Moments with Joey - Mistaken Identities

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SCENE 1, INTERIOR. AFTERNOON, CLASSROOM. The teacher is having a few students call home before heading off to remedial classes if their math assignment was not completed. Three students are waiting to use the phone. One boy, waiting at the back of the line, waits his turn. After a few minutes, he picks up the receiver and dials a number. The teacher is getting a few items ready as the rest of the class is transitioning to their other groups and overhears the boy’s side of the conversation.

JOEY: [Spoken into phone] Hi, Mom, it’s me. [Pause] I didn’t finish my math assignment today when we corrected it, and I was told that I had to call home to let you know. [Pause]. I didn’t have time to finish it all last night. [Pause]. I wanted to, but I got busy. [Pause]. Okay. [Pause]. Okay. [Pause]. Yeah, I love you, too.

[The boy hangs up the phone and then stands for a moment, staring at the receiver. He looks somewhat bemused. By this time, the most of the class has filed out and the remedial group has started to enter the classroom].

TEACHER: Joey, is something wrong?

JOEY: My mom said I should have gotten my homework done. [Pause]. She also said that I’m grounded for two weeks.

TEACHER: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, but you know you really should have gotten it done.

[Pause].

JOEY: Mr. Z?

TEACHER: Yeah?

JOEY: I think I dialed the wrong number…I don’t think that was my mom.

TEACHER: What was that?

JOEY: I said, I think I called the wrong number. When I was talking to that lady I was thinking she was my mom, but then I think that maybe she wasn’t. I think I mixed up two of the numbers and dialed the wrong house.

[The teacher is trying hard not to start laughing, and also not to also show a look of complete shock at the same time. Somewhere, there is a boy who has just been grounded for two weeks and who will arrive home from school for the surprise of his life].

JOEY: Do you think I should try to call her again?

TEACHER: No, I think you’ve done enough damage for one day, you’d better get to class.

[The boy hurries off after his classmates as the other students take their seats and the teacher begins the lesson].

SCENE 2, EXTERIOR. MORNING, SCHOOL. It’s now the next day and bell has rung. The teacher walks to where his class is lined up to bring them inside to begin the school day. Upon seeing Joey, the teacher remembers the phone call from the day before. As the students begin to file into the school, the teacher pulls the boy aside.

TEACHER: Joey, did you call the right number after all?

JOEY: No, Mr. Z, when I got home, I asked my mom and she said I didn’t call her. I guess I talked to somebody else’s mom yesterday.

[A few classmates who are passing that heard him making the call the day before start whispered gasps of horror amidst comments of, ‘He called the wrong mom!’ and ‘Another kid got into trouble!’ The teacher sends these students into the school building].

TEACHER: So, I guess another kid got into trouble instead of you then, eh?

JOEY: Yeah.

TEACHER: Bummer for him.

JOEY: Yeah, but I guess it could have been worse.

TEACHER: Really? How’s that?

JOEY: My mom could’ve grounded me, too.

[Fade to black]