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INT. CAFE - DAY
DANNY stands in line at the counter waiting to order.
Several other people mingle around, either sitting at the
various tables, chatting near the book wall, or waiting for
their order to be completed. KWAN walks into the cafe and
spots Danny.
KWAN
(to himself)
Is that...it couldn't be...
DANNY steps up to the counter.
DANNY
Hi, can I get trenta with as many
shots you can legally allow topped
with a Pink Drink?
BARISTA
How's your heart doing?
DANNY
It hasn't stopped yet.
BARISTA
(laughing)
You know, I worry I'll just see you
on the news one day.
KWAN walks up behind DANNY and claps a hand on his shoulder.
KWAN
If anything, I think his heart
needs the caffeine.
DANNY
(startled, turning)
What-oh! Hey, what are you doing
here?
KWAN
I could ask you the same question.
KWAN makes a show of comparing their heights.
KWAN
When did you get so tall?
DANNY
(laughing)
Where have you been? I haven't been
tiny since high school.
BARISTA
Sorry to interrupt, is that it for
your order?
DANNY
(turning)
Oh, my bad, sorry, can I also get
venti coffee with a shot of every
syrup flavor you have.
BARISTA
(typing it into the
computer)
So that's one trenta Red Eye with 4
espresso shots-
DANNY
Sorry, can't you please give me
more?
BARISTA
(with a side eye)
With 7 espresso shots-
DANNY
Thank you!
BARISTA
And a venti coffee with 8 syrup
shots of caramel, vanilla, mint,
hazelnut, chocolate, mocha,
coconut, and lavender.
DANNY
Sounds perfect.
KWAN
That sounds disgusting.
BARISTA
Right? And it's Danny, right?
DANNY
You remembered me!
BARISTA
You're hard to forget.
DANNY
(tugging KWAN forward)
What do you want, I got it.
KWAN
Are you sure?
DANNY
Why not? We haven't seen each other
in what, 5 years?
KWAN
(shrugging)
Give or take.
DANNY
(gestures)
C'mon, it's fine.
KWAN
Thanks, man.
KWAN
(to the barista)
Can I have a hazelnut latte?
BARISTA
Size?
KWAN
Venti.
BARISTA
That'll be 36.60.
DANNY pays the barista, dropping a five dollar tip into the
jar. KWAN and DANNY move to stand at the pick up counter.
KWAN
(awkward)
So...what have you been up to?
DANNY
(shoving hands into his
pockets)
Finishing my masters in
astrophysics and engineering before
going for my doctorate.
KWAN
(impressed with a
whistle)
Masters in both? That's a little
insane.
DANNY
What about you? What're you doing
these days?
KWAN
I opened my own physiotherapy
center after graduating. I'm still
taking classes to stay on top of
things but I mostly just run the
business on my own.
DANNY
That's cool. That fits you.
KWAN
(laughs)
What, did you expect me to stay in
football for forever?
DANNY
(shrugging)
I know Dash got that scholarship
and is working to join the big
leagues...
KWAN
He loves football more than I ever
could. But what are you planning on
doing with your doctorate?
BARISTA 2
Order for Danny!
DANNY
(grabbing the tray of
drinks)
That's mine, thanks.
DANNY balances the tray and pulls KWAN's drink out to pass
it over.
DANNY
Here.
KWAN takes the drink and then shifts awkwardly.
KWAN
Thanks, do you happen to have time?
DANNY
(checks his phone)
I have an hour or so before class,
what's up?
KWAN
Well, it's just been so long, I
thought maybe we could? Catch up?
Danny tilts his head, studying KWAN. Kwan stands awkward.
DANNY
Sure, there's a table open by the
window.
KWAN
(relieved)
Thanks man.
They walk over to the open window table and take a seat.
DANNY pops the lid of his coffee. He pulls a glowing green
vial out of his bag and upends it into the the drink. The
drink makes a cloud of smoke before turning neon purple.
KWAN
What's that?
DANNY
(popping the lid back on)
My coffee abomination?
KWAN
(rolls his eyes)
I mean the green stuff.
DANNY
Nutrition supplement, makes it
taste like pomegranate.
KWAN
Can I taste it?
DANNY
No.
KWAN
Well alright then.
DANNY
(laughing)
Sorry, but this is a bit toxic for
normal humans.
KWAN
You're still so weird.
DANNY
Listen, I have enough
ecto-contamination that I now need
the shit to function.
KWAN
Oh that sucks.
DANNY
Tell me about it.
KWAN
Does this have anything to do with
that whole king shit in senior
year?
DANNY
Sorta? Do you remember how, in
freshmen year, we started to have
all those ghost problems?
KWAN
Yeah?
DANNY
Well my parents opened a hole into
hell in my basement and all the
ectoplasm that was coming through
filled the house and everyone in
it.
KWAN
(winces)
Gross. Wait. Are you okay?
DANNY
I'm still breathing, aren't I?
KWAN
Well yeah but is all that
contamination, like, affecting you?
DANNY
(shrugging)
In a way, but I have it managed
now.
KWAN
(nods once)
That's good to hear.
KWAN rolls the drink in his hands.
KWAN
And your sister?
DANNY
She had a rougher time than I did,
but she's good now.
KWAN
I'm glad, what is she up to these
days?
DANNY
She's finishing up her doctorate
actually.
KWAN
Yeah? What in?
DANNY
Psychology, the nerd.
KWAN
She did always love that.
DANNY
Right? I'm just glad she has other
people to psychoanalyze now.
DANNY takes a sip of the purple coffee.
DANNY
How's the...you said physiotherapy
center? How's that going?
KWAN
Good. I have a good set of repeat
clients and a fair share of
walk-ins each week.
DANNY
What made you decide to open up
your own center?
KWAN
I struggled to work under others,
especially since I just developed
this...knack? For finding the thing
wrong in people.
DANNY
Yeah? Think you could get this knot
out of my neck?
KWAN
Sure.
KWAN gets up to stand behind DANNY. KWAN gently rubs
DANNY's neck. With a pressure and twist of Danny's head, a
crack is heard.
DANNY
(moaning)
Holy fuck.
KWAN
(laughing and taking his
seat)
Glad to help.
DANNY
Dude, you have the hands of an
angel.
KWAN
Shut up.
DANNY
(rolling his neck)
I can move without pain, seriously,
thank you.
KWAN
I imagine you were in a lot of pain
with that.
DANNY
You have no idea.
KWAN
You must spend a lot of time at a
computer or bent over a book.
DANNY
Yeah, I mean, for the most part.
Drafting workable blueprints is
only part of the engineering
course. We still have to build it.
KWAN
What are you working on right now?
DANNY
Our midterm project is making a
controllable death match robot to
fight in the arena.
KWAN
That sounds sick.
DANNY
It is! My team is trying to figure
out how to add a blaster.
KWAN
What.
DANNY
So my parent's lipstick laser?
We're pulling it apart to use the
same concept to add a short blaster
into it.
KWAN
Is that even allowed?
DANNY
There's no rule saying we can't.
Besides, ectoplasmic engineering is
what got me my grades so far.
KWAN
Speaking of, you said you were
aiming for a doctorate? Are you
going to double dip there too?
DANNY
Nah, I'm probably going to keep in
aerospace engineering and
specialize in ecto-mechanics while
getting my flight license.
KWAN
That's a lot.
DANNY
Well, I may not pass the physical
fitness test for NASA, but I'm
hoping that everything else will
allow me to get through.
KWAN
That's fair. You're still hoping to
be an astronaut?
DANNY
It's been my dream since I was like
6.
KWAN
Love that for you.
DANNY
(wrinkles his nose)
Don't get gay on me now.
KWAN
(blushing)
No, I mean, it's great that you're
still following your dream.
DANNY
Thanks.
KWAN
You look good, man, leaving Amity
has been good to you.
DANNY
Leaving Casper High has been life
changing, to be honest.
KWAN
(fiddling with his
coffee)
Sorry about that, I was kind of an
ass to you.
DANNY
Kind of?
KWAN
Okay, I was a giant asshole and you
didn't deserve any of it. I'm
sorry.
DANNY is quiet as he studies KWAN. KWAN continues to fiddle
with his coffee.
DANNY
I forgive you.
KWAN
(relieved)
Thanks, really.
DANNY
(tilts his head)
I appreciate the apology, and at
this point it's mostly water under
the bridge.
KWAN
Still, I'm happy for you, you've
really grown into yourself.
DANNY
I've learned a lot these last few
years.
KWAN
Double masters would do that.
DANNY
Well yeah, but I've had a lot of
life experiences since. As my
friend once said, it's not a matter
of years, its a matter of mileage.
KWAN
That sounds like a very smart
friend.
DANNY
They are, also an enigmatic asshole
but that's neither here or there.
KWAN
Okay, now I want to meet this
friend of yours.
DANNY
(groaning)
No you don't. If you ever meet
them, the world is ending.
KWAN
It can't be that bad.
DANNY
No, you're right, it's worse.
KWAN
Is this like your prophetic bladder
thing?
DANNY
My what?
KWAN
You're prophetic bladder. You
always needed to go to the bathroom
right before a ghost showed up.
DANNY stares for a solid 10 seconds before breaking into
cackling laughter.
KWAN
(flustered)
What?
DANNY
(still laughing)
That's the funniest shit I've heard
all month.
KWAN
Is this...the first time you're
hearing about it?
DANNY
(wheezing)
Who would have told me?
KWAN
Okay, point but we thought you
knew, it's your bladder.
DANNY
(wiping his face)
Going to the bathroom was just an
excuse.
KWAN
Then how did you know?
DANNY
Remember that ecto-contamination I
mentioned?
KWAN
Oh shit.
DANNY
Yeah.
KWAN
How does that work exactly?
DANNY
(hiccups a smoke cloud)
Like this.
KWAN
What?
Danny lifts his arm and thrusts his elbow back. Into the
stomach of BARTHOLOMEW THE OBSERVANT.
DANNY
Hi Barty.
BARTHOLOMEW THE OBSERVANT
That is not my name.
DANNY
Sorry, Bartholomew
BARTHOLOMEW THE OBSERVANT
Also not my name.
KWAN
Uh...what the fuck man.
DANNY
Sorry dude, looks like I have to
run early.
KWAN
(confused)
Sure?
DANNY
(standing)
This was nice though, we should do
it again sometime.
KWAN
(standing)
Yeah, okay, wait, can I have your
number?
BARTHOLOMEW THE OBSERVANT
We do not have time for your-
DANNY
(flicks the observant in
the eye)
You can wait a minute.
BARTHOLOMEW THE OBSERVANT
(wincing)
Why must you do this to me?
DANNY
(holding his phone out)
Add your number?
KWAN
(taking it)
Yeah, okay.
DANNY
(to the observant)
What exactly is so important that
you need me right this minute?
BARTHOLOMEW THE OBSERVANT
There is a Meeting of-
DANNY
(groaning)
Oh fuck off. Not another one of
those useless meetings.
BARTHOLOMEW THE OBSERVANT
They are not useless. They are-
DANNY
They are a waste of literally
everyone's time.
KWAN
(passing the phone back)
Here, I've saved my contact info.
DANNY
(fiddles with it)
Thanks, I'll text you.
KWAN
Sure, I'll see you around?
Danny downs the purple drink in shot.
DANNY
Yeah, I'll be back for your magic
hands.
KWAN
Don't get gay on me now.
DANNY
(winks)
Then you shouldn't have fixed my
neck.
DANNY
(to the observant)
Let's get this show on the road.
BARTHOLOMEW THE OBSERVANT
Finally.
A swirling green portal opens next to the trio. DANNY and
BARTHOLOMEW THE OBSERVANT walks into it.
BARISTA
What the fuck.
KWAN
It's Danny.