Drive Thru
An original short script by Steve Meredith
EXT-FAST FOOD RESTAURANT-NIGHT
It is about 12:30am. A blue pickup truck enters the lot
and drives up to the drive thru area.
INT-FAST FOOD RESTAURANT-CONTINUOUS
A girl, about 20 years old is at the drive thru window.
This is SOPHIA.
Sophia (through the headset)
Hi, may I take your order?
EXT-FAST FOOD RESTAURANT-NIGHT
A man about 20 years old is in the truck. He looks as
though he hasn’t slept in three nights. His name is JASON.
Jason (nervously)
C-can I have a umm, a number three please, with a Pepsi to
d-drink?
Sophia (through the speaker)
Will that be all tonight?
Jason
Y-yeah.
Sophia (through the speaker)
O.k. your total is 4.26, please pull around to the window.
The truck pulls away from the menu board
INT-RESTAURANT-NIGHT
The truck pulls up to the window.
Sophia
How are you sir? 4.26 please.
JASON hands the money to SOPHIA in exact change.
Sophia
Hold on, I’ll be right there with your food.
Jason
O.k.
INT-JASON’S TRUCK-CONTINUOUS
In the passenger seat lays a knife. There is also a
bandage on Jason’s left wrist. A moment later, SOPHIA
returns with the food.
Sophia
Here you go, sir, you have a nice night.
SOPHIA shuts the drive thru window. JASON sits there for a
moment looking into his bag of food.
CLOSE UP ON THE FOOD.
A teardrop falls into the bag and on to the sandwich
wrapper. JASON begins to cry.
INT-RESTAURANT-NIGHT
SOPHIA is talking on her cell phone to one of her friends.
Sophia (into the phone)
Yeah, it sucks, I’m here until 1:30 tonight…what? Oh, you
mean Jack? Yeah he broke up with her when he went off to
college. (Noticing the truck is still at the window.)
Hold on a sec, Meg.
EXT-FAST FOOD RESTAURANT-NIGHT
SOPHIA opens the drive thru window.
Sophia
Did you need something more tonight, sir?
PAUSE
Jason (crying, softly)
Do you ever wish you could connect with your customers?
Sophia
What?
Jason
Like, do you ever wish you could connect with your
customers, you know. Like, break down this wall between
you and the car?
INT-FAST FOOD RESTAURANT-NIGHT
SOPHIA tucks back inside for a moment.
Sophia (into the phone)
Meg, let me call you back, o.k.? Alright, talk to you
soon.
SOPHIA hangs up the phone, and sticks her head back out of
the window.
Sophia
What do you mean connect?
Jason
I mean, you do your job all night, never once touching the
customer, never once really getting to know them. Wouldn’t
that bother you?
Sophia
I guess it never really occurred to me.
Jason
I think about it all the time. I miss the feel of someone
touching me, even if it’s just a tap on the shoulder.
Sophia
Sir are you o—
Jason
My name’s Jason.
Sophia
Alright Jason, are you alright?
Jason (sternly, keeping his eyes forward on the windshield)
Not really, and no, there’s nothing you can get me, I don’t
need anymore food. What I need is, what I need is…Oh I
don’t know what the hell I need anymore.
Sophia
Compassion?
Jason (looking up at Sophia)
Yeah, that’s part of it.
Sophia
Someone who gives a damn
Jason
Yeah, I guess that’s it.
Sophia
Where are you going, Jason?
Jason
I don’t know. Somewhere far away from here. I guess I’ll
just go and go and go, until my gas tank says “stop.”
Sophia (smiling and chuckling)
Really, that sounds like a good plan.
Jason (smiles)
It’s nice to finally get to talk to someone, even though
you are a total stranger.
Sophia (smiles)
Yeah, every now and then it’s nice to talk to a complete
stranger.
Jason
By the way, you have a really nice smile.
Sophia
Thank you, Jason, you have very nice eyes.
Jason smiles.
SOPHIA’S P.O.V.
Sophia notices the knife and wrist bandage that Jason
wears. The smile fades away from SOPHIA’S face.
Sophia (concerned)
Where are you going, Jason?
Jason (still smiling)
I told you, I’m driving until my tank runs dry.
Sophia (concerned)
I’m serious.
Jason (smile fading away)
Well I don’t know, some place out West. But anyway, I
shouldn’t hold you up; you probably have closing duties to
do. Thanks for the meal.
JASON drives off.
Sophia (screaming through the window)
JASON WAIT!!
SOPHIA notices that Jason stops his car.
the drive thru room.
EXT-RESTAURANT-NIGHT
Sophia comes running out the door.
JASON’S pickup truck and…
She runs out of
She runs over to
INT-JASON’S TRUCK
…opens the door, she climbs up on the door ladder, leans
over and kisses him on the lips. She releases from the
kiss. For a brief few moments, JASON looks absolutely
shocked.
Sophia
My name is Sophia.
PAUSE
Sophia (apologetically)
I’m sorry, that was an impulsive reacti—
Jason
No, no, no, it’s alright.
Sophia
What, you’ve never been kissed before?
PAUSE.
JASON looks into SOPHIA’S eyes.
Jason (eyes filling up with tears)
Sophia, I think…I think you just saved my life.
Sophia (getting choked up)
The entire time I’ve worked here, I’ve always been told to
give the people what they want. (pause) But for once in my
life, I wanted to give somebody what they needed.
thought you needed a kiss.
And I
Jason (crying with happiness)
Thank you, Sophia, thank you so much. I know that you are
a complete stranger to me, and I know that I will probably
never see you again. But you saved my life, and for that,
Sophia, I love you.
Sophia
You’re a complete stranger to me—
Jason
I know, but I jus—
Sophia
And you’ll probably never see me again—
Jason
I know, but please jus—
Sophia
And I love you too. I love you too, Jason.
SOPHIA kisses Jason on the forehead and steps out of his
truck.
Jason
Thank you, Sophia.
Sophia
Your welcome, Jason. Thank you too.
JASON nods his head to say “goodbye.”
window and drives off.
He rolls up his
INT-RESTAURANT-NIGHT
SOPHIA walks past her manager DALE, to the drive thru room.
Manager
What was that all about?
Sophia (without turning around)
You wouldn’t understand, Dale.
SOPHIA wipes a tear from her eye as she goes back to work.
Fade to Black, roll credits, The End.