Addiction - Chapter Seven

Danny rapidly clicks the refresh button as he tries to keep

up with the non-heavy flow of visitors to his page.

His profile views are now at a triumphant 71 and his friends

have skyrocketed to 19.

11.

DANNY

Sweet! Pretty soon I’ll be up to

20 friends, then 50, then...who

knows!

He clicks on Don’s profile and falls into a trance.

DANNY

Don, you’ve created an amazing

thing. May good fortune come to

you and yours.

In a trashy dark basement sits DON(30) before a computer.

His Buddysearch page is open.

He has a bandana atop a head of shaggy hair and sweat stains

all over his shirt; doesn’t look a thing like his photo.

He sadistically speaks aloud.

DON

Yes! Follow me, my minions! Yes!

Muahahahahahahahaha!

DON’S MOM(V.O.)

Donald! Are you going to eat?

Your food is getting cold!

Embarrassed, Don screams.

DON

NOT NOW, MOM! I’M BUSY!

Danny types away on his Buddysearch page while Ben watches in

disgust.

BEN

So, how’s the online world?

DANNY

It’s great, dude! I’m up to 25

friends!

Danny looks a few chairs over and spots Derek logging into

his own Buddysearch account.

12.

DANNY

Derek? I thought “Freaksearch.com”

was for child molesters, ass hats,

and losers like me?

DEREK

I don’t know. A bunch of my

friends signed up for this shit, so

I did too.

DANNY

Well, since you’re starting out,

should I add you to my list?

DEREK

If it makes you happy, asshole.

DANNY

Great!

BEN

You know he hates you, right?

DANNY

So? The more people I have on my

list, the cooler I seem.

BEN

Such a dork. It’s all a trend

anyway. It’ll be over in a month.

DANNY

One day dorks will solve the

world’s problems. You’ll see.

BEN

You’ll probably be rich with a hot

wife one day, I’ll give you that.

Across the room, Brian talks to the TEACHER. The teacher

points at Danny and the gleeful Brian strolls over.

BEN

Ah shit.

BRIAN

Hey guys! What’s up?

BEN

Nothing, Brian! Nothing is up!

13.

BRIAN

Well, I brought a chocolate bar to

school today but it melted in my

backpack.

BEN

So?

BRIAN

So I have to put it in the freezer

and then I’ll have an ice pop!

BEN

Nobody cares, Brian! Now bye!

Brian hands Danny a yellow slip.

BRIAN

Danny, the vice principal wants to

talk to you.

DANNY

Uh oh. What’d I do?

Danny nervously faces DR. DARKSIDE(50s), a guy in a midnight

black suit. He slices a letter opener along the pictures of

students in a yearbook.

DR. DARKSIDE

It has come to my attention that

you have been writing nasty things

about the school and administration

on the website Buddysearch.com.

DANNY

Well, not exactly. See-

DR. DARKSIDE

Did I say you could speak? Because

I don’t think I did. See, that’s

called slander, son, and we don’t

take kindly to it.

DANNY

Okay, I can explain that.

DR. DARKSIDE

Not necessary. You did enough

explaining in your online diary.

14.

DANNY

My blog, actually.

DR. DARKSIDE

Your frog?

DANNY

Blog.

DR. DARKSIDE

Oh, right. Blog.

Dr. Darkside leans forward and gets in Danny’s face.

DR. DARKSIDE

So, you think I wear pink panties?

DANNY

Dr. Darkside, I swear-

DR. DARKSIDE

Well, I hope you go to confession

cause that’s a sin. Now as for

your little diary, I’ll have to

give you detention for that.

DANNY

Don’t I have freedom of speech?

DR. DARKSIDE

Not when you’re saying nasty things

about the school and administration

on a public forum.

DANNY

This is exploitation! Corruption!

Oligarchy!

DR. DARKSIDE

Then call me Osama bin Laden! Now

get out of my office!

DANNY

Asshole.

Both are silent for a moment until Danny emotionally bursts

out.

DANNY

So I get in trouble for blogging

about this stupid school but I

don’t get in trouble for calling

you an asshole?

15.

DR. DARKSIDE

GET OUT!

Don smiles evilly as his friends list grows. That’s when his

MOM(60s), in a sundress with curly hair, walks down the

stairs to address him.

DON

I need more internets! More!

More! More!

DON’S MOM

Donald.

DON

Mom, I’m busy!

DON’S MOM

Donald, you’re not picking up your

share of slack around here. The

bills are going through the roof!

DON

C’mon, mom! I’m building an army

here!

DON’S MOM

That’s very cute, but you’ll need

to get a job in the meantime.

DON

Nooooooooo!

DON’S MOM

Donald, don’t argue with me.

DON

I don’t wanna!

DON’S MOM

Then you better get ready to set up

camp somewhere else.

DON

Ah, gee whiz.

Danny throws a pile of papers across the room and kicks the

garbage can against the wall. Ben watches in amusement.

16.

DANNY

I can’t believe this crap! This is

an outrage! Detention for speaking

my mind?

BEN

It’s just an hour or two.

DANNY

That’s an hour or two that I could

be spending managing my Buddysearch

page! My friends from New York and

I role play after school! This is

communism, damn it!

BEN

How is it communism?

DANNY

You know what? I’m gonna blog it.

BEN

Oh no.

DANNY

Oh yes!

BEN

But that’s what got you in trouble

in the first place!

DANNY

I don’t care! I’m sure Don and my

25 friends would love to read about

the political racism and fascist-

esque trends of Dr. Darkside and

our school’s administration.

Danny logs onto Buddysearch while Ben laughs out loud.

BEN

What the hell are you talking

about? What are you on?

Danny sharply turns around.

DANNY

You heard me, Ben! It’s all a

conspiracy!

He turns back to his computer.

17.

DANNY

I’m gonna put a lot of feeling into

this blog so everyone knows how

frickin’ mad I am.

BEN

How are you going to do that?

DANNY

Caps lock, underlining, bolding the

frickin’ angry parts.

Ben nods and grins.

BEN

Well, when you’re done with your

little diary entry, do you want to

get a bite to eat?

Now Danny is really mad.

DANNY

It’s called a BLOG! B-L-O-G! BLOG!

Why can’t you just accept this

website? It’s the future of social

interaction! It’s...actually,

yeah, I am kind of hungry.

Don works the cash register in a bright purple uniform and a

paper hat on his head. He looks miserable.

He takes an order from a MORBIDLY OBESE customer.

FAT CUSTOMER

I’ll have two Slammers with

everything, extra sauce, and two

large fries, please.

DON

Drink?

FAT CUSTOMER

Well, what do you got today?

Don gives the customer the stare of death.

18.

DON

What do I got today? The same damn

thing that’s been available and has

been available every single day for

the past fifteen years: Soda. Lots

and lots of tooth-rotting soda.

FAT CUSTOMER

Do you have any tea?

DON

No, we don’t have any tea.

FAT CUSTOMER

I’ll just have the burgers. I’m

trying to go on a diet anyway.

DON

Thatllhelpfatass.

FAT CUSTOMER

What was that?

DON

Nothing. Eleven twenty-five.

The customer hands him exact change and stands off to the

side. Don pockets the money.

Danny and Ben enter the restaurant.

DON

Welcome to Gurger Burger. What the

hell do you want?

BEN

Cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke.

DON

And you?

DANNY

Do you guys have any Flaming Young

today?

DON

Flaming what?

DANNY

Flaming Young. The steak!

DON

You mean Filet Mignon?

19.

DANNY

Yeah!

DON

Jesus, not another one. Are you

some kind of dumbass or something?

DANNY

I just wanted to see what your

gourmet was today.

DON

We don’t have gourmet! We’re fast

food, goddamnit!

Danny leans over the counter.

DANNY

You know what, buddy? That kind of

attitude won’t get you anywhere in

life. So congratulations; you’re

the subject my new blog and then

you’ll hear it from the people!

DON

Blog? On Buddysearch.com? I’ll

just delete any blog that trashes

me. No problem.

DANNY

You’ll delete...?

DON

I’m the creator, shit breath.

DANNY

You mean you’re-

DON

I’m Don!

DANNY

Oh my gosh! You’re a genius, Don!

Danny collapses to the ground and prays to Don. His position

draws several stares from everyone in the restaurant. An

embarrassed Ben drags him to his feet.

BEN

Get up! What’s the matter with

you?

DANNY

Don deserves praise!

20.

BEN

You’re the creator of Buddysearch?

DON

That’s right.

BEN

You don’t look anything like your

picture.

Danny smacks him.

DANNY

Shut up, Ben! Listen, Don; my

school got me in deep crap cause I

blogged some trash about it! We as

a society cannot tolerate the

injustice of censored internets!

Don is dumbfounded but decides to play along.

DON

Um. I see. They shouldn’t be able

to silence you like that.

DANNY

Exactly! What can we do? I’ve

been spreading the word of

Buddysearch around and I think the

number of users in this area is

going up like whoa!

DON

Excellent! You’ll be my personal

assistant. Keep doing what you’re

doing and recruit more!

Don writes his address on a scrap of newspaper.

DON

This is my home address. When

you’ve signed up more members, come

to my place and we can discuss the,

uh, revolution on your school!

DANNY

Great! We’ll see you later!

Danny drags the resilient Ben out of the restaurant while Don

evilly smiles.

BEN

But we didn’t get our food!

21.

Danny delivers a speech to a massive group of students.

DANNY

So at Buddysearch.com you can

experience the next level of social

interaction! Wanna check out your

friends’ pictures? Wanna leave

funny comments? Well then just

sign up for Buddysearch.com and add

everyone you know! The more

friends you have, the cooler you

are!

HUNDREDS of students are packing into the school library,

fighting and wrestling their way to get onto the computers.

BOY

Buddysearch! Go to Buddysearch!

GIRL

Hurry up! Go! Go! Go!

A packed house of USERS are all logged onto their accounts.

CUSTOMERS log onto their accounts from the computers on

display.

Don laughs triumphantly at his list of 14,203,478 friends

until his mom offers him a plate of cookies, which wipes away

his look of victory.

Ben peers out his window to see TWO BOYS run down the street.

BOY#1

I’ve gotta get home to check my

Buddysearch!

22.

BOY#2

Me too!

BEN

(yells)

Idiots!

Ben shuts the window and plops himself in front of his

computer and goes to the Buddysearch homepage.

BEN

Okay, let’s see what this crap is

all about.

He logs in and within a few seconds a friend request appears.

BEN

Hmmm. “Cindy wants to be friends

with you.” She looks kind of

skanky, but okay.

The entire class is in a crazed ramble about Buddysearch.

BROOKE

So last night I added this guy to

my list and it gave me an even 500!

DEREK

So? I gave comments to 317 of my

friends and 244 of them have

already commented back!

Mrs. Cucamonga speaks up from behind her computer.

MRS. CUCAMONGA

I just signed up and I already have

five friends in five minutes! Suck

on that, bitches!

The class argues even louder.

DANNY

You all suck! I am the Buddysearch

god! I know Don personally!

Everyone quiets down to listen.

23.

DANNY

I met him last week and I’m going

to his place after school on this

very day to discuss future events

with him.

The class erupts again, mostly in awe of Danny, who simply

nods and accepts the praise. Proudly, he looks at Ben’s seat

and notices that he isn’t present in the classroom.

HANK and CHIP(30s), two cable guys, work feverishly switching

and rerouting wires.

HANK

We can’t keep up with this!

CHIP

Why’s it doing this?!

HANK

It’s that new dang Buddysearch.com

crap! It’s clogging up the system

and slowing everything down!

CHIP

We can’t continue to work like

this!

Don types away on his computer in a blog session.

DON

--and that is why, my friends, our

time to rebel will be soon. It will

be a swift, arduous attack, but we

will prevail.

Don’s Mom walks Danny down the stairs.

DON’S MOM

Donald, one of your friends is here

to see you.

DON

Okay, Mom. Now go away!

DON’S MOM

If you boys want some nice hot pie,

just let me know.

24.

She exits.

DON

Do you want some pie?

DANNY

Um, maybe later.

Danny takes a seat next to Don.

DON

Danny, you’ve done well. According

to my Google analytics, 70% of the

people in our county now have a

Buddysearch account.

DANNY

Great!

DON

And not only that, the word is

spreading rapidly across the

nation! We now have 20 million

users around the country!

DANNY

Fantastic! So now we can go after

my school?

DON

Yeah, we’ll talk about that in just

a second. I have to post a site-

wide bulletin.

DANNY

A bulletin about what?

DON

I’m having financial problems, so I

need every member to send me two

dollars.

DANNY

What happens if they don’t send you

two dollars?

DON

I’ll delete their account.

Alarmed, Danny reaches into his pocket and places two dollars

on the desk.

DANNY

Here you go.

25.

DON

Thanks, slugger.

DANNY

So about the school...

DON

Yes! Well we’re going to go a lot

farther from the school as well.

We’re going all the way to the top!

DANNY

What the hell are you talking

about?

DON

Danny, we have 20 million addicts

behind us! We can do so much!

DANNY

But I just wanna go after the

school...they can’t monitor the

internets. I mean come on.

DON

Danny, who gives money to the

schools?

DANNY

I don’t know.

DON

Take a guess.

DANNY

Companies?

DON

Well, sort of, but who has to

finance the schools? Who’s at the

top of the game?

DANNY

I don’t know.

DON

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT!

DANNY

The government?

DON

They’re our enemy!

26.

DANNY

How are they the enemy?

DON

Think about it! You’re miserable

in school, why? Because the

government is doing a terrible job

at funding it. Why does the entire

world hate the U.S.? The

government. Why is 68 percent of

the country overweight?

DANNY

...the government?

DON

Well, fast food, but also the

government. Super Size me, Danny.

Don excitedly bangs on his keyboard. Danny is dumbfounded.

DANNY

So, you’re going to gather all of

the Buddysearch users and create an

army to take down the government?

DON

Precisely! You see Danny; you and

I are very much alike. I, too, was

a misunderstood dork in high

school. When I’d get bullied, the

school wouldn’t do anything.

Whenever I’d have something to say,

no one would listen. That’s why I

created Buddysearch. Now everyone

listens to what I say and they’ll

eagerly listen to our declaration

of war.

DANNY

And what if they refuse?

Don smiles and crosses his arms.

DON

Then I’ll shut down Buddysearch.

Danny gasps.

DANNY

You can’t do that!

27.

DON

I can do whatever I want! I’m

idiosyncratic! I’m also obsessive

compulsive! Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! Woo-

hoo! Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo!

DANNY

You’re insane!

Don gets an evil look in his eye.

DON

Danny, you do not yet realize your

importance. You have only just

begun to discover your power. Your

friend back in the restaurant, a

typical jock who thinks he knows

everything. But he never told you

what your future holds...

DANNY

He told me enough. I’ll be a dork

with a lot of money and a hot wife.

That’s what he said my future is.

DON

No. I am your future.

Shocked, Danny looks at Don in utter disbelief.

DANNY

That’s not true! That’s

impossible!

DON

Look around! You know it be true!

Danny looks around the room; there’s posters of RPG games,

old boxes of pizza, and porno magazines everywhere.

DANNY

NOOOOOOOOO!

Danny jumps to his feet and escapes up the stairs.

DON

Resistance is futile, Danny!

Muwahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Danny knocks on the front door. BEN’S MOM greets him.

28.

BEN’S MOM

Danny, hi!

DANNY

Hi. Ben wasn’t at school today and

didn’t return my call. Is he okay?

BEN’S MOM

Well, I’m not entirely sure. He

was up all night and this morning

he was talking about some secret

mission or something.

DANNY

Secret mission?

BEN’S MOM

I don’t know either. So I kept him

home for a day of R&R. Maybe you

can talk some sense into him.

It’s dark. Danny enters. Ben, with droopy purple eyes,

furiously types away on his Buddysearch page.

DANNY

Ben?

BEN

Not now! We’re busy!

DANNY

Ben, we’re the only people in here.

BEN

I know! I’m talking about on

Buddysearch! We’re role playing!

We have to get the missile away

from the Germans!

DANNY

How long have you been online?

BEN

Oh, I don’t know. About two,

twenty-seven hours. Muwahaha!

DANNY

How about you just turn the

computer off?

29.

BEN

NO! I can’t abandon the mission!

DANNY

Ben, it’s taking you! This is what

it does! You have to get off

Buddysearch!

BEN

No! I can’t! Ahhhhh!

Danny grabs the computer monitor and smashes it on the

ground. Ben snaps out of it.

BEN

Holy crap!

DANNY

You got addicted. I can’t believe

it.

BEN

I don’t know what happened, man! I

just signed up for it and the next

thing I knew I...I was leaving

comments for everybody on my

friends list!

DANNY

It’s okay. It’s over.

Danny opens the blinds and then sits on the bed.

DANNY

I went to Don’s house today. The

guy is a frickin’ maniac.

BEN

What’d he say?

DANNY

He’s building an army to take down

the government.

Ben laughs.

BEN

I told you Buddysearch was lame.

Danny glances at the broken computer monitor then looks back

at Ben, who clears his throat.

BEN

Yes, well, what can we do?

30.

DANNY

We have to find a way to get people

away from Buddysearch for good.

BEN

But how? It’s so addicting!

DANNY

I know. But I have an idea.

Hank addresses the boys while he works on rerouting wires.

HANK

Listen kid, I appreciate your

concern for my job, but we can’t

just turn off the internet.

DANNY

But the Buddysearch creator is

planning something terrible!

HANK

Yeah well, it’s not my problem.

DANNY

But you’re not part of the

solution, you’re part of the

problem!

HANK

Look kid, I need to get paid so I

can take care of my family. Being a

cable guy is probably the worst job

on the face of the earth. Everyone

hates you, the boss despises you,

and your wife sleeps around. I need

to make a living!

Hank walks over to a table and checks some documents. Ben

points to a set of wires leading into the controls. Danny

bites his lip unsure...

Both SNAP the wires out of the machine, causing a storm of

sparks and flashing red lights. Hank turns around

alarmingly, but Danny and Ben have already escaped.

The two teens run out of the building.

31.

BEN

Man! That was like Mission

Impossible!

DANNY

No internets, no Buddysearch!

Brooke’s internet shuts down. She loses it and takes it out

on her YOUNGER SISTER, a girl with heavy orthodontic work.

BROOKE

What’d you do you little freak? Did

all that metal shock the system or

something?

BROOKE’S SISTER

Calm down! It’s just a website!

BROOKE

Stuff it, metal mouth!

BROOKE’S SISTER

Babbling bitch!

BROOKE

Wired non-desired!

Everything erupts into chaos. TEENAGERS, equipped with

baseball bats, hockey sticks, and other sports equipment,

vandalize, destroy, and annihilate everything in their paths.

TWO GUYS, sharing a recently disconnected computer, stare

each other down.

DORK

You shut down the net, didn’t you?!

JERK

Why the hell would I do that? It’s

much more fun sitting here watching

you chat with your Buddysearch

girlfriend who, by the way, has a

fake picture!

32.

DORK

That’s it!

The dork punches the jerk and a big fight erupts.

Derek and several of his FRIENDS sit quietly in a room.

DEREK

I’m so bored. There’s nothing to

do. This is insane. What did we

used to do? I can’t remember. I’m

so bored, though...Okay, that’s it.

I’m gonna kill myself.

Derek exits the room.

DEREK(O.S.)

Damn it, we’re out of floss.

More chaos. Buildings are vandalized, windows are smashed,

and debris is thrown into the streets.

Hank and Chip work vigorously to fix the technical problems;

rerouting wires, installing new hardware, etc.

CHIP

A few more tweaks and we should be

good.

Chip flips a few switches and EUREKA! The lights go green.

CHIP

We are back online!

HANK

Maybe those stupid teenagers will

have something to do now.

CHIP

Yeah, kids are always complaining

about being bored, yet they’re

always in front of the computer

screen!

33.

HANK

Were we ever that stupid?

CHIP

Of course, Hank. That’s why we

became cable guys.

They look at each other and idiotically chuckle.

Danny and Ben peer out the window. The street is deserted.

DANNY

It sure is quiet out there.

BEN

Yeah, too quiet. That must mean

the internet is back up.

DANNY

Shit! Damn it! What do we do now?

BEN

Plan B: we have to go up to this

problem and kick it right in the

ass.

DANNY

How?

BEN

We campaign. At school tomorrow we

tell everyone how sucky Buddysearch

is. Someone has to listen!

Danny stands atop the quad and shouts to the crowd.

DANNY

Buddysearch.com is evil! Get rid

of it!

The several hundred students taunt and boo Danny and throw

objects at him.

Ben strolls next to Brooke and Derek, who share a computer

and check their Buddysearch accounts.

34.

BEN

Buddysearch still? That’s so old!

DEREK

You’re old.

BEN

Come on, guys. Nobody uses

Buddysearch anymore!

DEREK

Don has 22 million friends. Plenty

of people use it.

BROOKE

Yeah! Don’s a genius!

BEN

What if I told you that Don was

just a loser who lived in his mom’s

basement?

Derek and Brooke launch out of their seats and grind up

against Ben.

DEREK

You take that back!

Don’s fake profile pic is open on Mrs. Cucamonga’s computer.

DANNY

Do you actually find him

attractive?

MRS. CUCAMONGA

He’s pretty studly.

DANNY

You know that’s a fake pic, right?

MRS. CUCAMONGA

Nobody’s perfect.

Danny and Ben sit quietly at their lunch table.

DANNY

Where did this go wrong?

35.

BEN

Probably when you tried getting

everybody to sign up for it. “The

more friends you have, the cooler

you are.”

DANNY

You’re right. I started this so I

have to end it.

BEN

We’re both going to end it. We

just have to get the message to

everybody that Buddysearch.com just

totally sucks.

DANNY

But how can we present it in such a

way that it turns everybody off?

Suddenly, the thought dawns on both of them.

Don takes an order from a TEN YEAR-OLD KID.

CORVETTE KID

What toy comes with the Kid’s Meal?

DON

Your choice of a toy Corvette or a

toy Mustang.

CORVETTE KID

Cool! Plus, I like Corvettes.

DON

That’s great, kid. I don’t care.

Don reaches under the counter to retrieve the toy. The kid

shouts at him.

CORVETTE KID

You better care! I love cars! And

thereby my duty to-

Don stuffs the toy car in the kid’s mouth. That’s when Danny

and Ben enter into the restaurant.

36.

DON

Hello there, Danny. Are you ready

to join my side on our quest to

rule the internets as webmaster and

system moderator?

DANNY

I’m ready to join forces with you.

I feel the addiction is strong in

me. That is why, with the

assistance of our friends in the

administration, we want you to

partake in a presentation at our

school tomorrow designed to forever

change people’s thoughts on social

networking...forever.

Don likes this.

DON

I look forward to this

presentation, my young apprentice.

1500 students pack the auditorium. A large screen hangs over

the stage with a projector at the opposite end of the room.

Danny and Ben peer into the audience. Don enters.

DON

Hello, Danny.

DANNY

Hello, my master.

They bow to each other. Ben shakes his head.

BEN

What a loser.

Dr. Darkside walks onto the stage to a chorus of boos and

stands in front of a podium with a microphone.

37.

DR. DARKSIDE

Shut up you little ingrates. It’s

true that today we have a minor

celebrity in the house; Don from

Buddysearch.com.

The entire auditorium erupts in applause and cheers.

DR. DARKSIDE

He’s here to deliver a motivational

speech on internet safety, social

networking, and a new project that

he’s dubbed “The Social

Revolution.” But before any of

that we have a special introduction

from my personal assistant and

friend, Brian McNichols.

The applause turns to groans as Brian walks to the podium and

waves.

DEREK

Crap. Anybody but him.

BRIAN

Yo, yo, yo! Wasssssup! I was

never into Buddysearch that much,

but I think it’s super cool! It’s

kind of like the superhero

underwear that we used to wear in

elementary school!

Several students grow uncomfortable.

BRIAN

I think it’s cool because you can

message people and that reminds me

of when you would pass notes in 4th

grade...well, actually, no one ever

passed me notes but you get the

idea. Then you can comment on

people’s pages and that’s cool

cause I like telling people stuff.

Now several students are groaning.

BROOKE

Ohmahgod. If this kid likes

Buddysearch then it must suck.

BRIAN

Buddysearch reminds me of those

phones that you could make from

string and cups.

(MORE)

38.

BRIAN (CONT'D)

Once, I actually made those and

tried to use them with my sister,

but they didn’t work too good.

Derek shouts out from the audience.

DEREK

YOU SUCK!

BRIAN

But Buddysearch is way rad!

Echoes of the “way rad” comment float through the crowd.

Danny and Ben smile from backstage.

BRIAN

I think that Buddysearch is so cool

and I can’t wait to add all of you

to my account!

The projector shines an image of Brian’s Buddysearch page

onto the screen. It’s a plain page with the exception of a

large picture of Brian smiling.

One by one, the students head for the exit.

BOY

Why did we sign up for this crap?

GIRL

Buddysearch is stupid. You can’t

even do anything on it.

Don desperately runs onto the stage and yells.

DON

Wait! Don’t go! Keep your

accounts! It’s the hip thing to do!

We can be the most powerful

organization in the world!

Derek throws a plastic bottle at Don.

DEREK

You suck and so does your site!

DON

Oh, you think that’s funny? You

little punk! Come into Gurger

Burger and see what happens!

39.

Brooke throws a half eaten sandwich at Don. Now clusters of

students head for the exits which causes Don to break down

and cry on stage.

DON

You’ll all be sorry!

Danny and Ben celebrate. Hank fist pumps off to the side.

DANNY

The empire is defeated! We did it!

BEN

You did it, dude! You did it!

DANNY

Actually it was Brian’s horrible

stories which did the trick, but

I’ll take the credit.

BEN

I guess dorks are good for

something. Way to go, man.

Hank pulls out his cell phone and calls his company.

HANK

Chip, the plan worked. We now know

how to fight Buddysearch. Spread

the word around the nation and tell

‘em how to bring those sons of

bitches down.

MONTAGE

A) Accounts being deleted by their respectful owners.

B) Don’s friend count rapidly declines.

C) Kids run and play outside.

D) Don cries at his desk.

END MONTAGE

Danny and Ben walk along a lively street with both kids and

adults having fun.

40.

DANNY

Nice to have things back to normal.

BEN

Yeah. So what do we do now?

DANNY

How about we hit the b-ball courts?

BEN

You don’t play basketball.

DANNY

I figure now is as good a time as

any. Been spending too many hours

in front of the computer lately.

BEN

Yeah. Thankfully Buddysearch is

over.

DANNY

Yeah and I think it’s safe to say

that nothing like that will ever

happen again.

BEN

Totally.

They high five.

FINAL FADE.

THE END

Counting Views and Dreams

Counting Views and Dreams