Starring:
Mo McKynzie as Marisol Montgomery
Cody Smith as Aaron
B. Narr as Jack
Akanimo Effang as The Host
Director & Sound Designer: Nathan Gabriel
Writer, Creator, & Producer: Jade Madison Scott
Script Supervisor: Virginia Wilson
Theme Composer: Sterlyn Termine
Show Art: Julia Patrick
Introduction
HOST
WGC Productions presents Small Victories. Hey, Marisol?
MARISOL
What?
HOST
You know what you’re about to do is a bad idea, right?
MARISOL
Are you kidding me? This is a great idea.
HOST
Oh. Huh, okay. Are you gonna—
MARISOL
Right, uh, this episode got strong language and mentions of drug use. Sweet, play my music. I need it.
(Small Victories Theme Song Fades In)
EXT. THE NATIONAL MALL- NIGHT
The crickets chirp. The street is pretty empty.
MARISOL
(Internal)
Bad idea? Can you fucking believe him? I mean, I think I know when I’m making a bad decision. I mean, I know that now, anyway. I mean, like, maybe a couple years ago or a couple of months ago or a couple days or…..I know what I’m doing, plus it’s like the only real option I got. I mean, I got cocaine that I can’t do, borrowed with money I don’t have. My friends are broke and my fiance, Oh my God my fiance!
(Marisol laughs. Sweet kid.)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
I mean, how do you go up to a woman crying in a tub ’cause her dad is dying of cancer and ask her for money? That shit just ain’t done. But it’s okay. As soon as I pay him back, as soon as I get the money and pay Aaron back, me and Nina are gonna be in the clear, and we’ll spend the rest of our lives together happy and in love and—
(Marisol takes a deep breath.)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
I’m gonna sell the coke. Reopened up a couple of my old dating apps, typed in that I was a plug and boom I got people sliding in my DM’s asking for this, that, and the third. Most people were just looking for weed, but I found him. Some guy, Jack, swiped and when I told him I was selling coke he jumped at it. Even after I told him it was gonna be 700 bucks, I know Aaron only wants 650 but there’s no reason I can’t make a little money off this, besides I need to buy an engagement ring pretty soon. I gotta save up! What I’m saying is that, like, this is the obvious solution. I can’t be around coke? I need money? I should sell coke for money. It only makes sense. Dollars and cents. So, we’re supposed to meet at this bench on the National Mall. I know this place has, like, a lot of cameras and cops and everything all around and stuff, but like I don’t trust someone who’s trying to score coke off an app. I got mace and if it goes south, I’mma spray em and say they were trying to touch me. Boom. If that isn’t a foolproof plan then I don’t—
JACK
Hey—
MARISOL
I don’t wanna buy anything, kid.
JACK
No. No, I mean, like, hey.
MARISOL
What?
JACK
You’re Marisol, right?
MARISOL
Why? Who are you?
JACK
I’m Jack. You look just like your pictures.
MARISOL
You’re—
JACK
Anyway, I got your money. How do you want me to send—
MARISOL
Woah, slow the fuck down. You’re Jack?
JACK
I mean, that’s not my real name, but yeah.
MARISOL
You look 13.
JACK
Baby face.
MARISOL
Uhuh. How old are you?
JACK
20.
MARISOL
You’re 20?
JACK
Yeah.
MARISOL
In what? Dog years?
JACK
I told you I got a baby face.
MARISOL
Where’s your license?
JACK
I live in the city. I don’t need to drive. Look, I didn’t know I was doing the ninth fucking degree. I got your money, do you have the….the snow?
MARISOL
The snow? What bad 70’s movie are you from?
JACK
I’m not….look, do you got it or not?
MARISOL
Course I got it.
JACK
Sweet. Then do you take—
MARISOL
Hold up. I don’t know if I’m gonna sell it to you.
JACK
What?
MARISOL
Well, I was gonna, but then I saw you and now my conscious has a lot of questions. How old are you?
JACK
I already told you—
MARISOL
No, I meant actually.
(Beat)
JACK
18.
MARISOL
18? You sure?
JACK
Yeah. Course I’m sure.
(Pause)
MARISOL
Fine.
JACK
Yeah. Yeah, it better be fine—
MARISOL
Hey, take it down three notches. The whole tough guy thing doesn’t really work on me.
JACK
Oh. Um, okay. Sorry.
MARISOL
So, you got the money?
JACK
Yeah.
MARISOL
All of it?
JACK
Yep.
MARISOL
How’s an 18-year-old find $700 at the drop of a hat?
JACK
I broke open the piggy bank.
MARISOL
Okay, smartass—
JACK
You know I didn’t think drug dealers would be so strict about who gets what.
MARISOL
I’m not a drug dealer.
JACK
Oh, so selling drugs is just a hobby?
MARISOL
Okay, listen here Benjamin Button, this right here? This? This is a one time thing. I don’t do this shit—
JACK
Yeah, ’cause you guys are known for your honesty.
MARISOL
Look, have you ever even done it before?
JACK
You mean, have I...ridden the white dragon—
MARISOL
Oh my God—
JACK
Yeah. Yeah, I’ve done it loads of times.
MARISOL
Loads of times?
JACK
Yeah, loads.
MARISOL
Okay. How do you do it?
JACK
How do I do what?
MARISOL
What do you think, dumbass?
JACK
Oh! Uh, well, I do it the normal way.
MARISOL
Which is…
JACK
I snort it.
MARISOL
Okay. What kind?
JACK
What kind?
MARISOL
Fishscale? Rerock? What are you using?
JACK
Uh, fishscale.
MARISOL
And for aftercare, what do you do for that? I mean, coke comedowns are a bitch. You gotta do something right?
JACK
Yeah. Yeah, of course.
MARISOL
Alright, what do you do, Jack?
JACK
I, uh, you see I, like, take ecstasy. It sort of takes the edge off. Cause, I mean, like you said, they can be a real bitch.
MARISOL
You do E for coke comedowns?
JACK
Yeah, don’t you?
MARISOL
No. Because that would be fucking horrific.
JACK
Did I say E? That’s my bad, I meant molly.
MARISOL
Those are the same fucking thing. Alright, stop bullshitting me—
JACK
Look, I’m going to a party and I told them I could bring some coke and if I don’t they’re all gonna think I’m full of shit—
MARISOL
You are full of shit.
JACK
Come on, this girl I like is gonna be there and—
MARISOL
What? So, you’re gonna be idiots together, do a line and chase it with something laced with, like, fetynal or oxy which could fucking kill your knuckleheaded asses, by the way—
JACK
Hey, I maybe don’t know all the ins and outs of everything, but I know, like, the basic stuff. Like don’t mix upper and downers and all that shit. I’ll be fine.
MARISOL
Kid, have you ever even been high?
JACK
Yeah, of course.
MARISOL
Have you ever been high off of something other than weed?
JACK
Yeah, I’m not a fucking pussy.
MARISOL
Okay, big shot. What?
JACK
Addy.
MARISOL
That’s it?
JACK
That’s it!? That stuff is practically meth.
MARISOL
No. Meth is practically meth. Look, you’re clearly not ready to handle the kind of fun this coke is gonna let you have.
JACK
But I got the money—
MARISOL
Don’t remind me.
JACK
You gotta give it to me or like this is false advertising or something.
MARISOL
What, you gonna tell the cops?
(Pause)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Listen, I’m doing you a favor.
JACK
Who asked for a favor?
MARISOL
When I was your age, your actual age, whatever that is, I would have been saved so much bullshit if Aaron saw that I wasn’t ready for any of this.
JACK
Who the fuck is Aaron?
MARISOL
Look, kid—
JACK
I’m not a kid.
MARISOL
Jack, if you really wanna impress your girl that much, go to the store, buy some vitamin D pills, crush em up real good, put em in a bag, and snort that. Your friends will probably wanna be high so bad that they’ll say it feels like the real thing and you’ll still be the man.
JACK
Does that work?
MARISOL
I mean, if you’re an idiot then yeah.
(Pause)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Can you at least pay me for the advice?
JACK
You want me to pay you for telling me to buy vitamin D pills?
MARISOL
It’s a pro tip.
JACK
Do you want more money? For the coke? Like I could maybe get 750? Or 800—
MARISOL
Stop.
JACK
But—
MARISOL
No. No, ’cause if you keep going up you’re gonna hit a number I can’t say no to.
JACK
So, you will sell it, you just want more—
MARISOL
I’m serious, man. Shut up.
JACK
1000!
(Beat)
MARISOL
You got that kind of money?
JACK
Yeah, I have to fiddle around in some accounts, but yeah. I can get it right here, right now. Just say the word.
(Long Beat)
MARISOL
I….I’m sorry. I can’t.
JACK
Are you serious?
MARISOL
Yeah, I’m se….I’m serious.
JACK
Fuck you, lady.
(The boy storms off. Small Victories theme fades in.)
Closing
HOST
You have just listened to Small Victories. Starring-
(Marisol stomps in the infinite white cube where the closing takes place.)
MARISOL
FUCK! Why didn’t I just….woah, where am I? This doesn’t look like the usual—
HOST
Wait, cut the music—
(Small Victories Theme stops)
HOST (CONT'D)
How did you get here?
MARISOL
Where exactly did I get?
HOST
You’re at the closing.
MARISOL
The what?
HOST
The thing that happens after you stop talking to us.
MARISOL
Oh. I didn’t….I didn’t know this was a thing. Does this happen every time? What the fuck-
HOST
Marisol, why are you here?
MARISOL
I don’t know.
HOST
You don’t know?
MARISOL
Thanks for the echo. I just needed someone to….I just let him walk away!
HOST
Yeah.
MARISOL
Yeah? Yeah!? That was 1000 bucks man. I.E. A lot of fucking money. Money that I need and I just let him walk away, for what?
HOST
Isn’t not selling drugs to a child a good thing?
MARISOL
Oh, don’t do that holier-than-thou bullshit with me. It’s eleven-something on Friday. That money is due tomorrow and what did I do? I found the money and let it walk away.
HOST
Marisol—
MARISOL
I should go track him down or something, right? Like chase after him and just go back on it. I should—
HOST
Marisol.
MARISOL
What?
HOST
You did a good thing. I mean, that kid didn’t even know that Ecstasy and Molly are the same thing. He would have really hurt himself. You did a good thing.
MARISOL
Then why’s it feel like I shot myself in the foot?
HOST
I don’t know. I’m not qualified to talk about your psyche.
(Beat)
MARISOL
I just…..can we, like, go back to the Mall? I don’t wanna be in a place that looks like purgatory.
HOST
Ummm-
EXT. THE NATIONAL MALL
Everything sounds as it did before the closing. The night hums with the sounds of urban nightlife. Marisol walks down the sidewalk.
MARISOL
Thanks.
HOST
Welcome.
(Marisol sighs.)
MARISOL
Was I always like this? Do you know?
HOST
Like what?
MARISOL
Like….I don’t know. Ollie says I’m being too hard on myself, but if I’m not hard on myself who will be, you know? I think a lot of people let me get away with bullshit ’cause they’re just….they pity me. Dead Mom. Dead Twin. Bad Dad. They pity me. And, like, I don’t want their pity. I just wanna be normal, but what even is normal? Like, is what Nina’s doing normal? Is what Ollie’s doing normal? Or Aaron? And it’s not some big fucking secret that I wanna be okay. I do. I do. I wanna have a dog and go to PTA meetings and have someone at home and travel the world. I want all that stuff. I don’t know if any of that’s normal, but it’s something. I want to have the life my mom didn’t have. I want the life Sam didn’t have. I want it for all of us. But if I want it then why do I keep making the dumbest fucking mistakes?
(Pause)
HOST
Jack was pretty pressed about that party, wasn’t he?
MARISOL
Huh?
HOST
You know? The kid?
MARISOL
Yeah. Yeah, I know his name.
HOST
He was pretty worried about the party.
MARISOL
Yeah. Wanted to impress his friends. Thirteen-year-olds can be so dumb sometimes. Like before Mom died, anytime there was even a little bit of drama it felt like it was, like, life or death. Don’t even remember a lot of what I was worried about back...oh, I see what you’re doing. You’re trying to make this whole comparison about how, like, in 10 years I’m gonna look back on people my age like I’m looking at Jack?
HOST
I’m just saying you’re both pretty young. Mistakes are gonna happen.
MARISOL
You’re a crafty son of a bitch.
HOST
Thank you.
(Beat)
MARISOL
But is it enough? Is just wanting it and knowing that enough?
(Pause.)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Hello?
(Pause.)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Hello! Great, now he chooses to shut up. Mistakes are gonna happen, huh? Feels cliche but maybe it’s just true. God, look at it. I’ve been carrying this dime bag around for four days and it looks so beat and worn and old. It’s almost like I’m seeing it for the first time. Who’d have thought something that doesn’t even feel heavier than a mini cupcake would cause me so much fucking trouble? If I wanted to, I could just drop it on the ground. Just hold it in my fist, open my hand, and let go. Just let the bag go. Just—
(The music approximates the falling of the bag. It’s difficult, but in the end it’s a wave of relief. Not completely resolved but it’s a relief. )
MARISOL (CONT'D)
And it’s gone. Keep walking and it’s gone.
(The music swells and acts as a transition.)
EXT. AARON'S STOOP- LATER
Marisol knocks on Aaron’s door. The ambiance of a residential street rumbles in the background. Aaron opens the door and classical music rushes out of his home.
AARON
What?
MARISOL
I don’t have the money. I’m not gonna get the money. Sorry.
AARON
You still got the coke at least? I could make something work with that.
MARISOL
No.
AARON
You did all of that in two days? You’re unmatched, T—
MARISOL
Aaron—
AARON
What do you want me to do, huh?
MARISOL
I’m thinking you can let this go.
(Pause)
AARON
Why don’t you come in, huh?
MARISOL
I don’t—
AARON
Come in.
(Marisol enters Aaron’s house and he closes the door.)
EXT. AARON'S LIVING ROOM
MARISOL
Look, man—
AARON
Marisol, maybe we can work this all out.
MARISOL
Work...this—
AARON
Yeah. Yeah, I’m a pretty forgiving guy, but I gotta get at least a little something if I’m not gonna have money or the coke back.
MARISOL
Look—
AARON
No, you look, I've been thinking about what you said. About how I don’t like you I just like fucking you...well….I’m coming to you as a man, right now, okay, and I’m about to say some real shit. So….I never cared about someone the way I cared about you. And I think us not being together is the dumbest fucking thing we’ve ever done, and that’s saying something.
(Pause)
AARON (CONT'D)
Come on. Say something. I fucking poured my heart out. You gonna say anything?
MARISOL
Aaron, I’m really tired and we can talk about this tomorrow. Like if you just move, I can leave and we—
AARON
You’re not leaving.
MARISOL
What do you mean? Stop playing and get out the way—
AARON
No.
MARISOL
Aaron—
AARON
You’re not leaving till I say you leave.
MARISOL
Nigga, I’m serious!
AARON
So am I. So, sit back down. We’re gonna talk until I say we’re done—
MARISOL
Aaron—
AARON
I said sit back down.
MARISOL
Look, okay. Okay. I’m sitting. I’m sitting.
AARON
You think it’s easy for me? To be here talking to you, but I do it. I do it for you, and you’re such a heartless bitch—
MARISOL
Hey—
AARON
Shut the fuck up.
MARISOL
Look, I get it. I get it right. It sucks having your heart broken, right? It sucks, but it happens. If you want to bitch and moan about it, then that’s a you problem.
AARON
No, baby, it’s a fucking you problem, because this kind of shit makes me have a problem with you.
(Marisol nervously laughs)
MARISOL
Yo, man, I’m serious. I really wanna go home—
AARON
Too fucking bad. I’mma ask you a question and I want the truth.
MARISOL
And then will you let me go home?
AARON
Depends. Can you tell the truth?
(Pause)
AARON (CONT'D)
Alright, Marisol, all I wanna know is did you ever even love me?
MARISOL
Did I—
AARON
Answer the question.
MARISOL
Yeah. Yeah, I did. When I was younger, I did. Sure.
AARON
And now?
MARISOL
Come on—
AARON
I mean, love just can’t go away can it? Like, if you loved me not even two years ago then how come you wouldn’t still love me now, unless you were lying—
MARISOL
I wasn’t lying—
AARON
Yeah? Yeah, then why the fuck are you getting married then, huh?
MARISOL
What?
AARON
Nina posted it on her IG a couple hours ago. A picture of you two with a ring emoji in the caption.
MARISOL
Okay. Okay, I can explain—
AARON
Lie. You can lie. You didn’t love me huh? You’re the one who just liked fucking me, huh? Didn’t ever even care about me, did you!?
MARISOL
It’s not true. I cared about you. I did—
AARON
YOU’RE LYING!
(Aaron pulls out a knife.)
MARISOL
Hey, put that knife away, ok—
(Aaron stabs Marisol. She cries out and falls to the ground. The following conversation gets increasingly murky, like they’re underwater, until it simply fades out.)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Holy fuck! Christ, you stabbed me!
AARON
Holy shit!
MARISOL
Aaron, what the fuck?!
AARON
Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Look. Look, I’m gonna pull it out—
MARISOL
Don’t pull it out!
AARON
Shit. Shit. What do I do? What am I supposed to do?
MARISOL
911. Call 911. Call….call Nina. Aaron, help me.
AARON
Okay. Okay.
(Aaron dials 911.)
MARISOL
I...I think...my stomach is all warm. I gotta….I can’t really feel anything down there.
AARON
Don’t worry. Just stay awake, okay? Just stay, hello? Hi! Yes, hi, hello, um, there’s a girl, I stabbed a girl, she’s bleeding there’s blood everywhere. There’s blood fucking everywhere. I didn’t know she’d bleed this much. I’m gonna throw up... She’s just, um, yeah, yeah the address is….
(The outside world has faded out.)
EXT. AARON'S LIVING ROOM
HOST
You have just listened to Small Victories. Starring Morgen McKynzie as Marisol
MORGEN
Or what you gonna tell the cops?
HOST
Cody Smith as Aaron
CODY
You still got the coke? I could make that work, at least.
HOST
B. Narr as Jack
B
You mean have I ridden the white dragon?
HOST
Composer, Sterlyn Termine. Script Supervisor, Virginia Wilson. Director and Sound Designer, Nathan Gabriel. Writer, Creator and Producer, Jade Madison Scott. And Akanimo Effang as The Host. Small Victories is supported by listeners like you. You can support us by subscribing to our Patreon and purchasing our merchandise from our store. Links to both can be found at www.wgcproductions.com. Please follow us @withgoodco on Instagram and Twitter to stay up-to-date.