MY FRIEND, SOUPFACE

Written by

Gergely Somerville

Crowe's Cottage, Copyright DFEI

Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow
085 215 7399
 FADE IN:

INT. KITCHEN - EVENING

A father wearing a comfy sweater and tracksuits -- MARCUS 34
stirs a large pot of soup with a ladle, after a few stirs she
unstacks three bowls and starts filling them with soup using
the ladle. As all three bowls are filled, a young child with
curly brown hair -- LY, 6 runs into the room from the hallway
with a big smile on their face.
LY
(shouting)
What’s for dinner?
Marcus jumps in surprise at the sudden noise and almost
spills a bit of soup, however he turns around with a smile
and sets two bowls down on the kitchen table. The soup is
chicken noodle soup.
LY (CONT’D)
Chicky noodle soup!

Marcus lets out a chuckle. Ly jumps onto a dining chair.

MARCUS
Bingo!

Marcus picks up the last bowl and sets it on the table.

MARCUS (CONT’D)
Where’s your mum?

Ly shrugs.

LY
I think, on the loo.

Marcus’ expression hardens slightly and he goes to pop his

head out the kitchen door and into the hallway.
MARCUS
(shouting)
Honey! Dinner’s ready.

MADDIE
(muffled shouting)
I’m coming, I’m coming.

After a few seconds of silence, footsteps can be heard

descending the stairs. Entering the room is -- MADDIE 35,
she’s wearing a nightgown and her hair is covered by a tied
up damp towel.
 2.

She doesn’t look up from her phone even as she sits down at
the table, and continues texting until Marcus clears his
throat at her. She then puts her phone down but grimaces at
the bowl.
MADDIE (CONT’D)
Really Marcus, this again?

Maddie picks up her spoon and prods at a large chunk of

chicken. Marcus lets out a sigh, not saying anything. Ly
starts stirring their own food.

MADDIE (CONT’D)
(defensively)
What?
Marcus sighs again before speaking.

MARCUS
Ly loves it.

Marcus looks over at Ly who is rapidly blowing on their spoon

to cool down the soup.

MADDIE
Ly is a child, dear. Not exactly
who you want to be going to for
cuisine choices. Maybe you could
ask me what I’d like sometimes.

MARCUS
(raised voice)
I’d appreciate some
acknowledgement, Madeline!

Maddie and Marcus start to argue, however their words grow

increasingly hard to hear as Ly prods at the soup in front of
them. Ly arranges two carrot slices and a stringy piece of
chicken as the eyes and mouth of a frowning face. As the
argument intensifies, a single tear rolls down Ly’s already
red eyes, landing in the centre of the soup.
To Ly’s surprise, the “mouth” made of chicken curves upwards
into a smile. And seemingly as a response to Ly’s stare of
awe, one of the carrot slices winks like a real eye. This
causes Ly to let out a tear-choked giggle.

FADE TO:

CAPTION: NUMEROUS YEARS LATER...

FADE IN:
 3.

INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING

Marcus and Maddie sit beside each other on a couch in the
living room, facing Ly who is seated in an armchair. Ly looks
noticeably older and has much shorter hair. Marcus and Maddie
stare solemnly at Ly, then at each other, then at Ly again
before Marcus opens his mouth to speak.
MARCUS
Mum is going to be moving out for a
while, dear.
MADDIE
(interjecting)
It’s so I can take of poor old
granny!
A brief pause.
MADDIE (CONT’D)
But don’t worry, I’ll visit very
often!

LY
Couldn’t granny just move here?

Marcus and Maddie flash worried looks at each other. Ly

stares beyond his parents and to the doorway where a child
around Ly’s age is standing, seemingly listening to the
conversation. As the camera focuses, you can see that the
child has two carrots for eyes and a long piece of chicken
for a mouth.

MARCUS
We don’t... have enough space for
her here...

MADDIE
You know how much junk she owns!

Ly stands up from his chair, still staring at the child --

SOUPFACE in the doorway. Maddie turns to check what Ly is
staring at but doesn’t react.

LY
(muttering)
Okay

Marcus and Maddie again look confusedly at each other.

LY (CONT’D)
Can I go play now?
 4.

MARCUS
Oh, uh, sure dear.
Ly turns on their heel and quickly walks out of the room. As
Ly passes Soupface, he grabs them placing Ly into a bear hug.
A single tear rolls down Soupface’s soupy face.
Ly wrestles themselves out of the hug and keeps determinedly
walking down the hallway.
LY
We’re going to play!
Ly takes a few more steps but suddenly stops when they don’t
hear Soupface following. Ly turns around. Soupface stands in
the same place as before, staring sadly at Ly with his carrot
eyes.
LY (CONT’D)
(tearing up)
Please, can we just play.

Soupface nods and jogs to quickly fill the distance between

him and Ly.

FADE TO:

CAPTION: MANY MORE YEARS LATER...

FADE IN:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Ly bashes their door open angrily and storm into their room,
leaving it open. They are now a teenager, with bleached-
blonde hair falling into their shoulders in fine curls.
Throwing their phone onto the carpeted floor, they sit down
onto their bed and bury their face in their hands, light
sobbing can be heard.
On the other side of the room sits a large set of shelves
filled to the brim with comic books. Lounging vertically on
top of the set of shelves is Soupface, who is now very tall,
lanky and wearing black everywhere apart from his face which
remains unchanged. Soupface hops off and crosses the room to
stand over Ly, who watches him cautiously through the spaces
between their fingers.

SOUPFACE
You sit here, crying on purpose as
a cry to help, you hope to god your
dad notices your misery and
actually does his duty as a parent.
 5.

Ly’s head shoots up, their mouth agape. Seconds of silence

ensue.
LY
(shocked)
Since when the fuck do you talk?
Soupface’s chicken-mouth curls upwards in an imitation of a
smirk.
SOUPFACE
Always have been able to,
technically.
LY
And you... haven’t?
SOUPFACE
I’ve found that listening is much
more valuable than talking.
Soupface sits down besides Ly and they sit in silence for a
moment. Ly then picks up her phone and swips up on the
screen. The screen opens on a picture of a girl and Ly posing
with a statue of a dancing giraffe.
LY
(through tears)
I walk past that statue every day
on the way to school.
They avert their eyes from the screen as they start to tear
up again.
LY (CONT’D)
Now that stupid fucking giraffe
will just remind me of her.

Soupface lets out a snicker.

LY (CONT’D)
What?

SOUPFACE
She looked like a fucking giraffe.

Ly gasps in shock and anger. Soupface’s expression turns to

slight fear.

LY
No she did not!

SOUPFACE
Look.
 6.

Soupface’s long bony gloved finger points to the girl in the

picture’s neck, it is quite long.
LY
Jesus fucking christ..
SOUPFACE
I’m sorry, I was ju-
LY
(interrupting)
How did I never notice how long her
fucking neck is!
Ly lets out a giggle, then another one, and soon she’s lying
on her back laughing. Soupface smiles with genuine joy and
lies back as well. Ly calms down a bit, though they are still
giggling away. They turn to face Soupface and give them a
huge hug.
LY (CONT’D)
Thank you, Soupface. I’m so happy
to have you.

FADE OUT.