Chapter 5 - Scene Five

"Heh "Heh. . . I really like commenting at the beginning like this. Always somethingrandom to say . . . by the way, I figured out a way to fix the spacingproblem." ~GD
 
BendingThe Rules
ByGalaxyDancer
 
SCENEFIVE
We seethe entire high school from the outside, viewed from a nearby tree. The bellrings, and students begin pouring out. The music, soft, sad and hardlynoticeable, suggests an internal conflict situation of some kind. A much closerview of the door shows Johnny walking out, quiet and dismal, his hands in hispockets. Me, happy and bouncy, follows, dancing in circles around him as shesings.
Me(singing almost to the tune of Ring Around The Rosies): It's Friday! It'sFriday! Not poke-yourself-in-the-eye day! Not jump-off-the-roof-and-fly day!It's Friday! It's Friday! (screaming) I LOVE FRIDAY!!
Johnnysighs and lowers his head, still walking. Me stops circling him and walks nextto him, on his right side.
Me(oblivious): Johnny, it's the weekend! And you know what thatmeans!
Johnny(mumbling): I dare wonder . . .
Me: TOURTIME!!!
Johnnystops, confused and somewhat interested. Me steps in front of him and faceshim, a big smile on her face.
Me: We'reall going to show you around the neighborhood! If we're lucky, we can get tothe mall before the parents come home! (leaning close and whispering) Theyalways work late on Friday.
Johnny'sinterest fades suddenly, being replaced by guilt and depression.
Johnny:No . . . that's okay. You can show me around next weekend. Right now, I. . . I just want to be alone.
Me fakesa pouty face.
Me(talking as if to a frustrated baby): Aw, is somebody all saddy-waddy? Do youneed a hug?
Me leansclose to him with a squinty smile on her face. Johnny can't even muster asneer.
Johnny(indifferent to her teasing): Please, Me . . . not now. Not . . . . (he thinksabout it for a moment, reconsidering) . . . Well, I guess going to the mallcouldn't hurt. If we go right now, and don't bring the others.
Me (allhappy again): Yeah, sure! Let's go! It's so close, we can walk there anyway! .. . But we could always bribe the bus driver to take us there. That would beneeeeaaaat. One time, I got her to go to Sonic Boom and get everybody a KiddyMeal. And we all tossed our toys out the window and hit innocent people drivingby! Well . . . 'sides me. Mine was a motorcycle, so I put it in my hair like ahairclip. And people called me Motor Head for three weeks solid!
Johnny (alittle freaked out): Interesting . . .
Cut tothe food court at the mall, packed with people. Johnny walks with Me, his handsin his pockets. Me still has her backpack on.
Me:You'll see; you'll love this place. I know you're not a fan of malls, but KatyWindmills is awesome! They have everything! And if you know where to look andwho to talk to, you can get special stuff . . . for free!
Johnny(not so depressed any more): Uh huh . . .
Flashback scene. As me talks, we see one screen-shot image after another showing ascene from her story, almost like an illustrated children's book. Flash backstarts after the word "yeah", and ends after the word"free".
Me: Yeah.One time, I was going to see a movie with Kylie, right? But it wasn't going tostart for thirty minutes. So we go to this video game store to look around.Kylie saw an ad for "Final Discovery III: Revenge of the Mutants",see? So we go to the counter to check it out for five dollars, but they're soldout. I ask to talk to Karen Mason, okay, so the checkout lady says "Fine,whatever." and goes and gets her. I tell her that David told me to tellher that he heard from her manager that she had said to mark down FinalDiscovery to three dollars, and that everybody with a card that had three oddnumbers and two even numbers was allowed special access to games originallyintended for on-shelf rental only. So I show her my card, and she goes and getsthe game from the back. Then I remind her of the three-dollar discount foreverybody with a card who is a student of Kanes ISD, and lives within threemiles of the mall. So she agrees, checks my card and information and stuff, andthen we get the game for free!! Pretty cool, huh?
Johnny(wide-eyed): Um . . . yeah. Confusing, though.
Me: See?Told ya. You just gotta know where to go and who to talk to. You wanna get somenew art supplies?
Johnny:Art supplies? For what?
Me(asking the obvious as if an idiot): Well, you're an artist, aren't you?
Johnny:Last time I checked, I suppose . . .
Me:Great! Just like the Tessa original! Follow me; I'll get you the best of thebest!
Me grabsJohnny's hand and pulls him off screen. Cut to them walking into a huge artstore called "Lobby of Hobbies". There are isles and isles with allkinds of fancy art supplies, pottery, fake grapes and flowers, cloth, paint,and anything else pertaining to art. The ceiling is really high, too, and thewall in front is nothing but windows and a pair of automatic slidingwindow-doors. To the left are the checkouts, running all the way to the back ofthe store like the isles, which are to the right side of the store. Johnny andMe stop at the entrance to gawk.
Johnny(amazed): This . . . this is incredible! I didn't even know stores like thisexisted!
Me: Theyexist in Universe One. So what do you want to get first? Paint? Pencils?Plastic purple porpoises?
Johnny:Paint and brushes, and paper would help. And if they have-
Suddenly,Me's watch beeps. Me makes it stop, annoyed.
Me: Drat.It's four o'clock. If I don't get home, I won't have time to makepeanutbutter-marshmallow straw-blueberry-smoothie covered chocolate bananas.They're everybody's favorite.
Johnnysticks his tongue out, disgusted.
Me:You'll be fine on your own, right?
Johnny:Of course. I have money enough to pay for some art supplies. And I'll try toavoid losing my temper, but I don't think that will be a problem. People inyour Universe seem to be much nicer than people in my Universe. But I feelsorry for anybody who decides to take their anger out on me. People like that .. . with just no reason. They don't take others into consideration. They don'trealize . . .
Me: Justdon't kill anybody important.
Johnny:I'll work on it.
Me:Great! Come home in an hour, kay? If you need help finding your way, callMyself's cell phone. She'll help. Oh, and try not to run into anybody you'vemet in school. Except David. You and him share some common interests, besidesintelligence and relevance. Bye!
Me walksoff, leaving Johnny alone. Johnny sighs, happy to be alone. He walks into thestore. Pan from the far left of the store to the far right, from Johnny'sperspective. The place is huge!! Someone walks up behind Johnny and taps him onthe shoulder.
Person:Excuse me . . .
Johnnyturns around, a little annoyed at being bothered. We get a good view of theperson, now, who is wearing glasses and has braces. He has blonde hair, and iswearing the store's uniform: a blue and white shirt and pants, and tennisshoes. In his breast pocket is a pen. Overall, the guy's a nerd who talks witha slight slur on his S's.
Person(annoyed): Can I help you?
Johnny:No, I'm fine.
Person:Then could you move? You're blocking the entry. So either get in and buysomething or get out!
Johnny(trying to be patient): I was just looking. I haven't even been here twominutes, anyway, so there's really no problem.
Person(adjusting his glasses): Not that you can see. I work here, so it's myjob to keep everything in order. And you, sir, are not in order.
Johnny (reallytrying to be patient): If you would have just asked me to move, I wouldhave. You didn't have to come up to me and complain like this.
Person:Well, sooorrr-eeee. I'm just doing my job. Now are you going to get out of theway, or not?
Johnny'seye twitches.
Person:C'mon, c'mon, I don't have all day!
Theperson shoos Johnny away with his hands. Johnny grits his teeth. The music,suspenseful, suggests the worst. Cut to the living room of Me Myself and I'shouse. Wilt, Sparky and Spot are watching television, sitting on the sofa. Ontelevision, we see a scene from an episode of Code: Lyoko. Ulrich insultsSissy, and everybody laughs. Suddenly, a news report interrupts the show. Wilt,Sparky and Spot stop laughing and watch intently. We get to watch thetelevision with them.
Newslady: -arrived to find the man stabbed through the head with a paintbrush. Wenow join Katherine Gates at the scene of the crime: Katy Windmills Mall.Katherine, how are things where you are?
Thescreen cuts to Katherine, who is standing outside of Lobby of Hobbies, which isnow crawling with police.
Katherine:It's not a pretty sight, here, Danielle. The man, an employee at Lobby ofHobbies, was supposedly attacked by a serial killer. The motive is stillunknown. The only evidence, so far, is what security cameras caught on tape.
Switchback to Wilt, Sparky and Spot on the sofa. As Katherine talks, we hear thefront door open, and somebody whistling Ode to Joy. Switch to a view of behindthe sofa. Wilt, Sparky and Spot glance over the back, seeing who it is. Johnny,covered in dripping blotches of red, stops whistling and leans his arms overthe back of the sofa.
Johnny(in a good mood): Whatcha watchin'?
Wilt: Thenews.
Sparky:Yeah, some guy was killed with a paintbrush at the mall.
Spot: Hey. . . weren't you just at the mall?
Johnny(kinda nervous): Yeah, I . . .
Katherine(voice only): Let's play that footage for them, Danielle.
Wilt,Sparky and Spot turn back to the television, interested. Johnny, alsointerested, pays attention. Switch to the television, showing a recording ofvery blurry, pixely people moving around. Some guy with black-blue hair grabsthe employee by the shirt, snags a paintbrush off a nearby shelf, and is aboutto stab the employee. We switch to Wilt, Sparky, Spot and Johnny as we hear thescreams of the employee and the rest of the public witnessing the murder. Wepan from one person to the next. Wilt, Sparky and Spot look horrified andsickened. Pan to Johnny, whose eyes are wide. He looks almost frightened.Switch back to the television. Before we can really see anything, it is turnedoff. We see Sparky has the remote.
Sparky:Eesh . . . the things people will do.
Wilt:That . . . wasn't okay.
Spot:Wow. Sort of a coincidence, that Johnny was at the mall about the time... that. . . happened . . . .
Everybodyturns around slowly and looks at Johnny. Johnny doesn't say anything, trying tofigure out why they're looking at him.
Johnny(really nervous): What? . . . What?
Sparky:Y-you . . .?
Johnny(realizing they're looking at the red blotches all over him): This? I-I waspainting.
Beat.
Johnny:Really! I just got some art supplies from Lobby of Hobbies! You can ask Me; sheknows.
Me, inthe kitchen, pokes her head around the corner, a spatula in her hand.
Me: What,Johnny?
Wilt,Sparky, Spot and Johnny stare at her. Johnny gulps.
Johnny: Iwas getting art supplies at the mall, right? Earlier?
Me: Yeah.Hey, I'm almost done with my peanutbutter-marshmallow straw-blueberry-smoothiecovered chocolate bananas. You want one?
Sparkyand Spot: YEAH!
Sparkyand Spot jump up and run into the kitchen as Me goes back to cooking. Spot, ofcourse, runs on all fours. Wilt stands up and follows. Johnny is left alone. Hesighs.
Johnny(to himself): I was painting . . .
Me pokesher head around the corner again.
Me:C'mon, Johnny. They're really gewd!
Johnny:That's okay. I . . . I guess I need to be alone.
Me shrugsand goes back into the kitchen. Johnny walks off into the hallway. Cut to thebedroom, were Zim, Jeremie, Myself, I, Kevin and VT are playing cards. VT iskeeping score. Zim adds an 8 to the pile of cards with a big smile.
Zim: Ha!I call diamonds.
Everybodyelse moans, tossing their cards into the pile.
I: That'sthe nineteenth time in a row, Zim! Can't you call hearts or clubs for a change?
Kevin:Really! And you've won every time! VT, are you sure these cards are shuffledcorrectly?
VT: Asrandom as I could.
Jeremie:By "random", you do mean "miscellaneous", right?
VT:Randomly in order according to number.
Jeremiesighs.
Jeremie:Random means miscellaneous, not in order.
Myself:No wonder Zim's won every time! We always deal him first!
Zimsmiles evilly.
VT: Oh.Sorry. Zim said it meant in order, when playing Crazy Eights . . .
Zim'ssmile suddenly fades as everybody glares at him accusingly.
Zim: Um .. .
Suddenly,the door opens. Johnny walks in, his head hung low and his hands in hispockets. He sits on Me's bunk and rests his head in his hands.
Zim:Johnny human! Come play Crazy Eights with us!
Johnnylooks up.
I: Oh,don't bother. Zim's cheating.
Zim(louder than necessary): YOU LIE, BLUE-HAIRED GOTHLING! I obey the rules, likeany other rule-obeying alien! You're just jealous because I'm winning!
Kevin:You're winning because nobody else stands a chance, you cheater!
Johnnysighs.
Johnny:That's okay, guys, I'm not in the mood. I . . . I'm just having a rough day.
Jeremie:Maybe you need some rest. It's not a bad idea, considering you haven't sleptsince you got here.
Johnny:Five days isn't that bad. I've gone longer.
Jeremie:Are you sure? The lack of wave patterns could disrupt your transdimensionalstabilization. Sleeping recharges your very existence, when you've been pulledinto another Universe. Without it, you could . . . the possibilities areendless. You could possibly disappear from existence altogether.
Johnny(interested in a dull way): Sounds just like what I want.

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