214 ILL RUN

( T&T /#12 )

‘So why weren't you at the meeting

last night, Son?’

[ Joh turns around from sitting at his

desk to see his Dad standing in the

doorway ]

JOH: I had a lot of school work to

get done. . .

JOHsDAD: And I noticed last Sunday

you didn't raise your hand once

to comment on the Watchtower. . .

What’s going on with you?

JOH: It’s nothing, Dad!

JOHsDAD: Well, you know how I

felt about you going to school. . .

If you can’t seem to balance

everything, maybe you should

rethink that decision.

JOH: I can handle my classes. . .

It’s this constant pressure from you

I can’t

So what if I miss one meeting. . .

it’s not the end of the world!

JOHsDAD: Maybe you don’t realize

Johsef, but it is the end and

I don’t want you to get caught

up in other things and loose site of

what’s most important

JOH: You mean, the way I've already

lost site on having my own life

[ He stands up & grabs his bag ]

JOHsDAD: Where are you going?

JOH: I’m over eighteen years old,

Dad. . .I’m leaving

[ Weis is sitting outside TA pulls

something out of his bag & starts

lighting it when suddenly a truck

comes up ]

WEIS: Dude, you scared the shit

out of me!

[ gets out ] JOH: Hey, sorry. . .

WEIS: It’s alright,

where you been?

JOH: Uh, got into it with my Dad

again. . .so I stayed home

WEIS: Damn, that sucks!

JOH: Yeah. . .

[ sits down ] Well, that doesn't look

like your regular menthol [ smiles ]

WEIS: That’s cuz it’s not a

cigarette dude

JOH: Oh, what is it?

[ Weis looks around. ]

WEIS: A blunt

JOH: Oh, OK

WEIS: You have no clue what

I’m talking about, do you?

JOH: Nope

[ pretends to whisper ] WEIS: It's pot.

JOH: You’re doing that right

outside the store?

[looks @him ] WEIS: Yup. . .

and guess what? Ski’s with Mark now

JOH: Wow, you must have

had a interesting night then!

Well, I’m about to take off

[ looks away ]

WEIS: Where you going?

JOH: I don’t know yet. . .

But I wanna get far away

from here

WEIS: Oh yeah?

[ stands up ] JOH: Yeah. . .

Hey, you wanna come with?

WEIS: Uh, sure

JOH: I figured you say that.

WEIS: Yeah, let’s go!

[ They both get in the truck

and Joh drives off ]

[ HIthe’s sprawled out on his couch,

with his uniform on the floor &

empty beer cans on his table when

his cell rings. . . ]

[ sits up ] HITHE: Hello?

KRISTYN: Hithe. . .Hi, um

I was just wondering if maybe

you wanted to come over

HITHE: Sure, when?

KRISTYN: Now. . .if that’s alright

HITHE: Uh, yeah. . .

Let me just get dressed

[ pulls on pants ]

KRISTYN: OK

and I made breakfast, if you’re hungry

HITHE: Sounds good. . .

I’ll be there soon

[ Ten minutes later, Hithe arrives

at Kristyn’s front door. . . ]

[ opens door ] KRISTYN: Come on in. . .

the kids are still sleeping

HITHE: OK

[ Kristyn shuts the door and

Hithe follows her into the kitchen

and takes a seat at the table ]

[ smiles ] KRISTYN: Are those your

pajamas?

[ looks up ] HITHE: No, I don’t really

wear pajamas. . .

KRISTYN: Oh [ looks down ]

HITHE: So, uh. . .

How are you doing?

KRISTYN: I’m sorry, I haven’t

talked to you since I left the

hospital. . .

It’s just been hard balancing

seeing my kids and hiding that

we just lost a son [ turns away ]

HITHE: I know, I even tried going

into work yesterday. . .

KRISTYN: You went to work?

HITHE: Yeah, but I have no idea

why I ended up there

KRISTYN: This has been terrible!

[ drops a plate ]

[ Hithe bends down and gets

the plate]

HITHE: We can get

through this together though. . .

[ looks rite at her ] I promise

[ Joh and Weis are riding along on

the highway. . . ]

WEIS: Damn, how long have

we been driving?

JOH: Like, thirty minutes dude

aand you’re just now deciding to

say something. . . [ looks @him ]

WEIS: Sorry, I was off in my own

little world [ laughs ]

JOH: I can see that!

Well, now that your alive . . .

Wanna stop and get something

to eat?

WEIS: You read my mind

[ They pull over into a fast food

place, order and sit at a table ]

WEIS: So. . .

JOH: I have a question

WEIS: OK, what is it?

JOH: How come I only saw you

at our high school for half of the

year?

WEIS: Oh, it’s cuz I graduated

early

JOH: You must be really

smart then!

WEIS: I’m alright [ smiles ]

I don’t tell many people

JOH: Why would you wanna

keep that a secret?

WEIS: It’s not that. . .it’s just

I don’t have a lot of close friends

JOH: Oh, me either

‘Order 69 is readie’

[ They both look at each other

and Weis tries not to laugh. . . ]

[ Back at Kristyn’s, she is clearing

away the breakfast dishes. . . ]

HITHE: Well, that was absolutely

delicious

KRISTYN: It was just some

pancakes and bacon. . .

I’m no Iron Chef or anything

HITHE: Yeah, but it’s nice for you

to cook for me. . .thanks

KRISTYN: You’re welcome

HITHE: So. . .well, I don’t know

quite how to ask this

[ sits down ] KRISTYN: What?

HITHE: How are you doing with

you’re medicine and everything?

KRISTYN: Oh. . .fine I mean,

I have my ups and downs

but the medicine helps a lot!

HITHE: That’s good

[ Inside Joh’s truck, Weis is spacing

off the music blaring from the car

system. . . ]

[ turns it down ] JOH: You listen to some

interesting music. . .

WEIS: I know, you like it?

JOH: Well, there definitely not

Kingdom Melodies

[ looks @him ] WEIS: What’s that?

JOH: Nevermind

WEIS: Man, it’s been two hours

since we ate

JOH: Why? You can’t’ be hungrie again

WEIS: No, just time is flying . .

JOH: Heck yeah, it is

So, what’s it feel like it to

be on that stuff?

WEIS: You mean, high?

It’s feel. . .awesome

You wanna smoke some?

JOH: Uh, I don’ t know

[ Everything gets silent for a second. . . ]

WEIS: Uh, why are you slowing

down?

JOH: I'm not trying to dude. . .

It’s not accelerating

WEIS: What? Are you serious

JOH: Yeah, I think it’s dying. . .

I’m gonna pull over up here

WEIS: What are we gonna do?

[ Joh turns the car off and looks

rite at Weis. . . ]

JOH: Well, I have good news. . .

and I have bad news

[ Hithe and Kristyn are sitting on

the couch in the living room. . . ]

HITHE: So, I was wondering. . .

If maybe I could

[ Suddenly there’s a knock on the

door ]

‘Kristyn, can we talk!?!’

HITHE: Who is that?

KRISTYN: It’s my ex-husband. . .

What could he want?

HITHE: I don’t know

KRISTYN: Can you go out the back?

HITHE: What?

KRISTYN: Yeah, I’m sorry . .

I just don’t want him to

see you here

HITHE: Oh

KRISTYN: I’ll call you when

he leaves

[ Hithe approaches the door and turns

around slowly and then he goes ]

[ Outside the truck, on the side

of the road ]

WEIS: What’s the bad news?

JOH: I think the transmission

went out

WEIS: What?

JOH: Yeah, but the good news is. . .

my camping stuff is in the back

WEIS: Uh, camping?

JOH: There’s a camp site about

fives miles up the road. . .

We should be able to make

it there in just a little while

WEIS: Well, this is gonna be interesting. . .

JOH: You’ve never camped?

WEIS: Hell no

JOH: Oh, it’s alright

I do it all the time

[ Joh grabs some stuff and starts

walking off ]

WEIS: Hey, wanna smoke before

we walk?