NOT ATTENDING

Written by
Stephanie Ellen

FIRST DRAFT
JANUARY 2015
STEPHANIE ELLEN, JANUARY 2015
752 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn
Ph: (61 4) 3267 1138

1.
1. INT. SUPERMARKET. DAY.

DANIEL and CHECKOUT GUY have an exchange at the checkout of a

supermarket. The line isnt busy. Daniel unloads a trolley
full of chips onto the checkout counter. Checkout Guy begins
ringing him up.
CHECKOUT GUY
Man, I hope you have some beer to
go with these chips dude.
DANIEL
Oh, no Im just doing chips..
CHECKOUT GUY
Right on, kids party?
DANIEL
Were driving to Falls.
Right.

CHECKOUT GUY

There is a pause as the checkout keeps ringing up.

CHECKOUT GUY (CONTD)
You ever been to the aquarium?
Ahh, no.

DANIEL

CHECKOUT GUY
Man you shoulda go there instead.
The music is shit at falls anyway.
Another pause.
CHECKOUT GUY (CONTD)
You smoke weed?
DANIEL
Ahh, no actually, ICHECKOUT GUY
Oh man you should try it! Go to the
aquarium man. They got this like,
green screen there, they take your
photo, like, before you go in And
you gotta be wearing green, like I
am, and then when they take your
photo it like doesnt pick up your
shirt, so like when your photo
comes out your whole fucken torso
is like, just sharks man like
swimming through you, and fish and
shit, its fucken great.
Another pause, more boops from the checkout.

2.
DANIEL
Ah, yeah, were just going to the
festival this time, soCHECKOUT GUY
Is that on card man?
DANIEL
Huh? Oh, yeah.
Daniel scans his card.
CHECKOUT GUY
Im just sayin dude, those animals
are wack.
DANIEL
Ill keep that in mind, have a goodCHECKOUT GUY
Next please!
Daniel turns and leaves briskly, his trolley refilled with
chips.
2. CREDITS MONTAGE.

Montage of Daniel outside of the supermarket, trying to cross

the road, then Ben cleaning his room, including siphoning
ants off the wall with a vaccum cleaner, as well as Jeremy
slinging his bag into his car, then leaving his house headed
for Bens house. Montage includes a bit of packing from both
Jeremy and Ben. Montage ends again with Daniel trying to
cross the road outside of safeway.

3. INT. HOUSE. DAY.

Inside BENs house. In the living room his sister BETH sits,
a laptop on her knees. The doorbell rings. Bens MOTHER
crosses the room, fixing her earring. She answers the door.
MOTHER
Hello Jeremy! Ben is just finishing
up in his room, he will be out in a
second.
She lets him inside, they both cross the room. JEREMY sits
down on a chair next to Beth, Mother grabs her bag and
crosses back to the door.
MOTHER (CONTD)
Make sure your brother has finished
before he leaves!

3.

Whatever.

BETH

MOTHER
Nice to see you Jeremy!
Mother leaves the house, Jeremy waves. Jeremy looks over at
Beth.
JEREMY
Hows highschool?
Beth doesnt respond. A door opens off screen and Ben walks
into the room.
Hey.
Hey.

BEN
JEREMY

Ben crosses the room and puts his bag down, then returns to
his room for another bag. Jeremy looks around at all the
crystal ornaments in the room, collected by Bens mum.
JEREMY (CONTD)
What are all those little animals
for?
BETH
Theyre mums swarovski collection.
JEREMY
Huh. Thats a lotta money just
catching dust, hey?
BETH
Thats just what she likes.
Everyone collects something, they
make her happy.
Ben enters the room again with a second bag, crossing the
room.
JEREMY
Dude, shes gonna make an op shop
very happy one day..
Ben chortles.
BETH
Im not a dude, dude.
She stands up and storms out of the room with her laptop.
BEN
Shes really into feminism right
now.

4.

Right.

JEREMY

Jeremy puts a cigarette behind his ear and pulls his

sunglasses back down onto his face. Ben picks up his other
bag.
BEN
You ready to go?
JEREMY
Oi, is Daniel still coming with us?
BEN
Yeah, hes just picking up some
snacks. Ill give him a call.
Ben dials Daniels number and puts the phone to his ear.
Cut to Daniel, still trying to cross the road with his
grocery cart.
Hello?

DANIEL (ON THE PHONE)

BEN
Hey dude, you at home?
DANIEL
Ah.. Not quite.. The line at the
supermarket was really long.
BEN
So youre still at the supermarket?
Uh, yeah.

DANIEL

JEREMY
Lets just pick him up there.
BEN
Can we just pick you up there?
Were a little late...
DANIEL
But my car is still here, I was
gonna take it home, mum will be
worried if my car isnt at home.
BEN
Were already late man, just leave
it there overnight yeah? Were only
gonna be gone for 24 hours...
DANIEL
But my mum -

5.
JEREMY
Tell him to leave it!
BEN
Just leave it man, give her a text!
DANIEL
Ah... Alright. Im at Glenferrie.
BEN
Yeah cool we will pick you up in
10, ok?
DANIEL
Ah, okay, buThe phone cuts out. Daniel looks at his phone, then out at
the traffic. He tries to cross again. He gets beeped at. He
steps back and looks left to right.
BEN
Yeah cool, he is at Glenferrie. You
got beers, right?
JEREMY
Fuck yeah. One case for the road,
one for the joint.
BEN
Alright, lets go.
4. EXT. HOUSE. DAY.

Ben and Jeremy head to the car, Ben packs his things.
JEREMY
I cant believe he even wants to go
to this shit.
BEN
Give him a break.
JEREMY
No, seriously, how do you even know
that kid?
Jeremy lights his cigarette.
BEN
Weve been friends forever. And you
cant smoke in my car.
Bullshit.

JEREMY

Jeremy and Ben get in the car.

6.
JEREMY (CONTD)
Your mums made sure you were
friends.
BEN
He can be cool, hes really looking
forward to this, dont give him any
shit.
JEREMY
I bet he doesnt even know any of
the bands. Why even go.
BEN
Hey you still havent even paid him
back for the ticket.
I will...

JEREMY

Ben starts up the car.

JEREMY (CONTD)
What music does he like.
BEN
Last time I knew, we were still
listening to Lincoln Park.
Jeremy scoffs and sings the hook to Papercut By Lincoln
Park.
BEN (CONTD)
Shut the fuck up.
5. EXT. SUPERMARKET. DAY.
Jeremy is standing, leaning on the car while smoking a
cigarette. Ben approaches him, pulling his fly up.
BEN
Did you find him?
JEREMY
Yeah, while you were pissing, hes
been crossing the road.
Daniel is trying to cross the road still. He goes to cross
and gets beeped at. Ben shakes his head.
JEREMY (CONTD)
Thats a lot of chips, aint it?
Daniel!

BEN

7.
Ben waves to Daniel, who notices the pair for the first time.
He waves and goes to cross the road again, stepping back as a
car cuts him off.
JEREMY
Well, hes not the saddest guy in
the world.
Jeremy nods toward a fountain out front, a BUSKER is pouring
his guitar case into the fountain, crying.
JEREMY (CONTD)
Probably trying to save for a Falls
ticket.
BEN
Daniel, come on!
He beckons Daniel, who shrugs at him. Jeremy stubs out his
cigarette and crosses the road at a jog. He grabs the trolley
off of Daniel and crosses the road with it, putting his
middle finger up at a car the stops abruptly before him and
beeps. Daniel crosses sheepishly behind him, apologising to
the driver. Ben shakes his head and gets back into the car.
The boys load the car and follow him.
6. INT. CAR. DAY.

The boys do up their seatbelts, Daniel in the back,

surrounded by chips.
JEREMY
So, you excited for Lincoln, Dan?
DANIEL
I didnt know they were playing.
BEN
Shut the fuck up dude.
Ben starts the ignition.
JEREMY
It would be sweet though, right?
They drive away, Linkin Park feat. Jay-Z - Big
Pimpin'/Papercut plays as they do. A montage follows of them
driving out of the city. As this goes on Jeremy speaks.
JEREMY (CONTD)
I dont think I ever showed you
where I got mugged...
Ben drives on past the location.

8.
JEREMY (CONTD)
Well, I coulda showed you where I
got mugged. Oi Daniel, grab us a
beer yeah?
BEN
Oh no no, those are for when we get
there.
JEREMY
I told you I got road beers didnt
I? Chuck it Daniel.
Daniel hesitates, then hands Jeremy a beer. He opens it on
the dashboard.
BEN
Coming up is the last service stop
for a while, anyone need anything?
JEREMY
Yeah actually, I gotta take a
slash. I wont be a minute.
They pull over outside the service station. Jeremy exits the
car with his beer. Ben swivels in his chair to face Daniel.
BEN
Did you hear from Emma?
DANIEL
Yeah, she texted me saying she was
out of phone credit but that she
would message me on facebook.
BEN
Who uses phone credit, its 2015.
Okay, whatever, what did she say?
DANIEL
Ahm, I gotta download the facebook
ap, one second.
He begins doing so. In the background Jeremy exits the servo.
BEN
What are you, on linkedin? You
should use your facebook man, what
if people want to get ahold of you?
DANIEL
I dont care for advertising
algorithms.
In the background Jeremy faces the store off to the side, he
looks both ways and then unzips his fly.

9.
DANIEL (CONTD)
She said shes not going...
BEN
Thats insane, I was there when she
got her ticket?
DANIEL
Oh wait, thats for the carpool
invite. She clicked not attending.
What?

BEN

He whips out his phone to confirm.

BEN (CONTD)
Goddamn it! Facebook didnt even
tell me, piece of shit. Why
wouldnt she text me?
DANIEL
She was out of phone credit?
Ben looks out his window and swears under his breath. He
stares at Jeremy, who is finishing urinating. David shakes
his head in disbelief.
DANIEL (CONTD)
Hey, can I have some of these
chips? I didnt eat breakfast?
David snaps out of his dumbfounded trance.
BEN
Huh? Oh, yeah, whatever.
Jeremy rejoins the pair in the car.
BEN (CONTD)
Were you just pissing on the
store??
JEREMY
They said the bathroom was
employees only.
BEN
Jesus fucking christ, give me a
cigarette.
He starts the engine of the car.

10.