THE LIZARD, THE FOX AND THE CROW

written by

Maya Vyas

1021 Copperfield Ln
937-573-7608
mvyas99@me.com
OVER A BLACK SCREEN:
An automated voice relays MAGGIE NEWBAKER's message and name.
As the tone goes off: A light blue sky with fluffy clouds is
shown.

MARY JEAN (V.O.)

Hi momma.

EXT. MARY JEAN'S HOUSE - MORNING

MARY JEAN, 8 years old, is lying on the rooftop of her house,

sprawled out like a starfish, with a phone on her stomach.
MARY JEAN
I got you on speaker. Mostly cause
I'm too tired to pick up the phone.
Sandra's been working me real hard
lately, my arms are sore just
thinking about it. She says it's
cause we gotta be the "women of the
household" now, but one day I got
to thinking, - against my gooder
judgement - and I was hit with the
TV kind of idea that it's because
of you, momma. Lord and Jesus knows
why she's gotta replace someone so
far from where we are but, trust
me, she does.

A dodgeball flies across the roof, knocks the phone off Mary
Jean's stomach, and into her backyard. She peers over and
sees RICKY, 12 years old, who is looking back up at her from
her front yard. She climbs into her window.
Mary Jean runs through her house and opens her back door.
Mary Jean picks up the broken phone from her backyard and, as
she makes her way back through the kitchen, she runs into
SANDRA, her stepmother.
Mary Jean throws open the front door, with Sandra following
behind. Mary Jean shoves the broken phone in Ricky's face.

MARY JEAN (CONTD)

You! Look what you did!
SANDRA pulls Mary Jean back.
SANDRA
Get away from that boy right this
instant, young lady!
 2.

Mary Jean struggles to get away from her.

MARY JEAN
He broke my phone!

SANDRA
Your phone? You don't have a phone.
Just wait until your father hears
about this.
MARY JEAN
But I-
SANDRA
Don't you talk back to me!
(Pause)
Now apologize to this young man.
And don't come inside 'till you do.
MARY JEAN
You just dont want me talking to
my momma!
Sandra slams the front door. Mary Jean sits on the ground and
tries to fix her phone. Ricky timidly walks up to her.
RICKY
I'm sorry.

MARY JEAN
How am I supposed to talk to my
momma now?
RICKY
You could use my phone.
MARY JEAN
No, don't you have any common
sense, you Lizard? She won't pick
up if she don't recognize the
number.
RICKY
Well, what are you going to do?

Mary Jean gets up, thoroughly excited, and hands him the
phone. She starts to nods vigorously.
RICKY (CONTD)
Wait!? What makes you think I can
fix your phone?
 3.

Mary Jean looks at him with a puppy dog face and starts to
whimper. Ricky pauses, then looks back at the moving trucks
in his driveway.
RICKY (CONTD)
Well, I guess I dont have anything
better to do.

Mary Jean squeals and runs toward Ricky's house.

MARY JEAN
Thats your house. I saw your momma
there yesterday from my roof. Got
any tools in that shed of yours,
Lizard?
RICKY
Why do you keep calling me- wait!
All of my pap's stuff is in there.
You shouldn't go near it.

RICKY'S MOM opens the screen door of her house and peeks out.
She shouts:
RICKY'S MOM
Ricky! When did you disappear? I
told you not to leave the house.
Ricky and Mary Jean climb the steps of the house.

MARY JEAN
Hi Mrs. Lizard! I'm Mary Jean
Newbaker. You can just call me Mary
Jean. We was wondering if we could
use some tools to fix this phone
here.
Ricky and his mom exchange glances. Mary Jean holds up the
phone, barely held together.
INT. DINING ROOM OF RICKY'S HOUSE AFTERNOON
Mary Jean and Ricky sit at a dining room table, tampering
with the phone using abundant amounts of glue and tape.
MARY JEAN (CONTD)
You know, Lizard, your momma is
real nice. If I didn't have one of
my own then I would settle for her
just fine.
 4.

RICKY
Mary Jean, why do you call me
Lizard?
MARY JEAN
Cause you blend in. Like one of
those Cha-mel-eo-con Lizards. When
you put one of them up to an
orange, they turn orange. But when
you take em off, they ain't orange
no more. Except, a Lizard like you
don't blend with colors.
RICKY
What do I blend in with?

MARY JEAN
Emotions. You know, feelings and
stuff. You knowed I was sad and
then you got sad too. That's
blending.
RICKY
Oh.
MARY JEAN
My daddys a lion. And my momma's a
crow. I learned on TV that they is
the most intelligent animals in the
all the States. Just like me.
RICKY
Are you a crow too?
MARY JEAN
Oh, Lord and Jesus no. I gotta grow
into that.

RICKY
What animal are you, then?
MARY JEAN
Well, what animal do you think I
am, Lizard?
RICKY
I don't know. Maybe a fox. Because
you're fast and smart.
Mary Jean laughs.
MARY JEAN
Gosh darnit, Lizard. I keep having
to get used to your sense of humor.
(MORE)
 5.
MARY JEAN (CONTD)
My daddy was right when he said
Northerner's gotta different way'a
movin' their mouths.
Ricky is silent.
MARY JEAN (CONTD)
Its ok. I don't know what I am
neither. Of course, I want to be
falcon. Theyre the fastest birds
according to TV. I would fly and
travel to see the whole town. Maybe
even the whole state if I'm lucky.
(pause)
You could come too. If you want.
RICKY
Are you kidding?
MARY JEAN
No, Lizard. Don't you know me at
all? I never kid. I only lie.
RICKY
Aren't kidding and lying the same
thing?
MARY JEAN
No. Kidding is funny. Lying is
serious.
(pause)
And I ain't old or lonely enough to
have to apologize to anyone yet
neither.
Ricky is silent once again.
MARY JEAN (CONTD)
It sure is quiet in here. Do you
got any siblings, Lizard?
Ricky shakes his head.
MARY JEAN
(CONTD)
Then who do you play with?
RICKY
My friends. I used to have them
before I moved here.
MARY JEAN
I can be your friend. Cause I ain't
got siblings neither.
(MORE)
 6.
MARY JEAN (CONTD)
I used to have one, but he died of
a real disease. I think it was
called "childs-girth" or something
medical like that.
RICKY
Oh, I'm sorry, Mary Jean. I'm sure
he was a good person.
MARY JEAN
And just how do you know that,
Lizard?
RICKY
Because "Only the good die young."
My pap used to tell me that.
MARY JEAN
Ain't that just because they
haven't had a chance to turn evil?

A knock at the door draws them out of their conversation.

STEVEN NEWBAKER, a man in his late 30s with messy hair
concealed by a ball cap, appears at the door. She sees him
and gets up.
MARY JEAN (CONTD)
You know, Lizard, I'm actually
starting to like you. I'll see you
tomorrow.
Mary Jean picks up the phone, joins her dad and exits.
INT. DINING ROOM OF RICKY'S HOUSE NIGHT
Ricky looks out of the window of his house and sees Steven
Newbaker lecturing Mary Jean in her kitchen. He throws the
old, broken phone in the trash and then holds up a new one.
He points toward the stairs and Mary Jean sulks up them.
Ricky looks back into his house and walks up the stairs to
his own bedroom.
We hear Ricky's mom quietly sobbing though a crack in her
door. Ricky goes in his room and shuts the door.
EXT. THE FRONT OF RICKY'S HOUSE MORNING
Mary Jean eagerly knocks on Ricky's front door. Ricky's mom
answers and Mary Jean runs past her.
MARY JEAN (CONTD)
Hey Mrs. Lizard!
 7.

INT. THE DINING ROOM OF RICKYS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Mary Jean enters the dining room. Ricky is eating breakfast.
RICKY
Where's the cell phone?
MARY JEAN
My daddy got a new one yesterday.
It's blue and nice and shiny.
Mary Jean opens the back door of Ricky's house and goes into
his backyard. He abandons his breakfast to follow her.
RICKY
So that's good, right?
Mary Jean reaches the shed in Ricky's backyard and pries open
the doors. She goes in and sees an extremely scarce amount of
tools, a rope, and a shovel.
RICKY (CONTD)
Hey! I told you this is my paps-
MARY JEAN
Geez, ain't Northerners supposed to
be rich? Your daddy's really gotta
get to filling this place up,
Lizard.
Mary Jean hands Ricky a flashlight, along with many other
miscellaneous items she picks up off the wall.
RICKY
What are you doing, Mary Jean? You
have a new phone now! Aren't you
happy?
Mary Jean stops removing tools and looks at Ricky.
MARY JEAN
Lord and Jesus, Lizard, do I gotta
spell it for you? A new phone means
a new phone number. Now when I call
my momma, she won't know to listen
cause she won't know it's me on the
other end! Is that what you want?
RICKY shakes his head.
 8.

MARY JEAN (CONTD)

Then we gotta go to where my momma
is staying and give her my new
number. It's the only way. Here,
take this shovel.
RICKY
Why would we need this?
MARY JEAN
You never know what you will need
on an adventure, Lizard. Now come
on.
EXT. A SIDEWALK PATH MORNING

Mary Jean runs along a path to find Maggie Newbaker; Ricky is

trailing behind. He is carrying a bag of tools.
MARY JEAN (CONTD)
We're almost there! I can see it if
I squint my eyes.
RICKY
What are you talking about? There
aren't any houses around here, Mary
Jean.
MARY JEAN
There it is! Come on Lizard!
She starts to run.
EXT. A GRAVEYARD - MOMENTS LATER
Mary Jean runs until she reaches a tombstone and Ricky
approaches, out of breath, still carrying the bag of tools.
MARY JEAN (CONTD)
Quick! Get out the shovel!
RICKY
Where are we? Where is your mom?
Mary Jean takes the bag from him and gets out he shovel. She
starts digging.
MARY JEAN
Shes here! I know it cause I saw
her go in!
He takes the shovel from her.
 9.

RICKY
No! You can't just dig up this
grave!
MARY JEAN
How else are we supposed to get the
message to her?
RICKY
Wait, Mary Jean, is your mom down
there?
Mary Jean takes the shovel back and continues to dig.
RICKY (CONTD)
She can't hear you, Mary Jean! She
doesn't know you're here!
She keeps digging.
MARY JEAN
You don't know that.
RICKY
This is crazy. You are crazy.
He starts to walk away.
MARY JEAN
Wait! Where are you going, Ricky?
RICKY
I'm leaving, Mary Jean!
MARY JEAN
(desperate and crazed)
But, you.. you said you would help
me!
RICKY
I don't want to be part of this!
MARY JEAN
Fine, then go!
Mary Jean drops the shovel, runs, and pushes Ricky onto the
ground, next to the bag. They are silent for a minute. Ricky
picks up the bag and walks away. Mary Jean watches him as he
fades into the distance.
EXT. A GRAVEYARD - NIGHT
 10.

Mary Jean sits on the stump of a tree by her mothers grave.

Steven Newbaker walks to her, picks her up in his arms, and
takes her to his car.

EXT. THE FRONT OF RICKY'S HOUSE - DAY

Ricky is playing alone in his front yard. He walks up to his

front door and sees a note taped to it. It reads:
MARY JEAN (V.O.)
Lizard - I apologize. I ain't lying
neither. See you tomorrow. Fox

Ricky looks up at Mary Jean on her roof and smiles.

EXT. THE ROOFTOP OF A HOUSE CONTINUOUS

Mary Jean is lying out like a starfish on top of her house
with her dad's phone open in her lap. She sees a crow fly by
above her and then land in front of Ricky. She gets up and
sees him smiling at her. She smiles back. Mary Jean lies back
down and closes her dad's phone. We now only see a blue sky
with fluffy clouds.

MARY JEAN
I'll talk to you later. Bye momma.

She closes her eyes and the screen goes black. We hear the
sound of the tone, like at the end of a phone call message.