ROCKLAND COUNTY – EPISODE #71 – APRIL 17, 2006 “UNLIKELY ROOMMATES”

 

WRITTEN BY

Roger Newcomb

 

STARRING (in order of appearance)

Ryan Chandler as Elijah Phillips

Angela Mazziotta as Arden Morgan

Anne Sayre as Barbara Whitman

Greg Messina as Manny Ramos

 

INT. SUTTER’S MILL - DAY

ELIJAH is talking with ARDEN at the bar and has just shown her a circled ad in the newspaper.

 

ELIJAH

Take a look at this.  Two bedroom apartment in Suffern for only $1500 a month.

 

ARDEN

And it’s big too.  Sounds great.  But I don’t think I can afford it without a roommate, and I refuse to live with my mother in my new place.

 

ELIJAH

I was thinking the same thing.  I have to leave my campus apartment at the end of the month, and need to find somewhere new to live.  I’ve been looking at one bedrooms that cost more than this place.  I actually stopped by earlier and it looks great.  The only issue is that it’s by the Suffern train station so that’s why the landlord lowered the price.

 

ARDEN

Well, at this point, I can’t be too choosy.  But I don’t have anyone I could share the apartment with, and I don’t really want to live with a stranger.

 

ELIJAH

But Arden, you DO have someone.  Me.

 

ARDEN

Elijah, are you suggesting we move in together?

 

ELIJAH

Why not?  We’re friends, and we’re both looking for a place to live, right?

 

ARDEN

Well, yeah.  But I’ve never lived with a guy before.  And besides, Dante would have a fit.

 

ELIJAH

Dante?  He gets to tell you what to do now?  He’s your boyfriend, Arden, not your keeper.

 

ARDEN

I know, but…

 

ELIJAH

Just think about it, okay?  I need a roommate too, and there’s no one I trust more than you.  All I’m asking is for you to consider it.  Can you do that?

 

ARDEN

Okay.  I’ll THINK about it.

 

INT. MANNY’S APARTMENT - DAY

MANNY is talking with BARBARA as he prepares to leave for a job interview.

 

BARBARA

So where are you off to?

 

MANNY

My last consulting gig ended a week or so ago, so I’m meeting with the IT director of a company in Englewood Cliffs to talk about a new gig.

 

BARBARA

I need to be making a few calls myself to get back into the swing of event planning.  Paul didn’t want me to work after I moved in with him, and to be honest, I didn’t mind.  But I don’t have much choice at this point.

 

MANNY

Well, as I said before, you can stay here as long as you’d like.

 

BARBARA

Thanks, Manny.  I appreciate that so much.

 

MANNY

I have to run.  I’ll be back in a few hours.

 

BARBARA

Good luck.

 

MANNY

Thanks.

 

Manny leaves.

 

BARBARA

(to herself)

Come on, Barbara.  You have to get motivated.  Ugh, but not today.  Let’s see what’s on the tube.

 

Barbara sits on the couch and turns on the television and sees a breaking Channel 6 News report.

 

ANCHORMAN RICK SWANSON

This is Rick Swanson with the Channel 6 News team with a breaking story.  There was an escape today at the Fishkill Correctional Facility when inmates, said to have been planning this for several months, rioted, overtook the guards, and proceeded to leave the building.  Three inmates have been identified thus far and are on the loose.   They are Mason Gooding, Angel Marrone, and Frank Morgan.  At least one of these men is said to be armed and dangerous.  We’ll have more on this story tonight at 6.

 

Barbara turns off the television.

 

BARBARA

Oh my God.  Frank!