Street Love

by

Drew Gallo

SCC - TCM111
Candace Rose
MW - 1pm
 1

FADE IN:

EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREET - DAY

A New York Street curb. The dirt, grime, and decades of decay
are apparent. The sounds of the busy preoccupied city can be
heard and a hip-hop track begins to fade in. A pair of brightly
colored Nikes cut through and continues down the street. Slowly
a young CITY KID is revealed, zoned out to his beats, walking
along.

He splits around a corner and is suddenly confronted with a hec-

tic scene. A fire truck, two police cars, a news van, and doz-
ens of street lurkers are mixed around interweaving caution tape
lines. There is a smashed up TV and bits of its glass screen
spilt on the asphalt outside of a typical Brooklyn apartment
complex.

The city kid is puzzled, and cautiously enters the scene, taking
off his oversized headphones and revealing the more chaotic
sounds of the city and this particular scenario. He approaches
an aged Chinese man, who seems to be daydreaming watching the
crime scene, sitting quiet and still with glazed over eyes.

The kid tries to ask what happened and the China man, refusing
to have his deep gaze interrupted, mumbles in an incoherent mix-
ture of Chinese and English.

The city kid gives up the effort halfway through and moves on,
and only seconds later is pounced on by a female reporter,
TRISH, and her CAMERA GUY. She’s frantic, high-pitched, and ob-
viously under some sort of deadline. She seems to be looking
for some sort of vague salvation from the random street lurkers
around her.

Inside the camera lens POV, a REC icon flashes on the screen,
discoloration, and faint fuzziness.

TRISH
Excuse me, kid! Did you see what
happened here? Would you like to
comment??

CITY KID
(surprised)
Naw, I mean.. I really just got here.
I don’t really know-
 2

TRISH
-Are you a resident here? Are you
angered by this apparent domestic
violence dispute? What are your
thoughts??

CITY KID
Yo misses, chill out ok, sheesh I just
walked up. I’m just tryin to figure
out why there’s coppers all around and
a perfectly good twenty-seven inch
Zenith gone to waste lyin’ all over the
street like that.

The Reporter, disappointed by this response, quickly turns and

looks over the camera lens.

TRISH
Cut it Charlie, this kid is no good
for us. Damnit! Does anyone around
here know what the hell happened and
can speak enough english to get a
decent clip?? Rob wants this crap
story in by three o’clock and I’m
tryin’ to get back to midtown to shoot
that fashion show!

CHARLIE (O.C)
Well let’s just get a few more
interviews shot and we should be good
to go. Did Rob get you a camera man
for that show later?

TRISH
Fuck if I know, Charlie, who gives a
shit! How’s my hair? Everything
looking good?

She closes in on the camera lens, hoping to catch a reflection

of herself.

CHARLIE
Yeah.. I mean of course, why wouldn’t
it? You always seem ready for the
camera, Trish.. And I mean, I’m free
tonight, if you needed someone for that
shoot. Not that I’m tryin’ to impose
or nothin’, sounds kinda fun though.
 3

TRISH
Are you kidding me? Watching some
anorexic fourteen year old girls prance
around a blinding stage to some crap
techno music, wearing thousands of
dollars of expensive yet surprisingly
disgusting outfits, having to interview
these stuck up fashionista types about
how their god-like abilities create
walking “art” is not fun, Charlie. But
they serve some damn good, and very
pricey, finger foods, and I hear a
couple B-listers from the East side are
planning on attending, might get a
solid interview out of them. Alright,
let’s wrap this shit up, all that talk
is making me hungry.

CHARLIE
Right, right.. Well I’m ready when you
are.

Trish is scouts the area, barely listening to Charlie, and flies

off on the scent of her next prey, leaving Charlie to shakily
hustle to catch up.

Trish approaches a skinny, young asian kid, TIMMY, about 14 or

15, in some absurdly confused, chaotically colored anime shirt.
He is busy attacking the buttons of a handheld game console to
notice the approaching news team. Trish startles him, and the
device emits crashing and burning sounds.

TRISH
Excuse me! Hey kid!

TIMMY
What the- ..What the hell was that
for!? God damn I was so close to level
56! What you want?!

TRISH
I’m from BCD Channel Fourteen, we’re
trying to get a few statements about
this rather unfortunate event, would
you mind giving us an interview?
 4

CHARLIE (O.C.)
Trish, he’s just a kid, maybe we
should-

TRISH
Can it, Charlie! Who’s the damn re-
porter here?

CHARLIE
Sorry, my bad. Of course, ok. Yeah,
let’s uh.. fuck it, let’s do this
thing.

Trish looks past the camera for a beat giving a cold stair, then
jumps back into ‘reporting mode’ and turns to the Timmy.

TRISH
So, uh..

She pauses expectingly. Timmy takes a moment to understand

what’s going on, then grabs the mic and muffles his name loudly
into it, causing an audio malfunction. Trish grabs the mic from
him angrily and sets it a few inches from his face.

TRISH
So did you witness the domestic dispute
that occurred here at Ash and Filmore
on the upper Eastside at about noon to-
day?

TIMMY
Yeah, I saw some shit go down! Me and
my G’pa live on the third floor, my
windows that one right over there.
Anyways, I’m just playing Xenogenesis
Two: The Encounter, when all of a sud-
den I hear this banging and screaming
and stuff from right up stairs. So I’m
in this guild run healing the shit out
of a heroic Xavian fight, only the best
can defeat him you know, and all of a
sudden this big ass TV comes flyin’
right out my window. I get distracted,
my guild wipes, they’re pissed, I’m
pissed. I stick my head out the window
to see what the hell is goin’ on and I
hear this argument like, “Fuck this,
 5

and suck on this BITCH!” Like some real

crazy shit you know!

TRISH
Hey watch the language kid this is for
the five o’clock news! So did you see
anything besides the TV?

TIMMY
Yeah I saw the chick stickin’ her head
out the window screamin’ about the TV,
then a lot of bumps and noises through
the ceiling. Then I dunno I lost my
interest and put my headphones back on,
I mean it’s Xavian. You gotta be com-
mitted.

TRISH
Anything else you’d like to tell us
about this incident?

TIMMY
Yeah Legends of the Red Dragon guild,
represent! Red Ghouls PWN for life!!

TRISH
Alright, cut it Charlie, that was..
interesting.. Gotta love this
neighborhood. Well, on behalf of BCD
Fourteen, thank you for your help
Timmy.

TIMMY
No prob, I got a guild meeting
happenin’ in ten so I gotta peace out!
RD!

Timmy heads off, but before he goes he makes a point to approach

the camera and wave an awkward gang sign, an ironic move coming
from such a small, skinny and harmless character.

TRISH
Good luck to the editors of this crap.
Now let’s try and find someone with a
little more maturity and a lot less
mouth.

She walks off, and Charlie shuffles to catch up.

 6

TRISH
Well, I guess there’s no middle aged
normal demographics around this place.
That girl over there looks pretty
decent, though.

CHARLIE
You always seem to find the right
angle, Trish. You’re just too good at
what you do I guess.

TRISH
Sweet. But that’s my job, to be the
best. I’m not planning on being at BCD
for too long you know. This is small
town dribble in a big city, but I’m
gonna report the hell out of it any-
ways. And hopefully in a year’s time
I’ll be in the big leagues, on cable.

CHARLIE
Well.. I hope that doesn’t happen too
soon. This is my favorite part of the
day, you know, just you and I going out
on the town.. reporting and shit.

TRISH
You’re not wasting our tape on this
chatter right? Let’s find that chick
before she disappears on us like every-
one else around here seems to be doing.
Don’t these people want their fifteen
minutes of fame??

Trish runs off and leaves Charlie to pause for a moment on the
interaction. With a sigh of defeat he continues on, hustling to
catch up to the blurred blonde figure up ahead, attacking her
next victim.

She fixes her hair while prepping the new witness, STEPHANIE, a
pale teenage girl with lots of freckles all over. She has fiery
red hair pulled back into a neat ponytail, pulling at her
forehead. She seems shy and unsure and wears a t-shirt
displaying the latest teen sensation romance novel, Werewolf
Girls.
 7

STEPHANIE
..I’m just not sure. I mean, how many
people are gonna see this? Like, a
lot? Like the whole city? I dunno. I
don’t wanna say something that makes me
look stupid.

TRISH
Oh honey, you’re fine. You’ll get cut
into a few seconds, maybe a line or
two. Not that you don’t deserve more,
of course you do, if I was in control
I’d give you a sit down interview.
Just tell us what happened ok? No
pressure.

Trish motions to Charlie to begin rolling without getting final

consent from Stephanie. She holds up the microphone to her
victim and waits impatiently. Stephanie begins to talk in a
monotone and extremely quite voice.

STEPHANIE
Um.. Ok, so uh.. Like.. Well, hmm. How
should I start?

TRISH
Honey, why don’t we start with your
name, where you live, and what you saw.
And let’s speak up a bit, alright?

STEPHANIE
Ok, um.. Well my name is Stephanie
Hinderwitz, I live on the fourth floor
of that apartment complex. I was
reading Werewolf Girls Six for the
thirteenth time over and suddenly I
hear these muffled yells and screams
from the floor below. I look out my
window, not trying to spy or intrude or
anything, but I hear this argument.

Stephanie begins to tear and choke up, she looks off and let’s
out a long sigh. Trish taps her foot impatiently.

TRISH
Ok, and then what?
 8

STEPHANIE
Well so like, the girl is crying right?
And the guy is pleading, “Don’t leave
me baby! Don’t leave me! I love you
so deeply, so passionately, my inner
loins ache for you!”

Stephanie starts to sob severly. She tries to reclaim herself

and continue on.

STEPHANIE
And the girl’s is screaming, “Why did
you leave me!? Didn’t you know you were
hurting me!”

At this point she breaks down and hides her face in her hands.

STEPHANIE
I’m sorry.. I just.. I just can’t do
this!

She runs off quickly, leaving Trish at the height of confusion

and annoyance.

TRISH
Alright, I’ve had enough of this crap,
I can’t handle these people, I can’t
handle this shit piece of a story! I
should be on my way to Katie Couric’s
desk by now, and look at what I’m
doing!! I’m not a reporter, I’m just
an underpaid rotten news peddler for
the stay at home mother’s of New York
at the hours of five and ten! I’m done!

Trish breaks down, turning her back to the camera. There is a

short pause and an awkward silence as Charlie shuffles to figure
out what to say to her.

CHARLIE
Aw, Trish.. You know that’s not true.
I mean, I don’t think that stuff about
you. I think you’re the best reporter
BCD fourteen’s got. And I’m not just
sayin’ that!

Trish slowly looks over her shoulder, wipes a tear, and let’s
loose a faint smile.
 9

TRISH
You really mean that Charlie? ..I guess
I am better than that skank Asian Ling
Sue, right? Yeah, of course I am, and
I dress better too, right? ..Thanks
Charlie.. You know I always like the
way you shoot me. I never seem to get
a bad angle with you behind the lens.

As Trish utters these last words, behind her there is a bit of a

commotion, the doors of the apartment complex bust open and the
infamous couple everyone’s been gossiping about comes rushing
out, covering their faces with their jackets. Trish is still
smiling at Charlie, unaware.

CHARLIE
Trish! Look! Oh man! Look behind you!
I think it’s the couple!

Trish is confused at first, glances behind her, glances back to

realize what she just saw, then screams and bolts towards them.
Charlie and the camera are in tow, and they very shakily
approach the couple. THELMA PARKER, the girlfriend, glances
behind and begins to hustle away. RICKY ROCKER moves to protect
her, and begins to scream obscenities.

RICKY
No fuckin’ way, get outta here! We
don’t need you’se snotty nosed
reporters tryin to get in our business!
Leave me and my baby alone!

Thelma lurches from behind him.

THELMA
Yeah cut the crap! I’m tired of all you
damn people thinkin’ you know us! You
don’t know shit, ok! You don’t know
shit!

TRISH
LISTEN! You’re tired? You’re tired
huh? I’ve been running around this god
forsaken street for forty five minutes
now trying to get this ridiculous story
reported accurately. Talking to hobos
and foreigners who can’t speak a spick
of english, and having to deal with a
 10

bunch of punks and dimwits! I’m the

one who’s tired! Now how about you two
give me a few damn statements about
what the HELL happened. You’ll have
your story told right, and I’ll be
drive my happy little ass all the way
back to the station! Deal??

TRISH
Damn gurl! Aight, I feel that, I feel
that. Ricky! Tell ‘em what happened!

RICKY
What do I know, huh? It’s just the
usual stuff. I was watchin’ the Yankee
game, you’se came up to me all bitchin’
like a crazed hyena, talkin’ about
laundry and the dishes and stupid stuff
like that. You threw a pot at me,
which happened to hit my head.

TRISH
-Now baby, you know I didn’t mean to
hit you with that, I was only tryin’ to
scare your lazy ass.

RICKY
I know that now baby.. Anyways, it hit
the TV, the reception went out so of
course I’m gonna get a little heated
right? I mean it’s the YANKEES! So I
took the TV and threw it out the
window.. Lookin’ back, I don’t really
know how that woulda helped the
situation, but you know how things go
when you get pissed, it’s nothin new!

TRISH
-So I’m thinkin’ this big bastard’s
goin’ all domestic violence and shit on
me, you know, like the shit you see on
Tyra! So I get my bat and start
beatin’ him, we yell, we scream some
more.. Then you know, he was lookin’
pretty hot all sweaty and bruised up
like that.
 11

RICKY
Yeah and you’se had you’re hair all a
mess, actin’ all fiery and nasty, I
love it when you get like that baby.

THELMA
You shut the hell up, Imma teach you
somethin’ real bad-

They begin to eat each other’s faces, and lots.. and lots of
tongue.

TRISH
Ok.. Alright.. yeah, I think that’s
enough... Well anything else you’d like
to say to the entire city of New York,
courtesy of BCD fourteen?

Thelma appears from the contorted pair of bodies and looks into
the camera.

THELMA
Yeah.. All you scoundrels don’t know
nothin’. Ricky’s betta than all a’
you’se. Keep ya noses outta our busi-
ness ya hear me! We don’t need your
opinions n’ shit!

RICKY
You are such a hot bitch, you know
that?

They go back to making out and begin to walk away, Ricky grabs a
massive chunk of Thelma’s butt on the way out.

TRISH
Alright cut it Charlie, that’s a wrap.
Thank god! Now let’s see what those
interns can do with this footage. If
they can turn this crap into gold, then
it’s a shame they won’t be getting paid
for it... Are you still free for
tonight? If we hurry we can still make
it to that fashion show. I could use a
good cameraman like you.
 12

CHARLIE
Yeah, uh, of course! ..I’m always free
for you, Trish.

TRISH
Now Charlie, let’s not get ahead of
ourselves. By me a strong drink and
then we’ll talk. Let me just wrap this
up real quick.

Trish compiles herself once more and looks into the camera.

TRISH
We may never know the true story behind
the events at Ash and Filmore. Was it
passionate love, or hateful anger?
Domestic violence, or a crude act of
love? Surprisingly, most of the local
residents seem to think this just
another day in the Eastside.. I’m
Patricia Kingsley, reporting for BCD
forteen Manhattan, you’re most trusted
city news source.

FADE OUT.