An Elinor Wonders Why Special: My Bunny Girl: Part 6

(Scene: The Rabbits' house)  
(Senor Tapir comes to the house to tell Mr. Rabbit what just happened to Ari. and Mr. Rabbit's distressed.) 
(Scene: Elinor's bedroom)  
(Elinor's feeding her goldfish. and Mr. Rabbit enters the room.)  
Mr. Rabbit: Hi, Elinor.  
Elinor: Hi.  
Mr. Rabbit: What are you doing?  
Elinor: Feeding my fish.  
Mr. Rabbit: Is that the fish you won at the carnival?  
Elinor: Yes.  
Mr. Rabbit: He's getting big.  
(There's a disturbing but depressing pause.) 
Mr. Rabbit: Elinor. come here and sit down for a minute.  
(She goes over. and she sits next to him.)  
Mr. Rabbit: Elinor. something happened to Ari last night. he stepped on a beehive.  
(Elinor begins getting worried and concerned.) 
Elinor: I told him not to tease those bees. Did he get stung?  
(Mr. Rabbit nods his head yes.)  
Elinor: Maybe I should go over and yell at him.  
Mr. Rabbit: No, sweetheart. you can't.  
(Elinor looks a bit worried and nervous.)  
Elinor: Why not?  
Mr. Rabbit: He was allergic to bees.  
(Elinor's now extremely worried and terrified.)  
Elinor: He's okay. isn't he?  
(Mr. Rabbit shakes his head no. just as he's close to tear drops.) 
Mr. Rabbit: There were just too many of them.  
(Elinor's eyes fill up with tear drops. Then she closes her eyes. just as she's lost her only true and best friend for life in the globe.)  
(Scene: Dr. Hedgehog's building)  
(Elinor runs up the stairs. She's really depressed and heartbroken.)  
Elinor: Dr. Hedgehog?!? Dr. Hedgehog?!?  
(Elinor runs straight to his office.)  
Dr. Hedgehog: Elinor. what's wrong, sweetheart?  
Elinor: I can't breathe. I'm suffocating.  
Dr. Hedgehog: Oh. wait. relax now. let me look. let me look. come up here. and we'll have a look.  
(He lifts Elinor up on the bed.)  
Elinor: It hurts. it hurts so bad. make it stop. 
Dr. Hedgehog: What hurts, Elinor?  
Elinor: The bee stings! I can't breathe!  
(Scene: Elinor's house)  
(Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Moose bring Ari's motionless body into the house on a stretcher. and Irene Pepperberg goes upstairs to bring yummy good food to Elinor. Elinor's in her bedroom curled up like a beach ball.) 
Irene Pepperberg: Elinor? I'm leaving some food for you by the door. in case you get hungry. 
(Elinor stays how she is. The doorbell rings. and Irene Pepperberg answers it to find Olive.)  
Irene Pepperberg: Hi.  
Olive: Hi. is Elinor home?  
Irene Pepperberg: Yes. she is. but she's very upset. so she's not seeing anyone.  
Olive: Oh. I'm Olive. I go to school with her. I wanted to tell her I'm sorry about Ari.  
Irene Pepperberg: Well. maybe she'll feel better in a couple of days.  
Olive: Will you tell her I came by?  
Irene Pepperberg: Sure.  
Olive: Thank you. Bye.  
Irene Pepperberg: Bye. 
(Irene Pepperberg closes the door.)  
(the mourners are entering the funeral and memorial ceremony room for Ari's funeral and memorial ceremony.)  
Reverend Turtle: Hi, Ethan.  
Mr. Rabbit: Ah. Reverend Turtle.  
Reverend Turtle: The Bats wanna thank you for taking care of things so quickly.  
(The room's filling up. and Ari's motionless body's lying down in the little casket. Upstairs, Irene Pepperberg decides to visit Elinor. She knocks on the door.) 
Irene Pepperberg: Elinor? I see you took your tray in.  
(Elinor's in her room watching the others dressed in black. coming in from her bedroom window.) 
Irene Pepperberg: Maybe you should come down for the funeral. sometimes it helps. Elinor?  
(Scene: Mr. Rabbit's office)  
(Mr. Rabbit's reading a paper. Irene Pepperberg walks in.)  
Irene Pepperberg: She won't come out. It's been a whole day. You have to do something, Ethan.  
Mr. Rabbit: The funeral's starting.  
(Irene Pepperberg's emotional.) 
Irene Pepperberg: Open your eyes. she's eleven years old. Her only friend in the world is dead.  
Mr. Rabbit: I know that. but what do you want from me?  
Irene Pepperberg: Stop hiding, Ethan. you run, Ethan. When I first came here, the idea of working with dead people didn't exactly thrill me. but when I saw a family lived here, I thought, If I'm living without a family, at least I can work with one. and maybe once in a while, I'll be invited in for supper."  
Mr. Rabbit: Yeah. and when those suppers are disrupted because there's a car crash. or there's a fire. or a little bat boy steps on a beehive.  
Irene Pepperberg: I'm not asking you to stop feeling for those people. But life isn't just death, Ethan. don't ignore the living. especially your daughter.  
(Mr. Moose comes in.)  
Mr. Moose: Excuse me, Ethan. Irene. the minister's about to begin.  
Mr. Rabbit: Thank you, Mr. Moose.  
(Irene Pepperberg makes her leave.)  
(Scene: Funeral and memorial ceremony room) 
(Reverend Turtle goes up to the front.)  
Reverend Turtle: We are here to honor Ari Bat. He was born, May seventh, nineteen ninety-two. in Animal Town Hospital. and he was survived by his loving parents. Aiden and Angela Bat...... 
(Elinor slowly makes her way outta her bedroom.)  
Reverend Turtle: The family has asked me to say a few words before we proceed. No words that I could say. would begin to describe the loss and grieving. one word that keeps ringing in my ear is Why?. Why would God choose to take this little bat boy from us? I can't give you an answer to that question. but I can tell you that God has chosen Ari for some very special reason. we must find solace in knowing that Ari is now in God's care. In that face. there is no sorrow such as...  
(Elinor's now on the stair steps. slowly going down. She stops on a stair step. where she can see Ari's motionless body in the casket. and she begins crying and weeping a bit. and She slowly goes to the funeral and memorial ceremony room.)  
Reverend Turtle: ....disciples began to chastise them. and Jesus said Let the children come to me. do not hinder them. for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  
(He sees Elinor come in and walk up to the front of the room.) 
Reverend Turtle: He laid his hands on their heads before he left that place. let us pray in silence.  
(Elinor makes her way up to the casket. and she looks right at Ari's motionless body. just as she's still crying and weeping. Ari's eyes are closed. and He isn't even wearing his sun visor. and there are bee stings on his face.)  
Elinor (crying and weeping): Wanna go tree climbing, Ari? His face hurts. and where is his sun visor? He can't go anyplace without his sun visor! Put his sun visor on!  
(Mr. Rabbit and Irene Pepperberg notice Elinor. and they try pulling her away.)  
Elinor (is crying and weeping even more): Put on his sun visor! He was gonna be an acrobat!  
Mr. Rabbit: He's gone, sweetheart. He's gone.  
Elinor: Get away! get away!  
(She breaks free from their grasps. and she runs outta the house. Mr. Rabbit and Irene Pepperberg are close behind.)   
(Scene: Outside)  
(Elinor runs outta the house. and Mr. Rabbit follows trying to get her to stop.)  
Mr. Rabbit: Elinor! wait! Elinor! Elinor! 
(He stops running around. and he watches. Elinor runs away from the house and down the neighborhood city streets. She arrives at Mr. Hamster's house.)
Mr. Hamster: Elinor! I was just on my way to your house. Are you alright? I'm so sorry about Ari.  
(Elinor covers her ears. and she begins singing "Do Wah Diddy Diddy!" to herself.)  
Mr. Hamster: Okay. okay we don't have to talk about him. Elinor. Elinor. we don't have to talk about him. it's okay. We won't talk about him. alright?  
Elinor (crying and weeping): Marvin and Shelly say I should tell people what I feel.  
(Mr. Hamster nods in agreement.)  
Mr. Hamster: Come here. sit down over here.  
(They sit on his porch.)  
(Elinor's still depressed, upset and heartbroken.)  
Elinor: Mr. Hamster.  
(There's an emotional pause.)  
Elinor: I love you.  
Mr. Hamster: Oh, Elinor. 
Oona: I love you. like my dad loves Irene. I wanna live here.  
(Mr. Hamster takes it all in.)  
Mr. Hamster: I think your dad would miss you.  
Elinor: No. he wouldn't. I can't go home.  
(A female hamster's at the front door.)  
Female Hamster: I'll be ready in a second. I just can't seem to find my other earring.  
Mr. Hamster: Mrs. Hamster. this is Elinor.  
(Mrs. Hamster crouches down by Elinor.)  
Mrs. Hamster: Elinor. hi. I'm really sorry.  
Mr. Hamster: Could you just give us a minute?  
Mrs. Hamster: Yeah.  
(Mrs. Hamster goes back inside.)  
Elinor: Who's that?  
Mr. Hamster: That's Mrs. Hamster.  
(There's a short pause.)  
Mr. Hamster: She and I are gonna be married this fall.  
(When Elinor hears it, she shakes her head nervously. and she begins backing away.)  
Elinor: No.  
Mr. Hamster: I...I was gonna bring her to class next week. I wanted to hear your poem. Oh, Elinor. please, honey. I cared for him too. Elinor, please!  
(He tries to get her to stay with him.)  
Elinor: Get away from me!  
(She breaks free of him. and she runs down the road.)  
Mr. Hamster: Elinor. Elinor. sweetheart don't.  
(Scene: Weeping willow)  
(Elinor's up in the tree. trying to go high. She begins remembering some times with the late Ari.)  
Elinor (flashback memories): Why do you think people wanna get married?  
Ari (memories): When you get old. you just have to.  
(Elinor takes out the photo with her late mother.)  
Ari (memories): Who's that with your dad?  
Elinor (memories): It's my mother.  
Ari (memories): I'm gonna be an acrobat when I grow up.  
(There's a short pause.)  
Ari (memories): Elinor. would you think of me? Well. if you don't get to marry Mr. Hamster.  
Elinor (memories): Now we're blood brothers for life.  
(Elinor swings around on a tree branch.)  
(Scene: The Rabbits' house) 
(Senor Tapir walks up to the house. and he rings the doorbell. and Irene Pepperberg answers it.)  
Senor Tapir: Irene. I'm sorry. but we haven't found her yet.  
Irene Pepperberg: It's dark. she can't be alone in the dark.  
Senor Tapir: We'll keep looking.  
Irene Pepperberg: We-no. we've been looking since this morning. her teacher called. and he said that she went there first.  
Senor Tapir: I know. I know you told us.  
Irene Pepperberg: But I-  
(She's cut off as the front door opens. and Elinor walks in. still kinda shaken.)  
Irene Pepperberg: Elinor. are you okay?  
(Elinor nods her head yes.)  
Irene Pepperberg: Oh gosh.  
(She embraces Elinor.)  
(Scene: Elinor's bedroom)  
(Irene Pepperberg's brushing Elinor's hair on her bed.)  
Elinor: I should've told Ari that he was my best friend.  
Irene Pepperberg: I'm sure he knew.  
(She puts a nightie on Elinor.)  
Elinor: Irene. I stole some money from your cookie jar. to pay for the writing class.  
(Irene Pepperberg ponders what Elinor just said.)  
Irene Pepperberg: It's okay sweetheart.  
Elinor: I'll pay it back. besides. I don't think I'll ever go to class again.  
Irene Pepperberg: I'll tell you what. you dedicate your first book to me. and we'll forget about the whole thing.  
Elinor: I will. I promise.  
Irene Pepperberg: Okay. get into bed.  
(Elinor gets into bed. and she stretches her arms out to Irene Pepperberg for embracing. They both embrace one another. and Elinor's finally accepted Irene Pepperberg.)  
Irene Pepperberg: Goodnight.  
Elinor: Goodnight.  
(Irene Pepperberg goes down the stair steps. Mr. Rabbit comes into the house. Irene Pepperberg's sitting on the stair steps.) 
Irene Pepperberg: She's in.  
(Mr. Rabbit goes up to Elinor's bedroom. He kisses Elinor. and he makes his leave.)  
Elinor: Did I kill my mother?  
Mr. Rabbit: What?  
Elinor: The bees killed Ari. and I killed my mother.  
Mr. Rabbit: No. no.  
(He pulls a chair up to the bed. and he sits on it.)  
Mr. Rabbit: No, sweetie. that wasn't your fault. things like that aren't anybody's fault. it just happened.  
(Elinor pulls out the photo from under her pillow.)  
Elinor: I found this.  
Mr. Rabbit: I forgot about that picture. where did you find it?  
Elinor: In the garage.  
Mr. Rabbit: Ahh. that little Chevy was your mother's favorite car.  
Elinor: What was my mama like?  
Mr. Rabbit: She was pretty. and kind. she had your eyes. Oh boy did she love to laugh. Sometimes when you laugh, you sound just like her.  
Elinor: Really?   
Mr. Rabbit: Uh-huh. You know what your mother did when she found out she was gonna have you? She came home and painted this whole room pink. She was so sure she was gonna have a little girl.  
Elinor: Do you miss her?  
Mr. Rabbit: Yes. I did. very much for a long time. and even now, I get a little sad when I think of a pretty flower or a sunset that your mother would've liked.  
Elinor: I think every time I see a climbing tree, I'll think of Ari.  
Mr. Rabbit: That's good. memories are good, sweetheart. Elinor. I'm sorry. I was trying to keep it from you. I just couldn't. You're a good girl. and I want you to be happy. don't be an old grump like me.  
(Elinor puts the photo under her pillow. Mr. Rabbit kisses her goodnight. and she gets up to leave.)  
Mr. Rabbit: See ya in the morning.  
(He begins leaving.)  
Elinor: Daddy. it's not so bad to be like you.  
(Mr. Rabbit listens. and he exits the room.)  
(Scene: Cafe)  
(Elinor and Mr. Rabbit are there. Mr. Rabbit's eating. and Elinor's speaking with somebody. Mrs. Bat's walking by. and she sees Mr. Rabbit. She knocks on the window. and Mr. Rabbit notices. and he goes outside to speak with her.) 
Mr. Rabbit: Angela. how are you doing?  
Mrs. Bat: Somedays I think I'll be okay. others-well. I have to force myself even to get outta bed. I know it's crazy. but sometimes I think he's just away at summer camp. How's Elinor?  
Mr. Rabbit: Oh. she's doing much better. Ah. she's just inside.  
(He walks to the entrance.)  
Mr. Rabbit (calling): Elinor!  
(Elinor hears. and she comes outside.)  
Elinor: Mrs. Bat.  
(She runs over. and she embraces Mrs. Bat.)  
Mrs. Bat: Elinor. I've been wanting to come over to see you.  
(She reaches into her purse. and she pulls out Elinor's mood ring.)  
Mrs. Bat: Ari had this on him. I thought you might like to have it.  
(Elinor puts on the mood ring. There's something different about it. Instead of black, the ring's now blue!)  
Mrs. Bat: You were such a good friend to him. I hope you'll still come by and visit me.  
Elinor: I will, I promise.  
(Mrs. Bat looks right at Mr. Rabbit like she's saying goodbye. and she turns to leave.)  
Elinor: Mrs. Bat.  
(She turns over to look right at Elinor.)  
Elinor: Ari will be alright. my mother will take care of him.  
Mrs. Bat: Thank you, Elinor.  
(She turns herself around. and she goes back home to her house.)  
(Scene: Summer writing class)  
(Mr. Hamster's teaching his last class.)  
Mr. Hamster (reading): Encased in talent. like a uniform. the rank of every poet is well known. They can amaze us like a thunderstorm. or die so young. or live for years alone. My advice to you on our last class. be a thunderstorm.  
Marvin: What exactly do you mean by that?  
Mr. Hamster: I mean, be dangerous  
(At the back of the room, Elinor enters. and she's holding her poem.)  
Mr. Hamster: And unpredictable. And make a lot of noise. 
(He notices Elinor's there.)  
Mr. Hamster: Elinor.  
(They all embrace her.)  
Marvin: Hey! we missed you, man! Gimme a hug!  
(They all embrace her. and Elinor goes to the front of the room by Mr. Hamster.)  
Mr. Hamster: I was hoping you'd stop by today.  
(Elinor and Mr. Hamster embrace one another.)  
Elinor: I can't stay. I just came to read my poem. 
Mr. Hamster: We'd love to hear it.  
(Elinor looks right at her paper. and she begins reading it.)  
Elinor (reading her poem): Weeping willow with your tears running down. Why do you always weep and frown? Is it because he left you one day? Is it because he could not stay? On your branches, he would swing. Do you long for the happiness that they would bring? He found shelter in your shade. He thought his laughter would never fade. Weeping willow stop your tears. There is something to calm your fears. You think death as if you forever part. But I know he'll always be in your heart.  
(There's a longer pause. just as everybody sinks it in. It's now silent.)  
(Scene: Outside the school building)  
(Elinor leaves the school building. and she finds Olive. who's waiting for her.)  
Elinor: Hi, Olive.  
Olive: Hi, Elinor.  
(They both get their bikes. and they ride away from the school building.)  
Elinor (thoughts): Things are a little better these days. I finally swallowed that chicken bone. Olive and I are gonna be in the same home room. and the republican party just re-nominated Mr. Gator.  
(Elinor and Olive ride their bikes down the neighborhood city streets. and into the city town. Elinor just found a new best friend for life. and her entire life's much better than before.)  
(End of story sequence........)