When the Sunset Falls Hard

When the Sunset Falls Hard

When I look back at the ending scene, it reminds me of a movie script. And so with a heavy heart, I will attempt to write the script that I have just lived through. I am the hero. The writer is always the protagonist but believe me I am not feeling very heroic.

(Scene opens with a panning shot of my street around lunchtime during summer break)

Narrator: (Me. I play both protagonist and narrator) This is my street, Greentree Drive. It’s not very exciting at the moment, because it’s lunchtime. Lunchtime means that it’s too hot to be out riding my bike. My mom keeps the house cool and has made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich which I have every single day.

(Scene changes to inside my house where I sit eating my sandwich)

Mom: (From another room in the house) Tracy, don’t forget to pick up the yard.

Tracy: (me eating the sandwich) It’s too hot, mom.

Mom: Then you should have done it this morning when I told you to do it.

Narrator: As you can see, life here can be a hassle for a kid about to begin high school next year. I got my eighth-grade diploma last week. I will be going to summer camp in two weeks. That might be fun. It wasn’t last year, because I got into poison ivy and wound up itching all summer. I have to face it, being me is not all it’s cracked up to be.

(Scene shifts to backyard where Tracy has a garden shovel to pick up stuff in the yard)

Narrator: My dog Buster goes all over the yard and since he’s my dog, I have to pick it up. Yuck.

Mom: (from inside the house) Tracy, Sherman is here.

Tracy: I’ll be right in.

Mom: Don’t forget to wash your hands.

Tracy: I won’t

Sherman: What’s up my man?

Tracy: (holds up the garden shovel)

Sherman: Oh. Buster duty?

Tracy: You know it.

Sherman: That’s why my parents won’t let us have a dog. (He looks around to make sure he isn’t about to step in some).

Tracy: Are you going to camp?

Sherman: Yeah.

Tracy: Me too.

Sherman: Sucks at Camp Green Lake, don’t it?

Tracy: Lots of mosquitoes.

Sherman: And poison ivy.

Tracy: Yeah tell me about it (Scratches his arm).

Sherman: Almost drowned when our canoe capsized.

Tracy: Good thing it happened near shore. We just stood up and walked to shore.

Sherman: It could have been bad, you know.

(Two weeks later, Sherman and Tracy exit Mom’s SUV. Both boys have backpacks that are heavy and awkward)

Mom: You boys have fun.

Sherman: Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Homberg.

Mom: You are most welcome, Sherman. (turns to Tracy) C’mon, give me a hug.

Tracy: (tries to squirm away, but cannot) Aw, ma. (She kisses him on the cheek)

Mom: See you boys in three weeks. (car pulls out of the camp parking lot. There is a giant sign posted that reads: Welcome to Camp Green Lake)

Sherman: There’s counselor Skywalker.

Tracy: You do know his name is not Skywalker.

(Counselor appears wearing thick glasses and a nerdy mustache. He is thin and geeky wearing shorts and a camp shirt)

Skywalker: Boys, you’re back. You must have really liked it last year.

Tracy: My mom made me come. I had no choice.

Skywalker: So, do you have any questions?

Tracy: Yeah, what’s your real name?

Skywalker: It’s Skywalker without the Sky. (tries to smile, but is embarrassed)

Tracy: You work at the high school.

Skywalker: Correct.

Tracy: Doing what?

Skywalker: I am Mr. Roderick’s secretary.

Tracy: You’re the principal’s secretary?

Skywalker: Yes, that would be me. (runs his finger around his collar) You boys will be in Cabin A and the girls will be in Cabin B. (reads from his clipboard)

Narrator: So, there you have it. Boring ville extraordinaire. Little did I know that my life was about to change completely. The next morning, we all formed up to go to eat at the mess hall. When Cabin B formed up, I saw a face that seemed to make the morning sun sing. Last year there were five girls who played dirty tricks on me and Sherman during the entire duration of the camp. It did not surprise me to see all of them here. Melissa, Cassandra, Elizabeth, Joan, and Tonya.

Tonya and Cassandra (in unison) Hello Tracy and Sherman.

Narrator: Just hearing their voices made my blood run cold, but this new girl looked at me and smiled. Yeah, she actually smiled. I was not used to that civility.

Sherman: (Just loud enough for Tracy to hear) It’s the five witches.

Narrator: I got into line but Melissa cut in front of me as I waited for the pancakes to be served. Once I got a stack of three, she pointed to the butter in a dish with the syrup.

Melissa: There’s something crawling in there. (pointed to the butter)

Tracy: What could it be? (Putting face close to the bowl of butter)

Melissa: Have a closer look, loser. (She shoved his face into the bowl of butter)

Narrator: With a face full of butter, I asked one of the servers for a towel to wipe my face. After wiping my face, I looked over and saw the new girl watching me. I walked over to her table. She was sitting by herself.

Tracy: Hi, I’m Tracy. (putting his tray down on the table)

Roxanne: I’m Roxanne.

Tracy: Is this your first time at Green Lake Camp?

Roxanne: Yes it is. I hate what that girl did to you.

Tracy: She harassed me all the time last year.

Roxanne: I don’t like it when people are mean to each other. My brother Dominic is bullied all the time, because he is autistic. People shouldn’t be mean to each other.

Tracy: I totally agree.

Cassandra: (calling out from another table): Hey dufus, you should keep your face out of the butter. (laughter).

Roxanne: Just ignore them. They are so mean. Girls like that always pick on my brother. Well, I’m finished with breakfast. I want to go get ready for canoeing. I am so excited. I’ve never been canoeing.

Tracy: Hope to see you around.

Roxanne: It was nice meeting you, Tracy.

(Tracy and Sherman are in a canoe with three other guys and Skywalker)

Sherman: Who was that chick you were talking to?

Tracy: She’s no chick. Her name is Roxanne.

Skywalker: Remember hand over hand, nice and easy. (one of boys deliberately splashes Skywalker) Really funny. Now I have to clean my glasses. He removes them and wipes them off on his shirt. Another boy splashes him as soon as he puts his glasses on) I am going to write you all up if I have to.

Tracy: She has a brother with autism.

Sherman: They suspected I had it until they figured out I was just goofy.

Tracy: It’s getting hot.

Narrator: I did not get to talk to Roxanne until the campfire we had the next evening. It actually was pretty cool since some of the counselors and older boys did corny skits. Much to my delight, she invited me to sit next to her. The five witches were watching us closely and making rude remarks.

Roxanne: Ignore them, Tracy. They’re just jealous that we are getting along.

Tracy: I suppose.

Narrator: We held hands. I thought no one had seen us, but the next morning Joan tapped me on the shoulder.

Joan: You know PDA is against the camp rules.

Tracy: PDA?

Joan: Public Displays of Affection.

Tracy: No, we weren’t.

Joan: You know holding hands is considered PDA. (She put her two fingers to her eyes and then pointed them at Tracy) We’ll be watching.

Roxanne: (Sitting under a tree with Tracy) Why aren’t you holding my hand?

Tracy: Because it’s against the rules.

Roxanne: What rules?

Tracy: PDA. Joan is going to tell on me.

Roxanne: (takes Tracy’s hand) Hey, you guys. Take a picture. (Joan and Elizabeth run away from their hiding spot). You can’t let other people tell you what to do or how to feel. (She looks into Tracy’s eyes) I am here because my parents didn’t have the money to send me until my older sister graduated from college. When I was in elementary school, I got reduced lunches. The other kids made fun of me until I stood up to one of them. He thought he was tougher than me, but I proved him wrong.

Narrator: All my life I had been afraid of what everyone else thought of me. I knew I’d never be one of the popular kids, but if I just kept my mouth shut, I just might be alright. So far that strategy was not working in my favor.

Skywalker: (In the counselor’s office. Skywalker seated behind his beat up old desk) It has been brought to my attention that you have broken the PDA rules. Now it is my duty to warn you that any further violations could result in your dismissal from camp.

Tracy: We haven’t done anything wrong.

Skywalker: I’ve been told otherwise.

Tracy: By who?

Skywalker: Whom. (coughs) I’ve got five statements. (he shows them to Tracy) One more violation and I have to call home.

Sherman (in the cabin as Tracy mopes): Just play by the rules.

Tracy: I like this girl.

Sherman; Just don’t do anymore PDA.

Tracy: We only hold hands.

Skywalker: Sorry, but it’s against the rules.

Narrator: Sometimes the rules are meant to be broken. You have to decide if the consequences are worth the rebellion.

Roxanne: (sitting under a tree by the lake) I believe that we should follow our hearts. What does your heart tell you?

Tracy: My heart is telling me that I am so lucky to have found you. All my life I have felt I’ve been living in a shadow, but then you brought the light and the shadow ran away. (Tracy takes her hand)

Roxanne: I feel the same way, Trace. (She kisses him on the cheek)

Tracy: (sighs contently) But what if they call home to have me withdrawn from camp? Last year I had an awful time. If Sherman wasn’t here, I’da called home and had them come get me. But all that has changed. You have changed me.

Joan: (Holding her cell phone) I got it all on camera.

Roxanne: I don’t believe you, Joan.

Joan: It’s all right here. (She holds out her cell phone. Roxanne grabs it and tosses Joan’s cell phone into the lake. Joan shouts) I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT, YOU BITCH!

Roxanne: (laughing) Swim for it, Joan.

(Skywalker, Roxanne and her mother Claire are in the tiny office)

Skywalker: I am so sorry I had to call, but your daughter has caused another camper some damage to her personal property.

Claire: But according to the rules of this camp, the campers are not allowed to have their cell phones on their person. Isn’t that true?

Skywalker: Well…technically…no they are not supposed to have their cell phones. We keep them here in the office to prevent what happened from happening.

Claire: My husband walked out on me two years ago and I became well acquainted with how the laws and rules work. I got the money to send my oldest daughter through college, and I had enough left over to pay for this silly summer camp. (turns to Roxanne) So, who is this Tracy boy?

Roxanne: Just a friend (in a weak voice)

Skywalker: More than a friend, I’m afraid.

Claire: How so?

Roxanne: We held hands.

Skywalker: Which is against the public display of affection rules.

Claire: (glares at Skywalker) Seriously? Do you have any idea how difficult it is for my daughter to make friends when she constantly teased about her younger brother Dominic? I think this was a giant step forward for her. (Clair seizes Roxanne’s hand) I’m her mother, am I breaking those rules?

Skywalker: Well…no (face turns red)

Claire: I love my daughter and I am so proud of her and the ways she takes care of her brother from all those bullies.

Roxanne: (softly to Claire): Thanks mom.

Claire: I will be more than happy to take her home since she broke your precious rules.

Roxanne: I don’t want to leave.

Claire: We have no choice, dear. This man is holding the line. You broke the rules and the consequences are you must be expelled from Green Lake Camp.

Roxanne: Can I say goodbye to Tracy first?

Claire: If it’s alright with this man (Skywalker nods)

Roxanne: Thank you, mom (kisses her on the top of her head).

Skywalker: He should be out on the dock since it’s his group’s swim time.

(There are a dozen boys in swimsuits including Tracy and Sherman with an instructor)

Roxanne: Tracy!

Tracy: (sees her and runs down the dock to the shore) Roxanne.

Instructor: (Yells at Tracy) No running on the dock!

Roxanne: (Embraces Tracy) I must go home.

Tracy: Why?

Roxanne: It’s better this way.

Tracy: For who? Whom?

Roxanne: Everyone. (Roxanne kisses Tracy)

Tracy: Can I call you?

Roxanne: Yes (she hands him a note) I’ve got to go.

Tracy: I’ll call you when I get home.

Roxanne: I’ll be waiting. (Tracy and Roxanne kiss) See you later, Trace.

Tracy: Yeah, see ya.

(Roxanne follows Claire to the car. She turns and waves before she gets into the car. Joan, Melissa, Elizabeth, Tonya, and Cassandra all give an “I toldja so” smile)

Sherman: What’s up?

Tracy: Roxanne is going home with her mom.

Sherman: That sucks.

Tracy Yeah, it does at that.

I wrote that script two years later as part of a high school assignment. I got an A. But the real tragedy is I never saw Roxanne again even though at the time she changed my life. I heard rumors that she and her mother and brother Dominic moved to some small town in the Midwest, but I’ll be darned if I can remember the name.

I graduated from high school and went onto college. Two years after I got my college degree, my mother passed away from cancer. As depression tugged at my sleeve, I remembered what Roxanne told me during that Green Lake Summer Camp.

After rebounding from that, I ended up taking a bus to Los Angeles after a couple of my scripts were accepted for this television show Sherman was producing. Right from the first moment we reconnected. I’ve been lucky, I’ve been blessed making more than I deserve at times.

I’ve kept that high school assignment tucked in a dark corner of my desk. I’ve had aspirations of pulling it out of that dark drawer and submitting it to some famous director. I think it would make a heartwarming film about my bildungsroman from fourteen old nerd into the man I am today. It’s entitled “When the Sunset Falls Hard” as it did that day when I watched her wave one last time.