A sample scene from my latest writing development series ‘Formally Young’, a comedy, drama, coming of age series following 6 teenagers as they navigate the world between being children and adults, sixth formers. The 8-episode series focuses on the mundanity and humorous nature of becoming young adults in the mid 2010s, in a close-knit group of outcast friends living on the Isle of Wight. The following scene is from Episode 2.

EXT. TOM'S HOUSE - EVENING

A beautiful summer evening, the sun still high enough to trick the body into thinking it is early afternoon. The street inclines slightly, parked cars fill every space alongside the pavement, occasionally broken up by a tree planted into the path as an attempt by the council to add greenery other than hedge rows from front gardens, to break up the grey of the concrete. Millie ambles her way up Tom's street, she's carrying a plastic Nisa bag that clanks as two bottles of cheap wine and a few packets of crisps rustle with each step. As she walks up the road, she spots two figures walking the opposite way.

Millie comes to a stop outside the driveway of Tom's house. At the same time, Daniel and Will arrive from the opposite direction. Will in his long-sleeved checkered shirt and light chinos, his school rucksack on his back, clearly repurposed to house various bottles of alcohol that his mum was willing to part with.

Daniel is holding a pack of 4 Budweiser beers in his hand, the cardboard packaging damaged from the journey, being held by Daniel, who didn’t see the point in a bag when the journey was only 10 minutes down the road.

‍ ‍MILLIE

What the hell are you wearing?

Daniel is dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt with a black beanie that reads 'comme de fuck down'. His black hair oking out beneath it. He smiles, and a breathy laugh comes out.

‍ ‍DANIEL

(Dry and blunt)

What?

WILL

(Turning from Millie to Daniel)

They like to experiment at that age

‍ ‍MILLIE

Did you actually walk here wearing that?

DANIEL

‍ ‍Yeah

‍ ‍WILL

Take no notice Sweeney, I think you look sexy in it

‍ ‍DANIEL

Thanks babe

The two boys sarcastically act out blowing and catching a kiss. Millie rolls her eyes and sniggers before the three walk across the gravelled path, one by one sliding past the very small gap between the parked car and the open hedge row that highlights how cars have become too big for the old, small driveways of modern Britain.

‍ ‍WILL (Cont.)

No problem sweety

They're just about to ring the doorbell when a voice calls out from behind.

Freddie and Mia round the corner, holding a similar array of bags that have the sole purpose of carrying cheap bottles of cider and wine.

‍ ‍FREDDIE

‍ ‍Hellooo-oh

The group greet each other, and Freddie looks at Daniel's hat, takes a moment to compute the sight before her eyes, and frowns. The fashion student is attempting to find the right words for her friend, who clearly doesn’t think the same way about dressing in public as she does.

‍ ‍FREDDIE

Okay Daniel

She turns away, not wanting to dive into his choice of fashion. The group of 5 gathers around the front door, like a carol choir too anxious to start singing while the door is closed. After a moment of awkwardness, Millie takes charge and leans through the group to ring the bell.

INT. TOM'S HOUSE - EVENING

Through the tinted glass, a shadow moves but stops short of the door. Clear as day, LUCY, Tom's sister, can be heard shouting up the stairs.

‍ ‍LUCY

Tom! They're here

Silence.

‍ ‍LUCY

Tom!

‍ ‍TOM

(Shouting angrily from upstairs)

Open the door then Lucy!

The tone between Tom and Lucy is one only ever witnessed between two teenage siblings, pure disgust and rage at the sound of their annoying sibling’s voice, despite the mundanity of the context.

‍ ‍LUCY

They're your friends; you open the door.

‍ ‍TOM

(Running down the stairs)

Just let them in, it's not hard

‍ ‍LUCY

(Walking away into the kitchen)

Well if it's not that hard then you can- (her voice trails off)

The door opens.

‍ ‍TOM

Hello - oh wow, everyone

Everyone comes in one by one and awkwardly begins taking their shoes off in the limited space of the nice townhouse entrance way. Will and Daniel trip over each other in an attempt to untie shoe laces.

‍ ‍TOM

Ooh what you got Millie?

‍ ‍MILLIE

Mum got me two bottles of echo falls

‍ ‍MIA

Yes, Heather.

‍ ‍TOM

(Like a good host, turning his attention to other guests)

On the beers, Sweeney?- Love the hat by the way

‍ ‍DANIEL

(Monotone)

‍ ‍ Bud. Thanks Tom.

Tom begins to walk into the kitchen. Mia begins to follow and then stops, looking at a new picture that is hanging on the wall. One by one, everyone begins to stop behind Mia and they all quizzically look at the picture. The camera stationary looking at them as all their faces begin to mould into a similar expression of confusion and concern. As they all stare a little speechless, NICKY, Tom's mum, walks out into the hallway, holding a print.

‍ ‍NICKY

Oh. Hello everyone

‍ ‍EVERYONE

(Still staring behind the camera, unmoved)

Hi, hello.

‍ ‍NICKY

(Walking towards the picture)

I'm just putting up some of the pictures from Greece.

Everyone is still silent as they look at the picture, slightly confused.

‍ ‍WILL

I'll ask. (Beat.) Nicky… Is Tom naked? (Nods towards the picture)

We cut to the picture, it's a comically large picture, like a landscape painting in size, long lens picture of Tom on holiday, a side profile of him reclining on a seat in a garden through a bush of flowers that perfectly cover his waist. He's not visibly wearing any clothes. Lilac, white and pink flowers in the foreground cover his waist in a romanticised and perfectly placed manner, creating an uncomfortable frame for Tom’s friends to see him in.

Nicky looks at the photo that she's printed out in a large format and hung on the wall with its beautiful handcrafted frame she made, lining it with a bronze and gold trim, which looks to depict her son in a Michelangelo-style pose, naked aside from a small flower bush that covers very little.

She takes a moment, the entire group still silently mesmerised by the picture.

‍ ‍NICKY

(Realising)

Oh, how funny, I didn't notice. Tom are you naked here?

Tom walks back into frame, throwing a tea-towel over his shoulder and joins the wide frame of people studying the picture.

‍ ‍TOM

What? No, I have shorts on, they're just hidden...

EVERYONE

‍ ‍ Thank god

Phew

Ohhh

DANIEL

Thank fuck

Nicky gives a humoured laugh.

‍ ‍NICKY

How funny

She turns around and notices Daniel, who turns round to face the slightly shorter woman, her face now staring right into a black beanie that reads ‘Comme de fuck down’.

‍ ‍NICKY

That's an odd hat Daniel

‍ ‍DANIEL

(Flustered)

‍ ‍Thanks.

Lucy weaves her way through Tom’s friends and opens the door. Turning back with a hurried tone and slight annoyance.

‍ ‍LUCY

Mum we need to leave

NICKY

Yes alright Lucy... Okay well have fun everyone, is anyone staying over? (Directed specifically at Mia)

‍ ‍MIA

(Panicking, brief flashbacks about the last time she ‘stayed over’)

No, I'm staying at Freddie's tonight

‍ ‍NICKY

(Grabbing car keys)

Right'o, don't get too drunk Tom. And get home safe everyone.

‍ ‍TOM

(Practically shoving his mum out the door)

Yep, bye mum.

‍ ‍NICKY

Okay, okay, bye everyone, have fun.

‍ ‍EVERYONE

‍ ‍Bye

Thanks Nicky

Good luck Lucy

The door closes. Tom turns around, clapping his hands together.

TOM

Right, Ring of Fire?