PECCADILLO

Written by

Kennedy Park and Saunders Fitzgerald

(770) 891 2336

INT. INSIDE OF DINER - AFTERNOON

We hear the metallic ticking of a toaster.

We see an overhead shot of a plate with a chocolate waffle

being placed on a table.

We see an overhead shot of a plate with a single piece of

toast with jam being placed on a table.

We see a cup of coffee being placed on a table.

EXT. STREET VIEW OF DINER - AFTERNOON

We see the street view of the diner. The toaster dings and
the title card appears. Theme starts to play.

INT. INSIDE OF DINER - CONTINUOUS

Close up shot of coffee being poured into a pitcher. We

follow the pitcher as it is carried into the dining area. The
diner is quaint in size. There is an old cash register up
front, and no sign of 21st century technology. The diner is
in between lunch and dinner rushes. Out of the ten booths,
only two of them are occupied. Many still bare the dishes of
the previous customers.

We follow behind a waiter as he carries the pitcher of coffee

to refill the remaining customers.
how does he falter? what exactly does this mean?
In the first booth, sits PETER (20’s) and DOUG (40’s). PETER
means well, but falters in execution. His perfectly quaffed,
curly hair and well-trimed mustache stray the eye from seeing him pour
his inner instability. He pours syrup ontop of his already
chocolate coated waffle. DOUG, a clipped man with few words
to say and all the time in the world to say them, sits across
from him. Like every other visit to this diner, DOUG enjoys
his usual black coffee and single piece of toast with jam. He
reads today’s paper, while trying to ignore the sugar coma
his ex-partner is attempting to induce. DOUG nods his thanks
actively inducing
to the waiter without looking up and PETER manages a grunt in
the waiter’s general direction.

We follow the waiter across the diner to another booth where

AJ (18) is sitting. Earnest and bookish, AJ clings to the
belief that in eighteen years and twleve academic grades she
has never told a lie. But she knows it isn’t true. Having
perfected invisibility, AJshehuddles
huddles in the corner enjoying a
well-worn copy of Great Expectations.

As the waiter pours the coffee we back out, seeing that the
waiter is LIAM (18).
 2.

LIAM’s s’medium shirt is made even tighter by an apron

cinched around his waist like a corset. Always smiling and
always clueless. He notices who’s coffee he’s refilling and
asks:

LIAM
AJ?

AJ looks up displeased at having been interupted.

AJ
Hi.

LIAM
What’cha reading?

AJ
Great Expectations.

LIAM
Is it great? What’s it like?

AJ
No. it’s ok
AJ looks back down at her book. After a moment, she realizes
Liam hasn’t left. She closes her book with great effort.
tenderly?
AJ (CONT'D)
I didn’t know you worked here.

LIAM
18 is old for an allowance Yeah! Just started Saturday
why do we need to know actually. My dad cut my allowance
why? in half after I lost the state state game? seems brutal
game. But I like it here. Our cook,
Ollie, taught me how to fry my own
sausages. “I like it here, I’ve already learned how to fry my own
sausages!”
AJ
Cool. You saving any money for
tutoring? “Cool, you still trying to save up for tutoring?”

LIAM
Oh, yes! Right, yes. I meant to
text you. I’m still interested in
you. “I’m still interested in you…tutoring me (interest implied)”

AJ
(dryly)
Oh?
 3.

LIAM
(blushing)
Tutoring me. I mean that I’m still
interested in you tutoring me.

AJ
Great. reaches for book?

LIAM slides into the booth across from her.

LIAM
(leaning in)
Did you hear there was another
robbery this weekend?

AJ
(disinterested)
I did.

LIAM
Did you hear about those cops who
got fired?

AJ
No?

As LIAM talks, he gets louder with enthusiasm not realizing

everyone in the diner is listening.

LIAM
Apparently one of them accused the
principal and caused this big
upset. And the principal threatened
to sue the station for defamation.
The cop and his partner were both
fired.

From across the diner, PETER slams his drink down. LIAM hears
and gets up from the booth.

LIAM (CONT'D)
Duty calls.

AJ
Don’t you need my order?
“Nah, Ollie (points to the back) saw you come in and started your usual”
LIAM
No. Ollie told me he saw the blonde problematic
was back in her booth and started
hashbrowns.

We follow LIAM back across the diner to PETER and DOUG’s

booth.
 4.

LIAM (CONT'D)
You guys doing alright?
this is confusing. can it be condensed?
PETER “Listen kid, you should watch that mouth of yours.”
Listen, kid. You don’t know who’s
around, when their around, or if
their around...You know what I’m
saying? Just a little friendly
advice for you. It would have done
me some good when I was your age.

LIAM “Wait, you were in my gym class! It’s peter right?”

Didn’t you graduate two years ago?

PETER
(aggresively shaking the
syrup dispenser) this can be shown instead of told
Your dispenser is out.

LIAM nods and walks away.

dejected
DOUG takes a sip of his coffee without looking away from his
paper.

DOUG
Great advice.

PETER refocuses on his plate and destructively cuts up his

waffle.

INT. AJ'S BOOTH - CONTINUOUS

AJ’s phone buzzes on the table. She glances down and sees a
text from an Unknown number. She quickly grabs it and looks
around before she opens the message which reads: “Time’s Up,
AJ.” AJ looks around frantically. She types back: “Who is “I know what you
this?” “Also, fuck you” did.” or better yet,
ditch the line
A moment passes and then her phone buzzes again. AJ snatches awkward,
it immediately and reads: “X. Do I need to remind you of what perhaps
I have...” Another message appears: “Your target is Route 91
Diner. $500 in 30 mins at drop off point or footage goes condense
public...check under the table.” that footage better be damning to motivate her
to use the gun. She’s just a kid.
AJ looks up from her phone, dread building in her face.
Without looking down, she slowly and carefully reaches under
the table. AJ grabs the object and pulls it into her lap. She
looks down and sees it is a gun.

LIAM approaches AJ’s booth with a water. Panicking AJ quickly

shoves the gun in her bag. LIAM sets the glass down.
 5.

LIAM
(smiling)
You looked thirsty.

AJ forces a smile.

INT. PETER AND DOUG'S BOOTH - CONTINUOUS

PETER is watching LIAM ruefully and notices AJ’s frantic

look.

PETER
There is something off with that
girl.

DOUG
(without glancing away
from his paper)
How’s your coffee?

PETER
Doug, listen to me-

DOUG
Because mine’s delicious.

PETER
I’m telling you I’m onto something
here-

DOUG
(cooly)
Yes, you’ve been onto a lot of unnecessary
things recently.

DOUG calmly finishes the last drops of his coffee and

methodically folds the paper down.

DOUG (CONT'D)
I’m going to get the check.

DOUG gets up from the booth and walks to the register. PETER
is left at the booth staring intently at AJ while quickly
stuffing his face with the last bites of his waffle.

EXT. PARKING LOT OF DINER - MOMENTS LATER

DOUG walks out of the diner folding a receipt into his wallet
sporting a toothpick in his mouth. He stands a moment
waiting.
 6.

PETER walks out of the diner and joins DOUG in the parking
lot.

DOUG
I was ten years away from
retirement. Ten, Peter.

Moments of silence pass between them.

DOUG (CONT'D)
I asked for you to be my partner.
Did you know that? I worked there
for twenty-six years and could have
had any partner on the force.

PETER
(cheeky)
Figured you were the unlucky
bastard stuck with me.

DOUG
(cooly)
Chief asked me if I was sure. I
told him I was one hundred percent
positive. Right before we marched
into that school what did I ask
you?

PETER
Are we going to find any evidence?

DOUG
And what did you say?

PETER
I’m one hundred percent positive.

INT. AJ’S BOOTH - SAME TIME

AJ notices the now empty diner. She watches LIAM at the

register who is playing imaginary football with the dishes.
LIAM notices AJ looking at him and smiles bashfully. AJ
realizes this is her moment and gets up from her booth.
Awkwardly holding her bag next to her, she walks over to the
register.

LIAM
Hasbrowns should be up any second
now!
 7.

EXT. PARKING LOT OF DINER - SAME TIME

DOUG
There was no evidence, Peter.

PETER
Not there, no! But it doesn’t mean-

DOUG “peter” is repetitive

That he’s not hiding incriminating
evidence somewhere else? Wake up,
Peter!

INT. INSIDE OF DINER - SAME TIME

AJ
Listen, Liam. I’ve really enjoyed
our past tutoring sessions. I think
you’ve really made improvement in
reading comprehension.

LIAM
I think I know where this is going.

AJ
I need you to take all the money
out of the register and put it in
the bag.

EXT. PARKING LOT OF DINER - SAME TIME

DOUG
Maybe I shouldn’t have given you so
much freedom early on but shit if I
don’t remember being your age and
wishing someone would give me that
kind of freedom.

INT. INSIDE OF DINER - SAME TIME

AJ opens her bag, unknowingly showing him the gun.

AJ
Just do it.

LIAM
(Loud whisper)
Is that a gun?
 8.

AJ
(realizing)
Yes....yes it is.

LIAM
Holy shit....

EXT. PARKING LOT OF DINER - SAME TIME

DOUG How long have they known each other?

I loved you like a son, Peter.
Never could have any of my own.

INT. INSIDE OF DINER - SAME TIME

LIAM looks around and then starts to smile to himself.

LIAM
(giddy)
Is this like a forreal robbery?

AJ
Yes?

LIAM pauses a moment to consider.

LIAM
No, I’m sorry AJ. I’ve got to call
the police.

LIAM picks up the landline.

AJ
Wait, I was just messing with you.
Actually... your boss told me to
come by and get the cash from the
diner.

LIAM
How do you know him?

AJ
He’s my uncle.

LIAM How about,

No way. He’s my uncle too. “Good enough for me!”
AJ
Wow.
 9.

LIAM
(bummed)
So we’re related? a little too unbelievable
AJ
Nah. Step- uncle.

LIAM smiles and starts happily collecting money from the

register.

EXT. PARKING LOT OF DINER - SAME TIME

DOUG
It’s been hard is all, Peter. This
job’s been my whole life. Peter?

PETER has been watching and attempting to decipher the

actions of AJ and LIAM inside this whole time.

PETER
(to himself)
He’s taking money out of the
register.

DOUG
Are you fucking kidding me?

INT. INSIDE OF DINER - SAME TIME

LIAM stops taking the money out.

LIAM
Wait, what’s with the gun?

AJ
Oh this?

AJ pulls the gun out of her bag, and waves it around.

AJ (CONT'D)
It’s fake! It’s a prop from the
musical this year.

AJ flimsly throws the gun around to prove a point.

what if instead she undoes the safety?
LIAM
Neat!

Liam goes back to taking the money out of the register.

 10.

EXT. PARKING LOT OF DINER - SAME TIME

DOUG
This whole time you weren’t even
listening.

PETER
I think she’s got a gun-

DOUG
That’s it, Peter. You need help.

PETER
No, I’m serious Doug. Look!

DOUG
Absolutely not. I’m leaving.

PETER
No, wait Doug. She has a gun!
Please I’m begging you to just
look. Believe me.

DOUG
Peter, if I turn around and that
girl isn’t holding an AK-47 to that
poor cashier’s head while he cries
for his mother, I swear to God I
will put my badge so far up your
ass you will shit brass.
cut away before “shitting brass’, maybe see him in background
PETER berating peter?
(slowly) Maybe we see Doug’s realization through the window
Turn around, Doug. from inside the diner,
peter gesticulates and he finally turns.
Doug meets Peter’s gaze and then turns around to see AJ
waving the gun wildly in the air.

DOUG
Shit. zoom in on his realization? Through the glass from the inside?

Doug and Peter silmultaneously take off back into the Diner.

INT. INSIDE OF DINER - CONTINUOUS

As AJ flaunts the gun around, DOUG and PETER burst through

the door.

PETER DOUG
(yelling) Drop the gun. Put your hands
FREEZE! Beaufort PD. in the air.
 11.

Peter forms a singular finger gun and aims it AJ while DOUG

holds his fists up in Bruce-Lee-like fashion. AJ yelps and
immediately points her gun at the officers. LIAM is watching
in awe. PETER and DOUG drop their imaginary weapons and
stances.

AJ
It’s not what you think.

PETER
Then what’s with the gun?

AJ stutters unable to come up with a response.

PETER (CONT'D)
I was the fourteenth recruit out of
the academy and there was only
twenty of us-
they approach
DOUG
(stepping towards her)
What Peter’s trying to say-

AJ
Stop, right there.

LIAM
What are they saying, AJ?

DOUG still keeps stepping forward.

DOUG
Just put the gun down and we can
figure this out.

AJ
(frantically)
Don’t take another step!

DOUG
You were just announced as
Valedictorian, right? Saw it in the
paper this morning. AJ McGriffith.
You’re a smart kid. And you know
there’s not smart way out of this.
Your best option is to put the gun
down and come calmly.

AJ
I can’t. I have to take this money.

PETER
Why?
 12.

AJ is at her breaking point now. As she dramatically explains

her story, she aimlessly gesticulates with the gun. LIAM,
DOUG, and PETER all duck down several times to avoid her aim.

AJ
Because I cheated, okay?! I
cheated! I am a cheater! Me! But I
never meant to. I studied for three
weeks for that test. But the night
before, I couldn’t sleep so I went
into my mom’s medicine cabinet and
took a few melatonin tablet. The
next morning, I hardly made it to
the bathroom. I checked the
expiration on the bottle and
“dad’s” realized it wasn’t melatonin. I
took three of my dog’s laxatives.
When the test started, it was like
clockwork. I was running out of
there every seven minutes. One time
I didn’t make it. I had to use the
Janitor’s closet and it was dark
and I couldn’t find the mop bucket-

LIAM
We, get it AJ. Thanks.

AJ
Right. Well, before I knew it,
there was only two minutes left of
the exam, and I had more than fifty
questions left. Ronan, the second
smartest kid in the school, was “so I just copied off the kid next to me”
sitting next to me. I would have
never trusted his answers in any
other situation. But I had to.

PETER
(tounge-in-cheek)
Last time I checked, kids who
cheated didn’t get guns placed in
their hands. “don’t go apeshit at a diner.”

AJ
(dead serious)
But they do. I didn’t tell anyone
what happened, and yesterday I got
a text from a blocked number. It
was footage of me looking at
Ronan’s answers. The same number
texted me again ten minutes ago.

DOUG
What did it say?
 13.

AJ
That I had to rob this diner and
bring the money to a drop off
point.

DOUG
Where is the drop off point?

AJ
Some bench at the Northeast corner
of Freeman Park.

DOUG
Specific.

PETER
And in plain sight. Their good.

LIAM
(excited)
I know where that is!

PETER
That’s great, Liam.

AJ
What are you doing at a park? “Why would you know that Liam?”

LIAM
Sometimes I meet Principal Baldwin
there for coffee.

They all look at him suspiciously.

PETER
Who?

LIAM
Principal Baldwin!

PETER looks at DOUG smiling.

PETER
WHO?!

LIAM
Principal...Baldw-

PETER
I told you!

DOUG
Now, Peter-
 14.

PETER DOUG (CONT'D)

I was right! The whole time I Let’s not get ahead of
was RIGHT. ourselves.

DOUG (CONT'D)
(ignoring PETER)
Liam, why do you meet Principal
Baldwin?

LIAM
He is passionate about his students
and he sees me, football team
captain, Mr. Beaufort High, as his
eyes and ears around the school.

DOUG
Is that it?

LIAM
Pretty much. He says it helps him
better understand the student body. this is incredibly creepy. Having
So I take pictures for him when an adult get another kid to film
asks. Sometimes videos too! children seems problematic.

AJ
(hostile)
How much of the money are you
getting?

LIAM
It’s community service!

DOUG
Liam, listen to me. What exactly
are you showing Principal Baldwin?

LIAM
I don’t know. Stuff. One time he
was really worried about Frankie
and had me follow him around for a
couple of days. Just taking videos
when he was skipping school or
hanging out in his car in the
parking lot... Oh.

PETER
Would you testify to this?

LIAM
He said we were like partners in
crime. I didn’t know he meant
literally.
 15.

DOUG
Afraid the only partners in this
story have some badges to reclaim.
Peter, you ready?

PETER
Let’s nail the son of a bitch. You
two, don’t move. We’ll send a car
to grab you for questioning.

As DOUG and PETER walk out the door-

DOUG
And AJ, melatonin is a placebo. it’s an actual sleep aid

DOUG throws his shades on and throws another toothpick in his

mouth before he walks out. PETER follows grinning.

AJ and LIAM are left in silence. LOUD DING. LIAM turns around
and see’s AJ’s food is up.

LIAM
Hungry?

AJ
Not anymore.

LIAM
Good, because it’s my break and
these hashbrowns smell delicious.

LIAM walks back over to AJ’s booth and plops down.

LIAM (CONT'D)
Your coffee is getting cold.

AJ joins him in the booth.

AJ
I lied.

LIAM
Yeah, I know. You also pointed a
gun at two cops.

AJ
No I lied about the hasbrowns. Give
me some.

LIAM pushes the plate closer between them. AJ and LIAM dig
in.
 16.

LIAM
Do you think we’re going to spend
the night in jail?

AJ looks out of the window, LIAM follows her gaze, and we see
PETER and DOUG through the window outside the diner doing an
elaborate celebratory handshake.

AJ
If we do, it’ll make for a great
college essay.
“Probably not.”
Credits rolls while DOUG and PETER continue to celebrate.

END OF FILM