Episode one: Trash or Treasure

EXT. FURNITURE WORLD PARKING LOT - NIGHT

MARY LOU (60s,guarded,risky,hoarder)  leaps out of her dark green Mazda Miata and hustles to the front door.

MEREDITH (60s, Kind) the manager, spots Mary Lou approaching and quickly calls over her other employee, TANIA (60s, Strong, Plus Size).

MEREDITH: "Oh no, it’s her. Quick, Go lock the door. If she gets in we will be here all night."

Meredith ducks below the counter. Tania rushes toward the door.

TANIA: "Don’t you worry. I got this."

Mary Lou beats her to the unlocked door. The door jingles but Tania wedges her foot keeping the door from opening.

TANIA (CONT’D): "Oh, I’m sorry. I was just about to lock up."

MARY LOU: "But you close at eight."

Mary Lou looks at her watch.

MARY LOU (CONT’D): "It’s 7:48. Where’s Meredith? She knows me. Meredith? It’s Lou!"

Meredith continues hiding below the counter, eyes closed and hands in a praying position.

TANIA: "Well, we like to be leaving the store at eight, ma’am. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Feel free to come back tomorrow."

Tania backs her out of the entrance, locks the door, and turns around making her way back to the counter. Meredith slowly emerges from below the counter.

MEREDITH: "You’re a saint, Tania. Thank you.

TANIA: "Ain’t no one keeping me past eight tonight. Uh huh."

Mary Lou is walking to her car, mumbling and visibly frustrated.

MARY LOU: "If you want to close at 7:45, then write 7:45 on the stupid sign."

She looks back behind her at the store while fumbling for her keys. A man in a gray hoodie approaches her from the side. BRETT (40’s, Desperate, chiseled) has a suave approach with longish sandy colored greasy hair. He has a cast on his arm.

BRETT: "Hey, excuse me, can I borrow your phone? I have to make a quick call to my kids. Some asshole blindsided me on my motorcycle and my phone smashed into a million pieces, along with my arm."

He lifts his cast up.

MARY LOU: "Ouch, that sounds terrible. Oh, I don’t know. I don’t know you. I’m so sorry. Aren’t there pay phones anymore?"

She laughs nervously while still looking for her keys.

BRETT: "It would really help me out. Look, it will be your good deed for the day. I promise, I’ll be quick."

He gives a warm convincing smile.

MARY LOU: "Oh, I don’t know...you seem like a nice guy. Okay, one quick call to your kids."

BRETT: "Thank you so much."

He takes the phone and puts it in his pocket.

BRETT (CONT’D): "Now, I’ll take your purse too"

MARY LOU: "Hey, give me my phone back!"

BRETT: "Your purse, please. Come on, don’t make this difficult."

He tries to grab the purse from her grip but she fights back.

MARY LOU: "No! Get off of me! Help! Help!"

BRETT: "Just give it to me, lady."

They are struggling with her purse when Tania comes from around the back of the store and jumps onto Brett’s back. He is turning in circles, his knees buckling under the weight.

Mary Lou grabs her pickle ball racket out of the backseat and starts hitting him with it.

BRETT (CONT’D): "Ouch! Okay! Okay! I’ll leave!"

Tania is letting out warrior screams as they spin around in circles while Mary Lou continues to hit him over the head. Mary Lou rips her purse from his loosening grip as Tania falls off his back onto the ground.

He takes off running with her phone.

MARY LOU: "Hey, my phone! Jerk!"

She runs after him briefly and then turns back to help Tania off the ground.

MARY LOU (CONT’D): "Oh my gosh. Are you okay? Thank you so much for your help. Who knows what that guy was capable of. He was probably going for my car next. You’re a hero."

TANIA: "It ain’t no big deal. I saw you needed help. I’m sure you would have done the same thing for me."

She stands up, brushing the dirt off her clothes.

MARY LOU: "Are you hurt anywhere? Should we call the police?"

TANIA: "I ain’t got time for all that. I have to get home to make dinner for my kids."

MARY LOU: "Well, let me see if I have some cash on me."

She starts searching through her purse. Tania puts her hand on Mary Lou’s wrist.

TANIA: "That won’t be necessary. Truly. Keep your money."

MARY LOU: "Well, I’m going to come back and bring you something nice, okay? I really am grateful. I don’t even know your name?"

TANIA: "It’s Tania."

Tania walks towards her beat up older car.

MARY LOU: "I really am grateful. Have a good night!"

Tania drives off.

INT. MARY LOU’S CAR - NIGHT

Mary Lou lets out a deep exhale. She throws her racket and purse in the back seat when she sees her laptop bag tucked behind the passenger’s seat. She goes to start the car but has an idea.

She removes the keys from the ignition and grabs the laptop and exits the vehicle. She is walking with the laptop open trying to get a WIFI signal from outside Furniture World.

Pressing her laptop up against the front door she finally connects to WIFI. She opens the “find my iPhone” feature on her MacBook. A little blinking dot appears nearby.

MARY LOU: "Well. Well. Well. There you are. Scumbag."

To read the entire script send me a message