The Heart of Smartness

By
Adhiti Chandramohan

Based on the Novel "The Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad

1 INT.NEWSPAPER ROOM.PERIOD 3 1
Two girls sit down in front of a camera. They are are the
faces of their local high school video club, and are
introducing a new segment as part of their weekly broadcast:
The Daily Lives of High School Teens
Both 11th graders, the two girls set out to find out some
important people in their grade and record them for the next
two weeks. Their first person is the smartest in the school:
Madeline Williams

CAMERA ROLLING, ALICE AND AMELIA SIT DOWN

AMELIA
Hello and welcome to this week’s
edition of our broadcast: The Daily
Lives of High School Teens. I’m
Amelia, and this is my partner
Alice.
ALICE
Good morning to you as well. This
week, we are starting a new segment
of our show, which covers some of
the best teenagers of our
community.
AMELIA
Yup! This segment is really cool.
We take some of the greatest in the
private school next door, interview
them, and record them for the next
two weeks.

ALICE
Exactly. In this way, we get to
interact with the people in a
different school than us and really
know about them and their lifesyle.
We should be starting next week
with our first interviewee.
AMELIA
And that’s it for the new segment.
See us next week for some new
updates! Honestly, I can’t wait to
be started.
CAMERA CUT; FADE TO BLACK
 2.

2 EXT.QUAD.NOON 2
The girls first interview with their first subject. This is
right at the beginning of lunch. Amelia and Alice have gone
to Orchid Academy, the private high school a few miles from
where they go to interview Madeline.

AMELIA
holding a camera panning to Alice,
then her) Hi again! This is Amelia,
with Alice next to me. This is our
first day, with our first
interviewee!
ALICE
Yes. The first person we are
interviewing is Madeline Williams.
She’s one of the highest scoring
students in her class, and does a
lot of extracurricular activities
as well.
AMELIA
Yeah! And there she is!
CAMERA PANS TO A SMALLISH GIRL WALKING TO THE LIBRARY, THEN
MOVES AS IF THE TWO GIRLS ARE WALKING TO MADELINE
Hi!

ALICE
Uh... Hello there. We recently
contacted you about an interview
being recorded for our school
broadcast. If you don’t want to do
this, it’s okay.

MADELINE
Oh yeah, I remember that. Sorry.
It’s fine, do you mind if we go to
the library? I mostly go there
during lunch to study.
(mumbles)
Still don’t know why you want to
interview me. I’m not really that
interesting, but ok.

ALL WALK TO THE LIBRARY AND SIT DOWN AT ONE OF THE TABLES
 3.

3 INT.LIBRARY.NOON 3
All the girls are sitting down at one of the tables in the
library.
AMELIA AND ALICE ARE SITTING ON ONE SIDE OF THE TABLE, AND
MADELINE IS SITTING AT THE OTHER. THERE IS SOMEONE ELSE
HOLDING THE CAMERA.
AMELIA
So Maddie, how are you today?
(Sees Alice’s glare)
Wait, can I call you Maddie?
MADELINE
I’m doing ok. I just need to study
a bit for a test tomorrow. And sure
you can call me Maddie.
ALICE
We’ll leave you to your studying in
just a bit. But we do have some
questions.
(Pulls out a paper)
AMELIA
So, I’ll start! So, what classes
are you taking?

MADELINE
Uh, AP US History, AP Bio, AP
Studio Art, AP Calc BC, and um AP
English Language?
AMELIA
Woah, that’s a lot of classes.
Like, how don’t you get stressed by
that? I can’t even take 3 APs
without being stressed.

MADELINE
I do get stressed, but I try to
keep it under control. After all,
my grades all have to be As so...
ALICE
Okay then, next question. What do
you do in your free time? Like
spend time with your friends, or
any hobbies?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.

MADELINE
Um. I don’t really have that much
time for free time or spending time
with friends between all my
classes, clubs and
extracurriculars.
AMELIA
Really? No time for friends? I
don’t think I could do that?

ALICE
Amelia’s just excited. Don’t mind
her.
(Glares at Amelia)
So, what extra activities do you
do?

MADELINE
Uh. I do Speech and Debate, Science
Olympiad, Quizbowl, Academic
League, and Field Hockey.

AMELIA
Woah! You don’t seem like you have
anytime for anything but school and
clubs.
MADELINE
Well, yeah.
AMELIA
So I think that’s all the questions
we have today, so we’ll be off.

ALICE
Thank you for letting us interview
you, and we will see you soon.
WALKS OUT OF THE LIBRARY

AMELIA
Woah. She has a lot of stuff on her
plate. I would die.
ALICE
Mhm. She seems to be under control
of it, so that’s good. And that’s
it for this week, come back next
week for the next episode of The
Daily Lives of High School Teens.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 5.

AMELIA
Yeah! We’ll see ya next week.
ALICE
(As camera shuts off)
Amy, you’ve got to stop
interrupting whoever’s talking.
It’s rude.
AMELIA
But Allie!

CAMERA TURNS TO BLACK

4 INT.LIBRARY.AFTER SCHOOL 4
Amelia and Alice are at a competition of Madeline’s.

ALICE
Hello again, and welcome back to
this week’s The Daily Lives of High
School Teens broadcast. This week,
we are continuing with our
recording of Madeline Williams, our
first interviewee in our show
AMELIA
(Behind the camera)
Yup! Today we’re at Maddie’s first
Speech and Debate match. Orchid
High is known for having a great
team, and our Maddie is one of the
starters for the match. Go Maddie!
CAMERA PANS TO MADELINE, WHO GIVES A TINY WAVE BEFORE
SITTING WITH HER TEAM
ALICE
To really learn about Madeline, we
are going to ask one of her
teammates about her.
AMELIA
Oh I’ll go find one!
(Hands the camera to Alice,
and walks off to come back in
a minute, dragging behind a
short man, presumably one of
Madeline’s teammates)
Hey, this is Kiku, and he said he’s
willing to be interviewed about
Maddie!

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.

ALICE
(Turns to Kiku)
Are you sure?
KIKU
(Nods)
Anything to help you guys with
Maddie-san.
AMELIA
Okay, Question number one. How do
you know Maddie?
KIKU
I moved here recently, and she was
one of the few to welcome me and
make sure I was okay. She spends a
lot of time helping others when
she’s not studying.
ALICE
Anything special you want us to
know about her?

KIKU
Not really. I’m just worried these
days since she has a lot on her
plate, and can get easily stressed.
Other then this club, I do not see
her much, since she spends all of
her time in the library.
AMELIA
Hmm... She does spend a lot in the
library. Ok then Kiku, thanks for
helping us!
KIKU
No worries Amelia-san.

ALICE
We should probably keep an eye on
Madeline so she doesn’t get too
stressed, shouldn’t we?
AMELIA
Yeah. But wait a minute, she’s
presenting her argument.
ALICE
Argument? How come you know this?

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 7.

AMELIA
I am in our school’s Speech and
Debate team. You didn’t know?
(Looks at Alice weirdly)
ALICE
No. I guess not. But, from what I
can see, she’s quite an excellent
speech-master.

AMELIA
Guess she’s a jack of all trades
huh? She really doesn’t have any
free time.

ALICE
Must be. We should still keep an
eye on her.
FADES TO BLACK

5 EXT.QUAD.LATE MORNING 5
The third interview of Madeline. The girls go and see her
during Orchid High’s finals week.
AMELIA
Good morning everybody! This is
Amelia, as always with Alice by her
side. It’s finals week everyone!
ALICE
As Amelia shouts this and disturbs
the public, many students are
furiously cramming for finals.
AMELIA
Wow I’m sure glad that we have ours
next week!
ALICE
Me too. Anyways, everyone is
studying, and Madeline part of the
crowd.

AMELIA
Oh! I see her!
(Runs to Madeline)
How’s it goin’ Maddie?

MADELINE
Uh... It’s ok, but I really need to
study, my Calc grade is kinda close
to a B and I need to study.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 8.

ALICE
(Catches up to Madeline and
Amelia)
Amy... don’t run off befire me and
the camera... How are you,
Madeline?
MADELINE
Tired.
(Sees Alice’s worried
expression, and sheepishly
smiles)
Don’t worry though. In the next few
days finals will be done and I’ll
be more relaxed.
ALICE
Good. What test do you have today?
MADELINE
Actually, I have Studio Art,
English, and Bio.

AMELIA
Are you sure that’s not too much in
a single day?
MADELINE
I’ll be able to handle it

ALICE
But you look pale. Are you sure
you’ve been sleeping or eating?

MADELINE
(Distractedly)
Yeah. Yeah.
Bell rings
Well, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you
guys around.
AMELIA AND ALICE
Yeah.
AMELIA
Are you sure she’s okay?
ALICE
Well, there’s nothing else that we
can do.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 9.

AMELIA
(Turns to the camera)
We’ll probably go check on her
after school to make sure, okay
Allie?

ALICE
Yeah. Watchers, we’ll see you then.
CAMERA SWITCHES OFF; SCREEN FADES TO BLACK

6 EXT.MADELINE’S HOUSE.LATE AFTERNOON 6

Alice and Amelia are in front of Madeline’s house.
ALICE
After asking Madeline, we have
gotten permission to go see her at
her house.
AMELIA
Woah! This house is surely bigger
than mine!

ALICE
Well, probably. But that’s not the
point Amelia. Now, where did she
say the key was?

AMELIA
There! Since Maddie’s still
studying and her parents aren’t
home, she said we could let
ourselves in.
(Gives key to Alice)
You open it.
ALICE
Okay then
(Unlocks and opens door)
Do you know where Madeline’s room
is? She said she would be there.
AMELIA
You mean "Do you know where
Maddie’s room is?

ALICE
Sure. I think this is it.
(Standing in front of a door
that has designs on it)

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 10.

AMELIA
What are you waiting for? Take the
camera and I’ll open it.
ALICE
Keep the camera. I’ll do it.
(Alice opens the door)
Wait... is that Madeline?
MADELINE HAS PASSED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM AND IS
REALLY PALE

ALICE
(Runs to Madeline, checking
her pulse)
AMY! STOP STANDING THERE! CALL 911!
I DON’T KNOW IF SHE HAS A PULSE!
GO!
THE CAMERA DROPS AND CONTINUES TO RECORD AS AMELIA RUNS OVER
TO THE PHONE AND DIALS 911
FADES TO BLACK

7 EXT.OUTSIDE OF HOSPITAL.LATE AFTERNOON 7

Next day after Madeline passes out. Amelia and Alice go to
check on her

AMELIA
(Subdued)
So, once we made sure Maddie safely
was in the hospital, we went home.
They didn’t allow us to record in
the hospital.
ALICE
Apparently it’s really bad. She
hadn’t slept or ate for the past
three days, and the stress was
taking a toll on her body. I doubt
she can go back to her finals now.
AMELIA
(Perking up)
But we do get to se her today, so
we can make sure she’s okay. We’ll
be sure to give an update!
AMELIA AND ALICE GO IN THE HOSPITAL
 11.

8 EXT.OUTSIDE OF HOSPITAL.NIGHT 8
AMELIA
So, we have good news! Maddie’s ok!
ALICE
She won’t be going to school for a
bit, but all her vitals are stable,
and luckily we found her in time to
help her.
AMELIA
Yeah. The stress was really killing
her, huh.

ALICE
Yeah. I’m just a tad worried that
someone in our school will be like
that too. I mean that I already
know many who take a lot of
advanced placement classes, and get
stressed a lot about it.
AMELIA
So that’s why there’s a lot more
people in the library.

ALICE
Well, its going to be finals as
well, so everyone’s trying to cram.
AMELIA
What can we do though?
ALICE
I guess that the only thing we can
do is continue to release this
broadcast, and hope it helps.

AMELIA
Yeah. This really turned out
differently than what we expected,
huh?

ALICE
Yes. But all we can do to help
Maddie is to learn from what she
did wrong. That doing too much is
more harmful than helpful.

AMELIA
Yeah
CAMERA TURNS OFF. THE SCREEN TURNS BLACK
 12.

9 INT.NEWSPAPER ROOM.PERIOD 3 9
The last episode of this specific section. Amelia and Alice
learn their lessons.
AMELIA
Hello and welcome to the Daily
Lives of High School Teens. As
always, I’m Amelia, and this is my
partner Alice.

ALICE
Hello. A few weeks ago, we set out
to interview and record some of the
finest of our community’s high
schoolers.

AMELIA
We got a lot more than we bargained
for, that’s for sure.
ALICE
In the past few weeks, we learned a
lot.
AMELIA
How stress can affect us.
ALICE
How too many classes and
extracurriculars can harm more than
they can help.
AMELIA
And how you should put taking care
of yourself first. Always.
ALICE
Since we noticed that some of us
also may be more stressed than we
realize, the Broadcasting Team is
now holding informational meetings
ever Tuesday, right here, to teach
some healthy ways to deal with and
release stress.

AMELIA
So join us! And we hope, by
watching this, that you’ve learned
as much as we have.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 13.

ALICE
So that’s it for now, and thank you
for watching the Daily Lives of
High School teens.

FADES TO BLACK