’s pretty.  Any other students in the hallway should not be standing in her immediate vicinity, so as to make it certain where Sam’s gaze is going.  No dialogue.

Panel 3.  Sam power walks down the hallway in the most ridiculously dramatic fashion possible.  No dialogue.

Panel 4.  The rose is extended toward Amy, who has her back turned.  We don’t see Sam.

2 SAM (off-panel):

Amy Andrews...

Panel 5.  This is the money shot.  Sam stands perfectly straight, but his head is turned slightly toward Amy and he is grinning with all the sincerity that comes with talking to a special girl.  His arm is fully extended to offer her the rose.  Amy is surprised but not disturbed or embarrassed.  She’s neutral right now, but it’s a comfortable neutral; big eyes will suffice.

3 SAM:
I think you’re the sweetest girl in calc class, and when you smile at me, I spend the rest of the day giggling like an idiot.

4 SAM (connected):
Will you go to prom with me?

Page Five

Panel 1.  Amy takes the rose in her hands, smelling it with a warm smile.  Sam’s eyebrows raise to the ceiling.  Just a hint of jubilation creeps into his countenance, because if he were to express the entirety of his joy, it would involve somersaults and the firing of machine guns.

1 AMY:

Well, sure, Sam.  Giggly idiots are my favorite.

Panel 2.  Amy offers her arm to an elated, victorious Sam as she continues to hold the rose.  Amy’s locker is closed.

2 AMY:

Walk me to class?

Panel 3.  Pan out on the two of them to find a highly attractive FEMALE STUDENT pointing to Sam and Amy with a sweet smile.

3 FEMALE STUDENT:

Well, what do you know?  Someone finally took that cutie Amy off the market.

Panel 4.  Pan out just a little bit more to reveal Omar next to the female student, watching Sam and Amy with a mouth that is half-grinning and half-making an “O” shape.  His head is cocked back slightly in an “ah ha!” sort of way.

4 OMAR:

Oh, so that’s who Amy is!

Panel 5.  Sam and Amy walk off arm in arm in one direction, and Omar and his lady friend walk off arm in arm in the opposite direction.  Omar has a knowing look to his face.  Everyone is happy.  Nobody’s going to prom alone.

5 OMAR:

Guess we’ll be seeing them at prom.

THE END