EXT. PIER - EARLY EVENING - REAL
Two male teenagers face each other, WESLEY and LUCAS. Wesley looks intimidated and is clearly inferior. Lucas raises a fist. Hits Wesley. He falls.
Wesley lies, face down, on the ground. Lucas walks away, into the distance.
WESLEY (V.O.)
So much for taking the hit like a man...
Wesley places his hands on the ground and pushes up, lifting himself. He pulls his knees up and kneels, leaning back on his legs. He puts his hands to his face, checking for blood or bruises. He picks himself up and takes a few stumbling steps. He bends double and spits blood from his mouth.
WESLEY (V.O.)
Wasn't expecting a hit like that.
Wesley straightens himself up.
WESLEY (V.O.)
At least he'll leave me alone from now on anyway.
He takes a few steps down the street, lapsing into a pace.
WESLEY (V.O.)
Hopefully..
EXT. STREET 2 - REAL
Wesley walks along the street, looking around for any people walking by.
WESLEY (V.O.)
You know, when something happens and you make your choices, and then you mull it over, and make different choices?
The road is lined with parked cars. Wesley walks towards one.
WESLEY (V.O.)
That's the benefit of hindsight.
WESLEY (V.O)
The French have their own phrase for it: l'esprit de l'escalier. That's more for jokes.
He bends down and leans in close to the car's side door.
WESLEY (V.O.)
My problem still had a punchline.
He looks into the wing mirror, and touches his face, again checking for cuts and bruises.
WESLEY
Not too bad.
He picks himself up and starts walking off.
WESLEY
Like it never happened...
Across the street, he sees two male teenagers, staring each other down. Himself and Lucas.
EXT. PIER - IMAGINED
Two male teenagers face each other, WESLEY and LUCAS. Wesley looks intimidated and is clearly inferior.
Lucas steps forward and throws his punch. He slips on the wet ground of the pier. His punch falls short as Wesley quickly steps back. Lucas struggles to regain his balance. Wesley takes a second's hesitation before running off down the pier.
He turns back. Wesley has ran to the end of the pier. He isn't stopping.
EXT. STREET - IMAGINED
Wesley is hiding, crouched down beside the street. Lucas approaches and stares down at him.
EXT. STREET - REAL
Wesley stands still, staring at the place where he saw himself crouched down. Then, he turns off and walks away.
WESLEY
Maybe running wouldn't be so good an idea.
EXT.
WESLEY
There's the regular solution to a fight.
WESLEY
Hit first.
WESLEY
Supposed to let them know who you are, what they're dealing.
WESLEY
I think Lucas already knew.
WESLEY
It would have been worth a try.
WESLEY
Second chances are never worth much.
EXT. PIER
Two male teenagers face each other, WESLEY and LUCAS. Wesley looks intimidated and is clearly inferior.
Lucas steps forward, clenching a fist. Wesley's hand darts up to his face. Wesley steps back, almost in shock at his own movement. Lucas drops immediately. He lies, motionless on the ground.
EXT. STREET - REAL
Wesley watches this scene unfold. He sees the imagined version of himself pull out a phone, dial 999 and drop it beside Lucas' body.
The real Wesley watches, and solemnly walks away.
EXT.
Wesley walks along a road.
WESLEY (V.O.)
I'm sure we could have worked something out.
WESLEY (V.O.)
Like stopping a train by asking nicely.
A man runs across the road towards Wesley.
MAN
Can I get a light?
WESLEY
Sorry mate?
The man looks concerned and touches his face as a mirror suggestion.
MAN
You alright?
WESLEY
I'm fine.
WESLEY (V.O.)
Something says I got off easy the way things went.
EXT. PIER - IMAGINED
Two male teenagers face each other, WESLEY and LUCAS. Wesley looks intimidated and is clearly inferior.
Wesley raises his hands up. He says something. He begs. Lucas steps forward and throws a punch. Wesley hits the floor. Lucas follows up with a kick to the stomach.
Wesley lies, face down, on the ground. Lucas walks away, into the distance. Wesley struggles to breathe.
EXT. STREET - REAL
Wesley sits down, leaning heavily forward, elbows resting on his knees. He stares out across the street.
WESLEY (V.O.)
Problem solved, you think.
WESLEY
Take a hit, be a martyr, and it's end of the story.
WESLEY
Every story's got an epilogue.
WESLEY
The hit's got consequences, reverberations.
WESLEY
Doesn't everything?
EXT. PIER
Two male teenagers face each other, WESLEY and LUCAS. Wesley looks intimidated and is clearly inferior.
Lucas steps forward, priming a punch. Wesley hesitates, a look of fear spreads across his face in an instant. He throws his hand out. It connects with Lucas' stomach. He backs away, coughing and panting, gasping for breath.
Wesley holds his hands up and begins to talk. Lucas still struggles to breathe. Wesley's mouth moves quickly, he steps back. Lucas finally straightens up. He moves to throw a punch but pulls back at the last second. He laughs hugely, and walks away.
EXT. ROCK ROAD
Wesley walks by, turning off the street onto a small path across to the multi-story car pack.
He looks around, and then drops down to sit on the steps. He huddles up and pulls his jacket tight around him.
WESLEY
Talking about stories, I wonder what his was.
WESLEY
Troubled young man like that.
WESLEY
Makes you think really.
As his hands pass by his jacket, he notices the bulk of the phone pressing out.
WESLEY
I'm glad he got to work out his frustrations on my face.
He slides his hand into the pocket and pulls out his phone.
WESLEY
I'll just think of it as charity.
He stares at the phone, but doesn't press any buttons, staring at the reflection in the black screen.
EXT. PIER - IMAGINED
Two male teenagers face each other, WESLEY and LUCAS. Wesley looks intimidated and is clearly inferior.
Lucas steps forward and raises a fist. He pauses. A phone rings in his pocket. His hand dives down into his pocket. He turns away from Wesley and raises the phone to his ear. His face drops.
He talks on the phone and gets visibly aggravated. He starts gesturing wildly. Wesley simply stands and watches. Lucas shouts into the phone and then throws it into the water.
EXT. STREET
Wesley walks by.
He notices a piece of a broken mirror lying on the ground.
He picks it up, rotating it into his hand, watching the reflection shift.
It slips slightly in his hands and he throws it down to the floor. He looks, and sees a cut across his finger.
He puts the finger to his mouth and sucks at it, a pained expression on his mouth. He sees the imaginary shades of him and Lucas again.
EXT. PIER - IMAGINED
Two male teenagers face each other, WESLEY and LUCAS. Wesley looks intimidated and is clearly inferior.
Lucas raises a fist and hits Wesley. Wesley shakes under the force of the blow, but stands his ground. He returns a punch of his own. Lucas grabs him, and throws him to the ground. He pins him down, and they tussle, flailing fists at each other. Wesley pushes him away slightly, lifts his legs up to press his feet against Lucas' chest and kicks off.
Lucas stumbles back onto his feet. Wesley picks himself up. They stand there, facing each other down. Lucas turns, and walks off and Wesley straightens himself out.
EXT. STREET - IMAGINED
Wesley stumbles along the street. He is still beaten and battered from his fight with Lucas. He stiffens, as if he has heard something. He whips around and sees Lucas, standing menacingly, cricket bat in his hand. Wesley, without hesitation, sprints away.
They run through several streets, before coming to the same street where the real Wesley had picked up the broken mirror. He sees him, standing there.
EXT. STREET - REAL
Wesley stands still as the two apparitions sprint past him. He continues to stand still, even as they run into the distance.
WESLEY (V.O)
Definitely should have done something.
