Radio script:

Junk: Chapter 1

Gemma: Me
Tar: Reece
Barry: Ric
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1. SFX Garage door closing

2. Gemma I was spending the night with Tar in the back of

the Volvo. It was completely pitch black.

3. Gemma I’m hungry.

4. SFX Click of torch turning on

5. SFX Unzip of backpack

6. SFX Bag being moved, rustling

7. Gemma Tar shone his torch in the bag behind us, trying
to find food.

8. Tar There’s an apple.

9. Gemma Nah. Any crisps left?

10. Tar Nope.

11. SFX Gemma sighing

12. Gemma I leant back in the car, pulling the blanket

around me.

13. Gemma It’s cold.

14. Tar Barry’ll be here soon.

15. Gemma He watched me closely, frowning anxiously at

me in the torchlight.
16. Tar Sorry you came?

17. Gemma I looked at him and smiled.

18. Gemma Nah.

19. Gemma Tar snuggled up against me in the cold.

20. Gemma You better save the batteries.

21. SFX Click of torch turning off

22. Gemma He turned off the torch. It was so black we

couldn’t see our own hands. We were
surrounded by the smell of damp concrete, oil
and petrol but we still sat cuddling and talking in
the dark.

23. Tar Come with me!

24. Gemma What?

25. Gemma I was surprised, I had never thought about it

before now. I was lost for words and just
watched him blush deeply.

26. Gemma You must be crazy!

27. Tar Why?

28. Gemma What have I got to run away from?

29. Tar Wait till you get home…

30. Gemma We laughed together. My parents had banned

me a week before from seeing Tar. They didn’t
know where I was but I’m sure they knew I was
with him.

31. Tar It’d be something to do.

32. Tar You’re always saying how bored you are.

33. Gemma That’s true.

34. Gemma I was the most bored person she knew. Sitting
in class I sometimes felt dizzy with it, that I
would pop or faint or something if it didn’t stop.

35. Gemma What about school?

36. Tar You can go to school anytime.

37. Gemma I can run away anytime in my life.

38. Gemma Truth is, I would’ve liked to. I wanted to. But
why? I didn't love Tar, I only liked him. My
parents were ghastly and I was bored. But that
wasn’t a reason to run away to the city at 14.

39. Gemma I don’t think so Tar.

40. Gemma I could feel Tar lay still in my lap. I knew what
he was feeling because his heart was always
painted on his face.

41. Gemma I’m sorry.

42. Gemma Tar had a reason, plenty of reasons. The latest

were painted on his face, too. His upper lip
swelled over his teeth like a fat plum. His left
eye was black, blue, yellow and red.

43. SFX Car door being opened

44. Gemma There was a noise behind us so we both

ducked out of sight.

45. Barry It’s only me.

46. Gemma Bloody hell - you nearly killed me.

47. Barry Sorry. Here, put that torch on so’s I can see
where I’m going.
48. Gemma Tar shone the beam over to the plump blonde
boy carrying a plastic bag. He grinned and
joined us.

49. SFX Plastic bag rustling

50. Barry I suppose we ought to have a secret knock or

something. Here.

51. Barry It’s only rolls and cheese. They’d have missed
anything else.

52. Gemma Didn’t you get any butter?

53. Barry No. But I got some pickle.

54. Gemma He passed me the pot of pickle. Branston!

Brilliant!

55. SFX Pickle jar being popped open

56. Gemma I began tearing up the rolls and chunks of

cheese. Barry had forgotten a knife so I had to
spread the pickle with my finger.

57. Gemma Barry watched Tar’s face by the torchlight.

58. Barry Christ! He really laid into you this time, didn’t
he?

59. Gemma Looks like a bowl of rotten fruit, doesn’t it?

60. Gemma Not that you’d want to eat it…

61. Barry You haven’t been turning the light on, by the
way, have you? Only…

62. Gemma We said we wouldn’t, didn’t we?

63. Barry Only they might see it through the cracks in the
garage door.
64. Gemma I told you.

65. Barry All right.

66. Gemma I stuffed a roll leaking pickle into her mouth.

67. Gemma Wan’ one?

68. Tar Yes please…

69. Gemma He beamed at me as I pulled another roll in half.

70. Barry When are you going?

71. Tar Tomorrow.

72. Barry Got everything?

73. SFX Body moving against the car seat

74. Gemma Tar leaned over the front seat and patted his
rucksack. It wasn’t that full. Barry watched Tar
eating for a second and then he blurted out:

75. Barry But what about your mum?

76. Gemma His mum’s gonna be alright. She’ll probably

clear off herself once Tar’s gone. She’s only
been staying because of him anyway; she’s
said that thousands of times, hasn’t she?

77. Gemma Tar nodded slowly, like a tormented tortoise. I

glared at barry and mouthed ‘shut up’.

78. Barry Right…

79. Barry Best thing you could do for her, clear off. She
won’t have anything to tie her to the old bastard
then.

80. Tar That’s what I’m hoping for.

81. Gemma It got very cold in the garage later so Tar and I
snuggled up together and wrapped blankets
around us.

82. SFX Kissing sounds

83. Gemma We kissed, I didn’t stop him when his hand

glided under my top, but when he slid his hand
down my tummy I slapped his fingers lightly.

84. Gemma Naughty!

85. Tar Why not?

86. Gemma Not here...

87. Gemma I didn’t mind him touching me there. But I was

worried about spending the night together.

88. Gemma I just don’t want it to go further.

89. Tar You might never see me again after tonight.

90. Gemma It won’t go any further then.

91. Tar All right.