The Jealousy Trap
by
Matt Zurbo

Dedicated with love to the McKenzie family.

Sophie was cute girl with a BIG problem…
(Cute 3-4 year old girl.)

Her sister!
(Super cute baby girl with lots of hair.)

And jealousy.
(Sophie using a hula-hoop, looking for attention, everybody clustered around baby.)

Sophie’s sister was born with crazy, beautiful hair!
(Happy, playing baby face with thick, crazy hair with two small bows in it.)

Suddenly, Sophie’s sister got ALL the attention.
(People crowed around the pram while Sophie alone on Scooter.)

Every
(Sophie singing, baby dancing. Everybody around dancing baby, taking photos.)

single
(Sophie flying kite with Dad. Baby, head down, arse up, farting. Parents laughing, amused.)
bit!

Or, at least that was the way it felt to Sophie.
(Dad giving Sophie a shoulder ride. Mum with baby in chest harness. Strangers flocking around Mum.)

Even the monsters from under Sophie’s bed, somehow found her sister cute.
(Bedroom, one monster chasing, trying to eat Sophie. Second, fingers locked, standing in besotted admiration in front of playing baby.)

It was ridiculous!
(Monster lovingly platting sister’s hair into lots of pigtails. Sophie standing to the side, annoyed.)

Sophie’s sister wouldn’t even let her stay mad!
(Baby, hair full of plats, bum out, leaning in to hug Sophie. Who is lifting her arms, as if reluctant to embrace.)

Sophie had had enough!
She wanted ATTENTION!
(Sophie fuming, fists clenched by side.)

LOOK OUT!
(Sophie running around, knocking things over.)

Then, in Sophie’s rage…
(Three shoe boxes, and a few photo albums, all brimming with photos, falling from shelf onto Sophie’s head.)

“What are these, Mum?” she asked.
(Sophie, sitting chest-deep in photos.)
“Those…?” Mum said. “They are just a few of the photos we took of you when you were your sister’s age.”

“Oh,” Sophie said.
(Double page spread. In foreground, Sophie, sitting in photos, looking down at a photo in hand. Backdrop is a wall of photos of Sophie as a baby, interacting with parents, wearing pot on head, playing with dog, people watching her dance, playing in sandpit, at the circus, etc…)

Sophie turned to ask her Mum another question.
(Mum, tear in eye, smiling, looking at photo of her and Sophie after Sophie was born.)

(Mum, Sophie and sister hugging.)

After that, Sophie and her sister became best friends.
(Sophie and sister sitting on picnic blanket, with various dolls, and tea party setting. Sophie is pouring baby a cup of tea. Baby is sitting in front of it, trying to eat a toy bunny.)

The End