FADE IN ON: INT. DINER- EVENING A typical Waffle House-like restaurant.

Seated at a twoperson table is: A MAN, 23, wearing a white business shirt and a tie, with dark hair and a sort of concealed nervousness. He hungrily eats his salmon-and-vegetables plate, something youd assume a guy like him would eat. He sits across from his FRIEND, 23. He wears a new but cheap black shirt and has BLONDE HAIR. Underneath his young but tired face is an erratic, ungrounded temper. He sips his third beer. Like the man, his appearance hints at his diet The dialogue is to be said in a brisk manner, a little snide at times but always friendly. We enter mid-conversation: MAN So why the hell did you try again? FRIEND Because I could have very damn well been the twenty-ninth caller. MAN Yeah, but you werent. (eats) You never are. FRIEND But I could have been. Thats the point. MAN (shakes head) Jesus. FRIEND Hey, you know what saying I live by? Live by? MAN

FRIEND Abide by, function on, whatever. Which one? MAN

FRIEND Ask and it will be given to you.

The MAN cracks up. What? FRIEND

MAN Am I really hearing this? A hardheaded atheist say that their motto is a Bible verse? FRIEND You dont have to believe the whole book just because you like one of the sayings. MAN Well that sayings bullshit, man. FRIEND How is it bullshit? MAN Bullshit, noun, definition: Not true. FRIEND Its technically not true. A bank wont give you all their money just because you ask for it, I know, butask in the saying means try. (drinks) So the saying is more along the lines of Dont try, and it wont be given to you. MAN So what are you saying? FRIEND That the saying means: if you want something, you gotta try. MAN Alright, but how does that apply to this? FRIEND I want twenty thousand dollars, so I try by calling in. MAN I still dont understand. FRIEND (gives up) Youre a lost cause.

2. MAN So Ive been told. FRIEND Youre just judging me for my ambition. MAN Ambition to do what? Pick up a phone, call into a radio station, andFRIEND Try to win twenty grand? Thats a decent ambition if you ask me. MAN Thats not called ambition. Thats called not being realistic. FRIEND (joking) The fuck you know about being realistic? Youre the one going up and down the country trying to sell some gyp Wall Street software. This offends the MAN, who glares at his FRIEND in silence, before going back to his meal. The FRIEND becomes remorseful for what he said. FRIEND (CONTD) I was just shitting with you, man. MAN Dont worry about it. Silence. FRIEND (jokingly) You know, its been a lonely-ass couple of months with you gone and all. MAN (sarcastically) Still havent gotten a life yet, Leo? FRIEND/LEO (falsely oblivious) No, uh, where do I get one? MAN At a bar, possibly.

3. LEO Thats where you got yours, huh? (chuckles) How is she? MAN Lisa? (drinks water) Oh, shes fine. Still psychotic, if thats what you mean. LEO Thats a surprise. MAN I dont even know how she lasted without me for so long. LEO Maybe she didnt. You seen her yet? MAN You kidding? She was in my face the second I got out of the plane. LEO Tom, man, if I were you, Id dump her. (drinks) I mean, if she werent so hot. MAN/TOM But she is. And bullshit, you wouldnt let go of a girl if you had seven others. LEO (nodding) Right, douchebag. TOM Calm down. (eats) You take my shit too personally sometimes. Silence. TOM (CONTD) Hows your job? You still at that loading dock? LEO Nah, they let me go last month. Im at that Blockbuster on 407 now. TOM They pay better?

4. LEO Of course fucking not. I can barely pay my rent and shit. TOM You curse a lot, you know that? LEO When necessary, my friend. TOM Your perception of necessary is highly skewed, then. LEO Borderline unemployment makes a man pretty jaded. TOM And vulgar, apparently. LEO And vulgar, yes. Not that youd know anything about being unemployed, jaded or vulgar. TOM (laughs) So hows that place doing? LEO Terrible. No one rents anymore. Go figure. TOM

LEO Yeah, thats right. Go fucking figure. People arent gonna get off their ass and drive down to pay four, five bucks for something they could get online for free on their shitty little HP. TOM Whats the world come to? LEO Its come to destroying an honest business by downloading the fucking Deer Hunter for less than a penny from some website. TOM You seem pretty upset about this. I am. LEO

5. He sighs, looks around, then back to TOM. LEO (CONTD) How do you watch movies, anyway? TOM (looks down, wryly smiles) I download them. LEO (scoffs) Go to hell. They crack up, sharing a nice laugh. EXT. STREETS- DAY