Plots And Schemes
Cleave Hills High School.
Three periods after recess, the Physics laboratory. Gustavo pulls out a stool and sits beside Elvis who is looking through his hand lenses, comparing the molds on two separate slices of bread which have been kept for days... One kept by him, and the other one kept by their physics teacher.
GUSTAVO: Dude, what you doing?
ELVIS: Uhm, trying to wrap my head around these specimens, I suppose.
GUSTAVO: Oh, you're testing molds? Cool. That one looks like it has stayed over two weeks. (Pointing to the slice of bread on the left)
ELVIS: Quite obvious.
GUSTAVO: Wow, never knew you could tell.
ELVIS: Very funny. (Gustavo chuckles). Why are you here? You're not my lab partner.
GUSTAVO: Relax, man. I just came to talk to you. (He rests his elbow on the table, facing Elvis)
ELVIS: Well then, talk.
GUSTAVO: I'm sure you've seen the new girl, we've taken a few general classes together.
ELVIS: Yeah, seen her. Isn't her name Gwen or something?
GUSTAVO: Yeah that's it. Why haven't you talked to her?
ELVIS: I dunno, am I supposed to?
He asks without looking at Gustavo, head still faced down, focusing on his mold observation chart and trying to figure out how long the other bread must have stayed.
GUSTAVO: You mean you haven't noticed?
ELVIS: Noticed what?
GUSTAVO: The way she looks at you, she really likes you.
ELVIS: No way! (He chuckles, raising his head)
GUSTAVO: Dude... (His eyes bulge). During math class earlier today, she was just stealing glances at you.
ELVIS: Really? (Smirking) How come I didn't notice?
GUSTAVO: Because you were too busy being a dumb ass.
ELVIS: I don't believe you.
GUSTAVO: You don't believe you're a dumb ass?
ELVIS: Shut up. I don't believe she was stealing glances at me. It's not like I pay attention in math class, I would have noticed her for sure if she was looking at me.
GUSTAVO: I'm damn serious. She's got a crush on you.
ELVIS: So why are you the one telling me this? She can always walk up to me...
GUSTAVO: Who the hell do you think you are that she's gonna walk up to you and confess her feelings?
ELVIS: Uhm... I...
GUSTAVO: No, you tell me. Who the hell are you? Justin Bieber? Cameron Boyce? (He exhales, shifts his stool closer to Elvis then places a palm on his shoulder). Dude... a lot of girls would rather die than confess their feelings to the guy they like.
ELVIS: I see your point.
GUSTAVO: Another thing you need to see is your skill. You know how good you are with girls. (Elvis smirks). Go get her... before someone else does. (He winks)
ELVIS: I guess I'd be talking to her tomorrow. (Smiling)
GUSTAVO: The fun's about to begin. (He says in his mind)
After school, the jocks are out on the field already, doing warmup exercises as Marcello arrives carrying a heavy bag containing the rest of their kits, he's accompanied by two freshman boys who enjoy hovering around him because he's the captain. Elvis is walking to the field, kitted up for practice when Maxx calls out to him, jogging to meet him.
MAXX: Elvis! Elvis! Wait up.
ELVIS: Maxx? (Turning around on hearing his name) Hey man.
MAXX: Sup. I've been wanting to... to talk to either you or your brother. (Slightly panting as he stops in front of Elvis)
ELVIS: Oh, what's going on?
MAXX: Nothing, nothing serious. I just wanted to ask if you've got Bonnie's number.
ELVIS: Bonnie? (He blinks, wondering) You mean Bonnie Holmes, my neighbor?
MAXX: Yeah. Girl-next-door Bonnie.
ELVIS is : This is unusual. Not exactly unusual but I'm surprised.
MAXX: Yeah. You know, I saw her for the first time at your sister's party, ever since, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Then I saw her again yesterday evening at my dad's diner, she was with some friends.
ELVIS: Okay... like I said, I'm surprised. I thought you liked my sister's friend.
MAXX: Zoey?
ELVIS: Yeah.
MAXX: Of course I do, she's okay. What has that gotta do with this?
ELVIS: So you two aren't going out?
MAXX: Going out? Hold on a second, you mean dating? (Elvis nods). We're just friends. I know we used to hang out often, that was before they got transferred back to Cleave Hills Middle School. I like her, but as a friend.
ELVIS: I get that now... interesting.
MAXX: Dude, are you giving me the number or not? (He laughs, playfully hitting Elvis on the stomach then all of a sudden keeps a straight face)
ELVIS: Why that look?
MAXX: She's got a boyfriend. I dunno... perhaps I should just back off, right? (Stroking his chin)
ELVIS: She's got a boyfriend?
MAXX: I just said that.
ELVIS: So what? A goalpost has a goalkeeper but you can still score.
MAXX: I think this is kind of a different situation but I get your point, nice metaphor.
"You wanna tell me what the hell you're doing back there, kid? Get your ass right here now!" Marcello who's been looking out for Elvis since he arrived at the field calls out to him the moment he spots him.
ELVIS: Coming right up, cap! (He answers Marcello then turns to Maxx). I'll text you her number when I get home.
MAXX: Thanks, I owe you one. (He smiles and takes a step back to look at Elvis). Back on the team, huh?
ELVIS: Feels good. (He chuckles) Aced a few tests and dad lifted his ban.
MAXX: Awesome! ...later, bro. (They pat each other on the back)
At home, 04:30pm.
The Holmes place.
[Incoming call]
[Contact: Derson]
BONNIE: Hey, babe. (She picks up immediately)
ANDERSON: Sup, bee. Sorry I didn't have the opportunity to see you today at school.
BONNIE: No need for the apology. How are you?
ANDERSON: I'm okay. Got good news.
BONNIE: Tell me.
ANDERSON: Our plan turned out great. Dylan was able to record an incriminating conversation between Matilda and Prudencia. All these evidences have been shown to the principal. We gonn' wait till tomorrow for the outcome. Tell Tyler to prepare coz he comin' back to school real soon.
BONNIE: Incredible!
ANDERSON: Yeah, bee. Anyway, just wanted to hear your voice. My battery's down, gotta charge, talk to you later.
BONNIE: Sure thing. I've got homework to finish up.
ANDERSON: A'ight, bye.
BONNIE: x.o.x.o.
ANDERSON: Did you just say x.o.x.o?
BONNIE: Hahaha, byeeeee. (She drops the phone on her bed as he ends the call)
15 minutes later.
BONNIE: Phew! (She exhales) that's all for math. Now physics... (she flips a textbook open). To calculate the velocity of a certain...
[Incoming call]
[Unknown caller]
BONNIE: Can y'all just lemme finish my homework so I can forget about it? Who could this be? (She hesitates as she watches the phone ring briefly before picking up)
"Hello"
BONNIE: Hello?
"This is Bonnie, yeah?"
BONNIE: Who are you please?
"Maxwell Frost"
BONNIE: Maxwell? Like... Maxx from Frost Diner the other day?
"Guilty as charged"
BONNIE: Oh, heyyyyy!
MAXX: I just called to say hi.
BONNIE: Thanks, that's nice. How did you get my number?
MAXX: Someone gave it to me.
BONNIE: Who?
MAXX: Someone you know.
BONNIE: Who?
MAXX: Come on, I'm no snitch. Does it really matter? (He chuckles)
BONNIE: It does, there are lots of creeps out there but... never mind. Why do you sound so happy?
MAXX: I'm talking to a pretty girl, isn't that a good reason?
BONNIE: Hmm.
MAXX: What's that noise?
BONNIE: What noise?
MAXX: Is there an airport around your place?
BONNIE: No, why?
MAXX: Uhm, never mind. I think that's the sound of my heart taking off.
BONNIE: Maxx, you're flirting with me on our first phone call, seriously?
MAXX: There's a sixty percent chance that you might block my number right after this call so I'd rather take my chances. You're worth the risk.
BONNIE: Oh my God. (Smiling) You need help, Maxx. (Her smile turns into a chuckle). And relax, I'm not gonna block your number.
They go on talking for a while.
05:10pm, the Mance's place.
Eric is in his room with his siblings and the dog.
ELVIS: I was murdered in school, all you need to do is look around. (Reading the new note Peggy left). Well, she wants us to look around the school, so where do we start?
ERIC: And what does she want us to find? Her corpse? (He jokes)
ELENA: Stop, that's creepy.
ELVIS: This whole thing is creepy.
ERIC: Hold on a second, what if I'm right? Look at the note critically, line one and two have significant messages.
ELVIS: Gimme a break, man. Line one? Line two? This is a creepy ghost message, and not one of your sonnets or Elizabethan poems.
ERIC: Very funny. (Taking offense). Look deep into the message...
ELVIS: It's just two fucking lines, bro. There's nothing deep here.
ERIC: Shut up, man. She's just trying to tell us in the first line that she was murdered in the school premises.
ELVIS: Whoa... Thanks for the insight, captain obvious.
ERIC: And the second sentence shows that she was buried in school. Why else would we need to look around? She was killed and her body was buried in school as a way of covering the murderer's tracks.
ELVIS: Wait, for real? (Sharing a look with his siblings). And it just keeps getting creepier.
ERIC: Dad needs to get a warrant so we can find and exhume her body.
Sheen barks.
ERIC: Even your dog agrees with me. Who's a good boy? (He squats to pat the dog)
ELENA: Whoa, we're really doing this.
ERIC: Once we find her body, the next step would be an autopsy which would leave traces on how to catch her murderer. But the big question now is... where exactly was she buried?