IT HAPPENED TOMORROW
"SEASON ONE"
EPISODE: 'PILOT'
ORIGINAL PUBLICATION DATE: 7/28/2005
CAST: Jerry Carson, Larry Dawson, Aimee Harris, Chris Fredicks
ALSO STARRING: Denise Robinson, Pam Carson, Peter Carson, Matt Connel
We've all heard those words before, but what if they were actually true?
What if you knew, beyond a doubt, what was going to happen tomorrow? Sure, I know it's crazy. But, what if you did? Whether you'd be rich or poor; a hero or a loser; lucky in love, unlucky in life. What would you do? What if, by some magic, you found the power to really change things? People, events, maybe even your life? Would you even know where to start? Maybe you 'can't' know. Until it happens.
Jerry Carson was a normal teenager. Normal grades, normal problems, normal friends, normal school.
Well, his friends weren't that normal. His first friend, Larry, always wanted to be a porno star. Aimee, was a gothic punk rocker wannabe. Chris, a freshman, was a glory hogger, he's tries to save the world Jerry Springer style. And Denise, Jer's girlfriend, was the princess of a princesses. Together they made punks looked normal.
Jer was tall, had dark hair, wore glasses, and always had things on his mind. He kind of fit into the Kyle Chandler category.
School had gotten out and Jer was on his way over to Mrs. Scott's classroom (his English teacher). She had wanted to talk to him about something. Jer had hoped that it was something good, like an award, or a 'good job'. He had always thought that nothing in his life was ever going to get good, he never thought that he'd catch a break. Well, he was right. At least for that day.
When Jer entered the room, he saw Larry, the principle, and the teacher.
"Lar. Mrs. Scott's. Principle Cheny." Jerry greeted.
"We'd like to talk to you about something." Scott's told Jer.
"What's this about?" Jer asked.
"You do know that cheating is not allowed here at Brooksville High, right?" Cheny asked Jer.
"Yes, of course." Jerry replied.
"Then could you tell us about these two tests?" Scott's asked as she showed Jerry the two tests. The tests were of Jerry's and Larry's.
"You think I cheated?" Jerry asked.
"We'd do no such thing! Maybe he would, but not me." Larry responded. Jerry's face became serious.
"That's what it seems like. Two tests, same answers, same grade." Scott's replied.
"It was just a coincidence, I hope. Because I would never..." Jerry stopped.
"Larry... you uh didn't happen to study last night, did you?" Jerry asked.
"Study? Come on! The Lakers were on last night!"
Jerry smiled at both the principle and the teacher.
"At least we know that he cheated off of me. So, since we've gotten that straightened out, may I go now?" Jerry asked.
"Even if he did cheat, you may of helped him." Cheny replied.
"Help him?"
"Anyway, no hard feelings, but, you both are being suspended." Cheny responded.
"Suspended." Jerry replied.
Cheny handed slips out to both Jerry and Larry. Jerry looked at Larry with a very dirty look.
CREDITS PLAY.
"Oh! I can't believe this! Suspended for a week because of Larry!" Jerry complained to Aimee. The two were sitting at a local pizzeria eating a slice.
"Ouch. Because he cheated off of you?" Aimee asked.
"Yup! I'd just love to strangle him right now!"
"Do your parents know?" Aimee asked.
"Yes they do! They said that I'm allowed out of the house even though I'm grounded. Only for an hour and a half though, or with them."
"What are you going to do?" Aimee asked.
"Kill Larry! Then ask myself what else can go wrong?"
Denise, Jer's girlfriend entered the pizzeria, and went over to Jer.
"No hard feelings, but it's over. You were just boring me." Denise then left.
"Denise?" Jer yelled.
"Looks like you spoke too soon." Aimee replied.
"Oh, don't start!"
Chris came in and sat down.
"Hey buddy! Heard what happened!" Chris told Jerry.
"I'll leave you two alone." Jerry got up and walked out of the pizzeria.
"What's his prob?" Chris asked.
"He's been suspended, and Denise just broke up with him."
"Wow. You know I saved a relationship today. It was beautiful!"
"I hate to do this, but I've gotta go." Aimee told Chris.
"This is a good story!"
"Sorry."
Aimee got up and exited the pizzeria.
Jerry entered his bedroom about a half an hour later to find Larry sitting on his bed.
"Lar, what are you doing here?" Jerry asked.
"My parents didn't take the whole cheating thing that well. I was wondering if I could spend the night here."
"I'm sure your parents didn't take it that badly."
"Oh...they took it really bad! Please?"
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Jerry asked.
"Trust me!"
"Okay, fine! You sleep in the guest bed though! Not mine!"
"Thanks Jer!" Larry went over to the television, and turned it on. "Hey Jer, what's on tonight?"
"Uh, nothing really. Lakers play tomorrow. Cubs play next week."
"Oh well, I think we can watch a little of our favorite show." Larry flipped through the channels until he stopped. "There's our boy!" Jer and Larry started to watch 'Early Edition'.
"Don't you wish you could get the paper?" Larry asked.
"I think everyone wishes they could get the paper."
"Wouldn't it be great? Going out everyday, saving the world! All those horse races to bet on! Damn! Great life!"
"I'm going to sleep. You can go watch this in the guest room." Jer said as he went over to his bed.
"Yeah, sure. See ya in the morning. Good night."
"Night."
When Larry left Jerry got into bed, and started wondering. "What would I do if I got the paper?" Jerry turned on his side, then went to sleep.
Larry got up the next morning after he heard noises coming from the bathroom. He went into the hallway to find Jer's light on.
"Jer, what's going on?" Larry asked when he entered the room.
"What? I always get up at six!"
"Six? We're off school for a week! Relax! Sleep in! Have fun! We're free for a week!"
"Free? We've been suspended! How can this be fun and free?"
"Oh relax! What time is it, anyway?"
"Six thirty."
"You gotta be kidding me, I'm going back to bed."
Smack! The sound of a cat echoed the hallway.
"What was that?" Larry asked.
"Sounded like a cat."
"A cat?"
"It's probably nothing! Even, I hate cats, and my parents are allergic to them."
"You hate cats?" Larry asked.
"Yeah." Jer replied as he opened the bedroom door. "What the?"
"What is it?" Larry asked as he came over to the door.
"It's a cat with a paper."
"Oh my god!" Larry laughed as Jerry picked up the paper.
"Get outta here you hairy thing." Jerry shooed the cat away.
"What's the date?"
"It's tomorrow's." Jerry replied.
"Tomorrow's!" Larry laughed.
"Do you really think that this is actually tomorrow's paper?" Jerry asked.
"I don't know. Out of the six billion people on this planet, why you?"
"Ha, ha. Very funny. But no, my parents know that we love that show, and they know people down at the 'Tampa Tribune who would gladly print of a fake copy of 'tomorrow's' paper."
"Yeah, I guess adding the cat was a real ticker, even though they're allergic to them."
"My parents will do anything to make a prank look authentic."
"What's in the sports?" Larry asked. Jerry flipped to the sports section.
"Lakers win forty-eight to forty."
"They have good taste, your parents."
"Come on, let's go."
"Where we going?"
"Got to go run some errands." Jerry replied as he threw away the paper.
"What? You're not going to take the paper?"
"Lar, it's fake! Even, tomorrow's newspapers don't exist until tomorrow! Even why do I need to carry around with me all day a fake newspaper?"
"Well, you know. You'd actually look like Gary Hobson."
"Oh shut up and let's go." Jerry commanded as he walked out the door. "And leave the paper!"
"Someone's mister groucho today!" Larry yelled as he tried to catch up with Jerry.
Jerry and Aimee are sitting in a restaurant eating hamburgers while taking.
"Are you sure it's fake?" Aimee asked.
"Of course it's fake! Why wouldn't it be?"
"It can happen!"
"Yeah, in Kyle Chandler's world it can, not in Jerry Carson's."
"You neve know! Miracles can happen!"
"Miracles? You don't actually believe that there are miracles, do you?" Jerry asked.
"Maybe this is why you're getting the paper. To start to believe that there are miracles."
"Oh yeah, right. I'm supposed to believe that God or the Magical Newspaper Fairy sent me the paper for me to believe in miracles and things that can never happen!"
"It's a great honor to get the paper!"
"An honor." Jerry said sarcastically.
"I would love to get tomorrow's paper, it'd be awesome!"
"You want the paper? You can have it! I don't need it! I don't want the damn thing!"
"Maybe it's a second chance for you to do some good in this world."
"Second chance, my you know what!"
"The paper comes for a reason."
"Aimee, the paper's fake! FAKE! Tomorrow's paper does not exist today! They exist tomorrow! Not today!"
"You believe that?"
"It's a joke! My parents played a prank on me, that's it. End. Fenito! No more about that damn paper!"
"I thought you wanted the paper?"
"I don't want the paper! I want Hobson to have the paper! I have life, he doesn't! I have school, I have a career!"
"Fine, be that way!" Aimee yelled as she got up and stormed out of the restaurant.
"Do you know, you're boring me!" Larry told Jerry as they were sitting at the kitchen table while Jerry did his homework.
"Oh, I am huh?"
"Can't we at least watch the end of the game?" Larry asked.
"Homework time!"
"But we're not in school! There's no need to be doing homework when a perfectly good Lakers game is on!"
"Fine! You wanna watch the game, we'll watch the game! But don't come crying..." Jerry stopped when Larry ran over to the t.v.
"What's the score?" Jerry asked.
"Don't know, still flipping. Ah here we go." Larry put the remote down.
"And the Lakers have won forty-eight to forty! Another grand win!" The announcer yelled.
Jerry and Larry looked at each other in shock.
"Coincidence?" Larry asked.
"Do you what, turn to CBS."
"What for?"
"Just do it!" Jerry yelled as he went to his bedroom to get the paper. He then came back reading the paper.
"President's peace talks a success in India." Jerry read from the from page.
"We have just received this from our studio advisor, the President's peace talks that he has been making in India for the last few weeks have been approved."
"I think this is more than just a coincidence." Jerry replied as he looked at the paper in disbelief.
"Hey boys, I'm home!" Jerry's mother said as she walked into the kitchen.
"Mom!" Jerry called out as he went over to her.
"Hi, honey."
"Hi." Jerry read the paper. "Could we go somewhere real quick?"
"Uh, sure...where to?"
Jerry read the paper. "Hill Drive. You know where that is?"
"Yeah, why do you need to go there?"
"Just do, thanks mom." Jerry said as he rushed to the garage.
"The kid has his moments." Larry said as he followed Jerry.
"So, what's in the paper?" Larry whispered to Jerry as they were driving.
"Little boy paralyzed after falling off roof." Jerry replied.
"You don't believe the paper's fake now?"
"No. I don't." Jerry replied as he read the paper.
"What's it say?"
"Early last night, eight year old Steven Willims fell off the roof of his parents house. According to the relatives, he was playing a game of hide and seek when he accidentally lost his balance and fell off the roof. His condition is stable, but doctors fear that he may become paralyzed. No charges have been pressed."
"So, Gary Hobson is in the house!"
"I'm just doing this for the sake of an eight year old, nothing else. I don't want the paper."
"Everything all right back there boys?" Jer's mother asked.
"We're fine." Larry replied.
"Oh okay. We're almost there."
"Thanks mom!" Jerry responded.
"Saving an eight year old. You're pathetic!"
"How am I pathetic?"
"After you save this here eight year old. Then you'll have to save the sixty-five year old granny that's about to get hit by a truck. Then, you'll be sucked into the helping people trend."
"I will not! I have stuff to do, places to go, and things to see. I don't have time for this, give the damn thing to someone else, I don't need it."
"I'll gladly take it."
"You're not taking it."
"Why can't I have it!"
"Shut up!"
"Boys, we're at Hill Drive. What now?"
"Start looking for a boy on one of these roofs." Jerry replied.
"A boy?"
"Just do it mom."
"Okay?"
Jerry and Larry start looking on all the roofs.
"See anything?" Jerry asked.
"Nada. Wait, I think I see something!"
"Where, Lar?"
"Over there!"
"Lar, that's a Santa Claus from ten months ago."
"Maybe they put it up early."
"Before Halloween?"
"You never know." Larry replied.
"I see something!" Jer's mother yelled as she pointed at a house.
"I see it too!" Larry responded.
"Pull over, mom!"
"Sure thing!"
As the car pulled over to the side, Jerry jumped out, and ran over to the house. Larry and Jerry's mother watched.
"What's he doing?" Jerry's mother asked.
"Visiting a friend."
Jerry tried to call for the boy.
"Hey kid! Kid!"
"Shhhh. This is hide and seek, they'll find me."
"Kid, get down from there, or you'll fall."
"Be quiet!"
The kid's parents then came out of the house, and went over to Jerry.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" The mother asked.
"Your son! He's on top of the roof, and he may fall!"
"Stephen! Get down from that roof!" The mother yelled.
"Yes mommy."
As the kid started to move, he lost his balance, and fell off the roof.
"I got ya!" Jerry yelled as he caught the kid. Jerry then placed the kid on the ground.
"Thank you very much, how did you know?" The father asked.
"Well, you know. I was walking through the neighborhood and... I guess it was right place right time type of thing." Jerry laughed.
"Well, anyway, thank you very much!" The mother replied.
"No problem. Have a good night." Jerry responded.
Jerry went back over to the car and got in it.
"How did you know that?" Jerry's mother asked.
"I'll tell you later." Jerry replied.
"Okay, anywhere else?"
"Just home." Jerry said.
"Nothin' else in the paper?" Larry asked.
"Not today." Jerry replied as he searched through the paper.
"Good morning! It's six thirty here in Brooksville, and here's the traffic report." Larry slammed the snooze button, then realized the paper. He ran into Jerry's room, who already had the paper in his hand, and the cat on his bed.
"What time did it come?" Larry asked.
"Just now."
"What time did you get up?"
"Six." Jerry replied.
"Anything good?"
"Nursing home blows up because of faulty oxygen tanks, semi smashes into guard-rail, and convience store hold-up."
"Busy day, huh?" Larry asked.
"Yup."
"What are you going to do?"
"Do nothing. Let nature take it's course."
"Oh, well. I'm going go take a shower." Larry replied.
When Larry exited the room, Chris and Aimee entered.
"Hey! We've heard!" Chris greeted Jerry.
"Yep." Aimee replied unexcitedly.
"So you get the paper! Wow! A real Gary Hobson." Chris joked.
"Funny." Jerry responded.
"What are you going to do with it?" Chris asked.
"He's going to do nothing because he believes the paper is a fake!"
"I can tell it myself thank you. And I'm sorry that you have a bug up your butt, but don't take it out on me. I'm not going to do anything. Why should I change fate? Even if the paper is REAL" Jerry told Aimee and Chris.
"To help people." Chris replied.
"If it's their time to go, well then...it's their time to go."
"So, you're not going to do anything with the paper?" Chris asked.
"Nope."
"This is so like you! Heaven passes right under your nose, and you don't even blink an eye!" Chris yelled.
"What am I supposed to do with it?"
"Like I said before. It comes to you for a reason, fulfill that reason!" Aimee replied.
"Go to the track! Make a couple of bets!" Chris told Jerry.
"I don't even want the paper! It's too much. Having fate in your hands. It's just way too much to handle and deal with."
"You better do something with it. You can't just throw it in the wastebasket each day." Aimee told Jerry.
"Oh yeah, watch me!" Jerry yelled as he threw the paper into the trash can.
"Ugh...loser." Aimee said as she walked out the door.
"I'll just look in it for a sec." Chirs said as he took the paper out of the trash.
"You're not getting the scores!" Jerry yelled.
"I do believe that this is NOT your paper anymore since you threw it in the trash." Chris responded.
"Gimme that!" Jerry snatched the paper away.
"Fine!" Chris yelled as he left the room.
"Damn paper!" Jerry yelled as he threw it back into the trash can. Jerry then sat on the bed, thinking.
"Denise." Jerry said to himself. He then went over to the phone, and dialed her number.
"Denise?" Jerry asked when someone picked up the phone.
"I'm sorry, this is Matt. Who is this?" The teen asked.
"Matt? Sorry, wrong number." Jerry put the phone down.
"I can't believe it. She's with Matt now!" Jerry complained to Larry just a few minutes later.
"Wow, that Denise is a real winner. She's with one guy one day, then bada bing, another day she's with another guy. I always knew she was trouble." Larry replied.
"Well..."
"You didn't really think you had a chance to get her back, did you?"
"Well..."
"You did!"
"Didn't you?" Jerry asked.
"No! I knew it was over. Kaput. Fenito. The End! Even, you're better off without her. She's trouble."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Now come on, let's go." Larry said.
"Where we going?"
"Anywhere but here."
As the two started to walk out of the bedroom, Jer noticed the front page of the newspaper.
"This wasn't here before." Jerry said as he got the paper out of the trash.
"Seven dead in School Hold Up." Jerry read.
"Which school?" Larry asked.
"Brooksville High. Yesterday morning, seven were killed including the gunman. The gunman was sixteen year old Matthew Connel."
"Isn't that the guy you talked to?" Larry asked.
"Yeah, it is. Anyway, the hold up ended when the deputy took out his extra weapon and shot Connel in the chest, Connel died instantly. Among the six were Denise Robinson, Aimee Harris, Chris Fredicks, Amber Proller, Sean Butler, and Jack Reiley."
"Oh my! Amiee, Chris, and Denise! What happened?" Larry asked.
Jerry thought. "It must have been when I called up Denise this morning and got Matt."
"What are you going to do? Leave it alone. Let them die. Or are you going to change fate?"
"What time is it?"
"Seven forty."
"We have time, let's go!" Jerry and Larry ran out of the room.
As the two ran into the kitchen, they were encountered by Jerry's parents.
"Hey guys!" Jerry's father greeted.
"Hey dad!"
"Son, how did you know about that little boy?" Jer's father asked.
"Well, uh... I get tomorrow's paper today, and we're on our way to stop a gunman from killing our friends, see ya later!" Jerry and Larry rushed out of the house.
"That boy's been watching too much television."
The two reached the school, and entered the main building.
"Where and when?" Larry asked.
"The gym. Eight fifteen." Larry looked at his watch.
"That's in two minutes!"
"Why do you think we're walking fast for, huh? Our health?"
The two made it into the gym and went over to Aimee and Chris.
"Jer, what are you doing here?" Aimee asked.
"Everyone needs to get out of here. Someone's going to bring a gun in, and start killing people." After hearing that, Aimee laughed.
"The paper!" Jerry yelled.
"Oh my! All of a sudden, you belive in the paper?" Aimee replied.
"Yes, I do. And you were right! I should have believed in the paper. Now you need to get everyone out of here!"
"Whatever." Aimee replied as she started to walk away from Jerry.
"What's going on?" Larry asked.
"She doesn't believe me."
"What?"
"She doesn't believe me!" Jerry yelled as he went over to one of the teachers.
"Excuse me." Jerry said.
"Mister Carson, I thought you were suspended."
"Listen to me, you need to get everyone out of this gym. A guy's going to come in here with a gun!"
"You have to cause trouble since you've been suspended. I'm calling the deputy."
"Fine! Call the deputy! And hurry!" Jerry yelled when he saw the teacher pick up the phone.
Jerry looked in the paper to see that the headline had changed to nine people dead.
"Oh god!" Jerry yelled.
"What's happening?" Larry asked.
"Headlines changed. Nine people dead now."
"Yes, send the deputy over to the gym, immediately. I have some students that need to be removed. Jerry Carson and..."
"Don't anyone move!" A voice yelled in the background. Everyone turned to see Matt holding a gun, and pointing it at the crowd.
"Ah crap." Jerry said.
"Okay! Everyone says nothing!" Matt yelled. Some of the students that were screaming stopped.
"Hey! There's no need to do this." Jerry stepped forward.
"Jerry Carson, just the man I wanted to see." Matt went over to Jerry.
"Jerry? Matt?" Denise ran over to the two of them.
"Denise." Jer and Matt said together.
"What business do you have with my girl?" Matt asked Jerry.
"Your girl? She was mine until she broke up with me yesterday!"
"Yesterday?" Matt turned to Denise. "You've been cheating on me with him?"
"With me? I thought she was cheating on me with you!"
"What? What's going on here?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, what is going on here?"
"Denise?" Matt asked.
"Well, uh... I've been going out with Jerry for a year, then I met you."
"That was six months ago!" Matt yelled.
"She's been two-timing!" Jerry yelled.
"Not exactly two-timing." Denise replied then laughed.
"Well whatever it is, we're over!" Matt yelled.
"Yeah, we are!" Jerry yelled.
Matt then turned to Jerry.
"Sorry about that, no hard feelings?"
"How about putting down the gun, then I'll shake your hand."
"No, I can't do that!"
"Gimme the gun!" Jerry commanded.
"No! Back off!"
The two started to fight over the gun when the deputy rushed in.
"Put your hands up!"
Matt and Jerry stopped fighting, and put their hands up.
The deputy went over to Jerry and Matt, and arrested them both. The deputy then escorted them out of the gym.
"How did you know?" The teacher asked Jerry as they were walking out.
"Just a feeling..." Jerry replied.
"Okay. Here's all your things. A wallet with twenty-eight dollars. Piece of gum, and a watch." The man at the counter at the police station told Jerry.
"Could I have my paper?" Jerry asked.
"Um...sure." The man replied. He searched for the paper then gave it to Jerry.
"Thanks." Jerry said as he walked over to the little group that were waiting for him.
"So, you really do get the paper, huh, son?" Jerry's father asked.
"Yup." Jerry replied.
"Wow! A real life Gary Hobson! What are you going to do?"
"I think I know." Jerry said as he went over to Aimee.
The group walked out of the police station.
"I'll see you at home?" Jerry asked his parents.
"Yeah, okay. Don't be too long, we want to hear more about this magical paper of yours." Jerry's mother replied. The parents walked off.
"Nice going! I could have stopped him myself!" Chris yelled.
"And you would have been shot!"
Jerry then checked the paper. The headlines changed to 'School Hold-Up Ends Safely.'
"So..." Aimee said as she came over to Jerry.
"So..." Jerry responded.
"Good job! Could I get the sports?" Larry asked. Jerry stopped and hesitated.
"Only for today!" Jerry said as he handed the sports section to Larry.
"Thanks, see you tonight!" Larry ran off.
"What are you going to do?" Aimee asked.
"I think I know. The paper comes for a reason, I might as well fulfill it."
"That's good... what are you going to do now?" Aimee asked.
"Get some allergy medicine for my parents, andget a kitty litter box." Aimee laughed.
"And the paper?"
"Looks like I'm in for a long life."
"So, how 'bout lunch?"
"Don't you have a retirement home to un-blow up?"
"No one gets hurt."
"Okay, so...where?"
"Sky's the limit!" Jerry and Amiee started to walk.
"Outback?"
"Oh...don't push it." Jerry laughed.
"You said anywhere!"
"How about pizza?"
"Sure...as long as you're payin'." Aimme replied.
"Looks like I am."
The two kept walking down the street.
Are there any explanations in life? Nah. But really, that's nothing new in life. Magic and life are both unexpected, you never know what's going to happen. Which means, newspaper or not, you can never be sure what's around the corner, or what you'll do what you find it.
THE END...FOR NOW OF COURSE
A/N: New episodes of ' It Happened Tomorrow' will be published Saturday, September 3, 2005 with 'Gimme A Break'. Synopsis: After a month of getting the paper, Jerry starts to get burned out from saving people each day. Wanting a weekend off, he turns to Larry and Chris to handle the paper for him, but will everything go smoothly? That's on the next episode of 'It Happened Tomorrow'...
A/N: Credit given to 'Early Edition' for that monologue.