Music Tech

Fade In

INT. – RICHARD’S HALLWAY – NIGHT

The front door opens and RICHARD, seventeen, runs inside the house. He closes the door behind himself. Out of breath. Exhaustion. A few of the thoughts running through his mind. RICHARD takes a deep breath, then runs up the stairs.

Cut to
INT. – RICHARD’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

RICHARD bursts inside the room. He jumps when he sees JJ, eighteen, sitting on the edge of the bed with a baseball bat in his hands. There is a container filled with petrol next to JJ.

RICHARD (nervously)
JJ. The others. (spots the baseball bat in JJ’S hands) No.

JJ
(gets to his feet) They were doing what I asked them to do.

RICHARD
No. But, please.

JJ smiles. He hits RICHARD in the face with the baseball bat. He drops to the floor. JJ hits RICHARD in the face again with the baseball bat. This time, RICHARD is unconscious.

JJ
Nothing personal, mate.

JJ opens the container of petrol and lifts it up. He soaks the room with petrol.

Cut to
INT. – RICHARD’S HALLWAY – NIGHT

JJ stands at the bottom of the stairs with the baseball bat in his hands. The container of petrol is on the floor. The stairs and hallway is soaked with petrol. JJ brings out a match and a cigarette. He puts the cigarette in his mouth.
He strikes the match and lights the cigarette. He takes a puff out of it, then flicks the match onto the floor. It ignites, setting the house ablaze. JJ picks up the container of petrol and walks towards the front door.

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Cut to
EXT. – OUTSIDE RICHARD’S HOUSE – NIGHT

JJ walks across the front garden. He stands with BENNY, seventeen, and APRIL and ZACK, both seventeen. ZACK is sitting on a bike. JJ takes a puff out of the cigarette and hands the baseball bat and container of petrol to BENNY.
He then turns and kisses APRIL on the lips. JJ and APRIL hold hands as they walk down the street. BENNY walks closely behind them with ZACK biking next to him.

Opening Titles

Three Months Later

EXT. – OUTSIDE RICKY AND ALISON’S HOUSE – MORNING

RICKY’S car pulls onto the driveway. RICKY, early forties, climbs out of the driver’s door, while ALISON, also early forties, climbs out of the passenger’s door. FREDDIE, seventeen, climbs out of the back of the car. He has his iPod in his hands, which he puts inside his pocket. They look at the front of the house.

RICKY
Looks good, huh?

ALISON
It looks amazing.

RICKY
(faces FREDDIE) What do you think, Fredster?

FREDDIE
(nods) Yeah...

RICKY
Let’s go take a look.

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

The front door opens and RICKY and ALISON step inside the house, followed closely by FREDDIE. They look around. All the furniture is in place.

ALISON (slightly overwhelmed)
Wow.


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RICKY
Took most of the summer to decorate.

ALISON
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were a professional.

RICKY
Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment.

RICKY and ALISON kiss.

Cut to
INT. – FREDDIE’S BEDROOM – MORNING

The bedroom door opens and FREDDIE steps inside the room. He closes the door behind himself. He looks around the room. Impressed with the way the room is arranged, FREDDIE smiles.
He lays on the bed and brings out his iPod. He puts the headphones in his ears and listens to his music. The door opens and ALISON stands in the doorway of the room. FREDDIE takes the headphones out of his ears.

ALISON
I was just going down the shop. Want to come with me?

Cut to
INT. – SUPERMARKET – AFTERNOON

FREDDIE is pushing a trolley down the freezer aisle. The trolley is half-filled with food and bottles of drink. ALISON is walking with FREDDIE.

ALISON
Are you glad we moved? Let me guess. It’s early days.

FREDDIE
The house is great, but I’m gonna miss my mates.

ALISON
They can come over. It’s not as if you won’t be seeing any of them again.

FREDDIE
Mum, we’re a hundred miles away from them.

ALISON
(sighs) Give it time. I’m sure you’ll make new friends. Especially when you start college tomorrow.


Page 3
FREDDIE
Can’t wait.

Cut to
INT. – RICKY AND ALISON’S KITCHEN – EVENING

FREDDIE, RICKY and ALISON are sitting quietly around the table, eating their dinner. They each have a drink in front of them. FREDDIE stares at his plate while he eats.

RICKY
(faces FREDDIE) I was speaking to one of the neighbours earlier. Apparently there’s a band that go to the same college as you. They’re about to release their debut album. (takes a mouthful of food) You should get to know them. Show them some of your music.

ALISON
That’s a good idea. You’re very talented. You could end up touring with them.

FREDDIE
(smiles) Thanks. But I’m not sure if that’s what I want at the moment. Besides, they won’t be interested in me.

ALISON
You never know.

FREDDIE
What’re they called?

RICKY
Chasing Shadows.

Cut to
INT. – FREDDIE’S BEDROOM – EVENING

FREDDIE is sitting on the bed with his laptop on his lap. He is on the Chasing Shadows website. He clicks on a link to watch a video diary. It plays.

Cut to
INT. – OUTSIDE BAND HOTEL ROOM – MORNING – VIDEO PLAYBACK

SANDRA, mid-thirties, is standing outside the hotel room. She talks into the camera.

SANDRA
Hi. I’m Sandra Grove and today I’m here to meet up and coming

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indie-rock band ‘Chasing Shadows’ as they record their debut
album ‘As Far As They Reach’.

SANDRA turns and knocks on the door. JJ opens the door.

SANDRA (continued)
Hi, there.

JJ (smiling)
Hey. We’ve been expecting you. Come on in.

JJ holds the door open. The camera follows SANDRA as she walks inside the hotel room. JJ closes the door.

Cut to
INT. – BAND HOTEL ROOM – MORNING – VIDEO PLAYBACK

JJ and SANDRA stand in the middle of the room. BENNY is sitting with his back against the settee. He has a guitar in his hands. APRIL and ZACK are standing next to the television.

JJ
This is Benny. As you can see, he’s our guitarist.

BENNY
(puts hand up to them) Hey.

JJ
(points to APRIL) That’s my gorgeous girlfriend, April. She happens to be our bassist.

APRIL
Hi.

JJ
And last but not least, we have Zack. (pauses) What do
you do again?

ZACK (sighing)
Brilliant, JJ.

BENNY
He’s our drummer.

JJ
(turns to face the camera) He’s a bit shy.

Cut to
INT. – RECORDING STUDIO – MORNING – VIDEO PLAYBACK

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JJ is standing in the middle of the room, singing into a microphone. He has a seat of headphones on. He finishes singing the song, then he removes the headphones and faces the camera.

JJ
I think my voice sounded dodgy towards the end there.

Cut to
INT. – HOTEL CAFÉ – MORNING – VIDEO PLAYBACK

JJ and SANDRA are sitting at a table together, with SANDRA conducting an interview with JJ.

SANDRA
You’ve all known each other a very long time. What made you decide to form a band?

JJ
Well we’ve always shared a love of music. I love writing songs and performing. One day, we thought we’d give it a shot. Look at us now.

Cut to
INT. – RECORDING STUDIO – MORNING – VIDEO PLAYBACK

BENNY is standing in the middle of the room, playing the guitar to the song that JJ was previously singing. He has a set of
headphones on.

Cut to
INT. – HOTEL CAFÉ – MORNING – VIDEO PLAYBACK

BENNY and SANDRA are sitting at a table together, with SANDRA conducting an interview with BENNY.

SANDRA
What’s it like playing at gigs? And what is the largest crowd you’ve ever played to?

BENNY
Gigs are amazing. I love them. I think it’s a great feeling knowing that the people in the crowd are there to see you. They’re our amazing fans. The largest crowd we’ve ever played to was about a thousand people. Normally, we get around six hundred, which is a decent sized crowd. We’ve got another gig in a few days, which’ll be good.


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Cut to
INT. – RECORDING STUDIO – AFTERNOON – VIDEO PLAYBACK

APRIL is standing in the middle of the room, playing the bass to the song that JJ had sung to previously. She has a set of headphones on.

Cut to
INT. – HOTEL CAFÉ – AFTERNOON – VIDEO PLAYBACK

APRIL and SANDRA are sitting at a table together, with SANDRA conducting an interview with APRIL.

SANDRA
You’ve been on tour quite a lot these past few months. Do you find yourself missing the people back home?

APRIL
Touring is quite hectic. You don’t get a lot of time to yourself to think about that really. I miss my family, but I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do and for that, I am happy.

Cut to
INT. – RECORDING STUDIO – AFTERNOON – VIDEO PLAYBACK

ZACK is sitting in the middle of the room, playing the drums to the song that JJ previously sung. He has a set of headphones on, with a pair of drumsticks in his hands.

Cut to
INT. – HOTEL CAFÉ – AFTERNOON – VIDEO PLAYBACK

ZACK and SANDRA are sitting at a table together, with SANDRA conducting an interview with ZACK.

SANDRA
You’ve all got squeaky clean reputations. There must be something you’ve done that you’re not telling us.

ZACK
(smiles) No. There’s nothing secret about us. We just like to have a laugh and make good music…

Cut to
INT. – FREDDIE’S BEDROOM – EVENING

FREDDIE is sitting on the bed with his laptop on his lap. The video finishes playing.


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FREDDIE
Make good music.

FREDDIE clicks onto one of the band’s tracks. It plays. FREDDIE nods to the beat of the music.

Cut to
EXT – FRONT OF COLLEGE – MORNING

Students are walking towards the main entrance, whilst others are locking up their bikes in the bike shed. JJ, BENNY, APRIL and ZACK are walking towards the main entrance. JJ is holding APRIL’S hand. They pass a group of girls, who scream in excitement. JJ puts his hand up to them.

BENNY
(faces JJ) Why do you get all the attention?

JJ
Because I’m amazing.

BENNY (murmuring)
Brutally put.

They walk inside the building. FREDDIE comes onto the grounds. He is wearing casual clothes with his rucksack on his back. He stops and looks at the main entrance. He takes a deep breath, then walks towards it. School bell rings.

Cut to
INT. - MR SMITH’S CLASSROOM - MORNING

JJ, BENNY, APRIL and ZACK are sitting at computers, along with three students. There is a spare computer next to JJ. Headphones are connected to each of the computers. MR SMITH, late thirties, is standing at the front of the class with FREDDIE, who is standing nervously.

MR SMITH
All right, everyone. I’d like to introduce you to Freddie.

FREDDIE puts his hand up to them.

MR SMITH (continued)
He shall be joining us from now on. Please be kind to him and treat him with the respect that he deserves. (faces FREDDIE) You may sit down.

FREDDIE walks across the room and he sits next to JJ, who nods

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to him.

FREDDIE (whispering)
Hey.

MR SMITH
I have taken some of the thriller opening sequences made by the Media studies students and stripped the sound off them. I want you all to try and compose your own soundtrack for them. Work your magic, people.

They all switch the computer monitors on and put on the headphones. They load up the correct software and begin composing the soundtracks. JJ watches FREDDIE as he begins work on his own.

JJ
Some decent work you’ve got going on there.

FREDDIE
(removes the headphones) Sorry?

JJ
I was just saying that you’ve got some pretty decent work going on there.

FREDDIE (smiling)
Thanks.

JJ
You’re Freddie, right? I’m JJ.

FREDDIE
You’re the lead singer of Chasing Shadows.

JJ
That’s me.

FREDDIE
You’re playing a gig tonight, aren’t you?

JJ
Yeah. Just down the road. Sold about five hundred tickets so far. (brings out a ticket) Take this.

FREDDIE takes hold of the ticket.

FREDDIE
Aw, dude are you sure? I can pay if you want?

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JJ
Nah, it’s cool. Think of it as a gesture of good will.

Cut to
INT. - COLLEGE CANTEEN - MORNING

JJ, BENNY, APRIL and ZACK are sitting at a table, talking to each other. There is a spare seat at the table. JULIAN and CHRISSIE, both seventeen, are standing close to JJ’S table. JULIAN rubs CHRISSIE’S arm.
FREDDIE walks to a vending machine. He puts some money inside it and makes a selection. A can of coke comes out of it. FREDDIE picks up the can, opens it and takes a sip. JJ looks across to FREDDIE.

JJ (loudly)
Freddie! Over here!

FREDDIE turns around. He sees JJ sitting at the table with BENNY, APRIL and ZACK, and walks over to them.

JJ (continued)
Freddie, my man. Take a seat.

FREDDIE
(sits at the table) Cheers.

JJ
Freddie, I’d like you to meet Benny, April and Zack.

They all acknowledge him.

FREDDIE
Hi. (takes a sip of drink) Great fan of the music.

JJ smiles.

APRIL
So what made you come here?

FREDDIE
I have no idea actually. My Mum said we were moving, so
here I am.

ZACK
That’s weird.

BENNY (nods in agreement)
Yeah.

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They hear the noise of CHRISSIE slapping JULIAN across the face. The room falls silent, and all the students turn to face them.

CHRISSIE (angrily)
What is your fucking problem?! Keep your hands to yourself, yeah?

JULIAN
Calm down. I was only joking.

CHRISSIE
Prick.

CHRISSIE storms off. The room fills with chatter again. FREDDIE takes another sip of drink. He becomes aware that
JJ is glaring at JULIAN. APRIL looks across to BENNY and he nods.

BENNY
(faces FREDDIE)I’ll show you around.

FREDDIE and BENNY get to their feet.

FREDDIE
It was nice meeting you.

APRIL
And you.

FREDDIE puts his rucksack on his back, then he walks away with BENNY. JJ faces APRIL. She realizes his intention.

Cut to
INT. - COLLEGE CORRIDOR - MORNING

FREDDIE and BENNY are walking slowly down the corridor, talking to each other.

FREDDIE
Why’d JJ go funny back there?

BENNY
He hates people like that. There’s nothing to worry about. He’ll be fine soon.

FREDDIE
Do you know her?


Page 11
BENNY
Her name’s Chrissie. We’re in the same Drama group. Her biggest problem is that she never knows when to shut up.

Cut to
INT. – COLLEGE LIBRARY - MORNING

JJ and APRIL are standing in an empty aisle, quietly talking to each other. APRIL has a textbook in her hands.

APRIL (whispering)
You can’t honestly expect me to do this, JJ.

JJ
Oh, come on. You know I wouldn’t ask you to get involved if I
didn’t think there was another way. (pauses) He can’t get away with treating people like this.

APRIL
(sighs) All right. I’ll do it.

JJ
Thanks, babe. I love you.

JJ leans forward and kisses APRIL on the lips. She responds. JJ pulls away.

JJ (continued)
I’m not expected back in lesson for a few minutes yet. Wanna have some fun?

APRIL smiles. She puts the textbook on a shelf. She walks towards the door. JJ smiles as he walks after her.

Cut to
INT. – FREDDIE AND BENNY’S DRAMA CLASSROOM – MORNING

BECKY, seventeen, and CHRISSIE are standing in the middle of the room, talking to each other, along with several other students. FREDDIE and BENNY walk inside the room. BECKY and CHRISSIE walk over to them.

CHRISSIE
Hey, Benny. Think you could introduce me to JJ?

BENNY
(smiles) You know where to find him. You wanna get to know him, you talk to him yourself.


Page 12
BECKY smiles at FREDDIE, who smiles back at her. TEACHER 1 walks inside the room with a briefcase in his hands.

TEACHER 1
Settle down you lot.

Cut to
INT. – OUTSIDE THE HALL – MORNING

JULIAN is standing with his back against the wall. He has his phone in his hands, which is playing music. APRIL walks towards him. He wolf whistles at her.

APRIL
Julian.

JULIAN
Hey, babe. I can’t help but notice that fine arse of yours.

JULIAN spanks APRIL. She moves his hand away from her bottom.

APRIL
There’s a time and a place for that.

JULIAN (flirting)
Oh, yeah? When’s that?

APRIL
I’m free tonight. (moves closer to him) I’ll call you when I’m free.

APRIL kisses JULIAN on the cheek, then she turns and walks away. JULIAN smiles to himself.

Cut to
INT. – COLLEGE CORRIDOR – MORNING

APRIL stops in the middle of the corridor. She brings out her phone and rings JJ, who answers the phone.

APRIL
It’s on for tonight.

Cut to
INT. – OUTSIDE THE BOYS TOILETS – AFTERNOON

FREDDIE is standing with his back against the wall, listening to music on his iPod. He is waiting for BENNY to finish in the toilet. BECKY walks down the corridor. She smiles at FREDDIE

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as she passes him. BENNY comes out from the toilet. FREDDIE takes the headphones out of his ears.

FREDDIE
What took you so long?

They walk down the corridor.

BENNY
I had a curry last night. Completely destroyed my bowel.

FREDDIE
Nice.

BENNY
You wanted to know.

Cut to
INT. – COLLEGE LIBRARY – AFTERNOON

FREDDIE and BENNY are sitting at a table, quietly talking to each other. They each have a textbook and a writing pad out in front of them to make it look like they are working.

BENNY
I never get the same amount of attention as the others do. It’s annoying because I put the same effort into the band, if not more. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not doing this for the fame, but it is nice to be recognized for what I do.

FREDDIE looks out of the window to the quad. He sees JJ and APRIL sitting on top of a bench. APRIL has a guitar on her lap. BENNY also looks out of the window.

BENNY (sighing)
They’re always doing that.

Cut to
EXT. – QUAD – AFTERNOON

JJ and APRIL are sitting on top of the bench. They perform a song. APRIL plays the guitar while JJ sings. A small crowd of students gather around them, each of them listening to the song. JJ and APRIL finish performing the song. The crowd applauds them.

JJ
We’re playing a gig tonight. Y’all better be there.


Page 14
Cut to
INT. – RICKY AND ALISON’S HALLWAY – AFTERNOON

The front door opens and FREDDIE walks inside the house. He closes the door behind himself. He places his rucksack on the floor and walks towards the kitchen.

Cut to
INT. – RICKY AND ALISON’S KITCHEN – AFTERNOON

ALISON is sitting at the table, reading a magazine. She has a mug of tea in front of her. FREDDIE walks inside the room.

ALISON
How was it?

FREDDIE
It was good. Where’s Dad?

ALISON
(faces FREDDIE) Still at work. He wanted to get a few extra hours in.

FREDDIE walks towards the kitchen cupboard. He opens it and brings out a glass. He places it on the worktop.

ALISON (continued)
I got myself a job interview. There’s a receptionist position at the doctors surgery. If I get the job, there’ll be more money for us.

FREDDIE fills the glass with water and takes a mouthful of it. ALISON gets to her feet.

FREDDIE
(faces ALISON) Is everything all right? Between you and Dad?

ALISON
Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?

FREDDIE
You don’t have to pretend. I’m not twelve.

ALISON
We’re fine. Honestly. We’re fine.

Cut to
INT. – RICKY AND ALISON’S KITCHEN – EVENING


Page 15
FREDDIE, RICKY and ALISON are sitting at the table, quietly
eating their dinner. ALISON sighs.

RICKY
(faces ALISON) What’s up with you?

ALISON
It’s just not working, is it? The move. Us. Everything.

RICKY
The move was your idea. I was perfectly happy where we were.

ALISON
It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, okay?

FREDDIE
Guys, can you stop it?

RICKY and ALISON argue over the top of FREDDIE.

RICKY (shouting)
We wouldn’t have needed to move in the first place if you didn’t sleep with my fucking boss!

FREDDIE
Hello.

ALISON
It’s not my fault you never showed me any affection. He showed me what it was like to have someone care for me.

FREDDIE
Are you guys listening?
.
RICKY
Affection?! He didn’t give a flying toss about you! You were just his shag doll. Fucking women is his hobby.

FREDDIE sighs. He gets to his feet and he walks out of the room. They can hear the noise of the front door opening and closing as FREDDIE leaves the house.

ALISON (sighing)
Great. Now look what you’ve done.

RICKY
How was it my fault?! You’re the one who won’t stop going on about it.


Page 16
Cut to
INT. – FREDDIE’S BEDROOM – EVENING

FREDDIE is laying on the bed, playing a game on his PSP. A bedside lamp is on. There is a knock on the door. The door opens and RICKY steps inside the room. He closes the door behind himself.

FREDDIE
(pauses the game) Hey, Dad.

RICKY
I’m sorry you had to hear that earlier. Your Mum and I were out of order. It’s just we’re going through a rough patch at the moment. Things will get better. I promise.

FREDDIE
It’s okay.

RICKY sits on the edge of the bed.

RICKY
How about I take you out for the day on Saturday? Just the two of us. We can go in town if you like.

FREDDIE
Yeah. Sounds cool.

RICKY
I better leave you to it. (gets to his feet) I’m downstairs if you want me.

FREDDIE
Bye, Dad.

RICKY walks out of the room and he closes the door behind himself. FREDDIE brings out the gig ticket from his pocket and looks at it.

Cut to
INT. – AUDITORIUM – EVENING

JJ, BENNY, APRIL and ZACK are on the stage, playing a song. ZACK is drumming, APRIL is playing bass, BENNY is playing guitar and JJ is singing. Flashing lights brighten up the stage. There are hundreds of teens around the stage, dancing. FREDDIE walks inside the room. The song ends. The crowd cheers.


Page 17
JJ (excitedly)
Cheers, guys!

JJ spots FREDDIE standing in the crowd. He nods to him. FREDDIE puts his thumb up to him.

Cut to
EXT. – ALLEY – NIGHT

APRIL and JULIAN are walking slowly down the alley, laughing and joking with each other. JULIAN has his arm around APRIL’S shoulders. They stop walking. JULIAN smiles at APRIL, then kisses her on the lips. She responds. She pulls away from him.

APRIL (smiling)
Cheeky.

JULIAN goes to kiss APRIL again, but she moves out of the way.

JULIAN
What’s wrong?

APRIL
We should slow down. The night’s still young.

JULIAN
(shakes his head) You’re all the same. You flirt to get our attention and then play hard to get. You’re not doing it to me.

JULIAN forces himself onto APRIL. He kisses her on the neck.

APRIL
What are you doing?

JULIAN
Hold still.

JULIAN unzips his trousers. APRIL kicks him in the crotch. He groans and drops to his knees. APRIL runs away. JULIAN gets to his feet and runs after her. He grabs hold of APRIL and pushes her against the wall. She screams.

JULIAN
Think you could get away from me, eh?

APRIL (struggling)
Get off me!


Page 18
JULIAN
You’ll thank me for this.

JULIAN lowers APRIL’S trousers. He is unaware that JJ, BENNY and ZACK are standing at the end of the alley. JJ has a baseball bat in his hands.

JJ
Interrupting something, are we?

JULIAN quickly turns to face them. APRIL pulls up her trousers. JJ walks towards JULIAN.

JULIAN
What the fuck are you doing here?

JJ
The question is, what were you doing with my girlfriend?
It sure didn’t look like you were being friendly.

JULIAN (nervously)
Look, mate. It’s not what it seems.

JJ
Mate? I’m not your fucking mate.

APRIL picks up a brick from off the floor. She hits JULIAN round the back of the head with it. He stumbles forward. JJ hits JULIAN in the face with the baseball bat.
He drops to his knees. APRIL throws the brick down and stands with BENNY and ZACK. BENNY puts his arm around her waist. JJ hits JULIAN in the stomach with the baseball bat. He screams from the agony.

JJ
You still wish you treated girls badly, do ya?

JULIAN cries.

JJ (shouting)
Are you listening?!

JJ hits JULIAN in the stomach with the baseball bat again. He groans. JJ hits him for the third time. JULIAN falls onto his back.

JULIAN (tearfully)
No! No, I don’t. Please. Don’t hurt me.


Page 19
JJ
(faces BENNY) Bring the brick.

BENNY
Okay.

BENNY picks up the brick. JULIAN slowly crawls away. JJ walks after him.

JJ
Where do you think you’re going?

JJ hits JULIAN in the back with the baseball bat. He screams. JJ then turns to face ZACK. He nods to him. ZACK runs over to JULIAN and he jumps on his back. JULIAN screams out in pain. He kicks JULIAN in the face, breaking his nose. He continuously kicks JULIAN. He is in a bloody mess.

BENNY
JJ, stop this.

JJ stands with ZACK. He holds the baseball bat out to him and he grabs hold of it. ZACK hits JULIAN in the back with it.

JJ
Let’s go.

They quickly run away, leaving JULIAN on the floor in a bloody mess.

Cut to
EXT. – WOODS – NIGHT

A small fire has been lit. BENNY and APRIL are sitting around it. BENNY has his arm around APRIL’S shoulders. APRIL wipes tears away from her eyes. JJ and ZACK are standing the opposite end of the fire to BENNY and APRIL. They each have a can of beer in their hands, which they are drinking from.

ZACK
I got some of his blood on my trainers. Gonna cost me sixty quid to get a new pair.

BENNY
(gets to his feet and walks to ZACK) All what’s happened and you care about your trainers?

JJ
Benny.

Page 20
BENNY
No! April almost got hurt tonight and you’re treating it as if it’s a joke.

ZACK grabs hold of BENNY and he pins him against a tree.

ZACK
Speak to me like that again…

BENNY
Or what? You’ll do the same to me?

ZACK
What the fuck are you saying?

BENNY
You know what I mean.

ZACK, realizing, lets go of BENNY, who straightens himself out. JJ sits next to APRIL. She rests her head against his arm.

JJ (softly)
I’m sorry. I didn’t think this through. (pauses) I love you. You know that, right?

APRIL
(nods) Yeah.

APRIL wipes the tears away from her eyes. Fade to black.

Cut to
INT. – FREDDIE’S BEDROOM – MORNING

FREDDIE is laying on the bed asleep. He slowly opens his eyes and sits up. He hears the doorbell go off and the front door opening.

ALISON (calling)
Freddie!

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

FREDDIE walks down the stairs. He has his rucksack on his back. He sees BENNY standing in the doorway of the house.

FREDDIE
Hey. Thought you didn’t start til after break.

Page 21
BENNY
Thought I’d come in early.

RICKY comes out of the kitchen. He has a slice of toast in his hands, which he is eating. He is wearing a suit. He walks towards the front door.

RICKY
(faces BENNY) Who are you?

BENNY
Benny.

RICKY
Nice to meet you.

FREDDIE
He’s in the band, Dad.

RICKY
Oh, really? Freddie here used to be in a band.

BENNY
Oh, yeah?

RICKY
He’s very good. You should check out some of the stuff he’s done.

BENNY
I might just have to do that.

RICKY
(finishes eating the toast) I’ll catch you later, Freddie.

FREDDIE
Cya, Dad.

RICKY opens the front door. He whistles as he walks out of the house. He closes the door behind himself. BENNY looks across to FREDDIE, who shrugs.

Cut to
EXT. – STREET – MORNING

FREDDIE and BENNY are walking slowly down the street, talking to each other.

BENNY

Page 22
The gig was amazing last night. It’s great when it’s local because people you see every day are there.

FREDDIE
You guys do perform well. Some bands just play on stage and there’s no energy to it. Sorta like they’re forced to play.

BENNY
Screaming fan girls are the best part. The gifts they throw on stage is unreal. JJ got a pair of knickers thrown on stage for him a few weeks back.

FREDDIE
What have you had?

BENNY
Chocolates.

FREDDIE
Get in there.

BENNY
(laughs) If only I knew who it was.

FREDDIE’S phone rings. He brings it out and sees that an unknown caller is ringing him. He cautiously answers the phone.

FREDDIE
Hello?

The call cuts out.

BENNY
Who was that?

FREDDIE
Dunno. Didn’t have a number.

Cut to
INT. – COLLEGE CANTEEN – MORNING

JJ, APRIL and ZACK are sitting quietly around a table. APRIL has a scratch on her forehead from the previous night. FREDDIE and BENNY sit at the table.

FREDDIE
Great performance last night, guys.


Page 23
JJ (casually)
Any favorites?

FREDDIE
Well the vocalist was pretty awesome.

BENNY
What about the guitarist?

FREDDIE
(smiles) I’m not sure about him. (notices APRIL’S scratch) What happened to you?

APRIL
Had a fall. It’s nothing to worry about.

JJ
(faces FREDDIE) Freddie, do you play an instrument?

FREDDIE
I play the guitar from time to time. I’m not in a band or anything like that.

JJ
We’ve booked the hall at the end of the day for band practice. You should come along and show us what you’ve got.

FREDDIE
Awesome. I might just do that.

ZACK (muttering)
Jesus Christ.

ZACK gets to his feet and he walks across the room. FREDDIE gets to his feet and hurries after him.

FREDDIE
Hey, Zack.

ZACK stops and turns to face him.

FREDDIE (continued)
I don’t know what I’ve done, but I get the feeling you don’t like me. But if you let me get to know you better…

ZACK
You’re right.

FREDDIE (smiling)

Page 24
Great!

ZACK
I don’t like you. I don’t wanna be your friend so why don’t you fuck off to where you came from?

ZACK turns and walks out of the room, leaving FREDDIE standing on his own. BENNY stands next to him.

BENNY
Don’t worry about him. He’ll come around.

FREDDIE
Yeah.

Cut to
INT. – MR SMITH’S CLASSROOM – MORNING

FREDDIE, JJ, BENNY, APRIL, ZACK and the students are sitting around their computers, composing their soundtracks for the thriller openings. They each have a set of headphones on.
MR SMITH is sitting at his desk, typing something into his laptop. JJ places a folded piece of party in front of FREDDIE. FREDDIE opens it and sees the word ‘Party’ written on it. He takes the headphones off, along with JJ.

FREDDIE
When is it?

JJ
Saturday. Seven o’clock.

MR SMITH lowers his laptop lid.

MR SMITH
That’s all we’ve got time for today, folks. We’ll pick this up at the start of next week. (pauses) Freddie, do you mind if I have a word?

FREDDIE
Sure.

All the students switch the computer monitors off and leave the room. FREDDIE gets to his feet and stands by MR SMITH’S desk.

MR SMITH
I listened to your rough cut and I have to say it’s very good. Much better than the standard we were expecting. Do you come

Page 25
from a musical background?

FREDDIE
I’ve played instruments in the past, but nothing else.

MR SMITH
It’s interesting. (pauses) There is a presentation evening next Thursday. Some top education ministers will be present. We were hoping for some students to showcase some of their work. I’d love for you to be there.

FREDDIE (surprised)
I’m not sure what to say.

MR SMITH
Yes seems the appropriate answer here. But if you can’t make it, other arrangements can be made.

FREDDIE
No. I’ll be there.

Cut to
INT. – GIRLS TOILETS – MORNING

APRIL is standing in front of the mirror, applying lipstick to her lips. Her bag is on the worktop. A toilet flushes inside a closed cubicle. The cubicle door opens and CHRISSIE walks out of it. She stands at the sink and washes her hands.

CHRISSIE
Does JJ know what you did?

APRIL is silent.

CHRISSIE (continued)
I take it he doesn’t. You don’t deserve to be his girlfriend. (dries her hands) I do.

CHRISSIE walks out of the room and closes the door behind herself. APRIL is visibly enraged by CHRISSIE.

Cut to
INT. – COLLEGE COMPUTER ROOM – MORNING

FREDDIE is sitting at a computer on his own. He is browsing across the website for the Chasing Shadows band. He looks at a photo of JJ. He is unaware that BECKY is standing next to him.

BECKY

Page 26
You’re not gonna find out much about them from there. You’re better off asking them in person.

FREDDIE quickly clicks off the website.

FREDDIE
(faces BECKY) I was just checking out what tracks they had.

BECKY sits next to him.

BECKY
They used to have a fifth band member, but he left a while ago.

FREDDIE
Why did he quit?

BECKY
He didn’t. He’s dead. He died in a house fire a few months back. It’s almost as if he was never part of the band. Haven’t talked about him since the funeral. (pauses) Still, each to their own.

FREDDIE
I know you from Drama.

BECKY
I’m Becky.

FREDDIE
Freddie.

BECKY
You get invited to JJ’s party?

FREDDIE
Yeah.

BECKY
I guess I’ll see you there.

FREDDIE
Or in Drama.

BECKY
(blushes) I forgot. If you need a partner, you can work with me. (gets to her feet) Was nice speaking to you.

FREDDIE watches BECKY as she walks out of the room. She passes

Page 27
BENNY, who walks inside the room. He walks towards FREDDIE.

BENNY
There you are. Been looking for you everywhere.

FREDDIE
You had a fifth band member. Why don’t you ever talk about him?

BENNY
(leans forward) Don’t you dare mention this in front of the others.

FREDDIE
Why?

BENNY
It’s for your own good.

Cut to
INT. – FREDDIE AND BENNY’S DRAMA CLASSROOM – AFTERNOON

CHRISSIE and the students pile out of the room, except from FREDDIE, BENNY and BECKY, who are standing in the middle of the room. TEACHER 1 is sitting at his desk at the front of the room, reading a book.

BENNY
(faces FREDDIE) You coming?

FREDDIE
I’ll meet you there.

BENNY walks out of the room.

BECKY
Ready?

Cut to
EXT. – STREET – AFTERNOON

FREDDIE and BECKY walk out of the college grounds and they walk down the street. FREDDIE has his hands inside his trouser pockets.

BECKY
Why did you move here?

FREDDIE

Page 28
Well my Mum cheated on my Dad. They wanted a fresh start and now here I am.

BECKY
Did the move work?

FREDDIE
When I know the answer to that, I’ll tell you.

Cut to
INT. – HALL – AFTERNOON

ZACK is sitting at a drum kit, which is on the stage. He has a pair of drumsticks in his hands. BENNY and APRIL are standing in front of him. BENNY has his guitar strapped around his shoulders and APRIL has hold of the bass. JJ is sitting with a microphone in his hands.

BENNY
I checked with Chrissie to make sure that she could come to the party. She’s visiting her grandparents during the day and won’t be back until the early evening. She says she has to get ready and won’t be there until about ten.

JJ
That’ll be better for us. (faces APRIL) Sound good enough for you?

APRIL
Yeah.

JJ
(faces BENNY) Good work, Benny.

BENNY
I wouldn’t advise doing it until late. About midnight. Most people will be out of it by then. (pauses) I don’t understand what she’s done wrong.

ZACK
She’s a bitch who can’t keep her mouth shut.

JJ
You’ve done your bit, now leave it.

FREDDIE suddenly bursts inside the room. They all turn to face him.

FREDDIE

Page 29
Sorry, I’m late. Just walked Becky to the bus stop. (walks onto the stage) What did I miss?

JJ
We were waiting for you.

FREDDIE walks over to BENNY.

FREDDIE
Do you mind if I have a go?

BENNY
Sure.

BENNY un-straps the guitar and hands it to FREDDIE, who straps it around his shoulders.

FREDDIE
It’s been a while since I last played.

FREDDIE plays the guitar. APRIL and ZACK recognize the song as their own and play their instruments. JJ gets to his feet and sings the song. BENNY stands on the edge of the stage, watching them. They finish a moment later. BENNY claps at them. FREDDIE takes off the guitar and hands it back to BENNY.

BENNY
Cheers.

JJ
Not bad. Not bad. Glad you learnt one of our songs.

FREDDIE
Had to play something you’d recognize. (pauses) I used to be in a band about a year ago. We had our own Myspace page and played at a few gigs. The other band members lost interest in it so it fell apart. (pauses) I have some songs at home if you’re interested in using them.

JJ
Yeah. That’ll be cool. Thanks, mate.

FREDDIE
I’ll bring them to the party if you want.

ZACK
(gets to his feet) You invited him to the party?

JJ

Page 30
Yeah.

ZACK
You have got to be kidding me.

ZACK gets down from the stage and storms out of the room. He slams the door shut.

JJ
I’ll have a word with him.

JJ also gets down from the stage. He walks out of the room and quietly closes the door behind himself. Silence.

FREDDIE
What did I do?

APRIL
Nothing.

APRIL looks to BENNY for reassurance.

BENNY
(nods in agreement) Yeah, of course.

FREDDIE smiles awkwardly.

Cut to
INT. – OUTSIDE THE HALL – AFTERNOON

ZACK, outraged, is pacing up and down the room. JJ is standing
with his back against the wall, watching him.

ZACK
He’s getting too close to us, JJ. I don’t like it. What if he finds out? He can ruin everything.

JJ
It won’t get that far.

ZACK
(faces JJ) How do you know? He’s only been here a few
days and he’s a part of us. How much longer do you think it’ll be before he does find out?

JJ
If he finds out, I’ll take care of him, okay? (pauses) Have faith in me.


Page 31
Cut to
INT. – FREDDIE’S BEDROOM – EVENING

FREDDIE is sitting on the edge of the bed, playing a game on his XBOX 360. His phone is on top of the desk. It goes off. FREDDIE pauses the game. He gets to his feet and walks to the desk. Her picks up the phone, answering it.

FREDDIE
Who is this?

The call cuts out. FREDDIE sighs.

Cut to
EXT. – SHOPPING CENTRE CAR PARK – MORNING

FREDDIE and RICKY climb out of RICKY’S car, which is parked next to the ticket paying machine. RICKY locks the car and walks with FREDDIE towards the entrance of the shopping centre.

RICKY
I’ve been given strict instructions by your Mother not to spend too much today. If my spending gets too excessive, you have to stop me.

FREDDIE
Shouldn’t she be more worried about me?

RICKY
You’re not the one who got a parking ticket last time.

Cut to
INT. – CLOTHES SHOP – MORNING

FREDDIE and RICKY walk inside the shop. They browse through the clothing. FREDDIE looks across to a sunglass rack. He picks up a pair of sunglasses and tries it on.

FREDDIE
(faces RICKY) How do I look?

RICKY
Smashing. We need a photo of that.

RICKY brings out his phone. He loads up the camera and takes a photo of FREDDIE wearing the sunglasses.

FREDDIE

Page 32
Your turn.

FREDDIE takes off the sunglasses and hands them to RICKY, who puts them on. FREDDIE takes hold of RICKY’S phone. He takes a photo of RICKY wearing the sunglasses.

FREDDIE (continued)
Those’ll be on Facebook later.

Cut to
INT. – FAST FOOD RESTAURANT – AFTERNOON

FREDDIE and RICKY are sitting at a table, eating a burger. They have a portion of chips and a drink in front of them. They have a few bags of shopping on the floor next to them.

RICKY
How many of you are going to this party tonight?

FREDDIE
A few of us I think. I’m not too sure. I don’t want it to be too crowded.

RICKY
I take it there will be alcohol there.

FREDDIE
Some. JJ said we have to bring our own.

RICKY
I’ll pick some up for you on the way to the party. But don’t tell your Mum.

FREDDIE (smiling)
Cheers.

RICKY (reluctantly)
Are there any girls going? (pauses) Girls that you like?

FREDDIE
One. I’ve only spoken to her a few times. Her name’s Becky.