Page 1
Alexa is in her room, sitting in front of the computer, IMing both David & Nodin. It's nighttime, & she's sitting in front of an open window, blue nightgown on, curled up in her chair & fluffy slippers on her feet. Her dark hair is braided down her back.
She's a “girly-girl”: the bed is made & covered with stuffed animals & dolls, the walls are some kind of pastel color, the room is neat & there's a bright blue & pink oval rug in the middle of the wooden floor. The computer is on a desk where her school books are as well. Alexa has two cats on her bed, curled up together, one licking the other.
Alexa is facing the reader; the reader is looking down at her face, keyboard, hands, but can't see the monitor, just the back & top of the computer. She's typing, but she's also speaking.
(bubble) Hi yourselves…
(bubble) What are you all doing?
(bubble) Aren't you supposed to be studying now?
Page 2
Top 1/2 page: The reader is facing the monitor & the back of Alexa's head (focused on the big screen not on Alexa). Around screen there's painted flowers & a small picture of her family: Alexa, little 5 year old sister, mom, dad, grandmother -- typical “Leave-it-to-Beaver” in Hispanic motif. The IM screen on Alexa's monitor.
The nonitor reads:
Wheelie:
Hello… Anybody there? Hellooooooo….. ellooooo….llooo…ooo…
Wheelie:
Hey Nodin, you say something. C'mon, it's good for you!
Nodin:
Hi
Sunlight says:
Who's beeping me? Hi yourselves…
Sunlight:
What are you all doing? Aren't you supposed to be studying now?
Sunlight:
Is David beating up on you again Nodin?
Wheelie:
I object! I'm trying to help the guy!
Nodin:
That is ok Alaxe. I em usd toit.
Wheelie:
See? What did I tell you? & it's Elaxe to you, Nodin.
Sunshine:
Stop that David! Don't tease Nodin about his dyslexia!
Botton 1 /2 page: pulling back a bit, Alexa has her hand on her over her mouth, palm down, chair tipped so the reader can still see the monitor.
Nodin:
LOL tiping is betr then cursef but I cant use spelchek on IM
Wheelie:
Anyway, we actually wanted to talk to you about a project
Wheelie:
Since you love helping everyone
Sunlight:
What's is it? It's not something silly, is it?
Wheelie:
Nodin found some raccoons
Nodin:
and rabbits and birds
Sunshine:
What are you talking about??
Page 3
1/3 page: side view, Alexa busily typing away, looking at the screen but the reader can't see the screen. She's now sitting with her feet firmly on the ground, braid curled around her chest.
(bubble) That vacant lot has raccoons & other animals?
(bubble) I thought it was empty. Just teenagers smoking & drinking & a whole bunch of trash.
(bubble) I remember some trees…
(bubble) & pretty wild flowers
(bubble) oh you be quiet. I like flowers.
(bubble) but animals? What about BBs? You saw them shooting?
2/3 page: Nodin has a laptop. He is sitting on his bed, right in the middle, covers rumple; messy but not dirty room. Magic paraphernalia everywhere. He's sitting cross legged, crouched down on the lap-top, pointer fingers typing, looking at his hands rather than at the screen. He's scowling but not really angry. The reader is viewing Nodin straight-on, so they can't see the screen.
(bubble) thir…no…ther were a lot of botls and buts
(bubble) shut up not that kind of butt david
(bubble) ok alexa c-i-g-a-r-e-t-t-e b-u-t-t-s!!!!
(bubble) anyway we wantd to ask you somthin
3/3 page: David is in a big room where there're books on the walls & a big desk curved around him: his family's library. In the center, on the desk, there's the computer. Big speakers on either side of the enormous flat monitor. Keyboard. LaserJet printer. Scanner. Video. Etc. I.e., expensive. David is sitting in his wheelchair. 3/4 turn. He's using all of his fingers to type & smiling. The screen is visible but not really readable.
(bubble) You love animals, right?”
(bubble) kittens and doggies and little baby raccoons, right?
(bubble) okay then. Nudyn and I we're wondering if... Hee hee…
(bubble) That's the plan! You be in charge of cleaning and yelling at people!
Page 4
Whole page: Everyone is in the clubhouse: Ben, Alexa, Gabby, Ríona, Nodin & of course, David, whose clubhouse it is. The clubhouse has a ramp for wheelchairs rather than steps. It's rather large -- 6 - 7 kids fit comfortably. It's wooden, sort of like a big storage shed, with everything down at eye level for David. There's a little black refrigerator & sink on the back wall. There's large, blue, wool, somewhat beat-up couch on a side wall & in the middle of the room, a big, plain, circular, wooden table (in the middle of the table, there's a big graffiti tag: “The Round Table”). There're 2 beat-up wooden chairs on the other side of table. Some electrical sockets along the sides of the room. There's enough room for a wheelchair to fit comfortably on the other side of the room & the back wall, & comfortably to park at the table. There's a window on either side of the room, & a big window in the back. White shades up, no curtains. An extensive, expensive, yet-trying-to-be-normal club-house…
There's a laptop on the table, a pizza box with one piece left & some pieces of paper on the other side. Ben is sitting in one of the chairs, typing away at the laptop & talking on his cell phone with the earpiece installed & the phone on the table. Alexa is sitting in the middle of the couch. On one side of her near the ‘frige is Ríona. Her crutches are on the side of the arm of the couch. On the other side of the couch near the door is Gabby, legs curled up, her dog Sam near the couch lying down with his head up. She's petting Sam over the arm of the couch. Nodin is in the other chair playing with cards & David is in the middle of the two chairs.
(bubble: Alexa) So I saw the vacant lot earlier on today and it's really bad
(bubble: Alexa) I snooped around and found out that the guy that it belongs to died about five years ago. So it went back to the City who hasn't done diddly with it.
(bubble: Alexa) But there are a ton of wild animals in those little trees and bushes
(bubble: Alexa) I suggest we petition for a pocket park!
(bubble: Gabby ) But Alexa? How are you going to do that?
(bubble: Ríona) We're just silly kids as far as grown-ups are concerned!
Page 5
1/2 page: Narrowing down on Ben, little bit left of center, & who's still busily typing away the computer and talking on his phone. David is on the far left. The door is little bit right of center, then Sam on the far right & Gabby is either out of the picture or partially out. Alexa is completely.
(bubble: Alexa) Ben -- excuse me -- Benjamin is already tracking down who to talk to in the local government
(bubble: Gabby) Good for you Ben!
(bubble: Ben) Don't you know I'm on the phone?
(bubble: Alexa) Don't mind him.
(bubble: Alexa) Worse comes to worse, we can convince David's older sister to help save those little baby raccoons and possums and squirrels…
(bubble: David) Yeah -- Megan is even sappier than you, Alexa!
2/2 page: The outside of the clubhouse, view from the front. Navy blue. On the side there's a huge tree. One the other side of the tree, furthest away from the clubhouse, is a swing -- not a tire swing but a large chair swing. The woods are in back of the clubhouse. The grass is neatly manicured in the front & there's a winding paved sidewalk leading to the front of the little house.
(bubble: Ríona) Wow. Do you share this clubhouse with Megan?
(bubble: David) Nah Ríona. She's much older than me. She doesn't live with us but she helps drive me around sometimes.
(bubble: Ríona) Sheesh! That's nice of her. My brother pretends like I'm not there just because he's a teen ager.
(bubble: David) Well, my father does pay her, but she's pretty nice for a geek.
(bubble: Ben) Excuse me. I have gotten the numbers. It seems that FEMA decided that the lot is not a disaster, but they did direct me to the city Council's Housing and Community Development Committee…
(bubble: Gabby) Yay! We're on our way!
Page 6
1/3 Page: Alexa, Gabby, Ríona, David petitioning on the street corner where the empty lot is. The corner is a in a fairly busy town. The vacant lot is next to a building on the corner with a “Mom & Pop” grocery on the bottom floor with carts of produce outside & a 60 year old man wearing an apron watching the kids & smiling. An apartment building is on the other end of the lot. The lot is large -- about 1/3-1/2 the size of a baseball field -- with tall grass, bushes/shrubbery, &5- 6 trees clumped together. It's extremely polluted, with tags on the walls of buildings & trash everywhere. A path starts from one end of the lot to the other, which is open to the street behind (i.e., short-cut).
Alexa & Megan are up front, talking to a woman dressed for work. The petition is in Megan's hand & the woman is signing it. Gabby & Ríona are handing out papers to a father & son. Other people who have already walked by (two other white-collar workers, a woman pushing a baby carriage, etc.) have these papers. David's lap is filled with more papers. Sam is sitting down next to Gabby, patiently, tongue hanging out.
(bubble: Alexa) …and if we get the city council to approve the pocket park, it will save the animals that are already there, like the raccoons and the birds and squirrels.
(bubble: Megan) Plus, the park won't be an eyesore like it is now.
(bubble: Ríona) Turn the dump into a pretty park!
2/3 page: web page on the computer in Alexa's room. Alexa, Ben, Nodin & Ríona crowding around the computer (remember, around screen there's painted flowers & a small picture of her family). Everyone is crowding around the screen (Ben, Nodin, Ríona) with Alexa sitting down at the computer. The reader sees only the backs of everyone's heads. In the screen, you see the minutes of a public hearing:
Public Hearing
Tuesday, 24 July
6:30pm
CALL TO ORDER
ITEM NO. 9A : RS-1 TO RS-2; 8.761
Order of business : Denoting and rezoning vacant and city appropriated lot.
Council members present : Mayor Brown, Aid Lei, council member Smith, council member
Davidson
Requested Action : To allow for the development of a “pocket” park
Applicants : Megan Center, six minor children
Location : Property is located at East Avenue and Birch Street, in the Westville community
Site Condition : vacant
Tax Map Number : 237854
I. ZONING AND USES OF PROPERTY
The subject property has been without use for five years, three months. State for the record that many of the residents and business owners in the area have complained about subject property.
The subject property is adjacent to developed and undeveloped residential uses with C-4 (General Commercial) uses. The properties to the south are zoned RS-2 (Single-family Residential) and are developed with single-family homes. The property to the east and north is zoned RS-1 (Single-family Residential) District and blahblahblah
(Etc.)
(bubble: Ríona) I don't get it. So you went to this public whatchamacallit, this meeting, and you got the lot for free?
(bubble: Ben) Again, no. We have not gotten the land as of yet, though it looks like we will.
(bubble: Alexa) We went to this official type meeting and got all dressed up. You should've come!
(bubble: Ben) But the Mayor was very impressed with us.
(bubble: Ríona) So what now?
2/3 page: All of the Able Crew plus Megan in an official-looking room with an official-looking table where the kids, plus the mayor's aid) & three other council people are seated. David & Nodin (sitting next to one-another) are pounding hands, Alexa & Gabby are hugging (lifting out of their seats a little), Ríona is grinning at the Mayor, & Ben is shaking hands with a councilman.
(bubble: mayor's aid) You must be proud of yourselves!
(bubble: mayor's aid) We've decided to donate this vacant lot to Department of Recreation and Parks.
(bubble: mayor's aid) I expect to see all of you working to transform this lot into a park!
Page 7
1/4 page: Nodin & David on the phone. Split scene: close view of faces.
(bubble: Nodin) Guess what!
(bubble: David ) Chicken butt! Nah… Lemme really guess…
(bubble: Nodin ) Not funny. Alexa had a seizure over at my house!
(bubble: David) Oh shoot! For real?
2/4 page: David & Gabby on the phone. Split scene: close view of faces.
(bubble: Gabby) Hi David. Wasn't it wonderful that we got the little park!
(bubble: David) Yeah, but that's not I called you about. Alexa had a seizure today.
(bubble: Gabby) Oh no! And she was doing so well!
(bubble: David) Nodin said that it's no big deal but she'll be out of commission for a while.
3/4 page: Gabby & Ríona on the phone. Split scene: close view of faces
(bubble: Ríona) What happened?
(bubble: Gabby) She was over at Nodin's house. Maybe she forgot her pills or something.
(bubble: Ríona) Poor baby. You want to go over to see her?
(bubble: Gabby) Probably tomorrow. David says that Nodin says that she's sleeping now.
4/4 page: Ríona is typing on the computer on an e-mail.
Hi Benjamin,
I couldn't get you on the phone. I wanted to tell you that Alexa had a sezure but you can't call her untill tomorrow because she's really tired. She's ok.
Sincerly,
Ríona
Page 8
1/2 page: Alexa is in bed. David, Ríona & Gabby are crowded around.
(bubble: Alexa) My mom says that I have to stay in bed for couple days. I guess I had a pretty big seizure.
(bubble: Alexa) I guess I forgot to take my medication with me when I was out a few times. I was just so excited t
(bubble: Alexa) I hate my seizures -- I can't do anything the way I'd like because of my stupid epilepsy!
(bubble: Gabby) But Alexa! Because of you, we got the vacant lot!
2/2 page: The first page text is spilling over into the second page. The second page drawing has no text. This is the lot, but a few of Department of Recreation and Parks people are there, plus Nodin & Ben plus 5 other no-name-kids. One DRP person is mowing the grass. One DRP is spreading soft dirt on the path. The 3 rd is sitting in the truck in the background. Nodin & the 5 kids are picking up trash with gloves & pick-up-sticks. Ben is standing & observing.
(bubble: Ríona) Alexa, you were the boss of everything!
(bubble: David) Yeah Alexa -- you got us thinking big! Now a pocket park! Tomorrow, world peace!
(bubble: Gabby) And you saved the raccoons and the squirrels and other animals that could've been hurt…
(bubble: Alexa) I guess I did, huh?
Page 9
Whole page: The Pocket Park. Front/top view. Everything is done. The grass is mowed, the path is winding, & there're more rises & valleys. There's a water fountain at the far end of the path where a 3 year old is being picked up by a big kid (let's say 14 year old boy, not his brothers) to drink. Two benches are just off the path -- one bench has a grandmotherly woman feeding squirrels. A couple walking along the path, facing the opposite way so the reader doesn't see their faces. The trees are the same (maybe more manicured) but there's another squirrel in one tree & in another, there's a hole halfway up & a raccoon's head popping out. Around the sides of the park, there are beds of flowers & vegetables & Ríona is gardening. In the open grass, there's Nodin, lying down on a blanket with eyes closed & David “creeping” (rolling) behind him with a dry hose in his lap. Gabby is at the “control” -- the apartment building has a spigot where the hose is hooked up. Ben is playing Frisbee with Sam, who is out of uniform. Alexa is sitting down with a book under one of the trees watching everyone.