Moments with Joey - The Invitation

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SCENE 1, INTERIOR. AFTERNOON, CLASSROOM. The teacher is having a book group with one student. This particular boy has been in the habit of reading far more than what the rest of his old group had decided and – after several warnings – was moved into a grouping of one. To help combat this boy’s tendency to read ahead and not follow directions, the teacher picked a book he thought the boy wouldn’t want to read, Anne of Green Gables, and told him that he can read as much as he’d like each night. After a week of meetings, the teacher realizes that his plan wasn’t working out quite as well as he’d anticipated.

As the teacher and boy meet for their daily group, the boy begins to excitedly retell what happened in the pages he’d read the night before. The teacher is a bit surprised that the boy has taken to the book so quickly; he decides to share something from his own childhood.

TEACHER: You know, when I was a kid, my sister used to watch Anne of Green Gables on the Disney Channel. I made fun of her because of it, too. But then one day I started to watch the movie and realized that Megan Follows was hot.

JOEY: [Surprised]. You were in love with Anne?

TEACHER: No, not really in love…but I guess you could say I had a little crush on the actress who played her. [Pause]. Anyhow, let’s finish talking about what happened in what you read last night.

[The boy continues to ramble on about a large chunk of the story, retelling it with remarkable accuracy].

TEACHER: Joey, just how much did you read last night?

JOEY: [Shrugging]. I don’t know, maybe four or five chapters.

TEACHER: [Surprised]. Wow, I guess you’ll have to send me an invitation when you and Anne decide to get married.

JOEY: The boy starts to laugh as he and the teacher finish up their book session for the day.

SCENE 2, EXTERIOR. NEXT MORNING, PLAYGROUND. The teacher is on duty outside before school starts. He is watching as students arrive, trudging toward the school in small groups or as individuals. The boy from his reading group approaches him, he has a sheepish grin on his face. The boy stops in front of the teacher and stands silent for a moment or two.

TEACHER: Good morning, Joey. How you doing?

JOEY: I’m doing good, Mr. Z. [pause]. I wanted to give you something…

TEACHER: It isn’t a great, big bag of money or a new car, is it?

[The boy shakes his head and laughs for a moment, and then his face takes on a more serious expression].

JOEY: No. It’s this.

[The boy holds out a sealed envelope. The teacher takes the white packet and looks at it. There is no writing of any sort as to indicate what is inside].

TEACHER: Thanks, Joey.

[The boy stands expectantly for a few moments].

JOEY: So, are you going to open it?

TEACHER: That all depends…I mean it isn’t a mushy letter you’ve written to me full of nice things about how amazing I am, is it? I mean, I’m not going to get all emotional and start crying, am I?

[The boy shakes his head with a small grin].

JOEY: I don’t think so, Mr. Z.

TEACHER: So, should I wait to open it?

JOEY: I’d really like to be here when you do open it, Mr. Z.

[The teacher smiles and opens up the envelope. Inside is a folded piece of paper; he begins to unfold it and the boy gets more and more excited as the teacher does so].

[The teacher starts laughing out loud as his eyes fall on the wedding invitation the boy’d made on his home computer. Joey grins and moves closer to his teacher].

JOEY: You said you wanted an invitation when we decided to get married, Mr. Z. I wanted you to be the first to know.

TEACHER: Thanks, Joey. I’m honored.

JOEY: I thought you would be. Sorry she decided to pick me instead of you. You’re still a good teacher, though.

[The teacher starts to laugh and pats the boy on the back].

TEACHER: I think she made a great choice…Joey of Green Gables.

JOEY: Yeah…so do I.

Fade to black.