EXT.

OUTSIDE A FRONT DOOR

Billy (8) and Mom (you thought…) are outside a stranger’s

front door to sell Boy Scout friendship bracelets. Billy
doesn’t want to be there, or be in Boy Scouts even, but Mom
is a winner, she never quits. She also made the bracelets,
she has bandaids on her fingertips. They have Southern
accents.

DING DONG.

BILLY
But Mom, the sun is about to set!
And I’m startin’ to chafe! Can’t
we just go home?

MOM
Billy, you calm your sweet ass
down right now or I’m not gonna
ask for an extra sweet n sour with
your Wendy’s on the way home.

BILLY
Mom!!

A door swings open. Creak…

MOM
(nudging Billy)
Go on.

BILLY
(like he’s reading off a
card)
Hey Ma’am, Sir, and/or You, my
name is Billy Swithers of Troop
683 right here in the lovely town
of Felderstonville. We are trying
to raise money for-

MOM
More energy!

BILLY
(smiling big and bad like
how little kids smile)
We are trying to raise money for
our troop leaders kidney
transplant by selling these right
here friendship bracelets,

(MORE)
 2.

BILLY (CONT’D)
handmade by us, Troop 683 right
here in the lovely town of-

MOM
(Mom glare)
Haha Billy, they know where we
live.

BILLY
(huffing)
Ugh, Mom! I got this.
(going back to saying his
pitch)
Would you be interested in
purchasing one of these bracelets
from us?

MOM
(to the stranger)
He worked really hard on these. He
really did. Don’t you want like 3?

BILLY
Mom! Let them decide.

MOM
(really trying to sell
them)
See, look here, this one says
“Love” and this one, well this one
I- HE, ran out of E’s so it says
“M+U=<3”, does your lover have an
M name? Oh, no? Maybe it’s a W.

BILLY
Mom! I told you 3 houses ago to
stop trying to sell these for me!

MOM
Haha, what do you mean? I’m just
helping honey.

BILLY
No, you’re not. You’re
embarrassing me and now Troop
Leader Steve isn’t even gonna live
to see Christmas.

MOM
Billy! Don’t think like that
sweetie. If God can lead you to
it, he can lead you through it.

(MORE)
 3.

MOM (CONT’D)
(to stranger)
We have a bracelet that says that
I think.

She looks through the bag to double check.

MOM
Oh, I think the last house bought
the last one.. no worries. I- HE,
can make one right now. We’ve got
all the supplies.

She begins to take out bags of beads and bracelet string.

BILLY
Mom!!! Please stop this! It’s
getting out of control. You don’t
even like Troop Leader Steve.

MOM
(befuddled)
What?? Uh, no, Troop Leader Steve
is a great guy who deserves to
live as much as the next guy, even
if he is as sweet as acetic acid.

BILLY
See!

MOM
Oh, hush up, Billy.

BILLY
No, you hush up Mom! I don’t give
a shit about this anymore!

Mom steps forward, center stage.

MOM
DON’T you swear at me, you little
shit! Don’t you EVER raise your
voice at me! I am your mother! You
understand? All I do is worry and
slave and defend you, and all I
get back is that fucking face on
your face! So full of disdain and
resentment and always so annoyed!
Well, now your troop leader is
gonna dead! And I know you’ll miss
him and I know it was an accident
and I know you’re in pain and I
wish could take that away for you.
I WISH I could shield you from the
knowledge that you did what you
(MORE)
 4.

MOM (CONT’D)
did, but you’re troop leader will
be dead! Gone forever! And what a
waste… if it could’ve maybe
brought us together, or something,
if you could’ve just said "I’m
sorry" or faced up to what
happened, maybe then we could do
something with this, but you can’t
take responsibility for anything!
So, now I can’t accept. And I
can’t forgive. Because… because
NOBODY admits anything they’ve
done!

BEAT.

Mom takes a breath to compose herself.

MOM
(to stranger)
Oh, you’ll take 5? Are you sure?
(to Billy)
Hand her 5.

BILLY
That will be $25 and no we don’t
have change.

Money is exchanged. The door closes. Billy and Mom begin to

walk off.

MOM
That’s like 7 houses in a row now.

BILLY
Yeah, Mom, you’re getting really
good at that.

MOM
Oh, you think so honey? I love
you.

BILLY
I love you too, Mom.

MOM
Let’s go to Boca!!

LIGHTS.