The Cerebral Catalyst

On Lenny, staring at the girl walking in his direction: she is hip, young, and cute... imagine Drew Barrymore, but shorter and even cuter. She's walking her toy collie.

LENNY
(V/O)

Just as Drew Barrymore's clone got within ten feet, her dog veered to the left. Drew looked away and I panicked. I love making eye contact with cute girls and nothing makes me happier than getting a New York girl to return my smile.

Lenny stops to scratch an imaginary itch on his calf as Drew turns her face forward again. He smiles and she smiles back.

LENNY
(V/O)

Then I saw it. She had a black eye... not a shiner, mind you, but in the millisecond of eye contact I was granted, it sure looked like her left eye was blackened or bruised. The montage began...

DISS TO

Drew, cowering in the corner of a darkened apartment. Tears streak her pretty face as she sobs in a breathless way that almost looks like hiccups. Her toy collie BARKS ferociously.

Moving in on Drew and her little dog is BEN. He looks like a hockey player, no, make that a darts player. Too many drinks, too many disappointments, too many mistakes... Ben can't even remember the feelings he experienced when he asked Drew to move in with him. He's lost in his sorrow and self-pity and anger.

BEN

Who was that guy you smiled at?

His voice is slurred, bitter, and more than a little confused.

Drew tries to answer but Ben has cocked his right arm and his fist is about to make contact with the left side of her pretty face.

Her dog barks furiously... to no avail.

CUT TO

The same apartment, but it's not Ben, its HANK, Drew's alcoholic father... taking out his wasted life on his devoted daughter. Hank looks like Bukowski on a semi-good day.

The dog barks, the fingers form into a fist... Drew's eye is blackened.

CUT TO

A crowded, rush hour N train. Drew is seated, reading Celine. Her stop is next. She struggles to her feet just as a FAT WOMAN drops her glasses.

With a sweet smile, Drew bends forward to pick up the glasses as a MAN lifts his heavy briefcase from the floor.

Drew comes up with the fat woman's glasses in her right hand but her left hand is holding her left eye in obvious pain.

CUT TO

Drew, dancing barefoot to Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot." She looks like she may have smoked a joint or two as she beckons someone to join her.

The object of Drew's desire is CATHERINE, a sexy little peewee with big eyes and a cute body. Catherine dances over to Drew and they kiss... on the lips first and then more passionately. This is their first kiss, the kiss all other kisses will be measured by.

Drew giggles and reaches down to the bottom of Catherine's t-shirt. Moving in time to music, the two girls shake and contort in an effort to get Catherine's shirt over her head without breaking their kiss.

With a flourish, Drew yanks the shirt up. Catherine tries to help by lifting her arms over her head... but her right elbow catches Drew below the left eye.

CUT TO

A small boxing gym. Drew, in baggy shorts and a tank top, works out with a MALE TRAINER. He throws light punches at her but she forgets to duck.

CUT TO

A WOMAN, crying. In her arms is a newborn infant. Next to the woman is another woman, probably her MOTHER. She is consoling her daughter.

MOTHER

The doctor said it was just a birthmark... I'm sure it'll fade in a few years.

The woman looks down at her child... her left eye looks like it is black and blue.

DISS TO

Lenny, still standing in the same spot as PEOPLE rush past him in all directions.

FADE OUT

______________________________________
Mickey Z. can be found on the Web at mickeyz.net.

posted 11.05.07.

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