Week 17, Day 114 - "Smile"

“Smile”
Written by Joe Janes
5/12/09
114 of 365

CAST:
Rick, 40s
Tammy, 20s
Hilary, 20s
Chester, 60s
Phyllis, 20s
Hubert the Homeless Guy, 30s

(Lights up on Rick sitting on a commuter train in the morning. The train has stopped and people are getting on. He is smiling and trying to make eye contact with people. Chester walks by, ignoring him, and sits. Phyllis walks by, ignoring him, and sits. Hilary gets on, notices him, and sits down not far from him. He is still smiling at her. She smiles back.)

RICK (relieved)

Oh, thank you!

HILARY

Do we know each other?

RICK

No. Not at all.

HILLARY

You were smiling at me like you knew me.

RICK

Was I? I was just smiling at you.

HILARY

Oh.

RICK

I ride this train every day. People plug in to their iPods and their newspapers and everyone avoids eye contact and just simply chatting with one another.

HILARY

Yep. (Looks around, notices others doing what he said, takes out her iPod.) That was my game plan.

RICK

I did the math. I spend two hours a day on the train during the week. Ten hours a week, Forty hours a month, see where I’m going?

HILARY

480 hours a year.

RICK

Probably a little less with sick days and holidays. But it’s more time than I spend with my family.

HILARY

So, you want to make some friends in that time?

RICK

I just don’t want to be dead. I’ll have plenty of time to be dead after I die. I want to feel alive and let other people around me know I’m alive. And, it's kind of fun. Try it.

HILARY

Okay.

(The train stops. Tammy gets on and immediately notices Hilary and Rick smiling at her. She sits, suspiciously.)

TAMMY

Let me guess. Jehovah’s Witnesses? Save your breath. God and I are taking a break.

(Rick and Hilary laugh)

RICK

We’re not Jehovah Witnesses.

HILARY

We’re just smiling.

TAMMY

How weird.

CHESTER

I like it. I think it’s a great idea. I’ve seen all of you on the train before, but ain’t none if us ever said hello or swapped a smile. You all seem like good people, so, why not? I’m going to start smiling at everyone, too.

PHYLLIS

Ah, hell. Me, too. I’ve been sitting here smiling to myself over you two, may as well join the party.

RICK

Yea! If there are other people doing it with me, then I’m officially not crazy.

(They all laugh.)

TAMMY

I think my morning commute just got more interesting.

(They all laugh.)

CHESTER

Hey, look. Here comes somebody.

PHYLLIS

Smiles, everybody, smiles.

(Hubert the Homeless Guy comes in shuffling slowly with his head down and hand out.)

HUBERT

Excuse me, everyone. I am homeless and I am hungry. Any change you can spare would be greatly appreciated.

(He looks up and sees that they are all looking at him smiling. Slowly, one-by-one, their smiles melt and their heads go to newspapers, books and iPods, away from Hubert. Tammy is still smiling but then notices that everyone else has turned away. )

TAMMY

Oh, fuck you guys.

(She hands Hubert a dollar.)

TAMMY (continuing)

Here’s a buck.

HUBERT

You have a lovely smile.

TAMMY

Fuck you, too. I mean… Thanks.

(Hubert walks off. Tammy glowers at the others as they steal glances at her and one another. She rolls her eyes and starts reading a newspaper. Lights fade.)