A Cynical Scene

My laptop is riddled with problems.

Livejournal isn't.

I already backed up all of my files and I'm not going to waste another CD to back up a measly scene I wrote and one or two mp3s, so I'm posting this scene here. The allignments are off because LJ doesn't have the allignments that are in Microsoft Word. Blah.

Now this scene came from two places.

One: I watched Bad Santa today, loved it, and felt extra cynical.

Two: Saida and I often get into arguments on cynicism. This is basically a scene with an argument from both sides; one with a sweet girl and the other being a disgruntled jerk. Enjoy.

A Cynical Scene

00. INT. FAST FOOD RESTAURANT 00.

DANIEL, a disgruntled loner, sits by himself at a table in a fast food restaurant reading a newspaper. He is a loner by choice; as he distinctively points out to anyone that says otherwise.

AMY sits a few tables over, alone too, but for a different reason. She sees Daniel sitting by himself and decides to approach him.

AMY
Hi.

She sits.

DANIEL
(uninterested) Hi.

He doesn’t take his eyes off his paper for a second.

AMY
Can I sit here?

DANIEL
It appears you already are.

She swallows. Was this a good idea?

AMY
I was sitting over there and you looked a little lonely.

DANIEL
No, I’m fine.

AMY
Oh. (beat)

She wants to leave; he wants her to leave too.

AMY
(cont’d) I’m waiting for a friend.

DANIEL
Yeah, no kidding, I’m not.

AMY
Just grabbing a bite to eat?

DANIEL
(drops his paper) You shittin’ me?
Every one of these kids workin’ here
is as disgruntled as they come.
All the food they give out has got
some bodily fluid in it.

AMY
That’s stretching it.

DANIEL
Stretching it?
I tell you what’s stretching it:
the thought that these kids AREN’T
putting spit or semen in the burgers.
That’s a stretch, a stretch of the imagina-shun.

AMY
Now that’s just being cynical.

DANIEL
Fuck yeah that’s cynical.
But it’s truthful, ain’t it?

AMY
I don’t think so.

DANIEL
You don’t think so?
Buy a burger and then
open it on up and see
for yourself.

AMY
Someone would’ve noticed
by now and reported it.

DANIEL
Shit, people never notice.
They’re usually too cracked
outta their head to notice anything.

AMY
You sound like you don’t have
any faith in people.

DANIEL
Why should I? People are stupid.

AMY
That’s just being cynical.
I don’t like cynicism.

DANIEL
You don’t like it?
I guarantee you use
it in your everyday life.
Picture this see-nar-ee-oh
if you will:
A 23-year-old bombshell
marries an 89-year-old
millionaire. You think
she’s in the relationship
for the love?
You think she’s there for any
other reason than riding his
wrinkly old nutsack until he
croaks and she takes
all of the inheritance?

AMY
No, but anyone that would
think that was true love
would have to be either
really naïve or really stupid.

DANIEL
And thinking that they don’t
put spit, semen, urine, and
God-knows-what-else in those
burgers ISN’T being naive?

AMY
No, I don’t think it is.

DANIEL
Look at that FDA sign over there.
What does that sign say?

AMY
D.

DANIEL
D doesn’t stand for delicious.
I don’t know if you ever went to
school or not, but a D isn’t a good grade.

AMY
You could’ve just seen that sign
and come to that conclusion on your own.
Maybe they do spit in their food.
Maybe they don’t.
Maybe they have rats or cockroaches.
You ever think of that?

DANIEL
All the more reason not to eat here.

AMY
Then why are you here?

DANIEL
Me? I come for the people.