Standing in the Storm

01. Pilot

INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM – DAY

"Sam!" a young woman called.

The young woman, Jess, came around a corner; Jess was wearing a sexy-nurse costume and adjusting her hat. The photo of Mary and John was on the dresser.

"Get a move on, would you?" Jess said. "We were supposed to be there like fifteen minutes ago." She walked off. "Sam! You coming or what?"

Sam poked his head around the corner. He was wearing jeans and three shirts, not a costume. "Do I have to?"

"Yes! It'll be fun." Sam came into the room. "And where's your costume?"

Sam laughed and ducked his head. "You know how I feel about Halloween."

INT. BAR – NIGHT

Classic's What Cha Gonna Do began to play.

The bar was decorated for Halloween, including a gargoyle with cobwebs and a baseball hat that said "GET NAKED". Someone poured someone else a shot. Everyone was in costume.

Jess raised a glass as a young man in a ghoul costume, Luis, came up to the table where Sam and Jess were. Sam was still not in costume.

"So here's to Sam—" Jess began, "—and his awesome LSAT victory."

"All right, all right, it's not that big a deal," Sam said.

Jess, Sam and Luis clinked glasses.

"Yeah, he acts all humble. But he scored a one seventy-four."

Luis drank his shot, as did Sam. "Is that good?"

"Scary good," Jess replied as she drank.

"So there you go. You are a first-round draft pick. You can go to any law school you want!" Luis sat next to Sam.

"Actually, I got an interview here. Monday," Sam replied. "If it goes okay I think I got a shot at a full ride next year."

"Hey. It's gonna go great," Jess reassured.

"It better."

"How does it feel to be the golden boy of your family?" Luis asked.

"Ah, they don't know," Sam said.

"Oh, no, I would be gloating! Why not?"

"Because we're not exactly the Bradys."

"And I'm not exactly the Huxtables. More shots?"

Jess and Sam spoke in chorus. "No. No."

"No," Sam repeated.

Luis went up to the bar anyway.

Jess spoke. "No, seriously. I'm proud of you. And you're gonna knock 'em dead on Monday—and you're gonna get that full ride. I know it."

"What would I do without you?" Sam wondered.

"Crash and burn." She smiled and pulled Sam in for a kiss.

INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM – NIGHT

Sam and Jess laid in bed, asleep back to back. Jess shifted position.

There was a sound outside the room, like a window opening. Sam opened his eyes.

INT. APARTMENT – NIGHT

Sam left the bedroom and looked around the apartment.

A window was open. Footsteps sounded. A man walked past the strings of beads at the far end of the hall. Sam moved to another part of the apartment and waited. The man entered the room. Sam lunged forward and grabbed the man at the shoulder. The man knocked Sam's arm away and aimed a strike at Sam, who ducked. The man grabbed Sam's arm, swung him around, and shoved him back. Sam kicked and was blocked, then pushed back into another room. Sam got his first glimpse of the man. The man elbowed Sam in the face; Sam kicked at his head. The man ducked and swung and Sam blocked. The man knocked Sam down and pinned him to the floor, one hand at Sam's neck and the other holding Sam's wrist.