The English Teacher - Movie Contest

Wattpad has challenged its authors to write a comedy screenplay (1500 words or less) about high school romance. Hey, I love a challenge! And if I can't get one funny story out of my high school love life then what did I waste all those teenage years for? Wish me luck! (And a few votes and favourable comments wouldn't hurt either!)

xox

Lori

Locker Love (Screenplay Version)

By Lori Ellis

INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - NIGHT.

Tight close-up shot focusing on MICHAEL, a student, leaning against a LOCKER. The lighting is dim, there is no one around.

MICHAEL (V.O.) Friday before a long weekend, and it's almost 7:30. It's already dark outside. Everyone else left hours ago. Heck, most of the guys I know ditched class and left at noon. So what am I still doing at school?

INT. CLASSROOM - DAY.

Students in desks taking a test. TEACHER walking around, looking over shoulders. Pan and zoom to MICHAEL, erasing.

MICHAEL (V.O.) Believe me, I never had any intention to stay here any longer than necessary. I had a history test last period, and if you knew me you'd realize that I need every mark I can get. At least in history anyway, so ditching was not an option.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY.

OLDER MALE TEACHER talking sternly to MICHAEL in the hall. Time passes, fewer and fewer students remain.

MICHAEL (V.O.) Then I got caught running in the halls, which of course resulted in a half hour lecture from Mr. Hampton. Honestly, what's wrong with that guy? Doesn't he have some other place to be? What a laugh, like I might trip and hurt myself! Maybe he might fall and break a hip, but he's like forty or something.

INT. EMPTY HALLWAY - DAY.

MICHAEL walking in empty hallway. FOUR JOCKS, good-looking athletic types come around corner, stop him. The obvious leader puts an arm around MICHAEL and they march him in the opposite direction.

MICHAEL (V.O.) So I'm finally free. The halls are empty and I'm walking to my locker when who do I come across but Tom Willard and his bunch of lowlife jock friends. Maybe you don't know these guys, but you know the type. Adored by teachers. Fawned over at awards ceremonies. Their mere appearance at a pep rally is expected to generate spontaneous applause. Your parents mention them at least once a week, like, "Why can't you be more like Tom Willard?" And yet every kid in school sees through all that and recognizes every one of these guys as a potential serial killer.

INT. OUTSIDE CLASSROOM DOOR - DAY.

We see the FOUR JOCKS enter a classroom and close the door behind them, leaving MICHAEL in the hallway as a nervous lookout. They return with papers which they stuff in MICHAEL's jacket, pushing him out of frame.

MICHAEL (V.O.) So now whatever they're up to, I'm right in the middle of it. Hey, I usually don't want anything to do with these guys. They're not my kind of people, and I'm not theirs. But in circumstances like this, it can be very difficult to say no to them. So long story short, here it is several hours later, they're gone, and I still haven't quite made it to my own locker.

INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT.

Tight shot of MICHAEL once again leaning against locker, reading a book.

MICHAEL (V.O.) to tell the truth, it's been kinda nice since Tom and those guys left. Peaceful. The school is so quiet with no one around; I've just been standing here, reading a book. I check my watch again and see it's quarter to eight. My parents are probably going to start wondering where I am if I don't get on my way home. But then I hear something.

INT. HALLWAY NEAR INTERSECTING CORNER - NIGHT.

Point of view looks around corner to see FOUR GIRLS approaching. Point of view withdraws quickly as if not to be seen. Return to tight shot of frightened MICHAEL.

MICHAEL (V.O.) Or someone. A bunch of someones, coming down the hallway. It's a bunch of girls, I don't know how many but one of them is definitely Trisha Spencer so I can guess who the others are. Just my luck; I'd be happy to see just about anyone else. If Tom and his crew were girls, they would be Trisha and her gang of psychopaths. I stand as still as I can, praying they don't notice me. Then suddenly their laughter is punctuated by a loud thump against the lockers.

We see FOUR GIRLS surrounding LORI, pinning her against the lockers.

TRISHA So tell us what you're doing at school so late!

LORI Working.

Return to tight shot of MICHAEL, listening, concerned. We can hear everything in the hallway, but only see his reaction.

LORI Working, on a science project.

MICHAEL (V.O.) Lori Ellis! This is not good news. I hear all the girls start to laugh like deranged hyenas, as if this was the funniest thing they ever heard. Brainer types like Lori bring out the Neanderthal in Trisha and her kind for some reason.

Shot of girls in hallway again.

GIRL #1 You don't believe in science, do you? Science is all about locking up monkeys in cages and torturing them and stuff!

The FOUR GIRLS voice agreement, shove LORI against lockers.

LORI I don't torture monkeys.

Tight shot of MICHAEL. Noises from hallway as per his description (below).

MICHAEL (V.O.) This was followed by a bunch of noises that are hard to describe, mostly because I'm trying my best to forget. There was some hooting, and more hyena laughing, and lots of locker thumping. I felt like a total creep for not helping LORI. I mean, I really wanted to help her, but what could I do?

GIRL #2 Let's see how you like being locked in a cage!

MICHAEL (V.O.) this was the first coherent sentence I heard since they started their tribal war rally. The others seemed to agree, based on the increased level of hooting and locker thumping. Then I heard a series of sounds.

MICHAEL's eyes show increasing concern with each sound.

MICHAEL (V.O.) the squeaking of a locker door opening. The distinctive sound of someone being shoved into a locker against her will. Another squeaking door sound, terminated by the click of a latch. The snap of a lock, and a bang as it falls against the metal door. And the last sound, which can only be described as the noise a flock of chickens would make if it were to briskly walk in the opposite direction.

Shot of LORI, frightened, looking about within locker.

MICHAEL (V.O.) I know Lori, of course. She's been in lots of my classes since probably second grade. I just couldn't remember if we'd ever spoken. I guess I just never had the opportunity. Hey, I guess this was an opportunity.

Shot of LORI looking up in surprise as she hears MICHAEL outside the locker.

MICHAEL Lori?

LORI Michael?

Close-up of MICHAEL, speaking to locker door. Shots alternate from here on, focusing on whoever is speaking. Note, LORI indicates through voice and facial expressions that she finds the following conversation increasingly odd.

MICHAEL Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?

LORI (perky tone of voice): Oh, yeah! Sure, I'm great. Yourself?

MICHAEL (V.O.) I couldn't help laughing. This was just like her. Lori is the girl who can always make the class laugh, usually on purpose, but sometimes you aren't exactly sure.

MICHAEL Okay, glad to hear it. Listen, Lori. Can I ask you something?

LORI Now?

MICHAEL I guess so. If, you know, it's alright with you.

LORI Sure, I'm not going anywhere.

MICHAEL I was just wondering. Have you got any plans for tomorrow? Because I was thinking, maybe we could get together. You know, go out, and do something?

LORI Um, yeah. Sure. Sounds great. So Michael, is there any particular reason you're asking me this now?

MICHAEL Well, I've wanted to ask you out before, but it never seemed like a good time.

LORI So, this is what you would consider a good time?

MICHAEL Yeah, I guess so. I mean, it's not easy to ask a girl out. You know, look her in the face and ask her out on a date.

LORI Well, you certainly can't see my face. And I did say yes. So I suppose this is the perfect moment for you.

MICHAEL Yes. Yes, this worked out really well. So can I pick you up around five?

LORI Sure, five is good. Listen, Michael. If it's not too much trouble, I'd really appreciate if you could do something about getting me out of here? Please?

MICHAEL Oh, I'm sorry, Lori. I wish I could, but no.

LORI Uhhh, well... You're at least going to tell someone I'm here, right?

MICHAEL No, I'm not.

MICHAEL (V.O.) I hoped she would understand my regret from the tone of my voice.

MICHAEL This doesn't change anything, does it? You still want to go out with me, right?

LORI Okay... I'm just a bit confused. Is there any particular reason you're not helping me out of here?

Shot of empty hallway. Pan/zoom to two lockers beside each other.

MICHAEL It's just that, I'm in the locker next to you.

* * *

A/N: The reason for tight close-ups on Michael is to prevent the viewer from seeing he is leaning on the inside of the locker door, not the outside.