Later on in the day...Group.
Sophie: Well, as you might already know, we have a new cliffhanger. Her name is Lizard Mentzer.
(Lizard nodded her head in acknowledgement. She's still wearing her headphones but seems to be paying attention.)
Peter: ok, gang. We're going to start by finishing this sentence. I feel… Daisy, you can start.
Daisy: I feel tired. Scott.
(And on it went around the circle until it reached Lizard. Unnoticed by everybody else, Lizard has taken the headphones off her ears and they are now around her neck.)
Lizard: I feel nervous. (everybody is shocked. Nobody has expected her to talk.)
Peter: Why do you feel nervous, Lizard?
Lizard: (looks apprehensive.) umm…well. It's been a long time since I've been around kids my own age.
Ezra: Why haven't you?
Lizard: I've had tutors since I was ten yrs old.
Auggie: wow! You really are rich!
Lizard: (shrugs) I didn't fit in well at schools.
Auggie: yeah. School was never my thing.
(everybody but Shelby smiles)
Shelby: Am I the only one who notices that she's got headphones and a walkman? And how about the dog?
Sophie: Shelby, you've brought up a very good point. Lizard, you know the rules. You aren't allowed to have either of those things. What's your explanation?
Shelby: Why don't you just take them from her?
(Sophie looks at Peter - silently asking the same question)
Peter: Well...Lizard doesn't seem to want to give them up.
Shelby: So? You two are scared of her! Watch this.
(Stands up and heads over to where Lizard makes a small movement with her hand and her dog surges forward. Trouble sits in front of Lizard - but has not made any threatening movements.)
Shelby: Oh look. She's gonna sic her puppy on me. Oh no! I'm sooo scared!
Peter: (in a warning tone) Shelby...
(Shelby continues forward.)
Lizard: (under her breath) Trouble.
(The dog starts barking at Shelby and bares his teeth. Shelby freezes when he starts to growl.)
Lizard: Shelby, I would move away very slowly.
Peter: Lizard! Stop this right now!
Lizard: (shrugs) whatever you say. C'mere here Trouble. That's a good dog. (Dog playfully nuzzles her and his tail his thwapping the ground very fast.)
(The entire group is completely dumbfounded. Dropped jaws and everything.)
Lizard: (stands up and walks over to Shelby.) Now listen here. My dog is trained to protect me, always remember that. Don't hurt me and he won't hurt you. (angrily) Hurt him and I'll hurt you. I don't ask for problems but I deal with them quickly and efficiently. Get the picture?
Shelby: (too scared to smart off) yes.
Lizard: Now about my headphones. I will keep them because they are important to me. And my dog will stay with me or I will go home. And while I know that wouldn't break any of your hearts, I sense my grandmother would be rather upset if I got kicked out of the school Peter promised would help me. Getting my drift?
Lizard: (looks around) Now here is the deal. I will mind my own business and you can mind your own. And in two months when my grandmother comes to visit I will act like the perfect lady she wants me to be. She will say I am cured and I will go home and then we can all go back to our normally planned lives.
(turns around and heads for the door.)
Lizard: (stopping) I knew it wouldn't be any different here. (She walks out with her dog trailing behind her.)
(the group is speechless.)
David: (finally) Nice job Shelby! Way to alienate the new girl on the first day. That has got to be a new world record... how fast can Shelby hurt someone!
Scott: Shut up, David.
(Sophie is stunned. She looks at Peter.)
Sophie: I told you. (she stalks off.)
Juliette: Wow. That girl is crazy! Trying to get her dog to bite Shelby! I can't believe that!
Daisy: She was not going to get her dog to bite Shelby. If she had wanted that, Shelby would be on the ground, bleeding.
Peter: Daisy, why do you say that?
Daisy: Weren't you looking at her? Didn't you see her eyes?
Peter: umm...no.
Daisy: Peter, she was hurt by what Shelby said. But more to the point she was scared of Shelby. There was fear in her eyes. Something terrible happened to her. Don't kick her out, I don't think she'll make it.
Shelby: I didn't mean to scare her. I was just angry. And why are you suddenly on her side? She almost killed me!
Daisy: Oh come off it, Shelby. You know you provoked her because you wanted too. Look, Peter. I knew this girl when she was younger. She was harmless. She was so sweet and innocent. Don't give up on her.
Scott: Yeah. Don't give up on her.
Shelby: (her mouth is wide open) Well I can see who are my friends and who aren't.
Scott: Shelby. This isn't about you. Why can't you see that?
(Shelby runs out of the building. She runs down to the docks. It's still light outside, by the way.)
Shelby has stopped because she's out of breath. Breathing hard, she hears a dog barking. *that stupid dog* she thinks and starts walking to it. She walks into the clearing. She's shocked to see Lizard is hitting a tree with her bare hands.
Shelby: What are you doing?
Lizard: (jumps) What in the hell do you want?
Shelby: I'm on a walk. What are you doing?
Lizard: Minding my own business, which is what you should be doing.
Shelby: Doesn't that hurt?
Lizard: What?
Shelby: What are you stupid? Does hitting a tree with your bare hands hurt?
Lizard: (holding up her bloody hands) oh! No, actually. Doesn't hurt at all.
Shelby: you're kidding! Jeez. Talk about high tolerance for pain.
Lizard: (laughs) yeah. A special gift for special little Lizard.
Shelby: (laughs as well) every time you say lizard I get this picture of a gecko I use to own.
Lizard: ha! What happen to the Lizard?
Shelby: (sarcastically somber) he died.
Lizard: oh no! story of my life!
Shelby: look, I'm sorry about that back there.
Lizard: no problem. And I'm sorry about Trouble. He's a really sweet dog but I just was nervous. I would never have let the dog actually hurt you.
Shelby: I figured that. Can I pet him?
Lizard: Yeah. Sure.
(Shelby pets him, Trouble's tail thwaps energetically.)
Shelby: So, they are going to be looking for us. They probably think we are trying to kill each other.
Lizard: (laughs) sorry, kiddo. I have better things to do with my time.
Shelby: yeah. Me too.
(they walk back toward the cabins.)
Sophie: Well, as you might already know, we have a new cliffhanger. Her name is Lizard Mentzer.
(Lizard nodded her head in acknowledgement. She's still wearing her headphones but seems to be paying attention.)
Peter: ok, gang. We're going to start by finishing this sentence. I feel… Daisy, you can start.
Daisy: I feel tired. Scott.
(And on it went around the circle until it reached Lizard. Unnoticed by everybody else, Lizard has taken the headphones off her ears and they are now around her neck.)
Lizard: I feel nervous. (everybody is shocked. Nobody has expected her to talk.)
Peter: Why do you feel nervous, Lizard?
Lizard: (looks apprehensive.) umm…well. It's been a long time since I've been around kids my own age.
Ezra: Why haven't you?
Lizard: I've had tutors since I was ten yrs old.
Auggie: wow! You really are rich!
Lizard: (shrugs) I didn't fit in well at schools.
Auggie: yeah. School was never my thing.
(everybody but Shelby smiles)
Shelby: Am I the only one who notices that she's got headphones and a walkman? And how about the dog?
Sophie: Shelby, you've brought up a very good point. Lizard, you know the rules. You aren't allowed to have either of those things. What's your explanation?
Shelby: Why don't you just take them from her?
(Sophie looks at Peter - silently asking the same question)
Peter: Well...Lizard doesn't seem to want to give them up.
Shelby: So? You two are scared of her! Watch this.
(Stands up and heads over to where Lizard makes a small movement with her hand and her dog surges forward. Trouble sits in front of Lizard - but has not made any threatening movements.)
Shelby: Oh look. She's gonna sic her puppy on me. Oh no! I'm sooo scared!
Peter: (in a warning tone) Shelby...
(Shelby continues forward.)
Lizard: (under her breath) Trouble.
(The dog starts barking at Shelby and bares his teeth. Shelby freezes when he starts to growl.)
Lizard: Shelby, I would move away very slowly.
Peter: Lizard! Stop this right now!
Lizard: (shrugs) whatever you say. C'mere here Trouble. That's a good dog. (Dog playfully nuzzles her and his tail his thwapping the ground very fast.)
(The entire group is completely dumbfounded. Dropped jaws and everything.)
Lizard: (stands up and walks over to Shelby.) Now listen here. My dog is trained to protect me, always remember that. Don't hurt me and he won't hurt you. (angrily) Hurt him and I'll hurt you. I don't ask for problems but I deal with them quickly and efficiently. Get the picture?
Shelby: (too scared to smart off) yes.
Lizard: Now about my headphones. I will keep them because they are important to me. And my dog will stay with me or I will go home. And while I know that wouldn't break any of your hearts, I sense my grandmother would be rather upset if I got kicked out of the school Peter promised would help me. Getting my drift?
Lizard: (looks around) Now here is the deal. I will mind my own business and you can mind your own. And in two months when my grandmother comes to visit I will act like the perfect lady she wants me to be. She will say I am cured and I will go home and then we can all go back to our normally planned lives.
(turns around and heads for the door.)
Lizard: (stopping) I knew it wouldn't be any different here. (She walks out with her dog trailing behind her.)
(the group is speechless.)
David: (finally) Nice job Shelby! Way to alienate the new girl on the first day. That has got to be a new world record... how fast can Shelby hurt someone!
Scott: Shut up, David.
(Sophie is stunned. She looks at Peter.)
Sophie: I told you. (she stalks off.)
Juliette: Wow. That girl is crazy! Trying to get her dog to bite Shelby! I can't believe that!
Daisy: She was not going to get her dog to bite Shelby. If she had wanted that, Shelby would be on the ground, bleeding.
Peter: Daisy, why do you say that?
Daisy: Weren't you looking at her? Didn't you see her eyes?
Peter: umm...no.
Daisy: Peter, she was hurt by what Shelby said. But more to the point she was scared of Shelby. There was fear in her eyes. Something terrible happened to her. Don't kick her out, I don't think she'll make it.
Shelby: I didn't mean to scare her. I was just angry. And why are you suddenly on her side? She almost killed me!
Daisy: Oh come off it, Shelby. You know you provoked her because you wanted too. Look, Peter. I knew this girl when she was younger. She was harmless. She was so sweet and innocent. Don't give up on her.
Scott: Yeah. Don't give up on her.
Shelby: (her mouth is wide open) Well I can see who are my friends and who aren't.
Scott: Shelby. This isn't about you. Why can't you see that?
(Shelby runs out of the building. She runs down to the docks. It's still light outside, by the way.)
Shelby has stopped because she's out of breath. Breathing hard, she hears a dog barking. *that stupid dog* she thinks and starts walking to it. She walks into the clearing. She's shocked to see Lizard is hitting a tree with her bare hands.
Shelby: What are you doing?
Lizard: (jumps) What in the hell do you want?
Shelby: I'm on a walk. What are you doing?
Lizard: Minding my own business, which is what you should be doing.
Shelby: Doesn't that hurt?
Lizard: What?
Shelby: What are you stupid? Does hitting a tree with your bare hands hurt?
Lizard: (holding up her bloody hands) oh! No, actually. Doesn't hurt at all.
Shelby: you're kidding! Jeez. Talk about high tolerance for pain.
Lizard: (laughs) yeah. A special gift for special little Lizard.
Shelby: (laughs as well) every time you say lizard I get this picture of a gecko I use to own.
Lizard: ha! What happen to the Lizard?
Shelby: (sarcastically somber) he died.
Lizard: oh no! story of my life!
Shelby: look, I'm sorry about that back there.
Lizard: no problem. And I'm sorry about Trouble. He's a really sweet dog but I just was nervous. I would never have let the dog actually hurt you.
Shelby: I figured that. Can I pet him?
Lizard: Yeah. Sure.
(Shelby pets him, Trouble's tail thwaps energetically.)
Shelby: So, they are going to be looking for us. They probably think we are trying to kill each other.
Lizard: (laughs) sorry, kiddo. I have better things to do with my time.
Shelby: yeah. Me too.
(they walk back toward the cabins.)