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Buds Written by Spencer Copp

spincopp@hotmail.com

1 COLD OPEN 1. INT. GYM - DAY MATT JENNINGS (25), works out at a crowded gym with his best friend, PAUL FOCRUM (25). MATT We need to find another gym. I'm sick of waiting thirty minutes to get on a machine. Like look at this guy. Matt nods over to an overweight man on a bike. MATT (CONT'D) He's literally watching a movie on his iPad. He's not even pedaling. PAUL This gym has the best looking girls in town. I'm not switching to a low key gym where the sole purpose is to work out. MATT What makes you think girls want to be hit on at a gym? They probably only get this one hour of the day to relieve stress and be alone with their thoughts, and you're gonna go interrupt that? PAUL Yes. Paul walks away. He purposely bumps into an attractive girl, CASSIE, knocking a water bottle out of her hand spilling it everywhere. PAUL (CONT'D) (apologetically) I am so sorry. I'm such a clumsy idiot. CASSIE Oh don't worry I'm fine, are you okay? PAUL No I'm Paul actually, what's your name?

2 CASSIE (slight chuckle) Cassie. PAUL Well Cassie I'd feel guilty the rest of the day knowing I deprived you of hydration, so at the very least let me buy you another water. CASSIE Sure. 2. INT. GYM - MOMENTS LATER Matt watches Paul and Cassie chat. Paul pulls out his phone and punches something in. Cassie walks away. Paul returns. PAUL See? All because of a little confidence I got her number, a date Saturday, and who knows what else afterwards. MATT Do you have to pay extra for the afterwards, or how does that work? PAUL You have to stop viewing girls as mythological creatures. Tell you what. You go up to any girl in here and start a conversation, I'll switch to the gym of your choice. Even if you get rejected. MATT (thinks it over) Fine. Matt approaches an ATTRACTIVE GIRL sitting on a workout bench and signals for her to take her ear buds out. ATTRACTIVE GIRL Yeah? MATT (freezes up) I--Do you--How many sets do you have left?

3 CASSIE Two. MATT Great thanks. Matt turns around and walks briskly back to Paul shaking his head. MATT Let's go. Matt walks away and Paul looks to the camera and smirks. END OF COLD OPEN

4 ACT ONE 3. INT. PAUL'S CAR - DAY Paul is driving Matt to a job interview. PAUL Matt Jennings, attempting to join the corporate grind. You ready for your interview? MATT I'm ready, but readiness and preparation are very different from performance and execution. PAUL You'll be fine. How hard could it be? 4. PAUL TALKING HEAD Outside the car. PAUL I actually don't have a ton of experience with professional interviews. I dropped out of college. Most of the interviews I've been a part of have consisted of: "Can you lift up to a hundred pounds?" and "Do you own steel toe shoes?" 5. INT. PAUL'S CAR - CONTINUOUS MATT Interviews are always so redundant. They'll ask me what my strengths are. I'll list them. Then they'll ask why they should hire me. Well gee, I don't know. Maybe because of the strengths I laid out for you three seconds ago. PAUL For an accounting interview why wouldn't they just throw you a math question involving budgets or taxes or whatever, and if you solve it the job's yours. Seems more practical.

5 MATT You know sometimes I wonder how you even got the opportunity to drop out of college because that has the implication that you got accepted. PAUL (to camera) He's just stressed about the interview. And embarrassed he doesn't have a license. (to Matt) Look, bottom line is we're short on rent. You heard Mr. Chavez. If we don't make rent, he's going to literally kick us out of the apartment, and I'm pretty sure he's played soccer at a professional level. MATT Striker? PAUL I don't want to find out. If you get this job it'll be huge for you, but on a much larger scale, huge for us. So be your best. MATT Inspiring. 6. MATT TALKING HEAD Outside the car. MATT I graduated college with a degree in accounting. I also graduated college with a ridiculous amount of debt. To illustrate the scenario I'm in, imagine my debt as a building engulfed in flames. With the jobs I've been working, it would be like trying to put out those flames with a low pressure shower head.

6 7. INT. PAUL'S CAR CONTINOUS They pull up to a building. MATT Alright this is it, how do I look? PAUL To be completely honest I don't think that skinny tie is working for you. MATT Really? I think I pull this off. PAUL Yeah you should pull it off and put on a different one. MATT You really don't like it? I thought it made me look fit. He looks down at his tie. MATT (CONT'D) Anyways, what are you gonna do while I'm in there? PAUL Don't you worry about that. Ol' Pauly boy always has an ace up his sleeve. He pulls a playing card from his sleeve and shows it to Matt. MATT (re: card) That's from Cranium. PAUL (looks at it; frustrated) Dammit. Matt gets out of the car looking at his tie. Paul drives away. 8. INT. LUCKY'S CASINO - LATER Paul walks up to a poker table. There are 4 other PLAYERS at the table.

7 9. PAUL TALKING HEAD PAUL I have the day off so I'm going to win my share of the rent money. I'm an absolute shark when it comes to poker. I'm much better at reading people than I am at reading books. (a beat) Or just words in general. 10. INT. LUCKY'S CASINO - CONTINUOUS PAUL Alright good sir, what's the buy in? DEALER Twenty's the minimum. PAUL Then I will minimally buy in. He pulls out his wallet and starts counting his money. PAUL (CONT'D) Five, ten, fifteen, annnnd twent--no that's a one. Hang on. He fumbles around in his wallet for a few seconds. PAUL (CONT'D) Aaaand twenty. Let's play some cards. He hands the money to the DEALER. DEALER The game is Texas Hold 'Em. The Dealer shuffles the cards and deals them. Paul reveals to the camera he was dealt two ACES. He tries to contains his excitement. DEALER (CONT'D) (to Paul) Bet's to you. PAUL Check.

8 11. PAUL TALKING HEAD PAUL This is a little technique called slow playing. You trick people into thinking your cards aren't good when in fact, well, you saw the aces. 12. INT. LUCKY'S CASINO - CONTINUOUS PLAYER 1 Check. PLAYER 2 Check. PLAYER 3 Check. PLAYER 4 Check. The Dealer flips the first three cards over. Another ACE shows up. DEALER (to Paul) Your bet. PAUL Ummm, I'll bet ten bucks just to liven things up a bit. He hesitantly throws his chips in to sell it like he doesn't have a good hand, then winks to camera confidently. PLAYER 1 Fold. PLAYER 2 Fold. PLAYER 3 Fold. PLAYER 4 Fold.

9 13. PAUL TALKING HEAD PAUL (thinking) I feel like that didn't work. 14. INT. NEXGEN OFFICE/CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY Matt walks in the office and is greeted by the Receptionist, KATIE (30). KATIE Hi there, how can I help you? MATT Hi, I have an interview scheduled with Mr. Benson at three. KATIE Matt Jennings? MATT That's me. KATIE You can have a seat right over there and Mister Benson should be with you shortly. MATT Thanks. As soon as he sits down, CHARLES BENSON (40) enters. Matt pops back up. CHARLES Matt Jennings? Fantastic suit. Charles Benson. They shake hands. CHARLES (CONT'D) Firm hand shake too. This isn't your first time making a first impression. MATT Its a pleasure to meet you Mr. Benson.

10 CHARLES Please, call me Charles. We like to keep it first name or nickname basis around here. MATT Well thank you for the opportunity Charles. CHARLES Katie, is conference room one open? KATIE (eye roll to camera) Yeah, it's free C-Benz. CHARLES Perfect. Right this way. Charles escorts him into the conference room. They both sit down across from each other. CHARLES (CONT'D) Let me just start off by saying relax. Think of this as more of a general chat as opposed to an interview. More important than anything else, I have to be compatible with the people I work with. (beat) Well it's important they also be qualified. It's 50/50. MATT I think I fit into both those categories. I believe I would be a valuable addition to your team. CHARLES Pun? MATT What? CHARLES So tell me what brought you on to the path of accounting.

11 MATT I more or less stumbled on to the path. I was always good with numbers so after high school I figured that accounting was a logical choice. CHARLES Ah logic, the enemy of dreams. Tell me what you're passionate about then. MATT Passionate? That's kind of a tough question, I'm passionate about the Broncos I guess. CHARLES That's your passion? Being a fan of a sports team? Come on, open up. If you could be anything, what would you be doing? MATT Maybe quarterback of the Broncos? No I wouldn't want that much pressure and spotlight. Backup QB for the Broncos. It's kind of a win win. If you get called on to play and do bad, well you're the backup, how much can they really expect from you? But if you play well, you look like a hero. Either way you're safe. CHARLES So in this completely hypothetical situation, you're worried about job security. (beat;deflated) That's depressing. 15. INT. LUCKY'S CASINO - DAY Paul has switched over to a ROULETTE table. It's only him and the ROULETTE DEALER at the table. PAUL Pretty quiet over here.

12 RD For three o'clock on a Monday afternoon, go figure. PAUL People's financial crippling addictions don't kick in only on the weekends. (catching himself) Not that I am one of those people. Not that I judge them or anything. I mean they probably have a good reason, well maybe not a good reason, but they probably have stress and other--so 'roulette', is that French or..? RD Do you want to play or not? PAUL You bet. Actually I bet. I'm thinking red. Yeah I'm going to put ten on red. What do you think? RD Honest opinion? I couldn't care less. PAUL Well I could do without your attitude. You know what? I'm so sure it'll land on red, I'll bet you another ten dollars on top of the other ten dollars that it'll come up red. RD So twenty on red? PAUL (beat, clicks in) Right. He watches the roulette ball spin. It lands on BLACK. RD Ooh, looks like today's not your day. PAUL The day's a long way from being over.

13 RD So you want to try your luck again? PAUL No I gotta take off. I just meant the day in general isn't over. RD Oh. PAUL Yeah. A couple awkward beats and then Paul walks away. 16. INT. NEXGEN OFFICES - DAY Charles and Matt still at the table. CHARLES Honestly don't worry about it. I consider it a good thing that you don't know what you want to be doing ten years from now. Hell, I don't even know what I'm having for dinner tonight. Charles takes a sip of coffee looking intrigued. CHARLES (CONT'D) I get a good vibe from you. Good energy. Definitely a little rough around the edges but nothing we can't work on. (beat) Matt Jennings, how would you like to be the newest member here at NexGen? MATT That would--Yes. Of course I accept CBenz. CHARLES Mmm, still Charles. MATT Sorry.

14 17. CHARLES TALKING HEAD CHARLES Charles Benson. Boss, husband, father, (beat) Dream maker. END ACT ONE

15 ACT TWO

18. EXT. NEXGEN PARKING LOT - DAY Matt walks up to Paul's car and gets in. PAUL So? MATT So what? PAUL So how'd the interview go? MATT Oh, you mean the interview I just came out of? PAUL What--Yes. Did someone knock you out with a fire extinguisher while you were in there? MATT Hey, that's no way to talk to a junior accountant. PAUL You got it?! MATT C'mon. Did you really think I was gonna go in there and not get it? PAUL Considering you didn't even get a call back from a lot of places, I mean yeah, I thought that was a strong possibility. MATT Couldn't of done it without support like that.

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PAUL All joking aside, congratulations bud. Finally rewarded for your hard work and you deserve it. MATT (light hearted) And to think all these years I had no idea I had a gay friend. PAUL Shut it. I had a successful day of my own you know. MATT Oh yeah? PAUL Financially no. But I'm alive and healthy so, pretty good. (then) Hey so did you get a signing bonus or anything? MATT The weirdest thing happened. I definitely thought I was going to, but then I snapped out of my day dream and realized I don't play professional sports. PAUL What about salary? How much of that did they give you? MATT You know what a salary is right? I won't get paid for at least a week. PAUL Great. So we're still at square one for rent money. MATT I got an idea. Why don't we go win the rest of our money. I'm an absolute shark when it comes to gambling.

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Paul looks to camera. Matt notices him looking to the camera, looks to the camera himself, then looks back to Paul. MATT What? 19. INT/EXT. PAULS CAR/RIPSTER'S BAR - LATER They pull up to a street outside the bar. PAUL Can we park here? MATT Not too sure, what does the sign say? They get out of the car and take a look. There's multiple signs. Parking permitted, two hour parking between certain times, Parking not allowed at certain times, tow zone, etc. PAUL I think we're okay all night. MATT No I think that's only weekends. We're only good until five it looks like. PAUL But if you get here within the two hour parking time, then I think you get the two hours regardless. They both look back up at the signs trying to figure it out. MATT I think we're fine. PAUL Yeah we're fine. They walk away. 20. INT. RIPSTER'S BAR - MOMENTS LATER Matt and Paul sit at a table.

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PAUL Okay so we bet on the Clippers, but explain the point spread again. Sports betting isn't my thing. 21. PAUL TALKING HEAD PAUL Sports betting is my thing. But Matt doesn't know that. 22. INT. RIPSTER'S BAR - CONTINUOUS MATT So we bet on the Clippers at minus eight and a half. That means at the end of the game we take away eight and a half points from the Clipper's final score. If they're still ahead after taking away eight and a half points, we win our bet. PAUL But you can't get half a point? MATT I realize that. It's just the way they do it so you don't have ties. PAUL But there is no ties in basketball? MATT I understand that there's no ties in basketball. But say we had the Clippers at minus eight, and the final score was a hundred to ninety-two in favor of the Clippers, then we'd take off eight points and the final betting score would be ninety-two ninety-two leaving no one with a winner. PAUL But I thought we had them at eight and a half, not eight.

19 MATT (quickly;flustered) The Clippers have to win by 9. That's the simplest form. That's all you need to know. PAUL Oh well why didn't you just say that? Paul winks at the camera. 23. INT. RIPSTERS BAR - MOMENTS LATER Matt notices TWO GUYS playing POOL. MATT Think we could beat those guys? PAUL Why don't we hustle them? MATT Because we're not good enough to hustle them. We're average, probably below average, definitely not hustle material. PAUL We could pull off the first part where we lose. We're half way there. MATT Why don't we just try and beat them. PAUL Sounds risky. They walk up to the pool table. PAUL (CONT'D) (intensely) How about some real competition? GUY 1 Sorry? PAUL (normal) Play us. Do you want to play us?

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GUY 1 Give us a sec. He walks over to GUY 2 and they start whispering with each other. Guy 1 comes back over. GUY 1 (CONT'D) Yeah, we'll play you. Eight ball? How does forty bucks sound? MATT Eight ball works. Forty bucks works. GUY 1 Alright you rack we break. Matt racks the balls. Guy 1 breaks. It's a poor break. PAUL (whispering) This looks promising. MATT (whispering) Keep it cool. Let's collect the cash and get out of here. 24. INT. RIPSTER'S BAR - A FEW MINUTES LATER Matt and Paul only have the eight ball left. The other guys still have four balls left up on the table. MATT Eight ball, corner pocket. Matt SINKS it. They win. MATT (CONTD) If memory serves me correctly, which I'm sure it does considering I can name pi to the eleventh digit-(beat) Or is it the tenth. I can't remember. Anyways you owe us forty dollars.

21 GUY 1 Yep, you fellas beat us. Fair and square. Why don't we play one more, except this time make it for a hundred. PAUL Done! MATT Wait, hang on. Matt pulls Paul aside. MATT (CONT'D) Don't you see what's happening? PAUL Yeah, they're suckers and we're gonna take them for another hundred. MATT No, we're the suckers. They're hustling us. PAUL (realizing) They're totally hustling us. Hustlers. Dammit, should've known. They walk back over. MATT You know what guys, we appreciate the offer, but I think we'll just take our cash and go. GUY 1 Hey we're trying to make it more interesting and fun but if you wanna leave, no problem. Matt and Paul hear the T.V and look up. TV ANNOUNCER (V.O) And the Clippers down by six with only six minutes left in the game. MATT Okay, we'll play you again.

22 PAUL We will? MATT What choice do we have? We're gonna lose our basketball bet, and if we can win this game at least we'll get some of our money back. PAUL (whispering) But they're hustlers. You said it yourself. MATT (whispering) Dammit Paul now's not the time for speculation. Matt looks up at the two guys. MATT But they probably are, so if we lose make a dash for the exit. (then, to Guys) You rack we break. 25. INT. RIPSTER'S BAR - A FEW MINUTES LATER Matt lines up his shot for the eight ball. The other guys still have four balls up. Matt sinks it. They win again. MATT Wow turns out they're just sub-par pool players. PAUL Maybe reverse hustling? Is that a thing? MATT I don't know, I don't think so. I mean we won didn't we? PAUL Yeah I guess. That was unexpected.

23 GUY 2 Here you are. A hundred and forty dollars, as we agreed. He hands the cash to Matt. He reluctantly takes it as he is still shocked as to what just what happened. MATT Sooo just like that? No more games? You're not like, hustlers? GUY 1 I don't think people actually do that. You beat us twice in a row. Well done. They shake hands with Matt and Paul, then walk out of the bar. MATT I really don't think that could've gone better. PAUL Yeah, no kidding. Just a couple of gentlemen. They notice the T.V again. TV ANNOUNCER (V.O) And what a spectacular comeback by the Clippers as they score eighteen straight points to finish the game with a final score of ninety-four to eightytwo. PAUL Did you hear that? MATT We just made rent. PAUL We made rent? MATT We just made rent! They jump up and down hugging each other, and then start high fiving, some connecting, some not. But it doesn't matter because they're on top of the world.

24 26. MATT TALKING HEAD Paul celebrates in the background. MATT Great whites. 27. EXT. RIPSTER'S PUB - MOMENTS LATER The car's gone. MATT Hey didn't you park out here? PAUL Fu-END ACT TWO

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ACT THREE 28. EXT. RIPSTER'S BAR - CONTINUOUS As before. MATT Get the number for the tow company or the impound lot. PAUL I don't have the number. MATT It's two thousand and thirteen. Look it up on your phone. PAUL This is just as much your fault as it is mine. MATT You drive! You should know how to read the signs! PAUL You don't drive! That's just pathetic! A couple beats. MATT Let's cool off. It's both our faults. Can you please look up the number? PAUL I don't have any data left for this month. MATT Why wouldn't you have unlimited-(calms himself) Okay fine, I'll look it up. Matt pulls out his cell phone. He finds the number and dials, then starts talking.

26 MATT (CONT'D) Hi, I had a car towed probably around an hour ago? Yeah, that's the one. Uh huh. Yep. Okay great. Thank you. PAUL So? MATT Yep, we're screwed. PAUL How bad? MATT The worst. PAUL So pretty bad. MATT Can you look up the number for a tax-(remembering) Never mind. 29. INT. PAUL'S CAR - LATER Dead silence as they drive home. Paul and Matt both lean their heads against the window. A few beats go by. 30. INT. MATT AND PAUL'S APARTMENT COMPLEX - LATER Matt and Paul walk up the stairs. PAUL What's the play? MATT Play? There is no play. We've already ran our hail mary. It worked, but then it got called back and the clock ran down. PAUL Like a flag on the play kind of thing?

27 MATT It--It's just an analogy. (then) Lets go take our beating. He knocks on the door. Mister Chavez (50s, tough love type) opens it. MR. CHAVEZ What do you clowns want? PAUL Mister Chavez, as you know, we have been long time tenants of your beautiful apartment complex-MATT We don't have enough money to pay you rent today. MR. CHAVEZ Okay? I suggest you do find enough money to pay me within the next week because unless you thick headed idiots forgot, I'm going to boot your asses out the door. PAUL Wait, you're going to give us an extra week?! MR. CHAVEZ Unless you want to start paying me rent on the twenty-fourth instead of the thirty-first, yeah, you have another week. MATT Wait, what? They both go to pull out their phones. Paul stops Matt. PAUL I got this one. He pulls out his phone. PAUL (CONT'D) Twenty-fourth. Checks out.

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MR. CHAVEZ The next time, and only time, I want you knocking on my door within the next week is if you have my money. He SLAMS the door. MATT (surprised;happy) How about that? PAUL Wait, how did you know when to go in for the interview if you didn't know the day. MATT I dunno, when the person called last week she just said to be there on Monday. PAUL Huh. How about that. They walk away. MATT Hey if you could be doing anything professionally, what would it be? PAUL (instantly) Backup QB in the NFL. Sit and do nothing, make a bunch of money. Why? END ACT THREE

29 TAG 31. INT. GYM - DIFFERENT DAY Matt and Paul work out. PAUL You gotta do something they'll notice. That's the key. 32. INT. GYM - LATER Matt flexes near a girl. She doesn't notice. 33. INT. GYM - LATER Matt with his sleeves up doing bicep curls near the same girl. No response. 34. INT. GYM - LATER Matt does pull ups near her. Nothing. 35. INT. GYM - LATER Matt does crunches on a BIG PURPLE EXERCISE BALL. Again she doesn't notice. He gives up, takes the ball, and THROWS it at the back of her head and walks away. END SHOW