Meeting

 

INT. LIBRARY MEETING ROOM – DAY

Ian in a leather jacket and black jeans sits in the corner of an empty meeting room reading a book that sits on his lap, the cover hidden at this point. Ian turns a page and Leah walks in. Ian looks up.

LEAH
 (hiding her surprise)

Hi, there!

              IAN

Hi, how’s it going?

              LEAH

Terrific!

She goes to and moves a podium to face the room.

              LEAH

I’m supposing you’re here for the
Students for Social Justice meeting?

              IAN

Sure am.

Leah walks over to Ian to introduce herself. Ian stands up to do the same.

              LEAH

I’m Leah.

              IAN
(placing the book down to stand)

Ian. Good to meet you.

Ian sits back down, grabs the book. The book’s title shows: “A Testament of Hope: the Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr.” The cover includes an image of Dr. King. He begins to read again.

              LEAH
         (feigning upset)

So, you’re the one!

              IAN
        (caught off guard)

What’s that?

              LEAH

That book you’re reading, I was reading
it just a week ago. I tried to renew
it yesterday but couldn’t. Someone had
reserved it. I think his name is Ian
something. I hope he’s enjoying it.

              IAN
   (a bit amused, confused, shy)

Really? Sorry about that.

              LEAH

I’m just kidding. I’m sure you’ll enjoy
it. Like I was just last week.

Another student, ABBY, walks in.

              LEAH

Hi, Abby, how are you!? Didn’t think
you’d be making it today.

              ABBY

I didn’t either but practice got
canceled, so I’m here!

              LEAH

Sorry for them, but glad for us!
(Glancing at Ian) This is Ian. Ian, Abby.

Ian waves at Abby. 

              ABBY

Good to meet you, Ian.

 

INT. LIBRARY MEETING ROOM - LATER

Leah leads the meeting. A total of six students, including Ian and Leah, are in the meeting. A seventh person is DR. GARY PERISI, a 40ish professor, the faculty adviser of Students for Social Justice.

              LEAH

So, we still have to pick up the turkey
and canned foods but we’ll be good to
deliver tomorrow. The only thing is we
don’t have a car.

              STUDENT

Can we get a campus vehicle? I am
approved to drive.

              LEAH

Not this soon. I’d like to deliver it
tomorrow. Thanksgiving break is in a
couple days. I hate to ask you, Dr. P.

              DR. P

It would be really hard for me to help this
week. But if you get in a bind, I guess
I can make it happen.

              IAN

I know it’s my first visit. But I have a
car. I can drive.

EXT. LEAH’S DORMITORY BUILDING – DUSK

Ian waits in the car, a late 70’s powder blue Ford Thunderbird. Leah and her roommate come out with bag of groceries. Ian gets out of the car to help. He opens the back passenger side door. He clears away some room from his cluttered back seat. They get in the car.

INT. IAN’S CAR - DUSK

Leah and Ian settle into their seats and buckle their seat belt.

              LEAH

So, I just got a call. Abby can’t come.
So it’s just us. (smiling) I can trust
you, right?

              IAN
          (laughs a bit)

I drove this jalopy from New York. I
think we’ll get there okay.

EXT. SMALL HOUSE, SPRINGFIELD, OHIO – DUSK

Ian’s car pulls up to a streetside parking space. He and Leah get out of car. As they collect groceries, we see a rundown neighborhood.

EXT SMALL HOUSE FRONT DOOR – CONTINUOUS

Ian holding a large brown bag of groceries rings doorbell. Leah stands next to him with a bag of groceries as well. ROY LOVING, a rough around the edges man in his mid-40’s, answers the door. Two little girls, JENNIFER, 7, and JESSI, 9, run to see who’s at the door.

LEAH

Hi, Roy! We’ve come bearing gifts. Hi,
kids!

INT. FRONT DOOR ENTRY – CONTINUOUS

Ian and Leah walk into house. It is noticeable rundown as well with worn out floors that includes broken wood in places. The wars are dingy. The furniture old and well-worn. DONNA LOVING, a casually but neatly dressed woman in her 40’s, walks into the living room space.

              DONNA

Hi Leah, how are you!?

              LEAH
          (handing Roy the bags)

I’m good, I’m good. As promised.

              ROY

Thanks so much, guys. We sure do
appreciate this.

              DONNA

Yes, this is so kind of you.

              LEAH

This is Ian. He’s new to SSJ but
volunteered to drive and deliver! Ian,
this is Roy and Donna.

              IAN
        (Ian shaking hands)

Great to meet you

              LEAH

            (looks at kids and trying to remember)

Jen and… Jessi, right?

              JEN & JESSE

Yeah!… Right.

Roy takes groceries and heads to the kitchen toward the back of the house to put them away.

              IAN

Good to meet you Jen and Jessi. The J
and J sisters (a bit jokingly as girls
smile)

              DONNA

Would you like to sit down a bit?

Leah looks at Ian to confirm

              IAN

Sure!

INT. LOVING LIVING ROOM – MOMENTS LATER

Ian sips from a coffee mug. Leah holds a tea cup with a tea bag hanging out.

              LEAH

Are you having family over for
Thanksgiving? Or?

              DONNA

We’re headed to my sister’s in Dayton.
But we’re gonna do our own Thanksgiving
this weekend.

              LEAH

That’s wonderful! It’s so nice to have
family so close. Right, kids?

              JESSI

Yeah, we love going over there. We love
seeing our cousins!

              LEAH

Are they your age?

              JEN

Natalie is 10, I think. Joannie just
turned 13.

              LEAH

So a little older then.

              JEN

Yeah.

              LEAH
   (as if trying to engage him)

Ian, you said you’re going home to New
York for Thanksgiving, right?

              IAN

Yeah, that’s right. Only a few more
days!

              DONNA

Autumn in New York City, hey?

              IAN

I’m from upstate New York, actually. Near
Albany.

              ROY

Driving, flying?

              IAN

Driving. With a couple other students
from upstate New York.

              DONNA

What about you, Leah?

              LEAH

Oh, I’m going to Cincinnati to a friend’s
home for the holiday weekend.
Unfortunately, Florida is a bit too far
away and Christmas is not far away.

Jen kneels as she plays with a doll at the other end of the living room. Jess is in front of the TV reading a book stomach down on the rug.

              LEAH

It’ll be my first Thanksgiving away from
Florida! Second actually. I don’t
remember my first. I was not even
a year old…

              DONNA

Awww. I’m sorry you won’t be home for Thanksgiving. You’ll be there for
Christmas, you say?

              LEAH

Yes! I cannot wait!

As Leah interacts with the family, Ian quietly observes, hiding his burgeoning infatuation with Leah.

LEAH

I miss seeing Florida palm trees,
believe it or not. And the weather, of
course.

Leah makes eye contact with Ian and gives a smile with her eyes.

Christmas trees are nice, don’t get me
wrong. But palm trees are what I want to
see this year! Maybe beautifully lighted
up ones.

                                    DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LOVING LIVING ROOM – CONTINUOUS

Conversation, now muted, continues as soft, ethereal pop music (e.g., Enya) drops in. The four adults talk among themselves. The children do their own thing. The camera rests upon these moments as the music plays.

INT. IAN’S CAR – NIGHT

Same music continues to play over. We see out the windshield of the car as snow now falls, some flakes dancing in the headlights, some caught in the car’s draft and racing toward the glass and then over the hood, some hitting the glass now with its windshield wipers on.

INT. IAN’S DORM ROOM – NIGHT

Ian lies in his bed, but unable to sleep for the night, pondering his visit to the Lovings and his time with Leah. He gets up, turns a small lamp on, grabs his journal. In the warm light of the small lamp, he writes.

               IAN (v.o.)

A question asked, answered but
unresolved.
She looked deeply, finding the hiding
place full.
To give in, yet to fight until peace
resumes,
finding silently, alone, Hope – the
answer resolved.