Read Aprés Christmas
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APRÉS CHRISTMAS Written by Meliá Grasska +1-310-756-5492 [email protected] meliagrasska.com EXT. BACKCOUNTRY MOUNTAINS. MID MORNING. CHAMONIX (30s) sends a snowmobile down a slope caked in fresh powder. In the sea of white, she stands out in her red bib. But it’s not just the color, she always stands out. As she clips in to her skis, she looks over to RICK (30s) who’s following her lead... like always. No matter how fast he moves, he’s always trying to catch her – and he never can. They slowly inch their skis up the remainder of the slope. It’s an absolutely epic blue bird. There’s not a single track for miles, except for the four lines being left behind as they climb to the summit. Finally, they reach the top of a rather scraggily chute. It’s still early in the season, and honestly, it’s a “little” sketchy. Chamonix unclips and peels off the skins from the bottom of her skis, something about it is sensual, almost ritualistic – Ahh, that’s it: it’s a metamorphosis. She’s no longer one with the mountain. Now, she’s ready to kill it. CHAMONIX First tracks? Rick hesitates – rookie mistake. CHAMONIX (CONT’D) YEW! She sends it. Pillows of powder whip off her tails, it’s waist-deep freshies... and it’s all hers. CUT TO: INT. TOWN CAR. LOS ANGELES. CONTINUOUS. As the traffic slowly beeps along, TRAVIS (30s) stares off at the snowy peaks that only pop out from behind LA after a heavy rain. They shine above city. He always wants to be somewhere else, and clearly he’d rather be there, especially since when he’s currently here, bumper to bumper. Beside him, KASI (late 20s) dreams as she neurotically refreshes her feed of wedding dresses and cakes – she’s clearly hunting for something. A proposal pic pops up. Her head falls from the clouds and her shoulders sink deep into the inferno of the red leather interior. 2. KASI Oh, uh, Sandra got engaged! They’re booking the Beverly Hills hotel in July, that’s so great! Could that hint have been any louder when she dropped it? KASI (CONT’D) I mean July in LA kind of sucks, I would’ve gone for September... Yes, yes it could’ve... KASI (CONT’D) What do you think about that? September, The Beverly Hills Hotel...? Travis!? Hello! TRAVIS September? Why wait? The words every wedding crazed woman longs to hear... TRAVIS (CONT’D) Book a room right now for the first week of January. He squeezes her knee. He did good. Right? KASI You want to book a room? Fudgeee. He’s smart enough to know he’s missed something, but not in tune enough to know what it is. He covers his tracks. TRAVIS Ya? I mean I think we’ll deserve a little one-on-one staycation after spending Christmas weekend with my entire family. Don’t you? Is he bailing himself out? Or digging his hole deeper? TRAVIS (CONT’D) And like who knows where I’ll be, or where you’ll be in September. And just like that... GAME OVER. KASI Are you saying we won’t be together? He hesitates – rookie mistake. 3. From inside her carry on, Kasi begins chucking travel-sized items straight at his head. Mascara, mouthwash: direct hit. KASI (CONT’D) You never commit to anything! The shampoo splatters against the window. He covers his head. KASI (CONT’D) (to the driver) Stop the car! EXT. BACKCOUNTRY MOUNTAINS. CONTINUOUS. Chamonix bombs the bottom of her run. She slides in just beside the snowmobiles and plops, like she’s jumping on a freshly fluffed comforter – only this blanket is made from pure mountain bliss. Rick skis over to her, but he’s got more than pillow talk on his mind... CHAMONIX Epic epicness!!!! RICK Look Nini... we need to talk. This, this isn’t working for me. She stretches wide, completely at peace. CHAMONIX Alright, alright you can send it first on the next run. RICK I don’t want a “next run”. CHAMONIX What are you talking about? It’s the first powder day of the season. For December? This is all time!! RICK No. It’s not. Not for us. I don’t want a girl that I’m always running after. I’m exhausted Nini. CHAMONIX Ok, so chill... She’s still not getting it. CHAMONIX (CONT’D) Are you breaking up with me?! 4. There we go. She pulls herself up, like always. RICK Nini, look I’m sorry but if I wait until after Christmas then it’s New Years and Valentine’s... I just– CHAMONIX Just don’t want me anymore? RICK Let’s just get back to town and – CHAMONIX Ya, I think I’ll do another run. She starts pasting on her skins. RICK Chamonix. I’m not going to leave you out here... CHAMONIX But didn’t you just? INT. TOWN CAR. LOS ANGELES. CONTINUOUS. The town car pulls up along a palm studded sidewalk. The tree trunks are wrapped in garland and red ribbons, but it just doesn’t feel like Christmas. On the curb, Kasi taps her Steve Madden boots beside her Louis Vuitton wheelie bag. Her giant, poofy coat is draped over the handle bar. Travis rolls his window down causing a candy cane antler to slip towards the cement. He saves it, mid-fall. TRAVIS Babe just get back in the car. As if. TRAVIS (CONT’D) Comeeee onnnn... My mom’s going to be devastated if you don’t show for Christmas. KASI Ya well I’m pretty devastated that you don’t see us having a future together. TRAVIS Get back in the car. 5. KASI Do you see us having a future together? TRAVIS It’s been three months! You really want to be alone on Christmas? Even sleigh-bells couldn’t cut through this silence. FINE. He rolls up the window, closing her out. The antler wedges crookedly in the seal of the car – a battle scar. TRAVIS (CONT’D) (to driver) Get me out of here. They pull back onto the bumper to bumper boulevard. SPLAT! A jar of moisturizer shatters against the back windshield. TRAVIS (CONT’D) I’ll pay for that. WHACK! A furry boot bounces off the bumper. TRAVIS (CONT’D) And that. THUNK! The whole suitcase is hucked at the car. Sweaters spill out onto the street. TRAVIS (CONT’D) Just go. AWKSAUCE. His DRIVER can’t help but stare into his rearview. He’s gotta say something, right? DRIVER Got a long flight ahead of ya? TRAVIS It’ll be shorter now. EXT. BACKCOUNTRY MOUNTAINS. CONTINUOUS. Rick is slowly snowmobiling beside Chamonix. She cross- countries her way on back through the serene landscape. This looks familiar, somehow... RICK Chamonix just get on. Did you hear something? 6. RICK (CONT’D) Chamonix, I’m not playing. I’m not going to chase you the whole way back. You can’t seriously walk all the way to town. Look will you just get on please? You’re being ridiculous. CHAMONIX No, Rick, what’s ridiculous is that you’d dump me in the middle of the Pines and then just expect me to climb on the back of your snowmobile and ride on home into the sunset. RICK Chamonix... I’m not gonna do this. I’m gonna leave. CHAMONIX ... You already have. Be that way. He speeds off, she hesitates – rookie mistake. Now he’s really gone and she’s left in his cloud of powder dust. She pulls off her helmet, wipes the runny mascara from her eye bags and rubs a runny nose on the back of her mitten. She’s utterly and completely alone in this white wasteland. There’s no second run, just a long, lonely walk ahead of her. One ski after the other. CUT TO: INT. SUV TAXI. LONE SKY. EVENING. Travis stares out the window at picturesque ski town. It sparkles under the glow of golden Christmas lights. Snow cakes the rooftops like icing on a gingerbread house. Shooting star Christmas signs hang from lamp posts. Finally it feels right. Like Christmas. The town’s only yellow cab slows to a stop at a red traffic signal. Travis thunks his head against the window. As he waits for the colors to change, a poorly lit neon sign flickers to read “Badwater Basin”. In the window, beside their faux-snow-sprayed glass, a light- up mug flashes: “We’ve Got Beer”. And he could use a drink. 7. INT. BADWATER BASIN. JUST AFTER. Travis walks through the dive bar with his duffle bag draped over his shoulder. Locals turn their heads. He’s certainly no regular and even without the suitcase it’s no secret that he’s not from anywhere around here. He walks beneath a ceiling that’s covered in cringingly bright LED, rainbow Christmas lights. They’re strung in every direction with no rhyme and less reason. He pulls out a stool. JENNY (30s) smiles at him over a scotch glass that she’s shining dry. She’d never let a friend drink alone, or a stranger. It’s an awful, yet powerful curse for the owner of a bar. JENNY What can I get ya? TRAVIS Tequila. Anything silver. How LA... TRAVIS (CONT’D) Make it a double. With like, a shit ton of limes. The customer is always right, and she’s heard weirder. TRAVIS (CONT’D) Isn’t this the part where you say “rough day?” Cute, but Jenny’s got bigger fish to fry, like the grizzly- bear of a LUMBERJACK who just kicked his snow boots up on her two-top.