by Eoin Harnett
January 17th 2016
3rd Draft
TITLE
INT. UNIVERSITY CAFETERIA. DAY.
The cafeteria is spacious and moderately busy,
some students in groups of five and six chatting
happily, others by themselves. It is a relaxed
We are focused on two characters in the scene.
SARAH, 18 – 20's, a mute girl who sits alone and
reads, and TOM, 18 – 20's, a charismatic boy who
often puts his foot in his mouth.
SARAH is already sitting at a table with no one else
around. TOM approaches a seat at the table nearly
TOM
(sitting down) Hi
TOM
(taking books out) You flat out with exams
TOM
I'm up to my eyeballs in reading. I mean,
Shakespeare's great of course, but there's
only so much you can read till it all looks
TOM
So what about yourself, is it arts or
…show more content…
TOM
Like... is your voice gone or can you not
actually speak?
SARAH shakes her head. Signalling him to wait a second, she
grabs her phone, opens a note-taking app, and passes it across
the table. A sentence is already written in, saying 'I cannot
speak, I have aphonia'.
TOM
Oh I'm sorry I-
SARAH shakes head, smiling
TOM
So, do you speak sign language then or...?
SARAH shakes her head and taps her finger on the phone
TOM
Just your phone?
TOM
Doesn't that take longer?
SARAH picks up phone, types, and passes it. The screen
says 'Yeah but no one knows sign language'
TOM
Right well I'm probably disturbing you so-
SARAH signals him to stay
TOM
So what are you studying then?
SARAH types, passes phone, it says 'Sociology and
TOM
I hear sociology is pretty interesting. You
TOM
TOM
I'm second myself. English, looking to do
teaching after this.
TOM
Do you know what you want to do yet?
TOM
I actually have a lot to do so I'm just
TOM returns to his books. TOM looks up to see SARAH
TOM
SARAH does not respond
TOM
Are you alright or...? Look I've work to