Fade-in:

Classroom, Tuesday, 10:30 AM

Scene opens with a teacher dropping a textbook loudly on the desk of Chris, who is sleeping face-down on the desk. Chris snaps awake, and as he sits up the teacher slides a graded test with a letter F on it. Chris glances at it and sighs and then goes back to sleep for the rest of the class.The bell rings and he’s the first one out of the room.
Montage of the next two days starting from that class ending, Laugh with friends, sleep in class, take bus home listening to music, throw test in trash while walking into house, tell Chris’s mom he got an A on the test, watch tv, sleep, slake up in class with bad grade on desk, put head back down, and repeat once more to drive message through.

CHRIS, 17 years, currently failing history

Dissolve to:

Edge of cafeteria, 11:00 AM

NATE, 17, skinny, Mexican-Italian, never done anything bad in his life, eating lunch

CHRIS
Ughh… This week is gonna be flippin’ brutal.

NATE
Why’s that?

CHRIS
Because I failed another history test.

NATE
How?!?! That class is so easy.

CHRIS
Maybe for you. Your people have been on the losing side of it since the dawn of time. History just doesn’t seem as important when your side always wins.

NATE
Dude. Uncalled for.

CHRIS
Whatever, you know I didn’t mean it.

TYLER, 17, average height/size, approach’s with lunch tray.

TYLER
Hey guys what’s up. Nate, what’s Chris’s issue?

NATE
He got another F in history.

TYLER
Another one? Have you gotten any grades besides F’s in that class?

CHRIS
Yeah, I got a B on the syllabus at the beginning of the year.

TYLER
It’s not even possible to get lower than an A on a syllabus! How’d you screw that one up, smart guy?

CHRIS
I turned it in a day late.

TYLER
Well are you at least gonna come to my party at the end of the year?

CHRIS
I don’t know. My mom said if I get another F this year then I can’t go.

NATE
That was three F’s ago. Dude, you’re screwed. (Chuckles)

CHRIS
NO, it’s cool. She doesn’t know about those other two. As long as I throw this away and intercept the progress report next week, then we should be golden.

TYLER
Ok, sounds like a plan.

HISTORY TEACHER, 30, pretends to be friendly, but in reality threatens to bring parents into every disagreement.

TEACHER
Chris, come to my class after school tomorrow.

CHRIS
Why?

TEACHER
I’m setting up a conference with you, your mother, and I in order to discuss what to do about you failing.

CHRIS
No, please give me a bit of time to prove that I don’t need my mom in order to pass a class.

TEACHER
What’s wrong with getting your mom to help?

CHRIS
She won’t help, she’ll just yell and make the rest of my life as difficult as your class.

TEACHER
Ok, I won’t set a conference, but only if you follow my conditions.

CHRIS
Sure, anything.

TEACHER
First, you have to be on time to class everyday, no excuse.

CHRIS
Done.

TEACHER
Second, you have to show improvement on your assignments, and tests over the next week.

CHRIS
Alright, and that’s all, right?

TEACHER
Last…

CHRIS
What, there’s more?

TEACHER
Lastly, no more sleeping in class.

CHRIS
Really, can’t we compromise?

TEACHER
Chris, how do you expect to do better if you’re asleep the whole time.

CHRIS
Fine, I won’t go to sleep.

TEACHER
Ok, then I guess we have a deal.

TEACHER exits

CHRIS
(sigh of relief) Dodged a bullet there.

NATE
Yeah… Now all that you have to do is make an almost godlike resurrection of the piece of crap that is your grade.

CHRIS
It’s cool. Just like I said.

TYLER
Now you should have no excuse to not be at my party.

CHRIS
I’ll be there for sure.

Chris’s phone rings

CHRIS
One sec guys, it’s my mom.

Chris answers phone

CHRIS’S MOM, 43, short fuse

CHRIS (O.S.)
Hello

MOM
(Over phone)
Hi, umm… I just got an email from your teacher.

CHRIS (O.S.)
Really? What about?

MOM
(Over phone)
Your teacher says that you’re failing your class and that we’ll have to meet with him if you don’t show signs of improvement within the next week.

CHRIS (O.S.)
Mom, it’s ok. I just got a bad grade on a test and I’m going to retake it, so there’s nothing to worry about.

MOM
(Over phone)
I don’t care about that, what was our deal.

CHRIS (O.S.)
Not to fail anymore tests

MOM
(Over phone)
Or else?

CHRIS (O.S.)
Mom, please.

MOM
(Over phone)
Or else?

CHRIS (O.S.)
Or else I can’t go to the  party.

MOM
(Over phone)
Ok, a deal’s a deal. No party.

Zoom in on one of Chris’s eyes. There’s a flame of anger. He drops to his knees while dropping his phone, his mother’s voice muffled but audibly yelling at him.He then spreads his arms, looks to the sky.

CHRIS
DAMN YOU HISTORY!
Fade to black.