Down with School The Story of Tracy Beaker

# I can make my world come true All my dreams will see me through

-# It doesn't matter What may come my way...

-No! No!

# Believe me now I will win some day. #

I hate Mondays. Double mussel sprocket - yuk!

-Hey, Crash, don't forget you've got a spelling test today.

-Oh, no.

Run away again, Jackie?

Just cos your grandpa's a champion runner, it doesn't mean you are too!

-That is enough, Michael.

-You ought to lock her up, Shelley,

now the school have chucked her out.

-They didn't chuck me out!

-Michael, enough!

I just had better places to go, OK?

ALARM SOUNDS

They chucked you out so you have to do all your work here on your own...

-in between running away.

-Which part of "enough" don't you understand(?)

At least Jackie didn't spend every lunchtime ALONE.

Just drop it. Once Michael settles in he'll make lots of new friends.

-ALL: No!

-Jackie, I'm away today...

-Great, I'll go and see Grandpa.

-Your home tutor's left you lots of work.

-Nathan will supervise you.

-Nathan?!

I'll see you later. And no more running away, OK?

I'm not promising anything.

-I wish I was staying home.

-Me too, even if it is with Nathan.

Tracey, you're not going to bunk off, are you? It's football today.

-And treacle sponge.

-And history with Miss Penwellyn.

Oo-ooh(!) Big deal. I'd much rather spend the day with Jackie.

-Why can't

-I

-have a bit of home tutoring too,

-especially as Nathan's in charge?

-Blah-blah-blah-blah...

-You'd never pull it off.

-Just watch.

-Have a nice day at school, Michael.

Have a good day at school, dudes.

Hurry up, Bounce. You're going to be late for Miss Penwellyn.

Layla, your physio's coming round today, remember?

But I'll miss my play rehearsal.

-It's all arranged.

-But I'm the Psychopathic Fairy!

I get to zap everyone into a coma!

We're doing Sleeping Beauty.

-Ah. Sorry, Pumpkin.

-I don't want to miss school, Nathan.

-It's not fair.

-I know.

Aaargh!

-AAARGH! AAARGH!

-Michael, what's happened?!

-I fell down the stairs! My foot hurts!

-Let's see.

-AARGH!

-I'll ring an ambulance.

-No! I'd better get to school.

-Whoa, dude! You're not going anywhere!

-Oh. Have a nice day at school, Tracey.

-Come on, you'll be late.

Don't worry, Nathan. We're not going anywhere.

-What?!

-School stinks...big time.

-Today, we're into home education.

-You can't do that!

-Jackie does.

You've got to go to school! Think of the things you've got to learn,

like who invented the bicycle and who discovered the potato.

We're not going and there's nothing you can do about it.

-You all right, Nathan?

-Aargh!

-Yeah, everything's fine.

Come on. Quick, off you go.

-Keep your wig on!

-We're going.

-Aargh!

'Hello. This is Elaine. Please leave a message after the beep.'

It's Nathan. I've got a bit of a situation.

Can you come over NOW? Bye.

Jackie, it's about time you did some work now.

Don't be a spoilsport, Nathan. I'm winning.

-Chill out, Nathan.

-Chill out? Me? Chill out?! Right, that's it!

-What is?

-You want to stay home? Fine. Meet your new tutor, dudes.

So...two-thirds is bigger than three-quarters.

No... It's gotta be the other way round. Or was it three-fifths?

-Pass me that bit of cake, Tracey.

-What, this one?

-Mmm. This is yummy.

-Stop eating the maths equipment!

OK.

-Want a fight?

-Come on, then!

-Pack it in now! Come on!

-This isn't fractions! Come on!

-Have another fifth!

Nathan, try a sixth!

-What on earth is going on?!

-Eighth of cake, Elaine?

Elaine, you got my message.

No. I popped in to see Jackie. Why aren't you two at school, Tracey?

We want to be home tutored too.

Jackie's special. The school will take her back when she calms down.

Blah-blah-blah. You can't force me to go!

-And you can't force us!

-I've tried everything.

-They won't budge.

-Right.

Well, there's only one thing to do.

-Phone Shelley, tell her to come back?

-No, Nathan.

Allow them to experiment with home education.

-You're not serious...

-Perfectly.

I can't take it. There's this lot,

Michael's fallen down stairs and hurt his foot,

Layla's complaining about physio!

Deep breath, Nathan.

Exhale... Exhale now!

Why don't you take a break? Go and make yourself a nice cup of tea.

-I'll take over here.

-You?!

Right...fractions.

Now, supposing I had a large pie and I cut it into pieces and...

-What kind of pie?

-I don't know. Um...

-You don't know the flavour?!

-It could be dodgy meat passed off as apple!

Or snot and bogey.

-The point is...

-The point is, Elaine, this is very, very boring.

-What do you WANT to learn about?

-How about why we're here on Earth?

The secrets of the universe? Or the solar system?

ALL: Blah, blah, blah, blah!

Aaargh!

Hi, Layla. Want a game of cards?

Or something else? You choose.

-Go away.

-That's not very nice. You should be happy.

-A day off school...

-I didn't have a choice...unlike SOME people.

How's the ankle?

Yeah, funny, that, isn't it?

One minute it's fine, the next it's not.

-Shall I test you?

-No! Go away!

-I only asked!

Hey, look, I can fly! I can fly!

Michael, stop it! Give me them back! Michael!

OK. Pay attention, everyone.

I present to you...the solar system!

I will demonstrate how a black hole operates.

A black hole sucks in all matter... like this.

-MOTOR WHINES

-I'm not sure that's a good idea.

Nothing can survive - planets, stars...

-Elaine, Michael's got my costume wings!

-I have not!

-Layla, what would a big boy like Michael want with those?

-Aargh!

-Aargh!

-Oh, you poor thing!

How could you chase him like that, Layla?!

-But...!

-If you've got nothing better to do, you'd better join us.

Right, we'll give the room a tidy,

and then start some nice geography work.

-Do you like geography, Michael?

-Yes. It's my favourite subject.

-Everything all right, Elaine?

-Fine.

-Layla, your physio cancelled, so you'll make your rehearsal.

-How?!

SOMEONE'S hidden my script and costume!

So, as we can see, the river flows on and on

wearing BIT by BIT by BIT into the riverbank,

eating away at little chunks of earth...

-HER VOICE DRONES SLOWLY

-..and stones... and debris...and things...

..and little by little over hundreds and hundreds of years,

slowly the river makes a new course.

Taking a short cut, but doing it very slowly -

so slowly that you wouldn't even notice it.

Carving itself a new path,

but still leaving the old route, which...

-Where are you all going?

-It's lunchtime, Elaine.

I didn't think anything could be more tedious than school.

But this has been my best day ever. It's so boring here on my own.

Why are Nathan's sandwiches soggy?

I'd swap them all for some treacle sponge.

-Me too. It's the cross-country race this afternoon.

-Is it?

-I wish you'd come back to school, Jackie.

-Me too.

-They're giving away a silver cup for first prize.

-You'd win easily.

Layla?

GLASS BREAKS Who said you could come in my room?!

Think it's funny, do you?! My brother got me this!

Well, see how funny you find this!

Michael! No, I didn't mean...!

-Give Layla her stuff back!

-No way! I'm going to rip them to pieces!

-Don't!

-Michael, I thought you'd hurt your ankle.

-Aargh!

-That really is very naughty to pretend like that!

He HAS hurt it, Elaine.

One minute it's fine and the next it's not.

-Sorry I broke your picture, Michael.

-It's OK.

Oh, I thought you were just pulling our leg.

Let me help you.

-Come on.

-Aagh!

Elaine, Nathan... I want to go back to school.

School?! Yeah... Yeah, great! What an absolutely great idea!

OK. I'll give the head teacher a call.

Come on, let's go!

My play rehearsal starts any minute.

-Let me help you, Michael.

-Aagh!

We'll do some nice geography this afternoon.

Are you sure about this, Jackie?

110% sure. Aren't you, Jackie?

I'm ready for school. I don't know if it's ready for me,

but there's only one way to find out.

# I can make my world come true All my dreams will see me through

-# And the fight won't get me down

-No! No!

# My dreams will turn things All around

# With a smile upon my face I can see a better place

-# It doesn't matter What may come my way...

-No! No!

# Believe me now I will win some day. #