And now my pitch...

Shad and Flax have just moved to town. Making new friends is never easy, but it is almost impossible since Flax is totally invisible and will speak to no one but Shad. At least that is what Shad has to keep telling everyone. Shad is not sure if Flax is a Pookah, a ghost or even an alien. The only thing Shad knows for sure is that Flax has an amazing ability to get both of them into trouble. The tone would be a combination of HARVEY and PETE'S DRAGON for a new era.

THE PILOT

Shad has just moved to town, and finds it isn't easy making new friends. Things change when Flax decides to be Shad's friend, which does not please Shad. Flax is totally invisible. At least that is what Shad has to keep telling everyone. Making it even more difficult is that Flax will not speak to anyone but Shad.

Flax's actions and comments are a constant irritant to Shad. Adults are baffled or amused by Shad's attempts to explain the odd actions of his invisible friend. The kids in school are mostly confused or critical. One classmate, Margo, believes Shad is creating all the mischief through trickery. Her goal is to expose Shad as a phoney. Flax, meanwhile, never really reveals what he is - an actual person that is invisible? a pixie? a ghost? an alien?

STORY: Shad is seen standing at the bus stop, ready to go to school. He looks a bit sad. A voice from behind asks, "New in town?" Shad replies he is. The voice continues, "Thought so." There is a moment of silence. "It looks like you could use a friend," states the voice. Shad nods his head. The voice becomes perky, "I could use a friend, too. Let's be friends. My name is Flax." Shad turns around and happily beams "Hey, Flax, my name is Shad..." only to find no one behind him.

Though Shad tries to locate the source of the voice, he can see no one. "Shad's a nice name," states Flax. Shad darts around and once again sees nothing. The bus pulls up and Shad gets on. He walks nervously to the back of the bus and sits down. The other students watch suspiciously. As Shad is jostled by the bus ride, a pencil falls from his book bag. "You dropped a pencil," whispers Flax. Shad bends down to get it and says "Thank you". "Thank who?" Asks a kid in the seat in front of Shad. "Uh, thank you." Shad says to the boy. "Didn't you tell me my pencil fell?" "NO," exclaims the boy. Shad notices all the kids are now staring. He quickly sits down. "Why are they all staring at us?" whispers Flax. "I don't know," says Shad, exasperated. "You don't know 'what'?" asks a girl a few rows up. "I don't know why you're staring at me," replies Shad. "Who said we were staring at you?" asks the girl. "Him...", Shad starts to point to the boy in front of him who scowls, then wavers his finger around uncertain. The girl gets up and comes to the back of the bus. "You know, new kids are always strange... but I think you might be the strangest. My name is Margo." "My name is Shad", Shad responds. "I didn't ask." says Margo as she goes back to her seat.

"I think she likes you" whispers Flax. "What makes you think that!" Shad exclaims. Margo looks back to Shad, "What makes me think what?" "He thinks you like me", states Shad. "Who thinks I like you?" "I guess him," Shad points to the guy in front of him. "I didn't say nothin'" grumbles the boy. Shad settles back into his seat, mumbling "Never mind." The rest of the trip is in relative silence except for the usual school bus hub-bub. Getting out of the bus, Shad is pleased to find the school looks pleasant. "So this is a school," says Flax. "Looks like a nice one." replies Shad. As Shad heads towards the front door with the other students, he continues talking to Flax, unaware that he is quickly becoming the center of attention. When he reaches the main door, a lady looks down and says "You look new, young man. What is your name?" "I'm Shad", he says. "Shad?" she asks herself, "Oh yes, here you are... room 14. Why that's my class. I'm Mrs. Hocks"

"Do I have a room?" whispers Flax. "I don't know," replies Shad. "You don't know what, Shad?" asks Mrs. Hocks. "I don't know if Flax has a room," Shad responds. "Who is Flax," she asks. "He's the kid who I'm talking to," replies Shad, "He's right over... over..." but all Shad sees is a sea of students staring. Suddenly they burst into laughter. "Now students," soothes Mrs. Hocks, "Shad is new, let's help him find his friend. Now, Shad, what does your friend Flax look like?"

Shad looks nervously around, "I don't know. I can't see him." Another big laugh from the crowd. "That's okay, Shad," smiles Mrs. Hocks, "I'm sure he must be a special friend if he talks only to you. And I'm sure you've been friends for many years." Shad looks up, then at the students, then back to Mrs. Hocks. "No," claims Shad, "I only met him at the bus station today. He said he wanted a friend. He rode on the bus here with me." A big burst of schoolyard laughter.

Cut to a classroom. Shad is sitting at a desk. Margo is sitting behind him. There is an empty desk next to Shad. A student comes up, puts their book bag on the desk and prepares to sit down when the book bag is pushed off the desk. The student looks insulted and moves to another desk. A second student comes up to sit at the desk. The chair is suddenly pulled back causing the student to fall on his behind. Margo is shocked. The student gets up and moves to another desk.

"How do you do that?" asks Margo. "Do what," asks Shad? "How do you make things move? Are you mental, like that scary girl in the movie?" "What scary girl in the movie" puzzles Shad? "You know," Margo says, "the one who can move things with her mind." Shad shakes his head, "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Can you bend a spoon with your thoughts?" Margo asks. "Why would I want to bend a spoon with my thoughts!" shouts Shad. Mrs. Hocks and the class look to Shad. "You and your special friend will need to be quiet in class, Shad," states Mrs. Hocks. "I wasn't talking to my special friend," exclaims Shad, "I was talking to Margo." Shad turns only to find Margo looking busily at a book. Shad scowls at Margo who sticks her tongue out at Shad. "Now, students," directs Mrs. Hocks, "I want you to write this information down." She turns and begins writing on the blackboard as all students lower their heads and begin writing on paper.

Shad looks over to the empty desk to see a pencil writing on a piece of paper. Shad slowly, eerily, reaches over and takes hold of the pencil. "What is going on..." he asks himself quietly. "She told us to write it down", whispers Flax. "What are you doing here?" questions Shad. Mrs. Hocks and the class turn again to Shad. "It's him," explains Shad, "It's Flax. He's sitting at this desk next to me. He was writing with this pencil!" Margo looks over, "That looks like the pencil you dropped on the bus this morning." Shad looks at the pencil, "Yes... it looks LIKE it, but mine is still on my desk."

"Did you only bring one," asks Margo. "Of course not, I brought a spare," explains Shad. "It's in my bag... my bag..." Shad looks in his bag then shakes it upside down. "I thought I brought two." "Let's move on now, shall we," states Mrs. Hocks. As she goes back to writing on the board, the students go back to writing, even Shad. However, as Shad looks to his side, he sees the pencil writing again. He forces himself not to look. Cut to the playground. Shad is sitting by himself on the curb of the sand box. He sighs. "What's wrong, Shad", asks Flax. Shad jumps, "You again!" then lowers his voice, "you again." Shad looks around to see if anyone is watching. "What are you doing here," asks Shad. "I'm sitting with you. That's what friends do, they sit together." "Why can't I see you," whispers Shad between his teeth. "Are looks important?" asks Flax. "Isn't it what's inside that's really important?" Flax continues. Shad continues to whisper, "Yeah but... why did you pick me? I mean why don't you talk with the other kids?" "Don't know," Flax pines, "Guess you were the first one I thought might understand."

Shad looks puzzled, "Understand what?" "Don't you want a friend?" asks Flax. "Yes," replies Shad, "but..." "Well," says Flax, "You have one. Me. We can do all sorts of stuff together." Shad looks puzzled, "Like what?" Shad watches as a nearby baseball is picked up and thrown. "We can play ball and stuff," says Flax, "Does that sound like fun?" Shad watches as the ball nearly misses a student. "Hey, watch where you're throwin' that!" Shad stands up, "I didn't throw it." The kid comes over. "Oh, YOU didn't throw it." The kid looks around, "Then who did." Shad looks nervously about, "He did... Flax." "Oh," smiles the kid, "You're the guy with the imaginary friend." Shad shakes his head. "He's not imaginary... he's invisible."

The kid looks around, "Invisible, huh." The kid takes a step closer, "I say he's imaginary." Shad hears Flax whisper in his hear, "Imagine this..." With a whoosh and a rip, the kid's pants are torn off in one movement. The kid now stands amazed, in his boxer shorts. The shorts have a cute little bear pattern. The playground bursts with laughter. The kid screams and runs off the playground. "I never would have imagined he'd be the type to wear those characters on his underwear," says Flax. Margo walks up to Shad, "And what happened here." Shad looks around, "Well, he insulted Flax... and uh, Flax took the guys pants off." Shad grins sheepishly. The kids give a cheer. "The invisible kid... right," says Margo.

Cut to Shad's bedroom. He is in a bunk bed, lying on the bottom. "Man what a day," sighs Shad. "You're telling me!" exclaims Flax. Shad looks up to the upper bunk as an invisibly hand taps the light switch. "Good night, buddy", states Flax. "Good night... buddy", sighs Shad. As Shad turns over, he hears the bed above creaking a bit. Flax mumbles, "They sure don't make these for normal sized folks."

Fade out.