All Thumbs/Transcript

[Arthur is walking to Buster's front door]

Arthur V.O: Have you ever thought about how different something might have been if you had done it just one minute earlier? Or even later? How much better everything would have been?

Bitzi: Hi Arthur. Well how about that. You're right on time. Buster's still in his room. Why don't you tell him if he doesn't hurry up, he'll miss your movie?

Arthur: Hey Buster. Come on! The movie starts in 15 minutes.

Buster: Okay. Let's go.

[Arthur and Buster walk out the front door]

Arthur VO: That's what would have happened if I'd been one minute later. But instead...

[Rewinds back to first scene]

Bitzi: Hi Arthur> Well how about that. You're one minute early. Why don't you run up and tell him if he doesn't hurry, you boys will miss your movie?

Arthur: Hey Buster. Come on! The movie starts in...

[Buster is sucking his thumb. Arthur gasps]

Buster: Arthur! Arthur.

[Cuts to title card]

[All Thumbs (Read by Binky). Arthur and Buster are at their lockers and Buster is sucking his thumb, while Arthur looks embarrassed. Jenna, George, and Muffy walk by and sees him sucking his thumb.]

[End title card]

[Back in Buster's Room]

Arthur: Uh... I'll be right back.

Buster: Okay. You can come back in now. [a few seconds pass] Arthur?

[Arthur runs out of Buster's]

Bitzi: You better get going if... Where's Arthur?

Buster: He had to go.

Bitzi: But I thought you two were going to the movies.

Buster: He had to go home.

Bitzi: [gasp]

[Buster shuts his bedroom door]

[Fantasy of Arthur's front door from the inside of his house]

Arthur: Mom! Dad! D.W.! Come quickly! I just found out something about Buster.

[They come to the front door]

All 3: What? What?

[Arthur whispers. They all gasp.]

Jane: I knew it!

David; He was always too goofy.

D.W.: And immature.

Jane and David: Exactly!

Jane: I don't want you hanging out with him anymore! My son hobnobbing with babies.

Arthur: Don't worry. I won't.

David: Luckily, there's a PTA meeting tonight so we can warn the other parents.

Jane: Why wait? Let's get on the phone now!

[End fantasy]

[Buster calls Arthur's house]

[Arthur walks to the phone. He sees Baxter on the caller ID. He is hesitant to pick it up, but he does.]

Arthur: Hello. Buster?

[Buster hangs up]

Buster: Email. Email is better.

[Arthur at the computer]

Buster VO: Hi. Arthur. It's me. Your buddy, Buster. I know what you just saw looked kind of weird, but it's not that big a deal, right? I mean...

D.W.: (Talking to a doll) Now Suzy, what did I tell you about sucking your thumb? That's only for babies like Kate.

Buster VO: I mean, we're still best friends, right? Your best friend, Buster. P.S. Please don't tell anybody.

Arthur: (Takes a deep breath) Hi Buster. Yeah, we're still... Not that big a deal!?

[''Fantasy at school. Arthur and Buster are at their lockers.'']

Buster: I'm glad we're still best friends, Arthur!

Arthur: Of course! Why wouldn't we be? And don't worry. I won't tell anybody.

Buster: Actually. I thought about that. Now that I know you're okay with it, I don't care if the whole world knows.

[Buster sucks his thumb]

Buster: Mmmm. What's wrong? It's no big deal, right? Just like you said.

[Arthur is embarrassed and Maria, Muffy, George, the Brain, Mr. Ratburn, Binky, Fern, Alex, and Francine are all shocked to see Buster sucking his thumb.]

Buster: We're best friends!

[End fantasy]

Arthur: (gasp)

[Arthur presses the delete button on the keyboard]

[The next day at school. Arthur is parking his bike on the bike rack. Buster approaches.]

Buster: Hi! Did you get my...

Arthur: Hi Buster! Gotta run! Don't wanna be late!

[At lunch]

Buster: Hey guys!

George: Oh, hey! Arthur's over there.

Buster: I know. I wanna hang out with you guys today. How about them Grebes, right?

[George and Fern look shocked]

[Cuts to Francine and Arthur]

Francine: Weird. Why didn't Buster come sit with us?

Arthur: What? Oh. I don't know. Maybe he feels like a change of pace.

Francine: Don't you care?

Arthur: No. Why would I care? He can sit where he wants. [eats beans] Mmmm. These beans are delicious.

[Buster looks at them and looks away]

Francine: What's up?

Arthur: (quickly) Nothing.

Francine: Yeah right.

George: And them I forgot to write my lemur report so I...

[Buster hears Arthur and Francine's conversation while listening to George]

Buster: Weird.

George: Buster?

[George, Fern, and Jenna look at him funny]

Francine: I know. You had a fight?

Arthur: No!

Francine: You did something to him? He did something to you? He caught you in something? You caught him in something?

Arthur: (coughs)

Francine: Aha! What is it? What did Buster do?

[Binky, Brain, Muffy, and Sue Ellen look at him]

Francine: Come on! I know you wanna tell me.

[Buster, trying to listen to what they are talking about, falls out of his seat.]

Buster: I'm okay. Whew. Heh heh. Just... uh... had a wobbly seat. I uh... better get someone to fix it. Yeah.

[Buster runs out of the cafeteria]

Francine: Okay. You have got to tell us what is going on.

[Arthur puts down his spoon]

Arthur: Gotta run!

[In class]

George: The lemur has a striped tail. The lemur is small. The lemur is a primate. The lemur eats plants. The lemur has a long snout. The lemur has a wet nose. The lemur has a good sense of smell.

[While George is giving his report, Francine and Muffy are looking at Buster. Francine passes Arthur a note and Arthur replies. Everybody in class is whispering about Buster.]

[When school lets out, Buster runs out of the classroom. Arthur also runs out. Francine and Muffy follow.]

Francine: Not so fast, Arthur!

Arthur: I told you already. I can't say anything.

Francine: At least give me a hint. You can run, but you can't hide!

Buster: He's told everyone. I just know it! What am I gonna do?

[''Fantasy of Buster getting off a city bus. He is walking though a neighborhood to get to the Employment Office'']

Buster: Hello. Is this where you go to find a grown up job? I know I look young, but I have three... well two and a half years of elementary school. Plus kindergarten. And...

[phone rings]

Man: Thanks for telling us, Mr. Reid.

[The man looks at Buster's thumb to see they are wrinkly from him sucking on it.]

[End fantasy]

Buster: Okay. enough already!

[Arthur is about to run into Buster's bike]

Arthur: Ah!

[Arthur stops his bike]

Buster: Arthur. What's the big deal!? Telling everybody? I asked you not to!

Arthur: I didn't!

Buster: Don't say that! I know you did! You were talking about me in the cafeteria!

Arthur: Because you fell out of your seat!

Buster: And then in class, you were passing notes!

Arthur: No! Francine was passing notes to me and I was telling her to stop it!

Buster: Oh, right!

Arthur: It's true!

Buster: This coming from the kid who ran away from my house and then wouldn't reply to my email!

Arthur: Well, I... I... Who sucks their thumb anyway!?

Buster: Shhh!

Arthur: You're 8 years old, Buster!

Buster: I try to stop, but it's hard. And I only do it sometimes, not when anyone can see.

Arthur: So?

Buster: It's my own problem. It doesn't hurt anybody. Not like ratting on your friend!

Arthur: I didn't rat on you!

Muffy: (in the background) What I miss?

Francine: Shhh!

Muffy: Oh. Oops. Sorry. Was it good?

Francine: No. No it wasn't.

[Buster approaches]

Buster: Aha! I knew it!

[Buster rides away]

Muffy: Will someone please tell me what's going on?

[Francine rides away. She catches up with Buster]

Francine: Wait Buster! Wait! Wait! Wait! I just... I have something that... Here.

Buster: What is it? A potion that makes you invisible? (pause) You mean, you actually do have a potion that makes you invisible?

Francine: No. It's stuff that you put on your thumb or fingers that make them taste bad so you don't suck them.

Buster: Oh. Why do you have that?

Francine: Why do you think?

Buster: You too?

Francine: I hardly do it anymore. Don't tell anybody.

Buster: Don't worry. I know how to keep a secret.

Francine: And I should probably tell you one more thing.

[At Arthur's house. Buster rings the door bell]

Jane: Oh. Hello Buster.

[In Arthur's room]

Arthur: (gasp)

Buster: Hi Arthur.

Arthur: No! I didn't tell them. I swear!

Buster: I know. Francine told me. I just wanted to say I'm sorry I said you did.

Arthur: Actually, I'm the one who should be sorry. It was really mean of me to run away the other day.

Buster: Really? You mean it?

Arthur: I shouldn't have gotten so freaked out.

Buster: Yeah. But you're right. I am in third grade and I shouldn't do it. It makes my thumb all wrinkly. Like this.

[Buster shows Arthur his thumb]

Arthur: Like what?

Buster: Wait. You know what? I haven't sucked my thumb at all since you saw me.

Arthur: Wow! Maybe you were so worried about me telling on you that...

Buster: No. Don't jinx it!

Arthur: Best friends again?

Buster: Best friends!

[They shake hands]

[End]