Read Time Well Spent Page 2


  radio. Seth is sitting all sad, moping.

  RUSS

  (singing)

  “...What the hell is ADD?...”

  Seth turns to Russ.

  SETH

  (sadly)

  Hey, do you mind?

  RUSS

  No problem--I love this part too!

  Russ cranks it up to full blast. Disgusted, and almost in

  tears, Seth turns it off himself. He has interrupted Russ’

  jam session.

  RUSS (CONT’D)

  Why’d you do that? Oh. Yeah. The stuff

  about the breakup...(beat)...stuff.

  SETH

  It’s more than that. (beat) She told me I

  was the World’s Biggest Zero. I love her,

  and she thinks I have no value whatsoever.

  RUSS

  You? No!

  He takes a hand off the wheel and waves his concerns off.

  RUSS (CONT’D)

  Pishaw!!! I can only say, you are no bigger

  of a loser than I am.

  He suddenly loses it and bangs his raised hand on the horn.

  The horn BLARES.

  RUSS (CONT'D)

  (road raging)

  HEY, MOVE IT!!! WE'RE ON THE FREEWAY!!! I

  WILL GET OUT THIS VAN, RUN UP TO YOUR

  BITCHASS PRIUS AND PUNCH YOU IN THE HEAD--

  THAT IS HOW SLOW YOU'RE GOING!!! PUT YOUR

  FOOT DOWN!!!

  He suddenly calms.

  RUSS (CONT’D)

  (to himself)

  Man, there are cars everywhere today.

  (to Seth)

  The world is overpopulated and run by

  people who were losers and geeks in high

  school. You know George W. Bush was a

  cheerleader? Became our greatest living

  President. Bill Gates has always been

  Bill Gates, and...(beat)...Barack Obama

  used to wear a dress!

  SETH

  Yeah, well...(beat)...I don’t know about

  that.

  RUSS

  We'll wiki it later.

  SETH

  I feel confident that Barack Obama has

  never been a crossdresser, no. You just

  made that last example up.

  RUSS

  (indignantly)

  Oh, so, that’s how it is? You’re just

  jealous I never let you and her use the...

  (deepening his voice)

  ...Love Van.

  SETH

  The Love Van? Dude, you’re driving a

  minivan!

  RUSS

  No, I’m driving the...

  (deepening his voice)

  ...Love Van.

  SETH

  (simultaneously)

  Whaddya mean “The Love Van”? This is a

  minivan!

  RUSS

  (simultaneously)

  The dealer--

  SETH

  You have room for, like, 2.3 goddamn kids

  back there!

  RUSS

  The dealer--the dealer told me this is a

  love van. I am a sex machine in the “Love

  Van”!

  SETH

  Oh, yeah? Oh, yeah? How many girls have you

  had in the back of this Aerostar?

  RUSS

  Had?

  (indignantly)

  I have made the acquaintance of several fine

  young ladies-

  SETH

  Uh-huh, uh-huh, I thought so.

  There’s a moment of quiet awkwardness.

  RUSS

  (seething)

  Look, say what you want about me, just

  don’t ever knock the Love Van.

  (calms down)

  You’re looking at this the wrong way.

  You’re a free man--and tonight we’re paint

  this one horse town--

  SETH

  (interrupting)

  Los Angeles.

  RUSS

  Los Angeles--white with semen!!! (beat) Our

  semen. (beat) Because of all the sex we’ll

  be having. (beat) With girls. (beat) Not--not

  each other--

  SETH

  (interrupting)

  Shut up.

  RUSS

  (agreeing)

  Shutting up.

  INT. A HIP HOP CLUB - NIGHT

  Seth and Russ, dressed like ‘80s style homeboys are trying

  to keep up the gyrate with two SISTAS. A door is heard

  being SMASHED open by the unmistakable sound of a battery

  ram. White LAPD OFFICERS filter in, surrounding the dance

  floor, GUNS drawn. The music stops.

  LAPD OFFICER #1

  FREEZE! THIS IS A RAID!

  Seth and Russ grab each other in fear.

  RUSS

  Don’t shoot us, we’re Caucasian!

  EST. SHOT - CLUB ECSTASY

  Underneath the neon sign, written on the marquee: “NO

  ECSTASY SOLD HERE.”

  INT. ECSTASY CLUB - NIGHT

  PEOPLE, obviously all on Ecstasy, are dancing to bad TECHNO

  MUSIC. Everyone’s on x, with the skimpy outfits and the

  multi-colored GLOWSTICKS. Russ has stripped to his “TIGHTY

  WHITIES.” He’s in his zone, among his people. Everyone’s

  lined up like on the old episodes of “Soul Train”--the

  vastly superior Don Cornelius days. Down the middle,

  they’ve formed a conga line with Russ leading. At the end

  of the row, he turns, bringing them down, waving his two

  glowsticks like an airtraffic controller.

  INT. THE SPIKED CLUB - NIGHT

  Seth and Russ have found their way into an S&M club. They

  stand by the door, scared to venture any farther. Inside, a

  scantily clad TORTURE MISTRESS whips a NAUGHTY GIRL-chained

  and on all fours--over her bare ass with an exotic

  WHIP.

  TORTURE MISTRESS

  Speak, my naughty BITCH!!!

  SFX - LOUD WHIP

  SFX - GIRL WHINING

  Russ flinches; Seth holds back a tide of rising vomit. The

  HOST, a lanky fellow whose leather outfit would put Dr.

  Frank-n-futher to shame, approaches them.

  HOST

  Come on in, boys. We don’t bite...(beat)...

  in any places that won’t heal.

  REAR SHOT - HOST

  The back of his “MAN PANTIES” has been cut out, and his ass

  is hanging out in all its glory.

  BACK TO SCENE

  SETH

  Shit--run! Run!

  They frantically--practically tripping over each other-escape.

  INT. CLUB HERSHEY - NIGHT

  The club is filled with dancing GAY MEN. Seth and Russ are

  dancing like they’ve never danced before: Seth leaps atop a

  jubilant Russ’ back and begins to ride him doggie-style.

  Seth abruptly dismounts and begins to look around. He

  finally realizes something’s wrong.

  SETH (CONT’D)

  Whoa, whoa, wait a minute.

  LANCE BRUCE, an obviously gay teenager, sees them. He’s

  carrying a little TRAY of FESTIVE DRINKS.

  LANCE

  Hiya, fellas!

  SETH

  Lance Bruce, you work here?

  LANCE

 
Yeah--got the job with my--

  (whispers conspiratorally)

  ...fake ID! Isn’t this club just the most

  fantabulous?

  Seth and Russ hold each other fearfully.

  RUSS

  (freaking out)

  Oh my God! We walked into a room full of

  ‘mos!

  SETH

  (whispering)

  Calm down. We prepared for this--remember

  the drills.

  Huddled together, not very nonchalant, they slowly inch

  towards the door. When they reach it, though no one is even

  paying any attention to them:

  SETH (CONT’D)

  (to the gays)

  None of you follow us!

  INT. CLUB GRUNGE - NIGHT

  TWO SHOT - SETH AND RUSS

  They’re looking at each other, holding on to some railing

  as MOSHERS mosh below them--like Dana Carvey and Mike Myers

  in Wayne’s World.

  RUSS

  Are you ready?

  SETH

  Never more so in my life.

  RUSS

  (simultaneously)

  MOSH PIT!

  SETH

  (simultaneously)

  MOSH PIT!

  They both release, falling backward and are caught by the

  moshers and passed along.

  RUSS

  “I am a golden god!” Not silver! Gold!

  SETH

  Y’know, except for the queasiness, all the

  hands on my ass--and I’m pretty sure I just

  got poked with something, little worried

  about that--this is the greatest time of

  my life!

  SFX - FART

  RUSS

  Oops, I just farted.

  Everyone release Russ and scatter. He falls to the floor

  with a THUD.

  INT. SETH’S CAR - NIGHT

  HADDAWAY’S “WHAT IS LOVE?” is blasting over the car stereo.

  Seth and Russ, dressed like “The Butabi Brothers” from A

  Night at the Roxbury, are bobbing their heads to the side

  like the guys from the classic “SNL” skit and the

  underappreciated movie. The song abruptly ends. AARON

  CARTER’S “AARON’S PARTY” starts. Their heads stop rocking.

  Russ begins fiddling with the buttons.

  SETH

  Sorry. I think I recorded over--

  RUSS

  (interrupting)

  What?

  SETH

  This was a mixed tape--

  RUSS

  You make mixed-tapes?

  SETH

  I make retro mixed tapes--I think I

  recorded over it.

  RUSS

  Oh. It’s nice. (beat) This’ll work too.

  Russ’ head begins bobbing again. After a moment, Seth’s

  does too.

  INT. CLUB MISCELLANEOUS - NIGHT

  No theme. No more freaks than you’d fine at any other club,

  with the exception of Seth and Russ. Hands in his pockets,

  Seth approaches a HOT GIRL.

  SETH

  Hey there.

  HOT GIRL

  Hi.

  SETH

  (smarmily)

  My pants are ringing.

  He jiggles his trousers.

  SETH (CONT’D)

  (smarmily)

  It’s opportunity callin’.

  HOT GIRL

  Do you work here and someone’s trying to

  contact me on the outside or--

  SETH

  (interrupting, guiltily)

  Can I have your number, please? I'm

  trying to pick you up--that was a pick-

  up line. I'd like your number.

  HOT GIRL

  I don't feel like giving you my number,

  and I really think I'm outta your league.

  SETH

  Yeah, well, you clearly came alone too,

  so you must have unrealistic expectations

  as to how hot you are.

  HOT GIRL

  That's offensive.

  SETH

  "That's offensive"? You're offended by

  this situation?

  HOT GIRL

  What-ever! Just get out of here before you

  get smacked.

 

  SETH

  Oh, yeah? Who ya gonna have beat me up?

  Your boyfriend? Uh-oh! You clearly came

  alone, so you're gonna have to be the one

  who beats me up.

  HOT GIRL

  I guess so.

  SETH

  I guess so too.

  She slaps him. It's an anemic slap because she's a scrawny girl, and Seth is unmoved.

  SETH (CONT'D)

  That did not hurt.

  She slaps him again.

  SETH (CONT'D)

  I'm starting to think I'm dead inside--I

  know, that shocks me too.

  She slaps him again!

  SETH (CONT'D)

  You're still not hurting me--still, I'm

  going to ask you to stop doing that and

  am going to walk away.

  Seth meets up again with Russ, who's chatting up two HOTTIES.

  RUSS

  ...Yes, and I call it my "Love Van"--

  Disgusted, they split.

  RUSS (CONT'D)

  (calling after them)

  I'll Facebook you--are you on the

  Internet?

  (turns to Seth)

  Hey, how's it going?

  SETH

  Well, a hot girl just slapped me a bunch

  of times.

  RUSS

  Alright, but we left that one club for

  that very reason.

  SETH

  Let's just call it a night.

  EXT. PARKING LOT - EARLY MORNING

  CLOSE SHOT - SETH’S OPEN TRUNK

  It’s full of their various CLUBBING OUTFITS.

  SETH (CONT’D)

  Damn. How do you do it every night?

  RUSS

  That’s why the Dodgers still make caps, my

  friend.

  FLASHBACK

  INT. GEORGE BUSH HIGH. CLASSROOM - DAY

  Half the class is wearing various styles of DODGER CAPS,

  obviously sleeping--tired, hungover, whatever.

  END FLASHBACK

  SETH

  If I'd had, would I be out here with you?

  (beat) Yes, probably. I've only had sex

  with that one girl, and only a small

  minority of girls move that fast, not

  that I'm judging those who do--so that was

  outta line. You're a good friend.

  RUSS

  Alright, then. The secret is to meet new

  people. Just don't call Lysandra. It's

  like duct tape on your scrotum, you just

  have to rip it off as quick as you can

  and hope it's not too messy.

  SETH

  Why would there be--no, I'm not going to

  call Lysandra--you're right about that.

  INT. SETH’S HOUSE. SETH’S ROOM - MORNING

  Seth’s on the phone.

  SETH (CONT'D)

  (into phone)

  Look, I really think if we try, we can

  work this out.

  INT. LYSANDRA’S HOUSE. LYSANDRA’S ROOM - MORNING

  Lysandra’s cutting up a pair
of jeans, stabbing the crotch

  with a pair of SCISSORS.

  SETH (CONT’D, V.O.)

  (over answering machine)

  I mean, I know you’re a rational person.

  She finally figures “screw the scissors” and begins to tear

  it down the middle.

  SETH (CONT’D, V.O.)

  (over answer machine)

  Remember our song? (beat)

  (singing)

  “Some people stand in the darkness/Afraid

  to step into the light/Some people need to

  help somebody/When the edge of surrender is

  in sight/Don’t you worry, it’s going to be

  all right/’Cause I’m always there/I won’t

  let you out of my sight...”

  INT. LAX. TERMINAL - NIGHT

  PASSENGERS are getting off a flight from Russia. Anna is

  one of them, carrying a large SUITCASE. She walks up to

  Seth.

  SETH

  Hey, Anna. How’s my best girl-guyfriend?

  ANNA

  I really wish you’d stop calling me that.

  SETH

  Yeah, I wish for a lot of things. So how

  was Russia?

  ANNA

  Cold and humiliating. It was Russia. Our

  greatest heroes are dictators and

  writers who kill off their characters in

  the end.

  She hands him her suitcase.

  SETH

  (not listening)

  Great--you know I broke up with Lysandra?

  ANNA

  I got stuck to a toilet--I was frozen on

  the seat for, like, three hours.

  SETH

  Ten years together.

  ANNA

  They placed space heaters around my ass. My

  pubes were singed off.

  SETH

  More than half my life.

  ANNA

  You can probably now find pictures of it on