Scripts - Episode 3801

THE CITY

IRENE sits in her car. She watches mean walk in and out of JOSIE’S place. DYLAN walks up to IRENE’S car.

DYLAN

Hey.

IRENE gets a fright.

IRENE

Aw, god save us. Scare me half to death why don’t you love.

DYLAN

Sorry. I thought you’d find it funny.

IRENE

Aw, I was too busy watching the coming and goings over here. That’s the address your gran gave us, isn’t it, where your mothers cousin supposed to work.

DYLAN

Leather and Silk.

IRENE

Yeah, I’m taking a punt here, but I’m guessing it’s not an upholstery joint.

DYLAN

Yeah.

IRENE

Middle aged men in business suits arrive. They stay for half an hour. They leave. What do you make of that?

DYLAN

I don’t know. Maybe they import things. Leather goods or something.

IRENE

I tell you what. You sit in here. Keep watch for a while, then tell me I’m imagining things.

DYLAN

All right.

DYLAN gets in the car.

SUMMER BAY HIGH

The bell rings. KIM and TASHA walk out the classroom. ROBBIE stays at the back.

TASHA

How long is this going to go on?

KIM

Male ego is a sensitive thing.

TEACHER

Come on you lot. Move it along.

KIM

Yes Miss. After you.

TASHA

He won’t even talk to me.

KIM

Yeah, well telling me probably wasn’t a good idea especially since he thought I was making a joke of it.

TASHA

It wasn’t funny.

KIM

Yeah, I know. It’s different for guys. Come, let him be.

TASHA

No.

KIM

Tash.

TASHA

This has gone on too long.

KIM

Yeah, but the more you make an issue of it the bigger it’s going to get.

TASHA

Which is why I’m going to sort it out now.

KIM

Three minutes.

TASHA walks back into the classroom. KIM shuts the door.

TASHA

Rob, we need to talk.

MATILDA, HENRY and MAX all go to try to get in the classroom. KIM stops them.

KIM

Woah.

HENRY

What are you doing?

KIM

Sorry guys, can’t go in.

MATILDA

We have to. We’ve got human relations with Noah.

KIM

Well, he’s not here yet so just relax.

MAX

What’s going on? Who’s in there?

KIM

Nothing. It’s just two people having a private conversation.

MATILDA

What two people?

HENRY

Who do you think? Our bro and Tash.

MAX

What are they talking about that’s so private?

MATILDA

Maybe talking is a euphemism for something else.

HENRY

Yeah, like human relations.

KIM

Just get away from the door. Give it a rest, OK.

MATILDA

Maybe you should tell them that.

HENRY

They better get their clothes on before Noah gets here.

ROBBIE and TASHA are in the classroom.

HENRY

Hey Rob. Make it quick.

ROBBIE

You told them to.

TASHA

No.

ROBBIE

Aw, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la , la, la.

TASHA

Rob, this is crazy.

ROBBIE

La, la, la, la.

TASHA

You can’t go on pretending that I don’t exist.

ROBBIE

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.

TASHA

Rob, please. Stop it.

ROBBIE

What?

TASHA

Stop it.

ROBBIE

You stop it. Stop calling me and stop texting me.

TASHA

Well tell my why you’re so upset. OK, so I told Kim, but you told Scott. I mean, what’s the difference?

ROBBIE

Scott’s my brother.

TASHA

Kim’s out best friend. Are you really that upset because I shared a problem with our best friend?

ROBBIE

A personal problem and you laughed at me.

TASHA

OK, I laughed at you. I know and I realised that was wrong now.

HENRY

Dana, dana, na, na, na.

ROBBIE goes to walk out the classroom.

TASHA

Stop.

ROBBIE

What Tash?

TASHA

Don’t go anywhere. I mean it. You’re not getting out of here till we’ve talked this through, OK.

ROBBIE

Talk or get my head kicked in. Why can’t I have a normal girlfriend?

TASHA

Because you’ve got me.

HENRY, MAX, MATILDA and KIM are standing outside. A bunch of students has now gathered outside the door.

HENRY

Can just let us in?

MATILDA

It’s not like they’re actually going to be doing, is it?

KIM

You lot have got dirty little minds.

NOAH walks up to them.

MATILDA

Apparently there’s already a human relations class going on in there.

KIM

It’s Tash and Robbie. They’re just talking, that’s all.

NOAH

Well they’re going to have to do it somewhere else.

KIM

OK.

KIM opens the door.

KIM

Times up guys.

ROBBIE and TASHA walk out the class.

ROBBIE

Thanks for nothing mate.

NOAH

All right guys. Get inside and get your books out.

TASHA

Rob, I’m not letting this go.

NOAH

Is there something I can help you guys with?

ROBBIE

No, sir, no.

TASHA

Why not? He’s a.

ROBBIE

I said no.

ROBBIE walks away.

NOAH

I’m here after school if you want to talk.

KIM walks up to TASHA.

KIM

Well, that went well.

TASHA

Maybe Noah can help.

KIM

Tash, don’t you get it. The more people you talk to the more upset Robbie gets and the more upset he gets and the bigger his little problem becomes.

TASHA

Why is this so complicated?

KIM

People are complicated.

TASHA

I just feel so useless.

KIM

Well, imagine how he feels.

THE CITY

IRENE and DYLAN sit in the car.

DYLAN

Everything, but a flashing red light.

IRENE

Not what you were expecting, eh. Still, your mum was no saint. No reason to expect the cousin would be. I’m sorry it had to end up like this darl.

DYLAN

Ah, hang on.

IRENE

Love, there is no point in hanging around. For one thing I don’t want Tasha to know she’s got a rellie on the game.

DYLAN

Well, she might not be. I mean, Josie could be a receptionist or a bookkeeper.

IRENE

Even so, is really a world you want to get caught up in.

DYLAN

Well, we’ve come this far.

IRENE

Love, you walk through that door and start asking questions, you are going to open a can of worms.

DYLAN

OK, maybe for Tash, but Josie is my family as well.

IRENE

All right, it’s your decision, but please, I don’t want you to mention me or Tash, OK,

DYLAN

OK.

DYLAN gets out the car.

LEATHER AND SILK

DYLAN walks in. The receptionist, CHRIS, is on the phone.

CHRIS

You’re very welcome sir. Good bye.

She puts the phone down.

CHRIS

Can I help you?

DYLAN

Ah, yes. Em, is Josie here.

CHRIS

Em, I’m afraid Josie’s not available for clients. Perhaps you’d like to see her assistants.

DYLAN

No, I’m not a client. It’s personal.

CHRIS

It’s always personal. May I suggest that you.

DYLAN

No, I mean I’m a friend. Well, we haven’t seen each other for a very long time.

CHRIS

Hang on then.

CHRIS picks up the phone.

CHRIS

Josie, there’s a young man here. Says he’s a friend of yours.

DYLAN

Dylan Russell.

CHRIS

Dylan Russell.

OK.

CHRIS hangs up.

CHRIS

She’s coming. Take a seat.

JOSIE walks in.

JOSIE

Dylan Russell. Dylan. The Dylan.

JOSIE and DYLAN cuddle.

THE CITY

IRENE is sitting in the car. DYLAN walks out.

IRENE

How did you go?

DYLAN

It’s her all right.

IRENE

And.

DYLAN

I think you should come inside and meet here. She’s like mum it’s freaky.

IRENE

Love, hop in the car. You can tell me about it on the way home.

DYLAN

No, no. It’s OK. She’s not a worker. She just manages the place.

IRENE

In other words she still turns the odd trick for the right price.

DYLAN

Come on. She’s really nice. Normal and she wants to meet you.

IRENE

You told her about me?

DYLAN

Ah, kind of slipped out. She wanted to know why I was here.

IRENE

Well that’s just perfect, isn’t it? Now I’ve got no choice, but to go and meet the damm woman.

DYLAN

Well, not exactly, but it would be a bit rude if you didn’t.

LEATHER AND SILK

JOSIE, IRENE and DYLAN are there.

JOSIE

Dylan says you’re a friend of my cousin Angie.

IRENE

Well I wouldn’t exactly say we were friends.

DYLAN

Ah, Irene only met Angie about three months before she died.

IRENE

I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. You are the spitting image of Angie.

JOSIE

Strong genes I suppose. Can we got you something? Tea, coffee.

IRENE

Ah, no, no. We’re not staying.

JOSIE

You came all this way only to turn around and leave. This is my world and I make no apologies for it. If you have a problem with that, then yes, you should leave, but if not, I’m very happy to talk to you.

IRENE

It’s just, em, not what we were expecting.

JOSIE

I wasn’t expecting this young man to turn up after twelve years and now that he has I have to say I am very pleased.

IRENE

Ah, look. I guess we could stay for a cuppa.

JOSIE

This way. Chris, tea and biscuits or something.

JOSIE, DYLAN and IRENE walk into a room.

JOSIE

Dylan tells me that you know Angie’s daughter Tasha.

IRENE

Yes. To be honest, Tasha’s the reason we’re here.

JOSIE

The last thing I heard she was living in the country with, em.

IRENE

The Andrews. Yeah, they died in a fire. Anyway, to cut a long story short she’s with me now.

JOSIE

You are her legal guardian now?

IRENE

No, no, not strictly. More like a carer, I suppose.

JOSIE

I see. I don’t suppose you have a photo of her.

DYLAN

I do.

DYLAN hands JOSIE a photo of TASHA.

JOSIE

Angie’s little daughter. Strong genes. So, you’ve tracked me down and we all agree I’m not quite what you expected. Where do we go from here?

SUMMER BAY HIGH

NOAH is walking along a corridor. TASHA runs after him.

TASHA

Hey Noah. Em, you said to come see you.

NOAH

Yeah, if you want to talk. Do you?

TASHA

Em, I’m just a bit scared.

NOAH

Of.

TASHA

Well Kim says the more I talk to the worse this thing gets, because you know people can be complicated.

NOAH

Can be.

TASHA

Especially Robbie.

NOAH

Right.

TASHA

But you’d think that when two people are ready to go further it wouldn’t be complicated.

NOAH

Tash, maybe you should talk about this with Irene.

TASHA

You said to come to you.

NOAH

So I did. All right, if two people agree then there shouldn’t be a problem unless one person changes their mind. Tash, you don’t have to go through with it.

TASHA

It’s not me, it’s Rob that didn’t want to go through with it.

NOAH

Oh.

TASHA

Kim calls it performance anxiety.

LEATHER AND SILK

JOSIE, IRENE and DYLAN all walk out.

JOSIE

Thanks for coming. I realise it hasn’t been the easiest experience for you.

IRENE

Oh, well. I’ve done harder things in me time.

JOSIE

At least now you’ve got an idea about who I am and what I’m about.

IRENE

Yep, and I can see that you’re very, em, very successful, at you know, what you do.

JOSIE

But not the kind of person that you want Tasha have in her life.

IRENE

Well, I didn’t say that.

JOSIE

You didn’t have to, and I understand truly. Tasha’s a young girl and from what you say quite impressionable.

IRENE

Yeah, I just need a bit more time to decide, OK.

JOSIE

That’s fine. As for you, I very much want to see you again. It’s not as if we’re total strangers.

DYLAN

Yeah, even if I don’t remember you from back then.

JOSIE

You make sure you call me, OK.

DYLAN

I will, yeah.

JOSIE

It’s been an interesting afternoon.

IRENE

You can say that again.

IRENE and DYLAN walk to IRENE’S car. JOSIE watches them.

DYLAN

See, she’s nice.

IRENE

Mmm.

IRENE and DYLAN get in the car.

DYLAN

Go on, say it.

IRENE

Love, there’s something about that woman that doesn’t gel, OK, and I’m not just talking about her profession.

DYLAN

It’s just the shock that she looks so much like Angie.

IRENE

Well, maybe it is, maybe it’s not, but I do not want her knowing how to get in touch with Tash so if you meet up with her no addresses, no phone numbers. Got it.

DYLAN

OK, right.

IRENE and DYLAN drive away.

THE SURF CLUB

ROBBIE is playing on the pinball machine. NOAH walks up to him.

NOAH

Do you mind if I join you? I’ll take that as a yes.

ROBBIE

So Tash has told you. Tomorrow it will be in the paper and by the end of the week the entire universe will know my problems. No, no, no, go on. Laugh. Make jokes. Robbie’s lost his mojo.

NOAH

Do you think you’re the only person that this has ever happened to? News flash. You know, we’ve all been there.

ROBBIE

Yeah, right.

NOAH

Look, it can be a number of things. Booze, nerves.

ALF puts something on the wall.

NOAH

When you get to his age, it becomes a regular event. Anyway, look, it’s no big deal.

ROBBIE

You tell that to Tash? She laughed at me.

NOAH

And she’s also trying to make it up to you. I’m not saying that she went about it the right way, but she does care about you man.

ROBBIE

What if. Well, what if I’m never able to, you know?

NOAH

Aw, you will, it’s just in your head.

ROBBIE

Really.

NOAH

Yeah, really. Anyhow, you know, Tash was sort of on the right track. When these sort of things happen, you know, you’ve got to look at the funny side of it. Then she’ll be laughing with, not at you.

SCOTT walks up to them.

SCOTT

Rob, we’ve been trying to call you.

ROBBIE

Yeah, so was Tash. Turned my phone off.

SCOTT

Look, we need you at home. There’s a big problem.

ROBBIE walks out.

SUMMER BAY HOUSE

ROBBIE, MATILDA, HENRY, SCOTT, MAX and BETH are there.

MATILDA

Rhys has gone.

HENRY

Not coming back, ever.

BETH

I’m afraid so.

ROBBIE

I knew you guys were having counselling, but I never thought that.

BETH

We didn’t want to say anything until we knew for sure.

MATILDA

I can’t believe he’d walk out on us, on you.

BETH

He didn’t. We both decided that it was the right thing to do.

ROBBIE

Did you know how bad this was?

BETH

No.

ROBBIE

No, if you knew, you should have told me. I could have helped you mum.

BETH

None of you are to blame for this nor could any of you have done anything about it.

MATILDA

But, what happened?

HENRY

Yeah, what did he do?

ROBBIE

Do we have to move out mum?

SCOTT

Guys, let’s just take it easy on the questions, hey.

BETH

We don’t have to move anywhere. It’s going to be all right, OK. Aw, Max.

MAX

He promised. He promised he wouldn’t do this. I hate him.

MAX runs out.

BETH

Let him be love.

THE BEACH HOUSE

KIRSTY is standing in the kitchen. There is a knock on the door.

KIRSTY

Coming.

She answers it. MAX is there.

KIRSTY

Max.

MAX and KIRSTY cuddle.

MAX

I told him I would hate him if he left Auntie Beth for Auntie Shelley.

KIRSTY

I know, I know.

MAX

You do.

KIRSTY

Yeah, he told Dani and I before he left.

MAX

Well, why didn’t he tell me?

KIRSTY

I think that he wanted Beth to tell you along with the other guys.

MAX

But I’m not one of them. I’m a Sutherland. I can’t live there and if he doesn’t want me.

TASHA walks down the stairs.

TASHA

Is that Rob? What’s up?

KIRSTY

Dad and Beth have split up. He’s gone to the city.

TASHA

Em, I’m going to go see Rob.

TASHA walks out.

MAX

Why didn’t he tell me?

KIRSTY

I don’t know sweetie. I don’t know. I guess he just didn’t know how to.

SUMMER BAY HOUSE

BETH and SCOTT walk into the hall.

SCOTT

Are you all right?

BETH

I might close my bedroom door for a while. Be alone.

SCOTT

All right. If you need anything.

BETH

Maybe if we do a ring around. See if anyone’s seen Max.

SCOTT

We’ll find him.

BETH walks up the stairs. SCOTT walks into the living room where ROBBIE, HENRY and MATILDA are.

MATILDA

I bet it has something to do with Shelley.

SCOTT

Matty, will you put a sock in it.

HENRY

Well, is anyone going to tell us what’s happened.

SCOTT

All in good time.

MATILDA

I’m with Max. I hate Rhys too.

SCOTT

Will you two stop acting like spoilt brats all right, and start thinking about what somebody else needs for a change.

ROBBIE

He’s right. Mums the one we’ve got to look after now, OK.

SCOTT

So we pull together as a family.

ROBBIE

Except you’re not going to be here much longer.

SCOTT

I’m not going anywhere, all right.

ROBBIE

Well, how’s Dani going to feel about that, huh.

SCOTT

She will understand.

There is a knock on the door. TASHA is there.

SCOTT

Come in.

TASHA

I need to see Robbie.

ROBBIE

No. I don’t need this right now.

ROBBIE walks out to the veranda. TASHA follows him.

TASHA

Rob.

ROBBIE

I’ve got more important things on my mind, right now.

TASHA

Yeah, I know. I’ve seen Max. I haven’t come to talk about us.

ROBBIE

Yeah, but you’ll work your away around to it.

TASHA

Rob, this is ridiculous. I’m here because I want to be. Look, I love you OK. When are you going to realise that? All that other stuff doesn’t matter. What’s matters is you and what’s going on in your family? I really want to help. Can I give you a hug.

ROBBIE

Yeah. Give us a hug.

THE BEACH HOUSE

IRENE and KIRSTY are there.

IRENE

You mean split split as in.

KIRSTY

As in it’s over.

IRENE

Oh, my godfather.

KIRSTY

Yep.

IRENE

I knew they were having problems, but I didn’t think it would come to this darl.

KIRSTY

Yeah, well it did. Anyway Max is really upset so I told him to stay for a while. Do you mind?

IRENE

No, love. No, of course I don’t mind. God, kind of puts my problems into perspective.

KIRSTY

Did it go well in the city?

IRENE

Shhh.

KIRSTY

No, no, no. It’s OK. She’s gone to see Robbie.

IRENE

Well lets just say I discovered a branch of Tasha’s family tree that’s she’s better off not knowing about.

KIRSTY

So, you’re not even going to tell her Angie has cousin.

IRENE

Well love, I had a good long think about it in the car on the way home and I honestly think it’s best to let this particular person go by.

KISRTY

Don’t worry. I won’t mentions.

IRENE

Aw, thanks darl. As long as Dylan keeps his trap shut this woman can’t find us and I honestly prefer it that way.

THE BEACH HOUSE

JOSIE and CHRIS are there.

CHRIS

Detective O’Reilly just quacked me with those registration details.

JOSIE

How did it go?

CHRIS

Her full names Irene Roberts. There’s her address.

JOSIE

Summer Bay. How quaint.