Fourth of July

INT. JORDAN'S HOUSE -- EVENING

Jordan and Kate sit on two white, broken, and peeling wicker chairs across from the couch where Chris, Jack, and Isa are seated. A sheet of acid lies in front of them in a large plastic baggy.

Jordan reaches down, opens the bag, pulls the first two tabs off the bottom of the sheet, and hands them to Chris.

CHRIS
Danka. (smiling toward Jordan)

Chris takes two tabs and passes them to the left. Isa grabs four from the bag.

KATE
Jesus, girl, bad day? (smiling with a bit of a sneer)

Isa sticks her tongue out at Kate, tearing the four into two sets of two. She puts two under Jack's tongue and the other two under her own.

She stands and reaches over the coffee table, handing the bag with the sheet of acid to Kate, who tears two off and makes a communion gesture before placing them under her tongue.

Jordan laughs a little forcefully, then pulls a cigarette out of his pack and lights one.

* * *


INT. JORDAN'S HOUSE -- AFTERNOON

CHRIS
So what do you guys want to do while we wait?

JORDAN
You just took two at once; you shouldn't have to wait long.

CHRIS
Shit, I’m bored already...

Chris glances over at Jack and Isa, who are making out, then looks back at Jordan and Kate, who are talking silently. Disappointed, he pulls a raggedy plastic American flag from his right pocket and starts waving it around, smiling.

Everyone stares at him.

JORDAN
(laughing)
Jeez man, that’s why you don’t have a girl... you’re the smartest one here, and you do crazy shit like that.

Chris looks down, rolls up the flag, and stuffs it back into his pocket. He leans his head back and gazes at the ceiling. Time starts to fluctuate; Chris’s eyes roll back slightly, his pupils dilate, and the profile of his head fades into a cat-scan that flips into deterioration.

The walls around him begin to wiggle, following his breathing pattern, as the colors and hues of everything fade from bright and radiant to an old faded 1970s film look. Objects in the room shift, words and letters on posters and books become unreadable, and everything appears coated with glitter.

The air conditioner becomes deafeningly loud, making its presence very apparent.

Jordan is lying on the floor now, while Jack and Isa sit on the floor, making paper airplanes and throwing them across the main living room into Jordan's bedroom. Kate and Chris are sitting cross-legged, playing slap hands. Jordan watches, soaking it all in.

A loud bang disrupts Jordan's trance.

JORDAN
Shit! Did you guys hear that?

Chris pulls his hands away from Kate's and cups his ear with his right hand.

CHRIS
Nah, must be the voices in your head again, my friend.

JORDAN
Well, my voices are making loud "bang" noises.

CHRIS
(laughs)
I think your imaginary friends are fucked up too!

Another loud bang goes off, this one louder than the first.

JACK
Shit, now they’re talking to me too.

Isa playfully punches him in the chest, and Jack smiles.

KATE
Wait, isn’t today the 4th of July?

JORDAN
Damn, you’re right... let’s all go up on the roof!

Chris grins like a child, and Jordan hops to his feet, with Kate and Chris following.

Jordan looks over at Jack and Isa, who are lost in each other's eyes.

JACK
I think me and Isa are gonna hang out down here.

JORDAN
Suit yourself, but you’ll be sorry when we’re watching pretty explosions and you’re down here bored and having crazy monkey sex.

JACK
True, but I think I can manage. (laughs)

Jordan, Kate, and Chris walk out of the front door of the second-story studio apartment, heading around to the side of the building on top of the local pawn shop. They climb a fire escape to access the rooftops.

The roof is covered in gray and white rocks with black tar pooled in the corners. The rocks glow vibrantly with the bleed-over of fireworks painting the sky in the colors of the last explosion. The fact that they’re on acid amplifies the scene; the air is filled with clouds, and the sky shifts from red to blue to green, creating a backdrop reminiscent of a Civil War battle.

JORDAN
Jesus, it’s like World War III out here.

KATE
Oh my, it’s beautiful...

Jordan reaches over, grabbing Kate by the waist from behind.

KATE
(CONT'D)
Heeey, no groping... (smiles)

JORDAN
Friends only, huh?

KATE
For now, at least. (smiles coyly at Jordan)

Fireworks explode overhead, painting the sky light purple. When Kate glances at Jordan, the bursts of vibrant red highlight both of them.

JORDAN
You’re blushing.

KATE
We’re red.

JORDAN
You’re still blushing.

Chris stands at the edge of the rooftop, arms outstretched like he’s about to jump and take flight. Jordan looks over, a hint of fear washing over his face.

KATE
Hey Chris, why not take some trial flights off the ground? Just to make sure.

CHRIS
Good idea! I’ll fly up here and then jump off for higher flight!

KATE
Sounds like a plan.

Chris steps off the rooftop and walks towards the fire escape. Jordan and Kate peer over the edge, watching him. When Chris reaches the ground, he looks up at the sky, extends his arms parallel to his shoulders, squats slightly, and jumps straight up, flapping his arms.

Jordan and Kate giggle at the spectacle.

JORDAN
Try to get a running start!

Chris doesn’t respond but starts running in circles, flapping his arms. He jumps, mimicking a running motion with his legs, but his knees buckle, and he falls, rolling onto his side. He gets back up and tries again.

CHRIS
Whoa!

KATE
He’ll be doing that for the next hour.

Jordan and Kate retreat from the edge and sit on an air conditioning unit.

JORDAN
Man, it doesn’t get better than this.

KATE
It doesn’t, trust me.

Kate wraps her arms around Jordan's side and rests her head on his chest. The sky explodes in yellow, and he leans down to kiss her forehead, resting his head on hers, eyes closed.

Fade to white.