devastation baby

Based on, "The Alternative" by Frank Garland

PROLOGUE - PRESENT DAY

EXT - YOUNG HOUSE - MID MORNING

A very nice house. Not gaudy, just classy. A well kept yard, a patio for hosting parties. The back door is off the ground, up a set of stairs.

TALKING HEAD - GREY

Documentary style close on the teenager, standing outside against the house. Much more informal than the character interviews later in the episode.

This is GRAVITY “GREY” YOUNG - 15, non-binary, sparkly sunshiny agreeable doormat. Deeply lonely, a quiet observer and bashful straight-A student. They look somewhere between nervous and excited and seem at a loss for what to say.
A lower third title simply reads “GREY YOUNG”

They speak directly to THE CAMERA - We/They/Us, neutral, an objective audience member until they’re not.

GREY
Big day, emotions are running high.
 (beat)
I wonder if this is what prom feels like?

INT. HOUSE - MID MORNING - HALLWAY

A middle upper class house. An original Alexander Calder painting hangs on the wall.

Grey creeps down the hallway, on a mission. They stop in from of a woven painting and point it out.

GREY
 (sotto)
Our moms.

They continue down the hallway and stop in front of the bathroom door. They make a shushing gesture and then point into the door. The camera swings and pokes it’s lens into the room.

INT - BATHROOM - DAY

A big mirror. Nice decor for a bathroom.

MINNESOTA “MINI” YOUNG - 17, punk; a fierce, defensive layer and her deadpan humor hide a deep sense of hope and sorrow.

She focuses on her reflection in the mirror. She is dressed in all black, an alternative approach to formal-wear, and she is putting the finishing touches on her heavy eyeliner.

Her hand shakes as she draws the line and she is overcome with a sudden moment of panic. She throws down the liner, fending off an anxiety attack.

MINI
(under her breath)
Shiiiiit...

She runs the cold tap and splashes water on her face to calm down. She looks back up into the mirror and realizes her mistake; her dark makeup has begun to smear down her face. She looks bad, it looks bad.

MINI (CONT'D)
God damn it, Minnesota. Get it together.

Mini tries in vain to fix it, dabbing under her eyes with some balled up toilet paper.

As she does this she catches a glimpse of the camera in the reflection and gives the lens a scorching look; their presence has become an intrusion.

A soft knock on the door.

GREY
 (O.S.)
Mini?

The door opens to Grey. They look back and forth between Mini and the camera, assessing the situation.

Grey enters the bathroom cautiously. They treat Mini with a good amount of caution.

GREY (CONT'D)
Ruby's here.

MINI
I'll be down in a minute.

Grey sees Mini in the mirror.

GREY
Oh,

Grey hugs Mini who doesn't quite understand the contact and remains staring herself down in the mirror, unreceptive.

GREY (CONT'D)
It wasn’t your fault. You did
everything you could.

Mini can’t hold her own eye contact in the mirror. She shrugs off Grey’s affection. Grey hangs on for a moment longer, squeezing their sibling tightly until Mini squirms with discomfort from the intimacy. Grey lets her go.

MINI
Yeah. Ok. I’ll be down in a minute.

EXT. THE YOUNG HOUSE - MID MORNING

Grey waits alone. They check their watch and glance up at the door. The door opens and Grey brightens.

GRANDMA LEAR (70s, very cool) exits and beckons Grey over. Grey crosses up the stairs to Grandma Lear, who says something softly to them while glancing at the camera.

Grey turns to the camera.

GREY
(yelling to the camera)
Can we get you anything? Water? A
scone? We might have some leftover
coffee in the Mr. Coffee pot.

CAMERA (O.S.)
(calling back)
No thanks, Grandma Lear.

GREY
Ok! No worries!
(}back to grandma)
Thanks, grams.

Grandma Lear gives the camera a thumbs up, ruffles Grey’s hair, and then disappears back inside.

Grey comes back down the stairs, crossing to the camera.

GREY (CONT'D)
(nervously)
You’re not going to tell Mini about the…

CAMERA (O.S.)
No, not ours to tell.

GREY
Ok.
(beat)
Ok, great. Thanks.

Mini exits the house, Grey rushes back to the bottom of the stairs to meet her. The camera stays where it is.

They approach a waiting parked car of which the passenger side door is open and a girl is perched sideways in the seat.

RUBY RAIN - 17, a teenager PR agent, intense and driven, and too brilliant for her own good. Her followers would call her a Girlboss, her enemies would call her a control-freak, but she would describe herself as “perfection and optimization oriented”.

However, we’ve caught her on a rare bad day. She is disheveled and unfocused - makeup-less and in athleisure. She drinks a large iced coffee out of a reusable tumbler and wipes her eyes as she stares off into the distance.

She sees Mini approach and, noticing her smeared makeup, gets up and hugs her. When they pull apart, they remain forehead to forehead.

RUBY
(like the intimate version of
a motivational speaker)
You are such a good leader. I’m
proud of who you are.

They pull apart. Ruby licks her finger and tries to wipe away a smear of Mini’s eye makeup. Mini bats away her hand.

MINI
Staaaap.

Ruby offers her some coffee, Mini declines. They all get in the car and drive away.

EXT. CARKEEK PARK - EARLY AFTERNOON

Carkeek Park is a classic Seattle park: it is wilderness within boundaries. There is a beach, there is a forest, there are train tracks. We are overlooking a rather large field.

A small but fierce crowd of kids has gathered in what is the best version of a memorial teenagers can make.

They’re all dressed in black and singing a melancholic rendition of “The ABC Song” with good intentions. They stand around a pile of garbage and other refuse that they treat with reverence.

Mini, Grey, and Ruby are the last to join. Ruby adds a piece of cardboard with seemingly indiscriminate nail polish markings on it to the collection.

She takes Mini’s hand, and leads her and Grey into the circle which parts to allow them space and the singing comes to a close.

They all look at Mini expectantly. She scans faces, searching.

RUBY
(gently)
I don’t think he’s --

MINI
(more sharply than intended)
It’s fine. I didn’t expect
anything. Not from him.

Mini takes a deep breath, steeling herself against the crowd’s gaze. She opens her mouth to speak, but can’t bring herself to do it. She looks like she might pass out.

Ruby takes her hand.

RUBY
Do you want me to…?

Mini breathes.

MINI
No...
(a moment)
Thank you all for coming. I...

She looks up and words fail her.

ATLANTIS “ATLAS” DAGNY - 17, hurt and anger bubbling under his skin, and so clearly ripping off JD from Heathers.

He stops short of the circle. Him and Mini hold eye contact. Nobody moves.

We pull above them (DRONE SHOT) and see the circle of teenagers. The pile of garbage is revealed to be large tarp that is made of various ‘Z’ shaped pieces of fabric sewn together.

They have covered it with another ‘Z’ shape, this one made up of sticks, flowers, stones, shells, and also random park trash like chip bags and soda cans.

Among the trash are polaroids of various people with red ‘X’s on their forehead, a poorly done Bob Ross-esque painting of the sea covered in coffee, cardboard pieces with ‘?’ on them, and various other confusing art pieces.

[AN: the pieces are obscured enough that we don’t quite understand what they are, but recognizable enough to spark our memory later.]

FADE TO:

WHITE SCREEN and FADE IN a black title:

THREE WEEKS EARLIER.

FADE FROM BLACK ON WHITE TO WHITE ON BLACK AND THEN FADE TO...

B-ROLL ON BLACK SCREEN

A yearbook photo of a teenage boy flashes on the screen, bordered by the superlative “Most likely to maybe become famous at some point”.

B-roll: We now see a series of shots of the boy:

JAMESON “JAY” JAMESON JR. - 17, fuckboy pretentious “artiste”. Very pretty, deceptively stupid, unexplainably charming.

NARRATOR (O.S.)
Due to his contribution to the
local art scene, Jay Jameson has
skyrocketed to levels of fame never
seen before at Mariners High. His
freeform multi-medium style strikes
a chord with students from all
walks of life and ushered in a new
era called ‘Jamesontown’.
Affectionately.

Black and white “dramatic reenactment” footage plays over narration:

Jay pushing through crowds of teens clamoring for his autograph. Paparazzi camera flashes. TYLER (18, jock, see below) acts as his bodyguard.

Next, he stands on an auditorium stage - the house is packed and the lights are bright. He walks at the front of the stage, doing a silent call and response.

There is an easel center stage, on which something sits covered by a cloth. Jay dramatically pulls off the cloth to reveal the art piece to thunderous standing ovation from the packed audience.

He dives to crowd surf. Freeze frame!

NARRATOR (O.S.) (CONT’D)
His latest and only series "Alpha,
Beta, Omnibus" takes a dive into
how we break down the expanse of
modern language into minuscule
parts and was inspired by the
alphabet sponges he has - I mean,
had in the bath. His best pieces
include ‘B’, ‘J’, and ‘X’.

Photo cycle over narration:

Him running away from a badly photoshopped swarm of bees forming the shape of a ‘B’; a painting of a ‘B’ made up of bees.

A tiktok of him making multiple ‘J’ shapes with his body either airborne or on the ground.

The ‘X’ polaroid photo cycle:

A photo of a young Jay with his kindergarten girlfriend with a red ‘X’ on her forehead. “Jay and EX; Emily - [ Unknown, Pacific Crest Elementary School ]”

A polaroid of EX 1, BRITTA (16, girl nextdoor, down to earth vibe) with an ‘X’ drawn on her forehead in lipstick, crying. “Jay and EX; Britta - [ January, Seattle ]”

A portrait of Atlas with a red lipstick ‘X’ drawn on his forehead. Atlas stares dead into the camera, it’s a little worrying. “Jay and EX; Atlas - [ May, Seattle ]”

A selfie of him with Ruby with a red lipstick ‘X’ drawn on his own forehead. “Jay and EX; Ruby - [ August, Seattle ]”

NARRATOR (O.S.) (CONT’D)
His piece, ‘X’, was completed at
the end of last school year to
intense emotional reception. Over
the summer, Jay took a break to
recover his sense of self and
creativity.

Jay stares at a white wall, he strokes it gently, hits it with the side of his fist, turns around leans against it, sliding to the floor, where he finds a white jacket. He puts it on and looks up into the camera, ready to be seen again.

FADE TO:

TALKING HEAD - JAY - DAHL FIELD

he narrator is revealed to be Jay who we see in a talking head, standing in a park. A lower third title - “Jay Jameson: (he/him) visual and performance artist”.

He wears all white: white jeans, white socks, white Birkenstock clogs, a white t-shirt, and a white jacket. He has a gold necklace with a ‘J’ on it, but the cross of the J is slightly lower than the top so it looks like a cross necklace thats bent at the end.

JAY
However with the help of his
manager, life coach, and ex
girlfriend Ruby Rain, he is ready
to reenter with his latest, and
penultimate installment - one that
is not only a statement piece, but
also a question...'Y?'.

EXT. DAHL FIELD - DAY

Dahl Field is a park adjacent to the high school, Mariners High, but it doesn’t belong to Mariners High. It has a baseball field and bleachers, a recently updated playground paired with a long disused kiddie pool, and woods on one side. Mariners High is the wealthiest public high school in the city.

Jay stands next to a cardboard cutout of the letter 'Y', hung upside down, as he paints question marks onto it with nail polish OR smelly markers he smells before using.

There is a red velvet rope in front of the ‘Y’. Inside the rope, the three VIP Preps sit. They sip on cortados and generally fawn over Jay.

ALIZA (16, theatre kid, wearing white) is inside the rope and Jay takes a selfie with her. She starts crying, Jay wipes the tear with his thumb and presses it onto his heart. Tyler unceremoniously ushers her away.

Outside the rope, there are groups of kids mingling, all of them wearing white to the best of their ability.

They belong to one of three factions - the STEM socialites, the jocks, and the drama kids. Each group ruled by a VIP Prep.

KENNEDY COPPOLA - 17, she/her. STEM student, socialite, sociopath. She’s in tennis whites and a high ponytail, with a white scrunchy. Preppy and privileged - both used to her advantage.

TYLER COPPOLA - 18, he/him. Lax, football, soccer, basketball, polo - all within his wheelhouse, a true jock - all white letterman’s (special ordered) jacket included. Acting Jay’s bodyguard. He will likely go to business school.

SUMMER BEAUZO - 17, she/her, president of the drama club. She wears all white in an expensive crunchy granola Cochella 2016 way complete with a white flower crown. She really wants to be someone’s muse.

They *are* the upper class.

Ruby - looking impeccable in head to toe Aritzia - white slacks, white sneakers, a white t-shirt under a white blazer but she has a bold color statement accessory (her form of rebellion). She compensates well for her lack of wealth, you’d never know she’s less rich than everyone else.

She stands a few feet away, with one AirPod in (one AirPod is always in), texting rapidly & occasionally looking up.

The camera pans and zooms in on Atlas dressed in black. He sits about 30 feet away on the ground, ripping out the grass angrily and glaring. The camera zooms back to the group, keeping Atlas in frame, far away.

TALKING HEAD - RUBY - PARK

Ruby speaks in a quick monotone, barely looking up from her phone.

Lower third title reads: “Ruby Rain (she/her): manager, PR, entrepreneur, self-select AP student (5 classes)”.

RUBY
I’m Ruby Rain. I don’t like to use
the word “manager”, I’m a fixer - I
fix problems. My partnership with
Jay grew over this past summer. I
saw him through and out of a dark
time in his life. As a result,
we’re collaborating on our senior
projects; his series, and my documentary
The ‘Z’ installment will premiere
at my gallery, “Rainstorm Gallery,”
along with the entire “Alpha, Beta,
Omnibus” series, A to Z. God willing.

CUT TO:

EXT - PARK - DAY

Long stalker shot of Atlas and Ruby. Fighting.

CUT IN:

RUBY
Atlas, just give it back, you’re
being irrational. Everyone sees
your value, a piece of art is
nothing without it’s muse.

ATLAS
Muse? Please. We both know that’s
not the credit I deserve. Maybe
that’s what you’re happy being, but
I’ll be keeping the ‘A’ piece close
to my chest until I can be sure
I’ll be paid what I’m due.

Atlas begins to walk away.

RUBY
(yelling after him)
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN????

ATLAS
(over his shoulder, with finger quotes)
Talk to your “artist”!

Ruby screams.

TALKING HEAD - RUBY

Trying really hard to be calm about it. Failing.

RUBY
Jay gifted the ‘First Letter’ piece
to his original
(finger quotes)
“collaborator” who won’t give it
back!! We need the whole series.
Who cares about an alphabet that
starts with ‘B’?!
(beat)
Artist’s muses are so emotional.

TALKING HEAD - ATLAS

Talking head - Lower third reads: “Atlantis “Atlas” Dagny: (he/him) Current senior, former muse.”

ATLAS
It’s my civic duty to keep an eye
on Jay. Unlike Ruby, I don’t want
anyone else marred by his
emotionally destructive ways.

CAMERA (O.C.)
What happened between you and Jay?

ATLAS
He uses people for his art. Like,
emotionally. He took it too far —

Ruby rushes over.

RUBY
NO! Don’t talk to him! He gets NO
screen time until the terms are settled!!!

CUT TO:

TALKING HEAD - RUBY

RUBY
I would say Jay is… a very
expressive person. His art thrives
when he
(finger quotes)
“feels things”. He’s a free spirit
and people’s reactions to that are
their responsibility, not my
artist’s, and not mine. My job is
to keep him focused.

She perks her ears like a cat, hearing something Jay said, and turns to do damage control. The camera tries to follow her but lags and their words are muffled and we see them in subtitles. Swear words are beeped out.

RUBY (CONT’D)
Jay! God damnit - stop asking our
fucking friends to punch you in the nose

JAY
You don’t understand, I need the
blood for my art!

RUBY
That's fucked up!
(back to camera, a shriek)
Stop filming!!!

JUMP CUT

THE SAME SCENE - several dramatic moments later. Jay stands facing the group gazing down at Ruby’s phone, making his best attempt to read. Someone is filming this for instagram live.

JAY
(a la press conference)
Thank you all for being here. It
has come to my attention that my
inflammatory behavior on the school
tennis court, next to the parking
lot, where Stanley found that penny
from 1983, was unacceptable, and
that my actions, on the tennis
court, next to the parking lot,
where Kennedy discovered that the
penny was actually from 1993, have
resulted in physical harm brought
upon myself, by myself, and…

He looks at Ruby.

RUBY
(instructing)
Alienation

JAY
Alienation and...

Another look to Ruby.

RUBY
Psychological torment?

JAY
Oh duh, psychological torment of my peers.
I should not have told Stanley his
penny wasn’t bright, just like him,
so he would start a fight. There
are better reasons to start a
fight, I know that now. And it was
inappropriate of me to bring it up
again and ask Tyler to recreate the
moment of impact with me, here,
today, now, just moments ago.
That’s my bad, bro.

TYLER
(in solidarity)
Bro.

Summer raises her hand.

RUBY
yeah.

SUMMER
That was really moving, thank you for sharing.

RUBY
Do you have a question?

SUMMER
(beat)
No.

Kennedy raises her hand.

RUBY
Great. Kennedy?

KENNEDY
Do we get to see the blood today?

JAY
No, that piece is in my parent’s home.

KENNEDY
I didn’t ask about the piece I
asked about the blood.

TALKING HEAD SERIES - FANS - PARK

Jay's fans...fan.

Kennedy’s talking head. Lower third reads: Kennedy Coppola (she/her): STEM student, socialite, human (allegedly).

KENNEDY
Art’s really evocative. So I’m
told. That’s why I’m here today, Im
really interested in human...
Feelings.

Tyler’s talking head. Lower third reads: Tyler Coppola (he/him): Varsity quarterback.

TYLER
Jay is what we in the business call
an “investment”. I've been
following his work since the
haunting installment, "G". It’s
important to get in early so you
can say you “knew them when”. That
goes far at parties.

Summer’s talking head. Lower third reads: Summer Beauzo (she/her): Poetry reader, painting looker, band audience member.

SUMMER
Not everyone understands that Jay
is like, an actual genius. He,
like, totally GETS the human
condition and, like, expresses it.

KENNEDY
Dr. Shapiro says that engaging with
art is my exposure therapy. Because
art... evokes... feelings.

SUMMER
want to be the inspiration for an
art piece. I dated a musician
because I wanted a song written
about me. It never happened. I
shouldn’t have picked the drummer.

TYLER
It was a ghost, the ‘G’ piece. I
had a lizard who died once, I think
that’s why I really connected to
it. Like it was personally made for me.

KENNEDY
So far I was excited about the
blood. And then disappointed.
That’s called progress.

SUMMER
One time I was on the subway in New
York and right before I got off, a
man ran up to me and gave me a
drawing he had done of me, and then
he ran away. If I can inspire art
there, I can definitely do it in
Seattle.

TYLER
I keep telling Jay that his art
would do really well as NFTs, but
he says he’s not interested in
football.

KENNEDY
You know, Jay actually invited me
here himself, with his own fingers
on Instagram.

SUMMER
- he messaged me personally, on Instagram -

TYLER
- Jay slid into my DMs so I know it
means a lot to him that I'm here.

KENNEDY
I'm his plus one.

TYLER
I'm his plus one.

SUMMER
I'm his plus one.

TALKING HEAD - JAY

Lower third reads: “Jay Jameson - Instagram fuckboy?”

JAY
Ruby runs my instagram, why do you ask?

There is a commotion behind Jay. The camera pans to capture it.

JAY (O.S.) (CONT’D)
Excuse me, isn’t this my documentary?

EXT - DAHL FIELD - DAY

Behind him, the fans have turned their attention to a couple of newcomers infiltrating the area: Mini and Grey. Grey wears jeans, converse, and a colorful ringer tee. Mini is in a flannel, slightly distressed jeans, and combat boots.
Grey hold up a stack of DIY zines like a tray which Mini is staple gunning to trees and/or play structures. Mini has a self silk screen printed tote bag slung around her shoulder.
Ruby breaks from the group and walks quickly over and the camera runs after her.

RUBY
Excuse me! You can’t be here! This is a hot set!

CUT TO:

TALKING HEAD - GREY

Lower third reads: Gravity “Grey” Young (they/them): New kid in town.

GREY
I’m Gravity Young, but everyone
calls me Grey. My sister and I just
moved to Seattle. Back to Seattle.
We were born here. Well, Mini was
born here, I was born in Kirkland,
home of Costco.
(beat)
You know what they say, the sea
always calls you back.

CUT BACK TO:

EXT - DAHL FIELD - DAY

Ruby approaches Grey and Mini. Grey turns, ready to engage. Mini rolls her eyes and continues to staples her zines, covering “If you cross this sign you are consenting to your image and voice being used for photo/video purposes” signs.

RUBY
This is an exclusive exhibition!
Invitation only!

MINI
(dismissive, thrown over her shoulder)
This park is public -

Ruby is furious. She rips the zine off the tree, revealing the sign again. She points.

RUBY
(cuts her off)
OKAY, well if you cross the sign
you are consenting to your image
and voice being used for photo and
slash or video purposes.

She pulls out a stack of printed NDA's from a tote bag and hands one to each of them.

RUBY (CONT’D)
Sign here.

Grey pulls out a pen immediately and tries to sign.

MINI
What the fuck is this?

RUBY
An NDA and please don’t swear, it
makes our editor’s job much harder.

Mini rips the NDA out of Grey’s hand and makes a big show of folding them in half. She puts them in her tote bag.

MINI
I'll have to look this over. Our dad’s a lawyer.

RUBY
As long as you return it, signed,
before leaving the premises.

MINI
And what is going on on “The
Premises”. Are you a cult?

Grey sneaks the NDA from Mini’s bag of zines and looks around for a place to sign. Summer offers her back.

RUBY
It's confidential until you sign.

MINI
I'm agreeing not to disclose
information I don't even have???
Okay, CULT!!!

Grey shoves their signed NDA at Ruby, elbowing Mini in the process.

GREY
Signed! Now, what is this for?

MINI
Traitor.

Mini pokes Grey, Grey sticks out their tongue.

GREY
Killjoy.

RUBY
(PR mode activated)
Welcome to the documentation of Jay
Jameson's first ever art cycle -
specifically the 'Y' installment of
his Alpha series.

RUBY
There are rumors of buyers who may
or may not be interested in the
story of his early work. Jay
Jameson is likely to probably go
down in Seattle history as
representation of what the arts can
maybe be in the Pacific Northwest.
Like Dale Chiluly, or Mercury
Lavender Young - may she rest in
peace. Jay’s work has even been
compared to Mercury’s.

Mini looks like she’s been slapped in the face. Grey nervously looks to camera, and then back to Mini.

GREY
(under their breath)
Mini, don’t—

MINI
I had no idea our mom’s name was
being dragged through the mud.
I’ll have to talk to the estate,
expect a cease and desist by the
end of the week.

Ruby looks shocked, speechless for the first time in a long time. Mini is ready to fight. Nobody breathes.

RUBY
I— I’m so— She was such a— It’s an
unimaginable loss to our community.

MINI
Oh, your community.

Mini takes a step forward and Grey grabs Mini.

GREY
Nononononono...

They successfully pull Mini away, who takes a private moment to center herself.

GREY (CONT’D)
Ignore her, she’s had a long day.
Can we meet this “Jay Jameson”?

Ruby nods and looks around for Jay, who is staring at his Y, his face about 2 inches from it. She snaps her fingers.

RUBY
Jay!

He is pulled from his focus and trots over. He shakes both of their hands in earnest.

JAY
Thank you so much for your support!
(whispers to Ruby)
Do I know them?

RUBY
They’re new.

JAY
(all smiles)
I always appreciate meeting new
fans and introducing them to my
work. It’s still in its early
stages, so be gentle, I’m very
vulnerable. The art still has a
lot of questions for me, and I for her.

GREY
(bashfully)
We were just walking by.

JAY
Congratulations! Take a *Lime Bike* coupon!

TALKING HEAD - JAY

AN: Every time "Lime Bike" is said we get a bad ADR Siri voice saying "Citrus Scooter" over it.

JAY
My parent's own *Lime Bikes*.

CAMERA (O.C.)
Do you think having parents who own
a highly profitable company has
helped you fund your art and find
your audience?

JAY
Would having rich parents make
people like me?

HOLD

CUT BACK TO:

EXT. - DAHL FIELD

Jay hands Mini and Grey the Lime Bike vouchers. Ruby’s phone pings.

RUBY
Jay, good news, Mr. Moody said we
can soft open your LMNOP cycle
outside the counselor’s office on
Wednesday.

JAY
Tell Mr. Moody I don’t need his
fucking pity!!! I’m a real artist.
I have a gallery opening!

RUBY
We. We have a gallery.

JAY
We! Gallery! I’m sorry, Ruby, that
I can’t use the proper pronouns
when my art is under duress! Maybe
25 is enough. Maybe the world
doesn’t need 32,913 words, fuck the
letter Z. Maybe I should just give
up. Maybe I should just give up.

Ruby and Jay take on a weird couple therapy exercises energy. Mini and Grey exchange a look and a few whispered words while this happens.

RUBY
(kinda gross)
Jay. Baby. Your art is important.
You are important. You are in
demand. People want to see you.
Your ideas are innovative and
useful. Creativity flows through
each cell in your body.

JAY
(grosser)
You’re right. I am a visionary. I
create new masterpieces everyday.

JAY AND RUBY
(very gross)
I have endless creative potential.
Today, I let my creativity float.

KENNEDY
Yeah Jay. And you can really see it
in your ‘Y’ piece.

JAY
(deep breath, controlled rage)
Yes. Kennedy. That is what I am referring to.

He turns back to the group, rolling his eyes.

MINI
So, why ‘Y’?

JAY
What?

MINI
Why?

JAY
Why what?

MINI
‘What’?...???
(re-iterating)
Why?

JAY
Why ‘why’?

MINI
Yes, why ‘y’ - why the ‘Y’? Is
there something underneath? Is it
deeper than this?

JAY
No, no, no it's just cardboard.
It’s just cardboard depth.

Holds up pinched fingers to show depth.

SUMMER
(helpful!!)
It all comes from his head, you know!

MINI
(deadpan)
Really? I would have assumed it
comes from somewhere else.

GREY
I can totally see the inspiration!

JAY
Who are you, small human? Identify yourself.

GREY
I’m Grey and this is my sister, Mini.

RUBY
(realizing)
Are you that girl who got kicked
out of school for having an IED?

MINI
IUD.

RUBY
Oh, what?

CUT TO:

EXT. SCHOOL BUILDING - FLASHBACK

Instagram story format. Mini leans against a brick school wall in a Catholic School uniform with a friend, MARY (17).

MINI
...well, I have an IUD, for
protection. You know, just in case.

The camera focuses on CHRISTIAN (a boy of 16) behind them. He looks horrified. His mouth drops open and he points at Mini and immediately shouts.

CHRISTIAN
BOMB! SHE HAS AN IED!

CUT BACK TO:

EXT. PARK - DAY

JAY
I’m an ENFJ.

Ruby pulls a little tub of play-doh out of her bag and hands it to Jay. He stands there making shapes.

RUBY
Well, Mariners High will be happy
to have you.

TYLER
(really loudly from behind Ruby)
GO MARINERS! WOO!

RUBY
(wincing)
You are going to Mariners High,
right?

MINI
(challenging)
I don’t know, are we?

Wait... A questioning look to Grey.

MINI (CONT’D)
(mouths)
Are we?

Grey shrugs.

MINI (CONT’D)
(back to Ruby)
Are you?

RUBY
Of course. The art program sucks, I
hope you like Shrinky-dinks.

Jay makes a number shape. He frowns, shakes his head, and squishes it with too much vigor.

MINI
I consider myself part of the “postart” period.

GREY
What about your zine?

MINI
(shut up)
That’s educational material.

RUBY
(interest peaked)
Cute!

GREY
Come on, Mini, maybe you could
feature Jay in your next issue.

MINI
The alphabet is stretching what I
mean by "educational."

JAY
(insulting, without
looking up from his playdoh)
Those who can’t do, teach.

Mini seethes, Grey soothes. Ruby ignores and pulls a business card out of her tote bag and holds it out to Mini.

RUBY
Email me the archive.

MINI
(a dare)
It's not online, it exists in a
post digital world.

RUBY
(calling her bluff)
There’s an address.

Ruby keeps holding the business card out to Mini, who doesn't move to take it. Jay makes a ‘Q’.
Ruby’s business card limply falls from her fingers. Grey bends down and picks up the card, slipping it into Mini’s front flannel pocket.

RUBY (CONT'D)
(Wow.) Okay, moving on, I'm having
a little get together tomorrow
night before we go back to school.
Grey, you should come so you can
meet everyone!

GREY
Thanks, Ruby-

MINI
Super duper trooper. We'll be there.

JAY
(prayer hands, a blessing)
Wear white!

MINI
(prayer hands, mocking)
And also with you!

CUT TO:

EXT - DAHL FIELD

Atlas sits on the grass about 20 feet away. He watches the new kids get absorbed into the popular kids and notices Mini’s mocking demeanor.
From far away we see her noticing him. She's putting together that he's excluded. They stare at each other. Possible allies?

CUT TO:

TALKING HEAD - GREY

Talking head reads: “Gravity Young - Sophmore.”

GREY
Gravity like the physics concept, yes.

Unnoticed by Grey, Mini hands Atlas a zine in the background.

GREY (CONT’D)
Well, our mom was pretty involved
in the art scene, so I hope this
makes me feel closer to her. Will
you be documenting the whole
process?

Mini saunters up. She looks like the cat that ate the canary.

GREY (CONT’D)
Hey, where’d you go?

MINI
Don’t worry about it. Let’s get out
of here.

They walk off, Grey waves to the camera. Far away, Atlas stares into the camera, holding up the zine.

EXT. CARKEEK PARK, CLIFF - FLASH FORWARD SEQUENCE

A shot of the sky, looking up from under a cliff. Mini, Atlas, and Ruby appear to look over the side of the cliff. They are panicking.
They are all in white. Atlas’ shirt is torn and nose is bleeding, there’s some blood on his shirt. He wipes his nose on the back of his hand.
‘Yup’ by Yung Gravy starts quietly under the end of the action.

CUT TO BLACK:

EXT. DAY - TITLE SEQUENCE

A telephone poll. Disembodied hands staple or pin a poster. The sign reads something like: “Feeling like you’re just along for the ride?
Join THE ALTERNATIVE and find a different way to live.” At the bottom are call tabs each reading the names of the actors.

CUT TO:

EXT. - PARK - DAY - MID CREDIT SCENE

Mini and Grey try to get the Lime Bike vouchers to work. They don’t (or can’t).

CUT TO BLACK.

END EPISODE ONE.

---