Down-and-Out

By

Jim Bell
EXT. STREET CORNER -- DAY

A YOUNG MAN, 20. Matted short hair, big bags under his eyes.
He wears a warm, FUR lINED jacket that hides a HORRIBLE
YELLOW SHIRT, underneath.

He sports Tracksuit bottoms with one leg TUCKED into his

SOCK.

PERCHED on a cold pavement, sat on his rucksack that he uses

as a chair, with a ruined hat placed in front of him. It's
filled with nothing but COPPERS and a few SILVER COINS.

Many people walk by, none of which choose to help. One person
drops a couple of coins into his hat.

YOUNG MAN
Thanks.

CUT TO.

EXT. STREET -- AFTERNOON

He counts his money that he has SCRAPED together.

YOUNG MAN
£6.26... Great...

CUT TO.

EXT. SHOPFRONT -- DAY

The building looks like something out of an APOCALYPSE movie.

Half painted SHOP FRONT and one window boarded up with
plywood after a ROBBERY.

The SHOP DOOR CHIMES.

The YOUNG MAN comes out of a shop, holding TWO SCRATCH CARDS.

He used the money he collected to gamble on the LOTTERY

instead of food.

CUT TO.

INT. PUB, SLOT MACHINES -- DAY

THE BALLROOM, the name of the pub is misleading.

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Beige wallpaper, INAUDIBLE football highlights from the

weekend on in the background and The local unemployed 'Monday
Club' in their usual corner, playing DOMINOES.

The YOUNG MAN CRANKS the Lever on the FRUIT MACHINE. A flat
pint in his other hand.

BING. BING. BING.

YOUNG MAN
(Muttering)
For fucks s...

"Funds £0" - Reads on the SLOT MACHINE SCREEN.

He TAPS the machine on the top, in hope loose change will

fall into the TRAY.

CUT TO.

EXT. STREET LAMPPOST -- NIGHT

looking into the light of a street-lamp, laying on his back,

with a thin blanket tucked up to his chin.

It is a COLD WINTERS NIGHT

He sighs.

YOUNG MAN (V.O)

That's me.

BEAT

A 20 year old lad, using my bag as a

pillow, on the curb of a pavement, on
a street I don't know. Honestly...
It's not how I thought I would spend
my youth.

At a real low point in his life.

He pulls the WORN, HAT that he used to collect his MONEY from
inside his DIRTY RUCKSACK, and uses it as an eye mask to
shield him from the glare of the lamppost.

HARSH CUT TO.

EXT. STREET -- MIDNIGHT

A GANG of HOODED YOUTHS. About a Dozen. Notorious in this

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area for causing trouble.

Dressed head to toe in BLACK, some of which sporting SKULL

GRAPHICS on their BALACLAVAS. They tour the city, preying on
the vulnerable.

One notices the homeless Young man asleep on the ROADSIDE

under his LAMPPOST.

YOUTH 1
Look at that scruffy cunt up there.

YOUTH 2
(Laughing)
Fuck sake... C'mon.

They gesture to each other about the Young Man up on the

roadside and make their way over to where he is sleeping.

YOUTH 3
(Shouting)
OI!

The young man pulls his hat up from over his eyes, SQUINTING
at the PHONE TORCHES that is being shined directly into his
face.

YOUTH 4
Not got a fuckin' job yet?

YOUTH 5
You're a fuckin' joke.

YOUTH 6
(Laughing)
What a sad little life you have.

Clearly this isn't their first encounter. The gang all crowd
around him, laughing and messing with his belongings and
kicking his stuff.

They pull his clothes from his bag and throw them on the
road.

______
SMASH.

Glass shatters all around the pavement and the commotion

continues.

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YOUTH 1
(Laughing)
Get his shoes! Get his shoes!

YOUTH 4
Eurgh. They fuckin' stink!

One of them goes to take his shoes but the young man has HAD
ENOUGH.

He WINDS back his fist and SMACKS HIM. HARD.

He falls back and BRAYS his head on the curb. UNCONSCIOUS.

SILENCE.

The gang look at their friend that lies on the ground

motionless and look back to the young man.

YOUNG MAN (V.O)

Fuck.

HARSH CUT TO.

EXT. STREET -- NIGHT

The young man, carrying his bag over his shoulder and a
BEATEN FLASK in his hand, now sports a BLACK EYE and a BUST
NOSE. He touches his eye socket softly...

YOUNG MAN (V.O)

Fuck me that hurt...

CUT TO.

EXT. GRAFFITIED WALLS -- NIGHT

The young man, admiring the art work on the street walls, but
everything is colourless to him.

A SIREN sounds in the distance. The CITY is BUSY.

He notices his SHADOW on the WALL among the STREET ART. He

begins to PLAYFULLY SHADOW BOX, Mimicking a BOXER.

He then RAISES his arms in celebration.

He runs his hand along the wall and continues on his quest to
find somewhere to sleep.

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YOUNG MAN
In another life...

CUT TO.

EXT. PARK -- NIGHT

He winds up in a park on the outskirts of the city.

KICKING a STONE along the WINDING TARMACKED road.

The SOUND of someone SOBBING stops him in his tracks. SOMEONE

is SAT on the BENCH just up ahead.

YOUNG MAN
(Muttering)
What the f...

He makes his way over cautiously...

EXT. PARK, BENCH -- NIGHT

A GIRL, late teens, SHORT dark hair, looks like she has cut
it herself, wearing a BLACK DRESS with LADDERS running up her
tights. her BRIGHT RED LIPSTICK can be seen miles away.

She sits alone on the END of the BENCH, holding a half drunk
bottle of ROSE WINE.

The girl recognises someone is near and wipes her tears away.

They STARE at each other for a few seconds, avoiding the fact
that she is clearly upset.

He clears his throat... Looks around, avoiding eye contact.

YOUNG MAN
Can I... Can I sit down? My feet are
fuckin' killin'...

The Girl looks down at his beaten trainers now BLOOD STAINED
from the fight with the Gang of Youths.

She GESTURES NERVOUSLY but remains silent.

He SLUMPS onto the BENCH and SIGHS. He places his BAG DOWN by
his FEET and Holds his flask close to his chest, trying to
keep warm for as long as possible.

LONG PAUSE...
_____________

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YOUNG MAN (V.O)

Ask if she's alright, ask her if she
needs anythin'...

______
PAUSE.

YOUNG MAN
(Unsympathetically)
...What's up.

GIRL
(Uncomfortably)
Fuck off!

YOUNG MAN
Sound...

They sit in silence for the next couple of minutes. He,

notices that she's SHIVERING.

YOUNG MAN
Cold?

GIRL
(Sarcastically)
No, i'm boiling. might take this top
off actually, i'm far too hot.

YOUNG MAN
Me mother said sarcasm was the lowest
form of wit... Ever 'eard that?

The Girl turns away.

GIRL
(Quietly)
I never used to be...

YOUNG MAN
(LOUDLY)
What...? Funny?

GIRL
Sarcastic...

He says nothing. He doesn't Pry.

The Young Man REMOVES his Jacket - revealing his HORRIBLE

YELLOW SHIRT, pre-loved, blood soaked and half tucked into
his TRACKSUIT BOTTOMS.

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He HOLDS OUT his JACKET to her, to try and show he is

HARMLESS.

She looks at the jacket and forms a little SMILE. She takes
it off him and WRAPS it around her, Instantly feels warmer,
she Sighs.

GIRL
LUCY... My name is LUCY, I mean...

He smiles at her...

YOUNG MAN
JAMIE.

They shake hands and both share an AWKWARD GIGGLE.

LUCY
So...

She points to her own eye.

What happened?

A QUICK, BRIEF SNAPSHOT OF JAMIE GETTING BEATEN BY THE GANG.

____________________________________________________________

He clears his throat and fakes a laugh

JAMIE
(Lying)
Oh! Yeah... I... Fell over? Yeah... I
Fell over.

LUCY
Oh Really? Onto someones foot?

They both laugh awkwardly again.

I like your... Shirt...

Jamie stands up in front of her, looking down at his

favourite shirt, now blood stained, in ADMIRATION.

Ben Sherman... About a £400 shirt

this...

Knowing fine well he is lying, he GESTURES to the LABEL on

the inside of his COLLAR.

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LUCY
(Sarcastically)
Yeah, you can definitely tell...

Jamie SITS BACK DOWN.

FADE TO.

EXT. PARK, BENCH -- NIGHT

TIME PASSES - They become more open with each other. Sharing
stories about their UPBRINGING.

JAMIE
Nah, I was never good in school... Not
that I was thick or out believe it or
not, just fuckin' hated it...

LUCY
I LOVED SCHOOL!

JAMIE
(Jokingly)
I reckon I'd of hated you at school,
proper teachers pet I bet, kiss arse.

LUCY
(Mimicking)
Piss off, I wasn't a "KISS ARSE"!

They Laugh.

FADE TO.

EXT. PARK, BENCH -- NIGHT

They have grown more comfortable around each other, sharing

JAMIE's DENTED FLASK of TEA. Eating what remains of Jamie's
RATIONS.

FADE TO.

EXT. SHOPFRONT -- DAY

LUCY
I was never normally like this you
know.

Jamie looks up at her

I was REALLY lucky, I had such a good

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upbringing, parents that loved me,

sister that I idolised.
(LAUGHING)
I was the quiet one, pretty boring
actually.

Jamie smiles at her, listening to her story.

I went off to College to study law. I

know, what a square, right?

BEAT.

I got in with a group of girls, the

wrong group. You could tell they were
bad news just from looking at them.

BEAT.

We all went out for the day, for

birthday drinks... Then...

BEAT.

...I only had... One line...I always

said I would never ever try them.

Lucy starts the get emotional, her voice starts to waver and
becomes choked up. She holds back her tears.

Now I can't remember the last time I

went out and didn't get ON IT. Mum
kicked me out. Obviously. Dad didn't
want anything to do with me... Been...
Surfing sofa's ever since...

She goes into her purse and pulls out a LITTLE PLASTIC BAG
with WHITE POWDER INSIDE.

She goes to POUR the bag onto her CRACKED PHONE SCREEN.

Jamie looks UP and DOWN from the BAG to LUCY in SHOCK.

JAMIE
Are you joking..?

LUCY (O.S)
What?

JAMIE
You've just told me that depressin'

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story about how you have ended up here

and you're still gonna shove that shit
up your nose?!

LUCY
Don't start, you have no idea. It's...

JAMIE
(Mimicking)
'It's the only way I can escape' blah,
blah, FUCKIN' blah. I've heard it all
before. If you have enough money to
sniff that shit then you have enough
money to get off these streets. I know
how much those LITTLE FUCKIN' BAGS
cost.

Lucy says nothing.

JAMIE
I was put in care when I was 3 years
old. Fuckin' 3. My old Mum loved the
gear too much, they took me off her...

BEAT.

Fostered by a family when I was 10.

They worshipped the ground I walked on
and I was fuckin' horrible. Like
Proper horrible.

BEAT.

Then I started betting on dogs when I

were like 13. In School as well. Then
horses... Fruit Machines and stuff.

They loved me that much, they gave me

money to bet with... Racked up a
fuckin' lot of debt on Mums card...

Lucy remains silent.

I used to think that I would rather be

homeless than live with them and now I
am... By the time I turned 18, my
foster family wanted nowt to do with
me. I don't blame em...
But never a day goes by where I don't
think of how different my life would

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be if my mum cared more for me...

He Gestures to Lucy's Cocaine.

...than her own DIRTY LITTLE HABIT.

LONG PAUSE.

Jamie turns to Lucy, Lucy looks at the powder on her phone

and BLOWS it off the SCREEN.

She looks at him and smiles.

LUCY
Ever won much? Betting I mean...

Jamie Laughs.

JAMIE
(Sarcastically)
Yeah, Millions. Am out here by choice
ya know...

They BOTH laugh.

Nah, am sorry about ya friends.

LUCY
I'm sorry about your Mum.

Jamie SHRUGS.

JAMIE
It is what it is...

Lucy goes into her pocket and pulls out her last £5 note.

She stops and looks at it for a few seconds before offering

it to Jamie.

LUCY
Here...

JAMIE
What's that?

Lucy Sighs...

LUCY
Money you tit. Never seen it before?

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JAMIE
Obviously not. Look where I am!

They both laugh.

BEAT.

No seriously, thanks... but no thanks.

you keep it! Start saving for
yourself. Focus on you.

Lucy smiles softly at Jamie.

LUCY
You're a good person Jamie.

Jamie smiles and gives her a hug.

JAMIE
I know.

They both laugh.

CUT TO.

EXT. PARK, BENCH -- DAY

Jamie wakes from a uncomfortable nights sleep. His head

resting on his bag that he continues to use as a pillow.

Birds are SINGING and the SUN is SHINING, the park is filled
with Autumnal colour.

Different from waking to his usual colourless lamppost.

He lifts his grotty hat from over his eyes to find a NOTE
placed under the empty WINE BOTTLE where Lucy was sat.

She must have left through the night. He sits up and looks
around in confusion.

Jamie opens the note and a fiver falls into his lap.

The note reads:

"Jamie,

Thank you.

Last night was the most fun I have had for a while. The world
needs more people like you in it. Use this to buy yourself

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ONE LAST scratch card. Gambling doesn't suit you.

________

Find me if you win, you owe me half.

Lucy. X"

He smiles and gently folds the note back up, placing it in

his chest pocket.

CUT TO.

EXT. SHOPFRONT -- DAY

SHOP DOOR CHIMES.

Jamie struts out of his local shop, this time smiling,

holding only ONE scratch card.

JAMIE
...For Lucy.

He kisses the card before using his thumbnail to scratch away

the numbers.

SILENCE.

Jamie's JAW DROPS.

A "GOLDEN BAR" IMAGE on every line.

_______
JACKPOT

COMPLETE SILENCE.

JAMIE
(Disbelief)
FUCK OFF...

BLACKOUT.

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