NOTE: This was an exercise and is not official.
ALL RIGHTS of CLASS DISMISSED to Claire McCarthy and Sid Cole.
Photo: Jack Barnes
INT SCHOOL CORRIDOR / TROPHY CABINET DAY
There is a loud cheering noise of children. MISS READY is polishing a trophy. She looks to the trophy, gets impatient, spits on her sleeve and polishes with more strength. Two kids pass by. MISS READY makes them stop.
MISS READY
What’s all that fuss about?!
BOY 1
It’s Cathy, Miss Ready!
She’s trying to break the record
of bouncing a ball in the gym...
GIRL 1
It’s for the community centre’s charity.
MISS READY
Oh lovely!
As you can see (points to the trophies)
I broke some records myself
back when I was a pupil of this school.
Including...
(looks through the trophies and picks a specific one and shows it to the kids)
Bouncing a ball in the gym.
BOY 1
Wow! Cool!
GIRL 1
Nice!
MISS READY
And guess what...
The record is still mine since then.
Sixteen thousand
three hundred and twenty five times.
BOY 1
Cathy did eight thousand
three hundred and forty two
on the first attempt.
MISS READY
Oh... That’s sweet.
(Smiles while cleans the dust of the trophy).
GIRL 1
Then she did twelve thousand
one hundred and twenty five!
MISS READY
Well (forced smile)
it’s still four thousand and...
(tries to make the calculation)
and something to go.
BOY 1
She’s on her last attempt,
and she’s doing very well.
She’s already on fifteen thousand
nine hundred and eighty seven.
MISS READY changes her smile to a horrified face.
MISS READY (SHOUTING)
What?!
BOY 1
Fifteen thousand nine hundred
and eighty seven, when we left the gym...
GIRL 1
And still going very strong!
MISS READY drops the trophy into the hands of GIRL 1 , and runs to the gym.
INT SCHOOL GYM DAY
CATHY is very confidently bouncing the ball while running around the gym. The other kids keep count out loud. MISS READY enters in despair.
CHILDREN
Sixteen thousand two hundred
and seventy eight...
sixteen thousand two hundred and seventy nine...
MISS READY approaches one of the CHILDREN.
MISS READY
How’s she doing?!
BOY 2
Very well...
No doubt she’s going to beat it!
(Counts with the other children)
Sixteen thousand two hundred and eighty!
MISS READY starts sweating. She looks around nervously. CATHY keeps running around the gym bouncing the ball, with no mistakes. The CHILDREN keep counting. MISS READY is getting more and more nervous.
CHILDREN (EUPHORIC)
Sixteen thousand three hundred!
Three hundred and one...
three hundred and two...
three hundred and three....
MISS READY can’t contain herself and moves around without direction. The counting gets louder and louder.
CHILDREN
Three hundred and ten...
three hundred and eleven...
three hundred and twelve...
three hundred and thirteen...
MISS READY is now soaked with sweat, checks her sports utility belt and picks out a rhythmic gymnastic ribbon. She smiles in triumph.
MISS READY
It’s time to start the celebrations!
(very fake) Yey Cathy!
MISS READY starts performing with the ribbon, in an apparently innocent way. Then gets more enthusiastic.
CHILDREN
Sixteen thousand
three hundred and twenty!!!
Twenty one! Twenty two!
MISS READY moves her ribbon just as CATHY is passing close. CATHY gets her legs tangled in the ribbon and starts losing control.
CHILDREN
Twenty three... Twenty four.... Ooohhh!
CATHY loses the control on the twenty three, bounces the ball on twenty four, and then loses it completely. The CHILDREN moan all at once. Silence in the gym. We follow the ball rolling on the floor until it’s stopped by a foot stepping on it. It’s MISS READY’s foot. She’s in a triumphant pose stepping on the ball with her hands on her hips.
MISS READY
Oh... What a pity Cathy.
The CHILDREN leave the gym disappointed.
MISS READY (FIST PUMPING)
Sixteen thousand three hundred and twenty five! Get in
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