Truancy

	A bedroom. Hugh is playing a video game, sullen teenager-wise. Stephen 
	enters.


Stephen		Terry. Got a moment?

Hugh		What?

Stephen		Do you have a window in your packed schedule? If so, could you
		open the curtains and let me look through? Just for a moment.

Hugh		Yeah.

Stephen		Good. Now Terry. School. I've had Mr Stroke on the phone,
		asking where you've been. He says you didn't turn up today.

Hugh		So?

Stephen		So why not?

Hugh		'S boring.

Stephen		How would you know that, Terry? According to Mr Stroke, you
		haven't been to school for nearly four years.

Hugh		So?

Stephen		So? So? So? So what have you been doing? What the hell have you
		been doing for the last four years?

Hugh		I've got to level nine.

Stephen		Level nine? What do you mean, level nine?

Hugh		Level nine. Top level.

Stephen		But school, Terry. Improvement. Learning. Discovery. Growth.

Hugh		What's the point?

Stephen		What's the point? What do you mean, what's the point?

Hugh		There's no point.

Stephen		There doesn't have to be a point, you blithering twerp. School
		is school. What's the point of ear lobes? What's the point of
		fabric conditioner, or tag wrestling, or butterfly-shaped
		pasta?

Hugh		School's boring.

Stephen		Yes? Your point being?

Hugh		I don't want to go to school, cos it's boring.

Stephen		You don't want? You don't want? And who, please be good enough
		to tell me, is supposed to give an electrically operated shag
		about what you want? Hmm? Hmmm? Hmmmmm?

Hugh		Just leave me alone, can't you?

Stephen		Leave you alone? Leave you alone? Why the hell should I leave
		you alone? Are you making a cheese sauce? Working on a cure for
		cancer? An oboe concerto is starting to take shape in your
		mind? What?

Hugh		I'm on level nine.

Stephen		Bugger level nine. Bugger up the arse of level nine with an
		anglepoise lamp. I'm talking about your life.

Hugh		What about it?

Stephen		Never mind what about it? What IS it, Terry? What the hell is
		your life? Tell me what your life is.

Hugh		What's yours?

Stephen		What do you mean, what's mine?

Hugh		What's your life?

Stephen		My life. My life. My life is about work, dedication, energy.
		Thirty-three bloody years with Russell and Bromley, that's
		what. My life is about having you. I had you, didn't I? That
		was supposed to be a good thing.

Hugh		I didn't ask to be born.

Stephen		You didn't ask to be born. Judas Priest on a two-stroke
		moped ... what is that supposed to mean? Hm? What does that
		mean, you didn't ask to be born? You'd rather be dead, would
		you?

Hugh		Maybe.

Stephen		Maybe? Maybe? Maybe? Maybe? I mean ... what?

Hugh		I've thought about it.

Stephen		About killing yourself?

Hugh		Yeah.

Stephen		Well, what's stopped you? Couldn't be bothered, I suppose.
		Couldn't be bothered to go down to the kitchen and get a knife
		out of the drawer.

Hugh		I wanted to get to level nine.

Stephen		You've got to level nine, for crying out loud from the bloody
		roof-tops. You're at level nine now.

Hugh		Right.

Stephen		Right.

Hugh		So when I finish this game, I'm going to top myself.

Stephen		Oh great. As long as I know. I'll go and book the bloody
		headstone now then. "Here lies Terry Gardner, he got to level
		bloody nine." Care for some singing cherubs round it, or do you
		want it plain?

Hugh		Bingo. Done it.

	Hugh throws down the video game.

Stephen		So. Knife, or out the window?

Hugh		Knife, I think.

Stephen		Knife, good.

	Hugh goes out. Stephen listens for a moment, then picks up the video 
	game.

Stephen		About bloody time.