HAZELWOOD JR. HIGH

Selection Two

SCENE TWENTY-SEVEN

STATEMENTS

The scene takes place in various police interview rooms. The girls are in street clothes and address the audience directly.

VOICE-OVER

The body of a young girl was found on Lemon Road late last night. The victim, Shanda Sharer, was a twelve year old student at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Doctors at King’s Daughters Hospital said the cause of death was burns and smoke inhalation. She also suffered minor lacerations to her head and body. In custody are four juvenile girls ranging in age from 14 to 16. They are being held in separate jails in the area.

TONI

Melinda and Shanda had got in a lot of fights. See, Melinda is a lesbian and Amanda and Melinda are girlfriend and girlfriend and--

TONI/MELINDA

--Shanda’d been messing with Amanda--

MELINDA

I just wanted to beat her up—that’s it.

TONI

--so Melinda made me call her.

HOPE

I helped (finding the word)--lure Shanda from her house--

MELINDA

She gets in the front seat--

TONI

Laurie wanted her in the middle so she couldn’t jump out I guess.

HOPE

--and I asked her questions I knew would um-provoke Melinda.

MELINDA

I put this old, dull knife on her throat. It was nothing, but she got real upset and was cryin’, you know—like a little girl.

LAURIE

We went to the Witches Castle—it’s just a place I like, it’s not saytanic or anything. And we were all hanging out, kicking back, you know—then Melinda started making certain threats.

TONI

They were going to cut her hair off and I tried to stick up for her and they were going to cut my hair off if I didn’t shut up.

HOPE

I menaced Shanda with the big knife. And I took her Micky Mouse watch—Minnie Mouse.

TONI

Melinda wanted to see what Shanda looked like with no clothes and--

LAURIE

All of a sudden Melinda just went off on her. She punched Shanda real hard in the stomach and kneed her in the face.

LAURIE/TONI/HOPE

Her mouth was bleeding.

MELINDA

I hit her, no big deal, and then I’m like, ‘Let’s take her home’ but Tackett pulls me over and goes ‘She’ll tell if we let her go now. We gotta finish her.’

HOPE

I didn’t think they were gonna really hurt her!

MELINDA/LAURIE

I don’t remember what happened next.

TONI

Shanda started to run away and somewhere in there--

TONI/HOPE

--I tried to help her--

HOPE

Shanda, I mean. Then I just gave up.

TONI/LAURIE

Melinda put her knife on Shanda’s neck--

LAURIE

--and was stepping on it.

TONI

--she tried to kick it in and she got mad I think because it was dull but I’m not even positive.

LAURIE

I had some rope in my car from when me and my mom brought home the Christmas tree.

LAURIE/MELINDA

Melinda/Tackett wrapped the rope around Shanda’s neck--

MELINDA

--and started pullin’ both ends herself. After awhile--

LAURIE/MELINDA

--she quit putting up a fight.

MELINDA

--I guess she went unconscious ‘cause she stopped kickin’.

MELINDA/HOPE/TONI

Tackett/They put her in the trunk--

MELINDA

--by herself.

HOPE/TONI

--and we drive to Five Star and--

HOPE

--I was gonna tell the lady what was goin’ on but--

TONI

--I called Nathan and he put me in a good mood.

MELINDA/LAURIE/HOPE

--Shanda starts banging--

MELINDA/LAURIE

--so we drive to this little forest--

LAURIE

--by my road. I wanted to be near home.

HOPE/TONI

Me and Toni/Me and Hope stayed in the back seat--

HOPE

I didn’t look. I had enough.

TONI

--I think they were cutting her.

MELINDA

I hate talkin’ about this, but--

MELINDA/LAURIE

--Tackett/Melinda takes her knife and--

LAURIE

--she’s like, slicing Shanda legs.

MELINDA

--she told me to help her but I said ‘no’ so she grabs my hand and puts it on top of hers and starts stabbin’. I yanked my hand away--

MELINDA/LAURIE

I was shocked--

MELINDA

--I mean, I was actually like, frozen.

LAURIE

We finally get to my house and pretty soon--

LAURIE/MELINDA/HOPE

--Shanda started making noise again--

LAURIE/MELINDA

--and she woke up the dog--

TONI

Sparky.

LAURIE

--so I go out to the car and opened the trunk. She was shivering and I held her hand. Then I closed the trunk, not all the way but half way to where it’d stay open. I was hoping she’d run away.

MELINDA

The banging stops and here comes Tackett back in with this crazy look in her eye.

TONI

She was wiping off her little Swiss knife.

TONI/HOPE

She wanted to go cruising but I didn’t want to--

HOPE

--get back in that car—I mean--

HOPE/TONI

Shanda was still in the trunk.

LAURIE

It seemed like--

LAURIE/MELINDA

--we were driving out there forever--

MELINDA

--it seemed like. Just--

MELINDA/LAURIE

--waiting for Shanda to die--

MELINDA

--but she wouldn’t.

LAURIE

Melinda wanted me to run her over but I could never do something like that--

LAURIE/MELINDA

--So we kept cruising.

MELINDA

I don’t know for sure how Shanda’s head got hurt.

LAURIE

She did a lot of banging around back there. She could have hit herself on the trunk part or something like that.

MELINDA

Tackett did go to the trunk by herself and I heard this thumping sound—fooomph—like when you break open a watermelon. Then being the sick fuck that she is, Tackett sticks this crowbar in my face and goes, ‘Look—a piece of her skull.’

LAURIE

I did not molest her.

MELINDA

I sure didn’t!

TONI/HOPE

I didn’t see anyone do that.

MELINDA

Shanda was real slutty. Who knows what she mighta done sex-wise?

LAURIE

Couldn’t she have been fooling around with someone earlier that night who shoved something up her anus?

MELINDA/LAURIE

It’s the only thing I can think of.

TONI/HOPE

Melinda and Laurie came back--

TONI

--all bloody. Melinda even had blood in her hair.

TONI/HOPE

They said ‘We’re gonna light Shanda on fire’--

TONI

--and I told ‘em, I go, ‘No way! Take me home right now’ So they dropped me off at my house and went from there to burn her.

MELINDA/LAURIE

It was Tackett’s/Melinda’s idea.

MELINDA

She always wanted to watch somebody cook.

LAURIE

Melinda was the burner. Me and Hope and Toni—we were just scared so we went along with it.

TONI

Yes, I lied to you. I didn’t go home ‘till later.

HOPE

I decided to help. I knew Laurie wanted me to.

TONI/HOPE/LAURIE

We went to Clark’s--

TONI

--and I was gonna get a can of Diet Pepsi but Melinda goes ‘get a two-litre’ so I did and we drank some.

HOPE

Laurie poured the rest out and filled it up with gas--

MELINDA

Hope knew a place we could go--

TONI/HOPE/LAURIE

--and we rode--

TONI

--out past the Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco Barn--

HOPE

--down this gravel road where kids go and get drunk.

LAURIE

--and when we got to the cornfields, I backed in and parked.

HOPE/TONI

--Laurie opened the trunk--

TONI

--and made me look inside. It was really yuchy.

HOPE

Shanda was all red.

MELINDA

Hope sprays Windex all over her legs and--

HOPE

I didn’t spray no Windex. If Melinda said that, she’s a fucking liar. Excuse me.

MELINDA

She was very interested in it, like, you know-like she was dissecting a frog. Like that.

HOPE/LAURIE

We lifted her out and laid her on the ground.

LAURIE

All four of us.

HOPE

Melinda wouldn’t touch her. She started the whole thing and now the fucking princess was makin’ us finish it.

TONI

I had gone back in the car and was listening to Mariah Carey. I didn’t really see who did what. Supposedly Hope poured the gas.

HOPE

Laurie told me to do it, but she didn’t make me. I did it myself. But I didn’t pour all of it.

MELINDA

Tackett pulls out her lighter and--

HOPE

Shanda was woked up now.

MELINDA/LAURIE

--she started crying.

LAURIE

She knew what was gonna happen--

LAURIE/TONI

--next--

TONI

--thing I know, I smell smoke.