Underlined in Red

01

[Pilot]

INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM – DAY

"Sam!" two young women called.

The young women, Jess and Meri, came around a corner; Jess was wearing a sexy-nurse costume and adjusting her hat. Meri had chosen to go as Arwen from Lord of the Rings. The photo of Mary and John was on the dresser.

Meri caught sight of the photo and narrowed her eyes, her expression softening as she faced her friends.

"Get a move on, would you?" Jess said. "We were supposed to be there like fifteen minutes ago." She walked off. "Sam! You coming or what?"

"Better the hare than the snail!" Meri yelled.

Sam poked his head around the corner. He was wearing jeans and three shirts, not a costume. "Do I have to?"

"Yes!" Meri and Jess cried.

"It'll be fun," Jess added as Sam came into the room. "And where's your costume?"

Sam laughed and ducked his head. "You know how I feel about Halloween."

Meri looked at him. "Party pooper. Let's go. But we can't stay out too late. I've got a paper to finish."

"Then why are you going?"

"Are you actually serious? It's Halloween. You have to go out on Halloween."

"No you don't."

Jess nodded. "I'm sorry, but she's right. I'm with Meri on this."

INT. BAR – NIGHT

Classic's What Cha Gonna Do began to play.

The bar was decorated for Halloween, including a gargoyle with cobwebs and a baseball hat that said "GET NAKED". Someone poured someone else a shot. Everyone was in costume.

Jess raised a glass as a young man in a ghoul costume, Luis, came up to the table where Sam, Meri and Jess were. Sam was still not in costume.

"So here's to Sam—" Jess began, "—and his awesome LSAT victory."

"All right, all right, it's not that big a deal," Sam said.

Jess, Sam, Meri and Luis clinked glasses.

"Yeah, he acts all humble. But he scored a one seventy-four."

Luis drank his shot, as did Sam. "Is that good?"

"Scary good," Jess and Meri replied as they drank.

"So there you go. You are a first-round draft pick. You can go to any law school you want!" Luis sat next to Sam.

"Actually, I got an interview here. Monday," Sam replied. "If it goes okay I think I got a shot at a full ride next year."

"Hey. It's gonna go great," Jess reassured.

"It better."

Meri offered a light smile. "I'm sure it will."

"How does it feel to be the golden boy of your family?" Luis asked.

"Ah, they don't know," Sam said.

"Oh, no, I would be gloating! Why not?"

"Because we're not exactly the Bradys."

"And I'm not exactly the Huxtables. More shots?"

Jess, Meri and Sam spoke in chorus. "No. No."

"No," Sam repeated.

Luis went up to the bar anyway.

Meri let out a sigh. "Someone has to stop him." She followed after him.