Grayden

GRAYDEN

Written by Christopher Michael Carter

FADE IN

INT. ATTIC – DAY

A dark keyhole in a brown trunk.

A MAN enters and locks it.

GRAYDEN (V.O.)

I never met my father.

The man’s hands tie a thick rope over a ceiling rafter. He has a wedding band on.

The attic – wooden and bare.

GRAYDEN (V.O.)

He died just before I was born.

The man’s feet abruptly drop down with a stark jerking sound.

FADE OUT

EXT. CITY SIDEWALK – DAY – ANOTHER TIME

The man (younger) walks in a hurry with a hand in his jacket. Random pedestrians pass and the city around him is up and running, nothing run down.

GRAYDEN (V.O.)

I’d like to think he was some kind of superhero but I know that’s not the case. He had a questionable past.

The man walks into a shop.

MAN (O.S.)

Gimme the money! Now! Now!

He runs out of the building, bumping into random people on the sidewalk and runs off. Everyone looks at him and in his direction, appalled.

ANOTHER STREET

A squad car with lights flashing is stopped. Two POLICEMEN in uniform bring the young robber in handcuffed and place him in the back of the car.

FADE OUT

INT. HOME – DAY - PAST

Little baby GRAYDEN looks up from his crib.

GRAYDEN (V.O.)

Of course, people were never shy about telling me about him.

Elderly hands reach in to pinch his cheeks.

OLD LADY (O.S.)

You’re a spittin’ image of the lush, your father.

The OLD LADY looking down at us – frail, too much makeup.

OLD LADY

Hopefully the apple fell pretty far.

(Laughing)

Maybe I should check your bottle.

INT. HOME, KITCHEN – DAY – ANOTHER TIME

GRAYDEN - now a young child - sits at the kitchen table eating cereal. He stops eating and looks up.

GRAYDEN

Mom, how come I don’t have a dad like the other kids?

Grayden’s MOM at the sink. She stops washing dishes, still looking down. Saddened and speechless, she turns and looks at him.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL – DAY - PRESENT

GRAYDEN - now a teenager - is going to his locker.

The halls are full of students talking and heading to their next class.

GRAYDEN (V.O.)

Despite all that, my family’s tried pretty hard raising me better. I’m about to graduate high school.

Grayden gets his books out of his locker. A GIRL approaches him from behind. She puts her hands over his eyes.

TASHA

Guess who?

TASHA – best friend.

GRAYDEN

Hmm… science project gone wrong?

She shoves him.

TASHA

(Laughing)

Jerk.

He turns around to her.

GRAYDEN

(Shrugging)

Well, I was going off of smell.

She sniffs her hand curiously.

TASHA

Oh, I forgot to wash my hands after Bio.

He reacts disgusted, wiping his face.

GRAYDEN

Ugh, thanks a lot.

TASHA

Relax. It’s harmless.

They turn from his locker and start walking down the hall.

TASHA

Well, Gray?

GRAYDEN

Well, Tasha?

TASHA

You’re turning eighteen tomorrow. What’re the plans?

GRAYDEN

(Looking over at her)

…Plans?

They continue down the hall.

TASHA

C’mon, Grayden. No more birthday blues. You promised after last year.

GRAYDEN

Who’s blue? I just don’t have plans.

TASHA

You wanna take our pictures and put “Missing Persons” flyers up in stores?

They laugh.

GRAYDEN

Ha, no. I’ve managed to stay out of trouble thus far.

TASHA

Graduation’s at the end of the week. You’re in the clear. Plus, you’re due for something stupid or at least spontaneous.

They stop. Other students still pass by.

GRAYDEN

I agree, but I gotta get to class.

He turns into a classroom.

TASHA

Well, let me know.

She continues walking alone, exiting.

CLASS ROOM

Grayden sits near the back of the class, chewing on his pen.

TEACHER (O.S.)

I know school’s about done and surely you guys are gonna get a little crazy. Some of you are going to college, some into the work force.

Scanning the room – some classmates smirk at each other and laugh.

Others pay attention and nod in agreement.

TEACHER (O.S.)

Any of you guys know what you want to do with you lives?

Other students raise their hands. Grayden doesn’t - he sits thinking to himself.

FADE OUT

INT. HOME, LIVING ROOM - DAY

Grayden enters the front door.

GRAYDEN

Mom, I’m home!

KITCHEN

Mom sits at the table, drinking coffee. Grayden enters and goes to the fridge.

MOM

How was school?

Grayden gets a bottle of water and takes a drink before answering.

GRAYDEN

(Nodding)

It was definitely school…

He sits down with her at the table.

MOM

A big week. Graduation and a birthday.

GRAYDEN

Yeah, feels weird. You get so used to something over the years and then it changes.

MOM

Well, there’s always college so it won’t feel too much different.

GRAYDEN

Yeah… Not sure if I wanna go right to college or take a year off.

MOM

Why would you want to take a year off? Why wouldn’t you want to just keep going and get it done?

GRAYDEN

(Shrugging)

I don’t know.

MOM

Well, just take the summer and think about it.

Grayden nods and stands up and turns to leave the room.

MOM

Grayden, wait…

Grayden stops and turns back.

MOM

Sit down.

Mom sets her coffee down while he sits.

MOM

I trust tomorrow you and Tasha will be out doing something for your birthday, so…

Mom gets up and leaves the room. Grayden still sits.

GRAYDEN

(Curious)

Mom?

She returns with a brown trunk and sets it down on the table.

His eyebrows raise.

GRAYDEN

Huh, what’s this?

Mom sits back down.

Mom

Gray, when your father died, he had a note with him. In it, it says this was to be saved for your eighteenth birthday.

She has her hand on the chest. She’s nervous.

MOM

Well, here.

She hands him the letter.

GRAYDEN

Okay…

Grayden’s looking down at the letter.

GRAYDEN (V.O.)

Holding my father’s suicide letter in my hands for the first time left me frozen. He spoke of not being good enough for my mother and his hopes that I’ll be better than him.

Tears stream down his face. He wipes his face with his sleeve and inhales.

Mom is fighting tears herself.

Grayden hands the letter back.

GRAYDEN

You kept that all this time?

She has tears in her eyes, choking up.

MOM

…I read it every day.

A look of realization comes over him.

GRAYDEN

So…

(Clears throat)

What is this?

Mom gets up and walks over to the cabinets. She reaches up and gets something from the top of them.

MOM

I’ve never opened it.

She sits back down.

MOM

I couldn’t do it. It’s meant for you. This is yours.

She places a key in his hand.

GRAYDEN

(Looking at it)

Well, no time like the present.

Grayden unlocks the chest slowly.

Mom taps her nails on the table in anticipation and nervousness.

The chest is opened.

Its contents: A large manila envelope.

      

Grayden takes it out.

GRAYDEN

(To the envelope)

Hello. What are you?

Mom wipes tears from her face, interested.

Grayden opens the envelope and pulls out a letter and begins to read.

GRAYDEN

“To my son,”

His voice merges to his father’s in a voice over.

DAD (V.O.)

I know this seems a bit overdue.

INT. HOME – DAY - PAST

Old grainy family video - Grayden as a toddler on Christmas morning opening presents, smiling. A big full Christmas tree is behind him.

DAD (V.O.)

I hope you’re doing well. When I was your age I was stealing and getting into fights so I hope you haven’t gone down that path. All that changed when I met your mother.

INT. HOME – DAY - PRESENT

Mom smiles through her tears. Grayden continues reading.

GRAYDEN

Here’s a photo of your mom on the day we met. I always kept it.

His hand holds a younger picture of his Mom, with teased up hair and a big smile. A smile he doesn’t believe he’s ever seen on her.

He hands her the photo. She’s as shocked as him and continues to smile and cry.

MOM

(Smiling)

Oh my God.

Something in the envelope catches Grayden’s eye. He reaches in and takes out a stack of CASH with a little band on it. He looks stunned.

Her look matches his.

They look at each other wide eyed.

FADE OUT

EXT. PARK - DAY

Grayden & Tasha walk in the park.

TASHA

Ten thousand dollars? Honestly I don’t think I’ve seen more than two.

GRAYDEN

Not so sure I’ve even seen two. He saved it up through the years of working long nights at a factory.

The two walk out of frame.

The two friends are now sitting on swings.

TASHA

So what are you gonna do with it?

GRAYDEN

I think I’m gonna go away for a little bit. Maybe clear my head or something.

TASHA

What about college?

GRAYDEN

C’mon, Tosh, you sound like my mom.

Beyond a little kicking at the ground they’re not swinging.

TASHA

Gray—

GRAYDEN

Tosh, look, I don’t even know what I want to do yet. I just need to take some time.

TASHA

Well, you might want to figure it out. We’re about to graduate.

Tasha gets up, pats him on the shoulder and exits. Grayden stays, thinking.

DAD (V.O.)

I always talked about wanting to travel but always ended up stuck in this small town. I was working six to seven nights a week to simply stay afloat. I realized I wasn’t going anywhere and I was bringing your mom down too. I couldn’t do it anymore.

INT. HOME, LIVING ROOM – DAY

Grayden enters the house and walks through.

MOM’S BEDROOM

Grayden opens the door slightly.

GRAYDEN

(Whispering)

Mom?

Mom’s asleep on top of the covers with the letter in her hand.

HALLWAY

Grayden shuts the door quietly and exits down the hall. On the walls are family photos.

FADE OUT

EXT. GRADUATION - DAY

A crowd of freed students, all in blue graduation caps and gowns.

GRAYDEN (V.O.)

In my father’s letter he spoke of the trappings and imprisonments of small town life. He saved what he could over time and asked simply that I take it and go out and see the world.

Grayden goes up to get his diploma.

GRAYDEN (V.O.)

He adored my mother, despite her family’s constant drive to separate them.

Grayden gets his diploma and shakes the principal’s hand and turns to the crowd, smiling.

His Mom sits in the large crowd, smiling wide with tears in her eyes.

GRAYDEN (V.O.)

He thought he wasn’t good enough for her. That he couldn’t keep her love if he wasn’t something in life or providing enough. …He was wrong.

FADE OUT

EXT. HOME, FRONT YARD - DAY

Grayden, Tasha, and Mom are loading up the car. They all hug before he gets in.

GRAYDEN (V.O.)

With all that said, I’m taking my father up on his last wishes.

The car’s taking off down the street.

The girls, though happy for him, fight the tears watching him leave. They hold each other standing in the front yard.

The car fades in the distance.

FADE OUT

END


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