ACT TWO
INT. The Office, The Kitchen
DWIGHT is staring intently at the refrigerator, while ANGELA is sitting at the small table adjacent to it. Neither looks at the other for the duration of the conversation, and they speak in hushed voices. The camera is filming them covertly from the Main Office, through the blinds.
DWIGHT
I bought candles.
ANGELA
What does that mean?
DWIGHT
For this weekend. I know you like the smell of cinnamon.
ANGELA
(steadfastly)
Dwight, I’m spending the weekend with Andy at his parents.
DWIGHT
I thought you were coming over [beat] I sent Mose away.
ANGELA
(tone changes slightly with curiosity)
Where?
DWIGHT
To the woods, he has a tree house there.
ANGELA
(reverts back to previous tone)
Dwight, I told you. What happened was a mistake.
DWIGHT
(after a short pause)
Then why did it happen again after the camera left?
ANGELA angrily gets up without a word and goes into the Women’s bathroom. After she does, DWIGHT turns from the refrigerator and looks at the bathroom door desperately.
CUT TO:
INT. The Office, The Annex, HOLLY’s Desk
HOLLY is sitting at her desk with some paperwork in front of her. It is clear that she is attempting to concentrate on it, but is being thwarted by KELLY, who is playing “Hate That I Love You” by Rihanna loudly from her desk. After a second or two, HOLLY gets up from her desk, walks around the partition separating them, and approaches KELLY.
HOLLY
(politely, but loud enough to be heard over the music)
Hey, Kelly…
KELLY
(turns around from facing her computer surprised)
Hey Holly, what’s up?
HOLLY
Do you think-
KELLY
(interrupting)
Oh! Did you see them too?
HOLLY
(confused)
See what?
Energetically, KELLY turns back to her computer and begins typing quickly. As she does, HOLLY turns back to the camera and looks perplexedly at it, before returning to KELLY.
HOLLY (cont.)
(quickly, while KELLY continues to type)
Do you think you could turn the music off?
KELLY
Oh, yeah sure.
(she clicks the mouse, and the music stops)
Anyway, I found some more…
(turns around again, and looks expectantly at HOLLY)
At KELLY’s look, HOLLY steps up next to her desk and leans in slightly to look at what is on her computer’s monitor. The camera follows, and shows a Google Image search gallery of Ryan’s arrest.
KELLY (cont.)
Ugh. Look at him [beat] with his little puberty beard [beat] and eyes that match his tie. Stupid.
HOLLY
(naively)
He used to work in Scranton right?
At HOLLY’s words, KELLY freezes for a moment in recognition of the opportunity presented. She then slowly looks from the computer screen to the camera.
KELLY TALKING HEAD [Conference Room]
Oh my god. Okay. I have been so busy thinking about if I should wear velour when I visit Ryan in jail that I totally forgot that Holly doesn’t even know about us. I mean, that and I’m pretty sure that Holly buy her clothes at Sears…
(lowers her voice conspiratorially and continues cattily)
so I don’t think she knows much anyway.
CUT BACK TO OFFICE.
KELLY and HOLLY’s conversation is still going on, only its obvious some time has elapsed. HOLLY is now sitting in a chair next to her, with slumped posture, trying to listen attentively.
KELLY
And then I told him I was pregnant, but I really wasn’t, but I got a date with him! [beat] But I couldn’t drink margaritas during it. So that kinda sucked.
HOLLY
(after a moment)
Wow.
KELLY
Yeah, I know. I mean I’m totally happy with Darryl now and everything, but Ryan and I are like Hugh Grant and um, what’s-her-name from Love Actually.
HOLLY
(perks up slightly)
Oh, I love that movie.
(look of horror passes her face as she’s realizes what she’d just done)
KELLY
(giddily)
Me too! Oh, and the part where that guy shows up at her doorstop with signs and everything, I mean Keira Knightley seriously needs to eat something, but still, it’s like—
HOLLY TALKING HEAD [Conference Room]
Um [beat] is that normal?
CUT TO:
INT. The Office, MICHAEL’s Office
MICHAEL is sitting at his desk with a yellow legal pad in front of him. He is writing on it, but it is illegible from the camera. After a moment, a knock is heard at the open door of the office. The camera swings to see PAM in the doorframe looking at MICHAEL.
PAM
Hey, Michael is now a good time?
MICHAEL
Yeah, yeah. C’mon in.
PAM enters, and sits in a chair in front of MICHAEL’s desk.
MICHAEL (cont.)
What’s up?
PAM
(takes a noticeable fortifying breath)
Um, I wanted to ask you a favor.
MICHAEL
(leans back in his chair)
Reall-lly?
PAM
(firmly)
Yes. I-
MICHAEL
(interrupting and said while smiling)
Okay, but I can’t just give you gold stars because you asked, Pam. I mean, I like you and the way you dress now, but still-
PAM
(interrupting)
No, Michael, that’s [beat] I need to talk to you about this summer. Um,
(there is a pause of a second or two, longer than a beat)
I got into Art School in New York City and it’s from June to August.
(looks at MICHAEL expectantly)
MICHAEL
(stops smiling immediately and said in a hushed tone)
You’re leaving?
PAM
Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I mean—
MICHAEL
(interrupting with some emotion, which plays out on vividly on his face)
I’ll give you fifteen gold stars right now if you don’t leave.
PAM
No, Michael. What I wanted to ask was… [beat]
(looks down at her hands in her lap)
I know its probably impossible, but….
(looks back up at MICHAEL)
is there anyway I can leave for three months and still keep my job?
(squints slightly)
MICHAEL
(pauses for a moment, possibly in thought)
You’ll come back in August?
PAM
I promise I will.
MICHAEL
Okay. [beat] Then yes.
PAM
(surprised)
Really?
MICHAEL
Yeah. Pam, you’re extremely important to this office, and we’re a family. I mean, sometimes people have to leave for a while, like because they’re crazy, or because they got rejected by you….
(Pam’s happiness becomes visible awkwardness at MICHAEL’s words)
but they all come back. Because this is home [beat] and you can always go back home again.
(there is a pause for a moment or two, MICHAEL then looks at the camera and smiles as he finishes)
Plus, we’ll just hire a temp, and it’ll be cheaper anyway.
PAM
Yeah….
(camera zooms in on PAM’s face)
PAM TALKING HEAD [Conference Room]
Well, I guess I’m glad that I still have my job. Um, and its good to know that I’m extremely important to the office.
(nods her head slightly)
My job can only be done by me [beat] or any other random person.
(looks at camera deflated)
CUT TO:
INT. The Office, Reception
PAM is sitting back down at her desk following her conversation with MICHAEL. As she does, JIM gets up and walks over to Reception. He fishes for a jellybean from the container as he begins to talk.
JIM
So how’d it go?
PAM
Bad…[beat]
(sucks in a breath)
Michael said I could keep my job.
JIM
(in mock seriousness)
I’m sorry.
PAM
I know.
JIM and PAM hold the others’ stare for a second, but then both chuckle at the joke.
PAM (cont.)
Ah…
(sighs)
no but its good. I’ll definitely need the money. School’s going to be expensive, and I’ve got to, you know, eat sometime in September….
JIM
(laughing lightly)
Eating is always good.
PAM
(smiling, but then stops slightly, but perceptibly)
And there’s always the rent for my apartment. So….
JIM
(eating jellybean, still speaking jovially)
Sleeping on a bed is good too [beat] I-
The camera quickly catches PAM’s slightly surprised and disappointed reaction to JIM’s words, but then swings quickly as a disturbance is heard.
DWIGHT
(exclaiming loudly)
What?!
CUT TO:
INT. The Office, JIM and DWIGHT’s Desks
DWIGHT is standing in front of the Gold Star poster, looking at the totals. JIM has five gold stars, while everyone has none.
DWIGHT (cont.)
When did this happen?
MICHAEL walks out of his office at the sounds of DWIGHT’s voice.
MICHAEL
Dwight, what are you yelling about?
DWIGHT
(now quieter)
Nothing. I was just asking when Jim got five stars?
MICHAEL
Like, forever ago. I don’t know.
PHYLLIS
It was thirty minutes ago, after they both came out of Michael’s office after talking.
DWIGHT
(very seriously)
Michael, I would like to go in your office and talk about you giving me five stars.
MICHAEL
(annoyed)
No, Dwight, that’s not how it works. It’s about improving morale, and Jim improved mine [beat] and I’m the boss so that means everybody’s improved.
DWIGHT
Then I would like to discuss my fourteen-point plan with you.
MICHAEL
(still annoyed)
No, I’m-no. This isn’t about plans, or points of plans, or planned points. This [beat] you know what…?
(to Reception)
Pam! Can you bring me a Post-It note, please?
The camera swings over to Reception, where JIM is still leaning against the desk. Behind it, PAM reaches for an unseen Post-It Note block and pulls off one. The camera sees her get up from her desk, and then swings back to MICHAEL and DWIGHT.
MICHAEL (cont.)
I didn’t want to have to do this Dwight, but you’ve depressed my morale.
DWIGHT
(shocked)
I-
PAM comes into frame, with the Post-It Note, which is neon green. She looks at the camera emotionlessly, and hands it to MICHAEL. She then goes back to Reception.
MICHAEL
Thank you, Pam. Now…
(steps over to JIM’s desk and picks up a pen)
I’m subtracting two stars from your total.
DWIGHT
(confused)
But my total is zero.
MICHAEL quickly makes some unseen marks on the Post-It Note, and then moves and attaches it to the end of the Gold Stars Poster. The camera zooms in to see that he has made two additional boxes on it, and then pans over the length of the poster to see that its position corresponds to DWIGHT’s row.
MICHAEL
You now have minus two stars.
(looks seriously at DWIGHT)
There is an awkward silence of a couple of seconds as the two men stare at each other. The camera then swings to show that the entire office (excluding the Annex people) are watching. It swings back to show DWIGHT go to his desk, without a word, and sit down.
MICHAEL (cont.)
(breaking the silence)
Pam [beat] gold star for bringing me that Post-It Note. Good job.
CUT TO:
INT. The Office, Break Room
STANLEY is sitting at a table by himself, doing a crossword puzzle and eating Jell-O. At another table PHYLLIS is sitting with ANGELA, both of whom are looking at STANLEY impatiently. He remains oblivious.
ANGELA
(turning her attention away from STANLEY)
You wanted to discuss [beat] some numbers?
PHYLLIS
(likewise, turning her attention away from STANLEY, and with a brief glance at the camera)
Yes. Its about the gold stars…
(slightly apprehensively)
I want to win the grand prize.
ANGELA
(dismissively)
So you can go to Ben and Jerry’s?
PHYLLIS
(now annoyed)
Bob and I want to take a tour of Southeast Asia [beat] and I want you to help me….
At her words, ANGELA gives PHYLLIS a very harsh glare across the table. It is clear that PHYLLIS is slightly fazed, but she nonetheless continues to stare back, and musters the courage to continue.
PHYLLIS (cont.)
….like you’re not helping Andy with the wedding.
ANGELA
(quickly glances at the camera, before returning her gaze to PHYLLIS)
Fine. But Michael is an idiot [beat] he’s already given Jim five stars.
PHYLLIS
I know, but I need the Party Planning Committee.
ANGELA
(shocked)
The Party Planning Committee?
PHYLLIS
For Michael.
ANGELA
(after a brief pause)
I’m still the chairwoman.
PHYLLIS
(after another brief pause)
Okay.
The camera lingers on the two women for a couple of seconds, as they silently stare at one another uneasily. Suddenly, the silence is broken.
STANLEY
You better not be throwing a party, I got work to do.
The camera pans over to STANLEY to see his disapproving look, and then back to ANGELA and PHYLLIS who are staring back at him.
CUT TO:
INT. Building Stairwell
The camera is at the top of the building’s silent stairwell. After a quick moment, it turns and moves slightly over the railing and tilts down to look at the several floor depth of the stairwell. In doing so, we see PAM, who is sitting on some steps a couple floors down. As the camera zooms in on her, she begins talking on her cell phone that can now be seen.
PAM
I don’t know.
(pause as she listens)
I mean, it’s not like…
(listening to phone)
….no, Mom, I know, but I mentioned rent for September and he didn’t say anything.
(listening to phone)
Well he did get cut off. It’s just [beat] why would he even bring it up in the first place?
(listening)
Yes.
(listening)
I know he does.
(listening)
I’ll try, yeah. Okay
(listening, but this time laughs a little, but from the sound its clear that she’s been crying some)
Okay! I will. I love you too, yeah. Bye.
PAM hangs up the phone, and still unaware of the camera, gets up and begins to walk down the stairs, and out of frame.
END OF ACT TWO
