Fat City

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In Chapter 6 of THE INVISIBLE GIRL, after becoming invisible, overweight teen Bettie Bee packs a suitcase and moves into her best friend Lonny Schmerlzer's back yard fort, then calls him at school to give him the good news ... and that now they can get revenge on the bullies that have been making their lives a living hell ...


INT. BETTIE’S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
We hear FOOTSTEPS on the linoleum.
The suitcase FLIES into the room.
Lands on the table. OPENS.

FOOTSTEPS go the refrigerator.
The door OPENS. Food starts FLYING OUT
and landing in the suitcase.

Cheese. Crackers. Potato chips.
A loaf of bread. Mayo. Cold cuts. Cookies.

The suitcase CLOSES. RISES UP off the table,
and heads toward the back door, which OPENS --
and it travels outside.

IN THE BACK YARD
We see the suitcase FLY through the yard,
accompanied by FOOTSTEPS in the grass
as Bettie RUNS.

IN A NEIGHBOR’S WINDOW
A woman looks out.
Sees the bag moving across the grass.

INT. NEIGHBOR’S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
MRS. HENDERSON (50’s), puffy, bloated,
dumps her cocktail in the sink. Eyes bugged-out.

MRS. HENDERSON
I gotta make some coffee --

INT. SUBURBAN BACK YARD - DAY
Nicely manicured. Nestled against the fence
in the rear is a child’s fort.

Looks like a mini-log cabin.
The suitcase travels over to it.
Stops. The door opens. It goes in.

INT. BACKYARD FORT - DAY
The suitcase opens.
A CELL PHONE flies out.

Floats in the air.
We hear a number being PUNCHED IN.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM - DAY
A HIP-LOOKING MATH TEACHER (30’s)
stands in front of the class.

Points at an algebra equation
on the blackboard.

HIP-LOOKING MATH TEACHER
So if we change the variable to four-X,
can someone tell me what the quotient will be?

An eager, ASS-KISSING STUDENT raises his hand.

HIP-LOOKING MATH TEACHER
Yes, Donovan?

IN THE BACK OF THE CLASS
Sits Lonny. Half-asleep.
Something VIBRATES in his pocket.
He fishes out his phone. Looks at it.

A TEXT MESSAGE
On the screen reads IT’S BETTIE.
NEED YOUR HELP ASAP. URGENT.

LONNY
Raises his hand.

HIP-LOOKING MATH TEACHER
Yes, Lonny?

LONNY
May I please be excused to go to the bathroom?

Hip-Looking nods. Lonny gets up.
Goes to his desk. Grabs the bathroom key,
which is attached to A LARGE PIECE OF WOOD.

INT. BOY’S ROOM - DAY
Lonny sits in a stall.
PUNCHES a number on his cell phone.

LONNY
Hello, Bettie?

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. BACKYARD FORT - DAY
Bettie’s cell phone floats in the air.

BETTIE (V.O.)
Lonny? Thank GOD.

LONNY
What happened? I haven’t seen you since
you ran out of the cafeteria. Where are you?

BETTIE
I need your help -- I’m INVISIBLE.

LONNY
Well, everybody has self-esteem issues --

BETTIE
NO. LISTEN to me.
I’m invisible, as in YOU CAN’T FUCKING SEE ME.

LONNY
I don’t understand.

BETTIE
I came home from school, went to the fridge
to get a snack and drank something
that was in a soda bottle.
But it wasn’t soda -- and then I DISAPPEARED.

LONNY
Holy SHIT.

BETTIE
It must have been some formula my dad was working on.

LONNY
Yeah, right --

BETTIE
I freaked out, didn’t know what to do,
so I ran away. He’s gonna KILL me.

LONNY
Where did you go?

BETTIE
I’m in your backyard. In the fort.

LONNY
Did anybody see you?

BETTIE
What part of I’M INVISIBLE didn’t you GET?

LONNY
Oh, right. Right --
(smiles, realizes)
So you’re -- not wearing any clothes?

BETTIE
What do YOU think?

LONNY
Okay, sit tight. I’ll come see you after school.
(beat)
I mean, I’ll come visit you.

BETTIE
Can’t you come NOW? I’m SCARED.

LONNY
Maybe you should eat something.
That always makes ME feel better --

BETTIE
That’s all I’ve BEEN doing. I packed a suitcase.

He looks at the phone. Thinks a moment.

LONNY
And you -- carried it through the yard?

BETTIE
No, I swallowed it and barfed it back up again.

LONNY
No, no -- I just meant -- what if someone saw it?

BETTIE
Don’t worry. I was careful.
The only person who could have seen it was
Mrs. Henderson, and she’s a drunk.
Nobody would believe her.

LONNY
Okay. I’ll ditch my last class.
I hate history anyway.

BETTIE
Thanks, Lonny. You’re a real friend.
The only one I’ve got.

LONNY
Just hang tight, Bettie.
We’ll figure this out together.

BETTIE
Okay, bye.

LONNY
Bye.

They both CLICK their phones shut.
He sighs. Smiles dreamily.

LONNY
She finally needs me --