001 - First meeting 6.9.06

This is the beginning of the most beautiful, exciting and amazing love storyline ever told. The protagonists are JP and Craig, the cooles guys in the world. I can't stop watching this story and I can't stop thinking about these two lovely guys.

6 9 2006

The story starts in the playground of Hollyoaks Comprehensive, the first day of school. Craig is
walking alone. He stops when he finds himself face to face with the rude Sonny Valentine.

CRAIG: Excuse me.
Sonny doesn’t move.
Justin: Com'on mate
Craig manages to push past Sonny to make his way inside the school building.
He walks into the sixth form common room and doesn’t notice John Paul sitting alone in a corner, reading a magazine. JOHN PAULI: If you’re looking for the way out, this isn’t it.
CRAIG: What?
JOHN PAUL(looking up and taking out his earphones): Weren’t you supposed to leave last year? CRAIG: Do I know you?
JOHN PAUL: No idea. (he turns back to his magazine.)
CRAIG: I’m re-sitting.
JOHN PAUL: Good for you. Craig moves to sit by John Paul.
CRAIG: You know, I didn’t get the grades I wanted so, erm … well, I passed – I just fell a couple of points short of the course I want to do. So I’m taking another year.
JOHN PAUL: Great.
CRAIG: So, er … why are you in here? Instead of out there with the rest of them?
John Paul’s gaze moves to the door of the common room where Sonny and Justin are coming in.
JOHN PAUL: No reason.

SONNY jumps over the back of a chair and sits next to Craig.) I got everything in my sights.
Later in the morning, Craig is alone in the common room which is now full of students. John Paul glances at him as he walks past. Sonny approaches Craig and knocks a folder out of his hands.

SONNY: Oh, sorry mate.
Craig reaches down to get the folder and Sonny rams his foot down on Craig’s fingers. Craig grunts in pain.
SONNY: Shhh. Have a look around. No-one is going to come to your rescue. And this is what it’s going to be like every day.
Justin comes up to them.
JUSTIN: Sonny.
SONNY: Bye, Craig.

As Craig holds his injured hand, Nicole comes and sits beside him.
NICOLE: You all right?
CRAIG: I’m fine. (he glances behind him to where John Paul is standing) Is he a McQueen?
NICOLE: Who, John Paul? Um, yeah.
CRAIG: That’d explain why he’s a weirdo.
NICOLE: Listen, Craig, I’d give it a couple of days before you start slagging off your new classmates.
She walks away, leaving Craig alone again.
Later in the day, Craig is in the common room again, though this time he is the only person in there. Until Sonny comes up behind him…
SONNY: Well look who I’ve found.
Craig gets up and tries to walk away but Sonny pushes him over, then grabs the back of his jacket, pulls him up, and slams him back against a pillar.
SONNY: Hit me!
CRAIG: No.
SONNY: Come on, what’s wrong with you? Hit me!
CRAIG: I said no, all right? I’m sorry about what happened to your mum. But it’s got nothing to do with-
SONNY: Don’t you mention her!
CRAIG: Why not? That’s what this is about. I am sorry. But it’s not my fault.
Craig walks away but Sonny grabs him again and pushes him against another pillar.
SONNY: No. It was your brother’s fault. He ran her down and then just drove off, like she was a dog. Why didn’t he stop, eh? Instead of driving off, leaving her dying in the road! Come on, tell me!
CRAIG: I don’t know.
Sonny grabs Craig’s hair.
SONNY: Imagine the pain. Laying there, knowing no-one is coming to help you.
Justin enters the common room.
JUSTIN: Sonny, don’t.
SONNY: Stay out of this.
The fire alarm goes off.
JUSTIN: Is this what you want, getting chucked out on the first day?
SONNY: This is between me and him.
JUSTIN: We’ve gotta leave. Sonny! Let’s go.
SONNY: This ain’t over, Dean.
With the fire alarm still ringing, Sonny and Justin walk away, leaving Craig alone.
Outside the school at the end of the day, the students are all heading home. Craig walks alone and doesn’t notice John Paul, leaning against a wall.
JOHN PAULYou can relax, Sonny’s gone.
Craig turns to him.
CRAIGWhy you hanging around here?
JOHN PAULI’m waiting for my kid sister, Michaela.
Craig turns and starts to walk away again.

JOHN PAUL: If you’re scared I could get her to walk you home. (he starts to walk towards Craig)
CRAIG(bitterly): That’d be a great end to the day. First there’s the humiliation of walking here, then there’s Sonny wanting to kill me, not to mention all these idiots who think that setting off the fire alarm’s a right laugh.
JOHN PAUL: Maybe that idiot was just trying to watch your back. You ever thought of that?
Craig is stunned and stands still as John Paul passes him.
CRAIG: What?
JOHN PAUL(distractedly, looking at his watch): She must’ve already left.
CRAIG(following John Paul): Hold on, what’d you say? Hold on! Was it you?
John Paul finally stops and looks at him.
JOHN PAUL: You can get kicked out for pulling a stunt like that.
CRAIG: Tell me.
JOHN PAUL: I saw Sonny follow you inside, all right? Justin went in after him. It wasn’t shaping up to be a fair fight.
CRAIG: Thanks.
JOHN PAUL: You know, for someone who says he just wants to keep his head down, you’re doing a pretty good job of drawing attention to yourself. John Paul smiles and walks away, leaving Craig staring after him.

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