Candy’s New Paris: Out of this World
Ms. Herrin’s Fifth-grade Class
Erickson Elementary, Ypsilanti
Next-Flix Field Trip
Artwork by Jen Harley, jenharley.com
ACT I INT. PEACH TREE HOUSE ON MARS
CANDY (a teenage girl), MELLY (her best friend) and STRAWBERRY (a real strawberry with powers) are sitting together studying Geometry in a cozy peach tree house in New Paris, Mars.
MELLY
OMG, this is hard!
CANDY
(to MELLY)
Calm down! You’re overreacting; I’ll help you.
STRAWBERRY
(to MELLY)
Your breath is so hot; it’s hotter than the sun!
MELLY crumples up her paper, throws it up into the air, and burns it up. Everyone rolls their eyes.
MELLY
I’m HUNGRY!
(to STRAWBERRY)
Can I have a piece of you?
At the mention of being eaten, STRAWBERRY fizzles up, explodes, and the comes back together. More eye rolling ensues.
MELLY
OK, that was a bad idea. Let’s go get something to eat!
They exit the tree house and go out into New Paris, Mars, to go to their favorite place to eat.
ACT II EXT. MARS
They head to the Dairy Queen, exploring New Paris on their way.
MELLY
Let’s go to Dairy Queen. I heard there was new ice cream. What’s your favorite flavor?
CANDY
Sure. Let’s go get ice cream. My favorite flavor is chocolate.
STRAWBERRY
I like strawberry. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Do you have money, Melly?
MELLY
No. I’m broke. I spent my money on psychic stuff.
CANDY
I’m broke. I’m saving for college.
STRAWBERRY
I don’t have any money. I left it on Earth.
MELLY becomes angry because STRAWBERRY left her money on Earth. She breathes a little ball of fire.
MELLY
Grrrrr. Why on earth would you leave money on Earth?
Strawberry explodes covering everybody in strawberry.
CANDY
Calm down. It’s just money.
MELLY
(to STRAWBERRY)
Now we can’t buy food.
CANDY
Let’s think of a way to make some money.
ACT III EXT. PARK
CANDY, STRAWBERRY, and MELLY are brainstorming ideas at a park called Mars Park. It has slides, stairs, and a petting zoo with pandas, monkeys, and lions. There is a food truck.
MELLY
We need to get money. Let’s have a yard sale!
CANDY
What are you going to sell? That’s a bad idea. We can do a musical for little kids!
STRAWBERRY
No. That’s really bad. I don’t know how to sing or do any of that. Let’s have a roast battle!
MELLY
That could be a disaster! If someone roasts me, I might accidentally breathe fire.
CANDY
That’s true. You do get mad easily. Oh, I know! Let’s have a talent show!
MELLY
That’s actually a really good idea.
STRAWBERRY
How can we set it up? How can we get people to come?
MELLY
We can bring our cousins, best friends, mom and dad, aunties, nieces, uncles. . .
CANDY
OK, OK. We get it! We’ll bring our family.
STRAWBERRY
In the show, I’ll roast people.
MELLY
I’ll do some fire tricks.
CANDY
(excitedly)
Ooh, I can dance.
STRAWBERRY
(nicely)
Well. . . sorry. . . you can’t dance. Maybe another time.
CANDY
OMG! You guys are just trying to hog the stage! I came up with this idea! I deserve to be on state, too.
MELLY
OK, Candy. We can come up with a different idea for you.
CANDY
Well, I want to dance! Can I dance with you all?
STRAWBERRY
Why do you want to dance so much?
CANDY
My grandma was a dancer. I want to dance like her. Plus, Brandon really likes dancing.
MELLY
Poor Brandon!
STRAWBERRY
Ooh, Candy has a crush.
MELLY
Candy, I’m just going to break this easy to you. You should not dance in front of Brandon.
CANDY
So I can’t dance? What else am I supposed to do? I don’t have powers.
CANDY gets red-faced, balls up her fists, and runs away.
INT. PEACH TREE HOUSE
CANDY is sitting in a corner with a pillow. MELLY and STRAWBERRY come in.
MELLY
What’s wrong, Candy?
CANDY
You guys don’t understand my life.
STRAWBERRY
Well, we’re your best friends. You can tell us how your life is going.
CANDY
(Lifting her head off the pillow)
I wish I had super powers like you guys.
MELLY
Why didn’t you tell us this before?
CANDY
I was embarrassed.
STRAWBERRY
You don’t need powers! You’re really smart!
MELLY
Yeah, you’re way better at Geometry.
STRAWBERRY
Ooh, Melly, your breath so hot you melt my ice cream.
MELLY
(laughing)
Don’t start, Strawberry.
CANDY laughs.
CANDY
Thanks. You guys are like sisters to me.
ACT IV EXT. ON THE STREET LEADING TO CANDY’S HOUSE
Walking toward the backyard of CANDY’s house.
STRAWBERRY
(to MELLY)
What if we let Candy do the show, but people don’t like it because she doesn’t have any powers.
CANDY
(Screaming angrily to STRAWBERRY)
I can’t take this anymore! I want superpowers too!
MELLY
(Pensively to CANDY)
I think I might know a way to get you powers.
CANDY
(to MELLY)
How!
MELLY
(to CANDY)
I was using my psychic abilities to look into the future, and I think that I saw a way for you to have powers.
MELLY creates a small portal in front of her, and reaches into it, pulling out a very impressive looking sword.
MELLY
(Handing the sword to CANDY)
Here’s a sword that you can use in the show, but I don’t know how to use it.
STRAWBERRY
(to CANDY and MELLY)
Don’t worry, I know how to do sword tricks, and I can teach you.
The three friends continue walking down the street and enter CANDY’S backyard
Scene 2 — CANDY’S backyard — late afternoon
STRAWBERRY is teaching CANDY how to do tricks with the sword
STRAWBERRY
(to CANDY)
Keep your stance wide, and keep body lowered.
CANDY
I am, and I think I am at least getting better.
STRAWBERRY
(Hesitantly)
Sure. . . At least a little better.
CANDY
(Excitedly)
Can I be in the talent show now!?
MELLY
Uhm, yeah you can if you really want to, but only if you promise to practice as much as you can on your way there.
CANDY
OK!
STRAWBERRY and MELLY walk towards the talent show stage with CANDY trailing along behind them practicing with the sword some more.
ACT V — INT — TALENT SHOW
CANDY
(On Stage — To Audience)
Well, hiiii. I’m going to be showing my newly revealed talent that I like to do.
Candy closes her eyes and imagines the slime and then squirt the alien slime out of her hands. There is so much slime. There is blue slime. Rainbow slime. Foamy slime. The crowd goes wild.
CROWD
(Clapping and whistling)
WOW! AMAZING! LOOK AT ALL THAT SLIME!
CANDY
(smiles and bows)
Thank you, Thank you.
CANDY exits the stage and Strawberry gets on the stage.
STRAWBERRY
Them shoes are so old they might get somebody sick.
CROWD
OOOOOHHHHHH
STRAWBERRY
Yeah, I’m talking about you with your dusty rusty shoes.
CROWD
AHHHHHH
STRAWBERRY
Your teeth are yellow.
CROWD
OOHHHHHHHH
STRAWBERRY
It looks like you colored your teeth with a yellow crayon.
STRAWBERRY bows and the crowd starts clapping and laughing. Some seem skeptical of the roasting. STRAWBERRY exits the stage.
TALENT SHOW HEAD
And the winners are Candy and Strawberry! Come collect your winnings!
ACT V — SCENE 2 — INT. HAUNTED TREE HOUSE
CANDY, MELLY, and STRAWBERRY are eating pizza from Dominoes.
MELLY
Hey Candy, please pass the pizza sauce.
A monkey from outside throws a banana into the tree house window and it hits the pizza sauce.
MELLY
(Screaming)
What was that?
All three look up and see the monkey outside the window. MELLY breathes fire at the monkey and it throws another banana at her. All three try to leave the tree house but it’s suddenly locked!
CANDY
I can try to make a slime key for this door?
CANDY tries to make a key to leave the tree house but it doesn’t work and the three of them don’t know what to do. We’ll have to explore more next time.
TO BE CONTINUED. . .