Emily loves bunnies, acting, penguins, dancing, singing, and making movies. She loves third grade and can't wait for fourth.
“The four girls called themselves the shortys because they each had long names that they had shortened… They shortened them because they didn’t like them, and then people could pronounce them and couldn’t make fun of them.”
Scene One: The Beginning
On stage, we see a bush and a red brick wall and no trees. It’s bright, sunny, and hot. There’s chirping birds.
MILLY (off stage)
Hey! Wait up.
Four girls run on stage. Emy first, Milly second, Kayla third, and Cat last. Emy touches the wall, and Milly closes her eyes and puts her hand in the bush.
EMY
First place.
Emy flips her golden hair with her hand.
MILLY
Second place.
Emy and Cat laugh as Kayla touches the wall.
KAYLA
Second place.
She puts an imaginary medal around her neck. Cat misses the wall by inches.
CAT
Third! I would be first if my mean sister Kay…
KAYLA
Watch it sissy.
EMY
I’m still counting!
Cat taps the wall with her finger.
CAT (muttering)
Third.
The narrator walks out as Cat silently argues with her sister, and Emy tries to break up the fight. Milly still has her hand in the bush, not noticing what’s going on. She has her eyes closed.
NARRATOR
The four girls called themselves the shortys because they each had long names that they had shortened. Emy was Emuleta, Kayla was Kaylamenta, Cat was Catrenen, and Milly was Milliana. They shortened them because they didn’t like them, and then people could pronounce them and couldn’t make fun of them.
EMY
Open your eyes, Milly.
Milly opens her eyes and sees her hand is in a bush. She pulls out her hand and touches the wall.
MILLY (muttering)
Last.
Their enemy Jane comes on with her sidekicks Lily, Gale, and Sadie.
JANE
Oh my. Lookie here.
CAT
Shut up, Jane.
EMY
You remember the time where we tricked you into jumping into the lake?
KAYLA
Don’t make fun of our names.
JANE
I challenge you to a relay race.
CAT
It is on!
Scene Two: The Training
We see a brick wall and Milly snoozing on the ground.
KAYLA
Come on, come on, come on.
Kayla runs on with Cat trailing behind her.
CAT
Hey, wait up! You got a head start! That’s cheating!
Emy walks on.
EMY
Okay, now the order. Cat, you first.
CAT
Why me?
EMY
Just, just…
KAYLA
You heard her. You’re first!
She turns to Emy.
KAYLA
Me next, right?
EMY
Sure.
CAT
Yeah, yeah,
EMY
Me next, of course!
KAYLA
And finally, Milly!
Milly sits up.
MILLY
Did I hear my name?
EMY
You did. You’ll be finishing off the race for us.
Milly faints.
EMY
Did I say something?
Scene Three: The Race
Narrator comes on stage.
NARRATOR
The race!!!
Narrator walks off stage and coach walks on.
COACH
Ready, set, go!
Cat starts to run off the stage, and narrator comes on.
NARRATOR
So they ran and ran and ran and ran, and Cat came in second behind Lily. And then Kayla started to run. And right behind her was Gale, but Kayla stayed ahead of her and finished before her. And then Emy started to sprint. She ran and ran and ran and ran. She was almost halfway there when Gale came home and Sadie started and Emy took first before Sadie. Then, Milly started to run.
Milly runs on stage with Jane close behind.
NARRATOR
Milly ran and Jane ran and Milly ran and Jane ran.
Milly and Jane turn towards the audience and run in place. They run off stage and come back on stage, and Lily, Emy, and Kayla come on stage to see the end of the race. And Jane has her hand out to touch the wall. And she touches something.
JANE
First.
Everyone laughs. And Milly touches the wall and cries with joy.
MILLY
First.
Jane opens her eyes and sees her hand in a bush.
MILLY
This memory is a keeper.
EMY
Good job!
Everyone bows.
ALL
The End.
Everyone walks off but Kayla.
KAYLA
See you in my next book, “Odd One Out.”
Emy walks on as Kayla takes a silly bow.
EMY
Come on, Kay. We don’t have forever!
Emy starts to pull Kayla off stage as she sends fake kisses to the audience.
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