Let me set the scene for you…
INT. CAR – AFTERNOON
O’Neill casually waits in her double parked car unwinding a bit to the radio.
O’NEILL
(mindlessly)
Birthday sex… Birthday sex…
A beat.
The back door flies open.
CURLS, a scrawny mop of blonde curls, scrambles into the backseat. He chucks his backpack and lunchbox in post school frustration.
O’Neill immediately reaches for the radio and shuts it off.
INNER O’NEILL
Songs about gifts in the form of sexual favors not exactly Disney approved.
O’NEILL
Hey Buddy! How was school?
CURLS
Eh.
INNER O’NEILL
Uh-oh.
O’NEILL
Just “eh”?
CURLS
Yup.
O’NEILL
Any reason?
Curls shrugs and listlessly stares out the window.
A beat.
O’Neill glances back through the rear view mirror and notices that the collar of his shirt is ripped.
INNNER O’NEILL
Hold the phone…
O’NEILL
What happened to your shirt?
CURLS
Brian.
O’NEILL
Brian?
CURLS
Yeah. Brian.
O’NEILL
And Brian is…?
CURLS
(frustrated)
Brian. He’s just Brian.
INNER O’NEILL
Any chance Brian’s full name is “Brian the Bully”?
O’NEILL
Does Brian do stuff like that a lot?
CURLS
Sometimes.
O’NEILL
Does your mom know?
Curls just shrugs.
O’NEILL
And your teacher?
Curls double shrugs.
INNER O’NEILL
Ah. The “shrug” tactic. Deflecting awkward conversations since 1955.
O’NEILL
Let me guess… Brian likes to pick on you?
CURLS
(quietly)
Sometimes.
O’Neill lets out a little sigh. She locks eyes with Curls through the rear view mirror.
O’NEILL
Wanna know a secret?
CURLS
I guess.
O’NEILL
Brian’s an idiot.
CURLS
No. He’s not.
O’NEILL
Yes. He is.
CURL
But he’s bigger than me.
O’NEILL
So? One day you and that amazing brain of yours are going to rule the world. And people like Brian? Well he’s never gonna to amount to anything more than a glorified garbage man.
CURLS
Really?
O’NEILL
Totally.
(pause)
But in the meantime, if he ever lays a hand on you again then I want you to kick him as hard are you can in the nuts and run like hell. Ok Buddy?
CURLS
(giggling)
Cool.
O’Neill can’t help but smile at this.
INNER O’NEILL
I love my job.
LOL.
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