A Nicer Ending
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CHAPTER 4:
[It is the morning in STEVEN’s bedroom, and JOHN is sitting up, with several pillows around him. He is gazing out the window, when STEVEN comes in with a tray. JOHN turns his gaze onto STEVEN.]
STEVEN: Here we go. My mum’s best bacon and eggs, with my Dad’s worst toast.
JOHN: Cheers. What time is it?
STEVEN: Nearly eleven.
JOHN: Shit. It’s late.
STEVEN: Ah well, you needed it. Do you want anything else?
JOHN: Only your company while I eat this.
[STEVEN smiles and sits on the side of the bed. They adoringly stare at one another, and then STEVEN gently rolls up JOHN’s T-shirt to inspect his injuries. There are several large bruises.]
STEVEN: That bastard Granger.
JOHN: They’ll heal.
STEVEN: Do you want me to try to kiss them better?
JOHN: It’s worth a go.
[STEVEN bends over and starts gently kissing JOHN’s chest, but one of the bruises is too tender and causes JOHN to flinch. STEVEN sits upright.]
STEVEN: I’m sorry. Jesus, this is awful.
JOHN: What is?
STEVEN This mess you’re in. I can’t believe he did it to you.
JOHN: Well, at least you’re here with me. Taking care of me.
STEVEN: It’s the least I can do. This is all my fault.
JOHN: [Shocked look on his face] Steve! Stevie mate. It’s not. I had to do this. I had to tell them. If anything, it’s my fault for hanging around with such a tosser.
STEVEN: Yeah, well…
JOHN: Anyway, now we’ve got something else in common – we’ve both got something to show for yesterday.
[JOHN leans over to touch the cut on STEVEN’s head, and is smiling, but STEVEN looks a bit sad. Then he starts smiling, and leans over to kiss JOHN on the forehead. JOHN then starts eating his breakfast, and clearly has a voracious appetite. STEVEN just sits and gazes at him.]
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[MARK opens his front door, to find STEVEN standing there. STEVEN looks a bit worried, but MARK grabs him and gives him a hug.]
MARK: Steven mate! How are you doing? Oi! Wendy, Jess, it’s Steven.
[STEVEN and MARK go up to MARK’s bedroom, when JESSICA is sat on the floor, and WENDY is lying on her front on the bed, with a magazine in front of her.]
STEVEN: Hi Jess, hi Wendy.
JESSICA:So, you’ve finally surfaced.
STEVEN: What?
JESSICA:Steve, it’s been three days!
STEVEN: Oh, sorry. I’ve been a bit…preoccupied.
MARK: Where did you bugger off to on Prize Day?
STEVEN: I went for a drive with Linda.
JESSICA:Oh yeah, she told me she’d passed.
STEVEN: Yeah, we drove around for hours.
WENDY: Me and Mark called you that night, but your mum said you were busy with something.
STEVEN: [Looking a bit embarrassed] Yeah, I had a visitor.
MARK: Who?
STEVEN: Er, it was, well…
JESSICA:John?
WENDY: John who?
STEVEN: Yeah, it was John.
WENDY: John who?!
STEVEN: John, er, Dixon.
WENDY: Why was John Dixon round at your place?
MARK: [A look of absolute surprise spreading across his face] Oh my fucking Christ! John Dixon!
WENDY: [Looking annoyed and frustrated] What about John Dixon?
MARK: I have to say Steve, I’m not exactly surprised about you. But John Dixon? Shit!
WENDY: Will someone just…oh my God! You and John Dixon? John ‘fucking Superman’ Dixon? Steve! You knew I liked him – how could you?
MARK: Hey!
WENDY: [Starts laughing] Sorry Marky baby. Jesus Steve, how did you manage to pull him?
STEVEN: We just sort of pulled each other.
WENDY: Jess, did you know about this?
JESSICA:I, er…yeah. Sorry Wends, I was sworn to secrecy.
MARK: Jesus, John Dixon. Christ, what is Kevin Granger gonna say?
STEVEN: He, er, didn’t say much.
JESSICA:[Sensing something is wrong] Steve, what happened?
STEVEN: He kicked the shit out of John. Dave said he went mental.
JESSICA:Dave?
STEVEN: Yeah, he brought John round to mine. He seems OK about it.
WENDY: That fucking Granger. What did you ever see in him Jess?
JESSICA:I really don’t know.
MARK: Steve, is Kevin after you now as well?
STEVEN: Probably.
JESSICA:In that case I’m gonna walk you home. He wouldn’t try anything with me around.
STEVEN: Thanks.
JESSICA:I’m afraid that means we have to go now though. I have to babysit for my neighbours.
STEVEN: Yeah, OK. I wanna get back and see how John’s doing.
WENDY: Is he still at yours? Why hasn’t he gone home?
STEVEN: I don’t think things went too well when he told his parents. He doesn’t want to talk about it at the moment.
MARK: Can we come round and see you soon?
STEVEN: Yeah, I’d like that. John wants to meet you.
WENDY: But he already knows us.
STEVEN: Not properly, and you certainly don’t know him. [Winks] Believe me.
[WENDY and MARK looked shocked, but JESSICA and STEVEN both start laughing.]
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[STEVEN and JESSICA are walking back to STEVEN’s.]
JESSICA:OK, sod this. Look Steve, John is the best runner, best footballer and apparently a bit of a star in the classroom. Is there anything he’s not perfect at?
STEVEN: [Smirking] If you mean what I think you mean, I’m afraid he’s a bit of a star there too.
JESSICA:You lucky git.
STEVEN: Thanks.
JESSICA:So how did you two really meet?
STEVEN: He, er, came round after the ball.
JESSICA:What? He just came round? Bollocks – he must’ve known you were gay. How did he find out?
STEVEN: [Hesitantly] We…we met in the park.
JESSICA:Oh, so you used to…you know?
STEVEN: Yeah, I used to ‘you know’.
JESSICA:[Laughing] Blimey! Steven Carter out perving in the park.
STEVEN: I was never perving! There’s nowhere else in this town to meet other guys. Not when you’re our age anyway.
JESSICA:I suppose so.
[They walk on in silence for a bit.]
JESSICA:You know, I spoke to John. On Prize Day. Out by the field, after you and Linda had gone.
STEVEN: Oh?
JESSICA:Yeah, he was a bit messed up. I, er, tried to talk some sense into him.
STEVEN: Well Jess, whatever you said did the trick.
JESSICA:I think I just managed to make him see what he was losing.
STEVEN: [Looking warmly at JESSICA] Thanks. Thanks Jess. You’re a really good friend.
JESSICA:Well, now I expect something in return.
STEVEN: And what’s that?
JESSICA:A promise that you won’t hide stuff from me anymore.
STEVEN: I promise.
[STEVEN and JESSICA go arm in arm, and carry on walking.]
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[STEVEN and JESSICA turn into STEVEN’s road, to see KEVIN and LINDA arguing. JESSICA is about to start running up to them, but STEVEN holds her back. KEVIN is holding a mostly-empty bottle of spirits, and throws the remaining contents over LINDA.]
STEVEN: Oh shit. He’s had it now.
[LINDA looks down herself in disgust, and then viciously kicks KEVIN in the groin. KEVIN falls to the floor, and LINDA walks off. STEVEN and JESSICA start heading forward again, but stop when they see LINDA return, holding a canister of engine oil. She pours the contents all over KEVIN, and then drops the empty canister on his head. As she turns to walk away again, she sees STEVEN and JESSICA, and starts marching towards them.]
JESSICA:It looks like we’ve had it now as well.
LINDA: [Shouting] Steven Carter! I am covered in vodka, and it’s all your fault!
STEVEN: [Quietly to JESSICA] Tell John I loved him. [Loudly to LINDA] Linds, I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was going to turn up here.
LINDA: How many times do I have to get rid of that fucking shit-for-brains?
STEVEN: I’m sorry. Linds, I’m really sorry.
LINDA: [Smiling] Yeah well, it was actually quite fun. [Turning back] Jesus, he’s still on the floor. What a pussy.
STEVEN: Linda, thanks. That was really good of you.
LINDA: Come on, let’s go back to yours. Hi Jess.
JESSICA:[Weakly] Hi Linda.
[STEVEN, LINDA and JESSICA begin walking back to STEVEN’s house.]
LINDA: Steve, I’m worried about you. We’re not always gonna be there to protect you.
STEVEN: John will be.
LINDA: Sweetheart, you have seen the state he’s in?
STEVEN: Yeah, but he didn’t fight back.
JESSICA:Jesus, and I though John Dixon was intelligent!
STEVEN: He is! He just couldn’t fight back.
LINDA: Hmmm.
[They reach the spot where KEVIN, covered in oil, is on his knees, trying to get to his feet. LINDA pushes him in the back with her shoe, causing him to fall back on to the floor again.]
LINDA: [Feigning innocence] Whoops! [Turning towards KEVIN] Look, you little shit, if I ever find out you have done anything else to harm anyone I care about, then I shall come for you. I shall find you. I shall bring my dog, wear my steel toecaps and use something other than oil.
[LINDA walks off towards STEVEN’s front door, with STEVEN and JESSICA in tow.]
STEVEN: Linds, you don’t have a dog or steel toecaps.
LINDA: Yeah well, he doesn’t know that.
JESSICA:Steve, can I just say hello to John. Then I need to get home.
STEVEN: Yeah, sure.
[They go inside, finding JOHN slumped on the sofa watching cartoons.]
LINDA: [Jokingly] Cartoons! Stevie sweetheart, I think you need to find someone with a little more going on upstairs.
JOHN: Hey! Anyway, I think Steve likes me for what I’ve got going on downstairs. [Notices JESSICA, and turns red with embarrassment] Oh, hello Jess. How, er, how are you?
JESSICA:[Smirking] Fine thanks. I hear you had an interesting time after Prize Day.
JOHN: Yeah, you could say that. Listen, Jess, I just wanted to say thanks. You sorted me out.
JESSICA:Nah, I just pointed you in the right direction. Listen, I have to get home. I’m already late.
LINDA: Yeah, and I have to go and change, no thanks to you two. [Looks evilly at both JOHN and STEVEN]
JOHN: Oh right. Well, see ya.
[STEVEN shows JESSICA and LINDA out, and then comes back in and settles down next to JOHN.]
JOHN: Why did Linda have to change?
STEVEN: Didn’t you see?
JOHN: No. What?
STEVEN: Oh, well. I didn’t see what happened, but when me and Jess turned into the street, Kevin and Linda were arguing. He threw vodka on her.
JOHN: Shit! Is Kevin OK?
STEVEN: Erm, I don’t know if he’s got up yet.
JOHN: You were lucky to have Linda all these years.
STEVEN: Yeah, I know.
JOHN: I wish I’d had somebody.
STEVEN: You’ve got me now.
JOHN: Yeah, but I nearly buggered that one up.
STEVEN: Johnny, how many times do I have to tell you? It’s in the past. Forgotten.
JOHN: Maybe for you. Not for me.
STEVEN: [Sighing] Oh John.
[STEVEN pulls JOHN’s head onto this shoulder, and starts gently stroking his face.]
STEVEN: Look, John. Maybe you should call your mum.
JOHN: [Pulling his head back up] No!
STEVEN: I know it all went badly, but they must be wondering where you are.
JOHN: I don’t give a shit about them, just like they don’t give a shit about me.
STEVEN: That can’t be true.
JOHN: [Unconvincingly] It is.
[JOHN puts his head back on STEVEN’s shoulder.]
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