The Morning After Essay Samples

FADE IN:

INT. BEDROOM – DAWN
The morning sun shines through translucent white blinds, giving the room a golden haze. The room itself is a typical 20-something girl’s room, covered in posters, IKEA lamps, a desk covered in knickknacks, and a guitar in the opposite corner from the bed. A man and woman’s clothes are strewn around the hardwood floor of the room.
TOM, white, 20s, good-looking but not strictly handsome, slowly stirs awake in the crumpled sheets of the bed. His first sight is the bedside table alarm clock, which flashes 12:00AM as if it has not been set.
Turning around, he feels his arm stuck under a young WOMAN, similar age, beautiful, hair falling around her face but facing away from him. Now wide awake, TOM looks around the room, a bit hazy, holding his head as if he has had too much to drink.
Eyeing the bathroom door on the other side of the room, TOM looks back at the WOMAN, then back to the bathroom door. Considering the WOMAN for a second, he then starts to slowly extricate his arm from the WOMAN’s underside, doing it bit by bit so as not to disturb her. Right away, however, she stirs. He stops moving.

After she turns around, TOM looks at her face, nervous but kind.

TOM(mumbling)
Morning.
The WOMAN looks back at him, her beautiful eyes registering recognition but not necessarily care.
WOMAN
Mornin’.
Without pause, the WOMAN gets up, runs her fingers through her hair, and saunters to the bathroom, TOM just looking at her. As the bathroom door shuts, he looks down and realizes he still has to pee.

TOM(whispering to himself)

Ah, shit.
TOM leans over the edge of the bed as he sits up, sifting through the clothes to find his underwear.
TOM(loud, to WOMAN)
Umthink you’ll be long in there?
The WOMAN falls silent; instead, he hears the sound of peeing through the bathroom door.
WOMAN

Long as I have to be. You need

anything?

TOM

Naw, justjust when you’re done.
TOM continues to gather round his clothes, throwing them on, when he steps on something rubbery. Looking down, he sees an opened CONDOM WRAPPER, and a partially unrolled CONDOM sitting on the floor next to the bed. It doesn’t look as though it had actually been used all the way.
TOM, after a beat, looks in the trash bin next to the bed in a panic, eyes full of fear. Sifting through the Kleenexes and candy wrappers, he suddenly sees another USED CONDOM, tied up, in the trash can. He breathes a sigh of relief, but then looks back at the UNUSED CONDOM. What if the one in the trash can isn’t his?
His thought is interrupted by the FLUSHING of the TOILET, causing him to snap his head back to the bathroom door, where the WOMAN appears, now in a pair of small panties, picking up a bra near the door as she walks back out. She’s just as aloof as before, barely looking at him as she continues to get dressed.

TOM(stammering a bit)

Hey, umso I had a good time last night.
WOMAN(absent-mindedly)
Yeah, it was fun.
TOM(beat)
This may be a stupid question, but
TOM picks up the unused condom between his thumb and forefinger and shows it to her.
TOM
Did this not make it on me for a
specific reason?

WOMAN(beat, staring at it)

Oh, shit. Shit shit shit.
TOM
I mean, I saw another one in the
trash, so I thought maybewe tried
for round 2 but didn’t make it, or?

WOMANYou looked in the trash?!

TOM(defensively)
I’m sorry, I was kind of panicked,
you know? I didn’t think we didn’t
use protection or anything. Ugh, fuck

I’m so hungover.

WOMAN(sarcastically)
Yeah, well that explains everything,
doesn’t it?
TOM

Hey, look, don’t pin this on me. I

know I don’t remember much, but I
definitely remember you inviting me
back here!

WOMAN(dismissively)

Don’t fucking start with that, I know
you didn’t rape me or anything. You can
just put that card away right now. I
know that’s the thing you’re just
waiting to ask me. I’m not one of
those girls.
TOM
I know you’re not.
WOMAN

Do you? Do you really? Oh, great,

thanks, I’m so glad you have me so
figured out.
TOM

Look, what do you want from me? We,

like, barely know each other. I just
wanna make sure you’re okay with
WOMAN

With what?

TOM

With what happened last night.

WOMAN(mockingly)
What happened last night? Can you not
even say it? We fucked. It’s fine. It’s
a thing that happens. People do this
all the time. Don’t make such a big
deal out of it.

TOM(holding up condom)

Are you kidding me? How is this not
a big deal?
WOMAN
I’m on the pill. It’ll be fine. It’s
all okay.
TOM

Yeah, well I’m not super okay with

it. What if you’ve got an STD or
something?
The WOMAN gives him an incensed side-eye. TOM purses his lips.
WOMAN
I get tested every six months, and I
assure you this kind of shit doesn’t
happen often. You’re safe, Romeo.
TOM

Yeah? Well I guess you don’t take

the other one from?

WOMAN(sighs angrily)

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
That’s you, you asshole.
(beat)

You mean to tell me you have no idea

what happened last night?

TOM(scoffing)

Well, I think I have an idea.
WOMAN

We fucked twice. You had the condom

the first time, then I guesswe must
have just gone without the next time,
or you were too wasted to have put it
on right.
TOM
I don’t get how you’re not freaking out
about this.
WOMAN

Because I’m a responsible girl who can

take care of herself. I kind of have to
be, if you guys are going to be this
careless.

TOM tries to think of a retort, then stops.

WOMAN

Wait, did you have to use the bathroom

too?
TOM(beat)
Ah, shit.

TOM heads to the bathroom, then stops.

TOM(pointing a finger at WOMAN)
We’re tabling this for now.
TOM then rushes to the bathroom and slams the door.
CUT TO:
INT. KITCHEN – DAY
It’s about twenty minutes later. TOM and the WOMAN are both dressed, sitting on opposite sides of a small dining room table at once side of her small-ish, slightly messy kitchen. Both of them eat eggs and bacon, slowly scooping the food into their mouths and chewing in relative silence. Seconds pass.

TOM(hesitant)

So, uhthis is gonna be an awkward
question, butI didn’t catch your name.

The WOMAN stares at him for a good three seconds, incredulous.

WOMAN(beat)
That wasn’t a question.
TOM(beat, recognizing what she’s doing)
What is your name?
WOMAN(taking a scoop of egg and eating it)
Ashley.
TOM(nods)
Nice to meet you, Ashley. I’m Tom.

ASHLEY

I know. At least one of us was paying
attention last night.

They continue to chew in silence.

CUT TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY
TOM starts struggling to put on his shoes in front of the FRONT DOOR, ASHLEY standing right next to him, aloof but a bit more relaxed around him.
TOM

So, uh, like I said, I hadfun last

night. Weirdness of the morning excluded.

Do you think you’d wanna do it again

some time?
(detecting ASHLEY’s sidelong glance)
I mean, notnot necessarily that, but
like, a coffee or drink or something? Again?

ASHLEY(beat, takes our her phone and hands it to him)

Gimme your number.
TOM takes the phone with a smile, creates a contact for himself and enters his phone number. He hands the phone back to ASHLEY.
TOM

There you go. I’m free anytime, day or

night. Well, except for classes and work
andall that.

ASHLEY

Parties where you pick up drunk chicks,
go back to their place and promptly
have unprotected sex with them?
TOM

Oh believe me, that phase of my life

Is over, especially after this morning.
All right, wellsee you when I see
you.
TOM opens the door and exits. ASHLEY takes a couple of steps back, and opens up her phone. She searches through her Contacts until she sees ‘Tom’ in her contacts list.
ASHLEY stares at the contact for a moment, then clicks the options menu and selects ‘Delete.’ Her thumb hovers over the screen, getting ready to press it. It holds there for several seconds. ASHLEY looks at her phone, then looks contemplatively at the door TOM just walked out of.

SMASH CUT TO BLACK.

THE END