HOW MUCH CAN A TEDDY BEAR?
Short Film
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(In production)
HOW MUCH CAN A TEDDY BEAR?
BY
Shoshanna Beale
INT. AIDAN'S HOUSE -- AFTERNOON
AIDAN (10) sits at the kitchen table, his head down as he hums to himself, trying to ignore the sounds of his mum and nanna arguing in the next room. He is short for his age, with straight dark hair, and wears his school uniform. The kitchen door opens, and Aidan's mother, GEMMA (34), walks out. Short and slim, with a permanently worried look on her face, she has recently divorced Aidan's father and moved in with her mother, Aidan's NANNA. Gemma pauses briefly, looking at Aidan, who pretends not to have seen her. Gemma walks out of the room, and Aidan looks up as she leaves.
NANNA (O.S.)
Aidan! Aidan, come in here.
Aidan stands and walks into the lounge room.
AIDAN
Is everything okay, Nanna?
NANNA
Yes, yes. Don't you worry.
(beat)
Now I have something very special to give you.
Aidan's face lights up as he watches Nanna walk over to a wooden chest, unlock it, and pull out a bundle wrapped in tissue paper. Taking the bundle, she sits on the couch and Aidan follows. She unwraps the tissue paper to reveal a teddy bear. Aidan's face falls in disappointment.
AIDAN
A teddy bear?
NANNA
This isn't just a teddy bear.
Nanna shakes a finger at Aidan, a mysterious smile on her face.
NANNA
Charles here has been with me since I was a little girl in Europe. He's helped me through all the good and the bad, especially the bad.
(chuckles)
Here.
Nanna passes the bear to Aidan, who reluctantly takes it.
NANNA
I think it's time for you to have him.
AIDAN
How's a teddy bear going to help me?
Nanna continues to smile at Aidan, who examines the bear with disgust. He looks up at Nanna's smiling face and sighs
AIDAN
Thank you, Nanna.
He kisses her on the cheek.INT. AIDAN'S BEDROOM -- AFTERNOON
Aidan stomps into his room and throws the teddy bear onto the floor of his wardrobe. The bear lands on its side, its face looking at Aidan. The stitching of the bear's mouth seems turned down, like the bear is sad. Aidan grabs some toy cars and plays with them angrily.
An hour later, Aidan looks at the bear. Sighing, he walks over to the wardrobe and picks up the bear.
AIDAN
It's not your fault, I suppose.
Aidan places the teddy bear on his bedside table. He looks at the tag around the bear's neck, which says "Charles".
AIDAN
I think I'll call you Charlie
Charlie appears to be smiling.
INT. CLASSROOM / HALLWAY -- DAY
Aidan and his classmates sit at their desks working, pretending to work and whispering to each other. Their teacher, MS MILLER, a woman in her early thirties, stands at the front of the classroom, where she has just written the homework on the whiteboard. In the back row a tall boy, SCOTT, sprawls in his chair. Scott blows spitballs at the students in the front row whenever the teacher is not looking. Aidan is one of the students in the front row. He carefully writes down the homework, then shuts his book as the school bell rings. The class stand and make their way to the door.
MS MILLER
Don't forget your homework class. I want it on my desk first thing tomorrow morning. That means you too, Scott. I don't want to hear any more excuses about your dog.
SCOTT
But it happened Miss. Honest.
Aidan walks out of the classroom and down the hall to his locker. As he unlocks it, Scott walks past, and roughly shoves Aidan's head into the locker door. The other kids nearby laugh.
INT/EXT. AIDAN'S HOUSE -- DAY
Aidan walks to the front door, his face hidden. He opens the door, trying to make as little noise as possible, enters, and carefully shuts it behind him.
GEMMA (O.S)
Aidan, is that you?
Aidan hunches his shoulders, trying to hide his face as Gemma walks into the hallway. She gasps, covering her mouth. Aidan's face is bruised and bleeding.
GEMMA
Oh, Aidan, who did this to you?
Gemma pulls Aidan into the kitchen and wipes his face with a cloth. He squirms under Gemma's attention.
AIDAN
¬Mu-um, I'm fine. It was just a blood nose.
GEMMA
You don't look fine to me. Now hold still for me, sweetie.
Nanna walks into the room.
NANNA
Gemma, let him be.
Gemma looks up at Nanna, and Aidan takes advantage of the moment to free himself from Gemma's grip and run out of the room.
GEMMA
Aidan, come back here.
NANNA
Leave him be, Gemma. He doesn't want to be mothered. You're just making it worse for him.
GEMMA
He's only a little boy. Hasn't he been through enough. It's just so--
INT. AIDAN'S BEDROOM -- DAY
Aidan is pacing back and forth angrily.
AIDAN
--unfair! I've never done anything to him.
Charlie appears to be frowning.
INT. CLASSROOM / HALLWAY -- DAY
The day after, Aidan sits at his desk. There is an empty desk where Scott normally sits. Everyone sits quietly, working. The bell sounds, everyone gets up and leaves. Aidan goes to his locker, grabs his school bag and walks down the corridor, whistling.
INT. CLASSROOM / HALLWAY -- DAY
Aidan sits at his desk. Scott is back at his desk, with a nasty black eye, and in a foul mood. The class bell rings, everyone gets up to leave.
MS MILLER
Scott, a word.
Aidan walks out the door, goes to his locker and grabs his school bag. He hears the classroom door slam, and runs into the toilet.
INT. BOY'S TOILETS / HALLWAY -- DAY
Aidan listens by the door as Scott thumps past. He waits for a short time, then looks out. Seeing no one, he walks back to the corridor, and out the door.
EXT. SCHOOL YARD / STREET -- DAY
Aidan walks through the crowd of kids with his head down, trying to avoid attention. He therefore doesn't see Scott when he grins and sticks out a foot, tripping Aidan flat on his face. A circle of kids quickly surrounds him, jeering and cat-calling.
MS MILLER (O.S.)
What's going on here?!
Ms Miller walks up as the kids run in different directions.
MS MILLER (CONT'D)
Scott, James, Sean, Kylie, I'll see you all in detention tomorrow.
She looks down at Aidan, and helps him up. He is crying and embarrassed.
MS MILLER (CONT'D)
Are you hurt, Aidan?
Aidan looks up at Ms Miller, trying to keep his sobs in. He grabs his schoolbag and runs down the street, tears streaming. He runs all the way to his house, reaches the front door, angrily rubbing the tears from his face.
INT. AIDAN'S HOUSE / AIDAN'S BEDROOM -- DAY
Aidan walks into the house, runs to his room, grabs Charlie, and curls into a ball on the bed.
GEMMA (O.S.)
Aidan?
Gemma's footsteps can be heard walking to Aidan's bedroom door.
GEMMA (CONT'D)
Aidan?
AIDAN
Go away.
He hides under the doona with Charlie.
INT. AIDAN'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Aidan is asleep, still curled up in a ball under the doona. In his arms, Charlie growls.
INT. SCOTT'S HOUSE -- NIGHT
Scott wakes up suddenly in his bed and looks around. He gets up, walks to the hallway, where he pauses sleepily at the top of the stairs. A shadow looms behind him, and Scott falls down the stairs.
INT. CLASSROOM / HALLWAY -- DAY
Aidan sits at his desk, as do the rest of the class. Scott has a broken arm, and several other kids also have injuries. The bell rings, and Aidan leaves the classroom, towards his locker. He whistles as he grabs his bag and walks down the hall.
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