Highway Star

Act 5 scene 3


Phill leans upon a shiney new car on the side of the road. Across the street from them is a gas station/convenience store. On our side of the road is a hotel. Phill wears dark sunglasses propped up atop his head. He also sports a new black leather jacket. Tim can be seen exiting the hotel, carrying his duffel bag. He joins Phill at the car, opening the back door and throwing his bag inside.

Tim:

Nice car.
Phill:

Thanks. I picked it out myself. (Momentary silence. Tim absently runs a hand across the hood of the vehicle.)
Tim:

So this is our vessel to California?
Phill:

Sure is. (Again, the silence.)
Tim:

You still destined to return to Blossumdale and Tanya? (Phill laughs to himself a bit.)
Phill:

I don't know, man. I actually forgot all about that. I doubt it, though. Ever since we came across Lori, I completely forgot about Tanya.
Tim:

Did you plug that bitch up yet?
Phill: What the fuck is wrong with you, Tim? (Tim stares blankly back at him.)
Tim:

What?
Phill:

You have no decency, man.
Tim:

What'd I say?
Phill:

Forget it, Tim. (The silence returns.)
Tim:

So did you?
Phill:

That's none of your business.
Tim:

Fine. I'll ask Lori.
Phill:

Ask her.
Tim:

I know you fucked her, Phill. I'm just waiting for you to admit to it.
Phill:

You know nothing.
Tim:

I know you, Phill. When you have not yet banged a chick and I ask you about it, you admit that it hasn't happened. But when you've already given a girl the love muscle you tell me it's none of my business.
Phill:

Well think what you want, Tim.
Tim:

Oh I will.
Phill:

Fine then.
Tim:

You staying in Cali?
Phill:

Probably. But not in any of the major cities. I'm kind of comfortable with the small town society and being more than just another face in the crowd. I prefer to recognize others, and to be recognized by others. Not just another stranger you pass by during your patterned day to day travels.
Tim:

I like the beach, myself.
Phill:

I wasn't talking about the beach, dipshit.
Tim:

I know. You were talking about the city. Now I'm changing the subject. Me? I like the beach. I like the ocean, the sand, and the sun. I'm also rather fond of the bikinis.
Phill:

The state is going to fall off the coast, you know?
Tim: So I've heard. But it's more likely to be flooded when the ice caps melt.
Phill:

Ohio would survive that, though. Which means that Blossumdale would live on. (Eddy can be seen exiting the hotel in a stylish polyester shirt and dress pants. He carries his duffel bag as well, and joins his friends at the car.)
Tim:

So much for a positive outlook on the future. (Eddy puts his duffel bag into the back seat and closes the door.)
Phill:

Looking good, Eddy. Looking good.
Eddy:

Thank you, thank you. (Does a little spin so that they can see his outfit in all it's glory.) This is the outfit that coke bought.
Tim:

What the hell is taking Lori so long?
Eddy:

Well, you know how girls are. The first to complain when no one is ready, and the last to get ready themselves.
Phill:

What are you doing when we reach the coast, Eddy?
Eddy:

I don't know. I'll probably hit the beach.
Phill:

No. I mean... Are you staying out there? Getting a job? What are you going to do?
Eddy:

I figure I'll stay out there. Maybe apply for welfare or something.
Phill:

Going to continue your life long ambition to live off of society, are you?
Eddy:

Yeah. (Laughs a little.) You don't happen to have any of that coke left, do you?
Phill:

Not a bit.
Eddy:

Damn it! You could have saved me a little!
Phill:

You're right. I could have. But I didn't.
Eddy:

You really suck, Phill.
Phill:

Yeah, yeah. I've heard this argument before. (Lori can be seen exiting the hotel and approaching the car, duffel bag in hand.)
Tim:

Here comes the bitch Phills plugging. (All eyes follow Lori as she walks towards them.)
Eddy:

Lori and Phill have been screwing?
Tim: That's what Phill keeps telling me.
Phill:

I said nothing of the sort, Tim, and you know it.
Tim:

Yeah, yeah. You've implied enough to figure the rest out.
Phill:

I have implied nothing! (Lori has reached them by now. She throws her bag into the back seat with the rest of them.)
Phill:

Welcome to the car, Lori.
Lori:

Good choice on the wheels, Phill.
Phill:

Thank you.
Tim:

It's about fucking time you got here.
Lori:

Well-
Eddy:

Maybe if you had been packing instead of bitching at us about how slow we were moving...
Lori:

Maybe if one of you assholes would have remembered to check out at the desk...
Tim:

Oh.
Eddy:

I see.
Lori:

Or perhaps you're too used to sneaking into hotels to worry about that sort of thing.
Tim:

Screw you, Lori.
Eddy:

Sneaking into hotel rooms? What's this about?
Lori:

I'll tell you about it during the drive.
Phill:

We're not going to live that down, are we?
Lori:

Not likely.
Phill:

It wasn't my idea.
Tim:

It's better than stealing and selling cocaine.
Phill:

Fuck you, Tim. (Silence.)
Lori:

I hate to be pushy, guys... But are we going to California or bullshitting in Nevada?
Tim:

You mean right now? Or were you trying to discover our intentions?
Lori:

Toss me the keys, Phill.
Phill: You're

driving?
Lori:

Yes. My car was ruined, and this is it's replacement.
Tim:

Fuck you. You're not getting this car. Phill worked hard and ethically to purchase this vehicle.
Lori:

He bought the car with the money he made selling coke. I would hardly call that ethical.
Tim:

Fair enough. (Phill tosses Lori the keys.)
Phill:

We could always buy a used car too. We have more than enough cash left over.
Tim:

So give her the used one. Trade her piece of shit for another piece of shit.
Phill:

Oh, Tim?
Tim:

Yeah?
Phill:

I just thought you'd be interested in knowing that I have shotgun.
Tim:

You are a fuck, Phill. (Eddy smells his arm deeply.)
Eddy:

It's so good to no longer have to smell cow shit on my arm.
Tim:

A good way to prevent that from happening again is to not shove your arm up cows asses. (Eddy laughs a brief, phony laugh.)
Eddy:

Fuck you, Tim. (Tim and Eddy get into the back seat. Lori gets into the driver seat and starts the car. Only Phill remains out of the car, his eyes staring in the direction of the gas station/convenience store. Lori gets back out of the car.)
Lori:

Are you coming, Phill?
Phill:

Yeah. In a second. I have something I've got to do first. (Phill begins to walk towards the gas station while Lori gets back in the car. Phill crosses the street and walks over to the entrance to the convenience store where a bum sits holding a hat. A "Need money for food" sign leans up against him on a large piece of cardboard. Phill stops before the man and drops a bill of US currency into the hat.)
Bum:

Thank you very much, sir.
Phill:

No problem, man. Take care of yourself. (Phill walks toward the camera (and his car), dropping the sunglasses from his forehead to their proper place. We stay with the bum. A customer exits the station and drops some change into the hat.)
Bum:

Thank you kindly. (A guy exits the station carrying two Pepsi Colas, and smacks the bum in the back of the head.)
Bum:

Ow! What the fuck!?
Guy:

I thought I told you before, fuck nut! We are not pan-handling while we hitch hike to New York! (Fucknut (Formerly Bum) grabs his hat of money, stands, and walks with Guy towards the street.)
Fucknut:

But we're low on cash.
Guy:

Fuck you. It's not happening. Here's your Pepsi. (Hands Fucknut a twenty ounce Pepsi bottle.) Now come on... Let's go exercise our thumbs.
Fucknut:

I wonder how much cash I made anyway... (Fucknut begins to count the cash in his hat as they walk.) Five...Six... Seven... Twelve... (He stops counting and walking, drops the hat and all the money save one bill. Guy stops walking as well.)
Guy:

What's up?
Fucknut:

My God.
Guy:

What? (No reply.) What did you get?
Fucknut:

Someone gave me a hundred dollars.
Guy:

On one bill?
Fucknut:

Yeah.
Guy:

New York will always be there. Let's go back to that gas station and pan handle.
Fucknut:

That's cool with me, man. Help me pick up this cash. (Guy and Fucknut begin collecting the coins and currencies of paper from the ground and placing it all in the hat. In the background we see the back of the new car our stars have bought. Phill is just getting into the front passenger seat. We zoom in on the cars license plate as Phill closes the door. The plate is personalized and reads: "HIGHWAY STAR". The car peels out as it begins to drive away, kicking up all sorts of loose gravel and clouds of dust. The vehicle speeds away as we fade out.)

End scene, roll credits