2. EXT. MORNING OUTSIDE COLLEGE
Tom and Jeff, both eighteen, walk into college as a big sign
out side reads "A-level results today. Good luck class of
2013!"
INT MORNING COLLEGE ASSEMBLY ROOM
Tom and Jeff line up with the other students to collect an
envelope from a woman sat behind a table. Jeff is visibly
nervous while Tom seems uninterested.
JEFF
You know, I got through the whole
of college without ever having a
girlfriend.
TOM
There’s still time.
Tom taps the shoulder of a girl in front. She turns round.
TOM
Excuse me, do you want to go out
with my friend?
GIRL
No.
TOM
What about me?
GIRL
You can go out with him.
TOM
No I meant you.
GIRL
No I don’t.
TOM
What, me or him?
GIRL
Both.
The girl turns back round.
TOM
Just you wait for uni.
(CONTINUED)
3. CONTINUED: 2.
JEFF
Have you even picked a uni yet?
TOM
Na not yet. When my parents get
back from holiday tomorrow then
I’ll pick whichever one they decide
for me.
JEFF
What you going to study?
TOM
They haven’t decided yet.
JEFF
I’m going to Luton.
TOM
What you going to do if you get
even worse grades then you’re
expecting?
JEFF
Well that’s the great thing about
Luton, they take just about any one
as long as you’re not completely
stupid.
TOM
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for
you.
Jeff laughs and play fights with Tom as they reach the front
of the line. The woman at the desk looks unimpressed as she
waits for them to stop. They collect an envelop each then
retreat into the corner of the room.
JEFF
I’m too nervous.
Jeff carefully opens the envelope and pulls the paper out.
His eyes quickly scans the page. It reads D, D, E.
JEFF
(Excitedly) I did it! I bloody did
it. Luton here I come!
Tom happily watches Jeff bounce around in relief. Tom, with
little enthusiasm, pulls out his page and glides his eyes
towards the results. They read D, D, E.
Toms face drops in shock.
(CONTINUED)
4. CONTINUED: 3.
TOM
What the fuck is this? This is
wrong, it’s definitely wrong,
there’s a mistake, mines wrong.
He shows Jeff.
JEFF
I thought you were smarter then
that?
TOM
I am, I bloody am!
Tom darts towards the table with a young woman sitting
behind it.
TOM
Excuse me, there’s been a mistake,
mines wrong.
Tom hands the paper over. The women looks at it then at Tom
then back to the results and tries to hide a smile.
WOMAN
No mistake I’m afraid.
TOM
I’m pretty sure I’m smarter then
that?
WOMAN
Maybe you just look smart?
TOM
My parents are going to kill me
with these results, they must be
wrong!
Jeff studies his results.
JEFF
Hey maybe mine are wrong?
TOM
They’re not!
WOMAN
None of them are wrong. Maybe
you’re just more the creative type?
She hands the results back to Tom.
(CONTINUED)
5. CONTINUED: 4.
TOM
I failed art! No one fails art.
WOMAN
Hitler did.
TOM
So what shall I do?
WOMAN
I don’t know, politics?
Tom puts his hands on his head and lets out a long groan.
EXT MIDDAY TOMS STREET
Tom looks defeated as him and Jeff walk back down their
street towards Toms house. They pass Toms elderly neighbor,
Wendy, pottering about in her front garden.
WENDY
Well... how did you do?
JEFF
He got the same as me.
WENDY
Good god! Your parents Tom... their
going to kill you.
Jeff walks Tom into his house and slams the door behind
them.
INT. MIDDAY KITCHEN.
The boys enter Toms house which is covered in rubbish. They
go through to the kitchen and Tom sits down at a filthy
breakfast bar.
JEFF
This house is a mess Tom. Your Mum
is going to go mad.
TOM
Why clean it, she’s going to kill
me anyway.
Jeff searches the cupboards.
(CONTINUED)
6. CONTINUED: 5.
JEFF
I’ll make some tea, always have tea
in a crisis... not that this is a
crisis, just a hiccup. A big
stinking, stomach wrenching,
unavoidable hiccup.
Jeff hurries around the kitchen making tea and looking for
clean cups.
TOM
I swear I was smarter then that.
JEFF
Your parents will understand.
TOM
No they won’t.
JEFF
No you’re right they wont.
TOM
Its funny, a few hours ago I didn’t
care about going to uni but as soon
as those grades appeared I realized
I do want to go and have a good job
and a family and all that stuff.
Tom turns to Jeff.
TOM
For fuck sake Jeff my parents were
right!
Tom drops his head on the table and lets out a long moan.
Jeff puts his hand on Toms back.
JEFF
It will be alright Tom, there’s
always clearing.
Tom lifts his head off the table.
TOM
You mean...
Tom makes a gun out of his hands and puts it up to his head
to symbolize suicide.
JEFF
No! Did you not pay attention at
all this year?
(CONTINUED)
7. CONTINUED: 6.
TOM
Obviously not!
Tom buries his head back into the table and starts sobbing.
JEFF
Clearing. It means in September you
can apply for any uni you might not
have the grades for but if they
have room on the course they will
let you in to make up numbers.
Tom lifts his head and thinks hard.
TOM
That could work.
JEFF
That’s if your parents let you live
to see September.
Tom slams his head back down on the table and lets out
another groan. He then notices a book on a shelf, "catcher
In The Rye". Tom stares at it, thinking hard then shoots up
straight in a moment of revelation.
TOM
That’s it! I’ve bloody got it!
Tom jumps up from the stool and runs out of the kitchen and
up the stairs. Jeff follows bemused by the sudden outburst.
INT. AFTERNOON TOMS BEDROOM
Jeff enters Toms room to find him tearing his room apart and
throwing clothes into a big rucksack.
JEFF
What are you doing Tom?
TOM
Have you read "Catcher in the rye"?
JEFF
Is it a film as well?
TOM
No.
JEFF
Then no I haven’t read it.
(CONTINUED)
8. CONTINUED: 7.
TOM
"Catcher in the rye" is about a boy
who gets kicked out of school and
instead of getting in trouble by
his parents he decides to run away
until they cool down.
JEFF
Is this about me needing to read
more?
TOM
I’m going to leave home for the
summer, let my parents get over the
bad news then come back in time for
clearing.
JEFF
You’re an idiot.
TOM
Why? I can survive a summer by
myself.
JEFF
No I mean you’re an idiot for
thinking your mum will forgive you
in just two months.
TOM
It doesn’t matter because I’ll be
home for like a day or two then off
to uni. I can take two days just
not a summer.
Tom stops packing and walks up to Jeff.
TOM
You should come.
JEFF
No way! I hate walking, camping,
being dirty and being hungry.
TOM
Could be a good chance to meet
girls. On the road carefree, living
for the moment, living on our
instincts. Girls love that.
JEFF
Really?
(CONTINUED)
9. CONTINUED: 8.
TOM
It might even be fun.
JEFF
You’re an idiot.
Jeff starts to walk out the room.
TOM
Where you going?
JEFF
To pack, I’ll be back later.
Jeff walks out the room. Tom smiles then grabs a notepad and
pen and jumps on the bed and lies down. He thinks then
begins writing.
TOM
Dear Mum and Dad, bad news I’m
afraid...
INT NIGHT TOMS BEDROOM
Jeff throws an old rucksack on the floor. The boys undress
to their boxers and T shirt and jump in the bed.
TOM
Right, I left a note downstairs to
my parents. If we get up at dawn
then we should have a good six
hours hours head start before they
realize we have gone.
JEFF
This is such a stupid idea.
TOM
All the best ones are.
Tom sets his alarm and turns out the lights.
The room lays in darkness as both boys are asleep. The alarm
clock next to Tom displays 6am then goes off loudly. Tom
lifts his head and tiredly finds the alarm.
TOM
Fuck that!
Tom slams the alarm clock with his fist and turns over to
sleep in the now peaceful room.
(CONTINUED)
10. CONTINUED: 9.
Tom open his eyes and notices the alarm clock. 12:36. Toms
face turns to terror.
TOM
Jeff! That bloody alarm clock
didn’t work.
Jeff sits up and rubs his eyes and notices the time.
JEFF
When do your parents get back?
The sound of the frond door opening is heard and the boys
freeze as they hear Toms parents.
JANET (TOMS MUM)
(OC)
Oh for god sake! Peter, look at
this mess.
PETER (TOMS DAD)
(OC, shouting)
Tom! Are you up there?
JEFF
You didn’t clean?
TOM
What was the point?
JANET (TOMS MUM)
(oc)
Tom I won’t ask you again! Come
down and sort this bloody mess out!
Tom gets up and puts some trousers on.
JEFF
I was kind of looking forward to
running away.
TOM
It was a stupid idea Jeff. Only
seven year old’s run away, I’m
bloody eighteen.
Tom heads for the door. Jeff gets up and follows him.
11. 10.
INT. MIDDAY TOMS HOUSE DOWNSTAIRS
Tom and Jeff slowly creep downstairs. Toms parents, Janet
and Peter, are cleaning. Janet notices a note on the
breakfast bar. She picks it up and reads it. Her face turns
red and she starts to shake with pure anger.
JANET (TOMS MUM)
(At the top of her voice)
Oh for fuck sake!
Tom is just about to put his foot on the last step when he
freezes in absolute terror.
JEFF
(Whispering)
Tom, I think she found the note.
Janet hands the note to Peter to read. Janet is visibly
shaking with anger.
PETER (TOMS DAD)
We need to find him and make sure
he is safe.
JANET (TOMS MUM)
Then punish him!
Tom turns and quickly and quietly runs up the stairs
followed by Jeff.
PETER (TOMS DAD)
I’ll ring Jeff’s parents. They
couldn’t have got far, if we split
up we can still catch them...
unless they got picked up
hitchhiking of course.
Janet marches up to Peter and looks him straight in the eye,
scaring Peter.
JANET (TOMS MUM)
Peter, our boy is throwing away his
only chance of happiness. We can’t
allow that. We WILL catch him! We
WILL bring him back home! And we
WILL make his life a living hell
all summer until we find a way to
get him into a good university!
PETER (TOMS DAD)
We’ll find him don’t worry.
(CONTINUED)
12. CONTINUED: 11.
JANET (TOMS MUM)
Of course we will bloody find him,
look at his results, I’m not going
to be outsmarted by that!
Janet holds Toms results up at Peter then storms out the
room as Peter dials the phone. Tom and Jeff can be seen out
the window behind Peter throwing their bags from the first
floor then clumsily jumping down themselves and running off
down the garden.
EXT. MIDDAY TOMS BACK GARDEN
Tom and Jeff run down the garden then throw themselves into
the neighbors garden. They check to see if Toms parents saw
them then turn around to see Wendy standing between them and
a clear exit.
WENDY
How did they take it?
TOM
Excellent, they were so pleased
they’re treating us to a game of
hide and seek.
JEFF
They even offered to count first.
Wendy smiles and stands to one side.
WENDY
Go have an adventure boys.
The boys sigh with relief and make their way past Wendy.
WENDY
If one of you dies or gets
molested, you never saw me okay?
The boys are taken back and look worried as they exit the
garden and run through a meadow then vanish into some woods.
Wendy watches then gets back to her gardening.
