Episode 1 - Scene 2 Audition Invitation

Cut to
INT - SCHOOL RECEPTION - MORNING

ELIJAH walks inside the building. He is wearing a suit. He walks over to the reception counter, where WOMAN 1, mid-fifties, is sitting. She is typing something onto a computer. She faces ELIJAH a moment later.

WOMAN 1
Can I help you?

ELIJAH
My name is Chief Inspector Eric Johnson of Scotland Yard.

ELIJAH takes out his wallet. He shows his police badge to WOMAN 1, who looks at it. He puts it away afterwards.

WOMAN 1
Oh my. Is there a problem?

ELIJAH
No. I just need to speak to one of the students about some vandalism that’s been happening in the area. Joseph Thompson. Is he available to talk to?

Cut to
INT - A VAN - MORNING

A van is parked outside the entrance of the school grounds. PADDY and ACE, early thirties, are sitting in the back of the van. They have a laptop out in front of them. They are watching CCTV footage of ELIJAH talking to WOMAN 1 in reception.

ACE
Shall we stop him?

PADDY
Leave it for a bit. Let’s see where this goes.

Cut to
INT - SCHOOL RECEPTION - MORNING

ELIJAH is still standing at the reception counter, talking to WOMAN 1. She is listening intently.

WOMAN 1
Should I get him taken out of lesson for you?

ELIJAH
If you wouldn't mind.

WOMAN 1 picks up the phone.

Cut to
INT - A SCHOOL CLASSROOM - MORNING

JOSEPH is sitting at a table on his own, writing some notes into his exercise book. There are some other kids sitting at different tables around the room. They are silently working. TEACHER 1, mid-forties, is sitting at his desk at the front of the room.
There is a knock on the door. JOSEPH looks up as TEACHER 2,
early thirties, comes inside the room. She walks over to TEACHER 1 and she begins to whisper something into his ear. JOSEPH tries to listen to their conversation. TEACHER 1 and TEACHER 2 turn to face JOSEPH. He quickly looks down at his exercise book.

TEACHER 1
Joseph.

JOSEPH faces them.

TEACHER 1 (continued)
There’s someone here to see you.

JOSEPH
Do I need my stuff?

TEACHER 2
No. It’ll only take a minute.

JOSEPH gets to his feet. He starts to walk across the room. TEACHER 2 walks out of the room. JOSEPH follows her out of the room. He closes the door behind himself.

Cut to
INT - A SCHOOL CORRIDOR - MORNING

JOSEPH and TEACHER 2 are walking down the corridor. TEACHER 2 is further ahead of JOSEPH, who is struggling to keep up with her.

JOSEPH
What’s this about?

TEACHER 2
You’ll see.

Cut to
INT - SCHOOL RECEPTION - MORNING

ELIJAH is standing in the middle of the room. WOMAN 1 is sitting at the reception counter. She is on the phone to someone. TEACHER 2 leads JOSEPH into reception. She leads him across to ELIJAH.

TEACHER 2
Here he is.

ELIJAH
Thanks ever so much.

TEACHER 2
You’re welcome.

TEACHER 2 begins to walk away. ELIJAH watches her until she disappears out of sight. He then turns to face JOSEPH.

ELIJAH
Would you care to follow me this way?

ELIJAH begins to walk away. JOSEPH follows him.

Cut to
INT - A VAN - MORNING

PADDY and ACE are still sitting in the back of the van, staring at the
laptop screen. They watch as ELIJAH leads JOSEPH out of reception.

PADDY
I want to see where he’s taking him.

ACE begins to type something into the laptop.

Cut to
INT - A CONFERENCE ROOM - MORNING

ELIJAH leads JOSEPH inside the room. JOSEPH stands in the middle of the room. He has his hands inside his trouser pockets. ELIJAH closes the door. He keeps his back to JOSEPH, who is watching him.

JOSEPH
If you’re the police, I haven’t done anything wrong.

ELIJAH
I’m not the police.

ELIJAH turns around.

ELIJAH (continued)
From my understanding, you have something. Something my employer wants.

JOSEPH (puzzled)
I don’t know what you’re talking about.

ELIJAH begins to advance towards JOSEPH.

ELIJAH
My employer is intent on getting what he wants. I have been granted permission to use extreme methods to get that.

JOSEPH goes to walk out of the room, but ELIJAH takes out a dagger. Terrified, JOSEPH stands still.

JOSEPH (nervously)
Look. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have anything. If I did, I’d give it back to you.

ELIJAH grabs hold of JOSEPH. He pushes him up against the wall. He holds the dagger against the side of JOSEPH’S neck.

ELIJAH (threateningly)
Another word, and I’ll kill you. Do you understand?

JOSEPH nods. ELIJAH tries to open JOSEPH’S shirt. JOSEPH kicks ELIJAH in the privates. He groans, and he drops the dagger on the floor.

Cut to
INT - A VAN - MORNING

PADDY and ACE are still sitting in the back of the van, staring at the
laptop screen. They have just seen JOSEPH kick ELIJAH in the privates.

PADDY
Do it now.

ACE presses the enter key on the laptop.

Cut to
INT - A CONFERENCE ROOM - MORNING

The fire alarm goes off inside the building. The noise distracts ELIJAH. JOSEPH quickly runs out of the room. ELIJAH follows him out of the room.

Cut to
INT - OUTSIDE THE CONFERENCE ROOM - MORNING

ELIJAH comes out of the room. The corridor is full of kids and teachers who are exiting the building. ELIJAH searches for JOSEPH, but he can’t find him. He sighs, then he walks away.

Cut to
EXT - THE SCHOOL FIELD - MORNING

All of the kids line up in their tutor groups. The teachers are also standing on the field, going through the registers. TEACHER 1 reaches JOSEPH’S name on the register. He sees that JOSEPH isn’t there.

Cut to
INT - A SCHOOL CORRIDOR - MORNING

JOSEPH stops running. He is out of breath. He looks behind himself. He sees that no one is there. Relieved, he leans against the wall and he begins to get his breath back. He then hears some footsteps approaching in the distance. He quickly goes inside a classroom, just as ELIJAH turns into the corridor.

Cut to
INT - A SCHOOL CLASSROOM - MORNING

JOSEPH quickly hides underneath the front desk. He hears ELIJAH come inside the room. ELIJAH looks around the room. He walks back out of the room a moment later. JOSEPH waits, then he comes up from behind the desk.

Cut to
INT - A SCHOOL CORRIDOR - MORNING

JOSEPH comes out of the classroom. He begins to walk down the corridor. TEACHER 1 comes into the corridor. He begins to walk towards JOSEPH.

TEACHER 1 (angrily)
What do you think you’re playing at, Joseph? The fire alarm has gone off. You shouldn’t be inside. For this, I am putting you in detention. At the end of the day, I want you to report to Mr Jones’s room. Now, come with me.

JOSEPH sighs. They then begin to walk away.

Cut to
EXT - THE FRONT OF SCHOOL - MORNING

ELIJAH walks out of the building. The fire alarm can be heard blaring inside the building. ELIJAH takes out his phone from his jacket. He begins to ring EDWIN, who answers the phone a moment later.

EDWIN
Is it done?

ELIJAH (reluctantly)
No.

EDWIN
You have one last chance. Do not disappoint me.

EDWIN cuts off the call. ELIJAH holds the phone in his hands. He begins to walk away.

Cut to
INT - MR JONES’S CLASSROOM - AFTERNOON

JOSEPH is sitting at a desk, writing the school code of conduct onto a sheet of paper. His rucksack is on the floor, underneath the desk. MR JONES, early fifties, is sitting at the front of the room, reading a book. A clock is on the wall. It can be heard ticking in the background.
JOSEPH finishes writing the sentence. He puts the pen down. He sits there, listening to the clock ticking. He picks his pen back up. He moves onto a clean page and he begins to write a song.

JOSEPH (whispering)
Tick, tick, tick. That recurring sound. That’s driving me insane. All I want is to be free. But that will never be me.

JOSEPH draws a clock onto the sheet of paper. He also writes the word ‘Clocks’ at the top of the page, in bold letters. MR JONES closes his book. He gets to his feet and he walks over to JOSEPH. He sees the picture of the clock on the sheet of paper.

MR JONES
Doodling, are we?

JOSEPH faces him.

JOSEPH
I’m really sorry.

MR JONES picks up the sheet of paper. He begins to read the song. He quietly reads out the lyrics. He faces JOSEPH afterwards.

MR JONES
How are you meant to learn from your mistake if you’re not even doing the punishment? I hope never to see you in detention again. You may go.

JOSEPH picks up his rucksack from off the floor. He gets to his feet and he puts the rucksack on his back.

JOSEPH
You can keep that, sir.

JOSEPH walks out of the room. He closes the door behind himself.

Cut to
INT - JOSEPH’S HALLWAY - AFTERNOON

JOSEPH walks inside the house. He closes the door behind himself. He puts his rucksack on the floor. He rests his back against the door. CRYSTAL comes out of the kitchen. She has an envelope in her hands. She sees JOSEPH standing with his back against the door.

CRYSTAL
This came for you earlier.

CRYSTAL holds out the envelope.

JOSEPH
What is it?

CRYSTAL hands the envelope to JOSEPH, who opens it. He takes out the letter, and he begins to read it. CRYSTAL watches him.

CRYSTAL
Well? Who’s it from?

JOSEPH
I got invited to audition for the show.

CRYSTAL screams in excitement.

CRYSTAL (happily)
Oh, honey. I’m so proud of you.

JOSEPH
I can’t believe I got through.

CRYSTAL
So, when’s the audition?

JOSEPH
Next week.