FRAZER has just ended a phone call with his friend TOM about getting over his ex-girlfriend. FRAZER goes to the park to clear his head. At the park, he sits on a bench next to a girl named LUCY. They strike up a conversation where LUCY learns that FRAZER writes stories in his notebook. LUCY gives FRAZER her phone number before leaving. As she walks away, FRAZER crosses out the "less" in "hopeless" written in his notebook, changing it to "hopeful".

1. OUR BENCH
Romance
Matt Burniston
2019
INT. TOM'S HOME - AFTERNOON

2. INT. TOM'S HOME - AFTERNOON
TOM is part way through a phone call to his friend (the
protagonist) FRAZER.
TOM
Hey, you don't need to stress about
how things ended or even why. She's
in the past man.
INT. FRAZER'S HOME
On the other end of the call FRAZER has left his phone on
speaker phone on the kitchen counter, as he starts scouring
things like his coat, his pen and notepad and music - in
preparation to leave the house and go.
The conversation pauses, FRAZER finding himself to busy to
reply, nor wanting to.
INT. TOM'S HOME
TOM (CONT'D)
Look there's someone out there.
Someone better!
Rubbing his forehead, really trying to get across to FRAZER.
INT. FRAZER'S HOME
FRAZER finishes collecting the last of his things and heads
over towards his phone.
FRAZER
Thanks.
TOM (PHONE)
What?
Ending the call and finally leaving the house.
EXT. PARK - LATER
FRAZER is later walking through a green park, with Autumn
burning leaves falling of the trees. He had earphones in,
listening to some music and looking across the view - trying
for some headspace.
He finds a bench and chooses to sit on it, next to a girl
(LUCY.) She glances up him. He then pulls out the notebook
and pen, slightly hiding it away from the girl.
INSERT:
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OUR BENCH - Matt Burniston

3. INSERT:
FRAZER starts flicking through his notebook, eventually
landing on a page with the word 'hopeless' scribbles across a
double page spread.
Suddenly LUCY comes over to him and tries to looks over his
shoulder.
LUCY
So what you writing?!
He jumps, being quick to close is book and turning round
nervously, followed by taking out his earphones.
LUCY (CONT'D)
Sorry, my names LUCY.
She smiles, extending her hand to greet him.
FRAZER
Hi?
Shyly extending his hand to also greet her.
FRAZER
(Stuttering)
I should probably get back on.
Gesturing towards his notepad. Though still holding onto it
as if to hold the secrets within.
LUCY
Course!
She moves back, leaving him be. He re-opens his book and goes
back to writing, taking intervals to look at her. She notices
and moves back over to him.
LUCY
Sorry, so you're a writer?
FRAZER
Kinda?
LUCY
(Awkwardly joking.)
Nice. So is that where all your
words have gone?
He glances at her and looks really confused.
LUCY (CONT'D)
(Mubbling)
Because like you're quiet, but you
right a lot. You put words in
books?
She gives up trying to explain, sighing. As FRAZER
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2.OUR BENCH - Matt Burniston

4. She gives up trying to explain, sighing. As FRAZER
sympathetically smiles as he half gets it?
FRAZER
(Sympathetically smiling)
Oh?
LUCY
Sorry. That's just me trying to be
funny? I like stories though.
FRAZER
How did you know I'm writing
stories?
LUCY
You know, you seem like the type of
person who has stories to tell.
He closes his notepad again and turns around to properly
address her.
FRAZER
But you don't know me.
LUCY
(Flirtatiously)
Go on then.
She starts to smile at him.
FRAZER
(quiet with growing
confidence)
Well my name's FRAZER,I guess I
write my own little stories. It's
not for anyone really, just my own
little adventures to get swept up
into I guess.
LUCY
(Smilling)
Cool.
FRAZER
(Also smiling now)
Not really. So go on, what about
you?
LUCY
Me?
FRAZER
Sure.
LUCY
3.OUR BENCH - Matt Burniston

5. LUCY
I guess we all have our own little
stories? I'm not really anything
special.
FRAZER
(Cuts her off)
Says who?
LUCY
(Passing it off)
Says everyone, I don't know.
FRAZER
(Avoiding eye contact)
You're right, don't think you
really do know.
LUCY
(Awkwardly)
Thanks.
She smiles at him, she liked the words he used, as if they
had a certain poetry to them. She then looks down at her
watch and realise she has to be somewhere soon.
LUCY
Look I should be heading off.
FRAZER
Sure.
FRAZER starts to look saddened by this. She gets up and
almost leaves, taking a brief pause though to hand over her
number.
LUCY
Wait! You couldn't give me a bit of
paper and your pen for a sec?
He tears out a page for her and give her his pen. She also
pulls out her phone.
LUCY (CONT'D)
Just bare with me some more?
She plays about on her phone.
LUCY (CONT'D)
I can never actually remember this.
INSERT:
She hands back the slip of paper, with a phone number now
written on it.
FRAZER
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4.OUR BENCH - Matt Burniston

6. FRAZER
Oh?
LUCY
Call me, yea?
Playfully winking at him, then walking off. Looking back once
or twice as she did so. Allowing FRAZER to start beaming. He
then carefully slips the tear of paper into the back of is
book.
INSERT:
FRAZER flicks back to the page from before and scirbbles out
the 'less' from the word 'hopeless.'
THE END.
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5.OUR BENCH - Matt Burniston