The Capybara Conspiracy by Erica S. Perl

Author:Erica S. Perl
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2016-10-11T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

ACT II, SCENE III—FARLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Now BRIE is sitting with DEV at the principal’s office waiting area, showing him photos on her phone.

BRIE: In Japan, they pretty much worship capybaras. See? They have toys, dolls, clothing, even candy wrapped to look like little capybaras. (She sighs.) And look, that’s a baby capybara in the wild, just learning the ways of the herd. See how strong and majestic and free he is?

DEV: If you say so.

BRIE: I’m sure it’s got to be the oldest story in the book. Girl falls hard and risks everything for love. Looking back, I don’t know how I could be so stupid…so weak. I don’t know how to explain it, except to say…

DEV: I get it. You had a thing for Pablo.

BRIE: Pablo? (She laughs.) No, not Pablo. Winston. (She sighs happily.) I’m completely powerless when it comes to capybaras.

BRIE leaves the principal’s office waiting-area chairs and takes a seat on a stool in the stables, looking heartbroken. REY joins her, patting her shoulder awkwardly. OLIVE enters and approaches them.

OLIVE: Rey! What are you doing here?

REYNALDO: I’m guessing the same thing as you? Basking in the happy glow of getting called into the principal’s office and grilled within an inch of your life?

OLIVE: I know! It was horrible. They told me if they found out I had anything to do with Cappy’s disappearance, they’d take away my trip to Florida and get me disqualified from competing in the National Festival of the Performed Word.

REYNALDO: They can’t do that! Can they?

OLIVE: I don’t know. What’d they threaten you with?

REYNALDO: Detention. Four to six weeks of hard labor, filing in the main office and reshelving in the media center, supervised by the worst drill sergeant you could ask for.

OLIVE: Your mom?

REYNALDO: Yup. And then at some point they told me that Cappy was back and I could leave.

(Suspiciously) Which is funny because I thought the plan was for all of us to bring him back and be heroes together. So, Brie and I got to talking. We feel like you have some explaining to do, Olive.

OLIVE: What are you talking about? I didn’t bring Cappy back!

REYNALDO: Well, if you didn’t and I didn’t and Brie didn’t, who did?

PABLO walks on, trailed by the PEP SQUAD GIRLS.

PEP SQUAD GIRL #1: Pablo! Hey, Pablo! Wait up!

PEP SQUAD GIRL #2: Yeah, we heard you’re, like, a hero.

PEP SQUAD GIRL #1: Not just like a hero. But like a real hero.

PABLO: It was nothing. Listen, girls, I gotta go. Can’t miss baseball practice. That’s right—I’m back on the team. I’m all about the baseball team! Hoof five!

PEP SQUAD GIRLS #1 and #2: Hoof five!

The PEP SQUAD GIRLS bump “hooves” with PABLO before he runs off.

PEP SQUAD GIRL #2: (Dreamily) Oh, I am never washing my hoof. I mean hand.

The PEP SQUAD GIRLS exit happily.

OLIVE: Rey, you didn’t and I didn’t and Brie didn’t—it was Pablo! He lied to us. He’s not one of us at all. He’s a…a…baseball player!

REYNALDO: I knew it! I guess Pablo was using a different script.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.