Work Text:
INT. COFFEE SHOP.
(JUSTIN, in a Starbucks uniform, tends the coffee bar, steadily getting through a line of people buying lattes. He looks tired and older than the last time we saw him.)
(The NARRATOR enters, walks over to Justin and opens up a binder. He reads.)
NARRATOR
Five years have passed since Operation D Minus. Naomi has moved on. Justin-
JUSTIN
THAT’S ME.
NARRATOR
-has not. Justin, tell us how you’ve been.
JUSTIN
I’M HAVIN A ROUGH TIME, MAN-
(Justin’s BOSS prompts Justin to stop talking. He points at the long line of customers.)
(Justin offers his best smile to the next customer in line, who orders. He whips up a latte.)
JUSTIN
I'M LONELY
I'M LONELY
I'M LONELY
AND MY HEART'S BROKEN
NARRATOR
Sounds like the last few years have been hard for you.
JUSTIN
Man, they so have. In high school I wanted
to make somethin of myself, go into the Air Force.
But with a felony on my record and no college degree,
this kind of job is the best I can do, ya know?
(Justin hands the finished latte over with another smile. He drops the smile as the customer leaves - then forces it again as the next customer approaches.)
NARRATOR
Justin doesn’t know it, but today things are going to change.
(The Narrator heads toward the door, where NAOMI enters. She’s dressed casually, not in uniform and not like a college student ... but she otherwise looks the same as when we last saw her.)
NARRATOR
Even though Naomi isn’t her name, for the sake
of consistency, she’s requested that we still call
her that. Naomi, how have the last five years been for you?
NAOMI
Look, I’m sorry but I don’t feel like talking about that.
Today’s my day off, I have to go to court tomorrow, I just
want a cup of coffee and to relax for a minute.
(Naomi gets in line. The line’s too long for Justin to notice her yet.)
NARRATOR
It sounds like you're feeling frustrated with your job.
NAOMI
That doesn't even begin to cover it. There are
pressures to this job I can't even begin to describe.
SERIOUSLY I’VE COME TO LEARN THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES IN LIFE
I’VE BEEN DOING MY JOB AND DOING IT RIGHT
AND I’VE BEEN PROMOTED TWICE NOW THIS WAY
I’VE MOVED ON FROM BUSTS TO OVERSEEING
MOSTLY TEAMS OF OFFICERS ON PATROL
BUT YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE
HOW OFTEN THEY DO THINGS THAT BOTHER ME
(Naomi gets closer to the counter.)
NAOMI
I BECAME AN OFFICER BECAUSE OF MY HORRIBLE CHILDHOOD
AND NOW IT FEELS LIKE I WORK FOR PEOPLE JUST AS ADDICTED TO FALSEHOOD
COPS STEALING MONEY WHEN THEY SHOULDN’T
AND AIMING FOR EYES WITH RUBBER BULLETS
A FELLOW OFFICER IS UP FOR TRIAL
I’M UP TO TESTIFY ON HIS SIDE OF THE AISLE
BUT I WAS THERE THE DAY HE HURT SOMEONE THAT LOOKED LIKE ME
SERIOUSLY I’M BEGINNING TO LEARN THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO EVERY CHOICE
IF I’M DOING MY JOB AND I’M DOING IT RIGHT WHY DO I FEEL LIKE I’M DOING WRONG?
(She reaches the front of the line.)
(Justin stops and stares. Naomi doesn’t seem to recognize him.)
NAOMI
A tall flat white please.
JUSTIN
OH MAN IT’S TRUE
NAOMI IT’S YOU
NAOMI
THE HECK DID YOU DO TO ME?
THE HECK DID YOU DO?
NAOMI
SORRY, DO I KNOW YOU?
NARRATOR
Justin looks very different from the last time Naomi saw him - he doesn’t just
look older, he’s also cut his hair short and has grown a few inches taller.
(Justin takes off his green server's cap. Naomi still just stares.)
JUSTIN
NAOMI
NAOMI RODRIGUEZ
IT’S JUSTIN
NARRATOR
And with that, it all comes flooding back to her. She was young and a new recruit then.
She went to classes, ate in the cafeteria, even had a fake Facebook account.
And Naomi remembers her certainty, too. The certainty that she was doing right.
NAOMI
I don't know what to say, I -
(Justin’s boss steps forward again, pushing Justin slightly.)
BOSS
Justin. Serve the lady.
(Justin shakes his boss off, doesn't break eye contact with Naomi. His boss gets red in the face and points at the customers behind Naomi.)
BOSS
Justin, help the customers now or you're fired!
NARRATOR
But Justin can only see one person in here, and she's standing right in front of him.
JUSTIN
MAN, I WORKED HARD TO GET THIS JOB
BUT YOU’RE HERE JUST CASUALLY BUYING COFFEE
AND WE GOTTA HAVE THIS TALK
EVEN IF IT MEANS I LOSE MY JOB
IT'S BEEN ON MY MIND FOR FIVE YEARS, MAN
I NEED TO KNOW
CAUSE BACK THEN I LIKED YOU THOUGH
NAOMI LISTEN YOU SET ME UP HERE
WE SEEMED TO HAVE SO MUCH IN COMMON
YOU TOLD ME ALL ABOUT YOU
SO I THOUGHT I COULD OPEN UP TO YOU
YOU SEEMED SO INTO ME
I TOLD YOU ALL MY PROBLEMS
LET YOU COPY ALL MY HOMEWORK
AND THEN I LAID IT ALL ON THE LINE
AND ASKED YOU TO PROM
EVEN DANCED FOR YOU
NAOMI WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO TO ME?
THE HECK DID YOU DO?
(Naomi seems overwhelmed. She backs away from the counter and starts heading toward the door. Other patrons part around her, angry, startled.)
(Justin jumps right over the counter and grabs her shoulder. She wheels around and they face off in the center of the store.)
NAOMI
Don't touch me, Justin.
JUSTIN
Why not? We touched back then.
(Justin's boss looks pissed. He steps up to Justin.)
BOSS
Justin you’re fired! Turn in your uniform and take this outside!
JUSTIN
Whatever bro.
(Justin takes off his uniform and tosses it on the counter. His boss whips out a cell phone and dials it.)
BOSS
EVERY EMPLOYER HAS AN EMPLOYEE THAT WON’T LISTEN
EVERY EMPLOYER NEEDS THE COPS TO BUST THE SHIFTLESS
COME ON OVER
COME ON OVER
(The boss hangs up his cell phone, throws Justin a furious look and crosses his arms, waiting.)
NAOMI
I don't know why you're saying all this,
because none of that is what actually happened.
JUSTIN
How can you deny it? You were there!
NAOMI
JUSTIN LISTEN WE ONLY TALKED FOR A FEW WEEKS-
JUSTIN
WE TALKED FOR MONTHS AND EXCHANGED NUMBERS
I EVEN GOT UP IN FRONT OF CLASS AND DANCED FOR YOU
YOU SAID YOU'D GO TO PROM WITH ME
NAOMI
YOU JUST DANCED ONCE AND ONLY IN FRONT OF ME
I NEVER SAID I'D GO TO PROM WITH YOU
I TRIED EVERY EXCUSE TO GET OUT OF A DATE WITH YOU
THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS I SAID TO YOU
BUT YOU NEVER LISTENED
YOU NEVER LISTENED, JUSTIN
JUSTIN
YOU REALLY THINK I’D HAVE BOUGHT WEED FOR ANYONE IF I NEVER MET YOU?
NAOMI
JUSTIN LISTEN YOU SAID YOU SMOKED THAT WEED
JUSTIN
I ONLY SAID THAT I COULD GET IT
AND ONLY CAUSE YOU ASKED ME TO GET IT
MY HEART WASN’T IN IT COULDN’T YOU TELL
WHEN IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO GET IT?
COULDN’T YOU TELL WHEN I DIDN’T WANT YOUR MONEY?
NAOMI
JUSTIN LISTEN YOU WERE THE ONE WHO BROUGHT IT UP FIRST
AND IT ONLY TOOK YOU TWO DAYS TO GET IT
YOU TOOK THE MONEY RIGHT AWAY AND DIDN'T ARGUE
JUSTIN
WE SPENT TEN MINUTES ARGUING OVER THAT MONEY
NAOMI
YOU TOOK THE MONEY
AND DIDN'T ARGUE
YOU DIDN'T ARGUE JUSTIN
JUSTIN
YOU GRABBED THE MONEY NAOMI AND THEN WE KISSED
(Naomi stares.)
NAOMI
Justin. We never kissed.
JUSTIN
Yeah we did.
NAOMI
What are you talking about? We didn’t kiss, you were underage! We never even touched each other. Not once.
(Justin looks confused - then shakes it off.)
JUSTIN
WHATEVER SO SOME DETAILS ARE OFF
YOU CAN’T DENY THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT
IF YOU WERE A GUY I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT
NAOMI YOU SET ME UP TO FAIL
YOU SET ME UP NAOMI
NAOMI
BUT JUSTIN JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE CRUSHING DOESN’T ABSOLVE YOU
THE AWFUL THINGS I’VE SEEN DRUGS DO
AT LEAST THIS I COULD SHOW YOU
AND MAKE YOUR LIFE A LITTLE SAFER THAN MINE WAS
JUST LISTEN, JUST LISTEN TO ME JUSTIN
JUSTIN
BUT I NEVER SOLD DRUGS I DIDN’T EVEN DO THEM
AND I STILL DON’T EVEN THOUGH MY LIFE IS RUINED
SO YOU USED ME TO MAKE A POINT THAT DOESN’T ABSOLVE YOU
DON’T PUSH A KID TO DO SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU
YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE ADULT IN THE ROOM INSTEAD YOU RUINED MY LIFE
(They're circling each other, but now Naomi stops.)
NAOMI
I ruined your life?
(Justin stops too.)
JUSTIN
… yeah. I mean. Maybe not ruined. But I got a feIony on my record because of you.
I guess maybe I blew some of this out of proportion, but yeah. My life now isn't
what I wanted at all because of this. And I was just a kid. You know?
(Naomi takes a few steps back. She leans against a chair, turning away from Justin. Memories flood her, and her face twists with emotion.)
NAOMI
JUSTIN I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE YOUR LIFE RUINED
WHEN I WAS YOUNG I SAW AWFUL THINGS
ABUSE AND DEATH AND SADNESS
I THOUGHT I WAS SAVING YOU FROM THAT LIFE
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT
YOU WERE JUST A KID
(Naomi comes back to Justin and stands so they’re face to face. It's Justin's turn to back up now, but she stops and offers her hand.)
(Justin reaches out and takes her hand. They shake.)
JUSTIN
NAOMI I CAN SEE YOUR SIDE TOO
I WANTED TO DATE YOU SO MUCH
I PUSHED PAST YOUR EVERY SINGLE WORD
JUSTIN/NAOMI
FINALLY I SEE IT NOW
WHAT THE HECK WENT WRONG HERE
WHAT THE HECK WE BOTH GOT WRONG
NAOMI
WHEN I MET YOU I WAS NEW ON THE SQUAD AND SO HOPEFUL
BUT I’VE BECOME THE THING I SWORE NOT TO BE
I’M OLDER AND THE AUTHORITY
IN DOING MY JOB AND DOING IT RIGHT I HURT SOMEONE TOO MUCH LIKE ME
JUSTIN
I PUSHED TOO HARD AND DIDN’T LISTEN
I WAS SO SURE I LOVED YOU
I CONVINCED MYSELF OF THINGS WE DIDN’T EVEN DO
JUSTIN/NAOMI
WE ONLY SAW WHAT WE WANTED TO SEE
WE ONLY SAW WHAT WE WANTED TO SEE IN EACH OTHER
I WANTED A BUST/WANTED A DATE
NEITHER OF US ARE WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE TO EACH OTHER
HECK WE GOT IT WRONG AND HURT EACH OTHER
HECK WE GOT IT WRONG
WE GOT IT WRONG
(The police have arrived while Justin and Naomi sing; the boss points at Justin, shouting distantly.)
NARRATOR
But Justin and Naomi can only see each other. Clearly, and at last. For the first time, for both of them.
(The cops tap Justin on the shoulder.
(Justin turns around. Naomi stops them. Flashes her badge)
NAOMI
This kid's fine. We were just talking.
(The cop points out the door. The boss smirks. Naomi nods at Justin, and they both exit.)
(They stand outside the coffee shop in the rain.)
JUSTIN
Thank you.
NAOMI
JUSTIN I CAN’T FIX WHAT I DID WRONG HERE
BUT I DO WANT TO THANK YOU TOO JUSTIN
YOU’VE SHOWN ME THAT POLICE CAN’T LOSE THE SENSE OF WHO WE’RE REALLY SERVING
AND WHY WE’RE REALLY HERE
I WAS GOING TO BE A WITNESS FOR A FELLOW OFFICER
BUT NOW I’LL BE THE WITNESS AGAINST HIM
AND WORK TO KEEP THE WORLD SAFER FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME AND YOU
JUSTIN
NAOMI I’M GLAD THERE WAS A REASON YOU CAME IN HERE TODAY
I GUESS IT WAS DESTINY
I DIDN’T NEED THIS JOB ANYWAY
AND I THINK IT’S TIME TO STOP FEELING SORRY FOR MYSELF
AND BUILD A LIFE WHERE I AM NOW
JUSTIN/NAOMI
HECK I GOT IT WRONG
BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO MOVE ALONG
AND BE MORE REAL WITH THE WORLD AS IT IS.
(They share a single nice moment. A real, genuine connection this time.)
(They both leave in opposite directions.)