Scene 1 - Highway

Camera opens to a large, yet sparsely traveled, highway. It is early morning, Summer. The cars traveling along the highway make a repetitive noise patter. A brief pause, then BRUCE's car passes. We enter Bruce's car to join male main character driving, listening to the radio. Bruce is a black male in his early thirties. Elements inside the car include radio, bats and equipment in back seat, stash of Power Bars on passenger seat. Bruce is listening to the news on the radio. Bruce is kind of bleary-eyed, unshaven, and keeps fiddling with the tuning in a fruitless effort to get better reception. While fooling with the radio, he inadvertently wanders into the next lane and has to readjust fast as passing car goes by. When this happens, we see shot of softball bats shifting in the back seat, making a clanking noise. Passing driver honks. Driver of passing car yells, "Get a life, Pal!"

Camera shifts to a 2nd car, viewed from the outside. We hear the sound of girls singing, having a good time. The girls are singing Kumbaya in an obnoxious fashion. There is a very different feel in this car from Bruce's car. The occupants are an adult female and four girls, roughly ages 11 to 13, all various shapes and colors, one girl in the front seat and three in the back seat. MARY, the female main character, is seated at the window in the back seat on the driver's right. Mary is white, about 5 feet tall with shoulder length dark hair. Her best friend, AMICA, is black, slightly taller than Mary, and seated next to Mary in the middle of the back seat. Becky is seated at the other window seat in the back. Michele is in the passenger's seat in the front. The driver is Michelle's mom.

Michelle: (Body faced rearward) Kumbaya, my Lord. KUM-BA-YA!!!

(Other girls join in.)

Mom: (Looking over) Michelle, sit down!

Michelle: Okay. (She sits down. Looks to the right of of window. We see Bruce's car coasting backward as it is being passed by the girls' car.) Hey, Mary! There's your boyfriend!

(Girls in back seat look to right, out of window.)

Becky: Oh wow, it's Bruce.

Mom: You mean Mr. Adams.

Becky: Yeah, Bruce. Mr. Adams.

Michelle: Slow down, Mom! (Rolls down window) Hey!

(We see Michelle's motion from Bruce's vantage point. Hear muffled yells as the girls try to get Bruce's attention. We see Michelle leaning out of window in background as Bruce looks at road, then to his left as he notices Michelle leaning from other car.)

Michelle: Hey, Bruce! Hey! Coach G in the house with the 6-8-G...

Mom: Girl, have you lost your mind? You'd better sit your tired self down and roll up that window... (Michelle complies.)

(Mary is looking quietly out of window, thoughtful, smiling. Amica looks over at Mary.)

Amica: Dang, Girl! (Hits Mary on leg) Look at you, all in love and everything. Like you're about to have a cow!

Michelle: It'll be Bruce's cow!

Mom: You mean Mr. Adams.

Michelle: (Turning around) Yeah, Mr. Adams. It'll be Mr. Adams' cow! (Mary hits back of Michelle's seat.)

(Camera focuses on Mary as she resumes looking of of window. Then we see Mary from outside of window as the car she is riding in drifts slowly by the camera.

(We see Bruce as he continues driving. He looks deep in thought as he stares at the road ahead. News can be heard in the background. Fade.)