1 EXT. – SUBURBAN HOUSE PORCH – DAY 1

A still, close-up shot of a door mat with the words: “Home Sweet Home” The shot pans upward to the pristine front lawn of a suburban house and the sudden, slow arrival of a yellow school bus. The stopping bus and random bird calls are the only sounds heard.

2 INT. – SCHOOL BUS – DAY 2

The moving shot goes up the aisle of the bus slowly with a view of high-school students filling almost every seat. Some teenagers just look out the window, others look up with indifference or mild disdain.

On the right a girl moves her small handbag from her lap and onto the empty chair next to her, then looks away as she puts her headphones on. On the left, a boy moves to the empty chair next to him and glares menacingly. A couple stop kissing and look up only to roll their eyes and go back to their kissing. Another boy finishes his loud whispering quickly to another on the other side of the aisle and they both laugh when they look up. Their laughter is drowned out by a very loud ringing bell.

3 INT. – HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM – DAY 3

The ringing bell stops.

Focusing and nearing JONAH, from behind, sitting at his desk at the back of a classroom, hunched over with the hood of his sweatshirt up.

A low voice is muffled in the background.

The scene is silenced and the scene cuts to a very close shot of JONAH’S pencil moving across the paper in his notebook. He’s drawing a sketch of a comic strip.

MR. REED

Jonah!

(Shouts in anger)

The pencil snaps at the same time as MR. REED calling out JONAH’S name.

JONAH leans back in his chair and softly places his broken pencil exactly perpendicular to his notebook and keeps his palms on either side of the table.

MR. REED stands next to JONAH’S table, looking angry and disbelieving. His hands are on his hips, mouth open and head cocked to one side. JONAH looks straight ahead and stays still.

MR. REED

Do you know…

(Shifts weight from one foot to the other, rubs his temples)

…I mean…

(Gives a gesture of uncertainty, slowly shakes his head)

Get out.

(Swings an arm toward the door)

Get the hell out of my class. Now!