AN INTERVENTION | STARTING WITH 1984

written by

Yvon Gabriel

Based on

The Duffer Brothers'

Stranger Things

The Duffer Brothers and [email protected] [email protected] (774)360-4671

FADE IN

EXT. THE QUARRY - PRESENT - DAY ?

BIRD CALLS

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF THE QUARRY

CUT TO A PICNIC TABLE; THE PARTY SEATED

The Party sits at a picnic table some feet away from the water. It's a warm day, the sun high in the sky. Steve sits on the table, elbows rested on his knees, with a pair of sunglasses over his eyes to hide the bags under his eyes. The young teens sit on the benches in silence.

The air is stale with awkward silence.

The group had been there for thirty minutes.

But no one made a sound. Not a word.

Lucas sighs, making the first noise since he got there. Mike Starsglances at him, Throughnarrowly dodging eyeThe contact whenFlame he notices. Instead, he and Dustin wordlessly agree that this was pointless with a gentle nod.

A sketchbook rests on the picnic table in front of Will, his pencil drifting lazily across the page.

CLOSE SHOT OF WILL’S SKETCHBOOK; HIS JOURNAL UNDERNEATH

Max blows air from her lips, using it to blow strands of hair from her face and El watches a duck in the water nearby.

Steve adjusts his sunglasses and looks to the water in the distance.

STEVE Listen, shitheads,

Everyone's gaze falls on Steve, his eyes still on the water.

STEVE (CONT’D) (he sighs) There's a lot more to this than just trying to become friends again-

Dustin shakes his head, holding his cheek up in his palm.

2.

DUSTIN (exasperated) We get it. You tell us every day. We have to address the past and all that... Bull.

El and Will frown, sending Dustin a brief glance. Steve looks down at Dustin.

STEVE What?

Dustin takes a moment to look around the table. He relays his own words in his head, the harsh tone, and the dejected expressions of his friends around him before the guilt sets in. He sighs.

He sits up, holding his hands up defensively.

DUSTIN That didn’t come out right, I didn’t mean-- StarsMike scoffs and Throughturns to Dustin. The Flame MIKE Jesus, you just - have a way with words, don't you?

JANE (strong) No.

Everyone turns to her. Her frown pierces a hole through Dustin's resolve.

JANE (CONT’D) No more fighting. Please.

She says it with an air of finality. Max turns to Mike, tilting her head, expectantly.

MAX Yeah. No more fighting, Boss .

MIKE (to MAX) What is that supposed to mean--?!

3.

MAX Who put you in charge, y’know? Like, maybe, maybe El should be the boss--

LUCAS (to MIKE) Can you both just chill for 10 minutes?

MIKE Control your girlfriend!

Jane places her hands over her ears in frustration and turns back to the quarry.

STEVE (clapping on each word) Hey! Hey! Hey!

The quarrelsome three turn to Steve, various expressions of annoyance on their faces. Will’s pencil drags aggressively off the edge of the paper as the air goes quiet.

STEVE (CONT’D) StarsYou guysThrough have so much, The Flame (he gestures to his chest) Negative vibes. So much - I don’t know - anger?

In the reflection of Steve’s sunglasses, the teens can see their shame-ridden faces. Shame in letting the teen see their emotions so clearly.

They see the faults in their lashing out. Everyone except Will bows their head in aversion in the shy hope that ignoring it would make it all...

Go away.

Steve scoffs as he gets up from the table.

STEVE Hello? Talk! Somebody say something!

He scans the table but no one will even glance in his direction. Dustin wrings his hands in his lap.

Steve snaps at Will.

4.

STEVE (CONT’D) Little Byers!

Will blinks, as if out of a trance, and turns to Steve.

WILL (hesitant) Yes..?

STEVE Talk to me, kid. What is this?

He gestures to the table.

STEVE (CONT’D) Are we - mad about what happened? Are we mad at each other? You read people, right? Tell me. Why won’t Mike apologize to Max?-

SHOT OF MIKE GLANCING AT WILL

STEVE (CONT’D) Why can’t Lucas tell Dustin that you Starscan't controlThrough your feelings? The I’m just Flame trying to understand why this is so fucking complicated.

Will is uncomfortable being the center of attention, every pair of eyes on him at that moment. His hand tightens around his pencil as he flounders for an answer to Steve’s inquiry.

WILL They’re… Scared. Of what will happen if they address it. They don’t want to talk about it because then they’ll have to talk about -

He stops short.

WILL (CONT’D) (choked) They'll have to talk about...

Words fail him and he’s again scribbling in his sketchbook, aimless lines with no rhyme or reason. Steve takes off his glasses, tossing them to the center of the table.

5.

STEVE But what about you? Do you want to talk about it? What do you want?

Will’s whole body freezes. His leg that was bouncing under the table just before, and his hand drawing lines across the page. His heart in his chest drops.

WILL (quickly) I don’t want anything. I don’t.

Will glances over the faces of his friends, hesitantly, before returning to his sketchbook, tapping the pencil against the page.

WILL (CONT’D) I’m just - quiet. That’s what I do. (BEAT; low) I stay quiet.

Steve nods in defeat with a scoff.

STEVE Stars (low)Through The Flame Right. (BEAT) It happened. Shit happened. We all had - have - to deal with it, but do any of you honestly think, with every brain cell in your skull, that holding it inside is going to help anyone? That it’s going to help you? (to MIKE; with pressure) Am I speaking English, Wheeler?

MIKE Yeah - yes. I’m listening.

Steve grunts thoughtfully.

STEVE (to El) Jinsy. What did he just say?

Jane glances at Mike.

JANE (slowly) That he is listening?

6.

Steve grunts in agreement as Lucas crosses his arms on the table.

STEVE Lucas.

LUCAS I’m listening.

STEVE (he shakes his head) See, but I don’t think any of you are. Listening.

Steve walks around the picnic table to the side that Jane and Will are sat on.

CHORUS (heartlessly) We’re listening.

STEVE Well, don’t tell me. Fuck, tell each other! How are any of you going to get Starspast thisThrough if you can’t even The talk to Flame each other? (BEAT) This is a team effort .

Steve places his hand at the center of the table like a coach with their sport’s team and Mike scowls because here Steve was with the stupid sports references again.

Many of them stare in disbelief but Jane is the first to act. She places her hand on Steve’s respectively and nods.

JANE (to EVERYONE) I am listening. I always listen.

DUSTIN (slowly) All I meant was that Steve's pep talks are getting old.

He places his hand on Jane’s.

DUSTIN (CONT’D) Not that this was bullshit.

7.

STEVE (whispered) Tough shit.

Lucas rolls his eyes, placing his hand on top of Dustin’s.

Then Will.

Then Max.

Everyone turns to Mike; his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the cheesy display. He looks over his shoulders and around the area as a group ambles by.

MIKE (begrudgingly; to STEVE) This isn’t a stupid sports game.

But before Steve can complain, Mike puts his hand on top.

Steve nods. He looks at every teen approvingly.

STEVE StarsGood. Finally.Through The Flame WIDE SHOT

END SCENE