Chapter Text
FRIDAY, 11TH OCTOBER, 16:06
“Young (Club Mix)” by Jaded plays over shots of people getting out of school, laughing, all arm in arm. BRYAN and RORY walk past together, on their phones.
INT. STAGE, SALLIS BENNEY THEATRE
The songs plays over JAKE sitting alone in the audience, on his phone. He reads over his past few messages.
The one from himself says “I’m at the meeting, where you are??”. RORY’s message said “Got sick. Sorry.” and BRYAN’s messages says “He’s right next to me, alive and well.” and another from RORY says “I’m gonna kill you.”
JAKE rolls his eyes and turns his phone off, putting it in his pocket as he looks like he regrets everything.
He looks up and sees everyone else sitting near the front row, facing the stage, where BRIANNA, RORI, LIZ, ESTHER and SANDY are standing. He sees TAI, talking to WREN and JORDAN. TAI notices JAKE staring and waves at him. JAKE waves back, and TAI looks back at the girls, JAKE sighing deeply.
The music stops as someone walks up to JAKE, standing beside his chair. He looks up to see ELEANOR.
ELEANOR
Hi!
JAKE
Hey.
ELEANOR keeps staring at him, smiling widely and nervously laughing.
JAKE
Um, Eleanor, right?
ELEANOR
Yeah! Fancy seeing you here.
JAKE nods, disinterested.
JAKE
Yeah.
ELEANOR
I didn’t know you did theatre. I really do love to perform. My mum runs this theatre company, it’s called Spotlight Performing Arts, I’m basically the star of it. We do all these dance and theatre competitions and musicals, it’s really quite amazing. We represented England in the International Dance Championships last year. I know, it’s amazing.
JAKE smiles, but his eyes say that he would like to die.
JAKE
Yeah, that’s-- That’s really cool.
ELEANOR looks around and gasps as she sees a group of people walking in.
ELEANOR
Kayla! I’m here!
She turns back to JAKE.
ELEANOR
Hopefully we can talk more later.
JAKE
Yeah, that sounds great.
ELEANOR smiles, waves, and runs off towards the front of the room, where TAI, WREN and JORDAN are lost in the group of people, JAKE watching them all.
A ginger guy wearing headphones and a floral button up walks away from the group, JAKE watching him intently, as he sits at the very edge of the front row.
RORI clears her throat on stage, but no one listens to her. She turns and BRIANNA stands straighter.
BRIANNA
[yells] Sit down!
Everyone takes a seat, ELEANOR sitting next to the ginger guy, as the GIRL SQUAD have the attention of the room, JAKE watching them with his head in his hand, already bored.
RORI
Hello everyone! Welcome to the drama/friendship club! And welcome back to some familiar faces.
NICK, JAMES and THEO cheer from their front row seats, LIZ laughing, but miming at them to shush.
RORI
I’m going to hand it over to our presidents, Elizabeth Tudor and Esther Montner!
There's a smattering of applause, with loud cheers once again from NICK, JAMES and THEO as ESTHER and LIZ step forward.
ESTHER
So, we’re not doing a musical this term, but we will be doing drama and music and stuff to prepare for it!
She smiles nervously and JAKE switches hands.
LIZ
Um, so we’re gonna begin with some ice breakers! Everyone, join us on stage, and we’ll stand in a circle and hold hands! That’s what the website said to do, anyway.
She and ESTHER nervously laugh.
ESTHER
She’s-- She's just kidding. We know what we’re doing.
The GIRL SQUAD walk off of the stage and SANDY puts her arm around ESTHER, kissing her cheek.
SANDY
You did great, Es.
JAKE watches them for a moment, almost longingly, and then looks around to see he’s the only person still sitting, everyone else is getting up on stage. He gets up and walks further back in the room, towards a door marked “STAFF ONLY”.
INT. HALLWAY
“Somebody To Love” by Queen plays as JAKE walks down the hallway, bored, running his hand over the walls, which are covered in signatures from people who performed there previously. He traces some of them, nothing better to do.
He passes some old costumes on a rail, feeling the fabric. He feels a leather jacket, the one he wore in Grease and smiles nostaligically.
He eventually reaches a boys’ bathroom and a girls’ bathroom. He looks between them, then goes into the boys’.
INT. BATHROOM
The songs abruptly stops as JAKE sits in a stall, playing sudoku on his phone, still bored, when the door opens and someone walks in, singing softly to himself.
GUY [O.S.]
Tell me something, boy
Aren't you tired tryin' to fill that void?
JAKE turns his phone off and looks like he’s awake for the first time.
GUY [O.S.]
Or do you need more?
Ain't it hard keeping it so hardcore?
JAKE looks down at the gap between the stall door and the floor and sees a pair of black Vans standing by the furthest wall, swaying slightly.
GUY [O.S.]
I'm falling
In all the good times I find myself
Longing for change
And in the bad times I fear myself
JAKE stands up quietly, as the GUY begins to sing falsetto.
GUY [O.S.]
I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in
I'll never meet the ground
JAKE walks out of the stall and sees the ginger guy from before singing along to his headphones.
GUY
Crash through the…
The GUY looks in the mirror and sees JAKE, as he trails off, looking embarrassed. JAKE walks up to the sink and starts to wash his hands, the GUY doing the same.
The GUY puts a large amount of soap on his hands as JAKE tries to get soap out of the dispenser closest to him. It’s empty. JAKE watches as the GUY keeps getting soap until the dispenser in front of him is empty. The GUY looks at JAKE and grins.
GUY
Do you need soap?
JAKE
‘Scuse me?
The GUY holds out his soap filled hands.
GUY
Do you need some?
JAKE scoops some soap out of the GUY’s hands and finishes washing his hands, the GUY washing his too.
JAKE takes a paper towel out of the dispenser and start to dry his hands, watching the GUY continues to wash his. The GUY looks at him and grins wider. JAKE smiles a little, but quickly makes his face expressionless again.
GUY
I like to be clean.
JAKE
[chuckling] I can see that.
The GUY laughs and reaches over JAKE, taking some paper towels, drying his hands. He then pulls a joint out of his back pocket and holds it awkwardly, like he’s never done it before.
GUY
You got a light?
JAKE puts his paper towels in the bin and allows himself to smile.
JAKE
You’re gonna smoke in here?
GUY
No. Yes? I don’t--
The GUY sighs.
GUY
I’ve only smoked once before, honestly. And I hated it. But Google says the first time’s always the worst.
JAKE takes the joint from him and puts it behind his own ear.
JAKE
Come on, I’ll give you a hand.
JAKE walks to the bathroom door and the GUY follows him, grinning like a madman.
EXT. FIRE ESCAPE, SALLIS BENNEY
JAKE walks up the metal fire escape stairs, the GUY following him, until they reach a platform in between flights.
The GUY sits down at the edge of the platform, his chest against the rail, as he lets his legs dangle off the edge, between the bars. JAKE leans against the window on the building and watches him. The GUY turns back.
GUY
Aren’t you gonna sit?
JAKE
I don’t really want to die, thanks.
GUY
Why not?
JAKE smiles, amused, and joins him, sitting the same way as him, as he lights the joint up.
JAKE
Watch me.
JAKE takes a drag from the joint and exhales, the GUY watching him intensely.
JAKE
See? Not that hard.
GUY
Actually, um… I don’t think I will.
JAKE
Why? [leaning into him] You scared?
GUY
Yeah, actually, I am. I only got it because… I don’t know, I thought “new school, should try new things, like illegal, dangerous drugs!”
JAKE laughs, throwing his head back, making the GUY laugh a bit too.
JAKE
It’s just weed, it’s not dangerous.
GUY
It could be! What if you took too much and then got so high that you fell off of here?
JAKE
Oh, so you’re suddenly scared of dying?
GUY
Hey, only if it’s not my choice.
JAKE’s eyes go wide as he laughs again.
JAKE
Damn, okay. I can see why you’re in the drama club.
The GUY laughs.
GUY
Yeah. Did you know that I was on the West End?
JAKE
What, seriously?
GUY
Yeah. I was in Billy Elliot when I was ten ‘til I was eleven, every third night, because there was three of us. I met Elton John one dark, Saturday night and he told me my pirouettes were a bit shaky, and I haven’t put a foot in a ballet slipper since.
JAKE
What? You shouldn’t listen to that old bastard, you were probably great!
The GUY loses it laughing, leaning back so he’s lying down, panting for breath as JAKE looks at him, confused but smiling.
JAKE
What? What is it?
GUY
Fuck, you actually believed it! And you called Sir Elton Fucking John a bastard !
JAKE
You were-- Oh, fuck you, mate!
JAKE and the GUY both laugh, JAKE lying down to join him.
GUY
I could never have done that, honestly.
JAKE
Not that good?
GUY
Oh no, I’m definitely that good. Just not that cis.
JAKE
What do you mean?
GUY
I’m trans. You know, the gender? They would’ve never let me play him.
JAKE nods.
JAKE
That isn’t fair.
GUY
Yeah, tell me about it.
There’s a pause, as they lie in peaceful silence, JAKE smoking the joint and blowing the smoke away from the GUY.
GUY
You know, you were really good in Grease.
JAKE
What? You-- You saw me?
GUY
I filmed it, remember? Edited it and all for the DVD.
JAKE
Oh, yeah. Thanks for that. And for the… Yeah…
GUY
No problem, it’s what I love. Everything theatre related. You know, theatre is what I love.
JAKE smiles.
JAKE
That’s my name. Not-- Not theatre, obviously. Love. Jake Love.
The GUY laughs and JAKE joins him.
GUY
Seriously? I had to put it in the credits and I still don’t believe it’s your real name.
JAKE
It is, swear to God. You won’t believe half the shit I get.
GUY
I’ll kill them for you.
JAKE laughs.
GUY
I will! Love’s a cool as fuck name! If they have a problem with it, they can talk to my…
The GUY trails off, standing up as JAKE sits up properly.
JAKE
Where are you going?
GUY
Um, I forgot my phone in the bathroom. I’ll-- I’ll see you later, Jake Love.
The GUY runs down the stairs and JAKE calls after him.
JAKE
Wait, what should I call you?
The GUY’s already gone. JAKE lies back again and sighs, taking another hit from the joint. As he exhales, he looks at it. He puts it out next to him and looks to his side, where the GUY had been lying. He reaches his arm out to that side, as if it was around the GUY’s shoulders. A shadow comes over him and he looks up to see ELEANOR.
JAKE
Hello?
ELEANOR
You went missing. The angry, brown girl sent me after you.
JAKE
Brianna?
ELEANOR nods.
ELEANOR
Saw you through the window. What are you doing on the ground?
JAKE
Just… Chilling.
ELEANOR
It’s dangerous.
JAKE shrugs.
ELEANOR
You should come back in. It’s a lot of fun, and I need a partner, ‘cause we need partners for scenes and activities, and Kayla got with this girl she met in her class because she’s in love with her or something and Ali just left for no reason.
JAKE
Um, I already have a partner.
ELEANOR
Who?
JAKE
He couldn’t come today. He was, um, sick.
ELEANOR nods, disheartened.
JAKE
But, um, I’m free tomorrow. If you wanna hang out.
ELEANOR smiles.
ELEANOR
‘Kay. Let’s go back in then.
JAKE looks down and sees the GUY walking out of the theatre and down the street.
JAKE
One sec, gotta call my mum, you go back in.
ELEANOR smiles and nods, going back into the theatre as JAKE stands up, looking around nervously, before yelling.
JAKE
Hey!
The GUY turns around and looks up, seeing JAKE.
GUY
[pointing at himself] Me?
JAKE
Yeah!
GUY
You’re being a public menace!
JAKE
So are you!
The GUY laughs.
JAKE
What should I call you?
GUY
What?
JAKE
Like a name? What’s your name?
GUY
Alistair. Alistair Fletcher.
JAKE
Alistair Fletcher, will you be my partner for theatre club?
ALISTAIR nods, opening his mouth, trying to find something to say.
ALISTAIR
Yeehaw!
JAKE laughs, ALISTAIR joining in, they’re the only sound in the street.
JAKE
Where are you going?
ALISTAIR
Home.
JAKE
Why?
ALISTAIR
Family emergency.
JAKE
Okay, good luck.
ALISTAIR starts to walk away. JAKE panics and yells:
JAKE
I’ll see you?
ALISTAIR
[not looking back] You’ll see me!
ALISTAIR keeps walking, as “How Does It Feel” by M-22 starts to play, JAKE watching ALISTAIR go with a wide, genuine smile on his face.
JAKE looks back down the stairs and the smile falls. He takes one last look at ALISTAIR, and walks down the stairs.
CUT TO END CREDITS AS THE SONG CONTINUES
CUT TO BLACK