The Dark Pearl Chronicles 1.1: Battle of the Half-Brothers (2 page)

COLE (to Zack): You could find better friends.

ZACK: Like you? Sorry, I'll take my chances with Austin.

COLE: Of course you will. We'll see where he is when you're in need.

ZACK: Oh we'll see. (Walks away behind Austin.)

(Austin and Zack continue to walk down the hallway. Kara and Shawn come skating in the door on their skateboards. Kara bumps Austin and Austin shoves him to the ground in front of Shawn. Shawn tries to stop and falls over Kara.)

AUSTIN: Watch where you're going, fool.

SHAWN: Who are you calling a fool?

AUSTIN: Your little friend here, if it's any of your business.

SHAWN: Yes, it is my business, thank you.

KARA: Okay, let's settle down; I did bump into him.

SHAWN: Quiet, you! (Turns back to Austin) Stay out of our way.

(Austin grabs Shawn by the shirt collar and slams his back against the locker. He holds Shawn there and gets in his face.

AUSTIN: I think you forgot something, Shawn. Even when we were Teen Swag, I've been the bad boy around here. I still am. That's never going to change.

SHAWN: Ha. We'll see about that.

(Austin lets go of Shawn's collar. Shawn walks off, turned around looking at Austin over his shoulder and brushing his own collar)

ZACK (to Austin): Still mad about the band breaking up, huh?

AUSTIN: I'll never forgive that traitor.

(The two walk off to go to class.)

SCENE: A large house around a mile away. A man dressed in a white lab coat is standing in a room full of weird machinery. He wears a name tag on the coat that bears the name "Pete Walsh". The machine he is standing near, the Mesopotamian Jewel Tracker 5000, is showing a U.S. map on a giant screen. He presses a green button and a status bar pops up on the screen. It quickly goes to 100% and six colored dots pop up at the location Miami, Florida.

PETE: Yes! I've done it! I've done it! I never thought I'd live to see the day. Now how do I lure the young powers here? Hmmm...

(Pete looks over and sees a pair of binoculars)

SCENE: Washington High School. The bell rings as the school day comes to a close. Zack and Austin come out of the school building talking.

ZACK: Hey man, you coming to the game Friday night?

AUSTIN: Come on, you know I don't miss a game.

ZACK: I know. Are you actually going to watch, though? I mean half the time I look up and you're not in the bleachers. And it's always when I make a big play. 

AUSTIN (mumbling under his breath): Oh you have no idea.

(Austin encounters a flashback. He has turned himself invisible and sauntered onto the field before the last play of the game. The play call is a quarterback run, meaning the entire game sits on Zack's shoulders. Invisible Austin stands behind a receiver and the ball gets snapped. Zack takes off to his right to run down the sideline. The play gets off to a good start, but one last defender remains to get to Zack. No one knows that Austin is running alongside of Zack, and as the defender closes in to tackle Zack, invisible Austin hits the defender in the chest, sending him flying backwards and landing on his back, feet still up. The entire crowd goes into confusion at seeing the defender run into an invisible wall and Zack scores the touchdown. Zack looks up in the bleachers to see that Austin was not there to see his game-winning play.)

AUSTIN: Yeah, I'll try to watch. No promises though, bud.

ZACK (laughing): I know how it is, man. You have to flirt with the girls, I know. I'm just glad you come to the games.

AUSTIN: Ha, yeah. Well it's the least I can do since you always come to my rap concerts.

(In the bushes, Pete sits with a pair of binoculars, watching Austin and Zack.)

PETE: A football player, huh? And the other is a rapper. I think I know the perfect bait. (He takes notes on his pad)

(Pete leaves the bushes and begins walking down the sidewalk, following Josh and Jaguar from a safe distance.)

JOSH: So, Jaguar, what are you doing this weekend?

JAGUAR: Well, I'm planning on going to that video game convention. They're giving out free Modern Warfare 4 games to the first one thousand people. I have to get there early.

JOSH: Really? Wow that game just came out! You think I can catch a ride with you? I want to get that game.

JAGUAR: Definitely, man. I'll tell my grandma and we can pick you up at eight Saturday morning.

JOSH: Thanks, man.

(Pete stops walking and takes notes to himself again.)

PETE (mumbling): Video gamers. Got it.

(Pete walks off again, this time he goes in the building to the door outside of the chess club room. He is stopped by a teacher.)

TEACHER: And who are you?

PETE: My condolences, madam, I was looking for a Ms.... (Looks down at the teacher's nametag and sees "Monica Curran") Curran. Yes, that was the name. Could you tell me if she is still here?

TEACHER: I am she.

PETE: Ah. What proper English you use. I love that.

MS. CURRAN: Why, thank you. I'm flattered. But tell me, sir, why were you looking for me?

PETE: Well, I'm concerned about a student of yours.

MS. CURRAN: Oh. Who would this student be?

PETE: Well, I don't really feel comfortable talking about it out here in this hallway. Could we step into this room here?

MS. CURRAN: Well, I believe the chess club is having a meeting in there right now.

(About five or six nerdy looking students walk out of the room talking.)

STUDENT: Oh, Ms. Curran, are you waiting on this room?

MS. CURRAN: Well as a matter of fact I am.

STUDENT: Well we are finished. Cole and John are the only two in there now. They said they need some extra practice for the meet this weekend.

MS. CURRAN: Thank you, Ronald.

(Pete and Ms. Curran walk into the room.)

MS. CURRAN: Okay, sir, should we carry on?

PETE: Yes. We shall. Well, madam, I am a college scout.

MS. CURRAN: You don't look like a scout.

PETE: My condolences, but I found that kind of offensive. Either way, I am a scout for the University of Miami. I would like to know of Zack Parker's grades.

(Pete begins to listen in on Cole's conversation with John while Ms. Curran rambles.)

COLE: So have you applied to any colleges?

JOHN: We're sophomores, Cole. Don't you think that's a little early?

COLE: You can never be too early for anything. I have already received letters from Harvard. All I have to do is keep the grades I already have going and I'm a shoo-in in three years.

PETE (thinking to self): Wow. Absolutely marvelous. He reminds me of a younger version of myself.

MS. CURRAN: Sir, have you been listening to me?

PETE: Ah. My condolences, again, madam. I started watching their chess game. The boy there with the red shirt has completely left himself unprotected from the other young man's bishop.

COLE (looking up at Pete): He's right. You left yourself wide open, John. (Moves his bishop) Checkmate.

MS. CURRAN: Sir, I should report you to the cops. You cannot just wander into a school and begin messing with the students. And you definitely cannot be asking for their records. These students are minors.

PETE: Yes, madam, you are completely right. I'll go ahead and leave.

MS. CURRAN: Please. I'll show you the door.

PETE: No, madam, I'm fine. I can show myself. (Walks into the closed door.) Ow! Oh. I found it. (Opens the door and walks out) Thank you for your time, madam.

PETE (to himself): Phew. That was a close one. (Takes notes) Cole equals Future Harvard Student. Perfect. Now I must find Kara. 

(Kara is skating through the school halls with Shawn.)

TEACHER: Hey! Get out of here on that skateboard, Mr. Smith! I will write you up!

KARA (yells back): I'm sorry, Mr. Lewis! I was just leaving!

(Kara and Shawn skate around a corner when Kara runs right into Pete, knocking him over.)

KARA: I'm so sorry, sir.

PETE (getting up, gathering his pad and pen): It's okay, young man. (Looks at Kara's face) Say, aren't you Kara Smith?

KARA: Yes, I am.

PETE (looks down at skateboard): I see you're holding a skateboard. You like to skate?

KARA: I do. Sir, who are you?

PETE: Oh, I'm from the X-Games convention. I heard about you and thought I'd check you out. I'm afraid today isn't a good day for me though. Tell you what, I'll send you something in the mail later this week.

KARA (overjoyed): Oh that sounds great! Here's my address-

PETE: Don't worry about that. I have it already.

KARA: But, how?

PETE: I have my ways. (Walks off, writing "Skater" on his pad.)

KARA: Do you find that weird, maybe even creepy?

SHAWN: Definitely.

SCENE: Hours later. Back at Pete's.

PETE: Perfect. Now I can find the perfect bait for each of these young men. My plan is finally going into effect.

SCENE: Two days later. Each of the young men receives a different letter in the mail, but all tell them to come to the same location.

JOSH (reading his letter to Jaguar): "Come to the International Video Game Convention! Each visitor gets the new Halo 6 game." This game hasn't even come out in stores!

JAGUAR: I got the same letter! But what about the spies?

JOSH: Spies?

JAGUAR: Well at the end, the letter says, "Don't tell anyone of this event. It is for specifically chosen individuals." But now we just told each other! What if spies come to take us?

JOSH: Don't worry Jaguar. That won't happen. Just don't tell anyone else, okay? We don't want to rub it in that we were chosen.

JAGUAR: Alright.

SCENE: Three days later. Pete's mansion.

(Zack walks up to the door and rings the doorbell, holding his letter.)

PETE (opening door): Ah, come in, my young fellow!

ZACK: Are you Mister Walsh, the scout from the University of Miami? I received this letter about an athletic scholarship...

PETE: Yes, young man. I am he.