Continuing from last section...
--------------------
AURELIA
Stop! Da, please ... go back to bed. I’ll talk to him.
GLYDE
For all the fuckin’ good that does.
(to Ric)
I smell it on you, again, you’re back to rehab. Forever! I won’t have my son a fuckin’ junkie!
Glyde storms from the room. Ric sneers after him. Aurelia puts ice in a towel. Wipes at his bloody nose.
RIC
And that’s how he gets thinkin’ I’m doin’ crack ... just imagine if ... if ... sorry, Aura ... sorry ...
He weeps. She holds him close.
EXT. HILLSIDE - NIGHT
Ben hides in shadows. His drone hovers by Glyde’s Manor.
ON THE LAPTOP SCREEN, Aurelia and Ric are visible through a kitchen window. She caresses the boy’s hair.
Ben fixates on the screen.
INT. IRISH COUNTRY HOME - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
YOUNG BEN gazes out a window. Isobel comes up, caresses him.
ISOBEL
Jamin, quel est le problème?
BEN
C’est rien, maman.
EXT. HILLSIDE - NIGHT
Ben finally brings the drone back.
BEN
It’s nothing.
He shuts the laptop down.
INT. MARC’S HOUSE - DAY
In his room, Ben practices Aikido, earbuds on, shirtless. The knife’s scars gleam in his muscles.
Lauren appears in the doorway, perfectly made-up. He pulls off the earbuds; the music is loud.
BEN
Sorry, I’m making too much noise.
LAUREN
No, no. Breakfast is almost ready.
BEN
Have I time to shower, first?
She nods. He bolts for the bathroom. She watches him go. Sees the photo of his family on the mirror. Hesitates. Leaves.
EXT. MARC’S HOUSE - DAY
On the patio overlooking the Thames. Marc and Ben feast. Lauren pours them more juice.
MARC
No, my work is connected to London City Airport. Customs clearance for luxury items. All must be properly declared to avoid VAT or duty. Lauren ... this juice is fresh-squeezed. We should have guests more often.
Ben glances at Lauren.
INT. IRISH COUNTRY HOME - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
At dinner. LAURENT -- a happy teenager -- digs into his food. Marc and Lauren watch. YOUNG BEN and his parents also eat.
ISOBEL
Laurent, do not eat so quickly. You hurt your tummy.
LAURENT
(British)
But it’s so good. Wish you cooked like this, mum.
Lauren rolls her eyes, irritated.
EXT. MARC’S HOUSE - DAY
Lauren shrugs a smile. Ben sips his juice.
BEN
I don’t really understand. What sort of business is it?
MARC
It is like import and export. We handle customs documents and smooth the path for those who want their path smoothed. A man I knew at University started it. We have done well, as you can see. So what have you been doing, the last few days?
BEN
Running about. Army's interested in me returning.
--------------------
INT. GLYDE HOUSE - NIGHT
Designer decorated to excess. Ric opens the front door and stumbles inside, stoned. He YELPS when Aurelia appears.
AURELIA
Davie’s Da let you do this?
RIC
Aura, you trying to kill me?
AURELIA
If you don’t stop, you’ll get kicked out of school.
RIC
Again? Oh, scandal.
AURELIA
Come on. Bed. It’s almost one.
RIC
No. I have a mood for food.
IN THE KITCHEN
Ric hands Aurelia a bottle of water from the fridge then pulls food out. Their voices are soft.
RIC (CONT’D)
Finish your book?
AURELIA
Almost. Da asked where you were.
RIC
You tell him?
AURELIA
Please! Ric, he worries about you.
RIC
You don’t believe that?
AURELIA
Don’t you believe that I worry?
RIC
... Yeah, I ... I do ...
GLYDE (O.S.)
But you don’t give a fuck, do you?
Ric and Aurelia jolt around. Glyde stands by the door. He goes to the boy. Sniffs. Snarls.
RIC
Da, don’t jump to conclusions! I ... some of my mates were ...
Glyde SLAPS HIM. Ric barely flinches.
AURELIA
Da, don’t!
GLYDE
Don’t you fuckin’ lie to me! You know how much money I spent to get you free from that fuckin’ shite!?
RIC
No. How much is it, today?
Glyde SLAPS HIM, again. Aurelia rams between them.
Designer decorated to excess. Ric opens the front door and stumbles inside, stoned. He YELPS when Aurelia appears.
AURELIA
Davie’s Da let you do this?
RIC
Aura, you trying to kill me?
AURELIA
If you don’t stop, you’ll get kicked out of school.
RIC
Again? Oh, scandal.
AURELIA
Come on. Bed. It’s almost one.
RIC
No. I have a mood for food.
IN THE KITCHEN
Ric hands Aurelia a bottle of water from the fridge then pulls food out. Their voices are soft.
RIC (CONT’D)
Finish your book?
AURELIA
Almost. Da asked where you were.
RIC
You tell him?
AURELIA
Please! Ric, he worries about you.
RIC
You don’t believe that?
AURELIA
Don’t you believe that I worry?
RIC
... Yeah, I ... I do ...
GLYDE (O.S.)
But you don’t give a fuck, do you?
Ric and Aurelia jolt around. Glyde stands by the door. He goes to the boy. Sniffs. Snarls.
RIC
Da, don’t jump to conclusions! I ... some of my mates were ...
Glyde SLAPS HIM. Ric barely flinches.
AURELIA
Da, don’t!
GLYDE
Don’t you fuckin’ lie to me! You know how much money I spent to get you free from that fuckin’ shite!?
RIC
No. How much is it, today?
Glyde SLAPS HIM, again. Aurelia rams between them.
AURELIA
Stop! Da, please ... go back to bed. I’ll talk to him.
GLYDE
For all the fuckin’ good that does.
(to Ric)
I smell it on you, again, you’re back to rehab. Forever! I won’t have my son a fuckin’ junkie!
Glyde storms from the room. Ric sneers after him. Aurelia puts ice in a towel. Wipes at his bloody nose.
RIC
And that’s how he gets thinkin’ I’m doin’ crack ... just imagine if ... if ... sorry, Aura ... sorry ...
He weeps. She holds him close.
EXT. HILLSIDE - NIGHT
Ben hides in shadows. His drone hovers by Glyde’s Manor.
ON THE LAPTOP SCREEN, Aurelia and Ric are visible through a kitchen window. She caresses the boy’s hair.
Ben fixates on the screen.
INT. IRISH COUNTRY HOME - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
YOUNG BEN gazes out a window. Isobel comes up, caresses him.
ISOBEL
Jamin, quel est le problème?
BEN
C’est rien, maman.
EXT. HILLSIDE - NIGHT
Ben finally brings the drone back.
BEN
It’s nothing.
He shuts the laptop down.
INT. MARC’S HOUSE - DAY
In his room, Ben practices Aikido, earbuds on, shirtless. The knife’s scars gleam in his muscles.
Lauren appears in the doorway, perfectly made-up. He pulls off the earbuds; the music is loud.
BEN
Sorry, I’m making too much noise.
LAUREN
No, no. Breakfast is almost ready.
BEN
Have I time to shower, first?
She nods. He bolts for the bathroom. She watches him go. Sees the photo of his family on the mirror. Hesitates. Leaves.
EXT. MARC’S HOUSE - DAY
On the patio overlooking the Thames. Marc and Ben feast. Lauren pours them more juice.
MARC
No, my work is connected to London City Airport. Customs clearance for luxury items. All must be properly declared to avoid VAT or duty. Lauren ... this juice is fresh-squeezed. We should have guests more often.
Ben glances at Lauren.
INT. IRISH COUNTRY HOME - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
At dinner. LAURENT -- a happy teenager -- digs into his food. Marc and Lauren watch. YOUNG BEN and his parents also eat.
ISOBEL
Laurent, do not eat so quickly. You hurt your tummy.
LAURENT
(British)
But it’s so good. Wish you cooked like this, mum.
Lauren rolls her eyes, irritated.
EXT. MARC’S HOUSE - DAY
Lauren shrugs a smile. Ben sips his juice.
BEN
I don’t really understand. What sort of business is it?
MARC
It is like import and export. We handle customs documents and smooth the path for those who want their path smoothed. A man I knew at University started it. We have done well, as you can see. So what have you been doing, the last few days?
BEN
Running about. Army's interested in me returning.
MARC
It did you good.
BEN
I wasn't that wild a lad.
MARC
Ben ...
BEN
All right, then. I ... um, I’ve also been thinking of university.
LAUREN
LAUREN
Which one?
BEN
St. Clemen’s.
LAUREN
... Where Laurent studied ...
BEN
Would you rather I not?
LAUREN
No, that's fine. It's a good school. He liked it there.
Marc focuses on his food. Lauren’s eyes stay on Ben. He hands her a gentle nod.
BEN
St. Clemen’s.
LAUREN
... Where Laurent studied ...
BEN
Would you rather I not?
LAUREN
No, that's fine. It's a good school. He liked it there.
Marc focuses on his food. Lauren’s eyes stay on Ben. He hands her a gentle nod.
No comments:
Post a Comment