2. INT. HOUSE FRONT DOOR - DAY
We see a close up of a door handle being pulled down as the
door swings open towards us.
We pull back to see AURÉLIE entering the house in her school
uniform. She is a young girl aged 16, with long golden hair
and piercing, intelligent grey eyes. She has the build of an
athlete and carries a sports kit bag.
She drops her bag by the front door and kicks her shoes off
leaving them on the floor. She then begins to climb the
stairs, before getting halfway and deciding to come back
down.
CUT TO
3. 2.
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
We see AURÉLIE enter the living room lost in thought before
she stops suddenly when she sees the occupants. On the sofa
are her step-father CHARLIE and her aunt KAREN. They are
obviously waiting for her to arrive home.
AURÉLIE
(To CHARLIE)
What the hell is she doing here?
CHARLIE
Lily don’t be so rude your aunt has
come to see you
AURÉLIE
(sarcastically)
Has she now? Well I’m only sixteen
theres a first time for everything
She goes to enter the kitchen, adjoined to to the living
room.
CHARLIE
We’re not done talking here
She stops by the door and turns back to face the sofa
AURÉLIE
Funny, I was under the impression
we were
CHARLIE
(to KAREN)
See what I mean?
KAREN
Completely
CHARLIE
(sighing)
Lily, what the hell is going on
with you these days? All I ever
hear from you know is this attitude
and frankly its getting boring
AURÉLIE
Have you ever stopped to consider
the fact that there is nothing
going on and you’re imagining the
whole thing
(CONTINUED)
4. CONTINUED: 3.
CHARLIE
Don’t be smart with me. I
understand you’re grieving but you
can’t keep acting out like this
anymore. Its not what your mother
would have wanted.
AURÉLIE
(angrily)
We’ll never get to know so quit
saying that all the time. It does
my head in
CHARLIE
I’m sorry but do you understand...
AURÉLIE
(interrupting)
Shut up! I honestly don’t care what
anyone thinks and I really couldn’t
care what she would have wanted.
She left
KAREN
(sharply)
Aurelie your step father has asked
me here today try and talk some
sense into you. You’ve always been
insolent like your mother but now
it’s time to grow up and learn a
thing or two. You WILL listen to
what I have to say
AURÉLIE
(to CHARLIE)
And I can’t believe you bought her
into this! How in your right mind
do you think I would happily talk
to her
CHARLIE
I just thought...
AURÉLIE
(interrupting)
No you didn’t think
(angrily to Karen)
And you you think you can waltz in
here and try and take over my life.
Where were you when I was growing
up? Where were you when my mum
needed you? Anywhere but near her.
You seem to be the only person in
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
5. CONTINUED: 4.
AURÉLIE (cont’d)
the world who knows why you hated
her even your own parents can’t
work it out. Your are a spiteful
mean woman who poisons any
relationship she has with anyone to
the point your own daughter can’t
stand you. And you say I need to
grow up!
AURÉLIE storms out of the room, we hear her footsteps as she
runs upstairs and the slam of her bedroom door.
CHARLIE
Sorry about her she...
KAREN
I’m leaving
KAREN hurriedly gathers her things and leaves the house. We
hear the slam of the front door in the background as we
still see CHARLIE sitting on the sofa.
CUT TO
6. 5.
INT. BEDROOM - DAY
AURÉLIE is laying on her bed playing music from her laptop
as she looks out of the window. We can see views of a long
beach on a windy day with grey skies, as if its about to
rain.
In the room there is a desk with a lamp and school work on
it underneath shelves stacked with books and DVD’s. There is
also a large built in wardrobe and some drawers. Above her
bed are more shelves with photo frames on, showing photos of
a young AURÉLIE with a woman who must be her mother. On the
walls are posters for bands and various paintings, as well
as the odd photo of her with her friends and family.
Although the room is tidy, the floor is littered with the
remnants of a painting session; brushes, paper, paints and
pencils.
AURÉLIE gets up off the bed and walks over to a door on the
same side of the room, opening it to reveal a balcony
overlooking the beach. She sits on a chair and watches her
aunts car as it leaves the driveway.
AURÉLIE
(to herself)
Thank fuck for that
There’s a knock on her door
AURÉLIE (cont’d)
(yelling)
Its open
CHARLIE
(as he walks out onto the
balcony)
What was all that about
AURÉLIE
You know I cant stand that woman
after the way she treated mum. The
thought of being related to her
honestly sickens me
CHARLIE
A little over dramatic
AURÉLIE
Not with her
(turning to look at CHARLIE)
Why did you even ask her round you
must have known what would happen
(CONTINUED)
7. CONTINUED: 6.
CHARLIE
I had an idea it might but I can’t
think of anything else Lily. You
won’t talk to me or your
grandparents. She was the last hope
AURÉLIE
There’s nothing to talk about I’m
fine
CHARLIE
Yeah sure whatever you say. Look
I’ve gotta go pick up your brother
so please be here when I get back.
He’s been looking forward to
tonight for weeks
AURÉLIE
Fine
CHARLIE goes to the door before looking back
CHARLIE
You know I love you right. I may
not be your real father...
AURÉLIE
(interrupting)
Exactly
CHARLIE
Aurélie please I’m trying to
help...
There is a long pause during which CHARLIE leaves
AURÉLIE
(not realising he has gone)
Look I’d rather be left alone if
you don’t mind its been a shit day
She turns to look at him only to see he has gone
AURÉLIE (cont’d)
Charming
It starts to rain. AURÉLIE sites there for a couple of
minutes before eventually she goes back inside her room,
grabbing a towel to dry her hair from the drawers. She then
goes back to sitting on her bed and grabs her laptop. We see
her scrolling through a social media site before something
out of the window catches her eye.
(CONTINUED)
8. CONTINUED: 7.
AURÉLIE (cont’d)
(to herself)
What the...
We follow her eyeline to see a man laying in the sand on the
beach as the rain pours down, soaking him.
AURÉLIE gets off of the bed and grabs a coat hanging on her
door, puts it on and goes back onto the balcony.
AURÉLIE (cont’d)
(yelling over the noise of the
rain to the man below)
Hey!
She waits a few moments.
Sir? Are you ok? Can you hear me?
She runs back onto her room and continues, running down the
stairs, stopping only to put her shoes on at the foot of
them, where she had thrown them earlier, before grabbing
some keys off a table in the hallway and slamming the door
behind her.
CUT TO
9. 8.
EXT. BEACH - DUSK
We see a wide beach with the man laying on the sand. The man
looks to be in his early sixties and is well dressed,
despite being soaked to the skin. AURÉLIE comes running up
to him before stopping a few yards away, unsure of what to
do.
AURÉLIE
Erm excuse me but are you okay?
Again there is no answer. She steps forward slightly.
Hello?
This time the man stirs slightly and turns his head to face
her, still laying down.
MAN
What do you want
AURÉLIE
(after a pause)
I thought you were dead
MAN
Well as you can see I’m not. Thank
you for your concern but I’d rather
much prefer to be alone
AURÉLIE
If you’re not dead why are you
laying on the beach in the rain.
You’ll catch a cold
MAN
Which part of alone confuses you
AURÉLIE
(with slight sarcasm)
Answer my question and I’ll leave
you to lay here till your hearts
content
MAN
Fine
There is another pause
AURÉLIE
Anytime today. I’d rather not stand
out here in the rain for hours
(CONTINUED)
10. CONTINUED: 9.
MAN
Inspiration
AURÉLIE
What?
MAN
You heard me, inspiration
AURÉLIE
For what exactly
MAN
I said I’d answer your question and
I did so if you’d like to leave
that would be much appreciated
AURÉLIE
You haven’t
MAN
Havent what
AURÉLIE
Answered it. My question
MAN
No you asked another one thats not
my problem
AURÉLIE goes to lay down next to him, grimacing slightly at
the wet sand. She seems to be thinking to herself what to
say next.
MAN (cont’d)
I think you’ll find that is the
opposite of leaving me alone
AURÉLIE
(ignoring him)
I used to come here at lot when I
was younger. I live in a house on
the front
MAN
You seem to be mistaking me for
someone who cares
AURÉLIE
(still ignoring him)
I like to paint you see and mum
said I was good at it. And she
loved this beach. We used to come
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
11. CONTINUED: 10.
AURÉLIE (cont’d)
here everyday after school. So when
she got ill and couldn’t leave the
house I would paint her a view of
the beach everyday when I got home,
so she could still see it
The MAN turns to look at her, and sees her staring into the
rain. He seems to become interested in her story and watches
her as she talks
AURÉLIE (cont’d)
I haven’t come here much since
then. I bring my brother down here
sometimes but its never the same
MAN
(softly)
Didn’t your parents ever tell you
not to spill your entire life story
to random strangers?
AURÉLIE
(laughing)
Yeah they must have done. Ive never
really listened to them though. And
people pay tonnes of money to talk
to a stranger so why not get it for
free right now
MAN
I could be a pervert for all you
know
AURÉLIE
Nah you’re just a guy laying on a
beach on the rain looking for
inspiration
MAN
And you’re just a girl laying on a
beach in the rain talking with a
stranger rather than your family
because you’re scared what they
will think of your current
behaviour I presume
AURÉLIE
You sound like you speak from
experience
(CONTINUED)
12. CONTINUED: 11.
MAN
This isn’t the first time I’ve been
here and I very much doubt it will
be the last
We hear the sound of a car coming along the road and slowing
down to pull up at one of the houses behind them. AURÉLIE
sits up suddenly and glances behind her.
AURÉLIE
Shit thats Charlie. Fuck I said I’d
be there when they got home
She scrambles to her feet and attempts to brush some of the
wet sand off of her clothes. The man sits up and watches
her.
MAN
You should talk to him you know.
And you should stop punishing him
for how you feel
AURÉLIE
And you should go home instead of
staying out here but we both know
you won’t
MAN
Touché. But seriously don’t shut
your family out. Acting up and
getting mad all the time will just
end badly
AURÉLIE
Yeah well I gotta do something. Its
like they’ve all forgotten what
happened. Besides I think I’ll take
my advice from someone not laying
in the rain thanks
MAN
Have it your way
AURÉLIE goes back to brushing herself down.
MAN (cont’d)
Good luck I think you’ll need it.
Oh and thanks for the inspiration
AURÉLIE
(not looking up)
What do you mean?
(CONTINUED)
13. CONTINUED: 12.
She doesn’t get a reply and looks up confused to see the MAN
walking away with his hands in his pocket and his hood up.
She watches him go for a moment before hearing her name
being called from the road. She turns and runs towards the
house almost tripping on the kerb before reaching the gate
at the end of her driveway. A young boy aged 8 runs up and
grabs her round the waist. The boy has slightly long curly
hair, the same blonde as her own and bright green eyes. He
is wearing a rugby kit and is covered in mud. She hugs him
before pushing him towards the front door.
AURÉLIE (cont’d)
Hey Noah how was training?
NOAH
(excitedly)
It was really fun except George was
mean to Alfie again so I tackled
him really hard but coach told me
off because we weren’t supposed to
tackle today but I’m glad I did it
anyway because it made Alfie laugh
AURÉLIE
Once again I have no clue who these
kids are
INT. HOUSE - DUSK
Both of them enter the house to see CHARLIE hanging up his
coat.
CHARLIE
Alfie is his new best friend
apparently. And George is John
Hewitt’s son. You remember John
from your mums office?
CHARLIE attempts to get NOAH to unwrap his arms from around
AURÉLIE’s waist.
Noah, take your coat off and sit
down on the stairs please
AURÉLIE
(pulling NOAH’s coat off him)
Oh yeah him. He was bratty
NOAH
(fidgeting)
Yeah he’s mean I don’t like him
(CONTINUED)
14. CONTINUED: 13.
CHARLIE
Aurélie you’re soaked through! What
were you doing out there
AURÉLIE
I was talking to this man on the
beach. I thought he was dead but he
wasn’t
CHARLIE
(looking confused)
A dead man on the beach?
NOAH
(struggling with his shoes)
Lily why are you talking to dead
people?
AURÉLIE
(sighing)
I can’t be bothered to explain.
Noah move your bum I want to get up
the stairs
CHARLIE
Where are you going?
AURÉLIE
For a shower
NOAH
(excitedly)
Lily Lily Lily dont forget what day
it is. You promised you would play
my new game with me look
NOAH holds up a new computer game and waves it around in
excitement.
CHARLIE
He’s been waiting for weeks for
this and you did promise you would
play it with him when he’d saved up
for it
AURÉLIE glares at CHARLIE before talking to her brother.
AURÉLIE
Noah I promise to play with you
after dinner
(CONTINUED)
16. 15.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
We see AURÉLIE walk into her bedroom wearing a dressing gown
with her hair in a towel, obviously she has just had a
shower. She flops onto her bed on her back.
AURÉLIE
(to herself)
Stop punishing him for how I feel
huh
She turns her head to look at a picture frame on her bedside
table. In the frame is a picture of a young woman with long
brown hair and the same piercing grey eyes as herself.
AURÉLIE (cont’d)
(talking to the photo)
What am I supposed to do. Without
you nobody notices me anymore. Dads
too busy looking after Noah and
everyone at school avoids me
because they don’t know what to
say.
(becoming frustrated)
But you won’t answer will you.
Because you’re just a photo. The
real you has already left
We see a tear roll down her cheeks she takes the frame and
places it face down on the table, hiding the photo it holds.
CUT TO
17. 16.
INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT
CHARLIE enters the room holding two plates of food. NOAH is
already at the table eating.
CHARLIE
Noah can you go get your sister
please?
NOAH leaves the room for a few seconds as CHARLIE puts the
plates down and closes the door to the kitchen. NOAH runs
back in and sits down at the table.
NOAH
She’s asleep
CHARLIE
Thats early. Oh well leave her be
then
NOAH
Will she still play with me?
CHARLIE
You’ll have to see if she wakes up
later. Don’t disturb her, your
sister isn’t very well at the
moment
CUT TO
18. 17.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
AURÉLIE is asleep on the bed, curled up. We can see the
remnants of tear trails on her face which is all red from
crying.
FADE TO BLACK
19. 18.
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
AURÉLIE is sitting by herself at a desk at the back of a
classroom whilst a lesson is going on. There are low murmurs
throughout the class as everybody appears to be bored. The
girls in front of her are whispering to each other and
glancing back at her. By the look on AURÉLIE’s face we can
see she is getting more and more annoyed by them until...
AURÉLIE
If you bitches look at me one more
time I will end you
GIRL 1
You think you’re so special
TEACHER
(angrily)
Aurélie Franklin and Emma Chambers
if I hear you whispering one more
time it will be an after school
detention for you both
AURÉLIE
(annoyed)
They started it. Talking about me
and watching me all the time, what
is your problem anyway
EMMA
(nastily)
You are. You think you’re so
special just because your mum is
dead. She probably couldn’t stand
you anymore. In fact I bet she
isn’t dead at all and you’re just
attention seeking. Or maybe she ran
away from you and your whiny
brother
TEACHER
(shocked)
Emma thats a detention! Go and see
the head and think about what you
just said!
The room has gone silent as everybody is watching the
altercation. EMMA stands to leave the room when suddenly
AURÉLIE stands as well and marches over to her, grabbing her
arm and spinning her around before slapping her across the
face.
(CONTINUED)
20. CONTINUED: 19.
AURÉLIE
(yelling in anger)
Say that again you bitch! Go on I
dare you!
The TEACHER runs over to try and separate the two girls, but
AURÉLIE breaks free, and goes to hit EMMA again but misses.
EMMA screams.
AURÉLIE (cont’d)
Don’t you dare say another word
about my family or I will kill you
Another teacher runs into the room having heard EMMA’s
scream.
TEACHER 2
(shocked)
Aurélie what on earth do you think
you’re doing!?
AURÉLIE panics and grabs her bag.
AURÉLIE
(shouting through tears)
Thats it I’m done, fuck you all
She runs through the classroom and heads for the door. The
second teacher is blocking her way but she forces past them.
We see her running down the corridor and out of the main
door to the school, slamming it behind her as the teachers
call after her.
CUT TO
21. 20.
EXT. BEACH FRONT - DAY
We see AURÉLIE wandering along the road, still crying after
the events at school. Her phone rings and she takes it out
of her pocket. Seeing that the caller is CHARLIE she
declines the call. She continues walking until her phone
rings again. This time it is a text from CHARLIE asking
where she is as the school have rung saying she got into a
fight and ran away. She switches the phone off and puts it
into her bag.
CUT TO
22. 21.
EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN - DAY
We follow AURÉLIE as she is walking around the outskirts of
the town she lives in, not far from the beach as we can see
it in the background. She comes across an big, ruined house
surrounded by a high fence. There is a hole in the fence a
few yards down and she squeezes through it. She walks up to
the large front door and opens it easily, going inside the
house. The roof has collapsed into the hallway and she can
see the sky through the hole its left. There are many rooms
all in various states. She ends up in a room with an old
piano and a worn sofa, which she sits on for a while before
her attention is caught by some noise.
She can hear some people round the other side of the house,
so she heads towards the noise, not noticing a large sign
saying no entry. She jumps when she hears a voice behind
her.
BUILDER
Oi you what do you think you’re
doing can you not read the signs
AURÉLIE
(nervously)
Sorry I just wandered in I haven’t
seen any signs
BUILDER
Yeah right and I suppose the hole
in the fence isn’t your work
either. What have you come to nick
AURÉLIE
Nothing honestly
BUILDER
Drugs then?
AURÉLIE
No I would never
BUILDER
Doesn’t matter anyway, Ive already
called the police
AURÉLIE
(scared)
What! But I haven’t done anything
She tries to run away but the BUILDER grabs her arm.
(CONTINUED)
23. CONTINUED: 22.
AURÉLIE (cont’d)
(struggling)
Let go of me
BUILDER
You can stay in the office till
they arrive
The BUILDER drags her over to a portable office. We can see
that the house is in the middle of a building site and seems
to be in the middle of being demolished. As he goes to
unlock the door, a police car arrives and an officer gets
out.
POLICE OFFICER
Not another trespasser?
BUILDER
Yep fourth one this week
POLICE OFFICER
(to AURÉLIE)
You are being arrested on suspicion
of trespassing private property.
You do not have to say anything but
it may harm your defence if you do
not mention, when questioned,
something which you later rely on
in court. Anything you do say may
be given in evidence.Do you
understand?
AURÉLIE
(scared)
What!
BUILDER
We won’t press charges this time
sweetheart seeing as you’re a new
face but be warned
POLICE OFFICER
Thats enough. I’m still gonna have
to take you to the station and give
you a warning.
(motioning to the car)
In you get.
AURÉLIE gets into the back of the police car. The POLICE
OFFICER shuts the door behind her. We see her looking out
the window with a scared expression on her face. She takes
out her phone from her bag, turns it on and sends one
message to CHARLIE. The message reads ’if you still want me
I’m at the police station’.
(CONTINUED)
25. 24.
INT. POLICE STATION WAITING ROOM - DAY
Story Arc
The story revolves around one particular beach.
It begins with a funeral. A young girl, Aurélie Franklin,
stands beside a grave with her younger brother Noah and her
step-father Charlie. There are several flashbacks of Aurélie
as a young child with her mother; happy memories of the two
of them enjoying life, running on the beach, singing,
painting together etc. After standing looking at her mothers
grave for a while, her mothers sister comes over. After
expressing her distaste in the washer step-father had
organised the funeral, and making spiteful remarks about her
sister and how Aurélie takes after her too much rather than
Noah who thankfully takes after their father, Aurélie
remarks how Charlie is not her father, grabs her brothers
hand and drags him away. Charlie follows closely, before
they get into a car and drive away.
A year later, Aurélie has changed from being an kind and
hard working child and has become angry and frustrated,
constantly causing arguments and fights both at school and
at home. One morning she is helping her brother get ready
for school when her step father reminds her that he is
unable to take her to school that day so she would have to
walk or catch the bus. Aurélie mutters under her breath how
she wouldn’t want him to anyway before grabbing her bags and
leaving the house, slamming the door behind her.
When she gets home, she finds her aunt and step father
waiting for her. After yet another argument with them both
during which she decides to cut ties with her aunt, she
hides in her room hoping they would both leave. Charlie begs
her to talk to him, before she curtly reminds him again that
he isn’t her father. After he leaves to pick up her brother,
she notices a man, Samuel, laying in the rain on the beach
in front of her house. After running down to make sure he
was ok, she gets talking to him, and during the conversation
he makes a remark about her which bothers her when she
returns home that night.
The next day, after a fight at school, she runs away and
wanders onto an old house, not noticing it is private
property. After being caught and handed to the police for
trespassing, she messages Charlie to come and get her from
the police station after he had spent the afternoon trying
to find her. When he picks her up, they argue again in the
car on the way home as he says her trespassing was the last
straw; if she didn’t change he would either force her to get
therapy or he would send away for school, the choice was
hers. As they arrive home she screams at him to leave her
(CONTINUED)
26. CONTINUED: 25.
alone as he had no power over her, he wasn’t even her real
father.
She goes for a walk along the beach again to try and clear
her mind, and runs into the man she had met the night
before. He is sitting on the sand dunes sketching. He shows
her the sketch and she sees it was herself laying on the
beach in the rain, just as she had the night before. They
talk for a while and he asks her to meet him tomorrow s they
could sketch together.
Their meetings continue for a few weeks as she meets with
him in the same place on the beach everyday to sketch. Over
this time, both Charlie and Noah notice a positive change in
her. Although they don’t know where or what she has been
doing every afternoon, it seems to be making her happier,
and it looks as it she is slowly getting past her mothers
death.
One day, whilst her and Sam are talking, Sam’s grandson
Oscar appears in front of them, having followed Sam to see
where he goes everyday. After recognising each other from
school, Aurélie and Oscar become friends. They start hanging
around together at school and Oscar begins to come with his
grandfather to meet with Aurélie every day.
One day, Oscar doesn’t come to school, and when Aurélie gets
home she finds him crying on her doorstep saying his
grandfather had died overnight. After comforting him and
sending him home, she locks herself in her room in shock.
After deciding that the only reason she was happy was
because she had him to talk to, she decides not to trust
anyone again and reverts back to being withdrawn, worrying
Charlie.
A couple of weeks later, after skipping school and ignoring
an invitation to the funeral, she goes for a walk on the
beach only to bump into Oscar. As she tries to get away from
him, he begins to remind her that she isn’t alone and that
she still has him. He asks her to come to a will reading
with him the next day, and she begrudgingly accepts. At the
reading, she finds that Sam had left her all of his sketches
from the time they spent together and on the back of each
one was a message from him for her. The last sketch was a
picture of herself, laughing in the sun on the beach. On the
back was written ’always remain this happy’. Oscar asks her
to meet him the next day on the beach after school to
continue the meetings they used to have with Sam.
When she meets with him he seems nervous before declaring
that he loved her. He tells her that the last piece of
advice his grandfather gave him was to follow his heart and
not let her get away. After telling her how he feels, he
(CONTINUED)
27. CONTINUED: 26.
kisses her and tells her she will never be alone again. As
they sit together on the beach, in each others arms, she
notices Charlie and Noah walking form the house as they
finally decide to find out where she has gone. When they
reach her, she introduces Oscar and tells them everything.
The story ends with Aurélie apologising to Charlie and
telling him she loves him, calling him ’dad’, wooing her
acceptance and growth. They all sit on the beach watching
the sunset as the credits roll.
