Best Buds

Written By
David Howard

Based on, if any

FADE IN
INT. CAFE - LUNCHTIME
Its lunchtime at Cafe Texan, the cafe is an old style family
dinner with a bar on the right side wall and small tables
fill the rest of the dinner. A handful a people are
scattered through out the cafe enjoying their lunch break
from various jobs and casually talking about their day. DAN
a young college student is sitting at a table alone in the
middle of the cafe. A WAITRESS brings him a glass of water
and he began's to drink from it while skimming through the
menu.
A BELL is heard from the door as JOE another young college
student walks into the cafe carrying a COAT and HAT. Dan
greats Joe as he approaches the table and sits in the chair
opposite of Dan.
JOE
Sorry I'm late I ran over a dog on
the way here.
DAN
That sucks. I hope it wasn't
someone's pet.
JOE
Its fine they don't have a soul
anyway.
The waitress brings another menu and glass of water to the
table and places it in front of Joe. Joe starts skimming
through the menu.
DAN
So what did you want to talk about?
Distracted by the menu these words take a few moments to
enter Joe's ears.
JOE
What?
DAN
Why did you tell me to meet you
here? I assume you wanted to talk
about something.
Clearly out of it Joe struggles to get his thoughts out of
his head and into words.
JOE
Sorry... I'm just distracted by a
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JOE (CONT'D)
lot of things...
DAN
Like what?
JOE
Sarah... Things haven't been going
to well with us.
DAN
What do you mean?
JOE
Well its just that we been spending
a lot of time together.
DAN
So what's the problem? That's kinda
what boyfriends and girlfriends do,
they spend time together.
JOE
Yea but we been spending to much
time together. Its like she wants
to be around me 24/7
The waitress comes back to the table with notebook in hand
to take orders.

DAN
I'll have the chicken fried steak.
JOE
And i'm not eating thank you
She take up their menus and leaves the table
JOE
For example last week she waited
for me outside all my classes...
FLASHBACK- INT - CLASSROOM - DAY
Joe is sitting in a classroom filled with STUDENTS taking
notes while a PROFFSSER stands in front lecturing. Joe's
head starts to sag and right before his eyes shut he hears a
knock on the glass window on the door he turns and see
Sarah's face she then places a note on the window that says
"I love you". Joe turns his attention back to the lecture
then looks back at the window to see Sarah again this time
with a puppy dog face and holding a note that says. "I miss
you" Joe narrates as everything happens.

JOE (V.O.)
...one time she kept knocking on
the window and putting different
notes on the glass while making
weird faces this went on for the
entire lecture.
BACK TO CAFE
JOE
The other day she showed up to
"surprise" me at guys poker night.
You were there remember?
FLASHBACK - INT - APARTMENT - NIGHT
Dan, Joe, and some GUYS are sitting around a table in a dark
apartment playing poker. Only one light is on which hangs
above the table that the guys are sitting around. Joe is
about to revel his hand when a knock is heard so he gets up
to open the door. He discovers Sarah behind the door with a
plate of cupcakes and the card game GO FISH. Joe again is
narrating everything as it happens.
JOE (V.O.)
She brought cupcakes and kept
suggesting we play go fish instead.
BACK TO CAFE
DAN
What did ya'll do yesterday?
JOE
I didn't see her yesterday and I
made sure that I wouldn't see her.
FLASHBACK - INT - LIBRARY
Joe is sitting at a table in a library behind a pile of
books his face burred into a open textbook.
JOE (V.O.)
I had to turn off my phone and hide
in the library behind a pile of
books
BACK TO CAFE

The waitress brings Dan's food to the table. Dan begins to

eat as Joe finishes talking.
BACK TO LIBRARY
Joe flips pages of book pretending to read intensely while
never looking up from the pile of books that cover him from
view of passing students.
JOE ((V.O)
I had to spend the entire day
pretending to study and was to
scared to look up in fear that she
would be looking for me
BACK TO CAFE
DAN
(Taking bites of food while he
talks) Well have you thought about
breaking up with her?
JOE
Of course I have... But I fell like
I could never do it, to much
emotions and stuff would be
involved, from her of course... I
don't think I would have much of an
emotional response if any.
No I could never break up with her,
that's why I brought you here.
Dan who just put his fork in his mouth slowly finishes
chewing and with a mixture of confusion and suspension looks
at Joe.
DAN
Wait... What do you need me for?
JOE
So she hasn't heard or seen me
since the other day. So I was
thinking what if I managed to
convince her that I got kidnaped
and brutally murdered. She probably
is already assuming that by now
anyway's... But then I thought no
that would be hard to pull off.
Dan opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out
because he is so confused and speechless so Joe continues.

JOE
So then I thought what If convinced
her that I moved to Africa?
Dan throws his hands on the table in frustration.
DAN
What?
JOE
I said what if I convinced her that
I moved to Africa?
DAN
Yes I heard that, I'm just really
confused and still don't know why
I'm here.
JOE
I need you to tell her that
yesterday you were hanging out with
me when all of a sudden I felt like
God was calling me to be a
missionary in Africa so I sold
everything I had and bought the
next plane ticket to Africa right
then and there.
Dan shakes his head and sighs. He stares down at his plate
and continues eating while avoiding eye contact with Joe.
With each bite he takes his frustration builds. Joe
continues talking as if he is lost in another world where he
found new life.
JOE
Hopefully that way she wont be
upset and perhaps will even be
happy for me...
Are you listing to me?
Dan doesn't bother to take the effort needed to look up from
his food.

DAN
I stopped listening once I realized
how stupid you are.
JOE
Will you please take this
seriously? This is really
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JOE (CONT'D)
important.
DAN
(Now looking face to face with Joe)
Seriously?... You want me to break
up with your girlfriend for you and
you expect me to take it seriously?
JOE
You're not breaking up with her,
you're just telling her I moved to
Africa.
Dan has seemed to completely forgot about his food now and
is more focused on getting Joe out of whatever parallel
universe he is in.
DAN
Are you listening to yourself?...
What are you going to do
afterwords? You cant expect her to
not notice your still here and not
in africa?
JOE
Look we are going to just take this
one step at a time okay... I mean
it cant be that hard right? Witness
protection does it all the time.
Dan is lost for words and just stares back at his food
hopeless. Joe picks up the jacket and hat sitting on the
table and puts them on. He then reaches into the jacket
pocket and pulls out FAKE MUSTACH. Dan looks up and notices
it.
DAN
What are you doing now?
Joe carefully places the mustache on his face and looks at
his watch.
JOE
We don't have much time
DAN
What are you taking about?
JOE
We have to hurry she could be here
any minute.

DAN
WHO can be here any minute?
JOE
Sarah, who else would I be talking
about?... This morning I sent her a
message on your phone telling her
to meet you here at two because you
needed to talk to her in person
about something involving me.
DAN
WHAT! How did you get my phone?
JOE
You were sleeping, anyway, I expect
she will be here any minute now so
I brought this disguise in case I
run into her on my way out...
Thanks so much for the favor I
don't know how I will ever pay you
back. But that's what best buds are
for right?
Joe sees Sarah approaching the cafe through the window so he
quickly rises from the table and lowers his hat to slightly
cover his face.
JOE
There she is now, got to go (he
starts to head out) Good luck and
thanks again.
Dan tries to get a word in before Joe rushes out but fails.
Joe reaches the door a split second before Sarah does he
opens the door and pushes past Sarah closing the door in her
face and walks down the street. Sarah turns around and
watches him leave with a confused face then walks into the
cafe and approaches the table where Dan is sitting. The
waitress walks up and offers her a menu.
SARAH
No thanks I'm not eating.
The waitress asks if Dan is done with his plate he motions
for her to go ahead and take it so she does and leaves.
DAN
Sorry I was eating lunch with Jo...
A friend before you got here.
SARAH
Its no problem.

DAN
Are you sure you don't want
anything to eat?
SARAH
I'm sure. I'm not hungry...
Actually to be honest I have been
to worried about Joe lately to eat.
I haven't seen or talked to him
since the other day
Dan tries to get a word in but she runs right over him and
continues talking.
SARAH
I looked everywhere and called him
every five minutes and he never
answered his phone. His car was
still at his house so I thought
maybe he is studying at the
library. But then I thought no he
never studies but I still looked
for him there anyway's with no
luck.
Again Dan starts to get a word out but she runs right back
over him even faster now.
SARAH
So then I started freaking out and
kept thinking he got horribly
injured at work and couldn't call
me. Or even worse that he got
kidnaped and is being tortured by
terrorists or killed by the
Mafia...
After a brief silence Dan slowly opens his mouth but right
as he begins to speak she runs over him again.
SARAH
I'm sorry I'm just worried sick
about him and don't know what to
do... What did you want to talk
about?
Finally given the opportunity to speak Dan chooses his words
carefully.
DAN
Yesterday morning I was with Joe
and... We were talking about what
we were planning to do after
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DAN (CONT'D)
graduation... And then all of a
sudden...
Dan stops talking when he notices that Joe is standing in
the window. Still in disguise Joe makes a thumbs up and down
with his hands questioning how things are going as Dan just
stares in confusion.
SARAH
Oh God. I knew it the Mafia got
him.
Dan snaps back to look at Sarah
DAN
No not that at all... Sorry just
trying to figure out how to say
this...
CUT TO - INT - APARTMENT - MORNING
Dan narrates as the actions happen like a weird dream.
DAN (V.O.)
So joe all of a sudden stops
talking and then stares off into
space for a second and then got up
and ran to his room. He came back
with a duffle bag and started to
walk out of the door before I
stopped him...
(Dan sighs in disbelief of the
words that are coming out of his
mouth) He told me that in that
second he heard God telling him to
pack his bags and become a
missionary in Africa. So he was
leaving everything behind and
finding the next plane ticket to
Africa. He then rushed out the door
but before he left he turned back
and told me to tell you everything
and that he loved you.
BACK TO CAFE
Once Dan finishes he feels relief like a burden has just
been lifted from his shoulders. They both sit in silence for
a few moments.
DAN
I'm sorry you had to find this out
lik

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SARAH
(interrupting) Wow... that is
crazy... I just cant believe it...
DAN
Yea I know I can hardly believe it
myse
SARAH
(interrupting again) Last night I
had a dream that I was in Africa
with Joe and he was reading the
Bible to a group of little children
that were around us... There were
probably about twenty or so boys
and girls.. This one girl was
sitting in my lap so attentive to
what he was saying. Everyone looked
so happy. I just thought it was a
dream but now I know that was a
vision from God.
Dan rushes to say something to fix the mess that has just
been made but fails once again.
SARAH.
I have to go pack my bags... I'm
going to Africa!
Sarah gets up from the table and rushes out. Dan tries to
stop her but she is to quick. On her way out she brushes
pass Joe in disguise and is to excited to even notice him.
Once she has left Joe enters back into the cafe and sits
back at the table where Dan is just sitting there zoned out.
Joe removes the mustache and hat and places them on the
table.
JOE
How did it go?...
Dan is still zoned out for moment. He then raises his head
to stare at Joe. The anger that has been built inside of him
causes him to leap over the table and grab Joe by the jacket
to choke him.
END

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