Cast of Characters:
Lucy: 16, straight-A student, has a big imagination.
Holly: 17, cheer captain, known by everyone who attends Valley View High.
Katy: 16, Lucy’s best friend, intelligent, more cautious of the two.
Mrs. Caldwell: Holly’s mother, mentioned only.
Polly: Part of Holly’s posse, mentioned only.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith: Lucy’s parents, mentioned only.





INT. Valley View High School Cafeteria
(Camera pans over the spacious, brightly-lit gymnasium, viewing a plethora of students on their lunch break. Loud conversation and laughter can be heard as the camera zooms in on a specific table, where LUCY and KATY are sitting across from each other. KATY picks at her sandwich as she listens to LUCY speak.)

LUCY: (Waving fork) This morning I told her that her shoes were cute, like, to be friendly and stuff, and she didn’t even look at me! She just completely ignored me, like I was invisible or something. Rude, right?

KATY: (Nodding) Maybe she just didn’t hear you? (Raising eyebrow) What do you expect, Luce? She’s a total snob.

LUCY: How would you know?

KATY: (Exasperated) I might ask the same. Why do you obsess over her so much?

LUCY: I don’t obsess over her, Kat. You make me sound like some sort of weird stalker. (Glancing around) I guess sometimes I just wonder what it would be like to have everyone know your name.

KATY: (Mumbling) Here comes Queen Bee now.

(Everyone watches as HOLLY and her posse strut across the room, their high heels clicking on the linoleum floor. The girls flanking HOLLY whisper to one another as they pass LUCY and KATY. Remaining quiet, HOLLY flips her platinum blonde curls behind her shoulder, leading the girls to the table where the popular group sat.)


KATY: All I know is that I wouldn’t want to be part of that crowd.

(LUCY shrugs, stabbing at her salad.)

KATY: Doing anything fun for your birthday?

LUCY: I don’t know, it can’t be anything too fun. I have to study for exams.

KATY: Oh, yeah. I would be there, but I’m helping out at the library.

LUCY: No worries. (Smiling)

(The school bell chimes loudly, signaling last period. Students hurriedly gather their things and begin to pour into the hallways.)

KATY: (Laughs) I’d better go before the traffic gets really bad. (Hands LUCY a small box tied with a purple ribbon.)

LUCY: What’s this?

KATY: Your present, duh. (Hugs LUCY before scurrying off.) Happy early birthday!

(LUCY chuckles, lifting the lid off the box to find a woven friendship bracelet inside. She slips it on and gets her backpack, heading to class.)

(INT. LUCY’s home, where a smiling LUCY is sitting at the kitchen table, a decorative birthday cake in front of her. LUCY’s family surrounds her, singing “Happy Birthday” enthusiastically.)


MRS. SMITH: I can’t believe my baby girl is sixteen! (Dabbing her eyes with her sleeve)

LUCY: (Embarrassed) Mooom!


MRS. SMITH: I’m sorry.

MR. SMITH: Make a wish, sweetie!

(LUCY stares at the flames for a moment before closing her eyes. She reopens them and carefully blows out the candles. Camera zooms in on the cake, which is being cut by MRS. SMITH. Fade out.)

(INT. LUCY’s room, it is dark and LUCY is sound asleep in her bed. She tosses and turns.)

(Camera pans over a different room, and LUCY is awoken by someone shaking her.)

MRS. CALDWELL: (Rips covers off LUCY) Holly, get up. Get up, come on! I have a business meeting. You only have 15 minutes!

LUCY: (Confused) Who are you? What-

(MRS. CLADWELL closes HOLLY’s bedroom door, and LUCY looks around the room, which was nicely furnished.)

LUCY: (In a shaky voice) Okay… This is a weird dream.

(LUCY, in HOLLY’s body, hops off the bed and walks over to the vanity against the wall. Upon seeing her reflection, she screams, touching her face and hair.)

LUCY: (Panicking) Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh! This is real. My wish came true!

MRS. CALDWELL: (Yells through the door) Ten minutes!

LUCY: (Stuttering) O-okay! Crap, um… What do I do now?

(LUCY opens the doors to a walk-in closet, the walls lined with a tremendous amount of clothes and shoes. She squeals and tries on a few designer outfits before choosing one. She still has the friendship bracelet on. Cut to school scene.)

(LUCY confidently walks through the halls. Everyone stares at her. Some people greet her and wave, and some laugh and whisper. HOLLY’s posse meets up with her while she is looking around, trying to find KATY.)

POLLY: Who are you looking for?

LUCY: Oh, uh, Katy. Have you seen her?

POLLY: (Scoffs) Why would you look for that dweeb? Do you want to give her a whirly or something?

LUCY: (Horrified) What? Why would I-

POLLY: Come on, if we’re late for Biology, that old man will give us detention. (Grabs LUCY’s wrist and pulls her along.) What’s up with the bracelet? I’ve never seen you wear that before. It totally clashes with your outfit. Although, it does bring out your eyes…

(POLLY’s voice fades out as they enter the classroom. LUCY spots HOLLY in her body. HOLLY angrily waves her over. LUCY sits in the desk beside HOLLY while POLLY sits in the back of the classroom.)

HOLLY: (Whispering to LUCY) Alright, why the heck are you in my body?!

LUCY: I didn’t think my wish would come true!

HOLLY: (Voice rising) Wait, you’re telling me that you wished to be me?

LUCY: Shhh! Not exactly. I know it sounds super weird, but I just wanted to see what it was like to be popular…

HOLLY: (Crossing arms) Go on.

LUCY: I didn’t mean for it to actually come true!

HOLLY: (Looking over LUCY) I’ve always wondered how other people see me.

LUCY: It’s strange, isn’t it? What do you have me wearing?!

HOLLY: (Proudly) They’re your mom’s. All of your clothes are so last season!

LUCY: Hey!

(Both girls giggle, quieting down as the teacher glares at them.)

HOLLY: (Looking down) Your parents are really cool, you know. They actually pay attention to you.

LUCY: What do you mean? (Furrowing eyebrows)


HOLLY: It’s just… My mom is always working. Ever since she and my dad have gotten divorced, she’s been so busy all the time.

LUCY: Holly, I’m so sorry. Things will get better. I know they will. I’m here if you need someone to talk to.

HOLLY: (Smiling) Thanks, Lucy.

(Cut to scene of LUCY in MOLLY’s room, sitting in the window seat. She is holding the bracelet KATY gave her, crying softly. She looks up at the night sky.)

LUCY: (Whispering) Being popular isn’t so great. Most people just use you. People spread rumors that aren’t even true. I just want my life back. I don’t want to be anybody else.

(A shooting star crosses the sky as LUCY crawls into bed, clutching the woven bracelet to her chest as she falls asleep.)

(INT. LUCY’s cozy bedroom, her alarm buzzing. LUCY sits up, looking around at her familiar possessions. She runs into her bathroom, smiling into the mirror and running a hand through her familiar brunette locks.)

LUCY: It worked! (Running down the stairs and dancing in her pajamas) I’m me!

MR. SMITH: (Laughs) Well, good morning, sunshine.

(MRS. SMITH emerges from the kitchen, feeling her daughter’s forehead with a worried expression on her face.)

MRS. SMITH: Luce, are you feeling alright? You’ve been acting awfully strange lately.

LUCY: (Sing-song) I love you guys! (Hugging MR. SMITH and MRS. SMITH)

(As LUCY runs back to her room, MRS. SMITH looks at her husband, who is shaking his head.)

MR. SMITH: Teenagers.

(INT. Valley View High School, where KATY and LUCE are sitting at their usual table, eating lunch.)

LUCY: You know what, Katy? I’ve learned something important over the past few days.

KATY: (Setting down her water bottle) What would that be?

LUCY: I like who I am, and I’m happy with what I have.

KATY: (Blinking) Wow, I didn’t know that turning sixteen could change a person so suddenly.

(KATY and LUCY laugh, watching as HOLLY and her posse near them.)

HOLLY: (Slowly) Do you mind if we sit here?

LUCY: Go ahead.

POLLY: (Pointing to KATY’s headband) That’s really cute.

KATY: (Smiling) Oh, thanks!

(LUCY and HOLLY smile at each other, and the camera zooms out as everything fades to black.)