Just Super
Screen Play Written by Emil Cicogna
© 2026 Emil Cicogna
TEASER
FADE IN:
INT. SUPERMARKET - DAY
Boxes of fruit are lined-up along the base of tall plate-glass windows as TOMMY WILLIAMS, 19 years old, wearing a long white produce coat with long hair dangling in a ponytail outside of it, walks out of a doorway from back of store carrying a large, clumsy box of potatoes.
Tommy drops the box down near an OLDER MAN, PRODUCE MANAGER ARNOLD, mid-sixties w/gray hair, white produce coat and white pants; Arnold looks at him nodding in acknowledgement.
ARNOLD
Thanks, kid.
TOMMY
No sweat Arnold, anything else you need right now?
ARNOLD
Not now, remember we're getting an inspection this week, they're sending one of the executives over here to make sure everything is up to company standards.
TOMMY
I didn't know we were being inspected this week.
ARNOLD
I told you about it yesterday!
Tommy reaches for a honeydew in a large box, checks it, then drops it into an empty space in the display. He takes a roll of price tags and begins sticking them on the melons.
TOMMY
No you didn't.
ARNOLD
I told you everything had to be extra squeaky clean this week!
TOMMY
You told me everything had to be extra neat because the 'big cheese' was coming. I thought we were getting a delivery from the dairy.
ARNOLD
If I told you the 'Big Pineapple' was coming you'd have thought I was talking about your head!
TOMMY
If you had said the 'Big Pineapple' was coming I'd have thought you meant Mr. Fuentes' head!
MR. FUENTES, the STORE MANAGER, shown by the tie he wears under his red apron which has a large button on it that reads: Store Manager, has walked up behind Tommy.
Tommy turns, mechanically places a small price tag on Fuentes' almost hairless head - moment of eye contact between them - Fuentes points out the window to a large parked truck.
FUENTES
I would fire you now Tomas, but I need you to unload that truck - NOW!
TOMMY
Truck? Didn't Albert do it this morning like usual?
FUENTES
He didn't come in today, and you don't have to either if you don't get on that truck!
Tommy turns to go, looks back, peels the price tag off of Fuentes' head, gives a weak smile.
TOMMY
You're the Big Cheese.
FUENTES
GO Pendejo!
Tommy slinks away, Fuentes folds his arms and gives an evil grin to Arnold who steps next to him watching Tommy leave.
END TEASER
ACT ONE
INT. SUPERMARKET - DAY / CHECKOUT COUNTER
TWO GIRLS, late teens /early twenties stand at the registers where they check-out groceries for customers. INEZ, the foxy, 'bad girl', tall, chews gum, wears long earrings, red lipstick, the red store vest is open, no name tag on it.
CARMEN, the 'nice girl' wears a small cross around her neck, hair back in a clip, no makeup, her store vest is buttoned with her name tag pinned on the front.
INEZ watches a MAN walk up to the checkout counter and place groceries on the belt in different groups. He takes the dividers on the side of the belt and places them between the groups of groceries to separate them.
MAN
These I want to pay for with debit, but these I want to use a credit card, and this stuff I want you to ring-up separately because it's for someone else and they gave me cash - and can you pack the cold things separately?
INEZ stares at him deadpan, chews gum as he explains it. She reaches behind the register and pulls out a small hand-written sign that reads: Cash Only.
INEZ
I'm sorry, but this line is cash only, you want to use another line?
The man looks at the piles of groceries, lets out a long breath.
MAN
Never mind I'll just use cash.
Inez gives big smile and scans his items, bagging the groceries in no particular order, hands him the receipt and says in a phony, too-nice voice.
INEZ
Have a nice day!
The Man takes his bags, gives her a look that says, 'Really?' and leaves without a word. Inez watches him leave and leans on the counter, her eyes distant.
CARMEN
I didn't know your line was Cash Only.
Inez' eyes dart toward the Manager's Booth and she tosses the Cash Only sign behind the register.
INEZ
Shhhh! I can't ring up the same person three different times!
(INEZ grabs her phone)
If Carlos doesn't call me at lunchtime, he is in big trouble!
CARMEN
Take it easy Inez, you're not even sure.
INEZ
If I find out he's been hanging around with another girl, I'll tear out his hair! He'll go crazy finding something to do with the time he spends combing it!
CARMEN
But you don't know.
INEZ
I know!
CARMEN
How do you know?
INEZ
I heard on the block he was talking to this young woman, and now today he hasn't called me. When a man is good-looking like Carlos, girls swarm around him like flies!
CARMEN
There has to be a reason, at least give him a chance to explain.
INEZ
When you have a man, you know when he's fooling around. He gets this little smile on his face, that I didn't put there, and no matter what I ask him he just smiles and says, 'I don' know...' and I want to slap that smile right off his face!
Inez' fingers stiffen into a claw as she speaks. Carmen places a hand on her cheek, reacts in fear to Inez' words.
EXT. STREET OUTSIDE SUPERMARKET - DAY
Inside large truck, Tommy heaves 50 lb. bags of onions onto a metal cart on wheels that sits behind the truck. With an extra-loud heave he throws the last bag on top of the pile.
Tommy jumps down off the truck and wheels the cart full of onions over to a pair of open doors in the sidewalk and slides the bags of onions down a ramp of metal rollers.
As Tommy places the bags on the ramp a HOMELESS MAN sits on the sidewalk leaning against the wall watching him.
HOMELESS MAN
Hey pal, can you spare some change, or some food?
TOMMY
Sorry, I can't help you, maybe you can sit somewhere else.
HOMELESS MAN
Where do you want me to go?
TOMMY
I don't know, anywhere but here.
HOMELESS MAN
That's what the last place told me, so I came over here. You have any food that they're gonna throw away, I'll eat it.
TOMMY
I don't have any food for you! Will you get lost!
The Homeless Man becomes silent, Tommy looks away then looks back at him, lets out a breath, he takes an orange out of his produce coat pocket and tosses it in the man's lap.