Ramona & The Silver Screen | ✔︎

Act 4.2

CUT TO:

INT. DORM HALLWAY – NIGHT

Ramona and Simon stand facing each other in the hall.

RAMONA: I can't.

SIMON: You can't?

RAMONA: I can't... watch.

SIMON: Ramona—

RAMONA: No, Simon, I know. It's just acting. I'm being stupid. I just—I can't. You—Amelia and you—Simon, I can't.

SIMON: But you wrote—

RAMONA: I know what I wrote, and I knew what was coming. I just—I didn't prepare for this. I didn't think it was happening tonight.

SIMON: It's the only scene we haven't filmed.

Ramona groans in frustration.

RAMONA: Simon!

SIMON: I'm sorry! What do you want me to say? I'm doing this for you!

Ramona groans again and holds her face in her hands.

RAMONA: This is so stupid. I'm so stupid, I hate this.

Simon pulls her hands away from her face and pulls her in for a hug.

SIMON: Hey, hey, no. Ramona, if you don't want me to, I won't, okay? I'll drop out, I don't care. I'll quit.

Ramona jumped away from him in shock.

RAMONA: What? And throw away all our hard work? No! No, you're not going to do that.

SIMON: But—

RAMONA: I'm just being stupid, Simon. I'm just—I'm being—

SIMON: Ramona, come on. I just joined this stupid film so I could be with you. None of that matters now. We're—

RAMONA: It's not stupid, Simon. I worked hard on this! We all did! I just—I just need to pull myself together. It's just acting. I'm just being stupid.

Ramona starts to heave as she leans against the wall then bends over to place her hands on her knees. She clenches her eyes shut and breathes heavily.

RAMONA: (under her breath) I can't. I can't... I have to. I—

Simon frowns and bends forward, placing a hand on Ramona's back.

SIMON: (concerned) Ramona...

Ramona is on the verge of tears.

RAMONA: I— I'm just—I just can't—I don't want to see you—

SIMON: I know.

Simon pulls her into a hug.

RAMONA: I just—Watching you act these past weeks, I realized—

SIMON: You realized?

RAMONA: The whole time I was writing...

She slumps into his arms and breathes heavily.

SIMON: The whole time you were writing...?

RAMONA: I was thinking of you, Simon. And me. In my head, it was us. It was always going to be us. And now that it is...

Simon frowns.

RAMONA: I don't want to see you—I don't think I can handle seeing you kiss her. Not when—not when I have you, not when we're like this. But it's stupid, because I knew—I always knew we were going to have to film this scene. I wrote it for God's sake, and yet—It's stupid. I'll be fine. I won't watch. You go film it, we finish this thing, and we'll win that damn award, and—

Simon lifts Ramona's chin with one finger and kisses her. When he pulls away, he presses his forehead against hers and sighs. Then he pulls her in for a tighter hug.

SIMON: That's the only kiss that's going to matter to me tonight, Ramona. I promise you. You're the only one for me.

He kisses her forehead and just holds her, until a crew member peeks through the door.

CREW MEMBER #2: Hey, man. You're needed in here.

Simon sighs and lets go of Ramona. She looks up at him, her eyebrows stitched together in concern. He reaches for her hand and kisses her knuckles.

SIMON: We can fade to black. I can tell Leo.

Ramona shakes her head.

RAMONA: You believe in me right?

Simon nods.

RAMONA: Let's win that goddamn award, Simon.

Simon beams at her. He enters the room and closes the door behind him. Ramona bends forward again and bows her head. She breathes heavily.