The following is a scene from my screenplay, Deadline:
INT - WILSON’S CLASSROOM - DAY
The thirty-plus students of Mr. Wilson’s remedial English class (mostly students of color) are broken off into pairs--study partners for the next day’s vocabulary test--with desks pushed together, face to face. Most pairs are quizzing one another; Wilson circulates through the class, verbally tossing out vocabulary words to pairs and high-fiving students who call out correct spellings and definitions. LUIS ORTEGA and VICTOR SAUCEDO, a pair of goateed Hispanic hard-guys, in pressed flannel shirts, try to disrupt Wilson’s review session by yelling out ridiculous spellings to other pairs’ words; as Wilson reaches them, he calls out the last word.
WILSON
"Nocturnal". Definition?
LUIS
Stupid. Puto.
WILSON
Spelling?
VICTOR
P - U - T - O.
Luis and a few other students laugh as the rest of the class falls silent.
WILSON
Is that your response?
VICTOR
Yeah.
WILSON
Then stick around after class, both of you. Ladies and gentlemen, put the desks back where they belong, please.
The class begins to pick up and move the desks back into the chevron shape, and Wilson begins to walk away.
LUIS
You’re an asshole.
WILSON
Excuse me?
LUIS
YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE.
Wilson turns slowly in the silence, as all students watch.
WILSON
Funny...I don’t remember you coming out of me this morning.
The class breaks up in laughter as Wilson heads for his desk.
LUIS
I’ll pipe your fuckin’ ass.
Wilson takes out an office referral from his desk and begins to write it up.
WILSON
That was "pipe your fuckin’ ass", right? I want to quote you correctly. Such...command of the language.
Wilson walks over to MAGGIE, a quiet girl near the door.
WILSON
Maggie, would you do a favor for me?
Maggie nods.
WILSON (continuing)
Run this down to Dean Reynolds’ office and have him come down here...now, please.
Wilson hands the referral to Maggie, who takes it and runs quickly out the door.
WILSON (continuing)
Folks, since there’s only a minute left in the period, I’m going to let you go a little early...just don’t disturb the other classes, okay?
The students, including Luis and Victor, begin to move slowly to the door.
WILSON
You, gentlemen, can have a seat.
The two boys pause as the class exits. Tense silence builds.
WILSON
You guys aren’t going anywhere.
LUIS
You can’t keep us here.
Luis tries to walk to the door but Wilson blocks his path by placing his own body in the doorway.
WILSON
Wanna bet?
Luis tries to squeeze by Wilson, who blocks his way by firing his hands to the doorjambs.
LUIS
You can’t touch me, man.
Luis backs up a few steps and charges the door. Wilson grabs the doorjamb on either side and pushes his own body out the door. As Luis nears the door, running, Wilson pulls himself into the classroom and chest-butts Luis to the floor.
WILSON
I can’t lay a hand on you. And I didn’t.
DEAN REYNOLDS--a tall and stocky Caucasian in his early forties--arrives behind Wilson. His Terminator-style sunglasses perfectly accentuate his look: Big Authority in a Suit. To either side of Reynolds are Red-Coats.
REYNOLDS
Problem here, Mr. Wilson?
WILSON
Well, Mr. Reynolds, masters Ortega and Saucedo here have been most insolent, disruptive, and uncooperative. I think they need some...oh, I don’t know...discipline.
REYNOLDS
Thanks, Marc. Let’s go, boys.
LUIS
Fuckin’ puto.
[NOTE: This scene actually happened back at PeeVee. Exactly as recounted. The student never returned to class (in the screenplay or in real-life). I read a few years later he had been arrested on a robbery count.]
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