OF PRINCES

Written by
Stuart Schrader

Stuwrayschrader@gmail.com
704-877-4644

2.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT

CLOSE-ON a box of takeout from Wings, propped open to
reveal a healthy portion of uneaten fries. ELLIOT QUINN
(handsome, nervous) cant help but stare.
JOSH BARRINGER (friendly, astute) checks his glance.
JOSH BARRINGER
Sorry about the mess, weve
practically been leaving in here
while we write this story. Want a
fry?
Josh slides the box across the table. Elliot shrugs
uncomfortably. A silence. JAKOB NICHOLLS (severe, quiet)
clears his throat but keeps his eyes on his laptop.
ELLIOT QUINN
Im not sure where toJOSH BARRINGER
Well we want our story to cover the
entire Presidency of Mr. Shepard.
ELLIOT QUINN
How far back doJOSH BARRINGER
(looking down at his
notepad)
Why dont you start with(beat, flips pages)
-the night of the election?
Josh finds a blank page in his notepad. Clicks his pen.
Elliot has returned to staring at the takeout on the table.
The silence is long. Jakob looks up from his laptop, Josh
from his notepad.
JOSH BARRINGER (CONTD)
Mr. Quinn? Elliot?
INT. OFFICE - NIGHT
Elliot looks up from a takeout box, startled.
BRADY SHEPARD
So? If we win? Do you want it?
Elliot stares, surprised. He laughs quietly, disbelieving. He
and Brady sit at a table covered with papers, takeout boxes,
half-empty bottled water: campaign ground-zero.

3.

ELLIOT QUINN
I, I - absolutely man. Sorry, I
dont - Id be honored that really-CHARLOTTE EVANS (looker, knows it, all-business) enters the
room mid-sentence.
CHARLOTTE EVANS
-down about 150 to AJs 17.
She drops a stack of papers and her laptop on the table.
BRADY SHEPARD
Young Republicans?
CHARLOTTE EVANS
Abstension, no endorsement. Their
release on Facebook has a lot of
Boycotter-language though, fed-up
and ineffective etc. Not their
official stance obviously but you
can see howELLIOT QUINN
So what does that mean?
CHARLOTTE EVANS
Im guessing its about an evensplit AJ-to us, maybe the Left-most
going Kevin but thats a marginal
handful.
BRADY SHEPARD
That doesnt make sense. We were
hovering around 1530-1540 before
the abstention and an even split
should keep us both near 16. And
were not gonna have a 150
individual swing in a half hour.
Charlotte shifts uncomfortably. Brady looks up to her.
CHARLOTTE EVANS
Campus Dems endorsed Kevins
campaign about 10 minutes after the
Republicans abstained.
The air goes from the room.
ELLIOT QUINN
Fuck. How the fuck-- what was their
rationale on tuition bump?

4.

CHARLOTTE EVANS
Their release says harsh
realities, necessary measures,
etc.
ELLIOT QUINN
Theyre throwing it to AJ,
splitting the progressives on
campus like that. What the fuck are
they thinking?
BRADY SHEPARD
Anything from Kevins camp?
CHARLOTTE EVANS
Some Obama 08 softball tweet about
meaningful change.
Elliot snorts cynically. Brady is stoic.
BRADY SHEPARD
How is everyone?
CHARLOTTE EVANS
Theyve looked better.
Brady checks his watch, then stands purposefully.
BRADY SHEPARD
Im gonna address this and then Im
going for a walk.
ELLIOT QUINN
Brady its seven thirty you need toBRADY SHEPARD
What? Theres no more Campus
Forums, Im not gonna organize a
fucking Awareness Rally in an hour
and a half.
The others are silent, hurt but dont show it. Brady sighs.
BRADY SHEPARD (CONTD)
Im sorry. Youre the last people
who deserve that. I just need some
air. I dont like feeling helpless.
INT. GREAT HALL CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS
Brady quietly opens one of the double-doors leading into the
Great Hall. He steps modestly in front of two or so dozen
deflated campaign volunteers. They watch him mournfully.

5.

BRADY SHEPARD
Hey can I get everyones attention
real quick?
All eyes are on him now; the noise in the room evaporates.
BRADY SHEPARD (CONTD)
Okay, weve got an hour and a half
until the polls close, then its
over. I know a lot of you have been
preparing 6 months for this night
with me, and a few of you even
longer than that. And I know it
seems like were 90 minutes from a
pretty big disappointment, and a
lot of you are pissed or let down,
and theres no shame in that
feeling. But you guys have nothing
to be upset about. Listen, Ive
watched you freshmen blow off
studying for midterms to go put up
posters in the residences. Ive
watched my advising team give up
their much needed free time to cold
call Campus orgs about bullshit
policy. Ive watched you guys
choose this campaign and me over
your friends and your family and
just generally being a normal
fucking person time and time again,
and for that, I owe literally each
and every one of you a gratitude
thats hard to articulate. Hell, I
get uncomfortable when strangers
pop open the door for me behind
them--to have over thirty people
all going out of their way to--I
dont deserve it, yet here you are.
So win or lose, thank you. And hold
your heads high that even if it
meant a win, we didnt budge on our
positions. We didnt compromise,
and we ran a campaign that we can
be proud of.
Elliot and Charlotte watch from the doorway, and Elliot
begins to clap. Soon the whole room is applauding, some
standing.
Brady walks to the doorway as the volunteers return with
renewed vigor to their work. Elliot tries to stop Brady at
the door, but he blows by him.

6.

EXT. CAMPUS QUAD - EVENING

Brady walks briskly through the quad past a group of
protestors holding picket signs One student leads.
STUDENT PROTESTOR
-over and over again! Promises and
then nothing, no delivery, no
action! No execution! Bradshaw
Student Government is worse than
our national government! No action,
no votes!
The group breaks out No action, no votes! repeatedly. Brady
watches for a moment, then enters the Student Union.
INT. STUDENT UNION - HALLWAY
Brady leans against a wall drinking a coffee. Theres the
noise of a crowded room somewhere down the hall. A student
hurries past carrying a stack of papers.
BRADY SHEPARD
Hey, sorry one sec. Are you with
Kevin Tulls campaign?
STUDENT VOLUNTEER
Uh, yeah. Im just like, a freshman
though soBRADY SHEPARD
Just volunteering right? Well
thats where me and Kevin and every
other person in student government
started, dont count yourself out.
(beat, they smile)
Can you tell Kevin something for
me? Can you tell him that Brady
Shepard wants to speak to him? Ill
be in 3402, down the hall.
STUDENT VOLUNTEER
Yeah, sure of course.
INT. ROOM 3402
KEVIN TULL (everyman, friendly vibe) enters the room quickly.
He moves to sit across from Brady at a table.

7.

KEVIN TULL
Gotta admit I was surprised to hear
from you man, but tonights been so
crazy I wasnt exactly-BRADY SHEPARD
Shut your fucking mouth.
Brady has murder in his eyes. Kevin shrinks a little.
KEVIN TULL
What- what the hell isBRADY SHEPARD
Last summer I drove to your offcampus house on Hemby and dropped
off a binder outlining every single
one of your platform positions, and
we made a deal. Do you remember?
Kevin is silent.
BRADY SHEPARD (CONTD)
No? Oh, something about me
introducing you to the right
people, coaching your candidacy,
jumpstarting your entire campaign
with a far-left skew in exchange
for your last minute withdrawal and
swing vote endorsement after which
Id put you on Cabinet Exec. Does
that ring a fucking bell, Kev?
KEVIN TULL
Look Brady Ive known you since
freshman year, I appreciate what
you did for me but this has turned
into something bigger than me now.
Im not gonna withdraw. Ive made
some serious inroads these past few
weeks and Ive still got (checks
watch) an hour left to win this. I
got the Dem endorsement which no
one saw coming, and I know for a
fact that my positions are
connecting with the average collegeBRADY SHEPARD
Goddamn it Kevin those arent even
your positions I wrote your fucking
positions.
(MORE)

8.

BRADY SHEPARD (CONT'D)

If I didnt hand deliver you your
fucking campaign last summer youd
still only be a D2 lacrosse goalie
whose only political experience was
as our fucking fraternitys rush
chair.
KEVIN TULL
Fuck you Brady, what happened to
all that helping me turn my life
around shit you were telling me
last summer? Helping me get clean
and serious about school? And now
that I want to actually amount to
something youre pissed?
Brady broods for a moment, considering.
BRADY SHEPARD
On my phone Ive got three separate
screenshots from Snapchats you sent
me our sophomore year in the back
of an Uber with Amanda Hannon the
night that someone dropped her off
passed out drunk on the front lawn
of Kappa Pi. If you dont drop out
of this race and endorse me 10
fucking minutes ago you can
guarantee itll be the first time
Snapchat has ever ended a
collegiate Student Body Presidency.
Kevins face twists in anger, disbelief.
KEVIN TULL
Youre bluffing. I dont even know
what the fuck youre talking about.
Who the fuck are you man? I dont
recognize this person.
Brady stares for a moment, then stands abruptly and exits.
INT. STUDENT UNION BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Brady is on his knees in a stall, throwing up. He exits,
walks to a sink. He splashes water on his face, stares at
himself. For the first time all night he looks scared.

9.

INT. GREAT HALL CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS HALLWAY

Elliot sits on a staircase, repeatedly calling Brady. He
exhales, defeated, then: an uproar of cheers from within the
Great Hall. Brady stands, confused, approaches the door.
Elliots phone rings-he whips it out of his pocket, checks
the message. His muscles relaxes in disbelief.
BRADY SHEPARD
(from down the hall)
Whats happening?
ELLIOT QUINN
(noticing Brady)
He withdrew. Kevin just withdrew.
Endorsed you on Twitter, theres a
statement on his campaigns
Facebook too. His votes secondchoice appropriated give you a
majority over AJ. Youre the next
Student Body President.
BRADY SHEPARD
Guess that means youre the next
Student Body Vice President then.
Elliots smile lasts only a moment before quickly fading.
ELLIOT QUINN
Why arent you more excited?
BRADY SHEPARD
Comeon man you know the kind of
night Ive had, let me at least be
myself in front of you.
ELLIOT QUINN
Where were you just now?
INTERCUT: BRADY IN THE BATHROOM MIRROR, BRADY COLLECTING
PAPER TOWELS AND SOAKING THEM IN THE SINK
BRADY SHEPARD
Elliot.
ELLIOT QUINN
I want to know.
INTERCUT: BRADY CALLING FOR HELP TO KEVIN FROM THE BATHROOM,
KEVIN RUSHING IN, BRADY STRIKING KEVIN IN THE KNEE WITH A
PIECE OF PIPE

10.

BRADY SHEPARD
I know you do.
Brady moves past Elliot towards the Great Hall double doors.
He prepares himself before entering as Elliot stares behind.
ELLIOT QUINN
Whatd you do man?
INTERCUT: BRADY SHOVING THE SOAKED PAPER TOWELS IN KEVINS
MOUTH, PINNING HIM AGAINST THE WALL, SAYING SOMETHING
FIERCELY, KEVINS PANICKED EXPRESSION
INT. CONFERENCE ROOM
Josh shifts forward his seat, rapt in attention.
JOSH BARRINGER
What did he say?
Elliot watches the floor, at a loss.
ELLIOT QUINN
He said he didINT. GREAT HALL CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS HALLWAY
BRADY SHEPARD
-what I had to do. Thats politics,
right?
With that Brady throws open the doors and enters the Great
Hall to the thunderous applause of his campaign staff. He
outstretches his arms and smiles, welcoming their praise.