Moments with Joey – The Assignment

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SCENE 1, INTERIOR. LUNCH RECESS, FIFTH GRADE CLASSROOM. Several students remain in the classroom, trying to get caught up on back work. The teacher is correcting and entering grades as he is approached by a student.

MARK: Mr. Z?

TEACHER: What did you need, Mark?

MARK: I need math page P-6-14. The computer says I didn’t do it.

TEACHER: Did you check the extra assignment bin? I know that there were some there the other day…

MARK: [The boy shakes his head]. I already looked; there aren’t any in there, Mr. Z.

TEACHER: Well, I could print you a new sheet, but if I do, it’ll cost you some class money. You remember that, right?

[Mark nods as another boy stops working at his desk and turns his head].

JOEY: You already did that assignment, Mark.

MARK: I did?

JOEY: Yeah, I recognized your handwriting on it, it’s in the ‘nameless and orphans’ bin.

[Joey springs from his seat and bounds across the classroom to the blue, plastic tote clearly marked, “Nameless and Orphans.” He digs down under a few sheets of paper and whips out the assignment].

MARK: Hey, that’s my paper! I just forgot to put my name on it!

[Joey grins, walks back to his seat, and begins working again].

TEACHER: Hey, Mark…Joey just found your assignment for you; you didn’t even tell him thanks. You should be over there kissing his feet right now.

[At this statement Joey kicks off both of his shoes, exposing exceptionally dirty socks. He spins around in his chair, and holds his feet up for Mark to start smooching them. Mark pauses and looks from Joey’s socks to the teacher, and then back at the feet again.].

MARK: Uh…

TEACHER: [Stifling his laughter and maintaining a serious expression, with quite a bit of effort on his part]. On second thought, just go ahead and take the paper. Maybe thanks aren’t really necessary after all…

JOEY: Curses.

[Fade to black].