SHIFT (CHAPTER 1 EXCERPT)

Written by

Chris Kindred
SUNNY MCPHERESON-LOWERY

Age 21

A senior in a prestigious acting program. Has a good head on

his shoulders and the charisma to boot. Has been best friends
with Cress for the past four years.

CRESS LOUDON
Age 20

Recent sculpture school dropout. Clinically depressed. Could

really use a hug.

EXT. SUNNY’S ROOFTOP

Sunny climbs out of the window and onto a generously spaced

roof. His foot scraps against the roof tiles as Cress Loudon
makes space for their friend on the side of the wall. Sunny
takes a seat next to Cress and the two settle into the golden-
hour lighting.

SUNNY
Alright, we got a bacon egg and
cheese for me and an everything
beggle for you -- double cream
cheese.

CRESS

Taking the bagel and unwrapping it.

Wait -- a what?

SUNNY
A beggle?

CRESS
A beggle? You mean...a bagel.

SUNNY
Yeah, a beggle...why what’s up?

CRESS
Nothing. You just...say it funny?

SUNNY
How am I supposed to say it?

CRESS
You know, like...bay-gul.
 2.

SUNNY
Yeah. Beggle.

CRESS
Bay-gul.

SUNNY
Beggle.

CRESS
Bay-gul.

SUNNY

Sunny raises his arms, “theatrically”.

Ah yes, Bah-jél!

CRESS

Sternly:
Bay.
Gul.

SUNNY

Flatly:
Boggle.

CRESS

Cracking up:

Okay shut the hell up.

Thank you.

Cress and Sunny unwrap their sandwiches and begin eating. A

gentle silence fills the space between them.

CRESS (CONT'D)

Is that how they say it where

you’re from?

SUNNY
I mean, I guess? My moms and ‘em
are from Atlantic City, so I guess
their accents rubbed off on me a
lil bit.

CRESS
Huh. I didn’t know that.
 3.

SUNNY
Yeah, I’m surprised that slipped
past you too.

CRESS
What do you mean by that?

SUNNY
You don’t let any details go, fam.
You got that eagle eye (opening one
eye wide with his hand).

CRESS
Is that like, a good thing?

SUNNY
I mean, mostly?

CRESS
Mostly.

SUNNY
Yeah, it means you have a...let’s
say...a...*keen* sense for details.

CRESS
But...?

SUNNY
But...
(beat)

SUNNY (CONT'D)
You can get lost in the weeds
sometimes.

CRESS
Hm.

SUNNY
It just means you can get in your
head sometimes. But, that’s alright
though. It happens to all of us.

CRESS
Don’t bullshit me, Sunny.

SUNNY
It does. It just...happens to you
more often than most. And you can’t
help that. I get it.

CRESS
It’s that obvious?
 4.

SUNNY
What’s obvious? You getting in your
head?

CRESS
Yeah.

SUNNY
I mean, we can usually tell when
you’re going through
something...when you’re
stuck...indecisive...shit like
that. It was usually right before
you had a critique.

CRESS
Yeah, I mean...I guess that was a
rough time in particular.

SUNNY
Judging by your work though, nobody
would be able to tell.

CRESS
I don’t know about that.

SUNNY
Come on fam, don’t act like you had
everybody in there under pressure.
You told me what Malone said:

Sunny puffs up his chest and speaks with a mocking British

woman’s hoity-toity artist’s voice.

SUNNY (CONT'D)
“The way you manipulated the
surface of the gems juxtaposed with
the variance in scales of the
objects really spoke not only to
your diligence as a craftsperson,
but the sheer commitment to your
personal ethos laid out in your
artist’s statement. I think this is
*truly* inspired work, Cress
Loudon, excellent job.”

CRESS
Malone doesn’t know what the fuck
she’s talking about half the time.
That’s why I told you what she
said.
 5.

SUNNY
That’s not--are you listening?
That’s not the point. The point is
even somebody as...*her* as she
seems can see that you’re a beast.
Even a broke clock is right twice a
day.

CRESS
I hated all of that work, Sunny. I
was “lost in the weeds” because I
hated that work. And that class.
And that program.

SUNNY
I don’t buy that.

CRESS
What do you mean you “don’t buy
that”? That was my experience. You
saw me. Ness and O saw me too --
well, I mean, y’all *didn’t* see me
because I *lived* in that studio,
which is also the point I’m trying
to make here.

SUNNY
I’m not saying you weren’t having a
bad time. That was obvious. I’m
saying that you didn’t hate the
work.

CRESS
What? I told you I did, my guy.

SUNNY
You hated *making* the work, fam.
Think about it. Why else would you
spend so much time in your head,
making those pieces as good as they
could be?

CRESS
To shut myself up.

SUNNY
Because...

CRESS
...because I wanted to impress the
class.

SUNNY
Try again.
 6.

CRESS
Huh? Uh. To...impress the
professor?

SUNNY
Do *you* believe that? You *just*
said she was fulla shit.

CRESS
To impress myself?

SUNNY
You tell me. You know you.

CRESS
(taking a beat)
To impress myself.

SUNNY
But you won’t let yourself off that
easy, will you?

CRESS
I--no.

CRESS (CONT'D)
So I nitpick everything until it’s
right.

(beat)
And everyone.
Until they’re right.

SUNNY
Cress, wai--

Sunny reaches for Cress’s shoulder, but they get up to sit on

the edge of the roof, dangling their feet off the ledge.

CRESS
I get it. I do. I’m sorry. Look.
I’m a mess. I’m a bad friend and a
mess.

SUNNY
You’re not a bad friend. Or a bad
artist. Or a mess.

CRESS
Then...what am I bad at? Because I
know I’m bad at something.

SUNNY
Cress...
 7.

CRESS
I’ve had this conversation with
myself over and over and over
again. It’s me. It’s always me.
Look. Even if I were this talent
that everybody thought I was, what
would it matter? I don’t--I
wouldn’t *feel* like I was. I
wouldn’t be able to enjoy it. I
never do. So like. Why bother, you
know? Why bother toiling over
something to make it perfect when
I’m not even gonna enjoy it? And if
I don’t enjoy it, then -- then that
means people can see that I didn’t
enjoy it, and that means they won’t
enjoy it, so it becomes a waste of
everyone’s time and that I was a
dumb-ass for even trying--

SUNNY
Cress.
Look at me. Take a breath.

Cress’s shoulders sink and they turn back to face Sunny.

CRESS
I’m sorry.

SUNNY
You have nothing to apologize for.
Just tell me what you want.

There’s a long pause. They consider the view, the late-summer

breeze.

CRESS
Sunny, I just wanna mean something
to somebody. In a real way. Not as
somebody who always needs taking
care of, but somebody who can make
and do things that...resonate with
people. I dunno. I just wanna ...I
just wanna be useful.

SUNNY
(taking another beat)
Cress, you--you gotta go easy on
yourself. Please. We’re not always
taking care of you. No more than
you take care of us. Ness and O and
me get so much from your being here
dog.
(MORE)
 8.

SUNNY (CONT'D)
Do you know how much inspiration
you give us? I don’t think we’re
the people we are today without you
to challenge us. What I need from
you is to see it yourself. Because
you mean a shit ton to all of us.
You don’t have to believe me. It’s
true, regardless. Just...give it a
shot. Look at yourself like we look
at you. It doesn’t have to be all
at once. It can be a second at a
time. Can you do that for me?

CRESS
(looking away, saying nothing)
...

CRESS (CONT'D)
Stop.

SUNNY
...

CRESS
(turning around, revealing a misty-
eyed face)

You know I can’t handle basic

intimacy!

SUNNY
Hahaha, shut the hell up. And
finish that beggle before I grab
it.