Valentine's Day on Earth

SCENE 1: CAFETERIA, MIDDAY
(Marco and Star are walking to their table with their lunch. As the camera pans right, it stops on Janna, Jackie, and Hope’s table. Janna is looking behind her at Marco.)
JACKIE
So, you actually going to try to woo him this year?
JANNA
Oh yea, I got this under control. This is the year.
JACKIE
I feel like we’ve gone through this every year.
(Montage of prior Valentines Days where Janna pulls off pranks to gain Marco’s affection which often ended in serious injury for Marco.)
JANNA
If he had moved 6 inches to his left, that bowling ball would have given him the message.
JACKIE
Yeah, but instead it gave him a concussion
(Janna playfully throws her milk at Jackie. Jackie dodges, and the milk carton lands under Sabrina (carrying some arts and crafts material), promptly leading her to face plant on the concrete floor.)
JANNA
Eh, everybody’s a critic. So, Jackie, who’s your valentine going to be.
JACKIE
Who knows, Imma play it by ear.
(Camera cuts to Hope looking at her mirror as she applies make-up. She moves the mirror to the right, which shows Marco imitating some actions he made during him and Star’s last fight to Alfonzo and Ferguson’s amusement. Hope smiles.)
JANNA
Fair enough, how about you Hope?
(Hope is flustered as she had gotten lost in her mirror, and is taken off balance. She fumbles with her mirror.)
HOPE
12! Sorry, what was the question?
(Jackie and Janna chuckle at Hope’s awkward response.)
JANNA
Just asking about who you want to be your valentine.
HOPE
Oh, uh… Marr…tin. Martin Daniels.
JANNA
Who’s Martin Daniels?
HOPE
Yeah, he doesn’t go to this school. He lives in Canada.
JACKIE
Woah, that’s cool, where in Canada?
HOPE
Uh, Quebec.
(The bell rings to signal the end of lunch.)
JANNA
Alright, gotta go, girls. Need to make sure Operation Marco is ready.
JACKIE
Haha, okay you go do that
(Janna runs out the cafeteria, but not before mouthing “Call me” to Marco, and winking. Marco rolls his eyes. Hope begins to walk away from the table, and Jackie catches up to her since they have they both have gym the next period.)
JACKIE
So tell me about this Martin, how do you know him?
HOPE
Oh yeah, we grew up together.
(Sabrina is being carried off on a gurney in the background. Her crafting materials are snatched by Janna.)
JACKIE
You’re from Quebec?
HOPE
Oh yeah, I talk about it all the time, shocked you don’t remember. I’m 100% quebecanese.
JACKIE
Awesome, Avez-vous visitez souvent le Québec?
HOPE
Gesundheit.
The bell rings, and Hope rushes away from Jackie. Jackie is left looking confused.
SCENE 2: Gymnasium
(Marco is talking to Star, Hope runs up next to Marco. Hope looks up to him smiling until Jackie grabs her by the arm.)
JACKIE
Hey, Hope, is there something you want to talk about?
(Janna is seen crawling through the vents in the background.)
HOPE
No, that’s a weird question to ask. Am I not acting normal? Because I am!
JACKIE
Alright, whatever you say.
MS. SKULLNICK
Okay class, due to budget cuts because of a certain pair of aliens,
(Marco and Star smile at each other. Ms. Skullnick smiles in their direction.)
I am now your history and gym teacher. And today we’ll be playing TROLL DODGEBALL!
MARCO
Is that the same as regular dodgeball?
MS. SKULLNICK
Yes, Marco, except Troll Dodgeball is played with a TROLL BALL!
Ms. Skullnick lifts up a foam ball dripping with paint.
STAR
Woah, that’s so cool.
(Star looks on in awe.)
MARCO
Isn’t that just a regular ball painted green?
MS. SKULLNICK
I could’ve gotten a real ball if it weren’t for budget cuts.
(Star elbows punches Marco in the arm. Marco chuckles as he rubs the spot she punched. Hope is suspicious of the nature of their “friendship.”)
MS. SKULLNICK
Well, if there aren’t any more questions, I’d like the class to separate into 2 teams.
(The class quickly makes two teams. We get a POV of Ms. Skullnick which reveals she has thermal vision. Jackie has a low thermal heat, to show off how cool she is. She also sees that Marco and Star are on the same team.)
MS. SKULLNICK
Come on Star and Marco, you know it wouldn’t be fair if you two were on the same team, so Star you switch places with Jackie.
(We return to Ms. Skullnick’s POV, which shows Hope visibly upset that Jackie will be with Marco. Marco’s internal temperature rapidly increases as Jackie approaches him.)
MS. SKULLNICK
Alright class, PLAY BALL!
(The class, begins to play TROLL dodgeball. Sight gags include Janna repel down a rope, and sneak out of the exit, and Ferguson catching a ball with his gut, and having said ball shoot out and hit someone for an out. Hope inches closer to Star, who is intent on winning.)
HOPE
So, uh, Star, how are things?
STAR
Great, just trying to kick Marco’s butt in troll dodgeball, you?
HOPE
Yeah, just wanna ask a question.
STAR
Ask away!
HOPE
Well, you see, uhm.
(A ball whizzes by Star’s head)
STAR
NICE TRY, ALPHONZO!
ALPHONZO
Thanks!
STAR
NOT!
ALPHONZO
Augh…
STAR
Sorry, what was the question?
HOPE
It’s about you and Marco. What are you guys?
STAR
His housemate I guess, why?
HOPE
No, I mean, do you love him?
STAR
Do I love Marco? Of course I do, why?
HOPE
Oh…
(Star reads Hope’s facial expressions, and realizes Hope misinterpreted Star’s answer.)
STAR
Not in that way, Hope.
HOPE
Wait really!?!
STAR
Right now, we’re fine with being best friends.
HOPE
Oh man, that’s really a relief. For a second I thought you were…
(Hope is nailed by a dodgeball, and the screen cuts to black. The screen fades in to a POV of Hope, who is being attended to by the nurse’s assistant, Marco.)
STAR
I didn’t know you were a nurse!
MARCO
Assistant nurse, but yeah.
HOPE
Ugh what happened?
(Marco flashes a light in her eyes to make sure they dilate.)
MARCO
Probably nothing more than a bruise, you should be fine.
(Marco lifts Hope up. Hope look up at him lovingly, but Marco is just confused. Hope thinks about her best friend Janna who she sees staring at her from a tree outside confused. This causes Hope to awkwardly push off Marco, and run out of the gymnasium. Jackie asks Ms. Skullnick if she could go after her, which Ms. Skullnick agrees to.)
MS. SKULLNICK
What are you all staring at? It’s best 2 out of 3, back on the courts people!
SCENE 3: BATHROOM, MID-DAY
(Hope is washing her face in the sink, and putting on make-up. She is too nervous to put on her mascara straight, which causes it to smudge, and she washes her face again. Jackie slides into the bathroom, and rushes up to Hope.)
JACKIE
Alright, this is the last straw, you’re going to tell me what’s going on right now.
HOPE
I like Marco, okay? I’ve liked him for a while now. But with Janna clearly going after him, and Marco being infatuated with you since forever, I’ve been trying to come to terms with me never having a chance. But he’s always so nice to everyone, and I really need someone like that in my life right now, because nothing at home is going too well, and and and
(Hope breaks down, and Jackie consoles Hope in her arms. The camera cuts to a shot of someone looking through the gap in the bathroom stall’s door. It’s Janna, who has a bag full of toilet paper. Janna frowns, and looks at her phone wallpaper, which is a selfie of Hope and herself making a silly face. Janna blows her hair out of her eye, and lies back into the toilet seat.)
JANNA
Dammit conscious, why do you have to be right most of the time.
SCENE 4: HALLWAYS, AFTERNOON
(The bell rings, and Jackie and Hope exit their class together, and spot Janna leaning against her locker chewing on a piece of gum.)
HOPE
Janna, what are you doing? Shouldn’t you be doing your Operation Marco right now?
JANNA
Eh, not feeling it this year. And to be honest, it was gonna be just another prank anyways. Marco deserves a break from ol’ Janna. At least for today.
HOPE
So, you wouldn’t care if someone else became his Valentine this year?
JANNA
If that person somehow convinced Marco to get over Jackie, I’d practically applaud them.
HOPE
Oh-ok, uhm I have to grab something quick is that okay?
JANNA
Sure, go on ahead.
Hope and Jackie go towards Marco’s locker. Janna looks on as their exchange unfolds. Jackie pushes Hope forward, and Star pushes Marco forward. Hope asks Marco if he’d like to be his Valentine, and Marco says “Sure.” Shocked by how easy it was for him to move on past Jackie, Marco says “sure” again even louder. Star jumps up and down in excitement for Marco, as Marco offers his arm for Hope to wrap hers around. Jackie, Star, Marco, and Hope discuss hanging out that night and watching some movies, where Star begins to brag out Marco’s nacho making talents. Janna looks on, and nods approvingly at Hope, who smiles back at her. Janna collapses at her locker, and looks down. She pulls out a crumpled, but beautifully designed letter to Marco, apologizing for being such a nuisance over the past few years. It also asks that if he doesn’t want to be her Valentine, she would greatly appreciate being her friend again, like they had been years prior. Janna crumples up the letter, and banks it into the trash, as she buries her head into her knees.