The Pride, Part Two (A Screenplay by Rod Townsend)
(Previously: Part One)
EXT. FIFTH AVENUE BETWEEN 15th AND 16th STREETS, SIDEWALK ON WEST SIDE OF THE STREET
THE PARADE is in progress. We see the amfAR float, filled with volunteers in yellow tee shirts, five men in square-cut nylon/lycra swimsuits and a drag queen in a red dress. It is blaring "I Know You Want Me" by Pitbull. THE CROWD is diverse (though gay-heavy) and active with picture taking, cheering, observing, socializing, and moving (mostly in a downtown direction).
GREG
Can you what? Get WHAT?
GREG begins to laugh, cough and choke. He removes the phone from his ear and waves it at MARK.
GREG [to MARK]
Take it. [Through coughs and cackles] Take it.
MARK
Who is it?
[MARK takes the phone, looks at the screen, holds it to his ear]
Omar? Oh my God, what did you tell Greg? He's having a seizure. Some kind of epileptic fit. … [louder] A conniption! I can barely hear you too. … Herpes in your eye? … I've never. Are you sure it's herpes and not just a stye? Or a pimple? … [even louder] A zit. Wait, what? … What? … I'm sorry, this parade is just too loud. Are you watching it? … We're just in front of the building now anyway. Do you need anything? … Okay, baby.
[Hands phone back to GREG]
You okay, piggy?
EXT. 16th STREET BETWEEN SIXTH AND SEVENTH AVENUES, SIDEWALK ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STREET
STEPHEN and ERIC are walking toward Fifth Avenue. The street is mostly quiet, but THE PARADE can be heard. STEPHEN's iPhone issues the "Old Phone" ringtone.
STEPHEN [into phone]
Hey, sexy. I saw you called. We're almost there. … I saw the message, but I didn't listen to— You what? … In your eye? … I don't think that's possible. … I was on the phone with my "organic products distributor". … Yes. We're, like, a block away. We have a bottle of Ketel. … Yes, and "organic products". … Love you too.
ERIC
What's in Omar's eye?
STEPHEN
[Nonchalantly] Herpes.
ERIC
Can you get herpes in your eye?
STEPHEN
You remember Mara? Darren's friend? She gets break-outs on her ass ever since a three way she had with some dirty Saudis in Sharm el-Sheikh. She pops Valtrex constantly.
ERIC
Oh, I totally knew that. She asked me for pills one time. Like four. That shit's expensive. Let me text that slut.
ERIC begins texting on his iPhone. A group of three twenty-something, Brooklyn-style lesbians passes. One bumps shoulders with ERIC.
ERIC
[Without looking up from his iPhone] Sorry, dude.
BROOKLYN LESBIAN
Whatever, lady.
ERIC
[Looking back, ready to argue] Who are you— [Then sheepishly] Happy pride?
INT. SUBWAY STATION AT 181st STREET
DEVIN passes through the turnstile and enters a somewhat crowded downtown-bound platform carrying his cake box. The crowd has a heavy concentration of Latinos (mostly Dominican). Many are visibly hot and sweaty; there are many looks of consternation and impatience. DEVIN looks in both directions and heads to the "front" of the platform which appears less crowded. He faces a TEENGIRL in a group of CHUBBY DOMINICAN TEEN GIRLS.
DEVIN
Have they said anything about the train?
TEENGIRL gives him a once over, tilting her head to the right, then nodding no. She flips her shoulder-length hair and then turns back to her friends and giggles, which starts the CHUBBY DOMINICAN TEEN GIRLS giggling and whispering amongst themselves and looking at DEVIN. DEVIN, now visibly sweating, continues moving down the platform. He wipes his brow with his free hand. Looking down the platform he seems to see someone familiar and quickens his pace.
DEVIN
Ernesto?
DEVIN trips forward. He loses his grip on the cake box.
DEVIN
Oh! My cake!
Through education and action, Rod Townsend demonstrates that gay and lesbian Republicans can, in a spirit of solidarity and integrity, contribute substantially to building and sustaining a majority Republican Party and a great nation. The Pride is his first screenplay.
"Republican Party"? I just got a soft-off.
Heh. Google it! http://www.google.com/search?q=%22contribute+substantially+to+building+and+sustaining+a+majority+Republican+Party+%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Haha, then Google last week's. http://www.google.com/search?q=%22With+great+optimism+and+with+a+continuing+commitment+to+unparalleled+client+service%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Oh, so cool! You Google-jacked the Republican Party using their own rhetoric? Do I finally 'get' it? :-D
rebooblican party.
The cake!
Log Cabin Republicans, tainted brand or branded taint?
The cake!
The lesbian!
The herpes!
The Pride!
The horror, the horror!
Dammit, Rod, I said it needed more explosions!
And by "explosions", I don't mean "outbreaks".
Can I play the role of "Brooklyn Lesbian" in the movie?
(N.B.: I am neither a Brooklyn resident nor a lesbian.)
I want a description of "Brooklyn Lesbian".