scene/chat hybrid

Danny and Marnie took the bait to write the phone call between noelle and sam. i gave them the scene as i had written it and they picked up from where i left off. i think this is probably the most successful chat yet in that it is very active and a lot can be felt beneath the words. i'll include the part i wrote and then notate where they began.

Hello?

NOELLE
Hey.

SAM
You picked up.

NOELLE
I did.

SAM
I didn’t think you would.

NOELLE
Then why’d you call?
SAM
I don’t know. I saw your name in my phone and my finger pushed the button.

NOELLE
You’re good at that.

SAM
What?

NOELLE
Pushing buttons.

SAM
You’re still mad.

NOELLE
No. I just don’t ever want to IM with you again.

SAM
Oh come on.

NOELLE
You said you’d BRB.

SAM
I meant to, I really did.

NOELLE
We were in the middle of talking about—

SAM
– I know. It had nothing to do with that.

NOELLE
I thought you were too emotional to type.

SAM
You know I don’t get emotional.

NOELLE
I thought you’d had a break through.

SAM
Why does everyone think you need to be a weeping mess to get over something?

NOELLE
Something?

SAM
Whatever. You know what I mean.

NOELLE
No, not whatever. His name is Elliot.

SAM
I don’t want to talk about it.

NOELLE
About him.

SAM
Can’t we just have a normal conversation for once? Compare keggers or something. Oh wait, they probably don’t have them in New York, do they? It’s probably all wine tastings and fancy cheese.

NOELLE
You’re changing the subject.

SAM
Yes, that’s what I’m doing.

NOELLE
Ah!

SAM
Was that a gunshot?

NOELLE
No. Just a dumpster diver.

SAM
Huh?

NOELLE
Slamming the lid. Guess they didn’t find anything good.

SAM
New York is a strange planet.

NOELLE
Enough.

SAM
What, like you haven’t gotten a million Texas jokes in already.

NOELLE
ANYWAYS. I waited for you to BRB. On a Friday night. Until after Midnight.

SAM
What, for like two and half hours?

NOELLE
Yes. Glued to the screen like a total computer dork.

SAM
That must have been truly awful for you.

NOELLE
It was.

SAM
I mean, to be stuck in front a machine that connects you to all the information in the world. Whatever did you do?

NOELLE
I Googled every member of my entire family. Including second cousins.

SAM
Find any dirt?

NOELLE
No. Well, maybe. Although I think my Aunt Helen just has the bad fortune of having the same name and hometown as an expert alskdjaskldj.

They both laugh.

NOELLE
Stop making me laugh. I’m mad at you.

SAM
Why? I think you should be glad I abandoned you so you. Otherwise you wouldn’t have found out about your aunt’s secret life.

NOELLE
Shut up.

SAM
I’m serious.

NOELLE
No, I’m serious. What the hell happened that you couldn’t write me back until the next day? I was really worried about you.

SAM
I just got distracted. I’m sorry. I really am.

NOELLE
It was a girl, wasn’t it?

SAM
No.

NOELLE
What, did she like show up at your door and in a panic you just switched the computer off?

SAM
It wasn’t a girl. There are no girls. Well, no real ones at least.

NOELLE
What on Earth does that mean?

SAM
Nothing. Forget it.

NOELLE
As if I could. What, are you like in love with a fantasy or something?

SAM
More or less.

NOELLE
Sam. Explain. Before I’m forced to draw really creepy conclusions.

SAM
I’ve just been spending some time in Second Chance and…

NOELLE
What’s that?

SAM
Second Chance?

NOELLE
Yeah.

SAM
Oh man.

NOELLE
What?

SAM
You’ve never heard of Second Chance?

NOELLE
No. What is it? A cafe?

SAM
You mean a coffee shop?

NOELLE
That’s what I said.

SAM
You’re already so New York you don’t even realize it.

NOELLE
At least I’m not contracting all of my words together.

SAM
I don’t do that.

NOELLE
“You’r-a-ready”

SAM
I didn’t say it like that.

NOELLE
You did. If you’re nice, I’ll get you a speech therapist for Christmas. Now what’s Second Chance and who’s the girl?

SAM
Only one of the biggest things to ever happen on the internet. I can’t believe you haven’t heard of it.

NOELLE
I haven’t. Get over it.

SAM
It’s a virtual community created by its inhabitants.

NOELLE
Uh… what?


(this is where danny and marnie started chatting)


sam
it's like a game, kind of. actually it's not really a
game at all. it's like having another life only it's all virtual

noelle
...is this supposed to sound like something normal
human beings do?

sam
Oh come on. You're like the only person I have met
who's never heard of it. It's a pretty popular thing

noelle
sorry I live in a state of actual reality.
so, all these virtual people...they're connected to
actual living, breathing, non-pixellated people?

sam
no, they're actually made of magic and function
entirely on their own.
yes of course they're connected to real people
whatever. you either get it or you don't

noelle
well, if they're connected to real people, that means
your girl is both real AND virtual.

sam
of course, you bring it around to that again

noelle
why wouldn't I?

sam
whatever man. it's nothing. it's just something I'm
playing around with.

noelle
Ever say that about me while we were dating?

sam
noelle this has nothing to do with that. you know
you're being very hostile. if i didn't know any better i'd say you were jealous
or something

noelle
I'm not hostile, and I'm not jealous. I'm trying to
make honest conversation. So I guess you should start
by being honest about why you called.

sam
i told you, i was just flipping through my phone so i
called. why does it matter why i called?
would you rather i not call? we could never talk to
eachother again if you prefer.

noelle
You know that if I didn't want to talk to you, I would
have hung up before now.
I just want to make sure I'm on the line for the right
reasons.

sam
well what reason would be good enough to keep you on
the line?

noelle
I don't know. Be creative.

sam
ok. well i just wanted to make sure that everything's
cool. like between us. i mean we haven't exactly been
laurel and hardy since you got all pissed at me for
leaving a damn IM conversation.

noelle
*stifling laughter*
laurel and hardy?

sam
what? what's funny?

noelle
"laurel and hardy." I like it.

sam
haha yeah?

noelle
yes, well done.

sam
o you know i've got a million of them.

noelle
I wish I didn't.

sam
you wish you didn't what?

noelle
know you have a million of them. I also wish I didn't find each one so damn funny
Because that makes things pretty difficult sometimes.

sam
....yeah? how so?

noelle
I don't know. well, I do know. And so do you.

sam
yeah. i know

noelle
yeah.

sam
but i mean come on, those Neew Yowrk guys must be all
over you up there.

noelle
not New Yorkers, no...

sam
O god. not jersey boys?

noelle
Nah, Springsteen was the only good one. He's been
taken for about twenty years.

sam
haha. well there's got to be someone right? i mean....
right?

noelle
...right.
Il est francais, actuellement.

sam
well don't blurt it all out at once.

noelle
I won't.

sam
no habla, amigo

noelle
uck-fay ou-yay.

sam
ha. so he's french eh? does he smell like cheeze and
eat crepes and read beat-poetry?

noelle
all of the above, all the time. He's on constant
curly-goatee mode too.

sam
wow. he sounds super cool. i mean how can he not be,
he's french. I always said that you know how to pick
'em.

noelle
haha, how gracious of you. The truth is, I didn't
really "choose" him at all.

sam
well whatever

noelle
Well, I'd like to tell you that he waltzed up to me in
some city cafe....

sam
coffee shop

noelle
don't make me break out more pig latin.

sam
continue

noelle
well, I could make up some fancy, romantic scenario
just to bug you. but I'm not the one living in a
half-reality...

sam
aight you know what. i don't expect you to understand
it but you don't need to make fun of it. lot's of people
do it

noelle
if they didn't, you'd be pretty lonely.

sam
ha

noelle
anyway, I guess I'm kind of a bitch for telling you
about Adrien.

sam
haha Adrien. No, I'm glad you're, you know, out there
doing that stuff.... it's great

noelle
you think so?

sam
sure

noelle
why?

sam
i don't know. because you should do what makes you
happy. and you sound happy

noelle
but that's way too decent of you!

sam
o screw off.

noelle
that's more like it.

sam
whatever man.

noelle
you know how we really met? me and adrien?

sam
no please tell me

noelle
I was attending a student-directed show at school --
sounded like it was going to be pretty good. But this
guy came to sit right down in front of me, wearing a
hat that blocked my view -- one of those fedoras, you
know?
sam


like indiana jones?
noelle


yeah, but without the ugly face beneath it.
sam
i'm going to let that one go, but you watch your
mouth. anyway. continue

noelle
thanks. so, anyway, I asked, "hey, could you take that
thing off? I can't see."
and he said, "sure, but I wouldn't ruin the integrity
of this ensemble for just anyone."

sam
wow this guy sounds like a real winner

noelle
I must have given him a pretty disgusted look, so I
guess to ease things a little, he plopped it down on
MY head and said, "you don't mind if I put this here,
do you?" which reminded me of you, actually, and made
me laugh.

sam
yeah only I wouldn't be caught dead in a fedora.
unless i was indiana jones

noelle
which, luckily, you aren't.

sam
hmm yeah

noelle
yeah.
so, it's been quite a while since you were in front of
second chance. feeling any withdrawal? or are you
multi-tasking?

sam
why are you so caught up on this second chance thing?

noelle
I don't know. I can't figure out if it's creepy or
perfect for you.

sam
it's not creepy
what's that supposed to mean anyway?

noelle
nothing as bad as you seem to think.
you can try to figure it out while I go to my class,
how's that?

sam
whatever

noelle
wait, so after all that, we're going to be angry
again?

sam
no. i'm not angry. i'll talk to you later.

noelle
um, okay. bye sam.
wait -- sam?

sam
yeah

noelle
I officially allow your girl to be real.

sam
ok thanks

noelle
bye.

sam
bye

sam
goddamnit