Queens

By Eddy Taylor

1. INT. Alex's Bedroom. Day. 1.

A blue light shines from a well-loved speaker reading the time '19:03'. A hand places a CD in the device then presses a button on the top and 'Fat Bottomed Girls' by Queen blares loudly filling the room.

The owner of the hand and the bedroom comes into view. A young woman with 80's Stevie Nicks hair dances awkwardly while mouthing the lyrics. This is ALEX. Nineteen years old. Pale as a new moon. Dressed like a time capsule to the same era as her hair. She begins to put on her make up. She puckers her lips at her reflection. She looks good, and she knows it.

2. INT. Hallway. Day. 2.

A pristine white door dominates a short dimly lit hall. Various photographs line the wall of the nearby staircase. Someone is hoovering in the next room.

Suddenly the door bursts open slamming into the wall. The hoovering stops. A woman appears from the outside. Eighteen Years old, dark hair and freckles. Dressed in a black uniform shirt with blue accents stained with burger grease. Hexagonal glasses and wild eyes beneath them. This is MANDY. She pulls off a pair of black boots and rushes up the stairs. We follow Mandy as she passes a wedding photo. It is clear that aside from her short wavey haircut, she practically a carbon copy of the bride, her mother.

3. EXT. Car Park. Day. 3.

A grey Volkwagon Golf waits outside a block of flats. Alex, carrying a pair of heels in one hand and a bottle of cheap wine in the other, rushes towards the car as the door opens for her. She steps inside.

4. INT. Car. Day. 4.

Alex squeezes the drivers forearm. A muscular older man with very short hair that flops lazily like a wet flannel over his forehead. He briefly takes his eyes off the road to kiss Alex on the cheek. This is MIKE. He looks back at the road. The sun is just starting to set.

5. INT. Hallway. Day. 5.

Mandy reappears at the top of the stairs, she has swapped her uniform for a white t-shirt adorned with the faces of the band 'Queen' on the front, ripped grey skinny jeans and black leather gloves.

She reaches the botton of the stairs and strains pulling a pair of red trainers onto her feet. The hoovering stops.

MANDY

Mum. Where's my jacket?

6. EXT. Front Door. Day. 6.

Mike knocks on a large wooden door. He takes a step back and tries to take Alex by the hand. Alex takes a swig from her bottle of wine.

The door opens and GRACE, a girl dressed in a similar style to Alex, appears taking a drag from a vape. We can now hear grundgy music playing from inside the house.

Grace

Alex how are you? Come in!

Grace and Alex hug warmly. Alex takes Mikes hand once the girl has turned around. They follow her inside.

7. EXT. Street. Day. 7.

Mandy, her outfit compelted by a short denim jacket, walks down the middle of dimly lit street. She lights a cigarette and spots two pensioners on the pavement. They share a look and start walking faster.

MANDY

Wankers.

Mandy checks her phone, the time reads '19:58'

Mandy (CONT’D)

Shit!

She starts to jog.

8. INT. Living room. Day. 8.

We follow Alex into a luxurous living room teeming with guys, girls vape smoke and booze. Alex sits down on the arm of a leather sofa and swigs her wine. Grace disapears into the crowd of couples and clones.

Mike picks up a can of beer from the table in the middle of the room.

MIKE

Not bad.

ALEX

Yea, not bad.

9. INT. Living Room-Later. 9.

Four plastic shot glasses slam the table. Alex recoils and smacks her lips, whiping some excess liquid from her chin.

MIKE

Light-weight.

ALEX

Yea, right.

10. Ext. Front Door. Night. 10.

Someone opens the door. Mandy stands outside. She timidly raises her hand and waves.

MANDY

Hi. Is Jake in?

11. Ext. Back Garden. Night. 11.

A group of blokes sit on lawn chairs around an empty fire pit. One of them, JAKE (Nineteen, leather jacket, bad hair cut) is constructing a spliff. One of the other blokes, CHRIS (Twenty-One, broken nose), sipping on a beer leans in towards Jake.

CHris

What you calling this?

Jake

A Yorkshire T.

CHRIS

Yorkshire Tea?

JAKE

Cause I first made one in Whitby, and it looks like the letter T.

Mandy

Then why isn't it a Whitby T?

Jake and Chris turn to see Mandy on the edge of the circle.

JAKE

Cause no one's heard of Whitby, have they Manchester.

Jake lights the spliff. Mandy rolls her eyes.

12. INT. Living Room. Night. 12.

Alex hugs a girl her age. She is very drunk now. The two sit on the floor in the corner of the room. The girl, LAURA (Twenty, short hair) looks a little uncomfortable. She eyes a boy on the other side of the room, almost catching his eye before looking away. Alex notices this. She smirks.

ALEX

Really?

Laura

We used to have maths together. I think he's cute.

Alex sits up and puts her fingers around her mouth.

ALEX

Oi! James!

LAURA

What you doing?

The boy, JAMES, stares at Alex. She gestures for him to come over. He does.

ALEX

James. I'm going outside. This is Laura, and she's far too attractive to be left here by herself. Think you can take care of her for me?

James

Uh... yea. Hi! Didn't we-

LAURA

Have maths together. Yea, Loved Miss Nailsworth.

Alex gets up, Laura mouths 'thank you' at her. She mouths back 'you're welcome' before turning away. Her smile drops.

13. EXT. BACK GARDEN. Night. 13.

Alex stumbles out of the house and into the garden. She sits on the floor, the booze is starting to make her dizzy. She blinks heavily before picking through her purse. She finds a cigarette and lights it. Taking a deep drag.

Mandy takes a deep drag of Jakes 'Yorkshire T'. She coughs slightly and leans back onto Grace, the only other girl in the cirlce. Most of them aren't sat on chairs anymore, Mandy among them. She passes the spliff to her right and looks up at Grace

Grace

You a dyke or something?

Mandy jumps, taken aback. She stutters trying to find something to say but can't. The rest of the cirlce ignore them.

Grace (CONT’D)

Want a snog is that it?

CHRIS

Oh go on.

MANDY

Jog on.

CHRIS

Ten quid say's you two'll snog?

JAKE

Chris.

CHRIS

Yea?

JAKE

Fuck off.

Mandy stands up, gives Chris a middle finger, and walks back towards the house. Alex watches her. She notices her T-shirt.

ALEX

Freddie or Brian?

Mandy

Brian. Duh.

ALEX

Right answer. Wanna fag?

MANDY

Sure.

Alex gives her a cigarrette. She watches Mandy smoke and subtly bites her lip.

ALEX

Who d'ya know?

MANDY

Me and Jake work at Burger Star.

ALEX

Nice.

MANDY

You're Mikes girl aren't you?

Alex takes a long drag of her cigarrette. Pauses then exhales shakily.

ALEX

Names Alex. Mike is... sort of my boyfriend.

Mandy smirks.

MANDY

Oh yea?

Mike come round the corner, he spots Alex and Mandy.

MIKE

You coming?

Alex checks her phone, the time reads '23:56'

ALEX

It's not even midnight?

MIKE

I'm going if you want a lift.

Alex sighs.

ALEX

Sure.

Mike goes back inside the house. Alex get's up.

MANDY

See you around.

ALEX

Hope so. You're cool I think.

Alex goes inside. Mandy sits alone and cocks her head.

14. INT. Mike's House. Night. 14.

Mike throws Alex on large bed at the centre of a spartan room. He kisses her on the neck. He places his hands on her thigh while she runs her fingers down his back.

15. INT. Hallway. Night. 15.

Mandy barges into the hallway, the door slams behind her. She marches up the stairs.

16. INT. Mandy's Bedroom. Night. 16.

A framed poster of 'Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols' hangs above a yellowing dishevelled bed. Mandy collapes into the bed with a graceless thud. She turns over and checks her phone. She opens instagram and finds Alex tagged on one of Jakes posts. Mandy looks up from her phone and Alex appears in front of her. Mandy studies Alex's mouth, then her hands and then her eyes.

ALEX

You're cool I think.

MANDY

So are you. I think

Mandy puts her hands down her trousers and glances out the window, where Alex is now stood having merged with the nights sky.

17. INT. Mike's Bedroom. Night. 17.

Alex is looking out the window with Mike on top of her. They are having sex now. She releases a few forced moans as Mike grunts loundly before collapsing suddenly.

ALEX

You finished?

Mike.

Yea. Fun?

Alex looks back out the window, stroking Mike's hair.

ALEX

Hmm.

18. INT. Mandy's Bedroom. Night. 18.

Mandy, now dressed in just her underwear and a t-shirt sits up and looks out the window. She picks up her phone opens Alex's intagram profile. She pauses for a moment and then presses the 'follow' button.

19. INT. Alex's Bedroom. Day. 19.

An alarm blares from Alex's phone. She sits up in her bed and turns off the alarm.

She's wearing a oversized hoodie and nothing else. She glances to her mirror, beside it is an open wardrobe.

She stands and picks through the kneatly arranged clothes before picking out a long denim skirt and a crop top.

20. INT. MANDY’S Bathroom. Day. 20.

Mandy ties to apply mascara with little expertise. She stamps her foot out of frustration. She takes a deep breath and tries again, with a little more finesse.

Her phone pings. She checks her notifications. A message from Alex reads: 'You coming? xx'.

Mandy grins and types back: 'Duh. :)'.

21. Ext. Mandy's House. Day. 21.

An overgrown garden with a thin grey pavement running through the middle. At the far end sits a grey car. Mandy walks down the path, she has a wide grin on her face as Alex leans out of the cars window.

22. INT. Car. Day. 22.

Alex and Mandy sit in the back of the car, laughing at joke. Mike, who is driving, tries to join in but the girls are lost in their own world.

23. INT. LIVING ROOM. Day. 23.

Mike and Jake lead Mandy and Alex through an open door and into a living room. The party is almost exactly the same as the one from before.

Grace, who is at the centre of the party spots Mandy and glares at her, she notices Alex and forces a smile.

Alex sits on the groud and Mandy perches on the edge of a sofa. The two smile at each other, Mandy pulls out a flask and takes a swig. Alex snatches the flask and tries it, she starts to cough, it's much stronger than she suspected.

Grace pulls Laura and James over to her and points at Mandy and Alex, the three of them all share a confused look.

24. EXT. Back Garden. Night. 24.

Mandy, Jake and Alex lie on the grass sharing one of Jake's Yorkshire T's, talking and laughing.

25. EXT. BACK GARDEN. Night-Later. 25.

Jake has left and Alex and Mandy are alone, passing a bottle of Alex's wine between them.

MANDY

You know this is vile right?

Alex leans on Mandy's shoulder.

MANDY

Hello? You listening?

ALEX

Nah.

Rain starts to hammer down around them.

MANDY

Fuck.

Mandy stands up but Alex doesn't. She pulls Alex to her feet.

ALEX

Do you think...

MANDY

What?

Alex stumbles into Mandy. Alex it a little taller, she caresses Mandy's jaw with both hands.

ALEX

Am I hot?

Mandy doesn't think, she kisses Alex as suddenly and as she pulls away. Alex grins awkwardly, she looks Mandy in the eye and pulls her back. The two start to kiss passionaitly in the rain. The two pull away again, Alex is giddy, Mandy is a bit confused. The two are lost in each others eyes, they don't notice Mike and Jake coming into the garden.

MIKE

Oi!

Mandy and Alex stand still, like children being scolded by a teacher. The windows of the house are suddenly filled with the faces of Grace, Laura and James all staring menacingly at the two girls.

Mike (CONT’D)

We're going.

Alex takes a moment before stepping up to Mike, still holding Mandy's hand.

Mike (CONT’D)

Not you.

Mandy lets go of Alex's hand and storms off into the house, Jake following. Grace gasps from behind the window.

26. EXT. STREET. Night. 26.

Mandy stomps down a poorly lit street as Jake trails behind her. He tries to get her attention but she ignores him.

27. INT. Car. Night. 27.

Mike and Alex sit in silence as they drive back to her flat.

28. EXT. Mandy's House. Night. 28.

Mandy marches towards the house, her mascara stained and streaking across her face. MANDY's MUM, a plumper iteration of the woman from the photographs, opens the door and spots her daughter.

MANDY'S MUM

Darling?

MANDY

Don't wanna talk about it.

She goes straight past her mum and disappears inside the house. Jake stumbles past the edge of the garden and spots Mandy's Mum.

29. INT. Car. Night. 29.

The car sits outside Alex's flat. Mike is silent. Alex tries to say something but then thinks better of it. The two of them sit together in uncomfortable silence.

MIKE

Do you like her?

ALEX

I think so.

MIKE

More than me?

Alex takes Mike's hand and nods. He stifles a tear. She gets out of the car and walks up the garden.

30. EXT. CAR PARK. Night-Continuous 30.

Alex watches Mikes car exit the car park. Once it's gone she turns and walks away from the flats.

31. INT. MANDY’S BEDROOM. Night. 31.

Mandy lies on her bed flicking through her phone, there are still a few smudged streaks of mascara across her face. 'Love Of My Life' by Queen plays in the background. Someone knocks on her door.

MANDY

It's open.

The door opens.

MANDY (CONT’D)

Whatcha want Mum?

She sees Mandy in the doorway and drops her phone.

ALEX

She let me in. Can I stay here for a bit?

MANDY

Umm... yea... I guess.

32. INT. Mandy's Bedroom. Night-Later. 32.

Alex and Mandy sit together on the bed. Alex tries to kiss Mandy's shoulder.

MANDY

Don't you 'sort of' have a boyfriend?

ALEX

Not anymore. So I guess that makes me 'sort of single' doesn't it?

Alex turns over onto all fours. She strokes Mandy's hair.

Alex (CONT’D)

That okay?

MANDY

I think so.

Alex smiles. She starts kissing Mandy's neck.

ALEX

This okay?

Mandy rolls Alex onto her back. She puts her hands round Alex's waste and the two start to kiss more intensly.

33. INT. Mandy's Bedroom. Day. 33.

Alex and Mandy lie on the top of the bed in post coitle exaustion. The sun starts to rise through the window.

Mandy sits up and watches the sun. Alex hugs her from behind and watches with her.

34. EXT. FRONT DOOR. Night. 34.

Mandy knocks on the door, Alex takes her hand and squeezes it. They are both wearing matching denim jackets. The door opens and 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' by Queen can be heard from inside the house. Jake looks Mandy in the eye and then glances at Alex. Mike shuffles up behind him and smirks softly.

JAKE

Well; you coming in or what?

Alex and Mandy follow Jake inside as the song finishes its second verse.

End.