If You Weren T Real

IF YOU WEREN’T REAL I WOULD MAKE YOU UP A Short Film by Tara Patwardhan If You Weren’t Real, I Would Make You Up

(Email: [email protected]) 1. FADE IN

“If You Weren’t Real, I Would Make You Up” is typed onto a black screen. You hear the clickety- clack of a keyboard. ‘Honey and the Moon’ by Joseph Arthur begins to play softly, getting louder. The blackness gets less saturated…

2. INT. CAFETERIA - AFTERNOON.

The preppy stubble of a lad aged 16. Nathan is boyish and rugged at the same time, with dirty brown hair and broad shoulders. He wears a school uniform. As the camera moves further away, we see him laughing and surrounded by a group of friends. They are seated in a school cafeteria. It is lunch time. Camera continues to watch the boy with interest, his every move observed. After a few moments, he looks at the camera. Camera jerks away immediately. Camera points down at a metal lunch tray and you see a 16 year old girl looking back at you. The girl goes by Amber; she has jet black hair and piercing blue eyes. She’s pretty but there’s a great fragility that encapsulates her. She too, has a uniform on like the other kids. You realise it’s Amber who’s been watching the boy all along.

3. INT. CLASSROOM – AFTERNOON (AMBER’S POV)

The same song continues to play. The back of the Nathan’s head continues to be watched by Amber. In the background you see a teacher saying something to a class full of students.

4. EXT. SUBURBAN STREET – EARLY EVENING (AMBER’S POV)

The school kids walk home from school, scattering in various directions. Does Nathan’s head have a whole burned into it? As Amber continues to watch him turn into a lane a few metres away and disappear. She lingers at the empty space for a tad longer than expected.

5. EXT. HOUSE – EARLY EVE (AMBER’S POV)

Amber guides you along a cobbled stone path, her shoes are immaculate, the faint traces of an old scar on her leg flickers through your mind and is quickly forgotten. She takes out a rockabilly keychain and unlocks the front door.

6. INT. HOUSE – EARLY EVENING (AMBER’S POV)

You step inside, an overfed dog runs over and Amber gives him a quick pet. The quick wave of an older woman, down the hall, who must be the mother of our vigilant girl. You follow her up a carpeted staircase.

7. INT. OUTSIDE BEDROOM DOOR – EVE (AMBER’S POV)

There’s a sign on the door, but you can’t see it, as she opens the door extremely fast.

8. INT. BEDROOM – EVE (AMBER’S POV)

You feel her heart beating as she plonks on the bed, turning on a laptop at lightening speed. Favourites are clicked on, a ‘Myspace’ account opens up. You see Nathan smiling back at you. Next to his picture are the words Naked Tourist. Now you have time to examine the room – a life sized Portishead poster, healing crystals, charcoal drawings – it’s tasteful and filled with knick knacks, yet extremely tidy. Everything has a purpose, it’s an extension of her. Music fades.

9. INT. OUTSIDE BEDROOM DOOR – EVE (MOTHER’S POV)

Now you get a glimpse of a ‘knocking isn’t that hard’ sign on the door. Mother’s hand turns the knob and you look at our heroine, who jumps and immediately slams her laptop shut.

MOTHER’S POV (Action: Handing Amber a plate of cupcakes and a cordless telephone) Why do you always jump when I enter your room? It’s Chloe.

AMBER (Squirming, as she reaches for the phone) Read the sign, Mum. And there’ll be no jumping.

Camera moves to Amber’s POV again.

MOTHER (Action: Rolling her eyes; leaves the room) You teenagers are so secretive.

AMBER’S POV (Laptop opened again to same Myspace site) Hey, Chloe… Nah, I can’t… Busy… I don’t always say that. Sorry, see you tomorrow.

Amber chucks the phone aside. Zoom in on Myspace account. She copies the email address ([email protected]) and clicks on another tab. A sign pops up saying, “thank you for making an account with gmail - Elsa Taylor”. She clicks on compose mail and pastes the email address. ‘Rainsong’ by Gus Till is heard, getting louder. She hesitates for a few moments, before typing – I came across your page on myspace…

10. INT. NATHAN’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

Now you’re in Nathan’s bedroom. Dressed in pyjamas, he sits by his PC, reading what looks like Amber’s email off the computer screen.

AMBER V.O. I came across your page on myspace and had to drop in a hello. What can I say? You intrigue me.

Camera glances around his room, pausing casually at posters of Led Zeppelin and The Doors. You see football memorabilia and dirty laundry scattered on the floor. A guitar lies lazily at the foot of his bed.

AMBER V.O. cont’d Life hasn’t always been easy. I’ll get right to the point when I say… I have cancer. I was diagnosed at eleven. The doctors said I’d be out by thirteen, but I’m almost seventeen and still going.

The song continues to play softly. You are given a glimpse of Nathan’s face again, which gets more fascinated with each passing second.

AMBER V.O. cont’d At the final stages of my uncertain life, something tells me we’re linked. I hope you might reply to this. I’d really like to be friends. Signing off, Elsa.

The song gets louder, gradually, as Nathan paces up and down his room, lost in thought. He sits down at the computer again and begins typing. Music fades.

11. INT. AMBER’S BEDROOM – MORNING

As Amber gets ready for school, ‘California Sunshine’ by Abakus begins to play softly. It’s the ideal ‘getting to know someone’ kinda song.

NATHAN V.O. Elsa, by saying your email took me by surprise, would be an understatement. I’m still in shock at your matter of factness and bravery. Why did you pick me? I’m headstrong and self righteous and more often than not, say the wrong thing. I would like to get to know you better. Who are you?

The song continues, fragments of their emails as voiceovers continue. You see the two kids going about their daily routines: Nathan playing football and Amber watching him. Nathan mixing ingredients in a chemistry laboratory, Amber

doing similar things and watching him. Amber singing in the school choir, Nathan playing his guitar, and you betcha – she’s watching him. Then you see Nathan looking alone, surrounded by people and Amber feeling one with the world as she stands alone in the ‘less than five items’ line at the supermarket. The two begin to email each other more and more. They appear happiest during these times, like the burdens of everyday life no longer matters.

AMBER V.O. I’m not going to tell you who I am. Elsa should be enough. I told you I’m dying because something about you leaves me incapable of saying anything but the truth. But I don’t want to talk about the cancer. To you I want to be just a regular girl. A girl who loves to swim and play the guitar, who writes poetry under the stars.

NATHAN V.O. I’m going to try my best to push the “no-no” subject outta my head. I play the guitar too. Do you write your own songs?

AMBER V.O. Yeah, I have for years. It’s the most therapeutic thing I can think of.

NATHAN V.O. If you had one wish, what would it be?

AMBER V.O. To tour with my band someday.

NATHAN V.O. Are you serious? Me too. I like the name - Elsa. Haven’t heard it since ‘Born Free’.

AMBER V.O. Funny you say that, my mother fell in love with the movie and one year later I came along. Are you seeing anyone

special?

NATHAN V.O. Oh, no. All the girls I know are pretty much the same. They don’t understand me.

AMBER V.O. What’s not to understand?

NATHAN V.O. I’m a different person at school. I’m what everyone wants me to be and not myself.

AMBER V.O. I know exactly what you mean. In my life I’m “sick” to everyone around me. But with you I can be whoever I want to be, whoever I was before this happened.

NATHAN V.O. I’m so glad you came into my life. I can be the real Nathan again.

Cut to Amber’s (or should I say Elsa’s) face. She grins for the first time and here you might wonder why she needs to resort to means of treachery to get what she wants. Music fades.

12. EXT. SCHOOL GARDENS – AFTERNOON

It’s a happy day, the sun shines brightly, the clouds are nowhere in sight. Amber sits next to Chloe, under a tree. Chloe is a dumpy girl, her hair in a ponytail. They eat sandwiches. Nathan stands a few feet away, chatting to a few boys.

CHLOE You seem happier nowadays.

AMBER (Smiling) You think so?

Definitely. New boy in your life?

AMBER (Smirks to herself) Maybe, maybe not.

CHLOE (Getting noticeably excited) Ooh, tell me!

AMBER Don’t be so inquisitive. If I want to tell you, I will.

Chloe, hurt, resumes eating her sandwich. Nathan scanning the scene, glances in Amber’s direction - he looks through her. It’s as if an imaginary sword has pierced through her heart. You see an attractive blonde girl stop nonchalantly to talk to Nathan. She brushes his arm flirtatiously and he enjoys the attention. Cut to close up of Amber’s face, her piercing blue eyes get icy and hard. She gets up and stomps off, leaving a confused Chloe behind. Fade out.

13. AMBER’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

Screen’s black and the words ‘two weeks later’ are typed on by a keyboard. Fade in. Amber sits on her bed, laptop in front of her, dressed casually. Zoom on ‘All the girls I know are pretty much the same. They don’t understand me’ which is high-lighted on the screen. Cut to remembrance flashes of the afternoon’s blonde girl. Cut to Amber’s left arm, as she digs her nails into it. Cut to her face, as she winces but surrenders herself to a pain so sweet. An msn messenger window with ‘Naked Tourist’ pops up. ‘Time has come’ by Portishead and DJ Shadow begins to play.

NAKED TOURIST Where’ve you been lately?

Cut to Amber’s face, a solitary tear trickles down her cheek. Cut to zoom on msn window.

NAKED TOURIST I miss you. I need to talk. Why don’t you answer? Are you okay?

Cut to Amber, as she inches towards the keyboard. She types in ‘This is too hard’, but instead of pressing send, she presses backspace, shuts down the laptop, walks out of the room and slams the door. Music gets louder.

14. EXT. BEACH – NIGHT

Music continues as Amber lies on the sand, smoking a cigarette. She closes her eyes and a dream sequence begins. In slow motion you see a euphoric Nathan – bare chested and in board shorts. Effortlessly, he lifts a bikini clad Amber into the water. They splash and laugh and kiss. The sky is a plethora of warm colours, the sea inviting, they are content. Cut to Amber, who snaps back to reality. She stubs out her cigarette in the sand, a symbol of her realisation that this dream will never become a reality. She stands and walks towards the water. She wades in clothes on, until you can no longer see her. Music fades.

15. INT. SCHOOL HALL – DAY

A somber middle aged lady, the principal, addresses a room full of coeds.

PRINCIPAL I’m afraid I bring some terrible news this morning.

There’s an uneasy murmur that rises among the school kids.

PRINCIPAL cont’d There’s no easy way to say this… A student at this school came to a tragic end last night. An end that could easily have been prevented.

The coeds are panicking now. The principal waits for them to settle down.

PRINCIPAL cont’d Nathan Fisher passed away due to an ecstacy overdose.

Cut to Amber, whose face turns the colour of fresh snow. Cut to Principal talking softly, getting even softer.

PRINCIPAL cont’d We’ve called in a number of grievance counselors.

AMBER’S POV (Action: Beating of a heart taking centre stage over all the chaos. Cut to her hand that begins to shake uncontrollably under the radar. Heart beat gets even louder and drowns out everything).

Cut to black as ‘The End’ is typed on the screen with a keyboard, the same clickety-clack sounds accompanying it. Fade out.