Written by middle school students Juan del Toro and Andres Aguayo and other members of the Oakland Charter Academy's 2015-16 Yearbook/Movie Class, with assistance from Doniphan Blair
CHARACTERS (in order of appearance)
El Chapito
Ms. Durante, teacher
Checke, friend
Roberto, friend
SCENE 1: FADE IN
INT. SCHOOL CLASS ROOM. DAY
Middle school class, 20 kids, looking at teacher, El Chapito, on left, Checke, on right. Camera tracks in during shot.
MS DURANTE
Stop talking, Chapito, and come here.
CHAPITO
OK.
MS DURANTE
You know, Chapito, you got a bad grade on the grammar test.
CHAPITO
I don’t care.
MS DURANTE
Now Chapito, you should care. You should get your grades up so you become a better person.
CHAPITO
I am a good person, Ms. Durante, but it’s hard for me to study. I am from a poor place where it is very noisy.
Still, I WANT to study. I want to become president some day!
MS DURANTE
That is very impressive, Chapito, but if you really want to become president you will have to study.
CHAPITO
OK. I will try harder.
MS DURANTE
That’s what I want to hear. I am sure you could become a very good student, Chapito. You just have to try.
SCENE 2
INT. SCHOOL CLASS ROOM. DAY
Camera pointing from teacher's position towards back of the class all looking attentively to teacher.
El Chapo goes back to his seat next to his friend, Checke. Camera zooms in.
CHECKE (whispering)
Forget that teacher, man. You’re not a good student, you're BAD, man.
You could become a leader, for sure, but of a cartel.
CHAPITO
But I don’t want to. I want to study.
CHECKE (whispering)
That’s stupid, man. Look, I aced that grammar test. I’ll help you.
CHAPITO
To study?
CHECKE
No, man. To start a gang. You can be the muscle and I’ll be the brains. Let’s do this!
CHAPITO (loudly)
No, I want to become PRESIDENT!
MS DURANTE
Chapito, what did we say about talking in class?
CHAPITO (yelling)
BUT I wasn’t talking. It was CHECKE who was talking.
MS DURANTE
But I heard you with my own ears.
CHECKE (pretending to write in his book, whispering)
One day you will change your mind.
MS DURANTE
Chapito?
CHAPITO
What the HUEVOS! I wasn’t talking, Checke WAS TALKING!!!
MS DURANTE
Chapito, behave yourself, or I will give you an F.
CHAPITO
GODDAMN, Checke was talking, I wasn’t talking!
MS DURANTE
Chapito, stop swearing and behave yourself, or you will get detention.
CHAPITO
WHAT THE DAMN, Daniel! OK, OK, I'm sorry Ms Durante, I will stop!
MS DURANTE
Thank YOU, Chapito!
CHECKE (whispering)
Forget that stupid Durante.
CHAPITO (whispering)
Don’t be disrespectful, Checke.
CHECKE (whispering)
What do you mean? She’s an idiot.
CHAPITO (yelling)
Checke!
MS DURANTE (yelling)
Chapito!
CHAPITO
Sorry, sorry.
SCENE 3
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY. DAY
In the school hallway, kids walking in background. One kid, Roberto, is standing around. Checke and Chapito enter screen left and right and meet.
CHECKE
C’mon Chapito, you and me, together we could run this school.
CHAPITO
Naw. I just want to study, make something of myself.
CHECKE
Aw, forget you Chapito—one day I will become a cartel leader.
CHAPITO (laughs)
You? Get out of here. You could never be!
CHECKE
Yes, I could. I could be a cartelero!
ROBERTO (has been listening in back and enters)
Neither of you could.
CHAPITO
What do you mean, if I can become president I can become a cartelero.
ROBERTO
No, you won’t because I will stop you.
CHECKE (laughs)
You? You’re a wuss.
ROBERTO
You think so? My father is a policeman and so is my uncle.
You watch, one day you’ll be in jail. And I’ll put you there.
CHECKE (laughs)
Shut up, or you’ll be dead.
CHAPITO
Don’t talk about killing in school, Checke. Do it somewhere else.
MS DURANTE (who has been listening in, walks forward)
Boys, boys, what’s all this talk of killing?
You are only in the seventh grade. How 'bout ‘killing’ your math test tomorrow?
CHAPITO
Yes, yes, Ms Durante, that IS what we were talking about — kill on the test.
CHECKE (whispering at Robert)
I’ll get you.
ROBERTO (whispering, louder)
No, Checke, I’ll get you.
MS DURANTE
BOYS!
SCENE 4
EXT. IN FRONT OF SCHOOL. AFTERNOON
Stream of kids walking out. Roberto is in the back standing. Checke and Chapito meet.
CHECKE
Hey Chapito, time to get our gang going?
CHAPITO
Don't be stupid, Checke. I just KILLED that math test and Ms Durante gave me a star, see!
CHECKE
A star? That's stupid!
CHAPITO
You're stupid, Checke! Hey, Roberto, wait up, you wanna play 'Assassin's Creed?
ROBERTO
Sure.
You want to come too, Checke?
CHECKE
OK.
END
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Video Camera
(Recommended) Boom Mic
PROPS NEEDED
None
CREW NEEDED
Director: Teacher or, in older grades, student
Assistant Director: Helps students study and prepare for lines
Assistant Producer: Prepares sets
Location Scout: Any one
Sound: Holds Boom, if used
Makeup: Basic for teacher
Clapper: Clap stick unnecessary but, if available, use to start scene