5/11/23, 4:54 PM My Best Friend, Amy – Lee Yoong Shin

Lee Yoong Shin

Copywriter | Chinese and English Translator

My Best Friend, Amy
I wrote a 10-minute musical script titled “My Best Friend, Amy” to raise
awareness on Tourette syndrome. The musical was performed at Kuala Lumpur
Performing Arts Centre’s (KLPAC) Short + Sweet Festival (Musical Category) in
2018, winning the Best Newcomer Award.

Here’s a recording of the video:

My Best Friend, Amy

The thumbnail shows Mei Ling (right) being punished for disturbing a music lesson.

Song 1 : As Easy as ABC 

Mei Ling is in front of school, looking nervous in her new school uniform. 

Mei Ling (extends her right hand): Hello, my name is Chong Mei Ling. Nice to
meet you. (withdraws her right hand, pauses and extends it again) Hello, my
name is Chong Mei Ling. Nice to meet – 

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Amy (waves her hand in front of Mei Ling): Hello, my name is Amy and I’m
mimicking you. What are you doing? 

Mei Ling (oblivious to interruption): Hello, my name is Amy and I’m mimi-
wait, what? What did I just say? (notices Amy) Amy! 

Amy: Hello, Mei Ling. What are you doing? 

Mei Ling: I’m learning to introduce myself to my new school friends. 

Amy: Calm down, Mei Ling. You’ll be fine! 

Mei Ling: Do you really think so, Amy?

Amy: Yes, I do.

Mei Ling: But what if I –

Amy: Mei Ling –

Mei Ling: This is too difficult! I wish things can be as easy as ABC.

Amy: But it is as easy as ABC! 

Amy (sings, with ensemble dancing behind, holding new alphabet card for
every line):

Here’s some useful Advice: 

Just B yourself!

It’s not as scary as it C-ms

Take a D-p breath

Tell yourself it’s E-sy

You’ll make friends F-fortlessly!

You don’t have to be a prodiG

Just stop being so H-dgy

Iron your uniform

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Speak clearly, don’t J-bber

Everything will be oK!

Say L-lo to everyone you meet

Be friendly, be M-iable 

(Mei Ling’s face lights up. She sings along with Amy)

N you’ll enjoy your first day!

Open doors for friends

Share your P-zza

Never cut Q

For that will cause R-guments

S-sist your teacher

Pour T for them

U’ll have nothing to worry about!

You and I, V’ll have fun

W-niform for the pals

Double Xcitement for the gals!

So Y worry, Mei Ling

When you should be Z-ppy? 

(Bell rings.) 

Mei Ling: Okay, here it goes. It’s not as scary as it seems… 

Mei Ling tries to make new friends. 

Mei Ling : Hi, I am – 

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5/11/23, 4:54 PM My Best Friend, Amy – Lee Yoong Shin

Amy, full of energy, is chasing butterflies around Mei Ling. Her elbows knock
Mei Ling accidentally, causing Mei Ling to punch herself in the face. 

New friends give Mei Ling a this-girl-is-so-weird look and walk away. 

Mei Ling is in music class. They are learning to play `My Bonnie Lies Over The
Ocean` with recorder. Mei Ling is concentrating hard on the lesson. Amy looks
bored. 

Amy : Mei Ling. 

Mei Ling ignores her. 

Amy : Mei Ling. Hey, Mei Ling.

Mei Ling ignores her still.

Amy : (tickles Mei Ling’s waist) Mei Ling. 

Mei Ling jerks and shoves Amy’s hands away. Other students give Mei Ling a
baffled, annoyed look. 

Amy breathes into Mei Ling’s ears. Mei Ling bobs her head and shrugs her
shoulders. Other students notice it but pretend as if nothing had happened. 

Amy : Mei Ling, I’m bored. Can we go aside and catch butterflies? 

Mei Ling (losing her patience at Amy) : That is a stupid idea! 

Teacher (VO): Who are you calling stupid, young lady? 

Song 2: The Bully Song 

Mei Ling is punished to stand outside of classroom with a book over her head.

Jun Kee : 

Mei Ling is such a weird girl

She is always

Bobbing her head,

Stretching her neck,

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Jerking her arms,

Shrugging her shoulders,

Punching herself – 

Cindy : And others, too! 

Jun Kee examines Cindy’s blackened eye and expresses sympathy. 

Jun Kee : 

Mei Ling is such a weird girl

Let us stay away from her. 

Cindy :

Is she an ape?

She’s behaving like one. 

She should leave the school

And go to the zoo! 

Jun Kee :

Mei Ling is such a weird girl

She’s always

Shouting

Coughing

Screaming

Clearing her throat

She is so loud and noisy

She distracts us from learning Do Re Mi

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Mei Ling is such a weird girl

Can we kick her out of school already? 

Cindy : 

There was once I had a flu

Mommy wouldn’t let me go to school

She said it is contagious

I must be considerate

And not spread it to my friends. 

Jun Kee: 

Mei Ling must be having a terrible flu!

She must not come to school!

She will soon spread her flu to us

And we will be

Bobbing our heads,

Stretching our necks,

Jerking our arms,

Shrugging our shoulders

Punching ourselves – 

Cindy : And others, too!

Jun Kee : But how can we get her out of school? 

They discuss but are unable to come up with a solution. 

Cindy:

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If we can’t get her out of the school,

We must protect ourselves from her flu! 

Jun Kee :

We will wear masks

We will wash our hands 

We will drink plenty of water

We will eat lots of fruits

We will not catch Mei Ling’s flu!

We will not be

Bobbing our heads

Stretching our necks

Jerking our arms

Shrugging our shoulders

Punching ourselves

Cindy : And others, too! 

Song 3: The Confrontation Song 

The next day. Students leave music room in a hurry. They are all wearing
masks. Mei Ling is all alone in the music room. She is at the verge of crying. 

Amy, curious as ever, heads to the piano and attempts to play ‘My Bonnie Lies
Over The Ocean’. 

Mei Ling : What are you doing, Amy? Get off the bench! 

Amy : But this is more fun than the recorder, Mei Ling. You should try it! 

Mei Ling : Haven’t you caused enough troubles already? Get off the bench! 

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Amy continues to play the piano. Mei Ling pushes Amy off the piano bench. 

Mei Ling (fights with Amy on the floor):

As easy as ABC, huh?

Nothing to worry about, huh? 

You and I, we are done

Double uniform for the pals

Double arguments for the gals! 

Mei Ling (gets back to the piano, singing to the melody of ‘My Bonnie Lies Over
The Ocean’ – furious, staccato):

You made me a laughing stock at school

You made me a clown and a fool

You made me a laughing stock at school

Get lost, I don’t want to see you! 

Get lost, get lost,

I don’t want to see you no more, no more;

Get lost, get lost,

I don’t want to see you no more! 

Amy looks hurt. 

Amy (replies in the melody of ‘My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean’ – at a slower
tempo):

I’m sorry Mei Ling, I am sorry

I hate seeing you unhappy

I sometimes wish that I don’t exist

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I wish you can get rid of me. 

Mei Ling feels sorry for Amy. She walks over to Amy and hugs her. 

Mei Ling : I wish we both don’t exist. 

Amy : I wish I can stop breathing and just drop dead. 

Amy pinches her nose for seconds. She soon turns pink, releases her nose and
starts gasping for air. 

Amy : But dying is harder than I think. 

Mei Ling giggles. Amy giggles too. Both girls walk back to piano and start
playing together.

Jun Kee and Cindy hear them playing piano from outside and enters the room. 

Jun Kee : I don’t expect you to play the piano so well. 

Mei Ling (looks nervous) : Umm, sorry, excuse me – 

Amy : You should be saying thank you! 

Mei Ling : Thanks! I mean, thank you! 

Cindy : You should learn from flu kid so you won’t get kicked out of music class
again. 

Jun Kee: It’s not my fault! Something’s wrong with the recorder! 

Cindy: Yeah, yeah. Whatever. 

Cindy nudged Jun Kee to be friendly to Mei Ling. Jun Kee extends his hand
stiffly. Mei Ling extends her hand too. Amy gets excited at the prospect of
having a friend at last and starts dancing around, knocking Mei Ling’s extended
hand, causing her to hit Jun Kee’s hand accidentally. Jun Kee and Cindy
screamed and backed away. 

Mei Ling : I am Mei Ling – I mean, I am sorry! That was not me hitting you, it
was Amy. 

Jun Kee and Cindy (look around, confused) : Amy?

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Mei Ling : Yeah, Amy, that’s the name my mommy gave my Tourette syndrome.
It’s a strange little condition where God sent a very kind but clumsy angel to
look after me. She’s very nice, and very friendly, but… She’s always making me
do weird things, like hitting myself, and hitting others, and, and – oh, I’m so
sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you! I really want to be your friend, I would never
want to hit you- 

Cindy : I wish I have an angel. 

Jun Kee: But she’s clumsy. 

Cindy: We can’t be too picky. After all, God is very busy.

Cindy : (extends arm towards Amy) Nice to meet you, Amy. 

Mei Ling and Amy look at each other, surprised. 

Cindy : Can you teach me how to play piano? 

Mei Ling : S-sure! 

Mei Ling teaches Cindy how to play piano. Jun Kee joins them after a while. All
four play `My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean` together.

*THE END* 

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Yoong Shin Lee February 8, 2020 Creative Writing Scripts

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