Friday, November 25, 2011

My High School Soundtrack

This post was written in response to this week's Red Writing Hood prompt from Write on Edge.  That soundtrack – that’s where I want the focus. First, find the song that will be played during the pivotal scene in the movie based on your magnum opus. With that song playing, write that pivotal scene – it’s your choice whether you write it as a screen play or as it’s played out in your novel.

I chose to write a montage of my high school experience to Bush's "Glycerine".  I will warn you now that this is not one of my happier posts-high school was not a great time in my life.


INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY- DAY

SHE walks alone, carrying a stack of books.  All the other STUDENTS ignore her.  A group of GIRLS pass, one points at her and says something we can't hear.  The others laugh.

CUT TO:
INT-HOUSE-DINING ROOM- DAY

Tearful, she checks out the window to make sure she is alone.  She opens the cabinet and pulls out a bottle of liquor.  Tilting back her head, she swallows a quarter of the bottle, wipes her mouth, and replaces the bottle.

CUT TO:
INT. HOCKEY RINK-NIGHT

She walks in full gear alone from the bathrooms, into the rink, and to the locker room, alone.  A COACH stops her, shaking his head.  She leans against the wall and waits until the rest of the HOCKEY TEAM exits the room.  They laugh and joke with each other.  Ignored, she follows them onto the ice.

CUT TO:
INT. GIRL'S BEDROOM- DAY

The room looks like a typical teenage girl's room with posters plastering the walls.  She sits on the floor, head in her hands, sobbing.  She gets up and pulls an Exacto knife out of a desk drawer, sits back on the floor, and cuts her arm again and again, until her arm is covered in blood.

CUT TO:
INT. SCHOOL- HALLWAY- DAY

She walks close to the lockers, alone.  Two GUYS walk in the other direction. As she avoids an open locker, she passes them and they shove her into the open door.  Laughing, one high-five's the other, who punches the locker right above her head, startling her.

CUT TO:
INT. GIRL'S BEDROOM- NIGHT

She sits alone on the bed, her legs crossed, headphones on.  A discman sits in her lap.  Her eyes are closed and she mouths the words to the song, a smile on her lips.

Write On Edge: Red-Writing-Hood

9 comments:

  1. Oh Alison, this makes me hurt for you. High school can be such an isolating experience. Also, Glycerine is a perfect song for this, IMO.

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  2. I couldn't play the song! :(

    Very moving post. I'm so glad you made it through. Oh and check 'starling'. :)

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  3. I couldn't play the song either :( but this post just breaks my heart, Alison! I want to give that girl a hug and tell her that things will be alright...

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  4. Moving post. Great song. I get how much this song means to you.

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  5. very relatable to a lot of women I'm sure.

    My favorite version of Glycerine is where they played in the rain at Woodstock.

    god job

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  6. Oh man. I'm sorry. This was a well-written screenplay though that the music fits perfectly. I can see it playing out in my head.

    Great writing!

    ~The Drama Mama

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  7. great scenes, great emotion, and like the drama mama, I could see it playing out. i hurt for you too. i could write a similar story about being shoved into lockers, and ignored, and bullied in a number of humiliating ways. *HUG*

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  8. Oh, this song brings back SO many memories for me. But this post is heartbreaking and I'm sorry you went through all of that. It's really powerful, though.

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  9. Ugh, high school. This is heartbreaking and I could relate to a lot of it. The song fits perfectly-I could picture the scene/montage in my head.

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