War/Peace - Part II. Clarissa Daisy Huntsman
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BUT THE BOY'S NOT TOO HAPPY - WE CAN SEE TEARS IN HIS EYES, PROBABLY NOT BECAUSE THE BOOK WAS KNOCKED FROM HIS HANDS . . .
CLARISSA
Are you ok?
JULIAN
Uh . . .
HE FAKES A SMILE AND NODS.
JULIAN
. . . Yeah. Thanks. I'm just . . . a lot has happened lately . . .
THE BUS BEGINS TO MOVE.
CLARISSA
You here with anyone?
JULIAN
No.
CLARISSA
Come and sit with us up back. There's some spare seats. Or you can read if you like, but it's hard to read on a bus. Last time I tried I got pretty sick.
JULIAN
Uh . . . sure.
JULIAN STANDS UP AND FOLLOWS CLARISSA TO THE BACK OF THE BUS. EMILY'S ALREADY IN THE BACK SEAT, ON THE LEFT. CLARISSA TAKES THE RIGHT SIDE, AND JULIAN TAKES THE SEAT IN FRONT. IT'S COMPLETELY FREE SO HE SITS WITH HIS BACK TO THE WINDOW, FACING THE AISLE.
TOURIST 1
West 39th Street. Take a shot. Take a shot.
CLARISSA SIGNALS EMILY.
CLARISSA
This is my friend Emily. I'm Clarissa.
JULIAN
I'm Julian. Nice to meet you. Where are you two headed?
CLARISSA
Jersey. Where else? Ha ha.
JULIAN
Oh, of course.
TOURIST 1
You have to take a shot of Hell's Kitchen.
TOURIST 2
Yeah. Yeah. Got it.
CLARISSA
I've gotta see my dad. We're from Utah though. Looking forward to going back, actually . . . Julian . . .
CLARISSA LEANS FORWARD. JULIAN'S TRYING NOT TO MAKE EYE CONTACT, GIVEN HIS ARE WET.
CLARISSA
Hey, is something wrong? You ok?
EMILY
Hey Julian! Give us the scoop. Girl troubles, right? Did some bitch walk away from you? Ha ha.
JULIAN
Uh . . . no . . .
JULIAN LOWERS HIS VOICE.
JULIAN
I'm scared. Um . . . you girls can't do anything. I shouldn't be telling you this. It's silly. Tell me about your dad.
CLARISSA PUTS A HAND ON JULIAN'S SHOULDER.
CLARISSA
No. You're more interesting. Please. Whatever it is, we're listening. We've got the whole trip to Jersey. Half an hour, right?
JULIAN
Yeah. Um . . .
JULIAN SHAKES HIS HEAD. HE HOLDS UP THE BOOK.
JULIAN
. . . probably won't believe me but some of this book is about me. That makes it a little hard to read.
CLARISSA LOOKS AT THE BOOK.
CLARISSA
“Finding Jolie [1.]”? Nice title. Really? You're in this?
JULIAN
I was a . . . like . . . I worked on the streets in San Fran. And . . . I just had this crazy boss [7.] and . . . I've quit now. It sounds so stupid but . . . well . . . this guy was a nightmare. He used to beat me. And like . . . he was locked up but I just heard that he's been released. I just feel like I'm the one on the run now. I feel like wherever I go he could be there. I can't relax. It sounds so silly. I take bus after bus, train after train, I go cross country, but no matter where I go I can't bring myself to stay anywhere . . . I gotta keep moving all the time. I know I must sound silly . . .
CLARISSA
Julian, that's horrible. It doesn't sound silly at all. Where's your home?
JULIAN TAKES A DEEP BREATH.
JULIAN
I'm sorry; you don't need to hear all this.
EMILY LEANS ON JULIAN'S SEAT.
EMILY
Yeah, we do. Thanks for telling us. Seriously; where's your home? Do you live with your parents?
JULIAN
I haven't seen them in years. They weren't all that nice. I . . . don't really have a home. Not at the moment. I was staying with a friend of mine back in San Francisco, but the boss knows where the apartment is. I wanted to leave but she didn't want to leave . . . She's ok - I chat to her on Facebook . . . but I don't want to go back. I don't feel comfortable living there. Do you ever get the feeling that you might not have long to live? Arrrgh! It;s so stupid. I know I sound silly . . . I'm being paranoid.
TOURIST 1
Take a shot of that! Now. Take a shot!
CLARISSA
Why do they keep saying: "Take a shot"? It's "photograph", "Take a photo". Why say "Take a shot"? It sounds so fuckin' lame.
EMILY
You ok, Clarissa?
CLARISSA
Yeah. Of course. I'm just pissed off that a guy like Julian has to feel so shit, and live his life in fear, because the whole justice system sucks.
JULIAN SMILES. HE NODS.
JULIAN
Thanks. But it's not your problem. That's the way it is, you know.
TOURIST 1
Did you get a shot of the water?
TOURIST 2
It's just water.
TOURIST 1
New York water. It's special. Get the bridge too.
EMILY SEES THE LOOK ON CLARISSA'S FACE.
EMILY
They're like paparazzi aren't they?
CLARISSA NODS. SHE BOWS HER HEAD.
CLARISSA
Em; wanna go back to Utah?
EMILY
Yeah. Of course. Straight after we see your dad we're heading home, right?
CLARISSA
No. I mean; we head home now. Is that cool with you?
EMILY
Um . . . yeah, sure. I go where you go. You know that.
CLARISSA
Julian; Utah's the middle of nowhere. Wanna come with?
JULIAN
What?! I just met you and . . .
CLARISSA
Think about it. You got the whole trip.
CLARISSA TURNS TO EMILY.
EMILY
What? You just . . .
CLARISSA
Did you hear about Leslie Carter? Died yesterday of an overdose.
EMILY
That Backstreet Boy's sister?
CLARISSA