PV & Franny - Act 1

Go! Table read, PB and Franny. Now, say it like you're not on your way to prison.
Here we go. One, two, three.
Table read, PB and Franny. I love that.
All right. And Ty, whenever you're ready.
Act One, Interior Overton High Day.

We're just inside the front doors of a large public high school.

We pan around the room, a wall covered in construction paper posters about American presidents. A water fountain dribbling gently.
The girls' bathroom, which opens to disgorge Judy, 16. She looks upset.
For a brief moment, we hear her voiceover, which fades away as she walks out of frame.

But if Colin doesn't like me, then why did he ask me to help him with his homework? We're still panning in the front doors, the boys' bathroom, and finally we're back where we started. Only now, someone in a bulldog mascot costume stands in front of the posters, looking vaguely sinister.
He pulls a cigarette out of a pocket and lights it. He raises it to his grilled mouth.
The tip flares up, and a moment later, smoke seeps out of the grill. We hear the squeaking of rubber sole on tile.
The bulldog looks over and sees Franny Blevins, a 15-year-old Elvis Costello, who stops in front of a flyer, close on Franny's face as his eyes scan the text. After a moment, we hear a tearing sound and Franny disappears, leaving the bulldog in the background, staring after him.
Exterior, Seattle streets, afternoon. That sounded so dragnet.
Exterior. Exterior, Seattle streets, afternoon.
Franny, chased by a small dog, bikes along a commercial street. He looks 2DD like a game of Excitebike.
I was struck by the flyer and decided I had to meet its author immediately. Interior coffee shop, afternoon.
PV Gornick, 15, a bespectacled girl with long black hair and torn up clothes, sits writing in a notebook. On the table are two small white Casio keyboards and a glockenspiel.
She wears thimbles on all of her fingers, which makes writing difficult. Suddenly, a flyer slams down in front of her.
Is this your flyer? Insert. The flyer reads, seeking bandmates.
Influences include Sonic Youth, except NYC Ghosts and Flowers, James Blake, James Dean, James Taylor, James Baldwin, and Rick James. Find me after school at that one coffee shop.
Peavy looks up at Franny, examines him.

I didn't think much of him at first. No.
She continues writing. Have we met before?

Not to my knowledge. I only started at Overton this week.
I used to be homeschooled, but my tutor died.

Interior, Peavy's house, living room, flashback. Pe PV sits opposite her tutor, an ancient woman who appears to be asleep.
PV glances up from a geometry textbook. Mrs.
Llewellyn? Interior, coffee shop, continuous with before. No, I'm pretty sure we've met.
Then again, I have a terrible memory. They say that's a prerequisite for happiness.
Not so good for history exams. What's your name?

P.V. Pauses in her writing.

But he was persistent, and persistence is important in any artistic endeavor. Did you know that the Beatles played more than 600 shows before they even got signed?

Did you know that the Beatles played more than 600 shows before they even got signed?

I didn't, but I do know that there are more than 350,000 different kinds of Beatles. I'm Franny.
PV. I'm sorry I was brusque before.
I just hate meeting new people. And old people.
PV like the amplifier? Mm-hmm. Ty, on page three, we just missed one.
Pick up right in the middle of the scene, in the middle of page three, it says inset a picture of a PB amplifier.

Oh, okay. This was marked out

in mine. Oh, sorry.
Yeah, I'm just

not going to take responsibility.

It's just not my fault.

It's just not my fault. It was not.

You can't

work like this.

I actually, I'm not sure if I can,

what does it say?

Insert a picture of a PB amplifier.

Okay. Inset.

Inset, yes.

Thank you. Actually, I'm not sure if I can...
What does it say? It says insert a picture of a PV amplifier. Inset.
Inset. Inset, yes.
Intel. Intel? Inbred, a picture of a PV amplifier.
Inset, a picture of a PV amplifier. That's your real name? I had it legally changed.
Interior, City Hall, flashback. PV stands at the desk.
A registrar looks over her application. You need to be 18 to change your name without a guardian present.
I am 18. She presents a driver's license.
Inset, PV's fake driver's license. Her real name is blurred out and her birthday is shown as 12-25-2004.
Did you yourself of course not interior kinko's another flashback pv stands at the desk a kinko's employee looks over the as yet unlaminated fake driver's license uh are you trying to get me to laminate a fake driver's license of course not we hear the sound of a copier pv looks over and sees Franny making copies. Interior coffee shop, continuous with before.
I knew we'd met before. Franny sits down opposite PV.
I guess we have. What were you making copies of anyway? Interior kinkos, continuous with previous flashback.
Franny pulls one of the flyers out of the tray. In set, Franny's flyer shows a very ugly dog along with the text, Trying to lose this dog.
Answers to Lemur. Please, if you see him, do not return him to me.
Franny. Interior coffee shop.
Continuous with before. Did it work? Franny points.
Lemur's waiting outside the coffee shop, just next to Franny's bike. Man, that's one ugly dog.
Sorry. It's okay.
So you want to start a band? No. I want to continue a band, but with more musicians than I have now.
Oh, how many musicians do you have now? One. What do you play? Guitar.
Lead a rhythm. Yes.
What about you? Primarily Casio, VL-Tone, Monophonic, Synthesizer, and Glockenspiel. Cool.
So, what do you want to call the band?

What's your name again?

Franny.

Hmm.

Probably just Peavey, then.

Okay.

What about the album?

I'm torn at the moment.

Either My Sorrow is Depthless or Where's My Pony?

They're both really good.

I know.

You want to hear a song?

Sure. Peavey stands up and shouts at the barista who's been playing a tranquil Nora Jones tune.
Hey! Hey! He turns off the song. She sits cross-legged, cracks her knuckles.
This one's called Don't Touch Me. PV begins.
We hear a full band even though it's just her playing.

Don't touch me! Don't touch me!

If you touch me, I think I'm gonna scream! Don't touch

me! Don't touch me!

If you touch me, I think I'm gonna

scream!

Don't, don't touch me! Don't, don't touch me! If you don't touch me If you don't touch me I think I'm gonna scream Don't, don't touch me Don't, don't touch me If you don't touch me I think I'm gonna scream I don't like you I think I even hate you I don't hate you I think maybe I love you I don't love you I don't like you, I think I even hate you I don't hate you, I think maybe I love you I don't love you, I don't even like you Don't touch me! Don't touch me! Don't, don't, don't touch me! Don't, don't, don't touch me! If you don't, don't touch me If you don't, don't, don't, don't Don't, don't, don't touch me Don't, don't, don't touch me If you don't, don't, don't, don't I don't like you I think I even hate you I don't hate you I think maybe I love you I don't love you I don't even you. I think I even hate you.
I don't hate you. I think maybe I love you.
I don't love you. I don't even like you.
Don't touch me. Don't touch me.
Don't touch me. Silence.
A number of customers have left. Franny's clearly in love.
After a beat, the barista turns Nora back on. That was awesome.
I know. Oh, sorry.
That's good to have. Thank you.
Now, if we're thinking of starting a band, obviously I'll have to audition you. How's your lunch period looking tomorrow? Wide open.
Interior Overton Lunchroom. The next day, we're in a traditional high school lunchroom.
Franny enters. He spots PV alone at a table.
Hey, so you want to go straight to the music room or should we eat? Somebody hates me. What? Somebody hates me.
I got a hate note in my locker. We have to figure out who put it there.
What about the audition? This is the audition. A band is a family, Franny.
We have to support each other holistically. Now, who do you think wrote it? She glances around the lunchroom.
Hmm, what about him? He looks mean. I doubt it.
That's Dale Wilson, the world's nicest bully. We slide over to Dale Wilson, who does indeed look super mean.

A small kid walks over and fearfully deposits a handful of change on the table.

Here's my lunch money, Dale.

I've told you a million times, I don't want your money.

I'm sorry it's not more.

I'll do better tomorrow.

He scurries off.

Dale looks confused, even hurt.

Please don't. We slide back to Peavey and Franny.
Okay. What about her? She's got crazy eyes.
No, that's Erin Coltrera, editor at large for the Overton Free Press. Erin Coltrera, a mousy girl in over-large hipster glasses, is interviewing a bulldog mascot.
For the last time, who's inside that costume? No comment. We slide back to Peavey and Franny.
Erin's always looking for dirt, but she's mostly harmless. Okay, then what about that girl? Her? That's Judy Cortland.
She's weird, but only because she thinks she's the protagonist. We pull back to find Judy sitting at a table directly in front of Peavey and Franny, who suddenly go blurry, as if they become background characters.
There's Colin over there. I'm not going to look at him.
Crap, I looked at him. What are those two weirdos doing looking at me? I bet they're just jealous of what I have with Colin.
See what I mean? Everybody else is just a side character in her story. It's super annoying.
We return focus to Peavey and Franny. You aren't important enough to her to merit a hate note.
Then who did it? Well, have you wronged anyone recently? Hmm. I did stop by rehearsal for the Overton Orchestra yesterday.
Interior music room, day. The orchestra wraps up a pretty terrible rendition of when the Saints go marching in.

After the last note is parted out, PV stands up at the back of the room.

That was terrible.

None of you can be in my band.

Page 10, that was terrible.

None of you can be in my band.

Maybe just back off at just this minute.

I honestly thought that was the note.

Yeah.

10, that was terrible. I honestly thought that was the note.
Ten, that was terrible.

I would be a little more gentle.

That was terrible.

None of you can be in my band.

She storms out.

The triangle player dings the triangle.

Interior Overton lunchroom,

continuous with before.

You're right, Franny. It must have been one of those terrible musicians.
You've passed your audition. Let's start a band.
She puts out a hand to shake, but as Franny reaches for it, Peavy pulls back. Just to be perfectly clear, once we're in a band together, there can never be any sort of romantic relationship between us.
Oh, why? I mean, not that it... But why exactly? Because artistic collaboration and romance are incompatible.
What about Fleetwood Mac? We see a brief picture of Stevie and Lindsay. We'll see brief flashes of every band couple Franny mentions.
Sure, but... And the White Stripes, the Cramps, Arcade Fire, Sonic Youth, ABBA, New Order, I don't know, Blondie, Stereolab, the Cocktail Twins.
Those are just the many exceptions that prove the rule, okay? So you can take it or leave it. She offers her hand again.
Franny agonizes. No way could I have any problem with that? So, I'm shaking your hand now.

Eventually, he does.

Great. Platonic bandmates for life.
First rehearsal tomorrow?

Sure. Oh, wait, I can't.
I've got Chinese class. We'll have to do Wednesday.

You speak Chinese? Say something.

Okay. A subtitled translation appears, I want to kiss your mouth.
What's that mean? I... Dumpling.
See you Wednesday. Franny turns and walks off.
Interior, Chinese classroom, evening. The class is being led through some drills by a Chinese instructor.
Phrases for wooing and courtship has been written on the board.

Franny's distracted covering his workbook with PV written in the style of the PV Amplifiers logo. Even though we were bandmates now, I couldn't stop having romantical thoughts about PV.
It made it difficult to concentrate. Subtitle, I want to kiss you on the mouth.
No such thing when this way

We're back to 你的嘴 Subtitle I want to kiss you on the mouth. 我想亲吻你的嘴

我们回到我的地方吧

Subtitle

Let's go back to my place.

我们回到我的地方吧

By the time Wednesday night rolled around,

I was a ball of nerves.

你的朋友呢?

他单身吗? Subtitle What about your friend? Is she single? I had to be charming, and I've never been very good at charming. Subtitle.
You're smothering me. I feel like I can't breathe.
So I invited my best friend over to advise me. You want to see.
I feel I can't breathe. Interior Franny's room, night.
Close on A.J. Vacher, a young 15.
He's extremely dorky, but with an unshakable and frankly inexplicable... Confidence, Franny.
It's all about confidence. If you think you're cool, then she'll think you're cool.
Look at me. I know I'm cool.
Which makes me even cooler than if I just thought I was. We pull back to see that the two of them are playing Magic the Gathering.
And I'll remove three tokens from Chandra, Torture Defiance, to deal four damage to your Angel of Asin. I don't know, AJ.
I'm not sure confidence can be simulated. That's just something unconfident people say.
Yeah, exactly. Attack.
Attack. Attack.
And I think you're dead. That's four, six, nine damage.
Yep, you're dead. Sorry.
You got any food? No, but my mom left money so I could order something. Franny points to a fan of five dollar bills pinned to a bulletin board.
A note says for anything but pizza. Pizza? Obviously.
Exterior, Seattle streets, afternoon. Franny bikes along the streets, holding his guitar in one hand.
Lemur is still running along behind him. On the way to PV's house, I was nearly overcome with anxiety.
Even with the encouraging notes I'd written on the backs of my hands. Franny glances down at the back of his hands.
On the left, he's written, you are cool.

On the right, see other hand.

Exterior, PV's house, afternoon.

Franny looks up at the house.

It's a castle.

You could host royalty here.

Franny ties up lemur and passes through a gate.

Exterior, PV's house, gardens, continuous.

Franny passes through an elaborate Japanese garden. Franny crunches across the gravel of a wilder English-style garden.
Franny crosses a tennis court overgrown with weeds, then a croquet pitch, then a putting green where a creepy groundskeeper is trimming the grass with nail scissors. They make eye contact.
Franny finally arrives at the enormous front door. He presses the doorbell.
Beat. Don't go in there.
Franny turns. The groundskeeper is very close.
Don't go in there. Why not? Because we're renovating the foyer.
Oh, here's the side door. Thanks.
Franny goes. The groundskeeper notices a blemish on the front door.
He raises an electric sander he wasn't holding a few seconds ago and begins sanding the door. I could do that.
Interior. Interior, PV's house moments later.
Franny enters a large dining room.

Hello? Franny? Is that you? Come upstairs!

Okay.

Franny looks around but doesn't see any stairs. He passes through a restaurant-sized kitchen, a sitting room, a drawing room, and an indoor bowling alley.

Finally, he finds a small elevator manned by a doorman who looks exactly like the groundskeeper. Interior, elevator, continuous.
So is that guy outside your twin brother? What guy outside? An uncomfortable pause. The elevator stops.
Second floor, same as the first. Franny exits the elevator.
Interior, PV's bedroom, a while later. PV's room is gigantic.
A large portion of it is given over to musical instruments and recording equipment. Franny marvels at a nearly wall-sized poster of the band The Stranglers.
You a Stranglers fan? Franny turns to find PV sitting on the bed. I don't think I know them.
Well, you should. We'll do an overview of seminal punk rock musicians at a future rehearsal.
PV notices Franny's guitar. You didn't have to bring that.
I've got plenty of guitars here. PV gestures towards a rack of at least 20 guitars.
Whoa, I can see that. Yeah, my parents buy me a lot of presents.
It's how they make up for their lack of... Presents? Exactly.
I think they're getting divorced, and it'll be contentious too because of all the money. Money makes people crazy.
Even more than love, I think. Where'd it come from? Who can say where love comes from? Pheromones, I guess.
Oh, I meant the money. Oh, bottled water.
Bottled water? Yeah. You know tap water, bottled water? Insert a still image of tap water, bottled water.
The catchphrase on the label says, who's got time to walk to the sink? Tap water, bottled water insert a still image of tap water bottled water the catchphrase on the label says who's got time to walk to the sink tap water bottled water it's tap water only bottled tap water bottled water because who's got time to walk to the sink not me oh yeah that stuff's great really quenching yeah my grandfather invented, which meant my parents never had to work. So they make music.
Terrible music. By which I mean classical.
My parents were never together. And my mom's a pilot, so I don't see her much.
That's why I do so many extracurricular activities. Like Chinese class? Yeah.
And drama club. And guitar lessons.
Book club. Aerial gymnastics.
Interior blacksmith. Day.
Franny stands next to an anvil. I'm apprentice to a blacksmith.
Exterior stable. Day.
Franny brushes the mane of a miniature horse. I groom miniature horses, even though I'm allergic.
He sneezes, spooking the horse. Exterior garden.
Day. Franny's drying a cactus with a hair dryer.
And I'm a member of the Succulent Horticultural Society of Seattle. It's difficult to grow cacti here because of all the rain, so we do a lot of drying.
Interior, PV's bedroom, continuous with before. Franny sits down at the mixing board.
Anyway, how do you want to start? Should we write a song? I think I should hear one of your originals.

Then we can attempt to synthesize our style into a cohesive whole.

Okay.

Franny takes out his guitar.

A cheap, busted-up acoustic.

He takes a deep breath.

How about a love song?