JAKE 53.

ALICE
I don't want to talk about it.

JAKE
Sorry.

She shrugs it off. JAKE glances at his PHONE and sees several
missed calls from CRISTINA. He feels worried but decides not
to call his mother back. A sense of euphoria and freedom has
overtaken him.

JAKE (CONT’D)
THE MIDWAY POINT

Do you want me to take you home now?

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ALICE
Yeah, sure.

A beat.

ALICE (CONT'D)
There's this park five minutes away...

CUT TO:

52 EXT. PARK LAKE -- LATE AFTERNOON

It's about 6:30 PM. The bright yellow sun blends in perfectly
with the peach-colored sky. JAKE and ALICE are sitting next
to each other on a patch of GRASS right on the edge of the

Start 1
lake that surrounds the park.

Neither says anything to each other until:

JAKE
So, umm... this was quite a day.

ALICE
Yeah, it was a day.

While trying to be engaging, JAKE just ends up looking meek.

A beat.

ALICE (CONT'D)
How's school going for you, Jake?

She triggers a rich inner feeling in JAKE.

JAKE

1/9
(sighs)
It's going, you know?
 JAKE 54.

JAKE (CONT’D)
I mean, class-wise, I'm... alright. I
just wish I could be more focused on
the things that I actually like doing.
I don't want to keep doing math just
so I can get into a good college. It's
just so stupid.

ALICE
Didn't you say you like to draw,
though? Isn't your art class helpful?
THE MIDWAY POINT

As JAKE is about to respond, CRISTINA calls him on his phone.

He quickly declines the call so that ALICE doesn't see.

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JAKE
It barely even helps.

JAKE (CONT’D)
But that's not even the main problem
I'm facing right now. It's that...

He shows a sense of fearfulness at what he is about to tell

ALICE.

JAKE (CONT’D)
Never mind. It's nothing--

ALICE
No, it's fine. Tell me.

JAKE tries to piece together what to say.

JAKE
(distant)
I don't understand... people. Every
time I try to talk to someone, it's
like I'm looking at an alien creature
that I can't understand. I try to
guess what to say, but it never comes
out right, and I end up looking dumb
and different. The people I do speak
to, just see me as some sort of
object, like I'm just part of the
scenery.

ALICE listens to him empathetically, almost with a sense of

shock on her face.

2/9
 JAKE 55.

JAKE (CONT’D)
I've never felt a real appreciation
for everyone until now. You're...
gosh, the first person I've ever met
who hasn't ignored me or subtly cut me
off because they think I'm weird, who
feels real, who... is actually
interested in being with me.

ALICE is now looking at him. There are tears in his eyes.

THE MIDWAY POINT

End 1
JAKE

Sides by Breakdown Services - Actors Access

God, I just met you. I'm sorry. This
must be so embarrassing.

Without warning, ALICE leans over and softly kisses him on

the lips. JAKE is alarmed at first but gives in.

CUT TO:

53 INT. JAKE'S LIVING ROOM -- EVENING

The FRONT DOOR opens. We see JAKE, unsettled, quietly enter

the house, closing the door slowly. He tip-toes his way
towards his bedroom. However, he is not quiet enough for his
mother, who is filing some bank information on the kitchen

Start 2
table. She gets up and approaches JAKE in the HALLWAY.

CRISTINA
Jake?

JAKE hears this and braces for impact, hoping for the worst.

JAKE
(stuttering)
Hey, Mom.

CRISTINA
Jake! Where the hell have you been?
I've been worried sick.

JAKE
Mom, I'm sorry. I...I had to... I had
to go to my friend's house to reshoot
his project.

CRISTINA JAKE

3/9
(doubtful) Yes, Mom! I lied to you
Oh, come on! Really? about being sick.
 JAKE 56.

JAKE (CONT’D)
I didn't want you to get angry at me
for ditching school.

CRISTINA
And where were you the rest of the
day, when I called you, like, 50
times?

JAKE's hands start to shake as he longs to reach his BEDROOM.

JAKE
(flustered)
THE MIDWAY POINT

They took me out to eat, okay? I was

scared of telling you that 'cause--

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It is then that CRISTINA notices SOMETHING RED on JAKE's
face.

CRISTINA
What is that?

JAKE
What is what?

CRISTINA
On your face. What is that?

JAKE realizes in horror what she means. It's ALICE's red

LIPSTICK.

JAKE
It's nothing!

CRISTINA
Honey, let me see! Is that... have you
been kissing...

JAKE is becoming overwhelmed by the situation. He begins to

pace.

JAKE
Mom, it's just ketchup! We ate at
Wendy's.

CRISTINA JAKE
Fine. Let me see! No, Mom! It's nothing!

4/9
 JAKE 57.

CRISTINA
I want to see it!

JAKE, now fully overloaded, covers both of his ears and lets
out a deep BELLOW of agony.

JAKE
Aagh! I'm sorry I'm not perfect!

He stomps repeatedly on the ground before leaning back

against the WALL and starting to cry.

JAKE (CONT’D)
THE MIDWAY POINT

I'm sorry, Mom.

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CRISTINA stares at him, incredulous.

CRISTINA
Fine. Ketchup it is then.

She walks away, leaving JAKE to himself.

End 2
CRISTINA (CONT’D)
Make sure to wear that new Diesel
shirt I bought you. That shirt you're
wearing looks nerdy.

JAKE, remorseful, walks into his room. He closes the door.

CUT TO:

54 INT. HIGH SCHOOL, ALGEBRA CLASSROOM -- DAY

MRS. KLEIN
Have a great day, everyone.

A wave of STUDENTS anxiously make their way out of the

classroom, JAKE being among them.

MRS. KLEIN motions to him:

MRS. KLEIN (CONT'D)

Err, Jake, could I please have a quick
moment with you?

He stops:

JAKE
(surprised)
Sure, yeah.

5/9
 JAKE 67.

On the opposite side, ALICE thinks of something to say. She

sits next to him.

ALICE
Are you okay?

JAKE
(sighs)
No.

ALICE
Do you want to talk about it?
THE MIDWAY POINT

JAKE

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No.

She backs off a little.

JAKE (CONT’D)
I just feel so... weird.

ALICE is about to say something but gives up. She can't give
him any meaningful advice.

CUT TO:

66 EXT. ALICE'S HOUSE -- NIGHT

ALICE leads JAKE out the doorstep, both now fully clothed.
The house is large and modern. Like a McMansion, but with

Start 3
actual taste. The two stand there for a little while.

ALICE
It's cold.

JAKE
Yeah.

ALICE
Sorry if I came off the wrong way.

JAKE
No, it's fine.

ALICE
(smiles half-heartedly)
Alright then. Bye.

JAKE

6/9
Bye. I'll see you again.
 JAKE 68.

He lightly pats her on the shoulder. Before he can really

leave, however, he rushes back and lightly kisses ALICE. JAKE
then starts walking away to his car.

As he does, ALICE's smile fades away, left with a deep sense

of fear as she clenches her hand. Finally, she decides to
speak:

ALICE
(calling out)
Jake.
THE MIDWAY POINT

He turns around.

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JAKE
What's up?

She struggles with her words, until:

ALICE
I don't really love you.

JAKE's face loses all color, frozen in disbelief.

JAKE
What do you mean?

ALICE
I just went to you out of boredom,
because I thought you were cute.
That's all. I only spent time with you
yesterday and today because I pitied
you. I'm... sorry.

JAKE
(incredulous)
Are you fucking kidding me right now?

ALICE
(under her breath)
No.

JAKE
(getting upset)
All of this time, I've been lied to?

She just stares at him, unable to muster any words.

JAKE (CONT’D)

7/9
What do you mean, "out of boredom"?
Why would you flirt out of boredom?
 JAKE 69.

ALICE
Look, I'm going through a lot of shit
right now in my personal life, okay? I
broke up with my boyfriend, like, this
week-

JAKE
What?! You didn't tell me you had a
boyfriend.

ALICE
Fuck. I shouldn't have said that.
THE MIDWAY POINT

JAKE

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Why didn't you tell me that?
(pause)
Did you like him more than me?

ALICE
(quietly)
No.

JAKE
You're afraid of me. You upset 'cause
you think I'm this huge weirdo.

ALICE
Fine. You know what? Yeah. I didn't
tell you because I didn't want to be
seen in school as the bitch who's
going out with that weird, shy pussy!
(pause)
You don't know me. You wanna know
something else I didn't tell you
about?

ALICE (CONT'D)
I sell ecstasy pills to random guys
online. For fun! What do you think of
that?

JAKE
You're afraid of me.

No response from ALICE.

JAKE (CONT’D)
You are, aren't you? Why?

8/9
 JAKE 70.

ALICE
(breaking down)
Because I'm afraid I'll love you.

JAKE
(through tears)
You can't do this to people. You...

He can't take it anymore and cries out in a mix of anguish

and desperation. He jumps up and down in pure agony. ALICE
just stands there on the front porch, guilt-ridden.
THE MIDWAY POINT

JAKE musters the courage to speak.

End 3

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JAKE (CONT’D)
(sucking back tears)
Thanks a lot. Good night.

He walks over to his car. ALICE finally breaks down in tears,

falling down on the porch.

We hear the engine of the TOYOTA CAMRY switch on as the car

starts pulling away...

CUT TO:

67 INT. TOYOTA CAMRY, SUBURBAN ROAD -- NIGHT

JAKE drives home, crying. He is truly overwhelmed.

68 INT. JAKE'S LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT

JAKE hastily walks into his house and closes the front door.
He is then met by the sight of his mother, red with anger:

CRISTINA
Oh, _____
there you are! Where the hell have
you-

He races past her as he climbs upstairs.

CRISTINA (CONT'D)
(calling out)
Hey! Hey! What's going on here?

69 INT. JAKE'S BEDROOM -- CONTINUOUS

JAKE locks himself in his bedroom. The room feels even

smaller now. Cramped. Sitting on his bed, he ROCKS back and

9/9
forth in the fetal position, the moment growing more violent
with time. He then screams into a pillow.