Is Jerry a Ghost?

Narrator: Jerry was different, very different. He had a strange house and acted weird. But nobody seemed to notice that something was off about him.

Scene 1

Setting: Classroom.

Characters: Jerry, Suzanne, Veronica, Jeff, Mrs. Roberts.

Suzanne: (Whispers) There goes Jerry again.

Jeff: Do you think he’s a ghost? I mean - he has pale skin.

Veronica: You really think that? His ghostly features … they don’t seem real.

Jeff: (Rolls eyes) Yeah, right. Those can’t possibly be fake.

(Mrs. Roberts enters room and quiets class down.)

Mrs. Roberts: Everybody in your seats, open your textbooks to page forty-five.

(Jeff, Veronica, and Suzanne squint at Jerry.)

Veronica: (Whispers) Okay, yeah, you’re fools to think he’s actually a ghost.

Suzanne and Jeff: No we’re not!

(Mrs. Roberts stops talking.)

Mrs. Roberts: Suzanne? Veronica? Jeff? Do you have something you’d like to share with the class?

Veronica, Suzanne and Jeff: No, Mrs. Roberts.

(Jerry seems to scoff and turns back to his textbook.)

Scene 2

Setting: Lunchroom

Characters: Suzanne, Jeff, Veronica, Boys 1&2, Jerry.

Jeff: Did you guys hear about that new movie that came out yesterday?

Veronica: Yeah, heard it’s good. I’ll probably go see it if I get the chance.

Jerry: (Moves to the seat on his right) I heard about it, too. Do you guys want to join me to see it this weekend?

Suzanne: (Quickly) Um, no, we — we’re doing something this weekend.

Jerry: (Disappointed) Well, okay, if you say so.

(Jerry goes back to his original seat.)

Boy 1: I’m up for a movie.

Boy 2: Me, too. What do you guys think about this weekend?

(Suzanne glances at Jerry to make sure he’s occupied.)

Veronica: What was that all about?

Suzanne: What do you mean?

Jeff: You speaking so quickly. Are you afraid of Jerry?

Suzanne: No, of course not. It’s just … something’s weird about him. He spoke in such a strange voice. And his pale skin … I have to admit, it doesn’t look right.

Veronica: He’s not a ghost.

Jeff: I have an idea. We’ll hide by his house and throw water on him. If his pale skin is paint or something, it should just come right off. And if it does, we’ll admit that you were right and you can even say “I told you so.” Sound like a plan?

Suzanne: Shouldn’t we go to the police first? Just in case he … you know.

Veronica: Okay. But just a warning — get ready for me to say “I told you so.”

Jeff: (Scoffs) Yeah, right. That’s what you think.

Scene 3

Setting: The way home.

Characters: Jeff, Suzanne, Veronica, Police officers 1&2.

Narrator: On the walk to each of the three’s homes, the trio pass Jerry’s house.

Jeff: (Nearly topples over backward) What’s going on with that house?!

Suzanne: It’s so … weird. (She studies the house) Like something out of a storybook.

Veronica: You guys are paranoid. I’m going home.

(The rest of the walk home is silent, until they pass a pulled over police car with two policemen laughing and joking with each other.)

Suzanne: There’s our chance. We should tell them about this.

Jeff: But what are we even going to say? We have no evidence that he’s a ghost, and really no evidence that he’s not a ghost. You talk, Veronica.

Veronica: What?! This was Suzanne’s idea, she should do the talking.

(Veronica shoves Suzanne forward lightly.)

Suzanne: Okay, I guess.

(Suzanne wanders over to the policemen and they stop talking to look at her.)

Policeman 1 to Policeman 2: If this is another one of those lame pranks, I quit.

Policeman 2 to Policeman 1: Get ready to go job searching.

Policeman 1: (Turns away from Policeman 2) Go away, kid, we’ve heard it all.

Suzanne: Well, um, no, this is not a joke. There’s this boy, a-and my friends and I are questioning whether or not he’s a ghost.

(From far away, Jeff and Veronica giggle.)

Veronica: (Acting serious) Dude, she’s totally blowing it right now.

Jeff: Don’t worry, we can always do my idea and prove he is a ghost.

Veronica: I think you mean prove he’s not a ghost.

(The focus of the audience shifts back to the two policemen and Suzanne.)

Policeman 1: (Laughs) I guess I quit.

Policeman 2: Yeah. Whoever heard of something as crazy as that?

Policeman 1: (chuckling to himself) If you kids really want to know if this guy is a ghost or not, go find out yourselves. We’re not wasting our time on you.

(Suzanne goes back to Veronica and Jeff and announces that the policemen aren’t going to be any help.)

Scene 4

Setting: Outside Jerry’s house

Characters: Veronica, Suzanne, Jeff, Jerry

Narrator: Veronica, Suzanne and Jeff are hiding behind a bush near Jerry’s odd house with buckets of water.

Veronica: This is the part where you realize I was right all along — that he’s not a ghost.

Jeff: (Sighs) Veronica, you’ve been saying that for the past hour.

Suzanne: Shh! He could be coming out of his house any second.

Jeff: You can chill. We’re pretty far from his house. He won’t hear us.

(Just then, Jerry exits his house and makes his way down the driveway, close to where the trio are hiding.)

Veronica: Get ready for me to say “I told you so.”

Jeff and Suzanne: Quiet!

(Jerry stops abruptly and checks his watch, before darting back inside.)

Suzanne: What is he doing?

Veronica: Does he know what we’re doing? Is he afraid?

Jeff: You two are being crazy. He probably just forgot something or whatever.

(Jerry returns, this time looking both ways and slowly but clearly nervously strutting down his driveway.)

Veronica: What is he doing?

Jeff: (Harshly whispers) Shhh! He’s coming this way!

(Jeff, Veronica, and Suzanne jump out of their hiding spot and drench Jerry with water. When it all clears they get a huge surprise.)

Veronica: (Jumping forward) Aha! I told you so!

(Jeff and Suzanne back up, hearts pounding.)

Jeff: You — You’re not a ghost?

Suzanne: R-R-Really?

Jerry: I’m sorry you thought I was a ghost. Please don’t hurt me. I — I was only trying to fit in with you guys. 

(The curtains close and a faint scream can be heard.)