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College Grad - Short Screenplay Contest

• Posted by CSims April 15, 2009 - #  #Contest  #screenplay  - 1,068 views

           "COLLEGE GRAD"

  FADE IN:

  INT. FAST FOOD RESTAURANT - NIGHT

  Three men in their early to mid twenties are eating at a table.  They are dressed in graduation gowns.  The three laugh and joke in between taking bites of food.

   

  DESHAWN (V.O.)

  Graduation Day. Me, along with a lot of other people thought that day would never come. All those years of hard work finally paid off, time to get off into the world and make some real dough.  At least that’s what I thought. Naw, I’m not one of these guys at the table.  That’s me behind the counter. 

  DESHAWN HOUSTON, Early 20’s, Male, slouches over the counter next to a cash register.

   

                              DESHAWN (V.O.) (cont'd)

  That's me, Deshawn, age twenty-four, Bachelors degree in Accounting. So why am I working here? Your guess is as good as mine. And no, I don’t have any felonies on my record. Never even been to jail, not yet at least.

  INT. DESHAWN'S APARTMENT - DAY

  Deshawn is sitting on a couch watching television in his apartment with his girlfriend, MONIQUE, Female, early 20’s.

   

  MONIQUE

  So, when are we going to Six Flags?

  DESHAWN

  I don't know. Since I started paying back these student loans money been kind of tight.

                              MONIQUE

  Come on now, you know I'll pay for the trip.  It’s no big deal, I don't have a -

                               DESHAWN

  Yeah, you pay for too much already.  I ain't no gigolo, I can't be living off my woman.

       MONIQUE

  You're not living off me, why do you have a problem with me footin' the bill for things?

  DESHAWN

  I just don't feel like I'm pulling my weight sometimes.

  Monique strokes the side of Deshawn's face with her hand.

  MONIQUE

  Well, you are. You just have to be patient baby. I know you gonna find a job soon.

  DESHAWN

  I hope so.

  Monique kisses Deshawn.

  MONIQUE

  I’m bout to head to work. I’ll call you when I go on break alright.

   

                               DESHAWN

  Yeah.

  Monique stands up and walks out of the apartment.  She is dressed in a nurse’s uniform.

   

  Deshawn picks up a stack of letters and sifts through them.  He finds a letter, looks at it carefully front and back, then opens it.  It is a rejection letter from a job that he applied for.

   

  KNOCKS at the front door interrupt his concentration.

   

                               DESHAWN (yelling)

                  Come in.

  In walks JOOKS, male, mid 20’s, he shakes Deshawn’s hand and sits on an adjacent couch.

                               JOOKS

  What’s up man? I just seen yo girl leaving.

                               DESHAWN

                  Yeah, she on her way to work.

                               JOOKS

                  What’s poppin’?

                               DESHAWN

  Ain’t nothing been poppin’ with me.

                               JOOKS

  Why you ain’t watching the game, man?

                               DESHAWN

                  Oh, I forgot it was on.

  Deshawn picks up a remote control and changes the channel on the T.V.

   

                               JOOKS

                  Order a pizza, man I’m starving.

                               DESHAWN

  My pockets hurtin’ right now,   I –

  JOOKS

  Don’t even worry about it, it’s on me.

  Jooks pulls a wad of $20 bills from his pocket.

   

                               DESHAWN

  Damn, you hit the numbers or something?

                               JOOKS

  Naw, you know I’m still hustling here and there.

                               DESHAWN

  You still ain’t learned your lesson, huh? 

                               JOOKS

  About what? Six months of probation, rehab, that’s nothing.

   

                               DESHAWN

  I still don’t know how you get rehab for a half pound of weed.  Can’t believe the judge bought that.

   

                               JOOKS

  Hey with a good lawyer, you can get anything plea-bargained.

   

                               DESHAWN

  That’s what’s up.  I wouldn’t mind supplementing my income.

   

                               JOOKS

  This ain’t even where it’s at.  Money coming too slow with weed.  I hear meth is what’s hot on the streets now.

   

                               DESHAWN

  Crystal Meth?  I be seeing people on the news, blowing up they house trying to make that stuff.

                               JOOKS

  I ain’t trying to make it, I ain’t that crazy.  I know this cat who selling.  He cook it up his self.  He told me to get at him when I want to get down.

   

                               DESHAWN

  That don’t sound like a bad idea.

   

                               JOOKS

  What you talking about Mr. Graduate?  Didn’t you just get done asking me haven’t I learned my lesson?

   

                               DESHAWN

  I’m just saying, if I can put some extra money in my pocket I will.  Working for eight dollars an hour ain’t cutting it.

                               JOOKS

  You’ll get a real job soon, you just gotta wait for the economy to pick up.  Then you’ll be rich.

   

                               DESHAWN

  Yeah, that’s what I been thinking for the past year.

   

                               JOOKS

  But anyways, pick up that phone and get some food over here.  I’m so hungry I could eat some carpet.

   

  INT. DESHAWN'S APARTMENT - DAY

  A past due bill sits on a table next to a folder with resumes inside.  Deshawn closes the folder and tucks it under his arm as he adjusts the tie to the suit that he is wearing. 

   

                               DESHAWN (V.O.)

  When I wasn't working my meaningless job, I was going on occasional interviews.

   

  Deshawn walks out of the apartment. As time passes he walks back in.  He loosens his tie and throws the folder on the table.

   

                               DESHAWN (V.O.) (cont'd)

  But all I was hearing is "thanks for coming in” or “we'll be in contact".  It all was starting to get frustrating.

   

  INT. DESHAWN'S APARTMENT - DAY

  Deshawn lays sunk into his couch.  Jooks sits on the adjacent couch EATING potato chips.

   

                          JOOKS

  How that job search coming man?                  

  DESHAWN

  Don’t ask.

                               JOOKS

  That bad huh?  Look on the bright side, you can’t possibly flip burgers for the rest of your life.  At least I hope you don’t. 

  Deshawn sits up straight on the couch.

                               DESHAWN

                  I’m bout ready to quit looking.

                               JOOKS

  So you do plan on flipping burgers for the rest of your life?              

                               DESHAWN

  I’ve been thinking about getting in your line business.  You said you know somebody who got the hook-up?

   

  JOOKS

                  What? Naw, man you trippin’.

                               DESHAWN

  I’m serious, I’m tired of being broke.  I didn’t spend five years in college for this.

                               JOOKS

  Maybe you just need to pack up and move somewhere else and look for a job.

                               DESHAWN

  It’s the same everywhere.  I got cousins down south going through the same thing.

                               JOOKS

  Trust me this line of work ain’t for you.  The only reason I hustle is to get me through school.  This ain’t no career.  I’m trying to get where you at.

  Deshawn STANDS up.

                               DESHAWN

  Where I’m at? Where am I?  What? Sitting here, watching T.V. letting bills pile up. 

                               JOOKS

  You gotta a degree, you gone find something.  Just chill out.

                               DESHAWN

  I been chilling for over a year.  Paying student loans taking like half my check.  You know how it feels to have your woman pay every time you go out?  Hell, Monique pay more bills here and she don’t even stay here.

                               JOOKS

  I feel you man.  I’m just trying to look out for you.  I done been down that road. 

   

  DESHAWN

  I’m just trying to get out the red, get these bills off my back.

  Deshawn sits down.

  JOOKS

  If you really want to do this, I can call ol’boy up and see what’s happenin’.

  They both sit in silence.

   

  DESHAWN

                  How much money you think we can make?