A Vote for Becky

Transcript for A Vote for Becky
Narrator: After dinner one evening at the Botsford home, Becky and her family are working hard on an important project.

(Scene: The Botsford house. Tim Botsford is talking on four different phones, and Sally is writing something on a notepad. Posters are plastered all over the walls with Sally Botsford’s picture on it, as well as campaign buttons with her face on them. Becky, Bob and TJ are seated at the table, working on the buttons and posters.)

Mr. Botsford: (on phone) Well, my wife’s term is about to end, and we’d really like your support so she can be re- elect ed District Attorney. If you vote for Sally Botsford, you’ll be voting for the best-- uh... hmm.

Becky:  Candidate !

TJ:  Candidate ?

Mr. Botsford: Yes TJ, your mom is the best  candidate . (to person on the phone) Oh no, not your mom, my wife is the best  candidate . So vote for her-- please!

Mrs. Botsford: (speaking to Becky and TJ) I’m someone who’s trying to convince enough people to vote for me so I can win the  elect ion! That makes me a  candidate ! (practicing her speech) “That’s why if I am re- elect ed, I promise to make you all very--” oh… what’s a good word for proud?

Becky: Umm...how about proud?

Mrs. Botsford: Yes! Proud! Oh-- doing speeches makes me nervous and I forget my vocabulary! (sighs) What did you say again?

Becky: Uh, proud.

Mrs. Botsford: Proud! Exactly! Gosh, Becky, you’re a regular WordGirl!

TJ: Yeah, Becky WISHES she were like WordGirl!

Becky: Mom, do you like being a  candidate ?

Mrs. Botsford: I do. But you know what I like even better? Helping people understand that if they don’t like something, they can vote for a  candidate  who can help change it! Or they can… try to get  elect ed and change things themselves!

Becky: Hmm… I’m impressed.

Mr. Botsford: (still on the phone) But take it from me, she is the best  candidate . If you--

(He slips and falls onto the floor, then gets up.)

Mr. Botsford: He hung up.

Narrator: The next day…

(Scene: The elementary school.)

Becky: It’s really fun working on my mom’s campaign for district attorney! Maybe you’d like to help out?

Scoops: Not likely.

Becky: Well I think being part of an  elect ion is a great way to help change things and make them better. Like, remember when we were talking about how recess should be longer?

Scoops: Yeah, and how great would it be to have a class in pillow-fighting? Or-- or to have much better-tasting food in the cafeteria? I would vote for that! In a heartbeat! Bump-bump!

Becky: Definitely. If I were  elect ed class president, the first thing I’d do is outlaw soy butter and jelly sandwiches! Yuck!

(The principal comes over the intercom.)

Principal: Attention please. Student  elect ions are coming up, so if you want to change things for the better for our school, make sure to sign up to be a  candidate  today.

Scoops: Hey Becky, here’s your big chance, you should be a  candidate !

Becky: Well, I-- I don’t know…

Principal: Also, tomorrow is soy butter and jelly sandwich day, so don’t forget your lunch money Yum yum!

Becky: Yeah. I think I will sign up.

(Scene: A little later, Becky is signing up to run for class president. Tobey shows up.)

Tobey: Becky Botsford! Going for class president, eh? Oh, too bad only one of us can be  elect ed, since we’re both terrific  candidate s… well, at least I am!

Becky: Hey, I’m an excellent  candidate ! Besides, why are you even trying to win this  elect ion? You’re more interested in destroying things than helping the school!

Tobey: Not true! There are many things about the school I intend to improve.

Becky: Really. Give me one example.

Tobey: Oh, there’s so many things I’d like to change. Like-- (thinks it over) uh, you know… school stuff.

Becky: I knew it! You have no interest in being on the student council. What’s the real reason you signed up to be a  candidate ?

Tobey: When I become class president, I’m going to impress WordGirl with my newly- elect ed power!

Becky: Hah! That’s ridiculous! Why would you possibly think that WordGirl would like you more if you win an  elect ion?

Tobey: You wouldn’t understand, Becky. Superheroes like WordGirl are totally into guys with power!

Becky: (giggling) No I’m not!

Tobey: Huh?

Becky: (gasps) I mean, you know I have more in common with girls like WordGirl than you think.

Tobey: (laughs) Oh, Becky. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an  elect ion to win.

(He clips a pen onto her book with his image on it, then he walks off.)

(Scene: The Botsford house, after school. Mrs. Botsford is practicing her speech.)

Mrs. Botsford: And finally, if I get the most votes and win the  elect ion, I promise to work my hardest and to make this town better and-- better. Thank you!

(Becky, TJ and Mr. Botsford cheer.)

Mr. Botsford: Better and better. You got my vote hun. You’re my wife!

TJ: Wow, that was really good, Mom!

Mrs. Botsford: Oh, I did well! (laughs) Oh thanks, TJ.

Mr. Botsford: Let’s hear your speech, Becky!

Becky: Okay. I’m still working on it, but um…

(She clears her throat and stands up in front of them. She has been using Tobey’s pen to write her notes.)

Becky: Fellow students, my name is Becky Botsford, and I’m the  candidate  for class president!

Mrs. Botsford: (raises her arms) Woo!

Becky: Every student must decide for themselves which  candidate  they think will do the best job. So if I’m  elect ed, here are some of the changes I would like to make. I would add an art class!

(Mrs. Botsford claps and cheers.)

Becky: Make the food in the cafeteria more tasty!

Mrs. Botsford: Oh, that’s been a long time comin’!

Becky: Get new benches for the playground! And plant a shade-giving tree at the bus stop!

(The scene then shifts to Tobey’s room, where we see that he is actually listening to everything that Becky is saying, through the pen that he had given her. He is writing down all her ideas and laughing.)

(Scene: The next day at school. Tobey is campaigning in front of a group of students. Becky come up and hears him repeating her ideas.)

Tobey: If you  elect  me, I promise to add an art class! Make the food in the cafeteria more tasty! Get new benches for the playground, and plant a shade-giving tree at the bus stop!

Becky: (to herself) Those are MY ideas!

Tobey: I also promise to make my best robots available on  elect ion day to help count all the votes! (to himself) ...in my favor!

(The crowd of students cheer.)

Tobey: So, vote for me! And speaking of voting for me, I’ve just learned that WordGirl is officially supporting ME as her favorite  candidate !

Becky: What?

(Becky looks around, hearing a lot of murmuring among the students.)

Tobey: What do you think of that, Becky Botsford?

Becky: I think you’re being an unfair  candidate !

Tobey: Boo hoo, that hurts my feelings. But now that these students have heard all MY great ideas, do you have anything to say?

Becky: Well-- I--

Student: Tobey’s gonna get us new benches for the playground. What are YOU gonna get us?

Kyle: Yeah!

Becky: Um, a-a-actually, those benches were MY ide--

Tobey: Becky Botsford, you obviously don’t have any good ideas, and that’s why I’m the best  candidate , right everyone?

(They all cheer for him and start chanting “Tobey!”)

Becky: Ugh! This is so unfair! (storms off)

(This is followed by a short comical montage of scenes, highlighting the campaign war between Becky and Tobey. First, Becky is sitting at a table with a large pile of unclaimed “Becky” buttons. She stands up and holds them out when some students approach, but they end up running to Tobey’s table, where he is giving out shirts with his picture on them. Next, Becky is giving a presentation to some students using diagrams illustrating what she plans to change, but everyone looks confused. Then they look over and see that Tobey has cats riding unicycles holding up Tobey campaign signs, and run over to see. Next, Becky is putting up campaign posters along the side of the school building, and as she walks away the ground rumbles behind her, and when she looks back she sees that Tobey’s robots have set up a large statue of Tobey. Finally, Tobey’s sign is shown next to Becky’s sign, and Tobey’s sign pushes Becky’s sign out of the way and winks.)

(Scene: The lunchroom. Tobey is eating a soy butter and jelly sandwich, and Becky comes up to him, holding a sign of hers that has been defaced. Eli is standing behind him wearing sunglasses, apparently acting as Tobey's personal bodyguard.)

Becky: You’re not going to get away with this, Tobey!

(Tobey waves Eli off.)

Tobey: What are you talking about, Becky Botsford? I’ve been sitting here eating these delicious soy butter and jelly sandwiches, which will be served every day once I’m  elect ed.

Becky: Well, I just spoke to WordGirl, and she told me that you’re NOT her favorite  candidate ! She’s going to show up here on  elect ion day, and tell everyone to vote for ME!

Tobey: I don’t believe you. Why would WordGirl tell YOU anything?

Becky: Because she knows that I’m the  candidate  who wants to help students by changing things, and you’re the  candidate  who wants to help robots and destroy-- things!

(She walks away.)

Tobey: (to himself) Oh, we’ll see if WordGirl shows up on  elect ion day! (laughs)

Narrator: It’s  elect ion day at the Botsford home.

(Scene: The Botsford house. Becky, Bob and Mrs. Botsford are in the living room. Mr. Botsford is struggling to carry a pile of district attorney campaign signs Bob is eating cereal.)

Mrs. Botsford: Well Becky, win or lose, at least we both did everything we could to get  elect ed.

Becky: Well I tried my best. But Tobey’s not running a fair campaign! He even told everyone that WordGirl wants them to vote for HIM! But luckily, I’m going to-- I mean, I heard WordGirl’s coming to school today to tell everyone to vote for ME!

Mrs. Botsford: Great news!

(The TV breaks in with a news story.)

Announcer: This just in-- a huge army of robots is creating chaos downtown. And, five great recipes for raisin muffins.

Becky: (gasps) Oh no! If we go battle the robots-- oh right. If WordGirl goes and battles the robots, then she won’t be able to go to school and tell everyone to vote for me instead of Tobey!

(Huggy chatters.)

Becky: Oh, you’re right Bob. Robot army beats out school  elect ion. Let’s go. (She steps out the door and transforms.) Word UP!

(Scene: Downtown. Robots are wreaking havoc, and WordGirl starts to take them down one at a time.)

WordGirl: Did Tobey send his entire army of robots here?

(She continues knocking them down.)

WordGirl: Made it-- impossible for me-- to get to the  elect ion-- in time!

(Scene: The school. Voting is just ending. Eli steps out of the voting booth, with the principal looking at her watch.)

Principal: And-- time. Polls closed. The  elect ion for class president is now officially over.

Tobey: Ha-ha! WordGirl can’t save the day for poor little Becky Botsford after all! My robots are simply too powerful! When do I give my acceptance speech, I have it right here..

Principal: Well first we have to count the ballots. Where are the robots? The ones who volunteered to tally the votes?

(Tobey drops his speech and has a look of shock on his face. We then go back to WordGirl, who is busy taking down the last of the robots. The scene then cuts back to the school, where Tobey is pounding his fist against a locker.)

Tobey: (wailing) I sent all the robots to destroy the city! I-- I--

(He turns toward the principal, who is staring at him.)

Tobey: I mean-- it seems my robots are indisposed… um, perhaps I should count the votes myself?

Principal: I don’t think so, Tobey, there’s too many. We’ll be here all night. I have a better idea-- let’s do it the old-fashioned way.

Narrator: Moments later…

(Scene: the auditorium. Becky has returned and is standing on the stage along with Tobey, with the principal at the podium.)

Principal: Okay, well, we have two  candidate s here. But only one of them can be your next president. So by a show of hands, who wants Tobey?

(Tobey raises his hand, and a few robots outside the school raise their hands.)

Principal: Robots can’t vote.

(The principal looks out in the audience. Eli stands and waves.)

Principal: That makes two votes for Tobey. Now, let’s see a show of hands for Becky.

(Becky raises her hand, and Violet raises hers.)

Principal: And I see two votes for Becky. It looks like we have a tie! Oh my.

(Suddenly an unknown boy speaks up from the audience.)

Voice from audience: How about Violet?

Violet: Me?

Principal: Well, she wasn’t an official  candidate … but I’m willing to make an exception. And now, may I have a show of hands for Violet?

(Almost everyone raises their hands.)

Tobey: What? This is an outrage! I was going to be the winner!

Principal: Well, Violet! It looks like you’re our new class president!

(Cheers come from the student body.  They start cheering 'Violet'.)

Violet: Thanks, everybody! Becky, will you be my vice-president?

Becky: It would be my honor!

(Tobey storms off stage.)

(Scene: The Botsford house, later that evening. TJ is blowing a party favor.)

Mrs. Botsford: Congratulations Becky, I am so proud that you got  elect ed class president!

Becky: Well, vice-president, but thanks Mom! I’m happy for Violet. And congratulations to you on your re- elect ion!

Mrs. Botsford: (giggles) Four more years as district attorney! I couldn’t have done it without my favorite campaign advisors!

TJ: Well, as long as we’re voting on stuff, I vote that the Botsford kids get to stay up as late as they want every night! Who’s with me?

Becky: Here, here! And I vote we get to eat ice cream for breakfast!

TJ: Yeah!

Mrs. Botsford: Veto!

Mr. Botsford: Nice try, you two!

(Confetti starts falling inside the house. Bob is standing on a ladder dropping it on them. They all start laughing.)

Mr. Botsford: Bob is a crazy monkey! Who gave the monkey the confetti? Heh-heh, okay, I did. Ha-ha-ha! Oh, what a fun family!

Narrator: And don’t forget to tune in next time to  elect  your favorite  candidate  for adventure, WordGirl!