Cheekbones:ADaydream by KennyStewart LeftoversProductions,20222313AShoalCreekBlvd. Austin,TX78705
Yeah,hi.Wow,thisis...Wow... Nuts.
Alkaline...pHof9.5...goodfor acidreflux...Right,butcanit putoutafire?(beat)Jesus,at$5 abottleit’dfuckingbetter.
Hmm.Hey,Ollie.Uh-Oliver.
Meanwhile,OLIVERhasbeenstandinginfrontofthewater sectionofthecoolerforalmostfivewholeminutes;arms folded,heoccasionallyscratcheshischinwhilehiseyes skimtheadvertisedbenefitsoftheoptionsdespiteknowing they’realljustfuckingwater.
INT.KWIK-FILLGASSTATION-LATEAFTERNOON/EARLYEVENING
PATTY
Oh...
Ohshit,Pat...
Thegasstationismoderatelybusy,butthat’snotahuge surpriseconsideringit’snearingrushhour.Adultsare stoppingbyonthewayhomefromwork-beeliningdecidedly forwhattheyneedandqueuingtocheckout-whileagroup ofpre-teenslazilyperusethesnackaisleandboasttoeach otheroverwhocaneatthemostTakisfromthepurplebag.
(soft,monosyllabicgiggle)
AsOLIVERcontinuesweighinghisoptions,thedoorchimesas someoneenters.Thedullclick-clackofheeledshoesalong thelinoleumgrowscloser,stoppingsuddenlywithan accentedstepafewfeetawayinfrontofthecoolerfor domesticbeers.
OLIVER (mutteringtohimself)
OLIVER
OLIVER
OLIVERbeginstotakeastepbackandlooksup absentmindedly,expectingthatsomeonehadneededtopassby himashe’dbeenobstructingthepathtothebathroom.His faceturnsfromdisinterestedsympathytomildshockwhenhe seeswhoitis,andforasplit-secondhorrifiedshame cameosuponhiscountenance.
CUTIN:
PATTY (underherbreath)
OLIVER Good,good.I’msoglad.
2.
OLIVERcoughsandshiftshitsweightsothathe’sstanding moreclearlyinfrontofthewaterdoorasbefore,onlyit’s nowherenearascasuallyashe’dintendedittobe.Hisarms uncrossandareburieddeepenoughinhispocketstomake KingTutjealous.
PATTY
Yeah... OLIVER
Isit...?
(coughs)Goodtoseey-Ididn’t knowyouwereintown.(beat)Whywhy are youintown?
PATTY
Yeah...Butyouknow,Ijustwanted tobeherewithher.Lookafterher forabitinthemeantime.
OLIVER Fuck,noway.
Oh,mymomisfinallyhavingthat cystremoved.
PATTY (reassuringly) Benign,it’sbenign.Allgood.
OLIVER (tryingtocollect/convince himself)
OLIVER
Sure,sure.
PATTYisholdingherwallet,turningitoverinherhands absentmindedly.It’sclearthatshe’dintendedtorunin, buysomething,andrunoutquickly.Shewasn’texpecting thisintheslightestandit’sstoppedherinhertracks. (Theyneverfuckingdoanditalwaysfuckingdoes.)
PATTY
PATTY
Nuts,right.It’s...(forced chuckle;she’sunsurewhat"Itis" herself)It’ssomething.
Butyou,youlookgood.What’swith the,uh...?
OLIVER (chuckles)
OLIVERisstartingtoloosenup,knowinghisnewhairstyle hasPATTY’sapproval.He’sblushingabit,butnotenoughto whereitwouldbepointedout.
(chuckles;disarming self-awareness)
OLIVER
OLIVER
3.
She’ssupposedtostayinbedfor2 weeksaftertheprocedureand knowingher-
Coursenot,Debbieandher fucking...(halfhearted) feet...
PATTYlooksdownandsnickersatthis,stillplayingwith herwallet.Inthesamemoment,OLIVERcontortshisentire faceintoagrimaceatwhathe’sjustsaid.PATTYlooksback upathimandherevertshisfacebacktooneofpleasant neutralityjustinthenickoftime.
God,I’msosorry.(playful mocking)Thatwasn’tmyintention, Iswear.
Wow,it really hurtstosaythat.
PATTY
Exactly,evenifitmeans sleepwalkingthatwomanjustcan’t stayoffherfeet.
Oh!Right,yeah...Justuh,trying somethingnew.
PATTY (giggles)
PATTY
PATTYmotionswithherhandvaguelyaroundherheadtorefer toOLIVER’shair.
OLIVER
Psh,that’llneverhappen.
PATTY (audiblysmiling,ifpossible)
Yeah?It’suh,well.Actually,I reallylikeit.
OLIVER
4.
OLIVER
My,uh,mygirlfriendisa hairdresser...actually.
Iknow,itwastoughtosaygoodbye butwhatcanIsay?Turnsoutit actuallyfeltgoodtotrysomething new.
PATTYmomentarilystopstoyingwithherwalletatthis,but perhapsnotlongenoughtowhereitwouldbenoticed.
OLIVER (eyeswidening)
Oh,nonono.Shedidn’t do this...
Well...clearlysheknowswhat she’sdoing.
Yeah,shesuggestedthis...This (motionstohair) number.
OLIVERbeginstoshifthisweightuncomfortablyandhisface betraysthebuild-uptohisannouncement.
I’mjustsousedtothe,youknow, thesideburnsandthecurls.But this...(motionstoOLIVER’shead thistime)Itlooksgood.
OLIVER
PATTY
PATTY (forcingasmile)
PATTY Oh. OLIVER
PATTY
What?
PATTY (somewhatstiffly)
No,shedidn’tactually cut it.We havethis... thing,Iguess,where shegetsoneofherecoworkersto
PATTYnearlydropsherwalletwhenOLIVERsays"girlfriend" andOLIVERisn’tabletokeephiseyesopenastheword leaveshismouth.
Sure,ofcourse.
PATTY (smugly) Oh,Iknow.Iremember.
I’llletherknowyoulikeit.
OLIVERissodelightedthatPATTYlikeshishairandthe encounteroverallthatheisunawareofwhathe’ssayingand towhomhe’ssayingit,doingsowithagrinwhilehedoes.
Shit,Ididn’tevenknowIhadthem tilyoutoldme.
Definitelystrange.(beat)Well, eitherway.Shehasgoodtaste... Ithighlightsyourcheekbones.
PATTY’sgrinfadesabit,thoughOLIVERdoesn’texpectit.
OLIVER (alsogiggling)
OLIVER (ridingonnonexistentbanter momentum) Andyetsomehowyoualwaysknew you did.
doit.Idunno,shesaidshe’stoo biasedorsomething.Couldn’tbring herselftoactuallycutanyhair frommyhead?
PATTY (gigglingcuriously) That’suh...
OLIVER (flattered)
Yeah,nowthatI’vesaiditout loudtosomeoneelseitdoessound strange.
5.
OLIVERisnoticeablyblushingnow,andPATTYknewhewould.
R.I.PPatty’sremaininggrin.
OLIVER
PATTY
PATTY (softly) Yeah...
OLIVER Anyway...
OLIVER(cont’d) NearlyforgotwhatIcamefor-
6.
PATTY (grinning) Hmm.
Bothoftheireyesdriftelsewhereforasecondasthey realizetheyarenowtheonlycustomersintheKwik-Fill. Theybothre-gatherthemselves.
OLIVERopensthedoortothewatersandgrabsthefirstone hishandfinds.Heholditupdemonstratively.
PATTY (jestfulwhisper) Icouldn’twait-
PATTY (caughtoff-guardobviously) Oh,um...(indistinctly)Good...
PATTY(cont’d) (mad"inconclusion"vibes) Solisten-
OLIVER ("readingtheroom") Yeah-
SuchanicesurpriseOLIVER Youtoo!PATTY IactuallyPATTYgesturestothebathroom. OLIVER Oh,sure-
OLIVER (understandingdismissal) Noproblem.(beat)Actually-
TheirmouthssmilewiderthanMoses’spartedseawhiletheir eyesbegforgivenesslikewarcrimeswerecommitted.
PATTY
Shehatespublictoilets.
OLIVERgrins ever so slightly.
OLIVER (moretohimself)
Yeah,nahhh.
OLIVER
Heputsbackthealkalinewaterandgetsanormal-assbottle ofwater(Zephyrhills,PolandSprings,DeerPart,etc.), thenturnsandwalkstowardsthecountertopay.
CUTTOBLACK
7.
Hestandsthereasecondgazingblanklyatthegroundbefore shakingitoffandlookingatthealkalinewaterinhis hand.
PATTYbreaksOLIVER’sgaze,avertinghereyesdownwardand slightlynoddingathimassheturnsandquicklywalkspast himandintothebathroom.
Seeya,Pat...
OLIVER (VOICEOVER)