When I Met Her

by

Connor Ciecko and Paul Skolba

EXT.STREET-NIGHT

Afteracurrentlyundeterminedopeningsequence,thecamera
panstoexteriorstairswithourprotagonistGRANTNEWBERG
sittinginaruffledsuit,tieuntiedandjacketopen,
staringintotheroseinhishands.Multipleshotsofhis
distraughtfacialexpressionfollow.ALISON,afriendof
GRANT's,walkspastthecurb,stopssuddenly,andlooks
backatGRANT.

ALISON
Grant?Whatareyoudoingout
here?

GRANT
Allison?Icouldaskyouthesame
question.Ithoughtyouwereat
college?

ALISON
Imoffforthesummer.And,Im
actuallylookingformybrother.
Heforgothistie.

ALISONholdsupanecktie.

GRANT
(Laughs)
Andhesaidhewasntgoing.

ALISON
Imsureyouhaveadate,sowhere
isshe?

GRANT
Thatskindofalongstory.

ALISON
Ivegottime.

GRANT
(Sighs)
Well,itallstartedwhenImet
her.

CUTOUT:

INT.LIBRARY-DAY+NIGHT

Afterseriesofestablishingshotsofschoolandhallways,
weseeGRANTsittingatatabledrawingsomethingand
surroundedbypilesofpapersandtexts.Hehasheadphones
in,listeningtomusic.Themusiccanbeheardthroughthe
earbuds
 2.

GRANT(ASVO)
Iwastealotoftimeinthe
librarybecauseIhategoinghome.
Idratherspendtimetomyself
thenwithotherpeople.Ijust
wantedtobealone.

OurnextcharacterKATIEHALEisnowstandingbehindthe
leftshoulderofGRANT.Sheisadmiringhisdrawing,even
thoughitreallyisntthatgood.GRANTstopsmid-lineand
turnshisheadoverhisshoulder.Cameracutstoshowing
KATIEsface.Hetakesouthisheadphones,andthemusic
stops

GRANT
(Annoyed)
CanIhelpyouwithsomething?

KATIE
Thepictureyouredrawing-its,
like,reallygood.

Helooksatthepaper,crumplesit,andthrowsit

GRANT
No,its,like,reallynot.But
thanksanyways.

KATIE
Sheclearsspotontableandsits
down
(Cheerfully)
Dontthrowthatout!Itmightbe
goodforsomethingsomeday.

GRANTmakesanannoyedsigh/grunt.

KATIE(CONT'D)
ImKatie,incaseyouwantedto
know.

Hesighsandrollshiseyes

GRANT
Grant.

GRANT(ASVO)
Iwasannoyedthatshewouldnt
leavemealone,butsheeventually
gotmeoutofmyshellandwe
startedtalking.Andtalking.And
talking.
 3.

Cameramovesthroughwindowsandthroughoutlibrary,
showingthemtalkingandlaughing.Basically,atalking
montage.

GRANT(ASVO)(CONT'D)
Westayedsolatethatanight
janitorhadtocometellustoget
out.

Scenecutstothemsittingoutsideonthestairstalking.
Katieisplayingwithaballofpaper,whichislater
revealedtobeGRANTsdrawing.Thereisaperiodof
silence.

KATIE
Ishouldprobablygetgoing,its
late.Weshoulddothisagain
sometime.

Cameracutstoshowhergettingupandwalkingaway,
leavingbehindtheballofpaper.

GRANT(ASVO)
Andjustlikethat,shewasgone.
Inallthetimewespenttalking,
Ihadntthoughttoaskherfor
herphonenumber,andIfeltlike
Iwouldntseeheragain.

Cameraisplacedbehindtheballofpaper,keepingGRANT
justoutoffocus.GRANTreachesfortheballofpaper,
looksatitforamomentandunfurlsit.Hesmilesand
laughstohimself.Thecameralooksdownfromoverhis
shouldershowingthepapertobethedrawinghewasmaking
earlier,withanameandphonenumbersprawledacrossitin
redmarker.

GRANT(ASVO)(CONT'D)
But,likeshesaid,thatdrawing
wasgoodforsomething.

FADEOUT:

EXT.STREET-NIGHT

Cameracomesbacktohimsittingonthecurbtalkingto
ALISON.

GRANT
(Somberly)
WeweretogethersinceSeptember.
 4.

ALISON
(Cooing)
Thatsreallysweet!Ifyouguys
weresohappy,whyisntshewith
you?

GRANT
Wewerehappy,butIcouldntgive
hertheattentionshewanted.

ALISON
Whatdoyoumean?

CUTOUT

EXT.PARK-AMONTHPRIOR

CamerashowsKATIEsittingaloneatopapicnictable,
obviouslyveryannoyed.GRANTcontinueshisstoryover
this.

GRANT
Mydadfelloffofascaffoldona
constructionjobhewasworkinga
coupleweeksbackandhereally
hurthimself.

GRANTandXANDER,GRANTsonlyrealfriend,walkuptothe
picnictableandsitdown.Nocharacterlooksatanother,
andaperiodofsilencefollows.

KATIE
(Annoyed)
Yourealmostanhourlate.Again.

GRANT
Iknow.Imsorry,okay?Youknow
Ihavetokeepmydadcompany.I
justforgot.

KATIE
(Bitterly)
Sure.Becausesorrymakesit
better.Sorrymakesmeforget
aboutall5timesyouveditched
methisweek.

CamerashowsGRANT,lookingdowninshame.

KATIE(CONT'D)
(Sighs)
Illdropit,okay?
(Moreirritated)
Just,dontduckoutonmeagain.
 5.

Moresilencefollows,onlytobeinterruptedbyXANDER.

XANDER
(Awkwardly,jokingly)
Lookatitthisway,itcouldbe
worse.Hecouldbecheatingon
you.

KATIEnervouslyturnsaway.GRANTglaresatXANDER.

CUTOUT:

INT.HOUSE-THEMORNINGOFPROM

XANDERstandsoutsideGRANTshousewaitingforhimtowalk
toschool.GRANTsFatherisheardyellingoffscreenas
thecamerastaysfocusedonXANDER.

DAD
(Inpain)
Dontgo!WhatifIneed
something?

GRANT
Youllbefine!Ithinkyoucan
makeitthroughonedayalone.

AdisgruntledGRANTwalkstowardsthedoorandoutit,
camerastillfacingoutside.Cameracutstoviewoutside
thehouse.

GRANT(CONT'D)
Cmon,letsgo.

Thepairwalksdowntothesidewalk/street.

XANDER
Iseethatyourdadishome.

GRANT
Pleasedontremindme.Ihaveto
takecareofhimnow,remember?

Thecameraswitchestotheirfacesastheywalktowards
school.

XANDER
Gotit
(Hesitating)
Sopromistonight.

GRANT
Yep.
 6.

XANDER
AreyoutakingKatie?

GRANT
(Annoyed)
Iplannedonitbuteverything
withDadisjust...tooreal.I
havetoputfamilyfirst,andshe
justcan'tseemtoacceptthat.
Areyougoing?
(Laughs)
WhatamIaskingyoufor?Dogirls
evenknowyouexist?

XANDER
Suretheydo.Youveseenthose
rapvideos;youknow,withthe
girlsinbootyshortssurrounding
therapperwhiletheysmokea
jointandmakeitrain?Thatsmy
life.

GRANT
Dude,youaskedmeformoney
yesterdaybecauseyoudidnthave
enoughforasandwich.Idoubtyou
makeitrain.

XANDER
Yo,it'snotmyfaultthatpeople
sellmeweed.

GRANT
Youreanidiot.

XANDER
AndIacceptthat.Anyway,Idont
thinkImgoing.Toprom,Imean.
IhaveALOTofweedtosmoke.

GRANT
Ithinkyoujustcouldntgeta
date.

Cameraswitchestobehindthetwoandstopsfollowingas
theyapproachtheschoolandwalkoutoffocus.

XANDER
Youdbesurprised.

FADEOUT:
 7.

EXT.GRANTSHOUSE-LATERTHATDAY

ScenebeginswithGRANTstandinginfrontofamirrortying
hisnecktie.GRANTturnsaroundandpresentshimselftoa
mildlystonedXANDERsittingproppedupagainstsomething.

GRANT
Well?HowdoIlook?

XANDER
Likeyouhaveastickupyourass.

GRANT
(Unamused)
Hilarious.

Hecheckshiswatch.

GRANT(CONT'D)
Idbettergetgoing,andyoud
bettergobacktowhatevercave
younormallysleepin.

XANDER
(WithaheavyAmerican
accent)
Noproblemaamiga.

XANDERcrawlsintoGRANT'sbedandgoestosleep.GRANT
walksoutofhisroomandstartstowardsthedoor.His
fathercallsouttohimfromacouch,coveredincastsand
aneckbrace.

FATHER
Whereareyougoingoffto?

GRANT
Out.Youknow,prom.

FATHER
Iknowyoudontwantanythingto
dowithmerightnow,butcould
youstayjustuntilIcanfall
asleep?Please?

GRANTlookstothedoorthenbacktohisFATHER.Hesighs
andtakesaseatnexttohim.TheTVflickersinthe
darkness

SLOWFADEOUT:

EXT.STREET-NIGHT(FLASHBACK)

Screenstaysblackforthevoiceover.
 8.

GRANT(ASVO)
Dadkeptmefortwohours.Two
hourslaterthanIpromisedKatie.
Icalledhertoexplainandshe
justtoldmetomeetherthere.I
didntknowwhattoexpect.

GRANTapproacheswhereKATIEissitting,onthesamesteps
whereGRANTwilllatersit,andironicallyonthesame
stepswheretheymet.

GRANT
Katie,ImsorryImlate.Iknow
youremad,butmyDad-

KATIEslapshimacrossthefacemid-sentence.

KATIE
Whydontyouthinkofme,huh?
Wevebeengoingoutfor8months
andyoucantevengivemeanhour
ofyourtime?!Thiswasthelast
straw.

GRANT
Itsnotlikethatitwas-

KATIE
Yourfather?DearoldMr.Newberg?
Youcantpinallofyourmistakes
thesepast2weeksonhim.

GRANT
Pleasetrytounderstand;Ican't
changewhathappened.Ineedto
putmyfamilyfirstforawhile.I
promise,everythingwillbebetter
whenitsallover.

KATIE
No,youunderstand,Grant.I'm
tiredofyourstupidlittle
excuses.You'repathetic.Yousaid
youlovedmeandmaybeIlovedyou
too.Butthatdoesntmatter.You
knowwhy?Istartedseeingsomeone
else.Herespectsme,unlikeyou.
Besides,yousaidityourself;
everythingwillbebetterwhen
itsover.So,this-
(Gesturesbetweenthem)
ISOVER.

KATIEstormsout.GRANTtakesaseatonthecurbashe
pullsasingleroseoutofhisjacketandstaresatit.
 9.

CUTOUT:

EXT.STREET-NIGHT

ThegirlnowhasherarmswrappedaroundGRANTinbothpity
andcomfort,veryawkwardly.

ALISON
Imsosorrytohearthat.Agood
guylikeyoudidntdeserveit.

Sheletsgoandlooksathimgently.

GRANT
(Muttering)
Thanks.

XANDER(OFFSCREEN)
(Obviouslydrunk)
Yobigsis,thanksforhookingme
upwiththattie.Imsofrickin'
wastedrightnow.

ThecameraswitchestoXANDER,whoisholdinghandswith
KATIEandwalkingtowardsthem.Hewalksbehindthemonthe
sidewalk.Allisonholdsuphistieandhegrabsitfrom
her.

XANDER
(Jokingly)
OhandGrant,lookwhocantgeta
datenow.

Theywalkoff.Thecamerashowsanawestrickenexpression
onGRANTsface.

GRANT
(Angrily)
Sonofa-

CUTOUT: