GHOSTWRITER'S RETURN – PART ONE
Opening: A loft in Brooklyn NY. A boy comes in with a suitcase and a skateboard and looks around. He has shaggy brown hair in need of a haircut, wears a t-shirt with a vest over it and long shorts with sneakers. He looks around as an older man comes in behind him, also with a suitcase.
Older man: Well, Max. This is it. Home sweet home.
Max: Wow. So…this is where my mom grew up?
Older man: Yes it is. Your mother has great memories of this place. That's why she asked us to take you in while she's on tour.
Max nods as an older woman comes in. She has blond hair and speaks with a British accent.
Woman: Max? Have you a copy of Lenni's tour schedule?
Older man: No.
Max: Yes.
The older man laughs as Max sighs and shakes his head.
Max: Tell me again why Mom named me after you?
Older man: Because I'm your granddad, Max.
Woman: He's got a point though. It's bound to get confusing with both of you named Max.
Older man: I know, Sally. But Lenni insisted on naming the boy after me.
Max: When she should've named me after my dad. Not like I'm ever gonna go live with him.
Sally sighs as Granddad Max pats his shoulder.
Granddad Max: I know Max. But your mother has her reasons.
Max: She won't even tell me what his name was.
Sally: We know, Max. She never told us who he was either.
Max sighs and puts down his suitcase. He opens it and takes out a laptop, putting it on the counter. But as he tries to boot it up, he gives a frown.
Max: Oh…come on!
Granddad Max: What's the matter?
Max: It won't boot up. How am I supposed to tell Mom I got here okay?
Sally: Well there's this ancient device called a telephone…
Max: Oh very funny.
CUT TO: A hardware store. A pretty girl with curly, dark red hair is behind the counter playing with a cell phone. She looks up as Max comes in, carrying a laptop.
Girl: Hi. Can I help you?
Max: I hope so. You guys do repairs?
Girl: Sometimes. What 'cha got?
Max: A laptop that won't boot up.
Max puts the laptop on the counter and the girl raises her eyebrows.
Girl: Uh…sorry. But this is a hardware store…not a computer shop.
Max: Well excuse me for not knowing my way around yet. I just moved in.
Girl: You don't have to be sore about it.
Max sighs and gives a shrug.
Max: Sorry. It's been a long day.
Girl: Sounds like it. (holds out her hand) I'm Gina Torres.
Max: (shakes it) Max Frazier.
Gina: Max Frazier?
Max: Yeah. You might know my granddad.
Gina: We can sure hear your granddad.
Max: Hoo boy…
Gina: Don't worry. We're used to it. And my mom was a good friend of yours back in the day.
Max: (nods) Granddad said my mom has a lot of old friends around here. I wonder if any of them know how to fix a computer.
Gina: You're in luck. Linda knows how to do that.
Max: Linda?
Gina: My best friend. (texting on the phone) She takes stuff apart and puts it back together. Always coming over here for screws and things. (gets an answer) Looks like she went to Jackie's house today. Come on.
Max picks up his laptop as a man in a wheelchair pushes his way in.
Gina: Hi Uncle Quincy. This is Max. He just moved in upstairs.
Max: Hi.
Quincy: (shakes hands with Max) Nice to meet you.
Gina: I'm taking him to Jackie's house. Linda's over there and might be able to fix his laptop.
Quincy: Well I can mind the store while you're out, but don't stay too long. Your dad comes home at four.
Gina: Got it.
CUT TO: Outside a house. A small girl with glasses and a blond pony-tail is fixing a dirt bike. A black girl with long braids is watching her and shaking her head.
Blond girl: (getting up) Good as new, Jackie.
Jackie: Thanks Linda. It'll be nice having a bike to get to school this year.
Linda: It's not that far.
Jackie: I know. But all the cute guys hang out in the park with their wheels after school.
Linda: Oh yeah? Any one in particular?
Jackie: You think I'm gonna tell you?
Linda: I might give you a discount if you do…
Jackie gives her a look but Linda just cleans her glasses. Jackie then notices Gina and Max coming up.
Jackie: Hey Gina. Who's your friend?
Gina: Hey guys. This is Max Frazier.
Linda: (putting glasses on) Max Frazier? Isn't that the old guy with a band?
Max: (rolls eyes) That's my granddad. I got the same name he does.
Jackie: You got a cool granddad, then. (extends hand) I'm Jackie. This is Linda.
Max shakes hands with both of them and Linda sees the laptop.
Linda: You use a PC?
Max: Yeah. It won't boot up though. Should've got a Mac.
Linda: You can't get a Mac fixed. Apple always makes you buy a new one. Mind if I borrow your basement, Jackie?
Jackie: You gotta ask my dad. It's his lab.
CUT TO: Jackie's basement. It's full of books and boxes but also has a science lab, which Linda uses for repairing the laptop.
Jackie: Dad says you really need to get your own shop. This is the eighth time you've had to borrow his lab for a repair job.
Linda: Well if I didn't live on the fourth floor of an apartment building…
Max: (looking around) What exactly does your dad do down here?
Jackie: No idea. He teaches astrophysics at NYU…and does a lot of experiments and stuff down here.
Linda: Which is why it's great for my stuff too. Mr. Jenkins don't throw anything out…and I don't need to go out to find parts.
Gina: Although she still orders stuff from us all the time.
Linda: Well I don't think you'll have what this laptop needs.
Max: What does it need?
Linda: I just need a new chip to put here. The old one isn't going back in…and that's why it won't turn on.
Jackie: Well maybe my dad's old one has a chip you can use.
Everyone watches as Jackie goes over to a sheet, which she pulls off of an old computer. Linda gets up and looks at it.
Linda: Woah. An old MS-Dos?
Jackie: If you say so. Dad said he used this when he was twelve.
Gina: Sounds pretty old to me.
Max: Yeah. What's he keeping it for?
Jackie: Sentimental reasons. This computer got fried in an electrical storm…and a friend of his disappeared the same night.
Gina: Really? Who was that?
Jackie: Dad never said. He gets all emotional when he talks about it.
Max: (rolls eyes) Sounds a lot like my mother. She does that whenever I ask about my dad.
Gina: Oh! So…you don't know who your dad is?
Max: Nope. I didn't even get his name. For all I know, he's the same guy that disappeared in this storm.
Jackie: I don't think so. The storm was the summer before Dad went to high school.
Max shrugs as Linda removes a panel from the old computer. She pulls out a chip and nods.
Linda: It got burned up all right. Looks like this chip is okay though. Lemme see if it works in your laptop.
Linda returns to the laptop and puts the chip in. She screws the panel back on and boots it up.
Max: Hey! It works.
Jackie: Linda works her magic again.
Linda gives a smug look but then the screen starts glowing. All of them gasp and back up as words appear on the screen.
Screen: HELP! HELP! HELP! HELP! Where are the children? Are they all right?
Jackie: To Max Um…is that something of yours?
Max: No.
Gina: Maybe you got a virus.
Linda: This doesn't look like any virus I've ever heard of.
Max: It's changing!
Screen: Where are my children? Where are you Dynamite Dude Jamal?