Hedgehogs
Chapter 1
INT -- OFFICE -- DAY
Albert Tyler sits in his office typing away at his computer. His office is filled with spare computer parts and action figurines. Posters are covering the walls. The room is in an organised disarray.
ALBERT TYLER (V.O.)
That's me. Albert James Tyler. Twenty-nine years old, father to one, boyfriend to one, and utterly and irrevocably ordinary.
I grew up with five older sisters...
INT -- DINING ROOM -- FLASHBACK
Young Albert Tyler sits with his family at the dining table eating dinner. The room is very noisy, lots of chattering, laughing, and clinking of cutlery. Camera pans around the table and stops with Albert sitting at the end of the table looking small and out of place.
ALBERT TYLER (V.O.)
All of them stronger, louder and a lot more outgoing than quiet little me.
INT -- OFFICE -- DAY
Albert wheels around his office putting folders back onto shelves, packing up ready to leave for home.
ALBERT TYLER (V.O.)
However, despite being greatly outnumbered and having to wear the hand-me-downs that my mother deemed appropriate for a boy to wear, it wasn't all bad. I mean, if it wasn't for my mother making me wear a pink raincoat when I was nine I never would have met my best friend, Doug.
INT -- FLASHBACK -- HALLWAY -- MORNING
Rain pouring down outside. Seven year old YOUNG ALBERT TYLER, standing in foyer at home wearing a maroon-pink RAINCOAT. His MOTHER is buttoning it up for him.
YOUNG ALBERT TYLER
(with disgust)
Mum, it's pink!
MOTHER
Nonsense, Albie. If anything it's maroon.
YOUNG ALBERT TYLER
It's pink! And it's a girl's raincoat. I'll get bashed up if I wear it!
Albert undoes buttons of his raincoat as soon as his mother does them up. His mother continues to do up his buttons.
MOTHER
Just because it belonged to your sister doesn't mean it's a girl's raincoat. And really, Albie, who would want to bash you up for wearing a maroon raincoat?
Albert looks at his mother with disbelief as she pushes him out the front door. Albert stands on front veranda looking with hesitation at the rain as Mother closes door behind him.
ALBERT TYLER (V.O)
Mum was wrong.
EXT. SCHOOL YARD - afternoon
Rain has subsided leaving everything wet and squelchy. Albert runs across the empty playground. Chasing him are a group of five or so boys. Albert quickly climbs up a tree to escape. Boys run around tree, shaking it and yelling.
EXT. SCHOOL YARD - Late Afternoon
Albert is still in the tree. He attempts to climb down but a branch snaps so he thinks better of it. He's cold and wet.
ALBERT TYLER (V.O.)
I stayed in that tree for hours....Mostly because I'd climbed too high and was scared to climb back down. And that was where Doug came in.
YOUNG DOUGLAS walks up to tree. He's short and a bit pudgy.
YOUNG DOUGLAS
(Looks up at Albert curiously)
Do you need some help?
ALBERT TYLER (V.O)
That sentence was the start of our now twenty two year long friendship.
Albert Tyler sits in his office typing away at his computer. His office is filled with spare computer parts and action figurines. Posters are covering the walls. The room is in an organised disarray.
ALBERT TYLER (V.O.)
That's me. Albert James Tyler. Twenty-nine years old, father to one, boyfriend to one, and utterly and irrevocably ordinary.
I grew up with five older sisters...
INT -- DINING ROOM -- FLASHBACK
Young Albert Tyler sits with his family at the dining table eating dinner. The room is very noisy, lots of chattering, laughing, and clinking of cutlery. Camera pans around the table and stops with Albert sitting at the end of the table looking small and out of place.
ALBERT TYLER (V.O.)
All of them stronger, louder and a lot more outgoing than quiet little me.
INT -- OFFICE -- DAY
Albert wheels around his office putting folders back onto shelves, packing up ready to leave for home.
ALBERT TYLER (V.O.)
However, despite being greatly outnumbered and having to wear the hand-me-downs that my mother deemed appropriate for a boy to wear, it wasn't all bad. I mean, if it wasn't for my mother making me wear a pink raincoat when I was nine I never would have met my best friend, Doug.
INT -- FLASHBACK -- HALLWAY -- MORNING
Rain pouring down outside. Seven year old YOUNG ALBERT TYLER, standing in foyer at home wearing a maroon-pink RAINCOAT. His MOTHER is buttoning it up for him.
YOUNG ALBERT TYLER
(with disgust)
Mum, it's pink!
MOTHER
Nonsense, Albie. If anything it's maroon.
YOUNG ALBERT TYLER
It's pink! And it's a girl's raincoat. I'll get bashed up if I wear it!
Albert undoes buttons of his raincoat as soon as his mother does them up. His mother continues to do up his buttons.
MOTHER
Just because it belonged to your sister doesn't mean it's a girl's raincoat. And really, Albie, who would want to bash you up for wearing a maroon raincoat?
Albert looks at his mother with disbelief as she pushes him out the front door. Albert stands on front veranda looking with hesitation at the rain as Mother closes door behind him.
ALBERT TYLER (V.O)
Mum was wrong.
EXT. SCHOOL YARD - afternoon
Rain has subsided leaving everything wet and squelchy. Albert runs across the empty playground. Chasing him are a group of five or so boys. Albert quickly climbs up a tree to escape. Boys run around tree, shaking it and yelling.
EXT. SCHOOL YARD - Late Afternoon
Albert is still in the tree. He attempts to climb down but a branch snaps so he thinks better of it. He's cold and wet.
ALBERT TYLER (V.O.)
I stayed in that tree for hours....Mostly because I'd climbed too high and was scared to climb back down. And that was where Doug came in.
YOUNG DOUGLAS walks up to tree. He's short and a bit pudgy.
YOUNG DOUGLAS
(Looks up at Albert curiously)
Do you need some help?
ALBERT TYLER (V.O)
That sentence was the start of our now twenty two year long friendship.