MORGAN FAYE JEFFERSON

Bee

INT. CAR -- BACK SEAT -- DAY

BRITTANY, A.K.A "BEE" (6, Black, whimsically dressed) gazes out the window, her mother, SYLVIA (35, Black), at the steering wheel.

Sylvia glances at her watch -- she's cutting it close. She looks at Bee in the rearview mirror.

SYLVIA: You excited about your first day at your new school?

BEE: Yeah!

SYLVIA: What're you most excited about?

BEE: Making friends and recess!

Sylvia cuts her eyes playfully at Bee.

SYLVIA: And where does learning factor in?

BEE (giggling): Oh, yeah -- that too.

They smile at each other.

EXT. SCHOOL -- DAY

An affluent private school in a white neighborhood. WHITE PARENTS chat during morning reception, some in the carpool line, others hovering near the playground.

Hand in hand, Sylvia and Bee approach MISS MILLIE (20s, White).

MISS MILLIE: Good morning! Are you here for Winston Prep?

Sylvia maintains a pleasant, though annoyed, expression.

SYLVIA: Yes. I'm Sylvia, and this is, Beatrice, but she prefers Bee.

MISS MILLIE: Oh, well hi, Bee. I'm one of your new teachers, Miss Millie. Are you
excited for your first day?

Bee nods enthusiastically.

MISS MILLIE: Why don't you get to know some of your new classmates while I talk to
mommy and daddy?

SYLVIA: Actually, it's just me this morning -- my husband couldn’t make it.

MISS MILLIE: Oh, he didn't want to come to our first day of school?

Second dig.

SYLVIA: It's not that he didn't want to, he just had to get to work. Is that okay?

An awkward beat.

SYLVIA : Go on, sweetie. I’ll say bye before I leave.

EXT. PLAYGROUND -- DAY

Bee spots a group of GIRLS standing together, modeling their school outfits.

Bee approaches them, but the girls immediately stop talking the second she walks up.

BEE: Hi.

For a moment, no one says anything, GIRL #1 eventually elbowing GIRL #2.

GIRL #2: Hi.

They turn away from Bee to cut her out of their conversation.

Bee goes to another group of KIDS playing in the sandbox, but they ignore her too.

She looks around -- lost.

Giving up, Bee walks towards the empty swings and settles into the seat farthest away from everyone.

She looks up and notices her mom's car driving away.

The school bell RINGS, as the rest of the CHILDREN run into the school.

She walks inside -- alone.

INT. CAR -- DAY

The door closes as Bee gets in, followed by Sylvia.

SYLVIA: How was your first day baby girl?

BEE: Okay.

SYLVIA: Just okay? Did you make some new friends?

BEE: Not really.

Sylvia can hear the pain in Bee's voice.

SYLVIA: Well, it's only the first day sweetie. I'm sure you'll make a friend tomorrow.

Bee doesn't respond. Sylvia gives her space. She turns the car on and pulls off.

EXT. SCHOOL -- PLAYGROUND -- NEXT DAY

Hyper, smiling CHILDREN burst through the doors and rush onto the playground. The unmistakable joy of recess.

Bee goes directly to the swings where she sees Ms. Millie greeting a new FAMILY.

The FATHER (40s, Black, well-dressed) shakes Ms. Millie's hand. His wife, ANNE (40s, Black, the definition of a BAP), stands slightly behind him, their DAUGHTER in front of her.

This is JESSICA (6). Her perfectly polished appearance and large, curly hair immediately capture Bee's attention.

Quickly hugging her parents, Jessica skips onto the playground. No separation anxiety there.

Bee watches Jessica as she settles into a flower bed. She runs her hands through the grass and picks dandelions.

Intrigued, Bee approaches Jessica. Staring for a beat, a flicker of recognition in her eyes -- Bee sees herself in Jessica.

Jessica breaks their silence with a smile.

JESSICA: Hi!

BEE: Hi. What're you doing?

JESSICA: Gardening! Here --

Jessica plucks a FLOWER from the ground and passes it to Bee.

JESSICA : Play with me!

Bee looks at the flower, smiles.

BEE: Okay.

JESSICA: I'm Jessica. What's your name?

BEE: Bee.

JESSICA: Your parents named you after a letter?!

BEE: No, silly! It's B-e-e! Like the bug. Bzzzz!

Jessica LAUGHS, giving Bee a case of the giggles, too. The school bell RINGS. Jessica pops up and runs inside with the rest of the class.

JESSICA: Bye!

Bee smiles. She's made a friend.

EXT. SCHOOL -- LATER

Bee sprints to the car -- barely letting Sylvia get out before hugging her.

BEE: Mommy!

SYLVIA: Hey baby girl! Sorry I'm late.

BEE: It's okay! Guess what mommy? Guess!

SYLVIA: Okay, okay, what?

BEE: I made a friend today!

Sylvia’s eyes widen, a combination of surprise and relief.

SYLVIA: You did?!

BEE: Yeah!

SYLVIA: That's great, baby girl!

She kisses Bee on the head, settles her in the car.

BEE: Guess what else?

SYLVIA: You're full of surprises today! What is it?

BEE: She has skin like me!

It clicks -- Bee's no longer the only Black girl. Sylvia smiles.

EXT. PLAYGROUND -- NEXT DAY

Jessica and Bee play with each others' hair.

JESSICA: Your hair is springier than mine!

They GIGGLE, though Jessica stops when she sees two GIRLS braiding each others' long locks.

JESSICA : Ooh, let’s go braid their hair!

Bee looks at them -- hesitant.

BEE: I dunno...

But Jessica's already headed towards them.

JESSICA: Come on!

Bee tiptoes over behind Jessica. She and the other girls hit it off while one of them examines Bee's hair.

GIRL #2: Your hair is too short to braid.

She leaves to find a different head to play in. Bee looks to Jessica, but she's too busy playing with the other girls.

INT. BEE'S BEDROOM -- EVENING

Bee examines her hair in the mirror and runs her hands through it.

She looks at a nearby magazine and flips the pages. All the images feature white women with long, straight, blonde hair.

Bee stares with envy.

EXT. PLAYGROUND -- NEXT DAY

Running onto the playground, Bee looks for Jessica who's back in her flower bed playing with other GIRLS.

Joining them, Bee takes her hair out of her ponytail to emulate their hairstyle. Jessica barely notices her.

BEE: Hi, Jessica!

JESSICA: Hi.

BEE: Are you gardening again?

JESSICA: Yeah, we all are.

Miss Millie approaches with a stack of ENVELOPES in her hands.

MISS MILLIE: Hey, Jessica! Your mommy wanted to make sure you gave these out during
recess. Do you want me to help you?

JESSICA: No, I got it!

Jessica grabs the envelopes from Miss Millie and passes them around, each one labeled with a girl's name.

The GIRLS get excited, Bee straining to see if she has one.

With the last invite in her hand, Jessica finally passes one to Bee. She looks like she's won the lottery.

BEE: Thank you!

JESSICA: You're welcome!

The bell RINGS again. Jessica skips off, Bee too excited to notice that Jessica has left her behind once again.

She stares at the card: an invitation to Jessica's birthday party.

INT. TARGET -- DAY

Bee holds Sylvia's and JAMES'S (35, Black) hands, eyes fixed on the plethora of toys on the shelves.

SYLVIA: Bee, we've gone through all of these aisles already. Let's go ahead and pick one.

BEE: I can't pick just anything, it has to be perfect!

JAMES: I'm sure whatever you get she'll appreciate, baby girl.

BEE: It has to be the best though!

Sylvia stops, picking up a generic TOY.

SYLVIA: What about this one?

BEE: She wouldn't like it.

James inspects the toy and notices the price tag.

JAMES: Damn! Toy prices done gone up, huh?

Sylvia pops him on the shoulder.

SYLVIA: James!

JAMES: I'm just saying!

The family continues down the aisle until Bee stops abruptly. She points at a toy just outside our view. Sylvia smiles.

JAMES: Oh that's dope, looks like someone has their daddy's good taste!

Rolling her eyes, Sylvia reaches for the toy.

BEE: That's it. That's the one!

SYLVIA: I'm sure Jessica's going to love this one, Bee. Good job.

Bee smiles, proud of herself.

EXT. JESSICA'S HOUSE - DAY

Similar to Bee and Jessica's school, this neighborhood is affluent -- mega-houses in idyllic suburbia.

BALLOONS adorn the front of Jessica's house. GIRLS and their MOTHERS arrive with GIFTS under their arms.

INT. LIVING ROOM -- JESSICA'S HOUSE -- DAY

Bee and Sylvia enter, their smiles slowly dwindling as they realize all of the guests are WHITE.

For a moment, they stand there, both unsure of their place.

BEE: How does my gift look, mommy?

SYLVIA: Great honey, you did a fantastic job.

You can tell a 6-year-old wrapped the gift.

BEE: I wonder where Jessica is?

On cue, a very hyper Jessica emerges, dressed in a frilly princess costume, her curly hair noticeably STRAIGHTENED.

The GIRLS run up to Jessica and squeal "happy birthday."

Bee hops down from the sofa to join them, but she's shut out from the crowd.

Anne chimes a little BELL, grabbing everyone's attention.

ANNE: Okay birthday girl! What do you want to do first?

JESSICA: PRESENTS!

The party guests CHEER as Jessica runs into the --

INT. DINING ROOM -- CONTINUOUS

Where she hops up on the table, the rest of the girls following her into the room.

Through the doorway, Sylvia watches Jessica's rambunctious behavior with the other girls and sees that Bee's left out.

She motions for Bee to join them.

Anne grabs a few GIFTS off the table, passes them to Jessica who rips into them with wild enthusiasm.

Bee manages to squeeze her way next to Jessica. Anne looks down at Bee.

BEE: Hi.

JESSICA (half-hearted): Hi.

ANNE: Hi, what's your name?

Bee frowns. Jessica hadn't mentioned her name before?

BEE: Bee.

ANNE: Isn't that an interesting name?

Anne touches Bee's braids, a tight smile on her face.

ANNE: And that's quite the hair design.

The crowd giggles, Bee scanning their faces. Her little hands rub together, nervous.

ANNE: Jessica, why don't we open Bee's gift next?

JESSICA: Okay.

Bee passes the gift bag. Jessica pulls the present out.

GIRL #2: Ewww who wrapped that?

The crowd LAUGHS again. Bee grows even more nervous.

Jessica rips into the gift. The room goes silent.

We reveal a BLACK BARBIE DOLL, decked out in Afro-centric clothing.

Jessica glances around the room. Her white peers turn their noses up. Off this, she quickly places the doll under the tissue paper and shoves it aside.

Bee watches, confused and hurt as a GIRL #3 moves her out the way.

GIRL #3: Look, Jessica! Look what I got you!

The girl passes an ORNATELY WRAPPED BOX to Jessica who rips it open.

Jessica’s FACE lights up at the sight of a white Barbie doll.

JESSICA: Look, mommy, look! She even comes with her own car! Thank you, thank
you, thank you!

Jessica jumps up and hugs the little girl. A chorus of "aww's" erupt in the b.g.

Bee makes her way to Sylvia who grabs her by the hand and pulls her away.

BEE: Mommy, I want to leave.

SYLVIA: I know sweetie, come on.

Anne notices Sylvia and Bee moving toward the front door and intercepts them.

ANNE: Are we leaving already?

SYLVIA: Yeah, we are.

ANNE: But we haven't done the cake or the group photo yet! Jessica's going to
be so disappointed.

SYLVIA: Somehow, I think she'll be perfectly fine. How she spoke to Bee though? That was definitely disappointing.

Anne feigns shock.

ANNE: I beg your pardon?

SYLVIA: Bee was so proud of herself when she found what she thought was the perfect gift, and Jessica just tossed it aside like it was nothing.

ANNE: Oh, c'mon, Sylvia. You know how kids are. Jessica has a very particular taste, and...

Eager to overhear mommy gossip, a couple of mothers in the b.g. begin to cut their eyes towards Anne and Sylvia.

SYLVIA: OK, I'm gonna remind you since you've clearly forgotten. Those women in there aren't your friends -- you're just the token Black mom.

ANNE: Not everything is about race.

SYLVIA: Maybe for you. You might be teaching your daughter to do whatever she has to do to fit in, but I'm teaching my daughter to be herself, and I'll be damned if I let you show her otherwise.

ANNE: What're you talking about?

Sylvia shakes her head.

SYLVIA: You don't even know.

A stunned Anne watches Sylvia and Bee leave.

INT. CAR -- LATER

Bee and Sylvia sit in the car. They are silent for a beat until Sylvia turns to her daughter.

SYLVIA: I'm sorry, baby girl. I know you're disappointed.

Sylvia reaches out and gently squeezes Bee's hand.

SYLVIA: I thought your gift was beautiful, and so are you. And your hair and everything about you, you understand? Everything about you is magnificent, and don't ever let
anybody say different. If they don't see it, you don't need them.

Bee nods, still visibly upset.

Sylvia reluctantly turns to start the car.

INT. BEE'S BEDROOM -- DAY

Bee sits on her bed, upset. She looks over to the magazine from earlier and angrily begins to rip through it. Suddenly, she stops, her anger settling.

We reverse to see Bee staring at the photo of a black model with natural hair -- dark skinned and beautiful.

Bee wipes her tears.

EXT. SCHOOL -- PLAYGROUND -- DAY

Recess time again.

Bee plays on the swings by herself. In the distance, Bee sees Jessica approach a group of girls. They run off laughing, leaving Jessica alone.

Jessica approaches Bee who slows to a stop on her swing. The two of them look at each other for a moment, silent.

JESSICA: Hi Bee. Do you want to play?

Beat.

BEE: Nah, I'm good.

Jessica walks away, somber. We hold on Bee staring off. After a moment, she smiles to herself.

CUT TO BLACK

Bee was produced and directed by Nick Brooks. It screened at Diversity in Cannes, the Pan African Film Festival, the American Black Film Festival, HollyShorts Film Festival, and the Las Vegas Black Film Festival where it won Best Short Film. It is now available on Amazon Prime Video here.

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