Scenes 4, 5 & 6 - Boredom, Choir Practice and Cecil.

                                              FADE TO:

INT. HANA’S BEDROOM – DAY

Hana is lying on her bed, twiddling her thumbs.
 

                    HANA (V.O.)

            Other than school, there wasn’t really that much 

            to do in Amery. Dad always wanted us to look on the

            bright side - now we had time to 'stop and smell

            the roses'.

                   

                            CUT TO:

EXT. AMERY SWIMMING POOL – DAY

The swimming pool and surrounding area are crowded with sunburnt teenagers, screaming toddlers, mums in sunhats. Hana is lying down on the concrete on the side of the pool. She has a hat over face, and is tanning in the sun. Cleo is sitting up and excitedly babbling.

                    CLEO

                (Speaking excitedly in b.g.)   

            So everyone knows that JFK was assassinated, right? 

            But then also, you know, his sister Rosemary underwent

            a lobotomy in 1941 that went wrong, and his brother 

            was also assassinated, and his wife gave birth to

            two stillborn kids and everything. Oh, and his 

            son and daughter-in-law were killed in a plane 

            crash in 1999! I mean, that has to be a curse, huh?

 

                    HANA (Simultaneous, V.O.)

            We spent most of the weekend at the swimming pool, 

            this tiny pool with a waterslide and a kiosk, along

            with every singly kid in the entire town. No one seemed

            to notice that it was packed though; even Cleo thought 

            the pool was 'the coolest thing since sliced bread'.

            And by the way, those were her words, not mine.

                                        CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

Hana is flicking through a total of six television channels, four of which have issues with reception and two that work alright. 

                                         HANA (V.O.)

            I sometimes just found myself wishing that I were              at home, I guess. In my big old house in the inner 

            west. Six k's from the city centre.

                                        CUT TO:

INT. HANA’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

Hana sits on her bed holding her mobile phone. The sound of crickets is almost deafening outside. Hana presses the record button on her phone and then plays back what she recorded. 

                    HANA (V.O.)

            I even missed the sound of the planes overhead. 

            I remember everyone always told me it would be

            really quiet in the country, but it's not. No planes,

            but constant noise. Always.

                                        CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN – MORNING

Jim is eating cereal at the kitchen table and reading a pamphlet. Hana enters and begins to make herself a bowl of cereal.

                    JIM
            How did you sleep?

                    HANA
            Mm, alright.

                    JIM
            Hana?

                    HANA
            Mm?

                    JIM
            Have you seen this?

Hana looks over her father’s shoulder, chewing loudly on cereal. She swallows her mouthful.

                    HANA
            What is it?

                    JIM
            The church is looking for volunteers. What do 

            you think? You said you were bored, didn’t you?

                    HANA
                (Grins)
            Not that bored.

Hana takes a seat next to her father and picks up the local newspaper, which is lying on the table.

                    JIM
            Well I think it would be good for you. It would be 

            like being in the choir back in Saint Mary’s.

                    HANA
                (With slight interest, fingering her 

                gold cross pendant and still reading the newspaper)
            You mean it’s a choir?

                    JIM
            Oh, did I not say that?

                    HANA
            Um, no.

                    JIM
            Well, it is.

                    HANA
            Okay then. I’ll think about it.

                    JIM
                (Strictly)
            Hana.

                    HANA
                (Puts down the newspaper with annoyance)
            Fine! When’s rehearsal?

                    JIM
            Saturday morning.

                    HANA
            Alright then I’ll go.

Hana puts a spoon of cereal in her mouth and rolls her eyes.

                                        CUT TO:

EXT. AMERY CATHOLIC CHURCH – DAY

Hana is waiting at the street corner to cross the road. A car speeds past; on the other side of the road is the church. It is a square, red brick building with a large white cross on top. Hana walks up to the front and the automatic doors open for her.

                                        CUT TO:

INT. AMERY CATHOLIC CHURCH HALL - DAY

Inside, about twenty people are standing on a raised stage at the back of the hall. The youngest is a bored-looking twelve-year-old girl, Suzy, but the majority of singers are middle-aged to retired women. There are about seven men, also of varying ages. A bearded middle-aged man, CECIL, with his back to Hana, brandishes his arms and is about to count down when sixty-year-old MAVIS nods towards Hana.

                    MAVIS
            Excuse me, Cecil, but our new recruit’s                         here.

Cecil turns around excitedly.

                    CECIL
            Hana, m’dear! Come on in, come on in, don’t                         be shy.

                    HANA
                (Nervously, a little intimidated)
            Hi. Sorry I’m late -

                    CECIL
                (Interrupting)
            Oh, never mind, never mind. Let me guess …                         soprano?

                    HANA
                (Putting her bag down on a pew.)
            Um – al -?

                    CECIL
                (Interrupting)
            Alto!

                    HANA
                (Weak smile)
            Uh, yeah.

                    CECIL
                (Gesturing)
            Well then, well then. Farrah will show you                         the music.

FARRAH, a very short twenty-four-year old, gestures to Hana and smiles broadly.

                    HANA
            Thanks.

Hana goes and stands beside Farrah, who silently shows her the sheet music to Down in the River to Pray.

                    CECIL
            Letter D then folks and folkettes?

Hana raises her eyebrows at the strange term. Next to her, Farrah quickly turns the page and finds D. She holds it out in front of her so that Hana can see it too. Hana gives Farrah a grateful smile and they begin to sing. Farrah has a huge, deep voice, which seems strange coming from such a little woman. Cecil gestures madly in front.

                    HANA (V.O.)
            Cecil is … a little excitable, I suppose.                         And he has this annoying habit of repeating                         everything he says.

Farrah is smiling but singing incredibly seriously. Her voice is much louder than those around her and her eyebrows are dancing wildly, almost in time to the music.

                    HANA (V.O.)
                (Cont’d)
            And Farrah is really nice. Loud, but lovely.                     She has a good voice, though – she’s singing a solo 

            next Sunday mass.

Cecil gestures for the choir to stop singing.

                    CECIL
                (Passionately)
            Beautiful, beautiful but remember your                             v-AAAR-l s-UUUUH-nds. It’s not DOW-WUN but?

                    CHOIR SANS HANA
            Duhn!

                    CECIL
            Yes! Like a posh Englishman drinking tea.

                    CHOIR SANS HANA
                (Like posh Englishmen drinking tea)
            DUHN!   

Hana looks around her with slightly disbelieving eyes.

                    CECIL
            Well then, we’re not singing tomorrow but                         next Sunday, alright? Farrah, Farrah, would you

            stay behind for a jiffy to talk about you solo? 

            And I'll see you all next Saturday.

Hana picks up her bag and as she leaves hears Cecil speaking loudly to Farrah.

                    CECIL
            Remember, remember, sing like Christina                         Aguilera in the shower.

                    FARRAH
                (Trying to remember)
            In the – shower.

                                        CUT TO:

EXT. AMERY CATHOLIC CHURCH – DAY

Once out of sight from the church doors Hana bursts into laughter. She begins walking home in the midday sunshine, with a spring in her step.

                    HANA (V.O.)
            Choir was probably the entertainment                             highlight of the week. Sure beat sitting by                         the pool getting sunburnt, anyways.

                                    FADE TO BLACK:

                                        FADE IN:

INT. YEAR 11 CLASSROOM - DAY   

Hana is sitting on a chair talking happily with Cleo and Will – Cleo who is in front, is straddling her chair and sitting back to front, Will who is watching Hana talk very closely, has a small smile on his face.

                    HANA
                (Impersonating Cecil)
            Sing, sing like Christina Aguilera in the                         shower, the shower! Remember to pronounce                         your VAAARLS like you’re English, English.                         Oh no, oh no! DROP YOUR JAW!   

                    CLEO
                (Laughing loudly)
            That’s exactly what he’s like!

                    WILL
                (Small smile)
            So why do you do this choir thing, if you                         don’t like your conductor?

                    HANA
                (Affronted)
            When did I say I didn’t like him? He’s                             hilarious, just a bit … enthusiastic, that’s                     all.

                    WILL
            Sure, sure.

                    CLEO
            Ha, Will, now you’re doing it to!

                    WILL
            What?
               
                    CLEO
            Repeating everything you say.

                    WILL
            I am not.

                    CLEO
            Or should you say, ‘I am not, not.’

                    WILL
                (Looks at Hana out of the corner of his                             eye and smiles, sighing, ‘defeated’.)
            You got me, Cleo.

Hana attempts to stop herself laughing. She fingers her gold cross pendant and looks at Will; they are sharing a private joke. Cleo’s triumphant grin fades a little, she is clearly jealous at the way her friends are looking at each other.

                    CLEO
            Han – Hana?

                    HANA
                (Turns quickly to Cleo)
            Sorry?
 

                    CLEO
            Did – did you know that Ms Colthorpe is                         Will’s mum?

                    HANA
                (Looks from Cleo back to Will)
            What? No!

                    CLEO
            Well she is.

                    HANA   
                (Unsure)
            Really?

                    WILL
                (Nonchalantly)
            Didn’t I tell you? Whoops. And here was I,                         thinking you knew everything about my life.

                    HANA
            Wow. You two don’t look anything alike.

Emma enters the classroom, khaki trousers and red sweater on.

                    HANA
                (Cont’d)
            I mean, she has a sense of style …

                    WILL
                (Smiling)
            Bitch.

                    EMMA
            Will! Watch your tongue.

                    WILL
            Fine, mum.

Hana looks from Will to Emma, trying to see if Emma will react to Will calling her mum. She doesn’t.

                    EMMA
            Okay, enough. Hey, bags off the desks, books                     out! I thought you guys were seniors. Take                         your time, Matt.

Cleo turns around grudgingly and faces the front whilst the rest of the class seem to unfurl from where they are sitting until they are paying attention and facing Emma.

                    EMMA
            Right. Let’s get started shall we?

                                        CUT TO:

INT. HANA’S ROOM – NIGHT

Hana is sitting cross-legged on her bed, doing calculus homework. She is finding it very difficult and is rubbing her temples.

                    HANA (V.O.)
            So it was a normal Thursday night, right? I                         had a pile of calculus to do, plus a legal                         essay, when the phone rang.

The phone rings and, in the background, Jim picks it up.

                    JIM (O.S.)
            This is Dr Mitcham speaking. Who’s this?
            Cecil! … Of course … no, she’s not busy.

Hana throws her pen down, slams her books shut and rolls her eyes. Jim opens the door and peeps in.

                    JIM
                (Cont’d)
            Hana? It’s Cecil, he needs to talk to you.

                    HANA
                (Sweetly)
            Well, father, I’m not busy so.

Jim walks in and hands her the phone, missing the sarcasm in her voice. As he turns and leaves, Hana pulls a face at him, before bringing the phone to her ear.

       

                    HANA
                (Whilst fingering necklace)
            Hi, Cecil … oh – oh no! Well, I’m – yes …                         okay … sure. Alright. I’ll see you on                             Saturday then … okay – bye.

Hana puts the phone down on the bed next to her and covers her mouth with her hand.

                    HANA
                (Cont’d)
            Shit.