written in one day, by myself. that day is today, july 28, 2021. it was a lot of fun. very momentous. based on real life, with interludes from my very short and satisfying life. i did not get permission from anyone for any of the works used or referenced in this work, or any of the copyright or legal or whatever material. *paints a red target on myself*
Jericho 1996
The scene opens on a picture of the track and field connecting Jericho Senior Middle and High School on track practice. There’s the quiet sound of a slightly sick girl breathing. She is sitting in the middle of the field while 3 track stars prepare to run the 100m. She has a sketch pad proped up on her lap, and she is drawing a picture of the atheltes warming up, even though they are moving quite fast. Another girl comes up to her and says some stuff to her, and even compliments the drawing. The girl says thanks, as the picture’s ambience (sounds of the horses in the field behind the school and the birds and the students fades into New York State of Mind or Vienna).
The girl’s pencil breaks, and she runs a hand through her hair. “Oy vey, what am I going to do?” She starts to rummage through her bag, when someone picks her up by the arm.
“Come oN!Our heat is up.” She quickly drops her pencil and pad and stands up with the assistance of the girl. “Thanks.” says our protagonist. The girls get to stretching for their race then lining up as the next set of lyrics take place.
-The year is Jericho class born in 1996 to 1997. Even though the film you’re watching is called Jericho 1996, the actual year is 2015. Oddly enough, the girl you’re watching has her middle name as Jericho, though you won’t be calling her by that. Let’s know her as Billy Jean. And yes, that is a reference to Michael Jackson.-
-billy joel lyrics-
/Slow down you crazy child
You’re so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you’re so smart tell me,
Why are you still so afraid? (mmmmm)”
The music fades into the bg slightly as the screen goes through a speed up time warp or something (idk, but instagram was out so it’s possible,) and the girls are lined up for the race. All 6 spots of the heat are filled, and the gun goes off. All 6 girls break into a sprint for 100 meters, and our character places in third.
“Where’s the fire, what’s the hurry about?
You better cool it off before you burn it out
You got so much to do and only
So many hours in a day (Ay)
But you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want
Or you can just get old” the music comes back into full swing after the race. Then the rest of the scene is the girl talking with some of her friends and pointing out whoever the ‘love interest’ (red herring) will be. He or she lines up at the starting mark and prepares for a run, only to get duped by the real love interest (who is the one actually running in third place of the first heat).
“You’re gonna kick off before you even get halfway through (Oooh)
When will you realize… Vienna waits for you?
Slow down you’re doing fine
You can’t be everything you want to be before your time
Although it’s so romantic on the borderline tonight (tonight)
Too bad, but it’s the life you lead
You’re so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you’re wrong
You know you can’t always see when you’re right (you’re right)
You got your passion, you got your pride
But don’t you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don’t imagine they’ll all come true (Oooh)
When will you realize… Vienna waits for you?”
(the race should break off somewhere in the last two verses as the coaches tally up the speeds and prepare for the second race.)
The introduction scene starts to fades out. -Yup, that’s all of Billy Jean’s life. Life’s not very interesting in this small Long Island suburb, but hey. This year’s going to get to be the most intersting place to be, so you may as well strap in for the so called golden age. As for me, I’m just a kid who came after the prosperity. I can’t even say I fit the name of our school. I was just a fan, excited to join in on some of the run.-
The camera zooms out onto the girl speaking, who winks at the camera in the mirror before the video is revealed to be a hortizonally taken youtube video. She flips the camera to the vetical angle and giggles, before clicking the ending of the recording video.
The main girl takes out a letter she sealed in the 2nd grade. She opens it up and reads it. The letter says the following.
“Dear me. I only have one goal before I have to study in my junior year. I have to get a famous picture or photo, the kind that shakes up the whole world.
Signed,
Danielle Jean-Rousseu”
That’s her name. Danielle Jean-Rousseu. We all call her Billy Jean, but to be fair, she did introduce herself that way. She actually moved here the year she wrote that letter.
The next day, she has to be in chorus, when all of a sudden her name is announced is to represent the school by the main teacher. She says “ok” and then goes to do whatever that entails. Idk personally.
Maybe the rest of the scenes go in this call and responce kind of fashion. She continues to draw in a veritcal video clipped to the top left of the screen, erasing and penciling in on the sketch as the progress of the movie continues.
She gets invited to a Halloween party, dresses as a pumpkin, has a drink splashed on her, then cries a bit to her friend before our love interest gives her an extra shirt or something. She thanks him, uses it to dab her clothing, and has a bit of an awkward conversation about whether she should wash it and return it to him or then take it home. He tells her to keep it, and they share a moment in the party. Someone does a jump from the roof (will ask Meghna about the details of that wild party) and then the moment breaks. Her bestie pulls her away from her love interest, and the three of them travel to the backyard to see whatever actually happened.
The three of them go to celebrate by watching a Broadway show for her birthday with like 5 or 6 extra people, and they all celebrate by going to a restaurant right across the street from Broadway before going to see the show. The top left girl stops sketching and leaves her room, before emerging into the screen as one of the girls who goes to the party with them. Our main protaganist seats her next to her with the best friend at the left. The scene fades out with the lead of the show singing the opening lines.
~Intermission~ on screen is the November food party -Friendsgiving-, with some people coming and others not. it’s a really large affair. The narrator (myself) was not invited to any of them and did not attend, having family obligations, so the whole thing proceeds without dialogue.
The scene comes back on all the girls cheering for the show, and the two guys they dragged along pretending to look disinterested, but fairly pleased. There are references to the fall play, and the whole group breaks into giggles at their group’s designated target (who isn’t there). -Don’t worry if you feel bad for her. She’s got her own life, and I’m not entirely sure she thinks that highly of our clique, group, gang, whatever.-
the characters all ride back home on the lirr, talking with each other good naturedly.
Bad karma. She is talking to the airtist in the corner on her phone.
The artist So what you’re saying is there is bad karma and good karma
Protaganist Yup.
The artist And good karma is when you do something nice for creatures.
Protagnist Yup. And when ou follow the spritual path.
The artist So letting the bug fly out the window is good karma.
Protaganist Yes madam or sir.
The artist Haha. Funny. And bad karma is when you do something mean or cruel.
Protaganist In a nutshell.
The artist And you’re a self proclaimed bad girl.
Protaganist Ooo, SAT word. Yes, yes I am.
The artist laughs through the speaker. The two of them continue to talk.
She hangs up.
The artist walks off the screen of the top left and into the room of the protaganist. The protaganist starts crying, and the artist approaches her and hugs her.
“Why did she have to die?”
“I don’t know.”
the scene ends.
next scene.
about half of the whole school is wearing black, including the whole of their friend group. The rest of the colors are fairly muted, with some stickers referring to missing the girl who passed way. The artist in the top left hung something up on the camera to cover up some of the more colorful artworks on her wall.
Everything returns to normal in an instant, and even our protaganist finishes mourning in the appropriate time. It’s about the time for April Fools Day, and the protaganist gets to work with 4 other people to plan the party. Cue one trip to Party City.
Everyone reconvenes at the girl’s bedroom and they all decorate her room in celebration of what is to come. At the end of the affair everyone is exhausted, only some have a good time, and the protaganist tries to call the artist again, only to get no answer. The artist in her screen stubbornly looks at her phone, only to not answer for some meaninggul reason, and the protganist tries to leave the house, only to be too sick to climb out the window.
At the end of the scene, the girl realizes she has been paying tribute to a shrine which hasn’t even tried to hold her up, and leaves with the artist to go join some real friends and people who really care about her.
The phone rings on the protaganist’s side.
The artist You can be such a brat sometimes.
Protagaist What?
The artist You are a brat!
Protaganist Well you’re a basket case.
The artist Hey, that’s not very nice.
Protaganist It’s an insult, dipshit.
The artist You’re getting on my nerves
Protaganist It’s true though! Only crazy people draw.
The artist That’s terrible to say to me. I thought you cared.
Protaganist Well… not that much…
The artist Then that’s it then.
The artist hangs up the line and moves her drawing off the screen. -Yeah, the after argument is pretty comical. What a shame our leading lady doesn’t know she’s a condesending shit, huh?-
Then there’s testing season and it sucks for everyone. No one talks during it, and the pressure gets really high. Some kids take off from school because it gets that bad.
After testing season is over, the artist and the protaganist hug it out and make out in the artist’s backyard underneath the stars.
Protaganist Jupiter can be kind of ugly, ya know.
The artist Stop talking already!
The scene fades in on their scores returning. The seniors let out a cheer as some of the college results change around and they all get together and essentially figure out who is doing what for senior cut day and the whole works. The main character is pulled into some of these prematurely, along with a promposal, by her older brother.
She gets back with the artist once these (and all the future competitions until post graduation) are figured out. She ends her part in the year by taking a picture of all 50 or so people who were in the movie, including crew.
The next picture is a drawing of her standing at the front circle posing as the statue in front of the tree, with the school, the sun, and the moon all in the distance. It ends with the photo reaching 2,000,000 likes on Instagram.
credits
screenplay me
music (by mention) billy joel