“AS THE WORLD TURNS”
TELEPLAY TO AIR JAN 3, 2008
<FADE IN>
SCENE: AL'S DINER
LUKE IS SITTING AT A TABLE WITH A MILKSHAKE IN FRONT OF HIM.
HE'S IGNORING IT THOUGH AS HE WRITES CONTINUALLY IN A LARGE SPIRAL NOTEBOOK.
NOAH ENTERS, SPOTS LUKE AND GRINS:
Luke, there you are.
I've been looking all over for you.
LUKE LOOKS UP AND SMILES:
Now I have to find another hiding spot.
NOAH LAUGHS.
LUKE (CONT'D):
Seriously though. I'm trying to
finish all the work I have to
make up from last semester.
Most of my professors were
nice enough to give me
some extra time to do it in.
NOAH:
Oh really?
Maybe I can help?
LUKE:
Not unless you want to dissect these
poems and graph them by rhyme and meter.
NOAH:
Umm, no.
Sounds like torture.
LUKE:
Yeah, to the poems.
What about you?
Do you know what classes
you're in next semester?
NOAH:
Actually, I've been meaning to
talk to you about that.
LUKE LOOKS UP WITH A SERIOUS EXPRESSION.
<FADE OUT>
<OPENING TITLES>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
SCENE: AL'S DINER.
LUKE (CURIOUS):
Good news I hope?
NOAH (PAINFULLY):
Well, I still haven't
made up my mind about
whether or not I'm going to do it.
LUKE (SMILING):
Do what?
NOAH:
I've been thinking about getting
a student loan and going to
Northwestern. They have some
good film classes this semester.
LUKE:
Northwestern?
But that means...
NOAH:
If I get the loan and get in,
I'll be moving.
LUKE IS STUNNED:
Is something-
Is something wrong here?
NOAH:
No. I just really want
that film degree.
NOAH LOOKS AROUND.
HE REACHES OUT AND TAKES LUKE'S HAND.
NOAH (CONT'D):
It's because of you Luke.
I feel like I could do anything,
be anything I want to be.
LUKE (WORRIED):
That's great, Noah.
I'm really happy for you.
I just... didn't realize
you'd be leaving so soon.
NOAH:
I sent in my application
and the essay this morning.
I won't know anything
for a while.
I mean, if I don't get in,
there's no reason to get
the loan, right?
LUKE:
Are you kidding? Noah,
you've dreamed of being in
film all your life.
If you wanted to get in
half as much as you say
you are, you'll be there
in no time.
NOAH SCRATCHES THE BACK OF HIS HEAD,
HESITATING
NOAH:
That's the thing, Luke.
I'm not sure that I want to be
there.
LUKE (SURPRISED):
What?
Of course you want to be there!
Why wouldn't you?
NOAH RAISES HIS EYEBROWS.
<FADE OUT>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
LUKE:
Why wouldn't you want to go to Northwestern?
NOAH:
Because of you, Luke.
I don't want to leave you here.
LUKE TAKES HIS HAND FROM NOAH'S AND PUTS
BOTH HIS HANDS IN HIS LAP
LUKE (CONFLICTED BUT TRYING TO SOUND SINCERE):
No, its a great
opportunity for you,
Noah. I think
you should do it.
NOAH NODS SLOWLY AND REACHES OUT TO HOLD LUKE'S HAND AGAIN.
LUKE HESITANTLY LETS HIM HOLD IT.
NOAH:
And you'll be alright?
LUKE:
Well, its only up in Chicago.
Maybe we can see each other on the
weekends or something.
NOAH SMILES:
That'd be great.
Kind of expensive with the
price of gas these
days, but I can swing it.
LUKE:
Well you wouldn't have to come down
here every weekend. I could go up there
for some of them.
NOAH LEANS BACK, HAPPILY SURPRISED, STILL HOLDING
LUKE'S HAND.
NOAH:
You are the most fantastic person I know.
LUKE (SMILES, EMBARASSED):
Why?
NOAH GRINS BACK, HIS EYES FOCUSED INTENTLY ON LUKE'S
<FADE OUT>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
SCENE: AL'S DINER
NOAH:
I just told you I might be leaving,
and you didn't freak out.
LUKE CHUCKLES:
You were expecting me to?
NOAH'S EYES DART AWAY AND HE NODS, CHEWING HIS LIP NERVOUSLY.
LUKE'S EYES DART AROUND, SURVEYING THE ROOM.
LUKE LOWERS HIS VOICE A BIT:
Noah, I love you.
I don't want to control you.
I'm not like that guy in the
old movie we saw the other night.
That was just.... creepy.
NOAH:
I know.
NOAH PAUSES, INTERTWINING HIS FINGERS WITH LUKE'S.
NOAH (CONT'D):
Thank you, Luke.
Thank you for everything.
LUKE (SMILING, SOFTLY):
You're welcome, Noah.
NOAH IS APPREHENSIVE, DISTRACTED:
You wanna go finish that
stuff at my place tonight?
LUKE GRINS, RELEASES A CHUCKLE:
Are you crazy? I haven't got
any of it done since you've been here.
LUKE GOES INTO HIS MOCK-SERIOUS MODE (CONT'D):
I don't think you're a good influence on me.
NOAH CATCHES ON:
Do you want me to be?
LUKE TAKES A SIP FROM HIS MILKSHAKE:
No way!
LUKE GATHERS HIS BOOKS AND CLOSES HIS NOTEBOOK.
LUKE:
I am going to the farm, though, where
the distraction of duty will keep me
focused on my work. And you are welcome to
come with me.
NOAH:
Yeah. That'd be nice.
NOAH AND LUKE GET UP FROM THE BOOTH AND HEAD TOWARD THE DOOR.
<PAN TO LEFT>
DUSTY IS SITTING AT THE BOOTH THAT
WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND NOAH AND LUKE'S,
HOLDING UP A NEWSPAPER.
HE HAS A THOUGHTFUL EXPRESSION.
<FADE OUT>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
SCENE: THE LAKEVIEW.
LILY IS AT THE FRONT DESK.
!HER CELL PHONE RINGS!
SHE GLANCES AT IT, THEN ANSWERS QUICKLY.
LILY:
Dusty! Where have you been?
DUSTY:
Lily, I thought you wouldn't answer.
I've got a lot of explaining to do.
LILY (STERNLY):
Yes, you do.
I can't believe you stood
me up like that.
DUSTY:
Something came up.
Can we meet?
LILY (SIGHS AND ROLLS HER EYES):
Fine.
The Lakeview?
DUSTY:
I'll be there.
<TRANSITION>
SCENE: THE SNYDER FARMHOUSE
LUKE AND NOAH ENTER
NOAH:
Guess your dad's not here.
LUKE:
No, I think he's out on a date.
NOAH:
Bonnie?
LUKE:
Yeah... the divorce lawyer.
That's so bizarre.
NOAH:
Yeah. But at least
he's a little happier.
LUKE:
I don't think he can
be very happy
being away from mom.
LUKE DEPOSITS HIS BOOKS AND SPIRAL ON THE KITCHEN TABLE,
THEN SITS DOWN BY THEM.
NOAH:
Do you have anything to do
besides the poetry stuff?
LUKE:
Umm, yeah I have a paper to write.
Just a short one, though - seven pages.
NOAH (RAISES EYEBROWS):
Seven is short?
I'm lucky if I can get through
three.
LUKE (LAUGHS):
Oh wow, Noah.
It's so obvious how
different we are.
I mean you're into
those old movies that
I still find a little
confusing.
NOAH LEANS BACK AND SMILES AT LUKE.
LUKE (CONT'D):
And you're balking at
poetry and papers.
NOAH CHUCKLES:
Yeah. I guess we are different.
But I think we complement each other
nicely.
LUKE (SLIGHTLY EMBARASSED):
We do, at that.
NOAH GETS UP WHILE LUKE FLIPS OPEN HIS BOOKS.
LUKE IS DISTRACTED BY NOAH'S PRESENCE.
LUKE:
Noah, go do something!
NOAH:
Like what?
LUKE:
I don't know.
Go check on the horses, the new foal.
NOAH:
Okay.
NOAH EXITS. LUKE SIGHS AS HE LEAVES
AND TRIES TO CONCENTRATE ON HIS WORK.
<FADE OUT>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
SCENE: A HALLWAY AT THE LAKEVIEW
DUSTY APPROACHES LILY WITH A
BOUQUET OF FLOWERS. SHE STARES AT
HIM WITH HER ARMS CROSSED ACROSS
HER CHEST.
LILY:
I don't think that's
going to work this time, Dusty.
DUSTY SHRUGS AND PUTS THE
FLOWERS DOWN ON A NEARBY TABLE.
LILY:
What did you want to talk about?
DUSTY:
I wanted to explain about -
LILY INTERRUPTS HIM.
LILY:
I'm not interested in
hearing your excuses, Dusty.
Was there something
else you wanted to talk about?
DUSTY IS LOST FOR WORDS.
FINALLY HE SIGHS AND LIFTS HIS HEAD
GUILTILY.
DUSTY:
Yeah. Its about Noah.
LILY (CONFUSED):
Noah?
<TRANSITION>
SCENE: THE SNYDER FARMHOUSE.
LUKE EXITS TO THE PORCH
AND LEANS OUT THE DOOR, BREATHING
THE FRESH AIR. NOAH WALKS UP.
NOAH:
Hey.
LUKE:
Hay? The horses need more hay?
NOAH:
No, the horses are fine.
That new foal is looking stronger
every day.
LUKE NODS, SMILING:
Yeah. Thats kinda how its supposed to work.
Oh, look, there's dad.
HOLDEN WALKS UP.
HOLDEN:
Hey Luke, Noah.
You two aren't getting into trouble, are you?
NOAH:
No, Mr. Snyder.
LUKE:
Not yet, anyway.
HOLDEN GLARES AT LUKE.
!LUKE'S CELLPHONE RINGS!
LUKE LOOKS AT IT.
LUKE:
It's mom. (ANSWERS THE PHONE)
Hey mom. What's up?
<FADE OUT>
END
