This is My Mission
Ms. Brown’s eighth-grade class at Estabrook Elementary in Ypsilanti
EXT. – MALL – DAY
MARIA and COCONUT are walking into the mall. MARIA is carrying COCONUT and holding his hand. It’s a beautiful day in sunny California. What a great time to be a teen at the mall!
MARIA (a person) is wearing a pink-and-white polka dot dress. COCONUT (an actual coconut) is wearing shorts.
MARIA
(passionately)
I love you.
COCONUT
(nonchalantly)
Okay, thanks.
MARIA
I really do — even though I can’t tell my dad.
COCONUT
Why can’t you tell him? Are you hiding something from me?
A bird flies overhead as a woman steps out of her car.
CUT TO:
EXT. – PARKING LOT – DAY
In the mall parking lot we see a slim, tall white woman (about age 23) step out of a Ferrari. She is wearing Sketchers. She enters the mall. She walks past a cardinal who flaps its wings and flies up.
We see a close-up of the woman (BILLY JOANNE) looking at the cardinal suspiciously.
CUT TO:
INT. – MALL – DAY
MARIA and COCONUT are walking in the mall.
MARIA
(hesitates nervously)
I’m not hiding anything from you.
COCONUT
(angrily)
Then why can’t you tell him?
MARIA
My dad is allergic to coconuts, so he thinks they are unholy.
COCONUT sees the cardinal land behind a fountain in the mall. When the cardinal lands it becomes a girl. KURO is Native American, about fifteen years old. The camera shows COCONUT watching the cardinal land and a girl pop up.
COCONUT
(anxiously)
Let’s get promise rings and promise to always be truthful with each other.
COCONUT and MARIA walk to the jewelry store.
CUT TO:
INT. – JEWELRY STORE – DAY
They notice the woman (BILLY JOANNE) in the store with an Eiffel Tower pin. The woman seems to be watching them. KURO walks into the store. KURO has a cardinal pin. They are both wearing black.
KURO bumps into BILLY JOANNE.
BILLY JOANNE
Watch where you’re going!
They notice each other’s pins and nod at each other knowingly.
MARIA and COCONUT are looking at rings and they pick out one with a weird jewel.
BILLY JOANNE takes her arm and rushes KURO to the corner.
KURO
What are you doing here? This is my mission.
BILLY JOANNE
This is my mission! To spy on Maria!
KURO
Who is Maria? I’m here for Coconut.
BILLY JOANNE
We’re both here on a job and we need to work together. Now pipe down and act normal!
END ACT I
INT. – JEWELRY STORE
MARIA and COCONUT are inside the jewelry store. The jewelry store is crisp and clean, and the carpets are cream with displays trimmed in mahogany. The displays show fancy rings and necklaces.
BILLY JOANNE is outside the store looking at the window.
KURO is already inside.
DIAMOND is dressed as an old lady with a hunchback and is pretending to be a jeweler.
COCONUT and MARIA are looking at rings.
COCONUT
Maria, how many karats do you want?
MARIA
(confused)
I don’t see any carrots.
DIAMOND
(disguised as a jeweler)
Let’s go to the back to find your ring size.
Maria and the robber go to the back.
MARIA
(screams)
COCONUT passes out.
BILLY JOANNE and KURO run to the back. The back door is open and they can see the robber running away carrying MARIA.
BILLY JOANNE
Watch this. I learned it in a foreign country.
SLOW MOTION
BILLY JOANNE uses an app to shoot a tracking device at the robber.
END SLOW MOTION
KURO
What was that?
BILLY JOANNE
It’s a tracking device.
EXT. – MALL – DAY
The robber puts MARIA in a Ferrari.
MARIA
(banging on the door)
Coconut, help me.
FADE TO BLACK
END ACT II
INT. – MALL – DAY
COCONUT
(crying)
I need help!
BILLY JOANNE and KURO look at each other and nod.
BILLY JOANNE
We can help.
COCONUT
How?
KURO
During the robbery I managed to put a tracking device on Maria.
COCONUT
(surprised)
You have a tracking device?
KURO
Long story. We can talk about it after we get Maria.
KURO takes out a device that looks like a compass but it opens and reveals to have a GPS tracker inside.
CUT TO:
EXT. – FACTORY IN A FOREST – DAY
KURO, COCONUT, and BILLY JOANNE are outside of a building that looks like an old chocolate factory. There is a logo on the building that says Almond Joy.
KURO
This is the place.
COCONUT
(scared and hesitant)
This place seems familiar.
BILLY JOANNE
Before we go in, let me check for danger.
BILLY JOANNE takes out spy glasses that look like normal sunglasses. She can see heat signatures in the building showing two people. One person is tied to a chair and the other is standing next to her.
BILLY JOANNE
The coast is clear. There’s only two people.
The three of them approach the building and the door is locked.
COCONUT
I got this.
COCONUT’s legs extend and he is able to use his tiny, sharp feet to pick the lock. They all go inside.
CUT TO:
INT. – FACTORY IN A FOREST – DAY
DIAMOND is shocked to see them and she trips over her feet. We can see that she is wearing two right-footed boots. KURO and BILLY JOANNE grab DIAMOND. COCONUT unties MARIA and gives KURO and BILLY JOANNE the rope to secure DIAMOND.
BILLY JOANNE
(to DIAMOND)
Who are you?
DIAMOND
(to KURO)
Wait, who are you?
KURO takes off DIAMOND’s mask and she is in complete shock to see that DIAMOND looks exactly like her. KURO starts stuttering.
MARIA
Hey, it looks like you two have the same locket.
KURO opens her locket and DIAMOND’s locket, and inside there is an identical picture of two people – their parents!
KURO
(astonished)
Are we twins?
END OF ACT III
EXT. – ABANDONED BUILDING, CA – DAY
BILLY JOANNE throws COCONUT at DIAMOND’s head and some of her jewels fall to the floor, including the ring.
DIAMOND
This isn’t finished.
COCONUT
Who are you and what do you want from us?
DIAMOND
Just because we are sisters doesn’t mean I’m going to let her go!
BILLY JOANNE
If you don’t let Maria go, we’re calling the police! Your identity is already revealed.
DIAMOND
What are the cops gonna do about it?
COCONUT starts to cry and his coconut hair falls out. He begs on his little coconut legs.
COCONUT
Please let her go! I love her so much! I don’t know what I would do without her! She’s my first love and my other half.
DIAMOND looks hesitant but begins to unlock MARIA’s hands and feet.
COCONUT
(picks up the promise ring)
Maria, I can’t wait ’til we get out of this messy situation and stay together forever.
Someone clears their throat. Everyone turns around and gasps. The pastor has been listening the whole time. Dramatic music plays. PASTOR enters.
PASTOR
I am so appalled by your behavior, Maria. I told you that you were not allowed to have anyone as a boyfriend. You disobeyed my command. And you are in love with a coconut! With little legs! You think you’re grown but you are not, Maria!
END OF EPISODE
Artwork by Natalie Marion, nataliemarion.com