Heavenly Creatures Page #2

CLASS (In Unison) Good morning, Miss Stewart.

The class sit.

MISS STEWART:

Miss Waller . . . class . . . this is Juliet Hulme. Juliet is joining

us from St. Margaret's, and prior to that she spent some time at

Queenswood in the Hawkes Bay.

Juliet looks at Miss Stewart haughtily.

JULIET:

I am actually from England, Miss Stewart.

MISS STEWART:

Of course . . . Juliet's father is Dr. Hulme, the Rector of the

University.

Miss Waller looks impressed. Pauline is quietly drawing horses at the

back of the class.

MISS STEWART:

Juliet's travelled all over the world, and I'm sure she'll be very

eager to share her impressions of exotic lands across the seas with the

gels of 3A. I'll leave you to it, Miss Waller. Juliet.

Miss Stewart leaves. Miss Waller smiles at Juliet.

MISS WALLER:

You can sit over here, Juliet.

Miss Waller gestures to a desk at the front. She gives Juliet a

cardboard name card.

MISS WALLER:

We use French names in this class. You can choose your own.

Miss Waller returns to the blackboard and starts writing.

MISS WALLER:

Now, irregular verbs in the present subjunctive. . . "qu'il vienne". .

.

JULIET:

Excuse me, Miss Waller . . . you've made a mistake.

Miss Waller turns to Juliet-who now has the name "Antoinette" hanging

around her neck.

JULIET:

"Je doutais qu'il vienne" is in fact the spoken subjunctive.

MISS WALLER:

It is customary to stand when addressing a teacher . . . "Antoinette."

Juliet stands.

JULIET:

You should have written "vint."

Miss Waller frowns, glances at the board, and hastily rubs out the

offending word.

MISS WALLER:

(Embarrassed mumble) Oh! I must have copied it incorrectly from my

notes.

Juliet stands again.

JULIET:

You don't have to apologise, Miss Waller. I found it frightfully

difficult myself . . . until I got the hang of it.

Miss Waller turns to Juliet, her face clouded with anger. The class

looks terrified.

MISS WALLER:

(Icily) Thank you, Juliet. Open your text-book to page 17.

Pauline is smirking.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL ART CLASS - DAY

The teacher, MRS. COLLINS, comes in, carrying a pile of paper and a box

of paints. She starts to distribute them around the tables.

MRS. COLLINS

Right, I thought we'd do some life drawing today. Pair off into twos

and decide who wants to model and who wants to draw.

The girls around Juliet turn to each other, seemingly eager not to be

partnered with her. They pair off and Juliet is left alone.

MRS. COLLINS

Oh, Juliet. . . you haven't got a partner.

JULIET:

That s all right, Mrs. Collins. I'm sure I can manage without one.

Mrs. Collins scans the class.

MRS. COLLINS

Pauline . . . are you with anybody?

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