Its Been A While By Sam Atkinson

Black screen. A phone begins to ring. PETE Hey baby, Its been a while. Im in town for a couple of days and I dont think I can go another second without seeing your pretty face BABY Be here in half an hour. Ill put on my birthday suite FADE IN: INT. BEDROOM - DAY Pan past a picture of a couple hugging then to a girl sleeping in her bed, hair a mess. PETE (26, scruffy with no shirt on) shoots up beside her. Pete then jumps out of bed. He gets dressed, goes down stairs, helps himself to some breakfast and makes his get away before her boyfriend returns from work. EXT. HOUSE - DAY Pete leaves the house but accidentally knocks over a few potted plants on the way out. He rushes down the street. Just then a car pulls and a mean look) gets starts to walk inside goes into the kitchen his food. INT. BEDROOM - DAY Oscar kicks the bedroom door open. He sees his girlfriend sprawled out in an unmade bed. Oscar is enraged. He turns around. OSCAR Pete! EXT. HOUSE - DAY Oscar flies out of the house and into his car. He zooms down the street after Pete. into the driveway. OSCAR (25, burley out and stares daggers at Pete. Oscar when he notices the sprawled pots. He and notices that someones been eating

2.

EXT. STREET - DAY Pete, hearing the commotion from the car, starts to jog. A biker pulls out in front of him. BIKER Hey, Pete how long has it been? Hows your sister? Pete grabs the biker and yanks him off the bike. Pete rides off. Once Pete is long gone, Oscar passes the biker on the ground. EXT. STREET - DAY Pete rolls up to a clearing and dials a number on his phone. PETE My man! Im back in town. Do you know if Dingle and Sumo are still in business? Pete whips out a pen and writes the address on his arm. PETE Fantastic. Well, if I get out of this jam well grab a slice. See you soon friend. INT. OFFICE - DAY Pete stands in front of two men in suits. DINGLE sits behind a desk. He slyly grins at Pete. SUMO (large Korean) stands behind him with a face of stone. DINGLE So youre back in town for a couple of days and already your running a muck and mucking barns. PETE Its hard to break habits. DINGLE And you need our help. PETE Yes you guys are the best of the best.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

3.

DINGLE Well I agree with you there, but as you probably remember many moons ago we were not on the best of terms. PETE I was hoping we could let bygones be bygones. Dingle looks up at Sumo. Sumo nods. DINGLE Whats this cats name. PETE Oscar Picano, heres his number. DINGLE Standard fee for protection. Okay, well call you when its safe. Till then grab a coffee, keep your head low. PETE A thousand thank yous. DINGLE Keep your thank yous. Just get me the money. Pete exits the office. Dingle dials his number. DINGLE Hello, is this Oscar Picano? DINGLE Never you mind who I am. You want Pete Chicago and we found him. Small fee, hes yours. Meet my associate and I at Alfred and Princess. Dingle looks at Sumo. Sumo checks his watch. DINGLE 10 minutes. See you soon. Dingle hangs up. Dingle smiles. DINGLE That is one pissed off dude. Whip out the sluggers.

4.

Dingle and Sumo walk down the street holding Louisville sluggers in their hands. EXT. USED CAR LOT - DAY Dingle and Sumo meet and shake hands with Oscar. They begin to walk. CUT TO: EXT. THE PIER - DAY Dingle and Sumo lead Oscar to a long platform leading into the water at The Pier. Oscar walks in front of them looking pissed. OSCAR I dont see him. Dingle raises the bat above Oscars head. DINGLE No you dont. Oscar turns around as Dingle swings the bat. Oscar catches the bat. Dingle looks shocked. Oscar uses the bat to throw Dingle into the water. He points the bat at Sumo, Sumo drops his bat and runs away. EXT. STREET - DAY Pete walks down the street. A car rolls up behind him. As the car approaches, Pete begins to quicken his pace, anticipating something bad. The passenger hangs out the window. Pete notices some familiar faces. SIGGY is drinking out of a bagged 40 of Old E. The driver Tits has a large mustache and a thick Russian accent. SIGGY Well toss me over a barrel and show me the 50 states. Look who dragged his ass back to the motherland. PETE Siggy my man, a little early for drinks dont ya think.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

5.

SIGGY Couple of beers. PETE How you doing, Tits? TITS One day youre up like king, next youre down in the mud like slut. SIGGY Forget how hes doing get your shitter in the car. PETE I guess its safer than out here. Pete gets in the back of the car. PETE What are these stains back here, Tits? Tits turns back and grins. PETE Oh, gross! They drive off. EXT. STREET - DAY The boys are stopped at a light. A knife shoots through Petes window. STEPH (crazy looking, blonde) holds a knife to Petes neck. STEPH HANDS UP! If any of you douches move youll be driving your little friend to the hospital. Pete Chicago you measly sack of shit. Siggy and Tits start to panic. SIGGY Is this who you were running from? PETE (Calmly) No.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

6.

SIGGY Then who the hell is this broad? STEPH Shut up! And hands off the wheels mustache. TITS Excuse me miss, you talk to me like that again I show you the back side of my hand. PETE Easy Tits, shes an old friend. Steph, how are you? STEPH An old friend, you son of a bitch. PETE I know youre upset but lets think about this. Youre holding us hostage with a knife in broad daylight. STEPH You think I care? Ive been tracking you down for 5 days. PETE Wow, I honor your persistence. I thought youd never find me here. STEPH Well I found you. I followed you just to stick my blade through your cold black heart. PETE Steph, is it possible that you thought you meant more to me than you did? STEPH You piece of shit. PETE Come on Steph, we werent happy. Our relationship was dead, long before I cheated.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

7.

STEPH I gave you everything and you took me for granted. PETE I admit that, but I dont think I should die over it. Come on, youll find someone special, that loves you, that appreciates you for your intelligence and your body. Steph leans back, lowers her knife and smiles. STEPH Youve always had a way with words. PETE (Straightening his tie) Steph, the timing wasnt right for us. Was it? Steph blushes and shakes her head. STEPH So how about now? Is the timing right now? PETE Ill call you when the stars align. Steph trembles in excitement. Pete touches her cheek as Tits speeds away. SIGGY You sly son of a bitch. EXT. SCHOOL PLAYGROUND The boys pull into a school parking lot. They hang out on the monkey bars. Siggy is passed out in the sand from drinking all day. PETE You know when I came back to town I was scared of running into a batshit crazy ex or some guy whos girlfriend I fucked. TITS And thats what happened.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: PETE Yeah but I got out of it. Like always. Im untouchable. Tits turns his back to take a pee. PETE If coming back has taught me anything its that Im better at this stuff than I thought. TITS What about the..the karma? PETE Screw that philosophical noise. TITS You got the horses shoe stuck up the ass.

8.

In the background Oscar approaches the back of Pete at high speed. No one sees him coming. PETE You got that right tits. Nothings gonna break me down. Oscar tackles Pete and begins to kick him repeatedly in the side. Grabbing his shirt and knocking his face left and right. OSCAR Stay out of this town. Stay out of my girl or next time there wont be a next time. Pete rolls over in the dust. Tits helps Pete up. TITS Was that the guy, Pete. PETE That was the guy, Tits. Pete dusts himself off. Siggy awakens. SIGGY (mumbling) Betty white spread the butter. I feelSiggy stares blankly at Tits and Pete.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

9.

TITS Get up you drunk clown. SIGGY Im not drunk. TITS Look how googly your eyes are. Find my eye line, Siggy. SIGGY What happened to you, Pete. TITS Karma, like I said. PETE (Spitting out blood) Karma finally caught up to me. Tits, Pete and Siggy walk over to Tits car and get in. PETE A/C tits. Come on now. TITS You got it. PETE Im done, boys. Thats it. My luck has finally run out. SIGGY Thats what they all say. PETE No, I am done. No more deceiving, no more cheating, no more lying, no more second agenda. SIGGY You had a good run, Pete. TITS You think you can really do it? Go cold turkey. I dont think you have the will power. PETE I guess well see. But I have to stop. I look back at my line of broken hearts and used condoms and what do I have? Nothing to call my (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

10.

PETE (contd) own. No girl, no home, This suit isnt even mine. Steph bought it for me and she had a knife to my neck today. SIGGY I knew you couldnt afford that get up. PETE Boys, Im telling you, I gotta stop. No more. Pete gazes out his window at the shuffling streets whizzing by. PETE (To himself) No more. At a red light, CAROLINE (curvaceous, beautiful, woman) struts by the car and waits at the cross walk. Pete looks over. Pete rolls down the window. PETE Well look who it is. Caroline. What a delicious surprise. CAROLINE Oh, wow, Pete. I thought you were dead. Well I hoped you were dead. PETE (Jokingly) You dont mean that. CAROLINE (Rolling her eyes) Well you look great. PETE Wanna grab a coffee somewhere? Ill clean my self up a little. CAROLINE Id rather run into traffic than spend anymore time with a low life like you. PETE Ive changed Caroline, Im a new man. The bad was just beaten out of (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

11.

PETE (contd) me. Now all thats left is the sweet gooey inside that you know and love. CAROLINE Is that so? PETE So hows about it then? CAROLINE Just coffee? PETE Just coffee. Pete leans forward and puts his arms around Siggy and Tits. PETE Baby steps boys, baby steps. See you around. Pete says his goodbyes and walks along side Caroline. CAROLINE So what happened to you? PETE Turns out Im not as popular around here as I thought. CAROLINE Thats the first truthful thing Ive heard you say. Pete laughs as he hails a cab. PETE Like I said, Im a changed man. A cab approaches Pete and Caroline. Pete opens the door for her. The cab sputters away down through the concrete jungle of Petes hometown. THE END