Free An Education by Nick Hornby

gently and tenderly. JENNY breaks it off, gets out of the car, DAVID hands her her suitcase and she goes inside while he watches.

57 INTERIOR: JENNY’S HOUSE - NIGHT
    JACK, at the kitchen table, is examining JENNY’S copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
    JACK
    Look at this, Marjorie.
    He hands it to her. She examines it reverently.
    MARJORIE
    ‘Clive’ . . . Lucky girl.
     
    JACK
    Never a dull moment with David, eh? Bit different from that young man you brought home for tea, isn’t he?
     
    MARJORIE
    David’s a lot older than Graham.
     
    JACK
    Graham could live to be two hundred years old and still wouldn’t be swanning around with famous authors. Hasn’t got it in him.
    JENNY
    Graham might become a famous author, for all you know.
     
    JACK
    Becoming one isn’t the same as knowing one
    ... That shows you’re well connected. A very impressive young man, your David.
     
    MARJORIE.
    I must admit life’s a little brighter with him around.
    JENNY smiles to herself.

58 EXTERIOR: PARK - DAY
    A group of girls cross-country running. JENNY and her friends are at the back of the group, and the GYM TEACHER , jogging backwards, gesticulates at them to get a move on.
    GYM TEACHER
    Come on, girls. Get a move on.
    They put on enough of a spurt to satisfy her, and then immediately stop when the teacher is no longer watching. Seeing a large tree, they loiter. From somewhere under a skirt, JENNY produces a packet of exotic-looking cigarettes and offers them around.
    HAT TIE
    What the hell are those?
     
    JENNY
    Russian Sobranies.
    HATTIE and TINA make snooty faces. JENNY takes a cigarette.The others follow suit. JENNY lights them, and they all grimace.The contrast between the sophisticated cigarettes, and the unsophisticated smokers and context is pronounced.
    HAT TIE
    Where did they come from?
     
    TINA
    She probably bought them from the Savoy, or Claridge’s, or the opera, or some fancy nightclub. Who knows, with Jenny.
     
    JENNY
    Paris.You can’t buy them here.
     
    TINA
    ( suddenly looking at her suspiciously )
    You never bought them yourself?
     
    JENNY
    ( mimicking TINA’S grammar cruelly )
    No. I never.
    TINA
    Shut up, you stuck-up cow.
     
    JENNY
    But I’ll bring you some back, if you want.
     
    TINA
    You’re joking.
     
    JENNY
    Non .
     
    HAT TIE
    He’s taking you to Paris?
     
    JENNY
    ( smiling smugly )
    Oui .
     
    HAT TIE
    This term?
     
    JENNY
    Peut-être .
     
    TINA
    Isn’t it your birthday next Thursday?
     
    JENNY
    Might be.
    The two friends shriek and jump up and down.
    HATTIE
    Oh, my God! Your birthday!
     
    TINA
    I would not like to be you. All those suppers you’ve had off him. Ouch.
     
    JENNY
    You’ve such a Victorian attitude to sex, you two.
     
    TINA
    Oh, sorry, Dr Kinsey. We’re not all as experienced as you. I mean, you’ve done it . . . ( She counts on her fingers ) I make it never! Can that be right?
     
    HAT TIE
    But your parents wouldn’t let you swan off like that, would they?
     
    JENNY
    We haven’t told them yet. But David will come up with some story. He usually does.
     
    TINA
    Yeah, I’ve noticed that.
    Laughter. JENNY glances off into the distance and spots the GYM TEACHER heading back in their direction. They stand up, grind their Sobranies into the mud and set off at a brisk trot.The Sobranie stubs come to rest near a pile of dog poo.

59 INTERIOR: CLASSROOM - DAY
    HATTIE, TINA and JENNY are sitting on their desks, waiting for a lesson to start. HATTIE shows JENNY a piece of paper which apparently contains some kind of shopping list.
    TINA
    ( pointing at Hattie, then at herself )
    Chanel perfume, Chanel perfume. ( She repeats the gesture .) Chanel lipstick, Chanel lipstick.
     
    HAT TIE
    Those funny cigarettes you were smoking. Sobranies. Ten packets each.
    A very SMALL GIRL, twelve or thirteen, comes in to the classroom and approaches JENNY. She’s clutching a ten-shilling note.
    SMALL GIRL
    How much is the Chanel perfume?
    TINA, HATTIE and JENNY stare at her,