Why Not?

"1st Honourable Mention in Round 1 of the NYC Midnight Screenwriting Challenge" A classic rustic diner sits as the only building on the side of a long, rural, empty road lined with trees. A '24/7 Hour' sign lights the downpour of rain. FILLIP (30’s, clean cut, straight forward) runs inside. He holds the wing of his cheap dentist coat over his head. BEN (27, bubbly, always chewing gum, wearing an overcoat) walks a few paces behind Fillip. As Fillip wipes the rain away from his coat. Ben heads into the diner alone. Fillip surveys the rundown interior before asking the waitress, MARGARET (50'S), where the restrooms are. Fillip enters the restrooms and opens a cubicle door. Inside, JASMINE (30’s, hippie, a deep thinker) sits on the toilet. She screams. Fillip screams. She kicks the door shut and an embarrassed Fillip leaves the scene. Later, Fillip enters the diner and spots Jasmine eating alone and flashes her an awkward smile, which does not return. He sits and studies the food menu when Jasmine's cry of pain alerts him. She holds her jaw. Fillip goes to her and offers to examine her teeth. She enquires if he is a dentist. He diverts the question and claims that you don't get white teeth like he does unless you know what you are talking about. She nods her approval, and Fillip examines her teeth. He sits close to her, their knees touching. He holds her jaw with a delicate touch. As he performs the examination, the pair talk about their jobs. Jasmine jokes that Fillip must be some travelling dentist. He avoids confirmation on the subject. He notices Jasmine's camera. She explains that she is a photographer. As conversation takes place, Fillip begins to admire Jasmine with her free-spirited, mature outlook on life, offering advice that life should be enjoyed and that Fillip should stop avoiding sugary drinks and live in the moment. Fillip watches her as she gets lost in the moment, taking spontaneous photographs of the rain outside. Jasmine begins to fall for Fillip's fumbling charm. The examination comes to an end, and Jasmine says that Fillip can stay, because why not? A small montage shows shots of the pair flirting, laughing, and smiling, getting physically closer as Jasmine shows him how to handle a camera. The Montage ends and Jasmine begins to ask Fillip if he wants to spend the night with her when Ben arrives (no longer dressed in a coat, revealing a nurse uniform), interrupting them as he places his arms around Fillip and kisses him. Jasmine feels embarrassed, thinking that she has mistaken Fillip's advances towards her. Fillip says that her thinking is correct. She changea, believing that he was trying to cheat with her. She grabs her items, ready to leave, when Fillip stops her, explaining that he is in an open relationship. The pair quickly debate what this means for both of them, where it is also revealed that Fillip is not a dentist. The dentist's uniform was just an outfit for 'a sex thing' between him and Ben. Jasmine is hurt and leaves, showing him a middle finger as she rushes away and drops her items at the feet of a nearby pinball machine. She blows her hair out of her face as she angrily sends the ball flying up the machine. Fillip sits at the diner table with Ben. He leans forward, spreading over the table. He watches Jasmine with sad eyes as she angrily plays the pinball machine. Ben places a caring hand on his back. Fillip opens up about the luring qualities of Jasmine and Ben offers advice by reminding him of their last addition into their open relationship. Fillip sips from a sugary drink. Ben makes a passing remark on this being out of his ordinary behaviour and Fillip responds by quoting what Jasmine said about life being lived for joy's sake. Fillip decides to take a second chance with Jasmine and marches to her with pride, only to be shot down before he even reaches her. He returns to Ben and gazes at her, becoming hopeless. Ben looks helplessly at the situation when he sees that Jasmine has run out of coins for the pinball machine. Much to Fillip's protests, he goes to Jasmine and offers her some coins. At first, she is cold to his approach, but Ben's warm personality puts her at ease, and the pair play the pinball machine. Ben playfully teaches her to use her hips to get into the rhythm of the game. Fillip comes to their side, remarking on Jasmine's new high score. She claims that it is thanks to her newfound motivation of self-respect. As the pair debate their actions and the meaning of an open relationship, the pinball machine's score sounds signal when one person has said a point-scoring remark in the debate. Ben offers his input on the situation. The conversation ends with a 'GAME OVER' sound as Fillip says that he may have lied, but he never lied about how he felt for her in the moment. Fillip explains that she thought him to not worry about tomorrow and to live in the moment. His honesty opens her up. She asks Ben what he thinks of her, and he pays her a compliment which makes her blush. In a last-ditch attempt, Fillip asks her why waste your life waiting? Why waste your time worrying? Why not? Ben enters the driver's door of a small car as Fillip enters the front passenger's door. A moment passes before Jasmine runs to the back passenger's door, opens it, throws her items inside, and climbs into the car. The small car drives into the distance.