The Adventures of Cliff and Wy #2
Another chapter
Blaze is back at it with another installation in her creative story about Cliff and Wy. Check out the first part from last month here and read on!
Act 1, Scene 2
EXT. STREET. MORNING CONT.
Cliff and Wy are both in all-black workout gear, hats, and sunglasses. They look like a suburban couple plotting their next vacation, not their next takedown. Jogging side by side at a slow clip down a beautiful tree-lined street with enormous homes looming on both sides they notice a car speed off in the distance. A few other parked cars dot the road but that’s the only other sign of life, no one else passes by but the windows and hidden cameras glare at them.
CLIFF
On your left
WY
Heard. 1689 Euclide. Nice Volvo.
CLIFF
It’s not theirs. It’s the kid’s.
WY
Wow you know a lot huh? How old’s the kid? That car must be twice his age.
CLIFF
18. Plays lacrosse. Cute girlfriend.
WY
Ah I didn’t know you liked them sporty like that.
CLIFF
Ya, he isn’t really my type.
WY
Go figure.
They’ve now run turned a corner and run down a parallel street. The volvo that was in the driveway of 1689 Euclide is now driving past them. The car is blasting Tame Impala. It’s a slow song.
CLIFF
Looks like they just broke up.
WY
Okay for real, how long have you been staking out this place?
CLIFF (laughing)
That was really just a guess, only a week or two, I swear.
WY
Sure, next I’m going to find you’re the one who broke them up.
CLIFF
Come on, trust me on this.
WY
Why?
CLIFF
Why not?
They keep running out of the scene.
Act 1, Scene 3
INT. GROCERY STORE. AFTERNOON.
CLIFF walks into the local produce market store, looking like someone’s dad killing time before pickup. He’s wearing a wedding ring for the first time since we’ve seen him. He seems relaxed and is swinging his keys when he enters, chiming loudly. The cashier, CAT, turns around at the moise. She’s beautiful, fresh faced, with a bright country smile.
CAT
Hi there!
CLIFF smiles but doesn't respond. He walks out of her view and we can only see him. She turns her head a little to try to follow him with her eyes but he is in the back of the store out of her view. He picks up an item, scans it over, puts it back. Repeats this process a few times.
He decided on a bottle of wine and paper plates. He walks up to the counter and puts them on the belt without saying anything.
CAT
Having a party?
CLIFF
Yes actually. I just moved into the neighborhood; I’m having a few friends over for dinner.
CAT
What happened to your plates? They didn’t make the move?
CLIFF
Still in boxes.
CAT
Well welcome to the neighborhood Mr….
CLIFF
James.
CAT (nervous and rambling)
James. That’s a funny last name. I always think it’s funny when people have last names as first names. I mean first names as their last name.
CLIFF
Well I’m sorry to disappoint you. But James is my first name. This seems like a friendly neighborhood, “Mr” makes me sound stuffy. Do I look stuffy to you? My wife calls me muffin if that’s easier.
CAT
Okay Mr. Muffin, James Muffin that is. Your total is $23.95.
CLIFF
$23.95, is that what your friends call you. Or is that just your professional name?
CAT (blushes)
My name is Cat. Short for Cat.
CLIFF
Well Cat short for Cat, can I get a bottle opener too?
CAT
Sure, now your total is $29 flat.
CLIFF (In a serious tone)
What did you call me?
Cat tenses up and looks surprised.
CLIFF (now joking again)
I’m kidding!
CLIFF hands her $40 and CAT gives him the change and his receipt. CLIFF takes his wallet out to put the cash back in and lets a business card for James Langston fall on the counter while CAT is busy bagging the groceries. CAT hands him the bag and smiles.
CAT
Here you go, hope you enjoy your party!
CLIFF
Thank you, have you tried this white before? Any good?
CAT
No Mr. ... I mean James. I’m 18 so Elmer doesn’t let us take any of the wine home. I mean, I've had beer at parties and stuff. Sometimes my mom lets me have a sip of her glass at dinner but my dad doesn’t like it. But I’m sure it tastes great, it’s a popular bottle.
While CAT has been talking, the audience sees CLIFF take the bottle out of the bag and put in back on the bagging station. CAT dosen’t notice. CLIFF looks like he’s listening and laughs along with her nervous energy.
CLIFF
Well I’m glad to be fitting in then! See you around.
CAT
Okay, I’ll be here!
CAT turns away in embarrassment at her eager and silly statement. CLIFF nods and leaves the store. CAT finished cleaning her station and notices the card that he left. It’s matte black and just says James Langston and an address, both written in gold. Without looking around, CAT reaches and grabs the hidden wine bottle he left behind. The audience now knows she knew he left it on purpose and was watching him closer than he thought. The audience knows her innocence was an act, but it is unclear if he knows or if he just fell right into her trap.
Shit We’re Loving: READ
Blaze’s Pick: Reading Life
A read on life:
Life, prepared to be read.
You really are all we think about; making all art, conversations, and internal thoughts revolve around you. All joy, sadness, and stress. You. It’s quite selfish.
Telling us to get one of you, when you don’t get us at all.
How cruel it is to be daunted by the extravagance of few and be told that’s our universal objective. The allure of betterment at the cost of sacrifice.
Life, how dare you squeeze the innocence out of us just to be shocked when our response is jaded.
It must be nice to be so precious and fragile that everyone claps hands in humble servitude.
Do you work in tandem with God or the Devil?
Do you at least get a cut of donations?
Honestly, the sequel is worse than Grown Ups 2. Neverending and vague.
How do you sustain yourself knowing at some point everyone has cursed you?
Is your ego not frail, do you just curse that upon others?
Sure, life is great but who makes their merch?
Are you not ashamed of the wasteful bumper stickers and ill-fitted shirts printed in a rainbow of color with some comic sans person waving back at you?
Of course, it’s important and what keeps life interesting? Us.
What we make out of you, not what you make of us.
Life would be nothing without the nouns and emotions that compile it.
Having your own cereal brand is not a personality.
Get a hobby and stop stirring the pot just to be entertained.
Find yourself so we can all stop feeling guilty for not having find ourselves first.
Stop praising the boring and killing the adventurous.
Cut the crap with the whole climate change bit. We get it, you control everything. You don’t have to prove it all the time. Did you know one of your people turned that water you gave us into wine?
Try it and kick your feet up so you stop kicking our asses.
Take a vacation, a hike, a new job.
Anything, but give us a break for once, and KitKat bars don’t count.
Show Your Support: Donors Choose
Donors Choose as a platform makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need. Their mission is to move us as a nation closer to the point where every student’s needs are met and great education is being had. Donors Choose is committed to leading with empathy to combat systemic racism and socioeconomic inequity in our school system. Since 2000, Donors Choose has supported over 5 million people and over 2 million classroom project requests that range from butterfly cocoons, to robotics kits, to books with diverse characters, and classroom basics like tables and chairs.
Donors Choose works simply: Find a classroom project that inspires you and give as little as $1—since Donors Choose is a public charity, all donations are tax-deductible! When the project is fully funded, Donors Choose purchases all the requested items and ships them directly to the teacher. Every donor gets a thank-you from the teacher, photos of the project in action, and a detailed report of how each dollar was spent.
For all the devil’s advocates out there (like myself) this totally does not take away from the horrible fact that our education system needs some serious reform and our teachers should not have to set up a donations page to get supplies. The system is wrong. But until it changes, we have the power to help those who can’t wait. And if you’re a teacher (like Aimée!), you and your classroom have the opportunity to get funded. Check out the teacher process here.
Daily Intention:
Today I will…
Buy less coffee and get more sleep.
Here’s some nifty buttons for you to press, enjoy: