Wonder Years

WONDER YEARS
By
Sara Federico
(323) 807-4745
fedsfilms@gmail.com

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INT. BATHROOM - DAY
GABRIEL, a 14 year old with dark curly hair, sits in a
grungy bath tub. He has red lipstick on.
He starts smacking himself in the head repeatedly.
EXT. HOUSE - DAY
An ugly brick duplex stands against a gray sky.
A montage of Boston and pictures of Gabriel.
Credits roll.
INT. BEDROOM - DAY
Gabriel gets dressed. He briefly stares at a picture of
himself and a girl on the wall.
He opens up one drawer and pulls out a sheet. He unravels it
to reveal a music box. He starts humming a tune as he opens
the box.
Inside is a .45 caliber handgun. Carefully, he strokes the
barrel of the gun. He wraps his hand around the trigger.
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
Gabriel comes downstairs, ignoring his parents on the couch.
SHERRY, his disheveled mother, passively folds laundry with
a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. LLOYD, his attempted
well-kept father, sits reading the New York Times. He puts
his cigarette out in an already full ashtray.
LLOYD
Gabe.
Gabriel stops in front of the door.
LLOYD
(teasing)
I'll give ya 10 bucks to dress up
and dance with me.
Gabe ignores him.

---

2.
INT. KITCHEN - THE NEXT DAY
Gabriel pours himself some cereal when he hears his mother
on the phone. He quickly grows quiet.
He turns his head slightly towards the direction of his
voice.
SHERRY
...if I could just dump one
of
them in the brush and one of
them in the landfill or the
roadside...I don't know. I'd have
to burn their skin so there are no
fingerprints.
Gabriel inches over towards the doorway. He slinks against
the wall.
SHERRY
No, no...Lloyd is the easy one.
It's Gabe I don't know if I'll be
able to get...Yeah, there's a .45
caliber somewhere in the house...
Gabriel, realizing she's serious, stands in doorway.
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
Sherry, sitting on the couch, looks up and locks eyes with
Gabe.
SHERRY
I'll call you later.
She hangs up the phone and lights a cigarette without
breaking the stare.
INT. STUDIO APARTMENT - EVENING
Gabriel sits on a bed, shirtless, while an older guy hangs
up Polaroids. He's WALLACE- a 20 something man, Freddie
Mercury inspired. He's dressed in training pants, a navy
blue blazer, donning Adidas sneakers and aviators.
WALLACE
Why don't you lower your pants a
little.
Gabriel starts to lower his pants.
(CONTINUED)

---

CONTINUED:
3.
WALLACE
A little bit lower. There, right
there.
Wallace snaps a few pictures.
WALLACE
Why don't you take off your pants?
Gabriel is silent as Wallace stares.
GABRIEL
How much?
WALLACE
An extra 5 bucks.
Gabriel unbuttons the top button of his pants. Wallace
begins taking pictures.
Slowly, Gabriel unbuttons the second button and unzips,
fully revealing his boxers. Wallace smiles.
INT. WALLACE'S KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER
Gabriel sits on a barstool in his underwear. Wallace hands
him a glass of orange juice.
WALLACE
(smiles)
I like your look.
Gabriel nods. Eventually he looks at Wallace.
GABRIEL
My mother made me a whore.
WALLACE
If I give her the yarn, will she
make me one too?
Gabriel forces a smile.
WALLACE
It's getting pretty late.
Gabriel shrugs nervously as Wallace circles behind him and
begins kneading Gabriel's shoulders.
Gabriel tries to speak. Wallace leans in towards his face.
(CONTINUED)

---

CONTINUED:
4.
WALLACE
(whispers)
You need a place to stay tonight?
INT. STUDIO APARTMENT - MORNING
Gabriel and Wallace are entangled beneath the sheets of
Wallace's bed. Gabriel stirs.
He casually puts his pants on and grabs his things off of
the nightstand.
As he exits, he stops at Wallace's tall mirror by the door.
He takes out his tube of lipstick and draws a big heart on
it.
EXT. STREET - DAY
Gabriel walks out of Wallace's apartment, looking at the
Polaroids of himself that he snatched on his way out. He
hums the same tune from the music box.
He passes by a trashy woman having a cigarette.
WOMAN
(taking a jab)
Long night, baby?
Gabriel stops, smiles at her, hands her the Polaroids and
continues walking.
EXT. STREET - MOMENTS LATER
Gabriel stops to stare at a large, nice looking home. The
girl from the picture gets out of the car. LAINEY, a tall
girl with poofy blonde hair, grabs her backpack from the
backseat.
Gabe watches her without budging. Lainey's father glances in
his direction and Gabe quickly flees.
INT. KITCHEN - DAY
Gabriel goes into the kitchen. He takes a carton of milk and
starts drinking from it. He closes the door and turns around
to see a drunk Lloyd standing there with a cigarette.
(CONTINUED)

---

CONTINUED:
5.
LLOYD
Get a glass.
Gabriel puts the milk away.
GABRIEL
Where's mom?
LLOYD
She's gone. Forever.
Gabriel stares at him.
LLOYD
You know she thought I'm a bad
influence on you? She thought I was
turning you into a fuckin' faggot.
Lloyd starts sluggishly walking out of the kitchen.
LLOYD
That's what she thought.
EXT. LAKE - DAY
Gabriel hums the song from the music box while shooting at a
pair of swans with a bow and arrow. He does this a few
times, all unsuccessful.
EXT. STREET - DAY
Gabriel passes by dirty houses and tangled trees. He stomps
in a dirty puddle, all while still humming. The tall,
European style buildings are striking against the gray sky.
Gabriel sees an abandoned building with the words "I'm
Sorry" scrawled on the outside. He stares at for a moment
before passing by.
INT. PET STORE - DAY
Gabriel enters a pet store. The cashier behind the counter
looks up from his magazine and stares him down.
Gabriel looks into a large rabbit cage.
He picks a white rabbit and brings it to the counter.
(CONTINUED)

---

CONTINUED:
6.
CASHIER
What're you gonna do with this
rabbit, boy?
GABRIEL
It's for my girlfriend.
The cashier laughs out loud and rings him up.
GABRIEL
(quietly)
Fuck you.
EXT. DRIVEWAY - DAY
Gabriel walks up the driveway of the nice house he was in
front of beforehand. Lainey, dressed in hot pink leggings
and a big ugly sweater, walks out her front door and over to
him.
LAINEY
(shy)
Gabe.
GABRIEL
Uh-huh.
LAINEY
(nervous)
What's up?
Gabriel nods without speaking.
LAINEY
I like your rabbit.
GABRIEL
It's for you.
Lainey looks at the rabbit, speechless.
Gabriel stares at the pavement.
GABRIEL
I need a favor.
She looks at him nervously.
GABRIEL
Can I stay over for a few days?

---

7.
EXT. STREET - MOMENTS LATER
Gabriel walks back in the direction in which he came with
his rabbit. He stops at the abandoned house and goes in.
INT. ABANDONED HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
The house is gutted: floors have holes in them, windows
broken, mildew grows on the walls, feces and trash are
scattered across the floor. Gabriel enters the squalid
environment before sitting on the floor.
He pets the rabbit.
FADE TO BLACK.

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