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ACT ONE

INT. NORTHPOINTE HIGH/HALLWAY – DAY

We follow Abram down the hall, earbuds in his ears, sticks twirling through his fingers. All around him, students are taking out their phones to check their notifications or chatting about the latest post. Abram nods to the music playing in his head, oblivious to the world around him, carelessly dancing along.

As he passes by a row of lockers, he drums his sticks against them until he reaches his locker. He opens it, still grooving.

Jeff arrives checking his phone, leans against a neighboring locker.

JEFF

Morning, sunshine.

Abram takes out his earbuds, wraps them around his classic iPod.

ABRAM

You know there's a whole giant world outside of that tiny machine. You should come and visit it once in a while. You'd be surprised by what happens when you're life isn't run by batteries.

JEFF

Yeah, yeah. Hey, look. It's your new BFF.

He shows Abram an Instagram post of Torie and Tristen. Torie's wearing a poodle skirt and Tristen's in a plain white tee, jeans and shades. It's captioned: Throwback Thursday @8. DM for location. #GuysAndDolls.

JEFF (CONT'D)

Are you going?

ABRAM

I wasn't invited.

JEFF

Everyone's invited.

ABRAM

Let me rephrase. I don't want to be invited. As amazing as pretending to have a good time small-talking with people I have nothing in common with sounds, I think I'd rather sleep through this one.

Jeff scrolls through his feed.

JEFF

That's right. You're averse to the mere mention of enjoyment in life. You're becoming a real grandpa, you know that? (looking at phone) It's Steph's birthday today? I totally forgot.

He leaves a comment on her post.

ABRAM

Do you two even talk?

JEFF

Just because she's my ex that doesn't mean we can't be cordial. She's still a good person.

ABRAM

Because cheating is exactly what a good person would do.

JEFF

Everyone makes mistakes.

ABRAM

A mistake is answering the phone without checking the ID and spending ten minutes trying to convince the depraved soul on the other end that they've got the wrong number. She made a choice. Her loss. Just promise me one thing.

JEFF

What's that?

ABRAM

(re: phone)Don't turn into a zombie on me.

Jeff continues scrolling through his phone.

JEFF

I'm not.

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