EXT. SIDEWALK — RAINY DAY

BARRY steps off of a bus near a small apartment complex. He is holding a bottle of champagne under his right arm, while holding a broken umbrella in his right hand and a ring in his left. He paces back and forth in front of the building.

BARRY suddenly stops, takes a deep breath, then turns abruptly to his left and creeps towards the front stairs of the apartment building. BARRY reaches for the doorknob, pauses, and opens the door.

As BARRY is about to enter, he opens the hand that holds the ring, looks down at it, then closes his hand into a fist. As he looks up towards the opening, BARRY suddenly standing face-to-face with an elderly, bewildered man who is muttering to himself.

BARRY

Oh…pardon me. I didn’t…

The elderly man scowls at BARRY and tries to walk past him. BARRY initially tries to let the old man by, but moves to the exact same side that the man is trying to walk. The old man stops, scowls at BARRY again, then tries to step to the other side. BARRY instinctively moves to the same side.

This back and forth exchange continues three more times before the old man stops, inhales, squares his shoulders, and pushes BARRY aside. The champagne bottle starts to fall, but BARRY catches it at the last second.

OLD MAN (muttering under breath)

Goddamn moron.

BARRY brushes himself off and straightens his appearance while watching the old man hobble down the steps. BARRY looks at the broken umbrella, throws it over the staircase railing, shrugs, and proceeds to push the door open.

As BARRY enters the foyer of the apartment building, he walks over to the mailboxes aligning the wall. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small envelop that has the name, “Maggie,” written on the front. In childlike Valentine’s Day fashion, two hearts are drawn on each side of her name.

BARRY slides the envelop into one of the mailboxes. He reaches into another pocket and pulls out a different envelop with, “Jillian,” written on the front. The envelop is soggy and the letters are smeared but legible. He slips this envelop into a different box.

As BARRY turns and walks towards the staircase, he hears footsteps coming down from a few flights above him. BARRY quickly strides around the corner of an adjoining hallway and stops, pressing his back against the wall behind him. As the steps get closer, BARRY inches further away.

The girl, MAGGIE, stops at a mailbox, opens the door, and crams her hand inside pulling out the contents. MAGGIE shuffles through the stack of mail, stops at one envelop, pulls it from the stack and tosses it back into the box.

MAGGIE (angrily to herself)

Fuck, Barry. GO. AWAY!!!!!!

BARRY cringes, frowns, then looks down at the champagne bottle. MAGGIE opens the front door of the apartment building, looks both ways down the sidewalk, and, after noticing the coast is clear, she quickly runs back up the stairs towards her apartment. BARRY creeps around the corner with his head down; the bottle bounces off his leg in rhythm with his steps.

JUMP CUT

BARRY is sitting on a bench in a park near a busy intersection. Cars are lined up and hoking at each other. He looks at the champagne bottle. Forgetting the bottle was shaken up while bouncing against his leg on the walk over from the apartment, he opens the bottle. The explosion of champagne shoots all over rush pants and shoes. Once the spray subsides, he lifts the bottle to his lips and takes a long drink.

(Spring 2011)