"Obligations" By Adam Boyer

INT. KITCHEN--DAY We open on a close up of a peanut butter and nutella sandwich being made. FRIEND(OS) Are you sure you want to do this? PENNY(OS) Im sure A generous sprinkling of dried mushrooms are applied to the sandwich. FRIEND(OS) Because theres no pressure, I wouldnt think any less of you if you didnt want to. We pull back to reveal PENNY(20). PENNY Listen, Ive looked it up, theres really no danger of getting addicted, you cant OD, and most studies suggest its actually good for you. Im in a safe environment, my parents are gone...Im doing this. Penny and her friend both exhale and clink their drug laden sandwiches. FRIEND OK. They start eating. PENNY Huh, that doesnt taste as bad as I would have guessed. FRIEND (mouth full) Nutellas my fella! Across the room a phone vibrates. Penny goes to look at it. PENNY God, this is so cool. Me doing drugs, who would have thought? How long before these kick in by the way?

(CONTINUED)

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2.

FRIEND I dont know, Ive heard anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Depends on the person I think. Pennys reads the text message. Her face goes white. PENNY Shit. FRIEND What? PENNY Jesus, I cant believePenny starts getting ready to leave. FRIEND Cant believe what? PENNY I was supposed to meet Jacob for coffee today. FRIEND When? PENNY In like a half hour. FRIEND So, just tell him youll meet him another time. PENNY I cant, this would be like the third time I bailed on him, and he seemed really nice. FRIEND Hey, do what you gotta do. PENNY Sorry. It shouldnt take to long. Ill be there an hour most. FRIEND Alright, just meet up with me afterwords.

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3.

PENNY Thanks. I will. Penny walks out the door. FRIEND (shouting) Make sure he wears a condom! PENNY(OS) NEVER! INT. PENNYS CAR--DAY Penny nervously makes herself presentable using the visor mirror. She pulls into the parking lot. She does one final check in the mirror. PENNY (to herself) OK. Were fine. I dont think the theyve kicked in yet. Penny grabs her chest. PENNY (like a ventriloquist) Honk honk. Beat. PENNY Oh no... EXT. PARKING LOT--DAY Penny gets out to the most AMAZING parking lot! Colours are more saturated the world seems like its shot with a wide angle lens, Penny makes her way inside with a wide-eyed grin. INT. CAFE--DAY Penny snaps back to reality when JACOB(20) waves her over to his table. Jacob stands up to be polite, but Penny goes in for the hug, and in doing so makes a point to feel his hair. PENNY (regarding his hair) Soft... (CONTINUED)

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4.

Penny walks out of the frame. Jacob is pleasantly confused. JACOB Thank you? INT. CAFE--LATER The two of them sit across from each other at a small table. Penny is struggling to remain focusing on their "conversation". JACOB -And so then I did the whole Journalism major for a while before I realized how pointless it is, I mean there wont even be newspapers in three yearsPennys gaze drifts to her cup of tea which starts shifting in color. JACOB(COTD) -and then I tried the whole History major for a bit before realizing thats just as useless, so now I guess Im undeclared. From Pennys POV we see Jacobs head expand and contract. Soon the whole room starts to breathe. JACOB(COTD) What did you say you were majoring in? Penny is stunned. PENNY (quietly) ....spaaacccceee. Beat. PENNY Would you excuse me? Penny heads over to the bathroom.

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INT. BATHROOM --DAY Penny is on her phone, examining the mediocre painting on the wall. PENNY Hello? Oh thank God, listen I dont think Im handling this very well. Pennys friend is sitting in the middle of a jungle gym Indian style. FRIEND Relax, youre doing fine. Im becoming one with the gravel right now. PENNY Oh my God that sounds amazing! FRIEND Ha...it is. PENNY But listen, I think Im too high to be in public right now. FRIEND Im sure youre acting totally normal. PENNY I dont know, Im pretty sure I told him my major was space. FRIEND You just need to get outside. Come to the playground! PENNY OK. OK. OK....I cant remember the last time I wasnt in this bathroom. I need to go. FRIEND Bye.

6. INT. CAFE-DAY Jacob is talking on the phone. JACOB (to phone) I actually think its going pretty well. Yeah, she played with my hair and everything. She did seem a little strange, but maybe shes just like one of those quirky Zooey Deshanel types... He spots her approaching. JACOB(COTD) (to phone) I gotta go. (to Jenny) Hey! PENNY That bathrooms amazing. JACOB Ive been meaning to check it out. Jenny LAUGHS way too much at this, touching his hand in the process. PENNY (calming down) Sorry. JACOB Dont worry about it. PENNY (excited) Can we go outside?! JACOB Um, sure. Why not. EXT. PARK--DAY Jacob and Penny walk alongside a grassy knoll. Jacob keeps trying to hold Pennys hand but she keeps wandering out of reach to look at things. Penny sits down on the grass, sprawling out like a kid about to make a snow angel. Jacob sits next to her.

(CONTINUED)

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7.

JACOB You know, Penny, I gotta say youre not at all what I would have expected. PENNY (sitting up) What do you mean? JACOB Well in class you were always so quiet, so...reserved. PENNY Ive got a lot of layers that way. JACOB I dont think Ive met anyone quite like you. As Penny turns to look at Jacob, his eyes start to bulge out and increase in color. Jacob mistakes this for an invitation and goes in for a kiss. Penny lets it happen but soon without pulling away starts laughing into his mouth. Jacob pulls away. JACOB What? PENNY (laughing) Im sorry. Really, I am. You seem like a nice guy, but I am just tripping balls right now. JACOB That would explain a lot. PENNY Yeah. JACOB I thought you were just really impulsive and carefree. Kinda like Kirstin Dunst in Elizabethtown. PENNY Nope! Thatd be the drugs. JACOB What kind of drugs?

(CONTINUED)

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8.

PENNY Mushrooms. JACOB Well Im glad you admitted it, it makes my job a lot easier. PENNY What job? Jacob pulls out a gun and points it at Penny. JACOB DEA, MOTHERFUCKER! FACE ON THE GROUND, NOW! PENNY What? JACOB YOU HEARD ME, FACE IN THE DIRT! Penny cooperates, Jacob handcuffs her. JACOB(COTD) Thought you could get away with it, didnt you? You people make me fucking sick. CUT TO BLACK