COLUMBUS (V.O. ) It had to be a clown.
Columbus tries to reload his shotgun, but in the heat of the moment, spills his last ziploc bag of shells onto the ground. They roll down the hill and away.
The zombie takes a step toward Columbus. Classic stimulus-response: Columbus instinctively backs up and looks for an EXIT. There it is: an EXIT sign at the edge of the park.
Superimposed onscreen: A TITLE: 22. When in Doubt. Know Your Way Out. [Will be added in this scene during the editing.]
This time, something's different. Columbus looks slowly from the exit to Wichita, the girl of his dreams. He takes a deep breath. Stops backing up. Straightens his shoulders. Stands up tall.
COLUMBUS (V.O.) It had to be a clown. And it had to be Wichita. For me to finally understand: some rules... are made to be broken.
The 'Don't' in 'Don't be a Hero' scrubs itself off the screen, and the 'b' in 'be' becomes a capital 'B,' leaving:
17. Be a Hero.> [Will be edited later]
COLUMBUS (V.O.) Time to nut up or shut up.
Columbus looks to his left toward the classic game where you try to ring a bell by hitting a pad with a huge sledgehammer. The sledgehammer is sitting there, waiting for him.
Columbus ditches his shotgun, strides over, and grabs the sledgehammer. It looks as heavy as he is, but he gathers it up without much difficulty, feeling its heft in his hands...
...then turns and marches toward the Clown Zombie.
The zombie lets out a blood-curdling wail and rushes! Columbus cocks back the hammer and...
...-BOOM! CRUSHES THE ZOMBIE in the midsection!
"Cut."
The actor cleared the set as a fake zombie was placed on the ground.
The shoot resumed again...
BOOM! Jack BRINGS the hammer DOWN on its BACK! And finally... BOOM! CRUSHES its HEAD like a Faberge egg!
The fake blood oozed out as the zombie actor pretended to be dead.
ANGLE ON: Wichita and Little Rock watching from above.
Little Rock said, "People change."
Below, Columbus looks up to see the final climbing zombie grab the underside of the ring and try to pull itself up. Columbus locates the busted controls.
Columbus finds two severed wires, looks up at the girls one last time, and then touches the wires together.
The ring screams to the ground, crushing the final zombie underneath! Wichita and Little Rock are safe. Columbus approaches the ring and lays his jacket on top of the crushed zombie like a knight laying his cloak over a puddle.
Columbus offers his hand and helps first Little Rock, and then Wichita, off the ride. Once Wichita is back on solid ground, she hesitates, looks Columbus in the eye, then smiles and hugs him, long and hard.
She pulls out of the hug, then goes back in, puts her lips close to his ear... and Whispers: Krista.
"Cut."
By 11 PM, they did a couple of retakes from different angles, and now it was time for the final scene. The kiss. Well, after a little break...
...
The camera crew shifted equipment into position for the final setup.
Several feet away, Emma sat in a folding chair while a makeup artist touched up the dirt and sweat around her face. Her hair had been deliberately loosened during the rescue sequence, leaving several strands around her cheeks for the moment Columbus brushed them aside.
Jack walked over and dropped into the empty chair beside her. His legs ached from running through the park for hours, and his shoulders still felt the weight of the sledgehammer he had swung through several different camera angles.
Emma looked toward him with a tired smile. "You looked really terrified of that clown." She narrowed her eyes. "Wait! Don't tell me you're afraid of clowns."
Jack rested his head against the back of the chair. "Hahaha... Clowns are already disturbing before you cover them in blood and tell them to charge at me. Just don't tell anyone that I'm afraid of clowns. Don't ask why." He looked at the makeup artist. "That goes for you too."
The girl chuckled, "My lips are sealed."
"You still handled the hammer pretty well," Emma said as the makeup artist moved away. "Columbus suddenly turned into an action hero for about thirty seconds."
"He had a powerful motivation."
Emma's smile became playful. "Saving Wichita?"
Jack nodded with exaggerated seriousness. "Breaking his own rules and saving Wichita."
Emma studied him for a moment before glancing toward the camera crew. "And now he gets his reward."
Jack followed her gaze toward the marked position where they would film the kiss. "Apparently, emotional growth earns you three camera angles."
"Three angles and probably several takes if one of us blocks the light," Emma replied as she shifted in her chair. "Your girlfriend must be thrilled."
Jack looked back at her. "Haley knows the scene is happening."
"I know she knows," Emma said, clearly enjoying herself. "I was the one who called her."
Jack slowly narrowed his eyes. "You called her specifically to mention the kiss?"
"I called because she's my friend," Emma replied with an innocent expression that convinced nobody. "The kiss happened to come up during our completely normal conversation."
Jack gave her a suspicious look. "How long did you spend describing it?"
"I only told her that it was a romantic scene with several angles and multiple takes."
Jack stared at her. "You included every detail that could possibly make her jealous."
Emma's smile widened. "She said she wasn't jealous."
Jack said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "She wanted to leave a lasting impression before I came back here."
"Did it work?"
Jack gave her a flat look. "I almost missed my flight."
Emma laughed again, then glanced toward the set while the crew adjusted a camera track beside the ride. "I understand her concern, though. You're kissing her best friend in front of fifty people."
Jack turned the question back toward her. "What did your boyfriend think about you kissing me?"
Emma looked at him for a second, then lowered her gaze toward the script pages resting across her lap. "I don't have a boyfriend."
Jack's eyebrows lifted. "I thought you might've been seeing someone."
"I've been working too much," Emma replied as she folded the pages once. "Besides, the good ones are already taken."
The sentence sounded casual, although the look she gave him carried something quieter beneath the joke.
Jack noticed it immediately.
For a brief moment, the noise of the crew seemed to move farther away. Emma held his gaze without smiling as broadly as before, and Jack understood that she hadn't been speaking generally.
The realization arrived quickly enough to leave him uncertain about what to say. Emma was beautiful, funny, talented, and one of his closest friends. He cared about her deeply, though the place she occupied in his life was entirely different from the one Haley held.
Jack opened his mouth, intending to answer carefully before the silence became uncomfortable.
Christopher's voice carried across the set first. "Jack, Emma, we're ready for the scene."
Emma looked toward the director, then stood and smoothed the front of Wichita's jacket. Whatever had passed between them disappeared beneath her professional expression.
"Saved by the director," she murmured as she walked toward the marked position.
Jack rose from his chair and followed her. "That conversation isn't disappearing forever."
'Darn it! I fell for him and ended up hinting it. Oh, crap. And now we're gonna kiss. Great Emma. Awesome. Kiss your crush.' Emma glanced back over her shoulder. "We'll see whether you remember it after three takes."
The crew gathered around the ride while Phil walked Jack and Emma through the final movement. The scene would begin immediately after Wichita whispered her real name into Columbus's ear. They would separate from the hug, hold eye contact, and let the moment settle before Columbus brushed her hair aside.
"The kiss should feel gentle," Phil explained as he demonstrated the timing with his hands. "They've spent the whole movie protecting themselves through rules, lies, and emotional distance. This is the first time they're choosing to trust each other without needing an excuse."
Christopher pointed toward the camera nearest the ride. "The first angle is the wide two-shot. Keep the movement natural and avoid turning too far toward the lens. Jack, brush the hair behind her right ear. Emma, give him the nod after he looks at you."
Jack and Emma moved onto their marks.
The assistant director raised her hand while the crew cleared the frame. "Quiet on set, please."
The amusement park gradually fell silent except for the carnival music playing softly through the distant speakers.
"Roll sound."
"Sound speeds."
"Roll camera."
"Camera speeds."
The slate snapped between them.
"Scene ninety-eight, wide setup, take one."
Christopher leaned toward the monitor. "Action."
Wichita's arms remained around Columbus as she leaned close to his ear.
"Krista," she whispered.
Columbus went still for a moment as the meaning of the name settled over him. Wichita had spent the entire journey protecting herself with a false identity, yet she had finally trusted him with something real.
She slowly pulled away from the hug.
Columbus kept his hands lightly around her waist while searching her face.
Wichita gave him a small nod.
A relieved smile spread across his face. He lifted one hand and gently brushed the loose strand of hair away from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear with the careful movement he had spent most of the film imagining.
Wichita's eyes softened.
Columbus leaned closer and kissed her lightly.
The kiss lasted only a few seconds. It was hesitant at first, almost as if both of them expected the moment to be interrupted again. Wichita relaxed against him, and Columbus gained just enough confidence to let the kiss become warmer before they separated.
They stayed close afterward, their foreheads nearly touching.
Christopher allowed the camera to hold before calling, "Cut."
Jack and Emma stepped apart as the crew immediately began checking the footage. Both of them smiled at each other, but didn't talk. They had kissed once in Easy A, but back then, it was just work; now to Emma, it was something more than just work. After knowing him for years and spending so much time with him, she couldn't help but fall for him just like Dakota and Willa. And she hated the fact that Jack was taken by none other than her best friend, Haley. At the same time, she couldn't hate Haley. All in all, it was a complicated situation.
Phil watched the playback beside Christopher. "The timing works. The hair movement is clean, and the kiss feels earned."
Christopher nodded. "We have the wide shot. Let's move in for Emma's coverage."
The camera crew repositioned while makeup returned to fix the strand of hair behind Emma's ear. Jack took a drink of water and rolled his shoulders as someone adjusted the collar of his jacket.
Emma glanced toward him while the crew worked. "That was very professional."
Jack lowered the water bottle. "Were you expecting me to forget where the cameras were?"
"I was expecting Haley's competitive kiss to cause lasting neurological damage."
"It almost did."
Emma smiled before the assistant director called them back into position.
The second setup focused over Jack's shoulder, capturing Wichita's expression as Columbus looked at her and brushed her hair aside. The movement had to remain nearly identical, though the closer camera made every small reaction more visible.
The slate marked the take.
Christopher called, "Action."
Jack brushed her hair behind her ear.
Emma gave the small nod.
They kissed again.
This time, the camera stayed close to Emma's face. Jack kept the movement gentle and controlled, allowing her reaction to carry the moment. Emma's hand settled against the side of his jacket as Wichita accepted the affection instead of turning it into another trick or escape.
Christopher held the shot through their separation.
"Cut."
Emma stepped back and looked toward the monitor. "How was that angle?"
Christopher replayed the moment once. "Very good. Your expression before the kiss is exactly what we needed."
Phil nodded beside him. "You look like Wichita wants to trust him and is still slightly terrified of what that means."
Emma smiled. "That sounds emotionally healthy."
"It's healthier than stealing their car again," Jack replied.
The crew laughed while the cameras moved for Jack's coverage.
The final angle sat over Emma's shoulder and focused on Columbus. Jack needed to show the moment when Wichita's real name changed everything for him. His smile could not look triumphant. Columbus wasn't celebrating that he had finally won the girl. He was realizing that she trusted him enough to stop running.
Christopher gave Jack the note while the lighting crew adjusted a reflector near the ride.
"Let the surprise stay for a second longer," Christopher said. "Then soften when she nods. The kiss comes from relief more than excitement."
Jack nodded. "I understand the feeling."
Emma returned to her mark and looked at him. The playful energy from earlier had faded, replaced by the focus they both carried whenever the cameras started rolling.
The assistant director called for silence.
The slate snapped.
Christopher watched the monitor. "Action."
Emma leaned close to his ear while keeping her arms around him.
"Krista," she whispered.
Jack let Columbus freeze beneath the weight of the confession. His eyes moved across her face as they separated, searching for any sign that she might be joking.
"Really?"
Emma nodded gently.
Jack's expression changed.
The tension left his face, replaced by quiet happiness and something close to wonder. Columbus lifted his hand and brushed her hair behind her ear, finally doing the simple thing he had imagined since the beginning of the story.
Then he kissed her.
The movement remained soft and slightly awkward, which made it feel more honest. Emma leaned into him, and Jack kept one hand near her cheek while the other rested against her waist.
They separated slowly.
For the briefest moment, Emma's eyes remained on his after the scene had technically reached its end.
Then Christopher called, "Cut."
The crew relaxed around them.
Jack lowered his hand and stepped back while Emma drew a quiet breath and looked toward the monitor.
Christopher replayed the close-up twice before smiling. "That's the one. We have the kiss."
A small round of applause moved through the crew, partly for the completed scene and partly because it marked the end of the largest sequence in the movie.
Phil checked the final shot on his list. "Pacific Playland is officially finished."
Woody raised both arms from near the monitor station. "Does that mean we can leave before somebody finds another zombie angle?"
Chloë laughed as she walked over from the ride platform. "They'll probably find six tomorrow."
Richard stepped forward and looked toward Jack with visible pride. "That was the last major scene. You made it through production without becoming a professional beach bum."
Jack smiled tiredly. "The option remains available during post-production."
Emma moved beside him and bumped her shoulder lightly against his. "You still owe me the rest of that conversation."
Jack glanced toward her. "I remember."
Emma studied him for a second before giving him a small, understanding smile. "It doesn't need to become a dramatic conversation. I know you love Haley."
Jack relaxed slightly. "I do."
"I know," Emma repeated. "That's part of why the good ones are taken."
She stepped away before he could answer, joining Chloë near the ride while the crew started packing the equipment.
Jack watched her leave and made a quiet decision to handle the situation honestly before an unspoken feeling had the chance to damage a friendship he valued.
His phone vibrated inside his jacket pocket.
Haley had sent him a message.
Haley: Is the kissing scene finished?
Jack looked toward Emma, then back at the message.
Jack: Yep. Three angles. Very professional. Completely unromantic.
Haley's response appeared almost immediately.
Haley: Did she like it?
Jack stared at the screen for a moment.
Jack: You're impossible.
Haley: That's not an answer.
Jack smiled as another message followed.
Haley: Call me when you're done, movie star. I need to remind you who the better kisser is. FYI, I'm wearing a bad kitty costume tonight. I kinda wanted to wear it last night, but the tail and ears were missing. I found them... Funny story, we used to put the ears on Luke's head back when we were kids...
And so, Jack and Haley continued to text back and forth...
--
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