New and Improved Lockie Leonard

# Worlds away from anyone

# Burning ourselves out in the sun

# Worlds away from anyone

# Burning ourselves out in the sun

# There was just enough to get that far away. #

'You don't have to agree with this.

'It's your call,

'but white sand, blue sky and big surf...

'Where else would you want to be?

'Yup, after one whole year in Angelus, it was still official.

'This town in the middle of nowhere had the best waves

'you could find...

'anywhere!

'Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said about the school.

'And after this weekend...

'Lockie Leonard was due to head back

'to the dangerous, untamed wilderness of Angelus High

'for day one of the new school year.

'If last year was anything to go by,

'there'll be predators to avoid.

'Like feral bogans, always at the ready

'to flush your head down the toilet.

'And worse, teachers whose life ambition is to make your life

'even more miserable than their own.

'And so now for the weird thing.

'For the first time in my life,

'I was actually looking forward to going back to school.

'I know what you're thinking.

' "Has Lockie finally lost his mind?"

'Well, yes and no.

'Let me walk you through the details.

'OK, deep breath, Vicki's street -

'the girl who makes me forget basic words and makes my toenails ache.

'The girl who after a year of seemingly endless disasters,

'has somehow miraculously become my girlfriend.

'The last time I spoke to Vicki was moments before she left

'on some family holiday to the States for the whole summer.

'There had never been a better time to tell her exactly how I felt.

'Something memorable she could take with her for the six weeks.'

Don't forget to get me a T-shirt.

'What I really meant to say was,

' "I'm going to miss you so much."

'But I didn't.

'That's why I'm hanging out for school to start,

'so I can tell Vicki all the things I meant to say.

'However, Mum wasn't as keen for the new school year to begin.'

Oh, pooh!

What's that, Joy?

Hate it!

Hate it! Hate it! Hate it!

The end of summer, the beginning of a new school year...

Oh, all the... Bleurgh!

All good things must come to an end.

School lunches to make, school uniforms to iron

and all that homework night after night after night.

Joy...

nobody does Lockie's homework better than you.

But I really let myself down last year.

You saw his school report.

Sarge could see Mum's spirits needed a lift,

which meant it was time

for a Leonard family inspirational address.

Team, I feel something.

Oh, there is definitely something in the air, all right.

Why else this feeling of excitement,

this gnawing at my belly, the sense

that opportunity is knocking at the door?

Hang on.

Could it be that just around the corner is the thrill of the future?

That all of our astounding achievements, as yet undreamt,

will be ours this year, our second year in Angelus

when things can only be but new and improved.

Of course, there will be challenges faced by some.

But remember...

..we are Leonards.

And so I give you the Leonard family toast.

But...we've already put away the cups.

To adventure!

ALL: To adventure!

For Phillip, the adventures were just beginning.

He was about to start high school...a year early.

Soon I'll be saying goodbye to childhood things

and hello to secondary education.

SHEEP BLEATS

Can you just imagine it, Cyril?

The science block, the lab coats

and Phillip Leonard sitting down with the finest minds of our generation.

Can you imagine?

'I didn't want to rain on Phillip's parade,

'but I'd have to break the news it was Angelus High he was going to,

-'not NASA.'

-ENGINE REVS

'Here it was. It had finally arrived.

'Proof I had nothing to worry about.

'Hard evidence all was well between Vicki and me - a postcard.

' "Hi, Lockie. Here's a view of the Grand Canyon. We're here today.

' "It's very spectacular. Bye, now. Love, Vicki."

'So it was a bit brief,

'but I'm sure Vicki would have said more if there was room.

'It's hard to fit, "I've been thinking about you all summer"

on a postcard, right?' What?!

'In the meantime, I must have read that postcard 1,000 times

'trying to figure out what Vicki meant to say, but didn't.'

"Hi, Lockie."

-IN DIFFERENT TONE:

-"Hi, Lockie."

Mmm...

-IN DIFFERENT TONE:

-"Hi, Lockie... Oh...hi, Lockie!

"Hi, Lockie.

"Bye, now. Bye, now.

"Love, Vicki. Love, Vicki.

"Bye, now. Love, Vicki."

'Maybe her dad was checking all her mail before she posted it

'and she'd been forced to send me a message in code.

' "You need to wear spectacles."

' "Hide all your green crayons."

' "Hey, hot boy. Can't wait." '

Let's do the maths.

How long has Vicki been away? Six weeks.

And how many postcards have you got? One. Have you ever thought that

that's Vicki's way of letting you know...

you're dropped?

No. Never thought that. Ever.

Thought so.

'At least I knew I could rely on my supportive parents for reassurance.'

I wouldn't think that's the case, not for a minute.

Put yourself in Vicki's shoes -

she's out and about all day, sightseeing.

First you've got to find a postcard, then a pen, a stamp.

How often do you find yourself looking for a pen?

I can't count the times I've found myself looking for a...pen.

If Vicki were heartless enough

to put you through the gut-wrenching agonies of separation,

the little minx, then know that your family is here for you...

with all the support

and unconditional love that you will need

to survive such a crippling and devastating...

Not that she's going to do that.

Oh, yes.

Looking good.

Lockie was a lot bigger than you,

Phillip, when he started high school,

but there's plenty of room to grow.

Sarge?

Plenty of room to grow.

You're not sending him to school like that, are you?

-He'll get...

-THUD!

What's not to like?

You don't think it makes you look a little...

-Distinguished, commanding...

-"Commanding"?!

Yes, yes. Exactly.

I bet Angelus High hasn't seen anything like this before.

'And for good reason. School was starting tomorrow

'and Phillip would be crushed like a bug.

'And then an even more devastating thought hit me.

'I still hadn't heard from Vicki.

'I couldn't take the uncertainty any longer.

'I had to know where I stood with Vicki.'

What do you know, Cyril. We seem to have ended up at Vicki's house.

Maybe we should just pop in and check if she's home.

BLEATING

'Maybe this was a good sign.

'Maybe Cyril's luck with the ladies would rub off on me too.

'But the truth was...

'with Vicki and me, I had no idea what reception I was going to get.'

DOORBELL RINGS

Lockie! I missed you.

'Like this.

'Or like this.'

Oh... It's you.

Yeah.

I'll see you later.

'Or like this.'

IN AMERICAN ACCENT: Hey. Yeah, the States were great. What can I say?!

I wish I could go back tomorrow.

I just met so many really, really great people. You know?

Really, really interesting, kind of...

You know...

hot guys.

Anybody home?

'After ringing the front doorbell 11 times,

'I finally gave up.

'Sadly, this could only mean one thing.

'Before their holiday, Vicki's parents had been all fired up

'about packing her off

'to an exclusive boarding school in the city.'

For over 50 years,

graduates of the Dame Hilda Michelthwaite Ladies' College

have stood astride the world stage

as leaders of industry, the sciences, commerce

and once or twice, even the arts.

Yes, but where's the bit about dating opportunities

with the sons of unscrupulous mining giants

or fabulously wealthy stockbrokers?

-Um...

-Is it in this one?

'Suddenly I wasn't looking forward to heading back to school any more.'

BLEATING

I know how you feel.

'Like all the other kids in town,

'my best friend Egg was packing away his summer memories

'and looking to fit into a new pair of shoes.'

-Dad, I...

-What do you say, Egg? Snug? Lots of support?

'The thing was, Egg's mum had won some ginormous art prize

'and relocated to Scandinavia indefinitely,

'which meant she wouldn't be around to witness

'the start of the school year

'or anything much at all for a while.'

There you go, Geoffrey. New shoes - tick.

Play lunch - tick. And look, you're going to have some fun with these -

sandwiches with hundreds and thousands.

-Eh?

-Great, Dad. Excellent.

-Now, stationery.

-Hey, listen, Dad,

maybe I should choose my own stuff. I know how busy you get.

Hey, Geoffrey. You and me, father and son, solid.

If we don't have time for each other, we're not much of a team.

Yeah. I know, Dad, but you don't need to feel you have to do

everything Mum did for me.

-I don't.

-Of course you don't.

Mum never knew when I had to go back to school. I always had to tell her.

I know you did,

but Mum's complete lack of interest, it was one of our family traditions.

But, Geoff, from now on...

you and me,

we're going to be creating a whole new bunch of traditions

all of our own.

I blame myself, Sarge.

I should never have agreed to have Phillip accelerated.

But he'd read every book in the library twice.

They can jolly well buy more books, then.

He'd read them too.

Lockie had a hard enough time fitting into high school last year

and yet I have WILLINGLY set Phillip up for the same painful fate.

Why do I insist on repeating this family's misery time and time again?

The one vital variable you are forgetting, Joy,

is Phillip has an older brother looking out for him.

Lockie?

You really think Lockie can make a difference?

What self-respecting delinquent would pick on Phillip Leonard

knowing his big brother had his back?

'Hold on, I didn't ask for this.

'It's going to be hard enough watching my own back as it is.'

Should I take in my Mars rover tomorrow?

I'd like to show the head of the science faculty, get his opinion.

Leave it for a day or two.

You don't want to fire all your big guns on the first day.

Mmm.

Good thinking.

I shouldn't intimidate the support staff.

We'll need to be working together all year.

Something simpler, perhaps.

What about my transportable ant farm?

I don't think so. The school has a strict "no pets" policy.

-You wouldn't want to take the risk.

-Thanks for the heads-up.

But I'm pretty confident I can argue a clear distinction

between pets and research subjects.

The ant farm it is.

'Poor Phillip.

'He had no idea what was really up ahead of him.

'Unlike everyone else in town,

'who were tucking themselves into bed

'dreading the start of the new school year.

'Well, almost everybody.'

ELECTRONIC WHIRR

GUNSHOT PINGS

11 hours till show-time.

HE CACKLES

Yes!

Lockie, today's the day. I'm finally coming home.

'I figured if I couldn't improve my own prospects for the new year,

'I could at least try to improve Phillip's.'

Morning, all.

Phillip! What happened to your shirt?

'OK, I may have been a bit scissor-happy.'

I must have had a growth-spurt in my sleep.

It's like my body knew to step up to the plate.

-I couldn't let him go to school looking that way.

-This is better?!

No. Phillip, you'll stay home today with me and Blob.

All day, maybe longer.

Don't worry, Mum. I've got it covered.

'Mum was right.

'If Phillip had looked ridiculous before,

'now he was inviting

'every feral bogan in the school yard to take a swipe at him.'

SHOES SQUEAK

You're sure you don't want me to walk to school with you?

Sure, Dad.

All right. Straight there, Geoff.

And be careful on the roads.

Oh, and, Geoff,

-be sure to finish your lunch. Every bit of it!

-Bye, Dad.

Uh...

Remember what I said - stick close to me at all times.

OK...let's do it.

Wait! I want to savour the moment.

You can't let him go inside looking like that.

Not on his first day.

He'll get his head shoved down the toilet like yours was.

-I know.

-It's not like you can fight all his battles for him.

It's a jungle out there. Every man for himself.

Egg...

OK, Lock.

Cue music.

CLICK!

I'm ready.

SHOES SQUEAK

SHOES SQUEAK

'For a moment, I thought we'd got away with it.

'But then, when the attack came, it came out of nowhere.

'A pack of feral bogans swooping out of the sun.'

SNARLING

Wait up! Hang on!

We did this all last year, remember?

-ALL:

-Action replay! Action replay!

-Put that boy down!

'Vicki!

'And what's more, she was wearing an Angelus High uniform.'

I said, put the boy down.

Yes, I see.

Some high school fun, is it? Very good. It's good to let off steam.

Lockie, your mouth. It's gaping. It looks really unattractive.

Hi, Lockie. Happy new year.

It's so good to see you.

Same.

Cos, like, you know, it's been...

-Breathe slowly. You're going red.

-Sorry, it's just,

-I've been thinking about you all summer.

-Really?

Have you been thinking about you all summer?

I mean, thinking about...

I've been thinking about you too.

-I thought you might have forgotten about me altogether.

-Really?

-Yeah.

And everything I said last time we were together.

I got you a T-shirt.

But I mean...all the other stuff I said and meant to say, but didn't.

I remember what you said and meant, Lockie.

It's just that I didn't actually hear from you

the whole time you were away in the States.

You didn't get my postcards?

Yeah, the postcard. It was awesome, really great.

-Loved it. The Grand Canyon.

-What about all the rest?

-There were more?

-Yeah.

What have we here?

I know somebody who's going to be a very happy little boy.

You wouldn't believe how much I missed having you around.

-Same.

-Yeah, same.

-Same.

'Vicki and me, we're made for each other.

'We're a perfect fit

'and so are Phillip and high school, it turns out.

'Like Sarge had said, the future was waiting just around the corner

'for all of us.'

First impressions, facilities? Yes, reasonable.

Support staff? Yes, so-so.

But there's a lot more work ahead of me

if I'm going to turn Angelus High

into a world-class centre of innovation.

What about you, Lockie? What do you think this coming year will bring?

'The coming year? I don't know, Phillip.

'No idea. All I'll say is that it's going to be new and very improved.'

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