5

I’m good, thanks. How are you?

FREDDIE
I’m great. (pauses) There’s way too many people here.

CALVIN, nineteen, walks inside the room. He has his hands inside his trouser pockets. He spots BECKY standing with FREDDIE and walks over to them.

CALVIN
Hey, babe. (goes to kiss BECKY, but she moves out of the way) What’s wrong?

BECKY
I told you not to come here.

CALVIN
Don’t be like that. I’m just trying to be friendly.

BECKY
Well you can go be friendly to someone else because I’m not interested.

CALVIN grabs hold of BECKY’S arm.

FREDDIE (defensively)
Hey, get off her!

CALVIN
(lets go of BECKY)Looks like you have an admirer. Here’s some advice for you. Don’t bother. She’ll only piss you around.

CALVIN turns and walks out of the room.

FREDDIE
(faces BECKY) Are you okay?

BECKY
I’m gonna go.

BECKY walks towards the door.

FREDDIE
(walks after her) Becky, wait.

Cut to
EXT. – OUTSIDE JJ’S HOUSE – EVENING


Page 26
BECKY is sitting on the edge of the pavement, crying. She wipes the tears away from her eyes as FREDDIE sits next to her. He still has the can of beer in his hands.

BECKY (tearfully)
That was my ex. We broke up a few weeks ago. He always belittles me. You’d think he’d have something better to do with his time, but no.

FREDDIE
You don’t have to put up with this.

BECKY
They say that, but I still do. (pauses) My parents split up at the start of the year. I spent a lot of time next door because I couldn’t bear hearing them fight. That’s how I met Calvin. He was living there at the time. He was there for me, but it didn’t take me long to discover he was just like the other guys. (wipes the tears away from her eyes) You must think I’m crazy.

FREDDIE
Not at all. I know what you went through. My parents almost broke up. They still might.

BECKY
You’re different from all the other guys I’ve met.

FREDDIE slowly leans forward and kisses BECKY on the lips. She responds.

Cut to
INT. – JJ’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

JJ is standing in the corner of the room, drinking from a can of beer. BENNY walks inside the room. He sees CHRISSIE drinking from a bottle of wine. She is visibly drunk. BENNY walks over to her.

CHRISSIE
Hey, babe. (holds the bottle of wine out to him) You should try some of this. It’s great!

BENNY
No, thanks. (pauses) Do you mind if I have a word?

CHRISSIE
Sure!


Page 27
BENNY puts his arm around CHRISSIE’S waist and guides her
across the room. She loses her balance, but BENNY keeps her upright. She giggles.

CHRISSIE (continued)
I love you.

BENNY
That’s nice.

JJ nods to BENNY, who acknowledges him. JJ takes a mouthful of beer.

Cut to
INT. – JJ’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

BECKY is sitting on the edge of the bed. FREDDIE is looking around the room. He spots of a photo of JJ, BENNY, APRIL and ZACK standing together on JJ’S desk. He picks it up and looks at it.

BECKY
Did you lock the door?

FREDDIE
Yeah.

FREDDIE places the photo back on the desk, then he sits next to BECKY. They kiss. BECKY brings out a condom from her handbag, which is on the floor.

FREDDIE (nervously)
I can’t believe it’s happening.

BECKY
Relax. You’ll be fine.

They kiss again. FREDDIE takes off his t-shirt whilst BECKY opens the condom.

Cut to
EXT. – STREET – NIGHT

BENNY and CHRISSIE are standing against a wall, kissing passionately. CHRISSIE gropes BENNY. He pulls away.

CHRISSIE
What’s the matter?


Page 28
BENNY
You’re drunk.

CHRISSIE
I know what I’m doing.

CHRISSIE kisses BENNY on the neck. JJ, APRIL and ZACK stand at the end of the street. JJ has a can of beer in his hands, whilst ZACK has a baseball bat in his hands.

JJ
Nice night, don’t you think?

CHRISSIE suddenly pulls away from BENNY.

JJ (continued)
You had fun tonight, right? You got free booze, had a dance. You were almost gonna get laid.

CHRISSIE doesn’t answer him. JJ throws his can of beer at her. The contents spill onto the floor. CHRISSIE jumps.

JJ (angrily)
Fucking answer me, bitch! Am I that much of a twat that you don’t wanna talk to me?

CHRISSIE
No.

JJ
Did you have fun?

CHRISSIE
Yes. I did.

JJ
Was it too much to ask for? I mean, I was just trying to make conversation. (faces APRIL) Is there anything you wanna say to her?

APRIL
No.

JJ
(faces BENNY) What about you?

BENNY shakes his head.

CHRISSIE (concerned)

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What are you doing? (faces BENNY) Benny, what’s happening?

JJ
(turns and slaps CHRISSIE across the face) Shut up!

JJ clicks his fingers. ZACK hits CHRISSIE in the face with the baseball bat. She drops to the floor. ZACK hits her in the back.

APRIL
(holds out her hand) My turn.

ZACK hands the baseball bat to her. APRIL repeatedly hits CHRISSIE with the baseball bat. BENNY looks away. She raises the baseball bat into the air again, but JJ grabs hold of it.

JJ
That’s enough.

APRIL lets go of the baseball bat. JJ holds out the baseball bat to ZACK, who takes hold of it.

JJ (continued)
Bring the can.

BENNY picks up the can of beer from off the floor. JJ, BENNY, APRIL and ZACK run away, leaving CHRISSIE on the floor in a bloody mess.

Cut to
INT. – JJ’S KITCHEN – MORNING

JJ is standing with his back against a worktop. He has a bowl of cereal in his hands, which he is eating from. FREDDIE walks inside the room.

FREDDIE
Hey.

JJ
Good night?

FREDDIE
Sorry about your room.

JJ
Don’t sweat it, man. (pauses) Was last night your first

Page 30
time?

FREDDIE
Yeah.

JJ
How was it?

FREDDIE (smiling)
It was good.

JJ
(laughs) Can’t blame you. She’s hot stuff.

FREDDIE
I came down last night. You, April and Benny weren’t here.

JJ
Yeah. We had something that needed sorting out. (pauses) Maybe you can tag along next time.

FREDDIE
Sure. But only if you guys want me to. I get the feeling Zack hates me.

JJ
Zack’ll come around at some point. Just gotta give him time.

JJ finishes eating his breakfast. He puts the bowl in the sink, then turns back to face FREDDIE.

JJ (continued)
Since moving here, is there someone who’s pissed you off? Like really irritated you?

FREDDIE
Why do you want to know?

JJ
I’m just curious, that’s all. There’s people I come across. People who annoy the fuck out of me.

FREDDIE (reluctantly)
There was this one guy. Last night, he was out of order to Becky. I think his name’s Calvin.

JJ

Page 31
Calvin. I think I know him. He’s Becky’s ex?

FREDDIE
(nods) Yeah.

Cut to
INT. – RICKY AND ALISON’S HALLWAY – MORNING

The front door opens and FREDDIE walks inside the house. He closes the door behind himself. He walks up the stairs. ALISON comes out from the living room.

ALISON
Freddie, we’d like a word.

Cut to
INT. – RICKY AND ALISON’S LIVING ROOM – MORNING

RICKY and ALISON are sitting together on the settee. FREDDIE sits on the floor, in front of them.

ALISON
You’ve been spending a lot of time out at the moment. That’s good, but you’re not telling us where you’re going.

FREDDIE
I don’t have to tell you everything.

ALISON
I know that. But if something happened to you, how are we supposed to know if you’re not telling us everything?

FREDDIE
(faces RICKY) Dad.

RICKY
Your Mother’s right.

ALISON
Freddie, we’re doing this because we care about you.

FREDDIE
(gets to his feet)Just mind your own business, all right?

FREDDIE turns and storms out of the room. RICKY and ALISON hear FREDDIE walking up the stairs. RICKY pulls her in for a hug.


Page 32
ALISON
I don’t know what to do.

RICKY
Give him time.

Cut to
INT. – FREDDIE’S BEDROOM – EVENING

FREDDIE is laying on his bed, playing a game on his PSP. His phone is on top of his desk. It rings. FREDDIE pauses the game. He gets to his feet and picks up his phone. He sees that JJ is ringing him. He answers the phone.

FREDDIE
Hey.

JJ
You coming out?

Cut to
EXT. – ALLEY – EVENING

JJ is standing alone in the alley. He has a watch on his right wrist. He checks the time. FREDDIE walks over to him. JJ brings out a packet of cigarettes. He takes out a cigarette and holds the packet out to FREDDIE.

JJ
Want one?

FREDDIE
No, thanks.

JJ puts the packet away. He brings out a cigarette lighter and lights the cigarette. He takes a puff out of the cigarette, then flicks it away.

JJ
I hate smoking.

FREDDIE
(looks around) What’re we doing here?

JJ
You’ll see. (checks the time on his watch) He should be here any minute now.

FREDDIE