Around the World By Wren Stetekluh

EXT. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL DAY ARCHIE stands against a wall next to HAROLD. Archie takes a cigarette out of a packet from his pocket and offers one to Harold. Harold shrugs and takes one. They light up. The pair watch a larger-than-average boy in a corner of the schoolyard threaten a classmate for his lunch money and then a picnic table of girls in tight clothing who are all too consumed in their phones to eat. When neither proves to be a source of entertainment, Archie nods to a freckled girl in a rather conservative dress reading in a corner. She smiles at the boys, and Archie waves back, almost dropping his cigarette. The girl blushes and returns to her book. Soon the larger-than-average boy comes over to her and puts an arm around her. A girl, GRETA, from the texting tables stands and comes over to Archie and Harold. She ignores Archie and puts a hand on her hip, jerking her head at Harold, indicating for him to join them. Harold looks dubious and offers her a cigarette instead. Greta spits by his feet in answer. PRINCIPAL WARTZ approaches, glaring at the smokers. He smacks Harold on the side of the head and corrals the boys to his office. Archie drops his lit cigarette in the commotion. Greta watches them leave before picking up Archies cigarette. She puts a finger to her lips and wets the glowing cigarette end, putting it out before she pockets it. INT. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL DAY A math teacher writes equations on the chalkboard. Students diligently copy the notes, all except Archie. Archie has a textbook open, which from the binding reads Pre Calculus. He has another book open inside of the first, one with a detailed map of Argentina. Archie makes a few notes in his notebook about distances.

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EXT. STREET DAY Greta is walked home by Harold. The couple are holding hands. The streets are mostly quiet until they cross a dead end where kids are playing baseball. Harold keeps sneaking peeks at Gretas legs, which are bare thanks to her mini skirt. Distracted, he walks into the game and a fly ball hits him in the crotch. He doubles over. Greta laughs but keeps hold of his hand. EXT. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL DAY Archie waits on the corner for his Grandpa to pick him up from school. ARCHIES GRANDFATHER arrives in a beat-up looking car. Archie gets in and passes him a stabled sheet marked with red pen. It has a large F circled in red pen. Archies grandfather chuckles and throws it out of the window. INT. GRETAS HOUSE DAY Gretas mother is in the kitchen, talking loudly into her phone while she blends herself a mixed drink. The interior of the home features a number of photos of a girl who resembles Greta, from infancy through graduation. Greta and Harold disappear up the stairs. INT. GRETAS ROOM DAY Greta and Harold begin to make out on her bed. Harold reaches between Gretas legs but she pushes him back. They continue to make out. Gretas mom enters the room, drink in hand and vacuuming erratically, but isnt acknowledged by the pair. Harold tries to reach between her legs again and is rebuffed. Greta pushes him to his feet and Harold reluctantly leaves. Greta adjusts her clothing and takes a small plastic bag from her backpack. It contains a small white stick, a (CONTINUED)

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cigarette butt. She opens her bedroom closet, revealing a small collection of odd bits of trash. She picks up a crumpled newspaper clipping with Archies face. The heading reads, "Inner City High Schooler Plans Trip Around The World." Greta kisses the picture, then takes the cigarette butt and places it next to a crumpled tissue in the closet shrine. INT. ARCHIES HOUSE DAY Archie gets out of his Grandpas car and runs up three flights of stairs before reaching his attic bedroom. He puts down his backpack, takes out the atlas he was reading earlier, which has a red DOES NOT CIRCULATE stamp on it. There are two slips of paper sticking out of the book. He takes them out, sits at his desk and taps them against the surface a few times before his phones vibrates. A text from Harold says hes on his way, that the stone fox is still marble. Archie laughs to himself and pockets his phone. Harold arrives with two 40s. He passes one to Archie, and they takes two long chugs in unison before setting the half filled bottles down on Archies desk (away from the open atlas). Archie grins, and takes the two bookmarks from his pocket but before he can show them to Harold. Harold nudges Archie and takes out his phone. Harold proceeds to show Archie sexts from Greta. Archie keeps a straight face and puts the slips back in his pocket. INT. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL DAY

Archie waits in the lunch line. He is served a sloppy confection featuring roast eggplant. When he comes to met the cashier, he fumbles to make the correct change, nearing spilling the contents on his meager wallet onto the counter. Greta, who is a few places behind him, grows steadily more furious with his antics. She pushes to the front, slams down 45 cents, and elbows him in the ribs before storming past. Archie nods to the lunch lady and catches up with Greta. He drops his tray in front of a freshman and grabs Greta by the arm. He takes one of the two the slips from his pocket, which we can read as a month long Greyhound bus pass and hands it to Greta.