ROADSIDE CAFE. spencer AND Ashley . DAY.
spencer and ashley seated in booth, now C.U. ashley. the question that BONNIE has justasked is now suddenly rebutted by ashley, as she points a finger at her.
ashley
(not answering her,
preferring to lead
the conversation)
I'll tell you about you.
she loves doing this and she does it well. The more she
envisions spencer's life, the more instinctively accurate she
becomes. She grows more and more fascinated, like a child
watching a mind reader.
Ashley
Lessee...You were born somewheres
around East Texas...got a big old
family, right?...You went to
school, of course, but you didn't
take to it much 'cause you was a
lot smarter than everybody else
anyway. So you just quit. Now...
(thinking, playing it
for all it's worth)
...When you were sixteen...no,
seventeen, there was a guy who
worked in...uh...
Pull back taking in spencer, favoring ashley.
spencer
(fascinated)
Cement plant--
ashley
Right. Cement plant. And you
liked him 'cause he thought you was
just as nice as you could be. You
almost married that guy, but
then...you thought, no, you didn't
think you would. So you got your
job in the cafe... and because u are gay to
(getting closer to
home now, hitting
them right in there)
And every morning you wake up and
you hate it. You just hate it.
And you get down there and you put
on your white uniform--
13.
spencer
(enthralled)
Pink.
ashley
And the truck drivers come in to
eat greasy burgers and they kid you
and you kid them back, but they're
stupid and dumb, boys with big
tattoos all over 'em, and you don't
like it...And they ask you for
dates and sometimes you go...but
you mostly don't, and all they ever
try is to get into your pants
whether you want to or not...and
you go home and sit in your room
and think, when and how will I ever
get away from this?...And now you
know.
spencer is half-mesmerized by her talk. A waitress comes
with their food. A cheap, gaudy dame, she has spit curls on
each temple in the style of the times. ashley looks at her
and at spencer, who also wears spit curls. As soon as the
waitress leaves:
ashley
(pointing at her hair)
Change that. I don't like it.
Without a word of protest, spencer immediately reaches in her
bag and takes out a mirror. She holds it up and with the
other hand, brushes back her spit curls into her hair. She
never again wears them. When she has pushed them back she
looks at ashley for her approval. SHe nods her okay. She
smiles, puts back her mirror and begins to eat her food.
She's ravenously hungry and eats with total concentration on
her plate. ashley doesn't touch her food, just watches
spencer eat for a minute.
ashley
God, you're a knockout.
. ROADSIDE CAFE. DAY FOR DUSK.
ashley and spencer emerge from the cafe into the early evening.
They move toward the car they have stolen. Just beyond sits
a newer model car. spencer is surprised to see ashley head
toward the newer car.
spencer
Hey, that ain't ours.
ashley
Sure it is.
spencer
But we came in this one.
ashley
Don't mean we have to go home in it.
She walks amazed around the new car and gets in beside her.
she turns the key and they pull away from the cafe.
ABANDONED FARM HOUSE.
DAY.
The room is bare. In the middle spencer is waking, having
slept on a couple of car seats covered with an old piece of
tattered blanket. There are windows behind her. She looks
about bewildered.
spencer
ashley...
She starts to panic and runs to the window.
spencer
(continuing)
ashley...
At another window ashley appears.
ashley
Hey, lady.
spencer
(chagrined at her fear)
Where you been keeping yourself?
ashley
Slept out by the car.
spencer
Oh...These accommodations ain't
particularly deluxe.
ashley
No...If they're after us, I want
the first shot. Come on, you got
some work to do.
spencer moves to the door and out of the house.
15.
FARM HOUSE. FRONT YARD. DAY.
On the door is a sign which reads:
INSERT:
PROPERTY OF MIDLOTHIAN CITIZENS BANK -- TRESPASSERS WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
Wide angle. Across fence. Day. On the dilapidated picket
fence six old bottles have been placed. As spencer joins
ashley she turns and fires six quick shots. The bottles
disappear.
spencer
You're good.
ashley
The best.
spencer
And modest...
ashley
Come on. Got you all set up over
here.
. They move around to the side of the building
where ashley points to a tire hanging by a rope from a tree.
sHe means that to be spencer's target. sHe hands her a gun.
ashley
Set her spinnin'.
spencer fires. She misses.
ashley
Again. Come down slow with it...
spencer fires again and hits the tire. She smiles and blows
the smoke from the barrel in pride and self-mockery.
ashley
Ain't you something? I tell you
I'm going to get you a Smith and
Wesson, it'll be easier in your
hand. Now try it again once...
spencer sights. As she is about to fire, a man appears
around the corner of the building. A FARMER. She fires and
hits the tire.
FARMER
Heighdo.
ashley whirls at the sound. sHe grabs gun from spncer because
she is empty. sHe aims at FARMER.
FARMER
(frightened)
No miss...no miss. You all go right
ahead.
Ashley watches him warily.
FARMER
(continuing)
Used to be my place. Not any more.
Bank took it.
ashley and spencer start to move toward the farmer. All three
move around to the front of the building. At a distance we
see an Okie car loaded with belongings. A WOMAN with a BABY
in arms sits in front. A smaller BOY stands outside the car.
FARMER
Yes miss, moved us off. Now it
belongs to them.
(He points at the
foreclosure sign.)
spencer
Well, that's a pitiful shame.
ashley shakes her head sympathetically. sHe loads the empty
gun.
FARMER
(bitterly)
You're damned right, ma'm.
He looks up to see an OLD NEGRO who has come from a distance
shack and now stands near ashley's car.
FARMER
(nodding toward Negro)
Me and him put in the years here.
Yesmiss. So you all go right ahead.
We just come by for a last look.
He stands a moment looking at the house and then turns
around toward his family in the car. ashley and spencer look
after him. CLYDE spins and fires three fast shots into the
fore-closure sign. The FARMER stops and turns, looking at
ashley. ashley offers the gun to the farmer. He looks at it,
then accepts it. He slowly takes aim at the sign and fires.
It pleases him. He looks at ashley and spencer who smile.
FARMER
You all mind?
spencer and ashley are puzzled.
FARMER
Hey, Dave! Come on over here.
The NEGRO moves toward them. Now spencer understands. She
takes the second gun from ashley and hands it to DAVe.
DAVe looks from spencer to the FARMER and toward the house.
The FARMER fires again. This time at a window. He nods to
DAVe. DAVe slowly raises the gun and fires at another
window. It shatters and they can't keep from laughing. The
FARMER returns the gun as does DAVe.
FARMER
(continuing)
Much obliged.
He extends his hand. ashley shakes it.
FARMER
Otis Harrison. And this here's
Dave. We worked this place.
ashley
(formally)
Miss spencer carlin . And I'm ashley
davies.
Across farmer's car.. Day. The FARMER turns and
moves toward his people. DAVe moves toward his shack.
ashley and spencer in the b.g.
ashley and spencer.
ashley
(continuing)
We rob banks.
spencer turns quickly to look at ashley. sHe smiles and nods.