Scene from my screenplay "Lefty Loosey Righty Tighty"

INT. APARTMENT - LATER

A bunch of undergrads drink out of red plastic cups. The air is thick with smoke, the legal and illegal kind. On the kitchen island table, there are bags of cheap chips and a few boxes of assorted Entemann's products.

Franklin, older than everyone by about thirteen years, has cornered a college kid.

FRANKLIN
(sipping his drink)
It's a tough call, you know?
It's a truly tough call. I think
I'm happy. I think I am! I mean, I
like the position. I like the
vibrancy. And, I have to say, the
benefits are solid. Super, super
solid. My 401K is fully vested after
only 4 years. Can you believe that?
And I'm able to get a great dental
plan rate. Of course, you're aware
that dental plans have virtually
gone way of the dinosaur in corporate
America these days.

The college kid shifts uncomfortably.

FRANKLIN (CONT'D)
But seriously. What would you do if
you were me? If you were me, what
would you do?

COLLEGE KID
Um...I don't know Professor Miller.

FRANKLIN
No. No. No. None of this Professor
stuff. Man-to-man, drinking buddy
to drinking buddy, you say, "Franklin!
Buckle down! Look straight ahead!
Pursue! Act! Don't react!"

COLLEGE KID
Yeah. Professor Miller, I sort of
have to go---to the bathroom.

Franklin gives him a hearty slap on the back.

FRANKLIN
Never pin a good man down. That's
what I say.

Franklin is alone in his corner of the room. He spots Mary.
She gives him a smile as she walks down a hallway. Franklin,
with liquid courage, decides to follow.

Franklin approaches the door to Mary's bedroom and gives a
soft knock. Stacks of jackets and messenger bags are on top
of Mary's bed.

FRANKLIN (CONT'D)
Hello.

Mary smiles.

MARY
Hey. Having a good time?

FRANKLIN
I am.

MARY
Cool.

Franklin walks to Mary.

FRANKLIN
Could it be any better?

He leans in to Mary, ready for the inevitable and long awaited make out session to finally begin. But at the last moment before contact, he sees a look of surprised horror flash across Mary's face.

Calling a bold audible, Franklin adjusts his lunge in midair,
trying to act as if he was actually just reaching for a jacket on the
bed.

The act doesn't work. It leads to an awkward stumble onto
the bed.

MARY
Are you ok?

Franklin, sitting a pile of endless jackets and bags, looks
up at Mary with tender eyes.

FRANKLIN
You're not into me, are you?

MARY
What? Oh. No! What?

FRANKLIN
Not at all. You're not into me at
all.

MARY
Franklin, you're my teacher. I never
even thought about that.

FRANKLIN
But you cupped my hand.

MARY
What? I did what to your hand?

FRANKLIN
You cupped it. You cupped my hand in class!

MARY
Franklin, I don't know what that
even means, and I'm sorry if I gave
you any weird impressions or whatever.
But no, I'm not into you. Like that.
I think you're a cool teacher and a
cool guy. But, well---

Franklin leans on her every word.

MARY (CONT'D)
You're old.

Franklin, utterly rejected and dejected, bows out. He grabs
the first jacket on the bed he can snag and puts it on.
It's comically small, colorful, and clearly belongs to an undergraduate woman.

FRANKLIN
Well, I bid you adieu.

MARY
I just didn't---

FRANKLIN
Ah, I've said too much. I've said
too much.

Franklin stumbles out of the room and walks to the front
door. He opens it just a girl opens it from the outside.
Franklin recognizes the face and quickly makes a half attempt
to avert his gaze and head straight past her for the stairs.

GIRL
Professor Miller?

Before he knows what he's saying, he's already saying it.

FRANKLIN
Um, no. Sorry.

The girl gives him a puzzled look.

He hurries out of the building, ashamed of himself, ashamed
of humanity, and ashamed of the world in which he lives.