4th Draft Of Script

INT. COSTA COFFEE – AFTERNOON. BLACKBURN, ENGLAND.

Grace: A 17 year old college student who is a victim of bullying. She has long, wavy hazelnut brown hair and pale skin. She is of an average build and wears thick rimmed black glasses. She is sat across from her best friend James who is also 17 and attends the same college.

 

GRACE:

She’s awesome.

 

(She places her phone on the table and reluctantly smiles at James.)

 

JAMES:

You talking to her again?

 

(A frustrated expression stretches along his face)

 

  You have absolutely no idea

  who she is, that’s if she even  

  is a she.

 

GRACE:

  Why do you get so angry about   

this? She’s the only person who    understands me. Listens to me.

 

JAMES:

(He sighs, sarcastically.)

 

So I don’t listen to you do           I? Its dangerous speaking to  

someone online, anything could          happen. Even you must see that.

 

(Grace stands up, swinging her rucksack over her shoulders and snatches her phone off the table.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRACE:

I’m sick of you getting involved!

 

(She lowers her voice)

 

   You don’t know me like she does,

  you don’t know what it’s like for            

            me to come here – everyday. It’s a 

            living hell and I’m sick of it.

 

(James glances at the floor, taking into consideration how bad the bullying is)

 

CONT’D GRACE

    Its alright for you. You’ve never

             had to put up with the things I have.

 

JAMES:

    I know you’re having a hard time.

 

              (He pauses)

 

 ...But I don’t like the sound of this

    person. MissAnonymous13? That sounds

        freaky enough already? You could be

            speaking to anyone. Could be Leonie                      for all we know.

 

(Grace moves towards the table and slowly sits down beside James. She stares at him for a couple of seconds, gathering her thoughts.)

 

GRACE:

You’re jealous, aren’t you? C’mon admit it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JAMES:

Jealous?!

 

 (He becomes quickly frustrated and defensive and his tone loudness.)

 

Jealous of you speaking to some creep online?

 

(He mocks her)

 

If I’m really being honest it’s     

not like you’ve got many friends to             choose from anyway, you said it yourself! I’m doing you a favour!

 

GRACE:

Excuse me?

 

(She stands up quickly, feeling hurt and attacked.)

 

JAMES:

Being friends with you is a nightmare.

All you ever do is lock yourself away

its no wonder you’re so disliked. I’m       forced to listen to all your pathetic            problems and you never listen to mine.          I’m sick of defending you all the...

 

(Grace interrupts but James continues)

 

CONT’D JAMES:

  You may as well leave now. Run back to   

     your stupid Youtube Videos and your   

     weirdo friend!

GRACE:

I can’t believe you.

 

(Grace storms off; a pained expression stretches across her face as her cheeks become blushed and hot. She exits the coffee shop and heads towards the bus stop leaving James sat alone. She reaches home and rushes to her room. She logs onto a laptop and receives a message from MissAnonymous13.)

 

 

(The scene switches to James walking home, he has shrugged shoulders and a phone tightly grasped in his hands. His earphones are dangling as his listens to music to blur out reality. The camera is using a close up shot to display this characters emotion. A couple of streets from home James passes a young girl who smiles: he quickly glances down and blinks quickly feeling uncomfortable and insecure.)

 

INT. GRACES BEDROOM. BLACKBURN, ENGLAND.

 

(Grace and MissAnonymous chat online. Grace is using the username PrettyYoung97)

 

MISSANONYMOUS13:

Hey girl. What’s up?

 

PRETTYYOUNG97:

Hey! God am I glad to be speaking

to you. I’ve had the day from hell              and my so called ‘bestfriend’ has             been vile.

MISSANONYMOUS13:

   Who? That looser James? I’ve told you       

    he isn’t the friend you think he is.   

    You should just block him.

 

PRETTYYOUNG97:

 

(Grace is oblivious to MissAnonymous13’s scheming and agrees.)

 

    Yeah! He’s jealous because I’ve found  

    someone who I can relate to other than      him! He was sooo cruel to me and some          of the stuff he said – well, I’ve never          seen him like that.

 

MISSANONMOUS13:

     Urgh. He makes me sick. How can he make

 you feel like that? He enjoys making

 you feel like you can’t have other friends,                he wants to control you and that’s not

right. I’ll never do that to you.

 Anyway, enough of him! How are you   

         really?

PRETTYYOUNG97:

 Not too good at the moment.          

 Leonie is still making my life            

 hell and I don’t know how long I     

can cope with it. My family doesn’t        wanna   know, my teachers don’t      

wanna know and now James doesn’t

          wanna know.

 

MISSANONYMOUS13:

 Well I want to know you. Hey, I’ve

          just had the best idea hahaha.

 

(Grace relaxes in her chair, her eyes soaked into the comfort of the computer screen. She feels happy and comfortable.)

 

CONT’D MISSANONYMOUS13:

  You have to take control and stop        

     people from walking over you. You like

          YouTube right?

 

PRETTYYOUNG97:

Yeah, guess so.

 

MISSANONYMOUS13:

 Well, do you remember last week? We  

 spoke for hours about our dreams -   

 you said yours was to be a number one

          internet sensation, yeah? PRANK VS.

         PRANK. Have you any idea how many                   subscribers they have? You could do                  it! You could become famous then you’d              be the one laughing at Leonie.

 

(Grace freezes as she puzzles to understand how MissAnonymous13 knows this information. She has not told her internet friend about her dream of a career on the internet but nevertheless continues as normal as this may have been easy to guess.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRETTYYOUNG97:

I could do pranks? No way. I wouldn’t           know where to start and I’m not             funny, not to mention creative. What         would I do anyway? Put some gum on           her seat? Lame.

 

MISSANONYMOUS13:

     No looser. That’s armature. I mean

         something insane. Something wicked.

     Be smart. Do something they won’t

    expect. Something no one will expect.

 

PRETTYOUNG97:

OK, well go on.

 

MISSANONYMOUS13:

    How about if you was to find out  

         where they lived? Not hard.

 

PRETTYYOUNG97:

And if I did, then what?

 

MISSANONYMOUS13:

    You need to go when it’s dark. Really  

    dark. Take photographs of her house

    and when she’s walking home. Tell her

        you’re coming for her.

 

PRETTYYOUNG97:

Are you crazy?! She’d kill me. She’d       

    come into college the next day and

    everything would be made worse. I      

    can’t do that to her: she frightens me.

 

MISSANONYMOUS13:

    No, silly. How is she supposed to      

    know it’s you? You create a fake  

    profile and message her on that. Look      

    at you now, you’re talking to me and   

    either of us can be whoever we want.   

    When we talk we have a blank slate:    

    you don’t know who I am and I don’t    

    know who you are. That’s the beauty        

    of it.

 

(Grace smiles and agrees with MissAnonymous13 but also considers the dangers and risks of messing with Leonie.)

 

PRETTYYOUNG97:

 Hmm, I’m not sure. You have a             

 good point. I guess, well... I guess

          I’m just a little scared.

 

MISSANONYMOUS13:

 C’mon, its a great idea. You have           too. If you don’t take control now                 it will be too late and get worse,                 you don’t want that do you? You               don’t want them to hurt other people           the same way they hurt you, do you?             What about your little sister? For               all we know she could be next.                  You have to do something girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXT. MORNING - ST PAULS COLLEGE. BLACKBURN, ENGLAND.

 

It is early morning and the clouds that loom above are grey and eerie. Grace heads towards the college doors to receive a smirk off Leonie who is stood with a group of friends discussing their weekend plans.

Leonie has shoulder length, glossy blonde hair and tanned skin. She has a slim build and is wearing a navy skater skirt with flat black shoes. Her face is thin and heavily coated with makeup.

 

LEONIE:

What you lookin’ at?

 

(Laughter erupts from the surrounding girls and Grace looks at the ground and attempts to scurry away.)

 

FRIEND 1:

  Hey, she’s talkin’ to you. Where do

  you think you’re going?

 

(Friend 1 grabs Grace by the arm and pushes her so that she is trapped between the wall and the group of bullies.)

 

GRACE:

      Ouch! Please get off, I wasn’t       

      lookin’ at nothin’. Let me go I’m    

      gonna be late.

 

(Grace shrugs herself free from the grip of Leonie and attempts to move past. Her heart is pounding and her eyes begin to fill with tears.)

 

FRIEND 2:

Oh shut up you silly girl! Were             only messin’ with ya’. What you             crying for?

 

JAMES:

Hey! What you doing? Get off her now.

 

(James approaches the group of girls and allows Grace to scurry off. Grace gives him a look of appreciation.)

 

 

GRACE:

 

(Mouthing)

 

Thankyou.

 

(James turns away and a look of disgust is painted across his face. He exits.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INT. GRACES HOUSE - KITCHEN – LATE AFTERNOON. BLACKBURN, ENGLAND.

 

Grace’s mother, Janet, and father, Kevin, are stood in the kitchen while Janet is preparing dinner. Kevin approaches Janet and puts his arm around her shoulder.

 

KEVIN:

I’m worried about Grace y’know.

This is the third time her tutor

has rang me in the past month.

She keeps turning up late and when

she is there she can’t focus…

 

JANET:

 I know darling, but there all the         

     same. Girls that age are feelin’ all      

     over the place. She just needs some       

        time to herself.

 

KEVIN:

That’s just it though – she is never       

   out of her room. She comes home from

   college and goes straight up there,

   sometimes she doesn’t even say Hi.

 

(Janet faces Kevin and directs him a comforting smile to reassure him.)

 

JANET:

It’s not as bad as that.

 

KEVIN:

 

(He sighs)

 

Her grades have dropped so much       

since she started college, you                  can’t tell me there’s nothing wrong               with that. Maybe she’s got a           boyfriend or somethin’.

 

(Grace opens the front door and enters the house but her parents are oblivious to her entry. She can hear them discussing about her and decides to edge towards the door and listen.)

CONT’D KEVIN:

Look im sick of it. We have two       

other children and she just seems               to be the odd one out. She’s                 needlessly moody, failing at college        and she seems to enjoy making our                 life difficult by hiding away and          playin’ on that stupid laptop. I’m              gonna take it off her until her          grades improve.

 

JANET:

 Don’t you think you’re being a            

    little hasty…Confiscating her laptop   

        isn’t gonna solve anyt-…

 

(He interrupts)

 

KEVIN:

   No, she’s a failure and I can’t just    

   stand back and do nothing. What about

   Matthew? He’s so intelligent, I can’t

   believe that they are related.

 

(Grace storms into the kitchen, feeling furious and betrayed her cheeks are blemished. Kevin and Janet turn around surprised and speculate whether Grace has heard their conversation.)

 

JANET:

Hey, darling. I didn’t hear you…

 

GRACE:

Is that what you really think? Wow              thanks dad. If that’s how you feel            then I’m leaving right now, I…

 

KEVIN:

    Don’t be stupid, I didn’t mean…I was

    just saying that erm…

 

GRACE:

 I know exactly what you was saying,       

         I just can’t believe…

 

(Her eyes begin fill with tears as she turns away and hurries upstairs. She reaches her bedroom and pulls a drawer of clothes out and takes a handful then throws them onto her bed. She sobs and glances at her phone screen. She takes out her laptop from under her bed and messages MissAnonymous13.)

 

GRACES BEDROOM – LATE AFTERNOON. BLACKBURN, ENGLAND.

 

(Typing)

 

PRETTYYOUNG97:

Hey! You won’t believe what just       happened. I came home to hear my       parents slagging me off, calling me                 a failure! My dad said he’s going to       take my laptop off me.

 

MISSANONYMOUS13:

        God that’s awful. Your own parents?

    Anyway, did you set up that fake       

account like I told you? I’m so excited,   

    this is gonna’ be such a great plan.

 

(Grace sulks into her chair feeling ignored.)

 

PRETTYYOUNG97:

   Well, no. Not exactly. Leonie shoved        

     me up against a wall today, she said I

         was starin’ at her when I wasn’t. But,              you know what? James came over, he told                 them to get off me! He’s never done                that before, stuck up for me like                   that! I really hope me and him sort                  things out soon.

 

MISSANONYMOUS13:

   You can’t keep putting it off, OK?          

    Do it tonight, do it now? Set up the

    account. I’ve already told you, James      

is a pathetic loser, he’s jealous and      controlling and you can’t see that

because of how blind you are! Get a grip    girl and get rid while you still can.

 

(Grace feels hurt that her online friend is being spiteful towards her friend James. She feels uncomfortable defending him as she knows that MissAnonymous13 is her only friend and someone that she cannot afford to lose.)

 

PRETTYYOUNG97:

Ok, I’ll do it now. Speak to

you later.

 

(Grace closes the chat and creates a new account. She uses the username ‘RightBehindYou_.’ Feeling agitated, hurt and wanting revenge she searches Leonie and messages her.)

 

(Typing)

 

RIGHTBEHINDYOU_:

I know who you are and I know         

   what you did.

 

(Seconds after sending the message Grace slams her laptop shut to hear her mother edging up the stairs and knocking on her door before opening it at a small angle. Grace, aware that her mother is there, ignores her appearance and stares at the end of her bed.)

 

JANET:

How you feeling darling? About                  before, Dad didn’t mean what he            said. He just cares a lot and he           doesn’t want you falling behind…

That’s all.

 

(Grace shrugs – her eyes still focused on the direction at the end of the bed.)

 

CONT’D JANET:

   I can’t help if you don’t talk              

    to me, dear.

 

(Janet walks slowly towards Grace and perches on the end of the bed. She directs Grace a soothing look and exhales deeply.)

 

 

GRACE:

It’s not like you’ve ever helped      

me before! I’m sick of being               treated like second best. Just get

            out of my room mum.

 

(Janet looks surprised but more hurt that her daughter has spoken to her in this way. She attempts again to comfort Grace by placing her hand on her shoulder.)

 

CONT’D GRACE:

I told you! Get off and get out            

 my room! I don’t wanna’ ever talk to            you or dad again. I have all the               people I need and you’re not one                  of them.