Starring:
Mo McKynzie as Marisol Montgomery
Yodeet Nymberg as Nina Greene
Lolita Marie as Summer
Chinna Palmer as The Stranger
Joy Jones as Kelly Greene
Derek Snow as Jonah Greene
Steven Wright as Justice of The Peace
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 God, so you’re really going through with it. You’re such a-
MARISOL
No. You’re not gonna be mean to me today. Say something nice.
HOST
You look really nice.
MARISOL
Say you’re proud of me.
HOST
I’m so proud of you.
MARISOL
Say it again.
HOST
I'm so proud of you. You found someone. You're not alone. Sometimes love works, right?
MARISOL
Yeah. Yeah, sometimes it does. Heads up for strong language and discussion of drug abuse. Play something special, please.
(Small Victories Wedding Remix Plays)
INT. CLERK'S OFFICE- DAY
Marisol is sitting in the courthouse chapel.
MARISOL
(internal)
It’s happening.
(The birds from The Beyond slowly fade in.)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
It’s-
STRANGER
(whispering)
Marisol.
MARISOL
(internal)
It’s really-
STRANGER
(whispering)
Go home.
MARISOL
(internal)
It’s really-
STRANGER
(whispering)
The further you run-
MARISOL
(internal; trying to speak over the birds)
It’s really happening. I’ve talked a big game, but it’s happening.
STRANGER
(whispering)
The closer you get.
MARISOL
(internal; trying to speak over the birds)
Here! I’m getting married. I’m getting married! Me and Nina, Nina and Me we’re gonna be a pair. Forever. Forever is a long time. A really really long time. But she wants to spend it with me.
(She drowns the birds out and they go away.)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Haha! She could have left. She had a million outs, but she didn’t take them. I humiliated myself yesterday, and she could have said no. She could have said, “no, walking out on my parents was the last straw.” But she told me she loved me. She held me and told me she loved me too and…I think I believe her. That’s the crazy thing. I think I believe her. She wants me forever. Forever. She wants me. And she’s so good, so perfect, so innocent. If she sees something in me that’s good and loveable then it must be there, right? The type of person she deserves must be in me somewhere, right? And if that's who she sees that's who I'll be. I'm ready. I'm ready to be there for her.
(The doors swing open.)
MARISOL
(external)
Nina? Oh.
KELLY
She’s not here yet?
MARISOL
Hi, Kelly. Hi, Jonah. No. She’s still in transit I guess. She said she wanted to pick up a surprise before it started. Lucky thing we already filled out all the paperwork.
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
Excuse me, Ms. Montgomery. Who are these two?
MARISOL
Parents of the other bride.
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
Wonderful. I’m glad your daughter chose us for her special day.
KELLY
Yes, well, she is certainly, uh, glad she chose you as well.
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
I just want to remind everyone that there is another ceremony in 30 minutes, so time is of the essence.
MARISOL
She’ll be here. She’s on her way.
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
Just a reminder.
(The Justice sits down.)
MARISOL
I, uh, I’m sorry about yesterday. I wasn’t feeling well. Also, I was being an asshole.
JONAH
I'll admit, a year ago I would have made it my mission to keep you away from my daughter, but dying puts things in perspective.
(Pause. Jonah clears his throat.)
JONAH (CONT'D)
Kel.
KELLY
Marisol, I was rude as well and I apologize. You make my daughter happy and that is important to me. And if you do, happen to…fall back on bad habits, we would be supportive of any steps to recovery you would take.
MARISOL
Um, thank you, but you don’t have to worry about that. I’m, I’m done with all that.
(Beat.)
JONAH
So, you’re marrying my baby girl.
MARISOL
Yes, and don’t worry we’ll start trying for grandkids immediately.
(Kelly groans and Jonah holds back a laugh.)
JONAH
And your parents? Where are, are they not, err, supportive?
MARISOL
My parents are dead.
KELLY
Oh. I thought your father, I didn’t, she didn’t tell us that.
MARISOL
It doesn’t make me look great. Not that I was great before.
JONAH
Well, I think, on behalf of my wife and myself, we’d like to say that we are very glad to be a part of your new family. Wouldn’t we, dear?
KELLY
Yes. We are very happy to have you be one of us, darling.
MARISOL
That’s, a, um…thank you. I know that I’m, like, so far from your first choice, but-
JONAH
Oh, Marisol, the woman we hoped Nina was going to marry was arrested for tax fraud last week. You’re a much better choice, believe me.
(Marisol laughs. Jonah and Kelly join her. Pause.)
MARISOL
Uh, I’ll be right back.
INT. HALLWAY
Marisol steps out of the room. Takes out her phone and calls Nina. It rings several times. It goes to voicemail.
NINA
Hi. This is Nina Greene. Please leave a message after the beep and I will try to get back to you.
(Beep.)
MARISOL
Hey, uh, just wanna say that we’re sort of running out of time so if you could just call me or text me when you’ll be here that’d be great. Also, I think your parents like me now, so that’s….you should just come. See you. Love you.
(Marisol hangs up. She sighs. SFX: Coke Heartbeat. She calls Summer. It rings.)
SUMMER
What are you doing? Today’s the big day, isn’t it?
MARISOL
Hey to you too.
SUMMER
Marisol.
MARISOL
She’s not here yet.
SUMMER
Well, where is she?
MARISOL
I don’t know.
SUMMER
Why’d you call me?
MARISOL
I don’t know. I just wanted to talk to someone.
SUMMER
And you called me?
MARISOL
Well, yeah. It’s kinda embarrassing, but you sort of listen to me and you talk to me like I’m not stupid and, I don’t know, you make me feel good in a way other people-
SUMMER
I don’t think we need to see each other anymore.
MARISOL
I……what?
SUMMER
I think this needs to be our last phone call.
MARISOL
Oh, uh, I was kidding. I don’t, I was joking. You don't make, I was bored. You don’t-
SUMMER
Okay, how do I put this? You’re sweet. A really nice girl-
MARISOL
A really nice-
SUMMER
And I'm not sure you know how...how soft you are. You care about people, about everything, so much and I don't know who told you that you shouldn't but you do. And you pretending that you don't just shows that you have no clue what your soul can tolerate.
MARISOL
Summer, come on. Be serious. You don’t want to do this. You’re gonna miss me. You know you’re gonna miss me. No one can do what I do-
SUMMER
Marisol, you’re not the only person I’m having sex with. I’m going to be fine.
MARISOL
I……………....fuck you, you fucking bitch.
SUMMER
Woah-
MARISOL
Your husband dodged a fucking bullet when he died. I bet he couldn’t stand you. Bet he fucking wanted to die just to get away from you. You’re old and shriveled and you’re the saddest, most pathetic, your loneliness stinks.
(Pause)
SUMMER
I’m going to hang up now.
MARISOL
Wait, Summer, wait-
(The call ends. Marisol lets out a noise of frustration. The doors swing open.)
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
Any word?
MARISOL
No, but she’ll be here. How long?
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
15 minutes left. Would you like to come back in the room?
MARISOL
Sure. Thanks.
INT. CLERK'S OFFICE
Marisol follows the Justice into the room. The clock ticks dreamily to indicate time has passed
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
Maybe you two should reschedule-
MARISOL
Can you just give us a little longer?
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
Even if we cut out most of the ceremony it would still bleed into the other's time.
MARISOL
Please? She told me she’d be here.
(Beat.)
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
Alright.
MARISOL
Thank you. Thank you. Look, I’ll go outside and find her. I’m sure she’s close.
INT. CITY STREET
Marisol jumps up and sprints out of the chapel. She runs through the marble floored building and bursts out the front doors into the city sidewalk.
MARISOL
Nina! I knew it. I knew you were here. Come on. We got a couple of minutes. We can get started and-
NINA
I’m so sorry.
MARISOL
You were late. No big deal. Come on, let’s-
NINA
Marisol.
(Long Beat.)
MARISOL
What is this?
NINA
I can’t.
MARISOL
You….like, you can’t today or-
NINA
Marisol, I’m not perfect.
MARISOL
Okay.
NINA
No, Marisol, I’m really not. I hate my father for things I can’t remember and I get jealous over things that don’t exist and I don’t live up to my potential-
MARISOL
Nina-
NINA
And you’ve grown so much. You’re volunteering every week and you’re so passionate about your lessons, and I love you and I’m proud of you. If there’s anyone who’s perfect it’s you and you deserve-
MARISOL
Nina, shut up.
(Pause)
MARISOL (CONT'D)
Do you think I’m stupid?
NINA
No.
MARISOL
Of course, I know you’re not perfect. I know you. I know all of you. That’s why I love you. Come on, let’s go in and-
NINA
You’re not listening.
MARISOL
They’re wedding jitters-
NINA
Marisol-
MARISOL
You’re nervous. That’s normal.
NINA
Marisol-
MARISOL
I had ‘em too. I was nervous and scared that I wasn’t gonna do it right, but they go away. Believe me. Come on, just come with me and we’ll-
NINA
I don’t have what it takes.
MARISOL
Have what it takes to what? Be a wife? You don’t have to do anything different than what-
NINA
No, I don’t have what it takes to love…..I don’t have what it takes to love an addict.
MARISOL
You…………………..
NINA
I’m sorry.
MARISOL
I’m so much more-
NINA
I know. I know you are-
MARISOL
Then why, how could you say that?
NINA
Yesterday when you were asking me for the OxyContin-
MARISOL
That’s what this is about?
NINA
You needed help. You needed help for a long time and I couldn’t even give it to you because I was scared. Marisol, I’m too scared to love you. I’m no good.
MARISOL
Is that all you see when you look at me?
NINA
I’m sorry.
(Nina pulls off her ring.)
NINA (CONT'D)
Here-
MARISOL
Fuck. Don’t, put the ring back on-
NINA/MARISOL
And you can keep yours I just don’t think it’d be right to keep it since you-/Put the ring back on. Nina, put the goddamned ring back on.
NINA
Okay.
MARISOL
I gotta go home. I gotta….there’s a steak house two blocks that way. Your folks would like it.
NINA
Marisol-
MARISOL
No.
(Marisol walks away. Transition Music.)
INT. NINA'S LIVING ROOM- LATER
Marisol is violently rooting around Nina’s house.
MARISOL
(internal)
I knew it. I fucking knew it. Liar. She’s a liar. A Liar. A Liar. A Liar. Everyone’s a fucking….where’s that fucking bottle? Where’d she fucking hide, she doesn’t know shit. She, she, she, if she knew, if she knew the whole time then what’s the point? Why’d she even string me along if she knew that she didn’t want to be my wife? She’s a coward. She’s a liar and a coward and a, and a, and a, disappointment. She’s a disappointment. A disappointment in a string of disappointments. Nina. Summer, what the fuck was Summer even, where’s the fucking, oxy, Nina? I know it’s around here somewhere? Where’d you put it? Where’d you put it you stupid fucking bitch. You stupid fucking, ugh, no. No, no, she’s not….I love her so much. How could she do this to me? How could she-
(Marisol yanks a pillow off a couch and hears the jingle of the pill bottle.)
Bingo.
(She slides her hand down the couch.)
I know you’re in here. I know she hid you in the couch. That’s clever, actually. She’s so smart. Come on.
(Marisol grabs the bottle and yanks it out.)
There you are, baby. You and me? Oh, we got some real damage to do.
(Small Victories Theme)
CLOSING
HOST
You have just listened to Small Victories. Starring Mo Mckynzie as Marisol.
MO
Also I was being an asshole.
HOST
Yodeet Nymberg as Nina
YODEET
I hate my father for things I can't remember.
HOST
Lolita Marie as Summer.
LOLITA
You're not the only person i'm having sex with.
HOST
Chinna Palmer as the Stranger
CHINNA
Go home.
HOST
Joy Jones as Kelly Greene
JOY
We are very happy to have you be one of us.
HOST
Derek Snow as Jonah Greene
DEREK
Tax fraud.
HOST
Steven Wright as Justice of The Peace
STEVEN
Time is of the essence.
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?