THE GIRL OF MY DREAMS
by
Dzofrain Azmi
Copyright (c) 2005 Dzofrain Azmi
COLLEGE HALLWAY – INT - NIGHT
We see the eyes of a worried BOY. As we pull out, we see that he’s wearing a tuxedo, the type with a lilac shirt and a frilly lace front. The Boy takes a deep breath.
BOY
(voiceover)
This is it. This is the moment.
As we pull further out, we see that we’re in a COLLEGE HALLWAY, something like what you’d see in a Sunway College or maybe MMU. In the background we see a ASSEMBLY HALL of some sort, teenaged bodies writhing in celebration of… well, of being able to be in a dark room together, even if there are chaperones about. Note that unlike the Boy, the others are not wearing tuxes.
But the Boy is oblivious to all this.
BOY
(voiceover)
Romeo and Juliet. Tristan and Isolde. Yusry and Erra. The stuff that dreams are made of.
The BOY walks on, and as we follow him, we see that he’s walking down the long hallway towards GIRL who’s seated at a table.
The Girl is just amazingly pretty. She has that beautiful face with the beautiful hair and the beautiful glow. I could try to give names, but most would pale in comparison.
We see a banner saying “COLLEGE DANCE NIGHT 2005”
BOY
It all begins with the kiss.
DANCE RECEPTION TABLE – INT – CONT.
The GIRL looks up expectantly as BOY approaches the table.
Boy stops, hesitates a litte, and then speaks.
BOY
I’m the one who wrote the letter.
The Girl stares at the Boy. As she slowly gets up, a hint of a smile, and a quizzical look.
BOY
I know… I was afraid you might not think I was your type.
The Girl shyly smiles. The slightest blush in the cheeks.
BOY
You are the girl of my dreams.
The Boy reaches out and places a hand behind the Girl’s neck. He leans in to KISS her.
Boy and Girl’s lips lean forward to touch.
Suddenly –
FRIEND
(voiceover)
Puh-lease.
GIRL suddenly looks up in alarm at BOY and begins to GAG.
FRIEND
(voiceover)
Buat muntah aje.
Girl retches and throws up over Boy’s shoes.
CUT TO –
COLLEGE HALLWAY – INT – DAY
It’s the same COLLEGE, the same hallway, but now it’s daytime.
We see the same BOY at the start of the hallway, but now he’s in normal clothes. He looks a little geekier, his hair a little messy. He’s got a slightly disgusted look on his face.
Next to him is his FRIEND, a tomboyish girl. She’s dressed up a little like Avril Lavigne, with the shirt and the loose thin tie. She’s not the kind who’s too keen to support the cosmetics industry, and doesn’t care what the world thinks about that. She’s sipping a Big Gulp.
BOY
(sighs)
Yes. That is the worst-case scenario.
(beat)
But she’s worth the risk.
We see that Boy is staring off at GIRL down the hall. Again she’s sitting at the same table, but this time the banner says “COLLEGE DANCE NIGHT 2005” with a sub-banner “TICKETS” and another banner “Last Day!”. The Girl doesn’t notice the two looking at her.
FRIEND
She’s a nice girl… but you think you’re good enough for her?
Boy steps forward towards Girl, but Friend puts her arm out to stop him.
FRIEND
Eh, what you doing?
BOY
I’m going to talk to her.
FRIEND
Remember the other 300-something girls you were in love with?
(beat)
Remember how they ended?
Boy gives Friend a look that says “yeah, but this is different” and pushes the arm away. He walks towards Girl.
DANCE RECEPTION TABLE – INT – CONT.
Girl has just finished selling tickets to the last customer and looks up to see Boy. She smiles.
GIRL
Tickets?
The Boy is about to speak, but –
GIRL
Two of them?
Girl glances over at Friend. Girl smiles broadly and arches her eyebrows at Friend. It’s obvious they know each other and that Girl is trying to set Friend up with Boy.
Friend just smiles and rolls her eyes. Yeah, right. Friend sits on the end of the table.
BOY
Her and me? No, no, erm… actually…
Boy leans in conspiratorially.
Girl is looking up at Boy, eager to hear what he has to say, when suddenly –
BOYFRIEND
HAAALLLOOOOO BABY!
In walks the Girl’s BOYFRIEND. He’s a big guy, a little on the rough side, the sort of bad boy the for some reason some girls just love to love.
The Boyfriend envelopes Girlfriend in his large, muscular arms.
BOYFRIEND
(to Girlfriend)
How you doing?
Girl tries to extricate herself. She’s not so much into this kind of public display of affection.
GIRL
(smiling)
Not here, sayang.
Boyfriend just grips a little bit harder and gives her a quick squeeze. Girl momentarily gives in to stroke his arms and gives a quick squeeze back before unclasping his hands.
Boyfriend looks up to see Boy.
BOYFRIEND
Hey… Kenit! You going to the dance?
Before Boy can answer, Girl has interrupted.
GIRL
(pointing to Friend)
I was asking him to take a date along.
BOYFRIEND
(sneering at Friend)
Hah. Kenit must take small one, ah?
BOY
Hey…
Boy steps up to Boyfriend, and things get a little tense.
Suddenly there’s an almighty CRASH and we see Friend has dropped her Big Gulp so that ice and cola flows between Boy and Boyfriend
FRIEND
Sorry.
Girl starts picking up the decorations, but Boy and Boyfriend are still toe-to-toe.
Friend links her arm around Boy and tugs.
FRIEND
Come.
Boy not so keen to move yet, but eventually does when Friend tugs him a second time.
COLLEGE HALLWAY – INT – CONT.
FRIEND has to literally drag BOY away from confrontation.
FRIEND
You bodoh or you just like acting that way?
Boy gives up trying to fight and walks away with friend.
FRIEND
Why do you pick the girl with the biggest boyfriend? You know she won’t go with anyone else.
Boy turns to Friend.
BOY
Ah… but I have a plan.
FRIEND
A plan?
Boy turns over to rummage in his bag.
BOY
A three-step plan.
Boy pulls out an ENVELOPE.
FRIEND
Sounds like a diet.
BOY
(waves envelope)
The first step. So she knows there are better men than her darling. Men who can spell and print letters.
FRIEND
A love letter? That’s so twentieth century.
BOY
It took me weeks to write. With penmanship.
FRIEND
(pause)
I swear, your brain? Different planet. You think can just give it to her?
BOY
No, you are going to give it to her. In Japanese class.
Boy hands over the envelope.
BOY
Don’t read it. Some words are not meant for all.
Friend sighs, and stuffs envelope in her bag.
FRIEND
You going to tell me what step two is?
Bell rings.
BOY
Later.
COLLEGE CLASSROOM – INT – LATER THAT DAY
FRIEND is sitting at her desk. She’s looking at the ENVELOPE in her hand.
What the hell. She opens it and reads it.
BOY
(voiceover)
My Love… You are the blossoms in my mind that tickle my synapses and tingle my nerve endings…
Friend’s jaw drops. She flips the letter over and sees it’s more of the same drivel. We see the letter has cutesy hearts drawn in, with flowers and what-not.
BOY
(voiceover)
Oh, be mine, be mine, be mine! Let us speculate this rich vein of love together–
FRIEND
(whispering)
Weeks!
Friend looks up to see GIRL entering class. Friend stares at Girl and then decides to tear the letter into pieces. Friend puts it in her jacket pocket.
Girl sits in desk in front of Friend’s desk. Friend takes a deep breath and decides to write the letter herself.
As the class passes, we see her pocket of torn rejections grow, but finally, Friend is satisfied with what she has.
Friend rereads her new letter. Friend glances up at Girl sitting in front of her, and then Friend folds the letter into an origami flower.
Now Friend looks at Girl’s bag. How on Earth is she going to put the letter in?
Suddenly Girl turns around. Friend is like a deer caught in headlights.
GIRL
Do you have a pen I could borrow?
Friend smiles sure. As she’s giving the pen, she drops it and it rolls ahead. Girl goes to pick it up and Friend drops letter/flower into bag then.
ASSEMBLY HALL – INT – LATER THAT DAY
BOY and FRIEND walk into the Assembly Hall. Actually, the sneak in, because they were looking for somewhere private.
The hall is all decorated for tonight, with balloons and streamers and what-nots.
BOY
So? She like it?
FRIEND
I don’t think she’s read it.
BOY
Well, OK. But it’s like no other letter she’s read before.
Friend looks at Boy. “Oh, really?”.
BOY
Now, step two. Step two is to remove the opposition. To chop that tree trunk she’s with waaay down to size.
FRIEND
And… how?
BOY
Well…
(beat, hesitant)
I was thinking that maybe you could go up to him and tell him you like him and then you two could make out and I could take pictures.
Friend looks at Boy utterly unconvinced.
BOY
And then we can post-
FRIEND
Stop!
(beat)
Eeeyew!
(beat)
I’ve never even kissed a boy before!
Friend glares at Boy for a while. Idiot.
FRIEND
What’s wrong with you?
BOY
Have you never cared for somebody so much…
(beat)
So much that you would risk everything for them?
Friend stares at Boy. And then sighs.
FRIEND
Anyway, it’d be easier to beat him up.
BOY
Oh, yah. Sure.
FRIEND
No, I learnt it in self-defence. Look, it’s like this.
She faces him. As she’s talking, she demonstrates (slowly) on him.
FRIEND
First you knee him where it hurts.
(demonstrates)
And then you break his nose.
(demonstrates)
And then… this is tricky, hang on… You flip him.
With that Friend FLIPS Boy over her shoulder. Friend slips and falls on him. They’re lying on top of each other. Their faces are really close. Too close. And the breathing has gotten kinda heavy.
BOY
Ur… maybe we should go have some lunch now.
Friend rolls off. They gingerly get up and leave the hall.
CANTEEN – INT – LATER THAT DAY, LUNCHTIME
BOY and FRIEND walk into the canteen, with trays. They sit at a table.
Across the canteen GIRL is sitting with her friends.
Boy looks back towards Friend.
BOY
Hey.
(beat)
About what happened–
Suddenly there is a COMMOTION across the Canteen. Girl has found the LETTER and is reading it. Her gaggle of friends gather around her and giggle along to it. Girl is smiling and obviously blushing.
BOY
(turns to Friend, smiling)
Told you she’d like it.
(turns back to look at Girl)
I’m a genius.
Friend looks at Girl. Friend isn’t smiling.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, BOYFRIEND appears and SNATCHES the letter out of Girl’s hands.
BOYFRIEND
(looking at letter)
Apa ni?
Boyfriend reads letter.
Suddenly he GRABS hold of Girl’s wrist.
BOYFRIEND
What is this?!!
Boy, aware of the seriousness, gets up and walks across the canteen.
Boyfriend has both hands on Girl’s shoulders, shaking her.
GIRL
No!
BOYFRIEND
Who is he?!!
Boy steps into the frame.
BOY
She said, “No”.
Boyfriend looks at Boy incredulously.
BOYFRIEND
Eh, kenit. Stay out of this.
Boyfriend turns back to Girl.
Suddenly, an empty COKE CAN flies through the air and dinks Boyfriend on the head.
BOY
She said, “No”.
Boyfriend lets go of Girl and strides towards Boy. Boyfriend holds Boy by the shoulders and ominously LIFTS him off the ground.
BOYFRIEND
What you going to do?
BOY
This.
And with that, the KNEE moves up, faster than we can see, but we know something’s happened because Boyfriend immediately DROPS Boy.
Friend, who’s looking on, gasps. He’s using her moves.
Boy then slams the heel of his PALM into Boyfriend’s nose. There’s BLOOD.
Now, the coup de grace. Boy puts Boyfriend’s arm over his shoulder and tries to flip him.
But– It’s not working. Boy doesn’t have the leverage. Boy struggles a moment, and then Boyfriend throws Boy across the room.
Boy crashes into a heap. Boyfriend picks up a BENCH and lifts it over his head.
GIRL
NO!!!
Friend sees what’s happening and pushes a TABLE across the floor.
Boyfriend throws the bench but, at the last moment, the table slides over the Boy and protects him, and the bench bounces harmlessly off the table.
Girl stares at this, shocked. Nobody moves.
Then, Girl runs out the canteen. Boyfriend stares at her, and runs out after her.
Friend looks under the table and offers her hand.
FRIEND
You okay?
Boy slaps her hand away and crawls out himself.
BOY
You idiot! That was my chance to win her and…
FRIEND
What?
BOY
You helped me!!!
FRIEND
What?!!
BOY
You made me look weak in front of her!
(looks towards exit)
I’ll never have her now.
Friend’s body language is “you want to make something of this”, when suddenly there’s a scream from the hallway.
Boy and Friend run over to:
COLLEGE HALLWAY – INT – CONT.
It’s GIRL, her hand out in front of her. BOYFRIEND is leaning against the wall.
BOY and FRIEND look around the corner.
GIRL
I can never go out with someone like you. Never.
(beat)
All you men are the same.
Girl turns and walks away. Boyfriend, still back against the wall, starts crying. He slides down, into sitting position, all you can hear are the SOBS.
We focus on Boy’s face.
BOY
Not all of us.
Zoom in on the eyes as we move to:
COLLEGE HALLWAY – INT – NIGHT
It’s the same shot as the opening scene. BOY is in his tux. We follow him, exactly the same, but with no narration.
Except it’s not exactly the same. When we see both Boy and GIRL in the same shot, he suddenly stops. He’s unsure.
FRIEND
(O.S.)
Hi
Boy turns around to look at FRIEND. And he’s stunned.
Friend is out of her tomboy clothes and in a beautiful dress. She has put on makeup and… well, she glows.
BOY
I…
FRIEND
I know. But once in a lifetime, huh?
BOY
You’re… beautiful.
FRIEND
Thank you.
(beat)
It’s for someone special.
A moment passes.
BOY
I’m sorry for shouting at you just now. You save my life, and I shout at you.
FRIEND
Yalah. So dungu one.
(beat)
Part three of your plan?
BOY
(glances back at Girl)
Yah… I was…
FRIEND
Going to kiss her. I know.
BOY
But…
Boy leans in towards Friend.
BOY
I don’t think she’s the one.
FRIEND
I think she is.
BOY
No she isn’t.
Boy leans in more. He wants to kiss his Friend.
FRIEND
(suddenly)
Sorry.
Boy stops momentarily, smiling.
BOY
For what?
FRIEND
For this.
With that, Friend does the knee/palm/flip combo on the Boy. And she does it well.
Boy slams against the wall and is knocked out.
Girl looks up, sees the commotion and runs down the corridor to Friend.
She sees a knocked out Boy.
GIRL
What happened?
FRIEND
(muttering)
Step two of the plan.
GIRL
(facing Friend, not quite hearing it)
Sorry?
FRIEND
Er… he tried to take advantage of me.
GIRL
Men… Can’t live with them…
Beat.
FRIEND
Hey…
Friend turns to look at Girl properly. Friend takes a deep breath.
FRIEND
I’m the one who wrote the letter.
(beat)
I was afraid you might not think I was your type.
(beat)
I am the girl of your dreams.
GIRL
(a little hesitant)
I thought the ink looked familiar.
Friend reaches out, places a hand behind Girl’s neck and leans in for a kiss. Girl doesn’t move. They get close.
GIRL
Wait.
Friend hesitates.
GIRL
Your letter.
(beat)
You can really do all that with just your tongue?
Friend smiles. Leans in. Almost kiss. Really, really almost.
CUT TO BLACK
Copyright (c) 2005 Dzofrain Azmi