Starring:
Mo McKynzie as Marisol Montgomery
Yodeet Nymberg as Nina Greene
Lolita Marie as Summer
Akanimo Effang as The Host
Director & Sound Designer: Nathan Gabriel
Writer, Creator, & Producer: Jade Madison Scott
Supervising Producer: Virginia Wilson
Producer: Will Stokes
Beyond Underscore & Dialogue Editor: Michael Ronstadt
Theme Composer: Sterlyn Termine
Show Art: Julia Patrick
Introduction
HOST
Before we begin I want you to know that you can listen to the entire series along with bloopers and bonus content on Apollo+. Apollo+ is a new platform where your subscription gets you early access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, behind the scenes content, supercuts and more. 70% of the revenue goes directly to creators. Join Apollo+ through the Apollo Podcasts app OR by going to apollopods.com/plus. Now, on to the show. WGC Productions presents Small Victories.
MARISOL
Cool, so strong language and sexually suggestive situations. Music me, please.
(Small Victories Theme.)
HOST
No, cut that off.
(Vinyl scratch. The Theme stops.)
MARISOL
What? Why-
HOST
Why?! Because you’re-
MARISOL
Don’t say it.
HOST
But you are.
MARISOL
I know. It's not…like, I'm not thrilled about it. I swear I regretted it, like, 30 minutes in, but once you start you gotta keep going, that’s just manners-
HOST
Marisol, you’re having an affair.
MARISOL
It’s not an affair.
HOST
Sex.
MARISOL
More accurate.
HOST
With Summer.
MARISOL
Yes.
HOST
Right now.
MARISOL
Yes. That is technically what is happening with my body at the moment. I….it’s not….I mean, I’m just being friendly.
HOST
Dude.
MARISOL
I know! I know. You told me. The weird eyeball thing told me-
HOST
The what?
MARISOL
I get it! I should have stopped, but to be honest, aside from the crippling guilt and oppressive dread, it feels really really really good-
HOST
Can you be serious?
MARISOL
If I was serious, I’d want to kill myself! Fuck!
(Marisol Kicks An Object)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Shit, how did this happen?
HOST
And Nina-
MARISOL
No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no we are not going to talk about her yet.
HOST
And Summer, I mean, you’re the first person she’s slept with since her husband died. God knows if she’s ever even been with other women. What if this is her sexual awakening and it turns out she's in love and then you don’t return the feelings and then she gets her heart broken again just a few months after the unexpected death of her true-
MARISOL
Why are you on her side?
HOST
There are no sides.
MARISOL
Really? Cause it feels like you’re on her side. Weren’t you the one who told me I’m young and mistakes were gonna happen? That I’m too hard on myself? What if this is me trying not to be too hard on myself? Isn’t that good?
HOST
Do you believe anything you’re saying right now?
MARISOL
Do I have to?
(A Cuckoo alarm goes off.)
HOST
Ahh! What-
MARISOL
Yeah, I set up this little alarm to tell me when she’s about to finish, so I can jump out and say all the right things and maybe climb out a window? I don’t know, I’ll figure it out. You’re staying here, right?
HOST
Yeah, I’m staying here. Good luck.
MARISOL
Oh, we’re waayyy past that. Can I hear the music now?
HOST
Hey, it’s your show.
(The Small Victories Theme.)
INT. SUMMER'S BEDROOM
Marisol and Summer are lying next to each other.
SUMMER
Holy shit. That wasn’t awful.
MARISOL
Thanks. Just what every girl wants to hear.
SUMMER
Sorry. Thinking out loud. I just….I think I need a drink. You want one?
MARISOL
Uhh…………………..…….yeah. I could go for one.
(Summer slides out of bed and Marisol follows. The two walk to the kitchen. Under the action.)
SUMMER
Merlot’s fine?
MARISOL
Yeah, yeah, sure, yeah.
SUMMER
How eloquent.
MARISOL
Sorry, I’m just thinking.
SUMMER
About?
(Summer opens the cabinet and grabs two wine glasses)
SUMMER
Can you grab the wine?
MARISOL
Yeah.
(Marisol opens the fridge and grabs the bottle and places it on the counter. Summer opens it.)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Your wine smells really good.
SUMMER
It’s a 2012.
MARISOL
Good year.
SUMMER
Sure. Tell me when.
(Summer pours and pours and pours and-)
SUMMER (CONT'D)
When. Jesus.
MARISOL
Sorry. I haven’t had wine in a while.
SUMMER
Do you not like it or something?
MARISOL
No, I like it fine. Cheers.
SUMMER
Cheers.
(They clink glasses. Marisol chugs the wine and puts down the glass.)
MARISOL
Do you think we’re bad people?
(Summer chuckles)
MARISOL
I’ve just been, you know, wondering, I've just been about it for the past couple of months and then this happened, is happening? I don’t know-
SUMMER
Oh, you’re, you're really asking.
MARISOL
Yeah, I’m really asking.
SUMMER
Are you asking the professor with several peer-reviewed papers on the subject or are you asking the woman who just helped someone 19 years her junior cheat on her fiancee because she was upset and missed her husband?
MARISOL
Ummmm…..the first one?
SUMMER
Then probably not.
MARISOL
Oh! And the second one?
SUMMER
Definitely.
MARISOL
Oh.
SUMMER
Is this really what you wanna talk about right now?
MARISOL
No. I guess not.
SUMMER
Yeah, didn’t think so.
(Transition Music.)
AD BREAK
The Host is listening to one of the other Apollo+ show’s in his headphones as he sits in the void.
HOST
(to himself)
I am Quent. Quent is me. Nobody respects how hard it is to manage a loose can-
(He sees the audience)
HOST (CONT'D)
Hey, there! I didn't know you guys were coming by. Let me just pause-
(He pauses his show.)
HOST (CONT'D)
Sorry, I was just listening to Omen on this new podcasting platform, Apollo+, which you….may not know anything about. Okay, so Apollo+ is a creator-owned platform where people like you and me subscribe and then 70% of the revenue goes directly to the audio drama creators. And they can use that revenue to pay their cast or help make another season of their show or make more episodes or anything! It’s a sweet set-up, especially since Small Victories is one of the shows you can listen to over there. And on Apollo+ the episodes don’t have ads and you can listen to Small Victories bonus content and you can listen to the entire season at once instead of waiting each week. And it’s super easy to join. All you have to do is join Apollo+ through the Apollo Podcasts app OR go to apollopods.com/plus. It’s so easy even a fictional character in an incorporeal space can do it. But I really do want to know how Toby, Gwen, and Quent are gonna get out of this so I’m gonna go back to Apollo+ and you can go listen to whatever Marisol is getting up to right now.
INT. NINA'S LIVING ROOM- LATER
Marisol unlocks the doors and enters. Nina is sitting on the couch.
NINA
Hi.
MARISOL
Hi.
(Marisol closes the door.)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Sorry, I’m late. I was walking around after our lesson and…I got you some flowers. Camellias. Your favorites. They’re kind of an apology. For today.
NINA
Thank you. I, uh, I got you a present too. Buldak and kimchi from Kwons.
MARISOL
Thanks. That’s really nice.
NINA
Marisol, I don’t wanna fight.
MARISOL
Good. Great. Me either.
NINA
I’m glad you have a friend. And I am proud of you. I’m so proud of you. I guess part of me still sees you as that girl who is really struggling, but you’re sober and responsible and-
MARISOL
Please stop.
NINA
I’ll try to be better.
MARISOL
You didn’t do anything wrong. I know how sensitive you are about cheating and stuff and I shouldn’t have, I should have told you I was bringing her lasagna.
NINA
It was really good lasagna.
MARISOL
Thanks. Are we okay?
NINA
Of course, we’re okay.
MARISOL
Good. Let’s eat.
NINA
Wait, I just….when I texted you earlier today why didn’t you text back?
MARISOL
Huh?
NINA
Earlier today I texted you “is now a good time to talk” and-
MARISOL
No, I know what you’re talking about I just don’t know why you’re asking.
NINA
You always text back. I actually really like that about you. Like you always want to talk to me.
MARISOL
I love talking to you.
NINA
I know, which is why I can’t understand why you wouldn’t text back. It was an olive branch. I don’t know what you could have possibly been doing that was so important that you couldn’t even text back a quick “talk later” or something. I’ve been thinking and thinking but I just can’t-
MARISOL
If you’re trying to ask me something then ask me.
NINA
(without hesitation; totally calm and controlled)
Did you fuck that woman?
MARISOL
(no hesitation)
No, of course not.
NINA
Why didn’t you text me back?
MARISOL
I don’t remember. Maybe my ringer was off. Maybe I thought I did and I just forgot. I don’t know, but Nina, I swear I didn’t touch that woman.
NINA
You swear?
MARISOL
On my mother.
NINA
(obviously relieved)
Okay. Okay.
MARISOL
You know it kind of makes me feel really shitty when you do stuff like that. We’re getting married and you don’t even trust me. How do you think that makes me feel?
NINA
I do trust you-
MARISOL
Trust isn't getting upset that I missed one text.
NINA
You were with Summer and I know you-
MARISOL
What? You know I what?
NINA
You cheated on me before with Aaron.
MARISOL
While I was high out of my mind. Nina, I’ve been sober for five months.
NINA
I know-
MARISOL
No unprescribed drugs. No alcohol. Five months. And I know, Nina, I swear to God, I know that if I did, God forbid, actually do anything with Summer that would actually kill you and you gotta know I would never never do anything to hurt you. I love you, you gotta know that. I choose you. I want you. You gotta know that. Do you know that?
NINA
I know that.
MARISOL
And, like, I don’t wanna make it a whole thing, but I’m trying to be honest, to talk about my feelings like you want, and you know, like, a big part of me staying sober is, like, me feeling good about myself. Feeling like I’m a person worth taking care of, a person worth loving and everything, and I feel really really shitty when the person I love more than life treats me like I’m some fuck-happy kid? Like is that all I am? Someone who’s so desperate to, like, feel wanted and happy that she’d sleep with anybody the first chance she gets? Is that me?
NINA
No.
MARISOL
I hope that’s not me. I hope you think more of me.
NINA
Sorry. I’m sorry. I do. I think the world of you. It’s the stress, the stress of my dad, the wedding, everything. It’s getting to me.
NINA
You just forgot to text back. I’m sorry for freaking out.
MARISOL
No, I’m sorry. I’ll do better, okay? I’ll be better.
(Text Notification)
SUMMER
I miss you.
(Text Notification)
SUMMER (CONT'D)
Well, parts of you.
(Text Notification)
SUMMER (CONT'D)
When are you free?
NINA
Who-
MARISOL
Here. You can look if you want.
NINA
I…………..no. I trust you. I trust you.
MARISOL
You don't know how much that means to me.
(Small Victories Theme)
CLOSING
HOST
You have just listened to Small Victories. Starring Mo Mckynzie as Marisol.
MO
I'm not thrilled about it.
HOST
Yodeet Nymberg as Nina
YODEET
I'm so proud of you.
HOST
Lolita Marie as Summer.
LOLITA
Is this really what you want to talk about right now? Yeah. Didn't think so.
HOST
Chinna Palmer as the Stranger
CHINNA
Why do your thoughts upset you so?
HOST
And Akanimo Effang as the Host. Theme Composer, Sterlyn Termine. Original Cello Music Composed by Assistant Sound Designer Micahel Rondstadt. Script Supervisor, Virginia Wilson. Director and Sound Designer, Nathan Gabriel. Created and Written by Jade Madison Scott. This episode of Small Victories may be over but the fun doesn’t have to end. Listen to the entire season on Apollo+. Not only can you listen to our show but you can also listen to and support other shows like, Primordial Deep, Omen, Afflicted, Sidequesting and more. Not to mention that when you subscribe to Apollo+, 70% of that revenue goes to the creators you love! And they can use that revenue to make new episodes, new seasons, bonus content, and make sure the cast and crews of their shows get paid. It’s a win-win. Or a win-win-win-win? Or a win-win-win? Look, I don’t know what it is, but I do know that Apollo+ is good for me, you, and the crew. What more could you ask for?