ANNA

Written by

Timothy Acosta

Copyright (c) 2015

This screenplay may not be used or

reproduced without the express
written permission of the author

Third Draft

17/06/2015
INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY

CELLPHONE FOOTAGE: A pack of uniformed students crowd around

as a brutal fight occurs between two 16 year old girls. A
girl named Nadia violently tugs at Anna’s hair. She yells for
mercy. Crying. Anna throws punches at Nadia but she yanks her
down to the ground.

The whole crowd laughs and egg Nadia on. The point-of-view
becomes shakey as the kid holding the phone moves close to
the violence.

Nadia mounts atop Anna as if an MMA fighter pounding away at

her opponent. Anna shields her face with her arms.

Anna is curled up into a ball as Nadia delivers a blow to her

stomach. Anna whimpers, helplessly.

The CROWD consisting of THREE GIRLS and mostly BOYS cheer on

as if an audience in a Coliseum. The crowd spits insults at
Anna.

Suddenly, Anna finds a way to roll over, flipping Nadia,

turning the tables on her. Anna goes on a frenzy, SCREAMING
her lungs out as she delivers each concussive punches after
another.

The whole crowd goes SILENT, watching in disbelief as the

victim suddenly becomes the perpetrator.

Anna immediately collapses to the ground beside Nadia as she

realises the impact of what she has done. Nadia lies
unconscious. Her nose bloody.

Two teachers, Mrs. Howard and Mr. Nankham rush to the scene
as the crowd quickly dissipates. The camera begins to shake
as the kid makes a run for it.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL, ‘C’ BLOCK - DAY

A teenage couple are making out. The girl is sitting on the

boy’s lap.

Across them is Anna McDowd who sits on a bench alone,

munching through a sandwich. She wears a bracelet with
various colourful beads on them, an heirloom which she has
received since she reached teenagehood.

Anna notices the young couple making out in her periphery and
grimaces in disgust at the display of their affection.

The school bell RINGS. Lunch time is over.

Anna stuffs her belongs into her bag as she prepares for
fifth block.
 2.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY

Students scramble to get to their classes.

As she makes her way through the hallway, Anna suddenly meets
the eyes of another young girl Nadia Pressly as she walks
around the corner of the room. Her entourage; Sarah, Mari and
Hana collectively shoot Anna a piercing glare.

Anna looks at Nadia, speechless. Nadia and her girls brush

past her. She glances back at them as they disappear in the
hallway.

When Anna rounds the corner, she observes as a large teacher

seizes a young boy by the back of his shirt.

Anna takes one takes one last look at the young boy as he
swears defiantly at the large teacher. She disappears from
within ear-shot and goes into the classroom.

From the door window, Anna takes her seat in front of the
class and unpacks her bag, fishing out the appropriate
science textbooks.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL GROUNDS - AFTERNOON

Elated school children burst out of their respective classes

en-mass.

Anna makes her way up the stairs and through the staff
carpark.

She sees Nadia and her friends loitering at the top of the
stairs. Anna tentatively takes her first step up and glances
up towards Nadia and her friends. She swallows up all her
might and slowly climbs up the steps.

Sarah spots Anna from behind Nadia. She stops their

conversation and directs her attention towards Anna.

All four girls goes to face Anna as she reaches them. They
stand in a line to block Anna’s path.

Anna tries to go the other way but all of them mirror Anna to
block her path.

Anna glances at them. Nadia looks at her with a bitchy smirk.

ANNA
Nadia...

Anna looks at her bracelet, smudges her fingers on it.

NADIA
What are you going to do about it?

Behind Anna, Mr. Nankham climbs up the stairwell lugging a

dozen books. Nadia immediately changes face.
 3.

NADIA (CONT’D)
Hey, Mr. Nankham.

MR. NANKHAM
Ladies.

Mr. Nankham looks at the girls with a smile.

Seeing an opportunity, Anna slips by Nadia as she converses

with Mr. Nankham. Sarah glances back at Anna as she goes up
the stairs.

SARAH
Ka kite, Anna.

Nadia turns to Anna.

NADIA
Bye, Anna.

As Nadia chats with Mr. Nankham, Anna glances back at them,

knowing what could have happened.

EXT. PRESSLY HOUSE - AFTERNOON - ESTABLISHING

A house at the end of the street. A dog BARKS from a

neighbouring house.

Anna comes up to the pavement, walking up to the driveway to

the house.

She stops halfway, then walks back down the footpath to go to

the mailbox, collecting a couple of addressed mails and a
circular.

INT. PRESSLY HOUSE, ANNA’S BEDROOM - AFTERNOON

Anna closes the door to her room. She dumps her bag to the
side of her bed.

She crashes on the bed, burying her head into the pillow. She
digs her head back up and glances at a framed photo by the
night-stand. It depicts her and Nadia as 13-year-old’s,
making faces. A tableaux of teenage innocence.

Anna snatches it with and takes a good look at it. She puts
the photo back on the night-stand face down. Her index finger
brushing at her bracelet.

INT. PRESSLY HOUSE, NADIA’S BEDROOM - DAY (FLASHBACK)

The flash of a camera washes two innocent faces in a frozen

smile. Fairy lights that hang above them sparkles the room.
Punk rock band posters are taped around the walls.

13-year-old Anna and Nadia parts from each other’s touch and
examine the photograph from Nadia’s hand. Anna smiles at
Nadia. She presses a button.
 4.

ANNA
Don’t delete it.

NADIA
I look ugly.

ANNA
I’m keeping that one.

NADIA
Don’t you dare!

Anna dives in towards Nadia to snatch the camera off of her.

But she immediately pulls the camera from Anna’s reach as
soon as she dives towards to grab it.

They giggle. Nadia clambers on top of the bed, snapping

photos of Anna as she struggles to reach in and grab the
camera from her.

Nadia flips Anna off; her finger is hovering above the camera
button.

NADIA (CONT’D)
Deleting it.

Anna stops. She stands with her arms akimbo, staring

frustratingly at Nadia.

Nadia curls her lips into a pout, mocking Anna.

ANNA
Fine you can do what ever you want
with it. I don’t care.

She throws her hands up in the air as she settles down on the
bed with Nadia. Nadia hops onto the bed to join Anna.

NADIA
Relax, man. I was just screwing
with you. You’re funny when you
make that face.

Nadia hands the camera back to Anna. A hint of a smile

stretches across her face.

NADIA (CONT’D)
I saw that.

Anna shoots Nadia a look as she flips through the photographs

in the camera. Nadia brushes her wrist, adorned by various
bracelets. She removes one and hands it to Anna.

Anna looks at her. She hesitantly takes it from her.

ANNA
What’s this?
 5.

NADIA
I forgot to give you something for
your birthday.

ANNA
No worries.

NADIA
Don’t say that. I’m your best
friend. Of course I worry. Here.

ANNA
Awww...thank you.

Nadia turns her radio on and jives to the beat of a hip-hop

song blaring from the speakers.

Anna delights in watching Nadia dance. Nadia holds her arms

for Anna. She shakes her head.

Nadia snatches Anna from her bed and they dance. Anna tries
to out-dance Nadia by doing an intricate move. They
eventually collapse to the bed, out of breath.

Anna looks at Nadia. Nadia smiles at her. Anna roams around

Nadia’s room, finding a series of posters stuffed inside a
box by the closet.

She picks it up and studies it. It is a poster of Nadia

portraying teenage rebellion.

ANNA (CONT’D)
(amused)
What the hell is this?

Nadia sits up from bed and glances at Anna as she exhibits

the poster.

NADIA
You don’t appreciate a work of art?

ANNA
But why?

NADIA
A big ‘fuck you’ to the government.
I’m making a statement.

ANNA
It’s stupid.

NADIA
It’s profit. Yolo.

ANNA
Who would buy these?
 6.

NADIA
Jokes. I did some modelling for one
of my mum’s friends. It was cool.
(beat)
Like it? Take one.

ANNA
Why?

NADIA
I don’t know. Admire me while I’m
away.

ANNA
Scrub.

Nadia glances at Anna for a long moment. Smiling. Suddenly, a

LOUD CRASH pounces through the house, re-directing their
attention to the source of the noise.

Both of them look around and wonder...

INT. PRESSLY HOUSE - NIGHT (PRESENT)

Her wrist rests on the soft pillow. Buried under her

blankets, Anna’s chest inflates and deflates as she dozes
off.

A knock on the door brings her eyes to open and Anna emerges
from the bed.

LEAH (O.S.)
Anna, sweetie. Dinner.

Anna draws a breath.

ANNA
Yeah. Coming.

Anna pinches her eyes. She springs up to her feet and ambles
to the door.

INT. PRESSLY HOUSE, KITCHEN - NIGHT

A pair oven mitten slips into the hands of a bearded man

named Mike (40’s). He opens the oven, a hot breeze welcomes
him as he withdraws a hot roast from the oven rack.

He kicks the oven door closed.

INT. PRESSLY HOUSE, DINING ROOM - NIGHT

The scalding plate is set on the table by Mike. An elated

Leah (30’s), Anna’s mother, digs into the food. Anna rolls
her eyes at them.

Mike takes a slice off the roast and places it on Leah’s

plate. She glances excitedly at Anna.
 7.

Anna rolls her eyes at her.

Leah takes a bite out of the food. Mike glances at her,

expectantly.

MIKE
Verdict.

Anna takes a slice of the food and places it on her plate.

LEAH
It’s lovely.

Anna stabs a look into Leah. She immediately detects it for a

moment, returning the look to Anna. Leah looks back at Mike.

Anna rises, the chair skids. She storms out of the room
taking her plate with her, without acknowledging Mike or
Leah.

Mike pauses, dumbstruck. He glances back as Anna climbs up

the stairs. Moving up towards her, Leah grabs Mike by the
hand to stop him.

LEAH (CONT’D)
Don’t.

MIKE
She’ll never forgive us, will she?

LEAH
And neither will your daughter.

A beat. Mike swallows hard. He caresses Leah and plants a

kiss on her head. He settles to a chair opposite Leah and
takes the oven mittens off.

Mike smiles at Leah, content.

INT. PRESSLY HOUSE, ANNA’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Anna sits alone on her bed, eating her dinner. She has the
speakers in full blast; kicking out a Post-rock song.

The framed photograph remains facedown on Anna’s night-stand.

Plastered on her wall is a poster of Nadia giving the finger,
her mouth open in a scream.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL - DAY - ESTABLISHING

A high school in Auckland. The staff car park is packed like

a used car lot.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL, ‘C’ BLOCK - DAY

Anna sits alone on the bench, surrounding herself with

nobody.
 8.

Nadia and her three girls stride through the block,

snickering as they pass Anna.

MARI
What a loser.

They laugh.

Anna glares back at them, her eyes begins to hue red as she
is overwhelmed with emotion.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL BATHROOM - DAY

Anna bursts into the room, whimpering. She drops her bag to
the floor and goes to the sink, opening the tap.

Anna inspects herself in the mirror. Cupping her hands, she

splashes water onto her face. She wipes her nose with her
sleeve. She notices she is still wearing the bracelet Nadia
gave her.

She takes it off and hurls it across the room.

What Anna doesn’t see is Hana, one of Nadia’s girls, about to

enter the room. But stops herself when she sees Anna washing
her face.

She smiles. Closes the door.

Anna twists the tap off and ambles to the door when Nadia and
her three girls break into the room. They block Anna’s path.

Nadia smirks at Anna’s plight as she fights back tears. She

tries to shoulder past Nadia and her friends but they have
formed an inescapable wall in front of Anna.

ANNA
Nads, please...

The three girls smirk. They drag her out of the bathroom and
push her to the ground. A crowd starts to mass around Nadia
and Anna.

Nadia smiles menacingly. Anna stands up and as soon as she

does, Nadia grabs a lock of Anna’s hair and starts to pull.
Anna screams.

We hear the echoes of two teachers yelling as a crowd

scatters.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL, SICK BAY - SOMETIME LATER

Anna is alone in the dimly lit room. She sits on the

mattress, examining the bruises on her knuckles. Her hand
shakes.
 9.

The door opens and Leah and Mike burst into the room. Anna
begins bawling as she sees her mother. She throws herself
into Leah’s arms.

Leah glances at Mike who stands by the door.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL OFFICE - NIGHT

The principal, Mr. Matthews speaks with two POLICE OFFICERS

by the entry way.

Leah has Anna by her arms as they walk towards the exit. Mike
follows closely behind. Anna sees the two officers with Mr.
Matthews.

They see Nadia, cut up and bruised, exit an adjacent room

accompanied by her mum, Whitney (40’s).

Mike glances at his daughter Nadia, distraught by her

appearance. Mike steps closer towards Nadia but Whitney takes
her close, shielding her from Mike.

Anna glances at Nadia, apologetically.

Leah comforts Anna. Mike tries to acknowledge Nadia and

Whitney but he stops himself.

Anna meets Nadia’s eyes as they are separated from each

other. Anna averts her gaze.

Whitney stabs a look at Mike, Leah and Anna as she pulls

Nadia towards her. They step through the exit.

Nadia faces away, sunken. Her face slowly starts to BLUR.

INT. PRESSLY HOUSE, NADIA’S BEDROOM - DAY (FLASHBACK)

Back to Anna and Nadia; the LOUD CRASH -- they look at each
other and wonder.

NADIA
What the hell?!

Their eyes WIDEN as they hear a commotion, then a woman

SCREAMING.

Nadia goes through the door. Anna follows closely behind.

INT. PRESSLY HOUSE, HALLWAY - DAY (FLASHBACK)

Anna and Nadia sneak down the corridor. Pieces of clothing

are haphazardly thrown out of the master bedroom. Nadia’s mum
screaming echoes down the hallway.

Nadia stares at Anna, ashamed. Nadia frowns.

WHITNEY (O.S.)
Fuck you!
 10.

A big, empty luggage is tossed out of the room as Nadia and

Anna peek from behind the door frame, witnessing as Nadia’s
parents fight. They see Whitney rifling through the contents
of the drawers and closet, casting them aside as Mike
powerlessly looks on.

Mike tries to negotiate with Whitney. But she ignores him.

Whitney notices Anna standing by the doorway. She marches

towards her and seizes her up. Nadia shields Anna from her
mother’s wrath.

NADIA
What the hell’s wrong with you?

She looks at her dad, a pathetic man defeated.

Whitney collapses to the floor, crying.

NADIA (CONT’D)
What’s going on?

Anna’s stupefied look is enough for Nadia to notice a woman

standing at the end of the stairwell.

It is Leah, Anna’s mother.

Anna’s eyes widen, shocked. She gives Nadia a look. Mike

appears from the master bedroom and saunters toward Leah. He
locks her in a tender embrace. And with that, Nadia
hyperventilates. Anna glares at Mike and Leah, stunned.

Whitney remains on the floor, anguished.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALL - ONE MONTH LATER - DAY (PRESENT)

The bell rings.

Her BANDAGED HAND withdraws some possessions from her locker

and prepares to go home. A few passing classmates bid Anna
farewell and she replies with a smile.

As she tramples through the hallway, Anna notices Nadia, in

casual clothing, removing her belongings from her locker and
packs them in her bag; her wounds have partially healed.

Anna draws her breath and begins making her way towards
Nadia.

Nadia, caught off-guard, doesn’t know how to react to the

situation. She’s shell-shocked.

Anna stops. She faces directly at Nadia. A faint smile forms

around Anna’s face. Nadia still doesn’t know how to react.

Anna’s eyes swell with tears, as she begins to speak...

FADE OUT.