(above art by artist Han Yiejie [hanyiejiee])
ACT 2
Scene 5
Schoolhouse. BRUCE, HARRISON, and LIL' Ed walk into a noisy classroom filled with other boys of varying ages. All are in uniform. The boys sit at desks close to each other. TEACHER walks in holding the attendance.
TEACHER
A little less noise in here!...Now then, roll call.
He reads off list of names, students respond. He comes to the m's.
TEACHER
...Bruce Meredith.
BRUCE
Present.
TEACHER
Harrison Meredith.
HARRISON
Here.
TEACHER
Edward Meredith.
LIL' ED
Here!
Audio cuts out at this point, TEACHER still reading off names with BRUCE, HARRISON, and LIL' ED looking at one another in excitement. Montage begins showcasing the boys excelling in their own talents.
Short clip of BRUCE reading aloud to the class from a book, only to put it down and continue to speak from memory while the class watches, captivated.
Short clip of HARRISON doing a complex math problem on the board, after which he smugly tosses the chalk to TEACHER, and is subsequently ordered to go sit at a single desk at the back of the room. He goes with a self-satisfied smirk, while TEACHER reviews the complete equation with his back to HARRISON. He shakes his head in proud exasperation, and looks down at his marking sheet. Next to HARRISON's name is a row of checkmarks, and TEACHER adds another.
Short clip of LIL' ED working privately with TEACHER on graphs and statistics. Cut to LIL' ED wearing a small suit and doing a mock presentation to TEACHER and JANE, who are attentive and serious-faced despite the crude colouring of the graphs and the overall cute little professional before them.
Montage ends with boys walking down the aisles of the classroom. Fading used to make other students slowly disappear, the lighting change from day to afternoon, and the boys turn into adult men. They are collecting test papers off of the desks and talking.
BRUCE
You did not go easy on them this time, did you Harrison? These questions are brutal!
HARRISON
If I'm teaching them, my students had better be the smartest in the country. If that means I have to be the hardest teacher in the world, so be it.
BRUCE
There's a difference between hard and cruel Harry, I can't even solve the first one.
HARRISON
And that's why you never became a teacher, Bruce. But I suppose you've got a pretty good gig talking at people for a living.
BRUCE
It's called oratory, and I should hope the teacher raising up this country's best and brightest would know what that is.
LIL' ED
(laughs) Don't start making speeches with us. How long is your vacation anyways, before you go back to this European tour of yours?
BRUCE
(ruefully) Two more weeks, and it won't be enough. This voice will be the death of me. Everywhere I go people ask for my opinions on things, and expect my answer to change their lives! I've started rehearsing dissertations in my dreams. I'm terrified of the slightest sniffle pushing me into early retirement.
HARRISON
Buck up, Lil' Ed here has as much riding on his talk box as you, and you don't see him complaining.
LIL' ED
Edward, Harry.
YOU ARE READING
The Boys of Cherry Hill
General FictionPeople who are lost have a way of finding each other. It's remarkable really, how bad you can be at taking care of yourself, but be just what someone else needs to survive. Ms. Jane of Cherry Hill learns this when a simple downtown visit puts her i...
